Physiological and behavioral consequences in rats of water recycling during lactation.

Reports that radioactive water injected into 10-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats could be recovered the following day from their mothers' blood. This transfer of water was nearly eliminated by ligating the injected pups' urethras, a result indicating that mother rats consume their offspring's urine. Preventing urine consumption by ligating urethras of all pups in a litter doubled the plasma volume deficit in dams produced by 24 hrs of water deprivation alone and led to increased isotonic saline but not water intake following water deprivation. Dams' daily water intake increased after they were deprived of pup urine, and their pup-licking behavior increased following water deprivation. Findings from 3 experiments indicate that urine consumption by mother rats has both physiological and behavioral consequences and suggest that pup licking is, in part, an ingestive behavior. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceptual concomitants of conceptual reorganization.

Scheerer held that perceptual reorganization occurs as a concomitant of an induced shift in performance on a conceptual sorting test. This study provided an empirical test of Scheerer's claim for a group of mentally retarded Ss. A perceptual test which utilizes the phi phenomenon was administered to 12 retarded Ss who successfully made the shift on the sorting test (the Pass Group) and 12 who did not (the Fail Group). The Pass Group showed evidence of a highly significant perceptual reorganization, whereas no such evidence was found for the Fail Group. These results strongly supported Scheerer's claim, but for a group which he believed incapable of conceptualization and perceptual reorganization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maintenance of grip-induced muscle tension: A behavioral marker of schizophrenia.

A grip-induced muscle tension maintenance task distinguished between schizophrenic patients, regardless of medication or hospitalization status, and both normals and controls with affective (unipolar and bipolar) disorders. Unaffected 1st-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients also showed a grip deficit. Coupling the grip task with a visual discrimination task that divided attention through instruction or reinforcement contingency increased grip error times for all groups. No group differences appeared on the discrimination task, regardless of difficulty level, and the tone used to provide corrective feedback was not implicated in the grip deficit. The results suggest that the grip task is tapping, in a systematic and reliable manner, a motor-control abnormality that may be useful as a behavioral marker of schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Developmental pathways to schizophrenia: behavioral subtypes

This study examined childhood behavior problems in schizophrenic patients and their healthy siblings. Childhood Behavior Checklist (T. Achenbach, 1991) ratings were obtained from retrospective maternal reports, for 4 age periods: birth to 4 years, 4 to 8 years, 8 to 12 years, and 12 to 16 years. The results indicated that the patients had a variety of childhood behavior problems when compared to their siblings and that the various types of problems differed in their developmental course. Cluster analysis was conducted on the childhood behavior ratings for the schizophrenic patients, and 2 subgroups emerged. Cluster I showed more pronounced behavioral problems than Cluster II, and some of these problems were apparent in early childhood and increased with age. Cluster I also demonstrated greater neuromotor abnormalities in childhood.     

EEG concomitants of hypnosis and hypnotic susceptibility.

Electroencephalograph (EEG) measures described high- and low-hypnotizable participants in terms of 3 conditions: an initial baseline period; baselines preceding and following a standard hypnotic induction; and during the induction. The following results were obtained. 1. High- and low-hypnotic susceptible participants displayed a differential pattern of EEG activity during the baseline period, characterized by greater theta power in the more frontal areas of the cortex for the high-susceptible participants. 2. In the period preceding and following a standardized hypnotic induction, low susceptible participants displayed an increase in theta activity, whereas high-susceptible participants displayed a decrease. 3. During the actual hypnotic induction itself, theta power significantly increased for both groups in the more posterior areas of the cortex, whereas alpha activity increased across all sites. Implications of these data include the possibility of psychophysiological measures offering a stable marker for hypnotizability, and anterior/posterior cortical differences being more important than hemispheric foci for understanding hypnotic processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interpersonal concomitants and antecedents of depression among college students.

Depressed college students were compared with other-psychopathology and normal controls regarding the relationship they developed with dormitory roommates during a 9-month period. Diagnostic status was periodically assessed via SADS interviews, thus also permitting identification of new cases of depression during the year. Psychosocial characteristics found to be uniquely associated with current depression were: (a) low social contact with roommates, (b) low enjoyability of these contacts, and (c) high life-event stress. Roommates of depressives reported low enjoyability of the relationship and high levels of aggressive behavior towards the depressive. No features were found to be uniquely associated with new cases before they became depressed; however, several antecedents of general psychopathology were identified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heart rate and GSR concomitants of vigilance and arousal.

In an experiment with 16 male undergraduates, Ss receiving high shock were considerably more autonomically aroused than low shock Ss, as indicated both by an index of GSR, and by heart rate uncorrected for base level. When corrected, heart rate did not differentiate between Ss receiving high and low level shock. In a within Ss comparison, however, UCS temporal uncertainty generated lower corrected heart rate than UCS-certainty, and did so independently of shock level. It is unlikely that UCS-uncertainty was less anxiety arousing than UCS-certainty; indeed, GSR data suggest the contrary. The decrease in heart rate during UCS-uncertain trials is presumed to be a function of Ss' increased vigilance for uncertainty removing cues. The cognitive orientation toward environmental intake which such vigilance implies should, according to J. I. Lacey, be accompanied by cardiac deceleration. It is argued that such cognitive aspects of cardiac functioning are superimposed over gross cardiac responsiveness to autonomic arousal. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physiological and behavioral effects of acute ethanol hangover in juvenile, adolescent, and adult rats.

This study examined differential responding of juvenile, adolescent, and adult rats after intoxication from an acute alcohol challenge. Experiment 1 generated blood ethanol curves for subjects 25, 35, or 110 days postnatal, after doses of 2.0 or 4.0 g/kg, assessing elimination rates and time of drug clearance. Experiment 2 compared ethanol's initial hypothermic and delayed hyperthermic effect across age by 48-hr temperature measurement with telemetry. At clearance or 24 hr after alcohol exposure, Experiment 3 tested subjects for changes in acoustic startle reactivity and ultrasonic vocalization (USV). Younger rats showed an absent or reduced tendency for residual hyperthermia, and adults showed alterations in USV observed as aftereffects of intoxication, despite greater initial blood alcohol levels and ethanol hypothermia in the former. The lesser ethanol hangover effects in weanlings and adolescents may be due in part to faster ethanol elimination at these ages compared with adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cardiovascular concomitants in ultrasound production during cold exposure in infant rats.

Two experiments explored the cardiovascular consequences of extreme cold exposure and their relationship with ultrasound production in infant rats. Experiment 1 addressed the thermoregulatory and cardiovascular concomitants of ultrasound production during cold exposure in rats pretreated with saline or the ganglionic blocker chlorisondamine (5 mg/kg). For both groups, emission of ultrasound was associated with hypothermia and bradycardia. Experiment 2 explored whether the hypothermia experienced by pups in Experiment 1 is associated with increased blood viscosity, which is an important factor affecting venous return to the heart. Blood viscosity increased significantly as temperature decreased from 38°C to 22°C. These experiments suggest that, during extreme cold exposure, decreased cardiac output and increased blood viscosity combine to diminish venous return. The authors have hypothesized that pups respond to decreased return by recruiting the abdominal compression reaction, a physiological maneuver that propels blood back to the heart, resulting in emission of ultrasound as an acoustic by-product. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attentional and affective concomitants of meditation: A cross-sectional study.

Explored differences in attentional absorption and trait anxiety in 58 undergraduates divided into 4 groups: (a) controls who were interested in but did not practice meditation, (b) beginners who had meditated for 1 mo or less, (c) short-term meditators who regularly practiced for 1-24 mos, and (d) long-term meditators who practiced for more than 2 yrs. Ss were administered the Shor Personal Experiences Questionnaire (PEQ), the Tellegen Absorption Scale (TAS), and the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in trait form. As predicted, significant increases in the PEQ and TAS and significant decrements in the STAI were observed from controls through long-term meditators. This pattern, associated with the practice of meditation (i.e., decrements in trait anxiety and increments in the capacity to attend), is consistent with physiological data indicating that meditation is associated with decrements in autonomic arousal and increments in cortical responsivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

男性精神分裂症住院患者攻击行为分析及护理对策

目的:探讨有攻击行为的住院男性精神分裂症患者的症状特征,制定相应的护理对策.方法:对85例男性住院精神分裂症患者以外显攻击行为量表(MOAS)及简明精神病量表(BPRS)评定;比较有、无攻击行为的精神分裂症患者的BPRS评分.结果:85例患者中,有攻击行为44例(51.80%),无攻击行为41例(48.20%);两组BPRS评分比较,有攻击行为组的总分及敌对猜疑、激惹性、行为紊乱等因子分均明显高于无攻击行为组(P<0.01),思维障碍因子分前者高于后者(P<0.05).结论:精神分裂症患者攻击行为受精神症状支配,尽早根据临床表现并对患者实施有效的护理对策.     

Race and sex as concomitants of composite halo in teachers' evaluative rating of pupils.

Investigated the following general hypothesis: The degree of composite halo exhibited by teachers' ratings of pupils depends upon the race and sex of the teacher doing the rating and the race and sex of the pupil being rated. More specific hypotheses were based on 2 assumptions: (a) The degree of composite halo exhibited by teachers' ratings of pupils would be smaller, the smaller the teachers' perceived social distance from the pupils being rated; and (b) teachers' perceived social distance varies predictably as a function of their sex and race and the sex and race of the pupils being rated. Principal components analysis and multidimensional scaling were used to investigate these hypotheses, using teachers' ratings of more than 8,000 4th-grade pupils on 21 related behavior changes. The general hypothesis was confirmed, but hypotheses based upon the 2nd assumption, using functional relationships suggested by the general sociological literature, were not substantiated. It is suggested that teachers may by virtue of their background and training constitute a special subpopulation to which the general literature on perceived social distance does not apply. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electroencephalographic concomitants of a caffeine-induced panic reaction

This paper addresses two new challenges to the rehabilitation team. The first is to continue to provide high quality services in an era when government and other regulations place constraints on what the rehabilitation team can offer. The second challenge is to honor the ideal of patient empowerment in this era of policy constraint. Ethical issues involved in responding constructively to these challenges are discussed and practical suggestions offered.     

Behavioural concomitants of prenatal addiction to narcotics

Behavioral characteristics of infants of methadone-treated and nonaddicted women were studied during the neonatal period and at three, six, and 12 months of age. Several Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assment Scale measures differentiated between groups. Major differences occurred in irritability of the central nervous system, and these measures appeared able to predict severity of withdrawal. The increased tremulousness of addicted infants remained through at least the first month of life. Mental and motor development was within normal limits in both groups throughout the year. However, the addicted infants showed a progressive decline in psychomotor performance whereas nonaddicted infants' scores remained stable.     

Self-structure in schizophrenia.

This study used a set-theoretical model to construct self-perception structures and person-perception structures for 10 recently hospitalized schizophrenic patients, 10 nonschizophrenic patients recently hospitalized for depression, and 10 nonpsychiatric subjects. Overall self-perception structures were significantly less elaborated in the schizophrenic patients when compared with either the psychiatric or the nonpsychiatric comparison group. No comparable differences were found for measures taken from the person-perception structures. The degree of elaboration of self in the particular context of self as psychiatric patient was found to be correlated (r?=?.74, p     

Comparative fit indexes in structural models.

Normed and nonnormed fit indexes are frequently used as adjuncts to chi-square statistics for evaluating the fit of a structural model. A drawback of existing indexes is that they estimate no known population parameters. A new coefficient is proposed to summarize the relative reduction in the noncentrality parameters of 2 nested models. Two estimators of the coefficient yield new normed (CFIN) and nonnormed (FIN) fit indexes. CFIN avoids the underestimation of fit often noted in small samples for P. M. Bentler and D. G. Bonett's (see record 1981-06898-001) normed fit index (NFIN). FIN is a linear function of Bentler and Bonett's nonnormed fit index (NNFIN) that avoids the extreme underestimation and overestimation often found in NNFIN. Asymptotically, CFIN, FIN, NFIN, and a new index developed by K. A. Bollen (1989) are equivalent measures of comparative fit, whereas NNFIN measures relative fit by comparing noncentrality per degree of freedom. All of the indexes are generalized to permit use of Wald and Lagrange multiplier statistics. An example illustrates the behavior of these indexes under conditions of correct specification and misspecification. The new fit indexes perform very well at all sample sizes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex-role and socialization patterns: Some personality concomitants and environmental antecedents.

Distinguished between sex-role typing, socialization, and identification in 66 male and 69 female 30-40 yr old Ss using the Femininity and Socialization scales of the California Psychological Inventory. Ss were grouped according to their sex-role and socialization pattern: sex appropriate-socialized, sex appropriate-unsocialized, sex inappropriate-socialized, and sex inappropriate-unsocialized. The personality correlates of these patternings were highly informative, as were the family and childhood data available for these Ss. The relationships were interpreted employing an articulated version of the concept of identification. It is noted that sex-role typing for men appears to expand the personal options available to them; for women, sex-role typing seems to restrict the alternatives of action and expression that are available. (51 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exercise in behavioral medicine.

Research on the preventive and rehabilitative applications of exercise and literature on exercise adherence from the past 10 yrs are briefly reviewed. Although there is now substantial evidence that a low level of physical activity is associated with decreased life expectancy for both men and women and contributes independently to the development of many prevalent chronic diseases, most adults and children lead sedentary lives. Recent intervention studies suggest exercise adherence can be improved in a variety of populations. Researchers in the next decade should continue to elaborate the population- and disease-specific effects of physical activity and exercise and give priority to the problem of exercise adherence, which limits the effectiveness of exercise interventions and remains a significant challenge to behavioral medicine. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dissociation of associative and nonassociative concomitants of classical fear conditioning in the freely behaving rat.

In this article we describe three experiments aimed at determining why the conditioned stimulus/stimuli (CS) elicits similar increases in heart rate in groups given paired and random training. The first study demonstrates that regardless of the pseudoconditioning control procedure used (random, backwards, shock-alone, or naive), the same pattern of results is obtained: the increases in arterial pressure are greater in the paired than in each control group, but the heart rate rises to the same extent in all groups. The second study determined that the context in which the responses are tested (conditioning apparatus vs novel test chamber) does not affect the general pattern of results obtained. The third study demonstrates that the superficially similar increases in heart rate in conditioned and pseudoconditioned rats are achieved by different physiological mechanisms: coactivation of the sympathethic and parasympathetic nervous systems in conditioned rats and sympathetic excitation alone in pseudoconditioned rats. Thus, the heart is influenced by associative emotional processes, but heart rate is not, under these conditions, a particularly useful index of those influences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)