The Importance of the Morel Emotional Numbing Test Instructions: A Diagnosis Threat Induction Study.

OBJECTIVE: Marketed as a validity test that detects feigning of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Morel Emotional Numbing Test for PTSD (MENT) instructs examinees that PTSD may negatively affect performance on the measure. This study explored the potential that MENT performance depends on inclusion of "PTSD" in its instructions and the nature of the MENT as a performance validity versus a symptom validity test (PVT/SVT). METHOD: 358 participants completed the MENT as a part of a clinical neuropsychological evaluation. Participants were either administered the MENT with the standard instructions (SIs) that referenced "PTSD" or revised instructions (RIs) that did not. Others were administered instructions that referenced "ADHD" rather than PTSD (AI). Comparisons were conducted on those who presented with concerns for potential traumatic-stress related symptoms (SI vs. RI-1) or attention deficit (AI vs. RI-2). RESULTS: Participants in either the SI or AI condition produced more MENT errors than those in their respective RI conditions. The relationship between MENT errors and other S/PVTs was significantly stronger in the SI: RI-1 comparison, such that errors correlated with self-reported trauma-related symptoms in the SI but not RI-1 condition. MENT failure also predicted PVT failure at nearly four times the rate of SVT failure. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the MENT relies on overt reference to PTSD in its instructions, which is linked to the growing body of literature on "diagnosis threat" effects. The MENT may be considered a measure of suggestibility. Ethical considerations are discussed, as are the construct(s) measured by PVTs versus SVTs.

Vector-Borne Disease in Wild Mammals Impacted by Urban Expansion and Climate Change.

Ecologies of zoonotic vector-borne diseases may shift with climate and land use change. As many urban-adapted mammals can host ectoparasites and pathogens of human and animal health concern, our goal was to compare patterns of arthropod-borne disease among medium-sized mammals across gradients of rural to urban landscapes in multiple regions of California. DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum was found in 1-5% of raccoons, coyotes, and San Joaquin kit foxes; Borrelia burgdorferi in one coyote, rickettsiae in two desert kit foxes, and Yersinia pestis in two coyotes. There was serological evidence of rickettsiae in 14-37% of coyotes, Virginia opossums, and foxes; and A. phagocytophilum in 6-40% of coyotes, raccoons, Virginia opossums, and foxes. Of six flea species, one Ctenocephalides felis from a raccoon was positive for Y. pestis, and Ct. felis and Pulex simulans fleas tested positive for Rickettsia felis and R. senegalensis. A Dermacentor similis tick off a San Joaquin kit fox was PCR-positive for A. phagocytophilum. There were three statistically significant risk factors: risk of A. phagocytophilum PCR-positivity was threefold greater in fall vs the other three seasons; hosts adjacent to urban areas had sevenfold increased A. phagocytophilum seropositivity compared with urban and rural areas; and there was a significant spatial cluster of rickettsiae within greater Los Angeles. Animals in areas where urban and rural habitats interconnect can serve as sentinels during times of change in disease risk.

Rickettsial antibodies and Rickettsia bellii detection in lagomorphs and their ectoparasites in Northern Baja California, Mexico.

Lagomorphs-principally rabbits and hares-have been implicated as hosts for vectors and reservoirs for pathogens associated with multiple rickettsial diseases. Western North America is home to diverse rickettsial pathogens which circulate among multiple wild and domestic hosts and tick and flea vectors. The purpose of this study was to assess lagomorphs and their ectoparasites in 2 locations in northern Baja California, Mexico, for exposure to and infection with rickettsial organisms. In total, 55 desert cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus audubonii) (Baird) and 2 black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus) (Gray) were captured. In Mexicali, ticks were collected from 44% (14/32) of individuals, and were exclusively Haemaphysalis leporispalustrisNeumann (Acari: Ixodidae); in Ensenada, ticks were collected from 70% (16/23) individuals, and 95% were Dermacentor parumapertus. Euhoplopsyllus glacialis affinisBaker (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) fleas were collected from 72% of rabbits and 1 jackrabbit from Mexicali, while the few fleas found on hosts in Ensenada were Echidnophaga gallinaceaWestwood (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) and Cediopsylla inaequalis(Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). Rickettsia bellii was the only rickettsial organism detected and was identified in 88% of D. parumapertus and 67% of H. leporispalustris ticks from Ensenada. A single tissue sample from a jackrabbit was positive for R. belli (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae). Hosts in Ensenada had a significantly higher prevalence of rickettsial antibodies than hosts in Mexicali (52.3% vs. 21.4%). Although R. bellii is not regarded as pathogenic in humans or other mammals, it may contribute to immunity to other rickettsiae. The marked difference in distribution of ticks, fleas, and rickettsial exposure between the 2 locations suggests that disease transmission risk may vary markedly between communities within the same region.

Prevalence and geographic distribution of Babesia conradae and detection of Babesia vogeli in free-ranging California coyotes (Canis latrans).

Babesia species are intraerythrocytic piroplasms that can result in disease characterized by hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia. Of the 5 species that are known to infect canids in the United States, Babesia conradae is most frequently diagnosed in California, and Babesia vogeli is prevalent in the US. Despite the recent re-emergence of B. conradae, the mechanism of transmission is not known. Coyotes (Canis latrans) have been a proposed reservoir of disease, and previous work has shown that dogs with known aggressive interactions with coyotes are at greater risk for infection. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of B. conradae in wild coyote populations in California to assess the viability of coyotes as a potential source of infection for domestic dogs. Four hundred and sixty-one splenic samples were obtained during post-mortem examination of coyote carcasses from Southern California, Fresno, and Hopland. Demographic data including age, sex, cause of death, and urbanity were collected for each coyote. DNA was extracted from samples and amplified using real-time PCR with primers specific for the B. conradae ITS-2 gene. The 18S gene was amplified and sequenced using conventional PCR primers specific to the Babesia genus from any coyotes positive for B. conradae. In total, 22 coyotes tested positive for B. conradae in Fresno (n = 15), Orange (n = 4), San Bernardino (n = 1), and Los Angeles counties (n = 1) with an overall prevalence of 4.8%. Coyotes from Fresno (P<.01) and rural coyotes (P<.01) were significantly more likely to be infected with B. conradae. Ten of 14 samples sequenced were 99-100% homologous to B. conradae, and 4 samples were 100% homologous with B. vogeli DNA indicating co-infection with both pathogens. This study demonstrates that coyotes can become infected and harbor B. conradae and B. vogeli and should be investigated as a possible source of infection in domestic dogs.

Absence of αß T cells accelerates disuse bone loss in male mice after spinal cord injury.

Whether T cells promote bone loss following immobilization after spinal cord injury (SCI) remains undetermined. Therefore, wild-type (WT) and T cell-deficient (Tcrb-/- ) male mice underwent sham or contusion SCI to cause hindlimb paralysis. Femurs were isolated and distal and midshaft regions were evaluated by microcomputed tomography scanning. Bone marrow (BM) levels of bone turnover markers, as well as receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG), were measured by ELISA. At 2 weeks post-SCI, immobilization resulted in marked reduction in trabecular fractional bone volume (55%), thickness (40%), connectivity, and cortical thickness only in the Tcrb-/- animals (interaction with P < 0.05). BM analysis revealed lower bone formation (procollagen type 1 intact N-terminal propeptide), higher bone resorption (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b), and a higher RANKL/OPG ratio in the Tcrb-/- SCI animals. At 5 weeks post-SCI, while both WT and Tcrb-/- paralyzed animals showed deterioration of all indices of bone structure, they were more severe in Tcrb-/- animals. In summary, unlike other skeletal disorders, loss of αß T cells compromises, rather than preserves, skeletal integrity under conditions of immobilization.

Supervision in neuropsychological assessment: a survey of training, practices, and perspectives of supervisors.

Within the psychology supervision literature, most theoretical models and practices pertain to general clinical or counseling psychology. Supervision specific to clinical neuropsychology has garnered little attention. This survey study explores supervision training, practices, and perspectives of neuropsychology supervisors. Practicing neuropsychologists were invited to participate in an online survey via listservs and email lists. Of 451 respondents, 382 provided supervision to students, interns, and/or fellows in settings such as VA medical centers (37%), university medical centers (35%), and private practice (15%). Most supervisors (84%) reported supervision was discussed in graduate school "minimally" or "not at all." Although 67% completed informal didactics or received continuing education in supervision, only 27% reported receiving training specific to neuropsychology supervision. Notably, only 39% were satisfied with their training in providing supervision and 77% indicated they would likely participate in training in providing supervision, if available at professional conferences. Results indicate that clinical neuropsychology as a specialty has paid scant attention to developing supervision models and explicit training in supervision skills. We recommend that the specialty develop models of supervision for neuropsychological practice, supervision standards and competencies, training methods in provision of supervision, and benchmark measures for supervision competencies.