The Wall inside the brain: Overestimation of distances crossing the former Iron Curtain

A study of distance estimations between German cities investigated the organization of mental maps and their specific deviations from reality. Potential factors for the deviation of mental maps from reality are physical barriers, emotional involvement, and semantic unity. Distance estimations between cities situated in different former parts of Germany (East or West) were systematically overestimated compared to distances of cities located in the same parts of Germany. This trend was strengthened when participants had a negative attitude toward the reunification of Germany. The impact of these results is far reaching, because overestimated distances between both German parts indicate that there still exists a mental gap between East and West—even in young people—15 years after the German reunification.     

Posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms in a college population one year after the September 11 attacks: the effect of proximity

As a follow-up to our earlier report [Behav. Res. Ther., in press] on the level of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depressive symptoms, and frequency of diagnoses of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among college students at three public universities (Albany, NY, Augusta, GA, and Fargo, ND) resulting from the September 11, 2001. Terrorist attacks, we surveyed comparable groups of students (total, n = 1313) from these three institutions in the weeks following the first anniversary (2002) of the attacks. We found proximity effects (Albany higher than Augusta which was higher than Fargo) for PTSS and depressive symptoms but not for frequency of diagnoses of probable PTSD. Within the Albany site data, proximity of county of residence to New York City (NYC) also showed a proximity effect on PTSS. Although depressive symptoms were significantly different in 2002 versus 2001, the arithmetic differences in PTSS or in frequency of diagnoses of probable PTSD were not significant. The September 11 attacks continued to exert a psychic toll on college students even a year later.     

Histidine-decarboxylase knockout mice show deficient nonreinforced episodic object memory, improved negatively reinforced water-maze performance, and increased neo- and ventro-striatal dopamine turnover

The brain's histaminergic system has been implicated in hippocampal synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, as well as brain reward and reinforcement. Our past pharmacological and lesion studies indicated that the brain's histamine system exerts inhibitory effects on the brain's reinforcement respective reward system reciprocal to mesolimbic dopamine systems, thereby modulating learning and memory performance. Given the close functional relationship between brain reinforcement and memory processes, the total disruption of brain histamine synthesis via genetic disruption of its synthesizing enzyme, histidine decarboxylase (HDC), in the mouse might have differential effects on learning dependent on the task-inherent reinforcement contingencies. Here, we investigated the effects of an HDC gene disruption in the mouse in a nonreinforced object exploration task and a negatively reinforced water-maze task as well as on neo- and ventro-striatal dopamine systems known to be involved in brain reward and reinforcement. Histidine decarboxylase knockout (HDC-KO) mice had higher dihydrophenylacetic acid concentrations and a higher dihydrophenylacetic acid/dopamine ratio in the neostriatum. In the ventral striatum, dihydrophenylacetic acid/dopamine and 3-methoxytyramine/dopamine ratios were higher in HDC-KO mice. Furthermore, the HDC-KO mice showed improved water-maze performance during both hidden and cued platform tasks, but deficient object discrimination based on temporal relationships. Our data imply that disruption of brain histamine synthesis can have both memory promoting and suppressive effects via distinct and independent mechanisms and further indicate that these opposed effects are related to the task-inherent reinforcement contingencies.     

Pyramidal training for families of children with problem behavior

The pyramidal training model was extended to multiple family members of children with behavior disorders. Three primary caregivers were taught to implement individualized treatments for problem behavior. They were then taught how to use various instructional strategies (e.g., prompting, feedback) to teach 2 other family members to implement the treatment. Results showed that pyramidal training was effective in increasing caregiver implementation of treatments across three families.     

Monotone Majorizable Functionals

Several properties of monotone functionals (MF) and monotone majorizable functionals (MMF) used in the earlier work by the author and van de Pol are proved. It turns out that the terms of the simply typed lambda-calculus define MF, but adding primitive recursion, and even monotonic primitive recursion changes the situation: already Z.Z(1 — sg) is not MMF. It is proved that extensionality is not Dialectica-realizable by MMF, and a simple example of a MF which is not hereditarily majorizable is given.     

Applying Cluster Analysis to Test a Typology of Homelessness by Pattern of Shelter Utilization: Results from the Analysis of Administrative Data

This study tests a typology of homelessness using administrative data on public shelter use in New York City (1988–1995) and Philadelphia (1991–1995). Cluster analysis is used to produce three groups (transitionally, episodically, and chronically homeless) by number of shelter days and number of shelter episodes. Results show that the transitionally homeless, who constitute approximately 80% of shelter users in both cities, are younger, less likely to have mental health, substance abuse, or medical problems, and to overrepresent Whites relative to the other clusters. The episodically homeless, who constitute 10% of shelter users, are also comparatively young, but are more likely to be non-White, and to have mental health, substance abuse, and medical problems. The chronically homeless, who account for 10% of shelter users, tend to be older, non-White, and to have higher levels of mental health, substance abuse, and medical problems. Differences in health status between the episodically and chronically homeless are smaller, and in some cases the chronically homeless have lower rates (substance abuse in New York; serious mental illness in Philadelphia). Despite their relatively small number, the chronically homeless consume half of the total shelter days. Results suggest that program planning would benefit from application of this typology, possibly targeting the transitionally homeless with preventive and resettlement assistance, the episodically homeless with transitional housing and residential treatment, and the chronically homeless with supported housing and long-term care programs.     

Predictors of Accurate and Inaccurate Memories of Traumatic Events Experienced in Childhood

How likely is it that traumatic childhood events are misremembered or forgotten? Research on children′s recollections of painful or frightening medical procedures may help answer this question by identifying predictors of accurate versus inaccurate memory. In the present study, 46 3- to 10-year-old children were interviewed after undergoing a stressful medical procedure involving urethral catheterization. Age differences in memory emerged, especially when comparing 3- to 4-year-olds with older children. Children′s understanding of the event, parental communication and emotional support, and children′s own emotional reactions also predicted accuracy. Memory did not reliably vary for children who endured the medical procedure once versus multiple times. Results are discussed in relation to possible precursors of accurate and false memories, and forgetting, of traumatic events experienced in childhood.     

Consumer information processing strategies in middle and late adulthood

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the extent to which performance of a complex cognitive task of a type resembling that encountered in everyday life is maintained through adulthood. A total of 80 subjects participated; 20 in their thirties, 20 in their fifties, 20 in their sixties, and 20 in their seventies. Subjects were asked to make preference judgments with respect to 32 pocket-size notebooks of a sort they might encounter as consumers in a stationery or variety store. Independently, they were also asked to express their preferences with respect to each of the four dimensions on which the notebooks varied. With only minor differences across age groups, most subjects demonstrated the ability to integrate their individual dimension preferences into a complex preference judgment of an object embodying those dimensions, in a logically consistent manner.     

The Relative Importance of Probabilities, Outcomes, and Vagueness in Hazard Risk Decisions

This study investigated the joint effects of vagueness on both the probability and the outcome dimensions of hazard risk, using both pairwise choice and rating response tasks. Seventy-two subjects evaluated risk stimuli (concerning either environmental or health hazards), which varied in the level of probability of loss, the amount of loss, and the precision with which each dimension was specified. We found strong evidence of a consistent individual attitude toward vagueness on both risk dimensions and an almost equal number of vagueness-seeking and precision-seeking subjects. Choices were consistent with a decision rule based on dimension preference, but attitude toward vagueness significantly predicted choice in cases where a dimension preference rule was not appropriate. An asymmetric preference reversal pattern was also demonstrated, with many subjects choosing an option in a pair that they rated as more risky.     

Anti-NMDA-Rezeptor-Enzephalitis

Die Anti-NMDA(N-Methyl-D-Aspartat)-Rezeptor-Enzephalitis ist eine seltene autoimmunologisch bedingte Erkrankung mit verschiedenen neuropsychiatrischen Symptomen, die durch den Nachweis von NMDA-Rezeptor-Antikörpern im Liquor diagnostiziert wird. Die gängigen Behandlungsprotokolle beinhalten ein Stufenschema der Immuntherapien; allerdings beruhen die therapeutischen Entscheidungen derzeit auf einem Grad-IV-Evidenzniveau. Wir berichten hier über zwei junge, unterschiedlich betroffene Patientinnen und beschreiben die Therapiestrategien inklusive der Kombination verschiedener Immuntherapien einschließlich Ocrelizumab und Überlegungen bezüglich Fertilitätserhalt.