J. Thomas Dalby

Functional cerebral lateralization in subtypes of disabled readers.

This study investigated the functional cortical organization of reading-disabled boys and age-matched normal readers. Subjects were initially classified according to E. Boders (1971a. In B. Bateman (Ed.), Learning disorders. Seattle: Special Child Publications. Vol. 4.) distinction between dysphonetic children (who make nonphonetic, bizarre spelling errors), dyseidetic children (who make phonetically acceptable errors, but do not respond to some words as “wholes”), and children who display normal error patterns (who make phonetically acceptable errors and respond to words as “wholes”). It was hypothesized that different types of reading disability would be associated with different patterns of lateralized brain function. This proposal was examined by testing subjects on three experimental neuropsychological measures—hemispheric time-sharing, conjugate lateral eye movements, and tactile directional perception. Conjugate lateral eye movements were disregarded as the control subjects failed to show predicted asymmetries on this measure. The two other measures were considered valid and demonstrated atypical lateralization in the reading-disabled groups. Lateralization of verbal and/or spatial functiosn differed among the reading-disabled groups and an attempt was made to relate these atypical patterns to the type of reading difficulties presented.

COGNITIVE FAILURES AND STRESS

138 healthy volunteers in four age groups completed the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (Self and Other) as well as measures of attention, freedom from distractibility, daily stress, and trait-state anxiety. Self-reported and observed cognitive failures were strongly associated with stress and anxiety. Higher self-reported cognitive failure in one age group appeared tied to this finding. We discuss the usefulness of self-report of cognitive failures for neuropsychological practice.

Hemispheric timesharing: verbal and spatial loading with concurrent unimanual activity.

Abstract Thirty right-handed university students (15 male and 15 female) engaged in a unimanual task involving sequential finger movement alone and in four conditions with concurrent cognitive activity. Overall the two “spatial” tasks interfered with activity of the left hand more than the right and the two “verbal” tasks interfered more with right than left hand activity. These findings were interpreted as support for a hemispheric timesharing model which proposes that two concurrently performed tasks interfere with each other to the extent that they compete for the same cerebral space.

Personality Profile of Female Public Accountants

Describes the personality characteristics of a sample of female accountants from public accounting firms in a large Canadian city. Comparisons are made with the general population of all women, with male accountants, between accountants in firms of different sizes, and between accountants at different position levels in the firms. Indicates from the findings that female professional accountants, as a group, have personality profiles which are different from women in general and from their male colleagues. Their impact on accounting firms and on the accounting profession will be substantial once they achieve management positions in significant numbers.

Will population decreases in caffeine consumption unveil attention deficit disorders in adults

Attention deficit disorders (ADD) represent the commonest behavior disorder observed in children but only recently has the persistence of these disorders into adulthood been acknowledged. As individuals with ADD enter adolescence and then adulthood some behavioral symptoms appear to cease, others become muted. This change has usually been attributed to physiological maturation. One environmental factor which may also contribute to the altered clinical picture is the regular ingestion of caffeine beginning in late adolescence. Caffeine has been found to alter the behavior of ADD children in a manner resembling more widely prescribed stimulant medications. If some adults with ADD have responded positively to caffeine ingestion then it would be predicted that increases in reports of ADD symptoms will escalate with the rapid decline in caffeine consumption in North America.

Deficit or Delay: Neuropsychological Models of Developmental Dyslexia

This review examines issues and research relating to the involvement of the central nervous system in reading disorders. Questions regarding subtypes, pre- and perinatal influences, genetics, sex differences, and early identification are briefly surveyed along with a summary of major research findings in neuropsychology and neurology. Particular attention is devoted to the assessment of the brain-deficit model vis-à-vis the maturational-lag model of developmental dyslexia. Neither theory can adequately account for the entire population of dyslexics. For progress to be made in this area, attention must be focused on theory articulation and reformulation in addition to methodological and taxonomic advances.

Psychological Autopsy in the Investigation of Serial Neonaticides

Abstract:  While the use of psychological autopsies has at least a 50‐year history in the investigation of equivocal deaths and suicides, we report a case where, after the discovery of a woman who died of natural causes, a subsequent search of her home found three deceased newborn infants. The infants were born on three separate occasions; the most recent was delivered approximately 2 weeks before the death of the mother. Using her own diaries and interviews with family and friends along with the physical autopsy and scene investigation data, we built a psychological autopsy that addressed the mother’s mental state over the period of time when the infants’ deaths took place. While the use of the psychological autopsy was not employed to distinguish the manner of death of the mother, it did provide explanatory power over circumstances of the crime scene and the behavioral disturbance of the mother.

Taxonomic separation of attention deficit disorders and developmental reading disorders

Abstract This investigation compared the behavior ratings and psychometric profiles of children with attention deficit disorders (ADD) and children with developmental reading disorders (DRD). ADD children showed no qualitative reading or spelling problems, although they were slightly behind expected levels of academic achievement. DRD children were significantly more impaired in academic attainment and showed evidence of qualitative disturbances in reading and spelling. DRD subjects did not differ from control subjects on ratings of hyperactivity, which was one of the defining variables of the ADD group. This evidence is interpreted as adding to a growing testimony that indicates that ADD and DRD are distinctly separate groups of disorders.

Maternal Neonaticide Following Traumatic Childbirth A Case Study

Recent work has documented the relatively high incidence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in women during the birth delivery process and afterwards, even in uncomplicated births. This phenomenon, however, has yet to be linked with cases of neonaticide (child homicide in the first 24 hr of life) or infanticide (child homicide within the 1st year of life). Women are more likely to experience mental disorder after childbirth than at any other time in their lives, and the intentional killing of an offspring by a mentally ill mother is likely underreported. The immediate postpartum period is a time of heightened vigilance by health providers and, when the tragic death of an infant occurs, forensic professionals should specifically assess for PTSD. As an illustration, the authors present a case of maternal neonaticide that was directly linked to PTSD without any other concomitant mental disorder. PTSD is a viable mitigating factor to be examined in legal defenses of infanticide either in isolation or in conjunction with other factors.

Elizabethan Madness: On London's Stage:

During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) a renaissance of both literary and political history occurred. The stage was transformed from primitive echoes of the morality plays to a vibrant and diverse exploration of human endeavor and mans place in the universe. The titanic literary figure of Shakespeare today veils a group of friends and challengers whose pens strove for the same goal. The depiction of madness was ubiquitous during plays of this time and reflection on the views of this group of men gives us a more reliable insight into mental illness then and today.