Verbal Memory Abilities of Children With Brain Tumors

Several critical neuroanatomical structures and pathways for memory performance are located in the third ventricle region. This led us to predict that verbal memory abilities would be more impaired in children treated for third ventricle tumors compared to those treated for cerebellar tumors. Archival data was obtained from 24 pediatric patients with third ventricle region tumors and 18 pediatric patients with cerebellar tumors. Neuroradiological verifications of tumor involvement and hydrocephalus severity (i.e., Evans Index) on preoperative scans and MRIs proximal to the time of the neuropsychological evaluation were conducted. The potential confounds of hydrocephalus severity, seizure medication, age, radiation treatment, and chemotherapy were addressed. Verbal IQ was comparable between tumor groups and in the Average range. The third ventricle region group performed significantly worse on list learning and delayed list recall compared to the cerebellar group. Their mean performance was in the clinically impaired range on both trials. The third ventricle region tumor group performed better than the cerebellar tumor group on Digit Span, a basic repetition, attention span task. These findings support the hypothesis that pediatric patients with third ventricle region brain tumors are more likely to be impaired on verbal recall tasks compared to pediatric patients with cerebellar brain tumors. In contrast, patients who were treated for cerebellar tumors were more impaired on the basic repetition, attention span task compared to patients who were treated for third ventricle tumors. Future studies should examine the specific neuroanatomical structures and pathways that are damaged and may influence differential cognitive impairments in children.     

A Longitudinal Study of Piaget's Developmental Stages and the Concept of Regression. II.

Children showing conceptually faster development on Piaget tests scored higher on WISC intelligence and higher on emotional maturity as measured by the Rorschach and by Cattell's Early School Personality Questionnaire. Rorschach analysis of personality characteristics of 16 children who showed instability of stage acquisition on Piaget tests revealed a characteristic pattern of responding suggestive of marked obsessive traits which persist over time (Kindergarten through Grade II).     

过度医疗的伦理学会诊及其治疗处方--兼论临床诊治最优化伦理准则

过度医疗是一个极其复杂的医学-社会问题,给予医学伦理学的解析是解决这一问题的最基本的工作。目前,服务质量虚高而服务收费真高是过度医疗的实质和特点;它貌似临床最优化服务,但却严重背离临床诊治最优化准则,对二者进行鉴别诊断是必要的、可能的;伦理学会诊的结论是：该病为疑难病综合征,由医者医学伦理素质低下、医院管理背弃伦理理念、医改政策中伦理机制缺席等多病因相互作用所致;所以,根治过度医疗的处方必须是全方位的、系列连续的、标本兼治的。     

“非典”流行期大学生面对非典的压力源和压力研究

该研究旨在探索非典流行期大学生面对非典的压力源和压力状况,用“大学生非典压力状况调查表”和“大学生非典压力源调查表”测查了723名大学生。结果表明:(1)大学生的非典压力源来自3个方面,它们是非典疾病压力源、非典信息压力源和应对非典措施压力源。(2)非典流行期大学生对非典的恐慌程度、所感受到的非典压力强度以及非典压力对其造成的影响程度均处于中等水平。     

Interpersonal affect in Thematic Apperception Test responses: a scoring system

Affect toward "parental," "spousal," and "nonspousal" figures in TAT responses was evaluated. Positive and negative scores ranging from +2 to -2 were assigned to each story. Norms were based on frequent responses stimulus-pull and quality Of responses Test-retest rendered .88 similarity in affect and 86% in orientational others categories. Interscorer's agreements on affective scores ranged from .93 to .97 and interpersonal categories ranged from 96% to 98%. Higher positive "spousal" than "parental" and "nonspousal" affect was hypothesized to associate with marital adjustment. Thirty married Caucasian middle-class couples were individually interviewed. Cards 1, 2, 4, 6 GF, 10 13 FM and 16 as well as the Dyadic. Adjustment Scale were administered. Results, significant at .001 level, were discussed in terms of development in interpersonal choices.     

Effect of distance instructions on size judgments

The proposition that in a reduced-cue setting subjects could use cognitive information about an object's distance to make accurate judgments of its size was tested. An improved paradigm was used to determine the effects of distance instructions per se. This paradigm also allowed independent tests of the effectiveness of cue reduction. The data indicated that cue reduction was successful and that the specific distance tendency governed size judgments when there were no distance instructions. When distance instructions were given, they produced size judgments in precisely the ratio predicted by the size-distance invariance hypothesis. However, there was a large constant error, which reflects a tendency of college students to overestimate the amount of distance signified by a verbal instruction. Hence, cognitive information in the form of verbal distance instructions has precise effects on size judgments, but the latter are not veridical, even in the absence of anchor effects from the specific distance tendency and residual perceptual cues.     

心理治疗与普通医疗的平等性

心理治疗与普通医疗的平等性是美国心理健康服务系统面临的一个主要政策问题,强调健康保险应为心理健康和物质滥用障碍提供与普通医疗相同的承保范围。近20年来,平等性立法在美国得到了较快发展,并取得了一定效果。但由于立法本身存在的局限性及心理健康服务需求与提供双方的多重因素影响,平等性立法的实施及对其效果的评估仍存在一定困难。借鉴平等性立法的经验,得出了一些关于我国心理健康服务发展的启示。     

Effects of a personified guide on adherence to an online program for alcohol abusers.

The quality of the therapeutic alliance has robust effects on the outcome of psychotherapy and psychopharmacologic interventions. Automated behavioral health programs that are being developed to increase access to mental health treatment are administered in the absence of direct human participation, thereby precluding the development of a traditional therapeutic relationship. The aim of this study was to develop a personified guide designed to stimulate reactions similar to those experienced in a therapeutic relationship, and evaluate the effect of the guide on adherence to and satisfaction with an online alcohol use evaluation program. After completing a battery of four standard questionnaires used to evaluate problem drinking, 288 subjects were randomized to receive feedback on their results in text form or via a multimedia condition involving a personified guide. Those who received feedback via the guide demonstrated greater levels of program adherence by completing more modules. Reported satisfactions levels did not differ between the two conditions. Encouraging the personification of an automated behavioral health intervention may lead to greater levels of engagement with the program.