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Biomedical subjects

M Sherer

Publications and source records attributed to M Sherer.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Factor analysis of the Wechsler Memory Scale and the Warrington Recognition Memory Test.

Subjects were 156 individuals referred, for psychological and neuropsychological evaluation. The Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) including the 12h delayed condition of Russell's revision and Warrington's Recognition Memory Test (RMT) were administered as part of each evaluation. Using scores from the RMT subtests: (1) Memory for Words and (2) Memory for Faces, and scores from the WMS subtests: (3) Logical Memory, (4) Digit Span, (5) Visual Reproduction, and (6) Associate Learning flow associate pairs only), a principal components factor analysis was carried out with an orthogonal varimax rotation yielding four factors: (1) verbal learning and memory, (2) Figurai memory, (3) Recognition memory, and (4) Attention-Concentration. Results are discussed with respect to the independent, but complementary information provided by the WMS and RMT for measurement of memory functions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Performance of alcoholic and brain-damaged subjects on the Luria Memory Words test.

Verbal memory was evaluated in groups of 36 community controls, 50 pseudoneurological controls, 50 alcoholics, and 50 brain-damaged patients. All participants were men between the ages of 22-61. Groups did not differ in age or educational levels (F < 1). Groups were compared on their performance on the Luria Memory Words Test. Dependent variables included the number of correct words over learning trials, the trial of best performance, and the number of words recalled at three delayed trials (2, 8, and 30 min after learning). Brain-damaged subjects were inferior to community controls on all measures. Pseudoneurological controls were inferior to community controls on delayed recall, but were equivalent on measures of learning. Alcoholics were inferior to controls on measures of learning but did not differ on measures of recall. Implications regarding the underlying deficit in alcoholics' verbal memory, the use and interpretation of the Luria Memory Words test, and the use of pseudoneurological patients as controls are discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1992

Differential sensitivity of the WMS to the effects of IQ and brain damage.

The sensitivity of the Wechsler Memory Scale with Russell's Revision to the effects of IQ and brain damage was assessed in groups of brain-damaged (N = 64) and nonbrain-damaged (N = 64) subjects. Brain-damaged and nonbrain-damaged subjects were divided into subgroups equated on age and IQ for each of three IQ ranges (80-89, 90-99, 100-109). Some Wechsler Memory Scale subtests were affected only by IQ, others were affected by IQ and brain-damage status, and still others were affected only by brain-damage status. Measures of recall efficiency were most useful in discriminating brain-damaged and nonbrain-damaged subjects. We concluded that specific Wechsler Memory Scale subtests are useful in assessing memory deficits in brain-damaged patients.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1991

Clinical validity of the Speech-Sounds Perception Test and the Seashore Rhythm Test.

The interpretive significance of the Speech-Sounds Perception Test (SSPT) and the Seashore Rhythm Test (SRT) was evaluated through literature review and empirical investigations. Subjects were 43 pseudoneurologic controls and 81 brain-damaged persons, divided into subgroups of subjects with left-hemisphere damage (n = 20), diffuse brain damage (n = 31), and right-hemisphere damage (n = 30). Our data indicate that the SSPT and SRT failed to discriminate left- and right-hemisphere damage. Furthermore, discriminant analyses demonstrated that these tests make no unique diagnostic contribution within the context of a neuropsychological battery. We question whether these tests should be routinely used.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Effects of bromocriptine pretreatment on subjective and physiological responses to i.v. cocaine.

We studied the effect of pretreatment with single doses of bromocriptine on the pattern of subjective and physiologic responses to single doses of intravenous (IV) cocaine. Placebo, bromocriptine 2.5 mg and, in five subjects only, 5 mg were administered orally 120 minutes before a dose of placebo or cocaine 40 mg IV to 9 male cocaine-using volunteers. Bromocriptine pretreatment diminished blood pressure generally, including cocaine-induced blood pressure increases, and augmented the heart rate after cocaine. It caused virtually no change in either augmentation or diminution of subjective responses including "rush" and "good feeling" scores, and scores for the MBG of the Addiction Research Center Inventory (ARCI), all measures of euphoria. However, a trend for the scores for the item "Would a dose of drug (cocaine) make you feel better?," suggested that bromocriptine may decrease the urge to use cocaine that was evoked by cocaine itself. However, this decreased desire was associated with a trend toward an increase in dysphoria as measured on the LSD scale of ARCI. These data support the view that euphoria and some forms of craving may be pharmacologically separable. We found no potentially toxic interactions of bromocriptine with cocaine in these single dose experiments.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1988

Lack of cardiovascular tolerance during intravenous cocaine infusions in human volunteers.

Acute tolerance to the cardiovascular effects of cocaine has been hypothesized from experiments in which the plasma concentrations of cocaine were rapidly changing. We studied the cardiovascular responses of 8 male human subjects for 4 hours following intravenous bolus doses of cocaine, and compared these to responses in the same subjects after intravenous bolus doses of cocaine followed by continuous intravenous infusions of cocaine designed to maintain steady state plasma levels of cocaine. We found little evidence of tolerance to the tachycardia and hypertensive effects of cocaine during a four hour exposure. Lack of tolerance to the cardiovascular effects of cocaine may be a factor in some types of cocaine related toxicity among cocaine abusers.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Pretreatment MMPI profiles of A.A. members and nonmembers.

Historically, researchers in alcoholism have focused a large amount of energy on the search for "the alcoholic personality." From this effort to identify a particular type of personality prone to the development of alcoholism arose the idea that alcoholics are not a homogeneous group. Subsequently, a number of authors reported the existence of alcoholic subtypes. Recently, research has begun to examine the relationship of personality to treatment outcome. In particular, Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) has come under greater scrutiny since high success rates have been ascribed to A.A. attendance. Moreover, the personality characteristics of A.A. members have been compared to alcoholics not attending A.A. Improving on earlier studies, the present research compared the pretreatment Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) profiles of alcoholics who later elected to attend A.A. and those who did not attend. Additionally, alcoholics attending A.A. were sorted by drinking outcome and the MMPI profiles of sober and drinking A.A. members were contrasted. Although no personality differences emerged between A.A. attenders and nonmembers, there were several trends within the A.A. attending group, suggesting that successful A.A. members were less depressed, less anxious and less socially isolated than unsuccessfull A.A. members.

Alcoholics Anonymous↗
PubMed1984

Stability of psychological test results in newly admitted alcoholics.

Previous research has demonstrated that psychological test results of newly admitted alcoholics are not stable due to lingering alcohol toxicity. The present study (N = 40) demonstrated that a 10-day delay in testing is sufficient to obtain stable results on some psychological tests.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1982

Sex-role orientation and psychological adjustment: comparison of MMPI profiles among college women and housewives.

Androgynous, masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated women, as determined by the Bern Sex Role Inventory, were compared on the three validity and ten clinical scales of the MMPI. Two samples of women were included: Female college students and a group of upper middle-class suburban housewives. No significant differences emerged in the housewife sample. Among college women, androgynous and masculine women did not differ in adjustment, and both groups were better adjusted (i.e., less depressed, anxious, tense, and less socially introverted) than the undifferentiated women. A cross-validation study with a comparable student sample essentially replicated the results of the first study. Rather than supporting Bem's (1974) hypothesis of better psychological adjustment in androgynous persons, results were interpreted as providing support for the notion that masculinity is associated with equally good adjustment as androgyny in college women.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1980

Effects of therapists nonverbal communication on rated skill and effectiveness.

A therapist's nonverbal behavior may communicate emotion and feelings toward a client. Thus, skilled utilization of appropriate nonverbal cues should facilitate many nonbehavioral therapies. A 2 X 2 X 2 factorial experiment investigated the therapy-facilitating effects of three theoretical dimensions of nonverbal communication: Immediacy, potency or status, and responsivity. A reenacted client-centered therapy session was videotaped. Verbal content was held constant, but all combinations of the three nonverbal dimensions were portrayed. A total of 118 male and female nonparticipant observers rated the therapist's interpersonal skills (empathy, warmth, and genuineness) and effectiveness. The results disclosed that the nonverbal cues of immediacy (close therapist-client distance and eye contact) significantly improved ratings of the therapist's interpersonal skills and effectiveness. Thus, the study demonstrated that a therapist's nonverbal behavior is a basis for interpretations of empathy, warmth, genuiness, and effectiveness. These findings were interpreted in terms of the therapist's nonverbal cues communicating liking and acceptance of the client.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

The use of donor mucus and insemination for cervical factor.

In a case of infertility due to cervical factor, application of donor mucus into the cervical canal was effective. The donor mucus with the first fraction of the husband's split ejaculate were incubated at 37 degrees C for 20 minutes. The mucus was then introduced into the cervical canal and a cervical cap for insemination was applied. A positive postcoital test was demonstrated after 6 hours. The patient conceived following a second such treatment. Donor cervical mucus aplication and insemination seem to be of value in the treatment of cervical factor.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Confirmation of cocaine in human saliva after intravenous use.

The presence of cocaine was confirmed in the saliva of two male human subjects who had received intravenous doses of cocaine. For one subject, the saliva:plasma concentration ratios varied from 2.96 to 0.5 over time following drug administration. Correlations of saliva to plasma cocaine levels were highly significant (p less than 0.001) across doses of 15, 20, and 40 mg of intravenously administered cocaine. These findings are important in that they allow monitoring blood levels of cocaine after intravenous infusion in a non-invasive manner, and could form the basis for development of a non-invasive screen for active cocaine levels in saliva.

Cocaine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation of saliva cocaine levels with plasma levels and with pharmacologic effects after intravenous cocaine administration in human subjects.

The behavioral and physiologic effects of single, intravenous bolus doses of cocaine in 5 male human subjects were correlated with cocaine levels in saliva and blood. All measures were performed under double-blind conditions. Two test doses of cocaine (15 mg and 40 mg) and one placebo test dose were administered to each subject in a random, cross-over design. Each test day was separated by a minimum of 48 h. Cocaine levels in saliva and blood significantly (p less than or equal to 0.05) correlated with responses on self-rating scales for drug sensation (Feel Drug scale), psychotomimetic effects (LSD scale), and feelings of rush (Rush scale). Significant (p less than or equal to 0.01) correlations also were obtained with cocaine biofluid levels and pulse rate. The close relationship observed between cocaine saliva levels and cocaine-induced behavior and physiologic effects presents the opportunity for development of a new noninvasive method for detection of current cocaine use.

Adult↗