Research shows that gambling is a popular activity among youth. The more young people become involved in these activities, the more likely they are to develop irrational thoughts and habits related to gambling. In this study, 273 French-speaking students in grades 5 and 6 helped to test a video designed to (a) increase knowledge about gambling and (b) correct inaccurate knowledge. The effectiveness of the video was evaluated using two experimental conditions and one control condition. Analysis indicated that the video significantly increased gambling knowledge and decreased errors in attitudes toward gambling. The implications of these results for the prevention of gambling problems are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of gender and menstrual cycle on the electroretinogram (ERG). Photopic and scotopic ERGs were obtained in 14 females during the luteal and follicular phases of their menstrual cycle and compared to those obtained on two separate (7 days or 14 days apart) sessions from seven age-matched control male subjects. Our results confirm that the amplitude of the photopic ERGs of females is significantly (P < 0.05) larger than males, and this, irrespective of the cycle phase. In comparison, scotopic ERGs revealed significant male-female differences only during the follicular phase. While in males, no significant (P > 0.05) intersession (7 day or 14 day intervals) variability could be demonstrated, significant (P < 0.001) intersession (luteal-follicular) variability was observed in the scotopic ERGs of our female participants, with 8 of the 14 women, demonstrating a marked increase of 20.17 +/- 4.8% in the follicular ERG compared to the luteal. Our data suggests there should be separate normal ERG values for men and women and that the phase of the menstrual cycle should be taken into consideration when interpreting the ERG results from women.
The light/dark cycle is the most important circadian clock synchronizer for mammals and humans. Circadian rhythms of dopamine and melatonin production in the retina have been reported to follow the light and dark cycle, but their impact on rod and cone functioning is not clear. The purpose of this study was to assess diurnal variations (morning vs. evening) in retinal function as measured with the photopic and scotopic electroretinogram (ERG). We also tried to correlate our results with the presence or absence of melatonin secretion in the saliva. Photopic and scotopic luminance-response functions were obtained in 29 participants at 11:00 (when melatonin should not be present) and 23:00 (when melatonin should be present). From the luminance-response function, Vmax, log K and slope parameters were derived. In scotopic condition, a significant increase of 6% in Vmax amplitude was observed in evening compared to morning (P = 0.03) along with a prolonged b-wave implicit time of 8% (P = 0.01) and an increase in rod sensitivity in evening compared to morning (P = 0.02). As expected, these changes in rod function were accompanied by a higher concentration of melatonin in saliva samples in the evening (P = 0.01). In photopic condition, only a prolonged a-wave implicit time of 5% was observed in evening when compared to morning (P = 0.02). Our findings suggest that the rod system is favored during night time, when circulating melatonin is present. Although statistically significant changes were observed, the day vs. night difference observed in the present study appears to be too small to impact significantly upon clinical assessment of retinal function.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.