Investigating social functioning after early mild TBI: the quality of parent–child interactions

The young brain is particularly vulnerable to injury due to inherent physiological and developmental factors, and even mild forms of traumatic brain injury (mTBI) can sometimes result in cognitive and behavioural difficulties. Despite the high prevalence of paediatric mTBI, little is known of its impact on children's social functioning. Parent–child relationships represent the centre of young children's social environments and are therefore ideal contexts for studying the potential effects of mTBI on children's social functioning. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of parent–child interactions after mTBI using observational assessment methods and parental report. The sample included 130 children (18–60 months at recruitment) divided into three groups: children with uncomplicated mTBI (n = 47), children with orthopaedic injury (OI, n = 27), and non‐injured children (NI, n = 56). The quality of parent–child interactions was assessed 6 months post‐injury using the Mutually Responsive Orientation (MRO) scale, an observational measure which focuses on the dyadic nature of parent–child exchanges, and the Parental Stress Index questionnaire (Parent‐Child Dysfunctional Interaction (PCDI) domain). Significant differences with medium effect sizes were found between the mTBI group and the NI group on the MRO, but not between the OI group and the other two groups. PCDI scores did not differ across groups, suggesting that observational measures may be more sensitive to changes in parent–child interactions after TBI. The current findings have implications for children's post‐injury social development and highlight the importance of monitoring social outcomes even after minor head injuries.     

Discrimination learning in Rora(sg) and Grid2(ho) mutant mice

Rora(sg) mutants with mild cerebellar granule cell degeneration were compared to Grid2(ho) mutants with more severe granule cell degeneration as well as Purkinle cell atrophy for left-right and dark-light discrimination learning tasks in a water-filled T-maze. The acquisition rate of both cerebellar mutants was slowed down during light-dark but not left-right discrimination learning. However, the mutants were impaired in reversal training in both tasks. In contrast, neither mutant differed from controls in passive avoidance learning. These results indicate that mice with cerebellar damage are affected in some instrumental learning tasks and have perseverative tendencies.     

Brazilian version of the Protocole Montréal d'Evaluation de la Communication (Protocole MEC): normative and reliability data

The lack of standardized instruments to evaluate communication disorders related to the right hemisphere was verified. A new evaluation tool was developed: Protocole Montréal d'Evaluation de la Communication--Protocole MEC, adapted to Brazilian Portuguese--Bateria Montreal de Avalia??o da Comunica??o--Bateria MAC (Montreal Evaluation of Communication Battery). The purpose was to present stratified normative data by age and educational level, and to verify the reliability parameters of the MEC Battery. 300 individuals, between the ages of 19 and 75 years, and levels of formal education between 2 and 35 years, participated in this study. They were divided equally into six normative groups, according to three age categories (young adults, intermediary age, and seniors) and two educational levels (low and high). Two procedures were used to check reliability: Cronbach alpha and reliability between evaluators, Results were established at the 10th percentile, and an alert point per task for each normative group. Cronbach's alpha was, in general, between .70 and .90 and the average rate of agreement between evaluators varied from .62 to .94. Standards of age and education were established. The reliability of this instrument was verified. The psychometric legitimization of the MEC Battery will contribute to the diagnostic process for communicative disorders.     

Self-Healing Aspects of EMDR: The Therapeutic Change Process and Perspectives of Integrated Psychotherapies

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) (Shapiro 1989a, 1989b, 1995) is an innovative, comprehensive approach to psychotherapy. While EMDR's use of eye movements has attracted a great deal of attention, the efficacy of the EMDR method can be explained parsimoniously in terms of many different types of therapy. Lang's (1985) information processing networks provide a way to understand the Accelerated Information Processing model proposed by Shapiro to explain EMDR. A representative EMDR session is presented to illustrate the integrative components of EMDR's procedural elements and the range of clinical effects. Therapeutic changes seen as a result of self-healing using EMDR are discussed from the perspectives of other psychotherapeutic approaches in order to understand the contribution of EMDR to the psychotherapy integration movement.     

Equally Shared Parenting

Conventional images of motherhood and fatherhood, social interactions, and gender-based job pressures push couples toward unequal parenting. Equally sharing parents resist those pressures, and construct equality through everyday negotiations and ongoing decisions about family and work. They do not believe that mothers are more responsible for children, or more suited to care for them, than fathers. They avoid gender-based decisions about jobs that reinforce a gender-based division of labor at home. Qualitative research is necessary to unravel the complex interactions between work and family arrangements, and to show how economic, social, and ideological factors constrain family arrangements, but are also transformed in their creation.     

Neosexism Among Male Managers: Is It a Matter of Numbers?1

In the last 2 decades, the number of women entering the managerial field has increased. However, this increase has not been equally distributed at all levels. The interest of this study lies in understanding how this sudden surge of women in managerial fields and their unequal distribution across levels are associated with men's reactions toward women. Do men feel threatened by the introduction of women as their coworkers, and if so does this change trigger prejudicial views of women? In all, 123 male managers employed in a Canadian federal agency participated in this study. According to the final path model, as the estimate of the representation of female managers increases, so does male managers' feeling of threat. Feeling threatened along with the estimate of an increase of new female recruits is linked to heightened neosexist views. In turn, neosexism is related to a pro-male bias in the evaluation of women's and men's competence. Additionally, neosexism is negatively associated with men's willingness to support women. Theoretical as well as practical implications of results are discussed.     

A client-server technology solution for a multicenter research database

As researchers take advantage of advances in computer and related technologies, the amount of data has increased dramatically. Recent developments in database management systems (DBMS) such as client-server database technology provide the necessary tools for merging and managing data from various fields of study, as well as, various locations. This emerging technology allows the distribution of processing and data storage operations to a variety of computer plat-forms, thereby maximizing efficiency and flexibility. A DBMS that uses client-server technology is described.