Jennifer Gibson, Author at Walk For Hope Foundation

26 05, 2021

Co-occurrence of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and Feeding and Eating Disorders in Adolescence: Prevalence, Complications, and Clinical Management | Matherne | $40,396

Co-occurrence of Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction and Feeding and Eating Disorders in Adolescence: Prevalence, Complications, and Clinical Management 2021 Award: $40,396 A body of research is emerging that links Feeding and Eating Disorders (FEDs) to adults with Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI). Surprisingly, very little research has been conducted on FEDs among adolescents with DGBI. In this project, we will estimate the prevalence and identify psychiatric comorbidities and health-related symptoms of FEDs in a clinical sample of adolescents with DGBI. Data derived from the study will inform novel treatments for youth with co-occurring DGBI/FEDs that are expected to be mutually beneficial to improving patient outcomes across both fields. Need/Problem: Disorders of Gut-Brain Interaction (DGBI) involve impairing gastrointestinal symptoms occurring due to miscommunication between the gut and the brain. DGBI affect 1 in 4 youth in the community and > [...]

24 05, 2021

Biobehavioral Markers of Suicide Risk in Female Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum | Maddox | $39,992

Biobehavioral Markers of Suicide Risk in Female Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum 2021 Award: $39,992 Suicide is a leading cause of premature death for individuals on the autism spectrum. Females on the spectrum are at a particularly elevated risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts and behavior. However, very few studies have examined risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in females on the spectrum. Our project is the first prospective study of potential biological vulnerabilities for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in females on the spectrum. Study findings will set the stage for a program of research focused on identifying females on the spectrum at risk for suicide and developing tailored suicide prevention programs to improve outcomes across the lifespan. Need/Problem: Suicide is a leading cause of premature death for autistic* individuals (*note that we use identity-first language to respect the [...]

24 05, 2021

Striatum-Targeted Anhedonia Rapid Treatment (START): a novel transcranial magnetic stimulation paradigm for treating symptoms of anhedonia in depression | Riddle | $38,280

Striatum-Targeted Anhedonia Rapid Treatment (START): a novel transcranial magnetic stimulation paradigm for treating symptoms of anhedonia in depression 2021 Award: $38,280 Anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure, is notoriously difficult to treat and predicts suicide risk. Thus, novel treatment paradigms are required to address this critical need in psychiatry. In a randomized clinical trial, we investigate a novel treatment paradigm and contribute to scientific knowledge of the neural basis of anhedonia. Need/Problem: Anhedonia, or the inability to experience pleasure, is a core symptom of major depressive disorder that predicts suicide risk and can be exacerbated by some treatments. Symptoms of anhedonia are notoriously difficult to treat, so novel interventions and a better understanding of the neural basis of anhedonia are required. Grant Summary: Patients with major depressive disorder and high symptoms of anhedonia will be recruited to participate in [...]

24 05, 2021

Monitoring Affective State Change with Wearable Technology: Assessing Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder | Prim | $40,000

Monitoring Affective State Change with Wearable Technology: Assessing Physiological and Behavioral Mechanisms in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder 2021 Award: $40,000 Real-time monitoring during the transition in to or out of depression (affective state change) is an important precursor to providing targeted interventions to reduce high-risk periods of suicide and early detection and treatment for depression relapse. In this project, we capitalize on widely used wearable technology that can passively collect such real-time data including variables known to be associated with affective state change. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) provides a depression model with monthly switching of affective state. Establishing the physiological variables related to mood transition in PMDD is a first critical step in identifying mechanisms of risk for depression and suicide to develop a prediction model that may be applied to other mental health conditions. Need/Problem: Depression rates are continuing [...]

24 05, 2021

The Comorbidity of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease in Midlife Women: Investigating novel biological pathways of risk | Nathan | $39,617

The Comorbidity of Depression and Cardiovascular Disease in Midlife Women: Investigating novel biological pathways of risk 2021 Award: $39,617 The risk for developing depression and cardiovascular disease increases significantly in midlife women and this combination of illnesses is a leading cause of disability in this population. Disruption in the physiological pathways involved in stress response may underlie the connection between these illnesses, though this has not been fully studied. The primary objective of this proposal is to examine whether dysfunction in the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and autonomic nervous system pathways may be a mechanistic link underlying the association between depression and cardiovascular disease in women. Need/Problem: Depression and cardiovascular disease (CVD) contribute significantly to the morbidity and mortality of women. About 20% of women are impacted by this comorbidity, which is also the leading cause of disability in women worldwide. The [...]

13 05, 2021

A Pilot Study of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression: acute changes, duration of effect and predictors of response | McClure | $101,078

A Pilot Study of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression: acute changes, duration of effect and predictors of response 2021 Award: $101,078 Treatment Resistance in Major Depressive Disorder (TRD) is a common and serious condition with limited therapies available. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy (PAT) is a new treatment that may be an effective antidepressant. We will perform an open-label trial of PAT in TRD to measure acute changes in depressive symptoms after two PAT sessions. We will determine if the improvement in depression persists for four and eight weeks. We will assess if response continues 6, 8 and 12 months after treatment. We will determine predictors of acute response and longer duration of effect. This will: establish feasibility and provide pilot date for larger clinical trial; estimate efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms; determine duration of effect, and; identify predictors of response. Need/Problem: [...]

12 05, 2021

Developing and Evaluating a Computable Phenotype for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia | Zeng | $41,302

Developing and Evaluating a Computable Phenotype for Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia 2021 Award: $41,302 Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia affects about 30% of Schizophrenia patients. Reliable identification of TRS patients within an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system will improve patient care and enhance clinical research. We will develop a computable phenotyping algorithm by combining several information technologies to characterize TRS patients from an EHR system. Need/Problem: Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia (TRS) affects about 30% of schizophrenia patients. However, the utilization rate of clozapine, the only approved antipsychotic for TRS, remains low. Characterization of TRS patients from Electronic Health Records will facilitate early detection of TRS patients and subsequently increase the use of clozapine. Grant Summary: We will use an array of information technologies (database query, temporal medication mining, and natural language processing) to develop an algorithm that could quickly characterize TRS patients in an Electronic Health [...]

11 12, 2020

Lissa

Lissa I stood at the window, looking out on all the uniform buildings surrounding the grey building I am in. Everything looked so dull. I squeezed the bit of skin between my left thumb and pointer finger as hard as I could. I had googled that trick earlier, and Wikihow had informed me that doing this will keep you from crying. I could still hear my brother screaming. I could still feel the room move as he kicked the door. I stood quietly in the corner, wanting to disappear. As the tears streamed down my face, I realized that my thumb trick didn't work. Bipolar disorder is characterized by extreme mood swings and mania. My older brother has a severe form of the disorder, suffering from delusions and dangerous psychosis. He has been hospitalized five times since I was 13 years old. [...]

16 11, 2020

Ashley

Ashley I grew up in a relatively average family. Through most of my school-aged years I considered myself pretty “normal.” But in my senior year of high school, I began to experience anxiety and depression. I isolated myself and just wanted to be left alone. It was difficult, but I thought that going off to college would resolve the issues and get me back on track Once I got to college my anxiety worsened. I had a panic attack my first week of classes. My family connected me with a psychiatrist who proceeded to prescribe me Xanax. I learned fairly quickly that if I had a feeling that I didn’t like, I could just numb it away. I also suffered an injury and quickly became dependent on the narcotics I was prescribed. While I tried [...]

23 06, 2020

A Web-based Intervention to Improve Mental Health Outcomes Among Newly Diagnosed Parents with Cancer | Park | $39,997

A Web-based Intervention to Improve Mental Health Outcomes Among Newly Diagnosed Parents with Cancer 2020 Award: $39,997 Parental cancer threatens the mental health of the entire family. High-quality parental communication supports and facilitates psychological adjustment to illness for both parents and children, but many parents do not have timely access to these important mental health services. In this project we will develop and test a novel web-based psychosocial intervention designed to facilitate parental communication about cancer. If effective, this intervention could provide timely, cost-effective mental health support to address the communication concerns of distressed parents with cancer, thus improving mental health outcomes for their children as well. Need/Problem: Serious illness in a parent threatens the mental health of the entire family. The impact of parental cancer on the family can be reduced by facilitating parents’ communication about illness with [...]

jgibson@walkforhope.com

About Jennifer Gibson