Novel ROC-type method for testing the efficiency of multivariate statistical methods in fMRI.

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) method is a useful and popular tool for testing the efficiency of various diagnostic tests applicable to functional MRI (fMRI) data. Typically, the diagnostic tests are applied on simulated and pseudo-human fMRI data, and the area under the ROC curve is used as a measure of the efficiency of the diagnostic test. The effectiveness of such a method depends on how well the simulated data approximate the real data. For multivariate statistical methods, however, this technique is usually inadequate, as the spatial dependence among voxels is ignored for simulated data. In this work a modified ROC method using real fMRI data with a broader scope is proposed. This method can be applied to most fMRI postprocessing techniques, including multivariate analyses such as canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Also, the relationship of the modified ROC method with the conventional ROC method is discussed in detail.     

Psychiatry towards the year 2000

After a brief historical introduction, the future of psychiatry is discussed by considering trends in mental disorder, treatment ideology, research and evolution of society in general with a focus on western Europe and North America.     

Cortical Distribution of Eeg Activity for Component Processes During Mental Rotation

Alpha power (8–12 Hz) was monitored over the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes of the left and right cerebral hemispheres while participants mentally rotated three-dimensional shapes to match a specified target. By comparing the activational patterns generated during three experimental conditions, each designed to systematically isolate the involvement of the various subcomponents comprising this mental rotation task, it was suggested that the right frontal lobe mediates encoding and comparison/decision processes, while the left parietal and the left temporal region appear most involved in the generation of images and their mental rotation. A preliminary model describing the cooperative interaction of these cortical regions during mental rotation tasks is proposed.     

A Comparative Study of the Percutaneous versus Intraoral Technique for Mental Nerve Block

Objective: Mental nerve block is frequently used to aid repair of facial lacerations; both percutaneous and intraoral approaches to blocking this nerve are used, but have never been compared. The authors compared the two techniques for pain of administration and effectiveness of anesthesia. Methods: A prospective, randomized, single-blind, crossover study was conducted using ten healthy volunteers aged 22 to 33 years. Patients having prior experience with mental nerve blocks, lidocaine allergy, active oral/facial infection, or previous facial fractures were excluded. Bilateral mental nerve blocks were done using intraoral technique on one side and percutaneous technique on the other. Both techniques were used by the same investigator and were carried out with 27-gauge needles and 2.5 mL of 2% buffered lidocaine at room temperature injected over 20 seconds. The oral mucosa was topically anesthetized with viscous lidocaine for 1 minute prior to intraoral injection. The orders of the blocks and sides of the face anesthetized were randomized. Subjective and objective pain (visual-analog scale), efficacy (anesthesia of lower lip), time to onset, and duration of anesthesia were evaluated. Results: The intraoral technique was subjectively less painful than the percutaneous approach in nine of ten subjects (p = 0.02). Scores on the visual-analog pain scale were significantly lower for the intraoral technique (p = 0.03). Intraoral injection produced lower-lip anesthesia in 10/10 subjects versus 7/10 for percutaneous (p = 0.25). Times to onset (approximately 1–2 minutes) and durations of anesthesia (approximately one hour) were similar for the two techniques. Conclusion: The intraoral approach to the mental nerve block with adjunctive topical anesthesia was subjectively and objectively less painful than the percutaneous approach without adjunctive anesthesia. While the intraoral approach had a greater efficacy of lower-lip anesthesia and a longer duration of action, these differences were not statistically significant.     

Supportive employment for individuals with chronic schizophrenia: the case for a National Health Service community-based sheltered workshop

A pilot project was established from 1992 to 1994 to provide people with chronic schizophrenia living in Dundee, Scotland, with a National Health Service sheltered workshop that would be fully integrated into the local business community. Of the 43 clients who attended the sheltered workshop, 38 agreed to take part in the project. Typical attenders were single, middle-aged men with schizophrenia. Twenty-five per cent had spent more than two years in hospital; 75% had been unemployed for more than five years. The clients' use of National Health Service day facilities more than halved while attending the workshop. Their hospital readmission rates were low (16%) compared with the local readmission rates for people with schizophrenia in Dundee (86%). A training approach based on the general principles of social skills training contributed to positive vocational outcomes for one-third of the workshop clients. The findings suggest that the onus of responsibility for providing work for many individuals with schizophrenia remains with the National Health Service, and in particular, occupational therapy. Occupational therapy staff must assess their clients effectively and provide quality training leading to opportunities for paid employment. These results have implications for the training of occupational therapy staff and also for the staffing structure in sheltered workshops. Copyright © 1997 Whurr Publishers Ltd.     

"11.24"海难援救军人的心理健康状况分析

目的 探讨海难后军队应激援救人员的心理健康特点，为建立特定人群的心理健康评定体系提供科学依据。方法 采用症状自评量表和自行编制的调查表对39名1999－11－24烟台“大禹”海难1mo后的善后援救军人进行了心理健康测试，并将调查结果与对照军人和国内军人常模进行了比较。结果 接受调查的应激人群的SCL－90总分79.5%（31／39）的人评定为正常，总分≥160分为8例，占20.5%。SCL－90总分、射体化、焦虑、恐怖与精神病性因子与国内军人常模比较无显差异，但阳性项目数、强迫症状、人际敏感、抑郁、敌对及偏执因子分均显低于国内军人常模（P＜0.05-0.01）；而阳性症状均分显高于国内军人常模（P＜0.05）。应激人群的阳性项目数明显低于对照人群，而阳性症状的痛苦水平明显高于对照人群（P＜0.01）；阳性症状均分仍显高于对照人群（P＜0.05）。结论 提示受调查的应激人群的阳性症状均分显高于国内军人常模，改善婚姻状况和与同胸关系、完善上级领导工作方法和善后处理可以改善SCL－90结果，减少生活事件的刺激量可望改善其心理健康状况。     

心理保健教育对入伍新兵人格特征的影响

目的：探讨心理保健教育对新兵个性特征的影响。方法：采用：采用修订的成人艾森克个性问卷（EPQ）对2180名新兵个性特征进行调查，尔后以《军人精神卫生保健常识》为教材对他们进行心理健康保健教育，三年后对1533名完成者再次进行EPQ调查。结果：新兵及其自身对照级精神质（P）量表分均低于袭氏和艾氏常模，而内外向（E）量表分、神经质（N）量表分和效度（L）量表分均低于袭氏和艾氏常模，新兵内外向（E）量表分高于其自身对照组，而精神质（P），神经质（N）及效度（L）量表分则低于其自身对照组，而中间、外向、倾向外向则高于自身对照组（P＜0．05）；情绪稳定性也以中间型为多（分别为65．27％和68．95％），稳定和中间入伍新兵低于自身对照组，而倾向不稳定和不稳入伍则高于自身对照组（P＜0．01）。结论：心理保健教育对新兵个性特征有积极的影响。