The role of the affect heuristic and cancer anxiety in responding to negative information about medical tests

Objective: Little is known about the affective implications of communicating negative information about medical tests. This research explored how affective processes – particularly the Affect Heuristic and cancer anxiety – influence the way in which people respond to such information.

Design: Participants received different types of information about PSA screening for prostate cancer and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans for migraine headaches. This was a 2 (Test harm information: present vs. absent) × 2 (Test benefit information: present vs. absent) × 2 (Test recommendation: present vs. absent) between-participants design.

Outcome Measures: Perceived risk, perceived benefit and general attitudes towards PSA and MRI testing, cancer anxiety, preferences to receive the tests vs. not.

Results: As predicted by the Affect Heuristic, test harm information reduced perceived test benefits. However, information about uncertain test benefit did not increase perceived test risks. Information about the test reduced cancer anxiety, indicating defensive coping. These variables – affect, anxiety, perceived risks and benefits – all uniquely predicted test preferences.

Conclusion: Affective processes play an important role in how people respond to and interpret negative information about medical tests. Information about harms and information about the lack of benefit can both make a test seem less beneficial, and will reduce cancer anxiety as a result.     

Hands Support and Postural Oscillation During Sit-to-Stand Movement in Children With Cerebral Palsy and Typical Children

The authors aimed to compare the weight bearing on hands during sit-to-stand (STS) movement in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and typical children (TC), verify its effect on postural oscillation, and analyze the relationship between weight bearing on hands and postural oscillation. Twenty children with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I and II) and 35 TC performed STS with and without anterior hands support. Mann-Whitney test compared weight bearing between groups. Wilcoxon test investigated differences in postural oscillation between the conditions with and without anterior hand support for both groups. The Spearman correlation tested the relationship between weight-bearing and postural oscillation during the hand support condition. Children with CP bore more weight on hands than TC to perform STS. The hand support reduced postural oscillation during the second phase of STS in both groups. In the CP group, greater weight bearing was related with lower postural oscillation in the beginning of STS. Although children with CP were able to perform STS without support, they bore more weight on their hands to perform the task than TC. Moreover, children with CP and TC use mechanical and somatosensory information to modulate their postural control during STS in different ways.     

自由基在神经外科手术时脑保护中的意义

神经外科手术中脑内自由基(主要是氧自由基)产生增加,脂质过氧化反应增强,造成细胞结构和功能上的继发性损伤。自由基在继发性损伤中的具体机制尚未完全清楚,可能与缺血级联反应、缺血再灌注和细胞凋亡有关。术中采取措施清除自由基以及减少自由基的产生将有助于保护损伤的脑组织。     

国外关于右脑的语言功能研究的进展

对国外有关右脑语言功能的研究作了简要概述,对研究中达成的共识和存在的分歧作了初步介绍;在此基础上,对有关右脑的语言功能研究意义和趋势作了概括和预测。从而为国内相关研究提供借鉴和启示。     

美国人体研究的监督：科学发展中的伦理与规定

美国保护人体受试者的制度建立在伦理学基础之上,并正式通过相关法律。对人体研究的监督是保护受试者个人的健康和权益,确保研究的有效性,整体性,以及科学与社会更大范围的利益,监督审查机构是联邦卫生部下属的两个机构-食品与药品管理局（FDA）和人体研究保护办公室（OHRP）,大部分人体研究受两机构监督。美国人体受试者保护系统的基础部分是伦理审查委员会（IRB）及知情同意,IRBU电在提供一种机制,以进行客观的审查,同意和研究过程听持续监督;知情同意意在保证个人在了解与实验相关的风险,不适,收益后能自由做出参加与否的决定,美国人体研究保护制度正面临着挑战。美国也为促进人体受试者保护在进行新的努力。     

双侧前额皮层的语言功能--用近红外技术研究语言功能的初步实验

本文报告一个用近红外技术进行的语言认知脑成像实验.实验通过脑f血流的变化情况考察了双侧前额皮层对由不同通道输入的,不同语言的各个层次的认知反应.实验结果表明,双侧前额皮层对高层语义加工,包括对篇章的归纳与抽象,具有特殊的功能,这种功能的神经学分布是对称的,这种功能及其对称性不随语言和输入通道的变化而变化.相比之下,前额皮层对读、听语言材料以及听音乐却显得不敏感.局部血流的变化只显示其对上述任务的一般性的注意力控制.     

Frontal Lobe Function and Pain in the Elderly

We review the literature on pain and aging and conclude that evidence supports a hypothesis that right frontal cortex contributes to the mediation of the chronic pain experience in elderly persons with chronic pain syndromes. Evidence for the right frontal pain hypothesis comes from clinical, neurocognitive, and neuroimaging studies, which implicate right inferior and orbitofrontal cortex in (1) the persistent pain experience, (2) negative emotional states, (3) retrieval of negative emotional and autobiographical memories, (4) regulation of autonomic arousal, and (5) regulation of attentional and pain functions of the anterior cingulate region. Right frontal dysfunction is also implicated in the effects of cognitive aging. If right frontal neurocognitive systems are affected in cognitively impaired elderly, and if (by hypothesis) the right frontal cortex also plays a major role in the experience of chronic pain, then cognitively impaired elderly with right frontal dysfunction should be protected to some extent from persistent pain syndromes. Available evidence supports this proposition.     

Child Protection and Psychology Education in Australian Universities

Child maltreatment is a significant problem in Australia. Psychologists in a wide range of occupations play an important role in the identification and prevention of child abuse and neglect, the provision of interventions to children and families, and the development and conduct of research in related areas. Psychology graduates must be adequately prepared to work in this field; however, little is known about the extent to which child abuse and neglect related contents are taught in current university curricula. A purpose‐developed curriculum‐mapping survey was used to examine Australian undergraduate, fourth year, and postgraduate Australian Psychology Accreditation Council‐accredited programmes available in 2008. Results showed that students in the majority of programmes were exposed to child protection‐related content; however, the extent of exposure was limited. Three postgraduate units specifically addressed the prevention, identification, and response to child abuse and neglect. Course coordinators reported that child maltreatment content was mostly integrated into general units throughout the programme, typically within developmental psychology units in the undergraduate curriculum and in ethics, research, or professional issues units in the fourth year and postgraduate programmes. Results suggest the need for child protection content to be included in minimum national standards and accreditation guidelines for universities.