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Persistent patterns of brain activity: an EEG coherence study of the positive effect of music on spatial-temporal reasoning.

Motivated by predictions from the structured trion model of the cortex, behavioral experiments have demonstrated a causal short-term enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning in college students following exposure to a Mozart sonata, but not in control conditions. The coherence analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings is well suited to the neurophysiological investigation of this behavioral enhancement. Here we report the presence of right frontal and left temporo-parietal coherent activity induced by listening to Mozart which carried over into the spatial-temporal tasks in three of our seven subjects. This carry-over effect was compared to EEG coherence analysis of spatial-temporal-tasks after listening to text. We suggest that these EEG coherence results provide the beginnings of understanding of the neurophysiological basis of the causal enhancement of spatial-temporal reasoning by listening to specific music. The observed long-lasting coherent EEG pattern might be evidence for structured sequences in cortical dynamics which extend over minutes.

Adult↗

Reasons for not exercising and exercise intentions: a study of middle-aged sedentary adults.

The aims of this study were to assess why people do not participate in exercise and physical activity, and what might lead them to become active. More specifically, we focused on the hindrances to entering the phase of transition from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle by analysing the reasons 265 middle-aged Belgian adults gave for their inactivity. Their justifications were examined in relation to the conditions which they say would be needed for them to become more involved in regular physical activity. Factor analysis revealed that the reasons for inactivity referred to the adults' self-concept, to cognitive cost-benefit based processes and to negative emotions associated with exercise. The conditions reported to be necessary to begin exercising referred to a perceived decrease in health and to the appropriateness of the exercise offered. Discriminant analysis showed that 'never-exercisers' differed from 'ex-exercisers', and that within the subgroup of 'ex-exercisers' the long-term drop-outs differed from the recent drop-outs. Cluster analysis revealed three types of sedentary adults: the unconcerned, the opposed and the approachable.

Adult↗

Attitudes and exercise adherence: test of the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour.

Three studies of exercise adherence and attitudes are reported that tested the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. In a prospective study of adherence to a private fitness club, structural equation modelling path analysis showed that attitudinal and social normative components of the Theory of Reasoned Action accounted for 13.1% of the variance in adherence 4 months later, although only social norm significantly predicted intention. In a second study, the Theory of Planned Behaviour was used to predict both physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Path analyses showed that attitude and perceived control, but not social norm, predicted total physical activity. Physical activity was predicted from intentions and control over sedentary behaviour. Finally, an intervention study with previously sedentary adults showed that intentions to be active measured at the start and end of a 10-week intervention were associated with the planned behaviour variables. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed no significant multivariate effects for time on the planned behaviour variables measured before and after intervention. Qualitative data provided evidence that participants had a positive experience on the intervention programme and supported the role of social normative factors in the adherence process.

Adult↗

Individual differences in deductive reasoning.

Three studies are reported, which examined individual differences in deductive reasoning as a function of intellectual ability and thinking style. Intellectual ability was a good predictor of logical performance on syllogisms, especially where there was a conflict between logic and believability. However, in the first two experiments there was no link between ability and performance on indicative selection tasks, in sharp contrast to previous research. This correlation did, however, return in the final study. Our data are consistent with the claim that the correlation with logical accuracy on abstract selection tasks is found primarily with participants of relatively high ability. At lower levels, pragmatically cued responses are given but those of slightly higher ability divorce the rule from the scenario and respond consistently (though incorrectly) across problems. Self-report questionnaires were generally poor predictors of performance, but a measure of the ability to generate alternative representations proved an excellent predictor. These results are consistent with a mental models approach to reasoning and also have implications for the debate about human rationality.

Adult↗

Club drugs: reasons for and consequences of use.

This preliminary descriptive study was designed to assess the reasons, primary contexts, and consequences (physical, psychological, lifestyle) of club drug use in a sample of young adults in a mid-size U.S. city. Fifty young adults (18 to 30 years old) reported on their use of club drugs (Ecstasy, GHB, ketamine, Rohypnol, methamphetamine, LSD) in face-to-face interviews that included quantitative and qualitative measures. Ecstasy was the most frequently used club drug followed by ketamine, LSD and methamphetamine. All of the participants reported using club drugs to "experiment" and most reported using these drugs to feel good and enhance social activities. Club drugs were frequently used at raves, in bars or clubs, and at home with friends. An average of 16 negative physical, psychological, and lifestyle consequences were reported for club drug use. Despite substantial negative consequences, participants perceived several positive consequences of regular recreational club drug use. These findings corroborate descriptions of club drug use in other countries (e.g., Australia, United Kingdom) and provide additional information on perceived positive consequences that users experience with club drug use. Further exploration of the reasons and positive consequences that are associated with use of each of the club drugs may provide important information on the growing trend in use of these drugs.

Adolescent↗

GPs' reasons for "non-pharmacological" prescribing of antibiotics. A phenomenological study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the reasons cited by Icelandic general practitioners for their "non-pharmacological" prescribing of antibiotics. DESIGN: A qualitative interview study with research dialogues guided by the Vancouver School of doing phenomenology. SETTING: General practice. Participants A total of 16 general practitioners: 11 in the maximum variety sample and 5 in the theoretical sample. RESULTS: The most important reasons for prescribing antibiotics in situations with low pharmacological indications (non-pharmacological prescribing) were an unstable doctor-patient relationship due to lack of continuity of care, patient pressure in a stress-loaded society, the doctor's personal characteristics, particularly zeal and readiness to serve, and, finally, the insecurity and uncertainty of the doctor who falls back on the prescription as a coping strategy in a difficult situation. CONCLUSION: The causes of non-pharmacological prescribing of antibiotics are highly varied, and relational factors in the interplay between the doctor and the patient are often a key factor. Therefore, it is of great importance for the general practitioner to know the patient and to become better equipped to resist patient pressure, in order to avoid the need to use the prescription as a coping strategy. Continuity of medical care and a stable doctor-patient relationship may be seen as the core concepts in this study and the most important task for the GPs is to promote the patients' trust.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Changes in analogical reasoning in adulthood.

This study sought to investigate adult intellectual development through an analysis of a particular type of cognitive ability, verbal analogical reasoning. The performance of 60 individuals between the ages of 20 and 79 was compared on 100 verbal analogies. The subjects consisted of six groups of ten individuals each (five males and five females), matched as a group for education and gender. Solution times and error rates served as the dependent measures. Results showed that there was a significant trend for the older subjects (60- and 70-year-olds) to be slower than the young subjects (20-, 30-, 40-, and 50-year-olds), but not necessarily more error prone. These data suggest that verbal analogical reasoning changes with age. Supplemental data demonstrated a change in other abilities as well (i.e., decline in perceptual-motor speed and spatial skill).

Adult↗

Reasons American lesbians fail to seek traditional health care.

What reasons do lesbians have for not seeking health care? From three women's cultural events in 1990, a convenience sample was formed of 503 women (78% of whom were lesbians) who volunteered to complete a pretested qualitative and quantitative instrument. The reasons given for not seeking health care from traditional sources were that (a) low-cost, natural, or alternative care is not provided; (b) holistic care is not provided; (c) little preventive care and education are provided; (d) communication and respect are lacking; and (e) there are few women-managed clinics.

Attitude to Health↗

New Mexico women with no prenatal care: reasons, outcomes, and nursing implications.

A retrospective chart review was conducted to determine why women received no prenatal care during pregnancy and their subsequent maternal and neonatal outcomes. Five hundred and eighty medical records from 1990 through 1993 that were labeled as no care were reviewed. Actually, only 270 records had no care and of these, 92 had 156 recorded reasons as to why women did not receive prenatal care. These reasons were categorized into three types of barriers: attitudinal, sociodemographic, and system-related. The majority of the women were young, Hispanic, unmarried, between 20 and 29 years of age, and uninsured, and had one to three children. Overall, the women did not smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or use drugs during pregnancy. Overall, the women had good maternal and newborn outcomes. Results suggest a need to reevaluate the effect of prenatal care use on young Hispanic women.

Adolescent↗

Reasons, health behaviors, and outcomes of no prenatal care: research that changed practice.

Changes in prenatal care practices resulted from a pilot study with 12 urban New Mexican women who received no prenatal care. The women were interviewed regarding their reasons for not receiving care during pregnancy, health behaviors, and perceived neonatal outcomes. Data on actual neonatal outcomes were taken from the medical record. Maternal reasons for no prenatal care were socio-demographic, system-related, attitudinal, and outside forces of job and childcare. To ensure a healthy baby, the women made changes in their nutrition, self-care activities, substance use, sleep, and exercise activities. All of the women perceived they had a healthy baby. Yet 61% of the neonates had complications and 45% were low birth weight. The research findings were used to develop a care management program that included case management and utilization management.

Adult↗

Why do we fear death? The construction and validation of the Reasons for Death Fear Scale.

Previous research has disclosed different meanings of death, varieties of death anxiety, and hundreds of factors extracted from the uni- and multi-dimensional death anxiety scales. However, there have been no empirical studies to elucidate the reasons for death fear. The Reasons for Death Fear Scale (RDFS) was constructed and validated. It consists of 18 brief items, with good reliabilities ( > .8). Four factors of the RDFS were labeled Fear of Pain and Punishment, Fear of Losing Worldly Involvements, Religious Transgressions and Failures, and Parting from Loved Ones. A high-loaded factor was extracted in which the RDFS's loading was .45, while the loadings of the scales of death anxiety, death depression, and death obsession ranged between .8 and .9. Of interest is that the correlation between the RDFS and death anxiety was higher than that with general anxiety. No gender-differences were detected with college students. It is important to note that the findings of this study were only researched through Arabic and mainly Muslim college students. The generalizability of the present results to other populations would seem to merit further investigation.

Adolescent↗

Disclosure of HIV infection in south India: patterns, reasons and reactions.

The aim of this study was to examine aspects related to self-disclosure of their seropositive status among 68 persons (35 men and 33 women) infected with HIV. Data was collected through in-depth interviews to assess ways in which HIV-related disclosure took place and factors that influenced disclosure. The data was subjected to both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Voluntary disclosure was noted in 44 subjects (65%), while in other 24 (35%) subjects disclosure occurred without consent. Of those who disclosed, 78% of the subjects reported self-disclosure to family members, 7% to friends and 15% exclusively to health professionals. Expectations of emotional and material support from the family members were one of the commonly cited reasons for voluntary disclosure. Only half of the subjects disclosed complete and truthful information while in the rest, disclosure was partial or disguised as a less stigmatizing illness. Stigma, fear of discrimination, disgrace to family and self and futility were reported as the main reasons for non-disclosure. The majority of the subjects (73%) reported anticipation of negative societal reaction as the main concern following disclosure. In India, where HIV-related counselling services are still not freely available, there continue to be non-uniform practices related to confidentiality and disclosure. The findings of this study are important in identifying cultural factors related to disclosure in HIV infection and highlight the need to examine the varying patterns and concerns related to disclosure among HIV-infected individuals.

Adolescent↗

Assessing reasonable worst-case full-shift exposure levels from data of variable quality.

Exposure assessors involved in regulatory risk assessments often need to estimate a reasonable worst-case full-shift exposure level from very limited exposure information. Full-shift exposure data of very high quality are rare. A full-shift value can also be calculated from (short term) task-based values, either derived from measured data or from models. The most simple option is to use the task based exposure levels as the full-shift value. A second option is to calculate a time-weighted average (TWA), using (reasonable worst case) estimates of the duration and the exposure level of the relevant tasks. The third option is to use a Monte Carlo analysis with estimated input distributions for exposure level and duration of exposure. If an estimated distribution of respiratory volume is also included, this leads to a distribution of inhaled amounts. The 90th percentile of such a distribution is generally substantially lower than the fixed point estimates calculated using high end values for each parameter. This technique can thus prevent unnecessary conservative estimates in risk assessment. The output distribution can also be used as valuable input to the risk management process, because it provides information on probabilities of exposure levels, that can influence the cost-benefit analysis of the risk management process. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of Monte Carlo simulation can give guidance for further studies to increase the accuracy of the exposure assessment.

Europe↗

Norplant: reasons for discontinuation and side-effects.

OBJECTIVE: To study the side-effects and reasons for the discontinuation of Norplant. METHODS: The study was based on the analysis of the medical records of 265 Norplant users, who obtained Norplant from two clinics of the Family Planning Association of Pakistan and who were followed for 5 years. RESULTS: The most common reason (29.4%) for the discontinuation of Norplant was menstrual disturbances, followed by medical problems (4.1%), desire for more children (3.1%) and family problems (3.1%). The major side-effects were weight gain, breast tenderness, headache and dizziness. Only 7.7% of users mentioned any change in sexual behavior and 69.6% of the complaints leading to Norplant removal developed within 6 months of insertion. CONCLUSION: The extent and nature of the side-effects experienced by Pakistani women using Norplant are similar and comparable to those reported from other countries.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Categorization, deductive reasoning, and self-awareness: association with everyday competence in persons with acute brain injury.

The present study examined the relationship between executive function, self-awareness and everyday functional competence in individuals with brain injuries. Executive function was assessed using measures of categorization and deductive reasoning ability, both of which were shown by multiple regression analysis to make significant contributions to the performance of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), suggesting that both measures can serve as predictors of everyday functioning in persons with brain injuries. Self-awareness contributed significantly to functional competence, but its contribution was mediated through categorization ability. Executive function was correlated significantly with posttest performance estimation (self-evaluation of own performance), but not with self-prediction of test performance prior to testing. The results are discussed within the framework of a conceptual model illustrating the multifaceted nature of executive function and its relationship to self-awareness and everyday functional competence. The results of this study indicate that categorization, deductive reasoning, and self-awareness of individuals with brain injury are good predictors of IADL functional performance, and can help in planning better treatment interventions.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Propensities towards absorption are related to lapses in the monitoring of reasoning or discourse during the adult attachment interview. A preliminary investigation.

Unresolved/disorganized (U) states of mind are identified in the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) through brief lapses in the monitoring of reasoning or discourse during the discussion of potentially traumatic experiences such as loss or abuse. These lapses have been hypothesized to indicate temporary alterations in normal states of consciousness. In parents, U attachment status predicts a pattern of infant behaviour that is associated with relatively unfavourable outcomes and has been found to be a risk factor for psychopathology in middle childhood and adolescence. In the present study (N = 140), unresolved subjects were found to be significantly elevated on Tellegens' Absorption Scale (TAS) when compared with subjects classified into the remaining adult attachment categories (secure; dismissing; preoccupied; and cannot classify). Additionally, the TAS was significantly correlated with AAI scale scores for lapses in monitoring of reasoning and/or discourse during the discussion of traumatic events. This study appears to provide the first behaviorally anchored correlate of the absorption construct outside of the domain of hypnosis. Some possible developmental origins of propensities towards absorption are discussed, including early abuse experiences and infant disorganized attachment.

Adolescent↗

Working memory, metacognitive uncertainty, and belief bias in syllogistic reasoning.

Studies of syllogistic reasoning have shown that the size of the belief bias effect varies with manipulations of logical validity and problem form. This paper presents a mental models-based account, which explains these findings in terms of variations in the working-memory demands of different problem types. We propose that belief bias may reflect the use of a heuristic that is applied when a threshold of uncertainty in one's processing--attributable to working-memory overload--is exceeded during reasoning. Three experiments are reported, which tested predictions deriving from this account. In Experiment 1, conclusions of neutral believability were presented for evaluation, and a predicted dissociation was observed in confidence ratings for responses to valid and invalid arguments, with participants being more confident in the former. In Experiment 2, an attempt to manipulate working-memory loads indirectly by varying syllogistic figure failed to produce predicted effects upon the size of the belief bias effect. It is argued that the employment of a conclusion evaluation methodology minimized the effect of the figural manipulation in this experiment. In Experiment 3, participants' articulatory and spatial recall capacities were calibrated as a direct test of working-memory involvement in belief bias. Predicted differences in the pattern of belief bias observed between high and low spatial recall groups supported the view that limited working memory plays a key role in belief bias.

Concept Formation↗

Reasons for cannabis use in psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the reasons for cannabis use among individuals with psychotic disorders. METHOD: Forty-nine people with psychotic disorders in treatment with community health centres in Northern Sydney were interviewed to collect information about their experience of antipsychotic side-effects and their influence on cannabis use. Other information collected on cannabis use included: amount and frequency, effects of use and other general reasons given for use. RESULTS: It was found that boredom, social motives, improving sleep, anxiety and agitation and symptoms associated with negative psychotic symptoms or depression were the most important motivators of cannabis use. Positive symptoms of psychosis and antipsychotic side-effects that were not associated with anxiety, were not important motivators of cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: As cannabis use may precipitate relapse in this population, it is important to reduce these motivators of use. Clinician's must assess and treat these problems, thus reducing the need for patients to self-medicate with cannabis, and therefore reducing the risk of relapse.

Adolescent↗