Restitution Vs. Apology In Forgiveness

Main Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 19 Jul 2012 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Restitution Vs. Apology In Forgiveness

People are more likely to show forgiving behavior if they receive restitution, but they are more prone to report they have forgiven if they get an apology, according to Baylor University research published in the Journal of Positive Psychology.

The study underscores the importance of both restitution and apology and of using multiple measures for forgiveness, including behavior, said Jo-Ann Tsang, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences.

"One of the main reasons for using behavioral measures in addition to self-reporting by individuals is that they can make themselves look better by only self-reporting, although they don't necessarily intend to lie," she said. "And it may be that 'I forgive you' is a more conscious feeling if they receive an apology."

In the study, 136 undergraduate psychology students were stationed in individual cubicles and told that raffle tickets for a $50 gift card would be given out in three rounds, with 10 tickets per round to be divided between a participant and a unknown "partner." They also were told they might receive a note from the partner.

In the first round, participants were given only two of the 10 tickets split between them and their partners; in the second, they got nine. Some were told the distributions were made by the partner; others were told it was by chance.

Some participants received an apology note from their partners on the second round, saying, "Sorry about that first round. I got carried away, and I feel really bad that I did that." Some participants also received raffle tickets back from their partners in the second round, a form of restitution. In the last round, the participants were given the chance to be in charge of distributions themselves.

Researchers examined the links between apology, restitution, empathy and forgiveness, measuring forgiveness in two ways: Through behavior (how many raffle tickets participants gave to their partners on the third round); and self-reporting on a questionnaire, with participants telling how highly they rated their motivation to forgive.

Researchers wrote that "making amends can facilitative forgiveness, but not all amends can fully compensate for offenses." Apology may be needed to repair damage fully, but it may be a "silent forgiveness," while restitution without apology may lead to a "hollow forgiveness" in which the offenders are treated better but not necessarily forgiven.

"The results suggest that if transgressors seek both psychological and interpersonal forgiveness from their victims, they must pair their apologies with restitution," they wrote. "Apparently, actions and words speak loudest in concert."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our psychology / psychiatry section for the latest news on this subject. The article on the study - "Do Actions Speaker Louder than Words? Differential Effects of Apology and Restitution and Self-Report Measures of Forgiveness" - may be viewed at this link: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2012.690444
Other researchers were Robert D. Carlisle, a graduate student in psychology and neuroscience at Baylor; Nadia Y. Ahmad, a researcher at the Medical College of Wisconsin; Everett L. Worthington Jr., a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University; Charlotte vanOyen Witvliet, a professor at Hope College Psychology Department; and Nathaniel Wade, associate professor at Iowa State University.
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Risk For Breast Cancer Increased By Giving Birth To Large Infants

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 18 Jul 2012 - 3:00 PDT
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Risk For Breast Cancer Increased By Giving Birth To Large Infants

Delivering a high-birth-weight infant more than doubles a woman's breast cancer risk, according to research from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The researchers suggest that having a large infant is associated with a hormonal environment during pregnancy that favors future breast cancer development and progression.

Marking the first time that high birth weight was shown to be an independent risk factor, the finding may help improve prediction and prevention of breast cancer decades before its onset.

"We also found that women delivering large babies - those in the top quintile of this study, which included babies whose weight was 8.25 or more pounds - have increased levels of hormones that create a 'pro-carcinogenic environment.' This means that they have high levels of estrogen, low levels of anti-estrogen and the presence of free insulin-like growth factors associated with breast cancer development and progression," said lead author Dr. Radek Bukowski, professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. "Women can't alter their pregnancy hormones, but can take steps to increase their general protection against breast cancer." Dr. Bukowski notes that breastfeeding, having more than one child, following a healthy diet and exercising have been shown to reduce breast cancer risk.

The study, published in PLoS ONE, builds on accumulating evidence that a woman's own birth weight and that of her children are linked to breast cancer. However, this is the first study to explore whether each is an independent risk factor. Dr. Bukowski's team examined two cohorts of women from distinct data sets: The Framingham Offspring Birth History Study, which has studied generations of women via medical examinations and laboratory assessments. Dr. Bukowski's team studied 410 women from this study, observed between 1991-2008, and maternal birth weight, infant birth weight and results of later examinations (e.g., breast cancer diagnosis) to determine breast cancer risk. The researchers also looked at data from the study on known breast cancer risk factors, such as age, race/ethnicity, body mass index, diabetes, use of hormone replacement therapy and maternal history of the disease, among others. The First and Second Trimester Evaluation of Risk for Aneuploidy (FASTER) trial, which examined pregnancy hormones in nearly 24,000 women at 15 U.S. clinical centers between 1999 and 2003. The study included assessments of the hormones that affect infant birth weight and breast cancer risk - estriol (E3), anti-estrogen alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A).Approximately 7.6 percent of the women from the Framingham cohort in this study were later diagnosed with breast cancer. The researchers found that the risk of breast cancer was two-and-a-half times higher in women whose infant's birth weight was in the top quintile compared with women whose infant weighed in the lower quintiles. Importantly, the risk was shown to be signficiant independent of the birth weight of the mother and traditional breast cancer risk factors.

Of the nearly 24,000 pregnancies studied in the FASTER trial, a strong positive relationship was observed between infant birth weight and E3, AFP and PAPP-A concentrations. For women whose infant's birth weight was in the highest quintile, there was a 25 percent increased risk of having a high E3/AFP ratio and PAPP-A concentration.

"Recent animal studies have suggested that breast stem cells, which are involved in the origins of breast cancer, may increase or decrease their number in response to hormone exposures, including ones during pregnancy," added Dr. Bukowski. "They retain a 'memory' of prior hormone exposure, which could explain the increased risk of breast cancer seen following pregnancy, especially in women with a large birth weight infant. The hormones create a long term effect that may lead to breast cancer later."

One limitation of this study is that the associations between large infants' birth weight and breast cancer risk and between infants' birth weight and hormonal environment during pregnancy were tested in different populations of women. Further research is needed to definitively demonstrate that the concentrations of pregnancy hormones mediates the relationship between large infant birth weight and breast cancer.

Subsequent studies will also focus on testing whether having an infant of high birth weight improves prediction of future breast cancer.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our breast cancer section for the latest news on this subject. Co-authors of the study include: Drs. Gary D.V. Hankins (UTMB); Rowan T. Chlebowski (Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center); Inger Thune (Oslo University Hospital and the University of Tromsø); Anne-Sofie Furberg (University of Tromsø); Fergal D. Malone (Royal College of Surgeons in Irelend); and Mary E. D'Alton (Columbia University).
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Psychological, Social Support Lacking For Adolescents And Young Adult Cancer Patients

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 19 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Psychological, Social Support Lacking For Adolescents And Young Adult Cancer Patients

A cancer diagnosis for adolescents and young adults can be especially challenging, and new research shows the social, psychological and informational support these patients need might be going unmet.

Compared to both children and older adult cancer patients, adolescents and young adults, ages 14-39, demonstrate a different set of psychosocial needs and issues related to their unique age-related development. Whether these patients are treated in a pediatric or adult setting can influence their clinical and psychosocial well-being.

A new study lead by University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers shows significant proportions of patients in this age group are not getting their care needs met. Results from the study were published in the journal Cancer.

"When patients in this age group are diagnosed with cancer, they face issues like premature confrontation with mortality, changes in physical appearance, disruptions in school or work, financial challenges and loss of reproductive capacity, that can all be particularly distressing," says Bradley Zebrack, Ph.D., MSW, MPH, associate professor of social work and associate professor of health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan.

"Whether it's mental health care, information for topics like infertility, or other aspects of care like camps or retreat programs, this study shows that many of these patients aren't getting the care they need to address these unique challenges."

The researchers surveyed 215 newly diagnosed cancer patients between the ages of 14 and 39, assessing the patients' use of and desire for various information resources, emotional support services and practical support services.

They found that patients in their 20s were significantly less likely than teens and patients in their 30s to report using mental health services and were more likely to report an unmet need for cancer information, infertility information and diet/nutrition information.

Additionally, compared with teens who were treated in pediatric settings, young adults treated in adult, as opposed to pediatric, facilities were more likely to report an unmet need for age-appropriate Internet sites, mental health services, camp and retreat programs, transportation assistance and complementary and alternative health services.

Zebrack, the study's lead author, says because there's a lack of research surrounding the needs and desires for care of patients in this age group, it can be hard for health care professionals to establish age-appropriate services to meet their unique psychosocial challenges.

He says the results of this study might help medical professionals better tune their care to meet the needs of their adolescent and young adult patients.

"Our research shows increasing patient referral to community-based social service agencies and reputable Internet resources can enhance the care and improve the quality of life for this group of patients," he says. "The more we know about their needs, the better support health care professionals will be able to provide."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our cancer / oncology section for the latest news on this subject. Citation: “Psychosocial service use and unmet need among recently diagnosed adolescent and young adult cancer patients.” Cancer. doi: 10.1002/cncr.27713
Other authors: Rebecca Block, Ph.D.; Brandon Hayes-Lattin, M.D.; Leanne Embry, Ph.D.; Chrstine Aguilar, M.D.; MPH, Kathleen A. Meeske, Ph.D.; Yun Li, Ph.D.; Melissa Butler, MS; Steven Cole, Ph.D.
Conflicts: None
Funding: Research support provided by HopeLab Foundation, Redwood City, Calif.
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Sensation, Mobility Improved For People With Spinal Cord Injury Using Musical Glove

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
Article Date: 19 Jul 2012 - 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Sensation, Mobility Improved For People With Spinal Cord Injury Using Musical Glove

Georgia Tech researchers have created a wireless, musical glove that may improve sensation and motor skills for people with paralyzing spinal cord injury (SCI).

The gadget was successfully used by individuals with limited feeling or movement in their hands due to tetraplegia. These individuals had sustained their injury more than a year before the study, a time frame when most rehab patients see very little improvement for the remainder of their lives. Remarkably, the device was primarily used while the participants were going about their daily routines.

The device is called Mobile Music Touch (MMT). The glove, which looks like a workout glove with a small box on the back, is used with a piano keyboard and vibrates a person's fingers to indicate which keys to play. While learning to play the instrument, several people with SCI experienced improved sensation in their fingers.

Researchers at Georgia Tech and Atlanta's Shepherd Center recently completed a study focusing on people with weakness and sensory loss due to SCI.

"After our preliminary work in 2011, we suspected that the glove would have positive results for people with SCI," said Ph.D. graduate Tanya Markow, the project's leader. "But we were surprised by how much improvement they made in our study. For example, after using the glove, some participants were able to feel the texture of their bed sheets and clothes for the first time since their injury."

Markow worked with individuals with SCI who had limited feeling or movement in their hands. Each suffered a spinal injury more than a year prior to the study. The eight-week project required study participants to practice playing the piano for 30 minutes, three times a week. Half used the MMT glove to practice; half did not.

The MMT system works with a computer, MP3 player or smart phone. A song, such as Ode to Joy, is programmed into a device, which is wirelessly linked to the glove. As the musical notes are illuminated on the correct keys on the piano keyboard, the gadget sends vibrations to "tap" the corresponding fingers. The participants play along, gradually memorizing the keys and learning additional songs.

However, these active learning sessions with MMT were not the primary focus of the study. The participants also wore the glove at home for two hours a day, five days a week, feeling only the vibration (and not playing the piano). Previous studies showed that wearing the MMT system passively in this manner helped participants learn songs faster and retain them better. The researchers hoped that the passive wearing of the device would also have rehabilitative effects.

At the end of the study, participants performed a variety of common grasping and sensation tests to measure their improvement. Those who used the MMT system performed significantly better than those who just learned the piano normally.

"Some people were able to pick up objects more easily," said Markow. "Another said he could immediately feel the heat from a cup of coffee, rather than after a delay."

Markow believes the increased motor abilities could be caused by renewed brain activity that sometimes becomes dormant in persons with SCI. The vibration might be triggering activity in the hand's sensory cortex, which leads to firing in the brain's motor cortex. Markow would like to expand the study to include functional MRI results.

The glove has evolved in recent years under the leadership of Georgia Tech's Thad Starner and Ellen Yi-Luen Do, as well as Deborah Backus, director of multiple sclerosis research at Shepherd Center. The initial concept, Piano Touch, developed with the team by then master's student Kevin Huang, demonstrated that people could easily learn to play the piano by wearing the glove and feeling its vibrations. It didn't take long for Starner to see the larger health benefits.

"Equipment used for hand rehabilitation may seem monotonous and boring to some, and doesn't provide any feedback or incentive," said Starner, who oversees the Contextual Computing Group. "Mobile Music Touch overcomes each of those challenges and provides surprising benefits for people with weakness and sensory loss due to SCI. It's a great example of how wearable computing can change people's lives."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our neurology / neuroscience section for the latest news on this subject. Starner is an associate professor in the School of Interactive Computing. Do is a professor in the Schools of Interactive Computing and Industrial Design.
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Rapid Weight Gain From Antipsychotics: Genetic Link Discovered

Main Category: Schizophrenia
Also Included In: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness;  Genetics
Article Date: 19 Jul 2012 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Rapid Weight Gain From Antipsychotics: Genetic Link Discovered

Scientists have discovered two genetic variants associated with the substantial, rapid weight gain occurring in nearly half the patients treated with antipsychotic medications, according to two studies involving the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

These results could eventually be used to identify which patients have the variations, enabling clinicians to choose strategies to prevent this serious side-effect and offer more personalized treatment.

"Weight gain occurs in up to 40 per cent of patients taking medications called second-generation or atypical antipsychotics, which are used because they're effective in controlling the major symptoms of schizophrenia," says CAMH Scientist Dr. James Kennedy, senior author on the most recent study published online in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

This weight gain can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart problems and a shortened life span. "Identifying genetic risks leading to these side-effects will help us prescribe more effectively," says Dr. Kennedy, head of the new Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, which is part of CAMH's Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute. Currently, CAMH screens for two other genetic variations that affect patients' responses to psychiatric medications.

Each study identified a different variation near the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) gene, which is known to be linked to obesity.

In the Archives of General Psychiatry study, people carrying two copies of a variant gained about three times as much weight as those with one or no copies, after six to 12 weeks of treatment with atypical antipsychotics. (The difference was approximately 6 kg versus 2 kg.) The study had four patient groups: two from the U.S., one in Germany and one from a larger European study.

"The weight gain was associated with this genetic variation in all these groups, which included pediatric patients with severe behaviour or mood problems, and patients with schizophrenia experiencing a first episode or who did not respond to other antipsychotic treatments," says CAMH Scientist Dr. Daniel Müller. "The results from our genetic analysis combined with this diverse set of patients provide compelling evidence for the role of this MC4R variant. Our research group has discovered other gene variants associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain in the past, but this one appears to be the most compelling finding thus far."

Three of the four groups had never previously taken atypical antipsychotics. Different groups were treated with drugs such as olanzapine, risperidone, aripiprazole or quetiapine, and compliance was monitored to ensure the treatment regime was followed. Weight and other metabolic-related measures were taken at the start and during treatment.

A genome-wide association study was conducted on pediatric patients by the study's lead researcher, Dr. Anil Malhotra, at the Zucker Hillside Hospital in Glen Oaks, NY. In this type of study, variations are sought across a person's entire set of genes to identify those associated with a particular trait. The result pointed to the MC4R gene.

This gene's role in antipsychotic-induced weight gain had been identified in a CAMH study published earlier this year in The Pharmacogenomics Journal, involving Drs. Müller and Kennedy, and conducted by PhD student Nabilah Chowdhury. They found a different variation on MC4R that was linked to the side-effect.

For both studies, CAMH researchers did genotyping experiments to identify the single changes to the sequence of the MC4R gene - known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) - related to the drug-induced weight gain side-effect.

The MC4R gene encodes a receptor involved in the brain pathways regulating weight, appetite and satiety. "We don't know exactly how the atypical antipsychotics disrupt this pathway, or how this variation affects the receptor," says Dr. Müller. "We need further studies to validate this result and eventually turn this into a clinical application."

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
Visit our schizophrenia section for the latest news on this subject. The CAMH researchers were supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant and a NARSAD grant from the U.S. Brain and Behavior Fund.
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