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Biomedical subjects

B E Beckwith

Publications and source records attributed to B E Beckwith.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Failure of posttrial administration of vasopressin analogue (DDAVP) to influence memory in healthy, young, male volunteers.

The effects of intranasal treatment with DDAVP on healthy, male volunteers was assessed. Subjects were asked to learn prose passages and then were given either 60 micrograms of DDAVP or saline in a double-blind procedure. Subjects were then asked to recall the passages after a 24-h delay. Treatment had no effect on recall of passages. This suggests that treatment with vasopressin affects acquisition rather than consolidation of newly learned information.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1995

A preliminary study of the impact of terminal illness on spouses: social support and coping strategies.

This study examined whether social support and particular coping strategies were associated with self-reported depression, anxiety, anger, and physical symptoms in spouses of terminally ill patients recently admitted to a hospice program. Forty-four spouses were assessed within two weeks of the patients' admission. Results showed that specific types of social support (namely, socialization, guidance, and cognitive information) and the coping strategy of wishful thinking were associated with self-reported level of anxiety. In addition, cognitive information and the coping strategies of wishful thinking and express emotions were associated with self-reported level of anger. Directionality and possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1994

Effects of smoking on memory for prose passages.

The present study examined the effects of smoking on memory for prose passages. Habitual male smokers were matched on verbal ability, impulsivity level, and habitual smoking level and were instructed to smoke either a 0.1 mg (control), a 0.7 mg, or a 1.5 mg nicotine cigarette in a controlled fashion. Immediate recall after reading expository passages was obtained. The results indicated that the subjects who smoked the 0.7 mg nicotine cigarette recalled a greater proportion of the idea units than the control group, with no difference between the 1.5 mg group and the control. In addition, blood pressure and heart rate significantly increased in all groups immediately after smoking, with heart rate increases greater in the 0.7 mg and 1.5 mg groups than the control. Interpretive hypotheses for the results include arousal theory, with optimal arousal levels being obtained in the 0.7 mg nicotine group for the prose recall task, and nicotine specific effects, including nicotine's influence on the cholinergic system.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The actions of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) on passive avoidance in rats: a preliminary study.

Melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) is a hepadecapeptide hormone that is synthesized in the CNS and is responsible for melanosome aggregation in the teleost fish. Recent evidence suggests that this peptide hormone has a unique distribution in the mammalian brain, which leads to the speculation that it may serve as a neuromodulator. The present study was undertaken to explore the comparative effects of MCH to those of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating Hormone (MSH) (a neuropeptide that is known to influence learning) on the rate of extinction of a passive avoidance response in rats. Both MCH and MSH were administered SC at 10 micrograms per animal. Treatment with MCH appeared to hasten, whereas treatment with MSH appeared to delay, extinction of the passive avoidance response.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Posttrial treatment with ethanol enhances recall of prose narratives.

A small number of studies have examined the effects of postlearning alcohol intoxication on memory for various materials. In contrast to most research examining the effects of alcohol on human memory, these studies demonstrated a facilitation of memory for information learned prior to intoxication. The present study was designed to examine the effects of alcohol on memory for two different kinds of materials. Standard word lists and narrative prose passages were employed to obtain a more detailed picture of the effects of posttrial intoxication with alcohol on memory. Intoxication with alcohol did not affect subject's ability to recall simple word lists. However, recall of prose passages was facilitated to a statistically significant degree. Results are discussed within the context of a current theory of retrograde facilitation of memory via various drugs/substances.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Identification of spouses at high risk during bereavement: a preliminary assessment of Parkes and Weiss' Risk Index.

The Risk Index developed by Parkes and Weiss (1983) is a brief structured assessment tool for identifying bereaved spouses who may be at high risk for developing complications during bereavement. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of the Risk Index in predicting outcome during the first year of bereavement in spouses of deceased hospice patients. Professional staff at the hospice completed the Risk Index shortly after the spouse died and outcome was then assessed after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. High-risk bereaved were younger than low-risk bereaved. Number of young children at home, existence of close relationships, and financial status were important predictors of outcome during the first year of bereavement. The findings suggest that the Risk Index may serve as a cost-effective means of assessing risk for complications during the first year of bereavement.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1989

Gender differences in retrieval from long-term memory following acute intoxication with ethanol.

The present study investigated the effects of ethanol on retrieval from long-term memory by using a set of cognitive decision tasks. Male and female subjects were administered either 0.0 or 1.0 milliliter of ethanol per kilogram of body weight, and then asked to make physical, lexical, and semantic decisions about pairs of words. In general, intoxicated subjects responded significantly slower than sober subjects on all decision types. In addition, female subjects demonstrated greater performance deficits than males when intoxicated. The results suggested that the reduction in speed was not due to a simple slowing of motor responses. Rather the ethanol induced memory deficits may result from the slowing of cognitive operations that impair the efficiency of working memory. Several reasons were proposed for the observed difference in reaction to intoxication between male and female subjects, including neuroendocrine processes and cognitive differences.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The effects of caffeine, impulsivity, and sex on memory for word lists.

The present study examined the effects of caffeine on memory for supraspan word lists. Twelve groups of male and female college students classified as high or low impulsive received either 0, 2, or 4 mg/kg of caffeine. Female subjects were tested only during the menstrual phase of their cycle and were not taking oral contraceptives. Subjects listened to 12 word lists presented at one of four rates. Caffeine facilitated recall in females after practice with the task, but impaired recall in males only at the medium dose. The observed effects of caffeine were not influenced by subject's verbal ability, typical amount of caffeine consumption, or level of impulsivity. The results suggest that the effects of caffeine on females may vary according to the level of estrogen in the subject's system.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Neonatal exposure to a high level of ACTH4-10 impairs adult learning performance.

Male offspring of Sprague-Dawley dams were injected with 25 micrograms of ACTH4-10 or the vehicle on days 2 through 7 postpartum. Peptide treated animals exhibited a marked motor response to the peptide injection. Adrenal weights of these animals were consistently heavier than littermate controls in both the developing and adult animals. ACTH4-10 treated neonates exhibited significantly poorer learning performance in the shuttle box and were slower to acquire the reversal learning problem of a visual discrimination task under light shock levels. In addition, these animals also exhibited an exaggerated startle response and a stronger thigmotaxis response in the open field than controls. These results indicate that exposing the developing nervous system to relatively high levels of ACTH4-10 can produce marked long-term effects on behavior.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1987

Vasopressin analogue (DDAVP) facilitates recall of narrative prose.

The effects of treatment with 1-desamino-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) on memory in healthy adult human subjects were investigated. Each subject (males only) received 60 micrograms of DDAVP intranasally and then heard six narrative passages of prose presented at differing rates of presentation. Proportion of recall was measured at high, medium, and low levels of importance of idea units within the passage. The results indicated that treatment with DDAVP facilitated recall for both high and medium importance idea units. There was no interaction between treatment and either rate of presentation or level of verbal ability. These findings provide further evidence for the modest facilitation provided by acute administration of DDAVP on human memory.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Dose-dependent effects of hydrocortisone on memory in human males.

Eighty male undergraduates were administered either glucose or 5, 10, 20, or 40 mg of hydrocortisone in a double-blind procedure. After 60 min they were asked to listen to eight 12 word lists and then asked to recall the words. In addition to the expected effects of rate of presentation, serial position, and practice there was a significant interaction between dose of hydrocortisone and practice. Early recall was facilitated by all doses used whereas later recall was facilitated by treatment with 40 mg and impaired by treatment with 5 mg. These findings are discussed in the context of the effects of pituitary adrenocortical hormones and memory function.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The dexamethasone suppression test in depressed retarded adults: preliminary findings.

This study was undertaken to determine the utility of the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) for diagnosing depression in institutionalized mentally retarded persons. Depressed and nondepressed institutionalized mentally retarded persons were given 1 mg dexamethasone for an overnight DST. Serum cortisol concentrations greater than 4 micrograms/dl at both 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM provided discrimination of depressed from nondepressed groups. Also, using the criteria of serum cortisol concentrations greater than 4 micrograms/dl at 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, at 4:00 PM and 10:00 PM, or at 8:00 AM, 4:00 PM, and 10:00 PM differentiated these groups. These results suggest that the DST may be useful for detecting melancholia among institutionalized retarded persons.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The effects of alcohol on prose memory.

The present study examined the effects of acute alcoholic intoxication on prose memory. Intoxicated and sober subjects listened to six narrative passages at different presentation rates. Immediately after listening to a tape-recorded version of each story, subjects orally recalled it. The results demonstrated that sober subjects recalled more than intoxicated subjects, but subjects from both groups favored the main ideas in their recalls. However, at the fastest presentation rate, intoxicated subjects showed some diminished sensitivity to the semantic structure of prose. It was suggested that alcohol induced deficits in prose memory may result from a general slowing in the rate with which text is encoded into working memory.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The effects of caffeine on memory for word lists.

The present study investigated the effects of caffeine on memory for supraspan word lists. Twelve groups of male and female college students classified as high or low impulsive were administered (PO) 0 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg of caffeine. Subjects listened to four word lists presented at a fast rate and four at a slow rate. Caffeine inhibited females' recall during the slow rate, but not the fast rate. Caffeine had no effect on the recall performance of males. The observed effects of caffeine were not influenced by subjects' typical amount of caffeine consumption, verbal ability, or level of impulsivity. The results suggest that caffeine may impair the efficiency with which females rehearse information in working memory.

Adolescent↗