Cognitive and affective aging – My work focuses on age group differences in written word recognition, threat perception, and the context integration in working memory.

Cerebellar influences on cognitive and emotion processses - Through the study of Chiari Malformation syndrome, I explore the neurobiological dynamics , Chiari Malformation Syndrome is characterized by a structural deformation of the cerebellum. My work in Chiari malformation addresses the cognitive deficits that individuals with Chiari may face. Recently, we have expanded our investigation into the potential deficits of Chiari to include functional activity of the brain through EEG and structural damage of neural communication pathways through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

Neural electrophysiology - Neural electrophysiology allows for unique insight into neural activity that underlies human performance. My work in neural electrophysiology focused predominantly on the application of time-domain event-related potentials (ERP) in a laboratory setting. However, recent investigations have expanded upon the traditional ERP method to include frequency domain and time-frequency approaches.

Quantitative analysis – My research includes applications of ANOVA, hierarchical regression, factor analysis, random effects modeling, and structural equation modeling. I have also have expertise in the area of nonparametric analysis, including both group comparison and regression techniques, and quantitative meta-analysis.  

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Beginning in the fall of 2018, I began as an assistant professor in developmental psychology at Middle Tennessee State University. I teach coursework in human development, aging, and personality. My research focuses on the fundamental mechanisms underlying cognitive aging, the neural mechanisms underlying age-related differences in affect processing, and understanding the role of the cerebellum in cognitive function through the study of Chiari malformation syndrome. My publications have appeared in Experimental Aging Research, Neuropsychology, Psychological Medicine, The Cerebellum, and the Journal of Neuroradiology, among other journals (see publications section for more information).

I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from The Ohio State University in 2011 while becoming involved in research focusing on auditory speech perception & psychometric scale construction. I subsequently entered the Adult Development and Aging doctoral program at the University of Akron under the advisement of Dr. Phil Allen. At UA, I engaged in coursework and research with a strong focus on the cognitive and neurophysiological consequences of normal aging. My research interests grew to include the development of human attention & perception, sensory integration, cognitive training, neuroimaging, and neural electrophysiology.

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Accepted Manuscripts

1.    Salinas, S.D., Farra, Y.M., Khoiy, K.A., Houston, J.R., Lee, C.-H., Bellini, C., & Amini, R. (2022). The role of elastin on the mechanical properties of the anterior leaflet in porcine tricuspid valves. PLOS ONE, 17(5), e0267131.

2.    Houston, J.R., Maleki, J., Loth, F., Klinge, P.M., Allen, P.A. (2022). Influence of pain on cognitive dysfunction and emotion dysregulation in Chiari Malformation Type I. In: Adamaszek, M., Manto, M., Schutter, D.J.L.G. (Eds.), The Emotional Cerebellum. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1378. Springer, Cham.

3.    Houston, M.L., Houston, J.R., Sakaie, K., Klinge, P.M., Vorster, S., Luciano, M.G., Loth, F., & Allen, P.A. (2021). Functional connectivity abnormalities in Type I Chiari: Associations with cognition and pain. Brain Communications. 3(3), fcab137.

4.    García, M., Eppelheimer, M.S., Houston, J.R., Houston, M.L., Nwotchouang, B.S., Kaut, K.P., Labuda, R., Bapuraj, J.R., Maleki, J. Klinge, P.M., Vorster, S., Luciano, M.G., Loth, F., & Allen, P.A. (2021). Adult age differences in self-reported pain and anterior CSF space in Chiari Malformation. Cerebellum. 21, 194-207.

5.    Garcia, M.A., Li, X., Allen, P.A., Delahanty, D.L., Eppelheimer, M.S., Houston, J.R., Johnson, D.M., Loth, F., Maleki, J., Vorster, S., & Luciano, M.G. (2021). Impact of surgical status, loneliness, and disability on Interleukin 6, C-Reactive Protein, cortisol, and estrogen in females with symptomatic Type I Chiari Malformation. Cerebellum. 20(6), 872-886.

6.    Mallik, P.R., Allen, P.A., Lien, M-C., Jardin, E., Houston, M.L., Houston, J.R., & Jurosic, B.K. (2021). An electrophysiological study of aging and perceptual letter-matching. Experimental Aging Research. 47(1), 92-108.

7.    Houston, J.R., Hughes, M.L., Bennett, I.J., Allen, P.A., Rogers, J.M., Lien, M-C., Stoltz, H., Sakaie, K., Loth, F., Maleki, J., Vorster, S.J., & Luciano, M.G. (2020). Evidence of neural microstructure abnormalities in Type I Chiari Malformation: Associations among fiber tract integrity, pain, and cognitive dysfunction. Pain Medicine. 21(10), 2323-2335.

8.    Nwotchouang, B.S., Eppelheimer, M., Ibrahimy, A., Houston, J.R., Biswas, D., Labuda, R., Bapuraj, J.R., Allen, P.A., Frim, D., & Loth, F. (2020). Clivus length distinguishes between asymptomatic healthy controls and symptomatic adult women with Chiari Malformation Type I. Neuroradiology. 62(11), 1389-1400.

9.    Houston, J.R., Allen, N.J., Eppelheimer, M.S., Bapuraj, J.R., Biswas, D., Allen, P.A., & Loth, F. (2019). Evidence for sex differences in morphological abnormalities in Type I Chiari Malformation. The Neuroradiology Journal, 32(6), 458-466.

10.  Garcia, M.A., Allen, P.A., Li, X., Houston, J.R., Loth, F., Labuda, R., & Delahanty, D.L. (2019). An examination of pain, disability, and the psychological correlates of Chiari Malformation pre- and post-surgical correction. Disability and Health Journal. 12(4), 649-656.

11.  Jardin, E., Allen, P.A., Levant, R.F., Lien, M-C., McCurdy, E.R., Villalba, A., Mallik, P., Houston, J.R., & Gerdes, Z.T. (2019). Electrophysiological evidence of emotional processing deficits in alexithymia. Journal of Cognitive Psychology. 31(5-6), 619-633.

12.  Houston, J.R., Allen, P.A., Rogers, J.M., Lien, M-C., Allen, N.J., Hughes, Bapuraj, J.R., Eppelheimer, M.S., Loth, F., Stoodley, M.A., Vorster, S.J., & Luciano, M.G. (2019). Type I Chiari Malformation, RBANS performance, and brain morphology: Connecting the dots on cognition and macro-level brain structure. Neuropsychology, 33(5), 725-738.

13.  Eppelheimer, M.E., Biswas, D., Braun, A.M., Houston, J.R., Allen, P.A., Bapuraj, J.R., Labuda, R., Loth, D.M., Frim, D., & Loth, F. (2019). Quantification of changes in brain morphology following posterior fossa decompression surgery in women treated for Chiari malformation type 1. Neuroradiology, 6(9), 1011-1022.

14.  Biswas, D., Eppelheimer, M., Houston, J.R., Ibrahimy, A., Bapuraj, J.R., Labuda, R., Allen, P.A., Frim, D., & Loth, F. (2019). Quantification of cerebellar crowding in Type I Chiari Malformation. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 47(3), 731-743.

15.  Allen, P.A., Hughes, M.L., Houston, J.R., Jardin, E., Mallik, P., McLennan, C., & Delahanty, D.L. (2019). Are there age differences in consolidated episodic memory? Experimental Aging Research, 45(2), 97-119.

16.  Houston, J.R., Hughes, M.L., Lien, M-C., Martin, B.A., Loth, F., Luciano, M., Vorster, S., & Allen, P.A. (2018). An electrophysiological study of cognitive and emotion processing in Type I Chiari Malformation. The Cerebellum, 17(4), 404-418.

17.  Houston, J.R., Pollock, J.W., Lien, M.-C., & Allen, P.A. (2018). Emotional arousal deficit or emotional regulation bias? An electrophysiological study of age-related differences in emotion perception. Experimental Aging Research, 44(3), 187-205.

18.  Eppelheimer, M.S., Houston, J.R., Bapuraj, J.R., Labuda, R., Loth, D.M., Braun, A.M., Allen, N.J., Heidari Pahlavian, S., Biswas, D., Urbizu, A., Martin, B.A., Maher, C.O., Allen, P.A., & Loth, F. (2018). A retrospective morphometric analysis of adult female Chiari Type I patients with commonly reported and related conditions. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 12, 2.

19.  Houston J.R., Eppelheimer M.S., Heidari Pahlavian S.H., Biswas D., Urbizu A., Martin B.A., Bapuraj J.R., Luciano M., Allen P.A., Loth F. (2018). A morphometric assessment of Type I Chiari malformation above the McRae Line: A retrospective case-control study in 302 adult female subjects. Journal of Neuroradiology, 45(1), 23-31.

20.  Allen, P.A., Delahanty, D., Kaut, K.P., Li, X., Garcia, M., Houston, J.R., Tokar, D.M., Loth, F., Maleki, J., Vorster, S., & Luciano, M.G. (2018). Chiari 1000 Registry Project: Assessment of surgical outcome on self-focused attention, pain, and delayed recall. Psychological Medicine, 48(10), 1634-1643.

21.  Houston, J.R., Bennett, I.J., Allen, P.A., & Madden D.J. (2016). Visual acuity does not moderate effect sizes of higher-level cognitive tasks. Experimental Aging Research, 42(3), 221-263.

22.  Zelin, A.I., Erchull, M.J., & Houston, J.R. (2015). Is everybody doing it? Perceptions and misperceptions of sexual behavior in the college freshman population. Gender Issues 32(3), 139-163.

23.  Allen, P.A., Houston, J.R., Pollock, J.W., Buzzelli, C., Li, X., Harrington, A.K., Martin, B.A., Loth, F., Lien, M-C., Maleki, J., & Luciano, M.G. (2014). Task-specific and general cognitive effects in Chiari Malformation Type 1. PLoS ONE, 9(4), e94844. 

Manuscripts in preparation

1.     Al Samman, M.M., Garcia, M.A., García, M., Houston, J.R., Loth, D.M., Labuda, R., Vorster, S., Klinge, P.M., Loth, F., Delahanty, D.L., & Allen, P.A. (revision under review). Relationship of morphometrics and symptom severity in female Type I Chiari Malformation patients with biological resilience. The Cerebellum.

2.     Lamancusa, K., Allen, P.A., Hall, R.J., Houston, J.R., Houston, M.L., Lien, M-C., & Hayslip Jr., B. (revision under review). Does creative potential decrease through middle adulthood? Experimental Aging Research.

3.     Houston, J.R., Lien, M-C., Ealy, D.M., Mallik, P., & Allen, P.A. (in preparation). Age differences in lexical node sensitivity and emotion regulation: An event-related potential study.

4.     Ealy, D.M., Perssico, K.P., Allen, P.A., & Houston, J.R. (in preparation). Macro-level cerebellar tonsil morphology is not associated with Type I Chiari cognition and pain symptomatology.

5.     Houston, J.R., Houston, M.L., Ealy, D.M., Lien, M-C., & Allen, P.A. (in preparation). Aging and context effects in working memory: An event-related potential investigation.

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Invited presentations

1.      Houston, J.R., Allen, P.A., & Loth, F. (invited for 2024). An updated review of the associations between pain, cognitive dysfunction, and brain microstructure in Type I Chiari Malformation. Talk to be presented at the Annual Meeting Bobby Jones CSF Think Tank Meeting.

2.      Allen, P.A., Houston, J.R., & Loth, F. (2023). Psychological implications in adults with Chiari Malformation Type I. Talk presented at the Annual Meeting Bobby Jones CSF Research Colloquium, Washington, D.C.

3.      Houston, J.R., & Grissom, L. (2022) Taking steps to maintain a healthy brain as we age. Talk presented at the 1st MTSU Positive Aging Consortium Meeting, Murfreesboro, TN.

4.      García, M., Eppelheimer, M.S., Houston, J.R., Houston, M.L., Nwotchouang, B.S.T., Kaut, K.P., Labuda, R., Bapuraj, J.R., Maleki, J., Klinge, P.M., Vorster, S.J., Luciano, M.G., Loth, F., & Allen, P.A. (2020). Adult age differences in pain in Chiari Malformation: The mediating effect of decreasing anterior CSF area. Talk presented at the Annual Meeting Bobby Jones CSF Research Colloquium.

5.      Houston, J.R. (2019). Exploring the current perspectives on cognitive and emotional aging: What does the research suggest about our aging minds? Keynote presented at the Annual Meeting for the Middle Tennessee Psychological Association, Murfreesboro, TN.

6.      Allen, P.A., & Houston, J.R. (2017). Proposal of a “Cerebellar” Cognitive Test Battery – Adult Perspective. Talk presented at the 2nd Annual Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorders Symposium, Providence, RI.

7.      Allen, P.A., & Houston, J.R. (2014). Influence of Chiari Malformation I on affective and cognitive performance. Talk presented at the International Conquer Chiari Research Conference, Akron, OH. 

Peer-reviewed presentations (Student mentees underlined)

1.       Ealy, D.M., Adalikwu, C.A., Perssico, K., Allen, P.A., & Houston, J.R. (2023). Voxel-based morphometry analysis of grey matter in Chiari Malformation. Poster presented at the Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

2.       Strong, R., Key, E., Allen, E., Finch, A., Ealy, D.M., Maldonado, E., Perssico, K., Nieberle, K.W., & Houston, J.R.(2023). Leader and follower identity invention: The effect of identity priming. Poster presented at the Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

3.       Allen, E., Strong, R., Maldonado, E., Ealy, D.M., Key, E., Finch, A., Perssico, K., Nieberle, K.W., & Houston, J.R.(2023). Leader and follower identity invention: The effect of primed social support. Poster presented at the Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

4.       Armfield, B., Hein, M., Van Hein, J. Houston, J.R., & Frame, M.C. (2023). Validating the use of short-term memory capacity for selecting highway patrol officers. Symposium paper presented at the Annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Conference, Boston, MA.

5.       Houston, M.L., Houston, J.R., Vorster, S.C., Luciano, M.G., Loth, F., & Allen, P.A. (2019). Investigating the relationship between cognitive function and neural connectivity in Type I Chiari malformation patients. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, Montréal, QC.

6.       Allen, P.A., Lamancusa, K., Houston, J.R., Hughes, M.L., & Lien, M-C. (2019). Creativity remains stable through 55 years of age. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, Montréal, QC.

7.       Allen, P.A., Houston, J.R., Hughes, M.L., Bennett, I.J., Loth, F., Rogers, J.M., Stoodley, M.A., Luciano, M.G., Vorster, S.J. (2019). Structural integrity and functional connectivity in Chiari Malformation Type I: The effects of pain and cognition. Talk presented at the 2nd Annual CSF Flow Meeting, Buffalo, NY.

8.       Eppelheimer, M.S., Biswas, D., Bapuraj, J.R., Houston, J.R., Loth, D.M., Labuda, R., Allen, P.A., & Loth, F. (2019). Comparison of brain morphology for Chiari I Malformation subjects with and without Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Talk presented at the 2nd Annual CSF Flow Meeting, Buffalo, NY.

9.       Evitts, R., Frame, M.C., Jackson, A.T., & Houston, J.R. (2019). Narcissism and selection decisions: Do narcissists select narcissists? Poster presented at the Annual River Cities I-O Psychology Conference, Chattanooga, TN.

10.     Russell, M., Jackson, A.T., Hein, M.B., & Houston, J.R. (2019). Trouble at work: A model testing relationships among job strain, social support, cooperativeness, and well-being. Poster presented at the Annual River Cities I-O Psychology Conference, Chattanooga, TN.

11.     Houston, J.R., Lien, M-C., Hughes, M.L., Mallik, P.R., & Allen, P.A. (2018). Aging and context effects in working memory: An event-related potential investigation. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, LA.

12.     Hughes, M.L., Allen, P.A., Lute, S., & Houston, J.R. (2018). Creating the creative: What distinguishes creative older adults? Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, New Orleans, LA.

13.     Hughes, M.L., Houston, J.R., Lien, M-C., Vorster, S., Luciano, M.G., Loth, F., & Allen, P.A. (2017). Investigating neurological correlates of Chiari Malformation Type I symptomatology: A diffusion tensor imaging study of cognition and pain. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, Vancouver, BC.

14.     Loth, F., Houston, J.R., Biswas, D., Heidari Pahlavian S., Eppelheimer, M.S., Loth, D., Labuda, R., & Allen, P.A. (2017). A multi-disciplinary approach to the study of Type I Chiari Malformation. Talk presented at the Annual Winter Conference on Brain Research, Big Sky, MT.

15.     Biswas, D., Eppelheimer, M.S., Houston, J.R., Braun, A., Labuda, R., & Loth, F. (2017). Morphometric analysis of the cerebellum in Type I Chiari Malformation. Symposium paper presented at the Annual Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference, Tucson, AZ.

16.     Eppelheimer, M.S., Houston, J.R., Heidari Pahlavian, S., Braun, A.M., Biswas, D., Loth, D.M., Urbizu, A., Labuda, R., Allen, P.A., & Loth, F. (2017). Brain morphometrics that provide a better understanding of Chiari Type I Malformation. Symposium paper presented at the Annual Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference, Tucson, AZ.

17.     Jardin, E., Allen, P.A., Levant, R.F., Lien, M-C., McCurdy, E., Villalba, A., & Houston, J.R. (2016). Alexithymia in men? An electrophysiological investigation of emotional processing. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA.

18.     Houston, J.R., Allen, P.A., Luciano, M.G., Vorster, S., & Loth, F. (2016). Chiari Malformation and hyper-vigilance: An EEG study. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, Boston, MA.

19.     Eppelheimer, M.S., Urbizu, A., Houston, J.R., Heidari Pahlavian, S., Braun, A., Biswas, D., Allen, P.A., Labuda, R., & Loth, F. (2016). Semi-automatic image processing of craniospinal morphometrics for Chiari malformation. Talk presented at the Annual Biomedical Engineering Society Meeting. Minneapolis MN.

20.     Houston, J.R., Rossmiller, A.C., & Allen, P.A. (2016). Case mixing does not modulate the Stroop effect. Poster presented at the Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

21.     Rossmiller, A.C., Houston, J.R., & Allen, P.A. (2016). Testing the Stroop effect with grayscale stimulus presentation. Poster presented at the Annual Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.

22.     Houston, J.R., Pollock, J.W., Lien, M-C., & Allen, P.A. (2015). An ERP investigation of age-related disruption of affective integration during the processing of emotional faces. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the Psychonomic Society, Chicago, IL.

23.     Houston, J.R., Lien, M.-C., & Allen, P.A., (2014). Aging and the processing of emotional words, an event-related potential approach. Poster presented at The Gerontological Society of America’s 67th Annual Scientific Meeting, Washington, D.C.

24.     Houston, J.R., Bennett, I.J., Allen, P.A., & Madden D.J., (2014). Age group comparisons in cognitive aging: Do visual acuity criteria matter? Poster presented at The Gerontological Society of America's 67th Annual Scientific Meeting, Washington, D.C.

25.     Houston, J.R. (2012). Cognitive slowing: Exploring the phenomenon. Talk presented at the Annual Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education Conference, Youngstown, OH.

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Open Courses

PSY 6570: Quasi-experimental Design in Behavioral Science

PSY 4630/5630: Death & Dying

PSY 4610/5610: Adult Development and Aging Psychology

PSY 3590: Personality

PSY 3020: Basic statistics for Behavioral Science

PSY 2000: Careers in Psychology Seminar

Independent Study Courses

PSY 6640: Thesis Research

PSY 6600: Independent Research in Psychology (Topics typically include neurocognitive aging theories, cognitive science, cognitive-affective integration, and systems neuroscience)

PSY 3990: Independent Research in Psychology (Topics typically include neurocognitive aging theories, cognitive science, cognitive-affective integration, and systems neuroscience)

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