Responses to salivary olfactants in relation to dominance of the degu (Octodon degus)

Large amounts of head sniffing and grooming have been associated with social dominance in the degu. This study examined whether salivary olfactants act as cues which could potentially mediate social dominance in 4 male and 8 female adults. Using salivary samples taken from the buccal cavities of partners of predetermined status, no preferences for dominant or submissive stimuli were evident. Comparison of work with the degu and that with other species was made.     

Epileptic psychosis and nonconvulsive status epilepticus with ictal bradycardia and asystole

Case report of a 35 years old patient, who, without previous history of epilepsy, within two years experienced two long-lasting psychotic episodes due to non-convulsive status epilepticus with complex partial seizures. During the second psychotic episode she developed ictal vegetative phenomena such as profuse sweating, flush, apnoea, and, above all and most alarming, periods of severe bradycardia and asystolia with clinical signs of syncope. Ictal asystolia, though being an uncommon sing of epileptic seizures, may be one cause of sudden unexpected death in epileptics.     

Quantitative EEG analysis of a single dose of psychotropic drugs in healthy probands

In a series of 74 experiments in a double blind study, 25 healthy test persons were medicated with a single dose of Clomipramin, Desipramin, Imipramin, Diazepam, Carbamazepin, Haloperidol, and a placebo. At the end of one hour, and again at the end of three hours, an EEG was made whose frequency analysis revealed significant changes in about half the test persons. The antidepressives induced an increase in the theta waves, the slow alpha waves, and the slow beta waves, and a decrease in the fast alpha waves. The factors influencing the EEG are discussed.     

Self-esteem and institutionalized delinquent offenders: the role of background characteristics.

Some of the delinquency literature sustains the assumption that inept persons doing unworthy things is the self-view held by youth offenders, "Disadvantaged" or "adverse" background characteristics are often assumed to account for low self-esteem among delinquent offenders. However, the implications of control theory suggest that youths having few bonds to people and institutions are relatively "free" to drift into delinquency without serious damage to self-esteem. The hypothesis we examined was derived from the work of control theorists: that self-esteem would be higher for offenders "removed" from conventional ties, lower for those who maintained conventional attachments. Data from 75 male delinquent offenders incarcerated at a correctional youth institution are used in testing this relationship. Our hypothesis received strong support. The implication drawn from these results is that the impact of the correctional process on self-esteem may be far less important than the myriad relationships previously established with people and institutions. These results pertaining to a special category of youth are in keeping with the reported findings on the link between deprivation and self-esteem of general youth populations.     

The Cards that are Dealt You

Various philosophers have argued that in order to be morally responsible, we need to be the "ultimate sources' of our choices and behavior. Although there are different versions of this sort of argument, I identify a "picture' that lies behind them, and I contend that this picture is misleading. Joel Feinberg helpfully suggested that we scale down what might initially be thought to be legitimate demands on "self-creation,' rather than jettison the idea that we are truly and robustly responsible. I follow Feinberg in rejecting various "inflated' demands on "origination,' "initiation,' or ultimate sourcehood.     

Congruence and functions of personal and cultural values: do my values reflect my culture's values?

Two studies are described examining the correlation between self- and culture-referenced values at a culture level (Study 1) and correlation between self- and culture-referenced values and self-reported behavior at an individual level (Study 2). It is found that values related to individual-group relationships (embeddedness) and expression and experience of affective feelings and emotions (affective autonomy) are significantly correlated at a culture level. In Study 2, culture-referenced values are shown to correlate with behaviors attached to social norms, whereas self-rated values are found to correlate with behaviors that are not norm-governed. Implications for measurement of cultural values and cultural and cross-cultural research designs are discussed.     

Videoconferencing-based cognitive-behavioral therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a prevalent, chronic and disabling anxiety disorder. Despite the efficacy and strength of pharmacologic interventions for OCD, medications are not always well accepted or effective, making an efficacious psychosocial alternative especially attractive. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been established as an effective treatment for adult OCD, yet access to such treatment is limited, especially in rural areas. Technological advances allow for therapy to be provided in a real-time format over a videoconferencing network. This method allows therapists to provide state-of-the-art treatment to patients who would not otherwise have access to it. This paper presents three cases of OCD successfully treated via videoconferencing CBT. The presence of OCD was established via structured clinical interview and clinician-rated outcome measures were completed by evaluators blinded to the method of treatment. A multiple baseline across individuals design was used to support the internal validity of the CBT outcome data. Patient ratings of therapeutic alliance were high across all three cases. Information gathered from qualitative interviews post-treatment confirmed quantitative measures finding high levels of patient satisfaction. This pilot study suggests that videoconferencing-based CBT is a promising method to bring appropriate treatment to thousands who live far distances from well-trained therapists.     

A sequential analysis of the mother-adolescent interactions of ADHD,ADHD/ODD,and normal teenagers during neutral and conflict discussions

The sequential interactions of three groups of teenagers conversing with their mothers during both neutral and conflict discussion situations were evaluated. Groups consisted of (1) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) alone (n =21), (2) ADHD with comorbid oppositional defiant disorder (ADHD/ODD; n =40), and (3) a community control group of adolescents (n =49). All groups had been followed concurrently for the past 8 to 10 years before being reevaluated in this study. Results indicated that (1) teens and parents in all groups interacted in a tightly linked manner, with the behavior of each member being significantly related only to the immediate antecedent behavior of the other; (2) mothers in all groups were more likely than teens to initiate positive behaviors; (3) teen interactions could be characterized as tit-for-tat while mothers could be typified as be-nice-and-forgive; (4) mother-teen dyads in the ADHD/ODD group displayed significantly higher rates of conflict behaviors than dyads in the other two groups, who did not differ significantly from each other on most measures; and (5) mothers in the ADHD/ODD group responded in a manner similar to their teens (greater negativity) and less like that of mothers in the other groups. The majority of conflict between ADHD children and their parents seemed due to comorbid ODD and such ODD is a family, not just a teen, characteristic.