Neuropsychological training and practices with hispanics: A national survey

Abstract

A comprehensive survey was conducted among neuropsychologists in the United States to examine the past training and current practices of respondents with Hispanic populations. The results indicated that clinical neuropsychologists in the US provide both assessment and treatment services to Hispanics, yet report inadequate preparation to work with this population. Generally, these neuropsychologists did not consider themselves competent to work with Hispanics and requested additional training in the provision of services to Hispanics. In addition, (1) the respondents believe that clinical neuropsychology has paid little attention to cultural factors; and (2) respondents reported that they had virtually no exposure to Hispanic clinical supervisors. The best predictors of self-rated competence for work with Hispanics were related to clinical training. The findings are discussed in light of future recommendations for training and research.     

Postgraduate Medicine

Two unique cases are presented to illustrate that combinations of dislocations among carpal bones are practically limitless. The authors describe a perilunar dislocation in a diabetic patient which was reduced under general anesthesia. However, because the carpal navicular could not be stabilized, arthrodesis of the wrist was carried out. They also review a manipulative reduction performed for dislocation of the distal portion of the radio-ulnar joint with anterior displacement of the distal portion of the ulna.     

Will There Ever Be a Drug with No or Negligible Side Effects? Evidence from Neuroscience

Arguments in the neuroenhancement debate are sometimes based upon idealistic scenarios involving the assumption of using a drug that has no or negligible side effects. At least it is often implicitly assumed – as technology and scientific knowledge advances - that there soon will be a drug with no or negligible side effects. We will review evidence from neuroscience, complex network research and evolution theory and demonstrate that - at least in terms of psychopharmacological intervention – on the basis of our understanding of brain function it seems inconceivable that there ever will be a drug that has the desired effect without undesirable side effects. We will illustrate this by reference to enhancing edge detection in V2 in monkeys and demonstrate that even for this localised single neuron coded function there would be numerous side effects. Taking the more realistic case of pharmacological enhancement that is inevitably associated with side effects will change consequentialist arguments for neuroenhancement and have implications for the conception of autonomy, specifically in the case of performance enhancement. We conclude that a neuroethics debate that aims to inform policy decisions should take these findings into account. We hope that our article will precipitate more interdisciplinary research in neuroscience and philosophy.     

Correction to: Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis: initial risk factors and outcomes in a Latin American tertiary center

Clinical Rheumatology - One of the author’s name on this article was incorrectly spelled as “Sylvia C. L. Fahrat” . The correct spelling is “Sylvia C. L. Farhat” and...     

Intrinsic cardiac adrenergic (ICA) cell density and MAO-A activity in failing rat hearts

The efficiency (work/oxygen consumption) of isolated papillary muscles from failing hearts is reduced. We investigated whether this can be due to an increase of intrinsic cardiac adrenergic (ICA) cell density. The number of ICA cells in the septum and both ventricular walls was determined by tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry in rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension. We found that the number of ICA cells is about 200,000 per rat heart. ICA cell density was significantly lower in right ventricular myocardium of hypertrophied hearts (P < 0.01). MAO-A enzyme histochemistry and inhibition experiments with clorgyline in papillary muscles were performed to localize the enzyme and to determine its oxygen consumption. Upregulation of MAO-A was found in the right ventricular wall and papillary muscles of failing hearts (P = 0.018). A positive correlation between ICA cell density and MAO-A activity was absent. Clorgyline (2 μM) decreased the basal rate of oxygen consumption of right ventricular papillary muscles by 65 μM O₂/s (P = 0.027). This rate can only be maintained for several seconds judging from the catecholamine content of the preparations reported previously. High ICA cell activity rather than density and/or recycling of oxidized catecholamines are discussed as alternative explanations for the low myocardial efficiency in experimental pulmonary hypertension.     

Some are more equal than others

The microbial communities found in the mammalian large intestine and rumen efficiently degrade many recalcitrant substrates that are resistant to the host’s digestive enzymes. These communities are known from molecular profiling to be highly diverse at the species and strain level, but it may be that only certain specialized organisms (“keystone species”) have the ability to initiate degradation of such substrates, thus releasing energy on which the rest of the community depends. We have recently reported that Ruminococcus bromii has a superior ability to degrade certain forms of particulate resistant starch (RS) when compared with other highly abundant species of amylolytic bacteria found in the human colon and have presented evidence that this bacterium provides an example of a keystone species within the microbial community with respect to RS fermentation. The concept of keystone species can be equally relevant to other activities, e.g., those involved in stabilizing the community.