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Biomedical subjects

D P Saccuzzo

Publications and source records attributed to D P Saccuzzo.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Effect of antipsychotic medication on speed of information processing in schizophrenic patients.

The authors evaluated the effects of antipsychotic medication and schizophrenia on speed of information processing. Medicated (N - 20) as well as unmedicated (N = 16) schizophrenic patients showed more evidence of slow information processing than did depressed control subjects (N = 20). The medicated schizophrenic patients had higher levels of general psychopathology but also showed superior information processing speed compared with the unmedicated schizophrenic patients. These data confirm that the schizophrenic patients are slow information processors and that antipsychotic medication probably does not cause, and may actually reverse, slowness of information processing in schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Visual masking with presentations in same and opposite visual fields: evidence for contralateral masking.

Three experiments were conducted in a preliminary attempt to study the effects of presentations of an informational target stimulus to the right or left visual fields when the target was either preceded or followed by a noninformational masking stimulus and when the mask was presented to the same or opposite visual field of the target. Results indicated that masking was more effective in the same than in the opposite visual field but that masking of the opposite visual field was feasible for both forward and backward masking. Laterality effects were also found for forward and backward masking, with a modest advantage of the right visual field (left hemisphere) in both cases. Limitations of the data and directions for future research were discussed.

Discrimination Learning↗
PubMed1981

Early information processing deficit in schizophrenia. New findings using schizophrenic subgroups and manic control subjects.

In recent years, the idea that schizophrenia involves a primary disturbance of the higher cognitive (ie, cortical) thinking processes has been challenged by investigators who have shown that there may be a primary disturbance in schizophrenia in the early stages of information processing that occurs during the first few hundred milliseconds after the stimulus reaches the sense organs. Among the hypothesized early information processing deficits are deficiencies in iconic storage (a brief peripheral memory store) and slowness of processing from iconic storage to a more permanent memory system. Three experiments were conducted using tachistoscopically presented stimuli in order to evaluate these two stages of information processing (iconic storage and speed of processing) in schizophrenic and control subjects. Results converged in supporting the hypothesis, that independent of iconic storage and sensory registration, slow information processing is a relatively stable deficit of schizophrenic patients with a poor prognosis. The schizophrenic patients with a good prognosis had a similar deficit, which was reversible. Results are discussed as they relate to the early information processing deficit theories of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Impaired speed of visual information processing in marijuana intoxication.

The authors conducted a double-blind crossover study to investigate the effects of marijuana on visual information processing. The authors used a tachistoscopic paradigm, and the results show no marijuana effect on the critical stimulus duration, a measure of stimulus intake. The visual backward masking data are compatible with a marijuana-induced slowness of information processing from labile unconscious iconic memory to more permanent memory processes. These results are discussed in relation to reports of marijuana's effects on perception and early information processing.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Information processing dysfunction in paranoid schizophrenia: a two-factor deficit.

The authors investigated information processing in schizophrenia by studying 30 paranoid schizophrenic patients and 30 depressed inpatients. The basic methodology relied on tachistoscopic presentation of stimuli. First, the critical stimulus duration needed for identification of a target stimulus was determined. Second, when the target stimulus was followed by a masking stimulus, a measure of speed of information processing was obtained. The schizophrenic patients were imparied on input factors and speed of processing. The authors think it is unlikely that the results were due to medication effect or to gross psychopathology. Their discussion centers on how this two-factor deficit in information processing may result in cognitive disruption and how this study relates to other investigations.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Associative cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia and old age.

This study employed Chapman's matched associative distractor test in order to determine whether an associative dysfunction is unique to the schizophrenias. Schizophrenic and control subjects were administered two matched multiple choice subtests, with only one containing an incorrect associative alternative choice. Only the schizophrenics and the institutionalized elderly made significantly more errors on the associative subtest than on the no-associative subtest. Our results indicate that vulnerability to associative distractors is not a unique pathological response pattern of schizophrenia, and add support to the growing body of knowledge that many of the so-called pathognomonic dysfunctions of schizophrenia can also be found in other groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Facilitation skills and the perception of clients' wants.

High functioning and low functioning observers as measured by the Carkhuff global level of facilitation scale were compared on their ability to perceive client wants. Observers were 16 master's level psychologists who had previously received 40 hours of Carkhuffian human relations training. After each counseling session the client and observer filled out the Therapy Session Reports describing what the client talked about (dialogue) and what the client wanted (wants). An agreement score between observer and clients was calculated for each observer. It was found that all observers were better able to identify dialogue. High facilitators were better able to identify wants than low facilitators (experimental task), while there was no difference between the groups in ability to identify dialogue (control task).

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1977

The WISC as a measure of personality types.

This present analysis attempted to provide evidence for the utility of the WISCto identify a specific group of individuals. Incarcerated juvenile offenders in the 70/79 IQ range were separated according to race and sex and their differential WISC patterns studied. Results focused on the efficiency of each of Wechsler's hypotheses for the adolescent sociopath. Post-hoc analysis provided tentative additional signs by which to identify juvenile offenders in the 70/79 IQ range. Consistencies between results of the present analysis and previous studies were noted. The clear pattern that emerged strongly supports the potential of the WISC as a measure of personality types.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Accuracy of perception of psychotherapeutic content as a function of observers' level of facilitation.

Eight high-functioning and eight low-functioning Master's-level psychologists viewed 11 1-hour individual therapy sessions. The level of functioning of the psychologists was determined by ratings based on the Carkhuff global level of facilitation scale. After each session the observers completed a Therapy Session Report questionnaire that asked them to indicate what the patient and therapist were feeling and concerned with during the session. Analysis of variance indicated that high-functioning observers were more accurate in their perceptions than low-functioning observers and that all observers were more accurate with regard to their perceptions about the therapist. Results were discussed in terms of the validity of the Carkhuff scales.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

The WISC as a diagnostic tool.

Wechsler's hypotheses for the adolescent sociopath were applied to the WISC under controlled conditions. Groups were separated according to race and sex, while IQ, socioeconomic class, and geographic location were held constant. The criterion for selection of Ss was appearance before a juvenile court. The efficiency of each of Wechsler's signs was determined. Post hoc analysis provided specific signs for each combination of race and sex in the 80-89 IQ range. The need for cross-validation of these signs was stressed. Other methodological issues that may contribute to inconclusive findings with traditional assessment procedures were discussed throughout the study. These included: (1) the need for control of the relevant variables; (2) the problem of poorly defined criteria; (3) the need for analysis of the individual as well as the group data; (4) the importance of a holistic approach; (5) the problem with matching; and (6) the problem of not having an expected distribution with which to compare the frequency of "hits" for Wechsler's indices.

Achievement↗