Faculty Bibliography

An 80-year-old male presented with dyspnea so severe that he could not perform the activities of daily living. Chest radiography and computed tomography of the chest demonstrated a 30-cm left chest mass extending inferiorly to displace the left kidney and spleen. Three incisional biopsies yielded inconclusive results. Positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorodeoxyglucose F 18 (FDG) ruled out malignancy, so a curative excisional biopsy was performed. We conclude that FDG PET is a crucial component of the initial evaluation of patients with solitary pulmonary masses. FDG PET has high sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value in the diagnostic clarification of radiologically indeterminate pulmonary lesions.

Although the risk of the eventual development of tardive dyskinesia and other persistent adverse effects of neuroleptics is high, among adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, neuroleptics may ameliorate dyskinesias, aggression, and inattention. The effects of traditional neuroleptics on a comparable population of children and adolescents with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities are unknown. The objective of this study was to develop an assessment battery to describe the effects of traditional neuroleptics on the behavior and movements of a small sample of children and adolescents with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. 13 children and adolescents aged 6 to 16 years attending a developmental disabilities clinic were evaluated utilizing a Movement Assessment Battery to measure behavior and motions. Five subjects took traditional neuroleptic medications. Trained raters can reliably assess the movements and behaviors of children and adolescents with multiple handicaps. Children and adolescents with developmental disabilities may be vulnerable to experience functional impairment and akathisia, tics, and other dyskinesias when administered traditional neuroleptic medications.

The comparison of the ethnic composition of an intermediate care facility with several Hispanic residents and the general population was hindered by the absence of categorization of ethnicity according to the United States Census. If all Hispanic residents of the facility were white, then 55% of the facility population were white, a proportion comparable to the 58.2% white population of the general population. On the other hand, if all the Hispanic residents were not white, then 27.5% of the facility residents were white. In that case, the proportion of white residents of the facility is much less than in the general population. Therefore, a Demographic Coding Form was developed to capture the essential data to make direct comparisons and contrasts with the general population recorded by the United States Census. Since the United States Census records Hispanic ethnic minority status as a separate category independent from all other ethnic groups, the design of experiments to investigate the possible effects of ethnicity on populations wisely incorporates the administration of a Demographic Coding Form to capture the key ethnic data to permit direct comparison with the general population.

Although the United States Food and Drug Administration banned its use for nocturnal leg cramps due to lack of safety and efficacy, quinine is widely available in beverages including tonic water and bitter lemon. Numerous anecdotal reports suggest that products containing quinine may produce neurological complications, including confusion, altered mental status, seizures, and coma, particularly in older women. Psychologists need to inquire about consumption of quinine-containing beverages as part of an evaluation process.

A mentor is the key person to assist a student who wishes to become an independent investigator. The federal government provides long-term funding for decades of research by an investigator, and short-term funding for years of transition from student to investigator is available from both governmental and private agencies. Grants designed for men and women and various ethnic groups are valuable resources. Courteous acknowledgment of sponsorship by the grantee facilitates continued grants from the funding source.

Accurate identification of the demographic characteristics of subjects is crucial for clinical, research, teaching, and administrative purposes in psychology. The Demographic Coding Form is a simple, self-report tool to identify essential demographic data. Secondary categorization as "Hispanic" is obtained to facilitate comparison with the general population data. The form requests information about ethnic mixtures in subjects. Psychometric properties are being elucidated.