Rachel casas | California Lutheran University (original) (raw)

Papers by Rachel casas

Humana Press eBooks, 2008

Higher brain functions are the operations of the brain that stand at the pinnacle of evolution an... more Higher brain functions are the operations of the brain that stand at the pinnacle of evolution and are largely unique to humans. Verbal communication, the ability to “think in the future,” and the capacity to hold multiple tracks of complex information “on-line” at the same time, are examples of higher mental functions that are subserved by various structures in the brain. The higher-order capacities of the human brain can be captured under the terms “cognition” and “behavior.” Cognition is composed of intellectual function, memory, speech and language, complex perception, orientation, attention, judgment, planning, and decision-making. Behavior is the manifestation of these cognitive functions. Behavior is guided by another facet of higher brain function—namely, personality, which describes the psychological make-up, traits, and response styles that typify a person’s behaviors across a range of situations and circumstances.

Applied neuropsychology, Aug 17, 2007

There is very little research regarding the relationship between tests of executive functioning a... more There is very little research regarding the relationship between tests of executive functioning and actual functional ability in patients with dementia. Thirty-three patients diagnosed with dementia and 35 age-and education-matched healthy controls were administered tests of executing functioning and an observation-and informant-based activities of daily living (ADL). As expected, the results revealed that the controls outperformed the dementia patients on the executive and ADL tests. Additionally, executive functioning correlated significantly with aspects of functional ability in patients with dementia. This relationship was strongest for tests of verbal fluency and a complex test of cognitive flexibility and reasoning ability (i.e., Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). These findings suggest that some executive function tests are more sensitive than others for predicting specific functional abilities and that they may be most useful to healthcare professionals for treatment planning.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Sep 1, 2007

OBJECTIVES-To assess the relationship between performance-and informant-based measures of activit... more OBJECTIVES-To assess the relationship between performance-and informant-based measures of activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with early dementia and burden or psychological distress experienced by the patients' caregivers. DESIGN-Descriptive study. SETTING-Ambulatory center. PARTICIPANTS-Thirty-four patient-caregiver dyads in which the patient had mild dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥ 17). MEASUREMENTS-A performance-based ADL measure (the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS)) was administered to patients with mild dementia. Caregivers completed an informant-based measure of patient functional status (instrumental activities of daily living). Caregivers also completed the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). RESULTS-Significant correlations were found between the informant-based ADL measure and caregiver burden (CBI) and psychological distress (BSI) (correlation coefficient (r) = −0.34 to −0.71, all P < .05). Alternatively, fewer and weaker relationships were observed between the DAFS (performance-based) ADL measure and caregiver burden or distress ratings (r = −0.32 to −0.43, all P < .05). Of the seven tasks assessed using the DAFS, impairments in orientation, communication, financial, and transportation skills in patients were associated with greater time and developmental burden and greater hostility in caregivers.

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, Oct 20, 2008

Difficulty with lexical retrieval (naming, in common parlance) is a frequent complaint in many ne... more Difficulty with lexical retrieval (naming, in common parlance) is a frequent complaint in many neurological diseases, as well as in more benign conditions such as aging and fatigue. Accordingly, neuropsychological tests of picture naming are widely used in the assessment of conditions such as Alzheimer&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s disease, head injury, epilepsy, stroke, and multiple sclerosis. However, nearly all of these tests were created and standardized on samples of Caucasian, monolingual English speakers. Using a thorough set of selection criteria, the current study identified a set of picture stimuli that should be valid for screening visual naming defects in bilingual Spanish/English speakers. A total of 51 pictures were identified, and data regarding important parameters of these stimuli (e.g., predominant response, types of responses) are provided. The results provide an important first step toward creating a valid neuropsychological screening test of English picture naming for Spanish/English bilingual speakers and have important clinical implications in light of the fact that this population is rapidly increasing in the United States.

Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2017

informa que el(los) autor(es) ha(n) autorizado a usuarios internos y externos de la institución a... more informa que el(los) autor(es) ha(n) autorizado a usuarios internos y externos de la institución a consultar el contenido de este documento a través del Catálogo en línea de la Biblioteca y el Repositorio Institucional en la página Web de la Biblioteca, así como en las redes de información del país y del exterior con las cuales tenga convenio la Universidad de La Sabana. Se permite la consulta a los usuarios interesados en el contenido de este documento para todos los usos que tengan finalidad académica, nunca para usos comerciales, siempre y cuando mediante la correspondiente cita bibliográfica se le de crédito al documento y a su autor. De conformidad con lo establecido en el artículo 30 de la Ley 23 de 1982 y el artículo 11 de la Decisión Andina 351 de 1993, La Universidad de La Sabana informa que los derechos sobre los documentos son propiedad de los autores y tienen sobre su obra, entre otros, los derechos morales a que hacen referencia los mencionados artículos.

Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, 2009

This article summarizes various types of lexical retrieval impairments that can occur as a result... more This article summarizes various types of lexical retrieval impairments that can occur as a result of acquired brain injury. Lexical impairments, or naming deficits, are a hallmark of almost all aphasia types. However, lesion studies of patients with damage to specific brain areas have indicated that lexical retrieval impairments retrieval can occur in isolation, and in these cases the term anomic aphasia applies. It has also been shown that when anomic aphasia occurs, it can manifest itself differently depending on the neural structures that were damaged. For example, specific lexical impairments for unique people and places, animals, and tools have been observed in patients with damage to the left temporal lobe. Differential neural structures have also been implicated in the processes required for lexical retrieval of nouns versus verbs. This article describes the nature and types of lexical deficits, as well as the neural substrates that are involved.

The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology, 2010

Psychological Services, 2014

Lack of knowledge about psychosis, a condition oftentimes associated with serious mental illness,... more Lack of knowledge about psychosis, a condition oftentimes associated with serious mental illness, may contribute to disparities in mental health service use. Psychoeducational interventions aimed at improving psychosis literacy have attracted significant attention recently, but few have focused on the growing numbers of ethnic and linguistic minorities in countries with large immigrant populations, such as the United States. This paper reports on two studies designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a DVD version of La CLAve, a psychoeducational program that aims to increase psychosis literacy among Spanish-speaking Latinos. Study 1 is a randomized control study to test directly the efficacy of a DVD version of La CLAve for Spanish-speakers across a range of educational backgrounds. Fifty-seven medical students and 68 community residents from Mexico were randomly assigned to view either La CLAve or a psychoeducational program of similar length regarding caregiving. Study 2 employed a single-subjects design to evaluate the effectiveness of the DVD presentation when administered by a community mental health educator. Ninety-three Spanish-speakers from San Diego, California completed assessments both before and

Biological Psychology, 2003

Prepulse inhibition (PPI), a measure of sensorimotor gating, is regulated by dopamine (DA) in rod... more Prepulse inhibition (PPI), a measure of sensorimotor gating, is regulated by dopamine (DA) in rodents. We examined the relationship of PPI in humans to putative markers of brain DA function: (1) novelty seeking (NS; Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ)), which is associated with specific DA receptor subtypes, and is reduced in Parkinson's Disease; (2) blink rate, which is increased in primates by DA agonists, and is reduced in Parkinson's Disease. PPI, TPQ and blink rate were measured in 79 normal adult males. A significant negative correlation was observed between resting blink rate and mean PPI, but not between NS and PPI. Blink rate correlated positively with resting EMG level, but this did not account for the relationship between blink rate and PPI. In normal male humans, PPI is inversely related to a physiological marker of resting DA tone (blink rate), but not to a putatively DA-linked personality trait (high NS).

Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, 2007

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between performance- and informant-based measures of activ... more OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationship between performance- and informant-based measures of activities of daily living (ADLs) in patients with early dementia and burden or psychological distress experienced by the patients' caregivers.DESIGN: Descriptive study.SETTING: Ambulatory center.PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-four patient-caregiver dyads in which the patient had mild dementia (Mini-Mental State Examination score >17).MEASUREMENTS: A performance-based ADL measure (the Direct Assessment of Functional Status (DAFS)) was administered to patients with mild dementia. Caregivers completed an informant-based measure of patient functional status (instrumental activities of daily living). Caregivers also completed the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI).RESULTS: Significant correlations were found between the informant-based ADL measure and caregiver burden (CBI) and psychological distress (BSI) (correlation coefficient (r)=−0.34 to −0.71, all P<.05). Alternatively, fewer and weaker relationships were observed between the DAFS (performance-based) ADL measure and caregiver burden or distress ratings (r=−0.32 to −0.43, all P<.05). Of the seven tasks assessed using the DAFS, impairments in orientation, communication, financial, and transportation skills in patients were associated with greater time and developmental burden and greater hostility in caregivers. Impairment in financial skills in patients was the strongest predictor of time-dependence burden and hostility in caregivers, whereas impairment in patient transportation skills was the best predictor of developmental burden.CONCLUSIONS: The ADL abilities of cognitively impaired patients can predict caregiver burden and psychological distress, with informant-based measures having the greatest association with patient impairment.

Applied Neuropsychology, 2007

Clinical Neuropsychologist, 2012

The primary objective of this study was to investigate empirically whether using an interpreter t... more The primary objective of this study was to investigate empirically whether using an interpreter to conduct neuropsychological testing of monolingual Spanish speakers affects test scores. Participants included 40 neurologically normal Spanish speakers with limited English proficiency, aged 18–65 years (M = 39.7, SD = 13.9), who completed the Vocabulary, Similarities, Block Design, and Matrix Reasoning subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III in two counterbalanced conditions: with and without an interpreter. Results indicated that interpreter use significantly increased scores on Vocabulary and Similarities. However, scores on Block Design and Matrix Reasoning did not differ depending on whether or not an interpreter was used. In addition the findings suggested a trend toward higher variability in scores when an interpreter was used to administer Vocabulary and Similarities; this trend did not show up for Block Design or Matrix Reasoning. Together the results indicate that interpreter use may significantly affect scores for some tests commonly used in neuropsychological practice, with this influence being greater for verbally mediated tests. Additional research is needed to identify the types of tests that may be most affected as well as the factors that contribute to the effects. In the meantime neuropsychologists are encouraged to avoid interpreter use whenever practically possible, particularly for tests with high demands on interpreter abilities and skills, with tests that have not been appropriately adapted and translated into the patient's target language, and with interpreters who are not trained professionals.