The ethics of asking about abuse and the harm of "don't ask, don't tell."

Replies to comments by J. Read (see record 2007-07130-012), D. Gleaves et al (see record 2007-07130-013), V. Edwards et al (see record 2007-07130-014), M. Black and R. Black (see record 2007-07130-015), and S. Ullman (see record 2007-07130-016), which raised important points about the authors' original article (see record 2006-03947-003). Those comments extend our thinking about how to ask participants about abuse in an ethical way. Together, the comments point to the importance of researchers examining our own reasons for asking--or not asking--about abuse and of paying attention to how we respond when we ask. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Biofidelic child head FE model to simulate real world trauma

Biomechanics of human head has been widely studied since several decades. At a mechanical level, the use of engineering allowed investigating injury mechanisms developing numerical models of adult head. For children, the problem is more difficult and evaluating child injury mechanisms using data obtained from scaling adult injury criteria does not account for differences in morphology and structure between adults and children. During growth, child head undergoes different modifications in morphology and structure. The present paper compares the anthropometry and numerical simulations of a child head model based on medical CT scans to a child head model developed by scaling an adult head model using the method proposed by Mertz [H.J. Mertz, A procedure for normalizing impact response data, SAE paper 840884, 1984]. These analysis point out significant differences showing that scaling down an adult head to obtain a child head does not appear relevant. Biofidelic and specific child geometry is needed to investigate child injury mechanisms.     

Review of The dissociative mind.

Reviews the book, The dissociative mind by Elizabeth F. Howell (see record 2005-14945-000). In her book, The Dissociative Mind, Elizabeth Howell presents a complex and thorough overview of what she describes as a "sea change" in psychoanalytic theory. From her vantage point as both psychoanalyst and traumatologist, she demonstrates how, in the last 15-20 years, relational trauma and the resulting impact on the individual mind-namely the splits and fissures that comprise dissociation- have made their way back into psychoanalytic thinking. Howell's elaboration of the overwhelmed, traumatized mind is very useful in clients who present with problems in thinking or who have limited capacity to symbolize. However, detailed clinical material of how an analyst thinking of dissociated self states would work with such a client, what Bromberg termed the "relational bridge," would support her fundamental assertions more effectively. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maltreated children's memory: Accuracy, suggestibility, and psychopathology.

Memory, suggestibility, stress arousal, and trauma-related psychopathology were examined in 328 3- to 16-year-olds involved in forensic investigations of abuse and neglect. Children's memory and suggestibility were assessed for a medical examination and venipuncture. Being older and scoring higher in cognitive functioning were related to fewer inaccuracies. In addition, cortisol level and trauma symptoms in children who reported more dissociative tendencies were associated with increased memory error, whereas cortisol level and trauma symptoms were not associated with increased error for children who reported fewer dissociative tendencies. Sexual and/or physical abuse predicted greater accuracy. The study contributes important new information to scientific understanding of maltreatment, psychopathology, and eyewitness memory in children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subacute proteome changes following traumatic injury of the developing brain: Implications for a dysregulation of neuronal migration and neurite arborization

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among children and adolescents. To gain insight into developmental events influenced by TBI, we analyzed subacute mouse brain proteome changes in a percussion head trauma model at P7 ipsi- and contralateral to the site of injury. The comparison of brain proteomes of trauma mice and controls revealed reproducible changes in the intensity of 28 proteins (30 protein spots) in response to trauma. The changes detected suggest that TBI leads to apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. These changes were consistent with our results of histological and biochemical evaluation of the brains which revealed widespread apoptotic neurodegeneration, microglia activation, and increased levels of protein carbonyls. Furthermore, we detected changes in proteins involved in neuronal migration as well as axonal and dendritic growth and guidance, suggesting interference of trauma with these developmental events.     

Ergonomic evaluation of the musculoskeletal risks in a banana harvesting activity through qualitative and quantitative measures,with emphasis on motion capture (Xsens) and EMG

The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal injuries in a banana processing task. A sample of three workers were evaluated with the Nordic questionnaire as well as according to effort, discomfort and usability levels, hand grip dynamometry, inertial sensor motion capture (Xsens) and surface electromyography in the right arm. The workers had musculoskeletal complaints throughout the spine and hips, low effort and discomfort levels, and a satisfactory usability level. The hand grip strength values (dominant: 54.8 Kgf; non-dominant: 54.2 Kgf) were above the reference values for the Brazilian population. Regarding movement analysis, we identified risks related to cervical protrusion, forward and lateral trunk flexion, abduction and flexion in the shoulders, flexion, extension, radial and ulnar deviation in the wrists, as well as repetitive movements. Surface electromyography showed that the greatest demand during the task was on the extensor carpi radialis, although the trapezius and flexor carpi radialis showed a tendency toward fatigue. Thus, the set of evaluations showed that the tool used and worker adaptation to the position of the bunches, together with the repetitious movement, led to inadequate postures and musculoskeletal risks.Relevance to industryThe banana processing activity generates employment and income in several regions of the world and in Brazil. However, it is still rudimentary and may present risks to the worker's health. This study seeks to elucidate ergonomic risks through technological instrumentation in order to have a quantitative assessment of the ergonomic risks.     

A stress-strength interference model for predicting CTD probabilities

A model for predicting the incidence rate of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) for a given job, was developed using known biomechanical data, mechanical properties of human tendons and reliability engineering techniques to simplify the problem. In addition, time-dependent stress-strength interference theory was used to quantify the stress on the tendons during a job cycle, based on wrist position and grip strength and to estimate the tendon failure rate (or CTS incidence) for a given job. Higher failure probabilities were predicted for greater wrist deviations, for higher grasp forces, for females as compared to males, for wrist extension as compared to wrist flexion, and for two-fingered pinches as compared to four-fingered grasps. The predictions closely matched previously reported CTS incidence rates for a poultry thigh boning task.     

Refugee survivors of torture: Trauma and treatment.

It is increasingly likely that psychologists may be faced with clients who have been tortured, although the significance of this background can be easily unrecognized or mishandled. With the growing incidence of refugees to the United States escaping from organized violence and human rights violations in many parts of the world, the need for psychological assistance in the recovery from torture is well documented. By integrating principles from trauma theory and multicultural theory with a conceptual analysis of power and liberation theory, the author offers an understanding of both the nature of the damage inflicted by politically based torture and strategies to help overcome that damage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment issues arising in working with victims of violent crime and other traumatic incidents of adulthood.

This article examines treatment issues in the assessment and treatment of trauma resulting from incidents of adulthood, as exemplified by the experience of victims of violent crime. Issues addressed include resistance, trauma-engineered identifications, roles based on violence-based parataxic distortions, and recommendations for an integrative ongoing listening perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does repression exist? Memory, pathogenic, unconscious and clinical evidence.

The current dispute regarding the existence of repression has mainly focused on whether people remember or forget trauma. Repression, however, is a multidimensional construct, which, in addition to the memory aspect, consists of pathogenic effects on adjustment and the unconscious. Accordingly, in order to arrive at a more accurate decision regarding the existence of repression, studies relevant to all three areas are reviewed. Moreover, since psychoanalysis regards repression as a key factor in accounting for the development and treatment of neurotic disorders, relevant research from these two domains are also taken into account. This comprehensive evaluation reveals little empirical justification for maintaining the psychoanalytic concept of repression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)