珠心算训练对儿童认知能力的影响

目的 观察珠心算训练对儿童认知能力的影响。方法 采用《基本认知能力测验》软件,对经过珠心算训练和未经过珠心算训练的三、四年级儿童进行测验。结果 ①珠心算训练对于提高儿童的心算效率、数字记忆广度和无意义图形记忆有显著影响。②珠心算训练可以提高儿童的感知速度并且对数字记忆广度和无意义图形的记忆成绩的提高作用发生较早。结论 珠心算训练对儿童的认知能力有一定影响。     

珠心算训练对儿童听心算过程的影响

目的探讨数字和纯音听觉刺激对珠心算训练儿童加法心算效率的影响。方法采用事件相关电位（ERP）方法,记录儿童加法听心算时的反应时和行为数据的正确率。结果经过珠心算训练的儿童加法听心算的潜伏期缩短、反应时加快、运算的正确率提高（P〈0．01）。结论珠心算训练儿童加法听心算过程加快,珠心算训练有利于提高儿童的数字认知和心算反应速度。     

减法心算事件相关电位早成分的研究

目的观察珠心算训练儿童减法心算早成分的特点,探讨珠心算训练对儿童早期认知加工的影响。方法随机选取16名经过珠心算训练儿童(训练组)和16未经训练儿童(未训练组),使用事件相关电位技术,采集减法心算过程的脑电信号,观察P1,N1,N170和P2出现的主要脑区,并对P1,N1,N170和P2波幅和潜伏期进行比较。结果在减法心算的早期阶段,训练组儿童枕部P1、额中央区N1波幅与未训练组有显著性差异(波幅增大),颞枕区N170以及额中央区P2波幅显著减小。结论通过珠心算训练,儿童对心算过程的感知、识别以及认知加工比未训练的儿童要早,珠心算训练提高了儿童的早期认知加工能力。     

歼击机飞行员"基本认知能力测验"常模的制定

目的 制定歼击机飞行员"基本认知能力测验"常模.方法 采用中科院心理所制定的基本认知能力测验系统(2.0版)对分层随机抽取的378名歼击机飞行员进行测试.结果 ①各分量表再测相关系数值在0.592～0.920范围(所有P<0.05),分别是数字拷贝0.920,汉字比较0.787,心算0.790,汉字旋转0.607,数字工作0.872,双字词再认0.617,无意义图形再认0.592;②因素分析发现基本认知能力测验存在6个纬度,分别是:数字拷贝、双字词再认、数字加工、数字工作、汉字比较、心算;结论 测试结果 可以作为中国军事飞行员基本认知能力的参考标准.     

亚健康人群基本认知能力的初步研究

目的 初步探讨亚健康人群的基本认知功能变化.方法 采用中国科学院心理研究所研发的《基本认知能力测验》软件,对纳入对象进行认知能力检测.结果 亚健康组与正常对照组比较总分值有明显下降(P＜0.01),具体表现在数字鉴别(P＜0.01)、汉字快速比较(P＜0.01)、心算(P＜0.01)、数字工作记忆(P＜0.05)、双字词再认(P＜0.05)等方面.而汉字旋转(P＞0.05)、无意义图形再认(P＞0.05)比较无显著差异.结论 亚健康人群在反应速度、逻辑思维、信息加工能力等方面的能力明显下降,但空间表象、近事记忆能力无明显变化,提示亚健康人群的基本认知功能较正常人有所下降,初步认为基本认知功能检测对亚健康的临床诊断有一定的参考价值.     

歼击机飞行员“基本认知能力测验”信效度分析

目的歼击机飞行员“基本认知能力测验”信效度分析。方法采用中科院心理所制定的基本认知能力测验系统（2．0版）,对分层随机抽取的378名歼击机飞行员进行测试。结果①各分量袁重测信度高,相关系数分别是：数字拷贝0．920,汉字比较0．787,心算0．790,汉字旋转0．607,数字工作0．872,双字词再认0．617,无意义图形再认0．592,均达到显著水平（P〈0．05）;②因素分析发现基本认知能力测验存在6个纬度,分别是：数字拷贝、双字词再认、数字加工、数字工作、汉字比较、心算。结论基本认知能力测验信效度较好,可以较好地测试歼击机飞行员认知功能状况。     

初中生“基本认知能力测验”信效度分析

目的初中生"基本认知能力测验"信效度分析。方法以中国社会科学院心理研究所基本认知能力测验系统(2.0版)为工具,对分层随机抽取的300名初中生进行认知能力测试。结果①各分量表重测信度比较高,其相关系数分别是:数字拷贝0.90,汉字比较0.73,心算0.75,汉字旋转0.62,数字工作0.91,双字词再认0.59,无意义图形再认0.56,均达到显著水平(P0.05);②因素分析发现基本认知能力测验有6个纬度,分别是:数字拷贝、双字词再认、数字加工、数字工作、汉字比较、心算。结论基本认知能力测验信效度较好,能很好的反映初中生的认知状况。     

工作记忆、执行功能、加工速度与数学障碍儿童推理和心算能力的关系

目的：探讨工作记忆、执行功能、加工速度与数学障碍儿童推理和心算能力的关系。方法：采用智力测验、成就测验、教师提名、学业成绩相结合的综合标准甑选数学障碍儿童，在长沙市三所小学随机选取4-6年级共12个班，从中抽取24名数学障碍儿壹和24名学习正常儿童。对两组儿童进行工作记忆、执行功能、加工速度以及数字推理、图案推理和心算测验。结果：数学障碍组的工作记忆、执行功能及加工速度测验成绩均屁著低于学习正常组（P〈0．001—0．05），数学障碍组数字推理、图案推理和心算成绩也湿著低于正常组；数字推理、图案推理及心算成绩与听觉工作记忆、视觉工作记忆、执行功能和加工速度均有显著相关；逐步回归分析结果显示，进入推理能力回归方程的自变量有听觉工作记忆和视觉工作记忆；进入心算的回归方程的是听觉工作记忆和加工速度。结论：数学障碍儿童存在工作记忆、执行功能和加工速度缺陷；数学障碍儿童的推理能力低于正常学习儿童，主要可由工作记忆能力不足来解释，而心算能力低下则可由听觉工作记忆和加工速度共同解释。     

高功能孤独症儿童执行功能和心理推理能力特点及临床症状

目的:探讨高功能孤独症儿童执行功能和心理推理能力的神经心理特征及其与儿童孤独症-核心症状的关系。方法:对韦氏儿童智力量表、瑞文标准推理测试,智商≥70分、符合美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册第4版诊断标准的20名高功能孤独症儿童,及年龄、性别匹配的22名正常儿童进行执行功能(复杂图形记忆任务、Stroop色字命名任务、数字字母连线任务、数字广度任务、汉诺塔任务、言语流畅性任务)和心理推理能力(表征变化任务、错误信念任务)测查,比较两组差异;并对孤独症儿童进行孤独症诊断观察量表(ADOS)测查,将孤独症诊断观察量表评分与两组执行功能和心理推理能力差异进行相关分析。结果:高功能孤独症儿童复杂图形记忆任务中即时细节记忆[(5.2±5.7)vs.(10.8±6.5)]、延时细节记忆[(5.1±6.1)vs.(11.3±6.4)]、言语流畅性任务正确数[(15.6±6.9)vs.(21.1±5.2)]、Stroop色字命名任务第1试耗时[(24.8±17.3)s vs.(16.3±4.1)s]和第4试耗时[(61.0±33.3)svs.(41.3±11.2)s]、汉诺塔完成情况[(5/15)vs.(16/6)]和错误步骤数[(3.7±2.2)vs.(0.8±0.9)]、表征变化任务中自我信念正确数/错误数[(15/5)vs.(22/0)]和错误信念任务正确数/错误数[(13/7)vs.(22/0)]的测试成绩均低于正常对照儿童(P0.05)。相关分析显示,复杂图形记忆任务成绩、言语流畅性任务成绩与孤独症诊断观察量表中言语交流、社会交往部分项目得分呈负相关(r=-0.45～-0.73,P0.05),Stroop色字命名任务、汉诺塔任务、表征变化任务、错误信念任务成绩与ADOS得分呈正相关(r=0.44～0.57,P0.05)。结论:高功能孤独症儿童可能存在执行功能及心理推理能力的缺陷;执行功能与儿童孤独症三大核心症状均相关,心理推理能力与儿童孤独症社会交往障碍、刻板行为和局限性兴趣相关。     

飞行员个性特征与认知能力的分析

目的探讨飞行员个性特征与认知能力的关系。方法采用中国科学院心理研究所李德明教授编制的《基本认知能力测验》系统2.0版。该测验共分数字快速拷贝、汉字快速比较、心算、正反字识别、心算答案回忆、双字词再认和无意义图形再认。同时完成艾森克个性问卷(EPQ)的填写。结果在精神质倾向中,稳定型个性占了调查者的多数,而认知能力上只有数字快速拷贝因子在个性特征为稳定型中显示了明显优势,具有显著性差异(F=7.48;P<0.05);内外向、神经质或情绪稳定维度的认知能力没有显著性差异(P>0.05)。结论该群体飞行员具有稳定、外倾型的良好性格特怔,也更适合飞行职业的要求。     

Neural correlates of serial abacus mental calculation in children: a functional MRI study

Abacus experts have demonstrated extraordinary potential of mental calculation by using an imaginary abacus. But the neural correlates of abacus mental calculation and the imaginary abacus still remain unclear. Here, we report, respectively, the analysis of fMRI images of abacus experts and non-experts in response to the performance of simple and complex serial calculation by visual stimuli as well as the images of the abacus experts with performance of the same tasks by auditory stimuli. We found that activated areas were quite different between two groups. In experts, enhanced activations were mainly observed in fronto-temporal circuit (lateral premotor cortex (LPMC) and posterior temporal areas) in simple addition, but in fronto-parietal circuit (lateral premotor cortex (LPMC) and posterior superior parietal lobe (PSPL)) in complex one. By contrast, in controls, the activated areas were almost similar in both simple and complex tasks, including bilateral inferior parietal lobule, prefrontal and premotor cortices. Furthermore, visual and auditory stimuli generated almost similar activations in experts. These observations reveal that (1) abacus mental calculation induces special patterns of brain response, and simple and complex tasks are sustained by dissociated brain circuits between the temporal and parietal cortices, respectively; (2) the abacus mental calculation may rely on neural resources of visuospatial representations with a super-modal form of abacus beads; (3) the posterior temporal areas and PSPL may be recruited for imaginary abacus.     

Deliberative and spontaneous cognitive processes associated with HIV risk behavior

Dual process models of decision-making suggest that behavior is mediated by a spontaneous behavior selection process or by a more deliberative evaluation of behavioral options. We examined whether the deliberative system moderates the influence of spontaneous cognition on HIV-risk behaviors. A measure of spontaneous sex-related associations (word association), a measure of deliberative working memory capacity (operation span), and two measures of sexual behavior (condom use and multiple partners) were assessed in a cross-sectional study among 490 adult drug offenders. Significant effects were observed among men but not among women in two latent interaction models. In a novel finding, the accessibility of spontaneous safe sex-related associations was significantly more predictive of condom use among men with higher working memory capacity than among men with lower capacity. These results have implications for the design of interventions to promote safe sex practices.     

The neural basis of the complex mental task of meditation: neurotransmitter and neurochemical considerations

Meditation is a complex mental process involving changes in cognition, sensory perception, affect, hormones, and autonomic activity. Meditation has also become widely used in psychological and medical practices for stress management as well as a variety of physical and mental disorders. However, until now, there has been limited understanding of the overall biological mechanism of these practices in terms of the effects in both the brain and body. We have previously described a rudimentary neuropsychological model to explain the brain mechanisms underlying meditative experiences. This paper provides a substantial development by integrating neurotransmitter systems and the results of recent brain imaging advances into the model. The following is a review and synthesis of the current literature regarding the various neurophysiological mechanisms and neurochemical substrates that underlie the complex processes of meditation. It is hoped that this model will provide hypotheses for future biological and clinical studies of meditation.     

Docosahexaenoic acid dietary supplementation enhances the effects of exercise on synaptic plasticity and cognition

Omega-3 fatty acids (i.e. docosahexaenoic acid; DHA), similar to exercise, improve cognitive function, promote neuroplasticity, and protect against neurological lesion. In this study, we investigated a possible synergistic action between DHA dietary supplementation and voluntary exercise on modulating synaptic plasticity and cognition. Rats received DHA dietary supplementation (1.25% DHA) with or without voluntary exercise for 12 days. We found that the DHA-enriched diet significantly increased spatial learning ability, and these effects were enhanced by exercise. The DHA-enriched diet increased levels of pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and mature BDNF, whereas the additional application of exercise boosted the levels of both. Furthermore, the levels of the activated forms of CREB and synapsin I were incremented by the DHA-enriched diet with greater elevation by the concurrent application of exercise. While the DHA diet reduced hippocampal oxidized protein levels, a combination of a DHA diet and exercise resulted in a greater reduction rate. The levels of activated forms of hippocampal Akt and CaMKII were increased by the DHA-enriched diet, and with even greater elevation by a combination of diet and exercise. Akt and CaMKII signaling are crucial step by which BDNF exerts its action on synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. These results indicate that the DHA diet enhanced the effects of exercise on cognition and BDNF-related synaptic plasticity, a capacity that may be used to promote mental health and reduce risk of neurological disorders.     

Exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial of shared care development for long-term mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Primary care clinicians have a considerable amount of contact with patients suffering from long-term mental illness. The United Kingdom's National Health Service now requires general practices to contribute more systematically to care for this group of patients. AIMS: To determine the effects of Mental Health Link, a facilitation-based quality improvement programme designed to improve communication between the teams and systems of care within general practice. Design of study: Exploratory cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Twenty-three urban general practices and associated community mental health teams. METHOD: Practices were randomised to service development as usual or to the Mental Health Link programme. Questionnaires and an audit of notes assessed 335 patients' satisfaction, unmet need, mental health status, processes of mental and physical care, and general practitioners' satisfaction with services and beliefs about service development. Service use and intervention costs were also measured. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in patients' perception of their unmet need, satisfaction or general health. Intervention patients had fewer psychiatric relapses than control patients (mean = 0.39 versus 0.71, respectively, P = 0.02) but there were no differences in documented processes of care. Intervention practitioners were more satisfied and services improved significantly for intervention practices. There was an additional mean direct cost of pound 63 per patient with long-term mental illness for the intervention compared with the control. CONCLUSION: Significant differences were seen in relapse rates and practitioner satisfaction. Improvements in service development did not translate into documented improvements in care. This could be explained by the intervention working via the improvements in informal shared care developed through better link working. This type of facilitated intervention tailored to context has the potential to improve care and interface working.     

To what extent are practices 'paperless' and what are the constraints to them becoming more so?

A questionnaire was sent to all practice managers in Wessex in June 1997 to assess to what extent practices had stopped relying on paper records in the consultation. Practices that solely used computer records in the consultation ('noteless') did not necessarily consider themselves 'paperless'. Following a recent declaration that all practices should be using an Electronic Health Record by March 2005, the obstacles to this move were investigated and some differences in the way the 'noteless' and 'paperless' groups used computers were identified.     

Provision of health promotion clinics in relation to population need: another example of the inverse care law?

The new contract encourages health promotion in general practice. The aim of this study was to explore the pattern of provision of health promotion clinics across one family health services authority and to relate this to possible indicators of health need in the practice population. Single-handed practices were less likely to be running health promotion clinics. The proportion of practices running clinics increased with increasing numbers of partners. Practices located in wards where the standardized mortality ratio was greater than 100, and practices receiving deprivation payments were less likely to be offering health promotion clinics. This was explained by the presence of most single-handed practitioners in deprived, historically unhealthy wards. If effective, health promotion clinics will have tended to benefit populations in Bedfordshire at lower risk of ill-health. Other shortcomings of the clinic-based health promotion model are discussed.     

Effects of incentive on working memory capacity: behavioral and pupillometric data

We evaluated the hypothesis that individual differences in working memory capacity are explained by variation in mental effort, persons with low capacity exerting less effort than persons with high capacity. Groups previously rated high and low in working memory capacity performed the reading span task under three levels of incentive. The effort hypothesis holds that low span subjects exert less effort during task performance than do high spans. Subjects' pupil sizes were recorded online during task performance as a measure of mental effort. Both recall performance and pupil diameter were found to be increased under incentives, but were additive with span (incentives increased performance and pupil diameter equivalently for both span groups). Contrary to the effort hypothesis, task-evoked pupillary responses indicated that if anything, low span subjects exert more effort than do high spans.