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Healthy, low-risk preterm infants gained more weight and slept less with just 5 days of massage, in contrast to 10 days in previous studies. Results support the continued use of massage as a cost-effective therapy for medically stable preterm infants.

Objective-To determine if massage therapy increased serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in preterm neonates.Study Design-Forty-two preterm neonates who averaged 34.6 weeks (M=29.5 weeks gestational age; M birthweight= 1237 gms) and were in the "grower" (step-down) nursery were randomly assigned to a massage therapy group (body stroking and passive limb movements for three, 15-minute periods per day for 5 days) or a control group that received the standard nursery care without massage therapy. On days 1 and 5, the serum collected by clinical heelsticks was also assayed for insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and weight gain and kilocalories consumed were recorded daily.Results-Despite similar formula intake, the massaged preterm neonates showed greater increases during the 5 day period in: 1) weight gain; 2) serum levels of insulin; and 3) insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Increased weight gain was significantly correlated with insulin and IGF-1.Discussion-Previous data suggested that preterm infant weight gain following massage therapy related to increased vagal activity, which suggests decreased stress, and gastric motility, which may contribute to more efficient food absorption. The data from this study suggest for the first time that weight gain was also related to increased serum insulin and IGF-1 levels following massage therapy. Conclusion-Preterminfants who received massage therapy not only showed greater weight gain but also a greater increase in serum insulin and IGF-1 levels, suggesting that massage therapy might be prescribed for all growing neonates.Reprint requests and correspondence should be addressed to Tiffany Field. Touch Research Institute, University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics (D-820), P.O. Box 016820, Miami, Florida 33101; office telephone: (305) 243-6781; Fax: (305) 243-6488; E-mail: tfield@med.miami.edu. There are no prior publications or submissions with any overlapping information. This will not be submitted to any other journal while under consideration. There are no potential conflicts of interest, real or perceived; the study sponsors had no role in the study design, the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the report; and the decision to submit the paper for publication. Tiffany Field wrote the first draft of the manuscript and no honorarium, grant, or other form of payment was given to anyone to produce the manuscript. Each author listed on the manuscript has seen and approved the submission of this version of the manuscript and takes full responsibility for the manuscript. Massage therapy has consistently led to greater weight gain in preterm neonates (Means range from 28% to 47%), earlier discharge (M=6 days), and a substantial reduction in hospital costs. 1-4 In addition, massaged preterm neonates show more mature motor behavior, more stable state organization, and fewer abnormal reflexes on the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. 2,3 A recent study on potential underly...

This study examined neuropsychological functioning in a heterogeneous population of persons who were homeless (N = 60) and compared the value of the Abbreviated Halstead-Reitan Test Battery with the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). A high incidence of neuropsychological dysfunction was evident with 80% of patients showing impaired test battery performance and 35% showing an impaired MMSE. Performance on the Trail Making Test, Part B was especially impaired. Patients impaired on Trails B more often showed impaired test battery performance, suggesting it may be a better screening tool than the MMSE. Neuropsychological performance was not significantly affected by the patients' gender, age, diagnosis, or past psychiatric and medical history. Regression analysis suggested that 29% of the variance in test battery performance was accounted for by the patients' education. Results support previous findings that large numbers of people who are homeless are neuropsychologically impaired; this should be considered when planning treatment and rehabilitation.

The effect of copying foreign language vocabulary words and/or pronouncing them aloud while attempting to learn their English counterparts was investigated. In Experiment 1, writing practice enhanced written recall of the foreign words in response to their English equivalents. Recall of the foreign words in the oral modality was not influenced by these variables. In Experiment 2, when recall of English words was measured, neither variable was found to have a significant effect. In Experiment 3, written free recall of foreign language words was found to be enhanced by writing practice, whereas associative recall, as measured by a matching test, was not reliably influenced by this variable. The overall pattern of results is interpreted as supporting the view that copying foreign language words assists in the formation of memory codes for their written forms.

Newborns of depressed and anxious mothers show biobehavioral abnormalities suggesting that maternal psychological distress has negative effects on the fetus. Two studies examined the fetuses of depressed and nondepressed mothers: (a) a cross-sectional investigation of fetal activity during the second and third trimesters and (b) an examination of behavioral and heart rate response to vibratory stimulation in late-gestation fetuses. Fetuses of depressed mothers were more active during the fifth, sixth, and seventh gestational months. Assessment of late-term fetuses consisted of a baseline, trials of vibratory stimulation directed towards measuring habituation, and a poststimulation period. During baseline, the fetuses of depressed mothers exhibited a lower heart rate. During stimulation trials, they showed less total movement and appeared to habituate more often. Approximately 35% of the variance in fetal behavior was accounted for by the mothers' depression and anxiety symptoms. Maternal depression may be linked to greater fetal activity during the second and third trimesters and decreased behavioral responsivity during late gestation. The response of late-term fetuses of depressed mothers to vibratory stimulation may reflect "receptor adaptation/effector fatigue" and not true habitation. Future studies should examine the value of clinical interventions provided to the pregnant mother.

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