Caring for a person living with dementia (PLwD) is demanding and can be stressful even though caregivers can look upon their role favorably. Caregivers, especially those who are relatives or friends of PLwD, experience heightened stress levels that can impact both their mental and physical well-being and the quality of care they provide (Jorge et al., 2021). While resources for caregivers exist, most are not designed using effective learning methods to support long-term memory. Our goal was to determine the degree to which caregivers’ stress is reduced by an approach called “structured retrieval practice” (SRP). Structured retrieval practice involves spacing practice tests during learning and receiving corrective feedback. This study is a follow-up to a completed study from Dr. Tauber’s lab that showed SRP as the best method for remembering information about dementia caregiving long-term (Shumaker et al., under review).
Prior to participation, caregivers underwent a screening to determine qualification. Next, caregivers completed 2 sessions. In session 1, caregivers learned about managing dementia symptoms, coping strategies, and self-care techniques. Half of the caregivers learned the information by taking a practice test with immediate corrective feedback and the other half learned it by reading. Session 2 consisted of a second round of learning, followed by self-reported stress and memory tests. The aim of the study is to help caregivers learn methods to manage the stress related to caregiving and provide them with coping mechanisms to become able to better assist individuals living with dementia.
Data collection is currently ongoing, with approximately half of the target sample enrolled. The following presentation represents preliminary findings from the initial cohort.

Caring for another person can be demanding and stressful, and this is true for people providing care for a person living with dementia (PLwD). The stress process model (Pearlin et al., 1990) divides care triggers into primary stressors and primary subjective stressors. An example of primary stressors is managing difficult symptoms of dementia. An example of primary subjective stressors is feeling overwhelmed about providing help to a PLwD. Sadly, both types of stressors can negatively impact the wellbeing of caregivers (Lau et al., 2010; Polenick et al., 2020). Our study aims to explore how our psychoeducational intervention using structured retrieval practice (SRP; Shumaker, Ariel, & Tauber, submitted) impacts caregivers’ self-reported stress. We hope to reduce caregivers’ stress by providing high-quality care for their loved one living with dementia. Further, we hope to reduce both primary stressors and primary subjective stressors for caregivers. To explore this issue, caregivers will learn about the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) through either an SRP-based learning intervention or a reading-only control condition. The SRP intervention uses structured retrieval practice, whereas the control condition mimics reading from available sources online. Caregivers’ perceived stress will be measured before and after the intervention using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983). We will examine whether stress ratings improve more for the SRP intervention compared to the reading condition. This is a first step for determining if the educational intervention improves measures of caregivers’ well-being. Data collection is ongoing, with approximately half of the target sample enrolled, and this presentation represents preliminary findings from the initial cohort.

Stigma towards individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) influences social attitudes towards treatment decisions and policy support (Kennedy-Hendricks et al., 2017). Prior research has shown that using stigmatizing language, such as “substance abuser” rather than “a person with substance use disorder,” increases perceptions of personal culpability and support for punitive responses (Kelly & Westerhoff, 2010). The present study examined whether personal culpability moderates the relationship between stigmatizing language and punitive attitudes towards individuals with SUD. Community members in Tarrant County were randomly assigned to read either a vignette containing person-first or a stigmatizing language and completed a brief survey online. We hypothesize that the effect of language condition on punitive attitudes will be stronger among participants with higher levels of personal culpability, such that stigmatizing language will be most strongly associated with punitive attitudes when perceived culpability is high. These findings would suggest that educational efforts aimed at reducing perceived personal culpability, particularly around the development of SUD, should be implemented to decrease punitive attitudes toward this population.

Frustrative nonreward occurs when a reward is unexpectedly reduced or omitted, producing a temporary suppression of behavior. In animals, this phenomenon is commonly studied using the consummatory successive negative contrast (cSNC) task, in which a high-value reward is replaced with a lower-value one. Following this downshift, animals typically show a reduction in consummatory behavior followed by gradual recovery as they adjust to the new reward conditions. Although the behavioral dynamics of recovery have been well described, the neural mechanisms that regulate this process remain incompletely understood. Previous research suggests that subcortical structures such as the basolateral amygdala and the nucleus accumbens play a role in the recovery of behavior after an unexpected reward downshift. However, cortical regions involved in behavioral flexibility may also contribute to recovery. The infralimbic cortex (IL), a region of the medial prefrontal cortex, has been implicated in processes such as fear extinction learning and habit regulation, both of which require updating previously learned associations and suppressing outdated responses. Based on this evidence, the present study examined whether inhibiting the IL would alter behavioral recovery following reward downshift. Rats were trained in a cSNC task in which a high-concentration sucrose solution was later downshifted to a lower concentration (32% → 2% sucrose). Animals received an infusion of inhibitory DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) targeting the IL. Three experimental groups were tested: animals expressing inhibitory DREADDs and treated with the activating drug CNO (clozapine N-oxide), animals expressing inhibitory DREADDs but treated with a vehicle injection, and animals treated with a control infusion that has the same elements but lacks the engineered receptor and treated with CNO. Lick frequency served as the primary behavioral measure. Contrary to our initial prediction, results suggest that inhibition of the IL may accelerate behavioral recovery following reward downshift. One possible explanation for this unexpected effect is the spread of viral expression into adjacent regions, particularly the prelimbic cortex (also part of the medial prefrontal cortex), which has been associated with behavioral effects opposite to those attributed to the IL. Because the IL cortex is relatively small and anatomically close to neighboring cortical regions, DREADD diffusion may influence the functional outcome of the manipulation. These findings highlight the potential role of medial prefrontal cortex circuits in regulating behavioral adjustments to reward downshifts.

Research suggests that demographic characteristics, particularly age, significantly shape perceptions of crime and sentencing outcomes (Gleadell, 2019). Studies indicate a notable disparity in punitive leanings: younger adults tend to recommend harsher measures, whereas older adults often favor more lenient punishments (Hosch et al., 2011). This divergence may be driven by age-related increases in empathy, which can temper retributive impulses (Beadle & Vega, 2019), or by younger individuals’ limited experience with the legal system, which may hinder their ability to assess proportional sentencing (Hosch et al., 2011). Despite judicial instructions to remain objective, sentencing decisions frequently reflect these preexisting beliefs and personal experiences (Curley et al., 2022). To further explore this relationship, the current study examines how age influences perceptions of crime severity. Community members of Tarrant county were asked to read a vignette describing a low-level, nonviolent offense and rated its seriousness on a 5-point Likert scale. It is hypothesized that younger participants will perceive the offense as significantly more severe than older participants. By highlighting these generational differences, this research aims to better understand how age-related biases influence legal decision-making and inform broader discussions on legislative reform.