Near space functioning of the human angular and supramarginal gyri

The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) has been associated with the encoding of events in peripersonal space, but little is known about the precise segregation of parietal areas involved specifically in ‘near‐space’ visuospatial processing. This study applied transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to two parietal areas: the right angular gyrus (ANG) and the right supramarginal gyrus (SMG) in addition to a control site, cortical visual area V5, while subjects performed symmetry judgements on lines presented simultaneously in the left and right visual fields. Eight subjects performed the task with the stimuli presented either in peripersonal or extra personal space. As expected, TMS over the right ANG caused subjects to report lines as being longer ipsilateral to the stimulation site, but only in near space. TMS of the right SMG, however, induced a bias shift in both near and far space, but the change only reached significance in near space. Our findings suggest that, consistent with its role in somatosensory functions, the SMG, like the ANG, is specialised for near space.     

The Religious Ethics of Labor

While unionization rates have steadily declined in the United States, there has been a renewal of grassroots labor organizing—in many cases connected in some way with religious communities. Attending to such organizing efforts holds the potential to deepen religious‐ethical reflection on questions of labor, and these religious‐ethical reflections hold the potential to enrich on‐the‐ground organizing efforts. These opportunities have largely been overlooked. On the one hand, while scholars have recently explored connections between religious ideas and economic ideas, they have often neglected questions of labor. On the other hand, labor studies scholars have often ignored the role of religion, although this is beginning to change. In this introduction we limn the resources available for religious‐ethical reflection on questions of labor and we propose a direction that the field could take, bringing together engagement with religious traditions and attunement to grassroots organizing.     

The hospice: Humane care for the dying

The hospice movement arose as a reaction to the dehumanizing atmosphere of acute-care hospitals, where excessive utilization of life support equipment deprived dying patients of a meaningful vision of their destiny. Respecting the spiritual quest of the terminally ill for wholeness and dignity, the hospice concept prescribes the rendering of compassionate and pastoral care by a benevolent community of family, health care staff, friends, and clergy. Approximately 800 hospice programs are currently evolving in the United States. St. Mary's (formerly “Hillhaven”) Hospice in Tucson, Arizona, offers the most comprehensive program of services, including home care, inpatient care, and artistic media through which the dying express their creativity. Numerous demonstration projects funded by several government agencies, principally the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), are expected to result in the legislative actions eliminating barriers to reimbursement of the cost of hospice services by Medicare, Medicaid, and other third-party payers. Existential analysis reveals the value of religion and spiritual support in enabling the dying to banish anxiety and muster the hope requisite for fully appreciating the authentic meaning of their destiny.     

Treatment of Poststroke Anxiety in an Older Adult Male: A Single-Case Analysis

A single-case analysis was carried out to study the nonpharmacological treatment of post-stroke anxiety in an older adult male. The intervention consisted of a biofeedback-assisted program of autogenic training; efficacy was demonstrated using multiple discontinuations and reinstatements of treatment. Physiological indices and self-report measures of anxiety and depression documented treatment success, although a moderate increase in fear was evident on the Fear Survey Schedule II at the final follow-up assessment.     

Behavioral Gerontology: State of the Science

Baer, Wolf and Risley's (1968) dimensions of applied behavior analysis are used as an organizing framework to review and discuss current research on the application of behavioral principles to the solution of social problems faced by older adults. Implications for future research are discussed.