Histamine enhances inhibitory avoidance memory consolidation through a H2 receptor-dependent mechanism

Several evidences suggest that brain histamine is involved in memory consolidation but the actual contribution of the hippocampal histaminergic system to this process remains controversial. Here, we show that when infused into the CA1 region of the dorsal hippocampus immediately after training in an inhibitory avoidance task, but not later, histamine induced a dose-dependent promnesic effect without altering locomotor activity, exploratory behavior, anxiety state or retrieval of the avoidance response. The facilitatory effect of intra-CA1 histamine was mimicked by the histamine N-methyltransferase inhibitor SKF-91844 as well as by the H2 receptor agonist dimaprit and it was blocked completely by the H2 receptor antagonist ranitidine. Conversely, the promnesic action of histamine was unaffected by the H1 receptor antagonist pyrilamine, the H3 receptor antagonist, thioperamide, and the NMDAr polyamine-binding site antagonist ifenprodil. By themselves, ranitidine, pyrilamine, thioperamide, and ifenprodil did not affect IA memory consolidation. Our data indicate that, when given into CA1, histamine enhances memory consolidation through a mechanism that involves activation of H2 receptors; however, endogenous CA1 histamine does not seem to participate in the consolidation of IA memory at least at the post-training times analyzed.     

Psychiatric hospitalization after deliberate self-poisoning

The decision for psychiatric hospitalization after deliberate self-poisoning (DSP) is not well understood. This study, a longitudinal cohort study of 3,148 consecutive DSP patients found 920 (29.2%) subjects were referred for psychiatric hospitalization, 576 (18.3%) on involuntary basis. A logistic regression analysis showed increased risk for: age 25 or older, homelessness, unemployment, previous self-harm, psychiatric inpatient treatment within 12 months, earlier psychiatric inpatient treatment, suicidal ideation or plan, mood or psychotic disorders, and lower clinician experience; and lower risk for being married/defacto, and after hours presentation. Recommendation for psychiatric hospitalization was based on complex decision making. These findings have implications for clinical practice guidelines, service costs, and service organization.     

Learning disabilities and performance on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment

The No Child Left Behind Act mandates all students in schools receiving Title I funds show proficiency in reading by 2014. This stricture applies to students with diagnosed learning disabilities as well as to students without learning disabilities. Multiple regression analyses on data for seniors attending a Grade 9-12 predominately white, comprehensive vocational-technical school indicated that, when absenteeism, socioeconomic status, and sex were held constant, the 26 students with diagnosed learning disabilities scored 246.7 points lower on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Reading subtest (n = 107) and 214.4 points lower on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Mathematics subtest (n = 106) than students not so diagnosed, and the 27 students diagnosed with learning disabilities scored 126.3 points lower on the Writing subtest (n= 114) than students not so diagnosed.     

Effect of bandwidth knowledge of results on the learning of a grip force control task

An experiment was conducted to investigate the persistence of the effect of "bandwidth knowledge of results (KR)" manipulated during the learning phase of performing a manual force-control task. The experiment consisted of two phases, an acquisition phase with the goal of maintaining 60% maximum force in 30 trials, and a second phase with the objective of maintaining 40% of maximum force in 20 further trials. There were four bandwidths of KR: when performance error exceeded 5, 10, or 15% of the target, and a control group (0% bandwidth). Analysis showed that 5, 10, and 15% bandwidth led to better performance than 0% bandwidth KR at the beginning of the second phase and persisted during the extended trials.     

Working in Dyads and Alone: Examining Process Variables in Solving Insight Problems

This study investigated the effects of working in dyads and their associated gender composition on performance (solution rate and time) and process variables (number of impasses, number of passed solutions, and number of problem solving suggestions and interactions) in a set of classic insight problem solving tasks. Two types of insight problems were used: multiple moves available (MMA) and few moves available (FMA) problems. The results showed no effects on number of problems solved or solving time, but group and gender composition effects emerged when looking at process variables such as number of impasses, time to impasse, number of passed solutions, number of problem solving suggestions, and number of interactions between dyad members. Results support prior evidence that process loss in creative problem solving may be due to differences in interpersonal interactions during group problem solving that do not necessarily affect overall problem solving success.     

Are delusional contents replayed during dreams?

The relationship between dream content and waking life experiences remains difficult to decipher. However, some neurobiological findings suggest that dreaming can, at least in part, be considered epiphenomenal to ongoing memory consolidation processes in sleep. Both abnormalities in sleep architecture and impairment in memory consolidation mechanisms are thought to be involved in the development of psychosis. The objective of this study was to assess the continuity between delusional contents and dreams in acutely psychotic patients. Ten patients with a single fixed and recurring delusional content were asked to report their dreams during an acute psychotic break. Sixteen judges with four different levels of acquaintance to the specific content of the patients’ delusions were asked to group the dreams, expecting that fragments of the delusional thought would guide the task. A mathematical index (f, t) was developed in order to compare correct groupings between the four groups of judges. Most judges grouped the dreams slightly above chance level and no relevant differences could be found between the four groups [F(3, 12) = 1.297; p = n.s.]. Scoring of dreams for specific delusional themes suggested a continuity in terms of dream and waking mentation for two contents (Grandiosity and Religion). These findings seem to suggest that at least some delusional contents recur within patients’ dreams. Future studies will need to determine whether such continuity reflects ongoing consolidation processes that are relevant to current theories of delusion formation and stabilization.     

AIDS Group Psychotherapy

Abstract

Clinical data are presented from a day spent at a New Jersey high school severely impacted by the World Trade Center disaster. Dissociation, a sense of numbness, anger, and guilt about feelings induced by the tragedy are all common dynamics in adolescents responding to trauma. The developmental issues that adolescents are confronting are described and discussed in terms of the challenges they present to the healing process. An argument is made that using groups to aid in the long recovery process with our young people should be a top public health priority.     

Investigating the Role of Instructional Focus in Incidental Pattern Learning

The authors used a novel dual-component training procedure that combined a serial reaction time task and an artificial grammar learning task to investigate the role of instructional focus in incidental pattern learning. In Experiment 1, participants either memorized letter strings as a primary task and reacted to the stimuli locations as a secondary task or vice versa. In Experiment 2, participants were given the same dual-component stimuli but performed only one of the two training tasks. Instructional focus affected the amount of learning and the likelihood of acquiring explicit knowledge of the underlying pattern. However, the effect of instructional focus varied for the different types of stimuli. These results are discussed in terms of the role of focused attention in incidental learning.