We report a spatial-memory scanning experiment that was used to measure age differences in entropy. A target grid consisting of four adjacent letters followed by the presentation of a single probe letter was presented on each trial. Half of the trials presented the probe stimulus in the same spatial position was the target letter (i.e., the probe letter was always a member of the positive set), and half of the trials transposed the target letter one, two, or three spaces of the right or left of the original target display position (i.e., different trials). The experiment involved blocks of primary-memory and secondary-memory tasks. Reaction-time and error-rate data, as well as entropy analyses and the fitting of an entropy model (based on Allen, Kaufman, Smith, and Propper, in press) to the empirical data indicated that older adults showed higher entropy levels than young adults. These results are interpreted in a "computational temperature" framework in which older adults' higher computational temperatures result in less efficient spatial, episodic memory functioning.

The savings SMO generated by eliminating unnecessary surgery resulted in improved patient care at minimal cost to third-party payers.

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OBJECTIVES:To assess the effect of persistence on statin, a-blocker, or Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB) therapy, on the risk of reinfarction in a Medicaid high-risk, largely female, predominantly minority population. METHODS: Prospective nonconcurrent cohort, longitudinal data analysis of medical and pharmacy claims of Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) Medicaid MCO patients, observed between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2004. Cox proportional hazards models were used to predict the likelihood of a reinfarction as a function of persistence on the first medication post-AMI, adjusting for age, race, sex, heart disease and other comorbidities, and other medications. RESULTS: Among 515 AMI patients (58% female and 54% African American), hypertension (91%) and heart disease (81%) were the most prevalent comorbidities; most initial AMIs were non-transmural. Discontinuation of statin, a-blocker, or CCB post-AMI increased the likelihood of a reinfarction (HR = 1.66; 95% CI 1.03-2.69). Concurrent heart disease, hyperlipidemia, or renal disease significantly increased the likelihood of a reinfarction. Age, race and sex did not significantly predict the likelihood of reinfarction. CONCLUSION: Persistence on the first post-AMI preventive medication is effective at avoiding a reinfarction. Concomitant heart disease, renal disease and hyperlipidemia increases the likelihood of a reinfarction. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether single-pill amlodipine besylate/atorvastatin calcium (SPAA) use achieved greater adherence vs. 2-pill amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium (2PAA), at low, high, and European doses. METHODS: This study assessed drug benefits managed by a large U.S. Pharmacy Benefit Management company. Patients newly initiated on either a CCB or a statin within 30 days of each other were followed-up for 6 months. Sub-analyses were conducted with patients on SPAA (N = 795) and 2PAA (N = 735), and both groups were stratified based on dose; SPAA vs 2PAA comparisons were made for low-dose (2.5, 5 mg) and high-dose (10 mg) amlodipine, low-dose (10 mg) and high-dose (20, 40, 80 mg) atorvastatin, and the European doses of SPAA (5/10 mg, 10/10 mg). Adherence was measured as proportion of days covered (PDC) based on the days that both amlodipine and atorvastatin were supplied over 6 months. Adherence was considered achieved if PDC was OBJECTIVES: The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the cost-utility of switching type 2 diabetes patients receiving human soluble insulin (HSI) to rapid-acting insulin aspart (IAsp, NovoRapid), with or without oral hypoglycemic agents, in the German setting. METHODS: The CORE Diabetes Model, a published and validated computer simulation model, was used to project long-term clinical and economic outcomes associated with IAsp and HSI treatment effects. The model is based on 15 semi-Markov sub-models representing the most important acute and chronic diabetes-related complications including eye, renal A222Abstracts OBJECTIVES: This study tested a method to measure the variability of data among co...