Rachael Sharman

Research has consistently identified those individuals experiencing chronic pain exhibit attentional biases towards pain (threat) stimuli in their environment, which tends to exacerbate and maintain the chronicity and severity of the current pain symptoms. Attentional bias modification (ABM) programs have previously been trialled in other forms of psychopathology, most notably depression and anxiety disorders, with benefits noted. To date, only two studies have trialled an ABM program with pain patients. The current study aimed to add to this emerging body of research. Specifically, this study examined the efficacy of a single-session attentional bias modification (ABM) program in reducing individuals' attentional bias to pain stimuli and improving pain-related clinical outcomes in a sample of chronic pain patients. Thirty two chronic pain patients were randomly allocated to receive either an ABM intervention that attempted to train attention away from pain stimuli or a similar task with no training contingency. Pre- and post-test measures of participants' attention bias to pain stimuli were collected. Following completion of the intervention, measures of participants' current pain ratings, mood, fear of pain, and pain catastrophising levels were completed. Participants who received the single-session ABM intervention did not show any significant changes from pre- to post-test in attention bias, compared to participants who received the placebo. Although no attention bias training effects were observed, participants who received the ABM intervention exhibited better clinical outcomes following treatment. Specifically, the ABM group reported significantly lower levels of current pain ratings, particularly lower affective pain symptoms, and pain catastrophising symptoms. This preliminary evidence investigating the utility of ABM interventions in chronic pain indicates that a single-session ABM intervention did not result in an immediate changes to attention biases, however may improve clinical outcomes for people with chronic pain. These results provide promising support for the clinical utility of ABM programs in chronic pain treatment.

Children who regularly engage in physically activity (PA) are generally healthier and show trends towards continuing PA and improved health into adulthood. The majority of child PA inventions have been school-based, with focus on the curriculum and physical education (PE) which traditionally emphasised team-based competitive sports. The trends of diminishing PA in many children and adolescents suggest that other PA programs (i.e., individual, non-competitive) may have a role in the promotion of healthy exercise behaviours in those children who are not attracted by traditional PE programs. The aim of this research was to evaluate such a PA promotion intervention conducted over 6 weeks in a school context. Following ethical approval and informed consent 270 children (Mage = 11.4 years, 53% female) from a Brisbane (QLD) state school participated in a pre-post analysis of the ZOVA program. ZOVA is a new PA program, neither team-based nor competitive, that instructs sports skills using rhythm with audio and visual supporting resources. Children completed a number of pre-post intervention measures including: Time spent exercising; enjoyment of PE program; body image; and depression symptoms. Results were as follows: 1) After participation in ZOVA, children reported small but statistically significant (p less than .05) improvements in several measures of body image/physical self-efficacy, as well as depression symptoms. 2) On average, students reported a small but statistically significant (p less than .05) increase in amount of time exercising, as well as a small statistically significant increase in enjoyment of PE with ZOVA as the PE program. 3) When the group of children who originally nominated themselves as 'low exercisers' were analysed separately to 'high exercisers', a statistically significant and substantial increase in exercise behaviour was reported by the 'low exercisers' (p less than .001, effect size r = .48). In conclusion this non-traditional approach to PE particularly engaged the students who don't typically do a lot of exercise. Our results appear to support the hypothesis, that for students who are not engaging in traditional PE programs (i.e., competitive, team-based), alternative PA programs can be successful in motivating them to engage in higher levels of PA.

Findings from studies investigating physical activity (PA) in Australian children have been mixed in terms of family-influenced motivations to exercise, as well as the subsequent influence of PA on obesity levels. Our objective was two-fold. Firstly to investigate whether a) parental modelling (children observing parents exercise and enjoyment of sport) or b) parental support (driving to sports, spectating, encouraging children to participate) had the greater influence on the child engaging in PA. Secondly to investigate the relative influence of the child's PA and screen-time sedentary behaviours on Body Mass Index (BMI). Primary caregivers of 144 children (54% male), between the ages of 5 and 13 years, completed a retrospective seven-day questionnaire to report 1) their own physical activity levels and attitudes towards same, and 2) their child's physical activity level, sedentary "screen-time" behaviours, and child's BMI. Participants were primarily recruited from Sunshine Coast sporting clubs, potentially yielding a (biased) relatively active sample. Firstly, parental modelling and attitudes showed no relationship with a child's PA levels. Measures of parental support however, combined to account for 25% of the variance in a child's PA level. Secondly, in contrast to previous research, no significant correlation to a child's PA levels with screen-time was shown. An independent t-test showed children in the normal BMI range (n = 86) exhibited significantly lower screen-time usage when compared with overweight children (n = 46). No significant difference in the level of PA was reported for children in both the normal and overweight BMI ranges. Parental support influenced the child's PA level, not parental modelling. However, it was not the amount of PA that affected a child's BMI in this sample, but rather the amount sedentary screen-time. Public health/education campaigns should focus on increasing parental awareness of idle-time on children's weight.

Objective: Findings from studies investigating physical activity (PA) in Australian children have been mixed in terms of family-influenced motivations to exercise, as well as the subsequent influence of PA on obesity levels. Our objective was two-fold. Firstly to investigate whether a) parental modelling (children observing parents exercise and enjoyment of sport) or b) parental support (driving to sports, spectating, encouraging children to participate) had the greater influence on the child engaging in PA. Secondly to investigate the relative influence of the child's PA and screen-time sedentary behaviours on Body Mass Index (BMI). Design and Methods: Primary caregivers of 144 children (54% male), between the ages of 5 and 13 years, completed a retrospective seven-day questionnaire to report 1) their own physical activity levels and attitudes towards same, and 2) their child's physical activity level, sedentary "screen-time" behaviours, and child's BMI. Participants were primarily recruited from Sunshine Coast sporting clubs, yielding a biased relatively active sample. Results: Firstly, parental modelling and attitudes showed no relationship with a child's PA levels. Measures of parental support however, combined to account for 25% of the variance in a child's PA level. Secondly, in contrast to previous research, no significant correlation to a child's PA levels with screen-time was shown. An independent t-test showed children in the normal BMI range (n = 86) exhibited significantly lower screen-time usage when compared with overweight children (n = 46). No significant difference in the level of PA was reported for children in both the normal and overweight BMI ranges. Discussion: Parental support influenced the child's PA level, not parental modelling. However, it was not the amount of PA that affected a child's BMI in this sample, but rather the amount sedentary screen-time. Public health/education campaigns should focus on increasing parental awareness of idle-time on children's weight.

Depression is one of the most common and debilitating mental health illnesses, with lifetime prevalence up to 20 percent. Debate continues as to whether the aetiology of depression is largely psychosocial or organic, with the theory of neurotransmitter imbalance (especially serotonin) used as the rationale for the prescription of anti-depressant medications. As a pilot investigation for a current collaborative study between USC and the Royal Children's Hospital (Brisbane); we examined depressive symptoms in 13 adolescents with a genetic disorder (phenylketonuria; PKU) that disrupts their neurotransmitter environment. Disruption to neurotransmitter function can be measured indirectly via substrate defi cit in PKU (i.e. high blood levels of phenylalanine = lowered serotonin; whereas low levels of tyrosine = lowered dopamine). Previous research has found that people with PKU are a greater risk of depression, although the reasons for this remain unknown. Parents of 13 adolescents with PKU (M = 13.95 years) fi lled out the Children's Depression Inventory; total symptoms of depression were correlated with the participants lifetime blood results (phenylalanine and tyrosine levels). Signifi cant results were: depression and lifetime tyrosine levels; tyrosine levels prior to age 12 years, r= -.584 and r = -.544 (p < .05) respectively. These results support an organic aetiology, in that chronically low tyrosine (= low dopamine) was associated with depression symptoms in this sample. Individuals with PKU provide us with the opportunity to perform a rare natural experiment; their genetic variation leads to neurotransmitter disruptions allowing for tests of association with a range of cognitive and neuropsychological outcomes. This study demonstrated support for an organic basis for depression in this population, however it was dopamine (rather than serotonin) disruption that lead to symptoms of depression. This research will lead to better targeted treatment for depression in PKU, and may have implications for the wider population as well.