Long-term follow-up of a childhood amnesic syndrome

In attempting to explain observed dissociations between impaired and preserved memory functioning in amnesia, various dichotomous memory systems (e.g., procedural versus declarative, episodic versus semantic, working versus reference memory) have often been employed. In such cases, the assumption has been that memory subserved by one system is preserved, while that of the other system is impaired. Cohen and Squire have suggested that in amnesia, declarative memory is impaired, although procedural memory is preserved. Long-term follow-up of a densely amnesic patient refutes this view by demonstrating significant anterograde learning of school subjects including reading, vocabulary, spelling, and arithmetic, all of which include some component of declarative memory. It appears that the procedural/declarative dichotomy is not adequate to explain preserved memory in amnesia.     

Reproductive life events and sexual functioning in women: case reports

Are reproductive life events in women associated with an increased risk of sexual dysfunction? Female sexual dysfunction effects up to 40% of women in the United States between 18 and 59 years of age. Sexual dysfunction may be accompanied by fluctuations in gonadal hormone secretion, making women more vulnerable to sexual symptoms, especially during times of reproductive life events. Reproductive life events, such as the use of birth control pills, various phases of the menstrual cycles, postpartum and lactation states, and perimenopause, are highly correlated with changes in sex steroids. As an understanding of the role of sex steroids on sexual functioning is elucidated, clinicians will be able to offer more specific and effective treatment options for women during various phases of reproductive life. Several case studies are presented to illustrate the unique clinical considerations that a clinician must consider when treating the biologic component of female sexual dysfunction.     

Life-span attachment: relations between attachment and socioemotional functioning in adult women.

Relations between the quality of adult women's attachments, their well-being, and their strategies for coping with stress were explored. In Study 1, we examined elderly women's (65-87 years of age) attachments to their adult children. No main effect differences were found, but extreme score analyses revealed that women with insecure attachments more often evidenced relatively extreme negative scores on measures of social, psychological, and physical well-being and reported using more strategies in coping with stress. In Study 2, we examined the quality of attachments of young adult (mean age = 20 years) and mature women (mean age = 38 years), respectively, to their closest attachment figure. Again, few main effects were found but extreme score analyses revealed that insecurely attached women more often scored in the clinical range on depression and reported more responses in coping with stress. Further friends independently reported more anxiety among insecurely attached women.     

Cognitive functioning, behavior, and quality of life after stroke in childhood.

Rationale: To provide a better understanding of cognitive functioning, motor outcome, behavior and quality of life after childhood stroke and to study the relationship between variables expected to influence rehabilitation and outcome (age at stroke, time elapsed since stroke, lateralization, location and size of lesion). Methods: Children who suffered from stroke between birth and their eighteenth year of life underwent an assessment consisting of cognitive tests (WISC-III, WAIS-R, K-ABC, TAP, Rey-Figure, German Version of the CVLT) and questionnaires (Conner's Scales, KIDSCREEN). Results: Twenty-one patients after stroke in childhood (15 males, mean 11;11 years, SD 4;3, range 6;10-21;2) participated in the study. Mean Intelligence Quotients (IQ) were situated within the normal range (mean Full Scale IQ 96.5, range IQ 79-129). However, significantly more patients showed deficits in various cognitive domains than expected from a healthy population (Performance IQ p = .000; Digit Span p = .000, Arithmetic's p = .007, Divided Attention p = .028, Alertness p = .002). Verbal IQ was significantly better than Performance IQ in 13 of 17 patients, independent of the hemispheric side of lesion. Symptoms of ADHD occurred more often in the patients' sample than in a healthy population (learning difficulties/inattention p = .000; impulsivity/hyperactivity p = .006; psychosomatics p = .006). Certain aspects of quality of life were reduced (autonomy p = .003; parents' relation p = .003; social acceptance p = .037). Three patients had a right-sided hemiparesis, mean values of motor functions of the other patients were slightly impaired (sequential finger movements p = .000, hand alternation p = .001, foot tapping p = .043). In patients without hemiparesis, there was no relation between the lateralization of lesion and motor outcome. Lesion that occurred in the midst of childhood (5-10 years) led to better cognitive outcome than lesion in the very early (0-5 years) or late childhood (10-18 years). Other variables such as presence of seizure, elapsed time since stroke and size of lesion had a small to no impact on prognosis. Conclusion: Moderate cognitive and motor deficits, behavioral problems, and impairment in some aspects of quality of life frequently remain after stroke in childhood. Visuospatial functions are more often reduced than verbal functions, independent of the hemispheric side of lesion. This indicates a functional superiority of verbal skills compared to visuospatial skills in the process of recovery after brain injury. Compared to the cognitive outcome following stroke in adults, cognitive sequelae after childhood stroke do indicate neither the lateralization nor the location of the lesion focus. Age at stroke seems to be the only determining factor influencing cognitive outcome.     

Traumatic stress and psychological adjustment in treatment-seeking women sexually abused in childhood: A follow-up

The objective of this study was to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychological distress, and risk factors among women sexually abused in childhood (CSA) after six months in therapy. Thirty in-treatment CSA survivors reported their abuse history and filled out several questionnaires. Comparisons were made to a non-CSA in-treatment sample. Although, 50% of the CSA women still had PTSD, there was a remarkable decrease in PTSD symptoms (Cohen's d = 1.06). A considerable change in self-worth and in attachment styles was found. It was concluded that CSA survivors benefit much from 6 months of weekly treatment. However, it is recommended that treatment should continue for a still longer period.     

A life history assessment of early childhood sexual abuse in women

Life history theory provided a framework for examining the relations among child sexual abuse (CSA), childhood adversity, and patterns of reproductive development and behavior. A community survey that assessed CSA, life history variables (e.g., age of menarche), and social and family background was administered to 623 women (mean age=26.9 years). Independent of social and family background, CSA was associated with earlier age of (a) menarche, (b) first sexual relationship, (c) desire to have children, (d) first childbirth, and (e) lower self-evaluated physical attractiveness. Cluster analyses revealed different patterns of experiential correlates of reproductive development within the group of abused women, suggesting CSA may operate in combination with other childhood circumstances to modify the timing and pattern of individual maturation.     

Body image across the life span in adult women: the role of self-objectification

This study aimed to investigate women's body image across the entire life span from within the theoretical perspective provided by objectification theory (B. L. Fredrickson & T.-A. Roberts, 1997). In a cross-sectional study, a sample of 322 women ranging in age from 20 to 84 years completed a questionnaire measuring body dissatisfaction, self-objectification, and its proposed consequences. Although body dissatisfaction remained stable across the age range, self-objectification, habitual body monitoring, appearance anxiety, and disordered eating symptomatology all significantly decreased with age. Self-objectification was found to mediate the relationship between age and disordered eating symptomatology. It was concluded that objectification theory helps clarify the processes involved in the changes in body image that occur with age.     

Factors to consider in assessing adult litigants' complaints of childhood sexual abuse

Based on limited research, clinical and forensic experience and observations, factors hypothesized to be potentially useful in forensic evaluation of claims of decades-delayed discovery of childhood sexual abuse are delineated. Factors considered include: (1) alleged victim factors, (2) memory factors, (3) therapist/examiner factors, (4) external influences on the abuse account, (5) evidential patterns. Differences among a limited sample of cases seen by the author are described. Present knowledge does not provide a basis for reliable determination of whether a specific recollection is true or false, based only upon the claimant's account. At this time, there is no empirically validated method for discriminating valid from invalid cases. Experts testifying for either side must exercise caution and restraint as it may be premature and even unethical in many cases to propound opinions about the validity or invalidity of the memories.     

X good things in life: Processing fluency effects in the “Three good things in life” exercise

The present study examined whether difficulty of recollection may influence the effectiveness of the “Three good things in life” exercise that has previously been shown to increase happiness. Participants were randomly assigned to write 1–10 good things that happened to them during the day in the course of two weeks. We measured life satisfaction, positive and negative affect before the exercise and three times after the exercise. We found no effect of the number of good things participants wrote each day. Life satisfaction and positive affect of participants did not increase after the two weeks of the exercise, but we found a reduction in negative affect. We further investigated various aspects of the exercise in exploratory analyses.     

Comparison of childhood problem behaviors in boys with subsequent schizophrenic, antisocial, and good adult outcomes

Childhood problem behaviors for 145 boys seen in child guidance clinics were used to compare four adult outcome groups: antisocial men, schizophrenic subjects with good outcomes, schizophrenic subjects with poor outcomes, and subjects with good outcomes. Delinquent and aggressive factor scale scores distinguished the antisocial outcomes from the other groups. A preschizophrenic factor along with lower IQ separated schizophrenics with poor outcome from the others. Subjects with good outcomes had lower scores on factor scales, higher IQ, and less disturbed families. Schizophrenics with good outcomes were the most difficult to identify correctly.     

Psychological wellbeing and the diathesis-stress hypothesis model: The role of psychological functioning and quality of relations in promoting subjective well-being in a life events study

Negative life events are associated with poor wellbeing and mental health outcomes. Following a diathesis-stress model, we tested whether psychological functioning and quality of interpersonal relationships moderated the effect of life events on subjective wellbeing. This study comprised data from a young and middle-aged adult sample (n = 364) drawn from an Australian university-student population. Results indicated that life events were associated with negative but not positive wellbeing outcomes. Perceived impact of life events was a stronger predictor of wellbeing than was the number of life events. Psychological functioning and quality of interpersonal relationships were associated with both wellbeing dimensions but only quality of interpersonal relationships moderated the effect of life events on wellbeing. In conclusion, perceived impact of life events was more strongly related to wellbeing than number of life events. Interpersonal relationships moderate the effect of life events with those reporting higher levels of quality of interpersonal relationships reporting less decrement in negative affect following stressful life events.