ADVANCES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Year:2008 | Volume:9 | Issue:4 (36)|Papers Count:10

Objective: In the present study we evaluated the involvement of L-arginine/nitric oxide (NO) pathway in the antidepressant-like effects of acute lithium administration in the mouse forced swimming test (FST).Methods: It was an experimental study. Forced swimming test was applied as a model for depression; the immobility time was considered as an indicator of depression. In the present study, the effects of lithium (0.5-100 mg/kg), the nonselective NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NpGP -nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10-100 mg/kg), the specific neuronal NOS inhibitor, NpwP-propyl-L-arginine (L-NPA, 5-15 mg/kg), and the NO precursor L-arginine (750 mg/kg) were evaluated.Results: Lithium, at 30 and 100 mg/kg, significantly reduced the immobility times of mice in the FST, whereas at lower doses (0.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) had no effect on the immobility time. L-NAME, at 10 and 30 mg/kg, and LNPA, at 5 and 15 mg/kg, had no significant effects on the FST, whereas they significantly decreased the immobility time at 100 and 30 mg/kg, respectively. Combination of non effective dose of lithium (10 mg/kg) with low doses of L-NAME (30 mg/kg) or L-NPA (15 mg/kg) significantly reduced the immobility time in the FST. Non-effective dose of L-arginine (750 mg/kg) significantly reversed the antidepressant-like effect of 30 mg/kg lithium in the FST.Conclusion: These data indicate the involvement of L-arginine/NO pathway in the antidepressant-like effect of lithium in the mouse FST and also might suggest the concurrent administration of NOS inhibitors and lithium as an appropriate strategy for treatment of depression.

Objective: The aim of this study was the comparison of executive functions between patients with paranoid and disorganized schizophrenia and normal subjects. Method: The study was of descriptive-comparitive type.20 patients with paranoid schizophrenia and 20 patients with disorganized schizophrenia were selected using convenience sampling; also, 20 normal subjects were randomly selected. The subjects were evaluated using Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and post hoc LSD test.Results: Results showed that patients with schizophrenia had a weaker performance than normal subjects in WCST. Also, patients with paranoid schizophrenia showed more perseveration errors than patients with disorganized schizophrenia (p<0.001). However, the difference between the two groups regarding the number of levels and particular errors were not significant.Conclusion: Patients with schizophrenia have a different performance from normal subjects. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia were different from disorganized patients only in perseveration errors.

Objective: This research was conducted with the aim of assessment brain/behavioral systems of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and normal individuals according to Jeffery Gray's Personality Theory.Method: Twenty patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and 20 normal individuals were selected and matched according to age, sex and education. Gray/Wilson Personality Questionnaire was used to measure the activity of brain/behavioral systems.Results: The two groups showed significant differences in activator and inhibitory behavioral systems, but no difference was observed in fight and flight systems.Conclusion: The results of the present research are consistent with the basic assumptions of the reinforcement sensitivity theory and the neuropsychological conditions of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: This study sought to explore the developmental trend of creativity in 4 to 10-year old children in the city of Isfahan. Method: 240 children (120 males and 120 females) were randomly selected by cluster sampling from nurseries and elementary schools of two educational regions in Isfahan. Data were gathered using Torrance Creative Thinking Test (pictorial part of form A and B). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and pairwise comparisions.Results: Results showed that creativity in children follows a developmental course (p<0.001), and there was no significant difference in development of creativity between boys and girls. Fluency and Originality factors had approximately constant positions among the four groups, but elaboration factor changed according to group. Differences among mean scores of creativity were not significant after controlling elaboration factor.Conclusion: It seems that creativity in children follows a developmental course and the variations of scores are specific to elaboration. Results are discussed according to theoretical attitudes.

Objective: According to the orbitofrontal dysfunction theory, tobacco use is associated with particular character traits including extraversion, impulsivity, risk taking, sensation seeking and monotony avoidance, novelty seeking and psychopathic and antisocial personality.Furthermore, impulsivity is often explained in terms of delay discounting; the tendency to choose smaller, relatively immediate rewards over larger but more delayed rewards.Method: A total number of 89 male medical students including 30 non-smokers and 59 smokers participated in this study. Using the modified Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (mFTQ) the smokers were then classified into two groups: students with high nicotine dependence including 22 subjects and students with low nicotine dependence including 37 subjects. The students were then assessed using questionnaires such as Beck Depression Inventory, Cattle Anxiety Scale, Temperament and Character Inventory, Eysenck Impulsiveness Questionnaire, Barratt' s Impulsiveness Scale, and Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale and behavioral tasks such as Delay Discounting Choice Task and Balloon Analogue Risk Task.Results: The comparison of the three groups showed a significant difference based on measures such as Beck Depression Inventory Score (p<0.05) and sub measures such as total score of Barratt' s Impulsiveness Scale (p<0.05), Motor Impulsivity (p<0.05) Venturesomenes (p<0.01), Impulsivity (p<0.01), total score of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale (p<0.01), Thrill and Adventure Seeking (p<0.01), Experience Seeking (p<0.01), Disinhibition (p<0.01), Novelty Seeking (p<0.01), Loss of Self Direction (p<0.05), and Loss of Persistence (p<0.05). Also, smokers with high dependence showed a steeper decline in Delay- Discounting Task than non-smokers.Conclusion: In the final analysis, Beck Depression Inventory Score, and subscales such as total score of Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale, Motor Impulsivity, Venturesomenes, Impulsiviyty, total score of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Thrill and Adventure Seeking, Experience Seeking, Disinhibition, and Novelty Seeking had an effective role in the prediction of high nicotine dependence. Also, venturesomeness and total score of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale play an important role in the prediction of low nicotine dependence.

Objective: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a prevalent psychiatric illness which sometimes starts during childhood and adolescence, and epidemiological studies show a high prevalence of obsessive symptoms (non-clinical obsession) among the adolescent population. Even though the concept of obsession has been discussed for many years, the diagnostic criteria for OCD has been developing in recent years and part of this is due to the fact that obsession shows a co-occurrence with other disorders.Method: The present study was of cross-sectional descriptive type where 909 male and female secodary school students were randomly selected from the cities of Maybod and Ardakan. The subjects were assessed using Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventony (MOCI), 90 question symptom checklist (SCL-90-R), and demographic questionnaire. In the first stage all subjects completed MOCI and SCL-90-R questionnaires, and in the second stage those who had a Maudsley score higher than 15 were evaluated.Results: The results showed that the prevalence rate of obsessive symptoms among adolescents was 11.2%.The highest co-occurrence of obsessive symptoms was with "depressive" and "anxiety" disorders. Also, useful predictors for OCD were the levels of "aggresson", "phobia", and "somatic symptoms".In assessing the risk factors related to obsession, no significant relationship was found between birth order, parent education, family income, age, and gender with obsessive symptoms.Conclusion: Recent findings about the high prevalence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the non-clinical population can suggest that the presence of obsessive symptmoms among adolescents is a normal phenomenon and can bring about a new approach in theoretical discussions of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: The aims included the investigation of the possibility of auditory learning during sleep as well as the evaluation of possible differences between sexes regarding learning during sleep.Method: The study population included Psychology and Educational Science students of Islamic Azad University Garmsar Branch in academic year 1385-86. The instruments of this study included multiple choice English questions as well as translation, based on taught English material. Its validity was evaluated using content validity. A pilot study with the aim of the habituation of subjects was carried out for one week.Results: The data were analyzed using t-test and the results indicated that learning English during sleep was not possible.Conclusion: While acknowledging the limitations of the study, its results indicate that learning does not take place during sleep and is accompanied with problems such as insomnia, headache, earache, dullness and somnolence during the day.

Objective: The Purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between noise perception and vitality in administrative and industrial workers in Mobarakeh Steel Complex.Method: For this case 55 workers of administrative section and 70 workers of industrial section were randomly selected. Thereafter, the Noise Quality Perception Inventory with five subscales (noise reduction benefits, noise reduction barriers, self-efficacy, attitude toward noise and susceptibility) and the Vitality Questionnaire were administrated to the subjects simultaneously.Results: The results of this research indicate that in administrative workers, vitality is significantly related only to self-efficacy; and in industrial workers vitality is significantly related to noise reduction and self-efficacy (p<0.05).Conclusion: The examination of theories and the comparison of the results of first and second hypotheses of this research along with the results of related research indicate the importance of the degree of noise in work place and its influence on vitality. By overshadowing sounds, noise destroys workers' concentration and decreases their vitality and awareness, leading to a decline in productivity. Hearing protection devices can be used to decrease the degree of annoyance resulted from noise and create the feeling of vitality which is a special kind of psychological experience.