IntroductionNeurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a neurogenetic disorder affecting 1 in 3000 people worldwide, where individuals are prone to develop benign and malignant tumors. In addition, many people with NF1 complain of pain that limits their daily functioning. Due to the complexity of the disorder, there are few options for treating pain symptoms besides surgery and medications. Moreover, the spectrum of pain symptomatology and treatment, as well as the mechanisms underlying NF1-associated pain, has been understudied.MethodologyTo address this knowledge gap, we conducted a survey of 255 adults with NF1, leveraging the Washington University NF1 Patient Registry Initiative (NPRI) database. Demographic and pain data were collected using a Qualtrics survey.ResultsAll participants had at least one surgical procedure, with 55% reporting having at least one surgery within the last year and 17% being currently prescribed opioid medication. A positive relationship was shown (p<0.001) between those prescribed prescription pain medication, and their pain severity and interference. Moreover, there was a significant relationship (p=0.049) between the usage of complementary treatments and pain severity and interference.ConclusionThe current study demonstrates that individuals with NF1 report a higher incidence of pain severity and interference than observed in NF1 previous studies, with pain symptoms not localized to any specific region of the body. The consideration for alternative treatments and careful monitoring of current treatments that are more conservative or have less potential adverse side effects may improve pain management and reduce the risk of developing medication dependence.

Purpose: To examine postsecondary faculty attitudes and actions toward inclusive teaching strategies (ITS) designed to benefit all learners.Method: The Inclusive Teaching Strategies Inventory is a self-report survey that measures faculty attitudes toward ITS and traditional academic accommodations, as well as their in-class actions. The authors electronically sent the survey to faculty (N = 422) at 3 universities.Results: Results concluded that experience with previous disability-related training (e.g., workshops, courses, books/articles, websites) was associated with more positive self-reported attitudes toward ITS and more actual use of ITS in courses. No significant differences in attitudes or actions between the 3 universities were found. Other findings revealed attitudes toward ITS were associated with actions incorporating ITS in courses.Conclusion: Rehabilitation educators should review ITS guidelines, seek ITS training opportunities on their respective campuses, begin to incorporate ITS where appropriate for specific courses, and measure ITS effectiveness after implementation in courses. Additional research is recommended to examine ITS effectiveness in various postsecondary educational settings.

Problematic video play has been well documented over the course of the last decade. So much so the DSM-5 (APA, 2013) has included problematic video gaming as disorder categorized as Internet Gaming Disorder. The field of applied behavior analysis has been utilizing functional assessments for the last 30 years and has showed evidence of effective results across different populations and environments. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation (comprising three studies) was to validate an indirect functional assessment entitled the Video Game Functional Assessment-Revised (VGFA-R). Using academic experts in the field of video game addiction and applied behavioral analysis (n=6), the first study examined the content validity of the VGFA-R and was able to demonstrate the assessment exceeded the criterion for an established assessment. A second study comprising a survey of 467 gamers examined the factorability by using a confirmatory factor analysis, and found that VGFA-R had an overall variance above .60.Within the third laboratory-based study using gamers (n=11), the VGFA-R was examined for construct validity and found the VGFA-R was able to predict 85% of the appropriate function of behavior. Implications of the study are discussed along with the strengths and limitations of the study and future research directions.

Video game addiction or Internet game disorder, as proposed by the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), has similar criterion characteristics to other impulse control disorders. There is limited research examining video game addiction within a behavioral economic framework using delay discounting. The current study evaluated delay-discounting patterns of money and video game play by usual weekly hours of video game play. A total of 104 participants were split into 1 of 3 groups of video game players (low, medium, and high) and were asked to complete a monetary and video game discounting procedure through an online survey. Results showed significant differences between groups within both the monetary (p = 0.003) and video game discounting procedures (p = 0.004). Additionally, a positive linear relationship was noted between the groups across both procedures. The results of the current article reinforce previous findings that more hours of video game use are associated with greater impulsivity and provide implications for future research.

Females in empirically based peer-reviewed studies of internet gaming disorder are underrepresented, despite evidence that there are only minor gender disparities present in online gaming. Moreover, few studies have specifically evaluated adult gender effects, within a formal diagnosis of internet gaming disorder, and behavioral motivation, as defined by the reinforcing behavioral function. A mediation analysis evaluated the relationship between gender, behavioral motivation, and the diagnostic features in online gaming among adults to understand the impact of motivation on videogame playing. The present study interviewed 304 adults (aged over 18 years) in which 178 identified as female. Participants completed the Video Game Functional Assessment-Revised (VGFA-R) and the 20-item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-20) via an online survey. Results showed that number of hours played per week, and sub-factors of the VGFA-R differed between gender, indicating that the function and the maintaining of videogame play is essential in evaluating videogame addiction. These findings support and extend the literature's limited findings concerning gender and online gaming.