Meta-analytic studies have concluded that although training improves spatial cognition in both sexes, the male advantage generally persists. However, because some studies run counter to this pattern, a closer examination of the anomaly is warranted. The authors investigated the acquisition of a basic skill (spatial selective attention) using a matched-pair two-wave longitudinal design. Participants were screened with the use of an attentional visual field task, with the objective of selecting and matching 10 male-female pairs, over a wide range (30% to 57% correct). Subsequently, 20 participants 17-23 years of age (selected from 43 screened) were trained for 10 hr (distributed over several sessions) by playing a first-person shooter video game. This genre is known to be highly effective in enhancing spatial skills. All 20 participants improved, with matched members of the male-female pairs achieving very similar gains, independent of starting level. This is consistent with the hypothesis that the learning trajectory of women is not inferior to that of men when acquiring a basic spatial skill. Training methods that develop basic spatial skills may be essential to achieve gender parity in both basic and complex spatial tasks.

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of social support on quality of life (QoL) in patients with polyneuropathy. One hundred and fifty-four patients with polyneuropathy were enrolled from a neuromuscular clinic. The QoL Instrument and the Medical Outcome Study-Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) were used to assess QoL and social support, respectively. Disease severity and clinical factors were also assessed. Neuropathy patients had a lower QoL compared to a previously published normative sample (p < 0.0001) and an MOS-SSS comparable to other patients with chronic disease. Social support correlated weakly with the self esteem and emotional well being mental health dimensions (r s :0.20-0.38) but not the physical health QoL (PH-QoL) domains. Physical and mental QoL also correlated significantly with presence of pain (r s : −0.39 and −0.42, respectively) and number of autonomic symptoms (r s : −0.39 and −0.30, respectively). Social support independently predicts MH-QoL when controlling for age, gender, pain, and the Toronto Clinical Neuropathy Score (TCNS; p < 0.0001). TCNS and gender are independently related to PH-QoL (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that improved social support serves as an independent predictor of MH-QoL when controlling for age, gender, pain, and severity of neuropathy. Future studies examining the effects of improving social support on QoL in patients with polyneuropathy are recommended.

Given the trust the public places in the medical profession, the question of when it might be acceptable to minimally deceive patients, in their best interests, is a challenging one to answer. In this study, we explore neuro-oncology patients' attitudes towards dilemmas in which they may feel deceived, and with that information make recommendations on what steps physicians can take to avoid breaking that trust. Qualitative case study methodology was used. Thirty-two face-to-face interviews with post-operative brain tumor patients were conducted and recorded. Interviews were transcribed and subjected to modified thematic analysis. The majority of patients had a postsecondary education, and there was substantial religious and ethnic diversity among them. Five prominent themes arose from the analysis: (1) patients are hesitant about trainees working on their case, but they are more open to it if they expect the occurrence ahead of time; (2) patients wish to know the exact details when an error has occurred, even if it is of inconsequential effect for them; (3) patients generally prefer to know exactly what the doctor knows, even if nothing can be changed; (4) patients expect physicians to provide them with all the options and resources available; and (5) there are special cases in which patients accept a delay in knowing. Most neuro-oncology patients trust their physicians to make the best decisions for them, but that does not mean they would accept subtle forms of deception. Patients prefer to have all the information necessary in order to make their own decision.

Background: Although the relevant underlying biological mechanisms are still lacking, mental disorders have been closely associated with several metabolic abnormalities including high rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome especially in vulnerable populations. Therefore, the current study aims to examine how metabolic parameters increase the risk for developing mood disorders in individuals stratified by gender and age.Methods: In a routine physical examination, 319 healthy participants were recruited and assigned to six different groups according to age (young adults: 25–34 Y, middle age: 35–49 Y, and older age: 50–65 Y) in both males and females. A linear regression and bivariate correlation analysis were used to analyze the relationship between mood health outcomes measured by the Kessler 10 Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the metabolic function.Results: The results demonstrated that there was a significant association between K10 scores and metabolic parameters, including Body Mass Index (BMI), total-, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride. Furthermore, poor mental health (higher K10 scores) was observed in individuals with increased BMI, total-, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels particularly in middle-aged women relative to other groups.Limitations: This is a cross-sectional study with a small sample size and lacks longitudinal follow-up evidence and preventive interventions and therefore could not provide the causal inference of metabolic pathophysiology on the increased sensitivity to mental disorders.Conclusions: The potential association suggests that targeting of the metabolic parameters might give us a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of psychiatric diseases and provide preventive strategies and potential treatment for those with metabolic disturbances especially in middle-aged females.