bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ways of telling new parents about their child and his or her mental handicap: a comparison of doctors’and parents’views
Authors: NURSEY A. D. , ROHDE J. R. , FARMER R. D. T.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Views about ways of telling parents their child has a mental handicap were collected from a group of parents of children with mental handicaps and a group of doctors with some involvement in this field, using postal questionnaires. Four Likerttype scales were refined covering views about the fullness of information, how early parents should be told, whether parents should be protected from shock and unpleasant information, and who should take a primary role in decision‐making. Results indicated that parents were more in favour of being given information about their children's handicaps at an early stage than doctors were, and that they saw themselves as the primary decision‐makers in matters to do with their children, whilst doctors were more neutral about this. There were no differences in how parents and doctors felt about the fullness of explanations or about the explicit‘protection’of parents from shock and unpleasant information. The results support the findings of other studies which have stressed parents’wishes to be given as much information as early as possible and to be treated as the people primarily responsible for their child. In addition, a difference between what doctors believe to be the best approach and what parents believe to be the best approach is suggested, and the importance of doctors being given opportunities to learn directly from parents and people with mental handicaps themselves is emphasized.
The pervalence of severe mental handicap in Northern Ireland
Authors: MALLION J. R. , MacKay D. N. , McDonald G. , WILSON R.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. There are four administrative areas (Health and Social Services Boards) in Northern Ireland. Two prevalence surveys, carried out several years apart, show that there is a significant geographical gradient in the rates of severe mental handicap (IQ <50). The rates in the 20‐29‐year‐old groups in the Eastern and Northern Boards range between 4.07 and 4.82 per thousand; comparable rates in the Southern and Western Boards range between 5.17 and 6.37. A similar gradient was discernible in the distribution of Down's syndrome.
A family with three sisters with the 4p‐ syndrome, originally reported as suffering from the Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz syndrome
Authors: HILL S. , CREASY M. , BUNDEY S.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The authors further describe investigations of a family originally reported by Bundey & Smyth in 1974 with a diagnosis of the Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz syndrome. Chromosome studies performed for the fourth time revealed that the mother had a presumptive t(4;22) translocation. The importance of reviewing earlier diagnoses, including repeating the chromosome studies if indicated, in order to arrive at a more accurate diagnosis is stressed. It is also important to provide the cytogenetics laboratory with clues to any possible clinically‐recognisable chromosome syndrome, and to be prepared to examine the chromosomes of the parents of the affected case, even if the patient's karyotype appears normal. In this particular family, the correct diagnosis in the affected girls led to a realization that their brother had a 50% risk of producing unbalanced offspring.
Reversal of unconsciousness by use of naloxone in a profoundly mentally handicapped epileptic
Authors: TURNER M. , STEWART M.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The reversal of a state of impaired consciousness in a known epileptic following a period of prolonged post‐ictal unconsciousness (with flexor response to nociceptive stimuli) was achieved by use of 0.4 mg naloxone intravenously. This decision was based on the similarity of the individuals clinical presentation to that seen in cases of opiate overdose. The implications of this dramatic clinical intervention are discussed.
Counselling and supporting parents of children with developmental delay: a research evaluation
Authors: DAVIS H. , RUSHTON R.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT.This paper describes an evaluation study of a home‐based, family focussed counselling scheme providing support for English‐speaking and Bangladeshi families of children wilh intellectual or multiple disabilities. Mothers and children in the intervention groups showed significant and positive changes compared to randomly allocated controls. The greatest benefits were derived by the more deprived and initially less well‐supportcd Bangladeshi families. Mothers changed positively in ratings of perceived support and family functioning, and in their constructions of their child, themselves, husbands and family relationships. Although systematic teaching was not included, their children also showed improvements in developmental progress and behaviour problems.
Rehearsal training and short‐term free‐recall of sign and word labels by severely handicapped children
Authors: BOWLER D. M.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. An experiment is reported in which eight scverely handicapped children were taught to rehearse lists of five manual sign labels or five word labels during the delay periods of a short‐term, free‐recall task. The results showed that the rehearsal training had an overall facilitatory effect on recall and that this effect was more pronounced for signs than for words, especially in the recency portion of the serial position curve. Follow‐up after 3 weeks showed that the differential facilitatory effect for signs was maintained. The findings are discussed in the context both of existing memory studies for signed stimuli and in terms of their implications for the use of signs in educational settings.
Consanguinity and mental retardation
Authors: MADHAVAN T. , NARAYAN J.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Consanguinity among parents as a cause of mental retardation in their children is debatable. The present study was conducted to find out the effect of consanguinity on mental retardation where the causative factor is not established. A total of 517 mentally retarded persons and their families were studied out of which 160 were born of consanguineous marriage and 357 were of non‐consanguineous marriage. The results indicated that, when there is a history of mental retardation in the family and if the parents are consanguineously married, the risk of mental retardation in the offspring is significantly high (x2=11.52; P<0.001). Among the consanguineously married families, the blood relationship of uncle‐niece seems to have the highest risk of affecting the offsprings. The implications are discussed in detail.
Mitochondrial myopathy in Marinesco‐Sjögren syndrome
Authors: TORBERGSEN T. , AASLY J. , BORUD O. , LINDAL S. , MELLGREN S.‐I.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Myopathy represents one of the major features of Marinesco‐Sjögren syndrome (MSS). Seven patients with MSS from three different families were studied with morphological and neurophysiological methods. In two patients ragged‐red fibres were found after Gomori trichrome staining. Transmission electron microscopy (EM) showed that subsarcolemmal accumulation of abnormal mitochondria regularly occurred and in one patient paracrystalline inclusion bodies were found. The EMG showed myopathic changes while the nerve condition velocities were normal. A delayed normalization of exercised‐induced hyperlactatemia was noted. These findings show that mitochondrial myopathic changes are present in MSS.
Phenylketonuria and anorexia nervosa
Authors: CLARKE D. J. , YAPA P.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. A girl with phenylketonuria and mild mental retardation developed a behaviour disorder and anorexia nervosa at the age of 14. The anorexic symptoms disappeared at the age of 20, but the behaviour disorder worsened, leading to compulsory detention in a psychiatric hospital. Serum phenylalanine levels may have influenced the course of the disorder.
Somatomedin C (insulin‐like growth factor 1) in adults with Down's syndrome
Authors: HESTNES A. , STOVNER L. J. , HUSØY Ø. , FØLLING I. , SJAASTAD O.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. In a Norwegian institution for the mentally retarded, 29 adults with chromosomally verified Down's syndrome were compared to other mentally retarded patients with respect to serum somatomedin C (SmC) (insulin‐like growth factor 1 [IGF‐1]). Contrary to what has been observed in children, no shortage of SmC could be demonstrated in the adults with Down's syndrome. The results were within the normal range, and there was no difference between those with Down's syndrome and the other mentally retarded patients. Human growth hormone (HGH) and body height were studied in a previous work. Some correlations with these data are, nevertheless, included herein because they are of relevance. SmC correlated with body height in Down's syndrome, while there was no correlation between SmC and HGH or between HGH and body height.
Memory for spatial location in retarded and nonretarded persons
Authors: KATZ E. R. , ELLIS N. R.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Item memory and memory for spatial location were examined in college students, mildly retarded persons and moderately retarded persons. They performed under semantic or nonsemantic encoding instructions to remember pictures presented in a large book. Recall and relocation (unexpected) tests followed immediately after studying the pictures and, again, 24 h later. Mildly retarded persons were deficient in memory for items (effortful processing), but not in memory for location (automatic processing). Moderately retarded persons were deficient in both types of memory. Additionally, there were IQ‐related differences in the long‐term memory of location information, as well as item information. Location memory, as opposed to item memory, was shown to be (1) sensitive to encoding instruction, (2) insensitive to differences in intelligence, and (3) more sensitive to long‐term forgetfulness.
A study of the homeostatic level of stereotypy and other motor movements of persons with mental handicaps
Authors: REPP A. C. , KARSH K. G. , DEITZ D. E. D. , SINGH N. N.
Published: July 2010

Stereotypy is one of the most common behaviours demonstrated by persons with mental handicaps. As such, it has generated a number of theories concerning its origin or maintenance. One of these theories, the homeostatic one, suggests that some persons engage in stereotypies and other motor behaviours in order to maintain a relatively constant level of responding. If this was indeed true, the fact would have important implications for treatment, i.e. those persons who varied rates of both stereotypy and other movements but retained an overall level of motoric responding would seem to be those for whom procedures like the differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviour would be highly appropriate. The purpose of this paper was to determine whether some people do engage in constant levels of responding, and it did so by collecting data on stereotypy and other motor movements of 12 persons with retardation. Collected throughout the sehool day for 5 consecutive days on micro‐computers, the data showed (1) that the stereotypic responding of four subjects was extraordinarily consistent, with the most deviant day's total being only 15 or 16% from the mean of the 5 days, (2) that other motor movements were inconsistent for all but one subject, but (3) that total movement (i.e. stereotypy plus other motor movements) was very high and was consistent for most subjects. The data were discussed in terms of assessing baselines for subjects for whom reinforcing adaptive motor movements would seem an appropriate means for reducing stereotypic responding.
A study of the relationship of community living situation to independence and satisfaction in the lives of mentally retarded adults
Authors: LEGAULT J. R.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. This study examined the relationship between the level of supervision provided at the community residences of 61 adults with mental retardation and their sense of independence and satisfaction in specific aspects of home life, work and community activity. Responses given to interview questions were transformed into scores for independence and satisfaction for each subject. In order to compare the relationship of supervision at home, an individual's intellectual functional ability, and his social support to independence and satisfaction, non‐parametric analyses of the data were performed. These revealed statistically significant inverse relationships between the degree of home supervision and independence both at home and within the community, and satisfaction at home. Greater functional ability was found not to be significantly related to any measures of independence or satisfaction. A high level of social support was correlated only with overall measures of community independence, satisfaction at home, and community satisfaction.
Teaching skills through the enhancement of natural antecedents
Authors: AGER A. , READING J. C.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The manipulation of the natural antecedents of a task offers a potentially valuable alternative to teaching strategies requiring the presentation of additional prompting stimuli, particularly in work with individuals with severe learning difficulties. The utility of procedures involving the enhancement of natural antecedents has frequently been demonstrated, but this has generally been with respect to tasks of limited ecological validity. This study reports an attempt to teach coat‐buttoning skills to two women with severe learning difficulties using an antecedent enhancement procedure. Manipulation of the natural antecedents of coat buttoning produced swift acquisition of the required component responses in both subjects. Further, these skills generalized successfully across both materials (other coats) and time (6‐month follow‐up). Such antecedent enhancement procedures may be of particular value to ihe extent that they offer a consistent means of presenting subtle, interactive interventions without requiring advanced teaching skills on the part of staff.
Properties of perception of laterally moving objects in persons with profound retardation
Authors: KOIKE T. , KATADA A. , TERADA S. , FUNABASHI M. , SUZUKI Y. , INOUE Y.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Twenty‐two persons with profound retardation were assessed for their perception of moving objects at a velocity of 5 s‐1. Abnormalities were not found in the ocular structures and optic discs of subjects upon ophthalmological examination. Stimuli consisted of six habituation trials and two test trials. Duration of eye movement in pursuit of stimulus was estimated by calculating the linearity and gradients of electro‐oculograms. Subjects were divided into three groups based on the change of estimated time of pursuit eye movement. Those showing habituation as well as dishabituation (group 1) had higher developmental communicative ages than subjects with only habituation (group 2) and subjects who did not exhibit habituation (group 3). The results indicated a relationship between the perception of moving objects and the development of communication level in persons with profound retardation. The present study investigated abnormalities in the computer tomographic scanning of the subjects' heads and found cerebral disturbance of the visual cognition of moving objects in persons with profound retardation.
Violence, death and associated factors on a mental handicap ward
Authors: SHAH A. K.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The characteristics of all the patients admitted to a high‐dependency mental handicap ward over a 21‐month period were examined. The patients that had been responsible for acts of violence on the ward were compared with those who had not. Violent patients were significantly younger and more likely to have an abnormal electroencephalogram. Meningoencephalitis as the aetiology of mental handicap was over‐represented in the violent group. The level of violence was alarmingly high with 620 violent incidents over 21 months (30 per month). Four patients accounted for 74% of the violence and two of these four patients suffered sudden, unexpected deaths. The relationship between violence and sudden death is examined, and the implications of pharmacological intervention with anticonvulsants for violent patients with abnormal electroencephalogram results are discussed.
Severe behaviour problems associated with rapid cycling bipolar disorder in two adults with profound mental retardation
Authors: LOWRY M. A. , SOVNER R.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The authors report the clinical histories of two adults with profound mental retardation, features of rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and periodic maladaptive behaviour. In each case, primary features of mania and depression were identified, operationaliy defined and measured with an ongoing data system, which was used to track SIB and aggression. In the first case, data analysis across days showed that 1‐week episodes of depressive features alternated with 2‐week episodes of manic features and that SIB was only associated with the depressive features. In the second case, episodes of manic and depressive features alternated every few days, and aggression was only associated with the manic features. These cases suggest that severe behaviour problems can be a state‐dependent phenomenon of bipolar disorder. The behaviour monitoring system provided an objective methodology for aiding in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder with profoundly handicapped adults.
Behaviour and psychiatric disorders of people with mental handicaps living in the community
Authors: BOURAS N. , DRUMMOND C.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Psychiatric and behavioural disorders were found to be relatively common in a sample of 318 individuals vrith a mental handicap living in the community. Many of those referred for psychiatric assessment had other nonpsychiatric problems. The presence of these other needs has been recognized, and has led to the emergence of a distinct group of professionals, therapists and support staff with whom psychiatrists need to haise to devise an adequate and effective care plan. TTiis study also highlights the need for the development of a methodology for assessing psychiatric disorders in people with a mental handicap.
Recurrent neuroleptic malignant syndrome in a man with mild mental handicap
Authors: BAMBRICK M. , WILSON D.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. A case of recurrent neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) occuring in a 29‐year‐old man with mild mental handicap and a superadded psychotic disorder is described. The case illustrates a number of unusual features such as recurrent episodes and resolution with administration of intravenous Procyclidine. The possibility of NMS occuring in people with mental handicap, who have a high level of neuroleptic drug prescription, must be borne in mind.
Demographic characteristics of a population of people with moderate, severe and profound intellectual disability (mental handicap) over 50 years of age: age structure, IQ and adaptive skills
Authors: MOSS S. , HOGG J. , HORNE M.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Studies characterizing community populations of older people with intellectual disability (mental handicap) have frequently derived data from mental handicap registers. Such large‐scale studies permit the establishment of reliable age trends, yet may utilize unreliable information and omit some individuals. Here, a functional characterization of a 50+ years sample with moderate, severe and profound intellectual disability is described, in which an extensive outreach exercise to identify individuals not known to mental handicap service providers ensured that almost 100% of people fulfilling the residence, age and ability criteria were included. Functional level, assessed by the Adaptive Behaviour Scale (ABS), is reported in relation to six factors derived from factor analysis. Overall, the sample was relatively high functioning and generally free of severe problem behaviours. There was no evidence for significant age‐related functional decline.
Kallmann's syndrome and mental handicap
Authors: OBAYDI H. , IZMETH M. G. A. , RIGBY J. C.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. A case of Kallmann's syndrome is reported in a 62‐year‐oId mentally handicapped man with clinical and laboratory characteristics of the syndrome. The literature is reviewed and the possible associations with mental handicap explored.
Activities and engagement in day services for people with a mental handicap
Authors: LOWE K. , BEYER S. , KILSBY M. , FELCE D.
Published: July 2010

Policy on the role and function of day services for adults with mental handicaps has changed considerably during the last 2 decades. What such settings offer their users has also changed as services have attempted to evolve in line with policy. However, the impaa of these changes has gone largely unevaluated. This paper describes a study of two day centres to categorize the activity programmes of these services, and to assess service user and staff behaviour prior to a larger scale study of such services in Wales. The two centres were found to differ significantly in their programmes but not in the extent to which activities were organized in the community. Service user participation in activities varied with activity type, group composition and activity location. Whether activities were organized for the fall duration of the timetabled sessions was critical to the interpretation of the extent of service user engagement. Staff showed a commendable orientation to clients and their activities in both services. Differences in the activity programmes of the two centres are discussed in terms of a continuing lack of clarity over the purposes of such day services in general. The relevance of some activities to objectives is questioned. Concem is also expressed about the resulting level of engagement achieved in planned activity.
Prefrontal neocortical disturbances in mental retardation
Authors: LÖGDBERGi B. , BRUN A.
Published: July 2010

Morphometrical analysis of the frontal lobe neocortex of seven selected cases of mental retardation of unclassified aetiology and pathology, showing mild dysplastic changes of the neocortex on routine workup, were compared with nine normal controls and seven cases with Down's syndrome. In comparison with the normal controls, the group with‘unclassified’mental retardation showed an increased percentage of disoriented pyramidal neurons in layers III and IV‐V (8–17%, P<0.01), an abnormal distribution of small pyramidal cells with a shift from superficial to deeper layers of the prefrontal cortex (P<0.01), and an increased cortical thickness (+ 38%, P<0.05) of Brodmann area 10, as well as a tendency to a decreased gyration of the frontal lobe sulci (−14%, P=0.18). However, no statistically significant macroscopicai differences either in frontal lobe gyration or in the size of the cerebrum and its frontal lobes were found between those two groups. On the other hand, the Down's syndrome group had a significantly decreased gyration (−36%, P<0.01). These findings may indicate an inhibited and disordered migration of putative small pyramidal neurons in cases of'unclassified’mental retardation.
Immunological features of Down's syndrome: a review
Authors: NESPOLI L. , BURGIO G. R. , UGAZIO A. G. , MACCARIO R.
Published: July 2010

Young patients with Down's syndrome (DS) have high rates of infections, malignancies and autoimmune phenomena. Therefore, DS may be considered as a model of precocious, abnormal ageing of the thymus‐dependent system in man. In DS children less than 6 years of age, the levels of serum immunoglobulins did not differ from healthy controls, but after that age, considerable hyper‐IgG and ‐IgA were found. Furthermore, high levels of IgGl and IgG3 have been found, whereas a progressive decline of IgG2 and IgG4 with age has been observed. The frequency of hepatitis B virus carriers even in the youngest age group is much higher among DS children. It has been reported that an IgG response was detectable in 75% of controls after HBsAg vaccination as compared to the 16–6% of DS patients. The presence of autoantibodies against human thyroblobulin did show a positive association with HB Virus Ag carriers, but only in the oldest DS subjects. Natural antibodies against intestinal antigens are low, while in the presence of cow's milk, abnormally high titres against casein and betalactoglobulin were present. High levels of IgG antibodies against gliadin have been observed. In spite of a normal percentage of CD3‐ and CD2‐positive lymphocytes, a high proportion of cells express low‐avidity receptors for sheep erythrocytes. Although the proportion of CD4+ T‐lymphocyte helper‐cells is normal, a marked imbalance in the CD4+ subpopulations has been documented. The percentage of suppressor‐cytotoxic CD8+ lymphocytes is markedly increased. The responses to phytoemagglutinin and concanavalin A are within the normal range in the first decade of life and decline progressively thereafrer. A recent study reported defective proliferative response to allo‐mixed lymphocyte culture, with decreased expression of the membrane CD25, low secretion of interleukin 2 in the supernatant and depressed allo‐specific cytotoxic activity. Defective production of interferon alfa and gamma in DS has been described in vivo and in vitro. Recently, it has been reported that the absolute number of TCR alfa, beta+ cells was considerably lower for DS subjects than for controls, while DS subjects had a markedly higher proportion of cells expressing TCR gamma and delta. Therefore, it can be concluded that, while the primary immune defect seems to be greatest in the cellular compartment, even the humoral immunity in DS subjects undergoes a precocious ageing, as has already been shown for the T‐cell compartment.
Clinical and cytogenetic survey of institutionalized mentally retarded patients with emphasis on the fragile‐X syndrome
Authors: BUTLER M. G. , SINGH D. N.
Published: July 2010

A detailed clinical and cytogenetic survey for the fragile‐X syndrome was undertaken on 201 institutionalized mentally retarded males with no previously recognized cause of retardation, and the causes of mental retardation were summarized from a total of 595 institutionalized male and female patients after the review of their medical records including clinical and cytogenetic data. Among the 201 males clinically and cytogenetically examined, five (2.5%) had abnormal chromosome findings with four (2%) having the fragile‐X syndrome. Twelve of the males (60%) were diagnosed with a single gene disorder. In the present study, mental retardation was classified as possibly due to multifactorial causes when a genetic syndrome, chromosome abnormality or environmental insult was not identified, but mental retardation was present in one or more first and/or second degree relatives, but did not follow a recognizable inheritance pattern. Hence, mental retardation was recorded in other family members and may indicate possible multifactorial causes in 45 males (22.4%). An environmental insult was noted in 25 males (12.4%); unexplained birth defects in three males (1.5%); a specific condition or diagnosis identified, but cause unknown (e.g. Rubinstein‐Taybi syndrome) in 10 males (5%); and no diagnosis made in the remaining 101 males (50.2%). Of all 595 patients (334 males and 261 females), including the 201 males who had undergone a detailed clinical and cytogenetic evaluation, 39 (6.6%) had abnormal chromosome findings, with Down's syndrome noted in 31 of the patients. Twenty‐five patients (4.2%) were diagnosed with a single gene disorder while mental retardation was noted in other family members and may indicate possible multifactorial causes in 64 patients (10.8%). An environmental insult was noted in 170 patients (28.6%); unexplained birth defects in 17 patients (2.9%); a specific condition or diagnosis but cause unknown in 27 patients (4.5%); and no diagnosis made in 253 patients (42.5%). Clinical and cytogenetic screening of mentally retarded patients for the fragile‐X syndrome and other causes of mental retardation is helpful in identifying individuals and their families who may benefit from genetic services such as counseling and treatment. This study was performed over an approximate 2 year period from 1987 to 1989.
Factors influencing the expectations of parents for their mentally retarded children
Authors: NARAYAN J. , MADHAVAN T. , PRAKASAM B. SURYA
Published: July 2010

In terms of treatment for cure, education, training and general information, parental expectations for their mentally retarded children are influenced by various factors such as the age and sex of the retarded child, the level of mental retardation, the education and occupation of the parents, and the socio‐economic status and area of living. In the present study, an attempt has been made to find out the correlation of six variables namely, age, sex, literacy, locality of living, level of retardation and duration of follow‐up on the expectation of one hundred parents of mentally retarded children who attend the home‐based services at the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad, India. The intercorrelation among the six independent variables and the dependent variable revealed that age of the child and duration of follow‐up have a high correlation (P < 0.01), and literacy of the parents and duration of follow‐up were positively correlated (P < 0.05 level). It was also found that age and duration of follow‐up have a positive correlation. Further detailed multiple regression analysis was conducted and the results are discussed.
Surgical treatment of corneal pathology in patients with Down's syndrome
Authors: VÖLKER‐DIEBEN H. J. , ODENTHAL M. T. P. , D'AMARO J. , KRUIT P. J.
Published: July 2010

Keratoconus is a major cause of blindness in patients with Down's syndrome. A retrospective study of 30 corneal grafts for keratoconus in these patients revealed a 5‐year graft survival of 67%. Postoperative trauma and/or infection was the main cause for graft failure. Conditions that should be met before the indication for corneal transplantation in a patient with Down's syndrome are formulated as a result of 15 years experience with that patient population. In appropriate cases, corneal transplantation may undoubtedly improve the quality of life in these patients.
Span of apprehension in mentally retarded children: an initial investigation
Authors: UTLEY C. A. , HOEHN T. P. , SORACIJR S. A. , BAUMEISTER A. A.
Published: July 2010

The present investigation is the first to apply Estes' (1965) span of apprehension task to the study of attentional functioning in mentally retarded persons. Detection accuracies of 25 children diagnosed as mildly mentally retarded and 25 non‐retarded children were compared under conditions of 100‐ms exposure duration, and either two, four, six or eight distractor letters. Significant main effects of subject group and distractor number were found, with no Interaction. These results provide converging evidence in support of previous positions that posit a structural deficit in mentally retarded individuals with respect to centrally mediated processing.
Possible Asperger's syndrome in a mentally handicapped transvestite offender
Authors: COOPER S. A. , MOHAMED W. N , COLLACOTT R. A.
Published: July 2010

A 38‐year‐old man with a moderate mental handicap and Asperger's syndrome is described. His transvestism and history of offending behaviour is interpreted in the light of this.
Effects of a community‐based service on adaptive and maladaptive behaviours: a longitudinal study*
Authors: LOWE K. , DE PAIVA S. , FELCE D.
Published: July 2010

Changes in skill acquisition and problem behaviour, contingent upon the introduction of a new community‐based service, were compared for subjects in three different residential settings: supported accommodation; hospital; and private family homes. Results over a 5‐year period indicate links between service contact and increases in skill level, together with an increase in problem behaviour for subjects who moved from hospital to supported accommodation. The interpretation of client income in the context of service process is discussed.
Factor structure of the Motivation Assessment Scale
Authors: SINGH N. N. , DONATELLI L. S. , BEST A. , WILLIAMS D. E. , BARRERA F. J. , LENZ M. W. , LANDRUM T. J. , ELLIS C. R. , MOE T. L.
Published: July 2010

The Motivation Assessment Scale (MAS) was developed to provide clinical information on four hypothesized functions that may control problem behaviour in persons with developmental disabilities. The original four‐factor structure of the MAS was based on face validity, with the items being grouped in terms of each of the hypothesized functions. Validation of the scale was provided in terms of correlations between teacher ratings of eight children on the MAS and ranking of the controlling variables from functional analogue tests. In this study, staff in residential facilities rated 60 residents and teachers in schools rated 96 students on the MAS. The target behaviour rated for both samples was self‐injury, with the institutional sample engaging in the behaviour more than 15 times an hour and the school sample, less than 15 times an hour. The results of factor analyses, with varimax rotation, provided a conceptually meaningful factor structure with the institutional sample, but not with the school sample. The 16 MAS items resolved into four factors that were conceptually related to four conditions that may maintain problem behaviour (i.e. sensory, escape, attention and tangible). The results suggested that the original MAS has a robust factor structure and may be clinically useful in predicting the controlling functions of problem behaviours, if the target behaviours occur at a rate no less than 15 responses per hour.
A scale of attitudes toward the application of eugenics to the treatment of people with mental retardation
Authors: ANTONAK R. F. , FIELDER C. R. , MULICK J. A.
Published: July 2010

As part of a larger study of the attitudes of diverse samples towards the application of eugenics to the treatment of people with mental retardation, a 32‐item summated rating scale was developed as a contemporary, brief, easy to administer and score, and psychometrically sound instrument. Data were collected and analysed that indicated satisfactory item characteristics and reliability, and initial support for the content and construct validities of the scale. Analyses of social desirability data revealed that scale scores were not influenced by the subjects' desire to adhere to socially desirable expectations. The scale should be useful for the investigation of questions concerning the formation, structure and correlates of attitudes toward the application of eugenics to the treatment of people with mental retardation, and the relationship of these attitudes to contemporary mental retardation policies and practices.
Autism and related behaviours
Authors: GILLBERG C.
Published: July 2010

Childhood autism is conceptualized as a behavioural syndrome with several different aetiologies. Its prevalence is estimated at about one in every thousand children born. The male:female ratio is considerably higher than in the general population, but possibly not as high as 3–4:1 (as has been suggested for almost 50 years in the literature). A number of specific medical conditions are associated with autism and a comprehensive medical work‐up is required in all cases with pervasive autistic symptomatology. Genetic factors contribute to the development of autism in some cases. Recent neurobiological and psychological studies contribute to a concept of the autistic syndrome as but one of several different syndromes characterized by impaired empathy skills.
Overestimation of mentally retarded persons' IQs using the PPVT: a re‐analysis and some implications for future research
Authors: FACON B. , BOLLENGIER T. , GRUBAR J.‐C.
Published: July 2010

Numerous validity studies have shown that the PPVT consistently overestimates mentally retarded persons' IQs. One possible interpretation is that this phenomenon is an outcome of the dissociation between their cognitive level and their experience. Indeed, compared to intellectually average subjects of the same mental age, they have had more learning opportunities, simply because they have lived longer. In order to validate this hypothesis, the French version of the PPVT, Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM), and the 1966 version of the Binet‐Simon were administered to 90 subjects of various chronological ages matched on mental age (30 nonretarded 5 year olds and two groups of 30 retarded subjects aged 10 and 16 years, respectively). The results indicate that CA exerts a strong effect on vocabulary, but not on RCPM performance. The research implications of this finding are discussed.
Teaching prereading skills to disabled children
Authors: JOHANSSON I.
Published: July 2010

A Swedish survey suggests that less than 10% of. children with Down's syndrome between 7 and 10 years of age are able to read a simple text. Children with Down's syndrome in a programme for early language intervention show clear progress in reading ability. The programme focuses on general language development, auditory and visual perception, and fine‐motor ability. Prereading skills are stimulated in a systematic way such as identifying and discriminating sound‐patterns at the level of the word, the syllable and the segments, and children are helped to categorize forms, to discriminate and understand pictures, to recognize the direction of reading, and to realize the grapheme‐phoneme correspondence.
Mental illness‐mental retardation in the United States: policy and treatment challenges
Authors: FLETCHER R. J.
Published: July 2010

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of current trends in the field of dual diagnosis in the United States. Policy, programme, diagnostic and treatment issues are reviewed. The paper will examine the effects of the social policy of deinsdtutionalization on people who have a dual diagnosis and will offer policy ideas for ameliorating some of the significant obstacles facing this population. Exemplary programme models are briefly discussed to illustrate the development of effective services. The challenges of assessing psychopathology in people with mental retardation are addressed. Several therapy and treatment modalities that have proven to be effective with people who have a dual diagnosis are also discussed. Lastly, this paper mentions a new commtinity ideology driven by the values of consumers choice and satisfaction.
The use of aversive stimuli in treatment: the issue of consent*
Authors: MURPHY G.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. It has been argued that, in the consideration ofthe use of aversive stimuli in treatment, the issues are ideological and philosophical as well as technical. Adopting Homer's (1990) definition of what is meant by‘aversive’in the ideological debate, it is suggested that the crucial issue is the inability of making clients to give their informed consent. It is proposed that proxy consent might be an alternative, but that this would be unacceptable if aversive procedures could be shown to be never'm the best interests ofthe client, or shown to violate clients’rights or to be against the interests of society because of anticipated harm or injustice to others. It is concluded that it is difficult to be certain that it is ever in the best interests ofthe client for aversive procedures to be employed, that aversive interventions appear not to violate clients’rights necessarily (except possibly the right to dignity and respect while the intervention is operating, and perhaps the right to choice at the beginning of the intervention), but that the inescapable difficulty in the use of aversive interventions is the likelihood that they will be misused with other clients than the ones for whom they may be initially designed.
Sequence learning in individuals with behavioural limitations
Authors: STROMER R. , MACKAY H. A. , COHEN M. , STODDARD L. T.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The production of sequences by two mentally retarded adults and a normally capable preschooler was assessed after each was trained to touch five physically dissimilar and nonrepresentative forms in an experimenter‐specified order (denoted A1→A2→A3→A4→A5). Performance on the 10 constituent two‐term sequences was examined (e.g, A→A2, A2→A3, Al→A3 and A2→A4). The probe data were largely consistent with the five‐term sequence performance trained explicitly and suggest the formation of stimulus relations based on relative position rather than a rote stimulus‐response chain. The procedures and results were replicated with a second five‐term sequence (B1→B2→B3→B4→B5). The subjects× performances were also assessed on trials in which mixtures of the two sets of stimuli were presented as either two‐term probes (e.g. A2→B4 and B2→A4; with all three subjects) or five‐term probes (e.g. Al→B2→A3→B4→A5; with the two adult subjects). Again, the subjects' performances were consistent with their baseline training. The mixed‐probe data extend prior research on sequence production and suggest the formation of classes of mutually substitutable sequence stimuli. The overall findings highlight the importance of experiential variables in the formation of ordinal relations in developmentally limited individuals.
Cervical spine abnormalities in institutionalized adults with Down's syndrome
Authors: MACLACHLAN R. A. , FIDLER K. E. , YEH H. , HODGETTS P. G. , PHARAND G. , CHAU M.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The prevalence of increased anterior atlanto‐odontoid distance (AAOD), a risk factor for spinal cord compression, and degenerative disease of the cervical spine (DDCS) in a population of institutionalized adults with Down's syndrome (DS) was determined and compared with age‐ and sex‐matched‘normals’presenting to a hospital emergency department. Radiographs of the cervical spines of 99 adults with DS and 198‘normals’were compared using a standardized rating scale. The prevalence of an AAOD of 3 mm or greater, the threshold of risk from the literature, was 8% for DS cases and 2% for controls (P<0.01). The mean AAOD for DS cases was 2.0±l mm and for controls l.5±0.5 mm (P<0.01). There was a negative correlation between AAOD and age of DS cases. The prevalence of any degree of DDCS among the DS cases was 64%, the controls 39% (P<0.001); for moderate or severe DDCS the prevalence among DS cases was 45%, controls 12% (P<0.001). The prevalence of DDCS increased with age in both groups, but the severity of DDCS was significantly greater for DS individuals in all age groups. The levels of the cervical spine affected ranged from C2 to C6; the most commonly affected level was C5‐C6. While DS adults are at increased theoretical risk for spinal cord compression due to increased AAOD, its clinical significance would appear to be small and to decline with age. Of more concern is the high prevalence of DDCS; adults with DS are at high risk for this condition and consideration should be given to this diagnosis in the appropriate clinical setting.
Joint occurrence of depression and aggression in children and adults with mental retardation
Authors: REISS S. , ROJAHN J.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The relationship between aggression and depression was evaluated for 528 adults, adolescents and children, who were rated on either the adult or child versions ofthe Reiss instruments for dual diagnosis (Reiss 1988; Reiss & Valenti‐Hein 1990). Criterion levels of depression were evident in about four times as many aggressive as nonaggressive subjects. Anger was significantly associated with both aggression and depression. Although anger may play a mediational role in the correlation between aggression and depression, in this study there was a significant correlation even after the effects of anger were held constant. The findings provide an initial step toward improving diagnostic specificity when evaluating aggressive behaviour in people with mental retardation.
Abnormalities of chromosome 18 in a girl with mental retardation and autistic disorder
Authors: GHAZIUDDIN M. , SHELDON S. , TSAI L. Y. , ALESSI N.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Structural autosome defects have rarely been described in autism. In ihis report, the authors describe the association of autism and mental retardation in a girl with mosaicism for a duplication ofthe long arm of chromosome 18 and a deletion ofthe short arm of chrotnosome 18.
Computerized handwriting instruction with severely mentally handicapped adults
Authors: BREWER N. , WHITE J. M.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. The effectiveness of computerized handwriting instruction incorporating modelling of the target letter, corrective feedback and reinforcement contingent upon letter accuracy was examined with severely mentally retarded adults. Assisted by faded prompts on a sheet of paper, subjects wrote the letter ‘q’ while their handwriting patterns were detected by a digitized graphics tablet linked to a computer. Computerized instruction was introduced for six subjects (mean mental age = 3 years, 10 months) according to a multiple‐basetine‐across‐subjects design. Instruction produced significant improvements in letter quality which were not simply due to the effects of practice. Subjects who had extended practice before being introduced to the computer were less responsive to the information provided by the computer and did not attain the levels of performance accuracy achieved by other subjects.
Elderly people with learning disabilities in hospital: a psychiatric study
Authors: SANSOM D. T. , SINGH I. , JAWED S. H. , MUKHERJEE T.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. In a study of 124 hospital residents with a learning disability aged 60 years and over, DSM‐III‐R diagnostic criteria were used to determine the prevalence of dementia (12.9%), mood disorder (8.9%) and schizophrenia (6.5%). The figure for dementia confirms the prevalence given in previous studies, but the figures for mood disorder and schizophrenia are higher. It was found that mood disorder was commoner in the age group 60–69 years (P>0.01) and dementia was commoner in the age group 70–79 years (P>0.01). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of schizophrenia with age.
Autistic disorder in Noonan syndrome
Authors: GHAZIUDDIN M. , BOLYARD B. , ALESSI N.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Few reports have described the psychiatric co‐morbidity of Noonan syndrome. While mental retardation is a common feature of Noonan syndrome, the diagnosis of autism using operational criteria has not been reported. In this paper, the authors describe the association of Noonan syndrome with autism. They propose that the co‐morbid diagnosis of autism should be considered during the clinical assessment of persons with Noonan syndrome.
Late onset mania in Down's syndrome
Authors: COOPER S.‐A. , COLLACOTT R. A. , HAUCK A.
Published: July 2010

ABSTRACT. Manic episodes have seldom been reported in individuals with Down's syndrome. The case of an individual with Down's syndrome who developed a manic episode in later life is described. This manic episode was subsequently followed by a first depressive episode.