Switching time between overt and covert speech: Generative attention

Four experiments investigated a new phenomenon: the existence of a very large switching time effect that occurs from rapidly alternating between overt and covert (mouthed) speech. This is referred to as an intensity switching effect, and the time taken for each switch is, in itself, long enough for a spoken or mouthed character (letter or digit) to be produced. In Experiments 1 and 2, the intensity switching effect was shown to be different from the switching that occurs between categories of materials (letters and digits) because it is both much larger and much more resistant to practice effects. The intensity switching effect was also shown to be distinct from a memory load effect, since it holds even for perceptually available lists. In Experiments 3 and 4, the issue of a peripheral vs. a central origin of intensity switching was addressed. Evidence was found for a central origin. In addition, two models -of response intensity representation were contrasted: a symbolic or digital model, with intensity altered by parameter substitution, and an analog model, with intensity represented by a moving pointer on an intensity continuum. The results supported the symbolic model. It is concluded that the intensity switching effect is a measure of control processes at work in altering the intensity parameters of the vocal response system.     

The Effects of Income Levels and Income Inequalities on Happiness

The standard of living reflected by one’s income and consumption is the primary explanation for the utility or satisfaction of the private consumer. However, empirical evidence very often demonstrates that the level of happiness is not necessarily higher for wealthy people in comparison to the poor. This holds within specific populations of a country, and in macro terms by comparison between the happiness of populations with low and high GDP_ppp per capita. Different research studies have used other economic and social explanatory variables for determining consumer happiness within countries. The present paper adds the new factor of income inequality that affects happiness. It is empirically proved that at extreme values of inequality measured by the Gini index, the effect of happiness is negative regardless of GDP_ppp per capita. However, at the intermediate ranges of the Gini index the effect of changes in the index on happiness is ambiguous. These results are found regardless of the actual values of GDP_ppp per capita.     

Feasibility of telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy targeting major depression among urban dwelling African-American people with co-occurring HIV

Given the burden of depression among those with HIV, and the impact of HIV on urban minority communities there is an urgent need to assess innovative treatment interventions that not only treat depression but do so in a way that allows for increased access to mental health care. This single site, uncontrolled, pilot study sought to determine the feasibility and depression outcomes of an 11-session telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention delivered over 14 weeks targeting low-income, urban-dwelling, HIV-infected African-American people with major depression. The diagnosis of major depression was made using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The primary outcome was the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and the secondary outcome was the Quick Inventory of Depression Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDS-SR). Feasibility and satisfaction were also assessed. Assessments occurred at baseline, midpoint and at study conclusion (14 weeks). Fifteen people were screened for the study. Six HIV-infected, low-income, African-American people individuals (five females and one male) were eligible and participated in the study. All patients finished the study. On average, participants completed nine sessions. The sessions lasted for an average of 48 min (SD = 11.5). Compared to mean HAM-D score at baseline (HAM-D = 22.8 (SD = 3.1), the mean HAM-D score was significantly reduced at study conclusion (HAM-D = 9.8 (SD = 7.4); (t (5) = 4.6, p = 0.006); (Cohen d = 1.9)). Compared to the mean QIDS-SR score at baseline (QIDS-SR = 15.5 (SD = 4.2) the mean QIDS score was significantly reduced at study conclusion (QIDS = 7.0 (SD = 5.4);(t (5) = 3.2, p = 0.02); (Cohen d = 1.3)).The mean satisfaction scores across all participants at post-treatment was 5.7 (SD = 0.3) with of a maximum score of 6. Telephone-based CBT can be delivered to low-income, urban-dwelling ethnic minority HIV-infected people resulting in significant reductions in depression symptoms with high satisfaction. The efficacy of this intervention will be assessed in a planned randomized control trial.     

Neuropsychological functioning in nonreferred siblings of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

The goal of this study was to assess neuropsychological functioning in nonreferred siblings of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were 156 siblings of ADHD probands with (N = 40) and without (N = 116) ADHD (according to criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edition, revised; American Psychiatric Association, 1987) and 118 siblings of non-ADHD normal controls of similar age, IQ, and grade level. Information on attention, executive, and memory functions was obtained in a standardized manner without knowledge of clinical status. Compared with siblings of controls, siblings with ADHD were significantly impaired on the Stroop test and on verbal learning and memory. In contrast, siblings without ADHD were similar to controls on virtually all measures. These data suggest that some executive, attention, and verbal learning deficits are found in nonreferred individuals with ADHD but that neuropsychological deficits are unlikely to constitute an endophenotype to ADHD.     

Atypical cognitive disorders in a man with developmental surface dyslexia

The neuropsychological profile of a man with a developmental surface dyslexia is presented here. This case study is of interest because J.C. exhibited a pattern of cognitive disorders rarely documented in previous data. Results showed that JC's difficulties in reading comprehension were closely related to complex memory disorders and were also associated with cognitive slowness. The present observations do not support the visual memory failure hypothesis. The data rather suggest that the core difficulty primarily lies with the nonautomatization of grapheme-phoneme correspondence rules, which in turn dramatically contributed to lexicon weaknesses. The hypothesis of a timing mechanism in reading disorders is discussed.     

Effects of multiple exposures to D-cycloserine on extinction of conditioned fear in rats

Previous research has shown that an acute, post-training injection of D-cycloserine (DCS) facilitates extinction of conditioned fear in rats; however, the effects of multiple exposures to DCS in this situation are not known. In Experiment 1, rats were conditioned (light-shock pairings) and 24 h later given six extinction (light-alone) trials followed by an injection of DCS (15 mg/kg) or saline. The next day, all rats were tested for light-elicited freezing. In Experiment 2, the effect of DCS on extinction was tested in the same manner, except that rats were pre-exposed to DCS (0, 1, or 5 injections) just prior to conditioning. In Experiment 3, rats received five pre-exposures of DCS but conditioning occurred either 2 or 28 days after the last pre-exposure. The results showed that DCS facilitated extinction of conditioned freezing to the light CS when no drug pre-exposure had occurred, but pre-exposure to DCS just prior to conditioning disrupted the facilitation of extinction effect. When 28 days were interposed between pre-exposure and conditioning, the facilitatory effects of DCS on extinction were restored. These findings suggest that DCS has significant clinical value but that behavioral desensitization may occur with multiple exposures; however, desensitization is not permanent and is reduced by the passage of time.