[The human factor as a cause of flight accidents]

Four causes of flying accidents due to human factors are discussed: physical and psycological unfitness, insufficient physical and psychological training, and flight fatigue. Ways in which these factors can be eliminated or their effects diminished are indicated, including the establishment of a national aeronautical health service manned by physicians specialising in aerospace medicine.

The effect of fatigue on resident performance

Fourteen rested and fatigued residents read a set of 25 test radiographs on two separate occasions approximately one month apart. The radiographs were made with partial chest phantom using pulmonary nodules as test objects. Seven rested and 7 fatigued residents read the radiographs, and a month later the order of fatigue was reversed. Fatigued residents had worked a minimum of 15 consecutive hours before their interpretations. Performance did not deteriorate with fatigue, and the nodule detection rate was almost identical on both occasions.

Alertness and clear thinking as characteristics of high naturally occurring autonomic nervous system arousal

Studies of the effect of induced mood on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) suggested that naturally occurring mood might also covary with the ANS. Ss were 13 men and women aged 20 to 70. Fatigue, confusion, and depression were measured on the Profile of Mood States, while barometric pressure and the ANS indices of heart rate and body temperature were also recorded. Fatigue and confusion each showed negative relationships to both heart rate and body temperature. Barometric pressure showed a suggestively positive relationship to the mood of depression. Hypothalamic serotonin concentration was suggested as a central factor producing the covariations between the mood indices (alertness and clear thinking) and the ANS measures.

[Controlled research of the influence of Neoston on tracking performance, heart rate, sinus arrhythmia and on subjective rating of healthy subjects]

The influence of Neoston--a relatively new analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory agent--on performance in different tracking tests, on heart rate, on sinus arrhythmia and on subjective rating was objectivated. 15 healthy male and female subjects, aged from 19 to 27 years, took part in the sessions lasting about 2 1/2 hrs each. Two times two pills Neoston or a placebo were taken orally 2 and 5 hrs before the tests, making a total of 2 g. Performance in tracking was poorer on the whole with Neoston than with placebo, but only up to a maximum of 5%. Except one measurement point out of 10 all differences between the tests with the active drug and placebo were not statistically significant at the level of 5%. Yet a relatively uniform trend suggests a certain but only a small damping effect of Neoston. When relating the data of the second and third session on the data of the first session of each day, damping effects could be made more obvious. Hereby the influence of Neoston on tracking performance could be demonstrated to exist also statistically significant but to be practically almost irrelevant. In physiological variables as well as in subjective rating only small differences between the drug and placebo condition were measured. When relating the results to comparable research on the effects of alcohol, tranquilizers and stimulants, it is concluded that with Neoston in the relatively high dosage as used here, no real detrimental effects on traffic safety are to be expected.

Susceptibility to interference effects in short-term memory of normal and retarded readers

The short-term memory for serial order of third and fourth grade normal and retarded readres (Ns = 13) was studied. Six pictures of common objects were spatially presented and subjects were required to reconstruct the sequence. On the first six trials, the same pictures were repeatedly presented in different sequences. On the seventh trial, a new set of stimuli was introduced. Analysis of short-term memory over trials showed that normal and retarded readers were similar on Trial 1 but the performance of retarded readers deteriorated more over trials than the performance of normal readers. Short-term memory of both groups improved on Trial 7. The results indicate a greater susceptibility to interference in the short-term memory of retarded readers.

[Thefts without motive of gain as a psychopathologic syndrome (author's transl)]

Thefts without motive of pain have been known since the early 19th century. But the problem has not been solved. While they were formerly considered a mental disease, today they are not seen as something special. But they still happen. Only a small percentage of common shop-lifting can be called a psycholopathologic syndrome. Many explanations and analyses have been published which are discussed in detail. In a group described here comprehensively difficult marital situations full of conflict, marital sexual frustration, depression, physical and mental exhaustion and aggressive and suicidal tendencies are found. Theft appears to be closely connected with these. But the pattern of motivation and causation is by no means stereo-typed. In order to clear up such actions one will have to consider as exactly as possible the biographic connection and what happens during the act - quite apart from somatic conditions. Present assessment in reports is totally unsatisfactory. To clear up the controversial questions is urgently necessary.

Effects of fatigue produced by isokinetic exercise on the communication ability of aphasic adults

The Porch Index of Communicative Ability (PICA) was administered to 16 aphasic adults following periods of isokinetic exercise and rest. Results support the previous clinical observation that fatigue, such as might be incurred in a typical physical therapy session, has an adverse effect upon aphasic patients' communication. Of the 16 subjects, 14 had lower overall PICA means following the exercise period, and overall group verbal, graphic, and PICA means were significantly lower when testing followed exercise than when testing followed rest.

Unipolar and bipolar primary affective disorder

The classification of affective disorders has been a topic of controversy for years. The literature is filled with tentative attempts to order this large group of patients. Such attempts have brought surprisingly little resolution of the issues involved. There are those who would make numerous subdivisions within the affective disorders, and others who see affective illness as a unitary disorder.