Psychological functioning in adolescents referred to specialist gender identity clinics across Europe : a clinical comparison study between four clinics

Adolescents seeking professional help with their gender identity development often present with psychological difficulties. Existing literature on psychological functioning of gender diverse young people is limited and mostly bound to national chart reviews. This study examined the prevalence of psychological functioning and peer relationship problems in adolescents across four European specialist gender services (The Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, and Switzerland), using the Child Behavioural Checklist (CBCL) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). Differences in psychological functioning and peer relationships were found in gender diverse adolescents across Europe. Overall, emotional and behavioural problems and peer relationship problems were most prevalent in adolescents from the UK, followed by Switzerland and Belgium. The least behavioural and emotional problems and peer relationship problems were reported by adolescents from The Netherlands. Across the four clinics, a similar pattern of gender differences was found. Birth-assigned girls showed more behavioural problems and externalising problems in the clinical range, as reported by their parents. According to self-report, internalising problems in the clinical range were more prevalent in adolescent birth-assigned boys. More research is needed to gain a better understanding of the difference in clinical presentations in gender diverse adolescents and to investigate what contextual factors that may contribute to this

Do they practice what we teach? Follow-up evaluation of a Schema Therapy training programme

This study evaluated a three-day Schema Therapy training programme for trainee clinical psychologists. The training used an experiential model of learning, which was intended to encourage the transfer of knowledge and techniques from the learning environment into clinical practice. Using a mixed-methods approach, the training programme was evaluated in terms of: (1) self-reported changes in knowledge, confidence and willingness to use Schema Therapy-informed techniques; (2) whether the training was integrated into clinical practice; and (3) the perceived barriers/facilitators to achieving practice integration. Participants – 17 of the 19 trainee clinical psychologists enrolled on the Schema Therapy training programme – completed assessments immediately pre- and post-training. Participants were subsequently followed-up for reassessment three months after the training. Group- and individual-level analyses showed that most participants reported training-related gains in knowledge and confidence; these were largely sustained at follow-up, and were associated with post-training practice integration of Schema Therapy concepts and techniques. Analysis of qualitative data identified factors moderating use of training in practice. Findings of the study have implications for future delivery and evaluation of training in cognitive-behavioural therapies

Do they practice what we teach? Follow-up evaluation of a Schema Therapy training programme

This study evaluated a three-day Schema Therapy training programme for trainee clinical psychologists. The training used an experiential model of learning, which was intended to encourage the transfer of knowledge and techniques from the learning environment into clinical practice. Using a mixed-methods approach, the training programme was evaluated in terms of: (1) self-reported changes in knowledge, confidence and willingness to use Schema Therapy-informed techniques; (2) whether the training was integrated into clinical practice; and (3) the perceived barriers/facilitators to achieving practice integration. Participants – 17 of the 19 trainee clinical psychologists enrolled on the Schema Therapy training programme – completed assessments immediately pre- and post-training. Participants were subsequently followed-up for reassessment three months after the training. Group- and individual-level analyses showed that most participants reported training-related gains in knowledge and confidence; these were largely sustained at follow-up, and were associated with post-training practice integration of Schema Therapy concepts and techniques. Analysis of qualitative data identified factors moderating use of training in practice. Findings of the study have implications for future delivery and evaluation of training in cognitive-behavioural therapies

Role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in emotional learning

Amygdala dopamine is crucially involved in the acquisition of Pavlovian associations, as measured via conditioned approach to the location of the unconditioned stimulus (US). However, learning begins before skeletomotor output, so this study assessed whether amygdala dopamine is also involved in earlier 'emotional' learning. A variant of the conditioned reinforcement (CR) procedure was validated where training was restricted to curtail the development of selective conditioned approach to the US location, and effects of amygdala dopamine manipulations before training or later CR testing assessed. Experiment 1a presented a light paired (CS+ group) or unpaired (CS- group) with a US. There were 1, 2 or 10 sessions, 4 trials per session. Then, the US was removed, and two novel levers presented. One lever (CR+) presented the light, and lever pressing was recorded. Experiment 1b also included a tone stimulus. Experiment 2 applied intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (10 nmol/1.0 A mu l/side) before two training sessions (Experiment 2a) or a CR session (Experiment 2b). For Experiments 1a and 1b, the CS+ group preferred the CR+ lever across all sessions. Conditioned alcove approach during 1 or 2 training sessions or associated CR tests was low and nonspecific. In Experiment 2a, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT before training greatly diminished lever pressing during a subsequent CR test, preferentially on the CR+ lever. For Experiment 2b, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT infusions before the CR test also reduced lever pressing. Manipulations of amygdala dopamine impact the earliest stage of learning in which emotional reactions may be most prevalent

An investigation into the effect of floor colour on the behaviour of the horse

Adverse reactions of the domestic horse to environmental stimuli can be problematic in training and management. Hesitation and alarm reactions to visual features of the ground can occur in both ridden work and when handling horses. To assess the effect of one visual feature (colour) on the behaviour of the domestic horse, the reactions of sixteen riding horses to eight different coloured mats were recorded. The effect of stimulus position on these reactions was assessed by presenting them in two different positions, either on the ground (where the horses had to walk over them) or against a wall (where the horses walked past them). Each colour/position combination was presented twice in order to assess the effect of previous experience. An alleyway was constructed to allow the horses to be tested unconstrained and freely walking throughout. The time taken to traverse the alleyway and the observed reaction to the colour was recorded

The Recommendation Architecture: Lessons from Large-Scale Electronic Systems Applied to Cognition

A fundamental approach of cognitive science is to understand cognitive systems by separating them into modules. Theoretical reasons are described which force any system which learns to perform a complex combination of real time functions into a modular architecture. Constraints on the way modules divide up functionality are also described. The architecture of such systems, including biological systems, is constrained into a form called the recommendation architecture, with a primary separation between clustering and competition. Clustering is a modular hierarchy which manages the interactions between functions on the basis of detection of functionally ambiguous repetition. Change to previously detected repetitions is limited in order to maintain a meaningful, although partially ambiguous context for all modules which make use of the previously defined repetitions. Competition interprets the repetition conditions detected by clustering as a range of alternative behavioural recommendations, and uses consequence feedback to learn to select the most appropriate recommendation. The requirements imposed by functional complexity result in very specific structures and processes which resemble those of brains. The design of an implemented electronic version of the recommendation architecture is described, and it is demonstrated that the system can heuristically define its own functionality, and learn without disrupting earlier learning. The recommendation architecture is compared with a range of alternative cognitive architectural proposals, and the conclusion reached that it has substantial potential both for understanding brains and for designing systems to perform cognitive functions

Correlating familial Alzheimer’s disease gene mutations with clinical phenotype

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) causes devastating cognitive impairment and an intense research effort is currently devoted to developing improved treatments for it. A minority of cases occur at a particularly young age and are caused by autosomal dominantly inherited genetic mutations. Although rare, familial AD provides unique opportunities to gain insights into the cascade of pathological events and how they relate to clinical manifestations. The phenotype of familial AD is highly variable and, although it shares many clinical features with sporadic AD, it also possesses important differences. Exploring the genetic and pathological basis of this phenotypic heterogeneity can illuminate aspects of the underlying disease mechanism, and is likely to inform our understanding and treatment of AD in the future