Biomedical subjects

Laurence Miller

Publications and source records attributed to Laurence Miller.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Olfactory repeated discrimination reversal in rats: effects of chlordiazepoxide, dizocilpine, and morphine.

Effects of a benzodiazepine (chlordiazepoxide), an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist (dizocilpine), and an opiate agonist (morphine) were studied with a procedure designed to assess effects of drugs and other manipulations on nonspatial learning in rats. In each session, rats were exposed to 2 different 2-choice odor-discrimination problems with food reinforcement for correct responses. One problem (performance discrimination) remained the same throughout the study. That is, 1 odor was always correct (S+) and the other was never correct (S-). For the other problem (reversal discrimination), stimuli changed every session. Six different odors were used to program the reversal discrimination; on any given session, S+ was a stimulus that had served as S- the last time it had appeared, S- was a stimulus that had been S+ on its last appearance. Thus, in each session, learning a discrimination reversal could be studied along with the performance of a comparable, but previously learned, discrimination. Chlordiazepoxide interfered with reversal learning at doses that had no effect on the performance discrimination. Morphine and dizocilpine also impaired reversal learning but only at doses that also affected performance of the well-learned performance discrimination.

Analgesics, Opioid↗

PubMed2006

The terrorist mind: I. A psychological and political analysis.

Part I of this two-part article describes the major forms of domestic and foreign terrorism, the motivations of the perpetrators, and the psychological, social, and political forces that contribute to this most particular expression of violence. The article addresses the question of whether all terrorists are sick or evil and considers the possibility that some forms of terrorism, however odious their result, can be a rational response to a situation of perceived intolerable injustice. The article examines what motivates people to join terrorist groups and what may later move them to leave the terrorist lifestyle. Special consideration is given to the psychological and religious dynamics of suicide terrorism and what might motivate some people to give their lives for their cause. Finally, the article offers recommendations for a multipronged approach to dealing with this modern yet ageless scourge.

Aspirations, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

The terrorist mind: II. Typologies, psychopathologies, and practical guidelines for investigation.

Part I of this two-part article presents a psychological and political analysis of the terrorist mind. Part II describes the major current psychological classifications and typologies of domestic and foreign terrorism. Explanations are offered in terms of our current understanding of the personality and psychopathology of terroristic violence. A heuristic model of classifying terrorism in terms of personality and psychopathology is presented. In addition to guiding further research and theory on the psychology of terrorism, this model has immediate practical application to the investigation and interrogation of terrorist suspects.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗

PubMed2006

Suicide by cop: causes, reactions, and practical intervention strategies.

Due to a combination of interpersonal manipulativeness, personal identification, and lack of heroic status, most police officers find suicide by cop (SBC) calls to be among the most disturbing shooting incidents. This article describes the dynamics of SBC and some of the factors that may contribute to it. Operational strategies and psychological techniques for de-escalating and resolving a SBC crisis are discussed. Finally, psychological reactions by officers to a SBC and psychotherapeutic strategies for dealing with the aftermath are described. Especially important is the recommendation that officers use intervention "failures" as tools for learning, so that purposeless remorse can be turned into enhanced life-saving skills for the next incident.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Critical incident stress debriefing for law enforcement: practical models and special applications.

Critical incident stress debriefing (CISD) has evolved and diversified to address the needs of various subpopulations of public safety and emergency services personnel, including law enforcement. This article describes the concept of critical incident stress as it applies to police officers and other law enforcement agents. It then discusses the traditional debriefing models and the specialized modifications and applications that have been introduced to deal with the needs of law enforcement individuals and groups. Next, the role of peer-debriefing is described in addressing law enforcement critical incident stress, as well as specific examples of model programs within different types of law enforcement agencies. Finally, the as yet incompletely resolved legal and administrative issues surrounding the use of peers versus professional clinicians for critical incident intervention are addressed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Officer-involved shooting: reaction patterns, response protocols, and psychological intervention strategies.

Psychologists who work with law enforcement agencies may be called upon to respond to an officer-involved shooting (OIS). These need not be the most traumatic critical incidents in policing, but when they are, the reasons usually involve a mix of incident characteristics, officer response styles, and departmental handling. This article describes some of the psychological reactions experienced by officers during and following an OIS and provides a model of administrative, legal, mental health, and peer support services for officers in need. Finally, the article discusses several key roles that the police psychologist can play in the process of managing an OIS.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

Police officer suicide: causes, prevention, and practical intervention strategies.

More police officers die by their own hand than are killed in the line of duty. This article outlines the facts and statistics about police officer suicide and discusses the range of possible contributory factors to officer burnout, depression, and suicide. It then describes the range of prevention strategies that police agencies can employ to minimize this tragedy, including identification of risk factors, sensitivity to overt and subtle cues of officer distress, and proper utilization of counseling and referral services. Next, the article offers practical guidelines for dealing with officers in states of impending or acute suicidal crises. Finally, the importance of suicide prevention and intervention in the context of comprehensive mental health services for all public safety workers is highlighted.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Hostage negotiation: psychological principles and practices.

Resolution of hostage crises may take hours or days of intensely focused and stressful negotiation, requiring the use of virtually every crisis intervention strategy known to psychology and law enforcement. This article describes the nature of hostage crises and the factors that contribute to prospects for a successful resolution. Outlined are basic strategies of hostage negotiation and crisis management culled from the psychological and law enforcement literature. Recommendations are offered to civilians for surviving a hostage crisis. Finally, the article emphasizes the collaborative working relationship between mental health and law enforcement professionals that can have a lifesaving impact for citizens in peril.

Crisis Intervention↗

PubMed2004

Psychotherapeutic interventions for survivors of terrorism.

Terrorist attacks combine features of criminal assaults, disasters, and acts of war. Accordingly, much of our clinical knowledge in treating this relatively new kind of traumatic event is adapted from experiences in treating victims of criminal assault, homicidal bereavement, natural and man-made disasters, war and political violence, workplace homicide, and school shootings. This paper reviews the pertinent literature on these types of trauma and combines this information with the author's own experience in treating direct and indirect victims and survivors of recent terrorist attacks. The paper describes the psychological syndromes resulting from terrorism and discusses individual and family modalities for treating victims and survivors of terrorism.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

An mSin3A interaction domain links the transcriptional activity of KLF11 with its role in growth regulation.

KLF11 is a biochemical paradigm for a subset of proteins that repress transcription via a Mad1-like mSin3A interacting domain (SID). The biological role of these proteins and the significance of their biochemical activity, however, remain to be established. We report that KLF11 is downregulated in human cancers, inhibits cell growth in vitro and in vivo, and suppresses neoplastic transformation. Transgenic mice for KLF11 display a downregulation of genes encoding the oxidative stress scavengers SOD2 and Catalase1. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirm that, indeed, these genes are bonafide targets of KLF11. KLF11 expression renders cells more sensitive to oxidative drugs, an effect that is rescued by infection with recombinant adenoviruses expressing SOD2 and Catalase1. KLF11-regulated functions require the Mad1-like SID, indicating that these target genes involved in these phenomena are regulated via this corepressor system. These results demonstrate that SID-containing KLF repressor proteins can inhibit cell growth and neoplastic transformation, and outline for the first time cellular and molecular mechanisms by which these functions may be achieved.

3T3 Cells↗

PubMed2000

Neurosensitization: A model for persistent disability in chronic pain, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder following injury.

A neurosensitization syndrome (NSS) is defined as: a syndrome of subjective discomfort and objective functional disability; that often appears excessive in duration and severity with respect to the identified initiating injury or event; that may be resistant to conventional medical and psychological treatment modalities; and that is hypothesized to develop as the result of progressively enhanced sensitivity or reactivity of central nervous system (CNS) mechanisms at the neurophysiological, biochemical, and intracellular levels. This paper applies the neurosensitization model to the three syndromes which are frequently comorbid and treatment-refractory in clinical practice: (1) chronic pain; (2) depression; and (3) posttraumatic stress disorder. The understanding of how pathological behavioral syndromes spiral out of control may lead to productive, integrative medical, behavioral, and psychotherapeutic treatment strategies.

Journal Article↗