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Biomedical subjects

C B Fisher

Publications and source records attributed to C B Fisher.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Intervention research with persons at high risk for suicidality: safety and ethical considerations.

There is a critical need for studies designed to reduce suicidality. Individuals at high risk for suicidality deserve safe and effective treatments, just as do other individuals with mental disorders who do not experience suicidality. Points for consideration regarding safety and monitoring procedures are offered to help researchers who conduct treatment trials with individuals who have mental disorders and investigators specifically interested in developing treatments to reduce suicidality. Issues such as study design, increased monitoring and supervision, research clinician competencies, and liability concerns are addressed. Points to consider in planning an intervention trial, a checklist of informed consent issues, and a list of relevant active federal regulations are provided.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Through the community looking glass: reevaluating the ethical and policy implications of research on adolescent risk and sociopathology.

Drawing on a conception of scientists and community members as partners in the construction of ethically responsible research practices, this article urges investigators to seek the perspectives of teenagers and parents in evaluating the personal and political costs and benefits of research on adolescent risk behaviors. Content analysis of focus group discussions involving over 100 parents and teenagers from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds revealed community opinions regarding the scientific merit, social value, racial bias, and participant and group harms and benefits associated with surveys, informant reports, intervention studies, blood sampling, and genetic research on youth problems. Participants comments highlight new directions for socially responsible research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Aging and executive function skills: an examination of a community-dwelling older adult population.

The purpose of the present study was to employ the Tower of Hanoi task to the study of possible changes in executive function skills in older adults. The study used a quasi-experimental design, with age group (i.e., young adult, young elderly, or older elderly), being the independent variable in examining performance differences between younger and older adults. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally by age group. Nineteen elderly men and women comprised two groups; nine Young Elderly with an average age of 65 years and ten Older Elderly with an average age of 75 years. Two men and ten women served as a Young Adult comparison group having an average age of 19 years. Performance on the Tower of Hanoi was measured by efficiency scores (number of trials to consecutive solutions), frequency of error types, self-correction scores (completing the goal configuration in twenty or fewer moves after committing an error precluding a "correct" solution), and error perseveration (committing the same error on two consecutive trials of a problem). Analysis of variance and chi-squared tests suggested similar executive capacities among the 9 young adult and the 8 young elderly participants as compared to their 7 older elderly peers on the 3-disk task. However, on the 4-disk task where problem complexity increased by the addition of another disk and longer move sequences, young adult participants showed superior performance on the average than either young elderly or older elderly participants. Although the present study is limited by the small sample size and the use of cross-sectional analyses to examine age differences, these findings are consistent with the hypothesis of age differences in executive function.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Referring and reporting research participants at risk: views from urban adolescents.

Researching developmental risks of urban youth raises ethical concerns when an investigator discovers a participant is in jeopardy. This study collected data on 147 seventh, ninth, and eleventh graders' views of 3 investigator options: (1) taking no action and maintaining confidentiality, (2) reporting the problem to a concerned parent or adult, and (3) facilitating adolescent self-referrals. Participants judged these options within the context of 5 risk domains: substance abuse, child maltreatment, life-threatening behaviors, delinquency, and shyness. Judgments of reporting options were related to grade and ratings of risk severity, but not to moral reasoning. Confidentiality was viewed favorably for risk behaviors of low perceived severity or for which the consequences of adult discovery might introduce greater risk. Confidentiality was viewed unfavorably and reporting to adults favorably for child maltreatment and threats of suicide. Self-referral was viewed favorably across all grades and risk behaviors. Implications of adolescent perspectives for research ethics are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Level of processing in the perception of symmetrical forms viewed from different angles.

This study is concerned with the level of processing underlying the perception of symmetry about a vertical axis. Specifically, it asks whether the equality of the two sides of a symmetrical pattern must be present retinally or perceptually for the impression of symmetry to be realized. Sixty-four subjects were assigned to groups that viewed symmetrical and asymmetrical figures when the figures were in either a frontoparallel plane or one slanted by 65 deg from the line of sight. In the 65 deg condition, the objectively symmetrical stimuli projected an asymmetrical shape on the retina, and conversely the objectively asymmetrical stimuli produced a symmetrical retinal projection. From each viewing angle, patterns were observed under either full or reduced (monocular) depth cue conditions. Like their counterparts in the frontoparallel condition, observers in the 65 deg, full depth-cue condition identified the objective symmetry of the figures. By contrast, 65 deg, reduced depth-cue observers responded primarily to the retinal structure of the stimuli. The same pattern of responding was observed for both holistic and multielement patterns and for both 100 ms and 1 s exposures. These findings and the significant relationship obtained between phenomenal judgment of symmetry and a measure of shape constancy suggest that the perception of symmetrical figures depends upon the perception of the equality of their two halves, and is thus another example of perceptual causality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Beware of absent femoral pulse (or how to prevent major complications after minor procedures).

The following is presented to illustrate the importance of examining all peripheral pulses, especially the femoral pulse, before performing minor surgical procedures on the lower extremity, even limited toe amputation. This simple examination is a must in identifying patients at risk for severe peripheral arterial insufficiency, which can lead to major complications if underestimated or undiagnosed. We offer three examples to illustrate this point. All patients underwent successful revascularization and major lower limb amputation was avoided.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Patency of the internal jugular vein after functional neck dissection.

The objective of this study was to determine the immediate patency rate for internal jugular veins preserved in functional neck dissections. Thirteen patients had contrast-enhanced CT scans 2 to 4 weeks postoperatively. Ten veins were patent and had a diameter comparable to that seen on the preoperative scan; one vein was narrowed but patent; two were occluded. Probable factors associated with occlusion include trauma of the vessel and extrinsic compression of the vein by the skin or myocutaneous flaps.

Head and Neck Neoplasms↗
PubMed1988

Kinship versus friendship: social adaptation in married and widowed elderly women.

The qualities of daughter versus same-sex friend relationships were described by 151 married and widowed elderly women. The relation of these qualities to life satisfaction was assessed. Relationship qualities predicted life satisfaction in widowed women but not in married women. Significant predictors of life satisfaction for widows included the emotional support of daughters, the instrumental support of friends and friendship strength. In a comparison of the relationship qualities, both married and widowed respondents described daughters as providing more stimulation, ego support and utility than friends. Respondents also reported that relationships with daughters were stronger than those with friends. Married women described relationships with both daughters and friends as more stimulating than widowed women. The value of assessing qualitative indices compared to quantitative indices of later life relationships is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Determinants of adolescent obesity: a comparison with anorexia nervosa.

This report investigates childhood and adolescent obesity through a comparison with anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder typically associated with the opposite end of the eating behavior spectrum. Many similarities in the etiologies of the two conditions are discussed, particularly with regard to the influence of family interactional patterns. More specifically, it appears that the families of both anorexics and the obese are characterized by overprotectiveness and enmeshment, resulting in a poor sense of identity and effectiveness. Such children, usually compliant and dependent in childhood, misuse the eating function in an attempt to assert their independence and gain control of their lives in adolescence. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III-R), anorexia nervosa, but not obesity, meets the definition of an eating disorder. Although it appears that DSM-III-R is accurate in not classifying obesity as an eating disorder, it is important to keep the etiological similarities of the two conditions in mind when treating obesity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

The Goldmeier effect in adults and children: environmental, retinal, and phenomenal influences on judgments of visual symmetry.

Adults judge that patterns symmetrical about the vertical axis are more similar to standard patterns symmetrical about both major orthogonal axes than are patterns which are symmetrical only about the horizontal axis (the Goldmeier effect). Thus, symmetry about the vertical axis is more salient for adults than symmetry about the horizontal axis. Two experiments are reported in which subjects from three age groups (preschool, 8 years old, and adult) were given Goldmeier problems under different conditions. In experiment 1 three head-tilt conditions were used (0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees); in experiment 2 there were four conditions defined by head orientation (0 degrees, 90 degrees) and phenomenal instructions (top of figure at 0 degrees or at 90 degrees). In both experiments, increasing head tilt from 0 degrees decreased the consistency with which the environmentally vertical pattern was chosen. Noncorrespondence between the three spatial frameworks (environmental, retinal, and phenomenal) failed to produce biases in favor of either retinal-egocentric or phenomenal systems. For rotated adult subjects in experiment 2, 0 degrees phenomenal instructions strengthened an environmental bias, and 90 degrees phenomenal instructions shifted responses toward a retinal bias. These findings provide strong refutation of explanations for symmetry perception that are based solely upon the anatomical symmetry of the visual system. The data also fail to support arguments for environmental or phenomenal frameworks as singular influences. The results are best explained in terms of failure of constancy mechanisms to coordinate environmental and retinal information as a function of degree of head rotation and stimulus complexity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Left-right coding and skills related to beginning reading.

Kindergarteners and first graders were tested for discrimination of left-right orientation, letter production, and performance on reading readiness and reading tests. Left-right visual skills were found to be related to reading skills in both grades but to letter production only in kindergarten. These data are viewed in the context of a deficit in left-right coding. The data cautiously suggest that different subgroups of reading-disabled children may benefit from training programs that remediate different deficiencies; affirmation of this strategy awaits further study of treatment.

Child↗
PubMed1984

Breast feeding, maternal smoking and early atheroma.

The anterior descending coronary artery was obtained from each of 160 subjects aged 2 to 30 years who died suddenly. The arteries were examined for early atheromatous changes and the mothers were asked about the way the children had been fed during early infancy. No evidence was found for the hypothesis that breast feeding confers protection against coronary artery disease. The mothers' smoking history at the time of the birth bore no relationship to the pathological findings in the arteries. It therefore seems unlikely that the type of feeding in infancy, or maternal smoking during pregnancy, are factors influencing the risk of coronary disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Children's memory for oblique orientation: a matter of degree?

Research on children's memory for oblique orientation has typically focused on the left-right component while little attention has been directed at memory for slope. Experiment 1 establishes that the ability to remember the slope of a line develops between 3 and 4 years of age. 16 3-year-olds and 16 4-year-olds were tested on 2 discrimination problems using successive presentation and feedback: (1) between lines varying only in slope, and (2) between lines varying only in left-right direction. 3-year-olds found both problems difficult while 4-year-olds solved these problems with ease. Further investigation determined that young children's difficulty lay in the nature of the slope problem rather than in our procedure. In experiment 2, 15 children (mean age = 4-6) who had discriminated both slope and left-right problems under successive presentation were tested on these same discriminations under simultaneous presentation. While all children discriminated lines varying in slope, the left-right problem proved to be quite difficult. This finding suggests that the slope-the obliqueness-of a line does not play a critical role in children's difficulty with simultaneously presented mirror-image obliques. Different coding strategies for the slope and left-right components of the oblique are suggested.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1982

The role of stimulus alignment in children's memory for line orientation.

In traditional tests of the "oblique effect," simultaneously presented mirror-image obliques are symmetrically aligned about a vertical axis, while vertical and horizontal stimuli are asymmetrically aligned. This work establishes that configurational cues associated with different alignments play an important role in children's memory for line orientation. In experiment 1, 16 kindergartners were tested on vertical-horizontal and oblique discriminations in symmetrical and asymmetrical alignments. When stimuli were asymmetrically aligned, the oblique discrimination was learned as rapidly as the vertical-horizontal discrimination. While performance on both problems was significantly better in the asymmetrical condition, stimulus alignment exerted its greatest influence on memory for oblique orientations; symmetrically aligned vertical and horizontal lines were easier to discriminate between than symmetrically aligned obliques. Experiment 2 demonstrated that the influence of configurational cues in memory for vertical-horizontal orientations increases when stimulus relationships between orthogonal stimuli are made salient. The 16 kindergartners tested found symmetrically aligned orthogonal lines as difficult to discriminate between as symmetrically aligned obliques, when stimuli were presented in diagonally oriented, rectangular frames. It is suggested that memory for orthogonal lines is more resistant to configurational cues because it typically involves an absolute code, while oblique memory always involves a relative code.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1981

The role of symmetry in infant form discrimination.

This study examined whether infants can discriminate form on the basis of symmetrical organization when other stimulus factors are equated. 48 4-month-olds were tested in a habituation-dishabituation discrimination paradigm using vertically symmetrical, horizontally symmetrical, and asymmetrical forms. Infants discriminated vertically symmetrical forms from asymmetrical and from horizontally symmetrical ones, but they did not discriminate horizontally symmetrical forms from asymmetrical ones, nor did they discriminate asymmetrical forms from one another. This pattern of results suggests that the global organization embodied in vertical symmetry promotes perceptual discrimination. 12 additional 4-month-olds were habituated and tested with 2 vertical patterns. Their failure to demonstrate a reliable pattern of dishabituation suggests that babies respond to goodness of organization rather than to details unique to particular symmetrical patterns.

Female↗