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Biomedical subjects

J L Matson

Publications and source records attributed to J L Matson.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Effects of thioridazine and withdrawal dyskinesias on workshop performance of mentally retarded young adults.

The authors conducted a two-part study of the effects of thioridazine and withdrawal dyskinesias on the workshop performance of mentally retarded young adults. In part 1, 80 mentally retarded subjects were divided into five groups of 16 according to administration, discontinuation, or nonadministration of thioridazine. The major finding was that thioridazine can impair the workshop performance of mentally retarded individuals. In part 2, 28 subjects were divided into four matched groups of 7 subjects each whose thioridazine dose was abruptly or gradually discontinued and who did or did not have withdrawal dyskinesias. Workshop performance declined with the onset of the dyskinesias and improved as the dyskinesias subsided.

Adolescent↗

Modification of psychotic speech with mentally retarded patients.

Three chronic schizophrenics who were mild to severely mentally retarded were treated for a wide range of vocalisations characteristic of psychotic persons. Relevance of responses, speech duration, making nonsense statements, and changing the subject were among the behaviours treated in two experiments. Treatment consisted of instructions, performance feedback via audiotapes, modelling and speech rehearsal provided in twenty-five minute training sessions held each day on a one-to-one basis with a therapist. In all cases, treatment resulted in rapid changes of target behaviours in desired directions. Results were particularly significant since all three subjects displayed active hallucinations and delusions while taking large maintenance dosages of antipsychotic medications. Changes generalised across settings and were maintained over two months follow-up.

Adult↗

Assessment and treatment of clinical fears in mentally retarded children.

Three moderately mentally retarded females ranging from 8 to 10 years of age were treated for long-standing fears. These children had refused to talk with or be in the same general vicinity of adults other than their parents, a few close family members, and to a lesser degree, their teacher. To establish an accurate criterion for successful performance on dependent measures, participants were matched on age, sex, and level of mental retardation with children having "normal" amounts of fear. Dependent measures included approaching and talking to strange adults as well as child ratings of overall fear. Participant modeling was given by the mother who provided a sufficient amount of physical and verbal prompts to ensure that an acceptable greeting of adults specified by the mother were made. These prompts were gradually faded out as treatment progressed. Treatment, which was given in a multiple baseline format across subjects, proved effective and gains in the reduction of fears were maintained at the six month follow-up.

Behavior Therapy↗

Use of independence training to teach shopping skills to mildly mentally retarded adults.

Independence training, which consists of in-vivo modeling, self-evaluation, feedback, social reinforcement, and instructions, was used to train shopping behavior to mildly mentally retarded adults living in the community. Ten subjects were trained and 10 subjects served as no-treatment controls. Treatment was provided in therapy sessions at an outpatient clinic and in the grocery store. Subjects who received independence training improved significantly more than did the no-treatment control subjects during the 4 weeks of training. Clients in the treatment condition maintained gains at a 2-month follow-up. In addition, grocery shopping skills generalized to another store where training had not been provided.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Acquisition of social skills by mentally retarded adult training assistants.

Two moderately retarded adults were employed as assistant trainers with mentally retarded peers who were being trained in appropriate social behaviour. Using a multiple baseline across behaviours and subjects, it was found that the effective aspect of training was participating in and observing training of specific target behaviours rather than attention and social reinforcement for appropriate responses. Acquisition of target behaviours occurred in a short period of time and generalised to the natural environment (recreation hall).

Adult↗

A comparison of social skills training and contingent attention to improve behavioural deficits of chronic psychiatric patients.

Twelve chronic psychiatric patients were treated with either social skills training or contingent attention to improve behavioural assets or deficits noted on the ward by independently trained raters blind to experimental conditions. Treatment was applied across groups using a multiple-baseline format. Inspection of the data revealed that clinically significant improvements in socially appropriate assets and deficits observed on the ward resulted with social skills training but no substantiative change accrued due to the contingent attention. The behaviours selected for treatment were those which staff were most willing to reinforce. This variable may account, in part at least, for the generalization of treatment effects to the natural environment with persons who received social skills training.

Adult↗