A reanalysis of gender differences in IQ scores following unilateral brain lesions.

Meta-analyses of gender differences in the consequences of unilateral brain lesions have reported a positive correlation between the percentage of men in studies and the magnitude of the difference between Verbal (V) and Performance (P) IQ. Such findings are limited by both the indirectness of the methodology and the focus on V–P differences rather than on the separate effects of brain lesions on VIQ and PIQ. A repeated-measures analysis was conducted of studies that reported separate VIQ and PIQ means for men and women with unilateral lesions. Women showed lower IQ scores following lesions to the hemisphere thought to be nondominant for each function. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in verbal IQ—Performance IQ discrepancies among patients with schizophrenia and normal volunteers.

Substantial verbal IQ (VIQ)–performance IQ (PIQ) discrepancies may reflect brain dysfunction. The authors examined 159 patients with schizophrenia ( 115 men and 44 women) or schizoaffective disorder (25 men and 19 women) and 79 normal participants (33 men and 46 women), calculated mean VIQ–PIQ discrepancy scores by sex and diagnosis, and identified persons with large VIQ–PIQ discrepancies (15-point difference in either direction). Schizophrenic/schizoaffective men had a larger mean VIQ–PIQ discrepancy than did other groups. The proportion of all patients with either VIQ?>?PIQ or PIQ?>?VIQ ( 17.8%) was not significantly different from that of normal participants (22.8%). However, significantly more men than women with schizophrenia exhibited a VIQ–PIQ pattern (20% vs. 3.2%). No unusual discrepancy patterns were noted among normal participants. Results were interpreted in light of theories of hemisphere dysfunction in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbal IQ–performance IQ discrepancies on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised in patients with unilateral or bilateral cerebral dysfunction.

Administered the WAIS-R to 89 patients (mean age 42 yrs) with neurodiagnostically confirmed unilateral or bilateral cerebral disease. Similar to findings with previous editions of these tests, Ss with left-hemisphere disease obtained significantly lower Verbal IQ (VIQ) than Performance IQ (PIQ), and Ss with right or bilateral disease obtained lower PIQ than VIQ. It is cautioned that these VIQ–PIQ discrepancies in isolation are ineffective indexes of cerebral dysfunction and that patterns of performance must be viewed in the context of a complete neuropsychological examination and relevant medical and educational historical data. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral deficits in groups with cerebral vascular lesions.

Established 3 groups of patients with cerebrovascular disease (right hemisphere, left hemisphere, or generalized involvement) by matching 15 triads for age, sex, education, and duration of diagnosed cerebrovascular disease. Intergroup and intragroup comparisons were made of results on a large battery of measures, including psychometric intelligence, motor strength and speed, psychomotor performance, and sensory functions. Tests given included halstead's finger tapping test, halstead's tactual performance test, and wechsler-bellevue, form i, verbal and performance iq values. Significant differences were found between groups with lateralized lesions, whereas the group with generalized involvement tended to occupy an intermediate position. The group with left cerebral damage had a significantly lower verbal than performance iq, whereas this relationship was reversed in the group with right cerebral damage. Motor, psychomotor, and sensory functions were consistently impaired on the side contralateral to the damage hemisphere for the groups with lateralized lesions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An investigation of unilateral cerebral pathology with equated verbal and visual-spatial tasks.

Ss with left cerebral damage perform significantly different on certain tasks so as to be distinguishable from Ss with right cerebral damage. In this instance, verbal and visual-spatial paired associations were learned. The results indicated that control Ss (no known cerebral damage) showed no difference on either task, but patients with right cerebral damage (R) did significantly poorer on visual-spatial learning than verbal learning; patients with left cerebral damage (L) did just the reverse. Percent of accuracy of diagnosis of Rs as R, and Ls as L was marred by the factor of age. Measures of perseveration were less clearcut than error scores. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4JG82S. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Visual organization test performance in an African American population with acute unilateral cerebral lesions

Controversy abounds as to whether the Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT) is a measure of hemisphere-specific, region-specific, or non-specific brain damage. The present study examines this issue in a group of African Americans with acute unilateral brain damage and non-brain-injured controls. Consistent with the idea that the VOT is a measure of "organic" cerebral pathology, non-brain damaged controls earned significantly higher VOT scores than brain-damaged patients. While other studies have noted that the VOT is primarily sensitive to damage in the right parietal region of the brain, the present study shows that VOT performance is especially vulnerable to acute lesions in the right anterior quadrant of the brain. This latter finding supports the idea that VOT performance is differentially sensitive to regional cerebral pathology, but challenges the region specific claim of poorer VOT performance among patients with right posterior cerebral damage.     

Comparative learning and memory deficits following hippocampal and caudate lesions in mice.

Examined the effects of hippocampal, caudate, combined hippocampal-caudate, and sham lesions on the passive avoidance and active escape performances of groups of female CF1 mice. Bilateral hippocampal or caudate lesions produced similar impairments of passive-avoidance retention 1 day after training in Ss operated upon 1 day prior to training. Hippocampal and caudate lesions similarly facilitated active-escape retention. When surgery was performed immediately after training, hippocampal or caudate lesions each impaired both passive-avoidance and active-escape retention 1 day later; no retention deficits were observed when surgery was performed 1 hr. after training. When surgery was performed immediately after training and passive-avoidance retest was conducted 1 hr. later, only hippocampal lesions impaired retention. These and other data suggest the mediation of different neuroanatomical substrates for short- and long-term memory and different processes for storage and forgetting. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Persistent short term memory deficits in Hebb–Williams maze performance are shown by rats with unilateral entorhinal cortex lesions.

The spatial abilities of adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats in the Hebb–Williams maze were examined at 6 mo after unilateral electrolytic entorhinal cortex lesions. Compared with sham-operated rats, their performance was impaired in both initial entry and repeat entry errors over 12 consecutive problems, using immediate starting replacement for the 6 trials per problem. The configurations of the 12 maze problems are independent, and deficits were seen over the entire course of the testing. This study indicates that Hebb–Williams maze performance deficits after unilateral entorhinal cortex lesion are persistent and can be seen up to 6 mo after injury. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in verbal and play fantasy.

Investigated 2 types of fantasy productions by 45 male and female 3-6 yr olds and by 47 male and female 11-12 yr olds. At the age of entering school, it was found that boys and girls did not differ in the deprivation-enhancement pattern of their verbal fantasies. However, sex-related differences were clearly evident among preadolescents. Fantasy involving dramatic play productions, however, revealed such differences among Ss of both age groups both in the play material selected and in the spatial configurations and thematic content of the productions. Findings are discussed in terms of boys' and girls' sexual identity, as this derives from feelings about their own bodies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dissociation of spatial discrimination deficits following frontal and parietal lesions in monkeys.

Gave 40 rhesus monkeys dorsolateral prefrontal, posterior parietal, or inferotemporal lesions. 4 additional Ss served as unoperated controls. Ss then received 2 forms of spatial discrimination training, based on body position ("egocentric" cues) and on the position of an external referent ("allocentric" cues), respectively. On the former, a place discrimination reversal, frontal Ss were impaired but not parietals. On the latter, a landmark discrimination reversal, parietal Ss were impaired but not frontals; this result was also obtained on a test involving distance discrimination without reversal. Finally, the inferotemporals but not the frontals or parietals were impaired on a nonspatial object discrimination reversal. Results suggest that the 2 modes of spatial orientation, egocentric and allocentric, are related to frontal and parietal mechanisms, respectively. (18 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

WISC—R verbal and performance IQ discrepancy in an unselected cohort: Clinical significance and longitudinal stability.

This study examined children from a unselected birth cohort who had Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC—R) verbal and performance IQ discrepancies that placed them beyond the 90th percentile. It was hypothesized that, relative to their cohort peers, these children would be characterized by greater frequency of perinatal difficulties, early childhood neurological abnormalities, health problems of neurological significance, and concussion. Additionally, it was hypothesized that such children would exhibit more behavior problems, lower academic achievement, and poorer motor skills. Generally, the null hypotheses were not rejected by the results. Longitudinal investigation of the stability of the verbal and performace IQ discrepancy revealed that about 23% of discrepant cases were discrepant at two or more ages. Depressed verbal IQ relative to performance IQ was found to be more common than the reverse pattern. Children with performance IQ greater than verbal IQ scored significantly lower than children for whom this pattern was reversed on measures of academic achievement. Results show that cautious interpretation is needed of verbal and performance IQ discrepancy in the general (nonneurological) assessment setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory correlates of lateralized cerebral lesions and aphasic deficits.

Investigated the emotional adjustment of right-handed male brain-damaged patients as a function of (a) the hemispheric location of the lesion and (b) the degree of aphasia as measured by the Halstead-Wepman Aphasia Screening Test. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of 35 Ss (mean age 52.3 yrs) with right-hemisphere lesions were compared with those of 25 Ss (mean age 49.7 yrs) with left-hemisphere lesions. Both samples produced similar composite profiles that indicated the presence of mild dysphoria, dissatisfaction, withdrawal, decreased initiative, and mild somatic preoccupations. Within the left-hemisphere-damaged group, significant correlations emerged between the degree of aphasic disability and MMPI Validity, Paranoia, Psychasthenia, and Schizophrenia scales. When the variance in MMPI scores due to premorbid status (education) was partialled out, however, these correlations were nonsignificant. Findings fail to support the widely held association of speech-related deficits with psychopathology. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and generation differences and similarities in social attitudes.

79 male and 89 female college students and their parents (108 fathers and 138 mothers) responded to items dealing with social issues. Parents were more conservative on 21 of the 24 items, significantly so on 13. Sex differences were significant for 7 items and were interpreted in terms of self-serving attitudes and the tender-tough dimension. The generation gap was greatest for items closest to the daily lives of the respondents and may be both an expression of and a contributor to social change. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Susceptibility and precipitating factors in depression: Sex differences and similarities.

Argues that the well-documented sex difference in depression may be due to a sex difference in susceptibility, in precipitating factors, or in both. Data from a large mental health survey (2,515 White over-18 residents of 2 cities) were used to study precipitating factors. It was found that women were exposed more often to more of the factors that relate to depression; with a few exceptions, the factors related to depression similarly for men and women. Matching on these factors did not eliminate the sex difference in depression. This suggests that there may be a sex difference in susceptibility. Current theories of depression are incorporated into a sequential model of how learned factors might contribute both to susceptibility and to the sex difference. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interhemispheric interactions following unilateral injury to the cerebral cortex

The object of the study was to examine the time-course of interhemispheral relations under unilateral injury to the somatic or optical cortical pathways. Special attention was paid to the characteristics of the function of the associative parietal cortex and areas that are symmetrical to the location of injury. Transcallosal stimulation allows changing the functional condition of the studied zones. This can be considered as a possible factor inducing development of compensatory-rehabilitative processes in the central nervous system.     

Processing speed, working memory, and IQ: A developmental model of cognitive deficits following cranial radiation therapy.

IQ decrements following cranial radiation therapy (CRT) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are most apparent years after treatment. The authors examined a developmental model for delayed deficits by evaluating the relationship between processing speed, working memory, and IQ in long-term survivors of childhood ALL (n?=?27) compared with demographically matched controls (n?≠??7). The ALL group treated with CRT showed deficits in IQ, working memory, and processing speed relative to controls. Differences in IQ between the CRT group and controls were mediated by differences in working memory. Processing speed did not fully account for the working memory deficit in the CRT group. Participants with ALL treated only with chemotherapy showed similar working memory and processing speed as matched controls. Data suggest that deficits in processing speed and working memory following CRT may underlie declines in IQ. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reversal of performance deficits and perceptual deficits in learned helplessness and depression.

Tested therapeutic implications of the learned helplessness model of depression in 2 experiments with a total of 128 undergraduates. Depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory. Nondepressed Ss receiving inescapable noise and depressed/no-noise Ss later showed noise escape deficits in a shuttlebox and perceptions of response-reinforcement independence when compared with nondepressed/no-noise Ss. Experience with solvable discrimination problems reversed the escape deficits and perceptions of response-reinforcement independence associated with both inescapability and depression. Results support the learned helplessness model of depression, which claims (a) that uncontrollable events induce distorted perceptions of response-reinforcement independence in nondepressed people which cause performance deficits parallel to those found in naturally occurring depression, and (b) that experience with controllable events reverses the perceptions of response-reinforcement independence and the performance deficits associated with both helplessness and depression. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences and similarities in job attribute preferences: A meta-analysis.

Many researchers have studied sex differences in job attribute preferences. The authors meta-analyzed 242 samples collected from 321,672 men and boys and 316,842 women and girls in the United States between 1970 and 1998. Findings indicated significant (p     

Age differences and similarities in patterns of cerebral hemispheric asymmetry.

Younger (M age?=?20.4 years) and older (M age?=?70.7 years) adults participated in 3 visual half-field experiments. These were designed to examine specific aspects of hemispheric asymmetry: (a) hemispheric dominance for phonetic–linguistic processing (as measured by identification of nonword trigrams), (b) hemispheric differences in trigram processing strategy, (c) characteristic perceptual biases thought to reflect hemispheric arousal asymmetries, and (d) hemispheric dominance for processing emotions shown on faces. Patterns of left–right asymmetries were comparable for older and younger participants, and intercorrelations among the various measures of asymmetry were similar for both groups. In view of the present results, it seems unlikely that changes in hemispheric asymmetry contribute significantly to age-related changes in cognitive functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex differences in monitoring performance.

220 male and 220 female undergraduates monitored a visual display for 1 hr. Although the results indicate females were poorer monitors, detecting 10% fewer signals and committing more false alarms, these sex differences accounted for only 4% of the variance of detection performance and less than 1% of the variance of the false alarm measure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)