Manipulating Interface Design Features Affects Children's Stop-And-Think Behaviours in a Counterintuitive-Problem Game

The human–computer interaction (HCI) design of educational technologies influences cognitive behaviour, so it is imperative to assess how different HCI strategies support intended behaviour. We developed a neuroscience-inspired game that trains children's use of “stopping-and-thinking” (S&T)—an inhibitory control-related behaviour—in the context of counterintuitive science problems. We tested the efficacy of four HCI features in supporting S&T: (1) a readiness mechanic, (2) motion cues, (3) colour cues, and (4) rewards/penalties. In a randomised eye-tracking trial with 45 7-to-8-year-olds, we found that the readiness mechanic increased S&T duration, that motion and colour cues proved equally effective at promoting S&T, that combining symbolic colour with the readiness mechanic may have a cumulative effect, and that rewards/penalties may have distracted children from S&T. Additionally, S&T duration was related to in-game performance. Our results underscore the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to educational technology research that actively investigates how HCI impacts intended learning behaviours.

Repositioning Doxycycline for treating Parkinson’s Disease: evidence from a pre-clinical mouse model

Background Parkinson’s disease remains orphan of valuable therapies capable to interfere with the disease pathogenesis despite the large number of symptomatic approaches adopted in clinical practice to manage this disease. Treatments simultaneously affecting α-synuclein (α-syn) oligomerization and neuroinflammation may counteract Parkinson’s disease. Recent data demonstrated that Doxycycline an antibiotic of the tetracycline class, can inhibit α-syn aggregation and exert anti-inflammatory activity. We herein investigate, for the first time, the potential therapeutic properties of Doxy in a human α-syn A53T transgenic Parkinson’s disease mouse model by the evaluation of behavioural, biochemical and histopathological parameters. Methods human α-syn A53T transgenic mice were treated with Doxycycline (10 mg/Kg daily ip) for 30 days, the effect of treatment on motor and cognitive behaviour impairment and daily live activity of mice were examined, successively immunocytochemical, electrophysiological and biochemical analysis of cerebral tissue was performed. Results Doxy treatment abolished cognitive and daily life activity deficiencies in A53T mice. The effect on cognitive functions was associated with neuroprotection, inhibition of α-syn oligomerization and gliosis both in the cortex and hippocampus. Doxy treatment restored hippocampal long-term potentiation in association with inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines expression. Moreover, Doxy ameliorated motor impairment and reduced striatal glial activation in A53T mice. Conclusions Our findings promote Doxy as a valuable multi-target therapeutic approach counteracting both symptoms and neuropathology in the complex scenario of α-synucleinopathies

Cognitive behaviour therapy for adolescents with eating disorders: An effective alternative to the disease-based treatments

Several clinical services offer eclectic multidisciplinary treatments with no evidence of efficacy and effectiveness for adolescents with eating disorders. These treatments are usually based on the ‘disease model’ of eating disorders. The model postulates that eating disorders are the result of a specific disease (i.e., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or other eating disorders), and patients are considered not to have control of their illness. Therefore, they need the external control of parents and/or health professionals. In this model, the patients adopt a passive role in the treatment. On the contrary, enhanced cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT-E) for adolescents is based on a ‘psychological model’ of eating disorders. Patients are helped to understand the psychological mechanisms that maintain their eating disorder and are ‘actively’ involved in the recovery process. Clinical studies showed that more than 60% of adolescent patients who complete the treatment achieve a full response at 12-month follow-up. The treatment is well accepted by young people and their parents, and its collaborative nature is well suited to ambivalent young patients who may be particularly concerned about control issues and for parents who cannot participate in all treatment sessions.

Novel AI to avert the mental health crisis in COVID-19: Novel application of GPT2 in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is substantial. The World Health Organization has called for action to avert an impending mental health crisis. To respond to this call, this paper contributes a novel application of Deep Learning in Natural Language Generation (NLG) to seed healthy thoughts for mental health therapy. For the 1st time in literature, a transfer learning capable large neural network with more than 100 million parameters for a NLG based mental health therapy application is proposed & demonstrated. This AI is designed to address scalable impact for millions of families with a timely health intervention in a privacy-safe approach. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research paper to apply GPT2 (Generative Pretrained Transformer) for Cognitive Behavior therapy (CBT). Further, the paper demonstrates the proposed neural network architecture with a lab prototype implementation with reproducible results. This paper demonstrates this AI’s ability to generate conditional synthetic human-like text intended to seed a healthy mental outlook. This is accomplished by fine tuning a pre-trained GPT2 language model. The source code and video demonstration is contributed at https://sites.google.com/view/ai-in-mental-health.Also, for the 1st time in literature, a novel idea of NLU (Natural Language Understanding) activated NLG therapy is demonstrated with reproducible results using a BERT based classifier to activate the GPT2 based therapy. Performance of GPT2 models of three different sizes (124, 355, 774 million parameters) was the same for a very small dataset, thus a small GPT2 model is suggested for on-device AI inference. This AI is a step forward in responding to WHO’s call for action to avert the crisis. Towards addressing all the three dimensions of the monumental challenge, the paper designed a novel AI architecture by taking advantage of both BERT & GPT2. It also demonstrated the feasibility of Transformers-based AI for developing a mental health therapy solution. Further, this paper contributed an open-source AI prototype to support research communities to transform global mental wellness.

Therapeutic Alliance in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in Child and Adolescent Mental Health-Current Trends and Future Challenges

This extended literature review proposes to present the trends in the therapeutic alliance, outcomes, and measures in the last decade within the premises of individual cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and its innovations, used as an interventional measure in the context of child and adolescent mental health setting. A brief background of the rationale for conducting this literature search is presented at the start. This is followed by the methodology and design which incorporates the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the basis for the same. The critical appraisal of the primary studies is presented in the literature review section with a brief description of the summary features of the studies in the study tables followed by the results and discussion of the study findings. To summarise, the literature review of primary studies conducted in the last decade demonstrates the need for further research to be conducted both in the field of CBT in children and therapeutic alliance, competence, and therapy outcomes, integrating perspectives in child development, carer alliance, and the social construct theory in children, to allow for further innovations in CBT in the context of increasing challenges in the current times of exponentially developing technology and its utility without compromising the quality of therapy. In conclusion, recommendations are made as a guideline for future studies and research in this field.

Pengurusan Keresahan Mahasiswa IPTA di Musim COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic had affected the whole world especially the human life routine. There were several sectors that had been severely affected such as economy, education, and mental wellbeing. Most of the countries had implemented the approach of online classes as alternative to manage the education system. Thus, the students joining all the classes by themselves via online. There are a lot of consequences that need to be adapted by students to undergo the new norm of education system. This study used case study design to identify the appropriate counselling intervention to reduce anxiety among students. The counsellor used the approach of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with the objective to restructure the client’s thought and behaviour in facing the adversity during the pandemic of COVID-19. In total, there were 8 sessions that had been conducted for counsellor to help the client to rationalize the thought and exploring new possible behaviour that can be applied by the client. At the end of the session, the client manages to control her anxiety issues and become more encourage to focus on online learning basis. The approach of behaviour and cognitive therapy are suitable to be used among the counsellors to help the client with anxiety issues. Abstrak Pandemik COVID-19 telah melanda kebanyakan negara di seluruh dunia dan menjejaskan kehidupan serta aktiviti manusia di dunia. Banyak sektor yang terjejas seperti sektor ekonomi, sektor pendidikan, keselamatan dan kesejahteraan mental di seluruh dunia. Bagi bidang pendidikan, kebanyakan negara memfokuskan pengajaran dan pembelajaran dalam talian sebagai alternatif untuk menguruskan pendidikan pengajar dan pembelajaran. Ini membawa kepada pelajar belajar secara bersendirian dengan pemikiran mereka dikuasai oleh maklumat -maklumat dari media masa. Terdapat banyak kesan-kesan sampingan dihadapi oleh pelajar dalam menghadapi kehidupan norma baharu ini. Artikel ini akan membincangkan bagaimana kaunselor membantu klien dalam menjalani kehidupan norma baharu dan mengurangkan keresahan yang dihadapi klien. Kaunselor menggunakan pendekatan terapi tingkah laku dan kognitif (CBT) untuk menstrukturkan kembali pemikiran dan mengubah tingkah laku yang dapat membantu klien mengadaptasi kehidupan di norma baharu. Lapan sesi yang dijalankan bagi membincangkan pemikiran yang dimiliki klien mengenai pendemik ini, merasionalkan pemikiran tersebut, melihat tingkah laku hasil dari pemikiran dan daya tindak yang sesuai untuk klien praktikan. Hasil daripada sesi kaunseling yang dijalankan bersama kaunselor, klien dapat mengawal keresahan yang dialami dan bersemangat untuk lebih fokus kepada pembelajaran dalam talian. Oleh itu, pendekatan terapi tingkah laku dan

Examining clinical correlates, treatment outcomes and mediators in young people with comorbid obsessive–compulsive disorder and autism spectrum disorder

Despite the high comorbidity, surprisingly little is known about the clinical features, treatment prognosis, and treatment mediators for youth with Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study, the largest to date, compared 172 young people with OCD and ASD (OCD + ASD) to 447 without ASD (OCD) on clinical characteristics, finding those with OCD + ASD were more likely to endorse poorer insight into their OCD, have greater global functional impairment, greater levels of concurrent psychopathology, higher levels of family accommodation and to be on medication. Treatment outcomes following a course of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with or without medication were explored for a subgroup; 100 young people with OCD + ASD and 223 with OCD. Whilst both groups benefitted from treatment, the OCD + ASD group had significantly poorer treatment outcomes. Greater global functional impairment and being on medication mediated the between-group difference in outcomes. Further research and treatment refinements are needed to improve outcomes for youth with OCD + ASD.