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Biomedical subjects

J D Ball

Publications and source records attributed to J D Ball.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

The utility of the rorschach coping deficit index as a measure of depression and social skills deficits in children and adolescents.

Little research has evaluated the validity of the Coping Deficit Index (CDI) of the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS). Because the CS Depression Index (DEPI) has frequently been found to yield false negatives, the CDI has been proposed as an alternative means of assessing social coping skills that may relate to depression. This study examined potential correlates of the CDI using the Personality Inventory for Children-Second Edition (PIC-2). Sixty-five children and adolescents were assessed with the Rorschach CS and the PIC-2. None of the PIC-2 clinical scales or subscales measuring withdrawal or social skills predicted a positive CDI, and none of the depression-related PIC-2 scales predicted a positive CDI or DEPI. The only significant relationship found was a negative relationship between the CDI and a PIC-2 subscale measuring sleep problems and preoccupation with death. Implications of these findings for clinicians and further research are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Neuropsychological characteristics of adults with ADHD: a comprehensive review of initial studies.

The role of neuropsychological evaluation in the diagnosis of adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a growing area of research and clinical interest. Our review of the literature indicates that adults with ADHD demonstrate subtle impairments on select measures of attention and executive functions, auditory-verbal list learning, and complex information processing speed relative to normal controls. The validity of these findings is nonetheless hampered by several limitations, including methodological and sample variability, a restricted range of interpretive techniques, and uncertain discriminant validity. Recommendations are offered to advance the cognitive and neurobehavioral understanding of this disorder and to enhance the utility of neuropsychological methods for diagnosis and management of adults with ADHD.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Comparative efficiency of a discrepancy analysis for the classification of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in adults.

The present study evaluated an alternative method of neuropsychological test interpretation for the classification of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults. Specifically, an intra-individual discrepancy analysis was implemented in which differences between intellectual functioning and performance on a battery of six frontal/executive tests were examined within a homogeneous group of ADHD adults and matched normal controls. Significant group differences were identified between the ADHD adults and control sample on each of the dependent measures, with moderate diagnostic efficiency rates for the individual measures and a Discrepancy Impairment Index (DII). The discrepancy analysis approach generated significantly greater sensitivity in detecting the presence of ADHD as compared to a level of performance interpretive approach. Overall, these results provide support for the consideration of discrepancies between intellectual ability and frontal/executive functioning for the assessment of adult ADHD.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Cohort studies of health effects among people exposed to estuarine waters: North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.

A variety of human symptoms have been associated with exposure to the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria and have been grouped together into a syndrome termed "possible estuary-associated syndrome." Prospective cohort studies of health effects associated with exposure to estuarine waters that may contain Pfiesteria spp. and related organisms are in progress in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. The three studies recruited cohorts of 118-238 subjects who work or engaged in recreation in estuary waters. Baseline health and neuropsychological evaluations are conducted, and study subjects are followed prospectively for 2-5 years with periodic assessments of health and performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests. Health symptoms and estuary water exposure are recorded by telephone interviews or diaries every 1-2 weeks. Water quality information, including measurements of Pfiesteria spp., is collected in the areas where the subjects are working. Because it is not possible to measure individual exposure to Pfiesteria or a toxin produced by this organism, these studies examine surrogate exposure measures (e.g., time spent in estuary waters, in a fish kill area, or in waters where Pfiesteria DNA was detected by molecular amplification). Preliminary analyses of the first 2 years (1998-2000) of data indicate that none of the three ongoing cohorts have detected adverse health effects. However, there have not been any reported fish kills associated with Pfiesteria since the studies began, so it is possible that none of the study subjects have been exposed to toxin-producing Pfiesteria spp.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL): an identical twin case study illustration of white matter dysfunction and nonverbal learning disability (NLD).

This paper discusses the implications of Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) lesions for the development of Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD) as illustrated through an identical twin case study. PVL lesions were identified in an 8-year-old child, but were not detected in his identical twin brother who served as a matched comparison. While the nonclinical twin displayed a largely unremarkable neuropsychological profile, the clinical twin evidenced a distinct pattern of social, intellectual, academic, and neuropsychological test results often identified among children with PVL and those with the NLD syndrome. The clinical and theoretical implications for this case study are discussed.

Brain↗
PubMed1999

Neuropsychological performance of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): diagnostic classification estimates for measures of frontal lobe/executive functioning.

ADHD adults (N = 26) were compared to normal controls (N = 26) on 6 neuropsychological measures believed sensitive to frontal lobe-executive functioning. MANOVA analyses and subsequent univariate tests indicated that most of the neuropsychological measures discriminated between the two groups. To address clinical significance diagnostic classification rates were also generated for each measure individually, and for the battery as a whole. Levels of positive predictive power (PPP) for each of the 6 measures (83-100%) indicated that abnormal scores on these tests were good predictors of ADHD. However, estimates of negative predictive power (NPP) suggested that normal scores poorly predicted the absence of ADHD. When classification rates were calculated for the overall battery classification accuracy improved substantially. Thus, neuropsychological tests can differentiate adults suffering from ADHD from adults without ADHD, while also providing good classification accuracy. Finally, the pattern of neurobehavioral impairments exemplified through the Summary Index scores was interpreted as consistent with conceptualizations of ADHD depicting mild neurologic dysfunction in networks associated with the frontal lobes.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Pseudoacids. I. 4- and 5-oxoacids.

Certain 4- and 5-oxoacids may exist in their cyclic lactol (or pseudoacid) forms. These commonly occur in compounds with proximate carboxylic acid and carbonyl (aldehyde or ketone) functions for the formation of five- or six-membered rings. Examples include trans-2,3-disubstituted aliphatic, (Z)-2,3-olefinic and o-disubstituted aromatic acids. Crystal structures of compounds in these categories are reported: trans-4-methyl-3-oxo-6-hydroxytetrahydropyran-3-carboxylic acid (6), monoclinic, C2/c, a = 25.412 (5), b = 6.291 (1), c = 10.757 (2) A, beta = 104.84 (3) degrees; penicillic acid (7), 4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-5-(2'-propenyl)dihydrofuran-2-one, tetragonal, P4(2)/n, a = b = 15.83 (2), c = 7.016 (11) A; mucochloric acid (8), (Z)-3,4-dichloro-5-hydroxydihydrofuran-2-one, triclinic, P1, a = 6.227 (5), b = 8.085 (5), c = 12.369 (9) A, alpha = 99.50 (5), beta = 102.38 (6), gamma = 90.29 (6) degrees; 2-methanoylbenzoic acid (9), 3-hydroxy-1-(3H)-isobenzofuranone, monoclinic, P2(1), a = 4.006 (1), b = 11.489 (2), c = 7.347 (1) A, beta = 97.50 (3) degrees; 2-ethanoylbenzoic acid (10), 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-(3H)-isobenzofuranone, orthorhombic, P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 5.199 (6), b = 9.651 (14), c = 15.950 (17) A; 2-(2'-oxoethyl)benzoic acid (11), 3-hydroxy-3,4-dihydroisobenzopyran-1-one, monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 4.651 (3), b = 11.886 (7), c = 14.312 (11) A, beta = 90.86 (6) degrees. These compounds also exist in the cyclic forms in chloroform solution. A trimeric cyclic trioxane structure, analogous to paracetaldehyde, is confirmed as the solid form of 5-oxopentanoic acid (1), triclinic, P1, a = 5.640 (4), b = 8.571 (8), c = 18.962 (13) A, alpha = 78.68 (6), beta = 84.34 (5), gamma = 80.38 (6) degrees. In solution (NMR), mixtures of the open aldoacid, trimeric acid and cyclic pseudoacid exist. In both furanoid and pyranoid pseudoacids, endocyclic lactol C-O bond lengths are lengthened (1.46-1.48 A), while the exocyclic C-O(H) bonds are shortened (1.38 A). Pseudoacids commonly form hydrogen-bonded chains linking the lactol hydroxy and carbonyl groups, but 3-hydroxy-3,4-dihydroisobenzopyran-1-one forms distinctive hydrogen-bonded dimers.

Carboxylic Acids↗
PubMed1997

Sleep patterns among children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a reexamination of parent perceptions.

Surveyed parents of children with and without ADHD for their perceptions of their children's sleep patterns. All children had been referred for learning or behavior problems to an outpatient assessment center. Diagnoses of ADHD were based on DSM-III-R, rather than DSM-III criteria, avoiding a possible confound from diagnostic criteria that formerly included sleep disturbance as a defining characteristic of ADHD. Data replicated past findings showing that parents perceive children with ADHD to have greater sleep difficulty than normally developing children. Parents perceived few differences between sleep patterns of children with ADHD who were taking or not taking stimulant medication. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of past literature and present clinical practice.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed1997

Grief reactions of mothers of adolescents and young adults with traumatic brain injury.

One hundred and two mothers of adolescents and young adults with traumatic brain injury completed a modified Grief Experience Inventory (GEI) (Sanders, Mauger, & Strong, 1985) and rated their child's functioning on a modified Neurobehavioral Rating Scale (NRS) (Levin et al., 1987). More severe grief was reported by mothers who rated their children as having poor neurobehavioral functioning and by mothers of young adult rather than adolescent patients. The guilt component of grief varied significantly across the 3-year post-injury period measured in the study. Historical comparisons of these respondents with other bereaved populations showed that mothers of adolescent and young adults with head injury reported more intense grief than parents who had experienced other significant non-death losses.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1994

Time requirements of psychological testing: a survey of practitioners.

Surveys regarding practitioner perceptions of time requirements for psychological testing were mailed to a national sample of clinical psychologists. There were 228 (36%) returns from 630 mailings actually received. On the basis of 151 usable returns from respondents who conduct psychological testing services, data are presented separately for time requirements associated with administering, scoring, and interpreting the 24 most commonly used tests. Data are also presented regarding the composition of typical test batteries and practitioner usage of technician and/or computer assistance in psychological testing. The implications of these data for research and practice are discussed.

Computers↗
PubMed1994

Conventional radionuclide cardiac imaging.

For more than two decades, conventional radionuclide techniques have been employed for the noninvasive evaluation of cardiac function. Standardized techniques have been developed and are widely available. Extensive clinical experience has confirmed the reliability of these techniques and has established important roles in providing diagnostic and prognostic information. Conventional radionuclide cardiac imaging currently emphasizes the demonstration of abnormalities in myocardial perfusion and ventricular function. Myocardial and radionuclide studies are infrequently employed but can offer helpful information in specific clinical situations.

Cardiomyopathies↗
PubMed1991

Neuropsychological functioning of HIV-infected males.

This article presents a Meta-Analysis of previous HIV-related neuropsychological research and new data from a study with methodological improvements over early investigations. In this study, the authors compared neuropsychological testing for three groups of adult male homosexuals: (a) HIV seronegative controls (n = 30), (b) HIV seropositive non-AIDS subjects (n = 27), and (c) diagnosed AIDS patients (n = 26). Groups were matched for age, education, and handedness, and subjects with other neurobehavioral risk factors were excluded. Subjects with AIDS performed worse than other groups on all tests, with 80% showing clinical impairment. HIV seropositive non-AIDS subjects differed from controls on 3 of 14 tests, with 33% showing clinical impairment. Group differences remained significant even after covarying for psychological distress, using the General Severity Index (GSI) of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised as the covariate. These results are discussed in reference to findings from the Meta-Analysis of previous research and implications for future research.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Rorschach Depression indices with children and adolescents: concurrent validity findings.

Exner (1983, 1986) developed and recently revised (1990b) a Rorschach Depression Index based on scores from variables in the Comprehensive System. This study evaluated both the original and the revised DEPIs for child and adolescent outpatient (n = 67) and inpatient (n = 99) samples in order to assess the diagnostic utility of these indices. There were no significant relationships between the original form and the revised form of the DEPI and clinical elevations on the Depression scale of the Personality Inventory for Children in the outpatient sample or treatment team diagnostic judgments in the inpatient sample. These findings sound a strong cautionary note for using only Rorschach Depression indices to diagnose depression in children and adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Wechsler Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies among psychiatric inpatients: implications for subtle neuropsychological dysfunctioning.

One hundred seventy-nine psychiatric inpatients were administered the WAIS-R and several neuropsychological and academic achievement tests. All subjects were assigned to three groups based on their WAIS-R's VIQ-PIQ discrepancy scores: (i) Low Verbal (Verbal IQ < Performance IQ. by at least 13 points); (ii) Low Performance (Performance IQ < Verbal IQ by at least 13 points); and (iii) Equal (Verbal IQ-Performance IQ within 13 points). The Low Verbal group made significantly more errors on the Speech Sounds Perception Test, demonstrated lower spelling scores, evinced more aphasic signs, and had had more special education placements than did the Equal or Low Performance groups. The Low Performance subjects demonstrated significantly more signs of constructional dyspraxia and performed more poorly on the Grooved Pegboard test. The neuropsychiatric patients who had Verbal-Performance IQ discrepancies of at least one standard deviation may be at risk for specific, subtle neuropsychological deficits.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

MMPI correlates of a controversial EEG pattern among adolescent psychiatric patients.

Relative to adult MMPI studies, few investigations address adolescent correlates of the MMPI. A particularly neglected area of potential importance has been the relationship between adolescent MMPI profiles and electroencephalographic (EEG) disturbances. This study examined EEG recordings, MMPI results, and psychiatric diagnosis of 99 (49 male; 50 female) psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Because there was a high incidence of 14 and 6 per second positive spike EEG patterns among males, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were employed to compare MMPI results for 31 males with normal EEG patterns and 17 males with 14 and 6 per second positive spiking. The 14 and 6 per second positive spike EEG signal was related to significantly higher MMPI T score elevations on Hs, PD, and MF. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for both EEG and MMPI interpretations.

Adolescent↗