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Biomedical subjects

R J McCaffrey

Publications and source records attributed to R J McCaffrey.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

A preliminary investigation of prediction of mean arterial pressure after self-regulatory treatments.

This study investigated the ability of pretreatment variables from three different domains (social-demographic, psychological, and psychophysiological) to predict posttreatment mean arterial pressure (MAP) for 59 unmedicated males with mild hypertension who were participating in a cross-cultural (USA-USSR) comparison of autogenic training and thermal biofeedback to a self-relaxation control. The overall multiple regression equation consisted of two variables and indicated that higher diastolic blood pressures during a cold pressor task were predictive of greater MAP reductions while higher scores on the Irritability subscale of the Buss-Durkee Hostility Scale were predictive of less MAP reductions. Suggestions for future research in this area are provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Remediation of chronic attention deficits in traumatic brain-injured patients.

The present study evaluated an A-B-A single case design attention-remediation program for traumatically brain-injured survivors with chronic attention deficits. Four adult male TBI survivors participated in an intensive, hierarchically ordered, attention-remediation program based on Posner's four-component model of attention. No clinically significant improvement was obtained on the attentional measures, neuropsychological variables, psychological characteristics, activities of daily living, or subjective ratings of changes in attentional abilities. The efficacy of this attention-remediation program for TBI survivors is examined in light of other outcome studies.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1990

Interaction of neuropsychological and psychological factors in two cases of "space phobia".

Recent theories of psychological disorders are beginning to break down the traditional dichotomy between mental and physical processes. The present paper reports on two cases of space phobia in which this is especially apparent. Neuropsychological assessment indicated subtle disturbance in visuospatial functioning. The emotional response to this dysfunction appeared, however, to be somewhat excessive given the subtlety of the deficit. This is seen as a psychological reaction to a neuropsychological dysfunction.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1989

Civilian-related post-traumatic stress disorder: assessment-related issues.

The psychological characteristics of civilians (N = 26) with a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were investigated in order to determine whether the assessment and diagnostic decision rules developed using the MMPI with combat-related PTSD apply to civilian-related PTSD. The results indicate that there are substantial differences between the two PTSD populations and that further research is warranted to delineate other qualitative and quantitative aspects.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1989

Psychometric detection of fabricated symptoms of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: a systematic replication.

Vietnam veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 11) and two other groups of Vietnam veterans (n = 24) instructed to fabricate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder completed the MMPI. A discriminant function analysis that used scale F and the post-traumatic stress disorder subscale correctly classified 91% of the subjects. This systematic replication supports the utility of the MMPI as a component in evaluating the validity of self-reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

An analysis of the significance of performance errors on the Trail Making Test in polysubstance users.

The Trail Making Test performance of a group of polysubstance users was evaluated in order to analyze the stability of performance errors between two administrations. Two categories of errors were identified: sequential (Part A) and sequential and/or perseverative (Part B). The general findings revealed statistically significant test-retest effects. The utility of performance errors as indicators of stable CNS dysfunction is discussed in view of these findings.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1988

The effects of thermal biofeedback and autogenic training of cardiovascular reactivity: the joint USSR-USA Behavioral Hypertension Treatment Project.

Cardiovascular reactivity (heart rate, systolic, and diastolic BP) to mental arithmetic and cold pressor were measured before and after treatment as part of the cross-cultural (USSR and USA) evaluation of thermal biofeedback and autogenic training (in comparison with self-relaxation) as treatments for mild hypertension in unmedicated males. There were no statistically reliable decreases in cardiovascular reactivity from before to after treatment. However, downward shifts in basal levels of systolic and diastolic BP at post-treatment led treated patients to have lower stress-induced levels of BP.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

End organ changes associated with the self-regulatory treatment of mild essential hypertension?

M-mode echocardiograms were obtained on unmedicated males with mild hypertension before and after treatment with thermal biofeedback, autogenic training, or self-relaxation. Although patients for whom diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was successfully reduced showed trends toward reduction in left ventricular parameters while unsuccessful patients showed no changes, the results were not significant. For the four patients with borderline left ventricular hypertrophy, there was a strong trend (p = .06) for successful treatment to lead to a reduction in left ventricular mass. Moreover, across the whole sample, reduction in left ventricular mass was related (r = .30) to decrease in DBP.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

A comparison of the trail making test, symbol digit modalities test, and the Hooper Visual Organization Test in an inpatient substance abuse population.

Ninety inpatients from a substance abuse treatment facility each completed the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, the Trail Making Test and a novel, group-administered form of the Hooper Visual Organization Test. Patients exhibited varying degrees of impairment on all three instruments compared to available norms. The correlations among the tests were all statistically significant. The lowest inter-test correlations were obtained on the Hooper Visual Organization Test. The utility of global neuropsychological screening instruments with inpatient substance abusers' is discussed in light of these findings.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1988

The USA-USSR collaborative cross-cultural comparison of autogenic training and thermal biofeedback in the treatment of mild hypertension.

We have conducted a cross-cultural (USA and USSR) comparison of thermal biofeedback (TBF) and autogenic training (AT) to a self-relaxation control condition in 59 unmedicated males with mild hypertension. Identical assessment and treatment protocols were carried out in both settings (Albany, New York, and Moscow). Treatments were delivered in small groups on an outpatient basis twice per week for 10 weeks. Results showed comparable, significant (p less than .05), short-term decreases (M = 8.5 mm Hg) in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for both treatments at both sites. However, the Soviet patients, starting with significantly (p less than .01) higher systolic blood pressures (SBPs), showed significant decreases (M = 12.8 mm Hg) in SBP, whereas the American patients did not change appreciably (M = 4.6 mm Hg). During follow-up, the treated Soviet patients showed significantly (p less than .05) better maintenance of treatment effects, from 3 months to 1 year, than did the American patients. At 1 year, 75% of the treated Soviet patients had DBPs less than 90 mm Hg, whereas only 24% of the American patients had comparable DBPs.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

A controlled comparison of thermal biofeedback and relaxation training in the treatment of essential hypertension: III. Psychological changes accompanying treatment.

Eighty-seven medicated essential hypertensives received either thermal biofeedback (TBF) or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) training as a substitute for their second-stage antihypertensive medication. The psychological changes accompanying the treatments were obtained at pretreatment, at post-treatment and at the 3- and 6-month follow-up. Few psychological changes were noted, owing in part to the absence of psychopathological elevations at pretreatment. Short-term psychological changes were greater in patients who were withdrawn from their second-stage antihypertensive medication and then treated compared with those treated and then withdrawn from their medication. This finding may reflect the presence of antihypertensive medication side effects involving psychological factors. In general, TBF patients were more Type B at long-term follow-up compared with PMR patients, who tended toward greater Type A characteristics.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1987

Evaluation of a minimal-therapist-contact thermal biofeedback treatment program for essential hypertension.

We compared a clinic-based regimen of 16 individual sessions (2 per week) of thermal biofeedback with a largely home-based regimen of 5 sessions (spread over 8 weeks) for the treatment of essential hypertension in patients who required at least two drugs to maintain control of blood pressure (BP). On the basis of the clinical end point of being successfully withdrawn from the second stage medication while BP remained under control, the clinic-based regimen (5 of 9) was superior (chi less than (1) = 4.0, p less than .05) to the home-based regimen (1 of 9). Internal analyses point to more frequently obtaining a hand temperature of at least 95 degrees F by the office-based patients as possibly the reason for the difference.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

An experimental evaluation of the efficacy of suloctidil in the treatment of primary degenerative dementia.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized design was employed to test the efficacy and optimal dosage of Suloctidil in the treatment of primary degenerative dementia (PDD i.e., Alzheimer's disease). Initially, 30 geriatric patients with a diagnosis of PDD were matched for age, education, and handedness, and randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) 600 mg. Suloctidil daily; (b) 450 mg. Suloctidil daily; (c) or placebo, for 12 weeks. All patients were administered individually a brief neuropsychological battery at pretreatment and at 12-week posttreatment. The tests were the Boston Naming Test, the Thurstone Word Fluency Test, the Trail Making Test, and the Grooved Pegboard. While there was differential attrition across the three groups, the results of the Boston Naming Test suggest a medication-dosage effect.

Clinical Trial↗
PubMed1985

Appropriateness of kaolin consumption as an index of motion sickness in the rat.

The appropriateness of kaolin consumption, one form of pica, as an index of motion sickness in the rat was examined. Unlike other motion sickness indices, the use of kaolin consumption results in a bitonic function across daily rotation sessions. This bitonic function is not predicted from any theory of motion sickness (viz., the Sensory Rearrangement Theory), rather an inverse relationship should exist between the severity of motion sickness and repeated exposure to the effective motion (i.e., habituation). The results of Experiments 1 and 2 support the continued use of kaolin consumption as an index of motion sickness in the rat. A response interference process is proposed to account for the first portion of the bitonic kaolin consumption function with grooming possibly representing a higher probability behavior than kaolin consumption. Experiment 3 examined and confirmed that kaolin consumption indexes the process of rehabituation to an effective motion. This extends the number of principles that are characteristic of motion sickness exhibited by species capable of emesis and supports the continued use of kaolin consumption as an index of motion sickness and general gastrointestinal malaise in the rat.

Animals↗