Editorial: ‘The giant’s shoulders’: understanding Michael Rutter’s impact on science and society

The recent death of our colleague and friend Professor Sir Michael Rutter has quite rightly been greeted by an outpouring of gratitude and respect from distinguished commentators across the globe working in diverse fields of the basic, social and clinical sciences as well as from clinicians and policy makers. These have without exception highlighted his seminal role as a pioneer, perhaps The Pioneer, of the application of the scientific method to the study of child and adolescent mental health and disorder – the father of evidence-based Child Psychiatry and the most influential voice in the new field of Developmental Psychopathology (Stevenson, 2022). In this editorial, we will attempt to build on these commentaries. We will parse Mike’s scientific contributions to our field, in order to identify the personal characteristics and intellectual modus operandi that made him such a uniquely important figure, whose influence will resonate through the many fields he influenced for decades to come. We will also attempt something of a reframing of that contribution. Our thesis being that, although he never agitated for it politically or even stated it as a goal explicitly, Mike’s work was motivated by a desire for social reform and created the scientific catalyst for such reform to occur.     

Predicting human inhibitory control from brain structural MRI

Brain Imaging and Behavior - The anatomical structure of the human brain varies widely, as does individual cognitive behavior. It is important and interesting to study the relationship between...     

Editorial: ‘People get ready’: Are mental disorder diagnostics ripe for a Kuhnian revolution?

How is practical progress possible in child psychology and psychiatry? How does science advance to promote therapeutic innovation? The importance of the exciting stuff – new insights and ideas, studied using cutting edge and innovative technologies – is self-evident. However, the philosophy of science has shown us that less obvious and more mundane elements are also essential. This is because scientific progress is only possible where attempts to break new ground are solidly anchored in a stable shared framework of assumptions – a metatheory – about the general nature of the phenomenon being studied. This framework defines what questions are considered ‘scientific’ – questions that it ‘makes sense’ to ask from a scientific point of view and those that are considered out of bounds (scientists with less subtle minds even considering such to be nonquestions rather than different sorts of questions). Kuhn called this framework a paradigm and the research activity that originates from it, normal science (Kuhn, 1962, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions; Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press). These frameworks also serve a vital regulatory function because they contain common concepts that embody shared points of reference that allow scientists to communicate with each other to share their ideas, hypotheses and findings (Habermas, 1979, Communication and the evolution of society; Boston: Beacon Press).     

Racial Differences in Pregnancy Intention,Reproductive Coercion,and Partner Violence among Family Planning Clients: A Qualitative Exploration

Background

Unintended pregnancy (UIP) is a persistent public health concern in the United States disproportionately experienced by racial/ethnic minorities and women of low socioeconomic status. UIP often occurs with experiences of reproductive coercion (RC) and intimate partner violence (IPV). The purpose of the study was to qualitatively describe and compare contexts for UIP risk between low-income Black and White women with histories of IPV/RC.

The Association Between Park Facilities and Duration of Physical Activity During Active Park Visits

Public parks provide places for urban residents to obtain physical activity (PA), which is associated with numerous health benefits. Adding facilities to existing parks could be a cost-effective approach to increase the duration of PA that occurs during park visits. Using objectively measured PA and comprehensively measured park visit data among an urban community-dwelling sample of adults, we tested the association between the variety of park facilities that directly support PA and the duration of PA during park visits where any PA occurred. Cross-classified multilevel models were used to account for the clustering of park visits (n?=?1553) within individuals (n?=?372) and parks (n?=?233). Each additional different PA facility at a park was independently associated with a 6.8% longer duration of PA bouts that included light-intensity activity, and an 8.7% longer duration of moderate to vigorous PA time. Findings from this study are consistent with the hypothesis that more PA facilities increase the amount of PA that visitors obtain while already active at a park.     

Cephalometric Analysis in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Part II: Prognostic Value in Treatment with a Mandibular Advancement Device

Background: The mandibular advancement device (MAD) is accepted as an additional treatment option for snoring and mild obstructive sleep disorders. Its therapeutic efficacy can only be verified through nocturnal polysomnography with the appliance in situ. The relevance of the craniofacial skeletal and soft-tissue structures as an etiological cofactor is controversial. While the lateral cephalogram of the facial skeleton is of no direct diagnostic relevance, it remains unclear to what extent cephalometric assessment can provide prognostic information to better ensure treatment success with an MAD. Methods and Results: This study is based on the evaluation of 57 patients diagnosed polysomnographically with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The patients were treated primarily with a modified activator; after 6-12 weeks, control polysomnography was carried out in the sleep laboratory. The cephalometric variables were analyzed using a multivariate regression procedure with the response variable of treatment outcome. In addition to a horizontal craniofacial morphology, the downward and forward posture of the hyoid is a prognostic variable for effective therapy with an MAD. Zusammenfassung Hintergrund: Intraorale Protrusionsgeräte (IPG) gelten als eine Therapiemodalität bei Schnarchen und leichten obstruktiven Schlafstörungen. Der therapeutische Effekt dieser Therapieform kann zurzeit ausschließlich in einer nächtlichen Polysomnogrphie mit dem Gerät in situ beurteilt werden. Die Bedeutung der skelettalen und weichteiligen Strukturen des Gesichtsschädels als ätiologischer Kofaktor von nächtlichen obstruktiven Atemregulationsstörungen ist umstritten. Während die Fernröntgenseitenaufnahme des Gesichtsschädels der Forderung nach einer unmittelbaren diagnostischen Relevanz nicht gerecht wird, ist es gegenwärtig ungeklärt, inwiefern mit der Kephalometrie eine prognostische Aussage zum Therapieeffekt bei der Behandlung mit einem IPG getroffen werden kann. Methoden und Ergebnisse: Die Studie basiert auf der Untersuchung von 57 Patienten mit der polysomnographisch gestellten Diagnose einer obstruktiven Schlafapnoe (OSA). Die Patienten wurden mit einem modifizierten Aktivator primär therapiert. Nach 6-12 Wochen wurde eine Kontrollpolysomnographie im Schlaflabor durchgeführt. Die kephalometrischen Parameter wurden in einer multivarianten Regressionsanalyse zur Kriteriumsvariablen des erzielten therapeutischen Erfolges untersucht. Neben einem horizontalen Gesichtsschädelaufbau ist eine kaudoventraele Position des Hyoids ein prognostisch positiver Parameter für eine erfolgreiche Therapie mit einem IPG.