ABSTRACT
Recently, the concepts of social competence and social skills have become important aspects of the evolving definitions of mental retardation. However, no psychometrically sound instruments exist for assessing social skills in lower functioning developmentally disabled people. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with Severe Retardation (MESSIER)--a new scale designed to measure social skills in adults with severe developmental disabilities. The authors conducted a preliminary evaluation of the test-retest and interrater reliability of the MESSIER. It was determined that the MESSIER has high stability across raters and good stability over time. In addition, good internal consistency was established with coefficient alpha. Potential uses for the scale and directions for future research are discussed.
Subject(s)
Intellectual Disability/psychology , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales/standards , Social Adjustment , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
The results of studies of the opiate antagonist naltrexone (NLTX) in the treatment of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in mentally retarded people have been equivocal. They have relied on small patient samples in short-term trials with varying degrees of scientific rigor. Nor has the clinical efficacy of NLTX for SIB been tested against its wider application in nonresearch settings. The present study is a retrospective, long-term study of the clinical use of NLTX for SIB, drawn from clinical experience in the entire population of the state schools of Texas (population = 8,000). More than 50% of the 56 SIB individuals treated with NLTX were maintained on the drug by virtue of clinical benefit perceived by treating professionals; 25% of the 56 individuals could be classified as unequivocal responders based upon strict objective response criteria. Variables associated with positive response were level of disability and lack of concurrent aggression. Unexpectedly, all of the objective responders displayed a gradual and continuous decrease in SIB over-time, even after 3 years of treatment.
Subject(s)
Intellectual Disability/complications , Naltrexone/therapeutic use , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Self-Injurious Behavior/drug therapy , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Retrospective Studies , Self-Injurious Behavior/etiologyABSTRACT
A follicular thyroid carcinoma was suspected in a 62-year-old woman after the fifth goitre excision for non-neoplastic inappropriate thyrotropin secretion. Small-follicular adenoma could not be excluded histologically. After an attempt at thyrotropin suppression with L-thyroxine, triiodothyronine, D-thyroxine with L-thyroxine, and bromocriptine had failed, lasting if partial decrease in the maximally elevated TSH levels was achieved with triiodothyroacetic acid (TRIAC). One of the patient's three daughters also has non-neoplastic inappropriate thyrotropin secretion and has had two goitre excisions. It is most likely a familial form of inappropriate TSH secretion.
Subject(s)
Thyroid Diseases/diagnosis , Thyrotropin/metabolism , Carcinoma/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Drug Therapy, Combination , Female , Goiter/blood , Goiter/diagnosis , Goiter/surgery , Humans , Middle Aged , Recurrence , Reoperation , Thyroid Diseases/blood , Thyroid Diseases/drug therapy , Thyroid Diseases/genetics , Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnosis , Thyroidectomy , Thyrotropin/antagonists & inhibitors , Thyrotropin/blood , Thyroxine/administration & dosage , Triiodothyronine/administration & dosage , Triiodothyronine/analogs & derivativesABSTRACT
Bilateral adrenalectomy was performed in a 27-year-old male because of Cushing's syndrome. After 7 years a peripheral bronchial carcinoid was diagnosed; ACTH values went back to normal only after removal of the carcinoid. In the literature, there are 31 case reports on bronchial carcinoids associated with Cushing's syndrome. The Cushing's syndrome precedes the diagnosis of a tumor for months to years in at least half of the cases. Most of these patients first underwent adrenalectomy and/or hypophysectomy for their primarily endocrine symptoms and signs.
Subject(s)
Carcinoid Tumor/pathology , Cushing Syndrome/pathology , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic/pathology , Adult , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Lung/pathology , Male , Phosphopyruvate Hydratase/metabolismABSTRACT
Thyroid iodine concentration and total thyroid iodine were determined by an automated technique by means of the ceric arsenious acid reaction in 42 males and 13 females. The thyroids were taken from autopsy material in a region with a low dietary intake. The accuracy of the method to estimate iodine was checked by neutron activation analysis. There was an excellent correlation between the iodine contents of thyroid specimens, when measured by chemical or by activation analysis. The mean iodine concentration was 1.86 mg/g dry weight and was found to be lower than in non-goitrous regions. In goitres, the mean iodine concentration was significantly lower, and the mean total thyroid of normal weight. There was no significant difference in iodine concentration and total iodine between males and females. The thyroid iodine concentration did not depend upon age in adults. The data were log normally distributed. It was established that mean iodine concentrations under 2 mg/g dry weight or 0.45 mg/g fresh weight are to be regarded as an important index of iodine deficiency.
Subject(s)
Goiter, Endemic/metabolism , Iodine/metabolism , Thyroid Gland/metabolism , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
9 healthy volunteers were subjected to a 3-week treatment with synthetic ACTH. Antibody response against beta1-24-corticotropin (Synacthen) was tested by passive transfer in the Prausnitz-Küstner reaction, complement fixation, passive hemagglutination and agar-gel diffusion. Failure of the healthy persons to produce reaginic or non-reaginic antibodies is compared titerature.
