Psychology posts
- March 8, 2017
- 04:09 AM
- 352 views
Blocking FRAAs and thyroid function in autism (continued)
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
Readers of this post are advised to check out a previous blogging occasion describing how 'FRAAs - folate receptor alpha autoantibodies - may correlate with reduced thyroid function in cases of autism' before heading into this entry on the recent paper published by Richard Frye and colleagues [1].You're back already? OK, well just in case you didn't read that last entry (đ), it's worthwhile first noting that: "Folate receptor Îą (FRÎą) autoantibodies (FRAAs) are prevalent in autism spectrum d........ Read more »
Frye RE, Wynne R, Rose S, Slattery J, Delhey L, Tippett M, Kahler SG, Bennuri SC, Melnyk S, Sequeira JM.... (2017) Thyroid dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorder is associated with folate receptor alpha autoimmune disorder. Journal of neuroendocrinology. PMID: 28199771
- March 7, 2017
- 05:23 AM
- 392 views
Herbal medicines 'for' ADHD systematically reviewed
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
The paper by Dennis Anheyer and colleagues [1] (open-access available here) is offered up for your reading consumption today, and the results of a review of the available published science - "Only randomized controlled trails (RCT)" (authors' spelling mistake not mine) - looking at the use of herbal medicines for the treatment/management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).OK I know some people read the term 'herbal medicine' and automatically think 'woo'. If I instead use th........ Read more »
Anheyer D, Lauche R, Schumann D, Dobos G, & Cramer H. (2017) Herbal medicines in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A systematic review. Complementary therapies in medicine, 14-23. PMID: 28137522
- March 6, 2017
- 07:32 AM
- 357 views
The growing divide between higher and low impact scientific journals
by Richard Kunert in Brain's Idea
Ten years ago the Public Library of Science started one big lower impact and a series of smaller higher impact journals. Over the years these publication outlets diverged. The growing divide between standard and top journals might mirror wider trends in scholarly publishing. There are roughly two kinds of journals in the Public Library of […]... Read more »
Vale, R.D. (2015) Accelerating scientific publication in biology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 13439-13446. DOI: 10.1101/022368
- March 6, 2017
- 05:25 AM
- 399 views
"Logical fallacies in animal model research"
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
A paper which is a bit 'out of left field' is presented for your reading pleasure today and how one should be rather careful about how animal research - "with focus on animal models of mental illness" - is translated into relevance to humans [1].The paper by Espen Sjoberg is pertinent to various diagnostic labels including depression and schizophrenia. I would perhaps disagree with the author including autism under the specific heading of 'mental illness' (bearing in mind various mental hea........ Read more »
Sjoberg EA. (2017) Logical fallacies in animal model research. Behavioral and Brain Functions. info:/10.1186/s12993-017-0121-8
- March 6, 2017
- 12:46 AM
- 433 views
If Collectivists like Social Groups, and Cities are Social Groups, do Collectivists like Cities?
by Mark Rubin in Mark Rubin's Social Psychology Research Blog
Do you like the place where you live? Maybe its got great architecture, its clean and crime free, the housing is cheap, and/or the nightlife is good? But maybe your liking for the place is also related to something else - your own tendency to identify with social groups? In some recent research, my colleagues and I investigated this issue by considering the relations between collectivism, city identification, and city evaluation.Collectivism is a sociocultural orientation towards perceiving the ........ Read more »
Rubin, M., Badea, C., Condie, J., Mahfud, Y., Morrison, T., & Peker, M. (2017) Individual differences in collectivism predict city identification and city evaluation in Australian, French, and Turkish cities. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 9-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.01.007
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- March 5, 2017
- 06:37 PM
- 532 views
Do you crave music like you crave a cookie?
by Kiralee Musgrove in Neuroscientist on music
Imagine there is a cookie sitting in front of you. You are hungry. You have been on a diet for months. If you have to look at one more raw, paleo, gluten free snack you are going to scream.... Read more »
Lehne, M., & Koelsch, S. (2015) Toward a general psychological model of tension and suspense. Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00079
Naqvi, N., Gaznick, N., Tranel, D., & Bechara, A. (2014) The insula: A critical neural substrate for craving and drug seeking under conflict and risk. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 53-70. PMID: 24690001
Saarikallio, S., Nieminen, S., & Brattico, E. (2012) Affective reactions to musical stimuli reflect emotional use of music in everyday life. Musicae Scientiae, 17(1), 27-39. DOI: 10.1177/1029864912462381
- March 4, 2017
- 05:43 AM
- 364 views
Fatigue in adults with a 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
The genetic condition called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) has, on occasion, provided some research fodder for this blog (see here and see here). The reason for its inclusion here has tended to be around the 'overlap' in the presentation of 22q11.2 and autism/autistic features and the importance of appropriate screening as and when an autism diagnosis is received (see here). Remember: receipt of an autism diagnosis is a starting point not the finishing line.Today I'm once again talk........ Read more »
Vergaelen E, Claes S, Kempke S, & Swillen A. (2017) High prevalence of fatigue in adults with a 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. American journal of medical genetics. Part A. PMID: 28190295
- March 3, 2017
- 08:02 AM
- 427 views
Stereotypes, rudeness, sleepy (and punitive) judges, assumptions and freak airplane accidents
by Rita Handrich in The Jury Room
Time for another combination post of various things you will want to know that will improve your conversation skills and general life knowledge. We are not saying that it will make your hair shiny or inspire your kids to do their homework. Kernels of wisdom, thatâs what they are, in truth. Talking to your kids […]... Read more »
Sanchez DT, Chaney KE, Manuel SK, Wilton LS, & Remedios JD. (2017) Stigma by Prejudice Transfer: Racism threatens white women and sexism threatens men of color. Psychological Science. info:/
- March 3, 2017
- 03:56 AM
- 392 views
Poverty status and autism, ADHD and asthma
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
The paper by Christian Pulcini and colleagues [1] talking about poverty status potentially influencing "parent-reported lifetime prevalence and comorbidities" when it comes to three target conditions (autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] and asthma) should have been a call to action. Concluding that "poor and near poor children had a higher lifetime prevalence of asthma and ADHD, but not ASD [autism spectrum disorder]" [2], some of the findings have instead attracted crit........ Read more »
Pulcini CD, Zima BT, Kelleher KJ, & Houtrow AJ. (2017) Poverty and Trends in Three Common Chronic Disorders. Pediatrics. PMID: 28193790
- March 2, 2017
- 04:11 AM
- 403 views
Subgroups in autism (without intellectual disability)
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Children with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] without ID [intellectual disability] could be differentiated into Moderate and Severe Social Impairment subgroups when core ASD symptoms were more closely examined."So said the findings reported by Felicity Klopper and colleagues [1] looking at an important part of the autism research scene related to the 'plurality' of the term autism and the seemingly vast range of presentations included under the label. Reliant on data obtained........ Read more »
Felicity Klopper, Renee Testa, Christos Pantelis, & Efstratios Skafidas. (2017) A cluster analysis exploration of autism spectrum disorder subgroups in children without intellectual disability. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. info:/10.1016/j.rasd.2017.01.006
- March 1, 2017
- 11:30 AM
- 356 views
What kind of scratching post do cats prefer?
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Itâs important to provide cats with the right kind of scratching post â and reward them for using it.Inappropriate scratching is a fairly common complaint about cats. Thatâs inappropriate from the ownerâs perspective, because from the catâs point of view they are just doing what comes naturally. Research by Colleen Wilson DVM et al tells us what kind of scratching post to provide in order to keep both cat and owner happy.Cats scratch in order to mark their territory. It leaves a visual........ Read more »
Wilson C, Bain M, DePorter T, Beck A, Grassi V, & Landsberg G. (2016) Owner observations regarding cat scratching behavior: an internet-based survey. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 18(10), 791-7. PMID: 26179574
- March 1, 2017
- 10:27 AM
- 408 views
Politics Trump Healthcare Information: News Coverage of the Affordable Care Act
by Jalees Rehman in The Next Regeneration
Gollust and colleagues found that 55% of the news stories either focused on the politics of the ACA such as political disagreements over its implementation (26.5%) or combined information regarding its politics with information on how it would affect healthcare insurance options (28.6%). Only 45% of the news stories focused exclusively on the healthcare insurance options provided by the law. The politics-focused news stories were also more likely to refer to the law as “Obamacare” wh........ Read more »
Gollust SE, Baum LM, Niederdeppe J, Barry CL, & Fowler EF. (2017) Local Television News Coverage of the Affordable Care Act: Emphasizing Politics Over Consumer Information. American journal of public health. PMID: 28207336
- March 1, 2017
- 08:02 AM
- 399 views
So maybe it doesn’t pay to be beautiful
by Doug Keene in The Jury Room
Or at least, maybe there is no âugliness penaltyâ if you are not beautiful. Weâve written a number of times here about the many benefits given to those who are seen as beautiful or attractive. This paper debunks the stereotype and says that salary goes beyond appearance and individual differences matter too. The researchers used […]... Read more »
Kanazawa, S., & Still, MC. (2017) Is there really a beauty premium or an ugliness penalty on earnings?. Journal of Business and Psychology. info:/
- March 1, 2017
- 04:13 AM
- 363 views
Sex and age might affect comorbidity profiles in autism
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
The paper by Supekar and colleagues [1] provides some food for thought today specifically with the idea that comorbidity profiles accompanying autism might be influenced by age and gender in mind.To quote: "These results highlight crucial differences between cross-sectional comorbidity patterns and their interactions with sex and age, which may aid in the development of effective sex- and age-specific diagnostic/treatment strategies for ASD [autism spectrum disorder] and comorbid condi........ Read more »
Supekar K, Iyer T, & Menon V. (2017) The influence of sex and age on prevalence rates of comorbid conditions in autism. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research. PMID: 28188687
- February 28, 2017
- 03:42 AM
- 371 views
Premature mortality in intellectual disability in Australia (and England)
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"Adults with ID [intellectual disability] experience premature mortality and over-representation of potentially avoidable deaths."The paper by Julian Trollor and colleagues [1] (open-access available here) provides some sombre reading today, as once again the topic of early mortality is raised on this blog. Looking at several measures - the "Age Standardised Mortality Rate (ASMR), Comparative Mortality Figure (CMF), years of productive life lost (YPLL) and proportion of deaths with pot........ Read more »
Trollor J, Srasuebkul P, Xu H, & Howlett S. (2017) Cause of death and potentially avoidable deaths in Australian adults with intellectual disability using retrospective linked data. BMJ open, 7(2). PMID: 28179413
- February 27, 2017
- 06:29 AM
- 452 views
Know your brain: Mammillary bodies
by neurosci in Neuroscientifically Challenged
Where are the mammillary bodies?
The mammillary bodies are part of the diencephalon, which is a collection of structures found between the brainstem and cerebrum. The diencephalon includes the hypothalamus, and the mammillary bodies are found on the inferior surface of the hypothalamus (the side of the hypothalamus that is closer to the brainstem). The mam........ Read more »
Vann SD, & Aggleton JP. (2004) The mammillary bodies: two memory systems in one?. Nature reviews. Neuroscience, 5(1), 35-44. PMID: 14708002
- February 27, 2017
- 04:16 AM
- 406 views
Low muscle tone and autistic traits
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
"This large study showed a prospective association of infant muscle tone with autistic traits in childhood."So said the findings reported by Fadila Serdarevic and colleagues [1] who, looking at nearly 3000 children, were able to assess early motor development and muscle tone "between ages 2 and 5 months" and later parental ratings of autistic traits in children at 6 years of age. Said autistic traits were surveyed using the "the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and the Pervasive Developmental P........ Read more »
Serdarevic F, Ghassabian A, van Batenburg-Eddes T, White T, Blanken LM, Jaddoe VW, Verhulst FC, & Tiemeier H. (2017) Infant muscle tone and childhood autistic traits: A longitudinal study in the general population. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research. PMID: 28181411
- February 26, 2017
- 07:53 PM
- 458 views
Expert Knowledge: Birds and Worms
by Joshua Fisher in Text Savvy
As adults with expert knowledge, we see the logical and mathematical similarities between the “how many more” and “won’t get” situations, and, thus we are easily fooled into believing that applying skills and knowledge in one task is equivalent to doing so in the other.... Read more »
Hudson, T. (1983) Correspondences and Numerical Differences between Disjoint Sets. Child Development, 54(1), 84. DOI: 10.2307/1129864
- February 25, 2017
- 05:07 AM
- 416 views
1 in 5 children "met criteria for low language at 7 years"
by Paul Whiteley in Questioning Answers
Although primarily looking at the potential predictors of language outcome, the study results published by Cristina McKean and colleagues [1] revealed the rather important title heading this blog entry: "Almost 19% of children (22/1204;18.9%) met criteria for low language at 7 years."The source of the finding was a cohort of some 1900 infants "recruited at age 8 to 10 months" who were followed until aged 7 years old and subject to quite a bit of research inspection looking at "early life factors........ Read more »
McKean C, Reilly S, Bavin EL, Bretherton L, Cini E, Conway L, Cook F, Eadie P, Prior M, Wake M.... (2017) Language Outcomes at 7 Years: Early Predictors and Co-Occurring Difficulties. Pediatrics. PMID: 28179482
- February 24, 2017
- 03:30 PM
- 447 views
Irresistible: Emotions affect choice of breed despite welfare issues
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Knowing a breed of dog may have health problems does not stop people from wanting one, because emotions get in the way. A new Danish study by Peter S Sandøe (University of Copenhagen) et al investigates the reasons why people acquire particular small breeds of dog and how attached the owners feel to their pet. The research helps explain why some breeds are popular despite a high incidence of welfare problems. The study looked at people in Denmark with French Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, Cava........ Read more »
Sandøe P,, Kondrup SV,, Bennett PC,, Forkman B,, Meyer I,, Proschowsky HF,, Serpell, JA,, & Lund, TB. (2017) Why do people buy dogs with potential welfare problems related to extreme conformation and inherited disease? A representative study of Danish owners of four small dog breeds. . PLOSOne. info:/
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