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- Department Psychologie (78) (remove)
When we fixate our gaze on a stable object, our eyes move continuously with extremely small involuntary and autonomic movements, that even we are unaware of during their occurrence. One of the roles of these fixational eye movements is to prevent the adaptation of the visual system to continuous illumination and inhibit fading of the image. These random, small movements are restricted at long time scales so as to keep the target at the centre of the field of view. In addition, the synchronisation properties between both eyes are related to binocular coordination in order to provide stereopsis. We investigated the roles of different time scale behaviours, especially how they are expressed in the different spatial directions (vertical versus horizontal). We also tested the synchronisation between both eyes. Results show different scaling behaviour between horizontal and vertical movements. When the small ballistic movements, i.e., microsaccades, are removed, the scaling behaviour in both axes becomes similar. Our findings suggest that microsaccades enhance the persistence at short time scales mostly in the horizontal component and much less in the vertical component. We also applied the phase synchronisation decay method to study the synchronisation between six combinations of binocular fixational eye movement components. We found that the vertical-vertical components of right and left eyes are significantly more synchronised than the horizontal-horizontal components. These differences may be due to the need for continuously moving the eyes in the horizontal plane in order to match the stereoscopic image for different viewing distances.
Objective: To clarify the nature of the association between dopamine genes and smoking by examining whether genetic variability in components of the dopamine pathway could explain refined phenotypes in adolescent smoking progression. Method: Data are from an ongoing prospective study of the long-term outcome of early risk factors studied since birth. At age 15 years, 220 participants (108 males, 112 females) completed a self-report questionnaire measuring smoking behavior and were genotyped for five dopamine gene variants. Results: Smoking initiation was related to allelic variation in the dopamine D-4 receptor gene (DRD4), whereas smoking continuation and dependence showed association with the dopamine D-2 receptor gene (DRD2). Adolescents with the seven-repeat allele of the common DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism had rates of ever smoking that were significantly higher than in those with other genotypes. Once smoking started, carriers of the T allele of a single nucleotide polymorphism of DRD2 (rs4648317) reported higher rates of current smoking and scored higher on nicotine dependence than their allelic counterparts. Among current smokers, intention to quit was significantly lower in adolescents homozygous for the 10-repeat allele of the common dopamine transporter 3 untranslated region polymorphism. Conclusions: Our results provide preliminary evidence of genetic influences on different stages of smoking and suggest the importance of specific dopamine genes in smoking progression in adolescence.
Neuronal activity in area LIP is correlated with the perceived direction of ambiguous apparent motion (Z. M. Williams, J. C. Elfar, E. N. Eskandar, L. J. Toth, & J. A. Assad, 2003). Here we show that a similar correlation exists for small eye movements made during fixation. A moving dot grid with superimposed fixation point was presented through an aperture. In a motion discrimination task, unambiguous motion was compared with ambiguous motion obtained by shifting the grid by half of the dot distance. In three experiments we show that (a) microsaccadic inhibition, i.e., a drop in microsaccade frequency precedes reports of perceptual flips, (b) microsaccadic inhibition does not accompany simple response changes, and (c) the direction of microsaccades occurring before motion onset biases the subsequent perception of ambiguous motion. We conclude that microsaccades provide a signal on which perceptual judgments rely in the absence of objective disambiguating stimulus information.
Sequence learning at optimal stimulus-response mapping : evidence from a serial reaction-time task
(2008)
We propose a new version of the serial reaction time (SRT) task in which participants merely looked at the target instead of responding manually. As response locations were identical to target locations, stimulus - response compatibility was maximal in this task. We demonstrated that saccadic response times decreased during training and increased again when a new sequence was presented. It is unlikely that this effect was caused by stimulus - response (S - R) learning because bonds between (visual) stimuli and (oculomotor) responses were already well established before the experiment started. Thus, the finding shows that the building of S - R bonds is not essential for learning in the SRT task.
Objective To demonstrate that children homozygous for the 10-repeat allele of the common dopamine transporter (DAT1) polymorphism who were exposed to maternal prenatal smoke exhibited significantly higher hyperactivity-impulsivity than children without these environmental or genetic risks. Study design We performed a prospective longitudinal study from birth into early adulthood monitoring the long-term outcome of early risk factors. Maternal prenatal smoking was determined during a standardized interview with the mother when the child was 3 months old. At age 15 years, 305 adolescents participated in genotyping for the DAT1 40 base pair variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism and assessment of inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and oppositional defiant/conduct disorder symptoms with die Kiddie- Sads-Present and Lifetime Version. Results There was no bivariate association between DAT1 genotype, prenatal smoke exposure and symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, a significant interaction between DAT1 genotype and prenatal smoke exposure emerged (P =.012), indicating that males with prenatal smoke exposure who were homozygous for the DAT1 10r allele had higher hyperactivity-impulsivity than males from all other groups. In females, no significant main effects of DAT1 genotype or prenatal smoke exposure or interaction effects on any symptoms were evident (all P >.25). Conclusions This study provides further evidence for the multifactorial nature of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the importance of studying both genetic and environmental factors and their interaction.
Verhaltensdiagnostik
(2008)
Unter Verhaltensdiagnostik versteht man ein Buendel diagnostischer Instrumente, die darauf abzielen, die aenderungsmoeglichkeiten von Problemverhalten zu eruieren. Verhaltensdiagnostik ist das klassische diagnostische Vorgehen der Verhaltenstherapie. Ausgehend von einer Analyse des Problemverhaltens und der Bedingungen seines Auftretens werden durch verschiedene Techniken Hinweise zu seiner Genese und seiner Aufrechterhaltung erwartet. Vertreter der Verhaltensdiagnostik sehen sie als Alternative und im Gegensatz zur klassischen Eigenschaftsdiagnostik (Reinecker-Hecht & Baumann, 1998), zu der die Ergebnisse aus psychologischen Testverfahren zur Erfassung von Intelligenzleistungen und Persoenlichkeitsmerkmalen ebenso zaehlen wie die Diagnostischen Klassifikationssysteme (z.B. ICD-10 oder DSM- IV)à.
Fragebogenverfahren haben in einer multimethodalen Diagnostik ihren festen Platz, obwohl ihre Grenzen stets beachtet werden muessen. Fragebogenverfahren stellen im diagnostischen Prozess eine einfache und oekonomische Variante der standardisierten Datenerhebung dar (Fombonne 1991). Mit ihrer Hilfe koennen kostenguenstig parallel Informationen zu identischen Problembereichen von verschiedenen Informanten (Lehrern, Eltern, Jugendlichen) eingeholt werden (Esser u. Wyschkon 2004). Ein isolierter Einsatz von Fragebogenverfahren birgt jedoch stets die Gefahr grober Fehler (Fisseni 1991, Merten 1999), somit sind individuelle Diagnosen, die allein auf Fragebogenverfahren beruhen, als im hohen Maße unzuverlaessig einzustufen (Esser et al. 2006). Als Vorauswahlverfahren sind Fragebogenverfahren dagegen durchaus nuetzlich (Merten 1999). Ihr Vorteil fuer Forschung und Praxis ist, dass sie "... leicht kommunizierbare, replizierbare, mathematisch zu verarbeitende Ergebnisse liefern" (S. 160). Mit Hilfe von Fragebogenverfahren kann z.B. oekonomisch erfasst werden, ob ueberhaupt eine psychische Stoerung vorliegt, die dann genauer untersucht werden kann (Poustka 1988). Fragebogenverfahren ergaenzen somit Interviewverfahren und machen deren Einsatz wirkungsvoller. Die klinische Diagnostik hat daher großen Bedarf an validierten Fragebogenverfahren, deren Zahl sich in den letzten 10 Jahren deutlich vergroeßert hat.
The ability to perceive interoceptive signals plays a central role in many theories of emotions. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between interoceptive awareness and the conscious processing and memory of emotional information. Heart-rate changes were recorded during baseline and affective picture presentation in two groups of participants, differing in cardiac awareness. After a 60-minute break, a recognition task was conducted. Statistical analyses revealed significantly stronger heart-rate deceleration to pleasant and unpleasant stimuli in participants with high interoceptive awareness. In the subsequent picture recognition task, participants with high interoceptive awareness demonstrated a superior recall of pleasant and unpleasant pictures, while no differences were found between interoceptive awareness groups for pictures of neutral content. Our results demonstrate a strong relationship between the perception of cardiac signals and both the processing as well as the recognition of emotional stimuli. High interoceptive awareness was related to increased physiological responses to emotional stimuli and is therefore an important mediating variable when investigating cardiovascular reactivity both in healthy subjects as well as in clinical populations.
Abstract Alexithymia is characterized by a difficulty in identifying and describing one"s emotions. This study addressed the question of whether alexithymic tendencies are related to limited affective reactivity to briefly presented emotional stimuli. Skin conductance responses were assessed and backward masking was used to minimize elaborated processing of emotional pictures. Results indicated that alexithymic tendencies are associated with smaller electrodermal responses to briefly presented negative pictures. These effects were driven by difficulties in identifying and communicating emotions whereas externally orientated thinking was unrelated to affective reactivity. We conclude that there is an early processing deficit in response to negative stimuli in participants with high scores in alexithymia. Differences in the early emotional reactivity to arousing material could contribute to difficulties in emotional processes related to alexithymia.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the olfactory detection threshold subtest of the Sniffin" Sticks test battery, if administered repeatedly on 4 time points. The detection threshold test was repeatedly conducted in 64 healthy subjects. On the first testing session, the threshold test was accomplished 3 times (T(1) = 0 min, T(2) = 35 min, and T(3) = 105 min), representing a short-term testing. A fourth threshold test was conducted on a second testing session (T(4) = 35.1 days after the first testing session), representing a long-term testing. The average scores for olfactory detection threshold for n-butanol did not differ significantly across the 4 points of time. The test-retest reliability (Pearson"s r) between the 4 time points of threshold testing were in a range of 0.43-0.85 (P < 0.01). These results support the notion that the olfactory detection threshold test is a highly reliable method for repeated olfactory testing, even if the test is repeated more than once per day and over a long-term period. It is concluded that the olfactory detection threshold test of the Sniffin" Sticks is suitable for repeated testing during experimental or clinical studies.
Enuresis
(2008)
Die meisten Kinder werden mit 2 bis 4 Jahren am Tage und in der Nacht trocken. Gemäß den klinisch- diagnostischen Leitlinien der ICD-10 (WHO 1993) spricht man von einer Enuresis, wenn es am Tag oder in der Nacht zu einem Entleeren der Blase in die Kleidung bzw. das Bett kommt, die relativ zum geistigen Entwicklungsstand der Person abnorm ist und nicht auf organische Ursachen zurückgeführt werden kann. Die Störungen der Blasenkontrolle dürfen nicht als Folge einer neurologischen Erkrankung, epileptischer Anfälle oder einer strukturellen Anomalie der ableitenden Harnwege auftreten. Gemäß den Forschungskriterien der ICD-10 (WHO 1994) muss das einnässende Kind nach seinem Lebens- und geistigen Alter mindestens 5 Jahre alt sein, um von einer nichtorganischen Enuresis (F 98.0) zu sprechen (in den klinisch-diagnostischen Leitlinien wird ein geistiger Entwicklungsstand gefordert, der mindestens dem eines Vierjährigen entspricht). Um die Diagnose zu erhalten, müssen Kinder unter 7 Jahren zumindest 2mal monatlich, 7-jährige oder ältere Kinder wenigstens einmal im Monat einnässen. Die Symptomdauer sollte mindestens 3 Monate betragen. In der Literatur wird synonym zum Begriff der "nichtorganischen Enuresis" häufig die Bezeichnung "funktionelle Enuresis" verwendet. Auch nach dem DSM-IV (Saß et al. 1996) sollten die Kinder für die Diagnose einer Enuresis (307.6) zumindest ein Entwicklungsalter von 5 Jahren aufweisen und die Symptomatik muss wenigstens seit 3 Monaten bestehen. Im Unterschied zur ICD-10 wird das Einnässen erst dann als klinisch bedeutsam beurteilt, wenn es mindestens 2mal wöchentlich auftritt. Ist dies nicht gegeben, kann die Diagnose dennoch gestellt werden, wenn durch das Einnässen klinisch bedeutsames Leiden hervorgerufen wird oder Beeintraechtigungen in sozialen, schulischen (beruflichen) oder anderen wichtigen Funktionsbereichen entstehen. Die Forderung eines 2mal wöchentlichen Einnässens erscheint deutlich zu streng, während das ein- bzw. 2malige Einnässen pro Monat ein sehr weiches Kriterium darstellt. V. Gontard (1998b) empfiehlt, Einnässen dann als klinisch bedeutsam einzuschätzen, wenn dies mindestens einmal wöchentlich auftritt.
Epidemiologie des Alkoholkonsums im Jugendalter : Ergebnisse repräsentativer Bevölkerungsstudien
(2008)
Depression
(2008)
OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the potential relationship between classification of emotional faces and impaired central processing in eating disorders and to investigate the potential mediatory role of alexithymia and depression in this relationship. METHODS: Visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) to emotional faces and classification performance were assessed in 12 anorexic females and matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Patients with anorexia nervosa showed no modulation of emotional face processing and displayed significantly increased N200 amplitudes in response to all emotional categories and decreased VEPs in response to unpleasant emotional faces in the P300 time range as compared with healthy controls. They also made more mistakes in emotional face recognition, in particular, for neutral, sad, and disgusted content. CONCLUSIONS: There are marked differences in evoked potentials and emotion recognition performances of patients with anorexia nervosa and controls in facial processing. Differences in brain dynamics might contribute to difficulties in the correct recognition of facially expressed emotions, deficits in social functioning, and in turn the maintenance of eating disorders.
OBJECTIVE: Interoceptive awareness is known to be impaired in eating disorders. To date, it has remained unclear whether this variable is related to the construct of interoceptive sensitivity. Interoceptive sensitivity is considered to be an essential variable in emotional processes. The objective of the study was to elucidate this potential relationship and to clarify whether general interoceptive sensitivity is reduced in anorexia nervosa. METHODS: Using a heartbeat perception task, interoceptive sensitivity was assessed in 28 female patients with anorexia nervosa and 28 matched healthy controls. Questionnaires assessing interoceptive awareness (EDI) and several other variables were also administered. RESULTS: Patients with anorexia nervosa displayed significantly decreased interoceptive sensitivity. They also had more difficulties in interoceptive awareness. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to a decreased ability to recognize certain visceral sensations related to hunger, there is a generally reduced capacity to accurately perceive bodily signals in anorexia nervosa. This highlights the potential importance of interoceptive sensitivity in the pathogenesis of eating disorders.
Projektive Testverfahren
(2008)
Projektive Testverfahren folgen der Grundannahme, dass ein moeglichst vieldeutiges Testmaterial nach der Theorie der sozialen Wahrnehmung dazu fuehrt, dass die Persoenlichkeit des Probanden zum wichtigsten Faktor seines Testverhaltens wird. Projektive Testverfahren erfuellen im allgemeinen die Guetekriterien der klinischen Testtheorie nicht. Sie sind daher allenfalls als explorative Techniken vertretbar. Der Familie - in - Tieren Test soll Rueckschluesse auf die Familienstruktur aus der Sicht des Kindes geben. Einblicke in die Erlebniswelt des Kindes verspricht der Thematische Apperzeptionstest nach Murray. Auf die Familienbeziehungen zentriert ist der Familien- Beziehungs-Test von Howells und Lickorisch. Die Reaktionen der Versuchspersonen in frustrierenden Belastungssituationen versucht das einzige normierte projektive Testverfahren, der Rosenzweig Picture - Frustration - Test, zu objektivieren. Der Scenotest hat zum Ziel mit standardisiertem Spielmaterial Einblicke in die Erlebniswelt des Kindes zu gewinnen, die sich der direkten Befragung verschließen.
Entspannungsverfahren
(2008)
Olfactory performance of patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy subjects in hunger and satiety
(2008)
The aim of this study was to compare the olfactory performance of anorectic patients and healthy controls with regard to the state of satiety. Using the Sniffin" Sticks, sensitivity to a nonfood odor (n-butanol) and to a food- related odor (isoamyl acetate) was assessed in 12 anorectic females and compared with 24 healthy controls. Threshold tests were performed in a hungry as well as in a satiated state, odor discrimination and odor identification only when satiated. Pleasantness of the odors was recorded. In terms of the non-food odor n-butanol, the olfactory sensitivity of anorectic patients and controls did not differ. Patients with anorexia nervosa had a significantly lower detection threshold for the food-related odor, but only in the hungry condition. Anorectic patients showed significant deficits in odor discrimination and identification, and under-evaluated the pleasantness of isoamyl acetate. Our results suggest an impaired projection from secondary to tertiary olfactory structures in anorexia nervosa, based upon the dichotomy of performance between detection threshold and odor discrimination/dentification. The reduced pleasantness of isoamyl acetate indicates a decreased olfactory responsiveness to food stimuli in anorexia nervosa.
Elternberatung
(2008)
Lehrbuch der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen : 90 Tabellen
(2008)
Benefits of graphic design expertise in old age : compensatory effects of a graphical lexicon?
(2008)
Diese Studie untersuchte die vermittelnden Prozesse, die den Effekten familiaerer Strukturmerkmale (soziooekonomischer Status, Bildungsniveau, Migrationshintergrund) auf das Lernen eines Textes zugrunde liegen. Es wurde ein Pfadmodell getestet, das familiaere Prozessmerkmale (z.B. Besitz von Kulturguetern) und individuelle Faktoren (z.B. Lesemotiva-tion) als Mediatoren beruecksichtigt. Als Indikator fuer das Textlernen diente die mittels Verifikationstest erfasste situative Textrepraesentation. Das Modell wurde anhand einer Stichprobe von 414 15-jaehrigen Schuelerinnen und Schuelern ueberprueft und weitgehend bestaetigt. Mit wenigen Ausnahmen waren die angenommenen Mediatoren an der Vermittlung familiaerer Einfluesse auf das Textlernen beteiligt. Als besonders einflussreiche Mediatoren erwiesen sich der Besitz von Kulturguetern, die kognitive Grundfaehigkeit, die intrinsische Lesemotivation, das Vorwissen und das metakognitive Strategiewissen.
The processing of afferent bodily signals is not only of great importance for the control of homeostatic and adaptive processes within the body but, in combination with the perceptibility of internal, bodily reactions ("interoceptive sensitivity"), also influences the regulation of complex cognitive, emotional and behavioral processes. This review article outlines the theoretical basis of interoceptive sensititivity and illustrates recent neuroscientific research and results.