The psychological and perceptual-motor aspects of Huntington's disease.

Reviews research regarding the psychological and perceptual-motor aspects of Huntington's disease (HD), arguing that (1) more effort should be taken to explore and understand the nature of the underlying psychological processes contributing to the motor disorder, an aspect of the disease neglected by researchers, and (2) a more positive strategy should be used when research is designed to enhance psychomotor performance. A model describing the perceptual-motor mechanisms that may be operating in persons with HD is proposed. The model is based on the notion that rehabilitative methods designed to improve the quality of the internal kinesthetic (i.e., proprioceptive) feedback signals generated from movements may improve motor control and thereby reduce the extent and/or the rate of the decline in motor skills. It is contended that such a program of research may provide a broader understanding of the underlying processes that affect motor behavior and yield methods designed to improve the control of movement. Implications of the model for stress and anxiety, short-term memory deficits, and motor learning are discussed. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping with chronic illness: A study of illness controllability and the influence of coping strategies on psychological adjustment.

Longitudinal data on the coping strategies used by 151 41–89 yr old middle-aged and older adults faced with 1 of 4 chronic illnesses were used to evaluate the role of coping in the explanation of psychological adjustment. The authors distinguished between illnesses that offer few opportunities for control (rheumatoid arthritis and cancer) and those more responsive to individual and medical efforts at control (hypertension and diabetes) and evaluated the emotional consequences of 2 coping strategies—information seeking and wish-fulfilling fantasy—expected to play different roles in adjustment. Results show that information seeking had salubrious effects on adjustment and that wish-fulfilling fantasy had deleterious consequences; contrary to expectation, neither strategy's effects were modified by illness controllability. Analyses of the direction of causation between coping and adjustment suggest that wish-fulfilling fantasy is linked to poor adjustment in a mutually reinforcing causal cycle. The modesty of the effects of coping, however, demands replication of results to confirm the conclusions drawn in the present study. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining the impact of illness representations on psychological adjustment to chronic illnesses.

Illness representations were assessed in 63 adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 66 with multiple sclerosis (MS). The relationship of illness representations to concurrent and later mood was explored. MS patients' beliefs in symptom variability were associated with higher depressed mood 4 months later, over and above initial levels of depression. RA patients who saw RA as curable or who saw themselves as responsible for the illness reported significant increases in depression over time. Belief in the serious consequences of RA interacted with later illness severity to predict change in depression. When belief in the serious consequences of RA was high, less severe illness status was associated with less depression and more severe illness status was associated with more depression. When RA was initially viewed as only moderately serious, less severe illness was associated with somewhat higher levels of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reasoning about moral aspects of illness and treatment by preschoolers who are healthy or who have a chronic illness

Obesity, a common nutritional disorder in childhood, is a complex problem that is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of obesity in preschool children, and to examine the relationships between obesity and gender, race, socioeconomic status, and health problems. Data were collected from 309 charts of children enrolled in a Head Start program. Ninety-nine (32%) of the children were obese. Obese children had significantly higher blood pressure readings than those who were not obese. This study represents a beginning effort to learn more about the prevalence of, and factors associated with, obesity in preschoolers.     

Newer aspects of micronutrients in chronic disease: copper

Cu ions are pro-oxidants when added to biological material in vitro and excessive levels of Cu in the body, such as in Wilson's Disease (Yarze et al. 1992) promote oxidant-related pathologies. In contrast there is now substantial evidence that an optimum level of Cu is required to maintain antioxidant defence and that Cu deficiency in animals increases oxidant stress. There are abundant mechanistic relationships linking Cu deficiency and processes associated with IHD, some of which do not directly involve oxidant damage. These mechanistic relationships, however, have mostly been demonstrated in animal models and more information is urgently required concerning possible chronic mild Cu deficiencies in human populations. A major hurdle to advances in this area is the lack of indices of Cu status which are sensitive enough to detect marginal Cu deficiency in humans. The question, therefore, of whether or not there is a role for mild Cu deficiency in the onset of chronic disease processes, including IHD, remains unanswered.     

Clozapine in Parkinson's disease tremor. Effects of acute and chronic administration

The effects of the acute administration of clozapine on parkinsonian mixed tremor (i.e., resting and postural tremors) were evaluated to establish clozapine's predictive value for long-term response and to determine if there is a difference in the pharmacologic responses of the two tremors. We also investigated the correlation between reduction of tremor and induction of sedation after acute and chronic administration of clozapine. Clozapine (12.5 mg) or placebo were administered po in a double-blind manner to 17 PD patients with mixed L-dopa-resistant tremors. Two patients did not reach 50% improvement and were considered nonresponders. The remaining 15 patients reported moderate to marked reduction of tremor. Responsive patients in the acute test moved on to a long-term, open clozapine add-on study receiving an average daily dose +/- SD of 45 +/- 9.6 mg for a period of 15.5 +/- 8.3 months. A significant reduction of both resting (p < 0.05) and postural (p < 0.05) tremors was observed under clozapine from the first week of treatment through the entire period of the study. There was no statistically significantly difference between the degree of improvement for resting and postural tremors after either single or chronic clozapine administration. Sedation was the only side effect reported after clozapine; however, the time courses of sedation and tremor reduction did not coincide in the acute or in the chronic experimental paradigm, where it decreased considerably in a few weeks in all patients. During long-term clozapine treatment, neither systemic side effects nor worsening of motor disability scores were noted. Thus we wish to propose an acute test or a therapeutic attempt, or both, with clozapine before defining a case of mixed parkinsonian tremor as resistant tremor and therefore resorting to a neurosurgical approach.     

Stress, coping and psychological illness: A cross-cultural study.

This cross-cultural research study aimed to explore the relationship of stress and coping with psychological illness or symptoms among university students in Canada and India. The predictor variables were stress (hassles and life experience), 8 ways of coping (Folkman & Lazarus, 1988), and selected personal-social variables, namely, locus of control, self-esteem, and social support. The criterion variables were 9 psychological symptoms of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis & Spencer, 1982). The results revealed that the Indian students reported more psychological symptoms compared to the Canadian students. Stepwise multiple-regression analyses also revealed considerable differences between the 2 samples with respect to the contribution of predictor variables in accounting for variance in the BSI scales. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychological aspects of computer-mediated communication.

Describes some of the issues raised by electronic communication, including time and information-processing pressures, absence of regulating feedback, dramaturgical weakness, paucity of status and position cues, social anonymity, and computing norms and immature etiquette. An empirical approach for investigating the social psychological effects of electronic communication is illustrated, and how social psychological research might contribute to a deeper understanding of computers and technological change in society and computer-mediated communication (CMC) is discussed. A series of studies that explored how people participate in CMC and how computerization affects group efforts to reach consensus is described; results indicate differences in participation, decisions, and interaction among groups meeting face to face and in simultaneous computer-linked discourse and communication by electronic mail. Findings are attributed to difficulties of coordination from lack of informational feedback, absence of social influence cues for controlling discussion, and depersonalization from lack of nonverbal involvement and absence of norms. (103 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases: epidemiological comparison. 1. Descriptive aspects

Parkinson's (PD) and Alzheimer's (AD) diseases are age-related degenerative disorders that share common clinical, pathological and biochemical features. Epidemiological studies show similar age-specific incidence and prevalence curves, although PD tends to occur at earlier ages and, at old age, AD is more frequent. Both diseases are more common in western than in Mediterranean or Asiatic populations. These findings suggest that these diseases may have common determinants.     

Trajectories of adaptation in pediatric chronic illness: The importance of the individual.

This study used individual growth modeling to examine individual difference and group difference models of adaptation. The adaptation of 27 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and 40 children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was tracked for 18 months from diagnosis. A control group of 62 healthy children was followed over the same time period. Clustering procedures indicated that child and family adaptation could be described by a number of distinct adaptation trajectories, independent of diagnostic group membership. In contrast, parental adaptation trajectory was associated with diagnostic group membership and control over disease activity for the JRA group and with diagnostic group membership for healthy controls. The observation of common patterns across trajectory sets, as well as the finding that trajectories were differentially related to a number of variables of interest, support the use of trajectories to represent adaptation to chronic disease. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social psychological correlates of mental illness and mental health.

If there is ever to be a single comprehensive theory and/or research program concerned with the etiology of mental illness, the widely diversified empirical and theoretical findings will have to be meaningfully integrated. The present paper critically reviews theories and research from the environmental-demographic level and the interpersonal level. The large number of phenotypical relationships reported have led only to vaguely formulated and speculative interpretations suggesting the need for a reformulation which will suggest genotypes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kawasaki disease: a dangerous acute childhood illness

Kawasaki disease is an acute febrile illness most commonly seen in children under the age of 5. It is characterized by fever, rash, cervical lymphadenopathy, bilateral nonexudative conjunctivitis, oropharyngeal mucosal changes, and erythema of the hands and feet followed by desquamation. However, a child with Kawasaki disease may not exhibit all of these symptoms. The disease resembles many other childhood illnesses, such as measles and scarlet fever, and misdiagnosis is common. Left untreated, Kawasaki disease has potential life-threatening consequences; 20% to 25% of children develop coronary artery aneurysms as a result. Although no specific laboratory tests exist that identify Kawasaki disease definitively, there are clinical and laboratory findings that guide diagnosis and treatment. Treatment includes the hospitalization of the child and subsequent administration of high doses of aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin. With recovery, aspirin doses are reduced and the child may be monitored at home with outpatient follow-up. It is imperative that the health care provider be aware of the symptoms of Kawasaki disease in order to make the diagnosis and treat the child before cardiac sequelae ensue.     

The chronic illness quality of life (CIQOL) model: Explaining life satisfaction in people living with HIV disease.

The chronic illness quality of life (CIQOL) model theorizes that life satisfaction in persons living with a chronic illness such as HIV disease is a function of illness-related discrimination, barriers to health care and social services, physical well-being, social support, and coping. The CIQOL model was evaluated using data from 275 persons living with HIV disease. Women reported less life satisfaction and confronted more barriers to health care and social services than men, and White participants reported higher perceptions of AIDS-related discrimination than non-White participants. The CIQOL model provided an excellent fit to study data (root-mean-square error of approximation = .03) and accounted for almost a third of the variance in life satisfaction scores. Barriers to health care and social services played a particularly prominent role in the model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The pediatrician and care of chronic illness

Serum antibodies to a variety of dietary proteins were investigated in 26 patients with adult coeliac disease (ACD, 14 untreated and 17 treated with a gluten-free diet) and 38 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) with varying small bowel abnormalities. The incidence of one or more positive tests was highest in untreated ACD (73.4%) and DH with subtotal villous atrophy (57.4%). This incidence fell with morphological improvement, being 56.4% in treated ACD patients with partial villous atrophy (PVA), and 33.4% in DH with PVA, and 0% in DH with normal biopsies. The height of the serum antibody titre also fell with morphological improvement. These results show that there is an abnormally high incidence of dietary antibodies in patients with DH, and this correlates with the degree of small bowel damage.     

The influence of dopamine on semantic activation in Parkinson's disease: Evidence from a multipriming task.

Research has suggested that semantic processing deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) are related to striatal dopamine deficiency. As an investigation of the influence of dopamine on semantic activation in PD, 7 participants with PD performed a lexical-decision task when on and off levodopa medication. Seven healthy controls matched to the participants with PD in terms of sex, age, and education also participated in the study. By use of a multipriming paradigm, whereby 2 prime words were presented prior to the target word, semantic priming effects were measured across stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs) of 250 ms and 1,200 ms. The results revealed a similar pattern of priming across SOAs for the control group and the PD participants on medication. In contrast, within-group comparisons revealed that automatic semantic activation was compromised in PD participants when off medication. The implications of these results for the neuromodulatory influence of dopamine on semantic processing in PD are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Teaching the psychological aspects of international relations: An SPSSI questionnaire.

In 1964, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI) Committee on International Relations conducted a survey to establish the present extent of teaching in the psychology of international relations and the possibilities for its expansion. A questionnaire was mailed to the chairmen of the 194 psychology departments with graduate programs, and to a random sample of 41 departments with only undergraduate programs. Returns were received from 74% of the former and 54% of the latter departments. 75 of the 144 graduate departments and 8 of the 22 undergraduate departments sampled would appear interested in teaching material bearing on the psychological aspects of international relations. The SPSSI Committee on International Relations will, therefore, attempt to obtain support for a fellowship program designed to provide instruction in political science, a review of pertinent psychological material, and the opportunity to develop a course on the psychological aspects of international relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping with illness: Interrelationships across family members and predictors of psychological adjustment.

This study examined coping in families in which there was a chronically ill parent. Husbands, wives, and one child (aged 7–18 yrs) from 75 families in which the husband had hemophilia participated. Coping styles and psychological adjustment were assessed, and patterns of coping among family members were examined. Avoidant coping was associated with poorer adjustment for all family members. In addition, the coping style of one family member was found to be related to the psychological adjustment of other family members. Avoidant coping by one spouse related to poorer psychological functioning in the other spouse, and avoidant coping by either parent related to greater child adjustment problems for girls and boys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Noxious fumes in a medical center: chemical and psychological aspects

Due to spine-loading activities nursing professionals have a relatively high incidence/prevalence of low back pain. As lumbar disc disorders can be regarded as occupational diseases (since January 1993, occupational disease BK 2108, normally more than 10 years of exposition, lumbar disc disorders with pain and reduced motility) international literature is reviewed. Own results of different prevalence-, case-control- and incidence studies (relative risk for lumbago sciatica/odds ratio for disc prolaps appr. 3-6 depending on age and occupational age) are presented. Finally the question of compensation and prevention of disc disorders is discussed.     

Anorectal manometry in the assessment of anorectal function in Parkinson's disease: a comparison with chronic idiopathic constipation

We investigated the role of anorectal manometry in evaluating constipation and anorectal function in 15 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and compared results with those of 9 patients with idiopathic constipation (IC) and 8 control (C) subjects. Anal sphincter pressures on voluntary squeeze were lower in the PD patients. Sustained squeeze pressures (mm Hg C versus IC versus PD: 46.8 +/- 5.2 versus 31.2 +/- 3.6 versus 26.6 +/- 3.9; p < 0.05 PD versus C), squeeze duration (seconds: 53.6 +/- 2.5 versus 48.5 +/- 4.1 versus 33.6 +/- 9; p < 0.05 PD versus C) and squeeze index (area under the squeeze curve: 44.0 +/- 2.9 versus 34.5 +/- 3.3 versus 21.4 +/- 2.9; p < 0.001 PD versus C) were significantly lower in the PD group in comparison to the control group. In contrast, none of the parameters of anorectal manometry differed between controls and patients with idiopathic constipation. Some Parkinson's disease patients demonstrated an abnormal, hypercontractile response on testing of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex. Anal sphincter length, basal sphincter pressures, maximal squeeze pressures, extent of relaxation on rectoanal inhibitory reflex and threshold volume for rectal sensation were similar in the three groups. We conclude that an impaired squeeze response is a specific feature of anorectal function in Parkinson's disease. This may indicate direct involvement of the pelvic floor musculature by the parkinsonian disease process.