Functional topography of early periventricular brain lesions in relation to cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps

Early periventricular brain lesions can not only cause cerebral palsy, but can also induce a reorganization of language. Here, we asked whether these different functional consequences can be attributed to topographically distinct portions of the periventricular white matter damage. Eight patients with pre- and perinatally acquired left-sided periventricular brain lesions underwent focal transcranial magnetic stimulation to assess the integrity of cortico-spinal hand motor projections, and functional MRI to determine the hemispheric organization of language production. MRI lesion-symptom mapping revealed that two distinct portions of the periventricular lesions were critically involved in the disruption of cortico-spinal hand motor projections on the one hand and in the induction of language reorganization into the contra-lesional right hemisphere on the other hand. Both regions are located in a position compatible with the course of cortico-spinal/cortico-nuclear projections of the primary motor cortex in the periventricular white matter, as determined by the stereotaxic probabilistic cytoarchitectonic atlas developed by the Jülich group.     

The magnitude of binocular disparity modulates search time for targets defined by a conjunction of depth and colour

Nakayama and Silverman (1986) proposed that, when searching for a target defined by a conjunction of color and stereoscopic depth, observers partition 3D space into separate depth planes and then rapidly search each such plane in turn, thereby turning a conjunctive search into a "feature" search. In their study, they found, consistent with their hypothesis, shallow search slopes when searching depth planes separated by large binocular disparities. Here, the authors investigated whether the search slope depends upon the extent of the stereoscopically induced separation between the planes to be searched (i.e., upon the magnitude of the binocular disparity. The obtained slope shows that (1) a rapid search only occurs with disparities greater than 6 min of arc, a value that vastly exceeds the stereo threshold, and that (2) the steepness of this slope increases in a major way at lower disparities. The ability to implement the search mode envisaged by Nakayama and Silverman is thus clearly limited to large disparities; less efficient search strategies are mandated by lower disparity values, as under such conditions items from one depth plane may be more likely to "intrude" upon the other. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).     

Fokale psychodynamische Psychotherapie der Anorexia nervosa

The paper presents a manual for the focal psychodynamic psychotherapy of anorexia nervosa (AN). The manual was developed in the context of the largest randomized controlled trial of outpatient psychotherapy for AN so far [Anorexia Nervosa Treatment of OutPatients (ANTOP), n=234]. The study compares focal psychodynamic psychotherapy with cognitive-behavioral therapy and with a control group with free choice of therapy outside the study. The manual comprises instructions for the working through of typical focal emotional and interpersonal issues of AN. Also recommendations for anorexia-specific therapeutic difficulties in the course of treatment are given. First results concerning the efficacy of the therapies carried out based on the manual are expected after completion of the ANTOP study in the middle of the year 2010.     

Kriminalprognose bei Sexualstraftätern

Modern methods of risk assessment for sexual recidivism are reviewed, amongst others the statistical and the clinical approaches. The recidivism of sexual offenders is also strongly influenced by basic criminological risk factors like age, intelligence, former criminality, dissocial patterns and poor social integration. A further important risk factor is paraphilia. The analysis of the determining factors of previous sexual assaults is an essential basis for risk assessment. The different forms of sexual assaults are outlined under the aspect of risk assessment.     

Combined functional and causal connectivity analyses of language networks in children: a feasibility study

Instead of assessing activation in distinct brain regions, approaches to investigating the networks underlying distinct brain functions have come into the focus of neuroscience research. Here, we provide a completely data-driven framework for assessing functional and causal connectivity in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, employing Granger's causality. We investigate the networks underlying story processing in 17 healthy children (8f, 9m, 10.4+/-2.8 years, 6.5-15.4 years). Extensive functional connectivity exists between brain regions, including some not detected in standard random effects analyses. Causal connectivity analyses demonstrate a clear dominance of left-sided language regions for both forward and backward interactions with other network nodes. We believe our approach to be useful in helping to assess language networks in the normal or pathological setting; it may also aid in providing better starting estimates for the more hypothesis-driven approaches like structural equation or dynamic causal modeling.     

Measuring Procedural Knowledge More Simply with a Single-Response Situational Judgment Test

Purpose  This paper describes the development of a situational judgment test (SJT) based on single-response options developed directly from critical incidents and reports a study that tested the SJT’s concurrent validity against ratings of job performance. Design/Methodology/Approach  Situational judgment test items were developed from critical incidents provided by administrators of volunteer agencies. Volunteers who worked at another agency completed the SJT and a self-report personality test. Supervisors rated their job performance on three dimensions. Findings  Situational judgment test scores representing procedural knowledge about work effort were significantly correlated with ratings of work effort performance (r = .28). Conscientiousness was correlated with work effort knowledge (r = .26), but not with work effort performance (r = −.02). Implications  These results provide some preliminary evidence that a single-response SJT format based upon critical incidents can produce valid measures of procedural knowledge and might be a useful alternative to the traditional multiple-response format. Originality/Value  This paper presents a novel way to construct SJTs using single-response options that are less laborious to develop than the multiple-response options in traditional SJT formats. Results of the validity study suggest that this new single-response format can predict job performance and encourage further research on the viability of this approach.     

Predicting post-event processing in social anxiety disorder following two prototypical social situations: State variables and dispositional determinants

This study investigated self-reported state (anxiety, physical symptoms, cognitions, internally focused attention, safety behaviors, social performance) and trait (social anxiety, depressive symptoms, dysfunctional self-consciousness) predictors of post-event processing (PEP) subsequent to two social situations (interaction, speech) in participants with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and healthy controls (HC). The speech triggered significantly more intense PEP, especially in SAD. Regardless of the type of social situation, PEP was best predicted by situational anxiety and dysfunctional cognitions among the state variables. If only trait variables were considered, PEP following both situations was accounted for by trait social anxiety. In addition, dysfunctional self-consciousness contributed to PEP-speech. If state and trait variables were jointly considered, for both situations, situational anxiety and dysfunctional cognitions were confirmed as the most powerful PEP predictors above and beyond trait social anxiety (interaction) and dysfunctional self-consciousness (speech). Hence, PEP as assessed on the day after a social situation seems to be mainly determined by state variables. Trait social anxiety and dysfunctional self-consciousness also significantly contribute to PEP depending on the type of social situation. The present findings support dysfunctional cognitions as a core cognitive mechanism for the maintenance of SAD. Implications for treatment are discussed.     

Correlations for number of sunspots, unemployment rate, and suicide mortality in Japan

We studied the correlations among sunspot numbers, business cycles, and suicide mortalitites. Based on data from Japan between 1971 and 2001, a significant negative correlation between sunspot numbers and unemployment rate was found, R= -.17. The correlation between suicide mortality and unemployment rate was positive for males (R=.46) and negative for females (R =-.69). Both are statistically significant. The hypothesis that variation of sun activity may affect the economy and the unemployment rate and hence increase the male suicide mortality is raised.