Dispelling myths: a study of PMS and relationship satisfaction

For more than 50 years, professional literature has linked premenstrual tension (PMS) with psychoemotional symptoms, without addressing how women's roles and development may be related to PMS. This article's research examines aspects of a relationship that exemplify three reported psychoemotional concerns present in PMS women: marital-, sexual- and family-relationship satisfaction. Twenty-six PMS clients of a nurse practitioner and 26 non-PMS women completed three questionnaires about relationship satisfaction. Statistically, PMS subjects reported significantly more dissatisfaction with marital and sexual relationships. No effects linked to age were found. Results are explained within the context of women's development and roles, and implications are discussed for clinicians who provide health care to clients with PMS.     

Opiate control of spontaneous locomotor activity in a urodele amphibian

An intraperitoneal injection of the preferential opiate receptor agonist (+/-) bremazocine HCl given to male rough-skinned newts acutely and dose-dependently reduced their spontaneous locomotor activity. Inversely, and contrary to the situation generally observed in other vertebrates, administration of the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone HCl dose-dependently and acutely stimulated locomotion. Given at a behaviorally active dosage, naloxone counteracted the inhibitory effect of bremazocine on locomotion. The behavioral influence of the two substances was observed using two different sampling techniques (continuous recording for 3 minutes: repeated instantaneous sampling for 60 minutes). These data are discussed in view of our current knowledge on the opiate regulation of locomotor activity in vertebrates.     

Nonvoluntary sexual activity among adolescents

Data from the 1987 round of the National Survey of Children indicate that seven percent of Americans aged 18-22 have experienced at least one episode of nonvoluntary sexual intercourse. Women were more likely than men to report having had such an experience, with just under half of all nonvoluntary experiences among women occurring before the age of 14. Multiple classification analysis reveals that white women who had lived apart from their parents before age 16, those who had been brought up in poverty, those who had had a physical, emotional or mental limitation when they were young, those whose parents had been heavy drinkers, those whose parents had used illegal drugs and those whose parents had smoked cigarettes when they themselves were teenagers were at significantly greater risk for experiencing sexual abuse. Six percent of young white women with no risk factors, nine percent of those with one, 26 percent of those with two, and 68 percent of those with three or more had been sexually abused before or during adolescence.     

Digital mucoid cyst excision by using the bilobed flap technique and arthroplastic resection

There are a number of proposed causes and treatment approaches for digital mucoid cysts. The described treatment outcomes for this cyst have been variable, with the highest success rate reported with complete excision and single-lobe skin flap closure. This report describes a bilobed flap reconstruction in conjunction with resection of the head of the middle phalanx. A retrospective review was undertaken to evaluate the recurrence rate, complications, and patient satisfaction with this combined procedure. Fifteen patients with an average follow-up of 4.6 years were evaluated. There were no recurrences, flap failures, or other major complications. The use of this flap allows for greater exposure than traditional semi-elliptical incisions while allowing the wide excisional defects to be closed primarily.     

The influence of partnership centrality on organizational perceptions of support: a case study of the AHLN structure

Background  

Knowledge of the structure and character of inter-organizational relationships found among health promotion organizations is a prerequisite for the development of evidence-based network-level intervention activities. The Alberta Healthy Living Network (AHLN) mapped the inter-organizational structure of its members to examine the effects of the network environment on organizational-level perceptions. This exploratory analysis examines whether network structure, specifically partnership ties among AHLN members, influences organizational perceptions of support after controlling for organizational-level attributes.     

Predictors, costs and characteristics of out of area placement for people with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour

Background Out of area placements for people with challenging behaviour represent an expensive and often ineffective strategy for meeting the needs of this service user group. Methods More than 800 agencies and service settings in a large area of South Wales were screened to identify children and adults with challenging behaviour against a number of defined operational criteria. Detailed data on identified individuals and the services they received were collected by interviewing key informants. Univariate and multivariate statistics were employed to identify predictors of out of area placement. Results In total, 1458 people were identified. Full data were available for 901 participants, 97 of whom were placed out of area. Predictors of out of area placement included behaviours resulting in physical injury and exclusion from service settings, a history of formal detention under the mental health act, the presence of mental health problems, a diagnosis of autism and higher total score on the Adaptive Behaviour Scale. Out of area placements were typically of high cost, and associated with only limited evidence of improved service quality. Conclusions Identifying predictors for out of area placement can be used to highlight deficiencies in local services and individuals at increased risk of exclusion from local services.     

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia during speech production.

The amplitude of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was investigated during a reading aloud task to determine whether alterations in respiratory control during speech production affect the amplitude of RSA. Changes in RSA amplitude associated with speech were evaluated by comparing RSA amplitudes during reading aloud with those obtained during rest breathing. A third condition, silent reading, was included to control for potentially confounding effects of cardiovascular responses to cognitive processes involved in the process of reading. Calibrated respiratory kinematics, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and speech audio signals were recorded from 18 adults (9 men, 9 women) during 5-min trials of each condition. The results indicated that the increases in respiratory duration, lung volume, and inspiratory velocity associated with reading aloud were accompanied by similar increases in the amplitude of RSA. This finding provides support for the premise that sensorimotor pathways mediating metabolic respiration are actively modulated during speech production.     

Fifteen-year follow-up of 92 hospitalized adults with Down's syndrome: incidence of cognitive decline, its relationship to age and neuropathology

Background The clinical and neuropathological features associated with dementia in Down’s syndrome (DS) are not well established. Aims To examine clinico‐pathological correlations and the incidence of cognitive decline in a cohort of adults with DS. Method A total of 92 hospitalized persons with DS were followed up from 1985 to December 2000. At outset, 87 participants were dementia‐free, with a median age of 38 years. Assessments included the Prudhoe Cognitive Function Test (PCFT) and the Adaptive Behavior Scale (ABS), to measure cognitive and behavioural deterioration. Dementia was diagnosed from case records and caregivers’ reports. Results Eighteen (21%) patients developed dementia during follow‐up, with a median age of onset 55.5 years (range 45–74). The PCFT demonstrated cognitive decline among those with a less severe intellectual disability (mild and moderate) but not among the profoundly disabled people (severe and profound). Clinical dementia was associated with neuropathological features of Alzheimer’s disease, and correlated with neocortical neurofibrillary tangle densities. At the age of 60 years and above, a little more than 50% of patients still alive had clinical evidence of dementia. Conclusions Clinical dementia associated with measurable cognitive and functional decline is frequent in people with DS after middle age, and can be readily diagnosed among less severely intellectually disabled persons using measures of cognitive function such as the PCFT and behavioural scales such as the ABS. In the more profoundly disabled people, the diagnosis of dementia is facilitated by the use of behavioural and neurological criteria. In this study, the largest prospective DS series including neuropathology on deceased patients, the density of neurofibrillary tangles related more closely to the dementia of DS than senile plaques. In people with DS surviving to middle and old age, the development of dementia of Alzheimer type is frequent but not inevitable, and some people with DS reach old age without clinical features of dementia.