Episodic memory and self-awareness in Asperger Syndrome: Analysis of memory narratives

Previous findings from researchers on individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) suggest peculiarities of autobiographical memory (AM). They have shown a personal episodic memory deficit in the absence of a personal semantic memory impairment. The primary aim of this study was to explore AM in individuals with AS, and more specifically to investigate the link between episodic memory, self-awareness, and autonoetic consciousness through language analysis. We asked fifteen adults with AS and fifteen age- and IQ-matched controls to recall autobiographical memories from three life periods. Recorded interviews were processed using Alceste software. We found that participants with AS recalled fewer and less-detailed episodic memories than did controls. A content analysis revealed that family-related vocabulary as well as possessive pronouns was significantly less frequent in AS interviews than in those of controls. In conclusion, our results support the hypothesis that a deficiency of episodic memory may be due to poor awareness of the self in social relationships. Reduced use of possessive pronouns may also indicate less self-investment in life experiences, which would in turn impact recall.     

Social cognition and interaction training for patients with stable schizophrenia in Chinese community settings

Accumulated evidence suggests that Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is associated with improved performance in social cognition and social skills in patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders. The current study examined the clinical utility of SCIT in patients with schizophrenia in Chinese community settings. Adults with stable schizophrenia were recruited from local community health institutions, and were randomly assigned to SCIT group (n=22) or a waiting-list control group (n=17). The SCIT group received the SCIT intervention plus treatment-as-usual, whereas the waiting-list group received only treatment-as-usual during the period of the study. All patients were administered the Chinese versions of the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP), Face Emotion Identification Task (FEIT), Eyes task, and Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) at baseline of the SCIT treatment period and at follow-up, 6 months after completion of the 20-week treatment period. Patients in SCIT group showed a significant improvement in the domains of emotion perception, theory of mind, attributional style, and social functioning compared to those in waiting-list group. Findings indicate that SCIT is a feasible and promising method for improving social cognition and social functioning among Chinese outpatients with stable schizophrenia.     

Theory of mind deficits in patients with mild symptoms of major depressive disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate theory of mind (ToM) in a sample of depressed patients with mild symptom severity using a measure with varied cognitive processing demands. Patients demonstrated impaired performance on second-order, cognitively demanding ToM scenarios. Reduced ToM ability was associated with poor psychosocial functioning.     

Re-examining the cognitive phenotype in autism: A study with young Chinese children

Deficits consistently found in autism include an impaired “theory of mind”, weak central coherence, and deficits in executive function. The current study examined whether this traditional cluster of symptoms existed in a group of Chinese-speaking children with autism. Sixteen high-functioning, non-retarded children with autism were matched to 16 typically developing (TD) children on gender, non-verbal IQ and age. Non-verbal IQ's of all participants were measured using the Raven Progressive Matrices. Each participant was tested individually on measures of “theory of mind”, central coherence and executive function. Results indicated that most, but not all, participants with autism performed significantly poorer on two standard measures of first-order “theory of mind,” although there was no significant difference on two other measures of that domain. As expected, they performed significantly worse on executive function tasks. However, the hypothesis of weak central coherence in autism was not substantiated. There was no evidence that these three cognitive impairments co-existed in individuals with autism. More likely, each of these deficits appears singly or in pair instead of forming a cluster.     

Vers une psychiatrie énactive et computationnelle

IntroductionPsychiatry is challenged by a plurality of complementary approaches. These challenges stem from the existence of multiple levels of understanding, i.e. systems of representations, tools, methodologies and objectives in psychiatry–ranging from computational approaches and systems dynamics to the multiplicity of emerging nosographies, such as the NIMH Research Domain Criteria project or staging models. In this plurality, a significant number of clinicians have adopted the biopsychosocial model. However, such a model has been widely criticized for more than twenty years. In parallel, science has declined a set of different pluralistic frameworks. Thus, through the challenges of computational modeling in psychiatry, we will see how the enactive approach of psychiatry could respond to this multiplicity. Indeed, such an enactive approach considers that perception is a (predictive) activity, which gives sense to the environment (i.e., sense making). Perception and, by extension, cognitive processes are not internal representations of the outside world, but they are deployed according to the 5E approach, i.e., an embodied, embedded, enacted, emotive and extended approach.MethodsIn this article, we first study the pluralist framework in psychiatry, in order to show its contributions in the clinical practice. Secondly, we analyze the contributions of the enactive approach for clinical practice in psychiatry.ResultsTwo forms of pluralisms can be described: a non-integrative pluralism and an integrative pluralism. The first examines the coexistence of different potentially incompatible or untranslatable systems in the scientific or clinical landscape. The second proposes the development of a general framework, bringing together the different levels of understanding and systems of representations. However, pluralism has many pitfalls and limitations. Especially by allowing computational modeling, the enactive framework, anchored both in cognitive sciences, theory of dynamic systems, systems biology and phenomenology, has recently been proposed as an answer to the challenge of integrative psychiatry.ConclusionsA significant number of mental health professionals are already working accepting such a variety of clinical and scientific approaches. We show that the enactive approach allows psychiatry: (1) to consider the subjectivity and the patient's experience, (2) to articulate different “granularities” within the clinical consultation, (3) to explain the benefits the creation of meaning for the patient, (4) to provide concrete models, (5) to support pedagogy in psychiatry. The enactive approach provides a conception for understanding psychiatric disorders as embodied, embedded, enacted, emotional and extended. In that way, the manifestations experienced by the patients are sense making experiences and can be conceived according to various levels of granularity.     

从“肾虚邪伏”认识慢性乙型肝炎

目的:整理"肾虚邪伏"的由来,结合现代医学对"肾虚邪伏"的认识,探讨乙型肝炎病毒持续感染的原因,探索研究乙肝慢性化的中医病机实质,为临床治疗慢性乙型肝炎提供新思路。方法:古代及现代医学研究文献整理。结果:"肾虚邪伏"是导致HBV持续感染,即乙型病毒性肝炎慢性化的主要原因之一,HBV持续感染又可能与人类白细胞抗原有关,其中HLA-DQB1与慢性乙型病毒的感染、治疗、预后具有紧密的联系。结论:从"肾虚邪伏"认识慢性乙型肝炎可能为治疗慢性乙型肝炎提供新思路新方法。     

The motivational process for physical activity in young adults with autism spectrum disorder

Background

Many young adults, specifically those with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), do not meet the national physical activity (PA) guidelines. One way to address this problem may be to examine the factors that motivate individuals to engage in PA. However, the majority of current literature does not consider the unique characteristics of individuals with ASD, which may influence their motivation.

Digital Promotion of Energy Drinks to Young Adults Is More Strongly Linked to Consumption Than Other Media

Objective

To examine whether digital marketing strategies are more strongly associated with energy drink use than other marketing and whether Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs mediated the effects of digital marketing on energy drink use.

高浓缩钚材料贯穿辐射场计算方法研究

目的 为满足高浓缩钚材料操作人员辐射安全评价和核安全审评的要求,需要对高浓缩钚材料周围形成的贯穿辐射场进行计算分析,解决高浓缩钚材料发射的γ射线和中子射线贯穿机理和强度的计算问题。方法 本文在对高浓缩钚材料的组成及所含放射性核素的辐射特性进行深入分析的基础上,基于γ射线宽束减弱规律和中子分出截面理论,研究提出了适用于高浓缩钚材料γ剂量率和中子剂量率计算模式。结果 贴近高浓缩钚材料表面γ剂量率和中子通量理论计算值与实际测量值同一量级,表明计算模型是正确的。距离钚材料表面0、30、100 cm处γ剂量率实际测量值均大于计算值,并且距离越远相对误差越大;中子模拟计算值与实际测量值相对误差随距离的增加而减小。结论 通过原理分析和实测验证,证明本文提出的高浓缩钚材料辐射场计算方法是合理可行的,能够满足科学性和准确性要求。     

刃针循经筋治疗神经根型颈椎病的临床研究

目的 本研究按照“以痛为腧”的经筋理论,循着经筋寻找神经根型颈椎病的病灶点,采用刃针进行治疗,并评价此方法的临床疗效。方法 收集金华市中医医院针灸科门诊及住院部神经根型颈椎病患者120例,随机分为刃针组和针刺组,刃针组60例采用循经筋的刃针治疗,7天治疗1次,疗程为4周;针刺组60例采用毫针针刺治疗,每周治疗5次,疗程为4周。比较两组治疗前后的症状与体征积分、VAS疼痛评分、临床疗效的差异。结果 刃针组在改善症状与体征、减轻疼痛方面优于针刺组,具有统计学意义(R ＜0.05),在临床疗效方面差异不具有统计学意义(R ＞0.05)。结论：刃针循经筋治疗神经根型颈椎病在改善症状与体征、减轻疼痛方面优于针刺治疗,但两种方法临床总有效率差别不大。