ADVANCES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Year:2005 | Volume:7 | Issue:1|Papers Count:21

Objective: The Previous studies on early and continuously treated patients with phenylketonuria (PKU), even with normal intelligent quotient (IQ), have revealed executive dysfunction; this study is aiming at further evaluating the differences in executive functions of early treated PKU patients compared to normal subjects. Method: Ten early treated children with PKU who had normal IQs were compared with 15 normal children matched for sex, age and IQ, using three neuropsychological tests: Tower of London test (TOL) (computerized version), Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and Stroop Test. Results: Patients had poorer performance on TOL task than the control group. This difference was significant in the first three levels of the test. In CPT, the number of omission errors in the cases was significantly more than those in the control group. However, there was no significant difference in comission errors between the two groups. There was no correlation between concurrent serum phenylalanine and tests results. Conclusion: This Study demonstrated the executive dysfunction of early treated PKU patients despite their normal IQs. The dysfunction was more obvious in the aspects of planning and attention.

Objective: In recent years cannabinoids and their use have attracted a great deal of attention. The aim of the present examination is to study the effect of the cannabinoid system and its interaction with the opioid system in state-dependent memory. Method: In this experimental study, the intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of different doses of cannabinoid agonists and antagonists, and the subcutaneous administration of morphine was used in the passive avoidance task. Results: Cannabinoid agonists prevent the retrieval of memory by morphine. Conclusion: The improvement of retrieval memory by morphine treatment seems to be induced, at least in part, through the cannabinoid receptors.

Objective: In this experiment, the effects of dopaminergic drugs on morphine state dependent memory were examined in mice, based on the passive avoidance task. Method: In this experimental research, morphine and saline were administered subcutaneously, and dopaminergic drugs were administered cerebroventricularly (into the brain). Then (using Passive Avoidance Apparatus) step-down latency was measured, which shows the memory of the animal. Results: Pre- training subcutaneous administration of morphin (5mg/kg) led to the impairment of retrieval memory but the administration of the same dose on the test day led to state-dependent memory (learning). The pre-test intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of the D1 agonist (SKF 38393), D2 agonist (quinpirole) and D2 blocker (sulpiride) not only mimiced the effect of pre-test morphine treatment, but also increased the function of opioids. Furthermore, the pre-test ICV administration of D1 antagonist (SCH 23390) prevented the restoration of memory by morphine. Conclusion: Effects of mrphine on some memory pathways seems to be induced through dopamine receptors.

Objective: The aim of this research was to examine the role of personality traits and coping styles on university students' mental health. Method: In this analytical cross-sectional study, the abbreviated version of five factor inventory, the coping inventory for stressful situations and the general health questionnaire were applied on a sample of 328 subjects (177 male, 151 female). Using the path analysis, the direct and indirect effects of personality traits on coping styles and mental health were tested. Results: The results obtained demonstrated that conscientiousness and openness have a significant positive effect and gender has a significant negative effect on task-oriented coping style, while openness and conscientiousness have a significant negative effect, and neuroticism and emotion-oriented coping have a significant positive effect on mental health. The indired effect of gender on mental health through task-oriented coping was significant and positive, while the indirect effect of extraversion and openness on mental health through emotion–oriented coping was significant and negative, and gender had a significant positive effect through emotion-oriented coping. Conclusion: In general, the results of this research demonstrate that attention to the role of personality traits and coping styles is crucial in the study of mental health.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of adherence to useless and noninstrumental information on preference and decision-making in different domains. Method: In this interventional psychological research, 800 participants read scenarios in four experiments. In these scenarios they were asked to make decisions about different issues including kidney donation. Half of the participants were provided with simple scenarios and the other half were provided with ambiguous ones. Simple scenarios were related to decision-making tasks that contained "useless and noninstrumental information" about the issue to be decided. Ambiguous scenarios were related to decision-making tasks that did not contain useless and noninstrumental information in the beginning, but that information would be provided for them after a specific interval. Results: All four experiments resulted in the same strong and reliable finding: receiving useless information after some delay and waiting, appears to be useful and relevant; therefore, the possibility of using them in the final decision-making increases. Conclusion: People lack defined preferences, and composes them in the course of decision-making.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in reducing and preventing automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, depression and anxiety. Method: In this experiment sixty-five female students residing at Esfahan University dormitories were randomly selected and allocated in the experimental and control groups. MBCT was carried out in 8 two-hour sessions for the experimental group. Both the experimental and control groups completed Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) and Automatic Thought Questionnaire (ATQ) in the first, forth, and eighth (1st follow-up) sessions and 60 days fater the last session. No education was provided for the control group. Results: Analysis of variance with repeated measures showed that MBCT was effective in reducing depression, anxiety, dysfunctional attitude and automatic thoughts. Also, this therapeutic method can play a crucial role in preventing depression and anxiety. Conclusion: MBCT seems to be effective through "attention control training" leading to the prevention of depression and anxiety. The possible implications of the present findings will be discussed.

Objective: This study was designed to measure the frequency of history of physical and sexual abuse among psychiatric inpatients. Method: Using an assault questionnaire and personal interview, detailed histories of physical and sexual abuse were obtained from 100 psychiatric inpatients (50 males, 50 females) who were discharged during a three month period. The method of sampling was convenience sampling. Results: Sixty one percent of the patients (56% of men and 70% of women) had experienced physical and/or sexual abuse. The difference of the frequency of sexual abuse between men and women was significant. Conclusion: Regarding the high frequency of assault history among psychiatric patients and its important effects on mental health as well as doctor patient relationship, routine inquiry about patients' assault history is recommended.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to study the motivation factors (physicological needs, dependence, attachment, and developmental needs) of the administrators and the personnel of Iran National Oil Company and their relation with job satisfaction. Method: In this analytical cross-sectional study, the statistical population included all the personnel and the administrators of the auditing department of national oil bearing zones of the south (Ahvaz), from which 42 people were selected as samples. To study the factors, the questionnaire for measuring motivation factors and administrators' and the personnel's requirements as well as the questionnaire about job satisfaction and the questionnaire about the usage of skills by the administrators were used. To analyze the data, we applied descriptive statistics, the inferential and the correlation method, t-Test and X2 using SPSS. Results: There was a significant difference between the motivation factors from the viewpoints of administrators and personnel. Contrary to the administrators' assumption, the most important need of the personnel was development, the highest job satisfaction was related to the type of the work and the co-workers, and the lowest degree of satisfaction was related to salary, wages and promotion. Conclusion: Job satisfaction led the personnel to display considereable attempts to fulfill the organizational targets. Even though livelihood needs was an important issue for the personnel, they gave priority to social respect.