Atypical Neuropsychological Profile in a Boy with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Keywords:

In this article the general and specific cognitive impairments of the boy R.H. with a de novo deletion 22q11.2 are described. His full-scale IQ was 73, and he obtained only slightly better verbal than non-verbal subtest scores. Neuropsychological assessment revealed specific impairments in perceptual categorization of objects presented suboptimal, matching of unfamiliar faces, and verbal learning and memory. In contrast, he performed in accordance with his intelligence level on other visual perceptual tasks, on non-verbal learning and memory tasks, and on attention tasks. Voxel-wise statistical comparison of a high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance image of R.H’s brain with similar images obtained from 14 normal control children revealed as major abnormalities a reduction of the right inferior parietal and superior occipital lobe, and a bilateral reduction of deep white matter behind the inferior frontal gyrus. These cognitive impairments and MRI abnormalities are not commonly described in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and may indicate a larger heterogeneity in the neurocognitive phenotype than currently evidenced. At least in this boy the microdeletion seems to have interfered with the development and functioning of particular neural subsystems, while the structure and functioning of other subsystems was left intact.     

What Mediates Links Between Age and Well-being? A Test of Social Support and Interpersonal Conflict as Potential Interpersonal Pathways

We examined potential nonlinear links between age and subjective well-being, and the interpersonal processes (i.e., support, conflict) responsible for such links. One hundred forty-four men and women between the ages of 30–70 completed measures of satisfaction with life, social support (interpersonal support evaluation list), and social negativity (test of negative social exchanges). Nonlinear regression analyses revealed a significant quadratic trend between age and satisfaction with life (SWL, p = .01) where age was associated with lower SWL in the young to middle-aged sample, but higher SWL in the middle-age to older adult sample. Analyses further revealed that interpersonal tensions statistically mediated the nonlinear links between age and SWL. These data suggest that negative interpersonal exchanges may be important contributors to well-being at midlife.     

How crucial is the response format for the testing effect?

Combining study and test trials during learning is more beneficial for long-term retention than repeated study without testing (i.e., the testing effect). Less is known about the relative efficacy of different response formats during testing. We tested the hypothesis that overt testing (typing responses on a keyboard) during a practice phase benefits later memory more than covert testing (only pressing a button to indicate successful retrieval). In Experiment 1, three groups learned 40 word pairs either by repeatedly studying them, by studying and overtly testing them, or by studying and covertly testing them. In Experiment 2, only the two testing conditions were manipulated in a within-subjects design. In both experiments, participants received cued recall tests after a short (~19 min) and a long (1 week) retention interval. In Experiment 1, all groups performed equally well at the short retention interval. The overt testing group reliably outperformed the repeated study group after 1 week, whereas the covert testing group performed insignificantly different from both these groups. Hence, the testing effect was demonstrated for overt, but failed to show for covert testing. In Experiment 2, overtly tested items were better and more quickly retrieved than those covertly tested. Further, this does not seem to be due to any differences in retrieval effort during learning. To conclude, overt testing was more beneficial for later retention than covert testing, but the effect size was small. Possible explanations are discussed.     

Understanding the Links Between Social Support and Physical Health: A Life-Span Perspective With Emphasis on the Separability of Perceived and Received Support

ABSTRACT— Social support has been reliably related to physical health outcomes. However, the conceptual basis of such links needs greater development. In this article, I argue for a life-span perspective on social support and health that takes into account distinct antecedent processes and mechanisms that are related to measures of support over time. Such a view highlights the need to distinguish measures of perceived and received support and its links to more specific diseases (e.g., chronic, acute) and stages of disease development (e.g., incidence). I discuss both the novel implications of these theoretical arguments for research on social support and physical health, as well as the potential intervention approaches that are apparent from this perspective.     

Youth Ministry in and beyond the Church? The sacrament of confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church as a testcase[1]

This article deals with the dilemma in which the Roman Catholic Church in Western Europe is involved, concerning the initiation of young people into the life and faith of Christian communities. Some people argue that only a solid and profound mystagogical catechesis can revitalise the congregation, other people are in favour of the idea that the church should remain open for every particular quest for meaning of young people today. Two different opinions on the meaning of the gospel for postmodern youth cultures are at stake. In the field of confirmation catechesis this discussion culminates in strong tensions and conflicts. In this article a third vision on confirmation catechesis is presented which focuses on the hermeneutical qualities of the Christian gospel and on the possibility of young people to explore these qualities by ‘following the church at some distance’.

     

An automatic micropipette fluid dispenser

An automatic device for repeated dispensation of a precisely controlled amount of fluid is described. The device employs a repeating micropipette powered by an electric motor geared to a rack-and-pinion drive. In our particular application, thirsty rats work for 0.2-ml shots of water delivered to a metal spout connected to a drinkometer circuit. This arrangement permits the recording of both volumetric intake and the number of licks directed at the spout.