Testing two process models of religiosity and sexual behavior

Adolescents who are more religious are less likely to have sex, but the process by which religiosity impacts sexual behavior is not well established. We tested two potential processes, involving: (1) whether religiosity suppressed individuals' motivations to have sex for physical pleasure, and (2) whether individuals internalized their religions' teachings about sex for pleasure. College students (N = 610, 53.8% female, M age = 18.5, 26.1% Hispanic Latino [HL], 14.9% non-HL African American, 23.8% non-HL Asian American/Pacific Islander, 26.3% non-HL European American and 8.9% non-HL multiracial) completed web surveys during their first three semesters. Religiosity did not moderate the association between students' motivations for sex for pleasure and sexual behavior. Motivations mediated the association between religiosity and sexual behavior, suggesting that religion does not override adolescents' existing motivations, but instead, religious adolescents internalize norms about sexual behavior. Testing Two Process Models of Religiosity and Sexual Behavior.     

A comparative study of performance in simple and choice reaction time tasks between obese and healthy-weight children

This study investigated weight status related differences in executive functions and movement execution to determine whether or not childhood obesity is associated with impaired perceptual-motor function. Nineteen obese (OB) children (10 ♂ and 9 ♀, aged 6–12 years) and nineteen gender and age matched healthy-weight (HW) peers performed two computer-based reaction time tasks. For both the simple and four choice reaction time (SRT/CRT) task condition, absolute mean reaction time (RT) and movement time (MT) were determined and expressed as a percentage of total response time (RsT). During the SRT task, OB children were intrinsically slower than their HW peers as reflected by a significantly higher absolute RT, MT and RsT. In the CRT task, however, between-group differences were only present for RT and RsT, whereas absolute MT was comparable among OB and HW participants. As a result, the relative temporal structure of RsT significantly differed between BMI groups, with a greater RT percentage among the OB children. During the CRT condition, OB children probably await final decision-making with regard to the execution of their response movement, which then no longer needs to be adjusted. Our results therefore indicate the use of a more conservative strategy within the OB group, suggesting that childhood obesity is associated with impaired perceptual-motor function. Besides the widely accepted mechanical explanation, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying OB children's motor incompetence is needed to set up appropriate interventions to tackle this deficit and indirectly address associated health-related problems.     

Effects of whole body vibration training on balance in adolescents with and without Down syndrome

The present study aimed to determine whether a whole body vibration training program (WBV) is able to improve static standing balance in adolescents with and without Down syndrome (DS). Thirty adolescents with DS aged 11–20 years (DSG) and 27 adolescent, age/sex matched, without DS (CG) joined the study. Participants of each group were divided into two comparable groups, those who performed WVB (in DSG: VDSG; in CG: VCG) and those who did not perform WVB (in DSG: nVDSG; in CG: nVCG). Static-standing-balance under four conditions (C1: openeyes/fixed-foot-support; C2: closed-eyes/fixed-foot-support; C3: openeyes/compliant-foot-support; C4: closed-eyes/compliant-foot-support) was examine, before and after a 20-week WBV training program. For balance study, Postural-Parameters (PPs), based on center of pressure (COP) oscillations (anterior/posterior and medial/lateral COP excursion and COP mean velocity), and PPs ratios among the four conditions were calculated. After WBV training, no significant differences were found in any parameter in the VCG and nVCG and neither in the nVDSG, but there was a decrease of mean values in the analyzed PPs under C4, with significant differences in medial/lateral COP excursion and COP mean velocity, and a significant decrease in the ratio C4/C1 of the mean velocity in VDSG. Therefore, WBV training had positive effects in the balance of DS adolescents although only under specific conditions, with vision and somatosensory input altered. The positive results of this study are encouraging and open a wide field of research, looking for the most efficient program for this population.     

The effect of video-guidance on passive movement in patients with cerebral palsy: fMRI study

In patients with cerebral palsy (CP), neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that passive movement and action–observation tasks have in common to share neuronal activation in all or part of areas involved in motor system. Action observation with simultaneous congruent passive movements may have additional effects in the recruitment of brain motor areas. The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to examine brain activation in patients with unilateral CP during passive movement with and without simultaneous observation of simple hand movement. Eighteen patients with unilateral CP (fourteen male, mean age 14 years and 2 months) participated in the study. Using fMRI block design, brain activation following passive simple opening–closing hand movement of either the paretic or nonparetic hand with and without simultaneous observation of a similar movement performed by either the left or right hand of an actor was compared. Passive movement of the paretic hand performed simultaneously to the observation of congruent movement activated more “higher motor areas” including contralesional pre-supplementary motor area, superior frontal gyrus (extending to premotor cortex), and superior and inferior parietal regions than nonvideo-guided passive movement of the paretic hand. Passive movement of the paretic hand recruited more ipsilesional sensorimotor areas compared to passive movement of the nonparetic hand. Our study showed that the combination of observation of congruent hand movement simultaneously to passive movement of the paretic hand recruits more motor areas, giving neuronal substrate to propose video-guided passive movement of paretic hand in CP rehabilitation.     

Transition to first episode psychosis in ultra high risk populations: Does baseline functioning hold the key?

BackgroundBaseline functioning has been found to be a strong predictor of transition to psychosis in ultra high risk populations. However, the time course of functioning may enhance prediction. We investigated whether there were different patterns of functioning over time and whether particular temporal patterns were related to baseline characteristics and psychosis outcome.MethodFunctional data was assessed at baseline and after 3 to 6 year follow-up in an ultra high risk sample (n = 158; 92 female, mean age = 19.28 (SD = 3.33), range = 14–29). Using the median score of the GAF and the QLS scale, a ‘High’ and ‘Low’ group (comprising of subjects functioning above or below median at both baseline and follow-up) and a ‘Deterioration’ group and ‘Improving’ group were created.ResultsChi-square analyses showed that the Low and Deteriorating functioning groups were the most likely to develop first-episode psychosis (FEP). Importantly, UHR individuals with deteriorating functioning were at higher risk of transition than those whose functioning was low at baseline but improved over time (GAF: X² = 5.10, df = 1, p = .02; QLS: X² = 9.13, df = 1, p = .003). Binary logistic regression analyses showed that a decline in functioning was more strongly associated with FEP (GAF: p = < .0001; QLS: p < .0001) than the level of baseline functioning (GAF: p = .005; QLS: p = .09). The deteriorating group could not be distinguished from the High group in terms of baseline symptomatology.DiscussionWith the addition of the ‘low functioning’ criterion to the UHR criteria, we may miss out on some true positive cases. Limiting our attention to baseline poor functioning may therefore distort the picture in terms of risk for psychosis.     

Postural function in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus before and after shunt surgery: A controlled study using computerized dynamic posturography (EquiTest)

Introduction

Postural dysfunction is one of the major features of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). With computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) balance can be assessed objectively. The primary aim of this study was to describe the postural function in iNPH patients pre- and post-operatively in comparison with healthy individuals (HI) using CDP.

Subjects and methods

Thirty-five patients (16 M, 19 F) with a mean age of 73 (range 49–81) with iNPH, and sixteen HI (7 M, 9 F) aged 73 (62–89) were included. iNPH patients were operated on with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. Patients and HI were tested regarding motor function, balance and cognition. CDP, EquiTest (NeuroCom International, Clackamas, OR), was performed before and three months after shunt surgery and twice in HI, with a three-month interval.

Results

Pre-operatively, the 35 patients had poorer balance measured with the Sensory Organizing Test (SOT) score in every condition (p = 0.01 in SOT 1 and p < 0.001 in SOT 2–6) compared to the HI. The greatest difference was in test conditions measuring mainly vestibular function, where loss of balance (LOB) was frequent. Twenty patients were evaluated three months after shunt surgery and 18/20 (90%) of them were considered shunt responders, with a mean improvement of motor score of 26% (range 5–67%). There was an improvement post-operatively in the weighted composite SOT score (p < 0.05) but no significant change in any of the SOT conditions. LOB was not significantly reduced in any of the test conditions.

Conclusion

CDP showed that the patients had a poorer balance than the HI. The greatest difference was in SOT 5–6, indicating that the postural disturbance is of primarily central vestibular origin. There was a slight improvement of balance post-operatively.     

The effect of major railway accidents on the psychological health of train drivers—I. Acute psychological responses to accident

The acute psychological reactions of 101 train drivers to on-the-track accidents were studied by means of clinical interviews and questionnaires (Impact of Event Scale, GHQ-20 and a questionnaire addressing stress symptoms, pre-accident expectancies and worries). More than half of the train drivers reported moderate to high intrusive distress (mean 11.3) within hours to days after the accident but only 1/3 reported symptoms of acute psychophysiological arousal. Intrusive symptoms related to visual impressions were most frequently reported. Avoidance was less prevalent (mean 8.8).

Clinical interviews, relationship between pre-accident worries and severity of the acute responses and positive correlation between GHQ-scores relating to the fortnight preceding the accident and IES-intrusion scores, suggest that premorbid variables may influence the stress response. Involvement in more than two previous accidents invoked a feeling of vulnerability and produced stronger acute responses. Post-accident experiences involving various personal contacts did not correlate with the stress responses in this study and only a few drivers experienced such events in a negative way. Denial of the possibility of being involved in accidents was not associated with increased risk of strong acute responses, indicating that denial does not predict poor outcome in healthy persons exposed to situations where possibility of avoiding the event is outside the control of the person.     

Anxiety and depression in adolescents with ADHD and autism spectrum disorders; correlation between parent- and self-reports and with attention and adaptive functioning

Background: Adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at high risk of anxiety and depression. This is important to identify in the clinical assessment to understand its impact.

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between parent- and self-reports of anxiety and depression in adolescents with ADHD or ASD, as well as the correlation with adaptive functioning and performance on an attention test.

Method: A total of 65 adolescents with an ADHD diagnosis (n?=?24) or an ASD diagnosis (n?=?41) filled out Beck Youth Inventories of Emotional and Social Impairment (BYI) to assess depression and anxiety and completed a Continuous Performance Test (QbTest) measuring ADHD symptoms. Parents of the participants completed the internalizing domain in the Five to Fifteen questionnaire (FTF), measuring symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) about the adolescent’s adaptive functioning.

Results: Approximately a third of the study group self-reported substantial internalizing mental symptoms not always recognized by parents, and not always obvious in adaptive function or performance at ADHD test. Correlations between BYI and FTF were low. The BYI depression inventory correlated negatively with VABS and positively with activity level in a subgroup medicated for ADHD. There was a stronger correlation between girls BYI and FTF results as compared with boys.

Conclusions: The results highlight the need for identification of anxiety and depression, using both self- and parent report. Present anxiety and depression symptoms do not seem to affect the clinical assessment of ASD and ADHD.     

Beliefs and attitudes among Swedish workers regarding the risk of hearing loss

The beliefs and attitudes regarding the risk of hearing loss and their impact on hearing protector use were investigated among Swedish workers. A questionnaire, developed by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), was used. The study objective was to assess workers' attitudes towards using hearing protection devices (HPDs) and to enhance the ability of workers to protect themselves from occupational hearing loss. Ninety-five per cent of the respondents were aware that loud noise could damage their hearing, 90% considered that a hearing loss would be a serious problem, and 85% believed that HPDs could protect their hearing. However, lower percentages of workers always used the HPDs when they were noise-exposed. Fifty-five per cent of the workers indicated that they could not hear warning signals when using HPDs, and 45% of the workers indicated that they considered HPDs to be uncomfortable. These issues must be addressed to make HPD use more effective.