Non-stimulant treatment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

A variety of compounds with a common noradrenergic/dopaminergic activity have shown documented anti-Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) activity. There is a substantial body of literature documenting the efficacy of tricyclic antidepressants on ADHD in over 1,000 subjects. There is an equally large database on the efficacy of the specific norepinephrlne reuptake inhibitor, atomoxetine, of greater than 2,000 Individuals. In addition, the atypical antidepressant buproplon also has been documented to be effective in the treatment of ADHD in controlled clinical trials. Despite wide use, the scientific base supporting the efficacy of alpha-2, noradrenergic agonists is somewhat limited. Several lines of evidence provide preliminary support for the potential benefits of cholinergic cognitive enhandng drugs, such as anticholinesterase inhibitors (tacrine, donepezil) as well as novel nicotinic analogues (ABT-418). Despite these promising results, more research is needed on alternative pharmacological treatments for the treatment of ADHD.     

The dynamic time course of stereotype activation: activation, dissipation, and resurrection

Stereotypes activated upon initial exposure to a stereotyped individual may dissipate as the exposure continues. Participants observing a videotaped interview with a Black person showed activation of the stereotype of Black people following 15 s of observation but not following 12 min of observation. However, the discovery of a disagreement with the stereotyped individual may bring the dissipated stereotype back to mind. Participants who discovered, at the end of a 12-min videotaped interview with a Black person, that this person disagreed with them about the verdict in a court case showed activation of the stereotype of Black people, whereas participants who discovered instead that the Black person agreed with them did not. Participants who disagreed with a Black person also applied the Black stereotype to him, but this stereotype application was detected only on an implicit measure of application, not on an explicit measure.     

Courtship communication and perception

Although ethologists have detailed courtship rituals for many species, courting behavior of humans has not received extensive study from an ethological standpoint. Yet there are clearly facial expressions and gestures that are commonly labeled "flirting behaviors." These nonverbal signals have been documented recently by several investigators in field studies, but the receptivity of nonverbal courtship signals is still in question. The current research project attempted to assess the perceptual skill of naive male and female observers who were presented videotaped samples of females' nonverbal courtship and rejection behaviors and asked to rate their intensity. The results showed that overall, men rated invitational behaviors more positively than women. In contrast, signals of rejection were seen by men as sending a less potent message than that perceived by women. Evolutionary theory may offer a framework for understanding these results.     

Research ethics for mental health science involving ethnic minority children and youths

In response to U.S. Public Health Service projects promoting attention to disparities in the outcomes of mental health treatments, in July 2001, the American Psychological Association, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Fordham University Center for Ethics Education convened a group of national leaders in bioethics, multicultural research, and ethnic minority mental health to produce a living document to guide ethical decision making for mental health research involving ethnic minority children and youths. This report summarizes the key recommendations distilled from these discussions.     

A role for prefrontal calcium-sensitive protein phosphatase and kinase activities in working memory

The prefrontal cortex is involved in the integration and interpretation of information for directing thoughts and planning action. Working memory is defined as the active maintenance of information in mind and is thought to lie at the core of many prefrontal functions. Although dopamine and other neurotransmitters have been implicated, the intracellular events activated by their receptors that influence working memory are poorly understood. We demonstrate that working memory involves transient changes in prefrontal G(q/11)-signaling and in calcium-dependent intracellular protein phosphatase and kinase activity. Interestingly, inhibition of the calcium activated phosphatase calcineurin impaired, while calcium/calmodulin dependent kinase II (CaMKII) and calcium-dependent protein kinase C (PKC) enhanced, working memory. Our findings suggest that the active maintenance of information required for working memory involves transient changes in the balance of these enzymes' activities.     

The spread of attention to hidden portions of occluded surfaces

We report two experiments in which the two-rectangles method of Egly, Driver, and Rafal (1994) was used to test whether object-specific attentional cuing advantages can spread to hidden portions of occluded objects. Displays began with portions of two rectangles hidden by a third, occluding object. One end of one of the two rectangles was cued, after which the occluder rotated around its center point and target stimuli were presented. In one condition, the occluder was removed from in front of the other objects, either by rotating away from them (Experiment 1B) or by rotating and then slipping behind them (Experiment 1B). In another condition, the occluder first rotated away but then returned to its original position. In both experiments, an object-specific cuing advantage occurred in the occluderremoved condition for targets that appeared in what had been hidden locations of the cued object. No analogous advantage occurred in the occluder-returned condition.     

Measuring Symptoms and Functioning of Youth with ADHD in Middle Schools

The identification of reliable and valid means for evaluating the effectiveness of school-based treatments and completing diagnostic evaluations of middle school aged students are needed. The present study examined the inter-rater agreement of teacher ratings and the relationship between ratings and observational data in a middle school setting. The data are interpreted in the context of differences between a secondary and elementary school setting. Teacher ratings and observational data were collected regularly over the course of two academic years for middle school students diagnosed with ADHD. The results indicate low rates of inter-rater agreement as well as low rates of agreement between teachers and observational data, and between observational data collected in different classrooms. Inter-rater agreement was lowest in late fall and gradually increased over the second half of the year. Implications for conducting treatment outcome evaluations of school-based treatment programs and diagnostic evaluations are discussed.