Lasting cytotoxic edema as an indicator of irreversible brain damage: a case of neonatal stroke

We describe a case of neonatal stroke in the territory of the left middle cerebral artery. Although the ischemic lesion appeared rather homogeneously hyperintense on T2-weighted MR images, corresponding diffusion-weighted images clearly delineated two separate zones of different cellular swelling and, thus, different prognoses. Lasting cytotoxic edema heralded infarction. We believe that the different rates of disintegration of neurons and glial cells may have caused the change from intracellular to interstitial volume fraction during the evolution of edema.     

The validity of visual observation to assess posture in a laboratory-simulated, manual material handling task

A wide range of methods to evaluate posture in work situations relies on simple, unaided visual observation. In the present study the validity of visual observation to assess posture in a dynamic job was evaluated. Postural aspects were observed and recorded during a manual materials handling job simulated in a laboratory. The results from these observations, concerning gross body posture, torso flexion, arms and legs position, and load to be handled, were compared to the results obtained by direct opto-electronic recording. The agreement on a sample-to-sample basis (expressed by Cohen's kappa) was poor for the variables torso flexion (mean value for kappa = 0.38), position of arms (kappa = 0.43) and legs (kappa = 0.46) and load to be handled (kappa = 0.50) and acceptable only for the gross body posture (kappa = 0.79). Moreover, for each variable except gross body posture, the crude distributions of all observations and recordings across categories (irrespective of time) were significantly different. The results demonstrate that the observations are not valid. It is concluded that dynamic work situations require less simple, more time consuming methods (e.g., analyzing film or video records of the job) than a posture registration method based on direct visual observation.     

The validity of hypnotically induced visual hallucinations.

Varying degrees of visual distortion were found to be related to varying degrees of hypnotic trance. In general, hypnotically induced perceptual distortion was not as effective as the "real thing." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of auditory cues in a visual search task.

Can an operator in a man machine system monitoring an instrument display do it better if he has both auditory and visual cues? 50 college students were assigned randomly to one of 5 conditions tested. A simulated man machine visual display was used for visual search tasks; a headset was used for sound. "In general, it appears that auditory cueing can be used effectively in conjunction with a visual search task." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The use of an operational game as a method of task familiarization.

A method of pretraining which consisted of practice on a highly abstract version of the test task was evaluated by experimental (E) vs. control (C) procedures. 10 Ss were used in each group. The E group received 5 hours practice on the abstract "game," and subsequently both groups received 6 hours training on the test task. The E group's performance was reliably superior to the C group throughout the 6-hour test task period although the difference gradually diminished. It was concluded that positive transfer in complex tasks is based on the practice of verbally mediated, central responses common to both pretraining and test tasks. From Psyc Abstracts 36:05:5CL01K. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Skin potential as an indicator of emotion.

Monitored the skin-potential responses of 6 college students while each was seen for 10 counseling sessions. Results indicate that the nature of a S's skin-potential wave was generally a reliable indicator of the way the S was managing or experiencing his feelings, as reported on the Mood Adjective Check List during the sessions. Negative skin-potential responses were accompanied by feelings described as pleasant and released; positive responses were associated with unpleasant and inhibited feelings, and neutral responses were often associated with unpleasant and inhibited feelings but also tended to coincide with thoughtful moods. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of visual and nonvisual feedback in a vehicle steering task.

This article investigates vehicle steering control, focusing on the task of lane changing and the role of different sources of sensory feedback. Participants carried out 2 experiments in a fully instrumented, motion-based simulator. Despite the high level of realism afforded by the simulator, participants were unable to complete a lane change in the absence of visual feedback. When asked to produce the steering movements required to change lanes and turn a corner, participants produced remarkably similar behavior in each case, revealing a misconception of how a lane-change maneuver is normally executed. Finally, participants were asked to change lanes in a fixed-based simulator, in the presence of intermittent visual information. Normal steering behavior could be restored using brief but suitably timed exposure to visual information. The data suggest that vehicle steering control can be characterized as a series of unidirectional, open-loop steering movements, each punctuated by a brief visual update. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The validity of melatonin as an oncostatic agent

The validity of melatonin as a prominent, naturally occurring oncostatic agent is examined in terms of its putative oncostatic mechanism of action, the correlation between melatonin levels and neoplastic activity, and the outcome of therapeutically administered melatonin in clinical trials. Melatonin's mechanism of action is summarized in a brief analysis of its actions at the cellular level, its antioxidative functions, and its indirect immunostimulatory effects. The difficulties of interpreting melatonin levels as a diagnostic or prognostic aid in cancer is illustrated by referral to breast cancer, the most frequently studied neoplasm in trials regarding melatonin. Trials in which melatonin was used therapeutically are reviewed, i.e., early studies using melatonin alone, trials of melatonin in combination with interleukin-2, and controlled studies comparing routine therapy to therapy in combination with melatonin. A table compiling the studies in which melatonin was used in the treatment of cancer in humans is presented according to the type of neoplasm. Melatonin's suitability in combination chemotherapy, where it augments the anticancer effect of other chemotherapeutic drugs while decreasing some of the toxic side effects, is described. Based on the evidence derived from melatonin's antiproliferative, antioxidative, and immunostimulatory mechanisms of action, from its abnormal levels in cancer patients and from clinical trials in which melatonin was administered, it is concluded that melatonin could indeed be considered a physiological anticancer substance. Further well-controlled trials should, however, be performed in order to find the link between its observed effects and the underlying mechanisms of action and to define its significance as a therapeutic oncostatic agent.     

Interpreting visual preferences in the visual paired-comparison task.

Performance on the visual paired-comparison (VPC) task has typically been interpreted with E. Sokolov's (1963) comparator model of the orienting response; novelty preferences are interpreted as evidence of retention, whereas null preferences are interpreted as evidence of forgetting. Here the authors capitalized on the verbal nature of human adults to clarify the interpretation of visual preferences in VPC performance. In 2 experiments, adults were tested on either the VPC task or a forced-choice recognition task after delays of 3 min to 12 months. In Experiment 1, adults tested on the VPC task exhibited novelty preferences after short delays, null preferences after intermediate delays, and familiarity preferences after long delays. In Experiment 2, adults tested on the forced-choice recognition task exhibited high levels of accuracy irrespective of delay, but the latency with which they recognized the stimuli increased systematically over the retention interval. These data are inconsistent with a simple Sokolovian interpretation of VPC performance and instead suggest that memory may be expressed as a novelty preference, null preference, or familiarity preference depending on the accessibility of the representation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alumni ratings as an indicator of departmental quality.

University alumni and enrolled students from 22 departments responded to 11 satisfaction items concerning instructional, curricular, advising, and operational aspects of their major departments. Factor structures for the 2 groups were nearly identical and included 2 factors: General Satisfaction With Major and Satisfaction With Mentorship. Comparisons of department means showed differences between alumni and enrolled students on many items, particularly vocational guidance. Alumni ratings were relatively uninfluenced by job-related variables. It is concluded that they are an important source of information in assessing departmental quality. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measurement of integrated sensory-motor function following brain damage by a computerized preview tracking task

A preview tracking task has been developed which has particular application to neurological assessment and rehabilitation. Generated and monitored by a graphic display computer, it permits accurate global quantification of the upper-limb sensory-motor system. The incorporation of 'preview' into the tracking task is considered to significantly increase its effectiveness and relevance in relation to normal daily activities. Applied to three groups of normal subjects, several features of normal psychomotor performance and learning were identified or verified: hand dominance is not significant in overall arm control; learning does not completely plateau; increase in age (15-59 years) results in only a minor overall decrement in performance; an initial wide performance distribution decreases dramatically in subsequent sessions. Applied to brain-damaged patients, particularly head injury or stroke, the preview tracking task allows assessment at regular intervals enabling sensory-motor recovery curves to be generated. The potential of this technique, to help determine the efficacy of therapeutic procedures on the recovery process, is illustrated with the presentation of results from three brain-damaged patients demonstrating zero, significant and disjointed recovery of sensory-motor function. The usefulness of the preview tracking task can be expanded by combination with a less frequently applied but more component specific neurological assessment battery.     

Persistence of the waterfall illusion after-effect as a test of brain damage.

Without special conditions and/or instructions to encourage continued fixation on the center of the stimulus object, 19 brain-damaged patients (chronic brain syndrome associated with alcoholism) performed less well on the Spiral After-Effect Test than did a normal control group. However, they performed as well as normals on the Waterfall Illusion After-Effect Test which does not require continued fixation in order to elicit apparent aftermovement. The results support the interpretation that the reported disturbance in the brain-damaged to perceiving apparent aftermovement is due to their relative inability to hold continued fixation. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acceptance of uncertainty as an indicator of effective leadership.

Research and experience continue to reveal evolving modes of leadership behavior that challenge the practice of consulting psychology. Leadership development that has taken us beyond the notion of born leaders and stable environments has suggested that flexibility is vital. This may be partly because of the constant evolution of the organization and its leadership challenges, from command-and-control to paradigms that are participatory and recognize the importance of interpersonal skills, to an emerging paradigm concerned with organizational learning. Consulting psychologists have identified a wide variety of leadership modes or ideals to fit these newer paradigms. Common to many of these is the need to be comfortable navigating ambiguous situations. One of the metrics that is indicative of this skill is the capacity to effectively process the uncertainty that often accompanies ambiguity. We present preliminary data for a potential tool for assessing this skill. We suggest that measuring an individual's “aptitude for ambiguity” should be considered when identifying high performers for leadership roles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

3-Methoxytyramine as an indicator of impulse-induced dopamine release in rat brain in vivo

Autotransfusions were performed in 80 patients operated upon for thyroid diseases at the Department of Surgery, Institute of Haematology in Warsaw. For autotransfusions patients were selected in good general condition and with haematological indices in the range accepted for blood donors. Planning of autotransfusion is purposeful only in these cases of thyroid disease in which the necessity of blood transfusion can be predicted in advance (e.g. Graves-Basedov-disease, retrosternal goitre, mediastinal goitre). The transfused volume may cover completely or partly the intraoperative blood loss. Autotransfusion protects the patients against possible isoimmunization which may develop after transfusion of blood from donors. Protection of patients against possible immunization is a problem of considerable value. It is important particularly in young subjects, especially young women who may become mothers. Operations connected with blood loss up to 500 ml do not require supplementary transfusions. Intraoperative blood loss in the range from 500 to 1000 ml requires supplementation. The risk of posttransfusion complications is lowest when autotransfusion is done.     

The effect of immediately preceding task brightness on visual performance.

To determine how visual performance at low photopic brightness levels is affected by the brightness of an immediately preceding visual task, Ss were required to read photographs of banks of instrument dials (a near-vision task) and banks of Landolt rings (a far-vision task) after adaptation to the brightness level of the first task, under speed and accuracy instructions. The Ss performed both the near and far tasks. Within the brightness ranges used, performance was related to the brightness of the task but not to the brightness of the immediately preceding task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The standard object-sorting task as a measure of conceptual organization.

In object-sorting tasks, which are designed to assess developmental differences in conceptual organization, children are shown a variety of objects and told to put the things that are alike together. It was hypothesized that younger children construct designs, alignments, and scenes not necessarily because they have different principles of conceptual organization but because they are distracted by the task of spatial arrangement. This hypothesis was tested by having 60 3- and 4-yr-olds sort identical objects 2 times, once onto sheets of paper and once into transparent plastic bags, which do not readily allow for spatial arrangement. As predicted, when the salience of the spatial configuration was reduced, Ss' classifications improved. Since no feedback, modeling, or training of any type was given, Ss must have capitalized on an already existing conceptual system that is more like an adult's than their typical sorting would suggest. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Construct validity of an attention rating scale for traumatic brain injury.

Attention deficits are nearly ubiquitous after traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the subacute phase of moderate to severe TBI, these deficits may be difficult to measure with the precision needed to predict outcomes, assess degree of recovery, and monitor treatment response. This article reports the findings of four studies, three observational and one a randomized, controlled treatment trial of methylphenidate (MP), designed to provide construct validation of the Moss Attention Rating Scale (MARS), an observational measure of attention dysfunction following TBI. One hundred seven participants with moderate to severe TBI were enrolled during treatment on an inpatient rehabilitation unit. MARS scores were provided independently by four rehabilitation disciplines (Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapies and Nursing). Results indicated that the MARS: (1) is more strongly related to concurrent measures of cognitive versus physical disability, supporting its validity as a measure of cognition, (2) is more strongly related to concurrent psychometric measures of attention versus measures thought to rely less on attention, supporting its validity as a measure of attention; and (3) predicts 1-year outcomes of TBI better than psychometric measures of attention. However, the MARS (4) was not differentially affected by MP versus placebo treatment. Results support the construct validity and utility of the MARS, with further research needed to clarify its role in treatment outcome assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attentional orienting within visual field in a lexical decision task.

The influence of spatial attention on lexical decisions to lateralized target letter-strings appearing either along with a distractor (Experiment 1) or in an otherwise empty field (Experiments 2–6) was examined. Attentional orienting was controlled by peripheral (Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 6) and central (Experiments 4–5) cuing methods. Manipulations of spatial attention, including cue validity and cue–target stimulus onset asynchrony, were combined with manipulations of word frequency in Experiments 3-6. All the attentional manipulations were effective, but they did not modify the right visual field advantage in word performance, In addition, the attentional effects did not interact with either the presence or absence of distractors or with stimulus familiarity. Implications of these results regarding the influence of spatial attention (the posterior attention system) on word processing are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)