This study explored the sensitizing effects of pretreatment assessment on posttreatment chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and the interactive effects of personal dispositions for information seeking. Seventy oncology outpatients were recruited from oncology waiting rooms prior to receiving scheduled chemotherapy. Half of the patients were asked to complete an inventory about the severity of side effects that they had experienced following their most recent treatment session (experimental condition) and half were asked to complete an inventory concerning parking conditions at the treatment facility (control condition). All patients were also asked to complete the Miller Behavioral Style Scale (MBSS) and to later rate the severity of their side effects (between 36-48 hr following treatment). Based on the MBSS scores, patients were then divided into information seekers (monitors) and information avoiders (blunters). Overall, patients in the experimental condition rated the severity of their nausea as more severe than the control patients. In addition, patients who preferred a monitoring coping style experienced a significantly higher incidence rate and longer episodes of nausea than patients who preferred a blunting style. The methodological implications of these results for data collection and the assessment of side effects associated with aversive medical procedures are discussed.

Performance of participants diagnosed with schizophrenia on the Sentence Arrangement subtest of the WAIS-R NI and several tests sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction was significantly poorer than that of manic depressive or control participants. Several measures of performance of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia on the WAIS-R NI Sentence Arrangement subtest appeared to support recent interpretations of the cognitive deficit seen in schizophrenia. These data represent the first demonstration of deficit performance by patients with schizophrenia on the Sentence Arrangement subtest. This is also supportive of the prediction that one of the areas whose activity may influence scores on this subtest is the prefrontal cortex. In addition, neither positive nor negative symptoms systematically correlated with the cognitive deficits reported despite specific predictions from the current literature.

No abstract

The “IDEAS” section for this month focuses on connections between mathematics and exploration, from exploring a community to exploring space. The activities are designed to reflect and support the vision of the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards (NCTM 1989) and the Professional Teaching Standards (NCTM 1991). Although each “IDEAS” section this year focuses on mathematical connections, mathematics as communication, mathematics as reasoning, and problem solving, this issue highlights the following curriculum standards: Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense. Patterns and Relationships. Algebra, and Computation and Estimation. At each activity level, students analyze data presented on charts or maps while attempting to solve problems and draw conclusions. The reproducible sheet for the “IDEAS” section are designed to be used by multiple grade levels. Included are four classroom activities and an activity sheet that involves parents in the child's exploration. A teacher may want to reproduce and use several of the activities from this month's selection.

Performance of participants diagnosed with schizophrenia on the Sentence Arrangement subtest of the WAIS-R NI and several tests sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction was significantly poorer than that of manic depressive or control participants. Several measures of performance of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia on the WAIS-R NI Sentence Arrangement subtest appeared to support recent interpretations of the cognitive deficit seen in schizophrenia. These data represent the first demonstration of deficit performance by patients with schizophrenia on the Sentence Arrangement subtest. This is also supportive of the prediction that one of the areas whose activity may influence scores on this subtest is the prefrontal cortex. In addition, neither positive nor negative symptoms systematically correlated with the cognitive deficits reported despite specific predictions from the current literature.