Ian St James-Roberts

A reinterpretation of hemispherectomy data without functional plasticity of the brain: I. Intellectual function

Abstract A comprehensive reanalysis of post-hemispherectomy IQ, language, and other intellectual findings in patients whose brain damage occurred in infancy, childhood, or adulthood reveals no recovery advantages attributable to superior interhemispheric transfer of properties in the immature brain. Instead, recovery heterogeneity in each age group is considerable, while both individual differences within the groups and minor intergroup differences are parsimoniously explained by etiological, recovery-period, and experiential variables. The findings fail to support the presuppositions of the plasticity model: that the immature brain lacks functional asymmetry, that language acquisition must occur early in life, and that recovery from brain damage is facilitated by the brains functional equivocality during an early, critical period.

Neurological Plasticity, Recovery From Brain Insult, and Child Development

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the differential completeness of recovery from cerebral injury. A young nervous system recovers more quickly and more completely than an old one. Indeed, the view that the young nervous system is somehow more “plastic” than the mature one is deeply ingrained in psychology. When investigation of brain–behavior relationships is undertaken, either human subjects are employed, or animals are used. As both strategies have generated data widely supposed to support central nervous system (CNS) plasticity, they are each considered separately in the chapter. However, the chapter considers, as is appropriate, general principles that apply to both approaches. The “recovery” paradigm concerns any situation where CNS insult is followed by a period of aberrant behavior which, in turn, is succeeded by a return to a more normal level of performance.

Stability and outcome of persistent infant crying

Abstract Six week old infants who fussed and cried for 3 or more hrs per day (persistent criers), evening criers, and moderate criers were assessed using researcher and maternal measures of infant, maternal and family characteristics at 6 weeks, 5 months and 15 months of infant age. Convergent evidence of stable individual differences in negative behavior was found between 6 weeks – 5 months and 5 – 15 months of age. Objectively hard-to-soothe infants, particularly, were distinguished on a range of researcher and maternal measures. Between 6 weeks and 15 months, infant negative behavior was not a stable characteristic, although mothers continued to rate the same infants as fussy/difficult. In multiple regression analyses, infant negative behavior at 6 weeks did not predict maternal or researcher measures of infant negativity, temperament, behavior problems or cognition at 15 months. Maternal and family variables mediated the development of infant negative behavior.

Use of electromyographic and skin-conductance biofeedback relaxation training to facilitate childbirth in primiparae☆

Matched groups of primigravid women received one of three antenatal training programmes: normal antenatal classes, normal classes plus electromyography biofeedback relaxation training, or normal classes plus skin-conductance biofeedback relaxation training. Myographic training was found to be effective within conventional antenatal constraints, whereas skin-conductance training was not. The women reported use of biofeedback training and related skills to be of some benefit during early labour. However, no difference between effectively trained electromyographic, ineffectively trained skin-conductance and control groups was found on labour and delivery performance measures.

Emotional and Behavioural Problems in Primary School Children from Nuclear and Extended Families in Korea

The changes occurring within Korean society provide an opportunity for studying the influence of family structure on childrens emotional and behavioural problems. Children aged 7-13 years from two Korean cities were assessed for emotional and behavioural problems in school by their teachers, using the Childrens Behaviour Questionnaire. In Study 1, 326 children from extended families were compared with demographically matched nuclear family children in the same school classes. In Study 2, a further sample of 204 extended family children was compared with pair-matched nuclear family children, in order to replicate the findings. Children from Study 1 were followed up 2.5 years later. Children from extended families had lower behaviour problems scores and the prevalence of serious problems was lower in extended family children. These differences were most marked in relation to externalising behaviour problems and were stable over the studies and time. Grandparents in extended families may increase childrens resiliency by providing sources of attachment, affection, and knowledge, as well as having indirect effects through their support of parents. Consistent with recent ideas about the cognitive bases for behaviour problems, it may be that rules for behaviour derived from traditional cultural beliefs and values are internalised by children from extended families and generalise to prevent behaviour problems in school.

Can biofeedback-based relaxation training be used to help women with childbirth?

Abstract Whether biofeedback-based relaxation training offers a practicable and effective labour self-management technique was assessed by incorporating the training into a conventional antenatal class programme. Groups of primigravid women were given voluntary-muscle (electromyographic) biofeedback, autonomic (skin-conductance) biofeedback, and conventional antenatal training. Electromyographic relaxation skills were successfully trained, while skin-conductance ones were not. Biofeedback relaxation skills were reported beneficial in early labour, but did not prevent severe pain onset, assist management of severe pain, or enhance obstetric indices of labour and delivery.