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Biomedical subjects

B H Wolkenstein

Publications and source records attributed to B H Wolkenstein.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Commingling analysis of memory performance in elderly men.

Smalley et al. [(1992) Genet Epidemiol 9:333-345] found evidence of a mixture of two distributions in memory performance among offspring of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), suggesting that these groups reflect genotypic subgroups of carriers and non-carriers of a putative DAT gene. One prediction of this hypothesis is that, in the general population, two distributions of memory performance are present, with a smaller proportion of subjects in the low-scoring cluster than that found among the offspring sample, but similar to the prevalence of DAT in the elderly community-at-large. Memory performance was investigated in a large sample of normal elderly males (N = 1,149; mean age = 71.4 +/- 4.7 years) to test this hypothesis. Commingling analyses of performance on the Benton visual retention test demonstrated significant negative skewness in the distribution of memory performance, requiring a transformation to fit a single normal distribution. In the absence of a transformation, two distributions fit better than one, with 6% of subjects falling into a "low"-scoring cluster. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that memory performance may represent a premorbid or morbid difference in those who go on to develop, or currently have, DAT, possibly allowing identification of at-risk carriers of a putative single major gene for DAT.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Commingling analysis of memory performance in offspring of Alzheimer patients.

Dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) is a neurodegenerative disorder which afflicts approximately 3% of the population. Genetic influences are indicated from twin and family studies although genetic heterogeneity has been suggested from both pedigree analyses and linkage investigations. Autosomal dominant inheritance with age-dependent penetrance has been suggested in at least some families with DAT. In the present investigation, we examine memory and nonmemory task performance in 106 asymptomatic offspring (mean age 40.6 years) of 54 DAT probands. Intraclass sibling correlations revealed little evidence of sibling similarity for performance on three memory tasks which have been reported to be relatively sensitive to the memory losses accompanying DAT. Subsequent investigations of the distributions of the cognitive task scores in the offspring revealed evidence for a commingling of two distributions for the three memory tasks but not for the nonmemory measures. These findings are consistent with a hypothesis that these distributions reflect genotypic subgroups, carriers, and noncarriers, of a presumed DAT gene.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Perceived personal immunity to the consequences of drinking alcohol: the relationship between behavior and perception.

Heavy drinkers, moderate drinkers, light drinkers, and nondrinkers were asked to rate a variety of negative health and social consequences of using alcohol. Subjects made probability ratings for fictional others who were heavy, moderate, or light drinkers or nondrinkers. Subjects also made probability ratings for themselves as hypothetical heavy, moderate, or light drinkers or nondrinkers and for themselves actually. A pattern of perceived personal immunity was found across groups. Subjects rated fictional others and themselves as hypothetical drinkers to be more likely to experience negative consequences than their actual selves. All groups of subjects (heavy, moderate, and light drinkers and abstainers) rated their actual chances of experiencing negative consequences to be approximately equal. In contrast, heavy drinkers saw the effects of drinking for other heavy drinkers as less likely than did subjects who had light or abstinent drinking patterns who rated fictional heavy drinkers. These findings suggest that individuals who drink more tend to deny the potential harm that may result from alcohol consumption. Short-term social consequences were viewed as most likely to occur. Long-term consequences were perceived as least likely to occur.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Program integrity as a moderator of prevention program effectiveness: results for fifth-grade students in the adolescent alcohol prevention trial.

This study reports the results of a test of the quality of program delivery (program integrity) as a variable that may moderate the effectiveness of alcohol prevention programs. Two theory-based programs, Resistance Training and Normative Education, were delivered to fifth-grade students who were then tested on program relevant mediating variables. Resistance Training was found to improve students' knowledge of peer pressure resistance strategies, their performance on a behavioral assessment of peer pressure resistance skills and the manifestation of their future intentions to drink alcohol. Normative Education was found to improve students' perceptions of a conservative norm regarding alcohol use, facilitated their belief that refusing unwanted offers to drink alcohol could be easily accomplished and reduced their perceptions of the prevalence of alcohol use. Program integrity was measured by program specialists who taught the programs to students and by trained observers. Ratings of program integrity were found to significantly moderate outcomes for three of seven mediating variables. Affected were knowledge of peer pressure resistance strategies, behavioral pressure resistance skills and perceived self-efficacy. These results suggest that the quality of program delivery and reception may play an important moderating function on prevention program effectiveness.

Adolescent↗