The linear regression line as a judgmental aid in visual analysis of serially dependent A-B time-series data

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different types and magnitudes of serial dependence (first-order moving average and autoregression) and of linear regression lines within experimental phases on the agreement between results of visual and results of statistical data analyses. The stimulus material consisted of computer-simulated A-B-design data graphs. The time series were generated with a constant variance, varying degrees of treatment effects (changes in level), five conditions of serial dependency, and with or without linear regression lines. The material was presented to three groups of student raters (n₁=52, n₂=14, n₃=17) who rated the treatment effect in the graphs on a five-point scale. These ratings were compared with statistical results (time-series analyses). Each group had to interpret 70 graphs, 35 of which had regression lines. Data were analyzed by means of two three-factor and one four-factor ANOVA and by graphic display. The linear regression lines generally enhanced the agreement between the raters' estimations and the statistical results. Serial dependency also increased the agreement between the two analysis methods. However, with strong autoregression processes in the data, the raters tended to overestimate treatment effects relative to time-series analysis.Parts of this study were presented at the World Congress on Behavior Therapy, Washington, DC, December 11, 1983. The authors wish to express their appreciation to Christoph Bonk and Willi Ecker for their extensive collaboration in data analysis and for their assistance in carrying out the study.     

Symptoms of dementia misdiagnosed as psychosocial development disorder in congenital aqueduct stenosis

The paper describes a case in which symptoms of dementia basing on a chronic psycho-organic syndrome together with congenital aqueduct stenosis were for years erroneously regarded as indicating psychosocial maldevelopment. Emphasis is laid on the need to consider the possibility of a process of dementia, even if maldevelopment of the personality only displays mild neurological symptoms.     

Changes in functional cerebral laterality of patients with torticollis spasmodicus

By comparing the results of tapping with and without simultaneous speaking and by evaluating their lateral differences the probable lateralization of functional speech centre was established in 28 patients with torticollis spasmodicus and 28 healthy controls. In doing this, it became evident that unlike the controls the patients as a hole in a significant way lateralized the speech centre more frequently to the right. The changed cerebral laterality in the patients was supposed to be stimulated by pronounced emotional conflicts and to be involved in the disease of torticollis spasmodicus.     

Contribution of E. W. Schmidt to the development of Soviet neurology and its international relations

A short retrospect, occasioned by the death on July 13, 1985, of E. W. Schmidt, of his career as director of the Neurological Research Institute at the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, and his influence as scientist, medical man, and humanist on the development of neurology in the Soviet Union and its representation on the international scene.     

Examinations with the modified VNPI]

The revised design of a psychometric procedure (VNPI) is described. Additional factors were extracted by intercorrelations and factor analysis: increased perseveration, inhibited contact, defective flexibility, instability of moods. They provide information, additionally to the evaluation of the factors of vegetative lability, neuroticism, and introversion. A random test in 360 persons from a screening series is used for the presentation of the relations between VNPI values and findings of social and internal medicine. The possibilities of individual diagnosis of the procedure are demonstrated by VNPI profiles of patients.     

Leptomeningopathia chronica circumscripta adhaesiva sive cystica

During neurosurgical operations of 73 patients alterations of the leptomeninx were found additionally other clinical diagnoses or confirming the clinical diagnosis of a chronic leptomeningopathia. In these cases tissue was taken for histological examination. In 65 cases there were alterations of all parts of the leptomeninx, mostly connected with inflammatory infiltrations. The commonly used terms "arachnitis" or "arachnoiditis" for these circumscribed chronic leptomeningopathias are not to be accepted because of different reasons. Instead of these names a describing diagnosis is recommended.     

Subject strategies in part-whole transfer in free recall

The effect of instructing subjects as to the nature of the relationship between the two lists of a part-to-whole transfer situation has been studied in a number of cases with conflicting results. Some studies have shown that instructions to the subject produce positive transfer, while in others only slight effects from instructions may be noted. Detailed analysis of subject output protocols in a part-to-whole experiment demonstrated that subjects who maintained their List 1 organization showed positive transfer to the whole list. Reanaiysis of several studies in the literature supported the conclusion that subjects who maintain their organization will show positive transfer under these conditions. In a second experiment, it is demonstrated that subjects can be instructed to maintain their List 1 organization during List 2 and that such instruction enhances the amount of positive transfer obtained. The results are viewed as consistent with a hierarchical version of an organization theory for recall performance.     

Persistent aphasia as the most conspicuous phenomenon of extensive disconnection of the cortical speech region

An unusual case is analysed in which global aphasia has obtained for ten years, with complete speech inability and loss of the acoustic understanding of words, due to extensive cortical lesions in both halves of the cerebrum. After two years of observation of the case and frequent neuropsychological examination, the cause is seen as being in the almost complete elimination of the cortical region of speech. The manifestation occurred when the patient was nine years old, and intensive efforts at pedagogic rehabilitation, on which a separate report will be made, were begun eight years later.     

Using choice to increase on-task behavior in individuals with traumatic brain injury

An ABA'B design was used to evaluate the effects of choice on task engagement for 3 adults who had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. A yoked-control condition, in which tasks that were selected by each participant were assigned subsequently to that participant by a trainer, was implemented to help distinguish between the effects of task preference and choice. The results for all 3 participants indicated that permitting individuals to choose from a list of tasks increased on-task behavior.     

Evidence for attenuated affective processing in obesity

Attenuated affective processing is hypothesized to play a role in the development and maintenance of obesity. Using an affective priming task measuring automatic affective processing of verbal stimuli, a group of 30 obese participants in a weight-loss program at the Psychosomatic University Clinic Bonn (M age = 48.3, SD = 10.7) was compared with a group of 25 participants of normal weight (M age = 43.6, SD = 12.5). A smaller affective priming effect was observed for participants with obesity, indicating less pronounced reactions to valenced adjectives. The generally reduced affective processing in obese participants was discussed as a possible factor in the etiology of obesity. Individuals who generally show less pronounced affective reactions to a given stimulus may also react with less negative affect when confronted with weight gain or less positive affect when weight is lost. Consequently, they could be expected to be less motivated to stop overeating or to engage in dieting and will have a higher risk of becoming or staying obese.