The mutual influence of insulin and environmentally-conditioned central nervous system performance on the regulation of carbohydrate metabolism

Investigating the effects of insulin on carbohydrate metabolism and on the central nervous system (C.N.S.) under conditions of rest and of stress in dogs and in rats, using the conditional reflex method and measuring the nitrogen and phosphate brain metabolites and the blood sugar differences, the author found that cerebral glucose metabolism is dependent upon insulin, and that if glucose supplies are adequate, insulin stimulates C.N.S. performance within 15–20 minutes. The C.N.S. and blood sugar reactivity depend upon the environmental situation: the conditional stimuli for stress increase glycemia. Animals under stress went into shock even though their glycemic levels were relatively high, whereas those at rest did not go into shock or sometimes reacted with slight symptoms of somnolence even at a lower glycemic level. In experimental hyperglycemia the level rises even more during stress, with ensuing coma, especially with larger doses of insulin. An increase of inhibition with reduced learning precedes the glycemic irregularities. Thus, insulin directly influences the central nervous system.     

Difference and presence: Derrida and Husserl’s phenomenology of language,time, history,and scientific rationality

Continental Philosophy Review - This article seeks to reconstruct and critically extend Jacques Derrida’s critique of Edmund Husserl’s transcendental phenomenology. Derrida’s...     

Langzeitergebnisse einer Funktionellen-Magnetresonanztomographie-Studie

In a controlled functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study the effect of psychodynamic short-term psychotherapy on cerebral activation of panic disorder patients was determined. In a linguistic go-no go paradigm behavioral measures and cerebral activation to affective word stimuli with threatening, neutral and positive content were assessed pretreatment and post-treatment in 9 patients with panic disorder. 18 healthy controls were scanned twice at the same intervals. In an additional long-term follow-up after approximately 3 years post-treatment the effect of brain activation changes during treatment on the long-term outcome of core symptoms (panic-related cognition and fear of body sensations) were determined. In accordance with the hypotheses increased limbic (hippocampus and amygdala) activation accompanied by low prefrontal activation to negative words were found. At treatment termination, panic-related symptoms had improved significantly and fronto-limbic activation patterns were normalized. Reduction of activation of the limbic system during treatment was predictive of a favorable long-term outcome. The results indicate that short-term psychodynamic treatment leads to changes in fronto-limbic networks, similar to previous findings on cognitive-behavioural treatment.     

Psychosocial risk and resistance factors among children with chronic illness,healthy siblings,and healthy controls

Psychosocial risk and resistance factors within the domains of parental functioning, family Stressors, and family resources were examined as predictors of psychological adjustment and physical problems in juvenile rheumatic disease patients (N=93), their healthy siblings (N=72), and demographically matched healthy controls (N=93). Family socioeconomic status and background variables showed few consistent relationships with child functioning. However, a constellation of risk and resistance factors tended to show comparable associations with functioning for patients, siblings, and controls. Higher parental depression and medical symptoms and more family Stressors, sibling problems, and burden of illness on the family predicted more problems among the patients. These relationships held when disease duration and severity were controlled. For the siblings, increased parental and patient dysfunction, more family Stressors, and less family cohesion and expressiveness were associated with more problems. Although the associations were not as strong, mothers' depression and lack of family cohesion and expressiveness also were related to more adjustment problems among the control children. These findings imply that there may be a general association between certain risk and resistance factors and childhood adaptation.This research was supported in part by NIH Multipurpose Arthritis Center Grant AM20610, NIMH Grant MH16744, and Veterans Administration Medical and Health Services Research and Development Service Research funds. Jan Gottlieb provided valuable help in all phases of the research. We appreciate the help of the staff of the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic at Children's Hospital at Stanford and the families who participated in this study.     

Initial psychological effects of sexual abuse on female children as reflected in the Hand Test

Previous research regarding the initial effects of sexual abuse on children has varied in terms of methodologies, measurement instruments, and reported findings. Recent studies, however, suggest that projective techniques may be useful in resolving some of these inconsistencies. This study utilized the Hand Test to investigate the initial effects of sexual abuse on female children. Authenticated cases of sexually abused children were compared to a matched sample of presumably nonabused children. Significant differences on six variables were obtained between the groups but, more important, Hand Test patterns emerged which appeared to distinguish among those victims who: (a) were severely traumatized by the abuse, (b) displayed neurotic tendencies, and (c) did not seem to have suffered measurable detrimental effects. It was suggested that these findings may help reconcile conflicting views that have appeared in the literature.     

Establishing a Placement Index for behaviorally disturbed children using the Hand Test.

Hand Test variables were evaluated to see if they would empirically discern varying levels of behavioral and social maladjustment in severely behaviorally handicapped children. Hand Test protocols of 6- to 18-year-old students (N = 100) were gathered. Twenty protocols from each of three levels of special education placement were obtained in addition to 40 protocols of students enrolled in regular educational classrooms. A stepwise discriminant analysis yielded both pathology (PATH) and aggression (AGG) as significant discriminators (p less than .05). Cutoff scores and a weighted equation consisting of nine variables was derived using proper placement in group setting as the criteria. The assignment of children to correct placement levels was 64% or 79%, depending on the stringency of criteria. These findings reinforce the utility of the Hand Test as a valuable tool in the psychologist's testing armament for assisting with placement decisions and support the strength of integrating multiple variables to aid with these decisions. Replication of this study for the purpose of cross-validation of the Placement Index is strongly encouraged.