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1.
Br J Math Stat Psychol ; 73(3): 541-555, 2020 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32406106

ABSTRACT

In this paper we derive optimal designs for the Rasch Poisson counts model and its extended version of the (generalized) negative binomial counts model incorporating several binary predictors for the difficulty parameter. To efficiently estimate the regression coefficients of the predictors, locally D-optimal designs are developed. After an introduction to the Rasch Poisson counts model and its extension, we will specify these models as particular generalized linear models. Based on this embedding, optimal designs for both models including several binary explanatory variables will be presented. Therefore, we will derive conditions on the effect sizes for certain designs to be locally D-optimal. Finally, it is pointed out that the results derived for the Rasch Poisson models can be applied for more general Poisson regression models which should receive more attention in future psychological research.


Subject(s)
Models, Statistical , Educational Measurement/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Likelihood Functions , Linear Models , Logistic Models , Poisson Distribution , Psychological Tests/statistics & numerical data
2.
Br J Math Stat Psychol ; 72(2): 271-293, 2019 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30450543

ABSTRACT

Analysing ordinal data is becoming increasingly important in psychology, especially in the context of item response theory. The generalized partial credit model (GPCM) is probably the most widely used ordinal model and has found application in many large-scale educational assessment studies such as PISA. In the present paper, optimal test designs are investigated for estimating persons' abilities with the GPCM for calibrated tests when item parameters are known from previous studies. We find that local optimality may be achieved by assigning non-zero probability only to the first and last categories independently of a person's ability. That is, when using such a design, the GPCM reduces to the dichotomous two-parameter logistic (2PL) model. Since locally optimal designs require the true ability to be known, we consider alternative Bayesian design criteria using weight distributions over the ability parameter space. For symmetric weight distributions, we derive necessary conditions for the optimal one-point design of two response categories to be Bayes optimal. Furthermore, we discuss examples of common symmetric weight distributions and investigate under what circumstances the necessary conditions are also sufficient. Since the 2PL model is a special case of the GPCM, all of these results hold for the 2PL model as well.


Subject(s)
Bayes Theorem , Educational Measurement/methods , Psychometrics/methods , Humans , Logistic Models , Probability , Psychological Theory
3.
Mol Neurobiol ; 53(7): 4728-44, 2016 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26319560

ABSTRACT

Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies are major challenges in research and clinical medicine world-wide and contribute to the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Previously, specific mitochondrial polymorphisms have been found to enhance clearance of amyloid-ß from the brain of APP-transgenic mice leading to beneficial clinical outcome. It has been discussed whether specific mitochondrial alterations contribute to disease progression or even prevent toxic peptide deposition, as seen in many neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated α-synuclein-transgenic C57BL/6J mice with the A30P mutation, and a novel A30P C57BL/6J mouse model with three mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms in the ND3, COX3 and mtRNA(Arg) genes, as found in the inbred NOD/LtJ mouse strain. We were able to detect that the new model has increased mitochondrial complex II-respiration which occurs in parallel to neuronal loss and improved motor performance, although it exhibits higher amounts of high molecular weight species of α-synuclein. High molecular weight aggregates of different peptides are controversially discussed in the light of neurodegeneration. A favourable hypothesis states that high molecular weight species are protective and of minor importance for the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders as compared to the extreme neurotoxic monomers and oligomers. Summarising, our results point to a potentially protective and beneficial effect of specific mitochondrial polymorphisms which cause improved mitochondrial complex II-respiration in α-synucleinopathies, an effect that could be exploited further for pharmaceutical interventions.


Subject(s)
Electron Transport Complex II/metabolism , Mitochondria/metabolism , Neurodegenerative Diseases/metabolism , alpha-Synuclein/metabolism , Animals , Cell Respiration/physiology , Electron Transport Complex II/genetics , Female , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Inbred NOD , Mice, Transgenic , Mitochondria/genetics , Mitochondria/pathology , Neurodegenerative Diseases/genetics , Neurodegenerative Diseases/pathology , alpha-Synuclein/genetics
4.
Schizophr Res ; 94(1-3): 264-72, 2007 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17561379

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Altered self-awareness might be a core feature of schizophrenia. Facial self-recognition in children and non-human primates has been linked to the emergence of self-awareness. In this study, the ability to recognize the own face as an indicator of certain aspects of self-awareness was investigated in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: Standardized facial pictures of the participants (20 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls), of close same-sex relatives of the participants and of unknown persons were taken. These stimuli were presented on a computer screen serially in three forced choice identity recognition experiments: facial identities were presented (I) for 5 s centrally on the screen; (II) in the participants' left and right visual hemifields for 100 ms; (III) as morphed blendings between the identities, centrally for 5 s. RESULTS: There was no interaction between group and facial identity in experiments I and III. However, in experiment II an interaction between hemifield and identity emerged in the patients (p=.002). They exhibited higher error rates for their own face presented to the right hemifield (p=.003), whereas there was no effect for the control subjects. Additionally, self-face recognition (reaction time in experiment I; p=.0009 and error rates in II; p=.0006) was related to hallucinations in the patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the notion of a specific self-face processing dysfunction in schizophrenia. This might be related to altered self-awareness in schizophrenia.


Subject(s)
Brain/physiopathology , Face , Recognition, Psychology , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Self Concept , Adult , Discrimination, Psychological , Female , Humans , Male , Psychological Tests , Visual Fields , Visual Perception/physiology
5.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol ; 245(8): 1085-95, 2007 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17219106

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare full macular translocation (FMT) with photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: In a prospective, randomised, non-masked, mono-center, pilot-trial, 50 eyes of 50 patients were assigned to either FMT or PDT. Baseline and control examinations in 3-monthly intervals over a 12-month period included standardized protocol refraction, visual acuity testing and fluorescein angiography. Primary outcome measurements were made to establish the change in distant visual acuity from the baseline to the 12-month examination. The statistical analyses were carried out on the intent-to-treat principle. RESULTS: The improvement of one or more ETDRS lines was 56% (14/25) of the eyes in the FMT and 16% (4/25) of the eyes in the PDT arm (P = 0.007). Twenty eyes (80%) in the FMT and 16 eyes (64%) in the PDT group had less than three ETDRS lines of vision loss (P = 0.35). Retinal detachment (six eyes) and diplopia (five patients) were recorded in the FMT group. None of the eyes treated in the FMT group had phtysis. CONCLUSION: This pilot study showed that no statistically significant difference existed between the FMT and PDT in terms of the vision loss of less than three ETDRS lines in eyes with neovascular AMD. The chance of vision improvement was significantly higher for the patients in the FMT group. However, in the era of promising therapy with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for neovascular AMD, FMT should not be offered as a standard primary procedure for neovascular AMD.


Subject(s)
Choroidal Neovascularization/therapy , Macula Lutea/transplantation , Macular Degeneration/therapy , Photochemotherapy , Photosensitizing Agents/therapeutic use , Porphyrins/therapeutic use , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Choroidal Neovascularization/drug therapy , Choroidal Neovascularization/physiopathology , Choroidal Neovascularization/surgery , Diplopia/etiology , Diplopia/surgery , Female , Fluorescein Angiography , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Macular Degeneration/drug therapy , Macular Degeneration/physiopathology , Macular Degeneration/surgery , Male , Pilot Projects , Postoperative Complications , Prospective Studies , Retinal Detachment/etiology , Retinal Detachment/surgery , Treatment Outcome , Verteporfin , Visual Acuity/physiology
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