bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Institutional care: associations between overactivity and lack of selectivity in social relationships
Authors: Roy Penny , Rutter Michael , Pickles Andrew 
Published: March 2004

Background:  The behaviour of children raised in institutional care in their early years is typified by heightened levels of inattention and overactivity irrespective of the quality of the care. There is some evidence that this behaviour may be specifically associated with forms of attachment disorder behaviours, but to date studies have been restricted to institutions characterised by high levels of malnutrition and lack of active experiences.Methods:  Nineteen primary school age children admitted to good quality residential group care before the age of 1 year were compared with 19 children of the same gender reared in a foster family from the same age. A combination of observational, questionnaire, interview and psychometric measures was employed.Results:  A fifth of the institutional children but none of the foster‐family children showed a marked lack of selective attachment relationships with their caregivers. The same proportions were found for a lack of selectivity in friendships with their peers but the children showing these features were not identical. A lack of selectivity in relationships was strongly associated with inattention/overactivity, both as observed and reported. The pattern of a marked lack of selectivity and inattention/overactivity was evident only in the boys in the institution‐reared group.Conclusions:  It is concluded that the pattern represents a relatively specific response to some feature of an institutional rearing; nevertheless, it occurred in only just over a third of the institutional children, so that it is a far from universal consequence.
Early anxious/withdrawn behaviours predict later internalising disorders
Authors: Goodwin Renee D. , Fergusson David M. , Horwood L. John 
Published: March 2004

Background:  The aim of the study was to examine the association between anxious/withdrawn behaviours at age 8 and the development of internalising disorders in adolescence and young adulthood (ages 16–21).Methods:  Data were gathered over the course of a 21‐year longitudinal study of a birth cohort of over 1,000 New‐Zealand‐born young people. Over the course of the study, data were gathered on: (a) anxious/withdrawn behaviour at age 8; (b) anxiety disorders and major depression at ages 16–18 and 18–21; (c) a range of potential confounding factors, including measures of adversity and family factors during childhood.Results:  Increasing anxious/withdrawn behaviour at age 8 was associated with increasing risks of social phobia; specific phobia; panic/agoraphobia; and major depression during adolescence and young adulthood. These associations persisted after adjustment for a series of confounding social, childhood, and family factors.Conclusions:  Anxious/withdrawn behaviour in childhood is associated with elevated rates of anxiety disorders and major depression during adolescence and young adulthood. These data are consistent with, and extend, previous clinical and epidemiologic findings, by showing consistent linkages between childhood anxious/withdrawn behaviours at age 8 and increased risk for anxiety disorders and depression at ages 16–18 and 18–21 among young persons in the community. These results may point to the need to provide support and possibly intervention to children showing early anxious or withdrawn behaviours.
Evidence of fearlessness in behaviourally disordered children: a study on startle reflex modulation
Authors: van Goozen Stephanie H.M. , Snoek Heddeke , Matthys Walter , van Rossum Inge , van Engeland Herman 
Published: March 2004

Background: Patterns of low heart rate, skin conductance and cortisol seem to characterise children with disruptive behaviour disorder (DBD). Until now, the startle paradigm has not been used in DBD children. We investigated whether DBD children, like adult psychopaths, process emotional stimuli in an abnormal way.Method: Twenty‐one DBD and 33 normal control children viewed a series of 27 positive, neutral and negative slides. Startle probes were presented unpredictably during slide presentations and eye blink reflexes were measured.Results: DBD and control children showed a similar linear relationship between slide valence and startle magnitude, but the startle‐elicited blinks of the DBD children were significantly lower for all categories of slides. Moreover, the more delinquent the DBD children were, the lower their startle responses during unpleasant states.Conclusions: The results suggest a deficit in neurophysiological fear modulation. The implications of the findings for the fearlessness theory of antisocial behaviour are discussed.
Dangerous Children: Assessment and Management of Risk
Authors: Tiffin Paul , Kaplan Carole 
Published: March 2004

Background:  Workers in the field of child health appear to be presented with increasing numbers of young people who exhibit behaviours that pose a potential or actual risk to the safety of others.Method:  A review of the current literature on the assessment and management of these children and adolescents was conducted.Results:  A history taking check‐list has been devised on the basis of what is known about current associations with background and current factors and violent acts directed to others. There is emerging evidence of interventions that may be effective in reducing long‐term risks in such youths. However, these are often resource intensive and may be less effective in older children and adolescents.Conclusions:  Faced with the challenge of assessing and managing severely conduct disordered children, child and family mental health teams should develop formalised assessment procedures and protocols for managing risk factors in a multi‐agency context.
The Role and Value of a Paediatric Specialist Neurodevelopmental Diagnostic Service: Parental Perceptions
Authors: Giannoulis Katingo , Beresford Fran , Davis Hilton , Baird Gillian , Sclare Irene 
Published: March 2004

Background:  This study was undertaken to explore parental perceptions of the role and value of a specialist service for children and families. This service offers assessment and diagnosis of children with neurodevelopmental disorders of the kind that are not evident at birth.Method:  Information was collected from 37 families on expectations and experience of clinic attendance, user satisfaction and outcome through interviews and questionnaires, once before and twice after clinic attendance.Results:  87% of parents found clinic attendance worthwhile, with most expecting to be provided with a diagnosis and advice on education. Parents perceived that the clinic was best able to meet their diagnostic needs and they reported that they were more able to obtain a diagnosis and a specialist opinion at a regional centre than at local clinics. Parent satisfaction with the parent‐child relationship improved following clinic attendance and parents’ self‐identified concerns about their child decreased.
Providing Specialist Psychological Support to Foster Carers: A Consultation Model
Authors: Golding Kim 
Published: March 2004

Background:  The task of fostering today is a complex one and foster carers need good quality support. This paper discusses a consultation service for foster carers.Method:  It draws upon our qualitative experiences to explore the important themes that have emerged during the provision of the consultation service.Results:  Foster carers are highly satisfied with the consultation service, which provides them with improved levels of access to psychological advice, a different understanding of the children, and continuing support if required.Discussion:  The reasons for this satisfaction, together with some of the difficulties we have experienced, are explored. Experimental research is needed to investigate the complex relationship between consultation, support, confidence and understanding for foster carers and to consider the long‐term effects of consultation for the carer and the child.
Multisystemic Treatment of Antisocial Adolescents in Norway: Replication of Clinical Outcomes Outside of the US
Authors: Ogden Terje , Halliday‐Boykins Colleen A. 
Published: March 2004

Background:  MST is an intensive home‐ and community‐based intervention for youths with serious antisocial behaviour and other serious clinical problems, which has been effective at reducing out‐of‐home placements and producing favourable long‐term clinical outcomes in the US. The aims of the study were to determine the degree to which these outcomes would be replicated in Norway for youths with serious behaviour problems and to conduct a randomised trial of MST by an independent team of investigators.Method:  Participants were 100 seriously antisocial youths in Norway who were randomly assigned to Multisystemic Therapy (MST) or usual Child Welfare Services (CS) treatment conditions. Data were gathered from youths, parents, and teachers pre‐ and post‐treatment.Results:  MST was more effective than CS at reducing youth internalising and externalising behaviours and out‐of‐home placements, as well as increasing youth social competence and family satisfaction with treatment.Discussion:  This is the first study of MST outside of the US and one of the first not conducted by the developers of MST. The findings replicate those obtained by MST's developers and demonstrate the generalisability of short‐term MST effects beyond the US.
The Staffing of Inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
Authors: Jaffa Tony , Lelliott Paul , O'Herlihy Anne , Worrall Adrian , Hill Peter , Banerjee Sube 
Published: March 2004

Background:  There is a need for more accurate information regarding the staffing of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric inpatient units. This is both to facilitate clinical governance and to allow planning and focused further development of these services.Method:  Postal surveys were sent to all units in England and Wales.Results:  Seventy‐three percent (n = 1060) of the 1460 staff employed by the units were nurses; 43% of nurses were unqualified. On average there was one consultant psychiatrist for every 25 patients. Only 12% of nurses working on a ‘census’ day held a specialist qualification in nursing children. The use of agency and bank staff was higher in independent sector units than in NHS units (37% vs 10% of all nurses who worked a shift on the census day).Conclusions:  Some child and adolescent inpatient units are not staffed by a multi‐disciplinary team. There is evidence of problems of recruitment and retention of nurses.
Enteric neural crest‐derived cells and neural stem cells: biology and therapeutic potential
Authors: Burns A. J. , Pasricha P. J. , Young H. M. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThe enteric nervous system arises from two regions of the neural crest; the vagal neural crest which gives rise to the vast majority of enteric neurones throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and the sacral neural crest which contributes a smaller number of cells that are mainly distributed within the hindgut. The migration of vagal neural crest cells into, and along the gut is promoted by GDNF, which is expressed by the gut mesenchyme and is the ligand for the Ret/GFRα1 signalling complex present on migrating vagal‐derived crest cells. Sacral neural crest cells enter the gut after it has been colonized by vagal neural crest cells, but the molecular control of sacral neural crest cell development has yet to be elucidated. Under the influence of both intrinsic and extrinsic cues, neural crest cells differentiate into glia and different types of enteric neurones at different developmental stages. Recently, the potential for neural stem cells to form an enteric nervous system has been examined, with the ultimate aim of using neural stem cells as a therapeutic strategy for some gut disorders where enteric neurones are reduced or absent.
Ionic conductances involved in generation and propagation of electrical slow waves in phasic gastrointestinal muscles
Authors: Sanders K. M. , Koh S. D. , Ördög T. , Ward S. M. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractConsiderable work has led many to conclude that interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are the pacemaker cells of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These cells form electrically coupled networks within the pacemaker regions of the GI tract, and ICC are electrically coupled to smooth muscle cells. ICC express unique ion channels that periodically produce inward (pacemaker) currents. Recent work has suggested that the inward current is produced by a calcium (Ca2+)‐regulated, nonselective cation conductance. Channels responsible for this conductance oscillate in open probability in response to the periodic drop in intracellular Ca2+ concentration during the slow wave cycle. Pacemaker activity generates slow waves that are propagated actively through ICC networks. Depolarization coordinates the pacemaker activity through the ICC network by activating a dihydropyridine‐resistant Ca2+ conductance. Entry of small amounts of Ca2+ into ICC entrains spontaneous pacemaker activity and produces cell‐to‐cell propagation of slow waves. This review discusses the mechanisms and conductances involved in generation and propagation of electrical slow waves in ICC.
Ion channels in interstitial cells of Cajal as targets for neurotransmitter action
Authors: Huizinga J. D. , Golden C. M. , Zhu Y. , White E. J. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractInterstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are involved in generation of gut pacemaker activity, neurotransmission and stretch sensation. Pacemaker ICC exhibit spontaneous cyclic calcium oscillations that are in synchrony with its pacemaker activity. The spontaneous rhythmic inward currents in ICC that underlie gut pacemaker activity are linked to this calcium oscillation. It is probable that more than one type of channel contributes to the inward current with a high conductance chloride channel and a nonselective cation channel being the main candidates. The activation of these channels is linked to intracellular calcium cycling mechanism and involves inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3)‐mediated calcium release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum, and calcium uptake into mitochondria. This ion channel activity is modulated by signalling through neurotransmitter receptors, including the NK1 receptor. This finding and the presence of other neurotransmitter receptor mRNA transcripts indicates that ion channels in ICC are targets for neurotransmitter action. The ether‐a‐go‐go‐related (ERG) K channel is probably the most important K channel contributing to the resting membrane potential and excitability of the ICC. Many ion channels in ICC are regulated by second messenger systems which makes them highly susceptible to neurotransmitter modulation.
Role of vasoactive intestinal peptide and inflammatory mediators in enteric neuronal plasticity
Authors: Ekblad E. , Bauer A. J. 
Published: April 2004

AbstractComplex circuits involving both local intrinsic neurones (i.e. enteric nervous system; ENS) and extrinsic neurones achieve nervous control of digestive functions. The ENS is comprised of many functionally different types of neurons: sensory neurons, interneurons and secreto‐motor neurons. Each neuronal population is required to manifest local reflex behavior and is central to the regulation of both motor and secretory activities. It must be emphasized, however, that not only muscle and secretory cells but also other intestinal cells are targeted by enteric neurones, i.e. endocrine cells, interstitial cells of Cajal, immune cells, blood vessels and enteric glia. In addition to the ENS the gastrointestinal tract receives an extrinsic innervation by sympathetic, parasympathetic and sensory fibres. Neuronal projections from the intestine to prevertebral ganglia also exist. Taken together, the picture of a complex nervous regulation of digestive functions highly integrated with the central nervous system and the rest of the autonomic nervous system has emerged. The ENS is adaptive and plastic, but also vulnerable, system and ENS disturbances may be of pathogenic importance in functional bowel disease. In particular the interplay between the enteric neurones and the immune cells is suggested to be of crucial importance. The review discusses possible roles of the mediators vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and prostanoids in ENS plasticity in response to injury and inflammation.
Lack of Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Modulates Plaque Composition in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice
Authors: Isoda Kikuo , Sawada Shojiro , Ishigami Norio , Matsuki Taizo , Miyazaki Koji , Kusuhara Masatoshi , Iwakura Yoichiro , Ohsuzu Fumitaka 
Published: April 2004

Objective—Interleukin (IL)-1 plays an important role in atherosclerosis. IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is an endogenous inhibitor of IL-1. However, the role of IL-1Ra in the development of atherosclerosis is poorly understood.Methods and Results—Mice that lacked IL-1Ra (IL-1Ra−/−) were crossed with apolipoprotein E-deficient (E−/−) mice and formation of atherosclerotic lesions was analyzed after 16 weeks or 32 weeks consumption of a normal chow diet. This study focused on the comparison of atherosclerotic lesion between IL-1Ra+/+/apoE−/− (n=12) and IL-1Ra+/−/apoE−/− mice (n=12), because of the significantly leaner phenotype in IL-1Ra−/−/apoE−/− mice compared with the others. Interestingly, atherosclerotic lesion size in IL-1Ra+/−/apoE−/− mice at age 16 weeks was significantly increased (30%) compared with IL-1Ra+/+/apoE−/− mice (P<0.05). At 32 weeks, the differences of lesion size between these mice failed to achieve statistical significance. However, immunostaining demonstrated an 86% (P<0.0001) increase in the MOMA-2–stained lesion area of IL-1Ra+/−/apoE−/− mice. In addition, α-actin staining in these lesions was significantly decreased (−15%) compared with those in IL-1Ra+/+/apoE−/− mice (P<0.05).Conclusions—These results suggest an important role of IL-1Ra in the suppression of lesion development during early atherogenesis and furthermore indicate its role in the modulation of plaque composition.
WHEN NATURAL PHENOMENA ENTER THE SYMBOLIC SPHERE: AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON RITUAL TEXTS WITHIN THE EGYPTIAN FUNERARY CULT
Authors: Meyer-Dietrich Erika 
Published: April 2004

AbstractThis article presents a new approach in the study of the ecology of religion. Single ecological factors that appear as subject matter in religious sources are analyzed as factors in the religious world. The symbolic value is applied to environmental factors through ritualization. The natural phenomenon of the inundation of the river Nile was a regular event in ancient Egypt. To investigate the reproduction and use of this ecological factor in religious ritual a model has been developed called "The Dynamic Ecology of Religion." This model and its theoretical and hermeneutical basis are outlined, some methodological considerations are made, and the explanatory value of the model discussed.
Urbanisation and incidence of psychosis and depression
Authors: Sundquist Kristina , Frank Gölin , Sundquist Jan 
Published: March 2004

BackgroundPrevious studies of differences in mental health between urban and rural populations are inconsistent.AimsTo examine whether a high level of urbanisation is associated with increased incidence rates of psychosis and depression, after adjustment for age, marital status, education and immigrant status.MethodFollow-up study of the total Swedish population aged 25–64 years with respect to first hospital admission for psychosis or depression. Level of urbanisation was defined by population density and divided into quintiles.ResultsWith increasing levels of urbanisation the incidence rates of psychosis and depression rose. In the full models, those living in the most densely populated areas (quintile 5) had 68–77% more risk of developing psychosis and 12–20% more risk of developing depression than the reference group (quintile 1).ConclusionsA high level of urbanisation is associated with increased risk of psychosis and depression for both women and men.
Cognitive therapy for command hallucinations: randomised controlled trial
Authors: Trower Peter , Birchwood Max , Meaden Alan , Byrne Sarah , Nelson Angela , Ross Kerry 
Published: March 2004

BackgroundCommand hallucinations are a distressing and high-risk group of symptoms that have long been recognised but little understood, with few effective treatments. In line with our recent research, we propose that the development of an effective cognitive therapy for command hallucinations (CTCH) would be enhanced by applying insights from social rank theory.AimsWe tested the efficacy of CTCH in reducing beliefs about the power of voices and thereby compliance, in a single-blind, randomised controlled trial.MethodA total of 38 patients with command hallucinations, with which they had recently complied with serious consequences, were allocated randomly to CTCH or treatment as usual and followed up at 6 months and 12 months.ResultsLarge and significant reductions in compliance behaviour were obtained favouring the cognitive therapy group (effect size=1.1). Improvements were also observed in the CTCH but not the control group in degree of conviction in the power and superiority of the voices and the need to comply, and in levels of distress and depression. No change in voice topography (frequency, loudness, content) was observed. The differences were maintained at 12 months' follow-up.ConclusionsThe results support the efficacy of cognitive therapy for CTCH.
Expressed emotion at first-episode psychosis: investigating a carer appraisal model
Authors: Raune D. , Kuipers E. , Bebbington P. E. 
Published: March 2004

BackgroundEven at the first episode of psychosis, high expressed emotion (EE) characterises over half of patient–carer relationships. This study compared a carer appraisal model of EE with the ability of illness factors to predict EE at the first episode.AimsTo investigate the utility of a carer appraisal model of EE in first-episode psychosis.MethodWe compared high- and low-EE carers of people who had first-episode psychosis (n=46).ResultsHigh EE in carers was associated with higher avoidant coping, higher subjective burden and lower perceived patient interpersonal functioning. Patient illness factors and carers ‘distress levels were not associated with EE.ConclusionsEven at the first episode, carers' psychological appraisal, not patient illness factors, is influential in determining high EE. Carers ‘appraisal of their situation should be a primary target to lower or prevent high EE in early intervention for psychosis.
Psychosis and academic performance
Authors: Karlsson Jon L. 
Published: March 2004

BackgroundIt has been suggested that psychosis genes might be associated with beneficial effects, explaining their high frequency in all human populations.AimsTo test the relationship between academic success and the incidence of psychotic disorders.MethodThe unusually complete demographic and scholastic records available in Iceland were used to locate academically accomplished individuals and assess the probability of previously identified patients with mental disorders and their relatives being among such groups.ResultsClose relatives of successful students showed increased risks of psychosis. Individuals who subsequently developed psychosis and relatives of people with psychosis excelled in school performance, particularly in mathematics.ConclusionsThe study supports the hypothesis that stimulation associated with psychotic tendencies enhances performance in academic settings.