Assessing self-report of pain: A comparison of two recording procedures

Intensive vs. reduced demand self-monitored pain levels were compared in nine pain patients. Each patient self-monitored pain intensity on a 6-point scale every 2 hr. Overall, daily mean and maximum pain levels were calculated for each patient (1) across all intervals (intensive self-monitoring) and (2) four times per day, at meal times and bedtime (reduced-demand self-monitoring). Differences were found to be negligible. The reduced-demand procedure produced data that were closely representative of pain fluctuations indicated in the more intensive bihourly ratings. Results are discussed in terms of the representativeness and standardization in pain self-monitoring as well as possible enhancement of recording compliance through the use of the less demanding four times per day procedure.Portions of these data were presented at the meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Dearborn, June 1979.     

Regional cerebral blood flow response in a patient with remitted global amnesia

A case of remitted global amnesia, believed to have residual left medial temporal lobe damage, is tested by the same recognition memory paradigm used by Wood, Taylor, et al. in the previous paper. On two different testing occasions, once using an intentional and once an incidental memory procedure, the patient's right occipital flows were inversely correlated with memory accuracy and the values were very close to the regression line for 10 normals relating occipital flow to memory accuracy. The left occipital flows did not fit the regression line, however. The results were interpreted as consistent with the notion that occipital flow is inversely related to medial temporal lobe activation. Another surprising feature of this case is the unexpected persistence of amnesia for a period from about 5 to 10 years before her episode to about 2 weeks after the episode, with recovery of memory functioning for the period since that time.     

Regional cerebral blood flow response during rest and memory activation in a patient with global amnesia

A college professor with a classical amnesic syndrome is described. He has a WAIS IQ of 130, but dramatic memory loss for episodes ranging from a few seconds ago all the way back to portions of his childhood. The amnesia was of sudden onset, 2 years prior to the current memory tests and regional cerebral blood flow measurements. The etiology is believed, though not conclusively proven, to be medial thalamic infarction. rCBF measurements were taken on six separate occasions, four resting baseline, one memory activation, using the previous procedure of Wood, Taylor, et al., and one carbon dioxide activation. The resting baseline showed extremely low flows throughout the cortex, with some hyperfrontal response on the first baseline. With CO₂ activation, however, there was brisk, uniform reactivity, with all sites showing increased flow. This suggested that there were no prominent areas of impaired vasomotor control or probable ischemic damage in the cortical surface. During memory activation, there was also a generalized increase in flow, especially in the frontal areas. This was in sharp contrast to the pattern for normals, described by Wood, Taylor, et al., which shows a slight overall decrease in flow from baseline to memory activation. The results are interpreted in light of Talland's proposal that the amnesic syndrome reflects an arousal failure, with premature closure and shutdown of memory processing, especially at retrieval. Here the arousal failure is interpreted as an inadequate restriction or focusing of cortical activation, with resulting pathologically diffuse flow increases.     

Physically disabled students and achievement orientation: Self-concept,curriculum track,and career aspirations

Little research has been done on the vocational mobility of physically disabled students (Overs, R. In J. S. Picou and R. E. Campbell (Eds.), Career behavior of special groups. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill, pp. 177–198). A subset of data from a larger investigation on the achievement processes of youth was analyzed in two phases to describe disabled and nondisabled tenth-grade students on certain sociodemographic variables, high school curriculum track assignment, self-concept dimensions, and educational and occupational aspirations. Additionally, a process model specifying the presence or absence of physical handicaps as an ascribed status was analyzed using path analysis. Results suggest that students who report themselves as being physically disabled are not from specific social origins or differentially allocated to curriculum tracks; more importantly, they do not hold different physical or social self-conceptions or career aspirations. The multivariate analysis shows that disabled status is a significant antecedent only to academic self-concept, having a moderate, positive effect. This finding was interpreted as being a possible “overcompensation” in one particular field when there is a weakness in another. The lack of expected differences in other variables is also discussed.     

Conscious dream synthesis as a method of learning about dreaming: a pedagogic experiment

Stimulated by Freud's comments on the unique perspectives offered by "building up dreams by synthesis," the authors applied this idea to the St. Louis Psychoanalytic Institute's introductory course on the psychology of dreaming. Each student was assigned the task of purposefully and consciously synthesizing a dream, utilizing certain assigned information and meeting the specified criteria. In the use of this device, it was anticipated that the conscious active effort required to duplicate the usually passively experienced processes of dreaming and the unconscious dream work would lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the dream.     

How to bite your tongue without blowing your top: implicit evaluation of emotion regulation predicts affective responding to anger provocation

People frequently have to control their emotions to function in life. However, mounting evidence suggests that deliberate emotion regulation often is costly. This presents a dilemma: Is it better to let emotions go or to pay the price of exerting costly control? In two studies, the authors explore whether emotion regulatory processes associated with implicit positive evaluation of emotion regulation might provide the benefits of successful emotion regulation without the costs. In Study 1, the authors introduce a measure of implicit evaluation of emotion regulation (ER-IAT). Study 2 examined whether this measure is associated with actual emotional responses to an anger provocation. It was found that greater ER-IAT scores were associated with lesser anger experience, fewer negative thoughts, lessened self-reported effortful emotion regulation, and an adaptive pattern of cardiovascular responding. These findings suggest that implicit positive evaluation of emotion regulation is associated with successful, automatic, and physiologically adaptive down-regulation of anger.     

Postpartum feeding attitudes, maternal depression, and breastfeeding in Barbados

Maternal feeding attitudes, maternal moods and infant feeding practices during the first 6 months postpartum were assessed in 226 healthy, well-nourished Barbadian mother-infant dyads. Factor analysis of the feeding attitudes questionnaire resulted in six independent factors. The belief that breastfeeding was better than bottle-feeding was associated with higher family income, more information seeking behavior and older maternal age at the time of her first pregnancy. Women who believed that breastfeeding was better at 7 weeks postpartum were also more likely to breastfeed at concurrent and later ages, up to 6 months postpartum. This belief was also associated with less maternal depression at 7 weeks and 6 months. The association between feeding attitudes and actual feeding practices was significant even after correcting for maternal moods and other background variables. Conversely, after controlling for feeding attitudes, maternal mood at 7 weeks was still significantly associated with infant feeding practices at 6 months. Thus, feeding attitudes and maternal moods were closely linked, but each contributed independently and uniquely to different aspects of breastfeeding, especially at 6 months. These findings suggest that early intervention addressing maternal feeding attitudes, may improve the extent of breastfeeding and the health of children in this setting.     

Bed-sharing, breastfeeding and maternal moods in Barbados

Bed-sharing among Barbadian mothers and infants was studied in relationship to maternal and infant characteristics. This prospective study followed 226 healthy, well-nourished mother–infant dyads at birth, 7 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. At each age, approximately half of the infants shared the same beds as their mothers. Bed-sharing was associated with demographic characteristics, especially fewer home conveniences, and also maternal characteristics, including less information seeking by the mother and younger maternal age at first pregnancy. Bed-sharing was also associated with lower infant birth weights. Maternal moods were significantly correlated with bed-sharing, such that mothers who reported having more despair and anxiety were also more likely to sleep with their infants. Bed-sharing was also significantly associated with increased breastfeeding at all infant ages, but this relationship was no longer significant once the effects of maternal moods were controlled. This study emphasizes the importance of assessing maternal moods in studies evaluating the risk and benefits of bed-sharing.     

Does anticipation training affect drivers' risk taking?

Skill and risk taking are argued to be independent and to require different remedial programs. However, it is possible to contend that skill-based training could be associated with an increase, a decrease, or no change in risk-taking behavior. In 3 experiments, the authors examined the influence of a skill-based training program (hazard perception) on the risk-taking behavior of car drivers (using video-based driving simulations). Experiment 1 demonstrated a decrease in risk taking for novice drivers. In Experiment 2, the authors examined the possibilities that the skills training might operate through either a nonspecific reduction in risk taking or a specific improvement in hazard perception. Evidence supported the latter. These findings were replicated in a more ecological context in Experiment 3, which compared advanced and nonadvanced police drivers.     

Lessons learned in deep brain stimulation for movement and neuropsychiatric disorders

The introduction of deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment for medication-refractory essential tremor in the late 1980s revealed, for the first time, that "chronically" implanted brain hardware had the potential to modulate neurologic function with surprisingly low morbidity. Over time, the therapeutic promise of DBS has become evident in Parkinson's disease and dystonia. In some experienced centers, complex tremor disorders, such as posttraumatic Holmes tremor and the tremor of multiple sclerosis, are being increasingly targeted. More recently, other indications, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, major depression, and chronic pain, have been proposed. As the field has expanded, our knowledge about potential cognitive side effects of DBS has also expanded. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding the impact of stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus internus, and ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus on symptoms in essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, and dystonia. Also discussed are the emerging targets, what is known about the cognitive sequelae of DBS, and what has been learned about the complications and therapeutic failures.