The alcohol paradox: A psychological model

The paradoxical continuation of excessive drinking by chronic alcoholics despite extremely aversive personal deterioration is addressed by a two-factor theory. The theory regards the increasing stereotypy of alcohol-related behaviors as a function of: (a) primary neuropsychological impairments that result from alcohol abuse and (b) secondary fears of catastrophic failure attendant upon brain dysfunction, which leads to acquired aversions to situations that require adaptive behaviors. A schematic quantitative model of this formulation is presented that may be useful to practicing psychologists in explaining perserverative behavior in a variety of brain syndromes.     

Local Proliferation of Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes Contributes to Synovial Hyperplasia

Objective. To test the hypothesis that local proliferation contributes significantly to the hyperplasia of rheumatoid synovium. Methods. Immunohistologic and chemical staining was used to identify 3 markers of cell proliferation: proliferating cell nuclear antigen, c-myc proto-oncogene, and nucleolar organizer regions. Synovium from 21 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, 34 with degenerative joint disease, and 7 with joint trauma was examined. Results. All 3 markers indicated substantial, active proliferation of synovial lining cells in synovium with hyperplasia. Proliferating cells showed type I procollagen immunoreactivity but were negative for CD68, a monocyte/macrophage marker. Proliferation was greater in rheumatoid arthritis than in the other conditions evaluated. Conclusion. In situ proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in the synovium lining contributes considerably to the increase in cell numbers in rheumatoid synovium.     

Getting better without memory

Does the tendency to adjust appraisals of ourselves in the past and future in order to maintain a favourable view of ourselves in the present require episodic memory? A developmental amnesic person with impaired episodic memory (HC) was compared with two groups of age-matched controls on tasks assessing the Big Five personality traits and social competence in relation to the past, present and future. Consistent with previous research, controls believed that their personality had changed more in the past 5 years than it will change in the next 5 years (i.e. the end-of-history illusion), and rated their present and future selves as more socially competent than their past selves (i.e. social improvement illusion), although this was moderated by self-esteem. Despite her lifelong episodic memory impairment, HC also showed these biases of temporal self-appraisal. Together, these findings do not support the theory that the temporal extension of the self-concept requires the ability to recollect richly detailed memories of the self in the past and future.     

Biological resurfacing of the knee: a review of surgical management

Lesions of the articular surfaces of the knee have been managed by various techniques over the last 50 years. Surgical management has involved: excising the damaged area, refashioning the underlying bone to produce a fibrous response, and introducing allograft, autograft and synthetic materials to encourage a repair matrix. The techniques and their pitfalls are reviewed and discussed, and suggestions made as to the direction of future studies for the repair of osteochondral lesions in the painful knee.