Rheanna Remmel

Measuring the Plasticity of Social Approach: A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of the PEERS Intervention on EEG Asymmetry in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

This study examined whether the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: Social skills for teenagers with developmental and autism spectrum disorders: The PEERS treatment manual, Routledge, New York, 2010a) affected neural function, via EEG asymmetry, in a randomized controlled trial of adolescents with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a group of typically developing adolescents. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS shifted from right-hemisphere gamma-band EEG asymmetry before PEERS to left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry after PEERS, versus a waitlist ASD group. Left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry was associated with more social contacts and knowledge, and fewer symptoms of autism. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS no longer differed from typically developing adolescents in left-dominant EEG asymmetry at post-test. These findings are discussed via the Modifier Model of Autism (Mundy et al. in Res Pract Persons Severe Disabl 32(2):124, 2007), with emphasis on remediating isolation/withdrawal in ASD.

Brief Report: Assessment of Intervention Effects on In Vivo Peer Interactions in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a randomized controlled trial of a social skills intervention, the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: Laugeson et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 39(4): 596–606, 2009), by coding digitally recorded social interactions between adolescent participants with ASD and a typically developing adolescent confederate. Adolescent participants engaged in a 10-min peer interaction at pre- and post-treatment. Interactions were coded using the Contextual Assessment of Social Skills (Ratto et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 41(9): 1277–1286, 2010). Participants who completed PEERS demonstrated significantly improved vocal expressiveness, as well as a trend toward improved overall quality of rapport, whereas participants in the waitlist group exhibited worse performance on these domains. The degree of this change was related to knowledge gained in PEERS.

Biological Evidence Regarding Psychopathy Does Not Affect Mock Jury Sentencing

Research on the biological factors influencing criminal behavior is increasingly being introduced into court, necessitating research on how such evidence is perceived and influences decision makers. Research on how this evidence influences sentencing recommendations is inconclusive. In this study, we focus on biological evidence related to psychopathy, a construct commonly associated with criminal behavior. Approximately 800 community members were presented with a case vignette detailing an individual who is described as having a high level of psychopathic traits. Participants received either psychological information about psychopathy (i.e., no biological evidence), evidence the defendant had genetic risk factors for psychopathy, or written neuroimaging evidence the defendant had brain deficits associated with psychopathy. Participants then recommended a sentence. Overall, recommended sentence lengths did not differ between evidence conditions. These findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that biological evidence may not have as much of an influence on jurors as previously thought.

The influence of gender on the relationship between psychopathy and five moral foundations

Previous research has demonstrated that individuals higher in psychopathy are less concerned about preventing harm and preserving fairness than individuals lower in psychopathy, yet it is unclear whether this is true for both genders. Females have been shown to be more concerned about moral issues related to preventing harm, being fair and maintaining purity, and males are more concerned about in-group loyalty and respecting authority. In addition, females on average are more empathic, less willing to cause harm and may be less sensitive to fairness. The goal of this study was to examine genders influence on the relationship between psychopathy and five moral foundations. In a large online sample, we found that although gender moderated the relationship between psychopathy and harm and fairness, the magnitude of these interactions was small. The main effects of gender and of psychopathy support previous research. Overall, females were more concerned than males about preventing harm. Both males and females scoring higher in psychopathy were less concerned about harm and fairness than those lower in psychopathy. Copyright

The “No-Disorder” Capital Defendant: Defining and Exploring a Novel Construct

ABSTRACT The United States Supreme Court’s pivotal ruling in Lockett v. Ohio required Courts to be open to consider everything about a defendant’s mental health and background when deliberating the appropriateness of a death penalty verdict. When mental health experts testify in this context, this testimony generally includes evidence concerning the defendant’s psychopathology, serious substance abuse, or likelihood for future dangerousness. However, anecdotal accounts suggest another type of defendant occasionally stands trial for capital murder: the relatively asymptomatic, “no-disorder” individual. This defendant lacks significant psychopathology or severe personality pathology, and is usually psychologically unremarkable. This article explores the concept of the no-disorder capital defendant by defining the construct and differentiating this individual from the more typical capital defendant. We also discuss potential implications regarding mental health testimony on “no-diagnosis” defendants. Finally, directions for future research with this construct are explored.

Neurocognitive characteristics of youth with noncomorbid and comorbid forms of conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

OBJECTIVE Studies investigating neurocognitive deficits in youth with conduct disorder (CD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are often confounded by the high rates of comorbidity between the two. METHOD Neurocognitive functioning was examined in three diagnostic groups (ADHD only, CD only, comorbid ADHD and CD) matched by age, sex, IQ, and medication status (n=28-32 per group). RESULTS No significant differences emerged between the diagnostic groups on measures of risk-taking or response inhibition. Children with CD performed better on a measure of spatial planning than those with comorbid ADHD and CD, and dimensional analyses in the full sample (n=265) revealed a small association between ADHD symptoms and poorer spatial planning. CONCLUSION These results suggest that deficits in spatial planning may be more pronounced in individuals with ADHD, but that the neurocognitive functioning of youth with noncomorbid and comorbid CD and ADHD are largely similar.