Exploration of sleep disturbances in children and adolescents with and without autism in a paediatric sample referred for polysomnography.

AIMS: The purpose of the study was to increase the body of knowledge related to sleep in children with autism. The specific aims were to (i) identify the subgroup of children with autism, ages 3-17 years, referred for polysomnography and (ii) describe types and frequency of clinical encounters for sleep problems in a sample of children ages 3-17 with and without the diagnosis of autism. METHODS: The authors performed a secondary data analysis of the de-identified Nationwide Children's Hospital Sleep DataBank, a collection of encounters with children referred for polysomnography. The data were filtered for ages 3-17 years at the time of the participant's first sleep study, and further filtered for the presence of an autism diagnosis. RESULTS: In the sample, there were 2838 unique participants (M = 10.5 years) with a total of 172 167 encounters between 2017 and 2019. Of these, 198 (7%) were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Among all participants, the most common sleep problems were apnea, snoring, non-specified sleep disorders (including restless sleeper), circadian rhythm disorder (CRD), and insomnia. The subgroup of patients diagnosed with autism was noted to have higher frequency of several types of sleep problems, especially restless sleep, CRD and insomnia, compared to those without an autism diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Findings elucidate the increased presence of sleep problems in paediatric patients with autism, and the need for purposeful sleep evaluation and research given the potential impact on daytime function for these individuals and their families.

"But I think there's always been that stigma": Adult women's perceptions of menstrual product advertising.

The global value of the menstrual product market recently surpassed 40 billion dollars, yet little attention has been paid to how menstrual product advertising may impact women's perceptions of menstruation. We interviewed a diverse cohort of 18 adult women to understand how menstrual product advertising shapes women's interpretations of their bodies and the menstrual process. Three themes emerged, including gendered stigmatization, depictions of hyper-feminine women, and false narratives about periods. We concluded that dominant patriarchal images of women on their periods persist in female-targeted advertising and offer solutions for advertisers to eliminate stigmas and encompass inclusivity.

A Social Identity Threat Perspective on Why Partisans May Engage in Greater Victim Blaming and Sexual Assault Myth Acceptance in the #MeToo Era.

This study examined how U.S. partisans (N = 1,154) may engage in greater victim blaming and sexual assault myth acceptance to defend their political identities in the #MeToo era. The more Republicans and Democrats identified with being a member of their political party and reported feeling defensive when members from their political party are criticized, the more accepting they were of common sexual assault myths and thus the less likely they were to perceive sexual assault as a serious issue in need of addressing and the #MeToo movement as having a positive impact in the United States.

Ethnic identity, religiousness, and drinking among African Americans: what's the connection?

This study tested a theoretical model explaining how ethnic identity and religiousness might be related to alcohol use among African Americans. One hundred seventy-three African American undergraduates at a large, public, Southeastern historically black university completed the study. Findings indicate that although religiousness accounted for 31% of the relationship between ethnic identity and alcohol use, whether mediation existed depended on which dimensions of ethnic identity, religiousness, and alcohol use were examined. Daily spiritual experiences (but not forgiveness or private religious activities) mediated the link between ethnic belonging (but not ethnic identity search) and average number of alcoholic beverages consumed in a sitting (but not frequency of use or problems with use).

Brains Rule!: a model program for developing professional stewardship among neuroscientists.

Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions, funded through a National Institute on Drug Abuse Science Education Drug Abuse Partnership Award, has developed a successful model for informal neuroscience education. Each Exposition is a "reverse science fair" in which neuroscientists present short neuroscience teaching modules to students. This study focuses on results of assessments conducted with neuroscientist presenters during Expositions at two sites, Atlanta, Georgia and Corpus Christi, Texas. The effects of participating in the Expositions on presenters' perceptions of their own presentation and communication skills were evaluated, as was the potential for increased active participation by neuroscientists in future outreach programs. In four of the five Expositions studied, pre- versus post-event surveys demonstrated significant changes in presenters' perceptions of their own abilities to explain neuroscience concepts to children. Over the course of an Exposition, presenters learned to fit their approaches to conveying neuroscience concepts to fifth through eighth graders and learned to link information they presented about the brain and nervous system to children's past experiences to improve comprehension. The present data suggest that Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions are effective in improving communication and teaching skills among neuroscience professionals and contribute to professional stewardship by increasing motivation to participate in future informal education programs.

Teacher education professionals as partners in health science outreach.

Medical school and other health science outreach programs to educate and recruit precollege students always have relied on successful collaborative efforts. Creighton University shares the value, significance, and strategies of involving teacher education professionals in several of its current outreach programs, including HPPI, Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions, and HHMI Build a Human Project. The education department partner serves as an essential team member in the development, implementation, assessment, and dissemination of these projects to promote science and mathematics achievement and interest in medical careers. Specific examples and mistakes to avoid are included.

Brains rule! fun = learning = neuroscience literacy.

Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions is a project designed to improve neuroscience literacy among children and the general public by applying a model where neuroscience professionals transfer knowledge and enthusiasm about neuroscience through fun, engaging hands-on activities. This educational model draws strength from many national and local partnerships of neuroscience professionals to coordinate expositions across the country in a variety of local communities. Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions uses a flexible science fair-like format to engage children in the process of science and teach about neuroscience concepts, facts, and professions. Neuroscience literacy is important to everyday life and helps individuals better understand themselves, make informed decisions about health and drug use, participate knowledgeably in governmental and social issues, and better understand scientific advancements. In this study, children's ratings of Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions activities were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Analysis of the responses revealed that overall the children perceived the learning activities as fun and interesting and believed that they learned something about the brain and nervous system after engaging in the activities. The Brains Rule! Neuroscience Expositions education model can be an effective tool in improving neuroscience literacy for both children and adults.

Promoting awareness and understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy in young school aged children: an interdisciplinary approach.

SUMMARY Public awareness and understanding of the professions of occupational therapy and physical therapy are limited. In this study, we examined perceptions of young school-aged children about occupational therapy and physical therapy as part of a larger grant project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (R25 DA 12168 and R25 DA13522). One hundred three elementary school children (55 boys and 48 girls), grades 3 to 7, from local schools attended a one-day neuroscience and allied health profession exposition held at a local Boys & Girls Club. Children's understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy was assessed through a pre/post questionnaire prior to and immediately after attending the exposition. At five of the 18 exhibition booths, faculty members and students from occupational therapy and physical therapy introduced and explained what occupational and physical therapists do at their work through interactive demonstrations. The results of the current study revealed that prior to attending the exposition, children's understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy was limited. On pre-test, children reported they have some understanding of occupational therapy (18.6%) and physical therapy (34.9%). Children's understanding of occupational therapy and physical therapy, however, dramatically increased after the exposition (75.6% vs. 18.6%, 98.9% vs. 34.9%, respectively). Furthermore, the scope and depth of children's understanding also improved considerably. This finding suggests that an interactive neuroscience exposition including occupational therapy and physical therapy is an effective way to promote children's awareness and understanding of the professions. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed in the study.