Teenage alcohol and intoxication debut: the impact of family socialization factors, living area and participation in organized sports.

The aim of the present study was to examine the age distribution of alcohol and intoxication debut and factors associated with this among a representative sample of Norwegian teenagers. A sample of 3368 teenagers aged 12-18 years was recruited from 34 Norwegian secondary schools to complete an 87-item questionnaire under examination conditions; 5.2% (168/3239) reported drinking alcohol for the first time when 10 years or younger, 25.2% (816/3239) when they were 13 years or younger and 60.1% (1948/3239) when 16 years or younger, with 39.9% having never drunk alcohol; 1.3% (44/3239) were first intoxicated by 10 years or younger, 12.8% (418/3239) when 13 years or younger and 37.5% (1649/3239) when 16 years or younger. Pupils with early alcohol or intoxication debut (<14 years) tended to come from single-parent families, from cities, experienced less family support and a more highly organized family life, reported more frequent peer and parental drinking, and did not participate in sports. They also showed a substantially elevated total yearly current alcohol consumption, compared to the group with alcohol debut at 14 years or later (8.1 and 2.5 l pure alcohol, respectively). Poor family support but high family organization, living in single-parent families and in cities, and more frequent parental and peer drinking are associated with early alcohol debut, whereas participation in organized sport activities may delay drinking and intoxication debut in teenagers. Sports organizations should be included in drinking prevention programmes.

Effects of moderate doses of alcohol on immediate recall of numbers: some implications for information technology.

OBJECTIVE: Moderate doses of alcohol will have detrimental effects on memory functions used in various aspects of human interaction with information technology. The need to deal with multidigit numbers while under alcohol intoxication (e.g., making telephone calls) is a reality of life. To determine these relations, the effects of alcohol on immediate ordered recall were studied in a practical number-dialing task. METHOD: Immediate ordered recall of eight-digit numbers, presented visually or auditorily, was tested in read-and-dial or listen-and-dial forced ordered recall tasks with male subjects (N = 11) under two levels of blood alcohol concentration (BrAC = 0.05% and BrAC = 0.1%) and a no-alcohol placebo control condition (BrAC = 0.0%). RESULTS: With increasing alcohol level, immediate ordered recall of whole numbers (all eight digits correct and in the right order) fell by 9% (visual presentation) and 15% (auditory presentation). No significant interaction effect between alcohol level and digit position in the number was found for visually presented numbers, while a weak, but significant, effect was found for auditorily presented numbers (most prominent at digit positions 5, 6 and 7). This is probably due to the difference in rehearsal opportunities in the two presentation modes. No significant interaction effects between alcohol level and presentation modality were found. CONCLUSIONS: The results, tailored to a practical everyday task of dialing unfamiliar eight-digit telephone numbers, show that even moderate doses of alcohol will affect the performance of an already fragile short-term memory system engaged whenever reproduction of digit strings is required.

Psychological profiles in patients with medically refractory epilepsy.

The aim of this study was to explore whether patients with epilepsy show characteristic psychological profiles which might be risk factors for epileptic seizures. The instruments used in the case-control study were the Millon Behavioural Health Inventory (MBHI) and the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking (AISS). A sample of hospitalized patients with medically refractory epilepsy (n = 15) and a sample of healthy controls (n = 15) matched on age and gender. Compared to the controls, the patients with epilepsy showed different psychological profiles. The patients with epilepsy showed significantly higher scores on the basic coping styles MBHI Inhibition style and MBHI Sensitivity style, and lower scores on the MBHI Sociability and the MBHI Confidence. The epilepsy group also exhibited elevated scores on the MBHI psychogenic attitude scales Chronic tension, Recent stress, Pre-morbid pessimism, Social alienation and Somatic anxiety. The patient group had lower sensation-seeking scores on the AISS Novelty scale, the AISS Intensity scale and in AISS Total scores. Some patients with medically refractory epilepsy show dysfunctional coping styles. These factors should be taken into consideration in treatment and rehabilitation planning. The findings point to psychological risk factors for eliciting epileptic seizures.

Spatial-frequency discrimination, brain lateralisation, and acute intake of alcohol.

The effect of alcohol (breath-alcohol level of 0.1%) on perceptual discrimination of low (1.5 cycles deg-1) and high (8 cycles deg-1) spatial frequencies in the left and right visual field was measured in eighteen right-handed males, in a double-blind, balanced placebo design. Discrimination thresholds for briefly (180 ms) presented sinusoidal gratings were determined by two-alternative forced-choice judgments with four interleaving psychophysical staircases providing random trial-to-trial variation of reference spatial frequency and visual field, in addition to a random (+/- 10%) jitter of reference spatial frequency. Alcohol produced overall higher discrimination thresholds but did not alter the visual-field balance: no main effect of visual field was observed, but in both placebo and alcohol conditions spatial frequency interacted with visual field in the direction predicted by the spatial-frequency hypothesis of hemispheric asymmetry in visual-information processing, with left-visual-field/right-hemisphere superiority in discrimination of low spatial frequencies and right-visual-field/left-hemisphere superiority in discrimination of high spatial frequencies.

The effects of alcohol on eye movements during reading.

In an experimental double-blind placebo study of 18 subjects (mean age 26.2 years), we investigated the effect of three blood alcohol concentrations (0.0%, 0.05% and 0.1%) on five visuomotor reading parameters: (1) number of eye fixations per 100 words read; (2) the number of words read per minute; (3) the number of regressions per 100 words read; (4) the saccadic length; (5) the duration of eye fixations. The number of fixations and the duration of eye fixations increased significantly as a function of increased breath alcohol concentration. There were no significant changes in the other visuomotor reading parameters.

Negative affectivity influences report of work-related symptoms.

A number of studies have documented that negative affectivity (NA) exerts a considerable influence upon perceptual style and report of symptoms. In three studies (N = 24, N = 30, N = 43), the current paper investigated the influence of NA upon the report of work-related symptoms. For all three studies, we found a firm association between NA and visual and muscular-skeletal symptoms. The results are discussed according to pain sensitivity, general activation and symptom perception. The paper concludes that NA might be a methodological nuisance factor leading to the over-reporting of work-related complaints.

Visual functions and acute ingestion of alcohol.

In a placebo-controlled experiment comprising 22 healthy men (mean age 27.4 years), we investigated the influence of three breath levels of blood alcohol (BrAC; 0.0%, 0.05% and 0.1%) upon distant visual acuity, stereoacuity, contrast sensitivity, accommodation, resting focus of accommodation and binocular vision. Positive (PRA) and negative accommodation (NRA) and resting focus of accommodation showed no significant changes with increasing BrAC. Compared to the placebo condition, visual acuity and refraction were only significantly affected at a breath alcohol level of 0.1%. Contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity and binocular vision were affected both at BrAC 0.05% and BrAC 0.1%. Only the higher spatial frequencies of contrast sensitivity were affected.

Coping styles in abstainers from alcohol.

The present study investigates the Millon Behavior Health Inventory basic coping styles, mental absorption (Tellegen Absorption Scale), sensation seeking (Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking, AISS) and affect inhibition (Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, MC-SDS), in a group of abstainers from alcohol (n = 55) compared to an age-equivalent group of moderate drinkers (n = 176). The abstainers had significantly higher scores on one of the repressive coping styles (respectful) and significantly lower scores on sociability. There were no differences on the other basic coping styles. The abstainer group had lower AISS scores and higher MC-SDS scores. There were no significant differences between abstainers and drinkers in mental absorption. The results suggest that abstainers from alcohol may have adopted an affect-inhibiting, passive-ambivalent coping style associated with denial of hostility, rigid impulse control and social conformity.

Sports, physical exercise and use of alcohol.

In a general population study comprising 994 women and 1,000 men (aged > or = 15 years), we investigated differences in consumed amounts of alcohol related to participation in sports and physical exercise. Compared with the controls, women engaged in sports drank significantly more beer and had higher total consumption of alcohol. The differences in consumption disappeared when controlled for age and education. Men engaged in team sports had elevated consumption of beer and liquor and had a higher total consumption. Controlled for age and education, only differences in total liquor consumption remained significant. Frequency of exercising, irrespective of type of sports, was related to increased use of wine among men and women. There were no significant differences in use of beer, liquor or in total yearly consumption of alcohol.

Reinvention of visual fatigue: accumulation of scientific knowledge or neglect of scientific history?

The development of science is believed to be a continuous accumulation of knowledge, giving rise to the somewhat false idea that the most recent knowledge is the most valid and most appropriate. Neglect of the history of a scientific discipline might therefore lead to reinvention of theories that have already been proposed and experimentally investigated. In the case of visual fatigue the pioneering works of Lucien Howe, Walter Lancaster and others at the beginning of this century are very similar to contemporary work in terms of conceptual definitions, methodological approach, assessment and results. The temporal and dynamic aspects of accommodation and vergence considered important today were intensely studied and discussed by Howe and others.

Negative affectivity and intellectual ability: a study of their relation to self-reported physical symptoms, perceived daily stress and mood, and disciplinary problems in military recruits.

In this study we examined the relationship between cognitive ability and Negative Affectivity (NA) (measured as cognitive and behavioral aspects of anxiety) on the one hand, and somatic complaints, symptom attribution (i.e. subjective evaluation of psychological vs somatic symptom causes), perceived daily stress/mood, and disciplinary problems on the other hand, in a sample of military recruits. As expected, cognitive and behavioral anxiety correlated with measures of somatic complaints and with perceived stress/negative mood in the daily service, as well as with symptom attribution. General ability correlated negatively with three of the five somatic complaint scales as well as with presence of disciplinary problems after controlling for NA. However, the effect of the ability factor on these dependent variables was very weak and difficult to interpret. On the whole, cognitive ability does not seem to be an interesting variable in research on the NA-somatic complaints relationship, at least as conceptualized on the trait level. Thus, cognitive ability appears to be of less importance as an explanatory factor in theories of symptom perception and symptom attribution.

VDT work, oculomotor strain, and subjective complaints: an experimental and clinical study.

Two studies, one experimental and one clinical, are presented. Study I examines the effect of three hours of continuous VDT work (text-editing) on a set of optometric and health-related variables in an experimental design with two matched groups, one experimental (n = 18) and one control group (n = 19). Doing the same keyboard activities for 3 h as the experimental group, the control group was looking out of a window instead of at the display while working (distance viewing). There were significant group differences in work related effects on the eyes' ciliary and extraocular muscles and on subjective symptoms, indicating that not only visual symptoms but also muscle pain in the head, neck, and upper back regions may result from near-point induced oculomotor strain. Study II shows the health effect of optical corrections on symptomatic VDT workers (n = 14). There is a significant pre-post reduction in symptoms, indicating that visual anomalies contribute to work-related symptoms. The results of both studies are discussed in a visual ecological perspective.

The influence of long-term visual near-work on accommodation and vergence: a field study.

A study of the influence of sustained, visual near-work upon a set of oculomotor functions (ZCSV i.e. Zone of Clear Single Vision) was carried out on a randomly drawn group (N = 43) of young, female, healthy and experienced accountants (mean age 24.6 years) who were daily engaged in full-time interactive VDT work. PRA (Positive Relative Accommodation), NRA (Negative Relative Accommodation), PRC (Positive Relative Convergence) and NRC (Negative Relative Convergence) was measured twice: 1) in the morning before the subjects started work and 2) at the end of the working day. Results showed significant reductions in the four ZCSV components over the working day. Vergence reductions accounted for over 60% of the ZCSV changes.

Are parents of asthmatic children different from other parents? Some follow-up results from the Norwegian PRAD Project.

Follow-up results from the Norwegian PRAD study (Psychosocial Risk for Allergic Development) show that parents of children who later developed symptoms of asthma were different from a control group of parents with normal, nonsymptomatic children several years preceding the disorder. There were significant within-pair differences in self-reported marital adjustment (DAS-Dyadic Adjustment Scale) for the control group but not for the asthma group. There were no significant between-pair DAS scores for the two groups of parents. The two groups of parents also differed in perceiving how the child had influenced their lives, in description of the childbirth and partially in childcare style. The assumed relationship between parental characteristics and asthma in children is being discussed, and the paper concludes that parents of asthmatic children should be regarded as a risk factor and clinical and therapeutic routines should be developed accordingly.

Time factors in VDT-induced myopia and visual fatigue: an experimental study.

In an experimental design with two matched groups (n = 13 and n = 17) working 2 and 4 hr respectively, followed by a 15-min restitution time, the study examined the effect of continuous VDT work on 1) visual acuity, refraction and oculomotor functions (ZCSV: zone of clear, single vision) and 2) the effect of 15-min restitution time on the oculomotor functions (ZCSV). In both groups there were a significant reduction in visual acuity, refraction changes in myopic direction and reduced ciliar and vergence muscle capacity. The ZCSV changes were temporary and a 15-min restitution period restored approximately half of the ZCSV changes. There were no significant differences between 2 or 4 hr of VDT work on any of the variables examined.

Personality structure of asthmatic and normal children assessed by the Rorschach technique. An experimental study.

This paper presents the results of a Rorschach assessment of a group of children with severe asthma (n = 21) compared to a control group (n = 21) of normal school children, matched for age and intellectual abilities. The design allows comparable data on total responses, movement, forms, color and other determinants. The mode of perception differs significantly between the groups. These differences will be discussed according to old hypotheses of personality traits as causative factors in the etiology of asthma.

Children at risk of allergic development: the parents' dyadic relationship.

The paper describes a study of parents' dyadic interaction in high-/low-risk families (n = 161) with children at risk of asthmatic/allergic development. The high-risk couples tend to consist of a mother who denies negative affects and a dissatisfied father. The high-risk mothers tend to overrate the agreement especially on affective expression. There were no significant differences in dyadic interaction in low-risk couples. The results are discussed according to family communication patterns, repressed conflicts and possible immunological consequences of chronic emotional stress, learned coping and emotional expression styles.

Oculomotor factors in the aetiology of occupational cervicobrachial diseases (OCD).

The traditional posture-ergonomic perspective on the aetiology of Occupational Cervicobrachial Disease (OCD) is discussed and criticized in the light of present knowledge of oculomotor strain during sustained visual work at short distances. Two experiments on ocularly induced neck muscular tension are reported. In both experiments EMG's were taken from six different muscles in the head, neck and shoulder region during a visual discrimination task. In Experiment 1, accommodation and fusion requirements were systematically varied by changing viewing distance in combination with the application of minus-lenses and base-out prisms. EMG was shown to increase as a function of accommodation and fusion load. In Experiment 2, a clinical population with severe and long lasting neck and shoulder problems and inappropriate optical corrections was studied with the same experimental design. EMG was shown to decrease when habitual corrections were replaced by more appropriate ones.

Schistosomal colonic polyposis: clinical, radiological and parasitological study.

One hundred and eight male Egyptian farmers with schistosomal colonic polyposis were reviewed. All patients gave a history of bloody diarrhoea. Sixty-one patients presented with finger clubbing, and four of these patients had painful, tender and swollen wrist, knee and ankle joints. X-ray revealed new bone formation in the bones around these joints. The clinical condition improved with antischistosomal treatment, but the bony changes persisted. Twenty patients showed signs of dependent oedema or ascites. Thirty-one patients had a liver of 8 cm or more below costal margin and 19 patients had a spleen of 8 cm or more below costal margin, a situation not unlike patients with schistosomiasis without polyposis. Fifteen patients had tender abdominal masses in the left iliac fossa which were shown by barium enemas to be clusters of polyps. Anti-schistosomal therapy relieved the obstruction but narrowing persisted in 70% of patients followed up. Severity of schistosomal colonic polyposis correlated with the anatomical distribution of the polyps, with their number and with the egg excretion rates.

Oxamniquine treatment for schistosomal polyposis: a 1-2 year follow-up study.

A follow-up was carried out into the study of schistosomal colonic polyposis reported in the last article. Eighteen patients with schistosomal colonic polyposis were treated with oxamniquine and their progress was evaluated for 2-3 weeks after treatment, at 3 months and at 12-24 months. Sigmoidoscopy to examine mucosa on the polyps and barium enemata to determine the size and number of polyps showed variable success, but treatment with oxamniquine produced no untoward side effects.