Introducing the White Noise task in childhood: associations between speech illusions and psychosis vulnerability.

BACKGROUND: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are common during development and may arise due to dysregulation in top-down processing of sensory input. This study was designed to examine the frequency and correlates of speech illusions measured using the White Noise (WN) task in children from the general population. Associations between speech illusions and putative risk factors for psychotic disorder and negative affect were examined. METHOD: A total of 1486 children aged 11-12 years of the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 were examined with the WN task. Psychotic experiences and negative affect were determined using the Kiddie-SADS-PL. Register data described family history of mental disorders. Exaggerated Theory of Mind functioning (hyper-ToM) was measured by the ToM Storybook Frederik. RESULTS: A total of 145 (10%) children experienced speech illusions (hearing speech in the absence of speech stimuli), of which 102 (70%) experienced illusions perceived by the child as positive or negative (affectively salient). Experiencing hallucinations during the last month was associated with affectively salient speech illusions in the WN task [general cognitive ability: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-3.93]. Negative affect, both last month and lifetime, was also associated with affectively salient speech illusions (aOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.05-3.83 and aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.11-2.89, respectively). Speech illusions were not associated with delusions, hyper-ToM or family history of mental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Speech illusions were elicited in typically developing children in a WN-test paradigm, and point to an affective pathway to AVH mediated by dysregulation in top-down processing of sensory input.

Psychotic experiences and hyper-theory-of-mind in preadolescence--a birth cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge on the risk mechanisms of psychotic experiences (PE) is still limited. The aim of this population-based study was to explore developmental markers of PE with a particular focus on the specificity of hyper-theory-of-mind (HyperToM) as correlate of PE as opposed to correlate of any mental disorder. METHOD: We assessed 1630 children from the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 regarding PE and HyperToM at the follow-up at 11-12 years. Mental disorders were diagnosed by clinical ratings based on standardized parent-, teacher- and self-reported psychopathology. Logistic regression analyses were performed to test the correlates of PE and HyperToM, and the specificity of correlates of PE v. correlates of any Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) mental disorder. RESULTS: Univariate analyses showed the following correlates of PE: familial psychiatric liability; parental mental illness during early child development; change in family composition; low family income; regulatory problems in infancy; onset of puberty; bullying; concurrent mental disorder; and HyperToM. When estimating the adjusted effects, only low family income, concurrent mental disorder, bullying and HyperToM remained significantly associated with PE. Further analyses of the specificity of these correlates with regard to outcome revealed that HyperToM was the only variable specifically associated with PE without concurrent mental disorder. Finally, HyperToM did not share any of the investigated precursors with PE. CONCLUSIONS: HyperToM may have a specific role in the risk trajectories of PE, being specifically associated with PE in preadolescent children, independently of other family and child risk factors associated with PE and overall psychopathology at this age.

NetRaVE: constructing dependency networks using sparse linear regression.

UNLABELLED: NetRaVE is a small suite of R functions for generating dependency networks using sparse regression methods. Such networks provide an alternative to interpreting 'top n lists' of genes arising out of an analysis of microarray data, and they provide a means of organizing and visualizing the resulting information in a manner that may suggest relationships between genes. AVAILABILITY: NetRaVE is freely available for academic use and has been tested in R 2.10.1 under Windows XP, Linux and Mac OS X. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Deep learning for improving non-destructive grain mapping in 3D.

Laboratory X-ray diffraction contrast tomography (LabDCT) is a novel imaging technique for non-destructive 3D characterization of grain structures. An accurate grain reconstruction critically relies on precise segmentation of diffraction spots in the LabDCT images. The conventional method utilizing various filters generally satisfies segmentation of sharp spots in the images, thereby serving as a standard routine, but it also very often leads to over or under segmentation of spots, especially those with low signal-to-noise ratios and/or small sizes. The standard routine also requires a fine tuning of the filtering parameters. To overcome these challenges, a deep learning neural network is presented to efficiently and accurately clean the background noise, thereby easing the spot segmentation. The deep learning network is first trained with input images, synthesized using a forward simulation model for LabDCT in combination with a generic approach to extract features of experimental backgrounds. Then, the network is applied to remove the background noise from experimental images measured under different geometrical conditions for different samples. Comparisons of both processed images and grain reconstructions show that the deep learning method outperforms the standard routine, demonstrating significantly better grain mapping.

Group therapy for gender-dysphoric heterosexual men.

The treatment and clinical management of gender dysphoric heterosexual men often poses a challenge to the clinician. Gender dysphoric patients pursuing various lifestyle options may seek psychotherapy to deal with some of their conflicts. This paper describes one form of counseling--group therapy--which has been helpful to gender dysphoric heterosexual men and outlines the group psychotherapy program at the Gender Clinic of the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry.

Gender reorientation and psychosocial adjustment in male-to-female transsexuals.

This study examined the relationship, in a sample of male-to-female transsexuals, between psychological and social adjustment, on the one hand, and gender reorientation (approximation of the status of the opposite biological sex), on the other. Three gender reorientation variables were studied: exogenous female hormones, vaginoplasty, and social feminization (adoption of the female gender role at home and in the transsexual's social life and the procurement of documents indicating the female sex). These three gender reorientation variables plus age were employed as predictor variables in a series of multiple regression analyses. Five stepwise regression analyses were carried out, one for each of five criterion variables (depression, tension, involvement with a male partner, cohabitation with a male partner, and the MMPI Lie Scale). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between depression and social feminization and between tension and social feminization, and a significant positive correlation between cohabitation with a male partner and vaginoplasty. Neither the MMPI Lie Scale nor the simple fact of having been "involved" with a male partner at some point during the past year correlated significantly with any of the predictor variables. These results indicate that gender reorientation is associated with better psychological and social adjustment in male-to-female transsexuals.

Social desirability response set and systematic distortion in the self-report of adult male gender patients.

This study showed that the "socially desirable" presentation for a heterosexual male gender dysphoric is one that emphasizes traits and behaviors characteristic of "classic" transsexualism. Fifty-one homosexual and 64 heterosexual adult male gender patients were administered the Crowne-Marlowe (1964) Social Desirability Scale as well as eight questionnaire measures that tapped various features of the clinical history commonly given great weight in differential diagnosis. The tendency for a heterosexual subject to describe himself in terms of moral excellence or admirable personal qualities was significantly correlated with scores in the "transsexual" direction on all eight sexological measures; for the homosexual subjects, only one correlation was significant. It is argued that the patients most motivated to create a favorable impression on the examiner are likely to be those most anxious to obtain approval for sex reassignment surgery. Because, in this population, the socially desirable presentation is "feminine," it is possible that the differences in the histories produced by transvestites and heterosexual transsexuals are exaggerated to an unknown degree by the motivation of the latter to obtain approval for this operation. The findings do not diminish the important distinction between these groups, but they do suggest caution in interpreting the self-report data that have been used in comparing them.

Heterosexual and homosexual gender dysphoria.

This study investigated why more males than females complain of dissatisfaction with their anatomical sex (gender dysphoria). New referrals to a university gender identity clinic were dichotomously classified as heterosexual or homosexual. There were 73 heterosexual and 52 homosexual males; 1 heterosexual and 71 homosexual females. The average heterosexual male was 8 years older at inception than the homosexual groups. The heterosexual males reported that their first cross-gender wishes occurred around the time they first cross-dressed, whereas the homosexual groups reported that cross-gender wishes preceded cross-dressing by 3-4 years. Some history of fetishistic arousal was acknowledged by over 80% of the heterosexual males, compared to fewer than 10% of homosexual males and no homosexual females. The results suggest that males are not differentially susceptible to gender dysphoria per se, but rather that they are differentially susceptible to one of the predisposing conditions, namely, fetishistic transvestism.

Prediction of regrets in postoperative transsexuals.

This study investigated whether heterosexual males are more likely to regret sex reassignment surgery than homosexual males or females. Subjects were 111 postoperative transsexuals who had been surgically reassigned for at least one year, representing a follow-up rate of 84.1%. Subjects' feelings about surgery were assessed with self-administered questionnaires. None of the 61 homosexual females or 36 homosexual males consciously regretted surgery, compared to 4 of the 14 heterosexual males: a significant difference. This finding suggests that heterosexual applicants for sex reassignment should be evaluated with particular caution, although a heterosexual preference is not an absolute contraindication for surgery.

Relapse prevention by citalopram in SAD patients responding to 1 week of light therapy. A placebo-controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: We have tested the relapse-preventive effect of citalopram when compared with placebo in 282 patients with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) responding to 1 week of light therapy. METHOD: The response rate to 1-week light therapy and relapse during the continuation phase of 15 weeks were assessed by use of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17), the six-item subscale (HAM-D6), the Melancholia Scale (MES), and the combined HAM-D/SIGH-SAD. RESULTS: The response rate to light therapy was 62.5% on the HAM-D17 and the HAM-D6, 56.1% on the HAM-D/SIGH-SAD, 52.8% on the MES. In the continuation phase, citalopram was found superior to placebo on all scales, but the difference was only of statistical significance on the HAM-D6 and the MES. Mean citalopram dose was 26.3 mg. CONCLUSION: Light therapy was found to have and early onset of action. On the HAM-D6 and the MES citalopram significantly reduced the relapse rate in the continuation phase.