Patterns of parent-reported homework problems among ADHD-referred and non-referred children.

This study was the first to investigate patterns of homework problems, as assessed by parent reports on the Homework Problem Checklist (HPC), among children in general education and those referred to an evaluation and treatment program for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In Study 1, parents of general education students in grades 3 through 6 (n = 675) completed the HPC. An exploratory factor analysis revealed two salient factors: Inattention/Avoidance of Homework (Factor I), and Poor Productivity/Nonadherence with Homework Rules (Factor II). Study 2, an exploratory factor analysis of a clinic-referred sample (grades 1 through 8; n = 356), uncovered a factor structure that was highly similar to that of the general sample. For purposes of validation, the HPC factors were correlated with subscales from the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Parent and Teacher Ratings Scales. These correlations demonstrated that Factor I was primarily related to aspects of homework functioning that are readily observable by parents (e.g., inattention, avoidance of work, and anxiety during homework); Factor II was primarily related to aspects of homework functioning that are observable by both parents and teachers (failure to accurately record homework assignments, and failure to complete and submit homework). The two-factor model is a useful way to conceptualize homework problems and has important implications for future practice and research aimed at improving assessment and intervention for children with significant homework difficulties. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of visual surround eccentricity and size on manual and postural control

The aim of this study was to compare two different modes of behaviorally-oriented therapies for dental fear. The subjects were chosen consecutively from the waiting-list of a Dental Fears Research and Treatment Clinic. In addition, a control group was selected from patients treated under general anesthesia to compare levels of dental and general fear with the experimental groups. Twenty-two women, with a mean age of 31.8 yr, were included and randomly assigned to two groups. The median time of avoidance of dental care was 9.5 yr. One group received hypnotherapy (HT) and one group a behavioral treatment based on psychophysiological principles (PP). Both therapies included eight sessions followed by standardized conventional dental test treatments. Pre- and posttreatment measures were dental fear, general fear, mood, and patient behavior. Nine patients were not able to conclude the treatment sessions (6 HT and 3 PP); these patients did not differ significantly from the remaining patients before treatment. The PP group reported a statistically significant decrease in dental fear as well as a rise in mood during dental situations, as opposed to the HT group. General fear levels decreased but not significantly. Eleven patients completed conventional dental treatment according to a dentist's behavioral rating scale, indicating that they were relaxed, and no problems occurred during the treatments. These patients were referred to general practitioners within the community dental service. In conclusion, this small size study showed that a majority of the patients, who accomplished the behavioral therapy and the dental test treatments, became less fearful of dental care and were able to manage conventional dental care, including changing dentist.     

Investigation of ninhydrin reaction (author''s transl)

Nineteen individuals with inordinate fear of dental treatment are presented and discussed with respect to their psychopathology and those aspects of their fear involving feelings of confinement and helplessness in the dental chair, and a negative relationship with the dentist. This material is part of a comprehensive investigation previously reported by the authors into the components and factors contributing to this kind of fear, and the personality and emotional reactions of the individuals suffering from it. The data presented are based on single structured interviews of each patient. Analysis of the patient population suggests division into four major categories: those in whom fear of dental treatment was associated with feelings of inferiority in bodily appearance or function (the largest category); those in whom the fear was associated with neurotic disturbances in which disturbance in body image is not apparent; those in whom the fear was a reflection of a schizophrenic or schizoid process; and those in whom no overt psychopathology was found. The patients in the first category were those who tended most to be afraid of dental treatment due to feelings of confinement or helplessness in the dental chair, or due to a negative relationship with the dentist.     

The structure of precocious reading ability.

The purpose of this study was to describe the cognitive correlates of precocious reading achievement and to identify the structure of individual differences in reading subskill patterns that are compatible with precocious achievement. Several oral reading tasks and selected subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised were administered to 87 postkindergarten children whose Peabody Individual Achievement Test reading comprehension scores ranged from the second- to the fifth-grade level. Parents provided information about the children's reading histories. Factor analysis of 11 reading subskill scores yielded results consistent with a hierarchical modification of the hypothesized model. Three specific factors—Speed, Decoding Rule Use, and Graphic Precision—varied independently of superordinate differences in General Ability. Verbal ability, letter-naming speed, and forward and backward digit span each correlated moderately with one or more reading factors. Many aspects of the results were consistent with findings from studies of average, disabled, and autistic/hyperlexic readers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association between mother-infant salivary contacts and caries resistance in children: a cohort study

We selected 327 7-month-old infants and divided them into two groups based on the frequency of salivary close contacts between mother and infant. Five to seven years later, all first-born children (N = 55) whose dental development had been followed regularly, were examined for dental caries and prevalence of salivary mutans streptococci (MS) and lactobacilli. The children with frequent maternal close contacts (F group, N = 21) had significantly less MS in saliva than the children with rare close contacts (R group, N = 34, P = 0.02). Only 19% of the children in F group compared with 56% in R group had experienced caries in their primary molars and/or canines (P < 0.01). A significantly greater proportion of the children in F group (57%) than in R group (27%, P < 0.05) had a high intake of sugar-containing foods and drinks in a 2-day dietary history. The F and R groups did not differ significantly with respect to other children's caries risk factors, or in age, sex, stage of dental development, dental treatment, or the social aspects studied. There were no significant differences between F and R groups in maternal caries experience, salivary MS or lactobacillus counts, or in maternal background factors (age, breast feeding, or education). Frequent transfer of maternal saliva to the mouth of the baby before tooth eruption was negatively associated with oral infection by MS and to caries in the primary dentition, possibly due to protective immune mechanisms.     

Factor structure of childhood fears.

Asked the parents of 179 6-16 yr. old children, 68 of whom had been diagnosed as phobic, to rate their children on the Louisville Fear Survey. Factor analysis revealed 3 primary dimensions: fear of physical injury, natural events, and psychic stress. 60 items from the 81-item inventory met a 5% frequency criterion. A principal-component factor analysis was run, and 3 factors rotated by varimax solution. A comparison of the 3 factors extracted in this study with studies using children's subjective ratings suggest similarity in structures. Further, a comparison with factor studies of adult fears suggests that fear of physical injury and psychic stress carry through much of the life span, while fear of natural events mitigates with maturation. (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prophylaxis and therapy with factor VII concentrate (human) immuno, vapor heated in patients with congenital factor VII deficiency: a summary of case reports

Hereditary factor VII deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive condition, usually associated with normal or reduced levels of a functionally defective molecule. The available means of treating this condition in North America presents serious health risks to the patient. Transfusion with fresh frozen plasma carries a risk of volume overload and a significant risk for viral transmission. Sustained prothrombin complex therapy is associated with a high risk for thrombogenic complications. This communication describes the use of Factor VII Concentrate (Human) Immuno, Vapor Heated--an intermediate purity factor VII concentrate from Immuno A.G.--for the treatment of 13 patients with factor VII deficiency. Treatment regimens described include those for long-term prophylaxis (three children), acute hemorrhages (two children, one adult), peripartum prophylaxis (one patient), and surgical coverage (two children, four adults). Prophylaxis and therapy were successful in all cases, the medication was well-tolerated, and there were no complications. In the three cases of long-term prophylaxis in children, doses of 10-50 IU/kg were given one to three times a week; one patient has undergone long-term prophylaxis for approximately 8 years, one patient for 1 year, and one patient for 1 1/2 years. Three cases in which Factor VII Concentrate was principally used for treatment of acute episodes of bleeding are described. One infant received Factor VII Concentrate on about 50 occasions for treatment of mucosal bleeding; a correction to 40-100% resulted in cessation of bleeding within 15 min in all cases. For treatment of an episode of intracranial bleeding, an 8-year-old boy received a dose of 37 IU/kg Factor VII Concentrate every 6 hr for peak factor VII levels of approximately 100% and troughs as low as 4% over the 11-day treatment period. A 37-year-old adult male with intracranial bleeding received alternating doses of 16 IU/kg and 8 IU/kg every 6 hr for 10 days with peak factor VII levels in the upper thirties (%). The peak favor VII level during surgical coverage with Factor VII Concentrate (neurosurgery, open reduction of ankle bones, dental surgery, pituitary adenoma surgery, closed liver biopsy) was approximately 100% in all cases, with trough levels ranging from 8 to 65% over treatment periods of 24 hr to 16 days using treatment intervals of 6-12 hr.     

Psychopathy and conduct problems in children.

Factor analysis of a measure of psychopathy was conducted in a sample of 95 clinic-referred children between the ages of 6 and 13 yrs. These analyses revealed 2 dimensions of behavior, one associated with impulsivity and conduct problems (I/CP) and one associated with the interpersonal and motivational aspects of psychopathy (callous/unemotional: CU). In a subset of this sample (n?=?64), analyses indicated that scores on the I/CP factor were highly associated with traditional measures of conduct problems. In contrast, scores derived from the CU factor were only moderately associated with measures of conduct problems and exhibited a different pattern of associations on several criteria that have been associated with psychopathy (e.g., sensation seeking) or childhood antisocial behavior (e.g., low intelligence, poor school achievement, and anxiety). These analyses suggest that psychopathic personality features and conduct problems are independent, yet interacting, constructs in children, analogous to findings in the adult literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development and psychometric evaluation of the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+).

The measurement of dental fear is important due to its high prevalence and appreciable individual, clinical, and public health consequences. However, existing measures of dental anxiety and fear (DAF) have theoretical or practical limitations. This study describes the development and subsequent assessment of the reliability and validity of test scores of a new DAF scale for adults. The Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C+) contains 3 modules that measure DAF, dental phobia, and feared dental stimuli. The final 8-item DAF module (IDAF-4C) assesses emotional, behavioral, physiological, and cognitive components of the anxiety and fear response. The proposed scale dimensionality received support from exploratory factor analysis. IDAF-4C items showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .94) and test–retest reliability at 4 months (r = .82), and the scale was strongly associated with other dental fear scales as well as with dental visiting patterns, avoidance of the dentist, and dental phobia diagnosis. The convergent and predictive validity of the IDAF-4C compared positively to Corah's (1969; Corah, Gale, & Illig, 1978) Dental Anxiety Scale and a single-item measure of dental fear, and the scale predicted future dental visiting and visit perceptions. Both phobia and stimulus modules showed strong and statistically significant associations with DAF ratings. In all, sufficient evidence is provided to demonstrate that the new scale would be a useful tool to assess DAF in an adult population. The IDAF-4C+ is based on strong theoretical underpinnings, yet the scale is practical enough for application across a variety of potential uses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coexistence of multiple periodic and chaotic regimes in biochemical oscillations with phase shifts

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety-related sensations, based on beliefs that these sensations have harmful consequences. AS is thought to play an important role as a diathesis for anxiety disorders, particularly panic disorder. Recent evidence suggests that AS has a hierarchical structure, consisting of multiple lower-order factors, which load on a single higher-order factor. If each factor corresponds to a discrete mechanism, then the results suggest that AS arises from a hierarchic arrangement of mechanisms. A problem with previous studies is that they were based on the 16-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), which may not contain enough items to reveal the type and number of lower-order factors. Accordingly, we developed the 60-item Anxiety Sensitivity Profile, which was administered to 349 university students. Factor analyses revealed four lower-order factors: (1) Fear of respiratory symptoms, (2) fear of cognitive dyscontrol, (3) fear of gastrointestinal symptoms, and (4) fear of cardiac symptoms. These loaded on a single higher-order factor. The lower-order factors shared variance with the higher-order factor, but also contained unique variance. Thus, the results suggest that AS is the product of a general factor, with independent contributions from four specific factors.     

The not so great divide? Psychologists and psychiatrists take stands on the medical and psychosocial models of mental illness.

Mental health practitioners' positions on the etiology and treatment of mental illness have traditionally been studied from a unidimensional perspective, assuming a bipolar attitudinal continuum ranging from psychosocial to medical ideology. This assumption is tested from the responses of 82 psychologists and 69 psychiatrists to the newly developed 63-item, 6-point Likert scale, Mental Health Questionnaire (MHQ). Factor analysis detected 6 distinctive factors: biogenetic psychopathology, psychosocial perspectives, medical ideology, diagnosis, drug treatment, and sociocultural values. Psychiatrists were significantly different from psychologists on MHQ mean scores and 5 of the 6 factors, always in a more medical or less psychosocial direction. Although psychiatrists and psychologists supported aspects of both models, they were clearly divided only on the medical ideology factor pointing to political and power-based differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The serial use of child neurocognitive tests: Development versus practice effects.

When serial neurocognitive assessments are performed, 2 main factors are of importance: test-retest reliability and practice effects. With children, however, there is a third, developmental factor, which occurs as a result of maturation. Child tests recognize this factor through the provision of age-corrected scaled scores. Thus, a ready-made method for estimating the relative contribution of developmental versus practice effects is the comparison of raw (developmental and practice) and scaled (practice only) scores. Data from a pool of 507 Portuguese children enrolled in a study of dental amalgams (T. A. DeRouen, B. G. Leroux, et al., 2002; T. A. DeRouen, M. D. Martin, et al., 2006) showed that practice effects over a 5-year period varied on 8 neurocognitive tests. Simple regression equations are provided for calculating individual retest scores from initial test scores. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The "presyrinx" state: a reversible myelopathic condition that may precede syringomyelia

The purpose of this investigation was to develop a brief self-report inventory which could be used to evaluate treatment outcome for anorexia and bulimia nervosa. The Multifactorial Assessment of Eating Disorders Symptoms (MAEDS) was constructed to measure six symptom clusters which have been found to be central to the eating disorders: depression, binge eating, purgative behavior, fear of fatness, restrictive eating, and avoidance of forbidden foods. The factor structure of the MAEDS was found to be stable and it was found to have satisfactory reliability and validity. Normative data were collected so that raw scores could be converted to standardized scores. While still in the experimental stages, the MAEDS shows promise as a valid and economical measure of treatment interventions for anorexia and bulimia nervosa.     

Between facets and domains: 10 aspects of the Big Five.

Factor analyses of 75 facet scales from 2 major Big Five inventories, in the Eugene-Springfield community sample (N=481), produced a 2-factor solution for the 15 facets in each domain. These findings indicate the existence of 2 distinct (but correlated) aspects within each of the Big Five, representing an intermediate level of personality structure between facets and domains. The authors characterized these factors in detail at the item level by correlating factor scores with the International Personality Item Pool (L. R. Goldberg, 1999). These correlations allowed the construction of a 100-item measure of the 10 factors (the Big Five Aspect Scales [BFAS]), which was validated in a 2nd sample (N=480). Finally, the authors examined the correlations of the 10 factors with scores derived from 10 genetic factors that a previous study identified underlying the shared variance among the Revised NEO Personality Inventory facets (K. L. Jang et al., 2002). The correspondence was strong enough to suggest that the 10 aspects of the Big Five may have distinct biological substrates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adenoid cystic carcinomas of the maxillary sinus with intracranial invasion. Review of the literature, apropos of a case

The aims of this study were to analyze and assess dimensions of the Dental Fear Survey (DFS), which has been developed to measure dental fears and phobias. The present study of 313 dental-phobic individuals analyzed the DFS in a factor analysis using an exploratory (EFA) and a confirmatory (CFA) factor analysis to show dimensions and latent variables. The EFA showed a five-factor structure, with dimensions including items characterizing 'Avoidance of dental care', 'Physiologic arousal during dental treatment', 'Anticipatory anxiety while waiting for dental treatment', 'Fear of the injection needle', and 'Fear of the drill'. The total explained variance of the EFA was 63%. Although statistically significant, the CFA model showed a factor structure with 6 latent variables including a general dental fear factor loading on all 20 items together with the aforementioned 5 factors. In spite of the limitation in sample size and the significant test statistic for this 6-factor structure, the model was interpretable in its dimensionality. In conclusion, these factor analyses have shown a different factor structure of the DFS in this sample of dental-phobic individuals as compared with the dimensions reported from previous research in samples representing nonclinical populations.     

WISC-R factor structures of younger and older youth with low IQs.

Factor analyzed WISC-R scores from 107 9–11 yr old children (mean IQ 70.4) and 78 14–26 yr old children (mean IQ 66.5). Coefficients of congruence across groups indicated that the 2 age groups were similar on the Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization factors, but less similar on the Freedom From Distractibility factor. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learned tolerance to ethanol-induced c-Fos expression in rats

This study examined the efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) and exposure in the treatment of a specific phobia. Twenty-six spider phobic children were treated during 2 treatment phases. During the first phase, which lasted 2.5 hr, children were randomly assigned to either (a) an EMDR group (n = 9), (b) an exposure in vivo group (n = 9), or (c) a computerized exposure (control) group (n = 8). During the 2nd phase, all groups received a 1.5-hr session of exposure in vivo. Therapy outcome measures (i.e., self-reported fear and behavioral avoidance) were obtained before treatment, after Treatment Phase 1, and after Treatment Phase 2. Results showed that the 2.5-hr exposure in vivo session produced significant improvement on all outcome measures. In contrast, EMDR yielded a significant improvement on only self-reported spider fear. Computerized exposure produced nonsignificant improvement. Furthermore, no evidence was found to suggest that EMDR potentiates the efficacy of a subsequent exposure in vivo treatment. Exposure in vivo remains the treatment of choice for childhood spider phobia.     

Cross-cultural generalizability of the Child Behavior Checklist cross-informant syndromes.

Principal factor analysis followed by promax rotations were performed on Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores of 2,339 children randomly drawn from a sample of 4,674 clinically referred Dutch children, aged 4–18 years. Dutch syndromes were very similar in item composition to the 8 CBCL cross-informant syndromes derived by T. M. Achenbach (1991), except for the Social Problems syndrome. Cross-national correlations ranged from .82 for the Social Problems syndrome to .99 for the Somatic Complaints and Anxious/Depressed syndromes. Confirmatory factor analysis of the Dutch and American syndromes in a cross-validation sample of the remaining 2,335 Dutch children supported both the Dutch and the American scales to the same degree. Exploratory and confirmatory results both strongly supported the cross-cultural generalizability of the CBCL cross-informant syndromes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of adaptive behavior in institutionalized mentally retarded children and adults: developmental perspective

Factor analyses were performed utilizing the subscale scores of the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale, Part One, for 3,354 institutionalized mentally retarded children and adults. Eight different age groups were studied to determine (a) the underlying dimensions of adaptive behavior measured by the scale, (b) similarity of factor structure across ages, (c) whether there were developmental changes revealed by factor scores, and (d) the extent to which the above findings would be related to level of retardation. Three salient factorial dimensions--Personal Self-Sufficiency, Community Self-Sufficiency, and Personal-Social Responsibility--appeared across a wide span of age ranges from childhood through senility. The implication of these factors was discussed in terms of the critical period of development, rate of growth, and maximum level of growth of subjects grouped by level of retardation.     

Peer ratings and self-ratings on twelve bipolar items and practicum counselors ranked high and low in competence by their peers.

Compared practicum counselors (N = 173), judged to be high and low in competence by their peers, on peer ratings and self-ratings which were factor analyzed separately. Results show differences between the factor structures of the peer and self-ratings, though each analysis yielded 2 interpretable factors. Counselors of both sexes judged high in competence by their peers had significantly better scores on both peer factors than low-competence Ss after items falling within each factor were summed. High-competence Ss also had a significantly better total rating on the 3-item Factor 2 of the self-ratings but not on the 7-item Factor 1. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)