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This study demonstrates how a variant of growth curve modeling known as longitudinal parallel-process modeling can yield an understanding of the effect of symptoms on quality of life (QOL). A two-level hierarchical linear model with random intercepts and slopes was implemented within a structural equation modeling approach. The data (N = 367) comes from a large database of persons with HIV-associated illness. Twenty-three symptoms based on the Sign and Symptom Checklist for Persons with HIV disease and items measuring QOL from the general health status scales were used. Each respondent completed from 1 to 11 questionnaires. The number of reported symptoms had a significant association with patient QOL over time. These findings suggest that appropriate symptom management has the potential to improve patient QOL. This study demonstrates how a state-of-the-art longitudinal modeling technique evaluates the relationship between concurrent rates of change in measurements of two relevant variables., (© The Author(s) 2013.)

Endothelial dysfunction is an important contributor to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, routine assessment via angiography or flow-mediated dilation is difficult due to technical limitations. Peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) is a promising alternative method for non-invasive assessment of endothelial dysfunction. This study assessed the test-retest reliability of PAT in adults with the metabolic syndrome (n = 20) and provides sample size and power estimates for study design. Participants completed five PAT tests each separated by 1 week. The PAT-derived reactive hyperaemia index (RHI) showed robust repeatability (intra-class correlation = 0.74). A parallel-arm study powered at 0.90 would require 22 participants to detect an absolute change in RHI of 0.40 units (equal to ~25% change in this sample), whereas a crossover study would require 12 participants. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that PAT can be used to assess endothelial dysfunction in adults with the metabolic syndrome as reliably as in healthy samples.

In this article, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Task Force on Publication and Research Practices offers a brief statistical primer and recommendations for improving the dependability of research. Recommendations for research practice include (a) describing and addressing the choice of N (sample size) and consequent issues of statistical power, (b) reporting effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), (c) avoiding "questionable research practices" that can inflate the probability of Type I error, (d) making available research materials necessary to replicate reported results, (e) adhering to SPSP's data sharing policy, (f) encouraging publication of high-quality replication studies, and (g) maintaining flexibility and openness to alternative standards and methods. Recommendations for educational practice include (a) encouraging a culture of "getting it right," (b) teaching and encouraging transparency of data reporting, (c) improving methodological instruction, and (d) modeling sound science and supporting junior researchers who seek to "get it right."

Background: Mild cognitive dysfunction (MCD) is common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (MCD-SLE) but few studies have investigated potential site differences., Methods: SLE patients from Denver, CO, and New York, NY, were enrolled in two different cognition studies employing similar screening methods. Using the resulting neuropsychological scores, cognitive impairment was calculated using a cognitive impairment index (CII)., Results: The rate of MCD-SLE was 24% at the Denver, CO, site and 60% at the New York, NY, site. The mean CII was 2.6 ± 2.3 versus 4.4 ± 2.7, respectively (p = 0.005). The NY participants had a significantly longer disease duration (p = 0.13) and higher American College of Rheumatology SLE criteria scores (p > 0.001). NY participants had a higher frequency of impairment in semantic verbal fluency (p = 0.005), visuomotor speed (p = 0.013), and motor sequencing (p = 0.001). A correlation was found between cognitive impairment and SLE disease duration (p = 0.03)., Conclusions: The rate of MCD-SLE was greater in SLE patients from New York, NY, compared to patients in the Denver, CO, area. The greater duration of disease and higher prevalence of medical complications in the NY group might contribute to this difference. Findings suggest that MCD-SLE may differ by site, but future studies that better evaluate site or selection bias are recommended.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between immune, cognitive and neuroimaging assessments in subjects with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without histories of overt neuropsychiatric (NP) disorders., Methods: In total, 84 subjects with nonNPSLE and 37 healthy controls completed neuropsychological testing from the American College of Rheumatology SLE battery. Serum autoantibody and cytokine measures, volumetric magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy data were collected on a subset of subjects., Results: NonNPSLE subjects had lower scores on measures of visual/complex attention, visuomotor speed and verbal memory compared with controls. No clinically significant differences between nonNPSLE patients and controls were found on serum measures of lupus anticoagulant, anticardiolipin antibodies, beta 2-glycoproteins, or pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, interferon alpha (IFN-alpha), and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)). Higher scores on a global cognitive impairment index and a memory impairment index were correlated with lower IFN-alpha. Few associations between immune functions and neuroimaging parameters were found., Conclusions: Results indicated that nonNPSLE patients demonstrated cognitive impairment but not immune differences compared with controls. In these subjects, who were relatively young and with mild disease, no relationship between cognitive dysfunction, immune parameters, or previously documented neuroimaging abnormalities were noted. Immune measures acquired from cerebrospinal fluid instead of serum may yield stronger associations.

Endothelial dysfunction is an important outcome for assessing vascular health in intervention studies. However, reliability of the standard non-invasive method (flow-mediated dilation) is a significant challenge for clinical applications and multicenter trials. We evaluated the repeatability of pulse amplitude tonometry (PAT) to measure change in pulse wave amplitude during reactive hyperemia (Itamar Medical Ltd, Caesarea, Israel). Twenty healthy adults completed two PAT tests (mean interval = 19.5 days) under standardized conditions. PAT-derived measures of endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index, RHI) and arterial stiffness (augmentation index, AI) showed strong repeatability (intra-class correlations = 0.74 and 0.83, respectively). To guide future research, we also analyzed sample size requirements for a range of effect sizes. A crossover design powered at 0.90 requires 28 participants to detect a 15% change in RHI. Our study is the first to show that PAT measurements are repeatable in adults over an interval greater than 1 week.

This study examines an intervention for heterosexual couples to prevent human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infections. It also evaluates the effect of the intervention, which is based on current models of health behavior change, on intermediate outcomes (individual and relationship factors) and consistency of condom use. Eligible couples were administered a baseline interview and randomized to either a 3-session theory-based intervention or a 1-session standard of care comparison condition. Men and women completed 3-month interviews; only women completed 6-month interviews. No significant intervention effect on condom use was found among couples at 3 months (n = 212) or among women (n = 178) at 6 months. However, condom use increased significantly between baseline and 3 months and baseline and 6 months for participants in both treatment conditions. Intervention effects on condom use self-efficacy were found at 3 months and 6 months and on health-protective communication at 3 months. These findings provide valuable information for the design of future studies to help disentangle the effects of intervening with couples.

The old controversy regarding the Rorschach Inkblot Test has recently revived. The present article suggests that the debate will be most productive if careful attention is paid to methodological issues. Three recent examples illustrate how incorrect conclusions regarding Rorschach validity may occur if methodological issues are not evaluated carefully. The present article examines (a) Burns and Viglione s (1996) conclusion that the Rorschach Human Experience Variable (HEV) is a predictor of interpersonal relatedness among adults; (b) Weiner s (1996) conclusion that the D score and Morbid Responses (MOR) are valid measures of experienced distress in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); and (c) Ganellen s (1996a, 1996b) conclusion that the Rorschach Depression Index (DEPI) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) are comparable in their power to identify diagnoses of depression.