Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia in a Multiethnic Urban Outpatient Clinic: Initial Presentation and Treatment Outcome

Few studies examine the effectiveness of panic control treatment across diverse ethnic groups. In this paper we present data on 40 patients (African American, n = 24; Caucasian, n = 16) with panic disorder and comorbid agoraphobia who presented at an anxiety disorder clinic in an inner-city area. On initial assessment both groups were similar on psychometric measures, and both groups moderately improved with treatment though significant residual symptoms remained. We illustrate, through case examples, a variety of clinical issues that need to be addressed when providing treatment to multiethnic African American clients with panic disorder and agoraphobia.     

"Enhanced" interrogation of detainees: do psychologists and psychiatrists participate?

After revelations of participation by psychiatrists and psychologists in interrogation of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay and Central Intelligence Agency secret detention centers, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association adopted Position Statements absolutely prohibiting their members from participating in torture under any and all circumstances, and, to a limited degree, forbidding involvement in interrogations. Some interrogations utilize very aggressive techniques determined to be torture by many nations and organizations throughout the world. This paper explains why psychiatrists and psychologists involved in coercive interrogations violate the Geneva Conventions and the laws of the United States. Whether done with ignorance of professional ethical obligations or not, these psychiatrists and psychologists have crossed an ethical barrier that may best be averted from re-occurring by teaching medical students and residents in all medical specialties about the ethics principles stemming from the 1946–1947 Nuremberg trials and the Geneva Conventions, together with the Ethics Codes of the World Medical Association and the American Medical Association; and, with regard to psychiatric residents and psychological trainees, by the teaching about The Principles of Medical Ethics With Annotations Especially Applicable to Psychiatry and the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, respectively. In this way, all physicians and psychologists will clearly understand that they have an absolute moral obligation to "First, do no harm" to the human beings they professionally encounter.     

Home-based early intervention: Emerging purposes,intervention approaches,and evaluation strategies

Infant and toddler home visiting programs constitute an important subgroup within the rapidly growing field of early intervention. Scores of such programs have been implemented by health, educational, and mental health agencies during the past decade. Recent reviews have reported on home-based early intervention for specific populations, such as biologically impaired infants or infants from economically disadvantaged families. Other reviews have focused on the effects of home-based early intervention in particular outcome domains, such as I.Q., or infant health. In this review the author draws together the information emerging from partial reviews and specific program reports in order to describe the full range of purposes and strategies encompassed by home-based early intervention and to draw inferences about its potential to enhance infant health and development and broader family functioning.     

Developmental changes in death anxiety in childhood

A sample of 49 children divided into three age groups (3–4 years, 7–8 years, and 10–11 years) responded to a pictorial derivation of Spielberger's State Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC). Three pictures were used as stimuli, in addition to words, for the measure of death anxiety. The intensity measure was the response to six Hebrew mood adjectives as the child chose one of seven schematic face drawings ranging from positive to negative expressions. Reliabilities were comporable to the longer versions of the Hebrew STAIC with older children. Findings indicated significant differences in anxiety scores between the age groups, with older subjects showing higher levels of anxiety. The advantage of a single measure of death anxiety appropriate for a wide age range is discussed, as well as the implication for a developmental pattern of death anxiety.     

Snake aggregation pheromones: source and chemosensory mediation in western ribbon snakes (Thamnophis proximus)

Aggregation with conspecifics is a robust phenomenon among snakes that is mediated by chemical cues, although the source of such cues is unknown. Adult western ribbon snakes (Thamnophis proximus) discriminated between skin lipid extracts from conspecifics and those from a sympatric heterospecific snake, the corn snake (Elaphe guttata). Additionally, ribbon snakes were attracted to conspecific skin lipid-marked shelters when paired with control-marked shelters, but no preference was exhibited when shelters marked with E. guttata skin lipids were paired with control-marked shelters. Furthermore, prevention of chemical access to the vomeronasal organs of T. proximus eliminated the ability to respond to conspecific skin lipids. These results indicate that epidermal lipids are the source of chemical cues mediating attraction to shelters marked by conspecifics and that such signals are detected by the vomeronasal system.     

Left-handedness: a marker for decreased survival fitness

Life span studies have shown that the population percentage of left-handers diminishes steadily, so that they are drastically underrepresented in the oldest age groups. Data are reviewed that indicate that this population trend is due to the reduced longevity of left-handers. Some of the elevated risk for sinistrals is apparently due to environmental factors that elevate their accident susceptibility. Further evidence suggests that left-handedness may be a marker for birth stress related neuropathy, developmental delays and irregularities, and deficiencies in the immune system due to the intrauterine hormonal environment. Some statistical and physiological factors that may cause left-handedness to be selectively associated with earlier mortality are also presented.     

Laboratory observations of trailing behavior in garter snakes.

Using a Y-maze apparatus, nine garter snakes were trained to follow an earthworm-extract trail. Correct trailing improved significantly as training progressed. All snakes were able to attain a trailing criterion of 8 out of 10 correct trials by the termination of training. For each trial, the number of tongue flicks each snake made was recorded and tongue flick rate calculated. Tongue flick rate was found to be highly characteristic and constant for individual subjects. In addition, running speed and tongue flick rate were found to be significantly correlated.     

The effect of multiple responses and certainty estimates on the integration of visual information

Integration of information was investigated in two experiments that employed a multiple-observation, tilt-discrimination task. The integration model of signal-detection theory generally overestimated the improvement in discrimination resulting front additional observations. Further, probabilistic multiple responses appeared detrimental to discrimination. These results differ from earlier findings using different discrimination tasks. Reasons for the differences were discussed in terms of within-trial redundance and interference caused by complex response modes.