Regression and disorders of thought.

Utilizing 2 tests (see 35: 5236; 36: 4JQ14C) devised to assess use of various kinds of words, the responses of elementary school children were compared with the responses of a previously obtained sample of schizophrenics. The purpose of the comparison was to test the assumption that schizophrenia involves a regression to a more primitive, infantile stage, and that the thinking of the schizophrenic would resemble that of the child. On some of the tasks, the thinking of the children and the schizophrenic were similar; on others, the children and the organics were similar. The literal use of the term regression re: schizophrenia was rejected. Methodological problems of research in this area are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A contemporary learning theory perspective on the etiology of anxiety disorders: It's not what you thought it was.

The authors describe how contemporary learning theory and research provide the basis for perspectives on the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders that capture the complexity associated with individual differences in the development and course of these disorders. These insights from modern research on learning overcome the shortcomings of earlier overly simplistic behavioral approaches, which sometimes have been justifiably criticized. The authors show how considerations of early learning histories and temperamental vulnerabilities affect the short- and long-term outcomes of experiences with stressful events. They also demonstrate how contextual variables during and following stressful learning events affect the course of anxiety disorder symptoms once they develop. This range of variables can lead to a rich and nuanced understanding of the etiology and course of anxiety disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic recall and contextual constraint.

Compared the effects of contextual constraint and list length on short-term recall of word lists by 24 chronic schizophrenics (aged 23-62 yrs) and 120 normal males (prison inmates and firemen). One subtest consisting of relatively short lists of low constraint and 1 subtest consisting of longer lists of high constraint were matched on mean, variance, and shape of the distribution of item difficulties, variance of subtest scores, shape of the distribution of subtest scores, and subtest reliability. These psychometrically matched subtests were used to compute a difference score of accuracy on low-constraint lists minus accuracy on high-constraint lists. On this difference score, schizophrenics scored lower than normals with the same total accuracy scores. The direction of this difference was opposite to that found in 4 previous studies of the effects of contextual constraint on recall by schizophrenics. It is concluded that the findings of the previous studies are probably artifacts of the use of unmatched tasks and that schizophrenic deficit in recall is not increased more by an increase in contextual constraint than by a shortening of word lists. In fact, the data suggest that precisely the opposite may be true. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality disorders in sociocultural perspective

In this paper we take as a starting point the perceived high prevalence of domestic violence in marriages between Filipino women and Australian men. In in-depth interviews and structured questionnaires with service providers and with Filipinas married to Anglo-Australian and Filipino men the issue of underreporting physical and emotional violence was a recurring theme. We explore the relationships of power that characterize these marriages, the changes in balance of power that result from the externalization of anger, physical and verbal violence, and stigmatization of domestic violence experienced by Filipinas individually and in the community. We suggest that social disapproval and stereotypical representations of Filipina-Australian marriages in Australian society, and the consequent shame experienced by Filipinas, has led to underreporting of emotional and physical abuse.     

Schizophrenic autism. 1. Historical evolution and perspectives

Cardinal importance has often been attached to the term 'autism' within the scope of schizophrenic symptomatology since its introduction by E. Bleuler in 1911. However, this term has been used purely intuitively in most cases, giving rise to a great deal of speculation about autism and its role within different psychiatric disorders, speculation which could not then be examined empirically for lack of intersubjective definition. This article reviews and examines the historical concept of autism, and finally makes and discusses proposals for future perspectives on autism.     

Eating disorders: National Institute of Mental Health's perspective.

The mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research, and eating disorders embody an important fraction of this burden. Although past and current research has provided important knowledge regarding the etiology, classification, pathophysiology, and treatment of the eating disorders, there are still significant challenges that need to be addressed. This article briefly describes some of these challenges, recent NIMH-supported research and research-related activities directed at addressing these challenges, and approaches and areas of research that hold promise for furthering the understanding and treatment of eating disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

MR imaging of impingement and rotator cuff disorders. A surgical perspective

The role of MR imaging in the diagnosis of impingement and rotator cuff disorders is expanding greatly. This article discusses the clinically pertinent history, physical examination, and surgical treatment of rotator cuff problems. A rationale for consideration of open, "mini-open," and arthroscopic surgical intervention is proposed. The utilization of MR imaging by the orthopedic surgeon for nonoperative, preoperative, and postoperative decision-making are presented. A close working relationship between the radiologist and the orthopedist is emphasized.     

A Chinese perspective of somatoform disorders

The role of altered gastric motor functions for the development of obesity is still unclear. In this study, we investigated whether severe obesity is related to gastric dysfunctions or to abnormal perception in response to distension. 31 obese patients and 20 healthy volunteers were studied using an electronic barostat. Basal gastric tone, gastric accommodation, and perception in response to distension were not altered in obese patients. The median minimal distending pressure, reflecting the intra-abdominal pressure, was significantly elevated in obese patients, being 12 versus 7 mm Hg, respectively (p < 0.0001). We conclude that the proximal gastric motility, including perception and accommodation in response to intragastric distension, is not impaired in severe obesity. Whether disturbances of gastric reflex relaxation in response to a meal are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity remains to be established.     

Schizophrenic performance in a word-communication task.

Speaker and listener skills in schizophrenic and in normal Ss were studied using a communication task in which the speaker provides clue words to distinguish referent from nonreferent stimuli, and the listener chooses the speaker's referent from each stimulus array on the basis of the speaker's clue words. 4 groups of 18 speaker-listener pairs were used: schizophrenic speakers-schizophrenic listeners; schizophrenic speakers-normal listeners; normal speakers-schizophrenic listeners; normal speakers-normal listeners. Analysis of accuracy scores (proportion correct referent choices) showed that schizophrenic speakers were inferior to normals (p     

Schizophrenic patterns of arousal and stimulus barrier functioning.

Investigated the psychophysiological arousal and psychological stimulus barrier functioning in 20 male chronically hospitalized schizophrenics, 20 male outpatient schizophrenics with minimal institutionalization, and 20 male controls. Each S completed the Beck Depression Inventory (Short Form), the Structured Clinical Interview, and the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale. Also, each S was administered a stimulus barrier assessment interview, and skin conductance characteristics were measured in response to a standardized sequence of 15 1,000-Hz, 75-db tones. After 6 wks, the procedure was repeated. All schizophrenics exhibited either of 2 abnormal patterns of arousal that were never shown by the normal controls. Overresponders were slow to habituate and exhibited a high number of orienting responses, a high baseline skin conductance level, and a high incidence of spontaneous fluctuations. Underresponders exhibited low baseline skin conductance levels, few spontaneous fluctuations, and either an absence of orienting activity or only an isolated initial orienting response. The stimulus barrier ratings were highly correlated with these psychophysiological patterns. Certain schizophrenics alternated between these response patterns. Change status and response pattern were related to a number of psychological variables. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic deficit in span of apprehension.

We investigated two hypotheses about the span of apprehension task in schizophrenia: (a) schizophrenics show performance deficit on the forced-choice (FC) version but not on the full-report (FRP) version, and (b) schizophrenic impairment on the FC version is greater when the display subtends a wide visual angle than when it subtends a narrow one. Schizophrenic (n?=?21) and normal (n?=?22) groups were tested on 3 versions of the task. A narrow-angle FC version was matched psychometrically with a wide-angle one by use of a greater number of noise letters in the narrow version. Schizophrenics reported fewer correct letters than normals on the FRP version but did not differ on either the wide or the narrow FC versions. The results imply that schizophrenic deficit is not specific to the FC version and that on the FC version, visual angle is not more important than number of noise letters for demonstrating schizophrenic deficit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic deficit and its relation to social motivation.

A study investigating the effects of praise and encouragement on the performance of schizophrenics was carried out with 48 normal and 48 hospitalized schizophrenics, the latter being drawn equally from open and closed wards. All Ss performed a simple motor task, those in the experimental groups receiving verbal praise and encouragement from E after each trial and those in the control groups no evaluative comments. The results indicated that all experimental groups performed better than their controls but that the amount of improvement did not differ among the diagnostic groups. In absolute performance level, normals were significantly superior to the schizophrenics but the 2 schizophrenics groups did not differ significantly from each other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preschool thought.

Summarizes recent findings on the preschooler's perspective-taking and numerical abilities. Further evidence on the preschooler's cognitive capacities is cited. These results support the conclusion that preschoolers are remarkably competent under certain conditions. The author considers why past studies have failed to show these competences; why preschoolers are not "miniature adults" so far as their cognitions are concerned; and the difficulty of finding task situations that are suitable for research with young children. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic response to affectivity in word definition.

120 drug-free schizophrenics and 167 nonpsychotic Ss were given affect-laden and affectively neutral free-response vocabulary items. The 2 subtests were matched on psychometric characteristics that affect the power of the subtest to discriminate among ability levels of nonpsychotic Ss. These characteristics (coefficient alpha, mean and standard deviation of test score, standard deviation of item difficulty, and shape of the distribution of item difficulty) were matched using nonpsychotic Ss with the same sum of the subtest scores as the schizophrenics. Both chronic and newly admitted schizophrenics were no less accurate on the affective subtest than on the neutral subtest. It is concluded that most published findings on schizohprenic response to affective stimuli appear to be artifacts of unmatched tests. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic and depressed mothers: Relational deficits in parenting.

Schizophrenic (n?=?53), depressed (n?=?25), and well women (n?=?23) were studied to determine the quality of their parenting and its affect on their 3-month to 5-year-old child's social and intellectual development. Most of the women were single parents; all were poor and Black. Parenting behavior was studied with observations in the lab and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment inventory. Children's behavior was measured with an IQ test and social competence observation. Quality of parenting was lowest in schizophrenic women, and more variable in depressed women. Certain parenting practices significantly predicted children's IQ scores and social behavior. The mother's parenting practices, and not her diagnostic status per se, accounted for much of children's intellectual and social competence, supporting an interactional model for transmission of psychopathology from mother to child. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schizophrenic memory-search performance involving nonverbal stimulus properties.

Investigated schizophrenic memory-search performance by conducting a memory-search choice-reaction-time (CRT) task involving nonverbal stimulus properties (real-life sizes of items). Procedures were designed to diminish ambiguities concerning previous evidence of possible schizophrenic impairment in scanning and comparison operations involving memory-held items. Ss (aged 18–60 yrs) were 20 paranoid and 20 nonparanoid schizophrenics, 20 psychiatric controls, and 20 normal Ss. Results indicate that scanning and comparison operations proceeded at comparable rates among the schizophrenics and controls. On the other hand, rates of encoding the presented stimulation for a given trial (the trial's probe item) into a task-facilitative format proceeded at a slower rate among the paranoid Ss in particular. Discussion focuses on specific memory-search CRT paradigmatic conditions in which intact speed of memorial item comparisons tended to be most evident among these patients. Results resemble earlier observations of the present 2nd author (see record 1978-31872-001) on memory-search CRT performance among paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenics when probe stimulation has remained in view throughout each trial. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Learned helplessness in the perspective of the depressive disorders: Conceptual and definitional issues.

Examines 3 issues that are important in extending the learned helplessness model to clinical depressive disorders. First, the nature of the heterogeneity of clinical manifestations of depression is examined within several clinical frameworks, and the role that learned helplessness may play in each is discussed. Second, the problems in constructing models for clinical populations are explored through the examination of several parallels between learned helplessness and clinical depression put forth by M. E. Seligman (1975). Third, problems involved in defining and identifying depressed college student Ss in analog research are discussed. Integral to the latter issue is an evaluation of the assumption that depressed college student Ss differ from clinical depressives only quantitatively but not qualitatively. Suggestions are made for research aimed at extending the learned helplessness model to other clinical problem areas. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)