The relationship between feature binding and consciousness: evidence from asynchronous multi-modal stimuli

Processing the various features from different feature maps and modalities in coherent ways requires a dedicated integration mechanism (“the binding problem”). Many authors have related feature binding to conscious awareness but little is known about how tight this relationship really is. We presented subjects with asynchronous audiovisual stimuli and tested whether the two features were integrated. The results show that binding took place up to 350 ms feature-onset asynchronies, suggesting that integration covers a relatively wide temporal window. We also asked subjects to explicitly judge whether the two features would belong to the same or to the different events. Unsurprisingly, synchrony judgments decreased with increasing asynchrony. Most importantly, feature binding was entirely unaffected by conscious experience: features were bound whether they were experienced as occurring together or as belonging to a separate events, suggesting that the conscious experience of unity is not a prerequisite for, or a direct consequence of binding.     

Genetic Testing and Parkinson Disease: Assessment of Patient Knowledge,Attitudes, and Interest

The most common genetic contributor to late-onset Parkinson disease (PD) is the LRRK2 gene. In order to effectively integrate LRRK2 genetic testing into clinical practice, a strategy tailored to the PD population must be developed. We assessed 168 individuals with PD for baseline knowledge of genetics, perceived risk, and interest and opinions regarding genetic counseling and testing. Most participants felt that they were familiar with general genetics terms but overall knowledge levels were low, with an average score of 55%. The majority of participants thought it was likely they inherited a PD gene (72%), believed genetic testing for PD would be useful (86%), and were interested in genetic testing (59%) and genetic counseling (56%). However, only a few participants had heard of any genetic tests for PD (29%) or LRRK2 (10%). There appears to be a significant level of interest in genetics and genetic testing within the PD population, but a considerable deficit in genetics knowledge and an over-estimation of risk. Genetic education and counseling tools to address these needs were developed to provide patients with the ability to make informed and knowledgeable genetic testing decisions.     

Stories of Relative Privilege: Power and Social Change in Feminist Community Psychology

Stories about community work in New Zealand and Scotland are presented to describe and reflect on issues central to feminist community psychology. Organizing a lesbian festival, Ingrid Huygens describes feminist processes used to equalize resources across Maori (indigenous) and Pakeha (white) groups. Heather Hamerton presents her experiences as a researcher using collective memory work to reflect on adolescent experiences related to gender, ethnicity, and class. Sharon Cahill chronicles dilemmas and insights from focus groups about anger with women living in public housing in Scotland. Each story chronicles experiences related to oppression and privilege, and describes the author's emotions and reflections. Individually and collectively, the stories illustrate the potential offered by narrative methods and participatory processes for challenging inequalities and encouraging social justice.     

Legal and ethical issues involved when counseling minors in nonschool settings

Many counselors in non-school settings will work with children at some time during their practice; therefore, it is essential that they understand the legal and ethical issues relevant to working with minors. Major court cases and legislation are presented, and 4 critical ethical issues--counselor competence, the client's rights to confidentiality and informed consent, and duties related to child abuse--are addressed. Suggestions for working ethically with minors in order to limit legal liability are presented.     

Oneness Experience: Looking Through Multiple Lenses

This article defines healthy oneness experience and establishes the progressive, life enhancing components of the experience. The author clarifies the paradox that a cohesive, well-integrated self allows unitive, non-self-definitional experiences. The author attempts to work the cultural/clinical border by exploring oneness phenomena as they occur in art, religion, literature and the clinical consulting room. The author uses psychoanalytic tools to understand non-clinical experiences of oneness. Through compelling accounts of such experiences as described by artists, writers and meditators, psychoanalytic theorizing about oneness is illumined further.     

Effects of daily and acute restraint stress during lactation on maternal aggression and behavior in mice

A decreased reactivity to stressors during lactation might heighten the expression of maternal care (including defense of offspring) by minimizing the extent to which stress can impact maternal care. Although stressors applied during pregnancy have variable effects on maternal aggression (or defense of offspring), to date no study has examined the effects of stress applied during the postpartum period on maternal aggression. In this study, we examined the effects of both daily and acute restraint stress (30 min) applied postpartum on maternal aggression and other maternal behaviors. Daily restraint (ending 2 h before testing) did not alter any measure of maternal behavior, including nursing, licking and grooming of pups and pup retrieval, or any measure of maternal aggression. In contrast, acute stress significantly impaired total time aggressive and number of attacks, but pup retrieval was normal. c-Fos levels were significantly elevated in a number of brain regions in association with acute stress, including lateral septum (LS), caudal periaqueductal gray and medial amygdala (MeA), suggesting possible sites where stress reactivity could alter aggression. Together, the results indicate that acute restraint stress impairs maternal aggression and provide a starting point for future studies examining how stress reactivity pathways may intersect with maternal aggression pathways.     

Memory of the traumatic event as a risk factor for the development of PTSD: lessons from the study of traumatic brain injury

Traumatic memories, and the mechanisms by which they operate, continue to occupy a central role in the scientific investigation of risk factors for the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, empirically based studies are constrained by practical and ethical considerations and are limited to naturalistic models. Consequently, the paradigms most appropriate for the exploration of the relationship between traumatic memories and PTSD have been identified in conditions involving traumatic events where memories may be compromised. Indeed, traumatic brain injury, a condition that is commonly associated with memory impairment, has often been utilized as a naturally occurring model for the study of traumatic memory and its contribution to the development of PTSD. This article presents a critical review of these research efforts and discusses their theoretical and clinical implications.