Advances in the treatment of ocular dryness associated with Sjögren׳s syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Sjögren´s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune rheumatic disease that is characterised by decreased exocrine gland function and frequent ocular symptoms associated with eye dryness. Significantly, dry eyes can lead to corneal abrasions, infection, ulceration, chronic scarring and, in severe cases, perforation. The available conventional therapies have limited efficacy and there are no biologic therapies licensed for use in SS patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search of PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE electronic data bases was performed covering the period from January 1994 to September 2014. Evidence was graded in categories I-IV and a treatment algorithm, comprising first line, second line and rescue therapies for ocular dryness associated with SS was proposed. It is based on the current evidence of efficacy of different therapies and explores their link with the pathogenesis of ocular dryness associated with SS. RESULTS: Recent developments in the understanding of the pathogenesis of SS provided evidence that the ocular dryness is associated with pathologic infiltration and dysfunction of the lacrimal glands and changes in the tear composition, together with abnormalities involving the neurosecreting circuits. There is good evidence for the efficacy of topical artificial tears, antiinflammatories and Cyclosporine, and oral Pilocarpine and Cevimeline in controlling the symptoms of ocular dryness associated with SS. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional DMARDs are not particularly effective in addressing the symptoms of ocular dryness associated with SS, despite being commonly prescribed for other SS manifestations. Emerging evidence suggests that B cell and co-stimulatory targeted therapy may play a role in the future

Momentous Events and the Life Story

Abstract Memories of specific life episodes, termed personal event memories, have only recently become a focus of systematic research. In this article, memories of momentous events are analyzed from a functional perspective. First, personal event memory is defined. Second, research on the temporal organization of specific memories across the life span is described. Third, psychological functions served by remembering momentous events are illustrated. Fourth, variations in the structure and content of autobiographical memory are identified. Finally, potential connections to clinical and educational practice are discussed

One- versus two-tailed hypothesis tests in contemporary educational research

The choice of a one- rather than a tiυo-tailed hypothesis testing strategy can influence research outcomes, but information about the type of test conducted is rarely reported in articles appearing in educational and psychological journals. Because unambiguous standards for using one- and two-tailed tests do not exist, complete reporting of hypothesis testing procedures is essential. In addition, educational researchers need to reevaluate the decision-oriented, critical experiment model of science that underlies the use of onetailed tests. It is the adherence to the arbitrary .05 level of significance as a benchmark for publication decisions, rather than logical or methodological considerations, that largely accounts for the popularity of one-tailed tests. Effect size estimates, accompanied by confidence intervals or exact hυo-tailed probabilities, are generally more compatible with the growing meta-analytic view of social science as an incremental, cumulative, and shared enterprise

Flashbulb memories of the assassination attempt on President Reagan

Abstract People often have vivid recollections of their own personal circumstances when first learning about attacks on major public figures. Brown and Kulik (1977) propose that these \u27flashbulb memories\u27 are triggered both by surprise and perceived consequentiality of the event, and are elaborated through retellings. In this study, memories of the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan were obtained on questionnaires completed one and seven months after the shooting. Subjects responded either at one or both time periods. Most respondents reported flashbulb memories, despite a low incidence of reported rehearsal and low consequentiality ratings. Stronger initial emotional reactions are associated with greater memory elaboration seven months after the event, while frequency of rehearsal is influential at this time only for subjects who completed an earlier questionnaire. Neither affective reactions nor rehearsal predicts memory elaboration after one month. People reacting strongly to the attack are more likely to have visual and nonvisual sensory memories at both time periods. Memories of subjects who responded to both questionnaires are highly consistent over the six-month interval. Stronger emotional reactions to the event, and not rehearsal, are associated with greater consistency of narrative and visual memories. The results suggest that intensity of initial affective reactions, rather than perceived consequentiality or rehearsal, is a primary determinant of flashback memories. A flashback mechanism is proposed to account for affectively cued recall of episodic memories

Involuntary autobiographical memories: An introduction to the unbidden past

Review of D. Berntsen, Involuntary autobiographical memories: An introduction to the unbidden past, Cambridge University Press, 2009. 249 pp. $90.00. ISBN 052186616

Clarifying the Flashbulb Memory Concept: Comment on McCloskey, Wible, and Cohen (1988)

Abstract Although McCloskey, Wible, and Cohen (1988) attempted to clarify the flashbulb memory concept, their article is a new source of ambiguity. In particular, McCloskey et al. evaluated the claim that a flashbulb mechanism produces an elite class of complete, accurate, and permanently accessible memories, but this claim was not part of the original theoretical models, operational definitions, and research hypotheses. A primary purpose of studies of flashbulb memories has been to explain the considerable variation in memory quality. By comparing the elaborateness, accuracy, consistency, and persistence of memories formed under various conditions, researchers should be able to identify factors that lead to especially robust personal memories. Because the flashbulb metaphor is potentially misleading, the more mundane term memory of personal circumstances may be preferable