Verdon student presents research at seventh annual Celebration of Scholars event

2017 May 2

Carthage College held the seventh annual Celebration of Scholars event on Friday, April 28, 2017. Celebration of Scholars is a poster exhibition that features original research, scholarship, and creative work completed by Carthage students.

Kirstyn Buchholz of Verdon presented "Fragmented REM Sleep Architecture and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Events in Behaviorally Inhibited Individuals" at the event.

This is the project's abstract:

"Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a trait characteristic that is identified by extreme social withdraw and reserved behavior in response to an unfamiliar stimulus. BI individuals are at an increased risk for the later onset of anxiety orders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder is often accompanied with disturbances in sleep patterns. It is hypothesized that these disturbances are involved in the etiology of PTSD rather than a secondary symptom that arises after the development of PTSD (Pace-Schott et al., 2015). Distinct disturbances reported by veterans with PTSD include a fragmented REM sleep structure and an increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The goal of this study is to see if behaviorally inhibited individuals have similar disturbances in sleep architecture as those found in patients with PTSD. Sleep patterns will be measured through an Electroencephalogram, Electro-oculogram, temperature transducer and respiratory effort transducer. The duration of the study will last 120 minutes. Data for this study will be collected and analyzed in the two weeks following Spring Break. If we find our hypothesis to be correct, we will be able to support the hypothesis that sleep disorders are a significant etiology of PTSD."