Self-Corrected Reaching in a Three-Location Delayed-Response Search Task

Infants watched an experimenter hide a toy in one of three wells and then attempted to retrieve it after a brief delay. Seven-month-olds performed at chance. Nine-month-olds reached correctly on 43% of trials, which is significantly better than chance. After an incorrect reach, infants were allowed to choose between the two remaining locations. Seven-month-olds responded at a chance level on their second reach, but 9-month-olds chose correctly more often than would be expected by chance despite a 10- to 20-s delay between hiding and search. One cause of error on the initial reach was a profound bias toward the center well. In Experiment 2, the wells were covered simultaneously, and the infant's spatial orientation was disrupted during the delay; this procedure eliminated the centripetal bias. Nine-month-olds still responded correctly more often than would be expected by chance on their second reach. These findings suggest that 9-month-olds sometimes have a more durable working memory for location than is generally reported for that age group.

[Brucella spp orchiepididymitis]

OBJECTIVE

To report a brucellar orchiepididymitis case and to review the diagnosis and treatment of this pathology.

METHOD

We present the case of a 62 year old man presenting with fever, testicular pain and constitutional syndrome. The diagnosis was made after ultrasound, blood cultures and anamnesis.

RESULTS

The treatment was Doxiciclin six weeks and teicoplanin, the second one was replaced with ciprofloxacin.

CONCLUSION

It is important to make a correct anamnesis to the patient with orchiepididymitis to identify any risk factor for brucellosis. The diagnosis is confirmed with blood cultures. The oral antibiotics are enough to cure patients.

Separation Anxiety as a Mediator Between Acute Morphine Administration and PTSD Symptoms in Injured Children

Emerging evidence suggests that individuals who receive morphine while hospitalized demonstrate a decrease in symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the mechanisms of effects are not yet well understood. The goal of the current study was to examine three possible mediators for this effect. Sixty-one injured (burns, motor vehicle accidents, falls, and assaults) children were assessed during hospitalization and again 3 months post discharge. Assessment included acute and follow-up child report measures of pain, PTSD, and anxiety symptoms, as well as a medical record review for medication administration and pulse during hospitalization. Pathway analyses were conducted to test the potential mediating roles of pain reduction, noradrenergic attenuation, and separation anxiety on the association between morphine and PTSD. Results suggest that a reduction in separation anxiety may mediate the association between morphine administration and PTSD symptom reduction at 3 months. These findings have implications for our understanding of morphine's effects on psychological functioning following an acute injury and for direct clinical care.

The development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms from infancy through adolescence in a longitudinal sample

This study examined the etiology and course of anxiety symptoms from infancy through adolescence in a longitudinal high-risk community sample. One hundred fifty-five subjects were assessed using a variety of observational, projective, and objective measures. Results of path analyses revealed the following: (a) anxiety symptoms showed moderate stability during childhood and adolescence; (b) heightened neonatal biobehavioral reactivity and poor regulation predicted emotion regulation difficulties in preschool, which predicted anxiety symptoms in childhood; (c) developmental incompetence in childhood predicted anxiety symptoms in preadolescence, and anxiety symptoms in preadolescence predicted incompetence in adolescence; (d) insecure attachment relationships in infancy predicted negative peer relationship representations in preadolescence, and these representations predicted anxiety symptoms in adolescence; (e) compared to males, females showed similar rates of anxiety symptoms in childhood but greater and more stable rates in adolescence; however, males and females showed similar patterns of association between risk factors and anxiety symptoms across childhood and adolescence; and (f) the model tested was specific in predicting anxiety symptoms and not psychopathology in general. The results support a developmental model of the etiology and maintenance of anxiety symptoms in childhood and highlight factors to consider in efforts to prevent and treat childhood anxiety.

Incidence of and Risk Factors for Acute Stress Disorder in Children with Injuries

BACKGROUND

To assess the incidence of and risk factors for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) in children with injuries. Numerous studies have documented the increased incidence of PTSD in those initially diagnosed with ASD. PTSD symptoms cause tremendous morbidity and may persist for many years in some children.

METHODS

Children hospitalized with one or more injuries were interviewed and assessed with the following: Child Stress Disorders Checklist (CSDC), Family Strains Scale, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and Facial Pain Scale.

RESULTS

Participants included sixty-five children (ages 7-18 years). The mechanisms of injury varied (e.g. MVC, penetrating). The mean injury severity score was 8.9 +/- 7. The mean length of hospital stay was 4.6 +/- 4.6 days. Altogether, 18 (27.7%) of participants met DSM IV criteria for ASD during their acute hospital stay. Risk factors such as level of family stress, caregiver stress, child's experience of pain, and child's age were predictive of acute stress symptoms.

CONCLUSION

We have identified four risk factors of ASD that have implications for the treatment, and possibly, preventative intervention for PTSD. Further investigation and greater understanding of risk factors for ASD in children with injuries may facilitate the design of acute interventions to prevent the long-term negative outcomes of traumatic events.

Associations among maternal depressive symptomatology, state of mind and parent and child behaviors: implications for attachment-based interventions

Associations among maternal depressive symptomatology, maternal state of mind with regard to attachment, and mother and child behaviors were examined in the treatment groups of an attachment-oriented intervention for primiparous women at high risk for parenting difficulties. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was completed by 48 intervention and 62 control subjects when their children were 19 months old and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Inventory (CES-D) and parent-child laboratory tasks were completed by the same subjects when their children were 24 months old. In the control group, preoccupied tendencies were repeatedly associated with poor outcome; in the intervention group coherence of mind was associated with positive outcome. Maternal depression tended to be associated with hostility in the intervention group. Results suggest that maternal state of mind may exert powerful effects on parenting behavior and that an attachment-oriented intervention may influence these associations, particularly among preoccupied subjects. Results also demonstrated potential benefits of using AAI scales in addition to the traditional categories.

Predicting parenting behaviors from Antisocial Practices content scale scores of the MMPI-2 administered during pregnancy

This article examines the relation between scores on the Antisocial Practices (ASP) content scale of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2; Butcher, Dahlstrom, Graham, Tellegen, & Kaemmer, 1989) and parenting behaviors in a sample of low-income women. During pregnancy, 141 women were administered the MMPI-2 and then placed into 1 of 3 groups: an antisocial, nonclinical, or clinical control group. When their children were 13 and 24 months old, antisocial mothers were observed to be less understanding and more hostile and harsh in their parenting styles than mothers in the other groups. The nonclinical and clinical control groups did not differ on any measures. Other MMPI-2 measures of antisocial behavior were not predictive of harsh parenting styles. These findings support the predictive and construct validity of the ASP content scale of the MMPI-2.

Long term follow-up results of a femoral megaprosthesis. A review of thirteen patients

A total of 16 patients were treated with a femoral megaprosthesis at the University Hospital of Pellenberg. Their charts were reviewed and 13 patients were seen for a follow-up study. The indications for this procedure were revisions of a total hip arthroplasty and primary bone tumors. The aspects of the operative technique and postoperative management are discussed. A careful reconstruction of the abduction apparatus and a post-operative immobilisation for a period of 3 months seems to be important to prevent post-operative dislocation and to obtain an adequate functional result. The operation seems to be successful regarding the absence of pain and a restored function.

[Pure spondylar dysplasia or brachyolmy. Apropos of a case]

A case of brachyolmy in a 13 year-old girl is reported. Growth retardation was detected when the child was 5 year old and became severe when 13 years. It concerned only the trunk, limbs being normal. Kyphoscoliosis, akromikia of hands and feet, slight facial dysmorphy with flat nose and thick lips were present. Characteristic radiological features were observed: kyphoscoliosis, platyspondyly with transversally enlarged and irregular vertebrae. Morphological changes of the other epiphyses were minimal: short and squat colla femorii and reduced size of the aleae ilii. Mental development was normal and polyvisceral examination unremarkable. No biological changes were demonstrable, mucopolysaccharides and urinary acids having been found normal. This condition may be transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait.