PSYCOLOGY 415B/550: Advanced Topics in Biopsychology
Recovery of Function after Brain Injury: Evidence and Models
Lecture 3: Research Articles 1
A.
Announcements
1. Any communication problems?
a. Any trouble with posting of announcements, current assignment,
Q&A’s, records?
b. For assignments to PSYC415B@uvic.ca, minimal/empty contents is
fine as long as your name somewhere (etiquette).
c. Communication/problems better to Skelton@UVic.ca
B. Objectives
1. Review assignments for today’s class and next 2 classes
2. Discuss topic parameters of “Seed papers” and course talks
3. Review article by Meythaler
C. Assignment for next class (Kolb) (announced previously)
1. Identify (and bring) 1-3 key points from chapter 2.
Also – 1 “Study Question” Exam type question on v. important
issue/point in chapter. (And answer.)
-Discussion question (Something that the article makes you think about,
that you’d like to hear the rest of the class’s opinion on.) (Bring some
thoughts but don’t send answer ahead of time.)
- email – using template (by 9 pm night before class)
D. Assignment for next research day (1 week today)
1. Page 1 of the “Long-Form Analysis” (Template already posted)
(Parts to be explained at end of class.)
(Some explanation. Mostly, try first.)
a. Introduction
b. Methods
2. Article for LFA? Choice:
a. More in-depth study of one of today’s 3 papers?
- Which one?
b. Experiment paper which has all the key elements I like in a RoF paper
- Skelton, 1998. Modelling recovery of cognitive function after traumatic
brain injury: . . . [a rat paper]
c. See Skelton 1998 (on webpage) and decide this class.
3. SPJ v2: Refine your SPJ
- It must contain both brain and behaviour
- hand in Title + Abstract plus 5 operational definitions it uses:
a. Brain (what aspect of brain is being studied, and how)
b. Behaviour (what aspect of behaviour or cognition is being studied, and
how)
c. Brain Injury (what kind)
d. Recovery (including loss)
E. Assignments for today (Monday) (2-part, 1 page each)
Due next class.
Is there a clear preference? Thornhill , Meyerthaler, Pachet
a. (from web posting) Read the following 3 papers (so you can discuss
them) and for one (or all), identify the Question asked, the main Finding,
and the main Conclusion (QFC).
a. Send your QFC (on 1) to me by Wednesday 9 pm.
b. Use the following template. XX QFC AAAA.doc (Replace XX
with your initials and AAAA with the First author's last name.)
c. Definitions (by class)
i. Question asked:
ii. Main Finding:
iii. Conclusion:
iv. Review/opinion
Outcome: All 10 that were submitted were fine. 8 were on Meyerthaller
b. Find a research article looking at recovery of function after brain injury.
- Abstract ok. Try Medline on the Net (PubMed, Medscape, Google
Scholar, Web of Science).
- It should (i.e., must) contain both brain and behaviour
- Send in Title + Abstract plus 4 operational definitions it uses
Submit information using the form XX SPJ v.doc (v = version)
Outcome:
a. 10 of 12 in on time.
b. One incomplete (citation and abstract only, no table, no template)
c. Nearly all articles look ok (have brain and behaviour) though one
looks like review article
d. One gave cognitive things for brain
e. Common problem – in study of TBI, what is “brain”?
Define operational definitions: (Done last day?)
Operational definition.
_real world application of a construct; a way in which the construct can be
measured; how measured and how applicable _
Specific instance for use in the particular experiment –something
measurable. E.g., score on StBin IQ Test
Construct (theoretical construct):
_more abstract; what it is you are trying to measure; _
idea/concept of interest. E.g., intelligence
SPJ (from last day)
What was the tough part?
_ _
Compare operational definitions and constructs with other students at your
table
Who do you think got it right?
Operational Definitions (and constructs)
Brain:
1. Note: Since brain = tissue inside skull, all “brain” things have to relate to
that. (i.e., not behaviour, or cognition)
2. What aspect of brain is being studied? (not how)
a. So “tissue in skull” does not specify what aspect
b. “Cognition” is not brain
c. e.g., frontal lobe; frontal function, language areas, dopaminergic
systems, synaptic plasticity, damage from TBI (OD = measure or
manipulation of brain in the paper)
d. Because TBI is focus of the course – special exceptions can be made –
with permission
i. E.g. GCS commonly used a Q&D method of assessing brain
function (TBI severity). = “manipulation check”
(Note: How many were measures (DV) and how many were manipulations (IV)?)
e. New concept: Manipulation check
i. A measure to check the manipulation worked.
1. A DV that’s related to the IV
ii. E.g., size of experimental lesion
iii. E.g., Heart-rate after experimental stressor
3. Behaviour/Cognition: What aspect being studied?
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
a. All behaviour and cognition should be operationally defined in terms
of observable action. If its not, either it’s not behaviour/cognition or
there is something wrong with the study.
b. e.g., Learning, memory, planning, executive function, swimming,
spatial navigation (OD = observable action)
c. How many were measures/vs manip? (DV vs IV)
d. Questions?
What is the effect of A on B?
a. A = IV (construct)
b. B = DV (construct)
Last 5 years:
a. since 2007 (except for classics, with permission)
Brain Injury: What kind? (e.g. TBI, Stroke) – (ODs =
inclusion/exclusion criteria)
a. TBI – yes
b. Stroke – yes
c. Drugs?
d. BI other than ABI?
e. Recovery
f. Brain vs Brain Injury: Usually BI not examined as whole. Infer from
what aspect of brain/behaviour is being studied, what part of brain is
of interest (and use that above).
Recovery (of function)
a. What is RoF?
b. First, what is a “Function”?
i. _an ability to perform a desired task
ii. Eg., fine motor control, learning, speaking/speech, _
c. What is the difference between a Function and a Task?
i. _ you need the function to do the task
ii. F=ability, t= a goal
iii. Many ways to perform a function but only 1 desired task_
d. What is Recovery?
i. Loss (partial or complete) and (partial or complete) return of the
ability to perform a purposeful task.
Recovery of Function – was it measured in the paper?
a. What kind of recovery was studied?
i. Early, late?
ii. Assisted or spontaneous?
1. If assisted: physiological treatment or behavioural training
9. Type of paper – original research (make a point from data from original
research)
a. Original research articles / review articles (maybe 1/talk)
b. Experimental/Observational
c. Group/Case study (1 per talk, with permission)
d. Published before 2007 (1 per talk, with permission)
e. (later to be added, 1 paper per lab).
Did you find that QFC analysis was too limited? Why/How?
Fuller analysis of research articles: Long-Form Analysis (LFA)
F. Review of components of research articles page 1 LFA
Purpose of LFA – to extract information and meaning from research articles
1. Title:
{Clue to contents}
2. Authors:
{Clue to quality, origin, independence of other
findings}
Publication Information:
{Where to find it}
A. Intro
1. Big issue being addressed (e.g., mechanisms of RoF) or what is
being modelled?
2.
Background (knowns): (2-4, main points of basis of paper)
3.
Unknowns: (1 (or2) things not known – to be addressed
4.
Specific Research Question: (What exactly will be asked)
B. Methods (2-part – constructs and operational definitions; manipulations
and measures) (If a model: what elements of the model does each
represent?)
1. Brain (and/or Brain injury):
2.
Behaviour (and/or cognition):
3.
Recovery (how defined/identified)
G.
1)
4.
Population (e.g., rats, children)
5.
Groups in experiment (Not just name, but meaning, e.g. HI dose drug)
Main points of lecture: