Conditioned hyperventilation as a factor in animal, infant, and adult apnea: a theoretical analysis of experimental and clinical data

An apnea hypothesis is proposed termed Conditioned Hyperventilation. An organism (animal, infant, or adult) can become conditioned to anticipate traumatic terminal breathing. The resulting hyperventilation produces excessive oxygen, which triggers apnea, allowing an increase in carbon dioxide. This apnea serves as an additional unconditioned stimulus (UCS) causing the hyperventilation (apnea) to increase. Organic blockage can also serve as the UCS. Apnea may be reduced or prevented by monitoring and extinguishing hyperventilation through the use of behavioral modification techniques, or biofeedback. Infant lung collapse during the first six months is suggested as one UCS in infants.     

Testing factor models of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version and their association with instrumental aggression

Although there is a documented link between psychopathy and instrumental violence in adult offenders, the association between these constructs has not garnered significant attention in adolescent offenders. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between psychopathy and instrumental aggression in a sample of 122 male adolescents incarcerated in a state facility for serious and chronic offenders. We evaluated the primary (2-, 3-, and 4-factor) models of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV; Forth, Kosson, & Hare, 2003) and assessed their relationship to a separate 5-item measure of instrumental violence. CFA revealed good model fit for the 3- and 4-factor latent variable models of adolescent psychopathy and a single-factor model reflecting a 5-item measure of instrumental violence. Structural equation modeling results indicate that the 4-factor model accounted for 20% of the variance for instrumental violence. In contrast, the 3-factor model of the PCL:YV accounted for 8%, and the 2-factor model accounted for 5% of the variance associated with instrumental violence.     

Coping responses of Asian, Black, and Latino/Latina New York City residents following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States

This study examined mechanisms for coping with adversity in a sample of 24 Asian, Black, and Latino/Latina residents of New York City following the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center (WTC) terrorist attacks. Using consensual qualitative research methodology (C. E. Hill, B. J. Thompson, & E. N. Williams, 1997), the authors identified 7 broad coping domains used by the participants: (a) sought additional information about the WTC tragedy, (b) expressed a range of emotions, (c) sought or gave support, (d) engaged in religious or spiritual activities, (e) avoidance, (f) forbearance, and (g) used indigenous healing techniques. Although there were similarities across racial or cultural groups and genders with regard to the coping responses used, there also were unique coping strategies by racial or cultural background and gender.     

PEER MODELING OF RESPONSE CHAINS: OBSERVATIONAL LEARNING BY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Peer models (classmates without disabilities) who were proficient in performing a task completed one response chain each day and described the steps they performed while their classmates with disabilities observed. Three students with disabilities participated, and their performance of the response chains was assessed immediately prior to and following the peer modeling each day. A multiple probe design across response chains, replicated across children with disabilities, was used. In addition, participation and social interactions of children with disabilities and their peer models were assessed in classroom activities after daily modeling sessions. The results indicate that the peer models performed the response chains accurately and quickly, and students with disabilities acquired the response chains. Across the study, participation in classroom activities was high, social interactions were low, and neither was affected by the peer modeling intervention.     

The effects of positive patient testimonials on PTSD treatment choice

Despite the existence of effective treatment options for PTSD, these treatments are failing to reach those that stand to benefit from PTSD treatment. Understanding the processes underlying an individual's treatment seeking behavior holds the potential for reducing treatment-seeking barriers. The current study investigates the effects that positive treatment testimonials have on decisions regarding PTSD treatment. An undergraduate (N = 439) and a trauma-exposed community (N = 203) sample were provided with videotaped treatment rationales for prolonged exposure (PE) and sertraline treatments of PTSD. Half of each sample also viewed testimonials, detailing a fictional patient's treatment experience. All participants then chose among treatment options and rated the credibility of – and personal reactions toward – those options. Among treatment naïve undergraduates, testimonials increased the proportion choosing PE alone; and among treatment naïve members of the trauma-exposed community sample, testimonials increased the proportion choosing a combined PE plus sertraline treatment. These effects were not observed for those with prior history of either psychotherapeutic or pharmacological treatment. Major barriers exist that prevent individuals with PTSD from seeking treatment. For a critical unreached treatment sample, those who are treatment naïve, positive patient testimonials offer a mechanism in which to make effective treatments more appealing and accessible.     

Shifting Preferences for Choice-Making Opportunities through Histories of Differential Reinforcer Immediacy

The Psychological Record - Drifke, Tiger, and Gifford (2019) showed that preschool-aged children’s preferences for otherwise equated choice- and no-choice conditions could be shifted by...     

An Evaluation of Sex Hormone Replacement in Aged Women

Six same-different matching tests, both verbal and nonverbal, in three modalities, along with a set of reading tests, were administered to 120 Israeli children in second, third, and fourth grade. The main effects of all S variables, except sex (grade, socioeconomic level, and ability) were significant, as were the test factors of modality (visual, auditory, cross-modal) and form (verbal-nonverbal), but interactions between S and test factors were small. Multiple regression analysis revealed that overall matching test scores accounted for 35% of the variance in reading scores, although the additional contribution of specific subtests was negligible. Performance on the visual-visual tests was virtually perfect. Auditory-auditory matches were more difficult than auditory-visual matches with nonverbal stimuli, while the reverse was true with verbal stimuli.     

Postnatal exposure to methyl mercury and neuropsychological development in 7-year-old urban inner-city children exposed to lead in the United States

Background: The most common route for general population exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg) is fish consumption. Recommendations to pregnant women about consuming fish contaminated with MeHg are also applied to children, but there are few studies available about the effects of low-level postnatal MeHg exposure in them.

Objectives: To investigate the association between postnatal methyl mercury exposure and neuropsychological development in a study of children also exposed to lead, both measured at 7 years.

Methods: We measured MeHg concentrations in blood samples from the Treatment of Lead-Exposed Children (TLC) trial in which 780 children with elevated concentrations of lead in blood were followed with neuropsychological tests from ages 12–33 months through 7 years. Here we examine blood MeHg concentration and neuropsychological test scores, both measured at age 7 years. We used a maximum likelihood method to estimate geometric mean MeHg concentration and generalized linear regression models to analyze MeHg and neuropsychological test scores.

Results: Geometric mean MeHg concentration was 0.56 (95% confidence interval: 0.52, 0.59) μg/L. A 1 μg/L increase in MeHg was associated with a 2.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.4, 3.8) point increase in Full-Scale IQ and 0.2 (95% confidence interval: 0.02, 0.4) point increase in Learning Slopeindex T-score on a test of verbal memory.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the relatively low MeHg exposure in US school-aged children from this population has no detectable adverse effect on neuropsychological development. The positive associations observed between MeHg and neurodevelopment may indirectly reflect consumption of beneficial polyunsaturated fatty acids from seafood.