Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Toomey

Publications and source records attributed to R Toomey.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Genetic influences on DSM-III-R drug abuse and dependence: a study of 3,372 twin pairs.

Research and clinical experience indicate that drug use disorders tend to run in families. The objective of this study was to distinguish between the family environment and genetic factors as the source of this observed family resemblance. Data were collected by telephone interview from members of the Vietnam Era Twin Registry, comprising male twin pairs who served in the U.S. military between 1965 and 1975. There were 3,372 pairs in which both twins participated. Drug use disorder was defined as receiving a diagnosis of drug abuse or dependence according to DSM-III-R; 10.1% of the sample had abused or been dependent on at least one illicit drug. A significant difference between concordance rates for monozygotic (26.2%) vs. dizygotic (16.5%) twins indicated a genetic influence on drug use disorder. Biometrical modeling indicated that genetic factors (34% of the variance), the environment shared by twins (28% of the variance), and the nonshared environment (38% of the variance) had significant influences of similar magnitudes on the individual's risk of developing a drug use disorder. These results support the application of molecular genetic approaches to elucidate the genetic influence on drug use disorder, as well as the potential efficacy of environmental intervention to reduce risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Construct validity of two tests of social cognition in schizophrenia.

The construct validity was examined of two measures of social cognition in schizophrenia: (1) a measure of differential deficit in concrete versus abstract social cue perception and (2) a measure of differential deficit in concrete versus abstract situational feature recognition. A significant relationship between the two difference scores would be expected if both measured differential cognition of abstract and concrete social information. This correlation would be expected to remain significant even after the influence of a generalized deficit in social cognition was partialed out. Twenty-three subjects with DSM-III-R diagnoses of schizophrenia completed a videotaped measure of social cue perception and a pencil-and-paper measure of situational feature recognition. Results showed that standardized residual scores representing the difference in abstract and concrete cue perception and representing the difference in abstract and concrete situational feature recognition were significantly associated. Implications of these strategies for understanding and remediating the social cognitive deficits of schizophrenia are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Neuropsychological functioning among the elderly nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenic patients.

In our prior work with a young sample (age < 60), we showed that three neuropsychological functions were impaired among relatives of schizophrenic patients: abstraction, verbal memory, and auditory attention. In the present work we show that these results do not generalize to an older sample aged 60 years and greater. Thus, although we and others have put forth measures of neuropsychological function as indicators of the schizophrenia genotype, the present study suggests that conclusions may be limited to non-elderly samples. Further work is needed to address this issue definitively.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Recognition and judgment of facial stimuli in schizotypal subjects.

Affect recognition abilities, an important component of successful social functioning, were examined in two groups of schizotypal subjects who were identified by the Perceptual Aberration/Magical Ideation and Physical Anhedonia Scales (PABS, MIS, PAS). Prior research has demonstrated social impairments in subjects identified by these scales and in schizophrenics. Although research has shown schizophrenic subjects to have facial affect recognition deficits, the present results did not support the hypothesis that such impairments would appear in subjects exhibiting similar symptoms, but to a less severe degree, when compared with controls. The results suggest that deficits in emotional decoding may appear at a relatively late stage in the developmental course of mental disorder, or may only be associated with more severe levels of schizophrenia-spectrum symptomatology. The paper discusses theoretical and methodological implications for research on the components and development of social deficits in the schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Correlates of psychosis proneness in relatives of schizophrenic patients.

The Magical Ideation Scale (MIS), Perceptual Aberration Scale (PABS), Social Anhedonia Scale (SAS), and Physical Anhedonia Scale (PAS) were administered to 98 relatives of schizophrenic patients along with a measure of personality disorders (the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire--Revised). Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the schizotypal and borderline personality disorder (PD) scales explained significant variance in both the MIS and PABS; the avoidant PD scale also explained significant variance in the PABS. The schizoid, paranoid, and avoidant PD scales explained significant variance in the SAS. Sibling intraclass correlations indicated a significant heritability of 0.62 for the PABS.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Interpersonal problem solving and information processing in schizophrenia.

Cognitive models of interpersonal problem solving have been proposed for, but infrequently tested on, samples of schizophrenia subjects. This study undertook to examine the relationships between the receiving, processing, and sending skills that comprise one model of interpersonal problem solving with information processing and social cue perception. Twenty-six patients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed measures of interpersonal problem solving, social cue perception, visual vigilance, verbal memory, conceptual flexibility, and psychiatric symptoms. Significant and robust relationships were found between sensitivity to social cues and receiving, processing, and sending skills. Only recognition and recall memory, of the various other information-processing measures, were found to be related to any of the three problem-solving skills. Associations between problem solving and cognitive deficits did not seem to be attributable to psychiatric symptoms. Implications of these findings for understanding and remediating the problem-solving deficits of schizophrenia patients are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Comparison of schizotypal relatives of schizophrenic versus affective probands.

In order to investigate possible heterogeneity in schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), two groups of schizotypals, one related to schizophrenic probands (FSPD) (n = 34) and one related to affective disorder probands (NFSPD) (n = 14), ascertained in the same family study, were compared. The FSPD group had more inadequate rapport; the groups did not differ in the frequency of any other symptoms of SPD. NFSPDs had higher rates of comorbid histrionic PD and a trend for higher rates of impulsive/dramatic cluster PDs. FSPDs had a trend for higher rates of anxiety disorders. There was a higher risk of bipolar disorder in the relatives of NFSPDs and higher risk for anxiety disorders in the relatives of FSPDs. The relatives of NFSPDs had higher rates for histrionic, narcissistic, and atypical PDs and for having at least one PD.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Cognitive correlates to social cue perception in schizophrenia.

Previous research has examined social skill learning in schizophrenic patients in relation to information-processing deficits and psychiatric symptoms. Relationships were examined in the current report between social cue perception, thought to be an early and necessary component of skill learning, and various information-processing deficits and psychiatric symptoms. Twenty-six inpatients with DSM-III-R diagnoses of schizophrenia completed measures of social cue perception, cognitive functioning, and psychiatric symptoms. Results showed that cue perception was significantly related to measures of early visual processing, recognition memory, and psychiatric symptoms of withdrawal/retardation. Implications of these findings for future research into the social-perceptual deficits of schizophrenic patients are discussed.

Adult↗