Cognitive deficits presenting as psychiatric symptoms in a patient with Moyamoya disease

The case of a middle-aged man who had intraventricular hemorrhages secondary to Moyamoya disease (MMD), and initially, presented with psychiatric symptoms which did not respond to treatment is described. Neuropsychological assessment showed underlying significant cognitive deficits, mostly of complex attention and speed of information processing, visuospatial and constructional abilities, verbal and nonverbal memory, and executive functions. These deficits remained stable or slightly improved in follow-up assessments. Cognitive dysfunction should be suspected in case of psychiatric or psychiatric-related symptoms in MMD patients. This case study in Greece highlights the range of preserved and impaired cognitive functions in adult MMD by means of repeated neuropsychological evaluations in which a broad range of cognitive abilities were assessed.     

Three feedback methods in acquisition and retention of badminton skills

Comparison of three different feedback methods using information about the correct execution of the technique, errors of execution, and a combination of these on the acquisition and retention of two badminton skills of different difficulty were examined. Participants were 48 young male athletes, 10 to 14 years of age, with 2 to 4 years of training. They were divided into three equal groups and instructed on the long forehand serve, a more difficult serve than the short backhand. The first group received instructions for correct execution, the second group received instructional cues on errors of execution, and the third group received instructions on errors and how to correct them. The training program lasted 12 practice units. There was a pretest, a posttest after the end of the 10-wk. training program, and 2 wk. later, a retention test. A three-way (2 difficulty x 3 groups x 3 measures) analysis of variance with repeated measures on the last factor was applied to analyze scores with the three practice methods of corrective feedback for the two badminton skills. Analysis showed the group receiving correct technique information had increased scores on both skills. The group receiving information on errors increased their scores on the less difficult skill. The group receiving information on errors and correct technique increased their scores on the more difficult skill. Physical education teachers or coaches teaching skills to young participants should consider difficulty of skills and use appropriate corrective feedback for better acquisition and retention of sport skills.     

Chronic administration of an angiotensin II receptor antagonist resets the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and improves the affect of patients with diabetes mellitus type 2: preliminary results

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM type 2) is associated with depressive symptomatology and intermittent hyperfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. DM type 2 is also accompanied by increased tissue levels of angiotensin II (Ang II), which stimulates the HPA axis through the Ang II type 1 receptors (AT1). We investigated the effect of candesartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) that crosses the blood brain barrier, on the activity of the HPA axis and on the affect of 17 patients with DM type 2, aged 40-65 years, who were treated with 4 mg/day candesartan per os for at least 3 months. Before and after candesartan administration, a corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation test and psychological tests were performed. In response to hCRH, time-integrated secretion of ACTH was not altered by candesartan administration, however, the cortisol response was decreased significantly compared to baseline (mean +/- SEM, 2327 +/- 148.3 vs. 1943 +/- 131.9 microg/dl, P = 0.005) suggesting reduced sensitivity of the adrenals to ACTH. In parallel, there was a significant improvement in interpersonal sensitivity (0.91 +/- 0.16 vs. 0.70 +/- 0.15, P = 0.027) and depression scores (0.96 +/- 0.15 vs. 0.71 +/- 0.10, P = 0.026). We suggest that candesartan resets the HPA axis of patients with DM type 2 and improves their affect.     

Motor assessment of preschool aged children: A preliminary investigation of the validity of the Bruininks–Oseretsky test of motor proficiency – Short form

The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the Bruininks–Oseretsky test of motor proficiency – short form (BOTMP-SF) [Bruininks, R. (1978). Bruininks–Oseretsky test of motor proficiency: Examiners manual. Circle Pines, MN] for the assessment of preschool aged children. Three-hundred and eighteen children 48–71 months old (M = 58.97 months, SD = 6.73) participated in the study. For the data analysis both an ANOVA and a MANOVA were applied with the total battery score and the 14 item scores being the dependent variables, respectively. Age was found to have a significant effect on both children’s total battery score (F(3, 314) = 110.65, p < .001, η² = .68) and 13 item scores (minimum F(3, 314) = 8.75, p < .001, minimum η² = .145). Although the aforementioned results represent an evidence for the validity of the BOTMP-SF, a closer study on the score of each item revealed a high percentage of zero scores on four items. Task difficulty has caused a floor effect, constituting a threat to the validity of the preschoolers’ motor assessment with the above battery. A modification of the battery items is suggested, so that the BOTMP-SF will give valid results for children 4–6 years old.     

Saving the intuitions: polylithic reference

My main aim in this paper is to clarify the concepts of referential success and of referential continuity that are so crucial to the scientific realism debate. I start by considering the three dominant theories of reference and the intuitions that motivate each of them. Since several intuitions cited in support of one theory conflict with intuitions cited in support of another something has to give way. The traditional policy has been to reject all intuitions that clash with a chosen theory. A more radical policy, tied to some experimental philosophers, has called for the rejection of any evidential role for intuitions. I explore a largely ignored third alternative, i.e. saving intuitions (and their evidential role) even when they are at odds. To accommodate conflicting intuitions different sets of internally consistent (yet externally inconsistent) intuitions are taken to lend credence to different concepts of reference. In the current context, this means that the concepts of referential success and referential continuity are not monolithic. They are what I call ‘polylithic’. This paper is as much about meta-philosophical concerns with the role of intuitions as it is about reference and the scientific realism debate. Regarding the former I hope that a blueprint will emerge for similar projects in other philosophical domains. Regarding the latter, I hope that polylithicity helps disentangle claims about referential success and continuity in the scientific realism debate by making perspicuous which concepts are best equipped to evaluate the realist’s epistemic claims against the historical record of science.     

Anxiety and depression in cataract surgery: a pilot study in the elderly

To assess anxiety induced by a planned cataract surgery and to evaluate the correlations of rated anxiety and depression with optical acuity pre- and post-operatively, 278 patients ages 65 years or older were tested. Patients were divided into two groups: first-eye and second-eye cataract surgery. Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hamilton's Rating Scales for Anxiety and Depression, respectively. Pre-operatively, first-eye patients showed significantly higher anxiety than second-eye patients (F1,251 = 75.39, p < .001). First-eye patients rated peak anxiety on the day of the surgery, while patients scheduled for second-eye cataract surgery presented no fluctuations in rated anxiety (F1,251 = 49.60, p < .001). There was no correlation of preoperative anxiety or depression with the outcome of surgery (F(1,251)s = .83 and .58, respectively, p > .05). Postoperatively, anxiety and depression in patients without any improvement in their vision were rated significantly higher than in those presenting improved visual acuity after surgery (F1,251 = 566.17 and 300.25, respectively, p < .001).