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Results for “PERSONALITY, IMMATURE”

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PubMed1981

Measurement of ocular pursuits in normal children.

Ocular pursuits have been evaluated by occupational therapists (OTRs) in many settings, but normative information has been lacking. In this study, a standardized method of testing and recording ocular pursuits was developed and pilot tested on both normal and handicapped children. Normative data were then collected by using a cooperative research method in which 28 OTRs in the state of Colorado were trained, in a one-day workshop, to administer and score the test, achieving .98 inter-rater reliability for total test score. Each qualified tester evaluated approximately l5 normal children between 3 and ll years of age. The total sample was 489 subjects. There were some age-related trends, and most behaviors demonstrated a ceiling effect, particularly with older children. The results imply that many normal children have some immaturity in ocular pursuit skills until 6 or 7 years of age.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2004

[Personality disorders in postoperative period of coronary artery bypass graft surgery].

Personality disorders (PD) are recognized among key maladaptive factors in postoperative period of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS). However studies on PD among CABS patients are predominantly under psychological approach and information on clinical features is very limited. A present investigation aimed at assessing clinical features and prognostic value of PD in late post operative period of CABS (from 1 to 3 years). Using psychiatric, cardiological and psychological methods, 48 patients (42 male, mean age 61.3 +/- 8.2 years) with diagnosis of PD and favorable cardiological status after CABS have been assessed. PD in post operative period is an important predictor of unfavorable social and occupational outcome of CABS. Three types of clinical course of PD were singled out: 1) hypohondric personality development; 2) "second life" personality development; 3) "denial of illness" reactions. Pronounced maladaptation was observed in type 1, most severe one--in type 2 and minimal maladaptation or its absence--in type 3. These types were differentiated by different repertoires of psychological defense mechanisms (PMD): type 1 was characterized by a limited number of them with a drift to mature mechanisms; PD of type 2 are featured by a narrow and rigid repertoire of defenses with predomination of immature mechanisms and in type 3 a maximum number of PMD with balanced involvement of mature and immature mechanisms was observed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Intraamniotic surfactant for prevention of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS): rationale and personal experience.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of intramniotic instillation of supplementary surfactant for the prophylaxis of neonatal IRDS in an emergency obstetric setting. STUDY DESIGN: Supplementary natural surfactant (SS) was administered intra-amniotically (80 mg in 1 ml) under ultrasound guidance in the proximity of the fetal nostrils and mouth in six pregnant women at 24-32 weeks gestation, with immature amniotic fluid indices of fetal lung maturity, and whose delivery was imminent because of severe fetal distress, deteriorating maternal conditions, or refractory vaginal bleeding. The administration of SS was preceded by IV aminophylline to the mother (a bolus of 240 mg over 10 min, and a maintenance dose of 0.02-0.1 mg kg-1 min-1) in order to elicit sustained fetal breathing movements. RESULTS: The clinical conditions of the six newborn infants were good with no respiratory problems in four cases, and with mild IRDS in the remaining two, which, however, resolved uneventfully. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that this prophylactic approach has a great potential for becoming a reliable option for the antenatal prevention of IRDS.

Amnion↗

PubMed1989

Psycho-behavioral characteristics of children with vocal nodules: WPBIC ratings.

The parents of 30 children referred to speech pathology because of vocal nodules completed the Walker Problem Behavior Identification Checklist (WPBIC) on their children. These checklist responses were then compared to those from the parents of a matched, vocally normal, control group. The nodule children had significantly higher scores on the scales for acting out, distractibility, disturbed peer relations, and immature behaviors. The implications of these results for nodule formation and intervention are discussed.

Aggression↗

PubMed1992

[A clinical course and autopsy results of an 8-year-old severely handicapped girl with marked periventricular leukomalacia].

We reported a clinical course and autopsy results of an 8-year-old severely handicapped girl with marked periventricular leukomalacia. She was well until 3 days prior to first admission in local hospital. Two days prior to admission, she began to vomit. Twelve hours later, she was noted to be lethargic and developed malaise with frequent vomiting. At physical examination on admission, she had frequent fits and her posture was decerebrate rigidity. Consciousness disturbance continued for two weeks. Thereafter, she became severely handicapped with spastic quadriplegia, mental retardation and intractable epilepsy. She was transferred to our hospital one month later. We cared her totally and carefully with our rehabilitation staff, but during her course several rare happening occurred; she suffered from subdural hemorrhage due to hypocupremia and received an operation for the release of contracture of her hips. She died of acute cardio-respiratory failure at 8 years and 5 months of age. Her autopsy findings were characteristic of the damage to an immature brain during development; cactus formation of cerebellar cortex and periventricular leukomalacia.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1997

Food allocation in rural Peruvian households: concepts and behavior regarding children.

Intrahousehold food allocation is an important determinant of child health and survival. In this paper I explore the ways in which food is distributed to young children in Ura Ayllu, a farming community located in the southern Peruvian highlands (Province of Sandia, Department of Puno, Peru). Quantitative data on energy intake and growth status are analyzed for two groups of children: toddlers (one through three years) and preschoolers (four through six years). The analyses indicate no gender differences in energy intake or growth among toddlers (one through three years) and preschoolers (four through six years) and that young children do not appear to be deprived of food relative to older household members, especially adults. Relative to standards specific to Andean populations, the mean caloric content of the toddler diet falls slightly below the estimated requirement for the age group while the preschooler diet is found to be calorically adequate. This paper also examines the ideological bases that shape food allocation within households. Regarding the local concepts and cultural rules that guide food allocation to children, Ura Ayllinos view young children as developmentally immature and believe their dietary and health needs are different from those of older children and adults. Infants and young children are considered weak (debil) and vulnerable to illness. Parents state that young children should not feel hunger which is thought to weaken a person and make him more susceptible to the natural and supernatural agents that cause illness. Certain dietary practices, such as on-demand breastfeeding and snacking between meals, suggest that parents try to avoid the experience of hunger and the potential for illness by making food available to their children. This study suggests that young Ura Ayllu children are viewed as having a right to food based on local concepts of child development, personhood, and general health maintenance.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Three-year follow up of women with and without borderline personality disorder: development of Cloninger's character in adolescence.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the developmental patterns of Cloninger's biogenetic character traits in subjects with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Study subjects met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised; DSM-III-R) criteria for BPD without comorbid axis I or II disorders, as determined by the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines-Revised, Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-III-R, and Diagnostic Interview for Personality Disorders. The BPD subjects and age- and sex-matched healthy comparison subjects were initially interviewed for Cloninger's biogenetic characters and re-interviewed at an interval of 1 year for the following 3 years. There were significant differences in the developmental patterns of self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence between BPD and healthy comparison subjects (significant group by time interaction: repeated measures manova, F = 17.3, d.f. = 3,240, P < 0.001; F = 28.5, d.f. = 3,240, P < 0.001; F = 4.7, d.f. = 3,240, P < 0.01, respectively). The BPD subjects had less changes in character-related maturity with increasing age than did healthy comparison subjects. Post-hoc tests with Duncan's statistics revealed that subjects with BPD had significantly lower scores on self-directedness at all assessment time periods (P < 0.01) and lower scores on cooperativeness at the second-year and third-year follow-up assessments as compared to healthy comparison subjects (P < 0.01). The BPD subjects had a distinctively different developmental pattern of Cloninger's character compared to healthy comparison subjects. The character development of BPD patients was more fixed and immature than those of healthy comparison subjects.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Future directions for therapy of childhood hydrocephalus: a view from the laboratory.

A personal perspective on the study of experimental models of hydrocephalus is offered. Many animal models are available; each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Detailed study of more than one model is needed to clarify the pathogenesis of hydrocephalus-induced brain damage in the immature nervous system. Further information is needed about the mechanism of axonal injury in periventricular tissue, changes in the extracellular compartment, water dynamics within brain tissue, the role of neurotrophic factors in hydrocephalus, and the sites of injury in chronic 'arrested' hydrocephalus. Insight into the multifactorial nature of the brain damage may allow us to develop supplemental pharmacologic therapies, which could protect the brain and promote recovery in the pre- and postshunt period.

Brain↗

PubMed2004

Early- and late-onset blind individuals show supra-normal auditory abilities in far-space.

Blind individuals manifest remarkable abilities in navigating through space despite their lack of vision. They have previously been shown to perform normally or even supra-normally in tasks involving spatial hearing in near space, a region that, however, can be calibrated with sensory-motor feedback. Here we show that blind individuals not only properly map auditory space beyond their peri-personal environment but also demonstrate supra-normal performance when subtle acoustic cues for target location and distance must be used to carry out the task. Moreover, it is generally postulated that such abilities rest in part on cross-modal cortical reorganizations, particularly in the immature brain, where important synaptogenesis is still possible. Nonetheless, we show for the first time that even late-onset blind subjects develop above-normal spatial abilities, suggesting that significant compensation can occur in the adult.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1978

Chronic neurotic encopresis as a paradigm of a multifactorial psychiatric disorder.

Chronic neurotic encopresis (CNE), a childhood psychiatric disorder characterized by inappropriate fecal soiling, necessitated the formation of the following specific etiological factors: a) a neurologically immature developmental musculature, an organic condition which may complicate toilet training; b) premature or harsh toilet training; c) a family constellation in which the father is frequently absent and the mother erratic, emotionally inappropriate, and distant; d) the child's formation of a noncommunicative, passive, dependent personality. All of these factors are helpful in explaining the occurrence of CNE, which is thus seen as the result of a synergistic interaction among them. The complexity of etiological agents dictates a multifactorial rather than unicausal model of mental illness. Future research and tactics of psychotherapeutic intervention should focus on the interplay among these factors rather than attempting to single out one primary predisposing factor.

Central Nervous System↗

PubMed2002

[Lymphoid structures of human duodenum in adolescent and juvenile age].

Using morphometric methods, the microtopography and quantitative proportions of lymphoid cells in structural components of lymphoid tissue were studied in the duodenal wall of the persons of adolescent and juvenile age. In adolescence, in contrast to juvenile age, the intestinal wall was found to contain all the morphological structures, characteristic to functional activity of lymphoid tissue (lymph nodules with and without the germinal centers). In adolescence numerous cells in mitosis and immature cells were found in intestinal lymphoid structures, while no mitotic figures were detected in the similar structures in juvenile age. Duodenal lamina propria contained more antigen-producing plasma cells in adolescence than in youth. This complex of cell correlations is indicative of enhanced local immune response in adolescence and may be explained by an age-dependent active neuro-hormonal body reconstruction.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Attitudes toward Arabs of Israeli children exposed to missile attacks: the role of personality functions.

BACKGROUND: This study examines the attitudes toward Arabs of Israeli children who were exposed to missile attacks during the Gulf War as related to exposure, early and present functioning, and appraisal of chances for peace. METHODS: A semi-structured interview assessed the attitudes, symptoms, defenses and prosocial behavior of 82 children who had been directly exposed to the missile attacks. RESULTS: The attitudes were not related to the displacement of the family during the war. A very negative attitude was associated with more problems with behavior modulation during the preschool years, an increase in externalizing and posttraumatic symptoms, and more immature defenses. A balanced attitude was associated with age, fewer symptoms, more mature defenses, and more prosocial behavior. CONCLUSION: Individual vulnerabilities in the face of traumatic experiences could lead to posttraumatic responses that may shape children's social attitudes and behaviors. The resolution of inter-group conflict requires implementation of psychotherapeutic and socio-educational interventions to transform hate and fear into empathy and hope.

Arabs↗

PubMed1990

The moral reasoning of juvenile delinquents: a meta-analysis.

To test the hypothesized immaturity of juvenile delinquents' moral reasoning, the results of 15 studies of the moral reasoning of juvenile delinquents were integrated quantitatively using meta-analysis. Hedges and Olkin (1985) methods were used to (a) compute effect sizes, (b) test the homogeneity of the obtained effect sizes, and (c) test the statistical significance of the pooled mean effect size. The results supported the hypothesis that the moral reasoning of juvenile delinquents is immature. It was concluded that several other issues are in need of investigation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[Subjective quality of life. Critical look at a modern construct].

The scientific usefulness of the popular construct "subjective quality of life"(QoL) is critically investigated in a psychiatric context. Six problem areas were chosen: QoL is rooted in different scientific traditions (area I) and characterized by definitional uncertainty (area II). It is conceptually and empirically confounded with several other psychosocial constructs and lacks clear causal specificity (area III). The operationalization of QoL comprises a great number of heterogeneous instruments (area IV), and there are additional problems created by methodological and statistical issues (area V).Finally, there is no integrative, theoretical model that can be tested empirically in a systematic way (area VI). These problems support the conclusion that subjective QoL is a preparadigmatic or scientifically immature concept which should be applied with caution and under strict methodological standards when used to answer clinically relevant questions.

Depressive Disorder↗

PubMed1996

Defence style and behaviour therapy outcome in a specific phobia.

The Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ) was administered to patients with a specific phobia (animal type; N = 54) and to control subjects (N = 29). Results indicated that specific phobia patients and non-phobic control subjects exhibit a similar pattern of defences. Also, the study investigated whether specific DSQ defence styles affect behaviour therapy outcome. It was found that an immature defence style, and especially the defence mechanism projection, was related to less favourable treatment results.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Mental and chronological age as predictors of age-appropriate leisure activity in children with mental retardation.

Effects of MA and CA on everyday leisure-time behaviors of children with mild and moderate mental retardation were examined by comparing 40 children with mental retardation to groups of 40 MA- and 40 CA-matched children without mental retardation on an adult-reported scale. Child's overall score, highest single behavior performed by the child, and highest behavior not performed because it was considered below the child's level were measured. Children with retardation performed most similarly to their MA-matches and well-below levels of CA-matches. Older children received higher scores in all groups. Late adolescents with retardation performed between MA- and CA-levels on the highest behavior considered too immature. Although MA best predicted overall functioning on leisure-time behavior of children with retardation, CA best predicted both single highest behavior performed and highest behavior considered too immature. Implications for teaching leisure-time behaviors to individuals with mental retardation were discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2005

Baseline predictors of response to divalproex in conduct disorder.

BACKGROUND: Successful treatment of conduct disorder remains difficult. On the basis of a positive response to divalproex among adolescent boys with conduct disorder, we conducted an analysis of the impact of baseline comorbid diagnoses and personality factors on the likelihood of treatment response to divalproex. METHOD: Seventy-one adolescent boys with conduct disorder (DSM-IV) and a history of at least 1 offense against persons were randomly assigned to receive high- or low-dose divalproex for 7 weeks. Evaluations included best estimate diagnoses, the Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale (CGI-S) and CGI-Improvement scale (CGI-I), the 62-item Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI-62) assessment of distress and restraint, the Response Evaluation Measure assessment of immature and mature defenses, and the Achenbach Youth Self-Report assessment of overall psychopathology. All were conducted at study entry and exit, and the WAI-62 was conducted weekly throughout the 7-week study period. Treatment response was defined as a rating of much improved or very much improved on the CGI-I. Data were collected from June 1997 to April 1998. RESULTS: Fifty-eight subjects completed the study and were eligible for inclusion in the analysis. Plasma divalproex level (p = .003) and immature defenses (p = .004) were significant positive predictors of treatment response, while restraint (p = .01) and level and range of psychopathology (p = .04) were significant predictors of nonresponse. Comorbidities or distress (p = .06) were not significantly associated with treatment outcome. CONCLUSION: Predictors of response to divalproex treatment for conduct disorder were identified, despite the small sample size in this study. The pattern of positive and negative predictors of response to divalproex, an antikindling agent, tends to support a model of kindling-reinforced reactive/affective/defensive/impulsive aggression among adolescent boys with conduct disorder. Additional studies are needed to identify more subtle predictors of treatment response and to clarify the mechanisms contributing to the development of conduct disorder.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1995

Defense mechanisms in severe adolescent anorexia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: To compare ego defense mechanisms in adolescents with anorexia nervosa and other major psychiatric disorders, to defenses in healthy adolescents. METHOD: Thirty-seven patients with anorexia nervosa, 30 with major depressive disorder, 20 with obsessive-compulsive disorder, 53 with borderline personality disorder, 60 with schizophrenia, and 81 healthy controls were assessed with Pfeffer's Ego Defense Scale. RESULTS: Regression, denial, projection, repression, introjection, and total defenses were common to all psychiatric patients and distinguished them from normal adolescents. In addition to these defenses, anorectic patients also used intellectualization more frequently than normal adolescents and psychiatric patients. They used sublimation more than other psychiatric patients. Patients with disorders, apart from obsessive-compulsive disorder, that are considered to be often comorbid with anorexia did not have different defense than schizophrenic patients. CONCLUSIONS: Anorectic adolescents overutilize relatively more mature defenses than do psychiatrically ill adolescents, and they overutilize immature defenses compared with normal adolescents. This combination of mature and immature defenses may be related to the uniquely heterogeneous ego functioning seen in anorectic patients, and it may provide insight into the nature of the psychopathology of anorexia nervosa. It also could have important psychotherapeutic and prognostic value.

Adolescent↗