The current study examined the role of executive function in retrieval of specific autobiographical memories in older adults with regard to control of emotion during retrieval. Older and younger adults retrieved memories of specific events in response to emotionally positive, negative and neutral word cues. Contributions of inhibitory and updating elements of executive function to variance in autobiographical specificity were assessed to determine processes involved in the commonly found age-related reduction in specificity. A negative relationship between age and specificity was only found in retrieval to neutral cues. Alternative explanations of this age preservation of specificity of emotional recall are explored, within the context of control of emotion in the self-memory system and preserved emotional processing and positivity effect in older adults. The pattern of relationships suggests updating, rather than inhibition, as the source of age-related reduction in specificity, but that emotional processing (particularly of positively valenced memories) is not influenced by age-related variance in executive control. The tendency of older adults to focus on positive material may thus act as a buffer against detrimental effects of reduced executive function capacity on autobiographical retrieval, representing a possible target for interventions to improve specificity of autobiographical memory retrieval in older adults.

Investigations of relationships between the specific personality variable, locus of control (LOC, Rotter, 1966) and driver behaviour or accidents have returned contrasting results. Review suggests dependence on gender or experience characteristics of participants, suggesting these factors interact with LOC to influence driving. Relationships were investigated in terms of influence on the eight driving styles of the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI, Taubman-Ben-Ari, Mikulincer & Gillarth, 2004) in young drivers (18-29 years). Gender and LOC differences in driving styles previously related to accidents were proposed. It was also proposed that driving experience influences driving style, and LOC influences effect of driving experience. Gender differences were found for dissociative, anxious, patient, risky, angry and high velocity styles. Women had more external LOC than men, and driver stress styles increased with more external LOC, but reduced with increased driving experience, but so did patient style. High velocity style increased with experience. Controlling for LOC revealed important gender differences in effect of experience: positive effects for men (reducing angry and high velocity, increasing carefulness) and negative effects for women (increasing angry and higher velocity, reducing carefulness). Findings suggest negative influence of high internal LOC on young men in terms of its interaction with experience.

Walking speed and start-up delay measures were consistent predictors of unsafe crossing behaviours. Cognitive measures, however, differentially predicted near-side errors (processing speed), and far-side errors (spatial planning). These findings offer potential contributions for identifying and rehabilitating at-risk older pedestrians.

Background/Aims There is a paucity of evidence in the UK regarding cognitive screening performed by occupational therapists and whether, and how, cognitive impairments are identified and assessed. The aim of this study was to identify current occupational therapy practice for the assessment of cognitive problems in patients following stroke. Methods Occupational therapists were invited to complete an online vignette study. Participants were asked to: identify any presenting cognitive problems; decide whether to complete cognitive assessments; and list any assessments they would use. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis. Results A total of 53 occupational therapists from across the UK participated. Participants identified key cognitive issues, but some problems, such as apraxia and attention, were overlooked. A large number of potential assessments were suggested, the most common being the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Oxford Cognitive Screen. Conclusions The variation found in occupational therapists' recognition and assessment of cognitive problems has the potential to impact on management and rehabilitation in stroke services, survivor outcomes, education and research.

Methods Design and setting: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial in a level III NICU including infants born at 32 weeks gestation and their parents. Exclusion criteria were infant major congenital abnormality and maternal low level of fluency in English. Intervention: comprised reflective interview, observation of infant cues and Video Interaction Guidance (VIG). The primary outcome, maternal sensitivity during playful interaction with her infant was measured by the Child Adult Relationship Evaluation (CARE-Index). Secondary outcomes were infant social-emotional problems measured by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire-Social-Emotional version (ASQ-SE) and self-reported parental mental health. Modification of the effect of the programme on the primary outcome, maternal sensitivity, was explored using general linear model univariate analysis of sociodemographic, maternal and infant characteristics. Significant interactions are presented.Results Eighty mothers and their preterm infants were randomized to the intervention and standard care groups. The groups were similar in baseline sociodemographic and perinatal characteristics, although more mothers in the intervention group had completed higher-level education and subsequent analyses were adjusted accordingly. At 12 months corrected age (CA) infants in the intervention group had fewer self-regulation problems at 12 months of age (Chi-Square 3.84, df=1, p=0.05, partial eta squared=0.07) and infants whose mothers had received VIG had significantly fewer communication problems (Chi square=20.41, df=6, p=0.002, phi=0.61), however there was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and standard care groups in maternal sensitivity during play at 9 months CA or measures of maternalmentalhealth. Fathers in the intervention group had lower depression scores at folllow up.There was modifying effect of maternal ethnicity (B=4.179, CI=0.921-7.437, p=0.013); there was a significant difference in mean sensitivity of mothers of infants with IVH, (1. 85 points) (CI=0.083-3.614, p=0.041) but there was no significant interaction with group assignment. Conclusion This early attachment focused intervention integrating VIG for mothers and their very preterm infants had significant positive effects on infant social-emotional problems at 12 months CA.Maternal ethnicity modified the intervention effect GP83