The comorbidity of migraine

This review addresses the methodologic issues relevant to the study of comorbidity and provides a broad overview of the medical and psychiatric conditions associated with migraine. Since the body of literature examining the comorbidity of migraine is enormous, the scope of this review will largely focus on community and case-control studies. Among the selected comorbid medical conditions, including disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory, neurologic, gastrointestinal and immunologic systems, stroke, asthma, and allergies appear to be most strongly associated with migraine. Among the psychiatric illnesses, mood and anxiety disorders have been shown to be most strongly associated with migraine in the general population. Further research is indicated and necessary to elucidate the precise mechanism of migraine comorbidity.     

Some Physiological Concomitants of Pursuit Rotor Performance and Reminiscence

A frustration theory of pursuit rotor performance and reminiscence has previously been presented (Costello, 1967; Costello & Discipio, 1967). The theory was reformulated in terms of arousal theory and the following hypotheses were tested: (1) an inverted “U” relationship exists between level of arousal and performance level; (2) reminiscence results when S during the rest period moves closer to his optimum level of arousal; (3) massed practice produces a higher level of arousal than spaced practice; (4) experimental conditions producing a high drive state will also increase his arousal level. Findings in line with these hypotheses were found for EMG measures but not for GSR and pulse rate. In view of what appears to be the task-specific nature of the physiological results it was concluded that there was no particular advantage in reformulating the frustration theory in terms of arousal theory.     

Effects of acceptance-oriented versus evaluative emotional processing on heart rate recovery and habituation

The effects of emotional processing on stress response trajectories may depend on the nature of processing, as evaluative rumination about emotions can prolong distress. In contrast, observing negative emotions in an accepting manner may promote efficient recovery from stressful situations. The present study examined the effect of acceptance-oriented versus evaluative emotional processing on cardiovascular habituation and recovery. Across two experimental sessions, 81 participants were randomly assigned to write about an ongoing stressful experience while either (1) evaluating the appropriateness of their emotional response (EVAL), (2) attending to their emotions in an accepting way (ACC), or (3) describing the objective details of the experience (CTL). Heart rate was assessed continuously throughout baseline, writing, and recovery. Results suggest that writing about emotions in an evaluative way leads to less efficient heart rate habituation and recovery than processing emotions in an accepting manner. These findings highlight a potential mechanism of mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions' effects on health outcomes and further suggest that habitually evaluating the appropriateness of one's emotional responses rather than accepting them as they unfold may have consequences for cardiovascular health.     

Do children with autism use inner speech and visuospatial resources for the service of executive control? Evidence from suppression in dual tasks

Three experiments used dual‐task suppression methodology to study the use of inner speech and visuospatial resources for mediating central executive performance by children with autism (CWA) and group‐matched typically developing (TD) controls. Expt 1 revealed that CWA did not recruit inner speech to facilitate arithmetic task‐switching performance: there was no effect of articulatory suppression (AS) on completion time for CWA compared to the TD group. Expt 2 revealed that suppression of visuospatial resources disrupted the task‐switching performance of both CWA and TD groups. It also confirmed that the task‐switching performance of CWA was significantly slowed by visuospatial compared to AS. Expt 3 showed that CWA also did not employ inner speech, compared to visuospatial resources, for implementing planning movements. Overall, compared to the mixture of representations used by the TD group for problem solving, CWA seemed to use visuospatial working memory resources but not inner speech to service executive control.     

Transfer of skill engendered by complex task training under conditions of variable priority

We explored the theoretical underpinnings of a commonly used training strategy by examining issues of training and transfer of skill in the context of a complex video game (Space Fortress, Donchin, 1989). Participants trained using one of two training regimens: Full Emphasis Training (FET) or Variable Priority Training (VPT). Transfer of training was assessed with a large battery of cognitive and psychomotor tasks ranging from basic laboratory paradigms measuring reasoning, memory, and attention to complex real-world simulations. Consistent with previous studies, VPT accelerated learning and maximized task mastery. However, the hypothesis that VPT would result in broader transfer of training received limited support. Rather, transfer was most evident in tasks that were most similar to the Space Fortress game itself. Results are discussed in terms of potential limitations of the VPT approach.     

WHAT IS CONSCIOUSNESS AND HAS IT EVOLVED?

Research into consciousness has now become respectable, and much has been written about it. Is consciousness the exclusive property of human beings, or can it be found also in animals? Can machines become conscious? Is consciousness an illusion, and are all mental states ultimately reducible to the movement of molecules? If consciousness is other than matter, what connection does it have with matter? These and others like them are now serious scientific questions in the West. This article discusses consciousness within the frame of the following assertions: Consciousness has evolved from earlier states of awareness to be found in lower forms of life. The current scientific method is too restrictive for the study of conscience and its evolution. In particular classical logic leads scientists to ignore or reject consciousness as a legitimate field of study. Mind and matter, generalized as knowing and being, have equal status.     

Multidimensional voice program analysis in profoundly deaf children: quantifying frequency and amplitude control

Characterization of the vocal profile of profoundly deaf children using an objective voice analysis was carried out in a university-based pediatric otolaryngology clinic. 21 persons ages 3.5 to 18 years were assessed. From each sustained phonation of the vowel /a/ the following acoustic variables were extracted: fundamental frequency (F0), jitter percentage, shimmer percentage, fundamental frequency variation (vF0), peak amplitude variation (vAM), and first, second, and third formant frequencies (F1, F2, F3). Mean F0 was 267.8 Hz and consistent with established normative data. Mean measurements of jitter (0.88%) and shimmer (3.5%) were also within normal limits. The notable feature of the acoustic analysis was a statistically significant elevation in vF0 (2.81%) and vAM (23.58%). With the exception of one subject, the F1, F2, and F3 formant frequencies were comparable to those for normal hearing children. Auditory deprivation results in poor long-term control of frequency and amplitude during sustained phonation. The inability to maintain a sustained phonation may represent the partial collapse of an internal model of voice and speech.     

Cross-cultural patterns in the training of children: an evolutionary perspective

Analyzed cross-cultural child inculcation data from Barry, Josephson, Lauer, & Marshall (1976) by testing a hypothesis derived from natural selection theory: The ways in which boys are trained (vs. those for girls) should correlate with male and female reproductive strategies prevalent in each society. Boys are trained to be more aggressive, show more fortitude, and be more self-reliant than girls; girls are trained to be more industrious, responsible, obedient, and sexually restrained than boys. The more polygynous the society (the higher the potential reproductive rewards for males), the more sons in nonstratified societies were taught to strive. Stratified societies, which restrict men's reproductive striving, showed very different patterns. The more actual control women in any society had over resources, the less daughters were taught to be obedient.