Distinguishing symptom dimensions of depression and anxiety: An integrative approach

AbstractBackgroundClark and Watson developed the tripartite model in which a symptom dimension of ‘negative affect’ covers common psychological distress that is typically seen in anxious and depressed patients. The ‘positive affect’ and ‘somatic arousal’ dimensions cover more specific symptoms. Although the model has met much support, it does not cover all relevant anxiety symptoms and its negative affect dimension is rather unspecific. Therefore, we aimed to extend the tripartite model in order to describe more specific symptom patterns with unidimensional measurement scales.Method1333 outpatients provided self report data. To develop an extended factor model, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted in one part of the data (n=578). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted in the second part (n=755), to assess model-fit and comparison with other models. Rasch analyses were done to investigate the unidimensionality of the factors.ResultsEFA resulted in a 6-factor model: feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, somatic arousal, anxious apprehension, phobic fear and tension. CFA in the second sample showed that a 6-factor model with a hierarchical common severity factor fits the data better than alternative 1- and 3-factor models. Rasch analyses showed that each of the factors and the total of factors can be regarded as unidimensional measurement scales.LimitationsThe model is based on a restricted symptom-pool: more dimensions are likely to exist.ConclusionThe extended tripartite model describes the clinical state of patients more specifically. This is relevant for both clinical practice and research

The N-terminal region of centrosomal protein 290 (CEP290) restores vision in a zebrafish model of human blindness

The gene coding for centrosomal protein 290 (CEP290), a large multidomain protein, is the most frequently mutated gene underlying the non-syndromic blinding disorder Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA). CEP290 has also been implicated in several cilia-related syndromic disorders including Meckel–Gruber syndrome, Joubert syndrome, Senor–Loken syndrome and Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS). In this study, we characterize the developmental and functional roles of cep290 in zebrafish. An antisense oligonucleotide [Morpholino (MO)], designed to generate an altered cep290 splice product that models the most common LCA mutation, was used for gene knockdown. We show that cep290 MO-injected embryos have reduced Kupffer's vesicle size and delays in melanosome transport, two phenotypes that are observed upon knockdown of bbs genes in zebrafish. Consistent with a role in cilia function, the cep290 MO-injected embryos exhibited a curved body axis. Patients with LCA caused by mutations in CEP290 have reduced visual perception, although they present with a fully laminated retina. Similarly, the histological examination of retinas from cep290 MO-injected zebrafish revealed no gross lamination defects, yet the embryos had a statistically significant reduction in visual function. Finally, we demonstrate that the vision impairment caused by the disruption of cep290 can be rescued by expressing only the N-terminal region of the human CEP290 protein. These data reveal that a specific region of the CEP290 protein is sufficient to restore visual function and this region may be a viable gene therapy target for LCA patients with mutations in CEP290

O impacto, sobre estudantes brasileiros, de uma linguagem visual para aprender a aprender conjuntamente

Resumo Um dos temas mais importantes na aprendizagem colaborativa apoiada pelo computador é a autorregulação da aprendizagem sem o apoio de professores. A autorregulação da colaboração pode ser definida como o conjunto dos processos sociais que os alunos usam para coordenar o seu esforço conjunto em uma atividade. Este trabalho apresenta um estudo de caso brasileiro que examina o impacto da plataforma computacional Metafora para apoiar a regulação da colaboração entre os estudantes brasileiros. Nosso objetivo é investigar se o uso da linguagem visual Metafora ajuda os alunos a aprenderem a aprender em conjunto (learn to learn togueter – L2L2). L2L2 abrange o desenvolvimento da capacidade de coordenação da colaboração. Para perseguir esse objetivo, são fornecidas evidências de mecanismos de coordenação e as respostas emocionais subjacentes ao uso, pelos alunos, da ferramenta de planejamento Metafora. Os resultados deste estudo de caso demonstram que as interações dos alunos, ao usarem a ferramenta de planejamento Metafora, influenciaram o seu desenvolvimento de L2L2 de maneira natural e envolvente. A ferramenta de planejamento Metafora proporciona aos alunos um ambiente amigável para a regulação dos processos de grupo e tem potencial para modificar os pensamentos dos estudantes com respeito à coordenação de processos colaborativos

Current Perspectives In Social Psychology

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Principles and methods of social psychology/ Hollander

xvii, 558 hal.: ill.; 24 cm

Principle and methods of social psychology

xvi, 558 p.; 24 cm