Everyday memory functioning in obsessive- compulsive disorder.

Memory performance in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is discussed as a pathogenetic risk factor for the emergence of OCD, particularly checking compulsions. At present, however, findings are mixed and little is known about memory performance in tasks relevant to everyday functioning in patients with OCD. For the present study, memory performance was assessed in 31 patients diagnosed with OCD and 33 healthy controls with the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (RBMT), which covers a wide range of verbal and nonverbal memory components as well as prospective memory. OCD patients performed comparably to healthy controls on the memory task for verbal, nonverbal, and prospective memory (p > .1). According to norm values, memory performance was unimpaired in most OCD patients. The present findings further challenge a broad account of the "memory deficit" hypothesis of OCD and compulsive checking, respectively.     

Influence of human immunodeficiency virus infection on the course of hepatitis C virus infection: a meta-analysis.

Studies have shown that rates of liver disease are higher in persons who are coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) than they are in persons with HCV alone, but estimates of risk vary widely and are based on data for dissimilar patient populations. We performed a meta-analysis to quantify the effect of HIV coinfection on progressive liver disease in persons with HCV. Eight studies were identified that included outcomes of histological cirrhosis or decompensated liver disease. These studies yielded a combined adjusted relative risk (RR) of 2.92 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.70-5.01). Of note, studies that examined decompensated liver disease had a combined RR of 6.14 (95% CI, 2.86-13.20), whereas studies that examined histological cirrhosis had a pooled RR of 2.07 (95% CI, 1.40-3.07). There is a significantly elevated RR of severe liver disease in persons who are coinfected with HIV and HCV. This has important implications for timely diagnosis and consideration of treatment in coinfected persons.     

Neuropsychological function in Gulf War veterans: relationships to self-reported toxicant exposures.

BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed at (1) exploring evidence of central nervous system (CNS) dysfunction among Gulf War (GW) veterans on neuropsychological tests and (2) examining whether performance on neuropsychological tests was related to specific neurotoxicant exposures experienced in the Gulf. METHODS: The GW-deployed groups were selected using stratified random sampling methods from two distinct cohorts of GW veterans. A comparison group that had been called up for GW service but deployed to Germany rather than the Gulf also was examined. Neuropsychological function was assessed using a pre-determined battery chosen to include tests known to be highly sensitive to the behavioral effects of the neurotoxicants thought to have been present in the Gulf. RESULTS: Self-reported exposures were related to neuropsychological test performance controlling for post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and other known covariates of neuropsychological test performance. Results showed that GW-deployed veterans performed more poorly than the Germany-deployed veterans on several specific neuropsychological tests, but after adjustment for multiple comparisons, only the differences in mood complaints remained significant. Within the GW-deployed group, self-reported exposure to chemical warfare agents was associated with poorer performance on cognitive tests involving specific functional domains. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide evidence that there are subtle differences in CNS function among GW-deployed veterans who report chemical warfare agent exposure while in the GW theater.     

The Effects of a Health Care–Based Brief Intervention on Dating Abuse Perpetration: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Prevention Science - Dating abuse (DA) is prevalent and consequential, yet there are no evidence-based interventions for the health care setting that prevent perpetration. The current study’s...     

Effects of Maine's 1981 and Massachusetts' 1982 driving-under-the-influence legislation.

In 1981, Maine passed a drunk driving law with mandatory penalties and a new civil charge to increase the conviction rate. One year later, Massachusetts increased drunk driving penalties, particularly for repeat offenders and intoxicated drivers involved in fatal crashes. In Maine, single-vehicle nighttime fatal crashes declined 22 per cent the year before passage of the law, and 33 per cent the year after. Maine's rates returned to pre-law levels by the third post-law year. Prior to Massachusetts' new law, single-vehicle nighttime and overall fatal crashes there also declined 20% and 22%, whereas after this law fatal crash rates did not decline further compared with the pre-law year or other New England states. Pre- and post-law surveys indicate that both laws were followed by some increases in public perceptions that drunk drivers stopped by police would be arrested, convicted, and receive automatic penalties. But, few believed it was very likely that drunk drivers would be stopped. For only two of three years studied after Maine's law did more people there report decisions not to drive because they had drunk too much. In Massachusetts, reported driving after heavy drinking declined as much the year before as the three years after its law.     

Knowledge and attitudes of AIDS health care providers before and after education programs

Analysis of the responses of 1,247 health care providers to questionnaires immediately before and after educational programs on acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) revealed significant (P less than .05) improvements in accuracy of knowledge about 7 of 15 modes of transmission and 7 of 11 means of infection control. Sizeable percentages, however, continued to believe after the programs that AIDS could be transmitted by casual contact, such as sharing coffee cups. Provider attitudes about caring for persons with AIDS shifted in the direction desired (P less than .001) on six of nine questions. After programs, 92 percent believed that they had sufficient knowledge to protect themselves from getting AIDS, and 79 percent felt professionally competent to care for a person with AIDS. Both before and after programs, providers who established regulations for the care of persons with AIDS and outpatient care providers had the most accurate knowledge and felt most comfortable with persons with AIDS, while inpatient care providers had the least accurate knowledge and felt least comfortable. A 1-month followup of 159 providers revealed that postprogram changes in knowledge and attitudes were largely retained. Results point to the need for education at all levels of the health care system, to a persistent gap in knowledge and attitudes between those persons who establish regulations and those who carry them out, and to the possibility of creating significant changes through education.