Factor Structure of the Neurocognitive Tests: An Application of the Confirmative Factor Analysis in Stabilized Schizophrenia Patients

The purpose of the present study was to identify the factor structure of neurocognitive tests used on schizophrenia patients by using the confirmative factor analysis, and to assess the factor score differences of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Comprehensive neurocognitive tests were administered to stabilized schizophrenia patients (N=114) and healthy controls (N=120). In the results of factor analyses on patients, the multifactorial-6-factor model, which included the speed of processing, working memory, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, attention/vigilance, and reasoning/problem solving as suggested by the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS), showed the better goodness of fit than any of the other models tested. And assessing the group differences of factor scores, we found the patients performed worse than the controls in all factors, but the result showed meaningful variations of impairments across the cognitive factors. Our study identifies the six major domains with multifactorial structure of cognitive abilities in schizophrenia patients and confirms the distinctive impairment patterns of each cognitive domain. These results may have utility in better understanding the pathology of schizophrenia as well as in genetic studies.     

Do patients with chronic rhinosinusitis benefit from consultation with an ENT-doctor?

Conclusion: By consulting an ENT-doctor, patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), in the general population, receive disease information and adjustment of treatment which can improve disease-specific Quality-of-Life and may improve objective measurements. Objectives: This study aims to follow persons with clinical diagnosed CRS from the general population, to evaluate their benefit from consultation with an ENT-doctor in terms of severity of symptoms and Quality-of-Life. Methods: As part of a trans-European study, selected respondents to a survey questionnaire were invited for a clinical visit. Based on the European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis and Nasal Polyps, persons were diagnosed with CRS and followed for 2 years. Quality-of-Life was measured using the Sino Nasal Outcome Test 22 and European Quality-of-Life – 5 Dimensions. Clinical examination included rhinoscopy, acoustic rhinometry, peak nasal inspiratory flow, smell test, and skin prick test. Results: Out of 91 persons with CRS, only 42% had previously consulted an ENT-doctor, and 51% were in current treatment for CRS. Most patients were advised medical treatment and 20% underwent surgery. Disease-specific Quality-of-Life, peak nasal inspiratory flow, olfactory function, and the nasal volume significantly increased over the 2-year period.     

注意缺陷多动障碍儿童罗夏测验的反应特征分析

目的:探讨注意缺陷多动障碍(Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,ADHD)儿童在罗夏测验中的表现特征及可能的投射机制。方法:采用国内修订版罗夏测验(Rorschach Inkblot Test,RIT),结合艾森克人格问卷(EPQ)对40名ADHD男童和40名对照组儿童进行了测试。结果:ADHD儿童在RIT变量Zf、COP、3r 2/R、Zd、X %、Sum6的得分低于对照组(P<0.05);而在变量AG、Lambda、Sh、X-%、SCZI、DEPI、CDI的得分高于对照组(P<0.05);两组儿童在RIT多个变量和EPQ各分量表之间存在相关。结论:ADHD儿童在RIT中表现出较多的在客体关系、情绪特质、自我功能和认知功能方面的缺陷,说明RIT可投射出ADHD儿童内心世界的一些特点,包括自我意识不良、人际关系不良、攻击性、情绪问题、认知过程和思维能力问题。     

军事心理学视野中的内隐联想测验

目的 探讨内隐联想测验(Implicit Association Test,简称IAT)在军事心理学领城的应用.方法 结合军队的需要,对内隐联想测验的理论和原理进行介绍,并整理其性能及应用的最新进展.结果 相对其它测量方法,内隐联想测验在军人价值观测量方面应用有很强的优势.结论 该方法在我军技术岗位和重要领城军官选拔中的价值取向等空白测量领域会产生的重要作用.     

初中生考试焦虑、社会支持现状的调查

目的探究初中生考试焦虑、社会支持的一般状况及二者之间的关系。方法使用中学生考试焦虑测验问卷、社会支持评定量表对166名初中生进行问卷调查。结果①初中生大多处于轻度焦虑范围内;②初中生的考试焦虑、社会支持在城乡、年级方面存在显著性差异,而在性别方面差异并不显著;③社会支持各维度与考试焦虑之间的相关不显著。结论社会支持与考试焦虑相关不显著,还需对二者关系进行验证。     

威斯康星卡片分类测验作为双生子基因功能稳定性指标的初探

目的：探索威斯康星卡片分类测验测试各指标中更稳定、更精确的指标（内表型）。方法：在重庆市主城区募集6—16岁的双生子。签写知情同意书后，用威斯康星卡片分类测验对59对6—16岁的双生子测试（同卵双生28对，异卵双生31对），比较双生子两个体之间的六个常用指标（正确数、错误数、持续错误数、非持续错误数、总分类数、完成第一个分类所需个数）得分的相关系数，采取双生子的颊黏膜标本以提取DNA并进行卵型鉴定。结果：MZ组和DZ组的年龄、性别、受教育年限具有可比性（P〉0．05），MZ组的持续错误数指标在双生子对个体之间的相关系数有显著相关（r=0．65，P=0．001），其余五个指标和DZ组的六个指标在双生子对个体之间的得分无显著性相关（P〉0．05）。结论：在威斯康星卡片分类测验常用的六个指标中，持续错误数受遗传的影响更大，作为内表型指标可能优于威斯康星卡片分类测验中的其他指标。     

Orienting response elicitation by personally significant information under subliminal stimulus presentation: Demonstration using the Concealed Information Test

Considerable evidence suggests that subliminal information can trigger cognitive and neural processes. Here, we examined whether elicitation of orienting response by personally significant (PS) verbal information requires conscious awareness of the input. Subjects were exposed to the Concealed Information Test (CIT), in which autonomic responses for autobiographical items are typically larger than for control items. These items were presented subliminally using two different masking protocols: single or multiple presentation of the masked item. An objective test was used to verify unawareness to the stimuli. As predicted, PS items elicited significantly stronger skin conductance responses than the control items in both exposure conditions. The results extend previous findings showing that autonomic responses can be elicited following subliminal exposure to aversive information, and also may have implications on the applied usage of the CIT.     

Exercise alleviates hypoalgesia and increases the level of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of diabetic rats

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of treadmill training on nociceptive sensitivity and immunoreactivity to calcitonin gene-related peptide in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of diabetic rats.

METHODS:

Male Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control, diabetic and trained diabetic. Treadmill training was performed for 8 weeks. The blood glucose concentrations and body weight were evaluated 48 h after diabetes induction and every 30 days thereafter. The nociceptive sensitivity was evaluated using the tail-flick apparatus. The animals were then transcardially perfused, and the spinal cords were post-fixed, cryoprotected and sectioned in a cryostat. Immunohistochemistry for calcitonin gene-related peptide analysis was performed on the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.

RESULTS:

The nociceptive sensitivity analysis revealed that, compared with the control and trained diabetic animals, the latency to tail deflection on the apparatus was longer for the diabetic animals. Optical densitometry demonstrated decreased calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in diabetic animals, which was reversed by treadmill training.

CONCLUSION:

We concluded that treadmill training can alleviate nociceptive hypoalgesia and reverse decreased calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord of diabetic animals without pharmacological treatment.     

Performance of children on symptom validity tests: TOMM, MSVT, and FIT

Symptom validity testing is a major topic in the field of neuropsychological research, but until now, few studies focus on effort testing in children. Three symptom validity tests (SVTs), the Medical Symptom Validity Test, the Test of Memory Malingering, and the Fifteen Item Test plus several standard neuropsychological tests were administered to 73 German-language school children from 6 to 11 years.Participants were either instructed to give full effort or to follow a malingering scenario. It could be demonstrated that, except for one child, all participants with a basic reading level of grade 2 were able to pass all administered SVTs according to established cutoffs for poor effort (i.e., earned a score higher than the cutoff). For the experimental malingerers, however, it was fairly difficult to act according to the scenario throughout the session. While they scored worse in the neuropsychological tests, all but one of them failed at least one SVT. The results support the use of SVTs in childhood age. More elaborate experimental designs and studies with bona-fide patients and suspected malingerers are needed in order to evaluate both the appropriateness of available effort tests and the capabilities of children to fake poor performance.     

Vero细胞传代过程中致瘤性的检测

目的 为生物制品生产及研究用Vero细胞体系传代过程中的遗传安全性评价提供实验数据.方法 对Vero细胞进行传代与冻存,并对不同代次Vero细胞进行体外与体内致瘤性检测,同时对不同代次Vero细胞的蛋白质表达进行差异性分析.结果 Vero细胞传代至270代并建立了14个细胞冻存库;不同代次Vero细胞体外与体内致瘤性检测结果均为阴性;200代以上的Vero细胞蛋白质表达水平有所变化.结论 Vero细胞传代过程中虽然体外与体内致瘤性检测结果为阴性,但蛋白质组学分析有差异性蛋白表达,这为Vero细胞传代过程中的遗传安全性评价提供了实验参考.

Abstract：

Objective To produce an experimental information for the safety assessment of Vero cells during subculture. Methods Passage and freeze on Vero cells, and Vero cells in different passages in vitro and in vivo tumorigenicity were tested. The protein expression of different Vero cell passages was analyzed. Results Vero cells passaged to p270 and 14 cell banks were developed and stored for future evaluation. In vitro and in vivo tumorigenicity Lest results of Vero cells in different passages were negative. Conclusion Although the tumorigenicity test results in vitro and in vivo process were negative, the protein expression of more than p200 Vero cells were changed, which produced the experimental reference for the safety evaluation of the process during the Vero cell passage.