Attributional style and self-control behavior in depressed and nondepressed children and their parents.

Do the reformulated model of learned helplessness and the self-control model apply to clinically depressed children? Are the related cognitive patterns specific to depression? Are the cognitive deficits associated with depression learned from one's parents? To address these questions this investigation examined three groups of children (ages 8-12) and their parents: nonclinic (n = 25), nondepressed clinic (n = 22), and depressed clinic (n = 15). Children were diagnosed depressed on the basis of Kiddie-SADS interview data. Depressed clinic children self-reported more depression, had a more depressive attributional style, and had more self-control problems. There were more depressed mothers in the clinic than in the nonclinic sample. Depressed clinic children had more depressed mothers than did nondepressed clinic children. There were no differences among the three groups of parents in their cognitive patterns. No relationship was found between the attributional style and self-control behavior of children and their parents.

Dose-response effects of tropicamide HCl.

Using double-masking procedures, the mydriatic and cycloplegic effects of 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0% tropicamide were studied. All doses produced clinically useful mydriasis of at least 6-mm pupils. Using testing conditions of both normal (35 ft-c) and bright (150 ft-c) illumination, no mydriatic dose-response differences for the four concentrations were found. Cycloplegic effects were dose related. A single drop of either 0.75 or 1.0% tropicamide reduced the amplitude of accommodation to about 1.5 D, which is adequate for a cycloplegic refraction.

Complex partial status epilepticus (psychomotor status).

A 20-year-old mentally retarded woman, who had a history of intractable epileptic seizures since early childhood, had prolonged episodes of confusion, decreased responsiveness and automatic behavior lasting as long as 2 days. These are believed to represent epileptic status of the complex partial (psychomotor) type because the electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded during two such periods showed continuous high amplitude, semirhythmic, 4 to 6 cycles per second (cps), spike activity over both frontotemporal regions; several interictal tracings revealed a consistent spike focus in the right anterior temporal area. Diazepam given intravenously during one such episode terminated both the abnormal behavior and the ictal discharges in the EEG.