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Background: Adaptive behavior plays a crucial role in daily functioning, involving a complex interplay between individuals and their environment. In India, the Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) has been the preferred assessment tool for measuring adaptive behaviors, despite its age of over 85 years. However, periodic evaluation is necessary to ensure its continued relevance. Aim: This study aims to critically evaluate selected items of the Indian version of the VSMS. Materials and Methods: A survey form was developed through a focus group discussion (FGD), comprising 20 items from the Indian adaptation of the VSMS. The form was converted into a Google Form and distributed to medical and rehabilitation specialists across India. The responses were collected, recorded, and analyzed in an Excel sheet. Results: Of the 107 responses received, 14 were incomplete and excluded, leaving 93 complete for analysis. The analysis revealed that less than half of the surveyed items and domains received ratings of disagreement from over a quarter of the respondents concerning their frequency, relevance, and diagnostic value. Conclusion: This study underscores the need for a dynamic approach to defining and assessing adaptive behavior, especially in the Indian context. It highlights the importance of revising existing scales, incorporating technology-related items, and considering societal and cultural norms shifts. While acknowledging its limitations, this research sets the stage for future investigations to gain a more nuanced understanding of adaptive behaviors amidst changing societal dynamics. Ultimately, these efforts aim to develop more comprehensive and relevant assessment tools for adaptive behavior in today's rapidly evolving world.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: False-belief (FB) tasks are used to assess the theory of mind (ToM) functioning, which has been found to be impaired in schizophrenia. FB task stimuli used so far in neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia have been sentence-based ones. We aimed to validate an Indian, colour-comic based FB task by using an online-electroencephalogram (EEG) paradigm discriminating schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen schizophrenia patients and 15 healthy controls performed online FB task during a 256-channel-EEG recording. 'Content' and 'known-groups' validity were examined using offline behavioural measures. Evoked gamma spectral-power in four regions of interest (ROIs) was compared between groups. Social functioning was also assessed. RESULTS: Strength of classifying the groups was significant for both the number of correct responses and the reaction-times on the FB tasks. Social functioning was found to be poorer in patients. On the comparative analysis of evoked gamma spectral-power in the ROIs, very small effect size and observed power were noted. CONCLUSION: 'Content' and 'known-groups' validity of the culturally undermined comic-based FB task are good. Our findings reiterate that ToM functioning is impaired in schizophrenia. Our results were inconclusive in inferring whether evoked gamma spectral-power could be used as a neural validator for poor ToM functioning.
RESUMO
Clinical lycanthropy is a rare form of reverse intermetamorphosis; intermatamorphosis being one of the delusional misidentification syndromes, in which patients believe that they are undergoing transformation or have transformed into a non-human animal. Psychiatric diseases commonly associated with it are schizophrenia, affective disorders, substance use, personality disorders and general medical conditions. Here we report the unique case of an ophidianthropy along with other psychopathologies in a patient of schizophrenia. The different neurochemicals associated with lycanthropy are also discussed.