Sample records for puffinus puffinus insights

  1. The Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) as a candidate sentinel of Atlantic Ocean health

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Seabirds have been historically used to monitor environmental contamination. The aim of the present study was to test the suitability of a species belonging to the Procellariiformes group, the Manx shearwater, Puffinus puffinus, as a sentinel of environmental health, by determining contaminant levels (trace metals and organochlorine compounds) from carcass tissues and by isolating Vibrio spp. and Aeromonas spp. from live specimens. To this end, 35 Puffinus puffinus carcasses wrecked on the north-central coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and two carcasses recovered in Aracruz, on the coast of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, were sampled, and fragments of muscle and hepatic tissues were collected for contaminant analyses. Swabs from eleven birds found alive at the north-central coast of Rio de Janeiro were collected for isolation of the aforementioned bacteria. Results The average concentration in dry weight (dw) of the trace metals were: mercury 7.19 mg kg-1(liver) and 1.23 mg kg-1 (muscle); selenium 34.66 mg kg-1 (liver) and 7.98 mg kg-1 (muscle); cadmium 22.33 mg kg-1 (liver) and 1.11 mg kg-1 (muscle); and lead, 0.1 mg kg--1 (liver) and 0.16 mg kg-1 (muscle). Organochlorine compounds were detected in all specimens, and hexachlorbiphenyls, heptachlorbiphenyls and DDTs presented the highest levels. Regarding microbiological contamination, bacteria from the Vibrio genus were isolated from 91% of the analyzed specimens. Vibrio harveyi was the predominant species. Bacteria from the Aeromonas genus were isolated from 18% of the specimens. Aeromonas sobria was the only identified species. Conclusions The results indicate that Puffinus puffinus seems to be a competent ocean health sentinel. Therefore, the monitoring of contaminant levels and the isolation of public health interest bacteria should proceed in order to consolidate this species importance as a sentinel. PMID:25191536

  2. Plastic ingestion by Newell's (Puffinus newelli) and wedge-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica) in Hawaii.

    PubMed

    Kain, Elizabeth C; Lavers, Jennifer L; Berg, Carl J; Raine, André F; Bond, Alexander L

    2016-12-01

    The ingestion of plastic by seabirds has been used as an indicator of pollution in the marine environment. On Kaua'i, HI, USA, 50.0 % of Newell's (Puffinus newelli) and 76.9 % of wedge-tailed shearwater (Ardenna pacifica) fledglings necropsied during 2007-2014 contained plastic items in their digestive tract, while 42.1 % of adult wedge-tailed shearwaters had ingested plastic. For both species, the frequency of plastic ingestion has increased since the 1980s with some evidence that the mass and the number of items ingested per bird have also increased. The color of plastic ingested by the shearwaters was assessed relative to beach-washed plastics by using Jaccard's index (where J = 1 complete similarity). The color (J = 0.65-0.68) of items ingested by both species, and the type ingested by wedge-tailed shearwaters (J = 0.85-0.87), overlapped with plastic available in the local environment indicating moderate selection for plastic color and type. This study has shown that the Hawaiian populations of shearwaters, like many seabird species, provide useful but worrying insights into plastic pollution and the health of our oceans.

  3. Food of Flesh-footed shearwaters Puffinus carneipes associated with high-seas driftnets in the central North Pacific Ocean

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gould, Patrick J.; Ostrom, Peggy H.; Walker, William

    1997-01-01

    We examined digestive tract contents and stable nitrogen isotope ratios in breast muscles of Flesh-footed Shearwaters Puffinus carneipes associated with high-seas driftnet fisheries in the central North Pacific Ocean. Small fish, Lanternfish (Myctophidae) and Pacific Saury Cololabis saira, were the principal prey found in the digestive tracts. Pieces of unidentified fish, possibly Pacific Pomfret Brama japonica, and shredded squid tissue, mostly Neon Flying Squid Ommastrephes bartrami, in the digestive tracts indicate scavenging at driftnet fishing operations. Although soft-bodied animals such as Velella sp. were rare in the digestive tracts, low stable nitrogen isotope values (δ15N) suggest Flesh-footed Shearwaters feed heavily on such low trophic level animals.

  4. Foods of Buller's shearwaters (Puffinus bulleri) associated with driftnet fisheries in the central North Pacific Ocean

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gould, P.; Ostrom, P.; Walker, W.

    1998-01-01

    We examined digestive tract contents and stable nitrogen isotope ratios (??15N) in breast muscles of Buller's shearwaters (Puffinus bulleri) salvaged from squid and largemesh driftnets in the central North Pacific Ocean. The epipelagic Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) was the predominant prey, making up 71% of prey mass in digestive tracts. The remainder of the diet included small numbers of crustaceans, small fishes, and squids. The high degree of specialization in the diet seems to indicate that in the North Pacific, Buller's Shearwaters usually feed at or near the water surface and rarely pursue food under water. Although these birds have been observed feeding on scraps from fishing vessels, our data suggest that offal comprises less than 10% of the diet. Stable nitrogen isotope values provided quantified information on the timing of arrival of migrants into the North Pacific.

  5. Physical and chemical effects of ingested plastic debris on short-tailed shearwaters, Puffinus tenuirostris, in the North Pacific Ocean.

    PubMed

    Yamashita, Rei; Takada, Hideshige; Fukuwaka, Masa-aki; Watanuki, Yutaka

    2011-12-01

    We investigated the plastics ingested by short-tailed shearwaters, Puffinus tenuirostris, that were accidentally caught during experimental fishing in the North Pacific Ocean in 2003 and 2005. The mean mass of plastics found in the stomach was 0.23 g per bird (n=99). Plastic mass did not correlate with body weight. Total PCB (sum of 24 congeners) concentrations in the abdominal adipose tissue of 12 birds ranged from 45 to 529 ng/g-lipid. Although total PCBs or higher-chlorinated congeners, the mass of ingested plastic correlated positively with concentrations of lower-chlorinated congeners. The effects of toxic chemicals present in plastic debris on bird physiology should be investigated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Persistent organic pollutants and inorganic elements in the Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus wintering off Portugal.

    PubMed

    Costa, R A; Torres, J; Vingada, J V; Eira, C

    2016-07-15

    This study presents the first data on trace element and organic pollutant concentrations in the Critically Endangered Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus collected in 2010 and 2011 in Portugal. Trace element levels were below the threshold levels for adverse effects on birds, despite the Hg concentrations in feathers (4.35μg·g-1ww). No significant differences were detected between individuals from 2010 and 2011 except for Se concentrations in liver, feathers and muscle (higher in 2010) and Ag in liver and muscle (higher in 2011). No significant differences were detected in total concentrations of organochlorine compounds in Balearic shearwaters between years, although PCB congeners -101 and -180 presented higher concentrations in individuals from 2010. The PCB congeners -138, -153 and -180, and 4.4-DDE were detected in all individuals. This study on toxic elements and organic pollutants in wintering Balearic shearwaters provides baseline data from which deviations can be detected in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Plastic ingestion by Flesh-footed Shearwaters (Puffinus carneipes): Implications for fledgling body condition and the accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals.

    PubMed

    Lavers, Jennifer L; Bond, Alexander L; Hutton, Ian

    2014-04-01

    To provide much needed quantitative data on the lethal and sublethal effects of plastic pollution on marine wildlife, we sampled breast feathers and stomach contents from Flesh-footed Shearwater (Puffinus carneipes) fledglings in eastern Australia. Birds with high levels of ingested plastic exhibited reduced body condition and increased contaminant load (p < 0.05). More than 60% of fledglings exceed international targets for plastic ingestion by seabirds, with 16% of fledglings failing these targets after a single feeding (range: 0.13-3.21 g of plastic/feeding). As top predators, seabirds are considered sentinels of the marine environment. The amount of plastic ingested and corresponding damage to Flesh-footed Shearwater fledglings is the highest reported for any marine vertebrate, suggesting the condition of the Australian marine environment is poor. These findings help explain the ongoing decline of this species and are worrying in light of increasing levels of plastic pollution in our oceans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Geolocators reveal migration and pre-breeding behaviour of the critically endangered Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus.

    PubMed

    Guilford, Tim; Wynn, Russell; McMinn, Miguel; Rodríguez, Ana; Fayet, Annette; Maurice, Lou; Jones, Alice; Meier, Rhiannon

    2012-01-01

    Using combined miniature archival light and salt-water immersion loggers, we characterise the year-round individual at-sea movements of Europe's only critically endangered seabird, the Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus, for the first time. Focusing on the non-breeding period, we show that all of the 26 breeding birds tracked from their breeding site on Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea successfully made a 2-4 month migration into the Atlantic Ocean, where they utilised well-defined core areas off Portuguese and French coasts. As well as identifying high-risk areas in the Atlantic, our results confirm that breeding birds spend most of the year concentrated around productive waters of the Iberian shelf in the western Mediterranean. Migration phenology appeared largely unrelated to the subsequent (distinctly synchronous) breeding attempt, suggesting that any carry-over effects were compensated for during a long pre-laying period spent over winter in the Mediterranean. Using the light and salt-water immersion data alone we were also able to characterise the pattern of pre-laying visits to the colony in considerable detail, demonstrating that breeding pairs appear to coordinate their over-day visits using a high frequency of night-time visits throughout the winter. Our study shows that geolocation technology is a valuable tool for assessing the spatial distribution of risks to this critically endangered species, and also provides a low-impact method for remotely observing the detailed behaviour of seabird species that may be sensitive to disturbance from traditional study methods.

  9. Stibarokris mariasi sp. nov. - a new quill mite species (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) parasitizing Puffinus pacificus (Gmelin) (Procellariidae) on Johnston Atoll.

    PubMed

    Glowska, Eliza

    2015-12-01

    A new quill mite species Stibarokris mariasi sp. nov. (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) is described from the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus (Gmelin) (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae) from Johnston Atoll. Females of S. mariasi sp. nov. differ from most similar species S. phoeniconaias Skoracki and OConnor, 2010 by the longitudinal branch of the peritremes consisting of 11-14 chambers (vs 15-17 chambers in S. phoeniconaias), the movable cheliceral digit 145 long (vs 170), setal bases c1 situated distinctly anterior to the level of setae se (vs setal bases c1 and se situated at the same transverse level), the propodonotal shield punctate on the whole surface (vs propodonotal shield punctate at the lateral margins), the small, balloonlike hysteronotal shield, bearing bases of setae d1 and densely punctate on the whole surface (vs hysteronotal shield bearing setal bases d1 and e2 and punctate at the anterior part), the pseudanal setae ps1 1.8 times longer than setae ps2 (vs setae ps1 and ps2 subequal in length), subequal lengths of setae h1 and f1 (vs setae h1 twice longer than f1) and the lengths of setae ag1, ag2, and ag3 145-170, 105-125, 120-165, respectively (vs ag1, ag2 and ag3 245-285, 245-270, 330-340, respectively). A key to all known species of the genus Stibarokris Kethley, 1970 is proposed.

  10. Effects of geolocation archival tags on reproduction and adult body mass of sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adams, J.; Scott, D.; McKechnie, S.; Blackwell, G.; Shaffer, S.A.; Moller, H.

    2009-01-01

    We attached 11 g (1.4% body-mass equivalent) global location sensing (GLS) archival tag packages to tarsi of 25 breeding sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus, titi) on Whenua Hou (Codfish Island), New Zealand during the chick-rearing period in 2005. Compared with chicks reared by non-handled adults that did not carry tags, deployment of tags on one or both adult parents ultimately resulted in 35% reduction in chick body mass and significantly reduced chick skeletal size preceding fledging (19 April). However, body mass between chick groups was not significantly different after controlling for skeletal size. Effects on chicks were more pronounced in six pairs where both parents carried tags. Chick mass was negatively related to the duration that adults carried tags. In this study, none of the chicks reared by pairs where both parents were tagged, 54% of chicks reared by pairs where one parent was tagged, and 83% of chicks reared by non-handled and non-tagged parents achieved a previously determined pre-fledging mass threshold (564 g; Sagar & Horning 1998). Body mass of adults carrying tags and returning from transequatorial migration the following year were 4% lighter on average than non-tagged birds, but this difference was not statistically significant. Reduced mass among chicks reared by adults carrying tags during the chick-provisioning period indicated that adults altered "normal" provisioning behaviours to maintain their own body condition at the expense of their chicks. Population-level information derived from telemetry studies can reveal important habitat-linked behaviours, unique aspects of seabird foraging behaviours, and migration ecology. Information for some species (e.g., overlap with fisheries) can aid conservation and marine ecosystem management. We advise caution, however, when interpreting certain data related to adult provisioning behaviours (e.g., time spent foraging, provisioning rates, etc.). If effects on individuals are of concern, we suggest

  11. A cross-fostering experiment with the Newell's race of Manx shearwater

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Byrd, G.V.; Sincock, J.L.; Telfer, T.C.; Moriarty, D.I.; Brady, B.G.

    1984-01-01

    This paper reports on a program that tested suitability of wedge-tailed shear-waters (Puffinus pacificus ) to incubate eggs and rear chicks of Newell's shearwaters, (Puffinus puffinus newelli ) and evaluated the 'normality' of cross-fostered fledglings. The average growth rates of chicks are presented, and the chronology of breeding is compared with that of Kawuai's wild population of Newell's shearwaters.

  12. Antibiotic resistance patterns in fecal bacteria isolated from Christmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis) and masked booby (Sula dactylatra) at remote Easter Island.

    PubMed

    Ardiles-Villegas, Karen; González-Acuña, Daniel; Waldenström, Jonas; Olsen, Björn; Hernández, Jorge

    2011-09-01

    Antibiotic use and its implications have been discussed extensively in the past decades. This situation has global consequences when antibiotic resistance becomes widespread in the intestinal bacterial flora of stationary and migratory birds. This study investigated the incidence of fecal bacteria and general antibiotic resistance, with special focus on extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) isolates, in two species of seabirds at remote Easter Island. We identified 11 species of bacteria from masked booby (Sula dactylatra) and Christmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis); five species of gram-negative bacilli, four species of Streptococcus (Enterococcus), and 2 species of Staphylococcus. In addition, 6 types of bacteria were determined barely to the genus level. General antibiotic susceptibility was measured in the 30 isolated Enterobacteriaceae to 11 antibiotics used in human and veterinary medicine. The 10 isolates that showed a phenotypic ESBL profile were verified by clavulanic acid inhibition in double mixture discs with cefpodoxime, and two ESBL strains were found, one strain in masked booby and one strain in Christmas shearwater. The two bacteria harboring the ESBL type were identified as Serratia odorifera biotype 1, which has zoonotic importance. Despite minimal human presence in the masked booby and Christmas shearwater habitats, and the extreme geographic isolation of Easter Island, we found several multiresistant bacteria and even two isolates with ESBL phenotypes. The finding of ESBLs has animal and public health significance and is of potential concern, especially because the investigation was limited in size and indicated that antibiotic-resistant bacteria now are distributed globally.

  13. Acuariidae (Nematoda) in Procellariiformes (Aves) on the southern coast of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Schramm, Camila Costa; Mascarenhas, Carolina Silveira; Gastal, Silvia Bainy; Scheer, Simone; Müller, Gertrud; Robaldo, Ricardo Berteaux

    2018-01-01

    Acuariidae nematodes are normally found in the digestive tract of aquatic birds, including Procellariiformes. Were examined Calonectris borealis (n = 4), Diomedea exulans (n = 1), Macronectes giganteus (n = 8), Thalassarche chlororhynchos (n = 5), Thalassarche melanophrys (n = 15), Procellaria aequinoctialis (n = 4), Puffinus gravis (n = 2) and Puffinus puffinus (n = 6), collected on the southern coast of RS, Brazil. A total of 16 birds (35.5%) were parasitized by two species of Acuariidae. Stegophorus diomedeae and Seuratia shipleyi were identified, with prevalences of 26.1% and 21.7%, respectively. Few studies on nematodes in Procellariiformes have been conducted. Here, the acuariids Seuratia shipleyi in Calonectris borealis and Procellaria aequinoctialis and Stegophorus diomedeae in Diomedea exulans, Procellaria aequinoctialis and Thalassarche chlororhynchos were reported for the first time.

  14. Predictive ethoinformatics reveals the complex migratory behaviour of a pelagic seabird, the Manx Shearwater

    PubMed Central

    Freeman, Robin; Dean, Ben; Kirk, Holly; Leonard, Kerry; Phillips, Richard A.; Perrins, Chris M.; Guilford, Tim

    2013-01-01

    Understanding the behaviour of animals in the wild is fundamental to conservation efforts. Advances in bio-logging technologies have offered insights into the behaviour of animals during foraging, migration and social interaction. However, broader application of these systems has been limited by device mass, cost and longevity. Here, we use information from multiple logger types to predict individual behaviour in a highly pelagic, migratory seabird, the Manx Shearwater (Puffinus puffinus). Using behavioural states resolved from GPS tracking of foraging during the breeding season, we demonstrate that individual behaviours can be accurately predicted during multi-year migrations from low cost, lightweight, salt-water immersion devices. This reveals a complex pattern of migratory stopovers: some involving high proportions of foraging, and others of rest behaviour. We use this technique to examine three consecutive years of global migrations, revealing the prominence of foraging behaviour during migration and the importance of highly productive waters during migratory stopover. PMID:23635496

  15. A switch in the Atlantic Oscillation correlates with inter-annual changes in foraging location and food habits of Macaronesian shearwaters (Puffinus baroli) nesting on two islands of the sub-tropical Atlantic Ocean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramos, Jaime A.; Isabel Fagundes, Ana; Xavier, José C.; Fidalgo, Vera; Ceia, Filipe R.; Medeiros, Renata; Paiva, Vitor H.

    2015-10-01

    Changes in oceanographic conditions, shaped by changes in large-scale atmospheric phenomena such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), alters the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems. Such signals are readily captured by marine top predators, given that their use of foraging habitats and diets change when the NAO changes. In this study we assessed sexual, seasonal and annual (2010/11-2012/13) differences in diet, trophic and isotopic niche (using δ15N and δ13C values of whole blood, 1st primary, 8th secondary and breast feathers), foraging locations and oceanographic variation within foraging areas for Macaronesian shearwaters' (Puffinus baroli) during two years of contrasting NAO values, and between two sub-tropical islands 330 km apart in the North Atlantic Ocean, Cima Islet and Selvagem Grande. These two locations provide contrasting oceanographic foraging regimes for the birds, because the second colony is much closer to the African coast (375 vs 650 km), and, therefore, to the upwelling area of the Canary Current. There was a marked environmental perturbation in 2010/2011, related with a negative NAO Index and lower marine productivity (lower concentration of Chlorophyll a). This event corresponded to the Macaronesian shearwaters feeding farther north and west, which was readily seen in change of both δ15N and δ13C values, and in a higher intake of cephalopods. Diet and stable isotopes did not differ between sexes. Regurgitation analysis indicate a dominance of cephalopods in both islands, but prey fish were important for Selvagem Grande in 2012 and cephalopods for Cima Islet in 2011. Both δ15N and δ13C values were significantly higher for Cima Islet than for Selvagem Grande, irrespective of year, season and tissue sampled. SIBER analysis showed smaller isotopic niches for the breeding period. Our study suggests that during years of poor environmental conditions Macaronesian shearwaters shift their foraging location to more pelagic waters

  16. Remotely sensed wind speed predicts soaring behaviour in a wide-ranging pelagic seabird.

    PubMed

    Gibb, Rory; Shoji, Akiko; Fayet, Annette L; Perrins, Chris M; Guilford, Tim; Freeman, Robin

    2017-07-01

    Global wind patterns affect flight strategies in many birds, including pelagic seabirds, many of which use wind-powered soaring to reduce energy costs during at-sea foraging trips and migration. Such long-distance movement patterns are underpinned by local interactions between wind conditions and flight behaviour, but these fine-scale relationships are far less well understood. Here we show that remotely sensed ocean wind speed and direction are highly significant predictors of soaring behaviour in a migratory pelagic seabird, the Manx shearwater ( Puffinus puffinus ). We used high-frequency GPS tracking data (10 Hz) and statistical behaviour state classification to identify two energetic modes in at-sea flight, corresponding to flap-like and soar-like flight. We show that soaring is significantly more likely to occur in tailwinds and crosswinds above a wind speed threshold of around 8 m s -1 , suggesting that these conditions enable birds to reduce metabolic costs by preferentially soaring over flapping. Our results suggest a behavioural mechanism by which wind conditions may shape foraging and migration ecology in pelagic seabirds, and thus indicate that shifts in wind patterns driven by climate change could impact this and other species. They also emphasize the emerging potential of high-frequency GPS biologgers to provide detailed quantitative insights into fine-scale flight behaviour in free-living animals. © 2017 The Author(s).

  17. Plastic debris in Mediterranean seabirds.

    PubMed

    Codina-García, Marina; Militão, Teresa; Moreno, Javier; González-Solís, Jacob

    2013-12-15

    Plastic debris is often ingested by marine predators and can cause health disorders and even death. We present the first assessment of plastic ingestion in Mediterranean seabirds. We quantified and measured plastics accumulated in the stomach of 171 birds from 9 species accidentally caught by longliners in the western Mediterranean from 2003 to 2010. Cory's shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) showed the highest occurrence (94%) and large numbers of small plastic particles per affected bird (on average N = 15.3 ± 24.4 plastics and mass = 23.4 ± 49.6 mg), followed by Yelkouan shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan, 70%, N = 7.0 ± 7.9, 42.1 ± 100.0 mg), Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus, 70%, N = 3.6 ± 2.9, 5.5 ± 9.7 mg) and the rest of species (below 33%, N = 2.7, 113.6 ± 128.4 mg). Plastic characteristics did not differ between sexes and were not related to the physical condition of the birds. Our results point out the three endemic and threatened shearwater species as being particularly exposed to plastic accumulation.

  18. Seabirds indicate changes in the composition of plastic litter in the Atlantic and south-western Indian Oceans.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Peter G

    2008-08-01

    I compare plastic ingested by five species of seabirds sampled in the 1980s and again in 1999-2006. The numbers of ingested plastic particles have not changed significantly, but the proportion of virgin pellets has decreased 44-79% in all five species: great shearwater Puffinus gravis, white-chinned petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis, broad-billed prion Pachyptila vittata, white-faced storm petrel Pelagodroma marina and white-bellied storm petrel Fregetta grallaria. The populations sampled range widely in the South Atlantic and western Indian Oceans. The most marked reduction occurred in great shearwaters, where the average number of pellets per bird decreased from 10.5 to 1.6. This species migrates between the South and North Atlantic each year. Similar decreases in virgin pellets have been recorded in short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris in the Pacific Ocean and northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis in the North Sea. More data are needed on the relationship between plastic loads in seabirds and the density of plastic at sea in their foraging areas, but the consistent decrease in pellets in birds suggests there has been a global change in the composition of small plastic debris at sea over the last two decades.

  19. Behavioural mapping of a pelagic seabird: combining multiple sensors and a hidden Markov model reveals the distribution of at-sea behaviour

    PubMed Central

    Dean, Ben; Freeman, Robin; Kirk, Holly; Leonard, Kerry; Phillips, Richard A.; Perrins, Chris M.; Guilford, Tim

    2013-01-01

    The use of miniature data loggers is rapidly increasing our understanding of the movements and habitat preferences of pelagic seabirds. However, objectively interpreting behavioural information from the large volumes of highly detailed data collected by such devices can be challenging. We combined three biologging technologies—global positioning system (GPS), saltwater immersion and time–depth recorders—to build a detailed picture of the at-sea behaviour of the Manx shearwater (Puffinus puffinus) during the breeding season. We used a hidden Markov model to explore discrete states within the combined GPS and immersion data, and found that behaviour could be organized into three principal activities representing (i) sustained direct flight, (ii) sitting on the sea surface, and (iii) foraging, comprising tortuous flight interspersed with periods of immersion. The additional logger data verified that the foraging activity corresponded well to the occurrence of diving. Applying this approach to a large tracking dataset revealed that birds from two different colonies foraged in local waters that were exclusive, but overlapped in one key area: the Irish Sea Front (ISF). We show that the allocation of time to each activity differed between colonies, with birds breeding furthest from the ISF spending the greatest proportion of time engaged in direct flight and the smallest proportion of time engaged in foraging activity. This type of analysis has considerable potential for application in future biologging studies and in other taxa. PMID:23034356

  20. Accumulation of plastic-derived chemicals in tissues of seabirds ingesting marine plastics.

    PubMed

    Tanaka, Kosuke; Takada, Hideshige; Yamashita, Rei; Mizukawa, Kaoruko; Fukuwaka, Masa-aki; Watanuki, Yutaka

    2013-04-15

    We analyzed polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in abdominal adipose of oceanic seabirds (short-tailed shearwaters, Puffinus tenuirostris) collected in northern North Pacific Ocean. In 3 of 12 birds, we detected higher-brominated congeners (viz., BDE209 and BDE183), which are not present in the natural prey (pelagic fish) of the birds. The same compounds were present in plastic found in the stomachs of the 3 birds. These data suggested the transfer of plastic-derived chemicals from ingested plastics to the tissues of marine-based organisms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Unexpected hydrogen isotope variation in oceanic pelagic seabirds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ostrom, Peggy H.; Wiley, Anne E.; Rossman, Sam; Stricker, Craig A.; James, Helen F.

    2014-01-01

    Hydrogen isotopes have significantly enhanced our understanding of the biogeography of migratory animals. The basis for this methodology lies in predictable, continental patterns of precipitation δD values that are often reflected in an organism's tissues. δD variation is not expected for oceanic pelagic organisms whose dietary hydrogen (water and organic hydrogen in prey) is transferred up the food web from an isotopically homogeneous water source. We report a 142% range in the δD values of flight feathers from the Hawaiian petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis), an oceanic pelagic North Pacific species, and inquire about the source of that variation. We show δD variation between and within four other oceanic pelagic species: Newell's shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newellii), Black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) and Buller's shearwater (Puffinus bulleri). The similarity between muscle δD values of hatch-year Hawaiian petrels and their prey suggests that trophic fractionation does not influence δD values of muscle. We hypothesize that isotopic discrimination is associated with water loss during salt excretion through salt glands. Salt load differs between seabirds that consume isosmotic squid and crustaceans and those that feed on hyposmotic teleost fish. In support of the salt gland hypothesis, we show an inverse relationship between δD and percent teleost fish in diet for three seabird species. Our results demonstrate the utility of δD in the study of oceanic consumers, while also contributing to a better understanding of δD systematics, the basis for one of the most commonly utilized isotope tools in avian ecology.

  2. Light attraction in endangered procellariiform birds: Reduction by shielding upward radiation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reed, J.R.; Sincock, J.L.; Hailman, J.P.

    1985-01-01

    Autumnal attraction to man-made lighting causes heavy mortality in fledgling Hawaiian seabirds: Newell's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli), Dark-rumped Petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis), and Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma castro). These threatened, endangered, and rare species (respectively) approach and circle lights on their first flight from mountain nesting colonies on the island of Kauai to the sea. We shielded lights of the largest resort to prevent upward radiation on alternate nights during two fledgling seasons. Shielding decreased attraction by nearly 40%. Most attraction occurred 1-4 h after sunset. Full moon dramatically decreased attraction, a phenomenon that has both theoretical and management implications.

  3. Oxygen isotope fractionation between bird eggshell calcite and body water: application to fossil eggs from Lanzarote (Canary Islands).

    PubMed

    Lazzerini, Nicolas; Lécuyer, Christophe; Amiot, Romain; Angst, Delphine; Buffetaut, Eric; Fourel, François; Daux, Valérie; Betancort, Juan Francisco; Flandrois, Jean-Pierre; Marco, Antonio Sánchez; Lomoschitz, Alejandro

    2016-10-01

    Oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of fossil bird eggshell calcite (δ(18)Ocalc and δ(13)Ccalc) are regularly used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions. However, the interpretation of δ(18)Ocalc values of fossil eggshells has been limited to qualitative variations in local climatic conditions as oxygen isotope fractionations between calcite, body fluids, and drinking water have not been determined yet. For this purpose, eggshell, albumen water, and drinking water of extant birds have been analyzed for their oxygen and carbon isotope compositions. Relative enrichments in (18)O relative to (16)O between body fluids and drinking water of +1.6 ± 0.9 ‰ for semi-aquatic birds and of +4.4 ± 1.9 ‰ for terrestrial birds are observed. Surprisingly, no significant dependence to body temperature on the oxygen isotope fractionation between eggshell calcite and body fluids is observed, suggesting that bird eggshells precipitate out of equilibrium. Two empirical equations relating the δ(18)Ocalc value of eggshell calcite to the δ(18)Ow value of ingested water have been established for terrestrial and semi-aquatic birds. These equations have been applied to fossil eggshells from Lanzarote in order to infer the ecologies of the Pleistocene marine bird Puffinus sp. and of the enigmatic giant birds from the Pliocene. Both δ(13)Ccalc and δ(18)Ocalc values of Puffinus eggshells point to a semi-aquatic marine bird ingesting mostly seawater, whereas low δ(13)Ccalc and high δ(18)Ocalc values of eggshells from the Pliocene giant bird suggest a terrestrial lifestyle. This set of equations can help to quantitatively estimate the origin of waters ingested by extinct birds as well as to infer either local environmental or climatic conditions.

  4. Oxygen isotope fractionation between bird eggshell calcite and body water: application to fossil eggs from Lanzarote (Canary Islands)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lazzerini, Nicolas; Lécuyer, Christophe; Amiot, Romain; Angst, Delphine; Buffetaut, Eric; Fourel, François; Daux, Valérie; Betancort, Juan Francisco; Flandrois, Jean-Pierre; Marco, Antonio Sánchez; Lomoschitz, Alejandro

    2016-10-01

    Oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of fossil bird eggshell calcite (δ18Ocalc and δ13Ccalc) are regularly used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions. However, the interpretation of δ18Ocalc values of fossil eggshells has been limited to qualitative variations in local climatic conditions as oxygen isotope fractionations between calcite, body fluids, and drinking water have not been determined yet. For this purpose, eggshell, albumen water, and drinking water of extant birds have been analyzed for their oxygen and carbon isotope compositions. Relative enrichments in 18O relative to 16O between body fluids and drinking water of +1.6 ± 0.9 ‰ for semi-aquatic birds and of +4.4 ± 1.9 ‰ for terrestrial birds are observed. Surprisingly, no significant dependence to body temperature on the oxygen isotope fractionation between eggshell calcite and body fluids is observed, suggesting that bird eggshells precipitate out of equilibrium. Two empirical equations relating the δ18Ocalc value of eggshell calcite to the δ18Ow value of ingested water have been established for terrestrial and semi-aquatic birds. These equations have been applied to fossil eggshells from Lanzarote in order to infer the ecologies of the Pleistocene marine bird Puffinus sp. and of the enigmatic giant birds from the Pliocene. Both δ13Ccalc and δ18Ocalc values of Puffinus eggshells point to a semi-aquatic marine bird ingesting mostly seawater, whereas low δ13Ccalc and high δ18Ocalc values of eggshells from the Pliocene giant bird suggest a terrestrial lifestyle. This set of equations can help to quantitatively estimate the origin of waters ingested by extinct birds as well as to infer either local environmental or climatic conditions.

  5. Weights, hematology and serum chemistry of seven species of free-ranging tropical pelagic seabirds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Work, Thierry M.

    1996-01-01

    I established reference values for weight, hematology, and serum chemistry for seven species of free-ranging Hawaiian tropical pelagic seabirds comprising three orders (Procellariiformes, Pelecaniformes, Charadriiformes) and six families (Procellariidae, Phaethontidae, Diomedeidae, Sulidae, Fregatidae, and Laridae). Species examined included 84 Hawaiian dark-rumped petrels (Pterodoma phaeopygia), 90 wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus), 151 Laysan albatrosses (Diomedea immutabilis), 69 red-footed boobies (Sula sula), 154 red-tailed tropicbirds (Phaeton rubricauda), 90 great frigatebirds (Fregata minor), and 72 sooty terns (Sterna fuscata). Hematocrit, total plasma solids, total and differential white cell counts, serum glucose, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase and creatinine phosphokinase were analyzed. Among and within species, hematology and chemistry values varied with age, sex, season, and island of collection. Despite this variation, order-wide trends were observed.

  6. An assessment of oceanic seabird abundance and distribution off the southern Brazilian coast using observations obtained during deep-water fishing operations.

    PubMed

    Branco, J O; Fracasso, H A A; Pérez, J A A; Rodrigues-Filho, J L

    2014-08-01

    The use of discarded fish over baited hooks used in longline fishery, and fish caught in gillnets, as a food source for gulls, albatrosses and petrels has been intensively studied in northern and southern oceans. This study describes the occurrence and abundance of seabirds observed from 20 foreign vessels which operated during the period between July 2001 and May 2005, off the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast. A total of 353,557 seabirds were observed; comprising eight families and 28 species. The most abundant species was Procellaria conspicillata followed by Daption capense, Puffinus gravis, Thalassarche melanophrys and Oceanites oceanicus. Ten species of seabirds (392 individual birds) were incidentally captured in gillnets; and 122 birds (9 species) by longline hooks, with P. gravis, D. capense and Procellaria aequinoctialis having the largest capture rates.

  7. Evidence of Newell's Shearwater breeding in Puna District, Hawaii

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reynolds, Michelle H.; Ritchotte, George L.

    1997-01-01

    Nocturnal surveys using auditory cues and night-vision equipment were conducted during the seabird breeding season in 1993 to determine use of inland areas in the Puna District, Hawaii by Newell's Shearwater (Puffinus auricularus newelli). Two hundred sixty Newell's Shearwater auditory or visual detections were made during 275 survey hours from 23 Jul. 1993 - 20 Sep. 1993. Mean detection rates were 1.26 birds/h at Puulena Crater (n = 160 Newell's Shearwater detections), 1.05 birds/h at Heiheiahulu (n = 99) and 0.04 birds/ h at Puu Kaliu (n = 2). Vocalizing peaked between 50 and 90 min after sunset and 4 h before sunrise. Although night-vision equipment was used on most of the seabird surveys, only 4% of seabirds were detected visually. Two road-killed birds collected in Puna in June 1993, and four burrows located in Puulena Crater after the 1994 breeding season, provided additional evidence of breeding.

  8. Prevalence of marine debris in marine birds from the North Atlantic.

    PubMed

    Provencher, Jennifer F; Bond, Alexander L; Hedd, April; Montevecchi, William A; Muzaffar, Sabir Bin; Courchesne, Sarah J; Gilchrist, H Grant; Jamieson, Sarah E; Merkel, Flemming R; Falk, Knud; Durinck, Jan; Mallory, Mark L

    2014-07-15

    Marine birds have been found to ingest plastic debris in many of the world's oceans. Plastic accumulation data from necropsies findings and regurgitation studies are presented on 13 species of marine birds in the North Atlantic, from Georgia, USA to Nunavut, Canada and east to southwest Greenland and the Norwegian Sea. Of the species examined, the two surface plungers (great shearwaters Puffinus gravis; northern fulmars Fulmarus glacialis) had the highest prevalence of ingested plastic (71% and 51%, respectively). Great shearwaters also had the most pieces of plastics in their stomachs, with some individuals containing as many of 36 items. Seven species contained no evidence of plastic debris. Reporting of baseline data as done here is needed to ensure that data are available for marine birds over time and space scales in which we see changes in historical debris patterns in marine environments (i.e. decades) and among oceanographic regions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Mass stranding of wedge-tailed shearwater chicks in Hawaii

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Work, Thierry M.; Rameyer, Robert

    1999-01-01

    Unusual numbers of wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus) chicks stranded on Oahu (Hawaii, USA) in 1994. Compared to healthy wedge-tailed shearwater (WTSW) chicks, stranded chicks were underweight, dehydrated, leukopenic, lymphopenic, eosinopenic, and heterophilic; some birds were toxemic and septic. Stranded chicks also were hypoglycemic and had elevated aspartate amino transferase levels. Most chicks apparently died from emaciation, dehydration, or bacteremia. Because many birds with bacteremia also had severe necrosis of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa associated with bacteria, we suspect the GI tract to be the source of disseminated bacterial infection. The identity of the bacteria was not confirmed. The daily number of chicks stranded was significantly related to average wind speeds, and the mortality coincided with the fledging period for WTSW. Strong southeasterly winds were a distinguishing meteorologic factor in 1994 and contributed to the distribution of stranded chicks on Oahu. More objective data on WTSW demographics would enhance future efforts to determine predisposing causes of WTSW wrecks and their effects on seabird colonies.

  10. Long-term changes in the type, but not amount, of ingested plastic particles in short-tailed shearwaters in the southeastern Bering Sea.

    PubMed

    Vlietstra, Lucy S; Parga, Joyce A

    2002-09-01

    We report the current (1997-1999, 2001) incidence and amount of ingested plastic in short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) in the southeastern Bering Sea and compare our results with plastic reported in shearwaters during 1970-1978. We also examine correlations between plastic loads and shearwater body mass. We found that 84% (N = 330) of shearwaters sampled in 1997-1999 and 2001 contained plastic. The incidence and amount of ingested plastic have not significantly changed since the 1970s. In contrast, the predominant type of plastic has changed over time, from industrial plastic to user plastic. S,asonal patterns in the incidence and amount of ingested plastic also changed from peak levels during early and late summer in the 1970s to mid summer in the late 1990s and 2001. We suggest that the availability of neuston plastic to seabirds in the Bering Sea has undergone a shift in composition since the 1970s. Shearwater body mass appears little if at all impaired by plastic, at least at present levels of consumption.

  11. Losses of seabirds in gill nets in the North Pacific

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeGange, Anthony R.; Day, Robert H.; Takekawa, Jean E.; Mendenhall, Vivian M.; Vermeer, Kees; Briggs, K.T.; Morgan, K.H.; Siegel-Causey, D.

    1993-01-01

    Existing knowledge on high-seas and coastal gillnet fisheries known to kill seabirds in the North Pacific is summarized. Recent estimates suggest that high-seas gillnet fisheries may have taken more than 500,000 seabirds in 1990. The majority of birds taken in those fisheries were Sooty Puffinus griseus or Short-tailed P. tenuirostris shearwaters. A recent analysis of impacts of those fisheries suggests that both shearwater populations may be declining slightly, although overall populations remain large. Impacts on seabirds of gillnet fishing in coastal waters are poorly known, except in California. Incidental mortality of seabirds in coastal gillnet fisheries may be adding additional stress to populations already compromised by habitat destruction and oil spills. Local populations of Marbled Murrelets Brachyramphus marmoratus, Common Murres Uria aalge, and Japanese Murrelets Synthliboramphus wumizusume may be particularly vulnerable to coastal gillnet fisheries. United National General Assembly Resolution 44/225 called for a moratorium on high-seas gillnet fishing by 30 June 1992. Japan has complied and Korea and Taiwan will comply with the moratorium.

  12. Seabirds at risk around offshore oil platforms in the north-west Atlantic.

    PubMed

    Wiese, F K; Montevecchi, W A; Davoren, G K; Huettmann, F; Diamond, A W; Linke, J

    2001-12-01

    Seabirds aggregate around oil drilling platforms and rigs in above average numbers due to night lighting, flaring, food and other visual cues. Bird mortality has been documented due to impact on the structure, oiling and incineration by the flare. The environmental circumstances for offshore hydrocarbon development in North-west Atlantic are unique because of the harsh climate, cold waters and because enormous seabird concentrations inhabit and move through the Grand Banks in autumn (storm-petrels, Oceanodroma spp), winter (dovekies, Alle alle, murres, Uria spp), spring and summer (shearwaters, Puffinus spp). Many species are planktivorous and attracted to artificial light sources. Most of the seabirds in the region are long-distance migrants, and hydrocarbon development in the North-west Atlantic could affect both regional and global breeding populations. Regulators need to take responsibility for these circumstances. It is essential to implement comprehensive, independent arm's length monitoring of potential avian impacts of offshore hydrocarbon platforms in the North-west Atlantic. This should include quantifying and determining the nature, timing and extent of bird mortality caused by these structures. Based on existing evidence of potential impacts of offshore hydrocarbon platforms on seabirds, it is difficult to understand why this has not been, and is not being, systematically implemented.

  13. Population-Scale Foraging Segregation in an Apex Predator of the North Atlantic

    PubMed Central

    Paiva, Vitor H.; Fagundes, Ana I.; Romão, Vera; Gouveia, Cátia; Ramos, Jaime A.

    2016-01-01

    In this work we investigated the between-colony spatial, behavioural and trophic segregation of two sub-populations of the elusive Macaronesian shearwaters Puffinus baroli breeding only ~340 km apart in Cima Islet (Porto Santo Island) and Selvagem Grande Island. Global location sensing (gls) loggers were used in combination with the trophic ecology of tracked individuals, inferred from the isotopic signatures of wing feathers. Results suggest that these two Macaronesian shearwater sub-populations do segregate during the non-breeding period in some ‘sub-population-specific’ regions, by responding to different oceanographic characteristics (habitat modelling). Within these disparate areas, both sub-populations behave differently (at-sea activity) and prey on disparate trophic niches (stable isotope analysis). One hypothesis would be that each sub-population have evolved and adapted to feed on particular and ‘sub-population-specific’ resources, and the segregation observed at the three different levels (spatial, behavioural and trophic) might be in fact a result of such adaptation, from the emergence of ‘cultural foraging patterns’. Finally, when comparing to the results of former studies reporting on the spatial, behavioural and trophic choices of Macaronesian shearwater populations breeding on Azores and Canary Islands, we realized the high ecological plasticity of this species inhabiting and foraging over the North-East Atlantic Ocean. PMID:27003687

  14. (210)Polonium and (210)lead content of marine birds from Southeastern Brazil.

    PubMed

    Godoy, José Marcus; Siciliano, Salvatore; de Carvalho, Zenildo Lara; Tavares, Davi C; de Moura, Jaílson Fulgencio; Godoy, Maria Luiza D P

    2014-09-01

    In this study, we report the (210)Po and (210)Pb concentrations of bone, muscle and liver samples that were obtained from twelve different marine bird species stranded on beaches in the central-north region of Rio de Janeiro State. Both radionuclides were highly concentrated in the liver samples; however, the lowest mean (210)Po/(210)Pb activity ratio (1.3) was observed in bones compared with liver and muscle (16.8 and 13.8, respectively). Among the species that were studied, Fregata magnificens, with a diet based exclusively on fish, had the lowest (210)Pb and (210)Po concentrations and the lowest (210)Po/(210)Pb activity ratio. The (210)Po concentrations in Puffinus spp. liver samples followed a log-normal distribution, with a geometric mean of 300 Bq kg(-1)wet weight. Only two references pertaining to (210)Po in marine birds were found in a Web of Science search of the literature, and each study reported a different concentration value. The values determined in this experiment are consistent with those in one of the previous studies, which also included one of the species studied in this work. No values for (210)Pb in marine birds have been published previously. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The Rakiura Titi Islands Restoration Project: community action to eradicate Rattus rattus and Rattus exulans for ecological restoration and cultural wellbeing

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McClelland, P.J; Coote,; Trow,; Hutchins,; Nevins, HannahRose M.; Adams, Josh; Newman, J.; Moller, H.; Veitch, C.R.; Clout, Mike N.; Towns, D. R.

    2011-01-01

    In 2003, a non-profit group, Ka Mate Nga Kiore, was set up to oversee the restoration of four Maori-owned islands off the south coast of Stewart Island, New Zealand. The first step in the restoration was to eradicate ship rats (Rattus rattus) from three islands and Pacific rats (R. exulans) from another. The eradication was funded by the Command Oil Spill Trustee Council which managed the mitigation money from an oil spill off the Californian coast in 1998. The funding was coordinated via Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, a non-profit USA group primarily involved in seabird research and restoration. The project was primarily to benefit sooty shearwater (Puffinus griseus) and to sustain a culturally important customary harvest of their chicks by Rakiura Maori. However, like all island eradications, a wide range of other species also benefited from the removal of rats. The New Zealand Department of Conservation provided technical advice and assistance for the planning and implementation of the eradication programme. This paper describes how, with appropriate funding, community and technical support, rodent eradications can be achieved on private islands. In this case, a range of institutions and individuals joined to achieve a common goal that highlighted a significant international conservation action. We urge that more international and local-community-led restoration projects be initiated in the future.

  16. Bird remains from an archaeological site on Henderson Island, South Pacific: Man-caused extinctions on an “uninhabited” island

    PubMed Central

    Steadman, David W.; Olson, Storrs L.

    1985-01-01

    Long thought never to have been inhabited and to be in a pristine ecological state, Henderson Island (southeast Pacific) is now known to have been colonized and then abandoned by Polynesians. Bones from an archaeological site on the island associated with 14C dates of ≈800 and ≈500 years B.P. include specimens of 12 species of birds, of which 3, a storm-petrel and two pigeons (Nesofregetta fuliginosa, Ducula cf. aurorae or D. pacifica, and Ducula cf. galeata), no longer occur on Henderson, and two others (Puffinus nativitatis and Sula sula) still visit but are not known to breed. The vanished species were presumably exterminated by Polynesians and the biota of Henderson Island can thus no longer be regarded as being in an unaltered state. The prehistoric abandonment of various small, unarable islands by Polynesians may have been due to the depletion of seabirds and pigeons, the only readily available food source. The species of pigeons identified from Henderson are known historically only from distant archipelagos and have never before been found sympatrically. Distributional patterns resulting from man-caused extinctions may give rise to erroneous interpretations of the relationships and evolutionary history of insular organisms. Certain endangered species, such as Ducula galeata, might effectively be preserved by reintroduction to abandoned islands that they occupied before human intervention. Images PMID:16593606

  17. Incidence of plastic fragments among burrow-nesting seabird colonies on offshore islands in northern New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Buxton, Rachel T; Currey, Caitlin A; Lyver, Philip O'B; Jones, Christopher J

    2013-09-15

    Marine plastic pollution is ubiquitous throughout the world's oceans, and has been found in high concentrations in oceanic gyres of both the northern and southern hemispheres. The number of studies demonstrating plastic debris at seabird colonies and plastic ingestion by adult seabirds has increased over the past few decades. Despite the recent discovery of a large aggregation of plastic debris in the South Pacific subtropical gyre, the incidence of plastics at seabird colonies in New Zealand is unknown. Between 2011 and 2012 we surveyed six offshore islands on the northeast coast of New Zealand's North Island for burrow-nesting seabird colonies and the presence of plastic fragments. We found non-research related plastic fragments (0.031 pieces/m(2)) on one island only, Ohinau, within dense flesh-footed shearwater (Puffinus carneipes) colonies. On Ohinau, we found a linear relationship between burrow density and plastic density, with 3.5 times more breeding burrows in areas with plastic fragments found. From these data we conclude that plastic ingestion is a potentially a serious issue for flesh-footed shearwaters in New Zealand. Although these results do not rule out plastic ingestion by other species, they suggest the need for further research on the relationship between New Zealand's pelagic seabirds and marine plastic pollution. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. The distribution of seabirds and fish in relation to ocean currents in the southeastern Chukchi Sea

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Piatt, John F.; Wells, John L.; MacCharles, Andrea; Fadely, Brian S.; Montevecchi, W.A.; Gaston, A.J.

    1991-01-01

    In late August 1988, we studied the distribution of seabirds in the southeastern Chukchi Sea, particularly in waters near a major seabird colony at Cape Thompson. Foraging areas were characterized using hydrographic data obtained from hydroacoustic surveys for fish. Murres (Uria spp.) and Black-legged Kitttiwakes Rissa tridactyla breeding at Cape Thompson fed mostly on Arctic cod, which are known from previous studies to be the most abundant pelagic fish in the region. Our hydroacoustic surveys revealed that pelagic fish were distributed widely, but densities were estimated to be low (e.g., 0.1-10 g∙m-3) throughout the study area and a few schools were recorded. Large feeding flocks of murres and kittiwakes were observed over fish schools with densities estimated to exceed 15 g∙m-3. Fish densities were higher in shallow Alaska Coastal Current waters than offshore in Bering Sea waters, and most piscivorous seabirds foraged in coastal waters. Poor kittiwake breeding success and a low frequency of fish in murre and kittiwake stomachs in late August suggested that fish densities were marginal for sustaining breeding seabirds at that time. Planktivorous Least Auklets Aethia pusilla and Parakeet Auklets Cyclorrhynchus psittacula foraged almost exclusively in Bering Sea waters. Short-tailed Shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris and Tufted Puffins Fratercula cirrhata foraged in transitional waters at the front between Coastal and Bering Sea currents.

  19. Shearwater Foraging in the Southern Ocean: The Roles of Prey Availability and Winds

    PubMed Central

    Raymond, Ben; Shaffer, Scott A.; Sokolov, Serguei; Woehler, Eric J.; Costa, Daniel P.; Einoder, Luke; Hindell, Mark; Hosie, Graham; Pinkerton, Matt; Sagar, Paul M.; Scott, Darren; Smith, Adam; Thompson, David R.; Vertigan, Caitlin; Weimerskirch, Henri

    2010-01-01

    Background Sooty (Puffinus griseus) and short-tailed (P. tenuirostris) shearwaters are abundant seabirds that range widely across global oceans. Understanding the foraging ecology of these species in the Southern Ocean is important for monitoring and ecosystem conservation and management. Methodology/Principal Findings Tracking data from sooty and short-tailed shearwaters from three regions of New Zealand and Australia were combined with at-sea observations of shearwaters in the Southern Ocean, physical oceanography, near-surface copepod distributions, pelagic trawl data, and synoptic near-surface winds. Shearwaters from all three regions foraged in the Polar Front zone, and showed particular overlap in the region around 140°E. Short-tailed shearwaters from South Australia also foraged in Antarctic waters south of the Polar Front. The spatial distribution of shearwater foraging effort in the Polar Front zone was matched by patterns in large-scale upwelling, primary production, and abundances of copepods and myctophid fish. Oceanic winds were found to be broad determinants of foraging distribution, and of the flight paths taken by the birds on long foraging trips to Antarctic waters. Conclusions/Significance The shearwaters displayed foraging site fidelity and overlap of foraging habitat between species and populations that may enhance their utility as indicators of Southern Ocean ecosystems. The results highlight the importance of upwellings due to interactions of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current with large-scale bottom topography, and the corresponding localised increases in the productivity of the Polar Front ecosystem. PMID:20532034

  20. Marine birds and mammals of the Pacific Subarctic Gyres

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Springer, A.M.; Piatt, John F.; Shuntov, V.P.; Van Vliet, Gus B.; Vladimirov, V.L.; Kuzin, A.E.; Perlov, A.S.

    1999-01-01

    The importance of the subarctic gyres of the North Pacific Ocean to marine birds and mammals is poorly known because of a paucity of data spanning appropriate scales of time and space. The little information that is available indicates the western subarctic gyre (WSAG) is more productive than the eastern subarctic gyre (ESAG). In summer the WSAG supports a greater density and higher biomass of seabirds than the ESAG, including at least two species that are more abundant at nesting colonies in the eastern subarctic. Perhaps most revealing of the seabird distributions in this regard is that of southern hemisphere shearwaters (Puffinus spp.) that overwinter in the North Pacific. Their biomass is an order of magnitude greater than that of any northern hemisphere species and is three-fold greater in the WSAG than in the ESAG. Several species of cetaceans also appear to be, or to have been prior to commercial depletions, more abundant in the WSA. Among the many prey species consumed by marine birds and mammals, squids and fishes in the family Myctophidae predominate overall. Other forage species, notably euphausiids, Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) and Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus monopterygius) are important at times to certain species. The principal exceptions to this generalization are baleen whales and small seabirds that consume zooplankton. Interannual and decadal-scale variability in the physical environment and food web production affect seabirds and marine mammals at sea and at coastal breeding locations around the margins of the gyres.

  1. Foods, trophic relationships, and migration of Sooty and Short-tailed Shearwaters associated with squid and large-mesh driftnet fisheries in the North Pacific Ocean

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gould, Patrick J.; Ostrom, Peggy H.; Walker, William

    2000-01-01

    We salvaged dead birds from high seas driftnets in the Central North Pacific Ocean during a study of the impact of high seas driftnet fishing on marine ecosystems. Digestive tract contents and stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in breast muscles of these birds were analyzed to assess the effect of driftnets on the trophic relationships of marine birds. The diets of Sooty (Puffinus griseus) and Short-tailed (P. tenuirostris) Shearwaters associated with high seas driftnets in the transitional region of the North Pacific Ocean overlap broadly. The principal differences between them include 1) Sooties prey more heavily on immature stages of invertebrates, especially the barnacle Lepas fascicularis than do Short-tails, 2) Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) are the primary fish taken by Sooties while lanternfish (Myctophidae) are the primary fish taken by Short-tails, and 3) Sooties take a wider variety of prey than do Short-tails. During the last years of extensive high seas driftnet fishing (early 1990's), both shearwaters augmented their diets with about 15% offal and discards from fishing vessels. Values for stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in breast muscle tissues (δ15N and δ15C) indicate the extent and timing of movements of Sooty Shearwaters: including arrival of migrants from the south Pacific (April-May), east to west movement from the eastern Pacific (May-June), and west to east movement from Japan (August-September). Fall migrant Sooties were not detected. The only movements of Short-tails that we detected were a few south-bound migrants in September-November.

  2. Comparison of five modelling techniques to predict the spatial distribution and abundance of seabirds

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Connell, Allan F.; Gardner, Beth; Oppel, Steffen; Meirinho, Ana; Ramírez, Iván; Miller, Peter I.; Louzao, Maite

    2012-01-01

    Knowledge about the spatial distribution of seabirds at sea is important for conservation. During marine conservation planning, logistical constraints preclude seabird surveys covering the complete area of interest and spatial distribution of seabirds is frequently inferred from predictive statistical models. Increasingly complex models are available to relate the distribution and abundance of pelagic seabirds to environmental variables, but a comparison of their usefulness for delineating protected areas for seabirds is lacking. Here we compare the performance of five modelling techniques (generalised linear models, generalised additive models, Random Forest, boosted regression trees, and maximum entropy) to predict the distribution of Balearic Shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus) along the coast of the western Iberian Peninsula. We used ship transect data from 2004 to 2009 and 13 environmental variables to predict occurrence and density, and evaluated predictive performance of all models using spatially segregated test data. Predicted distribution varied among the different models, although predictive performance varied little. An ensemble prediction that combined results from all five techniques was robust and confirmed the existence of marine important bird areas for Balearic Shearwaters in Portugal and Spain. Our predictions suggested additional areas that would be of high priority for conservation and could be proposed as protected areas. Abundance data were extremely difficult to predict, and none of five modelling techniques provided a reliable prediction of spatial patterns. We advocate the use of ensemble modelling that combines the output of several methods to predict the spatial distribution of seabirds, and use these predictions to target separate surveys assessing the abundance of seabirds in areas of regular use.

  3. Seasonal and distributional patterns of seabirds along the Aleutian Archipelago

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Renner, M.; Hunt, G.L.; Piatt, John F.; Byrd, G.V.

    2008-01-01

    The Aleutian Archipelago is of global importance to seabirds during the northern summer, but little is known about seabird use of these waters during winter. We compare summer and winter abundances of seabirds around 3 islands: Buldir in the western, Kasatochi in the central, and Aiktak in the eastern Aleutians. The density of combined seabird biomass in nearshore marine waters was higher in summer than in winter at Buldir and Kasatochi, but was higher in winter at Aiktak, despite the departure of abundant migratory species. Comparing foraging guilds, we found that only piscivores increased at the western and central sites in winter, whereas at the eastern site several planktivorous species increased as well. The only planktivore remaining in winter at the central and western sites in densities comparable to summer densities was whiskered auklet Aethia pygmaea. Crested auklet Aethia cristatella and thick-billed murre Uria lomvia showed the greatest proportional winter increase at the eastern site. The seasonal patterns of the seabird communities suggest a winter breakdown of the copepod-based food web in the central and western parts of the archipelago, and a system that remains rich in euphausiids in the eastern Aleutians. We suggest that in winter crested auklets take the trophic role that short-tailed shearwaters Puffinus tenuirostris occupy during summer. We hypothesize that advection of euphausiids in the Aleutian North Slope Current is important for supporting the high biomass of planktivores that occupy the Unimak Pass region on a year-round basis. ?? Inter-Research 2008.

  4. Seabird bycatch in Alaska demersal longline fishery trials: a demographic summary

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Phillips, Elizabeth M.; Nevins, HannahRose M.; Hatch, Scott A.; Ramey, Andy M.; Miller, Melissa A.; Harvey, James T.

    2010-01-01

    The seasonal and spatial demographics are summarized for seabirds killed incidentally during gear modification trials for a demersal longline fishery in the Bering Sea. We examined 417 carcasses, including Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis (n = 205), Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens (n = 103), Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris (n = 48), Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus (n = 23), Slaty-backed Gull Larus schistisagus (n = 4), Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla (n = 1), Laysan Albatross Diomedea immutabilis (n = 1), and unidentified gull species Larus spp. (n = 32). There was a significant male bias in the sex ratio of fulmars but not of gulls or shearwaters. For the top three species killed, the age composition of resident species was dominated numerically by adults (Northern Fulmar—86%; Glaucous-winged Gull—63%), whereas migrant species were primarily immature birds (Short-tailed Shearwater—71%). The majority of migratory Short-tailed Shearwaters (88%) were caught in July and August, whereas 70% of resident fulmars and gulls were caught in October and November. Age-class frequencies did not differ by month of capture, indicating that adult mortality is substantial. Eighty percent of the fulmars caught during July and August were within 200 km of two colonies in the Bering Sea, whereas only 7% of fulmars were caught in the same area during September to November. This is one of the first demographic summaries of seabird bycatch in Alaska longline fisheries. Additional studies of the species, age and sex of seabirds subject to fisheries-related mortality will provide data necessary to evaluate population-level impacts.

  5. Spatial variation in egg size of a top predator: Interplay of body size and environmental factors?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Louzao, Maite; Igual, José M.; Genovart, Meritxell; Forero, Manuela G.; Hobson, Keith A.; Oro, Daniel

    2008-09-01

    It is expected that nearby populations are constrained by the same ecological features shaping in turn similarity in their ecological traits. Here, we studied the spatio-temporal variability in egg size among local populations of the critically endangered Balearic shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus, a top marine predator endemic to the western Mediterranean region. Specifically we assessed whether this trait was influenced by maternal body size, as an indicator of a genetic component, and feeding ecology (through stable-carbon and nitrogen-isotope measurements), as an indicator of environmental factors. We found that egg size varied among local populations, an unexpected result at such a small spatial scale. Body size differences at the local population level only partially explained such differences. Blood isotope measurements also differed among local populations. Values of δ 15N suggested inter-population differences in trophic level, showing a similar general pattern with egg size, and suggesting a nutritional link between them whereby egg size was affected by differences in feeding resources and/or behaviour. Values of δ 13C suggested that local populations did not differ in foraging habits with respect to benthic- vs. pelagic-based food-webs. Egg size did not vary among years as did breeding performance, suggesting that a differential temporal window could affect both breeding parameters in relation to food availability. The absence of a relationship between breeding performance and egg size suggested that larger eggs might only confer an advantage during harsh conditions. Alternatively parental quality could greatly affect breeding performance. We showed that inter-population differences in egg size could be influenced by both body size and environmental factors.

  6. Isotopic characterization of flight feathers in two pelagic seabirds: Sampling strategies for ecological studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiley, Anne E.; Ostrom, Peggy H.; Stricker, Craig A.; James, Helen F.; Gandhi, Hasand

    2010-01-01

    We wish to use stable-isotope analysis of flight feathers to understand the feeding behavior of pelagic seabirds, such as the Hawaiian Petrel (Pterodroma sandwichensis) and Newell’s Shearwater (Puffinus auricularis newelli). Analysis of remiges is particularly informative because the sequence and timing of remex molt are often known. The initial step, reported here, is to obtain accurate isotope values from whole remiges by means of a minimally invasive protocol appropriate for live birds or museum specimens. The high variability observed in D13C and D15N values within a feather precludes the use of a small section of vane. We found the average range within 42 Hawaiian Petrel remiges to be 1.3‰ for both D13C and D15N and that within 10 Newell’s Shearwater remiges to be 1.3‰ and 0.7‰ for D13C and D15N, respectively. The D13C of all 52 feathers increased from tip to base, and the majority of Hawaiian Petrel feathers showed an analogous trend in D15N. Although the average range of DD in 21 Hawaiian Petrel remiges was 11‰, we found no longitudinal trend. We discuss influences of trophic level, foraging location, metabolism, and pigmentation on isotope values and compare three methods of obtaining isotope averages of whole feathers. Our novel barb-sampling protocol requires only 1.0 mg of feather and minimal preparation time. Because it leaves the feather nearly intact, this protocol will likely facilitate obtaining isotope values from remiges of live birds and museum specimens. As a consequence, it will help expand the understanding of historical trends in foraging behavior

  7. Breeding short-tailed shearwaters buffer local environmental variability in south-eastern Australia by foraging in Antarctic waters.

    PubMed

    Berlincourt, Maud; Arnould, John P Y

    2015-01-01

    Establishing patterns of movements of free-ranging animals in marine ecosystems is crucial for a better understanding of their feeding ecology, life history traits and conservation. As central place foragers, the habitat use of nesting seabirds is heavily influenced by the resources available within their foraging range. We tested the prediction that during years with lower resource availability, short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris) provisioning chicks should increase their foraging effort, by extending their foraging range and/or duration, both when foraging in neritic (short trips) and distant oceanic waters (long trips). Using both GPS and geolocation data-loggers, at-sea movements and habitat use were investigated over three breeding seasons (2012-14) at two colonies in southeastern Australia. Most individuals performed daily short foraging trips over the study period and inter-annual variations observed in foraging parameters where mainly due to few individuals from Griffith Island, performing 2-day trips in 2014. When performing long foraging trips, this study showed that individuals from both colonies exploited similar zones in the Southern Ocean. The results of this study suggest that individuals could increase their foraging range while exploiting distant feeding zones, which could indicate that short-tailed shearwaters forage in Antarctic waters not only to maintain their body condition but may also do so to buffer against local environmental stochasticity. Lower breeding performances were associated with longer foraging trips to distant oceanic waters in 2013 and 2014 indicating they could mediate reductions in food availability around the breeding colonies by extending their foraging range in the Southern Ocean. This study highlights the importance of foraging flexibility as a fundamental aspect of life history in coastal/pelagic marine central place foragers living in highly variable environments and how these foraging strategies are use to

  8. Comparing Multiple Criteria for Species Identification in Two Recently Diverged Seabirds

    PubMed Central

    Militão, Teresa; Gómez-Díaz, Elena; Kaliontzopoulou, Antigoni; González-Solís, Jacob

    2014-01-01

    Correct species identification is a crucial issue in systematics with key implications for prioritising conservation effort. However, it can be particularly challenging in recently diverged species due to their strong similarity and relatedness. In such cases, species identification requires multiple and integrative approaches. In this study we used multiple criteria, namely plumage colouration, biometric measurements, geometric morphometrics, stable isotopes analysis (SIA) and genetics (mtDNA), to identify the species of 107 bycatch birds from two closely related seabird species, the Balearic (Puffinus mauretanicus) and Yelkouan (P. yelkouan) shearwaters. Biometric measurements, stable isotopes and genetic data produced two stable clusters of bycatch birds matching the two study species, as indicated by reference birds of known origin. Geometric morphometrics was excluded as a species identification criterion since the two clusters were not stable. The combination of plumage colouration, linear biometrics, stable isotope and genetic criteria was crucial to infer the species of 103 of the bycatch specimens. In the present study, particularly SIA emerged as a powerful criterion for species identification, but temporal stability of the isotopic values is critical for this purpose. Indeed, we found some variability in stable isotope values over the years within each species, but species differences explained most of the variance in the isotopic data. Yet this result pinpoints the importance of examining sources of variability in the isotopic data in a case-by-case basis prior to the cross-application of the SIA approach to other species. Our findings illustrate how the integration of several methodological approaches can help to correctly identify individuals from recently diverged species, as each criterion measures different biological phenomena and species divergence is not expressed simultaneously in all biological traits. PMID:25541978

  9. History and status of introduced mammals and impacts to breeding seabirds on the California channel and Northwestern Baja California Islands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McChesney, G.J.; Tershy, B.R.

    1998-01-01

    The California Channel Islands, U.S.A., and Northwestern Baja California Islands, Mexico, host important breeding populations of several seabird species, including the endemic Black-vented Shearwater (Puffinus opisthomelas) and Xantus' Murrelet (Synthliboramphus hypoleucus). Mammals introduced to nearly all of the islands beginning in the late 1800s to early 1900s include: cats (Felis catus), dogs (Canis familiaris), Black Rats (Rattus rattus), rabbits and hares (Leporidae), goats (Capra hirca), sheep (Ovis ones), and other grazers. Cats, dogs and rats are seabird predators, grazers such as goats and sheep cause habitat degredation, and rabbits destroy habitat and compete with hole-nesting seabirds. Cats, which were introduced to at least 19 islands and currently occur on ten islands, have had the greatest impacts on seabirds, including the extinction of the endemic Guadalupe Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma macrodactyla). Cats are known to have eliminated or severely reduced colonies of Black-vented Shearwaters, Cassin's Auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) and Xantus' Murrelets. Black Rats have occurred on a minimum of seven islands and have reduced numbers of small, hole-nesting alcids on at least one island. At many islands, defoliation and erosion caused by rabbits and large grazing mammals has been severe. Their effects on seabirds are not well documented but potentially are serious. Impacts from introduced mammals have been most severe on islands with no native mammalian predators. On the Northwestern Baja California Islands, temporary and permanent human settlements have led to a greater diversity and source of introductions. Programs to remove introduced mammals and to reduce the possibility of future introductions are needed to restore seabird populations and to preserve the biodiversity of the region. Surveys are needed particularly on the Northwestern Baja California Islands to update the status and distribution of seabirds and to further assess impacts from

  10. Radar study of seabirds and bats on windward Hawai'i

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reynolds, M.H.; Cooper, B.A.; Day, Robert H.

    1997-01-01

    Modified marine surveillance radar was used to study the presence/ absence, abundance, and flight activity of four nocturnal species: Hawaiian darkrumped petrel [Pterodroma phaeopygia sandwichensis (Ridgeway)], Newell's shearwater [Puffinus auricularis newelli (Henshaw)], Band-rumped storm-petrel [Oceanodroma castro (Harcourt)], and Hawaiian hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus semotus Sanborn & Crespo). Hawaiian seabirds were recorded flying to or from inland nesting colonies at seven sampling sites on the windward side of the island of Hawai'i. In total, 527 radar "targets" identified as petrel or shearwater-type on the basis of speed, flight behavior, and radar signal strength were observed during eight nights of sampling. Mean movement rates (targets per minute) for seabird targets were 0.1, 0.1, 0.3, 3.8, 0.9, and 2.2 for surveys at Kahakai, Kapoho, Mauna Loa, Pali Uli, Pu'ulena Crater, and Waipi'o Valley, respectively. Two percent of the petrel and shearwater-type targets detected on radar were confirmed visually or aurally. Flight paths for seabird targets showed strong directionality at six sampling sites. Mean flight speed for seabird targets (n = 524) was 61 km/hr for all survey areas. Peak detection times for seabirds were from 0430 to 0530 hours for birds flying to sea and 2000 to 2150 hours for birds returning to colonies. Most inland, low-elevation sampling sites could not be surveyed reliably for seabirds during the evening activity periods because of radar interference from insects and rapidly flying bats. At those inland sites predawn sampling was the best time for using radar to detect Hawaiian seabirds moving seaward. Hawaiian hoary bats were recorded at eight sampling sites. Eighty-six to 89 radar targets that exhibited erratic flight behavior were identified as "batlike" targets; 17% of these batlike radar targets were confirmed visually. Band-rumped storm-petrels were not identified during our surveys.

  11. Marine bird abundance around the Pribilof Islands: A multi-year comparison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jahncke, Jaime; Vlietstra, Lucy S.; Decker, Mary Beth; Hunt, George L., Jr.

    2008-08-01

    We examined trends in the abundance and distribution of 12 species of marine birds around the Pribilof Islands, southeastern Bering Sea, over the period from 1977 to 2004. We contrasted patterns among piscivores and planktivores and related these to known and hypothesized changes in the abundance and distribution of prey in the vicinity of the islands. Planktivorous and piscivorous species of marine birds showed different patterns of abundance over time. Planktivorous seabirds that breed away from the Pribilof Islands (e.g., short-tailed shearwaters [ Puffinus tenuirostris], fork-tailed storm-petrels [ Oceanodroma furcata] and red phalaropes [ Phalaropus fulicarius]) were scarce in the 1970s, were abundant in the 1980s, and declined in abundance in the 1990s and from 1999 to 2004. Planktivorous alcids combined (parakeet [ Aethia psittacula], crested [ A. cristatella] and least [ A. pusilla]) that breed on the Pribilof Islands showed a similar remarkable four-fold increase from the 1970s to the 1980s, but then a small increase into the 1990s followed by a rapid decline in the 2000s to numbers similar to those present during the 1970s. The abundance of piscivores kittiwakes ( Rissa spp.) and murres ( Una spp.) was high in the 1970s and declined through the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In 1999 and 2004, the total number of all seabirds at sea around the Pribilof Islands was well below the numbers seen at any other survey period. We hypothesize that changes in the abundances and types of seabirds present through time reflect changes in the structure of the marine ecosystem of the eastern Bering Sea shelf. We suggest that changes in pathways of energy flow may be responsible for these shifts, though the possibility that there has been a reduction in productivity cannot be ruled out given the scarcity of available data.

  12. Costs and benefits of trap-neuter-release and euthanasia for removal of urban cats in Oahu, Hawaii.

    PubMed

    Lohr, Cheryl A; Cox, Linda J; Lepczyk, Christopher A

    2013-02-01

    Our goal was to determine whether it is more cost-effective to control feral cat abundance with trap-neuter-release programs or trap and euthanize programs. Using STELLA 7, systems modeling software, we modeled changes over 30 years in abundance of cats in a feral colony in response to each management method and the costs and benefits associated with each method . We included costs associated with providing food, veterinary care, and microchips to the colony cats and the cost of euthanasia, wages, and trapping equipment in the model. Due to a lack of data on predation rates and disease transmission by feral cats the only benefits incorporated into the analyses were reduced predation on Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus). When no additional domestic cats were abandoned by owners and the trap and euthanize program removed 30,000 cats in the first year, the colony was extirpated in at least 75% of model simulations within the second year. It took 30 years for trap-neuter-release to extirpate the colony. When the cat population was supplemented with 10% of the initial population size per year, the colony returned to carrying capacity within 6 years and the trap and euthanize program had to be repeated, whereas trap-neuter-release never reduced the number of cats to near zero within the 30-year time frame of the model. The abandonment of domestic cats reduced the cost effectiveness of both trap-neuter-release and trap and euthanize. Trap-neuter-release was approximately twice as expensive to implement as a trap and euthanize program. Results of sensitivity analyses suggested trap-neuter-release programs that employ volunteers are still less cost-effective than trap and euthanize programs that employ paid professionals and that trap-neuter-release was only effective when the total number of colony cats in an area was below 1000. Reducing the rate of abandonment of domestic cats appears to be a more effective solution for reducing the abundance of feral cats.

  13. Identifying Important Atlantic Areas for the conservation of Balearic shearwaters: Spatial overlap with conservation areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pérez-Roda, Amparo; Delord, Karine; Boué, Amélie; Arcos, José Manuel; García, David; Micol, Thierry; Weimerskirch, Henri; Pinaud, David; Louzao, Maite

    2017-07-01

    Marine protected areas (MPAs) are considered one of the main tools in both fisheries and conservation management to protect threatened species and their habitats around the globe. However, MPAs are underrepresented in marine environments compared to terrestrial environments. Within this context, we studied the Atlantic non-breeding distribution of the southern population of Balearic shearwaters (Puffinus mauretanicus) breeding in Eivissa during the 2011-2012 period based on global location sensing (GLS) devices. Our objectives were (1) to identify overall Important Atlantic Areas (IAAs) from a southern population, (2) to describe spatio-temporal patterns of oceanographic habitat use, and (3) to assess whether existing conservation areas (Natura 2000 sites and marine Important Bird Areas (IBAs)) cover the main IAAs of Balearic shearwaters. Our results highlighted that the Atlantic staging (from June to October in 2011) dynamic of the southern population was driven by individual segregation at both spatial and temporal scales. Individuals ranged in the North-East Atlantic over four main IAAs (Bay of Biscay: BoB, Western Iberian shelf: WIS, Gulf of Cadiz: GoC, West of Morocco: WoM). While most individuals spent more time on the WIS or in the GoC, a small number of birds visited IAAs at the extremes of their Atlantic distribution range (i.e., BoB and WoM). The chronology of the arrivals to the IAAs showed a latitudinal gradient with northern areas reached earlier during the Atlantic staging. The IAAs coincided with the most productive areas (higher chlorophyll a values) in the NE Atlantic between July and October. The spatial overlap between IAAs and conservation areas was higher for Natura 2000 sites than marine IBAs (areas with and without legal protection, respectively). Concerning the use of these areas, a slightly higher proportion of estimated positions fell within marine IBAs compared to designated Natura 2000 sites, with Spanish and Portuguese conservation

  14. Mercury, selenium, cadmium and organochlorines in eggs of three Hawaiian seabird species

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ohlendorf, H.M.; Harrison, C.S.

    1986-01-01

    Eggs of three representative species of seabirds (wedge-tailed shearwater Puffinus pacificus; red-footed booby Sula sula; and sooty tern Sterna fuscata) were collected in 1980 to determined differences in heavy metal, Se, and organochlorine residues among species nesting in the Hawaiian Archipelago and among the four nesting sites sampled (Oahu, French Frigate Shoals, Laysan, and Midway). Hg and Se were present in all eggs analysed, but Cd was not detected. Hg was usually highest in booby eggs, and there was a southeast-to-northeast trend toward higher concetrations in this species; booby eggs from Midway contained the highest mean concentration of Hg (0?36 :g g-1, wet weight). Se consistently occurred at lowest concentrations in booby eggs. When Se and Hg concentrations were expressed as nanomoles per gram, Se constituted 94?96% of the combined total at each location for shearwater and tern eggs. In booby eggs, the proportion as Se declined significantly (' = 0?05) from Oahu (93?4%) westward to Midway (85?9%). Although DDT occurred in most of the shearwater eggs from each site, it was not found in booby or tern eggs. DDE occured in all eggs, but mean concentrations did not exceed 0?6 :g g-1. DDE concentrations were higher in eggs from the two south-eastern nesting sites and were consistently highest in shearwater eggs. PCBs were found in most of the shearwater and booby eggs, but were not detected in tern eggs. Other organochlorines usually occurred more frequently in eggs of shearwaters than in other species. The only exception were '-HCH and HCB, which occurred more frequently in booby eggs. Kepone, heptachlor epoxide, chlordane compounds, and toxaphene were not detected. Differences in residue concentrations seem to reflect differences in diets and seasonal movements of the birds, and perhaps other factors such as atmospheric and oceanic transport of chemicals and physiological differences among the species.

  15. Bio-Physical Coupling of Seabirds and Prey with a Dynamic River Plume

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillips, E. M.; Horne, J. K.; Zamon, J. E.; Adams, J.

    2016-02-01

    Freshwater plumes and plume density fronts are important regions of bio-physical coupling. On the west coast of North America, discharge from the Columbia River into the northern California Current creates a large, dynamic plume and multiple plume fronts. These nutrient-rich, productive waters fuel primary and secondary production, supporting a wide variety of small pelagic prey fish, large populations of Pacific salmon, seabirds, and marine mammals. To determine the influence of the Columbia River plume on marine predators, we analyzed at-sea seabird counts, in situ environmental data, surface trawl densities of prey fish, and acoustic backscatter measurements collected from research vessels in May and June 2010-2012. Concurrent distribution patterns of satellite-tagged sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) and common murres (Uria aalge) were compared with seabird counts from ship surveys. To evaluate plume use by satellite-tagged birds, daily surface salinity values from SELFE hindcast models were extracted at each tag location. Both seabird species occurred in plume waters disproportionate to the total surveyed area, concentrating in the river plume when river flow and plume volume decreased. Murres were consistently within 20 km of the geographic mean center of the river plume. In contrast, shearwaters consistently occurred 100 km to the north of the plume center, where high densities of prey fish occur. Although acoustically detected prey also occurred in greater densities within the plume when volume decreased, surface catches of prey in the plume did not vary with changing plume conditions. Geographic indices of colocation (GIC) were low between murres and prey species caught in surface trawls, whereas GICs were >0.5 between shearwaters and prey species including squid (Loligo opalescens), juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and coho (O. kisutch) salmon. We conclude that the river plume and associated fronts are identifiable, predictable, and

  16. Association between insight, cognitive insight, positive symptoms and violence in patients with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Ekinci, Okan; Ekinci, Asli

    2013-04-01

    Violence is a significant clinical and public concern and is a frequent occurrence in patients with schizophrenia. The relationship between insight and violence remains controversial. In addition, there is a lack of research on insight, cognitive insight, demographic and psychopathologic variables in violent versus nonviolent schizophrenia patients. We aimed to compare insight, cognitive insight, psychopathological and demographic variables in violent and nonviolent subjects suffering from schizophrenia. In addition, we aimed to determine the demographic and clinical predictors of violent behaviour in patients with schizophrenia. We recruited 133 schizophrenic patients without concomitant substance abuse or axis II disorder. Diagnoses were based on the SCID-I and SCID-II. Violent behaviours were assessed using the Overt Aggression Scale. Insight and cognitive insight were assessed with the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, respectively. We compared 47 patients with violent schizophrenia with 86 nonviolent patients. Non-violent patients had more severe depression, lower scores on positive symptoms, better clinical insight, more self-reflectivity and higher R-C index scores than did violent patients. In addition, history of violence, lower self-reflectiveness, worse clinical insight and delusion severity were significant predictors of violence in schizophrenia. The present study suggests that the inclusion of insight and cognitive insight may increase the prediction of violence in this population. In addition, clinicians should consider using non-pharmacological techniques that are based on cognitive behaviour therapy and enhance insight, particularly cognitive insight, among patients with schizophrenia who exhibit violent behaviour.

  17. Kohler's Insight Revisited.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Windholtz, George

    1985-01-01

    Psychology textbooks frequently present Wolfgang Kohler's two-stick experiment with chimpanzees as having demonstrated insight in learning. Studies that replicated Kohler's work support his findings but not his interpretation in terms of insightful solution. The uncritical inclusion of Kohler's insight interpretation in texts is not warranted in…

  18. Theory of mind correlates with clinical insight but not cognitive insight in patients with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Qi; Li, Xu; Parker, Giverny J; Hong, Xiao-Hong; Wang, Yi; Lui, Simon S Y; Neumann, David L; Cheung, Eric F C; Shum, David H K; Chan, Raymond C K

    2016-03-30

    Research on the relationship between insight and social cognition, in particular Theory of Mind (ToM), in schizophrenia has yielded mixed findings to date. Very few studies, however, have assessed both clinical insight and cognitive insight when examining their relationships with ToM in schizophrenia. The current study thus investigated the relationship between clinical insight, cognitive insight, and ToM in a sample of 56 patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls. Twenty-seven patients were classified as low in clinical insight according to their scores on the 'insight' item (G12) of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Moreover, cognitive insight and ToM were assessed with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and the Yoni task, respectively. The results indicated that patients with poor clinical insight performed worse on tasks of second-order cognitive and affective ToM, while the ToM performance of patients with high clinical insight was equivalent to that of healthy controls. Furthermore, while clinical insight was correlated with ToM and clinical symptoms, cognitive insight did not correlate with clinical insight, ToM, or clinical symptoms. Clinical insight thus appears to be an important factor related to ToM in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Insight in first-episode psychosis.

    PubMed

    McEvoy, Joseph P; Johnson, Jackie; Perkins, Diana; Lieberman, Jeffrey A; Hamer, Robert M; Keefe, Richard S E; Tohen, Mauricio; Glick, Ira D; Sharma, Tonmoy

    2006-10-01

    We report here a study examining the relationships between insight and psychopathology, cognitive performance, brain volume and co-morbid depression in 251 patients experiencing a first episode of psychosis, who were then randomly assigned to 2 years of double-blind treatment with either olanzapine or haloperidol. Repeated measures of insight were obtained at baseline and 12, 24, 52 and 104 weeks by the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ). Older age, female gender and white ethnicity were associated with more insight. Higher total, positive, negative and general psychopathology scores on the Positive and Negative Syndromes Scale (PANSS) were associated with less insight. Higher depression scores were associated with more insight. Better neurocognitive function and large brain volumes were associated with more insight. More insight throughout the study was associated with longer time to medication non-adherence. However, baseline insight was not significantly related to the probability of discontinuing the study before 2 years. Insight improved significantly over the course of the study, but the improvement in insight was not significantly different between the two antipsychotic treatment groups. Multiple factors contribute to insight. Patients experiencing a first episode of psychosis who have little insight are at increased risk of discontinuing their medication.

  20. InSight Encapsulation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-16

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander is encapsulated in its payload fairing. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  1. Insight Is Not in the Problem: Investigating Insight in Problem Solving across Task Types.

    PubMed

    Webb, Margaret E; Little, Daniel R; Cropper, Simon J

    2016-01-01

    The feeling of insight in problem solving is typically associated with the sudden realization of a solution that appears obviously correct (Kounios et al., 2006). Salvi et al. (2016) found that a solution accompanied with sudden insight is more likely to be correct than a problem solved through conscious and incremental steps. However, Metcalfe (1986) indicated that participants would often present an inelegant but plausible (wrong) answer as correct with a high feeling of warmth (a subjective measure of closeness to solution). This discrepancy may be due to the use of different tasks or due to different methods in the measurement of insight (i.e., using a binary vs. continuous scale). In three experiments, we investigated both findings, using many different problem tasks (e.g., Compound Remote Associates, so-called classic insight problems, and non-insight problems). Participants rated insight-related affect (feelings of Aha-experience, confidence, surprise, impasse, and pleasure) on continuous scales. As expected we found that, for problems designed to elicit insight, correct solutions elicited higher proportions of reported insight in the solution compared to non-insight solutions; further, correct solutions elicited stronger feelings of insight compared to incorrect solutions.

  2. Insight Is Not in the Problem: Investigating Insight in Problem Solving across Task Types

    PubMed Central

    Webb, Margaret E.; Little, Daniel R.; Cropper, Simon J.

    2016-01-01

    The feeling of insight in problem solving is typically associated with the sudden realization of a solution that appears obviously correct (Kounios et al., 2006). Salvi et al. (2016) found that a solution accompanied with sudden insight is more likely to be correct than a problem solved through conscious and incremental steps. However, Metcalfe (1986) indicated that participants would often present an inelegant but plausible (wrong) answer as correct with a high feeling of warmth (a subjective measure of closeness to solution). This discrepancy may be due to the use of different tasks or due to different methods in the measurement of insight (i.e., using a binary vs. continuous scale). In three experiments, we investigated both findings, using many different problem tasks (e.g., Compound Remote Associates, so-called classic insight problems, and non-insight problems). Participants rated insight-related affect (feelings of Aha-experience, confidence, surprise, impasse, and pleasure) on continuous scales. As expected we found that, for problems designed to elicit insight, correct solutions elicited higher proportions of reported insight in the solution compared to non-insight solutions; further, correct solutions elicited stronger feelings of insight compared to incorrect solutions. PMID:27725805

  3. InSight Encapsulation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-16

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers encapsulate NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander in its payload fairing. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  4. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Stu Spath, InSight program manager, Lockheed Martin Space, left, and Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager, NASA JPL, discuss NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  5. Impaired insight into illness and cognitive insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Resting state functional connectivity

    PubMed Central

    Gerretsen, Philip; Menon, Mahesh; Mamo, David C.; Fervaha, Gagan; Remington, Gary; Pollock, Bruce G.; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel

    2015-01-01

    Background Impaired insight into illness (clinical insight) in schizophrenia has negative effects on treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Schizophrenia is described as a disorder of disrupted brain connectivity. In line with this concept, resting state networks (RSNs) appear differentially affected in persons with schizophrenia. Therefore, impaired clinical, or the related construct of cognitive insight (which posits that impaired clinical insight is a function of metacognitive deficits), may reflect alterations in RSN functional connectivity (fc). Based on our previous research, which showed that impaired insight into illness was associated with increased left hemisphere volume relative to right, we hypothesized that impaired clinical insight would be associated with increased connectivity in the DMN with specific left hemisphere brain regions. Methods Resting state MRI scans were acquired for participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (n = 20). Seed-to-voxel and ROI-to-ROI fc analyses were performed using the CONN-fMRI fc toolbox v13 for established RSNs. Clinical and cognitive insight were measured with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight—Expanded Version and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, respectively, and included as the regressors in fc analyses. Results As hypothesized, impaired clinical insight was associated with increased connectivity in the default mode network (DMN) with the left angular gyrus, and also in the self-referential network (SRN) with the left insula. Cognitive insight was associated with increased connectivity in the dorsal attention network (DAN) with the right inferior frontal cortex (IFC) and left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Conclusion Increased connectivity in DMN and SRN with the left angular gyrus and insula, respectively, may represent neural correlates of impaired clinical insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and is consistent with the literature attributing impaired insight to left

  6. Proofs that Develop Insight

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weber, Keith

    2010-01-01

    Many mathematics educators have noted that mathematicians do not only read proofs to gain conviction but also to obtain insight. The goal of this article is to discuss what this insight is from mathematicians' perspective. Based on interviews with nine research-active mathematicians, two sources of insight are discussed. The first is reading a…

  7. Top-down and bottom-up factors affecting seabird population trends in the California current system (1985-2006)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ainley, David G.; David Hyrenbach, K.

    2010-03-01

    To characterize the environmental factors affecting seabird population trends in the central portion of the California current system (CCS), we analyzed standardized vessel-based surveys collected during the late spring (May-June) upwelling season over 22 yr (1985-2006). We tested the working hypothesis that population trends are related to species-specific foraging ecology, and predicted that temporal variation in population size should be most extreme in diving species with higher energy expenditure during foraging. We related variation in individual species abundance (number km -2) to seasonally lagged (late winter, early spring, late spring) and concurrent ocean conditions, and to long-term trends (using a proxy variable: year) during a multi-decadal period of major fluctuations in the El Niño-Southern oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO). We considered both remote (Multivariate ENSO Index, PDO) and local (coastal upwelling indices and sea-surface temperature) environmental variables as proxies for ocean productivity and prey availability. We also related seabird trends to those of potentially major trophic competitors, humpback ( Megaptera novaeangliae) and blue ( Balaenoptera musculus) whales, which increased in number 4-5-fold midway during our study. Cyclical oscillations in seabird abundance were apparent in the black-footed albatross ( Phoebastria nigripes), and decreasing trends were documented for ashy storm-petrel ( Oceanodroma homochroa), pigeon guillemot ( Cepphus columbus), rhinoceros auklet ( Cerorhinca monocerata), Cassin’s auklet ( Ptychoramphus aleuticus), and western gull ( Larus occidentalis); the sooty shearwater ( Puffinus griseus), exhibited a marked decline before signs of recovery at the end of the study period. The abundance of nine other focal species varied with ocean conditions, but without decadal or long-term trends. Six of these species have the largest global populations in the CCS, and four are highly

  8. Marine bird aggregations associated with the tidally-driven plume and plume fronts of the Columbia River

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zamon, Jeannette E.; Phillips, Elizabeth M.; Guy, Troy J.

    2014-09-01

    Freshwater discharge from large rivers into the coastal ocean creates tidally-driven frontal systems known to enhance mixing, primary production, and secondary production. Many authors suggest that tidal plume fronts increase energy flow to fish-eating predators by attracting planktivorous fishes to feed on plankton aggregated by the fronts. However, few studies of plume fronts directly examine piscivorous predator response to plume fronts. Our work examined densities of piscivorous seabirds relative to the plume region and plume fronts of the Columbia River, USA. Common murres (Uria aalge) and sooty shearwaters (Puffinus griseus) composed 83% of all birds detected on mesoscale surveys of the Washington and Oregon coasts (June 2003-2006), and 91.3% of all birds detected on fine scale surveys of the plume region less than 40 km from the river mouth (May 2003 and 2006). Mesoscale comparisons showed consistently more predators in the central plume area compared to the surrounding marine area (murres: 10.1-21.5 vs. 3.4-8.2 birds km-2; shearwaters: 24.2-75.1 vs. 11.8-25.9 birds km-2). Fine scale comparisons showed that murre density in 2003 and shearwater density in both 2003 and 2006 were significantly elevated in the tidal plume region composed of the most recently discharged river water. Murres tended to be more abundant on the north face of the plume. In May 2003, more murres and shearwaters were found within 3 km of the front on any given transect, although maximum bird density was not necessarily found in the same location as the front itself. Predator density on a given transect was not correlated with frontal strength in either year. The high bird densities we observed associated with the tidal plume demonstrate that the turbid Columbia River plume does not necessarily provide fish with refuge from visual predators. Bird predation in the plume region may therefore impact early marine survival of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), which must migrate through the

  9. PV Calibration Insights | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    PV Calibration Insights PV Calibration Insights The Photovoltaic (PV) Calibration Insights blog will provide updates on the testing done by the NREL PV Device Performance group. This NREL research group measures the performance of any and all technologies and sizes of PV devices from around the world

  10. Insight in schizophrenia: a review.

    PubMed

    Dam, Jesper

    2006-01-01

    The issue of insight in schizophrenia must be assumed to be one of the most important aspects of the clinical examination. Comprehensive studies have shown that between 50% and 80% of all patients suffering from schizophrenia do not believe that they have a disorder. In recent years, poor insight in schizophrenia has been the subject of increasing interest, as manifested in a number of studies discussed in the present review. Some of these studies focus on insight correlated to various parameters such as psychopathology, neuropsychology, clinical relevance and compliance. Other studies refer to more theoretical implications, among these the issue of defining the concept of insight: whether insight can be seen as a "primary" phenomenon in schizophrenia, and whether insight may be graduated, dimensioned or increased. Several authors have developed rating scales in an attempt to obtain a measure for the degree or dimension of insight. Here, the range of parameters employed gives an excellent impression of the complexity of the concept of insight. In the concluding discussion, a phenomenological aspect is brought in, in an attempt to place the concept of insight in relation to disturbances of the self in schizophrenia and to primary symptoms in schizophrenia, amongst these autism.

  11. Cognitive insight: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Van Camp, L S C; Sabbe, B G C; Oldenburg, J F E

    2017-07-01

    Cognitive insight is the ability to re-evaluate thoughts and beliefs in order to make thoughtful conclusions. It differs from clinical insight, as it focuses on more general metacognitive processes. Therefore, it could be relevant to diverse disorders and non-clinical subjects. There is a growing body of research on cognitive insight in individuals with and without psychosis. This review has summarised the current state of the art regarding this topic. We conclude that while cognitive insight in its current form seems valid for use in individuals with psychosis, it is less so for individuals without psychosis. Additionally, higher cognitive insight not always leads to better psychological functioning. For instance, higher levels of self-reflection are often associated with depressive mood. We therefore recommend the sub-components of cognitive insight to be studied separately. Also, it is unclear what position cognitive insight takes within the spectrum of metacognitive processes and how it relates to other self-related concepts that have been defined previously in literature. Combining future and past research on cognitive insight and its analogue concepts will help in the formation of a uniform definition that fits all subjects discussed here. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Stu Spath, InSight program manager, Lockheed Martin Space, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  13. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Tom Hoffman, InSight project manager, NASA JPL, right, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  14. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator, NASA JPL, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  15. Dreaming and insight

    PubMed Central

    Edwards, Christopher L.; Ruby, Perrine M.; Malinowski, Josie E.; Bennett, Paul D.; Blagrove, Mark T.

    2013-01-01

    This paper addresses claims that dreams can be a source of personal insight. Whereas there has been anecdotal backing for such claims, there is now tangential support from findings of the facilitative effect of sleep on cognitive insight, and of REM sleep in particular on emotional memory consolidation. Furthermore, the presence in dreams of metaphorical representations of waking life indicates the possibility of novel insight as an emergent feature of such metaphorical mappings. In order to assess whether personal insight can occur as a result of the consideration of dream content, 11 dream group discussion sessions were conducted which followed the Ullman Dream Appreciation technique, one session for each of 11 participants (10 females, 1 male; mean age = 19.2 years). Self-ratings of deepened self-perception and personal gains from participation in the group sessions showed that the Ullman technique is an effective procedure for establishing connections between dream content and recent waking life experiences, although wake life sources were found for only 14% of dream report text. The mean Exploration-Insight score on the Gains from Dream Interpretation questionnaire was very high and comparable to outcomes from the well-established Hill (1996) therapist-led dream interpretation method. This score was associated between-subjects with pre-group positive Attitude Toward Dreams (ATD). The need to distinguish “aha” experiences as a result of discovering a waking life source for part of a dream, from “aha” experiences of personal insight as a result of considering dream content, is discussed. Difficulties are described in designing a control condition to which the dream report condition can be compared. PMID:24550849

  16. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Social media guest listen as Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator, NASA JPL, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  17. InSight Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers position NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  18. InSight Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    Encapsulated in its payload fairing NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander is prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  19. InSight Battery Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-20

    In the gantry at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a technician prepares batteries for installation in NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  20. InSight Battery Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-20

    In the gantry at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers prepare batteries for installation in NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  1. InSight Liftoff

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-05

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. Liftoff was at 4:05 a.m. PDT (7:05 a.m. EDT). The spacecraft will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created.

  2. InSight Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a crane is used to lift NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  3. Recent Neurobiological Insights into the Concept of Insight in Psychosis

    PubMed Central

    Mythri, Starlin Vijay; Sanjay, Y

    2016-01-01

    The concept of insight in psychosis has been an interesting area in clinical psychiatry for well over a century with a surge in research interest over the past 25 years. Moreover, the past 5 years have been particularly fruitful in deciphering its neurobiological underpinnings. This article presents the development of the concept of insight in psychosis and reviews the current neurobiological research findings in this area. PMID:27335512

  4. InSight Spacecraft Arrival

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft arrives at the Astrotech processing facility. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  5. InSight Launch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-05

    The NASA InSight spacecraft launches onboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas-V rocket, Saturday, May 5, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  6. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket is seen with NASA's InSight spacecraft onboard, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  7. InSight Liftoff

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-05

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, carrying NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. Liftoff was at 4:05 a.m. PDT (7:05 a.m. EDT). The spacecraft will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created.

  8. The Association of Insight and Change in Insight with Clinical Symptoms in Depressed Inpatients.

    PubMed

    He, Hongbo; Chang, Qing; Ma, Yarong

    2018-04-25

    Lack of insight has been extensively studied and was found to be adversely correlated with impaired treatment compliance and worse long term clinical outcomes among patients with schizophrenia, while not much is known about this phenonmenon in patients with severe depression. To explore the correlates of insight and its relation to symptom changes among the most seriously ill patients with affective disorders, those who require hospitalization. Patients hospitalized in a large psychiatric hospital in south China with either major depressive disorder (MDD)(N=55) or bipolar depression (BD) (N=85) based on ICD-10 diagnostic criteria were assessed with the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ) one week after admission and at the time of discharge. Clinical symptoms were measured at the same time with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the Depression subscale of the Symptom Check list-90 (SCL-90). Length of stay (LOS), duration of illness, duration of untreated mood disorder, number of previous episodes of depression and previous admissions for depression were documented during interviews with patients and their families and from a review of medical records. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relationship of sociodemographic characteristics, clinical symptomatology and clinical history, to insight at the time of admission. The relationships between change in clinical symptoms and change in insight from admission to discharge were also examined. Stepwise multiple regression models suggested that any previous admissions for depression and higher anxiety factor scores on the HAMD-17 are significant independent predictors of insight accounting for 22.9% of the variance. Multiple regression analysis residual change scores (change scores adjusted for baseline values) on the ITAQ showed that improved insight over average stays of 51 days were inversely related to the residual psychomotor

  9. The Association of Insight and Change in Insight with Clinical Symptoms in Depressed Inpatients

    PubMed Central

    HE, Hongbo; CHANG, Qing; MA, Yarong

    2018-01-01

    Background Lack of insight has been extensively studied and was found to be adversely correlated with impaired treatment compliance and worse long term clinical outcomes among patients with schizophrenia, while not much is known about this phenonmenon in patients with severe depression. Aim To explore the correlates of insight and its relation to symptom changes among the most seriously ill patients with affective disorders, those who require hospitalization. Methods Patients hospitalized in a large psychiatric hospital in south China with either major depressive disorder (MDD)(N=55) or bipolar depression (BD) (N=85) based on ICD-10 diagnostic criteria were assessed with the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire (ITAQ) one week after admission and at the time of discharge. Clinical symptoms were measured at the same time with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) and the Depression subscale of the Symptom Check list-90 (SCL-90). Length of stay (LOS), duration of illness, duration of untreated mood disorder, number of previous episodes of depression and previous admissions for depression were documented during interviews with patients and their families and from a review of medical records. Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relationship of sociodemographic characteristics, clinical symptomatology and clinical history, to insight at the time of admission. The relationships between change in clinical symptoms and change in insight from admission to discharge were also examined. Results Stepwise multiple regression models suggested that any previous admissions for depression and higher anxiety factor scores on the HAMD-17 are significant independent predictors of insight accounting for 22.9% of the variance. Multiple regression analysis residual change scores (change scores adjusted for baseline values) on the ITAQ showed that improved insight over average stays of 51 days were inversely related to the

  10. InSight Spacecraft Arrival

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    After arrival at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ground crews prepare NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft for transportation to the Astrotech processing facility. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the deep interior of Mars. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  11. Genetic correlates of insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Xavier, Rose Mary; Vorderstrasse, Allison; Keefe, Richard S E; Dungan, Jennifer R

    2018-05-01

    Insight in schizophrenia is clinically important as it is associated with several adverse outcomes. Genetic contributions to insight are unknown. We examined genetic contributions to insight by investigating if polygenic risk scores (PRS) and candidate regions were associated with insight. Schizophrenia case-only analysis of the Clinical Antipsychotics Trials of Intervention Effectiveness trial. Schizophrenia PRS was constructed using Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) leave-one out GWAS as discovery data set. For candidate regions, we selected 105 schizophrenia-associated autosomal loci and 11 schizophrenia-related oligodendrocyte genes. We used regressions to examine PRS associations and set-based testing for candidate analysis. We examined data from 730 subjects. Best-fit PRS at p-threshold of 1e-07 was associated with total insight (R 2 =0.005, P=0.05, empirical P=0.054) and treatment insight (R 2 =0.005, P=0.048, empirical P=0.048). For models that controlled for neurocognition, PRS significantly predicted treatment insight but at higher p-thresholds (0.1 to 0.5) but did not survive correction. Patients with highest polygenic burden had 5.9 times increased risk for poor insight compared to patients with lowest burden. PRS explained 3.2% (P=0.002, empirical P=0.011) of variance in poor insight. Set-based analyses identified two variants associated with poor insight- rs320703, an intergenic variant (within-set P=6e-04, FDR P=0.046) and rs1479165 in SOX2-OT (within-set P=9e-04, FDR P=0.046). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study examining genetic basis of insight. We provide evidence for genetic contributions to impaired insight. Relevance of findings and necessity for replication are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. [Insight, neurocognition and psychopathology in schizophrenia].

    PubMed

    Gil, D; Bengochea, R; Arrieta, M; Alvarez, A; Sánchez, R; Diego, M

    2006-01-01

    In recent years, research has been aimed at finding variables mediating between neurocognition and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia, proposing insight as one of these variables. Some authors have found associations between insight and functional outcome, and between insight and symptomatology, although these associations remain unclear. These different findings could be explained by the insight definition used. The current study evaluates insight unidimensionally and multidimensionally and studies its relationship with cognitive and psychopathological variables. The sample consisted of 94 subjects admitted to an outpatient Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program, all diagnosed of schizophrenia according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. A brief version of the Neuropsychology Battery Test Barcelona and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were used to evaluate cognitive variables. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to evaluate psychopathology. Insight was assessed with the PANSS item ((lack of judgment and insight)), and with a semi-structured interview. Two insight factors were found, one including more specific knowledge about the disease and its consequences (cognitive factor), that is related to executive functions, and another referring to unspecific knowledge about suffering from an illness and the need for treatment (psychotic factor). Each factor was statistically related to positive symptoms and superior cognitive functions. These findings support a relationship between insight and low cognitive performance.

  13. Insight and psychopathology in never-treated schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Tirupati, Srinivasan; Padmavati, Raman; Thara, Rangaswamy; McCreadie, Robin G

    2007-01-01

    Insight is a feature of schizophrenia related to psychopathology, which could be modified by treatment. The real relationship will be more evident in the never-treated state. This study compared insight and its relationship to psychopathology in 143 never-treated patients with chronic schizophrenia with 183 treated patients. The treated patients had not received any structured intervention for improvement of insight. The item on insight and judgment from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for schizophrenia was used as a measure of insight. Never-treated patients were more ill and poorer in insight than the TT group. Sex, age, duration of illness, negative symptoms related to insight only in the TT group. Positive symptoms score correlated with insight in both the groups, but negative symptoms correlated with insight only among the treated patients. Delusions, uncooperativeness, and poor attention predicted 27% of variation in the level of insight in the never-treated, whereas age; duration of illness; and symptoms of emotional withdrawal, difficulty in abstract thinking, and uncooperativeness predicted 30.3% of variation in insight of the TT group. The observed differences between the never-treated and treated subjects were due to influence of treatment on the association between insight and psychopathology. A subgroup of patients with a treatment-resistant trait of negative symptoms associated with poor insight was hypothesized.

  14. InSight Prelaunch Overview

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Members of the media and social media participants attended the NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, prelaunch briefing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The presentation focused on InSight Mars lander. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018, atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg. The spacecraft will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface studying the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes.

  15. InSight Spacecraft Arrival

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    After a U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, ground crews offload NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  16. InSight Spacecraft Arrival

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    A U.S. Air Force C-17 aircraft arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  17. InSight Media Day Preparation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-05

    NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, is in a clean room inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight is scheduled for liftoff on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  18. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-04

    A heavy fog rolls in as the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket with NASA's InSight spacecraft onboard awaits launch, Friday, May 4, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  19. Psychiatrists' accounts of insight.

    PubMed

    Galasinski, Dariusz; Opalinski, Konrad

    2012-11-01

    Our main aim was to examine how insight into schizophrenia is discursively represented in psychiatrists' accounts, how these accounts relate to the current psychiatric literature on insight, and their potential clinical consequences. The article is anchored in the constructionist view of discourse and is based on nine semistructured interviews with specialist psychiatrists. We discuss three dimensions of insight into schizophrenia in the data we collected: a sense of illness, criticism, and readiness to receive treatment. We argue that they are embodiments of the dominant medical perspective in the relations between patients and physicians. Whereas in the former two it is possessing and accepting psychiatric knowledge which constitutes having insight, in the latter it is unquestioning acceptance and trust in whatever treatment the doctor deems fit to administer. We conclude with a discussion of medicalization of experience of mental illness, which appears to be the preferred mode of patient narrative for psychiatrists.

  20. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    Encapsulated in its payload fairing NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  1. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-04

    NASA social media attendees pose for a group photograph in front of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket with NASA's InSight spacecraft onboard, Friday, May 4, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  2. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-04

    The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket with the NASA InSight spacecraft onboard is seen shortly after the mobile service tower was rolled back, Friday, May 4, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  3. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-04

    The mobile service tower at SLC-3 is rolled back to reveal the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket with the NASA InSight spacecraft onboard, Friday, May 4, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  4. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-05

    The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket with the NASA InSight spacecraft onboard is seen shortly after the mobile service tower was rolled back, Friday, May 4, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  5. InSight Media Day Preparation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-05

    NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, is in a clean room inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft's protective heat shield is in view at right. InSight is scheduled for liftoff on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  6. InSight Media Day Preparation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-05

    NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, at right, is in a clean room inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft's protective heat shield is in view at left. InSight is scheduled for liftoff on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  7. InSight Media Day Preparation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-05

    NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, is in a clean room inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The spacecraft's protective heat shield is in view at left. InSight is scheduled for liftoff on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  8. Approaching the Distinction between Intuition and Insight.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Zhonglu; Lei, Yi; Li, Hong

    2016-01-01

    Intuition and insight share similar cognitive and neural basis. Though, there are still some essential differences between the two. Here in this short review, we discriminated between intuition, and insight in two aspects. First, intuition, and insight are toward different aspects of information processing. Whereas intuition involves judgment about "yes or no," insight is related to "what" is the solution. Second, tacit knowledge play different roles in between intuition and insight. On the one hand, tacit knowledge is conducive to intuitive judgment. On the other hand, tacit knowledge may first impede but later facilitate insight occurrence. Furthermore, we share theoretical, and methodological views on how to access the distinction between intuition and insight.

  9. Dimensions of insight in schizophrenia: Exploratory factor analysis of items from multiple self- and interviewer-rated measures of insight.

    PubMed

    Konsztowicz, Susanna; Schmitz, Norbert; Lepage, Martin

    2018-03-10

    Insight in schizophrenia is regarded as a multidimensional construct that comprises aspects such as awareness of the disorder and recognition of the need for treatment. The proposed number of underlying dimensions of insight is variable in the literature. In an effort to identify a range of existing dimensions of insight, we conducted a factor analysis on combined items from multiple measures of insight. We recruited 165 participants with enduring schizophrenia (treated for >3years). Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on itemized scores from two interviewer-rated measures of insight: the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded and the abbreviated Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder; and two self-report measures: the Birchwood Insight Scale and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. A five-factor solution was selected as the best-fitting model, with the following dimensions of insight: 1) awareness of illness and the need for treatment; 2) awareness and attribution of symptoms and consequences; 3) self-certainty; 4) self-reflectiveness for objectivity and fallibility; and 5) self-reflectiveness for errors in reasoning and openness to feedback. Insight in schizophrenia is a multidimensional construct comprised of distinct clinical and cognitive domains of awareness. Multiple measures of insight, both clinician- and self-rated, are needed to capture all of the existing dimensions of insight. Future exploration of associations between the various dimensions and their potential determinants will facilitate the development of clinically useful models of insight and effective interventions to improve outcome. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. In Search of Insight.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaplan, Craig A.; Simon, Herbert A.

    1990-01-01

    Attaining the insight needed to solve the Mutilated Checkerboard problem, which requires discovery of an effective problem representation (EPR), is described. Performance on insight problems can be predicted from the availability of generators and constraints in the search for an EPR. Data for 23 undergraduates were analyzed. (TJH)

  11. Parental insightfulness: retrospect and prospect.

    PubMed

    Koren-Karie, Nina; Oppenheim, David

    2018-06-01

    We open this introductory paper to the special issue with the theoretical and clinical roots of the insightfulness concept. Next, the Insightfulness Assessment (IA) is presented, followed by a review of key empirical findings supporting the IA. The central points in the papers in this special issue are reviewed next. These include the use of the IA with parents of children ranging in age from infancy to adolescence, its applicability outside the parent-child relationship (e.g. insightfulness toward a close friend), its use with high-risk mothers, and the usefulness of insightfulness both as a continuous and a categorical measure. The clinical applications of the IA are discussed, and we close with future directions for IA research.

  12. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander is positioned atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  13. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    Encapsulated in its payload fairing, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander is transported to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  14. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers position NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  15. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    Encapsulated in its payload fairing NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander is transported to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  16. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander has been mated atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  17. Third-person Diagnostic Interview on the Cognitive Insight Level of Psychotic Patients with an Insight at the Denial Level.

    PubMed

    Mehdizadeh, Mahsa; Rezaei, Omid

    2016-01-01

    According to the previous findings, the third-person technique improved the clinical insight of psychotic patients, therefore the present study aims to examine the effect of a third-person interview compared to a first-person interview on the level of cognitive insight of psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level. In this study, using interviews and questionnaires, a total number of 44 patients of Razi Psychiatric Educational and Treatment Center with an insight at the denial level being assessed using diagnostic interviews were divided randomly into two groups. Then, the two groups of patients' cognitive insights were evaluated using Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. The findings indicated that in psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level, the third-person technique of interview compared to the first-person had little effect on the improvement of overall cognitive insight and its components, including self-reflection and self-assurance; however, this effect was not strong enough to make a significant difference between the two groups of patients. According to the study findings, we can conclude that the third-person interview compared to the first-person interview has no effect on the improvement of the cognitive insight of psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level. This finding is consistent with the previous studies indicating that although the theory of mind has some correlations with the clinical insight of patients, it has no effect on their cognitive insight.

  18. Third-person Diagnostic Interview on the Cognitive Insight Level of Psychotic Patients with an Insight at the Denial Level

    PubMed Central

    Mehdizadeh, Mahsa; Rezaei, Omid

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: According to the previous findings, the third-person technique improved the clinical insight of psychotic patients, therefore the present study aims to examine the effect of a third-person interview compared to a first-person interview on the level of cognitive insight of psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level. Materials and Methods: In this study, using interviews and questionnaires, a total number of 44 patients of Razi Psychiatric Educational and Treatment Center with an insight at the denial level being assessed using diagnostic interviews were divided randomly into two groups. Then, the two groups of patients' cognitive insights were evaluated using Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. Results: The findings indicated that in psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level, the third-person technique of interview compared to the first-person had little effect on the improvement of overall cognitive insight and its components, including self-reflection and self-assurance; however, this effect was not strong enough to make a significant difference between the two groups of patients. Conclusion: According to the study findings, we can conclude that the third-person interview compared to the first-person interview has no effect on the improvement of the cognitive insight of psychotic patients with an insight at the denial level. This finding is consistent with the previous studies indicating that although the theory of mind has some correlations with the clinical insight of patients, it has no effect on their cognitive insight. PMID:27335517

  19. Course of insight in manic episode.

    PubMed

    Kumar, A; Kumar, S; Khan, N M; Mishra, S

    2013-01-01

    Insight is an important factor associated with non compliance and poor outcome. Poor level of insight has been described as a characteristic in patients with acute bipolar disorder with more unawareness in social consequences with increasing severity in manic episode. Main aim of study was to see the baseline and longitudinal relationship between dimensions of insight with improvement in psychopathology. Forty four patients diagnosed with mania, were selected from an inpatient setting at Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, Agra with mean age of 31.07(±9.00) years. They were assessed at base line and were followed up weekly or psychopathology and insight. The Young's mania rating scale for psychopathology and insight was assessed on three dimensions of SUMD. Twenty five patients eventually completed the study. There was a positive correlation with global insight and with psychopathology consistent in longitudinal follow-up (P<0.05), but not correlating for awareness for achieved effect of medication and social consequences. Linear regression showed a positive relationship at the first and second week of assessment of SUMD and YMRS scores (P=0.001; 0.019). Improvement in insight is graded in a manic episode as compared to psychopathology. There is slower improvement in awareness of social consequences of mental disorder. It means that improvement in psychopathology may not necessarily indicate remission and need further supervision to improve insight and hence monitoring.

  20. Insight and suicidality in first-episode psychosis: understanding the influence of suicidal history on insight dimensions at first presentation.

    PubMed

    López-Moríñigo, Javier D; Wiffen, Benjamin; O'Connor, Jennifer; Dutta, Rina; Di Forti, Marta; Murray, Robin M; David, Anthony S

    2014-05-01

    Lack of insight is a cardinal feature of psychosis with crucial implications for outcome. Concerns have been raised regarding a link between insight and suicidality. This study aimed to test the relationship between suicidal behaviour preceding first-episode psychosis (FEP) and insight dimensions at treatment onset. A total of 112 FEP inpatients were recruited. Suicidal events prior to admission were recorded. Insight was assessed multidimensionally with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight - Expanded version shortly after admission. Suicidal and non-suicidal patients were compared regarding scores on 'total insight' and three insight domains: 'awareness of mental illness', 'relabeling of psychotic experiences as abnormal' and 'compliance'. This analysis was also adjusted for a set of sociodemographic, clinical, neurocognitive and psychopathological variables. Bivariate analyses demonstrated a direct association between previous suicidality and all insight domains. However, these associations did not survive multivariable regression models, which demonstrated gender (female), shorter duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and psychopathological symptoms - depression and disorganization - to mediate the influence of suicidal history on insight, and therefore to underlie the latter. Insight dimensions in FEP patients are influenced by having suicidal antecedents through some mediating variables such as gender, DUP and depression. Further prospective studies are needed to clarify the potential implications of these findings on the management of insight in FEP. As suicidal history is associated with greater levels of both depression and insight at first presentation, these three variables might be useful in predicting further suicidal events. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  1. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space l Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a crane is used to lift NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  2. InSight Rollout to Pad

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-23

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a crane is used to lift NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander for mating atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  3. New insights into insight: Neurophysiological correlates of the difference between the intrinsic "aha" and the extrinsic "oh yes" moment.

    PubMed

    Rothmaler, Katrin; Nigbur, Roland; Ivanova, Galina

    2017-01-27

    Insight refers to a situation in which a problem solver immediately changes his understanding of a problem situation. This representational change can either be triggered by external stimuli, like a hint or the solution itself, or by internal solution attempts. In the present paper, the differences and similarities between these two phenomena, namely "extrinsic" and "intrinsic" insight, are examined. To this end, electroencephalogram (EEG) is recorded while subjects either recognize or generate solutions to German verbal compound remote associate problems (CRA). Based on previous studies, we compare the alpha power prior to insightful solution recognition with the alpha power prior to insightful solution generation. Results show that intrinsic insights are preceded by an increase in alpha power at right parietal electrodes, while extrinsic insights are preceded by a respective decrease. These results can be interpreted in two ways. In consistency with other studies, the increase in alpha power before intrinsic insights can be interpreted as an increased internal focus of attention. Accordingly, the decrease in alpha power before extrinsic insights may be associated with a more externally oriented focus of attention. Alternatively, the increase in alpha power prior to intrinsic insights can be interpreted as an active inhibition of solution-related information, while the alpha power decrease prior to extrinsic insights may reflect its activation. Regardless of the interpretation, the results provide strong evidence that extrinsic and intrinsic insight differ on the behavioral as well as the neurophysiological level. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Liftoff of InSight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-05

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off at 4:05 a.m. PDT (7:05 a.m. EDT) from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created.

  5. Insight, symptoms and executive functions in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Simon, Andor E; Berger, Gregor E; Giacomini, Véronique; Ferrero, François; Mohr, Sylvia

    2006-09-01

    We investigated the relationship of insight with executive functions and symptoms in a group of stabilised inpatients with schizophrenia. Executive functions using an extensive battery constituted of several tests as well as psychopathology were assessed in 38 inpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia. Insight was assessed with the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). A principal component analysis of the insight dimensions revealed a three-factor model which accounted for 98% of the variance. Of particular interest is the finding that a composite factor that accounted for 74% of the variance covered insight dimensions that represent a higher degree of insight (awareness of mental disorder, its social consequences, and attribution of symptoms). Only an association between letter fluency and this composite factor was found, which was weakly mediated by depressive symptoms. A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed a relationship between antipsychotic dose and awareness of medication effect. No association of illness duration and insight was found. The findings of partial association between dimensions of insight and measures of executive function supports the growing evidence that insight is a multidimensional phenomenon. Accordingly, they emphasise that in the framework of therapeutic interventions, enhancement of higher levels of insight needs to take into account that patients suffering from schizophrenia have differential impairment in insight dimensions.

  6. InSight Atlas V Tower Roll

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-22

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the gantry is rolled back on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V to a Centaur upper stage aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. The next step will be arrival of InSight encapsulated in its payload faring for mating atop the rocket. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  7. Insight and satisfaction with life among adolescents with mental disorders: assessing associations with self-stigma and parental insight.

    PubMed

    Gaziel, M; Hasson-Ohayon, I; Morag-Yaffe, M; Schapir, L; Zalsman, G; Shoval, G

    2015-02-01

    The purpose of the current study was to assess the associations of illness perception-related variables with satisfaction with life (SwL) among adolescents with mental disorders. Insight into mental disorder (SAI-E), Internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI) and Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) were administrated to 30 adolescent patients. Adapted version for parents of the SAI-E was also administrated to 37 of their parents. Significant positive correlations were found between insight into the illness, self-stigma and parental insight. Insight and self-stigma were significantly negatively related to the total score of SwL and few of its dimensions while parental insight was significantly associated only with the SwL dimensions of school and self. Regression models revealed main negative effects of insight and self-stigma on SwL and no interaction effect. The possible independent contribution of insight and self-stigma to SwL should be addressed in interventions designed for family and adolescents coping with mental illness. Special attention should be given to the possible negative implications that insight possesses. In lack of support of the moderation role of self-stigma, reported in studies among adults with mental illness, future studies should trace other variables in order to further understand the insight paradox among adolescents. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  8. InSight MARCO Installation Cubesats

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-17

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, twin communications-relay CubeSats, called Mars Cube One (MarCO) are installed on an Atlas V rocket. MarCO constitutes a technology demonstration being built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena in California. They will launch in on the same United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. CubeSats are a class of spacecraft based on a standardized small size and modular use of off-the-shelf technologies. Many have been made by university students, and dozens have been launched into Earth orbit using extra payload mass available on launches of larger spacecraft. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  9. InSight Rollout for Launch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-04

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the gantry rolls back at Space Launch Complex 3 in preparation for the liftoff of NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket now is poised to boost the spacecraft with liftoff scheduled for 4:05 a.m. PDT (7:05 a.m. EDT). InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created.

  10. Understanding Insight in the Context of Q

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coghlan, David

    2012-01-01

    In Revans' learning formula, L = P + Q, Q represents "questioning insight", by which Revans means that insight comes out of the process of questioning programmed knowledge (P) in the light of experience. We typically focus on the content of an insight rather than on the act of insight. Drawing primarily on the work of Bernard Lonergan this paper…

  11. Insight in schizophrenia: from conceptualization to neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Ouzir, Mounir; Azorin, Jean Michel; Adida, Marc; Boussaoud, Driss; Battas, Omar

    2012-04-01

    Lack of insight into illness is a prevalent and distinguishing feature of schizophrenia, which has a complex history and has been given a variety of definitions. Currently, insight is measured and treated as a multidimensional phenomenon, because it is believed to result from psychological, neuropsychological and organic factors. Thus, schizophrenia patients may display dramatic disorders including demoralization, depression and a higher risk of suicide, all of which are directly or indirectly related to a lack of insight into their illness, and make the treatment difficult. To improve the treatment of people with schizophrenia, it is thus crucial to advance research on insight into their illness. Insight is studied in a variety of ways. Studies may focus on the relationship between insight and psychopathology, may view behavioral outcomes or look discretely at the cognitive dysfunction versus anatomy level of insight. All have merit but they are dispersed across a wide body of literature and rarely are the findings integrated and synthesized in a meaningful way. The aim of this study was to synthesize findings across the large body of literature dealing with insight, to highlight its multidimensional nature, measurement, neuropsychology and social impact in schizophrenia. The extensive literature on the cognitive consequences of lack of insight and the contribution of neuroimaging techniques to elucidating neurological etiology of insight deficits, is also reviewed. © 2012 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2012 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

  12. InSight Prelaunch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-04

    American professional basketball player Chris Bosh poses for a photograph in front of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket with NASA's InSight spacecraft onboard, Friday, May 4, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Bosh joined other social media guests on a behind the scenes tour ahead of the planned launch. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  13. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas-V rocket is seen with NASA's InSight spacecraft onboard, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  14. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    NASA Chief Scientist Jim Green discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  15. The "Insight Paradox" in Schizophrenia: Magnitude, Moderators and Mediators of the Association Between Insight and Depression.

    PubMed

    Belvederi Murri, Martino; Amore, Mario; Calcagno, Pietro; Respino, Matteo; Marozzi, Valentina; Masotti, Mattia; Bugliani, Michele; Innamorati, Marco; Pompili, Maurizio; Galderisi, Silvana; Maj, Mario

    2016-09-01

    The so-called "insight paradox" posits that among patients with schizophrenia higher levels of insight are associated with increased levels of depression. Although different studies examined this issue, only few took in account potential confounders or factors that could influence this association. In a sample of clinically stable patients with schizophrenia, insight and depression were evaluated using the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Other rating scales were used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms, extrapyramidal symptoms, hopelessness, internalized stigma, self-esteem, and service engagement. Regression models were used to estimate the magnitude of the association between insight and depression while accounting for the role of confounders. Putative psychological and sociodemographic factors that could act as mediators and moderators were examined using the PROCESS macro. By accounting for the role of confounding factors, the strength of the association between insight into symptoms and depression increased from 13% to 25% explained covariance. Patients with lower socioeconomic status (F = 8.5, P = .04), more severe illness (F = 4.8, P = .03) and lower levels of service engagement (F = 4.7, P = .03) displayed the strongest association between insight and depression. Lastly, hopelessness, internalized stigma and perceived discrimination acted as significant mediators. The relationship between insight and depression should be considered a well established phenomenon among patients with schizophrenia: it seems stronger than previously reported especially among patients with lower socioeconomic status, severe illness and poor engagement with services. These findings may have relevant implications for the promotion of insight among patients with schizophrenia. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved

  16. The “Insight Paradox” in Schizophrenia: Magnitude, Moderators and Mediators of the Association Between Insight and Depression

    PubMed Central

    Belvederi Murri, Martino; Amore, Mario; Calcagno, Pietro; Respino, Matteo; Marozzi, Valentina; Masotti, Mattia; Bugliani, Michele; Innamorati, Marco; Pompili, Maurizio; Galderisi, Silvana; Maj, Mario

    2016-01-01

    The so-called “insight paradox” posits that among patients with schizophrenia higher levels of insight are associated with increased levels of depression. Although different studies examined this issue, only few took in account potential confounders or factors that could influence this association. In a sample of clinically stable patients with schizophrenia, insight and depression were evaluated using the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia. Other rating scales were used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms, extrapyramidal symptoms, hopelessness, internalized stigma, self-esteem, and service engagement. Regression models were used to estimate the magnitude of the association between insight and depression while accounting for the role of confounders. Putative psychological and sociodemographic factors that could act as mediators and moderators were examined using the PROCESS macro. By accounting for the role of confounding factors, the strength of the association between insight into symptoms and depression increased from 13% to 25% explained covariance. Patients with lower socioeconomic status (F = 8.5, P = .04), more severe illness (F = 4.8, P = .03) and lower levels of service engagement (F = 4.7, P = .03) displayed the strongest association between insight and depression. Lastly, hopelessness, internalized stigma and perceived discrimination acted as significant mediators. The relationship between insight and depression should be considered a well established phenomenon among patients with schizophrenia: it seems stronger than previously reported especially among patients with lower socioeconomic status, severe illness and poor engagement with services. These findings may have relevant implications for the promotion of insight among patients with schizophrenia. PMID:27069064

  17. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Tim Dunn, launch director, NASA’s Launch Services Program, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  18. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    A video showing NASA's InSight spacecraft separating from the Atlas V rocket is seen during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  19. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Andy Klesh, MarCO chief engineer, NASA JPL, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  20. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Tilman Spohn, HP3 investigation lead, Institute of Planetary Research (DLR), discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  1. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Annick Sylvestre-Baron, SEIS deputy project manager, CNES, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  2. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance program manager for NASA missions, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  3. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Stephanie Smith, Digital & Social Media Supervisor, Jet Propulsion Laboratory moderates a prelaunch media briefing for the NASA InSight mission, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  4. [Poor insight and psychosis].

    PubMed

    Giotakos, O

    2017-01-01

    A variety of phenomena might be considered as reflecting impaired insight in psychosis, like failure to recognize signs, symptoms or disease, failure to derive appropriate cognitive representations, despite recognition of the disease, and misattribution of the source or cause of the disease. The unawareness of tardive dyskinesia symptoms in schizophrenic patients points that self-awareness deficits in schizophrenia may be domain specific. Poor insight is an independent phenomenological and a prevalent feature in psychotic disorders in general, and in schizophrenia in particular, but we don't know yet if delusions in schizophrenia are the result of an entirely normal attempt to account for abnormal perceptual experiences or a product of abnormal experience but of normal reasoning. The theoretical approaches regarding impaired insight include the disturbed perceptual input, the impaired linkage between thought and emotion and the breakdown of the process of self-monitoring and error checking. The inability to distinguish between internally and externally generated mental events has been described by the metarepresentation theory. This theory includes the awareness of ones' goals, which leads to disorders of willed action, the awareness of intention, which leads to movement disorders, and the awareness of intentions of others, which leads to paranoid delusions. The theory of metarepresentation implies mainly output mechanisms, like the frontal cortex, while the input mechanism implies posterior brain systems, including the parietal lobe. There are many similarities between the disturbances of awareness seen in schizophrenia and those seen as a result of known neurological impairment. Neuropsychological models of impaired insight typically attribute the disturbance to any of a variety of core deficits in the processing of information. In this respect, lack of insight is on conceptual par with alogia, apraxia or aphasia in reflecting disturbed cognitive processing. In

  5. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Jason Townsend, NASA's Deputy Social Media Manager, reads questions submitted by online social media followers during a prelaunch media briefing for NASA's InSight mission, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  6. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    1st Lieutenant Kristina Williams, weather officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  7. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Philippe Lognonné, SEIS investigation lead, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP) discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  8. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Col. Michael Hough, Commander 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  9. At-sea distribution and abundance of seabirds off southern California: A 20-year comparison

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mason, J.W.; McChesney, G.J.; McIver, W.R.; Carter, H.R.; Takekawa, John Y.; Golightly, R.T.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Orthmeyer, D.L.; Perry, W.M.; Yee, J.L.; Pierson, M.O.; McCrary, M.D.

    2007-01-01

    We conducted aerial at-sea and coastal surveys to examine the distribution and abundance of seabirds off southern California, from Cambria, California, to the Mexican border. From May 1999-January 2002, we flew 102 d, covered >54,640 km of transect lines, and conducted nine complete surveys of southern California in January, May, and September. We identified 54 species comprising 12 families and counted >135,000 individuals. Seabird densities were greater along island and mainland coastlines than at sea and were usually greatest in January surveys. Densities were greatest at sea near the northern Channel Islands in January and north of Point Conception in May, and lowest in the southwestern portion of the Southern California Bight in all survey months. On coastal transects, seabird densities were greatest along central and southern portions of the mainland coastline from Point Arguello to Mexico. We estimated that 981,000 ?? 144,000 (x?? ?? SE) seabirds occurred in the study area in January, 862,000 ?? 95,000 in May, and 762,000 ?? 72,000 in September. California Gulls (Larus californicus), Western Grebes (Aechmophorus occidentalis), and Cassin's Auklets (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) were most abundant in January surveys at sea, whereas Sooty and Short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus griseus and P. tenuirostris), phalaropes (Phalaropus spp.), and Western Gulls (Larus. occidentalis) were most abundant in May and September surveys. On coastal transects, California Gulls, Western Grebes, Western Gulls, and Surf Scoters (Melanitta perspicillata) were most abundant in January; Western Grebes, Western Gulls, Surf Scoters, and Brown Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis) were most abundant in May; and Sooty Shearwaters, Short-tailed Shearwaters, Western Gulls, Western Grebes, Brown Pelicans, and Heermann's Gulls (Larus heermanni) were most abundant in September. Compared to historical seabird densities collected in the same area two decades ago (1975-1978 and 1980-1983), abundance

  10. Clinical correlates of loss of insight in bipolar depression.

    PubMed

    Silva, Rafael de Assis da; Mograbi, Daniel C; Camelo, Evelyn V M; Santana, Cristina M T; Landeira-Fernandez, Jesus; Cheniaux, Elie

    2017-01-01

    Affective state may influence insight, especially regarding mania. Nevertheless, studies have so far suggested that depression seems not to significantly impair insight. To the best of our knowledge, this study pioneers the evaluation of how insight variations in bipolar depression correlate with clinical variables. A group of 165 bipolar patients, 52 of whom had depressive episodes according to DSM-5 criteria, were followed during a year. All patients underwent clinical assessment, and insight was evaluated through the Insight Scale for Affective Disorders (ISAD). Repeated-measures ANOVA was calculated comparing scores on the four ISAD factors (insight into symptoms, the condition itself, self-esteem and social relationships) in order to investigate differences in insight according to different objects. Correlational analysis explored which clinical symptoms were linked to reduced insight. Worse total insight correlated with suicide attempt/ideation and fewer subsyndromal manic symptoms such as mood elevation, increased energy and sexual interest. Worse self-esteem insight was associated with not only suicide ideation/attempt but also with activity reduction and psychomotor retardation. Worse symptom insight also correlated with psychomotor retardation. Better insight into having an affective disorder was associated with more intense hypochondria symptoms. Finally, worse insight into having an illness was associated with psychotic episodes. Our study found that symptoms other than psychosis - suicide ideation, psychomotor retardation and reduction of activity and work - correlate with insight impairment in bipolar depression.

  11. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Scott Messer, United Launch Alliance program manager for NASA missions, is seen on a monitor as he discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  12. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    1st Lieutenant Kristina Williams, weather officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, right, discusses NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  13. Insight in schizophrenia: involvement of self-reflection networks?

    PubMed

    van der Meer, Lisette; de Vos, Annerieke E; Stiekema, Annemarie P M; Pijnenborg, Gerdina H M; van Tol, Marie-José; Nolen, Willem A; David, Anthony S; Aleman, André

    2013-11-01

    Impaired insight is a common feature in psychosis and an important predictor of variables such as functional outcome, prognosis, and treatment adherence. A cognitive process that may underlie insight in psychosis is self-reflection, or the conscious evaluation of one's traits and characteristics. The current study aims to investigate the neural correlates of self-reflective processing and its relationship with insight in schizophrenia. Forty-seven schizophrenia patients and 21 healthy controls performed a self-reflection task in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. The tasks comprised a self-reflection, close other-reflection, and a semantic (baseline) condition. Insight scores were obtained with the Schedule of Assessment of Insight Expanded. In addition, cognitive insight scores were obtained (Beck Cognitive Insight Scale [BCIS]). Schizophrenia patients demonstrated less activation in the posterior cingulate cortex in the self- and other-reflection conditions and less activation in the precuneus in the other-reflection condition compared with healthy controls. Better insight was associated with greater response in the inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula, and inferior parietal lobule during self-reflection. In addition, better cognitive insight was associated with higher activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex during self-reflection. In the current study, evidence for a relationship between self-reflection and insight in patients with schizophrenia was found in brain areas related to self-reflection, self/other distinction and source attribution. The findings support the rationale for a treatment that is currently under evaluation, which attempts to increase insight by enhancing self-reflection.

  14. Artist Rendition of InSight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-08-20

    Artist rendition of the InSight (Interior exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) Lander. InSight is based on the proven Phoenix Mars spacecraft and lander design with state-of-the-art avionics from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory missions. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA16079

  15. Is Insight Always the Same? A Protocol Analysis of Insight in Compound Remote Associate Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cranford, Edward A.; Moss, Jarrod

    2012-01-01

    Compound Remote Associate (CRA) problems have been used to investigate insight problem solving using both behavioral and neuroimaging techniques. However, it is unclear to what extent CRA problems exhibit characteristics of insight such as impasses and restructuring. CRA problem-solving characteristics were examined in a study in which…

  16. Insight in Schizophrenia: Involvement of Self-Reflection Networks?

    PubMed Central

    de Vos, Annerieke E.

    2013-01-01

    Background: Impaired insight is a common feature in psychosis and an important predictor of variables such as functional outcome, prognosis, and treatment adherence. A cognitive process that may underlie insight in psychosis is self-reflection, or the conscious evaluation of one’s traits and characteristics. The current study aims to investigate the neural correlates of self-reflective processing and its relationship with insight in schizophrenia. Methods: Forty-seven schizophrenia patients and 21 healthy controls performed a self-reflection task in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. The tasks comprised a self-reflection, close other-reflection, and a semantic (baseline) condition. Insight scores were obtained with the Schedule of Assessment of Insight Expanded. In addition, cognitive insight scores were obtained (Beck Cognitive Insight Scale [BCIS]). Results: Schizophrenia patients demonstrated less activation in the posterior cingulate cortex in the self- and other-reflection conditions and less activation in the precuneus in the other-reflection condition compared with healthy controls. Better insight was associated with greater response in the inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula, and inferior parietal lobule during self-reflection. In addition, better cognitive insight was associated with higher activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex during self-reflection. Conclusion: In the current study, evidence for a relationship between self-reflection and insight in patients with schizophrenia was found in brain areas related to self-reflection, self/other distinction and source attribution. The findings support the rationale for a treatment that is currently under evaluation, which attempts to increase insight by enhancing self-reflection. PMID:23104865

  17. Insight in schizophrenia - a double-edged sword?

    PubMed

    Vrbova, Kristyna; Prasko, Jan; Ociskova, Marie; Latalova, Klara; Holubova, Michaela; Grambal, Ales; Slepecky, Milos

    2017-12-01

    Lack of insight is defined as a loss of ability to distinguish that one's unusual and unreal experiences should be the symptoms of the psychiatric disorder requiring treatment. Lack of insight may be considered as a core symptom of schizophrenia. The concept of insight has been regarded for a long time as necessary for treatment, which improves adherence and makes a better prognosis. Increased insight in schizophrenia has been associated not only with benefits, but also bring trouble in the form of self-stigma, low self-esteem, reduced patient's hope, diminished quality of life, and increased suicidality. Therefore, insight should be managed with sensitive monitoring of the risk factors, and be gradual, carefully supported by the encouragement of hope and confidence to managing everyday life.

  18. On insight and psychosis: discussion paper.

    PubMed Central

    David, A S

    1990-01-01

    The concept of insight into psychosis has received scant attention in the psychiatric literature. Various types of insight are described after drawing on such sources as phenomenology, clinical observation and experimental psychology. It is proposed that insight is far from an all or none phenomenon but comprises three overlapping dimensions, namely, the recognition that one has a mental illness, compliance with treatment and the ability to re-label unusual mental events (delusions and hallucinations) as pathological. PMID:2199672

  19. Human Performance on Insight Problem Solving: A Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chu, Yun; MacGregor, James N.

    2011-01-01

    The article provides a review of recent research on insight problem-solving performance. We discuss what insight problems are, the different types of classic and newer insight problems, and how we can classify them. We also explain some of the other aspects that affect insight performance, such as hints, analogs, training, thinking aloud, and…

  20. Quantifying the Qualitative: Measuring the Insight Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarman, Matthew S.

    2014-01-01

    No scales currently exist that measure variability in the insight experience. Two scales were created to measure two factors hypothesized to be key drivers of the insight experience: insight radicality (i.e., perceived deviation between previous and new problem representations) and restructuring experience (i.e., the subjective experience of the…

  1. Working wonders? investigating insight with magic tricks.

    PubMed

    Danek, Amory H; Fraps, Thomas; von Müller, Albrecht; Grothe, Benedikt; Ollinger, Michael

    2014-02-01

    We propose a new approach to differentiate between insight and noninsight problem solving, by introducing magic tricks as problem solving domain. We argue that magic tricks are ideally suited to investigate representational change, the key mechanism that yields sudden insight into the solution of a problem, because in order to gain insight into the magicians' secret method, observers must overcome implicit constraints and thus change their problem representation. In Experiment 1, 50 participants were exposed to 34 different magic tricks, asking them to find out how the trick was accomplished. Upon solving a trick, participants indicated if they had reached the solution either with or without insight. Insight was reported in 41.1% of solutions. The new task domain revealed differences in solution accuracy, time course and solution confidence with insight solutions being more likely to be true, reached earlier, and obtaining higher confidence ratings. In Experiment 2, we explored which role self-imposed constraints actually play in magic tricks. 62 participants were presented with 12 magic tricks. One group received verbal cues, providing solution relevant information without giving the solution away. The control group received no informative cue. Experiment 2 showed that participants' constraints were suggestible to verbal cues, resulting in higher solution rates. Thus, magic tricks provide more detailed information about the differences between insightful and noninsightful problem solving, and the underlying mechanisms that are necessary to have an insight. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. INSIGHT AND SELF-STIGMA IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA.

    PubMed

    Vidović, Domagoj; Brecić, Petrana; Vilibić, Maja; Jukić, Vlado

    2016-03-01

    Poor insight and high level of self-stigma are often present among patients with schizophrenia and are related to poorer treatment adherence, poorer social function and rehabilitation, aggressive behavior, higher level of depression, social anxiety, lower quality of life and self-esteem. Reports on a relationship between insight and stigma are controversial. We examined the relationship of the level of insight and self-stigma in a sample of 149 patients with schizophrenia. Insight was measured with the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and self-stigma with the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness. Results showed 88.6% of the patients to have high or moderate insight, with a mean value of 2.73. General insight showed the highest level (2.58) and insight in positive symptoms the lowest level (2.9). The self-stigma score in general was 2.13, with stereotype endorsement being lowest (1.98). According to study results, 77.1% of patients felt minimal or low self-stigma across all subscales, except for stigma resistance subscale. Statistically significant correlation was found between insight and four subscales of self-stigma, while no correlation was found for the stigma resistance subscale only. These results imply the need of individually tailored antistigma and insight promoting programs for patients with schizophrenia.

  3. InSight Aeroshell Coming Together

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-08-18

    The heat shield is suspended above the rest of the InSight spacecraft in this image taken July 13, 2015, in a spacecraft assembly clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. The gray cone is the back shell, which together with the heat shield forms a protective aeroshell around the stowed InSight lander. The photo was taken during preparation for vibration testing of the spacecraft. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19814

  4. Improving insight and non-insight problem solving with brief interventions.

    PubMed

    Wen, Ming-Ching; Butler, Laurie T; Koutstaal, Wilma

    2013-02-01

    Developing brief training interventions that benefit different forms of problem solving is challenging. In earlier research, Chrysikou (2006) showed that engaging in a task requiring generation of alternative uses of common objects improved subsequent insight problem solving. These benefits were attributed to a form of implicit transfer of processing involving enhanced construction of impromptu, on-the-spot or 'ad hoc' goal-directed categorizations of the problem elements. Following this, it is predicted that the alternative uses exercise should benefit abilities that govern goal-directed behaviour, such as fluid intelligence and executive functions. Similarly, an indirect intervention - self-affirmation (SA) - that has been shown to enhance cognitive and executive performance after self-regulation challenge and when under stereotype threat, may also increase adaptive goal-directed thinking and likewise should bolster problem-solving performance. In Experiment 1, brief single-session interventions, involving either alternative uses generation or SA, significantly enhanced both subsequent insight and visual-spatial fluid reasoning problem solving. In Experiment 2, we replicated the finding of benefits of both alternative uses generation and SA on subsequent insight problem-solving performance, and demonstrated that the underlying mechanism likely involves improved executive functioning. Even brief cognitive- and social-psychological interventions may substantially bolster different types of problem solving and may exert largely similar facilitatory effects on goal-directed behaviours. © 2012 The British Psychological Society.

  5. InSight Planetary Protection Status

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benardini, James; La Duc, Myron; Willis, Jason

    The NASA Discovery Program’s next mission, Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSIght), consists of a single spacecraft that will be launched aboard an Atlas V 401 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base (Space Launch Complex 3E) during the March 2016 timeframe. The overarching mission goal is to illuminate the fundamentals of formation and evolution of terrestrial planets by investigating the interior structure and processes of Mars. The flight system consists of a heritage cruise stage, aeroshell (heatshield and backshell), and Lander from the 2008 Phoenix mission. Included in the lander payload are various cameras, a seismometer, an auxiliary sensor suite to measure wind, temperature, and pressure, and a mole to penetrate the regolith (<5 meters) and assess the subsurface geothermal gradient of Mars. Being a Mars lander mission without life detection instruments, InSight has been designated a PP Category Iva mission. As such, planetary protection bioburden requirements apply which require microbial reduction procedures and biological burden reporting. The InSight project is current with required PP documentation, having completed an approved Planetary Protection Plan, Subsidiary PP Plans, and a PP Implementation Plan. The InSight mission’s early planetary protection campaign has commenced, coinciding with the fabrication and assembly of payload and flight system hardware and the baseline analysis of existing flight spares. A report on the status of InSight PP activities will be provided.

  6. Science insights.

    PubMed

    Tanabe, Kazuyuki

    2015-06-01

    "Below is an essay by Prof. Tanabe originally written in Japanese. It gives an insight to Prof. Tanabe's inquiring mind and his approach to science. He also seek, as always, to inspire and nudge the young to scientific discovery". Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  7. The association of lifetime insight and cognition in psychosis.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Torres, Ana M; Zarzuela, Amalia; Peralta, Victor; Cuesta, Manuel J

    2015-03-01

    Poor insight has been related to poor course in psychosis. However, the role of cognition in insight remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of cognition and lifetime psychopathological dimensions on insight in psychosis. We followed up 42 patients with psychotic disorders over 10years. Lifetime psychopathological dimensions and cognitive performance were assessed. Patients were divided into two groups by lifetime patterns of insight and compared with 42 healthy volunteers. Lower IQ and poorer social cognition were associated with higher risks of poorer lifetime insight of feeling ill and global insight respectively. Lifetime negative symptoms were associated with a higher risk of poorer lifetime insight into symptoms. Lifetime lack of insight is independent of cognitive impairment in specific domains, except for social cognition. Higher IQ may contribute to better lifetime awareness of illness, while better ability to manage emotions is involved in lifetime global insight. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket is prepared for transport from Building 7525 to Space Launch Complex 3. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  9. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V arrive at Space Launch Complex 3. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  10. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V are lifted by crane for mating atop a Centaur upper stage. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  11. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket are transported to Space Launch Complex 3. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  12. Insights into sleep's role for insight: Studies with the number reduction task

    PubMed Central

    Verleger, Rolf; Rose, Michael; Wagner, Ullrich; Yordanova, Juliana; Kolev, Vasil

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, vibrant research has developed on “consolidation” during sleep: To what extent are newly experienced impressions reprocessed or even restructured during sleep? We used the number reduction task (NRT) to study if and how sleep does not only reiterate new experiences but may even lead to new insights. In the NRT, covert regularities may speed responses. This implicit acquisition of regularities may become explicitly conscious at some point, leading to a qualitative change in behavior which reflects this insight. By applying the NRT at two consecutive sessions separated by an interval, we investigated the role of sleep in this interval for attaining insight at the second session. In the first study, a night of sleep was shown to triple the number of participants attaining insight above the base rate of about 20%. In the second study, this hard core of 20% discoverers differed from other participants in their task-related EEG potentials from the very beginning already. In the third study, the additional role of sleep was specified as an effect of the deep-sleep phase of slow-wave sleep on participants who had implicitly acquired the covert regularity before sleep. It was in these participants that a specific increase of EEG during slow-wave sleep in the 10-12 Hz band was obtained. These results support the view that neuronal memory reprocessing during slow-wave sleep restructures task-related representations in the brain, and that such restructuring promotes the gain of explicit knowledge. PMID:24605175

  13. InSight Prelaunch Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    Col. Michael Hough, Commander 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, left, and 1st Lieutenant Kristina Williams, weather officer, 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base, discuss NASA's InSight mission during a prelaunch media briefing, Thursday, May 3, 2018, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is a Mars lander designed to study the "inner space" of Mars: its crust, mantle, and core. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  14. InSight Lander in Assembly

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    The Mars lander that NASA's InSight mission will use for investigating how rocky planets formed and evolved is being assembled by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. In this scene from January 2015, Lockheed Martin spacecraft specialists are working on the lander in a clean room. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19402

  15. Ultra-high-field fMRI insights on insight: Neural correlates of the Aha!-moment.

    PubMed

    Tik, Martin; Sladky, Ronald; Luft, Caroline Di Bernardi; Willinger, David; Hoffmann, André; Banissy, Michael J; Bhattacharya, Joydeep; Windischberger, Christian

    2018-04-17

    Finding creative solutions to difficult problems is a fundamental aspect of human culture and a skill highly needed. However, the exact neural processes underlying creative problem solving remain unclear. Insightful problem solving tasks were shown to be a valid method for investigating one subcomponent of creativity: the Aha!-moment. Finding insightful solutions during a remote associates task (RAT) was found to elicit specific cortical activity changes. Considering the strong affective components of Aha!-moments, as manifested in the subjectively experienced feeling of relief following the sudden emergence of the solution of the problem without any conscious forewarning, we hypothesized the subcortical dopaminergic reward network to be critically engaged during Aha. To investigate those subcortical contributions to insight, we employed ultra-high-field 7 T fMRI during a German Version of the RAT. During this task, subjects were exposed to word triplets and instructed to find a solution word being associated with all the three given words. They were supposed to press a button as soon as they felt confident about their solution without further revision, allowing us to capture the exact event of Aha!-moment. Besides the finding on cortical involvement of the left anterior middle temporal gyrus (aMTG), here we showed for the first time robust subcortical activity changes related to insightful problem solving in the bilateral thalamus, hippocampus, and the dopaminergic midbrain comprising ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and caudate nucleus. These results shed new light on the affective neural mechanisms underlying insightful problem solving. © 2018 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Neurobiological Basis of Insight in Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Xavier, Rose Mary; Vorderstrasse, Allison

    2016-01-01

    Insight in schizophrenia is defined as awareness into illness, symptoms, and need for treatment and has long been associated with cognition, other psychopathological symptoms, and several adverse clinical and functional outcomes. However, the biological basis of insight is not clearly understood. The aim of this systematic review was to critically evaluate and summarize advances in the study of the biological basis of insight in schizophrenia and to identify gaps in this knowledge. A literature search of PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases was conducted using search terms to identify articles relevant to the biology of insight in schizophrenia published in the last 6 years. Articles that focused on etiology of insight in schizophrenia and those that examined the neurobiology of insight in schizophrenia or psychoses were chosen for analysis. Articles on insight in conditions other than schizophrenia or psychoses and which did not investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of insight were excluded from the review. Twenty-six articles met the inclusion criteria for this review. Of the 26 articles, 3 focused on cellular abnormalities and 23 were neuroimaging studies. Preliminary data identify the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and regions of the temporal and parietal lobe (precuneus, inferior parietal lobule) and hippocampus as the neural correlates of insight. A growing body of literature attests to the neurobiological basis of insight in schizophrenia. Current evidence supports the neurobiological basis of insight in schizophrenia and identifies specific neural correlates for insight types and its dimensions. Further studies that examine the precise biological mechanisms of insight are needed to apply this knowledge to effective clinical intervention development.

  17. InSight Prelaunch Overview

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-03

    During a prelaunch briefing at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Stephanie Smith, NASA Communications, speaks to members of the media. The presentation focused on NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018, atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg. The spacecraft will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface studying the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes.

  18. Impact of interpersonal factors on insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Hélène, Tastet; Hélène, Verdoux; Jean, Bouisson; Jean-Marc, Destaillats; Antoinette, Prouteau

    2014-11-01

    Whereas clinical insight in schizophrenia has been consistently associated with personal factors (i.e. sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms or cognition), little is known about its relationships with interpersonal factors (i.e. close environment and personal characteristics involved in social interactions). Most of the few studies available have focused on one particular interpersonal factor, such as social cognition, contact frequencies or therapeutic alliance. To date, no study has explored the specificity of associations between clinical insight and different levels of interpersonal factors, neither if these associations are independent of personal factors. Associations between insight and interpersonal factors were explored through multiple regression in a sample of 80 outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Lower insight was associated with lower interpersonal functioning, independently from personal factors such as age, gender, age at first hospitalization, executive functioning and symptoms. Our findings replicate previous studies with regard to the associations between clinician-rated insight and social cognition or social contact frequencies. They also provide new information about specific associations between clinician-rated insight and perceived social support as well as between patient-rated insight and therapeutic alliance. Finally, models of insight based on personal factors were significantly improved by the inclusion of interpersonal factors. These results strongly support the crucial role of interpersonal factors in insight, both from the clinician's and the patient's point of view. These exploratory data require further replication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Is creative insight task-specific? A coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on insightful problem solving.

    PubMed

    Shen, Wangbing; Yuan, Yuan; Liu, Chang; Zhang, Xiaojiang; Luo, Jing; Gong, Zhe

    2016-12-01

    The question of whether creative insight varies across problem types has recently come to the forefront of studies of creative cognition. In the present study, to address the nature of creative insight, the coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation (ALE) technique was utilized to individually conduct three quantitative meta-analyses of neuroimaging experiments that used the compound remote associate (CRA) task, the prototype heuristic (PH) task and the Chinese character chunk decomposition (CCD) task. These tasks were chosen because they are frequently used to uncover the neurocognitive correlates of insight. Our results demonstrated that creative insight reliably activates largely non-overlapping brain regions across task types, with the exception of some shared regions: the CRA task mainly relied on the right parahippocampal gyrus, the superior frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus; the PH task primarily depended on the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG), the bilateral superior parietal lobule/precuneus, the left inferior parietal lobule, the left lingual gyrus and the left middle frontal gyrus; and the CCD task activated a broad cerebral network consisting of most dorsolateral and medial prefrontal regions, frontoparietal regions and the right MOG. These results provide the first neural evidence of the task dependence of creative insight. The implications of these findings for resolving conflict surrounding the different theories of creative cognition and for defining insight as a set of heterogeneous processes are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Sleep does not facilitate insight in older adults.

    PubMed

    Debarnot, Ursula; Rossi, Marta; Faraguna, Ugo; Schwartz, Sophie; Sebastiani, Laura

    2017-04-01

    Sleep has been shown to foster the process of insight generation in young adults during problem solving activities. Aging is characterized by substantial changes in sleep architecture altering memory consolidation. Whether sleep might promote the occurrence of insight in older adults as well has not yet been tested experimentally. To address this issue, we tested healthy young and old volunteers on an insight problem solving task, involving both explicit and implicit features, before and after a night of sleep or a comparable wakefulness period. Data showed that insight emerged significantly less frequently after a night of sleep in older adults compared to young. Moreover, there was no difference in the magnitude of insight occurrence following sleep and daytime -consolidation in aged participants. We further found that acquisition of implicit knowledge in the task before sleep potentiated the gain of insight in young participants, but this effect was not observed in aged participants. Overall, present findings demonstrate that a period of sleep does not significantly promote insight in problem solving in older adults. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Characteristics of Kodak Insight, an F-speed intraoral film.

    PubMed

    Ludlow, J B; Platin, E; Mol, A

    2001-01-01

    This study reports film speed, contrast, exposure latitude, resolution, and response to processing solution depletion of Kodak Insight intraoral film. Densitometric curves were generated by using International Standards Organization protocol. Additional curves were generated for Ultra-speed, Ektaspeed Plus, and Insight films developed in progressively depleted processing solutions. Eight observers viewed images of a resolution test tool for maximum resolution assessment. Images of an aluminum step-wedge were reviewed to determine useful exposure latitude. Insight's sensitivity in fresh automatic processor solutions places it in the F-speed group. An average gradient of 1.8 was found with all film types. Insight provided 93% of the useful exposure latitude of Ektaspeed Plus film. Insight maintained contrast in progressively depleted processing solutions. Like Ektaspeed Plus, Insight was able to resolve at least 20 line-pairs per millimeter. Under International Standards Organization conditions, Insight required only 77% of the exposure of Ektaspeed Plus film. Insight film provided stable contrast in depleted processing solutions.

  2. The politics of insight

    PubMed Central

    Salvi, Carola; Cristofori, Irene; Grafman, Jordan; Beeman, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies showed that liberals and conservatives differ in cognitive style. Liberals are more flexible, and tolerant of complexity and novelty, whereas conservatives are more rigid, are more resistant to change, and prefer clear answers. We administered a set of compound remote associate problems, a task extensively used to differentiate problem-solving styles (via insight or analysis). Using this task, several researches have proven that self-reports, which differentiate between insight and analytic problem-solving, are reliable and are associated with two different neural circuits. In our research we found that participants self-identifying with distinct political orientations demonstrated differences in problem-solving strategy. Liberals solved significantly more problems via insight instead of in a step-by-step analytic fashion. Our findings extend previous observations that self-identified political orientations reflect differences in cognitive styles. More specifically, we show that type of political orientation is associated with problem-solving strategy. The data converge with previous neurobehavioural and cognitive studies indicating a link between cognitive style and the psychological mechanisms that mediate political beliefs. PMID:26810954

  3. The politics of insight.

    PubMed

    Salvi, Carola; Cristofori, Irene; Grafman, Jordan; Beeman, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies showed that liberals and conservatives differ in cognitive style. Liberals are more flexible, and tolerant of complexity and novelty, whereas conservatives are more rigid, are more resistant to change, and prefer clear answers. We administered a set of compound remote associate problems, a task extensively used to differentiate problem-solving styles (via insight or analysis). Using this task, several researches have proven that self-reports, which differentiate between insight and analytic problem-solving, are reliable and are associated with two different neural circuits. In our research we found that participants self-identifying with distinct political orientations demonstrated differences in problem-solving strategy. Liberals solved significantly more problems via insight instead of in a step-by-step analytic fashion. Our findings extend previous observations that self-identified political orientations reflect differences in cognitive styles. More specifically, we show that type of political orientation is associated with problem-solving strategy. The data converge with previous neurobehavioural and cognitive studies indicating a link between cognitive style and the psychological mechanisms that mediate political beliefs.

  4. Turning the InSight Lander Science Deck

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    The science deck of NASA's InSight lander is being turned over in this April 29, 2015, photo from InSight assembly and testing operations inside a clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. The large circular component on the deck is the protective covering to be placed over InSight's seismometer after the seismometer is placed directly onto the Martian ground. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19670

  5. InSight Final Flight Installation of Heatshield

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-12

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers place the heatshield on NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander prior to encapsulation in its payload fairing. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  6. [Relationship between insight, violence and diagnoses in psychotic patients].

    PubMed

    Lera Calatayud, Guillem; Herrero Sebastián, Neus; Aguilar García-Iturrospe, Eduardo; González Piqueras, José Carlos; Sanjuán Arias, Julio; Leal Cercós, Carmen

    2012-01-01

    Lack of insight is a common clinical problem in psichiatric patients, but few times has been properly studied until recently. Patients with good insight tend to show a better treatment adherence with a better prognosis and swow less hostility. This study aims to investigate whether there is a relationship between the hostility degree and insight or not and to anlalyze if there are insight quantitative differences between the patients regarding their diagnoses. 168 psychotic patients were studied (including 86 patients with schizophrenia and 43 with bipolar disorder). PANNS P7 (hostility) item and G14 (poor impulse control) were analized in order to assess patients' violence and G12 in order to assess insight. All these data was correlated. It was also analyzed the PANSS results of schizophrenic vs bipolar patients regarding insight and hostility separately looking for a more homogenic pull of patients. Patients with greater hostility showed a worse impulse control and poorer insight than the rest. Schizophrenic patients showed a greater hostility and lower insight than bipolar patients. Lack of insight may lead to a greater hostility and worse impulse control. Therapeutic interventions adressed to improve insight could indirectly lower hostility and gain a better impulse control for psychotic patients. Copyright © 2010 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  7. InSight's Second Microchip

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-23

    Technicians at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado installed a microchip with 1.6 million names submitted by the public to ride along with NASA's InSight mission to Mars. The chip was installed on Jan. 23, 2018. This joins another microchip that was previously installed that included 800,000 names for a grand total of 2.4 million names going to Mars as early as May 5, 2018. The microchip including names from the NASA InSight mission's "Send Your Name to Mars" campaign was affixed to the spacecraft with a special glue. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22206

  8. Insight, social knowledge and working memory in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Upthegrove, Rachel; Oyebode, Femi; George, Mohan; Haque, M Sayeed

    2002-01-01

    There is evidence that insight and social judgements are impaired in schizophrenia. The influence of these factors on the decision to treat compulsorily in schizophrenia is poorly understood. To investigate the contribution of insight, social knowledge, and working memory to the determination to treat coercively in schizophrenia. Insight rating scale, social knowledge questionnaire and working memory tests were administered to detained patients with schizophrenia. Results were compared with those of a control group of voluntary in-patients with schizophrenia. Detained patients scored worse on insight and social knowledge, yet there was no significant correlation between these scores. There was no significant difference in severity of psychopathology between the experimental and control groups. Results for working memory were inconclusive. Insight and social knowledge are significantly, but independently, associated with the determination to treat coercively in schizophrenia. This suggests that insight and social knowledge are distinct skills. The contribution of working memory remains unclear. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

  9. The relationships among insight, social support, and depression in psychosis.

    PubMed

    Kaiser, Suzanne L; Snyder, Jennifer A; Corcoran, Rhiannon; Drake, Richard J

    2006-12-01

    We assessed the role of satisfaction with social support as a mediating factor in the relationship between insight and depression in psychosis. Forty inpatients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders self-completed measures of insight, social support, and depression. Results showed a curvilinear relationship between insight and satisfaction with support: those with high and low insight tended to have higher satisfaction with support than those with moderate insight. Satisfaction also had a negative relationship with depression. We found no direct relationship between insight and depression. This was consistent with satisfaction with social support mediating the relationship between global insight and depression.

  10. The assessment of insight in psychosis.

    PubMed

    David, A; Buchanan, A; Reed, A; Almeida, O

    1992-11-01

    An assessment schedule was used to determine the nature of insight in 91 mixed psychotic patients, and to examine its distribution and associations. While all the components of the schedule intercorrelated significantly, scores for compliance were only weakly related to those for ability to label psychotic phenomena as abnormal. Compliance and illness recognition were related to IQ. Total insight score was inversely correlated, moderately, with a global measure of psychopathology derived from the PSE, and was less in patients involuntarily committed. Age, sex, diagnosis, and the number of previous hospital admissions had little effect. The results support the notion that insight is not a unitary concept.

  11. Effects of antipsychotic drugs on insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Bianchini, Oriana; Porcelli, Stefano; Nespeca, Claudia; Cannavò, Dario; Trappoli, Angela; Aguglia, Eugenio; De Ronchi, Diana; Serretti, Alessandro

    2014-08-15

    Lack of insight is predominant in schizophrenia though the causes are still unclear. The present study was carried on to investigate the effect of three Second Generation Antipsychotics (SGAs) and Haloperidol on insight and the associations among different clusters of symptoms and insight. Fifty-five patients have been recruited at the moment of pharmacological switch needed for psychotic exacerbation, from other antipsychotic drugs to Olanzapine, Aripiprazole, Ziprasidone and Haloperidol. Patients have been followed for 6 months and evaluated at baseline, after 3 months and after 6 months. Regarding the insight improvement, all SGAs resulted more effective than Haloperidol, while no difference was detected among different SGAs. Concerning psychopathology, all SGAs showed a better efficacy than Haloperidol, positive symptoms apart. All SGAs showed a similar efficacy on all domains, except for negative symptoms which resulted less responsive to ziprasidone and haloperidol. An association between improvement of insight and psychopathology was detected. Furthermore, insight appears to be related to psychopathology severity, particularly to negative symptoms. However, the observed different effectiveness of Ziprasidone on negative symptoms and insight suggests that these psychopathological features may be not strictly related and, thus, they may be sustained by different psychopathological processes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Insight in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder: associations with clinical presentation.

    PubMed

    Storch, Eric A; Milsom, Vanessa A; Merlo, Lisa J; Larson, Michael; Geffken, Gary R; Jacob, Marni L; Murphy, Tanya K; Goodman, Wayne K

    2008-08-15

    Insight has emerged as a significant treatment outcome predictor in adult obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with some suggesting that OCD with poor insight represents a distinct clinical subtype. Despite its clinical relevance, limited data exist on insight in pediatric OCD patients. The present study investigated the relation between poor insight and clinical characteristics among children and adolescents with OCD (N=78, ages 6-20 years). Forty-five percent of the sample (n=35) was considered to have low levels of insight into their symptoms, as determined by clinician rating on item 11 of the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. Pearson product-moment correlations showed a significant, inverse relation between insight and OCD severity. Relative to the high insight group, parents of patients with low insight reported higher levels of OCD-related impairment and family accommodation. These findings suggest that OCD with poor insight may represent a distinct clinical feature that may require more intensive and multimodal treatment approaches.

  13. Dispositional Insight Scale: Development and Validation of a Tool That Measures Propensity toward Insight in Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ovington, Linda A.; Saliba, Anthony J.; Goldring, Jeremy

    2016-01-01

    This article reports the development of a brief self-report measure of dispositional insight problem solving, the Dispositional Insight Scale (DIS). From a representative Australian database, 1,069 adults (536 women and 533 men) completed an online questionnaire. An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 5-item scale, with all…

  14. InSight Atlas V LVOS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-03

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  15. Insight and suicidality in psychosis: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Massons, Carmen; Lopez-Morinigo, Javier-David; Pousa, Esther; Ruiz, Ada; Ochoa, Susana; Usall, Judith; Nieto, Lourdes; Cobo, Jesus; David, Anthony S; Dutta, Rina

    2017-06-01

    We aimed to test whether specific insight dimensions are associated with suicidality in patients with psychotic disorders. 143 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited. Suicidality was assessed by item 8 of the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS). Insight was measured by the Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) and the Markova and Berrios Insight Scale. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were conducted. Those subjects aware of having a mental illness and its social consequences had higher scores on suicidality than those with poor insight. Awareness of the need for treatment was not linked with suicidality. The Markova and Berrios Insight scale total score and two specific domains (awareness of "disturbed thinking and loss of control over the situation" and "having a vague feeling that something is wrong") were related to suicidality. However, no insight dimensions survived the multivariable regression model, which found depression and previous suicidal behaviour to predict suicidality. Suicidality in psychosis was linked with some insight dimensions: awareness of mental illness and awareness of social consequences, but not compliance. Depression and previous suicidal behaviour mediated the associations with insight; thus, predicting suicidality. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Neural Activity When People Solve Verbal Problems with Insight

    PubMed Central

    Bowden, Edward M; Haberman, Jason; Frymiare, Jennifer L; Arambel-Liu, Stella; Greenblatt, Richard; Reber, Paul J

    2004-01-01

    People sometimes solve problems with a unique process called insight, accompanied by an “Aha!” experience. It has long been unclear whether different cognitive and neural processes lead to insight versus noninsight solutions, or if solutions differ only in subsequent subjective feeling. Recent behavioral studies indicate distinct patterns of performance and suggest differential hemispheric involvement for insight and noninsight solutions. Subjects solved verbal problems, and after each correct solution indicated whether they solved with or without insight. We observed two objective neural correlates of insight. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (Experiment 1) revealed increased activity in the right hemisphere anterior superior temporal gyrus for insight relative to noninsight solutions. The same region was active during initial solving efforts. Scalp electroencephalogram recordings (Experiment 2) revealed a sudden burst of high-frequency (gamma-band) neural activity in the same area beginning 0.3 s prior to insight solutions. This right anterior temporal area is associated with making connections across distantly related information during comprehension. Although all problem solving relies on a largely shared cortical network, the sudden flash of insight occurs when solvers engage distinct neural and cognitive processes that allow them to see connections that previously eluded them. PMID:15094802

  17. InSight Atlas V MARCO Cubesats Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-17

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, twin communications-relay CubeSats, called Mars Cube One (MarCO) are prepared for installation on an Atlas V rocket. MarCO constitutes a technology demonstration being built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena in California. They will launch in on the same United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. CubeSats are a class of spacecraft based on a standardized small size and modular use of off-the-shelf technologies. Many have been made by university students, and dozens have been launched into Earth orbit using extra payload mass available on launches of larger spacecraft. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for

  18. InSight Atlas V MARCO Cubesats Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-17

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, twin communications-relay CubeSats, called Mars Cube One (MarCO) are installed on an Atlas V rocket. MarCO constitutes a technology demonstration being built by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena in California. They will launch in on the same United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. CubeSats are a class of spacecraft based on a standardized small size and modular use of off-the-shelf technologies. Many have been made by university students, and dozens have been launched into Earth orbit using extra payload mass available on launches of larger spacecraft. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  19. Gender Insights Coming to Your Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadker, David; Koch, Melissa

    2016-01-01

    The research about gender differences and gender inequities in education continues to yield new insights that are relevant to schools, write David Sadker and Melissa Koch. In this article, they discuss four of these insights. (1) Stereotype threat is real, but malleable. For example, research shows that simply reminding females of their gender can…

  20. The role of insight in exploratory psychodynamic psychotherapy.

    PubMed

    Høglend, P; Engelstad, V; Sørbye, O; Heyerdahl, O; Amlo, S

    1994-12-01

    Psychoanalytic theory holds that dynamic insight is used for self-observation and self-analysis during and after explorative therapy. Such self-analysis is held to lead to stable dynamic change. Within a sample of 43 moderately disturbed out-patients, pre-treatment level of insight was associated with treatment length, with not being an early or late drop-out, and with receiving additional psychotherapy during a four-year follow-up period. Pre-treatment level of insight turned out to be not directly correlated with outcome two and four years after therapy. However, level of insight was significantly correlated with outcome in interaction with treatment length. Gain of insight measured at two-year follow-up was the strongest predictor of overall dynamic change four years after therapy, compared with all the other outcome assessments made at two-year follow-up.

  1. InSight Probes the 'Inner Space' of Mars

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-25

    An artist's impression of the InSight lander on Mars. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is designed to give the Red Planet its first thorough check up since it formed 4.5 billion years ago. It is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast between May 5 through June 8, 2018, and land on Mars six months later. InSight will look for tectonic activity and meteorite impacts, study how much heat is still flowing through the planet, and track Mars' wobble as it orbits the sun. While InSight is a Mars mission, it's more than a Mars mission. InSight will help answer key questions about the formation of the rocky planets of the solar system. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22226

  2. InSight Atlas V LVOS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-03

    A crane lifts a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  3. Examination of clinical and cognitive insight in acute schizophrenia patients.

    PubMed

    Greenberger, Cheryl; Serper, Mark R

    2010-07-01

    Lack of insight or awareness of illness is a hallmark feature of schizophrenic illness and has become an increasingly important area of investigation. Although clinical insight focuses on awareness of illness factors, the concept of cognitive insight focuses on the cognitive processes involved in correcting erroneous judgments and certainty about mistaken judgments. The present study was aimed at further investigating the clinical utility and the statistical coherence of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) (Beck et al., 2004) in acute schizoaffective and schizophrenia (SZ) patients. The present study examined the internal consistency of the scale, as well as its discriminative and predictive validity relative to a well-established traditional measure of clinical insight in a sample of 50 DSM-IV diagnosed SZ patients, presenting for acute inpatient treatment. The BCIS was found to be an internally consistent and a coherent measure of cognitive insight. The BCIS was unassociated with clinical insight, indicating the 2 constructs share little empirical overlap. Cognitive insight was found to be inversely associated with patients' severity of autistic preoccupation symptoms such that those individuals with more cognitive insight, exhibited fewer autistic/cognitive symptoms. Patients' clinical insight, however, was found to be inversely associated specifically with patients' severity of depression. Additionally, clinical insight was also found to be more impaired in patients residing in nursing home environments relative to their counterparts living in less restrictive settings when outside the hospital. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between clinical and cognitive insight constructs to SZ symptom domains.

  4. InSight, a Mars MIssion Artist Concept

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2012-02-28

    This artist rendition is of the Interior exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport InSight Lander. InSight proposes to place a single geophysical lander on Mars to study its deep interior. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA13958

  5. InSight Atlas V LVOS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-12-15

    A crane positions a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  6. Insight Fairing Offload and Unbagging

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-30

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians remove protective wrapping from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  7. InSight Atlas V LVOS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-03

    A crane positions a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster on the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  8. Clinical and Cognitive Insight in a Compensatory Cognitive Training Intervention

    PubMed Central

    Burton, Cynthia Z.; Vella, Lea; Twamley, Elizabeth W.

    2013-01-01

    The impact of limited insight is a crucial consideration in the treatment of individuals with psychiatric illness. In the context of psychosis, both clinical and cognitive insight have been described. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between clinical and cognitive insight and neuropsychological functioning, psychiatric symptom severity, and everyday functioning in patients with a primary psychotic disorder participating in a compensatory cognitive training (CT) intervention. Sixty-nine individuals diagnosed with a primary psychotic disorder were randomized to a 3-month CT intervention or to standard pharmacotherapy, and they completed a comprehensive neuropsychological, clinical, and functional battery at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The CT intervention focused on habit formation and compensatory strategy learning in four domains: prospective memory, attention and vigilance, learning and memory, and problem-solving/cognitive flexibility. At baseline, better clinical insight was significantly related to better executive functioning and less severe negative symptoms. There was no significant association between cognitive insight and cognitive functioning, symptom severity, or everyday functioning ability. The CT intervention did not have an effect on clinical or cognitive insight, but better cognitive insight prior to participation in CT significantly predicted decreased positive and depressive symptom severity posttreatment, and better clinical insight predicted improved self-reported quality of life. Although clinical insight is related to executive functioning, the correlates of cognitive insight remain elusive. Intact insight appears to be beneficial in ameliorating clinical symptomatology like positive symptoms and depression, rather than augmenting cognition. It may be valuable to develop brief interventions aimed at improving clinical and cognitive insight prior to other psychosocial rehabilitation in order to maximize the benefit of

  9. Cognitive deficits and reduced insight in primary progressive aphasia.

    PubMed

    Banks, Sarah Jane; Weintraub, Sandra

    2008-01-01

    Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a form of dementia caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Unlike aphasia due to stroke, in which the association between particular aphasia profiles and insight has been well characterized, this relationship has not been investigated in PPA. Reduced insight is seen in other neurological conditions, but tends to involve right hemisphere damage, whereas PPA is predominantly a left hemisphere disorder. The aim of the current study was to examine whether fluent aphasia with less meaningful speech output, associated with diminished insight in stroke, is also characteristic of PPA patients with reduced insight. Fourteen PPA patients were studied. Results indicated that reduced information content in speech and poor performance on a nonlanguage test, the Pyramids and Palm Trees test, predicted reduced insight. This study has implications for the anatomical network involved in insight and clinical implications in terms of selecting interventions appropriate for individual patients with PPA.

  10. [Lack of insight in schizophrenia: a review].

    PubMed

    Raffard, S; Bayard, S; Capdevielle, D; Garcia, F; Boulenger, J-P; Gely-Nargeot, M-C

    2008-10-01

    Relative to other psychiatric disorders, patients with schizophrenia are often unaware of the consequences of their disease and their need for treatment. These deficits in awareness referred in general in the English literature as "poor insight", have been the focus of many clinical studies over recent years. This phenomenon, which is considered as fundamental in clinical evaluations of schizophrenia, should be understood as a multidimensional process rather than a dichotomic phenomenon, as is presently the case. The links between insight deficits and responses to vocational rehabilitation efforts represent a major interest in research, including those related to medication compliance and clinical outcome. To conduct such studies, various evaluation tools have been developed, enabling the assessment of insight, of its time-course and of its components in psychosis and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The Scale to Assess Unawareness of illness in Mental Disorders (SUMD) developed by Amador and Strauss appears to be the most frequently used scale for the evaluation of awareness of the disorder in schizophrenia. Although the model proposed by Amador and Strauss is considered as the privileged model in the multidimensional approach of insight, it corresponds only to a phenomenological analysis of this concept. In the second part of this article, we thus review the current models attempting to explain the lack of insight in schizophrenia. Four current explanatory models of lack of insight will be described as follows: resulting either from adaptation or defence mechanisms to environmental stressors, resulting from cognitive bias of data processing, resulting from neuropsychological functional deficits and resulting from metacognitive deficits. Several hypotheses concerning these deficits arise from clinical studies. Although coping, and defence mechanisms to the consequences and stigmatization of the disease were hardly studied, the fact that poor insight does not

  11. INSIGHT AGONISTES: A READING OF SOPHOCLES'S OEDIPUS THE KING.

    PubMed

    Mahon, Eugene J

    2015-07-01

    In this reading of Sophocles's Oedipus the King, the author suggests that insight can be thought of as the main protagonist of the tragedy. He personifies this depiction of insight, calling it Insight Agonistes, as if it were the sole conflicted character on the stage, albeit masquerading at times as several other characters, including gods, sphinxes, and oracles. This psychoanalytic reading of the text lends itself to an analogy between psychoanalytic process and Sophocles's tragic hero. The author views insight as always transgressing against, always at war with a conservative, societal, or intrapsychic chorus of structured elements. A clinical vignette is presented to illustrate this view of insight. © 2015 The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, Inc.

  12. Insight in psychosis: Standards, science, ethics and value judgment.

    PubMed

    Jacob, K S

    2017-06-01

    The clinical assessment of insight solely employs biomedical perspectives and criteria to the complete exclusion of context and culture and to the disregard of values and value judgments. The aim of this discussion article is to examine recent research from India on insight and explanatory models in psychosis and re-examine the framework of assessment, diagnosis and management of insight and explanatory models. Recent research from India on insight in psychosis and explanatory models is reviewed. Recent research, which has used longitudinal data and adjusted for pretreatment variables, suggests that insight and explanatory models of illness at baseline do not predict course, outcome and treatment response in schizophrenia, which seem to be dependent on the severity and quality of the psychosis. It supports the view that people with psychosis simultaneously hold multiple and contradictory explanatory models of illness, which change over time and with the trajectory of the illness. It suggests that insight, like all explanatory models, is a narrative of the person's reality and a coping strategy to handle with the varied impact of the illness. This article argues that the assessment of insight necessarily involves value entailments, commitments and consequences. It supports a need for a broad-based approach to assess awareness, attribution and action related to mental illness and to acknowledge the role of values and value judgment in the evaluation of insight in psychosis.

  13. InSight Atlas V LVOS

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-03

    Technicians, engineers and U.S. Air Force personnel prepare to support erection of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  14. The InSight Team at JPL

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-25

    The InSight Team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, in June 2015. The InSight team is comprised of scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines and is a unique collaboration between countries and organizations around the world. The science team includes co-investigators from the U.S., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22234

  15. Unraveling the insight paradox: One-year longitudinal study on the relationships between insight, self-stigma, and life satisfaction among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

    PubMed

    Chio, Floria H N; Mak, Winnie W S; Chan, Randolph C H; Tong, Alan C Y

    2018-01-30

    The promotion of insight among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders has posed a dilemma to service providers as higher insight has been linked to positive clinical outcomes but negative psychological outcomes. The negative meaning that people attached to the illness (self-stigma content) and the recurrence of such stigmatizing thoughts (self-stigma process) may explain why increased insight is associated with negative outcomes. The present study examined how the presence of high self-stigma content and self-stigma process may contribute to the negative association between insight and life satisfaction. A total of 181 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were assessed at baseline. 130 and 110 participants were retained and completed questionnaire at 6-month and 1-year follow-up, respectively. Results showed that baseline insight was associated with lower life satisfaction at 6-month when self-stigma process or self-stigma content was high. Furthermore, baseline insight was predictive of better life satisfaction at 1-year follow-up when self-stigma process was low. Findings suggested that the detrimental effects of insight can be a result from both the presence of cognitive content and habitual process of self-stigma. Future insight promotion interventions should also address self-stigma content and process among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders so as to maximize the beneficial effects of insight. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Investigating the effect of mental set on insight problem solving.

    PubMed

    Ollinger, Michael; Jones, Gary; Knoblich, Günther

    2008-01-01

    Mental set is the tendency to solve certain problems in a fixed way based on previous solutions to similar problems. The moment of insight occurs when a problem cannot be solved using solution methods suggested by prior experience and the problem solver suddenly realizes that the solution requires different solution methods. Mental set and insight have often been linked together and yet no attempt thus far has systematically examined the interplay between the two. Three experiments are presented that examine the extent to which sets of noninsight and insight problems affect the subsequent solutions of insight test problems. The results indicate a subtle interplay between mental set and insight: when the set involves noninsight problems, no mental set effects are shown for the insight test problems, yet when the set involves insight problems, both facilitation and inhibition can be seen depending on the type of insight problem presented in the set. A two process model is detailed to explain these findings that combines the representational change mechanism with that of proceduralization.

  17. Cognitive Deficits and Reduced Insight in Primary Progressive Aphasia

    PubMed Central

    Banks, Sarah Jane; Weintraub, Sandra

    2009-01-01

    Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a form of dementia caused by frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Unlike aphasia due to stroke, in which the association between particular aphasia profiles and insight has been well characterized, this relationship has not been investigated in PPA. Reduced insight is seen in other neurological conditions, but tends to involve right hemisphere damage, whereas PPA is predominantly a left hemisphere disorder. The aim of the current study was to examine whether fluent aphasia with less meaningful speech output, associated with diminished insight in stroke, is also characteristic of PPA patients with reduced insight. Fourteen PPA patients were studied. Results indicated that reduced information content in speech and poor performance on a nonlanguage test, the Pyramids and Palm Trees test, predicted reduced insight. This study has implications for the anatomical network involved in insight and clinical implications in terms of selecting interventions appropriate for individual patients with PPA. PMID:18836134

  18. [Insight into illness: an overview of the concept focusing on schizophrenia].

    PubMed

    Bottlender, Ronald; Hloucal, Teresa-Maria

    2010-03-01

    Insight into illness is key to successful treatment. Poor insight, especially in schizophrenia, is, however, quite a frequent phenomenon that is also associated with poor adherence to treatment and a variety of unfavorable outcome parameters. On that background, the concept of insight into illness has gained new reseach interest during the last 10 years. The present review aims to report new findings regarding conceptual changes of insight, findings on the etiology, contributing factors as well as the assessment and methods to develop insight. Based on a review of the literature, results from more recent studies on insight into illness will be presented. Insight into illness is a complex, multidimensional, strongly culturally embedded phenomenon that is influenced by a variety of factors. The etiology of insight still remains poorly understood but is likely to be multifactorial including psychological, neuropsychological and organic reasons. Further research is needed, in particularly regarding therapeutical techniques to improve insight into illness.

  19. InSight Lander Solar Array Test

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-23

    The solar arrays on NASA's InSight Mars lander were deployed as part of testing conducted Jan. 23, 2018, at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado. Engineers and technicians evaluated the solar arrays and performed an illumination test to confirm that the solar cells were collecting power. The launch window for InSight opens May 5, 2018. A video is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22205

  20. How to Detect Insight Moments in Problem Solving Experiments.

    PubMed

    Laukkonen, Ruben E; Tangen, Jason M

    2018-01-01

    Arguably, it is not possible to study insight moments during problem solving without being able to accurately detect when they occur (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2007). Despite over a century of research on the insight moment, there is surprisingly little consensus on the best way to measure them in real-time experiments. There have also been no attempts to evaluate whether the different ways of measuring insight converge. Indeed, if it turns out that the popular measures of insight diverge , then this may indicate that researchers who have used one method may have been measuring a different phenomenon to those who have used another method. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly cited ways of measuring insight: The feelings-of-warmth measure adapted from Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987), and the self-report measure adapted from Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2007). We find little empirical agreement between the two measures, and conclude that the self-report measure of Aha! is superior both methodologically and theoretically, and provides a better representation of what is commonly regarded as insight. We go on to describe and recommend a novel visceral measure of insight using a dynamometer as described in Creswell et al. (2016).

  1. How to Detect Insight Moments in Problem Solving Experiments

    PubMed Central

    Laukkonen, Ruben E.; Tangen, Jason M.

    2018-01-01

    Arguably, it is not possible to study insight moments during problem solving without being able to accurately detect when they occur (Bowden and Jung-Beeman, 2007). Despite over a century of research on the insight moment, there is surprisingly little consensus on the best way to measure them in real-time experiments. There have also been no attempts to evaluate whether the different ways of measuring insight converge. Indeed, if it turns out that the popular measures of insight diverge, then this may indicate that researchers who have used one method may have been measuring a different phenomenon to those who have used another method. We compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two most commonly cited ways of measuring insight: The feelings-of-warmth measure adapted from Metcalfe and Wiebe (1987), and the self-report measure adapted from Bowden and Jung-Beeman (2007). We find little empirical agreement between the two measures, and conclude that the self-report measure of Aha! is superior both methodologically and theoretically, and provides a better representation of what is commonly regarded as insight. We go on to describe and recommend a novel visceral measure of insight using a dynamometer as described in Creswell et al. (2016). PMID:29593598

  2. Correlation Between Insight Level and Suicidal Behavior/Ideation in Bipolar Depression.

    PubMed

    de Assis da Silva, Rafael; Mograbi, Daniel C; Bifano, Jaqueline; Santana, Cristina M T; Cheniaux, Elie

    2017-03-01

    Suicide is a relatively common outcome along the course of bipolar disorder. Studies have shown a positive correlation between ideation or attempts of suicide and higher insight in schizophrenic patients. Nevertheless there are still few studies that evaluate the relationship between suicide and insight in mood disorders. Evaluate the relationship between insight and suicidal ideation or behavior in bipolar depression. A group of 165 bipolar patients were followed up along 1 year. Each patient's mood was assessed in every consultation according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Suicidal ideation and behavior were prospectively assessed through item 3 of HAM-D whenever a major depressive episode was diagnosed. Insight was evaluated through the Insight Scale for Affective Disorders. A history of suicidal attempts was associated with worse insight in 60 patients with one episode of bipolar depression. The difference remained even when the supposed effect of depression over insight was controlled. No correlation between current suicidal ideation and insight level was found though. Our results suggest that a history of suicide attempts may correlate with higher impairment of insight in bipolar depression. No relationship was found between current suicidal ideation and insight.

  3. Mining Login Data for Actionable Student Insight

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Agnihotri, Lalitha; Aghababyan, Ani; Mojarad, Shirin; Riedesel, Mark; Essa, Alfred

    2015-01-01

    Student login data is a key resource for gaining insight into their learning experience. However, the scale and the complexity of this data necessitate a thorough exploration to identify potential actionable insights, thus rendering it less valuable compared to student achievement data. To compensate for the underestimation of login data…

  4. Insight and illness perception in Mexican patients with psychosis.

    PubMed

    Gómez-de-Regil, Lizzette

    2015-03-01

    Insight and illness perception are two concepts of interest in the study of factors related to clinical outcome in patients with psychosis. Insight implies a risk of emotional distress for the patient. Illness perceptions, regardless of their accuracy, might be favorable or not to illness. Literature provides evidence of significant correlates of these factors with clinical outcome, but they are rarely included in a single study. 1) assessing insight and illness perception in a sample of Mexican patients who have experienced psychosis and, 2) analyzing how insight and illness perception relate to each other and how they relate to clinical status (i.e., positive, negative, and general psychopathology, depression, and anxiety). Sixty-one participants (55.7% females) were recruited from a public psychiatric hospital; insight and illness perceptions were assessed with the SUMD and the Brief-IPQ, respectively. Clinical status was assessed with the PANSS, CDS and BAI scales. Participants showed good insight, favorable illness perceptions for the cognitive and comprehension dimensions, but unfavorable for the emotional dimension. Clinical status of sample was characterized by mild symptoms. Poor insight related to positive symptoms and general psychopathology. Cognitive and emotional perceptions of illness were significantly associated to most clinical status parameters, whereas comprehension showed no significant results. The study not only replicates the significant association on insight and illness perception with clinical outcome, but shows how their patterns of interactions are different, reinforcing the idea that they are two distinct factors worthy of being habitually acknowledged in research and clinical practice.

  5. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Lift and Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers mate the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V to a Centaur upper stage. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  6. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Lift and Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V arrives at Space Launch Complex 3. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  7. Metacognitive capacity as a predictor of insight in first-episode psychosis.

    PubMed

    Vohs, Jenifer L; Lysaker, Paul H; Liffick, Emily; Francis, Michael M; Leonhardt, Bethany L; James, Alison; Buck, Kelly D; Hamm, Jay A; Minor, Kyle S; Mehdiyoun, Nikki; Breier, Alan

    2015-05-01

    Impaired insight is common in the first episode of psychosis (FEP). Although considerable research has examined the factors that are associated with impaired insight in chronic psychosis, less is known about the factors that underlie and sustain poor insight in FEP. Impaired metacognition, or the ability to form integrated representations of self and others, is a promising potential contributor to poor insight in FEP. To explore this possibility, the authors assessed insight and metacognition in 40 individuals with FEP and then examined the relationship between these areas and social cognition domains, neurocognitive domains, and psychotic symptoms. Correlation analyses revealed that improved insight was associated with higher metacognition, better vocabulary and Theory of Mind scores, and fewer symptoms. The domain of metacognitive mastery also predicted clinical insight. Results support the need to develop an integrative therapeutic approach focused on improving metacognition, hence addressing poor insight in FEP.

  8. Insight and psychosis: comparing the perspectives of patient, entourage and clinician.

    PubMed

    Tranulis, Constantin; Corin, Ellen; Kirmayer, Laurence J

    2008-05-01

    The construct of insight in psychosis assumes congruence between patient and clinician views of the meaning of symptoms and experience. Current definitions and measures of insight do not give systematic attention to the impact of interpersonal, cultural and socio-economic contexts. We hypothesized that socio-cultural factors influence insight in patients with schizophrenia. We tested this hypothesis through comparison of insight in 18 triads, each composed of a patient, a family member and a clinician. The sample consisted of patients who were first diagnosed with psychosis in the last two years, and who were either immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean Islands, or Canadian born. Insight was assessed by analysis of narratives collected from patients, family members and clinicians for a research project on the negotiation of treatment. Each narrative was scored for insight along multiple dimensions with the Extracted Insight Scale (EIS), developed for this project. There was a significant correlation of insight on the EIS between patients and family members (r= 0.51, p= 0.03) but not between patient and clinician or family and clinician. The mean levels of insight across the three groups were comparable. Qualitative analysis of the illness narratives suggested that insight was based on the meanings constructed around psychotic experiences and that the process of interpreting and attributing psychotic experiences reflected each person's cultural background, life experiences, and other social determinants, especially stigma. Forms of insight can occur in the context of discordance or disagreement with the clinician's opinion. We present a testable model of the sociocultural determinants of insight that can guide future studies.

  9. The Association of DRD2 with Insight Problem Solving.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Shun; Zhang, Jinghuan

    2016-01-01

    Although the insight phenomenon has attracted great attention from psychologists, it is still largely unknown whether its variation in well-functioning human adults has a genetic basis. Several lines of evidence suggest that genes involved in dopamine (DA) transmission might be potential candidates. The present study explored for the first time the association of dopamine D2 receptor gene ( DRD2 ) with insight problem solving. Fifteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering DRD2 were genotyped in 425 unrelated healthy Chinese undergraduates, and were further tested for association with insight problem solving. Both single SNP and haplotype analysis revealed several associations of DRD2 SNPs and haplotypes with insight problem solving. In conclusion, the present study provides the first evidence for the involvement of DRD2 in insight problem solving, future studies are necessary to validate these findings.

  10. The Association of DRD2 with Insight Problem Solving

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Shun; Zhang, Jinghuan

    2016-01-01

    Although the insight phenomenon has attracted great attention from psychologists, it is still largely unknown whether its variation in well-functioning human adults has a genetic basis. Several lines of evidence suggest that genes involved in dopamine (DA) transmission might be potential candidates. The present study explored for the first time the association of dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) with insight problem solving. Fifteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering DRD2 were genotyped in 425 unrelated healthy Chinese undergraduates, and were further tested for association with insight problem solving. Both single SNP and haplotype analysis revealed several associations of DRD2 SNPs and haplotypes with insight problem solving. In conclusion, the present study provides the first evidence for the involvement of DRD2 in insight problem solving, future studies are necessary to validate these findings. PMID:27933030

  11. A systematic review of the literature about competence and poor insight.

    PubMed

    Ruissen, A M; Widdershoven, G A M; Meynen, G; Abma, T A; van Balkom, A J L M

    2012-02-01

      Formally, incompetence implies that a patient cannot meet the legal requirements for informed consent. Our aim was to review the scientific literature on the relationship between competence and insight in patients with psychiatric disorders, how competence and insight are connected in these patients and whether there are differences in competence and insight among patients with different disorders.   A search in PubMed/Medline was performed. Articles were assessed on relevance criteria by two independent reviewers. Study design, population, variables, and outcomes were extracted.   Seven articles were included on studies of psychiatric inpatients and outpatients and of psychotic and non-psychotic patients. All studies used the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool (MacCAT). All studies but one found a strong correlation between poor insight and incompetence. Psychotic patients with poor insight are very likely to be incompetent, and psychotic patients with adequate insight are generally competent. One well-executed study showed that in non-psychotic disorders, however, another relationship emerges; competence and insight do not completely overlap in these patients.   Most incompetent psychotic patients have poor insight, but non-psychotic patients with adequate insight were incompetent in a substantial number of cases. In sum: non-psychotic patients with adequate insight can be incompetent. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  12. A study of poor insight in social anxiety disorder.

    PubMed

    Vigne, Paula; de Menezes, Gabriela B; Harrison, Ben J; Fontenelle, Leonardo F

    2014-11-30

    We investigated levels of insight among patients with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) as compared to patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and evaluated whether levels of insight in SAD were related to specific sociodemographic and/or clinical features. Thirty-seven SAD patients and 51 OCD patients attending a tertiary obsessive-compulsive and anxiety disorders clinic were assessed with a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, a structured diagnostic interview, the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS), the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), and the Treatment Adherence Survey-patient version (TAS-P). According to the BABS, SAD patients exhibited insight levels that were as low as those exhibited by OCD patients, with up to 29.7% of them being described as "poor insight" SAD. Although poor insight SAD patients were more frequently married, less depressed and displayed a statistical trend towards greater rates of early drop-out from cognitive-behavioral therapy, their insight levels were not associated with other variables of interest, including sex, age, employment, age at onset, duration of illness, associated psychiatric disorders, SPIN and SDS scores. Patients with poor insight SAD might perceive their symptoms as being less distressful and thus report fewer depressive symptoms and high rates of treatment non-adherence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Changing Schools: Insights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Office of Policy and Planning (ED), Washington, DC.

    Over 1,000 communities in 45 states, territories, and the District of Columbia, are mobilized under the AMERICA 2000 banner to reach the 6 National Education Goals. This collection of papers, written by those who have wrestled with the process of school reform, offers useful insights to communities as they begin their process of transforming…

  14. InSight Atlas V Booster Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-02

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster is transported to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  15. Cognitive insight in schizophrenia patients and their biological parents: a pilot study.

    PubMed

    Raffard, Stéphane; Bortolon, Catherine; Macgregor, Alexandra; Norton, Joanna; Boulenger, Jean-Philippe; El Haj, Mohamad; Capdevielle, Delphine

    2014-11-01

    Clinical insight in schizophrenia patients is partly associated with familial environment but has been poorly studied to date. We aimed to explore (1) the relationship between parents' cognitive insight and their offspring's; (2) the relationship between parents' cognitive insight and their clinical insight into the disease of their offspring; and (3) the clinical and cognitive determinants of cognitive insight in parents. Cognitive insight was assessed in 37 patient-biological parent pairs/dyads with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). Other measures included the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder and cognitive assessments. We found no significant association between parents' cognitive insight and their offspring's. Conversely, a positive association between parents' cognitive insight and parents' insight into their offspring's symptoms was found. Better awareness of their offspring's specific symptoms was associated with lower levels of overconfidence in one's beliefs and with BCIS total score. BCIS Self-Certainty and BCIS total score were associated with better executive functioning and verbal comprehension. Better insight into their offspring's symptoms is associated with cognitive insight in biological parents of schizophrenia patients. Our results support the integration of cognitive intervention targeting parents' cognitive flexibility in family psychoeducational programs and provide an important first step towards developing a more refined understanding of the factors involved in insight into symptoms of illness in parents of schizophrenia patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. InSight Atlas V ISA-ASA Lift and Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-05

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a technician assists as the aft stub adapter (ASA) and interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V is lifted by crane for mating atop a Centaur upper stage. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. InSight will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, manages the InSight mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. InSight is part of NASA's Discovery Program, managed by its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The spacecraft, including cruise stage and lander, was built and tested by Lockheed Martin Space in Denver. Several European partners, including France's space agency, the Centre National d'Étude Spatiales, and the German Aerospace Center, are supporting the mission. United Launch Alliance of Centennial, Colorado, is providing the Atlas V launch service. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at its Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for launch management.

  17. Archiving InSight Lander Science Data Using PDS4 Standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, T.; Guinness, E. A.; Slavney, S.

    2017-12-01

    The InSight Mars Lander is scheduled for launch in 2018, and science data from the mission will be archived in the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) using the new PDS4 standards. InSight is a geophysical lander with a science payload that includes a seismometer, a probe to measure subsurface temperatures and heat flow, a suite of meteorology instruments, a magnetometer, an experiment using radio tracking, and a robotic arm that will provide soil physical property information based on interactions with the surface. InSight is not the first science mission to archive its data using PDS4. However, PDS4 archives do not currently contain examples of the kinds of data that several of the InSight instruments will produce. Whereas the existing common PDS4 standards were sufficient for most of archiving requirements of InSight, the data generated by a few instruments required development of several extensions to the PDS4 information model. For example, the seismometer will deliver a version of its data in SEED format, which is standard for the terrestrial seismology community. This format required the design of a new product type in the PDS4 information model. A local data dictionary has also been developed for InSight that contains attributes that are not part of the common PDS4 dictionary. The local dictionary provides metadata relevant to all InSight data sets, and attributes specific to several of the instruments. Additional classes and attributes were designed for the existing PDS4 geometry dictionary that will capture metadata for the lander position and orientation, along with camera models for stereo image processing. Much of the InSight archive planning and design work has been done by a Data Archiving Working Group (DAWG), which has members from the InSight project and the PDS. The group coordinates archive design, schedules and peer review of the archive documentation and test products. The InSight DAWG archiving effort for PDS is being led by the PDS Geosciences

  18. InSight Atlas V Booster Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-02

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster departs building 7525 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on its way to Space Launch Complex 3. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  19. Administrator Bridenstine: InSight Will Map the Inside of Mars

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-05-05

    NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine shares thoughts on the Mars InSight mission, the search for evidence of life beyond Earth, returning humans to the Moon and why Earth is his favorite planet. To learn more about InSight, visit https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/.

  20. Suicide, Satisfaction With Life, and Insight Capacity Among Adolescents With Mental Disorders.

    PubMed

    Schapir, Lior; Zalsman, Gil; Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Gaziel, Meyrav; Morag-Yaffe, Mayad; Sever, Jonathan; Weizman, Abraham; Shoval, Gal

    2016-09-01

    Little is known about the role of insight and satisfaction with life in adolescent suicidal behavior. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between suicide risk, insight, and satisfaction with life among adolescents with mental disorders. A total of 30 adolescents were evaluated using self-report measures of insight, satisfaction with life, and suicide risk. Regression analysis was used to assess the contribution of each factor to suicide risk. Positive correlations were found between suicide risk and insight dimensions. Satisfaction with life correlated negatively with suicide risk and insight dimensions. Insight explained 27.3% of suicide risk (p = .003). Both insight and satisfaction with life explained 39.0% of suicide risk (p = .031). Among adolescents with mental disorders, insight is a risk factor, whereas satisfaction with life is a protective factor for suicidality. Insight affects suicide risk of adolescents with mental disorders via reduction of satisfaction with life.

  1. Insight in Chinese schizophrenia patients: a 12-month follow-up.

    PubMed

    Wang, Y; Xiang, Y-T; Wang, C-Y; Chiu, H F K; Zhao, J-P; Chen, Q; Chan, S S M; Lee, E H M; Tang, W-K; Ungvari, G S

    2011-11-01

    This study aimed to assess insight in Chinese schizophrenia patients and to identify its relationship with socio-demographic and clinical factors, executive functions and quality of life (QOL). A cohort of 139 clinically stable schizophrenia patients was selected by consecutively screening patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who were attending the outpatient department of a university-affiliated psychiatric hospital in China. Participants' socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, including psychotic symptoms, depression and insight, as well as QOL and executive functions, were periodically assessed with standardized rating instruments. Patients received standard psychiatric care and were followed up for 1 year. Impaired insight was found to be common in stable Chinese schizophrenia patients (76.3%), with merely 5% showing improvement over the 1-year follow-up. Insight was inversely correlated with positive and negative symptoms at all but the 12-month assessment and with both the physical and mental components of QOL at baseline and the 12-month assessment. Insight was not associated with depressive symptoms or executive functions. Standard psychiatric care does not improve the level of insight in clinically stable Chinese schizophrenia outpatients, which warrants the introduction of specific therapeutic interventions that enhance insight. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing.

  2. Insight, psychopathology and global functioning in schizophrenia in urban Malawi.

    PubMed

    Crumlish, Niall; Samalani, Prince; Sefasi, Anthony; Kinsella, Anthony; O'Callaghan, Eadbhard; Chilale, Harris

    2007-09-01

    Insight, psychopathology and functioning are related in schizophrenia, but it is unclear whether insight relates independently to functioning after controlling for psychopathology. Equally, any such relationship may vary culturally. We investigated the relationship between insight, psychopathology and functioning in 60 patients with schizophrenia in Mzuzu, a town in Malawi. After controlling for psychopathology, functioning was associated with the ;symptom relabelling' dimension of insight (P=0.01). This preliminary finding suggests that symptom-focused psychoeducation might be appropriate for African patients with schizophrenia.

  3. Cruise Stage of NASA's InSight Spacecraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-08-28

    Lockheed Martin spacecraft specialists check the cruise stage of NASA's InSight spacecraft in this photo taken June 22, 2017, in a Lockheed Martin clean room facility in Littleton, Colorado. The cruise stage will provide vital functions during the flight from Earth to Mars, and then will be jettisoned before the InSight lander, enclosed in its aeroshell, enters Mars' atmosphere. The InSight mission (for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is scheduled to launch in May 2018 and land on Mars Nov. 26, 2018. It will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars and will help scientists better understand the evolution of our inner solar system's rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21845

  4. The impact of insight on social functioning in patients with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Erol, Almila; Delibas, Hakan; Bora, Ozlem; Mete, Levent

    2015-06-01

    It is still unclear whether insight has a direct association with social functioning in schizophrenia, independent of its association with symptoms. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of insight and its dimensions with social functioning in schizophrenia. A total of 170 outpatients with schizophrenia were included in this study. All patients were evaluated with the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP). Patients with impaired insight and patients with unimpaired insight were compared for PSP score through independent samples t test. Pearson's correlation analysis was used to determine the correlations between study variables. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was used in order to determine the variables that predict social performance. The PSP score of patients with impaired insight was significantly lower than that of patients with unimpaired insight. There were significant correlations between insight dimensions and PSP score. PANSS negative scale score, awareness of achieved effects of medication and awareness of anhedonia/asociality were significant predictors of social performance. Insight has a significant impact on social functioning in schizophrenia, and some, but not all, insight dimensions have direct impact on social performance, independent of their association with symptoms. © The Author(s) 2014.

  5. Depression in schizophrenia: the influence of the different dimensions of insight.

    PubMed

    Misdrahi, David; Denard, Sophie; Swendsen, Joel; Jaussent, Isabelle; Courtet, Philippe

    2014-04-30

    Improving insight in patients with schizophrenia appears necessary to enhance medication adherence and clinical outcome, but in some patients acquiring insight can paradoxically increase hopelessness, depression and suicidal behavior. The aim of this study is to explore the association of two dimensions of insight (cognitive and clinical) with depression, hopelessness and clinical variables in patients with psychosis. Using a cross-sectional design, 61 remitted outpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders were included. Insight was assessed using the "Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder" (SUMD), the PANSS-item G12 and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). Overall, 41.2% of the sample had a history of suicide attempts. Patients in the high clinical insight group had significantly higher depression scores, higher hopelessness scores, greater histories of suicide attempts and were more likely to have received psychoeducation. Compared to patients with low cognitive insight, those with high overall cognitive insight were significantly more depressed and had more often received psychoeducation. Greater insight may have negative consequences in terms of depressive symptoms and therefore presents a challenge to clinicians in assessing the individual risks and benefits of strategies intended to enhance awareness of mental disorder. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Correlates of insight into different symptom dimensions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Fontenelle, Jùlia M; Harrison, Ben J; Santana, Lívia; Conceição do Rosário, Maria; Versiani, Marcio; Fontenelle, Leonardo F

    2013-02-01

    In this study, we evaluated insight into different obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptom dimensions and their impact on clinical and sociodemographic features of patients with OCD. Sixty OCD patients were assessed with the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS), the Dimensional Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale-Short Version, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Sheehan Disability Scale. Two methods of using BABS were employed: 1) a traditional approach, which considers a composite of the insight into existing OCD symptoms, and 2) an alternative approach, which includes assessments of insight into each OCD symptom dimension separately. Composite BABS scores correlated with global severity of OCD and depressive symptoms, and degree of interference on social life/leisure activities and family life/home responsibilities. Dimension-specific correlations between severity of symptoms and insight ranged from very high (P = .87, for hoarding) to moderate (P = .61, for miscellaneous symptoms). Greater severity of depression and concomitant generalized anxiety disorder were independently associated with lower levels of insight into aggressive/checking symptoms. While earlier-onset OCD was associated with lower insight into sexual/religious and symmetry symptoms, later-onset OCD displayed lower insight into hoarding. Assessing insight into dimension-specific OCD symptoms may challenge the existence of clear-cut OCD with fair or poor insight.

  7. Insight in psychotic disorder: relation with psychopathology and frontal lobe function.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Atmesh; Sharma, Pranjal; Das, Shyamanta; Nath, Kamal; Talukdar, Uddip; Bhagabati, Dipesh

    2014-01-01

    Through conceptualising poor insight in psychotic disorders as a form of anosognosia, frontal lobe dysfunction is often ascribed a vital role in its pathogenesis. The objective of this study was to compare the relation of insight in patients with psychotic illness to that of psychopathology and frontal lobe function. Forty patients with psychotic disorder were selected from those attending the Department of Psychiatry in a tertiary care teaching hospital. The evaluation of insight was carried out using the Schedule for Assessment of Insight (SAI), that of frontal lobe function by the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and psychopathology by the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The correlation coefficients were determined. A negative correlation between SAI and BPRS scores means that the BPRS score is opposite to SAI scores. When the SAI total score was compared with the FAB total score, the correlation coefficient demonstrated a positive correlation. Better insight predicted lesser psychopathology and also that poor insight would exist with greater psychopathology. Better insight predicted a higher functional status of frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex in particular. Insight deficits in schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses are multidimensional. Integration of different aetiological factors like biological, psychopathological, environmental ones and others are necessary for a better understanding of insight in psychosis. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  8. Troubling 'insight': power and possibilities in mental health care.

    PubMed

    Hamilton, B; Roper, C

    2006-08-01

    This paper critiques the conventional concept of 'insight' within the mental status assessment, seeking to unseat its taken-for-granted definition and the status it has acquired in research and practice. Drawing on social theory, consumer perspective and interdisciplinary research, the paper focuses on the impact of 'thin' biomedical understandings of insight, in disqualifying and demoralizing persons subjected to assessment and at the same time creating punitive scrutineers out of well-intentioned practitioners. Nurses and their mental health colleagues are encouraged to reconsider their reliance on the concept of insight. We entertain the alternative idea that insight is a quality of perception that mental health practitioners can cultivate, to more deeply understand their work, culture and the self.

  9. InSight Atlas V Booster Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-02

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will be positioned on the pad to launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  10. Self-Reflection, Insight, and Individual Differences in Various Language Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Xu, Xu

    2011-01-01

    This study explored the relationships of self-reflection and insight with individuals' performances on various language tasks. The Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS; Grant, Franklin, & Langford, 2002) assessed individual differences in three factors: engagement in reflection, need for reflection, and insight. A high need for reflection was…

  11. Association between prefrontal N-acetylaspartate and insight in psychotic disorders.

    PubMed

    Larabi, Daouia I; Liemburg, Edith J; Pijnenborg, Gerdina H M; Sibeijn-Kuiper, Anita; de Vos, Annerieke E; Bais, Leonie; Knegtering, Henderikus; Ćurčić-Blake, Branislava; Aleman, André

    2017-01-01

    Insight is impaired in most patients with psychosis and has been associated with poorer prognosis. The exact neural basis of impaired insight is still unknown, but it may involve disrupted prefrontal neural connectivity. Numerous studies have indeed found white matter (WM) abnormalities in psychosis. The association between prefrontal WM abnormalities and insight has not been studied yet by means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H-MRS). 1 H-MRS can be used to measure N-acetylaspartate (NAA), which is considered to be a marker of neuronal integrity. We measured insight with the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS) as well as item G12 of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 88 patients with psychosis. Prefrontal WM concentrations of NAA and ratios of NAA to creatine (Cr) were assessed with 1 H-MRS. Nonparametric partial correlational analyses were conducted between NAA concentrations and insight controlling for illness duration, standardized antipsychotic dose, symptom scores, voxel grey matter content and voxel cerebrospinal fluid content. We found a significant correlation between reduced NAA/Cr ratios and poorer insight as measured with the BIS, which remained significant after additional correction for full width at half maximum, signal/noise and age. This is the first study reporting a relationship between lower prefrontal concentrations of a marker of neuronal integrity and impaired insight, providing further evidence that prefrontal pathology may play an important role in impaired insight in psychosis. This may be explained by the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in several executive and metacognitive functions, such as cognitive flexibility and perspective taking. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Insight and gender in schizophrenia and other psychoses.

    PubMed

    Cobo, Jesus; Nieto, Lourdes; Ochoa, Susana; Pousa, Esther; Usall, Judith; Baños, Iris; González, Beatriz; Ruiz, Isabel; Ruiz, Ada I

    2016-09-30

    This study aimed to evaluate gender differences in the deficit of insight in psychosis and determine influences of clinical, functional, and sociodemographic variables. A multicenter sample of 401 adult patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who agreed to participate was evaluated in four centers of the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Catalonia). Psychopathological assessment was performed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Lindenmayers' Factors. Insight and its dimensions were assessed by means of the Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorder. Significant differences were apparent neither between men and women in the three dimensions of insight, nor in the total awareness, nor in the total attribution subscales. However, statistically significant differences were found in awareness and attribution of particular symptoms. Women showed a worse awareness of thought disorder and alogia and a higher misattribution of apathy. Higher cognitive and positive symptoms, early stage of the illness, and having been married explained deficits of insight dimensions in women. In men, other variables such as lower functioning, higher age, other psychosis diagnosis, and, to a lower extent, higher scores in cognitive, positive, and excitative symptoms, explained deficits of insight dimensions. These data could help to design gender-specific preventive and therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The effects of aging on insight into illness in schizophrenia: a review†

    PubMed Central

    Gerretsen, Philip; Plitman, Eric; Rajji, Tarek K.; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel

    2015-01-01

    Objectives Impaired insight into illness is a prevalent feature of schizophrenia, which negatively influences treatment adherence and clinical outcomes. Little is known about the effects of aging on insight impairment. We aimed to review the available research literature on the effects of aging on insight into illness in schizophrenia, in relation to positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Ultimately, we propose a trajectory of insight in schizophrenia across the lifespan. Method A systematic Medline® literature search was conducted, searching for English language studies describing the relationship of insight into illness in schizophrenia with aging. Results We identified 62 studies. Insight impairment is associated with illness severity, premorbid intellectual function (i.e. IQ), executive function, and memory. Insight impairment improves modestly during midlife, worsening again in late life. It tends to fluctuate with each episode of psychosis, likely in relation to worsening positive symptoms that improve with antipsychotic treatment. The relationship between insight impairment and cognitive dysfunction appears to attenuate with age, while the relationship with lower premorbid intellectual function is preserved. The association between impaired insight and negative symptoms is unclear. Conclusions The available literature suggests that the course of insight impairment follows a U-shaped curve, where insight impairment is severe during the first episode of psychosis, modestly improves over midlife, and declines again in late life. Future studies are required to investigate the trajectory of insight into illness and its core domains across the lifespan from prodromal phase to late life. PMID:25055980

  14. [Insight in schizophrenia: relationship to family history, and positive and negative symptoms].

    PubMed

    Danki, Demet; Dilbaz, Nesrin; Okay, Ihsan Tuncer; Telci, Sükran

    2007-01-01

    To determine the level of insight among patients with schizophrenia and to compare sociodemographic and clinical features. The study included 66 patients with schizophrenia based on DSM-IV criteria. A semi-structured sociodemographic instrument, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the Schedule for Assessing the Three Components of Insight (SATCI) were used for the study. Family history was significantly related to low-level insight in schizophrenic patients. Positive symptom scores in patients with a family history of schizophrenia were significantly higher than in patients without such a family history. Positive and general psychopathological symptoms were inversely related to level of insight in patients with schizophrenia. There was no significant relationship between the negative symptoms scores and level of insight. Family history of schizophrenia in schizophrenic patients was significantly related to low-level insight. Insight in the schizophrenic patients was affected by biological, psychological, and psychosociological factors. Family history of schizophrenia was one of these factors, which may affect the level of insight in numerous ways. Studies of patient family position and its relationship to insight have generally explored the effects of family situation on schizophrenia and insight, but not family history and its relationship to insight. In this study positive symptom severity was higher in patients with a family history of schizophrenia than in those without such a history. There was a positive relationship between low-level insight and both high positive and general psychopathology symptom levels in patients with schizophrenia.

  15. The InSight Team at Lockheed Martin

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-25

    The InSight Team at Lockheed Martin Space in May 2017 The InSight team is comprised of scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines and is a unique collaboration between countries and organizations around the world. The science team includes co-investigators from the U.S., France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22235

  16. Neurological soft signs in obsessive compulsive disorder with good and poor insight.

    PubMed

    Karadag, Filiz; Tumkaya, Selim; Kırtaş, Duygu; Efe, Muharrem; Alacam, Hüseyin; Oguzhanoglu, Nalan K

    2011-06-01

    Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a clinically heterogeneous disorder; OCD with poor insight has been suggested to be a specific clinical subtype. Neurological soft signs (NSSs) may be helpful to identify the specific subtypes of OCD patients. In the present study, we aimed to compare OCD patients with poor insight with OCD patients having good insight, and healthy individuals. Sixty-four OCD patients (38 with good insight and 26 with poor insight), and 32 healthy subjects were enrolled in the present study. The Overvalued Ideas Scale (OVIS) was used to determine OCD patients with poor insight. NSSs were assessed by using the Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES). Two OCD groups had significantly higher total NES scores compared to controls (p=.000). Compared to healthy controls, OCD patients with poor insight performed significantly worse on all NES subscales, and they had significantly more NSSs on motor coordination, and sensory integration subscales compared to the OCD with good insight group. Our results suggested that OCD patients with poor insight exhibit more extensive neurodevelopmental impairments compared to OCD patients with good insight. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Insight in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Positive, Negative and Neurocognitive Dimensions

    PubMed Central

    Joseph, Boban; Narayanaswamy, Janardhanan C.; Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan

    2015-01-01

    Impairment of insight is considered as the hallmark of schizophrenia. Substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia has either poor or absent insight. Insight is a multidimensional and dynamic construct which appears to have intricate links with other symptom dimensions of the psychotic illness. A better appreciation of the association that insight shares with other symptom clusters in psychosis could help us in gaining knowledge about aetiology, prognosis and treatment-related facets of the disorder. This is likely to have critical implications in the understanding and therapeutics of schizophrenia. PMID:25722504

  18. Insight and white matter fractional anisotropy in first-episode schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Asmal, Laila; du Plessis, Stefan; Vink, Matthijs; Fouche, Jean-Paul; Chiliza, Bonginkosi; Emsley, Robin

    2017-05-01

    Impaired insight is a hallmark feature of schizophrenia. Structural studies implicate predominantly prefrontal, cingulate, cuneus/precuneus, and inferior temporal brain regions. The cortical midline structures (CMS) are also implicated in functional studies primarily through self-reflective processing tasks. However, few studies have explored the relationship between white matter tracts and insight in schizophrenia, and none in first-episode schizophrenia (FES). Here, we examined for fractional anisotropy (FA) differences in 89 minimally treated FES patients and 98 matched controls, and identified those FA differences associated with impaired clinical insight in patients. We found widespread FA reduction in FES patients compared to controls. Poorer insight in patients was predicted by lower FA values in a number of white matter tracts with a predilection for tracts associated with cortical midline structures (fronto-occipital, cingulate, cingulate hippocampus, uncinate, anterior corona radiata), and more severe depressive symptoms. The association between FA abnormalities and insight was most robust for the awareness of symptoms and illness awareness domains. Our study implicates a network of tracts involved in impaired insight in schizophrenia with a predilection for the CMS. This study is a first step in delineating the white matter tracts involved in insight impairment in schizophrenia prior to chronicity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Solar-Array Deployment Test for InSight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    Engineers and technicians at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, run a test of deploying the solar arrays on NASA's InSight lander in this April 30, 2015 image. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19665

  20. InSight Cruise Stage and Lander in Assembly

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    Spacecraft specialists in a clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, are working on NASA's InSight spacecraft in this January 2015 scene from the mission's assembly and testing phase. At center is the cruise stage, which will serve multiple functions during the flight from Earth to Mars. In the background is the InSight lander. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, will investigate the deep interior of Mars to gain information about how rocky planets, including Earth, formed and evolved. The mission is scheduled for launch from California in March 2016 and landing on Mars in September 2016. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19403

  1. Neural correlates of insight in dreaming and psychosis.

    PubMed

    Dresler, Martin; Wehrle, Renate; Spoormaker, Victor I; Steiger, Axel; Holsboer, Florian; Czisch, Michael; Hobson, J Allan

    2015-04-01

    The idea that dreaming can serve as a model for psychosis has a long and honourable tradition, however it is notoriously speculative. Here we demonstrate that recent research on the phenomenon of lucid dreaming sheds new light on the debate. Lucid dreaming is a rare state of sleep in which the dreamer gains insight into his state of mind during dreaming. Recent electroencephalogram (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data for the first time allow very specific hypotheses about the dream-psychosis relationship: if dreaming is a reasonable model for psychosis, then insight into the dreaming state and insight into the psychotic state should share similar neural correlates. This indeed seems to be the case: cortical areas activated during lucid dreaming show striking overlap with brain regions that are impaired in psychotic patients who lack insight into their pathological state. This parallel allows for new therapeutic approaches and ways to test antipsychotic medication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. The evolution of insight, paranoia and depression during early schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Drake, R J; Pickles, A; Bentall, R P; Kinderman, P; Haddock, G; Tarrier, N; Lewis, S W

    2004-02-01

    How insight, paranoia and depression evolve in relation to each other during and after the first episode of schizophrenia is poorly understood but of clinical importance. Serial assessments over 18 months were made using multiple instruments in a consecutive sample of 257 patients with first episode DSM-IV non-affective psychosis. Repeated measures of paranoia, insight, depression and self-esteem were analysed using structural equation modelling, to examine the direction of relationships over time after controlling for confounds. Depression was predicted directly by greater insight, particularly at baseline, and by greater paranoia at every stage of follow-up. Neither relationship was mediated by self-esteem, although there was a weak association of lower self-esteem with greater depression and better insight. Paranoia was not strongly associated with insight. Duration of untreated psychosis and substance use at baseline predicted depression at 18 months. In first-episode psychosis, good insight predicts depression. Subsequently, paranoia is the strongest predictor. Neither effect is mediated by low self-esteem. Effective treatment of positive symptoms is important in preventing and treating low mood in early schizophrenia.

  3. Insight and awareness as related to psychopathology and cognition.

    PubMed

    Trevisi, Manuela; Talamo, Alessandra; Bandinelli, Pier Luca; Ducci, Giuseppe; Kotzalidis, Giorgio D; Santucci, Chiara; Manfredi, Giovanni; Girardi, Nicoletta; Tatarelli, Roberto

    2012-01-01

    Insight affects adherence and treatment outcome and relates to cognitive impairment and psychopathology. We investigated the relationship of insight with cognition in patients with major depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in acute psychiatric care, long-term inpatient, and outpatient settings. Eighty-one patients (women, 59.5%; age, 45.9 ± 13.5 years; 27 in each setting group; 33.3% with DSM-IV bipolar disorder, 39.5% with unipolar major depression, and 27.2% with schizophrenia) underwent the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to test flexibility, clinician-rated Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD), and self-rated Insight Scale (IS) to assess insight/awareness. Poor performance on the WCST correlated with higher SUMD scores such as current psychiatric illness unawareness, impaired symptom attribution, unawareness of medication effect, or of social consequences, but not with IS scores. The latter correlated with days on continuous treatment. Patients receiving psycho-education showed greater symptom awareness compared to patients treated with drugs alone. Cognitive flexibility and diagnostic category did not correlate. Poor insight corresponded with severe mental illness, particularly acute psychosis. Treatment setting specificity reflects psychopathology and severity. Insight is inversely proportional to illness severity and cognitive flexibility, which is also affected by psychopathology. Limitations comprise group heterogeneity, cross-sectional design, and limited sample size. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. Insight and analysis problem solving in microbes to machines.

    PubMed

    Clark, Kevin B

    2015-11-01

    A key feature for obtaining solutions to difficult problems, insight is oftentimes vaguely regarded as a special discontinuous intellectual process and/or a cognitive restructuring of problem representation or goal approach. However, this nearly century-old state of art devised by the Gestalt tradition to explain the non-analytical or non-trial-and-error, goal-seeking aptitude of primate mentality tends to neglect problem-solving capabilities of lower animal phyla, Kingdoms other than Animalia, and advancing smart computational technologies built from biological, artificial, and composite media. Attempting to provide an inclusive, precise definition of insight, two major criteria of insight, discontinuous processing and problem restructuring, are here reframed using terminology and statistical mechanical properties of computational complexity classes. Discontinuous processing becomes abrupt state transitions in algorithmic/heuristic outcomes or in types of algorithms/heuristics executed by agents using classical and/or quantum computational models. And problem restructuring becomes combinatorial reorganization of resources, problem-type substitution, and/or exchange of computational models. With insight bounded by computational complexity, humans, ciliated protozoa, and complex technological networks, for example, show insight when restructuring time requirements, combinatorial complexity, and problem type to solve polynomial and nondeterministic polynomial decision problems. Similar effects are expected from other problem types, supporting the idea that insight might be an epiphenomenon of analytical problem solving and consequently a larger information processing framework. Thus, this computational complexity definition of insight improves the power, external and internal validity, and reliability of operational parameters with which to classify, investigate, and produce the phenomenon for computational agents ranging from microbes to man-made devices. Copyright

  5. Relationship between insight and theory of mind in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Bora, Emre

    2017-12-01

    Poor insight in schizophrenia has been associated with executive dysfunction and deficits in general cognitive ability. The overall outcome of available neurocognitive studies suggests that there is a significant but modest relationship between cognitive deficits and poor insight in schizophrenia. However, social cognitive abilities, particularly, theory of mind (ToM), might also play a role in poor insight in schizophrenia. A novel meta-analysis of the relationship between ToM and insight in schizophrenia was conducted. Current meta-analysis included 16 studies including 1085 patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. There was a significant association between ToM and clinical insight (r=0.28, CI=0.20-0.36). By contrast, there was no significant relationship between ToM and cognitive insight. Current findings suggest that there is a small but significant relationship between ToM and clinical insight in schizophrenia. ToM impairment is one of the factors contributing to poor insight in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. GOES-R: Satellite Insight

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fitzpatrick, Austin J.; Leon, Nancy J.; Novati, Alexander; Lincoln, Laura K.; Fisher, Diane K.

    2012-01-01

    GOES-R: Satellite Insight seeks to bring awareness of the GOES-R (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite -- R Series) satellite currently in development to an audience of all ages on the emerging medium of mobile games. The iPhone app (Satellite Insight) was created for the GOES-R Program. The app describes in simple terms the types of data products that can be produced from GOES-R measurements. The game is easy to learn, yet challenging for all audiences. It includes educational content and a path to further information about GOESR, its technology, and the benefits of the data it collects. The game features action-puzzle game play in which the player must prevent an overflow of data by matching falling blocks that represent different types of GOES-R data. The game adds more different types of data blocks over time, as long as the player can prevent a data overflow condition. Points are awarded for matches, and players can compete with themselves to beat their highest score.

  7. Regional Homogeneity Predicts Creative Insight: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jiabao; Cui, Xuan; Dai, Xiaoying; Mo, Lei

    2018-01-01

    Creative insight plays an important role in our daily life. Previous studies have investigated the neural correlates of creative insight by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), however, the intrinsic resting-state brain activity associated with creative insight is still unclear. In the present study, we used regional homogeneity (ReHo) as an index in resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) to identify brain regions involved in individual differences in creative insight, which was compued by the response time (RT) of creative Chinese character chunk decomposition. The findings indicated that ReHo in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/caudate nucleus (CN) and angular gyrus (AG)/superior temporal gyrus (STG)/inferior parietal lobe (IPL) negatively predicted creative insight. Furthermore, these findings suggested that spontaneous brain activity in multiple regions related to breaking and establishing mental sets, goal-directed solutions exploring, shifting attention, forming new associations and emotion experience contributes to creative insight. In conclusion, the present study provides new evidence to further understand the cognitive processing and neural correlates of creative insight.

  8. Unraveling interrelationships among psychopathology symptoms, cognitive domains and insight dimensions in chronic schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Xavier, Rose Mary; Pan, Wei; Dungan, Jennifer R; Keefe, Richard S E; Vorderstrasse, Allison

    2018-03-01

    Insight in schizophrenia is long known to have a complex relationship with psychopathology symptoms and cognition. However, very few studies have examined models that explain these interrelationships. In a large sample derived from the NIMH Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) schizophrenia trial (N=1391), we interrogated these interrelationships for potential causal pathways using structural equation modeling. Using the NIMH consensus model, latent variables were constructed for psychopathology symptom dimensions, including positive, negative, disorganized, excited and depressed from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items. Neurocognitive variables were created from five predefined domains of working memory, verbal memory, reasoning, vigilance and processing speed. Illness insight and treatment insight were tested using latent variables constructed from the Illness and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ). Disorganized symptoms had the strongest effect on insight. Illness insight mediated the relationship of positive, depressed, and disorganized symptoms with treatment insight. Neurocognition mediated the relationship between disorganized and treatment insight and depressed symptoms and treatment insight. There was no effect of negative symptoms on either illness insight or treatment insight. Taken together, our results indicate overlapping and unique relational paths for illness and treatment insight dimensions, which could suggest differences in causal mechanisms and potential interventions to improve insight. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Insight solutions are correct more often than analytic solutions

    PubMed Central

    Salvi, Carola; Bricolo, Emanuela; Kounios, John; Bowden, Edward; Beeman, Mark

    2016-01-01

    How accurate are insights compared to analytical solutions? In four experiments, we investigated how participants’ solving strategies influenced their solution accuracies across different types of problems, including one that was linguistic, one that was visual and two that were mixed visual-linguistic. In each experiment, participants’ self-judged insight solutions were, on average, more accurate than their analytic ones. We hypothesised that insight solutions have superior accuracy because they emerge into consciousness in an all-or-nothing fashion when the unconscious solving process is complete, whereas analytic solutions can be guesses based on conscious, prematurely terminated, processing. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that participants’ analytic solutions included relatively more incorrect responses (i.e., errors of commission) than timeouts (i.e., errors of omission) compared to their insight responses. PMID:27667960

  10. InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-01

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft is uncrated inside the Astrotech processing facility. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  11. Reading skills, creativity, and insight: exploring the connections.

    PubMed

    Mourgues, Catalina V; Preiss, David D; Grigorenko, Elena L

    2014-08-04

    Studies of the relationship between creativity and specific reading disabilities have produced inconclusive results. We explored their relationship in a sample of 259 college students (age range: 17 to 38 years-old) from three Chilean universities. The students were tested on their verbal ability, creativity, and insight. A simple linear regression was performed on the complete sample, and on high- and low-achievement groups that were formed based on reading test scores. We observed a significant correlation in the total sample between outcomes on the verbal ability tasks, and on the creativity and insight tasks (range r =. 152 to r =. 356, ps <.001). Scores on the reading comprehension and phonological awareness tasks were the best predictors of performance on creativity and insight tasks (range β = .315 to β = .155, ps <.05). A comparison of the low- and high-scoring groups on verbal ability tasks yielded results to the same effect. These findings do not support the hypothesis that specific reading disability is associated with better performance on creative tasks. Instead, higher verbal ability was found to be associated with higher creativity and insight.

  12. Self-clarity and different clusters of insight and self-stigma in mental illness.

    PubMed

    Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Mashiach-Eizenberg, Michal; Lysaker, Paul H; Roe, David

    2016-06-30

    The current study explored the self-experience of persons with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) by investigating the associations between different insight and self-stigma clusters, self-clarity, hope, recovery, and functioning. One hundred seven persons diagnosed with a SMI were administered six scales: self-concept clarity, self-stigma, insight into the illness, hope, recovery, and functioning. Correlations and cluster analyses were performed. Insight, as measured by a self-report scale was not related to any other variable. Self-stigma was negatively associated with self-clarity, hope, recovery and functioning. Three clusters emerged: moderate stigma/high insight (n=31), high stigma/moderate insight (n=28), and low stigma/low insight (n=42). The group with low stigma and low insight had higher mean levels of self-clarity and hope than the other two groups. There were no significant differences between cluster 1 (moderate stigma/high insight) and cluster 2 (high stigma/moderate insight) in all the variables beside self-clarity. The group with moderate stigma and high insight had significantly higher mean levels of self-clarity than the group with high stigma and moderate insight. Results reveal that when people diagnosed with SMI do not have high levels of self-stigma they often report a positive and clear sense of self accompanied with hope, regardless of having low insight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Insight in stable schizophrenia: relations with psychopathology and cognition.

    PubMed

    Mingrone, Cinzia; Rocca, Paola; Castagna, Filomena; Montemagni, Cristiana; Sigaudo, Monica; Scalese, Mara; Rocca, Giuseppe; Bogetto, Filippo

    2013-07-01

    This study evaluated the relationship among insight, sociodemographic and clinical variables, symptoms and cognitive functions in a population of outpatients with stable schizophrenia, in order to identify possible contributing factors to awareness. Two-hundred and seventy-six consecutive outpatients with stable schizophrenia were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. All subjects were assessed by psychiatric scales and interview, and a wide neuropsychological battery. A factor analysis was performed to identify cognitive factors and multiple regression analyses were executed to test the contribution of variables considered to insight. Our results showed that positive and negative symptoms, executive functions, verbal memory-learning were contributors of awareness of mental illness; positive and negative symptoms explained variability in awareness of the need for treatment; positive symptoms and executive functions contributed to awareness of the social consequences of disorder. These results suggested that insight was partially influenced by positive and negative symptoms and by cognitive functions. A complex system of overlapping variables may underlie impaired insight, contributing to a different extent to specific dimensions of poor insight in patients with stable schizophrenia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. InSight: An innovative multimedia training tool

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seidel, B.R.; Crites, D.C.; Forsmann, J.H.

    1996-05-01

    InSight is an innovative computer-based multimedia training tool that provides a navigable virtual environment and links to related information. It provides training and guidance for touring and observing operations at any facility or site in a realistic virtual environment. This presentation identifies unique attributes of InSight and describes the initial application at ANL-West. A brief description of the development of this tool, production steps, and an onscreen demonstration of its operation are also provided.

  15. InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    A United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  16. InSight Lander in Mars-Surface Configuration

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    The solar arrays on NASA's InSight lander are deployed in this test inside a clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. This configuration is how the spacecraft will look on the surface of Mars. The image was taken on April 30, 2015. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19664

  17. InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-01

    Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft is removed from protective wrapping. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  18. InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-01

    Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers inspect the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  19. InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-01

    Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft has been removed from protective wrapping. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  20. Insight in schizophrenia and risk of suicide: a systematic update.

    PubMed

    López-Moríñigo, Javier D; Ramos-Ríos, Ramón; David, Anthony S; Dutta, Rina

    2012-05-01

    Suicide has been shown to represent the major single cause of premature death among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Insight has been proposed to increase such risk. However, this subject has not been sufficiently investigated, and inconclusive results have been reported. The objective of this study is to systematically examine the role of insight in the risk of suicide attempts and completed suicide among patients with schizophrenia and related disorders. Articles assessing insight and suicidality in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders published between 1977 and 2010 were reviewed. A MEDLINE search strategy was used to identify studies using keywords. Application of meta-analytic techniques to selected studies was not possible because of important methodological differences between them. Fifteen studies met predetermined selection criteria. Ten failed to demonstrate a positive association between insight and risk for suicide. There is little evidence to support the suggestion that insight may represent a risk factor for suicide in patients with schizophrenia. If there is an association between such risk and insight, it appears to be mediated by other variables such as depression and, above all, hopelessness. Further studies with larger samples and longer follow-up periods in naturalistic conditions, in which insight should be evaluated from a multidimensional approach, are required to analyze this issue in depth, given the crucial implications that it may have on the development of a model for suicide prevention in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Insight, Neurocognition, and Schizophrenia: Predictive Value of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test

    PubMed Central

    Yanos, Philip T.

    2013-01-01

    Lack of insight in schizophrenia is a key feature of the illness and is associated with both positive and negative clinical outcomes. Previous research supports that neurocognitive dysfunction is related to lack of insight, but studies have not examined how neurocognition relates to change in insight over time. Therefore, the current study sought to understand how performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) differed between participants with varying degrees of change in insight over a 6-month period. Fifty-two patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were administered the WCST and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline, and the PANSS was again administered at a 6-month follow-up assessment. Results indicated that while neurocognition was related to insight at baseline, it was not related to subsequent change in insight. The implications of findings for conceptualization and assessment of insight are discussed. PMID:24303216

  2. The effects of gender and self-insight on early semantic processing.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xu; Kang, Chunyan; Guo, Taomei

    2014-01-01

    This event-related potential (ERP) study explored individual differences associated with gender and level of self-insight in early semantic processing. Forty-eight Chinese native speakers completed a semantic judgment task with three different categories of words: abstract neutral words (e.g., logic, effect), concrete neutral words (e.g., teapot, table), and emotion words (e.g., despair, guilt). They then assessed their levels of self-insight. Results showed that women engaged in greater processing than did men. Gender differences also manifested in the relationship between level of self-insight and word processing. For women, level of self-insight was associated with level of semantic activation for emotion words and abstract neutral words, but not for concrete neutral words. For men, level of self-insight was related to processing speed, particularly in response to abstract and concrete neutral words. These findings provide electrophysiological evidence for the effects of gender and self-insight on semantic processing and highlight the need to take into consideration subject variables in related research.

  3. Neural pathway in the right hemisphere underlies verbal insight problem solving.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Q; Zhou, Z; Xu, H; Fan, W; Han, L

    2014-01-03

    Verbal insight problem solving means to break mental sets, to select the novel semantic information and to form novel, task-related associations. Although previous studies have identified the brain regions associated with these key processes, the interaction among these regions during insight is still unclear. In the present study, we explored the functional connectivity between the key regions during solving Chinese 'chengyu' riddles by using event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results showed that both insight and noninsight solutions activated the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, middle temporal gyri and hippocampi, and these regions constituted a frontal to temporal to hippocampal neural pathway. Compared with noninsight solution, insight solution had a stronger functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus in the right hemisphere. Our study reveals the neural pathway of information processing during verbal insight problem solving, and supports the right-hemisphere advantage theory of insight. Copyright © 2013 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A comparison of insight in body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Katharine A; Pinto, Anthony; Hart, Ashley S; Coles, Meredith E; Eisen, Jane L; Menard, William; Rasmussen, Steven A

    2012-10-01

    Insight/delusionality of beliefs is an important dimension of psychopathology across psychiatric disorders. This construct is of increasing interest in obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). Even though OCD and BDD are considered closely related, no prior study has compared these disorders across a range of categories of global insight (excellent, good, fair, poor, absent/delusional), and only one study has compared these disorders on individual components of insight. Using the reliable and valid Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale (BABS), this study examined insight/delusionality of OCD- or BDD-related beliefs in 211 individuals with primary OCD versus 68 individuals with primary BDD. In both disorders, levels of insight spanned the full range, from excellent to absent (i.e., delusional beliefs). However, the distribution of BABS scores across insight categories differed significantly by disorder, with the majority of OCD subjects showing excellent or good insight, and the majority of BDD subjects showing poor or absent insight. Compared to OCD subjects, BDD subjects had significantly poorer insight both overall (total BABS score) and on all individual BABS items. BABS score was significantly correlated with BDD and OCD severity, but in regressions it accounted for only 21% of the variance in OCD and 28% in BDD. In summary, both global insight and its individual components are poorer in BDD than in OCD, which has implications for research and clinical care, as well as understanding of the relationship between these disorders. Disorder severity is associated with but not equivalent to insight/delusionality. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Feeling the Insight: Uncovering Somatic Markers of the "aha" Experience.

    PubMed

    Shen, Wangbing; Tong, Yu; Yuan, Yuan; Zhan, Huijia; Liu, Chang; Luo, Jing; Cai, Houde

    2018-03-01

    Whether internal insight can be recognized by experiencing (somatic feeling) remains an unexplored problem. This study investigated the issue by examining potential somatic markers of the "aha" experience occurring at the moment of sudden insight. Participants were required to solve a set of compound remote associates (CRA) problems and were simultaneously monitored via electrodermal and cardiovascular recordings. The "aha"-related psychological components and somatic markers were determined by contrasting insightful solutions with non-insightful solutions. Results showed that the "aha" experience was an amalgam entailing positive affects and approached cognition accompanied by a greater mean skin conductance response (mSCR) amplitude and a marginally accelerated heart rate than the "no-aha" one. These results confirm and extend findings of the multidimensionality of the "aha" feeling and offer the first direct evidence of somatic markers, particularly an electrodermal signature of an "aha" feeling, which suggests a sudden insight could likely be experienced by individuals' external soma.

  6. Insight in bipolar mania: evaluation of its heterogeneity and correlation with clinical symptoms.

    PubMed

    Silva, Rafael de Assis da; Mograbi, Daniel C; Bifano, Jaqueline; Santana, Cristina M T; Cheniaux, Elie

    2016-07-15

    Studies on insight in bipolar mania are not numerous and usually consider insight as a unitary construct. Evaluate how different facets of insight are affected in bipolar mania and investigate correlations between insight for each specific object in bipolar disorder and manic symptomatology. A group of 165 bipolar patients were followed during a year, with 51 patients having manic episodes according to DSM-IV-TR criteria. Patients underwent a clinical assessment and insight was evaluated through the Insight Scale for Affective Disorders. The study found that insight regarding symptoms is worse than insight of having bipolar disorder, social relationships and self esteem. Moreover, poor global insight (total ISAD) correlates with more severe changes in mood, speech and thought structure, with worse insight about symptoms correlating with the same alterations and also with more severe symptoms of agitation/energy. Although a large sample of bipolar patients was followed up, the final sample composed of patients with at least one manic episode was relatively smaller. Moreover, the fact that the study was performed in a university hospital may have led to selection biases. Results suggest that patients with BD are reasonably capable of identifying that their condition implies consequences but have more impaired awareness of their energy and activity levels. A lower level of insight specifically about symptoms correlates with more severe symptoms of agitation/energy, which suggests a psychomotor nucleus able to impair insight in mania. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. InSight Spacecraft Lift to Spin Table & Pre-Spin Processing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-28

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers inspect NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft after it was placed on a spin table during preflight processing. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  8. InSight Lift/Mate to PLA with SC to GTV

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-11

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers monitor progress as NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, Mars lander is prepared for encapsulation in its payload fairing. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface. It will study the planet's interior by measuring its heat output and listen for marsquakes. The spacecraft will use the seismic waves generated by marsquakes to develop a map of the planet’s deep interior. The resulting insight into Mars’ formation will provide a better understanding of how other rocky planets, including Earth, were created. InSight is scheduled for liftoff May 5, 2018.

  9. Novel insights into mitotic chromosome condensation

    PubMed Central

    Piskadlo, Ewa; Oliveira, Raquel A.

    2016-01-01

    The fidelity of mitosis is essential for life, and successful completion of this process relies on drastic changes in chromosome organization at the onset of nuclear division. The mechanisms that govern chromosome compaction at every cell division cycle are still far from full comprehension, yet recent studies provide novel insights into this problem, challenging classical views on mitotic chromosome assembly. Here, we briefly introduce various models for chromosome assembly and known factors involved in the condensation process (e.g. condensin complexes and topoisomerase II). We will then focus on a few selected studies that have recently brought novel insights into the mysterious way chromosomes are condensed during nuclear division. PMID:27508072

  10. Energy Systems Integration Facility Insight Center | Energy Systems

    Science.gov Websites

    simulation data. Photo of researchers studying data on a 3-D power system profile depicting the interaction of renewable energy resources on the grid. Capabilities The Insight Center offers the following Integration Facility Insight Center Located adjacent to the Energy System Integration Facility's High

  11. Suicidal behavior and insight into illness among patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

    PubMed

    Kao, Yu-Chen; Liu, Yia-Ping

    2011-09-01

    The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between suicidal behavior and socio-demographic and clinical factors, including insight into illness, in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We evaluated 104 inpatients using the Self-Appraisal of Illness Questionnaire (SAIQ) for insight assessment, several Beck-related symptoms rating scales, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for psychopathology. These patients were also evaluated for suicidal behavior and risk using the critical items of the Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) and lifetime suicide attempts. Patients with suicidal behavior generally had greater insight into illness than those who were non-suicidal. After controlling for depressive symptoms, the association of insight into illness with current suicidal ideation remained significant, whereas the association between insight and lifetime suicide attempts was no longer significant. As predicted, the regression analyses revealed that those with greater suicide risk had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms and hopelessness and more lifetime suicide attempts. Moreover, greater insight into illness appeared to have a close, independent connection to suicidal behavior. Our findings suggest that depression, hopelessness, and greater insight into illness are major risk factors for suicide in patients with schizophrenia. It is plausible that depression mediates the relationship between greater insight into illness and suicidal behavior. Aggressive improvement of insight without the risk of deteriorating depressive symptoms may be warranted to reduce the risk of suicide.

  12. Categories of Insight and Their Correlates: An Exploration of Relationships among Classic-Type Insight Problems, Rebus Puzzles, Remote Associates and Esoteric Analogies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cunningham, J. Barton; MacGregor, James N.; Gibb, Jenny; Haar, Jarrod

    2009-01-01

    A central question in creativity concerns how insightful ideas emerge. Anecdotal examples of insightful scientific and technical discoveries include Goodyear's discovery of the vulcanization of rubber, and Mendeleev's realization that there may be gaps as he tried to arrange the elements into the Periodic Table. Although most people would regard…

  13. Posterior Beta and Anterior Gamma Oscillations Predict Cognitive Insight

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheth, Bhavin R.; Sandkuhler, Simone; Bhattacharya, Joydeep

    2009-01-01

    Pioneering neuroimaging studies on insight have revealed neural correlates of the emotional "Aha!" component of the insight process, but neural substrates of the cognitive component, such as problem restructuring (a key to transformative reasoning), remain a mystery. Here, multivariate electroencephalogram signals were recorded from human…

  14. Insight and subjective measures of quality of life in chronic schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Siu, Cynthia O; Harvey, Philip D; Agid, Ofer; Waye, Mary; Brambilla, Carla; Choi, Wing-Kit; Remington, Gary

    2015-09-01

    Lack of insight is a well-established phenomenon in schizophrenia, and has been associated with reduced rater-assessed functional performance but increased self-reported well-being in previous studies. The objective of this study was to examine factors that might influence insight (as assessed by the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire [ITAQ] or PANSS item G12) and subjective quality-of-life (as assessed by Lehman QoL Interview [LQOLI]), using the large National Institute of Mental Health Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) dataset. Uncooperativeness was assessed by PANSS item G8 ("Uncooperativeness"). In the analysis, we found significant moderating effects for insight on the relationships of subjective life satisfaction assessment to symptom severity (as assessed by CGI-S score), objective everyday functioning (as assessed by rater-administered Heinrichs-Carpenter Quality of Life scale), clinically rated uncooperativeness (as assessed by PANSS G8), and discontinuation of treatment for all causes (all P > 0.05 for statistical interaction between insight and subject QoL). Patients with chronic schizophrenia who reported being "pleased" or "delighted" on LQOLI were found to have significantly lower neurocognitive reasoning performance and poorer insight (ITAQ total score). Our findings underscore the importance of reducing cognitive and insight impairments for both treatment compliance and improved functional outcomes.

  15. Right Hemispheric Dominance of Creative Insight: An Event-Related Potential Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shen, Wangbing; Liu, Chang; Zhang, Xiaojiang; Zhao, Xiaojun; Zhang, Jing; Yuan, Yuan; Chen, Yalin

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the hemispheric effect of creative insight. This study used high-density ERPs to record participants' brain activity while they performed an insight task. Results showed that both insight solutions and incomprehension solutions elicited a more negative ERP deflection (N320~550) than noninsight solutions…

  16. InSight Spacecraft Uncrating, Removal from Container, Lift Heat

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-01

    Inside the Astrotech processing facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers use a crane to move the heatshield for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft for further testing. InSight was developed and built by Lockheed-Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado, and is scheduled for liftoff is May 5, 2018. InSight is the first mission to land on Mars and explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth.

  17. Call it a monster for lack of anything else: narrative insight in psychosis.

    PubMed

    Roe, David; Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Kravetz, Shlomo; Yanos, Phil T; Lysaker, Paul H

    2008-12-01

    Individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia often appear to be unaware of having an illness or actively reject their diagnostic label. It is unclear, however, how this lack of awareness relates to important outcomes. Broadening the definition of awareness to include "narrative insight" may clarify this issue. The objective of this study was to identify profiles of narrative insight and test how these relate to standardized measure of insight. Sixty-five individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders participated in an assessment that included the Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD) and an in-depth semi-structured interview. Qualitative analysis revealed 5 central themes related to insight on the basis of which each interview was then rated. Cluster analysis of these ratings resulted in 4 profiles of narrative insight: (1) accepts illness/rejects label, (2) rejects illness/searches for a name (3) passive insight of illness and label, and (4) integrative insight. The SUMD differentiated between individuals assigned to profile 2 who showed low insight to their illness and those assigned to the other profiles of narrative insight, but could not differentiate between them. Results support the claim that illness narratives are multifaceted and that traditional measures of insight may not be sensitive to different ways in which people understand their illness.

  18. InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California technicians and engineers mate a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  19. InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California a crane lifts a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  20. Insightful practice: a reliable measure for medical revalidation

    PubMed Central

    Guthrie, Bruce; Sullivan, Frank M; Mercer, Stewart W; Russell, Andrew; Bruce, David A

    2012-01-01

    Background Medical revalidation decisions need to be reliable if they are to reassure on the quality and safety of professional practice. This study tested an innovative method in which general practitioners (GPs) were assessed on their reflection and response to a set of externally specified feedback. Setting and participants 60 GPs and 12 GP appraisers in the Tayside region of Scotland, UK. Methods A feedback dataset was specified as (1) GP-specific data collected by GPs themselves (patient and colleague opinion; open book self-evaluated knowledge test; complaints) and (2) Externally collected practice-level data provided to GPs (clinical quality and prescribing safety). GPs' perceptions of whether the feedback covered UK General Medical Council specified attributes of a ‘good doctor’ were examined using a mapping exercise. GPs' professionalism was examined in terms of appraiser assessment of GPs' level of insightful practice, defined as: engagement with, insight into and appropriate action on feedback data. The reliability of assessment of insightful practice and subsequent recommendations on GPs' revalidation by face-to-face and anonymous assessors were investigated using Generalisability G-theory. Main outcome measures Coverage of General Medical Council attributes by specified feedback and reliability of assessor recommendations on doctors' suitability for revalidation. Results Face-to-face assessment proved unreliable. Anonymous global assessment by three appraisers of insightful practice was highly reliable (G=0.85), as were revalidation decisions using four anonymous assessors (G=0.83). Conclusions Unlike face-to-face appraisal, anonymous assessment of insightful practice offers a valid and reliable method to decide GP revalidation. Further validity studies are needed. PMID:22653078

  1. [Exploring the relationship between internalized stigma, insight and depression for inpatients with schizophrenia].

    PubMed

    Bouvet, C; Bouchoux, A

    2015-10-01

    Recent studies on insight in people with schizophrenia showed that insight level is linked with treatment compliance. Therefore, many therapies are aimed at increasing the insight level, such as psycho-education. However, insight level is also probably linked with depression level. So, improving insight is at risk of increasing the level of depression. Nevertheless, results on this topic are not consensual in the scientific literature. Presumably, this could be due to the concept of insight itself, although we could hypothesise that some confounding variables are implied in the interaction between insight and depression, such as internalized stigma. to test the hypothesis that the relationship between insight and depression is mediated by internalized stigma in people with schizophrenia. Sixty-two patients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV or ICD-10) recruited in mental health services in Île de France (75% male), aged 20 to 64 years (m=38.71, σ=0. 43), filled in questionnaires assessing internalized stigma (ISMI), depression (CDSS and BDI) and insight (SAIQ, Q8, IS), after giving their written informed consent. Correlations between insight, depression and different variables were made (Hypothesis 1). Then we ran multiple regressions and partial correlations to test the internalized stigma mediation (Hypothesis 2). Insight, internalized stigma and depression are statistically significantly correlated with each scales used (except Q8). Insight is correlated with depressed mood (correlations between IS and CDSS: r=0.27, P=0.04, and BDI, r=0.40, P=0.001). We also found negative correlations between SAIQ and CDSS (r=-0.35, P=0.005) and the BDI (r=-0.4265, P=0.000) which means that good insight is linked with depression. This result validates our hypothesis 1. The statistic tests reveal other complementary results: the association between insight and depression is mediated by the level of internalized stigma: when ISMI is controlled, the correlation between insight and

  2. On the temporality of creative insight: a psychological and phenomenological perspective

    PubMed Central

    Cosmelli, Diego; Preiss, David D.

    2014-01-01

    Research into creative insight has had a strong emphasis on the psychological processes underlying problem-solving situations as a standard model for the empirical study of this phenomenon. Although this model has produced significant advances in our scientific understanding of the nature of insight, we believe that a full comprehension of insight requires complementing cognitive and neuroscientific studies with a descriptive, first-person, phenomenological approach into how creative insight is experienced. Here we propose to take such first-person perspective while paying special attention to the temporal aspects of this experience. When this first-person perspective is taken into account, a dynamic past–future interplay can be identified at the core of the experience of creative insight, a structure that is compatible with both biological and biographical evidences. We believe this approach could complement and help bring together biological and psychological perspectives. Furthermore, we argue that because of its spontaneous but recurrent nature, creative insight could represent a relevant target for the phenomenological investigation of the flow of experience itself. PMID:25368595

  3. Shipping InSight Mars Spacecraft to California for Launch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-12-17

    Personnel supporting NASA's InSight mission to Mars load the crated InSight spacecraft into a C-17 cargo aircraft at Buckley Air Force Base, Denver, for shipment to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft, built in Colorado by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, was shipped Dec. 16, 2015, in preparation for launch from Vandenberg in March 2016. InSight, for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first mission dedicated to studying the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20278

  4. From Walls to Windows: Using Barriers as Pathways to Insightful Solutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walinga, Jennifer

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore and develop a conceptual model for how individuals unlock insight. The concept of insight--the "out of the box" or "aha!" solution to a problem--offers a framework for exploring and understanding how best to enhance problem solving skills due to the cognitive shift insight requires. Creative problem solving…

  5. Preservation and compensation: The functional neuroanatomy of insight and working memory in schizophrenia☆

    PubMed Central

    Sapara, Adegboyega; ffytche, Dominic H.; Birchwood, Max; Cooke, Michael A.; Fannon, Dominic; Williams, Steven C.R.; Kuipers, Elizabeth; Kumari, Veena

    2014-01-01

    Background Poor insight in schizophrenia has been theorised to reflect a cognitive deficit that is secondary to brain abnormalities, localized in the brain regions that are implicated in higher order cognitive functions, including working memory (WM). This study investigated WM-related neural substrates of preserved and poor insight in schizophrenia. Method Forty stable schizophrenia outpatients, 20 with preserved and 20 with poor insight (usable data obtained from 18 preserved and 14 poor insight patients), and 20 healthy participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a parametric ‘n-back’ task. The three groups were preselected to match on age, education and predicted IQ, and the two patient groups to have distinct insight levels. Performance and fMRI data were analysed to determine how groups of patients with preserved and poor insight differed from each other, and from healthy participants. Results Poor insight patients showed lower performance accuracy, relative to healthy participants (p = 0.01) and preserved insight patients (p = 0.08); the two patient groups were comparable on symptoms and medication. Preserved insight patients, relative to poor insight patients, showed greater activity most consistently in the precuneus and cerebellum (both bilateral) during WM; they also showed greater activity than healthy participants in the inferior–superior frontal gyrus and cerebellum (bilateral). Group differences in brain activity did not co-vary significantly with performance accuracy. Conclusions The precuneus and cerebellum function contribute to preserved insight in schizophrenia. Preserved insight as well as normal-range WM capacity in schizophrenia sub-groups may be achieved via compensatory neural activity in the frontal cortex and cerebellum. PMID:24332795

  6. The Neurocircuitry of Impaired Insight in Drug Addiction

    PubMed Central

    Goldstein, Rita Z.; Craig, A. D. (Bud); Bechara, Antoine; Garavan, Hugh; Childress, Anna Rose; Paulus, Martin P.; Volkow, Nora D.

    2010-01-01

    More than 80% of addicted individuals fail to seek treatment, which might reflect impairments in recognition of severity of disorder. Considered by some as intentional deception, such `denial' might instead reflect dysfunction of brain networks subserving insight and selfawareness. Here we review the scant literature on insight in addiction and integrate this perspective with the role of: (i) the insula in interoception, self-awareness and drug craving; (ii) the anterior cingulate in behavioral monitoring and response selection (relevant to disadvantageous choices in addiction); (iii) the dorsal striatum in automatic habit formation; and (iv) drug related stimuli that predict emotional behavior in addicted individuals, even without conscious awareness. We discuss implications for clinical treatment including the design of interventions to improve insight into illness severity in addiction. PMID:19716751

  7. Productive and Re-Productive Thinking in Solving Insight Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cunningham, J. Barton; MacGregor, James N.

    2014-01-01

    Many innovations in organizations result when people discover insightful solutions to problems. Insightful problem-solving was considered by Gestalt psychologists to be associated with productive, as opposed to re-productive, thinking. Productive thinking is characterized by shifts in perspective which allow the problem solver to consider new,…

  8. Cortical thickness and low insight into symptoms in enduring schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Emami, Seema; Guimond, Synthia; Mallar Chakravarty, M; Lepage, Martin

    2016-01-01

    Poor insight is a common, multidimensional phenomenon in patients with schizophrenia, associated with poorer outcomes and treatment non-adherence. Yet scant research has investigated the neuronal correlates of insight into symptoms (IS), a dimension of insight that may be particularly significant in enduring schizophrenia. Sixty-six patients with enduring schizophrenia (duration >4years) and 33 healthy controls completed MRI scanning and IQ, depression, and anxiety assessments. The Scale to Assess Insight-Expanded (SAI-E) measured insight into patients' four most prominent symptoms and patients were classified into two groups: low IS (0-2; n=33), and high IS (>2; n=33). We evaluated the association between cortical thickness (CT) and insight into symptoms using two methods: (1) a between-patients region-of-interest analysis in the insula, superior temporal gyrus (STG) and frontal lobe; and (2) a whole-brain exploratory regression between patient and controls. Brain regions were segmented using a neuroanatomical atlas and vertex-wise CT analyses were conducted with CIVET, covaried for age and sex. ROI analysis revealed thinner insula cortex in patients with low IS (p<0.05, surviving FDR correction). Patients with low IS also showed significantly thinner right insula, STG, and parahippocampal cortex compared to healthy controls (p<0.05, surviving FDR correction). Regions of observed CT reductions have been hypothesized to subserve self-monitoring, error awareness, and ability to identify hallucinations. Results highlight an important association between right insula abnormalities and impaired IS in schizophrenia. The diverse clinical presentation of patients further suggests an independent relationship between symptomology and insight-related differences in CT that has been previously unexplored in enduring schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. InSight Atlas V Centaur Stage Offload

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-31

    Inside Building B7525 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Centaur upper stage for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is offloaded from a transport truck. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  10. Insight in paranoia: The role of experiential avoidance and internalized stigma.

    PubMed

    Valiente, Carmen; Provencio, Maria; Espinosa, Regina; Duque, Almudena; Everts, Franziska

    2015-05-01

    Evidence suggests that insight in psychosis has been related to treatment adherence, recovery and good prognosis, but also to depression, low self-esteem, and diminished quality of life. Thus, insight might not be advantageous under all circumstances. Internalized-stigma (i.e. self-acceptance of stigmatizing images of illness) and experiential avoidance (i.e. unwillingness to experience negative private events) have been proposed as moderating variables between insight, and psychological health variables and/or distress. We investigated the patterns of association of insight with satisfaction with life, self-esteem, depression, anxiety and psychotic psychopathology as moderated by self-stigmatizing beliefs and experiential avoidance, in a sample of 47 participants with persecutory beliefs and diagnosed with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder. Moderation analyses confirm the importance of internalized-stigma and experiential avoidance. The presence of insight was associated with more depression when there were high levels of self-stigma. Whereas, the absence of insight was associated with a greater life satisfaction when there were high levels of experiential avoidance. To summarize, our results help understand the complex relationship between insight, psychological health variables and emotional distress, pointing to a differential pattern of moderation for negative and positive outcomes. We discuss the implications of these results for research and treatment of paranoia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Shipping InSight Mars Spacecraft to California for Launch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    Personnel supporting NASA's InSight mission to Mars load the crated InSight spacecraft into a C-17 cargo aircraft at Buckley Air Force Base, Denver, for shipment to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft, built in Colorado by Lockheed Martin Space, was shipped February 28, 2018, in preparation for launch from Vandenberg in May 2018. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first mission dedicated to studying the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22220

  12. Shipping InSight Mars Spacecraft to California for Launch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    Personnel supporting NASA's InSight mission to Mars load the crated InSight spacecraft into a C-17 cargo aircraft at Buckley Air Force Base, Denver, for shipment to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft, built in Colorado by Lockheed Martin Space, was shipped February 28, 2018, in preparation for launch from Vandenberg in May 2018. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first mission dedicated to studying the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22252

  13. Shipping InSight Mars Spacecraft to California for Launch

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    Personnel supporting NASA's InSight mission to Mars load the crated InSight spacecraft into a C-17 cargo aircraft at Buckley Air Force Base, Denver, for shipment to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft, built in Colorado by Lockheed Martin Space, was shipped February 28, 2018, in preparation for launch from Vandenberg in May 2018. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first mission dedicated to studying the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22253

  14. Insight and Action Analytics: Three Case Studies to Consider

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milliron, Mark David; Malcolm, Laura; Kil, David

    2014-01-01

    Civitas Learning was conceived as a community of practice, bringing together forward-thinking leaders from diverse higher education institutions to leverage insight and action analytics in their ongoing efforts to help students learn well and finish strong. We define insight and action analytics as drawing, federating, and analyzing data from…

  15. Knowing, Insight Learning, and the Integrity of Kinetic Movement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bautista, Alfredo; Roth, Wolff-Michael; Thom, Jennifer S.

    2011-01-01

    Psychologists, philosophers, and educators have traditionally interpreted the phenomenon of insight learning as the result of the sudden comprehension of abstract/conceptual ideas. The present article shows that such phenomenon may also follow and emerge from the kinetic movements of the human body; that is, we conceptualize insight learning as a…

  16. Assessing cognitive insight in nonpsychiatric individuals and outpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan: an investigation using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) was designed for the assessment of the cognitive processes involved in self-reflection and the ability to modify erroneous beliefs and misinterpretations. Studies investigating the factor structure of the BCIS have indicated a two-factor model in the psychotic population. The factor structure of the BCIS, however, has not received much consideration in the nonpsychiatric population. The present study examined the factor structure and validity of the BCIS and compared its scores between nonpsychiatric individuals and outpatients with psychosis. Method The Taiwanese version of the BCIS was administered to 507 nonpsychiatric individuals and 118 outpatients with schizophrenia. The psychometric properties of the BCIS were examined through the following analyses: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability, correlation analyses, and discriminative validity. Results The BCIS showed adequate internal consistency and stability over time. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the 15-item measure indicated a two-factor solution that supported the two dimensions of the Taiwanese BCIS, which was also observed with the original BCIS. Following the construct validation, we obtained a composite index (self-reflectiveness minus self-certainty) of the Taiwanese BCIS that reflected cognitive insight. Consistent with previous studies, our results indicated that psychosis is associated with low self-reflectiveness and high self-certainty, which possibly reflect lower cognitive insight. Our results also showed that better cognitive insight is related to worse depression in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but not in nonpsychiatric individuals. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.731. A composite index of 3 was a good limit, with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 51%. Conclusion The BCIS proved to be useful for measuring

  17. Is it me? Verbal self-monitoring neural network and clinical insight in schizophrenia

    PubMed Central

    Sapara, Adegboyega; ffytche, Dominic H.; Cooke, Michael A.; Williams, Steven C.R.; Kumari, Veena

    2015-01-01

    Self-monitoring, defined as the ability to distinguish between self-generated stimuli from other-generated ones, is known to be impaired in schizophrenia. This impairment has been theorised as the basis for many of the core psychotic symptoms, in particular, poor clinical insight. This study aimed to investigate verbal self-monitoring related neural substrates of preserved and poor clinical insight in schizophrenia. It involved 40 stable schizophrenia outpatients, 20 with preserved and 20 with poor insight, and 20 healthy participants. All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging with brain coverage covering key areas in the self-monitoring network during a verbal self-monitoring task. Healthy participants showed higher performance accuracy and greater thalamic activity than both preserved and poor insight patient groups. Preserved insight patients showed higher activity in the putamen extending into the caudate, insula and inferior frontal gyrus, compared to poor insight patients, and in the anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus, compared to healthy participants. Poor insight patients did not show greater activity in any brain area compared to preserved insight patients or healthy participants. Future studies may pursue therapeutic avenues, such as meta-cognitive therapies to promote self-monitoring or targeted stimulation of relevant brain areas, as means of enhancing insight in schizophrenia. PMID:26549744

  18. The relationship between theory of mind and insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Tulacı, Rıza Gökçer; Cankurtaran, Eylem Şahin; Özdel, Kadir; Öztürk, Nefise; Kuru, Erkan; Özdemir, İlker

    2018-02-09

    It is known that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients with poor insight display more severe neuropsychological impairments than other patients with OCD. There are limited studies of OCD and theory of mind (ToM). To investigate ToM skills in patients with OCD and the relationship between insight and ToM skills by comparing OCD patients with good and poor insight. Eighty patients with OCD and 80 healthy controls completed the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV axis I disorders, the Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Inventories, and the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale. To assess ToM skills, first- and second-order false-belief tests, a hinting test, a faux pas test, a reading the mind in the eyes test, and a double-bluff test were administered. Patients with OCD had poorer ToM abilities than healthy controls. All ToM scores were significantly lower in the poor insight group than in the good insight group (p < .001). A significant negative correlation was found between the BABS-total scores and all the ToM test mean scores (p < .05). The finding of significantly lower ToM skills in OCD with poor insight than in OCD with good insight may contribute to the idea of OCD with poor insight being a subtype with different clinical and neuropsychological characteristics.

  19. Neurocognitive functioning as an intermediary variable between psychopathology and insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Samuel Suk-Hyun; Ahn, Yong Min; Kim, Yong Sik

    2015-12-30

    Based on the neuropsychological deficit model of insight in schizophrenia, we constructed exploratory prediction models for insight, designating neurocognitive measures as the intermediary variables between psychopathology and insight into patients with schizophrenia. The models included the positive, negative, and autistic preoccupation symptoms as primary predictors, and activation symptoms as an intermediary variable for insight. Fifty-six Korean patients, in the acute stage of schizophrenia, completed the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, as well as a comprehensive neurocognitive battery of tests at the baseline, 8-weeks, and 1-year follow-ups. Among the neurocognitive measures, the Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (K-WAIS) picture arrangement, Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) perseverative response, and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) standard error of reaction time showed significant correlations with the symptoms and the insight. When these measures were fitted into the model as intermediaries between the symptoms and the insight, only the perseverative response was found to have a partial mediating effect - both cross-sectionally, and in the 8-week longitudinal change. Overall, the relationship between insight and neurocognitive functioning measures was found to be selective and weak. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Treatment adherence and insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Bitter, István; Fehér, László; Tényi, Tamás; Czobor, Pál

    2015-01-01

    Lack of adherence to treatment in patients with schizophrenia is a major risk factor for poor outcome, including relapse, rehospitalization, and suicide. Poor insight into illness may be a leading cause for partial- or nonadherence since a high proportion of patients with schizophrenia are partially or completely unaware of their mental disorder. The primary objective was to estimate the impact of lack of insight on adherence to medication based on a population of patients in Hungary who had the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The secondary objective was to investigate the association of the different aspects of insight (awareness of illness, the capacity to relabel psychotic experiences as abnormal, treatment acceptance) with (1) recent adherence behavior; (2) current mental state; (3) remission/non-remission status as measured by remission severity criteria; and (4) demographic and treatment history data. This was cross-sectional, noninterventional study, carried out under daily clinical practice conditions, with no influence exerted upon clinical practice in view of the observational nature of the study. Eligibility criteria included: a) patients' age (>18 years), b) diagnosis of schizophrenia (ICD-10), c) signed informed consent, d) no concomitant participation in another clinical trial. Study sites represented Mental Health Centers and outpatient clinics of hospital psychiatric units. Each investigator was asked to enroll patients consecutively. The final analysis sample comprised 262 patients, distributed across 13 sites. The following data were collected: general sociodemographic and clinical data (age, sex, level of education, socioeconomic situation, family support, psychiatric diagnosis, years of evolution, pharmacological and/or psychosocial treatments at the time of inclusion in the study, previous psychiatric admissions), with assessments of the Schedule of Assessing components of Insight (SAI), Compliance Rating Scale (CRS), Clinical Global Impression

  1. Investigating Insight as Sudden Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ash, Ivan K.; Jee, Benjamin D.; Wiley, Jennifer

    2012-01-01

    Gestalt psychologists proposed two distinct learning mechanisms. Associative learning occurs gradually through the repeated co-occurrence of external stimuli or memories. Insight learning occurs suddenly when people discover new relationships within their prior knowledge as a result of reasoning or problem solving processes that re-organize or…

  2. Is it me? Verbal self-monitoring neural network and clinical insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Sapara, Adegboyega; Ffytche, Dominic H; Cooke, Michael A; Williams, Steven C R; Kumari, Veena

    2015-12-30

    Self-monitoring, defined as the ability to distinguish between self-generated stimuli from other-generated ones, is known to be impaired in schizophrenia. This impairment has been theorised as the basis for many of the core psychotic symptoms, in particular, poor clinical insight. This study aimed to investigate verbal self-monitoring related neural substrates of preserved and poor clinical insight in schizophrenia. It involved 40 stable schizophrenia outpatients, 20 with preserved and 20 with poor insight, and 20 healthy participants. All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging with brain coverage covering key areas in the self-monitoring network during a verbal self-monitoring task. Healthy participants showed higher performance accuracy and greater thalamic activity than both preserved and poor insight patient groups. Preserved insight patients showed higher activity in the putamen extending into the caudate, insula and inferior frontal gyrus, compared to poor insight patients, and in the anterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus, compared to healthy participants. Poor insight patients did not show greater activity in any brain area compared to preserved insight patients or healthy participants. Future studies may pursue therapeutic avenues, such as meta-cognitive therapies to promote self-monitoring or targeted stimulation of relevant brain areas, as means of enhancing insight in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  3. Does self reflection and insight correlate with academic performance in medical students?

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Medical students in academic difficulty are often described as lacking insight. The Self Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) is a tool for measuring insight which has been validated in medical students. We investigated whether self reflection and insight scores correlate with academic performance in Year 4 medical students from a six year undergraduate medical degree, and whether self reflection and insight changes after one year of clinical training. Methods Self reflection and insight scores were measured in 162 students at the start of Year 4 at the University of Western Australia. Performance in end of year written and clinical exams was monitored and correlated with SRIS. Seventy of the students were surveyed again at the start of Year 5 to see if scores changed or were stable after one year of full time clinical training. Results We found no correlation between self reflection or insight and academic performance in written and clinical exams. There was a significant increase in recognition of the need for self reflection in Year 5 compared with Year 4. Conclusions While no correlation was found between this measure of self reflection and insight with academic performance, there was an increase in students’ recognition of the need for reflection after one year of clinical studies. This study is a valuable first step towards a potentially exciting research domain and warrants further longitudinal evaluation with larger cohorts of students using additional measures of achievement. PMID:23971859

  4. Does self reflection and insight correlate with academic performance in medical students?

    PubMed

    Carr, Sandra E; Johnson, Paula H

    2013-08-23

    Medical students in academic difficulty are often described as lacking insight. The Self Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS) is a tool for measuring insight which has been validated in medical students. We investigated whether self reflection and insight scores correlate with academic performance in Year 4 medical students from a six year undergraduate medical degree, and whether self reflection and insight changes after one year of clinical training. Self reflection and insight scores were measured in 162 students at the start of Year 4 at the University of Western Australia. Performance in end of year written and clinical exams was monitored and correlated with SRIS. Seventy of the students were surveyed again at the start of Year 5 to see if scores changed or were stable after one year of full time clinical training. We found no correlation between self reflection or insight and academic performance in written and clinical exams. There was a significant increase in recognition of the need for self reflection in Year 5 compared with Year 4. While no correlation was found between this measure of self reflection and insight with academic performance, there was an increase in students' recognition of the need for reflection after one year of clinical studies. This study is a valuable first step towards a potentially exciting research domain and warrants further longitudinal evaluation with larger cohorts of students using additional measures of achievement.

  5. Some User's Insights Into ADIFOR 2.0D

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Giesy, Daniel P.

    2002-01-01

    Some insights are given which were gained by one user through experience with the use of the ADIFOR 2.0D software for automatic differentiation of Fortran code. These insights are generally in the area of the user interface with the generated derivative code - particularly the actual form of the interface and the use of derivative objects, including "seed" matrices. Some remarks are given as to how to iterate application of ADIFOR in order to generate second derivative code.

  6. InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    A United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage arrives at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  7. The Experience of Insight Follows Incubation in the Compound Remote Associates Task

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morrison, Robert G.; McCarthy, Sean W.; Molony, John M.

    2017-01-01

    The phenomenon of insight is frequently characterized by the experience of a sudden and certain solution. Anecdotal accounts suggest that insight frequently occurs after the problem solver has taken some time away from the problem (i.e., incubation). However, the mechanism by which incubation may facilitate insight problem-solving remains unclear.…

  8. Cognitive Psychology--An Educational Insight

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muirhead, Brent

    2007-01-01

    Cognitive psychology offers relevant insights into improving the teaching and learning process. The author has selected ten questions from a graduate class in cognition and learning taken at The Teachers College, Columbia University. The questions will be used to examine the most effective ways to learn and recall information.

  9. Insight development in schizophrenia: the construction of dangerousness in relapse.

    PubMed

    Nordick, Wendy Gale; van Heugten, Kate

    2014-05-01

    Mental health professionals believe that lack of insight is a major problem in schizophrenia because it significantly interferes with adherence to medical treatment. Yet few researchers have attempted to ask people with schizophrenia for their views on how insight develops and impacts on their quality of life. We explored these questions in interviews and focus groups with 19 Canadian people who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and identified as having good insight, and with New Zealand and Canadian treatment providers. We found that participants developed insight in three stages, which we labeled the period of chaos, the dynamic period, and the period of wisdom. Crises led participants to realize that their safety and their relationships with loved ones would continue to be dangerously imperiled unless they made sustained efforts to maintain wellness. We propose the Theory of Dangerousness to explain how participants developed and maintained their motivation to remain well.

  10. Second Names Chip is Placed on InSight

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-24

    An engineer in the clean room at Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, affixes a dime-size chip onto the lander deck of NASA's InSight spacecraft. This second microchip, contains 1.6 million names submitted by the public to ride along with InSight to Mars. The chip was installed on Jan. 23, 2018. This joins another microchip that was previously installed that included 800,000 names for a grand total of 2.4 million names going to Mars as early as May 5, 2018. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, put the names onto this tiny 0.3 square inches (8 millimeter-square) silicon wafer microchip using an electron beam to write extremely tiny letters with lines smaller than one one-thousandth the width of a human hair. The dime-size chip is affixed to the InSight lander deck and will remain on Mars forever. Normally used to make high-precision nanometer-scale devices, this technique was also used to write millions of names that were transported on NASA Mars rovers and Orion's first test flight. InSight is the first Mars mission dedicated to study the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22236

  11. Insight dimensions in first-episode psychosis patients: clinical, cognitive, pre-morbid and socio-demographic correlates.

    PubMed

    Ayesa-Arriola, Rosa; Rodríguez-Sánchez, Jose Manuel; Morelli, Chiara; Pelayo-Terán, Jose María; Pérez-Iglesias, Rocío; Mata, Ignacio; Martínez-Garcia, Obdulia; Pardo-Garcia, Gema; Vazquez-Barquero, Jose L; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto

    2011-05-01

    To investigate pre-morbid, socio-demographic, clinical and cognitive variables as predictors of insight in a large and representative sample of first-episode psychosis patients. The abbreviated Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder was used to assess insight dimensions. Patients with good and poor insight were independently compared on insight dimensions and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify explanatory variables associated with each insight dimension. The patients with good and poor insight of having a mental disorder differed in duration of untreated psychosis, diagnosis and attention, but only attention appeared as a predictor. The insight of the need for medication groups showed differences in age of onset, depression, severity of disorganized symptoms and hospitalization rate.Nevertheless, age of onset and disorganized symptoms seem to be the predictors. Groups of insight of the social consequences differed in duration of untreated psychosis, the negative and disorganized symptoms severity, disability, education, diagnosis and hospitalization rate.However, exclusively, the severity of disorganized symptoms seems to predict insight of social consequences. When independently analysed, the three insight dimensions showed different rates of affectation and different predictors. These results suggest that there must be different mechanisms underlying the lack of insight. First-episode psychosis is a crucial period for treatment adherence formation, an issue strongly associated with good insight. Thus, a more accurate evaluation of the predictors of lack of insight into each dimension is warranted to achieve a better comprehension of the lack of insight in schizophrenia and in turn, to implement treatment programmes seeking to improve it.

  12. Insight, rumination, and self-reflection as predictors of well-being.

    PubMed

    Harrington, Rick; Loffredo, Donald A

    2011-01-01

    Dispositional private self-focused attention variables such as insight, internal self-awareness (ISA), and self-reflectiveness (SR) have been found to relate to well-being. The present study sought to determine which dispositional private self-focused attention variables have the most predictive power for subjective well-being as measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale (E. Diener, R. A. Emmons, R. J. Larsen, & S. Griffin, 1985) and for a eudaemonic form of well-being as measured by the Psychological Well-Being Scale (C. D. Ryff, 1989). A total of 121 college student participants completed an online version of the Self-Consciousness Scale-Revised, the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire, the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Psychological WellBeing Scale. Results of a multivariate regression analysis using the Self-Consciousness Scale-Revised's (M. F. Scheier & C. S. Carver, 1985) subfactors of SR and ISA, the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire's (P. D. Trapnell & J. D. Campbell, 1999) subscales of Rumination and Reflection, and the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale's (A. M. Grant, J. Franklin, & P. Langford, 2002) Self-Reflection and Insight subscales revealed that the Insight subscale was the only statistically significant predictor (a positive predictor) for all 6 dimensions of psychological well-being. Insight was also the only significant positive predictor for satisfaction with life. The Rumination subscale was a significant negative predictor for 3 dimensions of psychological well-being, and the Reflection subscale was a significant positive predictor for 1 dimension. Implications of dispositional self-awareness variables and their relation to dimensions of well-being are discussed.

  13. Insight Into Illness and Cognition in Schizophrenia in Earlier and Later Life.

    PubMed

    Gerretsen, Philip; Voineskos, Aristotle N; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel; Menon, Mahesh; Pollock, Bruce G; Mamo, David C; Mulsant, Benoit H; Rajji, Tarek K

    2017-04-01

    Impaired insight into illness in schizophrenia is associated with illness severity and deficits in premorbid intellectual function, executive function, and memory. A previous study of patients aged 60 years and older found that illness severity and premorbid intellectual function accounted for variance in insight impairment. As such, we aimed to test whether similar relationships would be observed in earlier life. A retrospective analysis was performed on 1 large sample of participants (n = 171) with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of schizophrenia aged 19 to 79 years acquired from 2 studies: (1) a psychosocial intervention trial for older persons with schizophrenia (June 2008 to May 2014) and (2) a diffusion tensor imaging and genetics study of psychosis across the life span (February 2007 to December 2013). We assessed insight into illness using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) item G12 and explored its relationship to illness severity (PANSS total modified), premorbid intellectual function (Wechsler Test of Adult Reading [WTAR]), and cognition. Insight impairment was more severe in later life (≥ 60 years) than in earlier years (t = -3.75, P < .001). Across the whole sample, the variance of impaired insight was explained by PANSS total modified (Exp[B] = 1.070, P < .001) and WTAR scores (Exp[B] = 0.970, P = .028). Although age and cognition were correlated with impaired insight, they did not independently contribute to its variance. However, the relationships between impaired insight and illness severity and between impaired insight and cognition, particularly working memory, were stronger in later life than in earlier life. These results suggest an opportunity for intervention may exist with cognitive-enhancing neurostimulation or medications to improve insight into illness in schizophrenia across the life span. Original study registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT00832845). © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  14. Self-disorders and schizophrenia: a phenomenological reappraisal of poor insight and noncompliance.

    PubMed

    Henriksen, Mads G; Parnas, Josef

    2014-05-01

    Poor insight into illness is considered the primary cause of treatment noncompliance in schizophrenia. In this article, we critically discuss the predominant conceptual accounts of poor insight, which consider it as an ineffective self-reflection, caused either by psychological defenses or impaired metacognition. We argue that these accounts are at odds with the phenomenology of schizophrenia, and we propose a novel account of poor insight. We suggest that the reason why schizophrenia patients have no or only partial insight and consequently do not comply with treatment is rooted in the nature of their anomalous self-experiences (ie, self- disorders) and the related articulation of their psychotic symptoms. We argue that self-disorders destabilize the patients' experiential framework, thereby weakening their basic sense of reality (natural attitude) and enabling another sense of reality (solipsistic attitude) to emerge and coexist. This coexistence of attitudes, which Bleuler termed "double bookkeeping," is, in our view, central to understanding what poor insight in schizophrenia really is. We suggest that our phenomenologically informed account of poor insight may have important implications for early intervention, psychoeducation, and psychotherapy for schizophrenia.

  15. InSight Atlas V Booster Prep for Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-01

    A United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster is prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  16. Overlap and distinction between measures of insight and self-stigma.

    PubMed

    Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit

    2018-05-24

    Multiple studies on insight into one's illness and self-stigma among patients with serious mental illness and their relatives have shown that these constructs are related to one another and that they affect outcome. However, a critical exploration of the items used to assess both constructs raises questions with regard to the possible overlapping and centrality of items. The current study used five different samples to explore the possible overlap and distinction between insight and self-stigma, and to identify central items, via network analyses and principal component factor analysis. Findings from the network analyses showed overlap between insight and self-stigma exist with a relatively clearer observational distinction between the constructs among the two parent samples in comparison to the patient samples. Principal component factor analysis constrained to two factors showed that a relatively high percentage of items were not loaded on either factor, and in a few datasets, several insight items were loaded on the self-stigma scale and vice versa. The author discusses implications for research and calls for rethinking the way insight is assessed. Clinical implications are also discussed in reference to central items of social isolation, future worries and stereotype endorsement among the different study groups. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Disabled Readers: Insight, Assessment, Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawyer, Diane J., Ed.

    Focusing on helping teachers to understand and help children who have reading disabilities, the 13 papers in this volume were prepared by practitioners at various levels from public school, community, and university settings. The papers included in part one offer insights into the concomitant aspects of reading difficulties. Specific topics…

  18. Insight and search in Katona's five-square problem.

    PubMed

    Ollinger, Michael; Jones, Gary; Knoblich, Günther

    2014-01-01

    Insights are often productive outcomes of human thinking. We provide a cognitive model that explains insight problem solving by the interplay of problem space search and representational change, whereby the problem space is constrained or relaxed based on the problem representation. By introducing different experimental conditions that either constrained the initial search space or helped solvers to initiate a representational change, we investigated the interplay of problem space search and representational change in Katona's five-square problem. Testing 168 participants, we demonstrated that independent hints relating to the initial search space and to representational change had little effect on solution rates. However, providing both hints caused a significant increase in solution rates. Our results show the interplay between problem space search and representational change in insight problem solving: The initial problem space can be so large that people fail to encounter impasse, but even when representational change is achieved the resulting problem space can still provide a major obstacle to finding the solution.

  19. NASA InSight Lander in Spacecraft Back Shell

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-08-18

    In this photo, NASA's InSight Mars lander is stowed inside the inverted back shell of the spacecraft's protective aeroshell. It was taken on July 13, 2015, in a clean room of spacecraft assembly and test facilities at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, during preparation for vibration testing of the spacecraft. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19813

  20. Preparing NASA InSight Spacecraft for Vibration Test

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-08-18

    Spacecraft specialists at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, prepare NASA's InSight spacecraft for vibration testing as part of assuring that it is ready for the rigors of launch from Earth and flight to Mars. The spacecraft is oriented with its heat shield facing up in this July 13, 2015, photograph. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19815

  1. Solving Classical Insight Problems without Aha! Experience: 9 Dot, 8 Coin, and Matchstick Arithmetic Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Danek, Amory H.; Wiley, Jennifer; Öllinger, Michael

    2016-01-01

    Insightful problem solving is a vital part of human thinking, yet very difficult to grasp. Traditionally, insight has been investigated by using a set of established "insight tasks," assuming that insight has taken place if these problems are solved. Instead of assuming that insight takes place during every solution of the 9 Dot, 8 Coin,…

  2. Visual Attention Modulates Insight versus Analytic Solving of Verbal Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wegbreit, Ezra; Suzuki, Satoru; Grabowecky, Marcia; Kounios, John; Beeman, Mark

    2012-01-01

    Behavioral and neuroimaging findings indicate that distinct cognitive and neural processes underlie solving problems with sudden insight. Moreover, people with less focused attention sometimes perform better on tests of insight and creative problem solving. However, it remains unclear whether different states of attention, within individuals,…

  3. Psychophysiological prediction of choice: relevance to insight and drug addiction

    PubMed Central

    Moeller, Scott J.; Hajcak, Greg; Parvaz, Muhammad A.; Dunning, Jonathan P.; Volkow, Nora D.

    2012-01-01

    An important goal of addiction research and treatment is to predict behavioural responses to drug-related stimuli. This goal is especially important for patients with impaired insight, which can interfere with therapeutic interventions and potentially invalidate self-report questionnaires. This research tested (i) whether event-related potentials, specifically the late positive potential, predict choice to view cocaine images in cocaine addiction; and (ii) whether such behaviour prediction differs by insight (operationalized in this study as self-awareness of image choice). Fifty-nine cocaine abusers and 32 healthy controls provided data for the following laboratory components that were completed in a fixed-sequence (to establish prediction): (i) event-related potential recordings while passively viewing pleasant, unpleasant, neutral and cocaine images, during which early (400–1000 ms) and late (1000–2000 ms) window late positive potentials were collected; (ii) self-reported arousal ratings for each picture; and (iii) two previously validated tasks: one to assess choice for viewing these same images, and the other to group cocaine abusers by insight. Results showed that pleasant-related late positive potentials and arousal ratings predicted pleasant choice (the choice to view pleasant pictures) in all subjects, validating the method. In the cocaine abusers, the predictive ability of the late positive potentials and arousal ratings depended on insight. Cocaine-related late positive potentials better predicted cocaine image choice in cocaine abusers with impaired insight. Another emotion-relevant event-related potential component (the early posterior negativity) did not show these results, indicating specificity of the late positive potential. In contrast, arousal ratings better predicted respective cocaine image choice (and actual cocaine use severity) in cocaine abusers with intact insight. Taken together, the late positive potential could serve as a biomarker

  4. Comparison of insight and clinical variables in homeless and non-homeless psychiatric inpatients in China.

    PubMed

    Fu, Yan-Nan; Cao, Xiao-Lan; Hou, Cai-Lan; Ng, Chee H; Ungvari, Gabor S; Chiu, Helen F K; Lin, Yong-Qiang; Wang, Lihui; Zheng, Xiaocong; Jia, Fu-Jun; Xiang, Yu-Tao

    2017-09-01

    There are no published data on insight in homeless patients with psychiatric disorders in China. This study examined insight in homeless and non-homeless Chinese psychiatric inpatients in relation to demographic and clinical variables. A total of 278 homeless and 222 non-homeless inpatients matched in age and gender were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected based on a review of medical charts and a clinical interview with standardized instruments. Insight was evaluated with the Insight and Treatment Attitudes Questionnaire. Altogether 20.5% of homeless inpatients and 43.7% of the non-homeless controls had good insight. Compared with homeless inpatients with impaired insight, homeless inpatients with good insight had higher physical quality of life, longer duration of illness and less severe positive and negative symptoms. Impaired insight appeared more common in homeless psychiatric inpatients in China. Further studies should address the need for effective therapeutic interventions that promote homeless patients' insight. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Insight, self-stigma and psychosocial outcomes in Schizophrenia: a structural equation modelling approach.

    PubMed

    Lien, Y-J; Chang, H-A; Kao, Y-C; Tzeng, N-S; Lu, C-W; Loh, C-H

    2018-04-01

    Poor insight is prevalent in patients with schizophrenia and has been associated with acute illness severity, medication non-adherence and poor treatment outcomes. Paradoxically, high insight has been associated with various undesirable outcomes, including low self-esteem, depression and low subjective quality of life (QoL) in patients with schizophrenia. Despite the growing body of studies conducted in Western countries supporting the pernicious effects of improved insight in psychosis, which bases on the level of self-stigma, the effects are unclear in non-Western societies. The current study examined the role of self-stigma in the relationship between insight and psychosocial outcomes in a Chinese population. A total of 170 outpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited from two general university hospitals. Sociodemographic data and clinical variables were recorded and self-report scales were employed to measure self-stigma, depression, insight, self-esteem and subjective QoL. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the cross-sectional data. High levels of self-stigma were reported by 39% of the participants (n = 67). The influences of insight, self-stigma, self-esteem and depression on subjective QoL were confirmed by the SEM results. Our model with the closest fit to the data (χ 2 = 33.28; df = 20; p = 0.03; χ 2/df = 1.66; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.97; RMSEA = 0.06) demonstrated that self-stigma might fully mediate the association of insight with low self-esteem, depression and poor subjective QoL. High insight into illness contributed to self-stigma, which caused low self-esteem and depression and, consequently, low QoL. Notably, insight did not directly affect self-esteem, depression or QoL. Furthermore, the association of insight with poor psychosocial outcomes was not moderated by self-stigma. Our findings support the mediating model of insight relevant to the poor psychosocial outcomes of individuals diagnosed with

  6. The relative contributions of social cognition and self-reflectiveness to clinical insight in enduring schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Béland, Sophie; Lepage, Martin

    2017-12-01

    Poor clinical insight represents a major barrier to recovery in schizophrenia. Research suggests that higher-order social cognitive abilities such as theory of mind (TOM) and metacognition contribute to levels of clinical insight. However, few studies have examined whether social cognitive abilities other than TOM are related to clinical insight. Moreover, to date, no investigation has attempted to determine whether the contribution of metacognitive ability to clinical insight can be differentiated from the contribution of higher-order social cognition, despite their conceptual similarity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relative contribution of different social cognitive abilities, as well as metacognition, to clinical insight in a large sample of 139 enduring schizophrenia patients, and controlling for established predictors of clinical insight. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to evaluate the portion of variance explained by 3 social cognitive abilities: emotion recognition, TOM, and affective empathy, and the metacognitive ability of self-reflectiveness. Clinical insight levels were assessed using the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded version. Results indicated that affective empathy and self-reflectiveness are the strongest predictors of clinical insight. These results provide insights on the development of targeted interventions for improving clinical insight in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. InSight Atlas V Centaur Lift and Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage is lifted and mated atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  8. InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California a crane lifts a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  9. InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage is transported to Space Launch Complex 3 for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  10. A cross-sectional study of insight and family accommodation in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Factors predicting treatment outcome in pediatric patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) include disease severity, functional impairment, comorbid disorders, insight, and family accommodation (FA). Treatment of pediatric OCD is often only partly successful as some of these predictors are not targeted with conventional therapy. Among these, insight and FA were identified to be modifiable predictors of special relevance to pediatric OCD. Despite their clinical relevance, insight and FA remain understudied in youth with OCD. This study examined the clinical correlates of insight and FA and determined whether FA mediates the relationship between symptom severity and functional impairment in pediatric OCD. Methods This was a cross-sectional, outpatient study. Thirty-five treatment-naive children and adolescentswith DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD (mean age: 13.11 ± 3.16; 54.3% males) were included. Standard questionnaires were administered for assessing the study variables. Insight and comorbidities were assessed based on clinician’s interview. Subjects were categorized as belonging to a high insight or a low insight group, and the differences between these two groups were analyzed using ANOVA. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for the remaining variables of interest. Mediation analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling. Results Relative to those in the high insight group, subjects in the low insight group were younger, had more severe disease and symptoms, and were accommodated to a greater extent by their families. In addition, comorbid depression was more frequent in subjects belonging to the low insight group. Family accommodation was positively related to disease severity, symptom severity, and functional impairment. Family accommodation totally mediated the relationship between symptom severity and functional impairment. Conclusions Results support the differences in the diagnostic criteria between adult and

  11. Associations of suicidality with cognitive ability and cognitive insight in outpatients with Schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Villa, Jennifer; Choi, Jennifer; Kangas, Julie L; Kaufmann, Christopher N; Harvey, Philip D; Depp, Colin A

    2018-02-01

    Previous literature suggests that better cognitive ability and insight are associated with greater lifetime risk of suicide attempts in schizophrenia, counter to the direction of association in the general population. However, the conjoint association between distinct cognitive domains, insight, and suicidality has not been assessed. In a cross-sectional study, 162 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder completed cognitive testing via the MATRICS battery, symptom and cognitive insight assessments, along with the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale. We then contrasted participants based on history of suicidality by cognitive domains and insight measures and conducted multivariate analyses. Although a history of any passive ideation was not associated with cognitive ability or insight, verbal learning was positively associated with a greater history of suicidal attempt and prior ideation with a plan and intent. Higher cognitive insight, and the self-reflectiveness subscale insight, was also associated with history of passive or active suicidal ideation. Cognitive insight and cognitive ability were independent from each other, and there were no moderating influences of insight on the effect of cognitive ability on suicide related history. Exploratory analyses revealed that history of planned attempts were associated with greater verbal learning, whereas histories of aborted attempts were associated with poorer reasoning and problem-solving. Although cross-sectional and retrospective, this study provides support that greater cognitive ability, specifically verbal learning, along with self-reflectiveness, may confer elevated risk for more severe suicidal ideation and behavior in an independent fashion. Interestingly, poorer problem-solving was associated with aborted suicide attempts. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Clinical and cognitive insight in patients with acute-phase psychosis: Association with treatment and neuropsychological functioning.

    PubMed

    Poyraz, Burç Çağri; Arikan, Mehmet Kemal; Poyraz, Cana Aksoy; Turan, Şenol; Kani, Ayşe Sakalli; Aydin, Eser; İnce, Ezgi

    2016-10-01

    The severity of psychopathology cannot fully explain deficits in the multi-dimensional construct of insight. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlates and associations of clinical and cognitive insight in patients in an acute phase of psychosis and to analyse the impact of acute treatment on these variables. This study examined 47 inpatients who were recently hospitalized with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia. All subjects were assessed at both admission and discharge with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded Version (SAI-E), Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS), and a neurocognition battery. Patients with schizophrenia gained clinical insight after treatment. Cognitive insight did not change significantly after treatment. Insight showed significant negative correlations with positive symptoms and general psychopathology, but not with negative symptoms. Clinical insight was not associated with neuropsychological functioning in this cohort. Gaining clinical insight in the acute phase of illness was associated with the remission of positive symptoms, but not with neuropsychological functioning. Some significant correlations between clinical and cognitive insights were detected, which suggests that cognitive insight contributes to clinical insight but is not treatment-dependent. Long-term treatment may be required to understand the contribution of insight to the outcome of patients with schizophrenia.

  13. Insight change in psychosis: relationship with neurocognition, social cognition, clinical symptoms and phase of illness.

    PubMed

    Quee, P J; van der Meer, L; Krabbendam, L; de Haan, L; Cahn, W; Wiersma, D; van Beveren, N; Pijnenborg, G H M; Mulder, C L; Bruggeman, R; Aleman, A

    2014-02-01

    Impaired insight is an important and prevalent symptom of psychosis. It remains unclear whether cognitive disturbances hamper improvements in insight. We investigated the neurocognitive, social cognitive, and clinical correlates of changes in insight. One hundred and fifty-four patients with a psychotic disorder were assessed at baseline (T0 ) and after three years (T3 ) with the Birchwood Insight Scale, the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale, measures of neurocognition and social cognition. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine to what extend neurocognition, social cognition, clinical symptoms and phase of illness could uniquely predict insight change. Subsequently, changes in these factors were related to insight change. Better neurocognitive performance and fewer clinical symptoms at baseline explained insight improvements. The additional effect of clinical symptoms over and above the contribution of neurocognition was significant. Together, these factors explained 10% of the variance. Social cognition and phase of illness could not predict insight change. Changes in clinical symptoms, but not changes in neurocognitive performance were associated with insight change. Neurocognitive abilities may predict, in part, the development of insight in psychosis. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Shipping InSight Mars Spacecraft to Buckley Air Force Base

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    A truck carrying NASA s InSight spacecraft leaves Lockheed Martin Space, Denver, where the spacecraft was built and tested, on February 28, 2018. InSight was driven to Buckley Air Force Base, where it was loaded into a C-17 cargo aircraft and flown to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. There, it will be prepared for a May launch. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first mission dedicated to studying the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22225

  15. Self-disorders and Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Reappraisal of Poor Insight and Noncompliance

    PubMed Central

    Henriksen, Mads G.

    2014-01-01

    Poor insight into illness is considered the primary cause of treatment noncompliance in schizophrenia. In this article, we critically discuss the predominant conceptual accounts of poor insight, which consider it as an ineffective self-reflection, caused either by psychological defenses or impaired metacognition. We argue that these accounts are at odds with the phenomenology of schizophrenia, and we propose a novel account of poor insight. We suggest that the reason why schizophrenia patients have no or only partial insight and consequently do not comply with treatment is rooted in the nature of their anomalous self-experiences (ie, self- disorders) and the related articulation of their psychotic symptoms. We argue that self-disorders destabilize the patients’ experiential framework, thereby weakening their basic sense of reality (natural attitude) and enabling another sense of reality (solipsistic attitude) to emerge and coexist. This coexistence of attitudes, which Bleuler termed “double bookkeeping,” is, in our view, central to understanding what poor insight in schizophrenia really is. We suggest that our phenomenologically informed account of poor insight may have important implications for early intervention, psychoeducation, and psychotherapy for schizophrenia. PMID:23798710

  16. Longitudinal trajectory of clinical insight and covariation with cortical thickness in first-episode psychosis.

    PubMed

    Buchy, Lisa; Makowski, Carolina; Malla, Ashok; Joober, Ridha; Lepage, Martin

    2017-03-01

    Among people with a first-episode of psychosis, those with poorer clinical insight show neuroanatomical abnormalities in frontal, temporal and parietal cortices compared to those with better clinical insight. Whether changes in clinical insight are associated with progressive structural brain changes is unknown. We aimed to evaluate 1) associations between clinical insight and cortical thickness at a baseline assessment, 2) covariation between clinical insight and cortical thickness across baseline, one-year and two-year follow-up assessments, and 3) the predictive value of clinical insight for cortical thickness at one-year and two-year follow-ups. Scale for the assessment of Unawareness of Mental Disorder ratings and magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired at baseline, one-year, and two-year follow-ups in 128, 74, and 44 individuals with a first-episode psychosis, respectively. Cortical thickness metrics were then computed at baseline, one-year and two-year follow-ups and analyzed with linear mixed models. At baseline, clinical insight was not significantly associated with cortical thickness in any region. Longitudinal mixed effects models showed that a worsening in clinical insight between the one-year and two-year assessments was significantly associated with cortical thinning in dorsal pre-central and post-central gyri. Cortical thinning in left fusiform gyrus at two-years was predicted by poorer clinical insight at baseline. Results suggest that poor clinical insight soon after the onset of a first-episode psychosis may lead to progressive cortical changes in temporal lobe, while changes in clinical insight during the second year covary with cortical thinning in circumscribed dorsal frontal and parietal cortices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Insight with hands and things.

    PubMed

    Vallée-Tourangeau, Frédéric; Steffensen, Sune Vork; Vallée-Tourangeau, Gaëlle; Sirota, Miroslav

    2016-10-01

    Two experiments examined whether different task ecologies influenced insight problem solving. The 17 animals problem was employed, a pure insight problem. Its initial formulation encourages the application of a direct arithmetic solution, but its solution requires the spatial arrangement of sets involving some degree of overlap. Participants were randomly allocated to either a tablet condition where they could use a stylus and an electronic tablet to sketch a solution or a model building condition where participants were given material with which to build enclosures and figurines. In both experiments, participants were much more likely to develop a working solution in the model building condition. The difference in performance elicited by different task ecologies was unrelated to individual differences in working memory, actively open-minded thinking, or need for cognition (Experiment 1), although individual differences in creativity were correlated with problem solving success in Experiment 2. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for the prevailing metatheoretical commitment to methodological individualism that places the individual as the ontological locus of cognition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. InSight Atlas V Fairing Rotate to Vertical

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-07

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the payload fairing for the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars is lifted to the vertical position. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  19. InSight Atlas V ASA to ISA Installation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-06

    Inside Building B7525 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) is installed to the interstage adapter (ISA) for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  20. InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California technicians and engineers prepare a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage for lifting and mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  1. InSight Atlas V Centaur Transport / Lift & Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-06

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a United Launch Alliance Centaur upper stage is prepared for transport to Space Launch Complex 3 for mating atop an Atlas V booster. The rocket will launch NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  2. Heat Shield Construction for NASA InSight Mission

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    In this February 2015 scene from a clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, specialists are building the heat shield to protect NASA's InSight spacecraft when it is speeding through the Martian atmosphere. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19404

  3. NCCN Guidelines Insights: Bladder Cancer, Version 2.2016.

    PubMed

    Clark, Peter E; Spiess, Philippe E; Agarwal, Neeraj; Bangs, Rick; Boorjian, Stephen A; Buyyounouski, Mark K; Efstathiou, Jason A; Flaig, Thomas W; Friedlander, Terence; Greenberg, Richard E; Guru, Khurshid A; Hahn, Noah; Herr, Harry W; Hoimes, Christopher; Inman, Brant A; Kader, A Karim; Kibel, Adam S; Kuzel, Timothy M; Lele, Subodh M; Meeks, Joshua J; Michalski, Jeff; Montgomery, Jeffrey S; Pagliaro, Lance C; Pal, Sumanta K; Patterson, Anthony; Petrylak, Daniel; Plimack, Elizabeth R; Pohar, Kamal S; Porter, Michael P; Sexton, Wade J; Siefker-Radtke, Arlene O; Sonpavde, Guru; Tward, Jonathan; Wile, Geoffrey; Dwyer, Mary A; Smith, Courtney

    2016-10-01

    These NCCN Guidelines Insights discuss the major recent updates to the NCCN Guidelines for Bladder Cancer based on the review of the evidence in conjunction with the expert opinion of the panel. Recent updates include (1) refining the recommendation of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin, (2) strengthening the recommendations for perioperative systemic chemotherapy, and (3) incorporating immunotherapy into second-line therapy for locally advanced or metastatic disease. These NCCN Guidelines Insights further discuss factors that affect integration of these recommendations into clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

  4. Mind Wandering and the Incubation Effect in Insight Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tan, Tengteng; Zou, Hong; Chen, Chuansheng; Luo, Jin

    2015-01-01

    Although many anecdotes suggest that creative insights often arise during mind wandering, empirical research is still sparse. In this study, the number reduction task (NRT) was used to assess whether insightful solutions were related to mind wandering during the incubation stage of the creative process. An experience sampling paradigm was used to…

  5. Implementation of Insight Responsibilities in Process Engineering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Osborne, Deborah M.

    1997-01-01

    This report describes an approach for evaluating flight readiness (COFR) and contractor performance evaluation (award fee) as part of the insight role of NASA Process Engineering at Kennedy Space Center. Several evaluation methods are presented, including systems engineering evaluations and use of systems performance data. The transition from an oversight function to the insight function is described. The types of analytical tools appropriate for achieving the flight readiness and contractor performance evaluation goals are described and examples are provided. Special emphasis is placed upon short and small run statistical quality control techniques. Training requirements for system engineers are delineated. The approach described herein would be equally appropriate in other directorates at Kennedy Space Center.

  6. [Relationship of insight with depression and suicidal ideation in psychotic disorders].

    PubMed

    Patelaros, E; Zournatzis, E; Kontstantakopoulos, G

    2015-01-01

    The associations of insight into psychosis (i.e., awareness of illness) with clinical variables have been examined by a great number of studies. Most of these studies revealed that the level of insight is negatively correlated with psychotic symptoms but positively correlated with depression and suicidal ideation. The aim of this study was to test these findings in a Greek sample of patients. Forty-three outpatients (30 men and 13 women) with schizophrenia or delusional disorder being followed up at the Mental Health Centre of Kavala took part in the study. Patients with bipolar or schizoaffective disorder were excluded. Patients' mean age was 40.7 years and the mean duration of illness was 18.67 years. All participants were under treatment and clinically stable at the time of the study. We used the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for the assessment of positive and negative symptoms, the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded (SAI-E) to assess the insight into psychosis, and the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) for the evaluation of depression recording separately the score for item 10 as an estimate of suicidal ideation. All the scales used have been adapted to Greek population. We used Spearman rho coefficient to assess the strength of correlations between the scales because the distributions of some scores were not normal. In order to assess the predictive value of insight for depression and suicidal ideation, we used hierarchical linear regression analysis. Correlation coefficients between SAI-E and the clinical scales of psychopathology, depression and suicide ideation was statistically significant at the p<0.01 level. The correlations between the clinical scales and the three subscales of SAI-E were also significant at the aforementioned p level. The regression analysis showed that our model of positive and negative psychopathology and insight explained 47.4% of the variance of depression and 32.2% of the variance of

  7. Is good insight associated with depression among patients with schizophrenia? Systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Belvederi Murri, Martino; Respino, Matteo; Innamorati, Marco; Cervetti, Alice; Calcagno, Pietro; Pompili, Maurizio; Lamis, Dorian A; Ghio, Lucio; Amore, Mario

    2015-03-01

    Among patients with schizophrenia, better insight may be associated with depression, but the findings on this issue are mixed. We examined the association between insight and depression in schizophrenia by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was based on 59 correlational studies and showed that global clinical insight was associated weakly, but significantly with depression (effect size r=0.14), as were the insight into the mental disorder (r=0.14), insight into symptoms (r=0.14), and symptoms' attributions (r=0.17). Conversely, neither insight into the social consequences of the disorder nor into the need for treatment was associated with symptoms of depression. Better cognitive insight was significantly associated with higher levels of depression. The exploratory meta-regression showed that methodological factors (e.g. the instrument used to assess depression and the phase of the illness) can significantly influence the magnitude of the association between insight and depression. Moreover, results from longitudinal studies suggest that the relation between insight and depression might be stronger than what is observed at the cross-sectional level. Finally, internalized stigma, illness perception, recovery attitudes, ruminative style, and premorbid adjustment seem to be relevant moderators and/or mediators of the association between insight and depression. In conclusion, literature indicates that among patients with schizophrenia, better insight is associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Thus, interventions aimed at promoting patients' insight should take into account the clinical implications of these findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Psychosis: clinical insight and beliefs in immigrants in their first episode.

    PubMed

    Berg, Akiah Ottesen; Barrett, Elizabeth Ann; Nerhus, Mari; Büchman, Camilla; Simonsen, Carmen; Faerden, Ann; Andreassen, Ole A; Melle, Ingrid

    2018-04-01

    Lack of insight into illness is frequent in psychotic disorders and seen as part of their primary pathology. The recognition of symptoms as psychotic, and beliefs about treatment alternatives, is also influenced by socio-cultural factors. Here we examined clinical insight into illness and beliefs about psychosis in immigrants in their first episode of psychosis compared with a reference group. A total of 277 first-episode psychosis participants were recruited to this cross-sectional study; 40 first- and 40 second-generation immigrants from Europe, Americas and Oceania (n = 37), Asia including Turkey (n = 28) or Africa (n = 15). The Birchwood Insight Scale was used to measure clinical insight and 'The Attitudes and Beliefs about Mental Health Problems' schizophrenia version to assess socio-cultural beliefs. Immigrants did not differ from the reference sample in clinical insight. After controlling for education level, first-generation immigrants were less likely to recognize psychotic symptoms (odds ratio (OR) 2.9; Wald = 8.977, degrees of freedom (d.f.) 1, P = 0.003) and viewed hospitalization (OR 5.2; Wald = 20.388, d.f. 1, P = 0.001) and treatment by a psychiatrist (OR 4.9; Wald = 6.609, d.f. 1, P = 0.01)) as less beneficial than the reference group. Immigrants from Asia held more alternative explanations (OR 0.3; Wald = 6.567, d.f. 1, P = 0.010). There were significantly stronger associations between clinical insight and socio-cultural beliefs in the reference group. Socio-cultural beliefs about psychosis in immigrants in first-episode psychosis call for more tailored information to this group, and emphasize the importance of treatment interventions involving both a cultural and personal perspective of insight. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  9. The metabolic basis of cognitive insight in psychosis: A positron emission tomography study

    PubMed Central

    Paoli, Riccardo A.; Cigliobianco, Michela; Prunas, Cecilia; Zugno, Elisa; Bottinelli, Francesca; Brambilla, Paolo; Altamura, A. Carlo

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive insight and cerebral metabolism in patients suffering from psychosis. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) was administered to 63 patients with psychosis undergoing Positron Emission Tomography investigation. The sample was divided into two groups considering the BCIS score. Data were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping. Results: patients with low insight, compared to those with high insight, showed decreased metabolism in the right fusiform gyrus, left precuneus, superior temporal gyrus and insula bilaterally, as well as increased metabolism in the left orbito-frontal gyrus (all p<0.005). Our results suggest that reduced posterior (occipito-temporo-insulo-parietal) and increased anterior (orbitofrontal) cerebral metabolism may sustain low cognitive insight in psychosis. PMID:28414766

  10. Psychology of Sport. Issues & Insights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fisher, A. Craig, Ed.

    This book is designed to provide instructors and students in sport psychology courses with a learning instrument that combines the continuity of a textbook with the range of opinion, in-depth treatment of selected issues, and insight into research methods of a book of readings. The subject is divided into four topical categories. Under the heading…

  11. Suicidality in first episode psychosis is associated with insight and negative beliefs about psychosis.

    PubMed

    Barrett, Elizabeth A; Sundet, Kjetil; Faerden, Ann; Agartz, Ingrid; Bratlien, Unni; Romm, Kristin Lie; Mork, Erlend; Rossberg, Jan Ivar; Steen, Nils Eiel; Andreassen, Ole A; Melle, Ingrid

    2010-11-01

    Suicidal behaviour is prevalent in psychotic disorders. Insight has been found to be associated with increased risk for suicidal behaviour, but not consistently. A possible explanation for this is that insight has different consequences for patients depending on their beliefs about psychosis. The present study investigated whether a relationship between insight, negative beliefs about psychosis and suicidality was mediated by depressive symptoms, and if negative beliefs about psychosis moderated the relationship between insight and suicidality in patients with a first episode of psychosis (FEP). One hundred ninety-four FEP-patients were assessed with a clinical interview for diagnosis, symptoms, functioning, substance use, suicidality, insight, and beliefs about psychosis. Nearly 46% of the patients were currently suicidal. Depressive symptoms, having a schizophrenia spectrum disorder, insight, and beliefs about negative outcomes for psychosis were independently associated with current suicidality; contradicting a mediating effect of depressive symptoms. Negative beliefs about psychosis did not moderate the effect of insight on current suicidality. The results indicate that more depressive symptoms, higher insight, and negative beliefs about psychosis increase the risk for suicidality in FEP-patients. The findings imply that monitoring insight should be part of assessing the suicide risk in patients with FEP, and that treating depression and counteracting negative beliefs about psychosis may possibly reduce the risk for suicidality. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Insight and other predictors of physical examination refusal in psychotic illness.

    PubMed

    Iwata, Kazuya; Strydom, Andre; Osborn, David

    2011-08-01

    Poor physical health in psychiatric patients is well recognized, yet factors contributing to physical examination noncompliance in psychotic illness have not been previously studied. To examine whether insight or any other variables were independent predictors of physical examination noncompliance. A case-note study (N = 200) of inpatient psychiatric patients in four hospitals in London, UK was conducted to examine the relationship between insight and physical examination noncompliance within 24  h of admission and over 2 weeks. Clinical variables including illness severity were also examined. Patients who were noncompliant with physical examinations offered within 24  h and over 2 weeks were associated with lack of insight, higher illness severity, female gender, longer history of illness, current compulsory admission, and previous history of detention. After adjusting for confounding factors, lack of insight, female gender, and previous history of detention were found to be independent predictors of physical examination noncompliance for 24  h and 2 weeks. Lack of insight is highly predictive of physical examination noncompliance for up to 2 weeks, indicating that mental incapacity to consenting to medical care may be common and that more proactive physical screening may be required for these patients.

  13. Young Children's Analogical Problem Solving: Gaining Insights from Video Displays

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Zhe; Siegler, Robert S.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined how toddlers gain insights from source video displays and use the insights to solve analogous problems. Two- to 2.5-year-olds viewed a source video illustrating a problem-solving strategy and then attempted to solve analogous problems. Older but not younger toddlers extracted the problem-solving strategy depicted in the video…

  14. Genetic influences on insight problem solving: the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Weili; Shang, Siyuan; Su, Yanjie

    2015-01-01

    People may experience an “aha” moment, when suddenly realizing a solution of a puzzling problem. This experience is called insight problem solving. Several findings suggest that catecholamine-related genes may contribute to insight problem solving, among which the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is the most promising candidate. The current study examined 753 healthy individuals to determine the associations between 7 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms on the COMT gene and insight problem-solving performance, while considering gender differences. The results showed that individuals carrying A allele of rs4680 or T allele of rs4633 scored significantly higher on insight problem-solving tasks, and the COMT gene rs5993883 combined with gender interacted with correct solutions of insight problems, specifically showing that this gene only influenced insight problem-solving performance in males. This study presents the first investigation of the genetic impact on insight problem solving and provides evidence that highlights the role that the COMT gene plays in insight problem solving. PMID:26528222

  15. Genetic influences on insight problem solving: the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Weili; Shang, Siyuan; Su, Yanjie

    2015-01-01

    People may experience an "aha" moment, when suddenly realizing a solution of a puzzling problem. This experience is called insight problem solving. Several findings suggest that catecholamine-related genes may contribute to insight problem solving, among which the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is the most promising candidate. The current study examined 753 healthy individuals to determine the associations between 7 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms on the COMT gene and insight problem-solving performance, while considering gender differences. The results showed that individuals carrying A allele of rs4680 or T allele of rs4633 scored significantly higher on insight problem-solving tasks, and the COMT gene rs5993883 combined with gender interacted with correct solutions of insight problems, specifically showing that this gene only influenced insight problem-solving performance in males. This study presents the first investigation of the genetic impact on insight problem solving and provides evidence that highlights the role that the COMT gene plays in insight problem solving.

  16. Affording shared responsibility for universal coverage: insights from California.

    PubMed

    Curtis, Rick; Neuschler, Ed

    2009-01-01

    This paper presents key insights from California's recent experience in developing a plan for universal health coverage with "shared responsibility" among individuals, employers, and governments. A major challenge was finding an acceptable balance among the goals of affordability, equity, and cost to the state. Although reform did not pass, the state's approach-particularly differences from Massachusetts regarding modest-income workers and related employer and public roles-provides important insights for federal reform.

  17. Physical insight into the simultaneous optimization of structure and control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacques, Robert N.; Miller, David W.

    1993-01-01

    Recent trends in spacecraft design which yield larger structures with more stringent performance requirements place many flexible modes of the structure within the bandwidth of active controllers. The resulting complications to the spacecraft design make it highly desirable to understand the impact of structural changes on an optimally controlled structure. This work uses low structural models with optimal H(sub 2) and H(sub infinity) controllers to develop some basic insight into this problem. This insight concentrates on several basic approaches to improving controlled performance and how these approaches interact in determining the optimal designs. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate how this insight can be generalized to more complex problems.

  18. Lowering Back Shell onto Stowed InSight Lander

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    In this photo, the back shell of NASA's InSight spacecraft is being lowered onto the mission's lander, which is folded into its stowed configuration. The back shell and a heat shield form the aeroshell, which will protect the lander as the spacecraft plunges into the upper atmosphere of Mars. The photo was taken on April 29, 2015, in a spacecraft assembly clean room at Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver. InSight, for Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is scheduled for launch in March 2016 and landing in September 2016. It will study the deep interior of Mars to advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19666

  19. Handling Handicap Complaints Requires Special Insights.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wirth, George N.

    1979-01-01

    In the two years that the Michigan Civil Rights Commission has been enforcing legislation prohibiting discrimination against handicapped persons, some valuable insights have been gained into how these complaints must be handled in ways different from other types of discrimination complaints. (Author/EB)

  20. Voxel-based magnetic resonance imaging investigation of poor and preserved clinical insight in people with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Sapara, Adegboyega; Ffytche, Dominic H; Cooke, Michael A; Williams, Steven Cr; Kumari, Veena

    2016-09-22

    To define regional grey-matter abnormalities in schizophrenia patients with poor insight (Insight(-)), relative to patients with preserved clinical insight (Insight(+)), and healthy controls. Forty stable schizophrenia outpatients (20 Insight(-) and 20 Insight(+)) and 20 healthy controls underwent whole brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Insight in all patients was assessed using the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS; a self-report measure). The two patient groups were pre-selected to match on most clinical and demographic parameters but, by design, they had markedly distinct BIS scores. Voxel-based morphometry employed in SPM8 was used to examine group differences in grey matter volumes across the whole brain. The three participant groups were comparable in age [F(2,57) = 0.34, P = 0.71] and the patient groups did not differ in age at illness onset [t(38) = 0.87, P = 0.39]. Insight(-) and Insight(+) patient groups also did not differ in symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndromes scale (PANSS): Positive symptoms [t(38) = 0.58, P = 0.57], negative symptoms [t(38) = 0.61, P = 0.55], general psychopathology [t(38) = 1.30, P = 0.20] and total PANSS scores [t(38) = 0.21, P = 0.84]. The two patient groups, as expected, varied significantly in the level of BIS-assessed insight [t(38) = 12.11, P < 0.001]. MRI results revealed lower fronto-temporal, parahippocampal, occipital and cerebellar grey matter volumes in Insight(-) patients, relative to Insight(+) patients and healthy controls (for all clusters, family-wise error corrected P < 0.05). Insight(+) patient and healthy controls did not differ significantly (P > 0.20) from each other. Our findings demonstrate a clear association between poor clinical insight and smaller fronto-temporal, occipital and cerebellar grey matter volumes in stable long-term schizophrenia patients.

  1. Voxel-based magnetic resonance imaging investigation of poor and preserved clinical insight in people with schizophrenia

    PubMed Central

    Sapara, Adegboyega; Ffytche, Dominic H; Cooke, Michael A; Williams, Steven CR; Kumari, Veena

    2016-01-01

    AIM To define regional grey-matter abnormalities in schizophrenia patients with poor insight (Insight-), relative to patients with preserved clinical insight (Insight+), and healthy controls. METHODS Forty stable schizophrenia outpatients (20 Insight- and 20 Insight+) and 20 healthy controls underwent whole brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Insight in all patients was assessed using the Birchwood Insight Scale (BIS; a self-report measure). The two patient groups were pre-selected to match on most clinical and demographic parameters but, by design, they had markedly distinct BIS scores. Voxel-based morphometry employed in SPM8 was used to examine group differences in grey matter volumes across the whole brain. RESULTS The three participant groups were comparable in age [F(2,57) = 0.34, P = 0.71] and the patient groups did not differ in age at illness onset [t(38) = 0.87, P = 0.39]. Insight- and Insight+ patient groups also did not differ in symptoms on the Positive and Negative Syndromes scale (PANSS): Positive symptoms [t(38) = 0.58, P = 0.57], negative symptoms [t(38) = 0.61, P = 0.55], general psychopathology [t(38) = 1.30, P = 0.20] and total PANSS scores [t(38) = 0.21, P = 0.84]. The two patient groups, as expected, varied significantly in the level of BIS-assessed insight [t(38) = 12.11, P < 0.001]. MRI results revealed lower fronto-temporal, parahippocampal, occipital and cerebellar grey matter volumes in Insight- patients, relative to Insight+ patients and healthy controls (for all clusters, family-wise error corrected P < 0.05). Insight+ patient and healthy controls did not differ significantly (P > 0.20) from each other. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate a clear association between poor clinical insight and smaller fronto-temporal, occipital and cerebellar grey matter volumes in stable long-term schizophrenia patients. PMID:27679770

  2. Insights from Human/Mouse genome comparisons

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pennacchio, Len A.

    2003-03-30

    Large-scale public genomic sequencing efforts have provided a wealth of vertebrate sequence data poised to provide insights into mammalian biology. These include deep genomic sequence coverage of human, mouse, rat, zebrafish, and two pufferfish (Fugu rubripes and Tetraodon nigroviridis) (Aparicio et al. 2002; Lander et al. 2001; Venter et al. 2001; Waterston et al. 2002). In addition, a high-priority has been placed on determining the genomic sequence of chimpanzee, dog, cow, frog, and chicken (Boguski 2002). While only recently available, whole genome sequence data have provided the unique opportunity to globally compare complete genome contents. Furthermore, the shared evolutionary ancestrymore » of vertebrate species has allowed the development of comparative genomic approaches to identify ancient conserved sequences with functionality. Accordingly, this review focuses on the initial comparison of available mammalian genomes and describes various insights derived from such analysis.« less

  3. Insight into mental disorders and suicidal behavior: a qualitative and quantitative multimodal investigation.

    PubMed

    Vilaplana, Marlène; Richard-Devantoy, Stéphane; Turecki, Gustavo; Jaafari, Nematollah; Jollant, Fabrice

    2015-03-01

    To investigate the association between insight into mental disorders and suicidal behavior. English and French MEDLINE databases up to January 2014 were searched using suicide combined with awareness, consciousness, insight and anosognosia, unawareness, and awareness of illness. We also conducted a cross-sectional study comparing Mood Disorder Insight Scale (MDIS) and 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-24), item 17, performance between 22 depressed (DSM-IV-TR criteria) suicide attempters and 22 patient controls. Study selection was based on the STROBE checklist. Selected studies were published in an English- or French-language peer-reviewed journal, included at least 1 measure of insight, and included patients with a history of suicidal behavior. Thirty-two studies were reviewed, of which 12 were longitudinal. A review of the literature and meta-analysis of studies were conducted to compare insight in patients with versus those without a history of suicidal behavior. Most studies (25) were conducted in psychotic disorders. A small majority showed a positive association between 1 measure of insight and higher risk of suicidal ideas or acts in both psychotic and mood disorders. Our study found that suicide attempters, mostly female attempters, tended to have better insight into depression than patient controls according to the HDRS-24 (P = .06, effect size = 1.43 [95% CI, 0.77 to 2.09]) but not MDIS. Finally, a meta-analysis of 7 studies confirmed significantly better insight scores in suicide attempters, with a small effect size (Hedges g = -0.16 [95% CI, -0.3 to -0.03]). Overall, a significant but weak association was found between insight and the risk of suicidal behavior. We also raised methodological and conceptual concerns and discussed new measures (eg, test based). © Copyright 2015 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  4. Insight: demographic differences and associations with one-year outcome in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder.

    PubMed

    Wiffen, Benjamin D R; Rabinowitz, Jonathan; Fleischhacker, W Wolfgang; David, Anthony S

    2010-10-01

    Insight is increasingly seen as an important variable for study in psychotic illness, particularly in relation to treatment adherence. This study aims to quantify the association of insight with outcome, sociodemographic variables and diagnosis in a large stable patient sample. Data are from a one-year, open-label, international, multicenter trial (n=670) of long-acting risperidone in adult symptomatically stable patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Psychopathology and insight were quantified using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Patients were assessed at four time points over the year of the study. 31.2% of the sample showed clinically significant deficits in insight at baseline. There were no differences based on sex, but significant differences in age and diagnosis, with oldest patients and schizophrenia patients (cf., schizoaffective disorder) showing more deficits. Baseline insight impairment was correlated with change in PANSS score at one year (r=-0.243, p<0.001). Recursive partitioning showed that, of those whose symptoms improved, those whose insight also improved were more likely to complete the trial. Insight is important above and beyond the effects of symptoms for predicting continuation in drug trials. This may have implications for the design and analysis of such trials, as well as suggesting the importance of targeting insight in treatment to increase likelihood of adherence to treatment. There also appear to be small but significant differences in insight based on age and diagnosis within the schizophrenia spectrum.

  5. Right frontal gamma and beta band enhancement while solving a spatial puzzle with insight.

    PubMed

    Rosen, A; Reiner, M

    2017-12-01

    Solving a problem with an "a-ha" effect is known as insight. Unlike incremental problem solving, insight is sudden and unique, and the question about its distinct brain activity, intrigues many researchers. In this study, electroencephalogram signals were recorded from 12 right handed, human participants before (baseline) and while they solved a spatial puzzle known as the '10 coin puzzle' that could be solved incrementally or by insight. Participants responded as soon as they reached a solution and reported whether the process was incremental or by sudden insight. EEG activity was recorded from 19 scalp locations. We found significant differences between insight and incremental solvers in the Gamma and Beta 2 bands in frontal areas (F8) and in the alpha band in right temporal areas (T6). The right-frontal gamma indicates a process of restructuring which leads to an insight solution, in spatial problems, further suggesting a universal role of gamma in restructuring. These results further suggest that solving a spatial puzzle via insight requires exclusive brain areas and neurological-cognitive processes which may be important for meta-cognitive components of insight solutions, including attention and monitoring of the solution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. The relationship between consumer insight and provider-consumer agreement regarding consumer's quality of life.

    PubMed

    Hasson-Ohayon, Ilanit; Roe, David; Kravetz, Shlomo; Levy-Frank, Itamar; Meir, Taly

    2011-10-01

    This study examined the relationship between insight and mental health consumers and providers agreement regarding consumers rated quality of life (QoL). Seventy mental health consumers and their 23 care providers filled-out parallel questionnaires designed to measure consumer QoL. Consumers' insight was also assessed. For most QoL domains, agreement between consumers and providers was higher for persons with high insight. For the Psychological well being dimension a negative correlation was uncovered for persons with low insight indicating disagreement between consumer and provider. These findings are discussed within the context of the literature on insight and agreement between consumer and provider as related to the therapeutic alliance.

  7. InSight Atlas V Fairing Rotate to Vertical

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-07

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians and engineers inspect the payload fairing for the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars after it was lifted to the vertical position. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  8. InSight Atlas V Fairing Arrival, Offload, and Unbagging

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-31

    The United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  9. Theory of Mind in Schizophrenia: Associations With Clinical and Cognitive Insight Controlling for Levels of Psychopathology.

    PubMed

    Popolo, Raffaele; Dimaggio, Giancarlo; Luther, Lauren; Vinci, Giancarlo; Salvatore, Giampaolo; Lysaker, Paul H

    2016-03-01

    Poor insight in schizophrenia is a risk factor for both poor outcomes and treatment adherence. Accordingly, interest in identifying causes of poor insight has increased. This study explored whether theory of mind (ToM) impairments are linked to poor clinical and cognitive insight independent of psychopathology. Participants with schizophrenia (n = 37) and control subjects (n = 40) completed assessments of ToM with the Hinting Task and the Brüne Picture Sequencing Task, clinical insight and psychopathology with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and cognitive insight with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. Results indicated that the schizophrenia group had greater impairments in ToM relative to control subjects. In the schizophrenia group, the Hinting Task performance was related to both cognitive and clinical insight, with only the relationship with cognitive insight persisting after controlling for psychopathology. Picture Sequencing Task performance was related to cognitive insight only. Future research directions and clinical implications are discussed.

  10. Intuition, insight, and the right hemisphere: Emergence of higher sociocognitive functions

    PubMed Central

    McCrea, Simon M

    2010-01-01

    Intuition is the ability to understand immediately without conscious reasoning and is sometimes explained as a ‘gut feeling’ about the rightness or wrongness of a person, place, situation, temporal episode or object. In contrast, insight is the capacity to gain accurate and a deep understanding of a problem and it is often associated with movement beyond existing paradigms. Examples include Darwin, Einstein and Freud’s theories of natural selection, relativity, or the unconscious; respectively. Many cultures name these concepts and acknowledge their value, and insight is recognized as particularly characteristic of eminent achievements in the arts, sciences and politics. Considerable data suggests that these two concepts are more related than distinct, and that a more distributed intuitive network may feed into a predominately right hemispheric insight-based functional neuronal architecture. The preparation and incubation stages of insight may rely on the incorporation of domain-specific automatized expertise schema associated with intuition. In this manuscript the neural networks associated with intuition and insight are reviewed. Case studies of anomalous subjects with ability–achievement discrepancies are summarized. This theoretical review proposes the prospect that atypical localization of cognitive modules may enhance intuitive and insightful functions and thereby explain individual achievement beyond that expected by conventionally measured intelligence tests. A model and theory of intuition and insight’s neuroanatomical basis is proposed which could be used as a starting point for future research and better understanding of the nature of these two distinctly human and highly complex poorly understood abilities. PMID:22110327

  11. Impaired insight in cocaine addiction: laboratory evidence and effects on cocaine-seeking behaviour

    PubMed Central

    Maloney, Thomas; Parvaz, Muhammad A.; Alia-Klein, Nelly; Woicik, Patricia A.; Telang, Frank; Wang, Gene-Jack; Volkow, Nora D.; Goldstein, Rita Z.

    2010-01-01

    Neuropsychiatric disorders are often characterized by impaired insight into behaviour. Such an insight deficit has been suggested, but never directly tested, in drug addiction. Here we tested for the first time this impaired insight hypothesis in drug addiction, and examined its potential association with drug-seeking behaviour. We also tested potential modulation of these effects by cocaine urine status, an individual difference known to impact underlying cognitive functions and prognosis. Sixteen cocaine addicted individuals testing positive for cocaine in urine, 26 cocaine addicted individuals testing negative for cocaine in urine, and 23 healthy controls completed a probabilistic choice task that assessed objective preference for viewing four types of pictures (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral and cocaine). This choice task concluded by asking subjects to report their most selected picture type; correspondence between subjects’ self-reports with their objective choice behaviour provided our index of behavioural insight. Results showed that the urine positive cocaine subjects exhibited impaired insight into their own choice behaviour compared with healthy controls; this same study group also selected the most cocaine pictures (and fewest pleasant pictures) for viewing. Importantly, however, it was the urine negative cocaine subjects whose behaviour was most influenced by insight, such that impaired insight in this subgroup only was associated with higher cocaine-related choice on the task and more severe actual cocaine use. These findings suggest that interventions to enhance insight may decrease drug-seeking behaviour, especially in urine negative cocaine subjects, potentially to improve their longer-term clinical outcomes. PMID:20395264

  12. Impaired insight in cocaine addiction: laboratory evidence and effects on cocaine-seeking behaviour

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Moeller, S.J.; Moeller, S.J.; Maloney, T.

    Neuropsychiatric disorders are often characterized by impaired insight into behaviour. Such an insight deficit has been suggested, but never directly tested, in drug addiction. Here we tested for the first time this impaired insight hypothesis in drug addiction, and examined its potential association with drug-seeking behaviour. We also tested potential modulation of these effects by cocaine urine status, an individual difference known to impact underlying cognitive functions and prognosis. Sixteen cocaine addicted individuals testing positive for cocaine in urine, 26 cocaine addicted individuals testing negative for cocaine in urine, and 23 healthy controls completed a probabilistic choice task that assessedmore » objective preference for viewing four types of pictures (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral and cocaine). This choice task concluded by asking subjects to report their most selected picture type; correspondence between subjects self-reports with their objective choice behaviour provided our index of behavioural insight. Results showed that the urine positive cocaine subjects exhibited impaired insight into their own choice behaviour compared with healthy controls; this same study group also selected the most cocaine pictures (and fewest pleasant pictures) for viewing. Importantly, however, it was the urine negative cocaine subjects whose behaviour was most influenced by insight, such that impaired insight in this subgroup only was associated with higher cocaine-related choice on the task and more severe actual cocaine use. These findings suggest that interventions to enhance insight may decrease drug-seeking behaviour, especially in urine negative cocaine subjects, potentially to improve their longer-term clinical outcomes.« less

  13. Insight and psychosis: Functional and anatomical brain connectivity and self-reflection in Schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Ćurčić-Blake, Branislava; van der Meer, Lisette; Pijnenborg, Gerdina H M; David, Anthony S; Aleman, André

    2015-12-01

    Impaired insight into illness, associated with worse treatment outcome, is common in schizophrenia. Insight has been related to the self-reflective processing, centred on the medial frontal cortex. We hypothesized that anatomical and functional routes to and from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) would differ in patients according to their degree of impaired insight. Forty-five schizophrenia patients and 19 healthy subjects performed a self-reflection task during fMRI, and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Using dynamic causal modelling we observed increased effective connectivity from the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), inferior parietal lobule (IPL), and dorsal mPFC (dmPFC) towards the vmPFC with poorer insight and decrease from vmPFC to the IPL. Stronger connectivity from the PCC to vmPFC during judgment of traits related to self was associated with poorer insight. We found small-scale significant changes in white matter integrity associated with clinical insight. Self-reflection may be influenced by synaptic changes that lead to the observed alterations in functional connectivity accompanied by the small-scale but measurable alterations in anatomical connections. Our findings may point to a neural compensatory response to an impairment of connectivity between self-processing regions. Similarly, the observed hyper-connectivity might be a primary deficit linked to inefficiency in the component cognitive processes that lead to impaired insight. We suggest that the stronger cognitive demands placed on patients with poor insight is reflected in increased effective connectivity during the task in this study. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Mentalization, insightfulness, and therapeutic action. The importance of mental organization.

    PubMed

    Sugarman, Alan

    2006-08-01

    Continuing debates over the relative importance of the role of interpretation leading to insight versus the relationship with the analyst as contributing to structural change are based on traditional definitions of insight as gaining knowledge of unconscious content. This definition inevitably privileges verbal interpretation as self-knowledge becomes equated with understanding the contents of the mind. It is suggested that a way out of this debate is to redefine insight as a process, one that is called insightfulness. This term builds on concepts such as mentalization, or theory of mind, and suggests that patients present with difficulties being able to fully mentalize. Awareness of repudiated content will usually accompany the attainment of insightfulness. But the point of insightfulness is to regain access to inhibited or repudiated mentalization, not to specific content, per se. Emphasizing the process of insightfulness integrates the importance of the relationship with the analyst with the facilitation of insightfulness. A variety of interventions help patients gain the capacity to reflect upon and become aware of the intricate workings of their minds, of which verbal interpretation is only one. For example, often it seems less important to focus on a particular conflict than to show interest in our patients' minds. Furthermore, analysands develop insightfulness by becoming interested in and observing our minds in action. Because the mind originates in bodily experience, mental functioning will always fluctuate between action modes of experiencing and expressing and verbal, symbolic modes. The analyst's role becomes making the patient aware of regressions to action modes, understanding the reasons for doing so, and subordinating this tendency to the verbal, symbolic mode. All mental functions work better and facilitate greater self-regulation when they work in abstract, symbolic ways. Psychopathology can be understood as failing to develop or losing the

  15. Parachute Testing for NASA InSight Mission

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-05-27

    This parachute testing for NASA's InSight mission to Mars was conducted inside the world's largest wind tunnel, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, in February 2015. The wind tunnel is 80 feet (24 meters) tall and 120 feet (37 meters) wide. It is part of the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex, operated by the Arnold Engineering Development Center of the U.S. Air Force. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19405

  16. The relationship between insight and the level of expressed emotion in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    PubMed

    Ozkiris, Ayse; Essizoglu, Altan; Gulec, Gulcan; Aksaray, Gokay

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this study is firstly to compare the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients with good insight and OCD patients with poor insight in terms of socio-demographic and clinical features; to investigate the relation between insight and the level of the expressed emotion (EE) in the patients; and lastly to specify the factors that predict level of insight. OCD patients with good insight and patients with poor insight were compared in terms of clinical features and the perceived EE level of the patients and the individuals that they live with in order to specify the factors that predict the insight level, and to investigate the relationship between insight level and EE. It was found that the total Expressed Emotion Scale, total Level of Expressed Emotion (LEE), LEE-Emotional Response and LEE-Tolerance/Expectation subscale scores of the group comprised of patients with poor insight are higher than the other group. The results also show that the duration of illness and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) total score predict insight level. This study shows that the level of EE perceived by the patients with poor insight and the person that he/she lives with, is higher than the group with good insight. The studies that investigate the relationship between the factors of insight level and EE level, which are indicated to determine the level of the illness severity and its chronicity, will enable the researchers to understand the importance of the role of the family on the treatment processes of OCD.

  17. A deeper view of insight in schizophrenia: Insight dimensions, unawareness and misattribution of particular symptoms and its relation with psychopathological factors.

    PubMed

    Pousa, Esther; Ochoa, Susana; Cobo, Jesús; Nieto, Lourdes; Usall, Judith; Gonzalez, Beatriz; Garcia-Ribera, Carles; Pérez Solà, Victor; Ruiz, Ada-I; Baños, Iris; Cobo, Jesús; García-Ribera, Carles; González, Beatriz; Massons, Carmina; Nieto, Lourdes; Monserrat, Clara; Ochoa, Susana; Pousa, Esther; Ruiz, Ada-Inmaculada; Ruiz, Isabel; Sanchez-Cabezudo, Dolores; Usall, Judith

    2017-11-01

    1. To describe insight in a large sample of schizophrenia subjects from a multidimensional point of view, including unawareness of general insight dimensions as well as unawareness and misattribution of particular symptoms. 2. To explore the relationship between unawareness and clinical and socio-demographic variables. 248 schizophrenia patients were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS, five factor model of Lindenmayer) and the full Scale of Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). Bivariate associations and multiple linear regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between unawareness, symptoms and socio-demographic variables. Around 40% of the sample showed unawareness of mental disorder, of the need for medication and of the social consequences. Levels of unawareness and misattribution of particular symptoms varied considerably. General unawareness dimensions showed small significant correlations with positive, cognitive and excitement factors of psychopathology, whereas these symptom factors showed higher correlations with unawareness of particular symptoms. Similarly, regression models showed a small significant predictive value of positive symptoms in the three general unawareness dimensions while a moderate one in the prediction of particular symptoms. Misattribution showed no significant correlations with any symptom factors. Results confirm that insight in schizophrenia is a multi-phased phenomenon and that unawareness into particular symptoms varies widely. The overlap between unawareness dimensions and psychopathology is small and seems to be restricted to positive and cognitive symptoms, supporting the accounts from cognitive neurosciences that suggest that besides basic cognition poor insight may be in part a failure of self-reflection or strategic metacognition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. InSight Atlas V Fairing Arrival, Offload, and Unbagging

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-31

    The United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars has just arrived at the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  19. Insightful problem solving in an Asian elephant.

    PubMed

    Foerder, Preston; Galloway, Marie; Barthel, Tony; Moore, Donald E; Reiss, Diana

    2011-01-01

    The "aha" moment or the sudden arrival of the solution to a problem is a common human experience. Spontaneous problem solving without evident trial and error behavior in humans and other animals has been referred to as insight. Surprisingly, elephants, thought to be highly intelligent, have failed to exhibit insightful problem solving in previous cognitive studies. We tested whether three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) would use sticks or other objects to obtain food items placed out-of-reach and overhead. Without prior trial and error behavior, a 7-year-old male Asian elephant showed spontaneous problem solving by moving a large plastic cube, on which he then stood, to acquire the food. In further testing he showed behavioral flexibility, using this technique to reach other items and retrieving the cube from various locations to use as a tool to acquire food. In the cube's absence, he generalized this tool utilization technique to other objects and, when given smaller objects, stacked them in an attempt to reach the food. The elephant's overall behavior was consistent with the definition of insightful problem solving. Previous failures to demonstrate this ability in elephants may have resulted not from a lack of cognitive ability but from the presentation of tasks requiring trunk-held sticks as potential tools, thereby interfering with the trunk's use as a sensory organ to locate the targeted food.

  20. Magnetic resonance imaging in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder with good versus poor insight.

    PubMed

    Aigner, Martin; Zitterl, Werner; Prayer, Daniela; Demal, Ulrike; Bach, Michael; Prayer, Lucas; Stompe, Thomas; Lenz, Gerhard

    2005-11-30

    The DSM-IV provides two subtypes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), labelled as OCD with insight and OCD with poor insight. For the latter, patients generally fail to recognize that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. Several studies have shown significant brain abnormalities in OCD patients. However, at present, it remains unclear whether a specific pattern of structural brain abnormalities is related to poor insight in OCD. In the present study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were compared in OCD patients with insight versus those with poor insight. Outpatients with diagnoses of OCD according to DSM-IV (300.30) and ICD-10 (F42) (n = 84; mean age 38+/-13; 35 females, 49 males) were dichotomized into the two subtypes. All subjects underwent an MRI examination. MRI findings were rated as "MRI abnormality" and "normal MRI." In our sample, 48% of the patients had MRI abnormalities. There was a highly significant difference between the two groups according to frequencies of MRI abnormalities, with 83% of the patients with poor insight showing MRI abnormalities compared with only 21% of the patients with insight. The specifier "poor insight" helps to identify a subgroup of OCD with a higher frequency of brain abnormalities of various types. This distinction should be taken into account in future studies concerning the course and therapeutic outcome of OCD.

  1. Associations of symptoms, neurocognition, and metacognition with insight in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

    PubMed

    Chan, Kevin K S

    2016-02-01

    Many persons with schizophrenia experience poor insight and, as a result, are at risk for treatment non-adherence and numerous negative outcomes. However, to date, the etiology of poor insight has not yet been fully elucidated. One recent theory concerning the roots of poor insight in schizophrenia has proposed that it may result, in part, from impairments in metacognition, or the capacity to think about thinking. The present study thus aims to examine whether metacognition is associated with insight even after controlling for the effects of psychiatric symptomatology and neurocognition. In this study, 95 adults with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder were assessed on measures of insight (i.e., awareness of symptoms, treatment needs, and illness consequences), psychiatric symptoms (i.e., positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathology), neurocognitive functions (i.e., executive function, memory, and attention), and metacognitive capacities (i.e., self-reflectivity and theory of mind). Univariate correlations followed by stepwise multiple regressions, which controlled for symptoms and neurocognition, indicated that both self-reflectivity and theory of mind were significantly linked with awareness of symptoms; theory of mind was linked with awareness of treatment needs; and self-reflectivity was linked with awareness of illness consequences. Importantly, these findings suggest that metacognitive capacities may be related to insight independent of concurrent psychiatric symptoms and neurocognitive deficits. Moreover, awareness of different facets of the illness may require contributions from different components of metacognition. Future research should investigate how existing metacognitive skill training programs could potentially be tailored, or modified, to help persons with schizophrenia to develop and enhance insight. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Abnormal small-world brain functional networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder patients with poor insight.

    PubMed

    Lei, Hui; Cui, Yan; Fan, Jie; Zhang, Xiaocui; Zhong, Mingtian; Yi, Jinyao; Cai, Lin; Yao, Dezhong; Zhu, Xiongzhao

    2017-09-01

    There are limited data on neurobiological correlates of poor insight in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study explored whether specific changes occur in small-world network (SWN) properties in the brain functional network of OCD patients with poor insight. Resting-state electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded for 12 medication-free OCD patients with poor insight, 50 medication-free OCD patients with good insight, and 36 healthy controls. Both of the OCD groups exhibited topological alterations in the brain functional network characterized by abnormal small-world parameters at the beta band. However, the alterations at the theta band only existed in the OCD patients with poor insight. A relatively small sample size. Subjects were naïve to medications and those with Axis I comorbidity were excluded, perhaps limiting generalizability. Disrupted functional integrity at the beta bands of the brain functional network may be related to OCD, while disrupted functional integrity at the theta band may be associated with poor insight in OCD patients, thus this study might provide novel insight into our understanding of the pathophysiology of OCD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Theoretical Insight into Shocked Gases

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leiding, Jeffery Allen

    2016-09-29

    I present the results of statistical mechanical calculations on shocked molecular gases. This work provides insight into the general behavior of shock Hugoniots of gas phase molecular targets with varying initial pressures. The dissociation behavior of the molecules is emphasized. Impedance matching calculations are performed to determine the maximum degree of dissociation accessible for a given flyer velocity as a function of initial gas pressure.

  4. Once more with feeling: Normative data for the aha experience in insight and noninsight problems.

    PubMed

    Webb, Margaret E; Little, Daniel R; Cropper, Simon J

    2017-10-19

    Despite the presumed ability of insight problems to elicit the subjective feeling of insight, as well as the use of so-called insight problems to investigate this phenomenon for over 100 years, no research has collected normative data regarding the ability of insight problems to actually elicit the feeling of insight in a given individual. The work described in this article provides an overview of both classic and contemporary problems used to examine the construct of insight and presents normative data on the success rate, mean time to solution, and mean rating of aha experience for each problem and task type. We suggest using these data in future work as a reference for selecting problems on the basis of their ability to elicit an aha experience.

  5. Artist Concept of InSight Lander on Mars

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-03-26

    This artist's concept depicts the stationary NASA Mars lander known by the acronym InSight at work studying the interior of Mars. The InSight mission (for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is scheduled to launch in March 2016 and land on Mars six months later. It will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars and will help scientists better understand the evolution of our inner solar system's rocky planets, including Earth. InSight will deploy two instruments to the ground using a robotic arm: a seismometer (contributed by the French space agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, or CNES) to measure the microscopic ground motions from distant marsquakes, providing detailed information about the interior structure of Mars; and a heat-flow probe (contributed by the German Aerospace Center, or DLR) designed to hammer itself 3 to 5 meters (about 16 feet) deep and monitor heat coming from the planet's interior. The mission will also track the lander's radio to measure wobbles in the planet's rotation that relate to the size of its core and will include a camera and a suite of environmental sensors to monitor the weather and variations in the magnetic field. Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver, is building the spacecraft. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA17358

  6. Correlations Between Awareness of Illness (Insight) and History of Addiction in Heroin-Addicted Patients

    PubMed Central

    Maremmani, Angelo Giovanni Icro; Rovai, Luca; Rugani, Fabio; Pacini, Matteo; Lamanna, Francesco; Bacciardi, Silvia; Perugi, Giulio; Deltito, Joseph; Dell’Osso, Liliana; Maremmani, Icro

    2012-01-01

    In a group of 1066 heroin addicts, who were seeking treatment for opioid agonist treatment, we looked for differences in historical, demographic, and clinical characteristics, between patients with different levels of awareness of illness (insight). The results showed that, in the cohort studied, a majority of subjects lacked insight into their heroin-use behavior. Compared with the impaired-insight group, those who possessed insight into their illness showed significantly greater awareness of past social, somatic, and psychopathological impairments, and had a greater number of past treatment-seeking events for heroin addiction. In contrast with other psychiatric illnesses, the presence of awareness appears to be related to the passing of time and to the worsening of the illness. Methodologies to improve the insight of patients should, therefore, be targeted more directly on patients early in their history of heroin dependence, because the risk of lack of insight is greatest during this period. PMID:22787450

  7. Insight, social functioning and readmission to hospital in patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: prospective associations.

    PubMed

    Startup, Mike; Jackson, Mike C; Startup, Sue

    2010-06-30

    It has been claimed that insight is capable of predicting important clinical outcomes among people with schizophrenia. However, the supporting evidence is sparse. Although many cross-sectional studies have been undertaken, only prospective studies can provide convincing evidence. The aims of the present research were to assess the ability of insight to predict subsequent readmissions to hospital and social functioning. Patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (N=90) were recruited at the time of an acute psychotic episode and then re-assessed after 6, 12, and 24 months. Assessments included insight, three measures of social functioning, and symptoms of psychosis. There was no evidence that having been readmitted to hospital since a previous assessment was associated with insight at the previous assessment. None of the associations between insight at one assessment and social functioning at subsequent assessments was significant. Changes in insight were associated with changes in contemporary functioning, but it was found that changes in insight made no significant contributions to changes in functioning which were independent of changes in symptoms. The general aim of improving clinical outcomes would probably be better met with interventions designed to improve functioning rather than interventions to improve insight.

  8. Bench Checkout of InSight's Seismometer Instrument

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-08-28

    The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) instrument for NASA's InSight mission to Mars undergoes a checkout for the spacecraft's assembly, test and launch operations (ATLO) in this photo taken July 20, 2017, in a Lockheed Martin clean room facility in Littleton, Colorado. The SEIS was provided by France's national space agency (CNES) with collaboration from the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany. The InSight mission (for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is scheduled to launch in May 2018 and land on Mars Nov. 26, 2018. It will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars and will help scientists better understand the evolution of our inner solar system's rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21846

  9. InSight Atlas V Fairing Arrival, Offload, and Unbagging

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-01-31

    In the Astrotech facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, technicians remove protective wrapping from the United Launch Alliance (ULA) payload fairing for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft designed to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff atop a ULA Atlas V rocket is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  10. Gaining Insights into Children's Geometric Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mack, Nancy K.

    2007-01-01

    This article describes how research on children's geometric thinking was used in conjunction with the picture book "The Greedy Triangle" to gain valuable insights into children's prior geometric knowledge of polygons. Exercises focused on the names, visual appearance, and properties of polygons, as well as real-world connections for each, are…

  11. Creativity and Insight in Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Golnabi, Laura

    2016-01-01

    This paper analyzes the thought process involved in problem solving and its categorization as creative thinking as defined by psychologist R. Weisberg (2006). Additionally, the notion of insight, sometimes present in unconscious creative thinking and often leading to creative ideas, is discussed in the context of geometry problem solving. In…

  12. Gender Power in Elite Schools: Methodological Insights from Researcher Reflexive Accounts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Forbes, Joan; Weiner, Gaby

    2014-01-01

    The main task of this paper is to understand the methodological insights from researchers' reflexive accounts about the production of gender in the specific practices of three Scottish elite schools. Accordingly, the paper poses three questions: How is gender re/constructed through the specific practices of these elite schools? What insights into…

  13. Learning-by-Doing in Transnational Operations Networks: Insights from Economic Geography

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spring, Martin

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how insights from economic geography, which are typically explanatory or directed at policy prescription, might be utilized to provide managerial insight at firm level into the processes of and conditions for tacit knowledge transfer. Design/methodology/approach: This is a theoretical paper. The…

  14. The mediating role of insight for long-term improvements in psychodynamic therapy.

    PubMed

    Johansson, Paul; Høglend, Per; Ulberg, Randi; Amlo, Svein; Marble, Alice; Bøgwald, Kjell-Petter; Sørbye, Oystein; Sjaastad, Mary Cosgrove; Heyerdahl, Oscar

    2010-06-01

    According to psychoanalytic theory, interpretation of transference leads to increased insight that again leads to improved interpersonal functioning over time. In this study, we performed a full mediational analysis to test whether insight gained during treatment mediates the long-term effects of transference interpretation in dynamic psychotherapy. This study is a randomized clinical trial with a dismantling design. One hundred outpatients seeking psychotherapy for depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and interpersonal problems were randomly assigned to 1 year of weekly sessions of dynamic psychotherapy with transference interpretation or to the same type and duration of treatment with the same therapists but without the use of transference interpretation. Interpersonal functioning and insight were measured pretreatment, posttreatment, and 1 year and 3 years after treatment termination. Contrary to common expectation, patients with a life-long pattern of low quality of object relations and personality disorder pathology profited more from therapy with transference interpretation than from therapy with no transference interpretation. This long-term effect was mediated by an increase in the level of insight during treatment. Insight seems to be a key mechanism of change in dynamic psychotherapy. Our results bridge the gap between clinical theory and empirical research.

  15. Obsessive-compulsive skin disorders: a novel classification based on degree of insight.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Tian Hao; Nakamura, Mio; Farahnik, Benjamin; Abrouk, Michael; Reichenberg, Jason; Bhutani, Tina; Koo, John

    2017-06-01

    Individuals with obsessive-compulsive features frequently visit dermatologists for complaints of the skin, hair or nails, and often progress towards a chronic relapsing course due to the challenge associated with accurate diagnosis and management of their psychiatric symptoms. The current DSM-5 formally recognizes body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, neurotic excoriation and body focused repetitive behavior disorder as psychodermatological disorders belonging to the category of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. However there is evidence that other relevant skin diseases such as delusions of parasitosis, dermatitis artefacta, contamination dermatitis, AIDS phobia, trichotemnomania and even lichen simplex chronicus possess prominent obsessive-compulsive characteristics that do not necessarily fit the full diagnostic criteria of the DSM-5. Therefore, to increase dermatologists' awareness of this unique group of skin disorders with OCD features, we propose a novel classification system called Obsessive-Compulsive Insight Continuum. Under this new classification system, obsessive-compulsive skin manifestations are categorized along a continuum based on degree of insight, from minimal insight with delusional obsessions to good insight with minimal obsessions. Understanding the level of insight is thus an important first step for clinicians who routinely interact with these patients.

  16. Testing for Instrument Deployment by InSight Robotic Arm

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-03-04

    In the weeks after NASA's InSight mission reaches Mars in September 2016, the lander's arm will lift two key science instruments off the deck and place them onto the ground. This image shows testing of InSight's robotic arm inside a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, about two years before it will perform these tasks on Mars. InSight -- an acronym for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport -- will launch in March 2016. It will study the interior of Mars to improve understanding of the processes that formed and shaped rocky planets, including Earth. One key instrument that the arm will deploy is the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, or SEIS. It is from France's national space agency (CNES), with components from Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. In this scene, the arm has just deployed a test model of a protective covering for SEIS, the instrument's wind and thermal shield. The shield's purpose is to lessen disturbances that weather would cause to readings from the sensitive seismometer. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19144

  17. Intuition and Insight: Two Processes That Build on Each Other or Fundamentally Differ?

    PubMed

    Zander, Thea; Öllinger, Michael; Volz, Kirsten G

    2016-01-01

    Intuition and insight are intriguing phenomena of non-analytical mental functioning: whereas intuition denotes ideas that have been reached by sensing the solution without any explicit representation of it, insight has been understood as the sudden and unexpected apprehension of the solution by recombining the single elements of a problem. By face validity, the two processes appear similar; according to a lay perspective, it is assumed that intuition precedes insight. Yet, predominant scientific conceptualizations of intuition and insight consider the two processes to differ with regard to their (dis-)continuous unfolding. That is, intuition has been understood as an experience-based and gradual process, whereas insight is regarded as a genuinely discontinuous phenomenon. Unfortunately, both processes have been investigated differently and without much reference to each other. In this contribution, we therefore set out to fill this lacuna by examining the conceptualizations of the assumed underlying cognitive processes of both phenomena, and by also referring to the research traditions and paradigms of the respective field. Based on early work put forward by Bowers et al. (1990, 1995), we referred to semantic coherence tasks consisting of convergent word triads (i.e., the solution has the same meaning to all three clue words) and/or divergent word triads (i.e., the solution means something different with respect to each clue word) as an excellent kind of paradigm that may be used in the future to disentangle intuition and insight experimentally. By scrutinizing the underlying mechanisms of intuition and insight, with this theoretical contribution, we hope to launch lacking but needed experimental studies and to initiate scientific cooperation between the research fields of intuition and insight that are currently still separated from each other.

  18. Intuition and Insight: Two Processes That Build on Each Other or Fundamentally Differ?

    PubMed Central

    Zander, Thea; Öllinger, Michael; Volz, Kirsten G.

    2016-01-01

    Intuition and insight are intriguing phenomena of non-analytical mental functioning: whereas intuition denotes ideas that have been reached by sensing the solution without any explicit representation of it, insight has been understood as the sudden and unexpected apprehension of the solution by recombining the single elements of a problem. By face validity, the two processes appear similar; according to a lay perspective, it is assumed that intuition precedes insight. Yet, predominant scientific conceptualizations of intuition and insight consider the two processes to differ with regard to their (dis-)continuous unfolding. That is, intuition has been understood as an experience-based and gradual process, whereas insight is regarded as a genuinely discontinuous phenomenon. Unfortunately, both processes have been investigated differently and without much reference to each other. In this contribution, we therefore set out to fill this lacuna by examining the conceptualizations of the assumed underlying cognitive processes of both phenomena, and by also referring to the research traditions and paradigms of the respective field. Based on early work put forward by Bowers et al. (1990, 1995), we referred to semantic coherence tasks consisting of convergent word triads (i.e., the solution has the same meaning to all three clue words) and/or divergent word triads (i.e., the solution means something different with respect to each clue word) as an excellent kind of paradigm that may be used in the future to disentangle intuition and insight experimentally. By scrutinizing the underlying mechanisms of intuition and insight, with this theoretical contribution, we hope to launch lacking but needed experimental studies and to initiate scientific cooperation between the research fields of intuition and insight that are currently still separated from each other. PMID:27679592

  19. Insight into mental illness and child maltreatment risk among mothers with major psychiatric disorders.

    PubMed

    Mullick, M; Miller, L J; Jacobsen, T

    2001-04-01

    This study examined the relationship between insight into mental illness and current child maltreatment risk among mothers who had a major psychiatric disorder and who had lost custody of a child because of abuse, neglect, or having placed the child at risk of harm. Specifically, a measure of insight was examined in relation to systematically observed parenting behaviors known to be correlated with past child maltreatment and in relation to a comprehensive clinical determination of risk. Forty-four mothers who had a major psychiatric disorder were independently rated for their insight into their illness, the quality of mother-child interaction, and the overall clinical risk of maltreatment. Better insight into mental illness was associated with more sensitive mothering behavior and with lower assessed clinical risk of maltreatment. The association remained when mothers with current psychotic symptoms were excluded from the analyses. Better insight did not appear to be associated with past psychotic symptoms, maternal psychiatric diagnosis, or the mother's level of education. Insight into mental illness may function as a protective factor that influences the risk of child maltreatment in mothers with mental illness. Measures of insight could be usefully incorporated into comprehensive parenting assessments for mothers with psychiatric disorders.

  20. Depot-medication compliance for patients with psychotic disorders: the importance of illness insight and treatment motivation.

    PubMed

    Noordraven, Ernst L; Wierdsma, André I; Blanken, Peter; Bloemendaal, Anthony Ft; Mulder, Cornelis L

    2016-01-01

    Noncompliance is a major problem for patients with a psychotic disorder. Two important risk factors for noncompliance that have a severe negative impact on treatment outcomes are impaired illness insight and lack of motivation. Our cross-sectional study explored how they are related to each other and their compliance with depot medication. Interviews were conducted in 169 outpatients with a psychotic disorder taking depot medication. Four patient groups were defined based on low or high illness insight and on low or high motivation. The associations between depot-medication compliance, motivation, and insight were illustrated using generalized linear models. Generalized linear model showed a significant interaction effect between motivation and insight. Patients with poor insight and high motivation for treatment were more compliant (94%) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.821, 3.489) with their depot medication than patients with poor insight and low motivation (61%) (95% CI: 0.288, 0.615). Patients with both insight and high motivation for treatment were less compliant (73%) (95% CI: 0.719, 1.315) than those with poor insight and high motivation. Motivation for treatment was more strongly associated with depot-medication compliance than with illness insight. Being motivated to take medication, whether to get better or for other reasons, may be a more important factor than having illness insight in terms of improving depot-medication compliance. Possible implications for clinical practice are discussed.

  1. Cognitive insight in psychosis: the relationship between self-certainty and self-reflection dimensions and neuropsychological measures.

    PubMed

    Cooke, Michael A; Peters, Emmanuelle R; Fannon, Dominic; Aasen, Ingrid; Kuipers, Elizabeth; Kumari, Veena

    2010-07-30

    Cognitive insight in schizophrenia encompasses the evaluation and reinterpretation of distorted beliefs and appraisals. We investigated the neuropsychological basis of cognitive insight in psychosis. It was predicted that, like clinical insight, cognitive insight would be associated with a wide range of neuropsychological functions, but would be most strongly associated with measures of executive function. Sixty-five outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were assessed on tests of intelligence quotient (IQ), executive function, verbal fluency, attention and memory, and completed the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, which includes two subscales, self-certainty and self-reflection. Higher self-certainty scores reflect greater certainty about being right and more resistant to correction (poor insight), while higher self-reflection scores indicate the expression of introspection and the willingness to acknowledge fallibility (good insight). The self-certainty dimension of poor cognitive insight was significantly associated with lower scores on the Behavioural Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome; this relationship was not mediated by IQ. There were no relationships between self-reflection and any neuropsychological measures. We conclude that greater self-certainty (poor cognitive insight) is modestly associated with poorer executive function in psychotic individuals; self-reflection has no association with executive function. The self-certainty and self-reflection dimensions of cognitive insight have differential correlates, and probably different mechanisms, in psychosis. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. InSight Atlas V ASA and Nozzle Arrival/Unload

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-05

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the aft stub adapter (ASA) and nozzle for a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is removed from its shipping container. The launch vehicle will send NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, spacecraft to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  3. InSight Atlas V Centaur Stage Prep for Transport

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-27

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a cover is installed on a Centaur upper stage in preparation for its transport to Space Launch Complex 3. The Centaur will be mounted atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to boost NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight is the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  4. InSight Atlas V Boattail Halves Arrival, Offload, Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-19

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the boattail adaptor interface that will connect the Centaur upper stage to the payload fairing arrives for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight will liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the spacecraft on the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  5. Functional, structural, and emotional correlates of impaired insight in cocaine addiction

    PubMed Central

    Moeller, Scott J.; Konova, Anna B.; Parvaz, Muhammad A.; Tomasi, Dardo; Lane, Richard D.; Fort, Carolyn; Goldstein, Rita Z.

    2014-01-01

    Context Individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) have difficulty monitoring ongoing behavior, possibly stemming from dysfunction of brain regions subserving insight and self-awareness [e.g., anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)]. Objective To test the hypothesis that CUD with impaired insight (iCUD) would show abnormal (A) ACC activity during error processing, assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a classic inhibitory control task; (B) ACC gray matter integrity assessed with voxel-based morphometry; and (C) awareness of one’s own emotional experiences, assessed with the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS). Using a previously validated probabilistic choice task, we grouped 33 CUD according to insight [iCUD: N=15; unimpaired insight CUD: N=18]; we also studied 20 healthy controls, all with unimpaired insight. Design Multimodal imaging design. Setting Clinical Research Center at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Participants Thirty-three CUD and 20 healthy controls. Main Outcome Measure Functional magnetic resonance imaging, voxel-based morphometry, LEAS, and drug use variables. Results Compared with the other two study groups, iCUD showed lower (A) error-induced rostral ACC (rACC) activity as associated with more frequent cocaine use; (B) gray matter within the rACC; and (C) LEAS scores. Conclusions These results point to rACC functional and structural abnormalities, and diminished emotional awareness, in a subpopulation of CUD characterized by impaired insight. Because the rACC has been implicated in appraising the affective/motivational significance of errors and other types of self-referential processing, functional and structural abnormalities in this region could result in lessened concern (frequently ascribed to minimization and denial) about behavioral outcomes that could potentially culminate in increased drug use. Treatments targeting this CUD subgroup could focus on enhancing the salience of errors (e.g., lapses). PMID:24258223

  6. Relationship between cognitive insight and attenuated delusional symptoms in individuals with at-risk mental state.

    PubMed

    Uchida, Tomohiro; Matsumoto, Kazunori; Ito, Fumiaki; Ohmuro, Noriyuki; Miyakoshi, Tetsuo; Ueno, Takashi; Matsuoka, Hiroo

    2014-06-30

    Cognitive insight, defined as the ability to evaluate and correct one׳s own distorted beliefs and misinterpretations, is hypothesized to contribute to the development of psychotic symptoms. We investigated cognitive insight in individuals with at-risk mental state (ARMS), which is associated with a clinically high risk of psychosis. Sixty individuals with ARMS were compared with 200 healthy controls in terms of cognitive insight measured using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. We also investigated the relationship between cognitive insight and attenuated delusional symptoms. In addition, we examined differences in the cognitive insight of individuals with ARMS with or without near-threshold delusional symptoms and differences in the cognitive insight of individuals with ARMS with or without later transition to psychosis. The results showed that individuals with ARMS exhibited higher self-certainty than healthy controls, indicating impairments in cognitive insight in the former. More importantly, our results revealed that self-certainty was correlated with attenuated delusional symptoms and that individuals with ARMS who had near threshold delusional symptoms had higher self-certainty. These findings indicate that overconfidence in one׳s own beliefs or judgments might be related to the formation and maintenance of attenuated delusions in individuals with ARMS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Getting the Joke: Insight during Humor Comprehension - Evidence from an fMRI Study.

    PubMed

    Tian, Fang; Hou, Yuling; Zhu, Wenfeng; Dietrich, Arne; Zhang, Qinglin; Yang, Wenjing; Chen, Qunlin; Sun, Jiangzhou; Jiang, Qiu; Cao, Guikang

    2017-01-01

    As a high-level cognitive activity, humor comprehension requires incongruity detection and incongruity resolution, which then elicits an insight moment. The purpose of the study was to explore the neural basis of humor comprehension, particularly the moment of insight, by using both characters and language-free cartoons in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. The results showed that insight involving jokes elicited greater activation in language and semantic-related brain regions as well as a variety of additional regions, such as the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), the superior temporal gyrus (STG), the temporoparietal junctions (TPJ), the hippocampus and visual areas. These findings indicate that the MTG might play a role in incongruity detection, while the SFG, IFG and the TPJ might be involved in incongruity detection. The passive insight event elicited by jokes appears to be mediated by a limited number of brain areas. Our study showed that the brain regions associated with humor comprehension were not affected by the type of stimuli and that humor and insight shared common brain areas. These results indicate that one experiences a feeling of insight during humor comprehension, which contributes to the understanding of humor comprehension.

  8. DGIC Interconnection Insights | Distributed Generation Interconnection

    Science.gov Websites

    Center and Energy Analysis Group. NREL researchers examined PV project data from more than 30,000 solar permission to operate. "This report represents the first data-driven evaluation of how PV deployment additional insights on the research effort and report findings, check out STAT Chat (the "Solar

  9. Occupational therapists' self-insight into their referral prioritisation policies for clients with mental health needs.

    PubMed

    Harries, Priscilla Ann; Gilhooly, Kenneth J

    2010-12-01

    Obtaining valid accounts of professionals' thinking is dependent upon experts' capacity for self-insight. Self-insight has implications for developing professional decision making, facilitating education and promoting agreement among therapists. The aim of this study was to examine occupational therapists' self-insight into their referral prioritisation policies. A total of 40 occupational therapists individually rated the importance that differing types of referral content had on their prioritisation of referrals. These subjective policies were then correlated with their objective referral prioritisation policies that had been previously statistically derived. Self-insight was found to be moderate but with wide variation across individuals and across referral information used. Self-insight on cues that were important to the decision was found to be better than on those cues not so important to the decision.   Occupational therapists have similar levels of self-insight to other professional groups. The 'attention hypothesis' may explain why self-insight varied across referral information used. © 2010 The Authors. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2010 Australian Association of Occupational Therapists.

  10. Failures of metacognition and lack of insight in neuropsychiatric disorders

    PubMed Central

    David, Anthony S.; Bedford, Nicholas; Wiffen, Ben; Gilleen, James

    2012-01-01

    Lack of insight or unawareness of illness are the hallmarks of many psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia (SCZ) and other psychoses and could be conceived of as a failure in metacognition. Research in this area in the mental health field h as burgeoned with the development and widespread use of standard assessment instruments and the mapping out of the clinical and neuropsychological correlates of insight and its loss. There has been a growing appreciation of the multi-faceted nature of the concept and of the different ‘objects’ of insight, such as the general awareness that one is ill, to more specific metacognitive awareness of individual symptoms, impairments and performance. This in turn has led to the notion that insight may show modularity and may fractionate across different domains and disorders, supported by work that directly compares metacognition of memory deficits and illness awareness in patients with SCZ, Alzheimer's disease and brain injury. The focus of this paper will be on the varieties of metacognitive failure in psychiatry, particularly the psychoses. We explore cognitive models based on self-reflectiveness and their possible social and neurological bases, including data from structural and functional MRI. The medial frontal cortex appears to play an important role in self-appraisal in health and disease. PMID:22492754

  11. 2016 Mars Insight Mission Design and Navigation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abilleira, Fernando; Frauenholz, Ray; Fujii, Ken; Wallace, Mark; You, Tung-Han

    2014-01-01

    Scheduled for a launch in the 2016 Earth to Mars opportunity, the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy, and Heat Transport (InSight) Mission will arrive to Mars in late September 2016 with the primary objective of placing a science lander on the surface of the Red Planet followed by the deployment of two science instruments to investigate the fundamental processes of terrestrial planet formation and evolution. In order to achieve a successful landing, the InSight Project has selected a launch/arrival strategy that satisfies the following key and driving requirements: (1) Deliver a total launch mass of 727 kg, (2) target a nominal landing site with a cumulative Delta V99 less than 30 m/s, and (3) approach EDL with a V-infinity upper limit of 3.941 km/s and (4) an entry flight-path angle (EFPA) of -12.5 +/- 0.26 deg, 3-sigma; the InSight trajectories have been designed such that they (5) provide UHF-band communications via Direct-To-Earth and MRO from Entry through landing plus 60 s, (6) with injection aimpoints biased away from Mars such that the probability of the launch vehicle upper stage impacting Mars is less than 1.0 X 10(exp 4) for fifty years after launch, and (7) non-nominal impact probabilities due to failure during the Cruise phase less than 1.0 X 10(exp 2).

  12. Artist Concept of InSight Lander on Mars

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2015-08-18

    This artist's concept from August 2015 depicts NASA's InSight Mars lander fully deployed for studying the deep interior of Mars. This illustration updates the correct placement and look of Insight's main instruments. For an earlier artist rendition, see PIA17358. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars. Its findings will improve understanding about the evolution of our inner solar system's rocky planets, including Earth. The lander will be the first mission to permanently deploy instruments directly onto Martian ground using a robotic arm. The two instruments to be placed into a work area in front of the lander are a seismometer (contributed by the French space agency Centre National d'Études Spatiales, or CNES) to measure the microscopic ground motions from distant marsquakes providing information about the interior structure of Mars, and a heat-flow probe (contributed by the German Aerospace Center, or DLR) designed to hammer itself 3 to 5 meters (about 16 feet) deep and monitor heat coming from the planet's interior. The mission will also track the lander's radio to measure wobbles in the planet's rotation that relate to the size of its core and a suite of environmental sensors to monitor the weather and variations in the magnetic field. Two cameras will aid in instrument deployment and monitoring the local environment. Note: After thorough examination, NASA managers have decided to suspend the planned March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission. The decision follows unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19811

  13. JPL-20180307-INSIGHf-0001-Mars InSight Arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-07

    NASA's InSight spacecraft arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, to begin final preparations for launch. InSight will be the first mission to look deep beneath the Martian surface, studying the planet's interior by listening for marsquakes and measuring its heat output. It will be the first planetary spacecraft to launch from this west coast launch facility. The launch period for InSight opens May 5, 2018 and continues through June 8, 2018.

  14. Narrative insight in psychosis: The relationship with spiritual and religious explanatory frameworks.

    PubMed

    Marriott, Michael R; Thompson, Andrew R; Cockshutt, Graham; Rowse, Georgina

    2018-03-25

    When considering psychosis, the concept of narrative insight has been offered as an alternative to clinical insight in determining individuals' responses to their difficulties, as it allows for a more holistic and person-centred framework to be embraced within professional practice. This study aims to explore the validity of the narrative insight construct within a group of people who have experienced psychosis. Inductive qualitative methods were used to explore how eight participants utilized spiritual or religious explanatory frameworks for their experiences of psychosis and to consider these in relation to the construct of narrative insight. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with individuals who identified themselves as interested in spiritual or religious ideas and whose self-reported experiences which were identified as akin to psychosis by experienced academic clinicians. Transcriptions from these interviews were subject to interpretative phenomenological analysis within a broader research question; a selection of themes and data from the resultant phenomenological structure are explored here for their relevance to narrative insight. Participants discussed spiritual and biological explanations for their experiences and were able to hold alternative potential explanations alongside each other. They were reflective regarding the origins of their explanations and would describe a process of testing and proof in relation to them. These findings suggest that the narrative insight construct has the potential to be a valid approach to understanding experiences of psychosis, and challenge the dominance of the clinical insight construct within clinical practice. Clinicians should value the explanatory framework for experiences which are provided by individuals experiencing psychosis, and encourage them to develop a framework which is coherent to their own world view rather than predominantly pursuing a biomedical explanation. Assessments of psychosis should

  15. Tracking Online Data with YouTube's Insight Tracking Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinsey, Joanne

    2012-01-01

    YouTube users have access to the powerful data collection tool, Insight. Insight allows YouTube content producers to collect data about the number of online views, geographic location of viewers by country, the demographics of the viewers, how a video was discovered, and the attention span of the viewer while watching the video. This article…

  16. Insights into Modern Human Prehistory Using Ancient Genomes.

    PubMed

    Yang, Melinda A; Fu, Qiaomei

    2018-03-01

    The genetic relationship of past modern humans to today's populations and each other was largely unknown until recently, when advances in ancient DNA sequencing allowed for unprecedented analysis of the genomes of these early people. These ancient genomes reveal new insights into human prehistory not always observed studying present-day populations, including greater details on the genetic diversity, population structure, and gene flow that characterized past human populations, particularly in early Eurasia, as well as increased insight on the relationship between archaic and modern humans. Here, we review genetic studies on ∼45000- to 7500-year-old individuals associated with mainly preagricultural cultures found in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Teaching and Learning about Epistemic Insight

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Billingsley, Berry

    2017-01-01

    Epistemic Insight is a research and education initiative that is seeking to establish effective ways to help school students to appreciate the power and limitations of science. In particular, the idea is that experiences and explanations devised by a teacher who is focused on what happens inside the science classroom might not be interpreted as…

  18. Insightfulness and later infant attachment in clinically depressed and nonclinical mothers.

    PubMed

    Ramsauer, Brigitte; Lotzin, Annett; Quitmann, Julia H; Becker-Stoll, Fabienne; Tharner, Anne; Romer, Georg

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the relationship between maternal insightfulness and sensitivity and subsequent infant attachment security and disorganization in clinically depressed and nonclinical mother-infant groups. Nineteen depressed mothers with infants ages 3 to 11 months participated in this study. Twenty nonclinical mother-infant dyads were matched to the clinical sample according to infant sex and age. Maternal depression was assessed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), insightfulness using the Insightfulness Assessment (IA), and sensitivity using the Maternal Sensitivity Scales (M.D.S. Ainsworth, 1969). IA classifications and subscales were considered separately. Later infant attachment was assessed by the Strange Situation Procedure (M.D.S. Ainsworth, M.C. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978). Depressed mothers tended to have less securely attached children than did nonclinical mothers. Within the clinical sample, the insightfulness categories correlated slightly moderately with attachment security, but were not related to attachment disorganization. Within the nonclinical sample, the IA categories were slightly moderately associated with attachment security and with disorganization. On IA subscales, relationship patterns differed in clinically depressed and nonclinical mother-infant dyads. These findings provide the first evidence of the predictive power of the IA categorization and subscales on subsequent infant attachment. They also may allow the development of different foci of intervention for enhancing insightful caregiving. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

  19. DOD HPC Insights. Spring 2012

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-01

    spr2012-Final.indd 1 5/9/2012 10:54:32 AM DOD Spring 2012 INSIGHTS A publication of the Department of Defense High Performance Computing...0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1 . REPORT DATE 2012 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 4. TITLE

  20. Depot-medication compliance for patients with psychotic disorders: the importance of illness insight and treatment motivation

    PubMed Central

    Noordraven, Ernst L; Wierdsma, André I; Blanken, Peter; Bloemendaal, Anthony FT; Mulder, Cornelis L

    2016-01-01

    Background Noncompliance is a major problem for patients with a psychotic disorder. Two important risk factors for noncompliance that have a severe negative impact on treatment outcomes are impaired illness insight and lack of motivation. Our cross-sectional study explored how they are related to each other and their compliance with depot medication. Methods Interviews were conducted in 169 outpatients with a psychotic disorder taking depot medication. Four patient groups were defined based on low or high illness insight and on low or high motivation. The associations between depot-medication compliance, motivation, and insight were illustrated using generalized linear models. Results Generalized linear model showed a significant interaction effect between motivation and insight. Patients with poor insight and high motivation for treatment were more compliant (94%) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.821, 3.489) with their depot medication than patients with poor insight and low motivation (61%) (95% CI: 0.288, 0.615). Patients with both insight and high motivation for treatment were less compliant (73%) (95% CI: 0.719, 1.315) than those with poor insight and high motivation. Conclusion Motivation for treatment was more strongly associated with depot-medication compliance than with illness insight. Being motivated to take medication, whether to get better or for other reasons, may be a more important factor than having illness insight in terms of improving depot-medication compliance. Possible implications for clinical practice are discussed. PMID:26893565

  1. Clinical and neuropsychological correlates of insight in schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder: does diagnosis matter?

    PubMed

    Varga, Monica; Magnusson, Andres; Flekkøy, Kjell; David, Anthony S; Opjordsmoen, Stein

    2007-01-01

    Lack of insight is a well-recognized feature of schizophrenia and is associated with symptom severity and cognitive impairments. However, the diagnostic specificity of insight variables and their correlates is not known. To assess this specificity, we compared awareness of illness and neuropsychological function between patients with chronic schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. We assessed insight, level of psychopathology, and cognitive performance on a neuropsychological test battery in 37 patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition bipolar I disorder, 32 patients with schizophrenia, and 31 healthy subjects for comparison. There was no significant difference between the 2 diagnostic groups on general illness awareness. However, patients with bipolar disorder had better awareness of their symptoms and their pathologic nature compared to patients with schizophrenia. Similar patterns of association emerged between insight and clinical variables. General unawareness was associated with clinical severity, especially of the affective type, and working memory deficits (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale digit span) in both diagnostic groups. The contribution of other cognitive deficits to insight differed across the groups. Misattribution differed from the other aspects of insight in its relative independence of clinical and neurocognitive correlates. Both patient groups were neurocognitively impaired, with the schizophrenia group performing significantly worse on conceptual ability, verbal learning, visuospatial processing, and motor speed. The results suggest that differences in general insight in major mental disorders may be explained by symptom severity and working memory function rather than the specific diagnosis. Subcomponents of insight are influenced by different factors emphasizing the need to consider insight as multidimensional.

  2. C-17 Shipping InSight Mars Spacecraft to Vandenberg Air Force Base

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-28

    A C-17 cargo aircraft carrying NASA's InSight spacecraft flew from Buckley Air Force Base, Denver, to Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, on February 28, 2018. The spacecraft was being shipped from Lockheed Martin Space, Denver, where InSight was built and tested. Its launch period opens May 5, 2018. InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first mission dedicated to studying the deep interior of Mars. Its findings will advance understanding of the early history of all rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22251

  3. The relationship between clinical insight and cognitive and affective empathy in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Atoui, Mia; El Jamil, Fatima; El Khoury, Joseph; Doumit, Mark; Syriani, Nathalie; Khani, Munir; Nahas, Ziad

    2018-06-01

    Schizophrenia is often associated with poor clinical insight (unawareness of mental illness and its symptoms) and deficits in empathy, which are important for social functioning. Cognitive empathy has been linked to clinical insight while affective empathy and its role in insight and pathology have received mixed evidence. Instruments assessing symptomatology (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; PANSS), clinical insight (Scales to assess awareness of mental disorders; SUMD), and cognitive and affective empathy were administered to 22 participants with first episode and chronic schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls. Self-report, parent-report, and performance based measures were used to assess cognitive and affective empathy (The interpersonal reactivity index; IRI/Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test/Faux Pas) to reduce bias and parse shared variance. Age of onset, gender, and symptomatology emerged as significant predictors of poor clinical insight. Additionally, the fantasy subscale of the IRI as reported by parents emerged as a positive predictor while the personal distress (parent report) subscale emerged as a negative predictor of awareness into mental illness. There were significant differences on performance-based measures of empathy between the control and schizophrenia groups. Findings suggest that affective empathy is relatively intact across phases of illness whereas cognitive empathy abilities are compromised and could be targets for psychotherapy intervention.

  4. Insight into an Autism Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birch, Jen

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the author shares some insights on the characteristics of a person with Asperger's syndrome, a condition on the higher-functioning end of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Born in 1955, the author was raised in rural South Auckland. As a baby, she propelled herself around the floor on her stomach, using her limbs as flippers,…

  5. Contemporary Counterinsurgency (COIN) Insights from the French-Algerian War (1954-1962)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-02-03

    Council for Higher Education Accreditation. USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT CONTEMPORARY COUNTERINSURGENCY (COIN) INSIGHTS FROM THE FRENCH -ALGERIAN WAR...Colonel Kenneth M. DeTreux TITLE: Contemporary Counterinsurgency (COIN) Insights from the French - Algerian War (1954-1962) FORMAT: Strategy Research Project ...illustrative case study. This project researches and examines three main elements from the French Algerian experience: the Algerian insurgency, the French

  6. Leveraging Human Insights by Combining Multi-Objective Optimization with Interactive Evolution

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-26

    application, a program that used human selections to guide the evolution of insect -like images. He was able to demonstrate that humans provide key insights...LEVERAGING HUMAN INSIGHTS BY COMBINING MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION WITH INTERACTIVE EVOLUTION THESIS Joshua R. Christman, Second Lieutenant, USAF...COMBINING MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION WITH INTERACTIVE EVOLUTION THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

  7. The Mediating Role of Insight for Long-Term Improvements in Psychodynamic Therapy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johansson, Paul; Hoglend, Per; Ulberg, Randi; Amlo, Svein; Marble, Alice; Bogwald, Kjell-Petter; Sorbye, Oystein; Sjaastad, Mary Cosgrove; Heyerdahl, Oscar

    2010-01-01

    Objective: According to psychoanalytic theory, interpretation of transference leads to increased insight that again leads to improved interpersonal functioning over time. In this study, we performed a full mediational analysis to test whether insight gained during treatment mediates the long-term effects of transference interpretation in dynamic…

  8. Insight Problem Solving: A Critical Examination of the Possibility of Formal Theory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Batchelder, William H.; Alexander, Gregory E.

    2012-01-01

    This paper provides a critical examination of the current state and future possibility of formal cognitive theory for insight problem solving and its associated "aha!" experience. Insight problems are contrasted with move problems, which have been formally defined and studied extensively by cognitive psychologists since the pioneering…

  9. InSight Atlas V Boattail Halves Arrival, Offload, Mate

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-02-19

    At Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the boattail adaptor interface that will connect the Centaur upper stage to the payload fairing is offloaded for NASA's upcoming Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, or InSight, mission to land on Mars. InSight will liftoff atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the spacecraft on the first mission to explore the Red Planet's deep interior. It will investigate processes that shaped the rocky planets of the inner solar system including Earth. Liftoff from Vandenberg is scheduled for May 5, 2018.

  10. Effect of video self-observations vs. observations of others on insight in psychotic disorders.

    PubMed

    David, Anthony S; Chis Ster, Irina; Zavarei, Hooman

    2012-04-01

    Improving insight in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders is a worthwhile goal. Previous work has suggested that patients' insight may improve if they see videos of themselves taken when ill. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that schizophrenia patients improve their insight after viewing videos of themselves when unwell more so than after viewing an actor. Forty patients admitted with an acute psychotic disorder underwent a videotaped recording of a clinical interview. The patients were then randomized to viewing this or a "control" video of a same-sex actor displaying psychotic symptoms approximately 3 weeks later. Insight, psychopathology, and mood were assessed before and 24 to 48 hours after viewing the videos. All participants showed general improvement across all measures. There was a trend for scores on the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight to improve more in those who viewed themselves when ill, but there were no clear statistically significant differences between the "self" and "other" video groups. In conclusion, video self-confrontation seems to be a safe and potentially effective means of enhancing insight, but evidence for a specific effect is lacking.

  11. Effects of sub-clinical psychosis and cognitive insight on psychological well-being: a structural equation model.

    PubMed

    Weintraub, Marc J; Weisman de Mamani, Amy

    2015-03-30

    Psychological well-being has been widely researched along the psychosis spectrum, and increased psychotic symptoms are generally associated with worse well-being. Additionally, the construct of insight has been extensively studied in schizophrenia. While having greater insight has many benefits for those with schizophrenia, a paradox exists in which greater insight is also associated with poorer psychological well-being. However, it is unclear whether the link between insight and poor well-being occurs only once serious psychopathology has been established, or whether this is a more universal process seen even at lower levels on the psychosis spectrum. We used a structural modeling approach in an ethnically diverse, non-clinical sample of 420 undergraduates to evaluate the association between sub-clinical psychosis, cognitive insight and psychological well-being. As hypothesized, results indicated that sub-clinical psychotic symptoms were negatively associated with psychological well-being. The insight paradox was also substantiated, as greater cognitive insight was associated with worse psychological well-being. However, cognitive insight did not moderate the association between symptoms and well-being. The link between sub-clinical psychotic symptoms and psychological well-being as well as the insight paradox appears to emerge even before reaching threshold for a psychotic disorder. Research and clinical implications are discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The relationship between cognitive insight and depression in psychosis and schizophrenia: a review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Palmer, Emma C; Gilleen, James; David, Anthony S

    2015-08-01

    Lack of insight is a commonly observed problem in patients with psychosis and schizophrenia. Clinical insight in patients has been associated with low mood. Cognitive insight is a recently defined concept, relating to the ability to self-reflect and the degree to which patients are over-confident regarding their interpretations of illness-related experiences, and is related to clinical insight. We therefore sought to investigate whether there is a positive relationship between cognitive insight and mood. A literature search identified 17 relevant papers published between 2004 and 2014. Our analysis indicated that there was a small but significant positive correlation between the composite index (CI) of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and depression scores, but this was driven by a significant positive relationship between depression and the BCIS self-reflection (SR) sub-scale, where low mood was related to higher SR scores. There was no significant relationship between the self-certainty sub-scale and depression. Post-hoc analysis indicated that different depression scales did not significantly affect the relationship with SR. Our results support the idea that cognitive insight is significantly related to mood in schizophrenia, and the effect size is similar to that between clinical insight and mood. Potential applications of this knowledge into treatment and rehabilitation are discussed and a model of cognitive insight is proposed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Sleep Does Not Promote Solving Classical Insight Problems and Magic Tricks

    PubMed Central

    Schönauer, Monika; Brodt, Svenja; Pöhlchen, Dorothee; Breßmer, Anja; Danek, Amory H.; Gais, Steffen

    2018-01-01

    During creative problem solving, initial solution attempts often fail because of self-imposed constraints that prevent us from thinking out of the box. In order to solve a problem successfully, the problem representation has to be restructured by combining elements of available knowledge in novel and creative ways. It has been suggested that sleep supports the reorganization of memory representations, ultimately aiding problem solving. In this study, we systematically tested the effect of sleep and time on problem solving, using classical insight tasks and magic tricks. Solving these tasks explicitly requires a restructuring of the problem representation and may be accompanied by a subjective feeling of insight. In two sessions, 77 participants had to solve classical insight problems and magic tricks. The two sessions either occurred consecutively or were spaced 3 h apart, with the time in between spent either sleeping or awake. We found that sleep affected neither general solution rates nor the number of solutions accompanied by sudden subjective insight. Our study thus adds to accumulating evidence that sleep does not provide an environment that facilitates the qualitative restructuring of memory representations and enables problem solving. PMID:29535620

  14. Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience: Insights from Deafness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corina, David; Singleton, Jenny

    2009-01-01

    The condition of deafness presents a developmental context that provides insight into the biological, cultural, and linguistic factors underlying the development of neural systems that impact social cognition. Studies of visual attention, behavioral regulation, language development, and face and human action perception are discussed. Visually…

  15. Toward a Model of Cognitive Insight in First-Episode Psychosis: Verbal Memory and Hippocampal Structure

    PubMed Central

    Buchy, L.; Czechowska, Y.; Chochol, C.; Malla, A.; Joober, R.; Pruessner, J.; Lepage, M.

    2010-01-01

    Our previous work has linked verbal learning and memory with cognitive insight, but not clinical insight, in individuals with a first-episode psychosis (FEP). The current study reassessed the neurocognitive basis of cognitive and clinical insight and explored their neural basis in 61 FEP patients. Cognitive insight was measured with the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and clinical insight with the Scale to assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). Global measures for 7 domains of cognition were examined. Hippocampi were manually segmented in to 3 parts: the body, head, and tail. Verbal learning and memory significantly correlated with the BCIS composite index. Composite index scores were significantly associated with total left hippocampal (HC) volume; partial correlations, however, revealed that this relationship was attributable largely to verbal memory performance. The BCIS self-certainty subscale significantly and inversely correlated with bilateral HC volumes, and these associations were independent of verbal learning and memory performance. The BCIS self-reflectiveness subscale significantly correlated with verbal learning and memory but not with HC volume. No significant correlations emerged between the SUMD and verbal memory or HC volume. These results strengthen our previous assertion that in individuals with an FEP cognitive insight may rely on memory whereby current experiences are appraised based on previous ones. The HC may be a viable location among others for the brain system that underlies aspects of cognitive insight in individuals with an FEP. PMID:19346315

  16. The InSight Mission's Martian Atmospheric Science Goals, Capabilities and Instrumentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smrekar, S. E.; Banfield, D. J.

    2015-12-01

    The InSight Mission to Mars will launch in March 2016 and land in September 2016, beginning at least 1 Mars year of observations from the surface of Mars. The primary scientific goal of the InSight mission is to characterize the interior of Mars (both deep and near-surface), but it is also equipped with very capable meteorological instrumentation, and consequently has atmospheric science goals as well. The instrumentation InSight carries includes a very sensitive and fast response pressure sensor, as well as a pair of wind and temperature sensors that are similar to those flown on MSL and will be on Mars2020. These sensors will operate essentially continuously at Mars, a first; enabling the production of a complete sampling of the Martian environment, including short-lived transients. InSight also carries cameras that can be used to survey not only the ground in the near environment, but also sky conditions. The pressure sensor responds to signals below 10Hz (~10X its predecessors) and has a noise level of about 10 mPa (better than 1/10 its predecessors). The pair of wind and temperature sensors have been carefully placed opposite one another on the deck to minimize lander interference as much as possible, leaving one sensor on the windward side of the lander at any time. These capabilities, combined with their continuous sampling enable us to pursue new atmospheric science questions at Mars, including quantifying thresholds for aeolian change, detailed dust devil characterization, bolide infrasonic detection and characterization, and quantifying secular trends in pressure. This is in addition to characterizing the normal meteorology at the InSight landing site, which while not completely new, will provide incremental and important constraints for Martian Atmospheric models. We also expect there to be unexpected discoveries, as well as more synergistic approaches to coordination among all the instruments on InSight that may result even more novel capabilities.

  17. New insights from well responses to fluctuations in barometric pressure

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Butler, J.J.; Jin, W.; Mohammed, G.A.; Reboulet, E.C.

    2011-01-01

    Hydrologists have long recognized that changes in barometric pressure can produce changes in water levels in wells. The barometric response function (BRF) has proven to be an effective means to characterize this relationship; we show here how it can also be utilized to glean valuable insights into semi-confined aquifer systems. The form of the BRF indicates the degree of aquifer confinement, while a comparison of BRFs between wells sheds light on hydrostratigraphic continuity. A new approach for estimating hydraulic properties of aquitards from BRFs has been developed and verified. The BRF is not an invariant characteristic of a well; in unconfined or semi-confined aquifers, it can change with conditions in the vadose zone. Field data from a long-term research site demonstrate the hydrostratigraphic insights that can be gained from monitoring water levels and barometric pressure. Such insights should be of value for a wide range of practical applications. ?? 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation ?? 2010 National Ground Water Association.

  18. Cognitive insight and objective quality of life in people with schizophrenia and auditory hallucinations.

    PubMed

    Rathee, Ruchika; Luhrmann, Tanya M; Bhatia, Triptish; Deshpande, Smita N

    2018-01-01

    Poor cognitive insight in schizophrenia has been linked to delusions, hallucinations, and negative symptoms as well as to depressive/anxiety symptoms. Its impact on quality of life has been less studied, especially in schizophrenia subjects with ongoing auditory hallucinations. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) were administered to subjects who met DSM IV criteria for schizophrenia after due translation and validation. All subjects reported ongoing auditory hallucinations at recruitment. Mean composite cognitive insight scores from participants (N = 60) (2.97 ± 2.649) were in the lower range as compared to published literature. Cognitive insight scores as well as self-reflectiveness subscale scores, but not self-certainty scores, correlated significantly with the QLS scores p < 0.001. Results suggest that better cognitive insight, especially self-reflectiveness, may be linked to better quality of life. Self-reflectiveness could be a useful construct to address in psychotherapy to improve rehabilitation. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Insight: An ontology-based integrated database and analysis platform for epilepsy self-management research.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, Satya S; Ramesh, Priya; Welter, Elisabeth; Bukach, Ashley; Valdez, Joshua; Tatsuoka, Curtis; Bamps, Yvan; Stoll, Shelley; Jobst, Barbara C; Sajatovic, Martha

    2016-10-01

    We present Insight as an integrated database and analysis platform for epilepsy self-management research as part of the national Managing Epilepsy Well Network. Insight is the only available informatics platform for accessing and analyzing integrated data from multiple epilepsy self-management research studies with several new data management features and user-friendly functionalities. The features of Insight include, (1) use of Common Data Elements defined by members of the research community and an epilepsy domain ontology for data integration and querying, (2) visualization tools to support real time exploration of data distribution across research studies, and (3) an interactive visual query interface for provenance-enabled research cohort identification. The Insight platform contains data from five completed epilepsy self-management research studies covering various categories of data, including depression, quality of life, seizure frequency, and socioeconomic information. The data represents over 400 participants with 7552 data points. The Insight data exploration and cohort identification query interface has been developed using Ruby on Rails Web technology and open source Web Ontology Language Application Programming Interface to support ontology-based reasoning. We have developed an efficient ontology management module that automatically updates the ontology mappings each time a new version of the Epilepsy and Seizure Ontology is released. The Insight platform features a Role-based Access Control module to authenticate and effectively manage user access to different research studies. User access to Insight is managed by the Managing Epilepsy Well Network database steering committee consisting of representatives of all current collaborating centers of the Managing Epilepsy Well Network. New research studies are being continuously added to the Insight database and the size as well as the unique coverage of the dataset allows investigators to conduct

  20. Can cognitive insight predict symptom remission in a first episode psychosis cohort?

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Jennifer A; Ellett, Lyn; Ajnakina, Olesya; Schoeler, Tabea; Kollliakou, Anna; Trotta, Antonella; Wiffen, Benjamin D; Falcone, Aurora M; Di Forti, Marta; Murray, Robin M; Bhattacharyya, Sagnik; David, Anthony S

    2017-02-06

    The outcome of first episode psychosis (FEP) is highly variable and difficult to predict. Cognitive insight measured at illness onset has previously been found to predict psychopathology 12-months later. The aims of this study were to examine whether the prospective relationship between cognitive insight and symptom severity is evident at four-years following FEP and to examine some psychological correlates of cognitive insight. FEP participants (n = 90) completed the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) at illness onset, and associations between BCIS scores with symptom severity outcomes (4-years after FEP) were assessed. The BCIS scales (self-reflectiveness and self-certainty) were examined as a composite score, and individually compared to other cognitive measures (IQ and jumping to conclusions (JTC) bias). Regression analyses revealed that the cognitive insight composite did not predict 4-year symptom remission in this study while the self-reflection subscale of the BCIS predicted severity of symptoms at 4-years. Self-certainty items of the BCIS were not associated with symptom severity. Significant correlations between the JTC bias, self-certainty and IQ were found, but self-reflection did not correlate with these other cognitive measures. Self-reflective capacity is a more relevant and independent cognitive construct than self-certainty for predicting prospective symptom severity in psychosis. Improving self-reflection may be a useful target for early intervention research.

  1. Relationship between cognitive insight and subjective quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jong-Hoon; Lee, Seul; Han, Ah-Young; Kim, Kyungwook; Lee, Jinyoung

    2015-01-01

    The concept of cognitive insight refers to the cognitive processes involved in patients' re-evaluation of their anomalous experiences and of their misinterpretations. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between cognitive insight and subjective quality of life in patients with schizophrenia to further shed light on the nature of cognitive insight and its functional correlates in schizophrenia. Seventy-one stable outpatients with schizophrenia were evaluated for cognitive insight and subjective quality of life using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4). The symptoms of schizophrenia were also assessed. Pearson's correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis that controlled for the severity of symptoms were performed to adjust for the possible effects of symptoms. The self-reflectiveness subscale score of the BCIS had significant positive correlations with the SQLS-R4 psychosocial domain and total SQLS-R4 scores, indicating that the higher the level of cognitive insight, the lower the subjective quality of life. In partial correlation analysis controlling for symptoms, the BCIS self-reflectiveness subscale score still had a significant correlation with the SQLS-R4 psychosocial domain score. The correlation coefficient between the BCIS self-reflectiveness and total SQLS-R4 scores was reduced to a nonsignificant statistical tendency. The results of our study suggest that cognitive insight, particularly the level of self-reflectiveness, is negatively associated with the level of subjective quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia and that this relationship is not wholly due to the confounding effect of symptoms. Future studies are necessary to explore possible mediating and moderating factors and to evaluate the effects of therapeutic interventions on the relationship.

  2. The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS): translation and validation of the Taiwanese version.

    PubMed

    Kao, Yu-Chen; Liu, Yia-Ping

    2010-04-09

    Over the last few decades, research concerning the insight of patients with schizophrenia and its relationships with other clinical variables has been given much attention in the clinical setting. Since that time, a series of instruments assessing insight have been developed. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Taiwanese version of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). The BCIS is a self-administered instrument designed to evaluate cognitive processes that involves reevaluating patients' anomalous experiences and specific misinterpretations. The English language version of the BCIS was translated into Taiwanese for use in this study. A total of 180 subjects with and without psychosis completed the Taiwanese version of the BCIS and additional evaluations to assess researcher-rated insight scales and psychopathology. Psychometric properties (factor structures and various types of reliability and validity) were assessed for this translated questionnaire. Overall, the Taiwanese version of the BCIS showed good reliability and stability over time. This translated scale comprised a two-factor solution corresponding to reflective attitude and certain attitude subscales. Following the validation of the internal structure of the scale, we obtained an R-C (reflective attitude minus certain attitude) index of the translated BCIS, representing the measurement of cognitive insight by subtracting the score of the certain attitude subscale from that of the reflective attitude subscale. As predicted, the differences in mean reflective attitude, certain attitude and R-C index between subjects with and without psychosis were significant. Our data also demonstrated that psychotic patients were significantly less reflective, more confident in their beliefs, and had less cognitive insight compared with nonpsychotic control groups. In light of these findings, we believe that the Taiwanese version of BCIS is a valid and reliable instrument for

  3. Mental capacity, diagnosis and insight in psychiatric in-patients: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Owen, G S; David, A S; Richardson, G; Szmukler, G; Hayward, P; Hotopf, M

    2009-08-01

    Mental capacity is now a core part of UK mental health law and clinicians will increasingly be expected to assess it. Because it is a legal concept there is a need to clarify associations with variables that clinicians are more familiar with, especially insight. In this cross-sectional study we recruited consecutive psychiatric admissions to the Maudsley Hospital, London. We carried out structured assessments of decision making using the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Treatment (MacCAT-T), resulting in a clinical judgement about capacity status. We analysed associations with a range of sociodemographic and clinical variables, including insight score on the Expanded Schedule for the Assessment of Insight (SAI-E). The same variables were compared in an analysis stratified according to diagnostic group: psychotic disorders/bipolar affective disorder (BPAD)/non-psychotic disorders. Psychotic disorders and manic episodes of BPAD are most strongly associated with incapacity. In such patients, insight is the best discriminator of capacity status. In patients with non-psychotic disorders, insight is less strongly associated with capacity; in this group depressed mood discriminates capacity status whereas it does not in psychotic disorders. Cognitive performance does not discriminate capacity status in patients with psychotic disorders. Mental capacity has complex relationships with psychopathological variables, and these relationships are different according to diagnostic group. Insight is the best discriminator of capacity status in psychotic disorders and BPAD but not in non-psychotic disorders.

  4. Electrophysiological evidence for emotional valence and competitive arousal effects on insight problem solving.

    PubMed

    Li, Yadan; Xiao, Xiao; Ma, Wenjuan; Jiang, Jun; Qiu, Jiang; Zhang, Qinglin

    2013-11-13

    Accumulating evidence suggests that insight can be substantially influenced by task-irrelevant emotion stimuli and interpersonal competitive situation, and a close link might exist between them. Using a learning-testing paradigm and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), the present study investigated the independent and joint effects of emotional and competitive information on insight problem solving especially their neural mechanisms. Subjects situated in either competitive or non-competitive condition learned heuristic logogriphs first and then viewed task-irrelevant positive or negative emotional pictures, which were followed by test logogriphs to solve. Both behavioral and ERP findings showed a more evident insight boost following negative emotional pictures in competitive context. Results demonstrated that negative emotion and competitive situation might promote insight by a defocused mode of attention (as indicated by N1 and P2), the enhanced semantic integration and breaking mental set (as indicated by N450), and the increased forming of novel associations activated by motivational arousal originating from competition (as indicated by P800-1600 and P1600-2500). These results indicate that the dynamic interactions between emotional valence and competitive arousal effects on insight. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Brief Report: Insight into Illness and Social Attributional Style in Asperger's Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Didehbani, Nyaz; Shad, Mujeeb U.; Kandalaft, Michelle R.; Allen, Tandra T.; Tamminga, Carol A.; Krawczyk, Daniel C.; Chapman, Sandra B.

    2012-01-01

    A number of psychiatric illnesses have been recognized to have some level of insight deficits, including developmental disorders, such as Asperger's Syndrome (ASP). However insight into illness has not been empirically investigated in ASP and little research has examined how individuals with ASP view their deficits. This is the first study to…

  6. The Self-Organization of Insight: Entropy and Power Laws in Problem Solving

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephen, Damian G.; Dixon, James A.

    2008-01-01

    Explaining emergent structure remains a challenge for all areas of cognitive science, and problem solving is no exception. The modern study of insight has drawn attention to the issue of emergent cognitive structure in problem solving research. We propose that the explanation of insight is beyond the scope of conventional approaches to cognitive…

  7. Working in Dyads and Alone: Examining Process Variables in Solving Insight Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tidikis, Viktoria; Ash, Ivan K.

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of working in dyads and their associated gender composition on performance (solution rate and time) and process variables (number of impasses, number of passed solutions, and number of problem solving suggestions and interactions) in a set of classic insight problem solving tasks. Two types of insight problems…

  8. Getting the Joke: Insight during Humor Comprehension – Evidence from an fMRI Study

    PubMed Central

    Tian, Fang; Hou, Yuling; Zhu, Wenfeng; Dietrich, Arne; Zhang, Qinglin; Yang, Wenjing; Chen, Qunlin; Sun, Jiangzhou; Jiang, Qiu; Cao, Guikang

    2017-01-01

    As a high-level cognitive activity, humor comprehension requires incongruity detection and incongruity resolution, which then elicits an insight moment. The purpose of the study was to explore the neural basis of humor comprehension, particularly the moment of insight, by using both characters and language-free cartoons in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. The results showed that insight involving jokes elicited greater activation in language and semantic-related brain regions as well as a variety of additional regions, such as the superior frontal gyrus (SFG), the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), the superior temporal gyrus (STG), the temporoparietal junctions (TPJ), the hippocampus and visual areas. These findings indicate that the MTG might play a role in incongruity detection, while the SFG, IFG and the TPJ might be involved in incongruity detection. The passive insight event elicited by jokes appears to be mediated by a limited number of brain areas. Our study showed that the brain regions associated with humor comprehension were not affected by the type of stimuli and that humor and insight shared common brain areas. These results indicate that one experiences a feeling of insight during humor comprehension, which contributes to the understanding of humor comprehension. PMID:29093693

  9. Much ado about aha!: Insight problem solving is strongly related to working memory capacity and reasoning ability.

    PubMed

    Chuderski, Adam; Jastrzębski, Jan

    2018-02-01

    A battery comprising 4 fluid reasoning tests as well as 13 working memory (WM) tasks that involved storage, recall, updating, binding, and executive control, was applied to 318 adults in order to evaluate the true relationship of reasoning ability and WM capacity (WMC) to insight problem solving, measured using 40 verbal, spatial, math, matchstick, and remote associates problems (insight problems). WMC predicted 51.8% of variance in insight problem solving and virtually explained its almost isomorphic link to reasoning ability (84.6% of shared variance). The strong link between WMC and insight pertained generally to most WM tasks and insight problems, was identical for problems solved with and without reported insight, was linear throughout the ability levels, and was not mediated by age, motivation, anxiety, psychoticism, and openness to experience. In contrast to popular views on the sudden and holistic nature of insight, the solving of insight problems results primarily from typical operations carried out by the basic WM mechanisms that are responsible for the maintenance, retrieval, transformation, and control of information in the broad range of intellectual tasks (including fluid reasoning). Little above and beyond WM is unique about insight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. Effects of subliminal hints on insight problem solving.

    PubMed

    Hattori, Masasi; Sloman, Steven A; Orita, Ryo

    2013-08-01

    Two experiments tested a total of 509 participants on insight problems (the radiation problem and the nine-dot problem). Half of the participants were first exposed to a 1-min movie that included a subliminal hint. The hint raised the solution rate of people who did not recognize it. In addition, the way they solved the problem was affected by the hint. In Experiment 3, a novel technique was introduced to address some methodological concerns raised by Experiments 1 and 2. A total of 80 participants solved the 10-coin problem, and half of them were exposed to a subliminal hint. The hint facilitated solving the problem, and it shortened the solution time. Some implications of subliminal priming for research on and theorizing about insight problem solving are discussed.

  11. Mars Lander Deck of NASA's InSight Mission

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-08-28

    This view looks upward toward the InSight Mars lander suspended upside down. It shows the top of the lander's science deck with the mission's two main science instruments -- the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS) and the Heat Flow and Physical Properties Probe (HP3) -- plus the robotic arm and other subsystems installed. The photo was taken Aug. 9, 2017, in a Lockheed Martin clean room facility in Littleton, Colorado. The InSight mission (for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) is scheduled to launch in May 2018 and land on Mars Nov. 26, 2018. It will investigate processes that formed and shaped Mars and will help scientists better understand the evolution of our inner solar system's rocky planets, including Earth. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21847

  12. Stellar Rotation: New Insight from CoRoT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Catala, C.; Goupil, M. J.; Michel, E.; Baglin, A.; de Medeiros, J. Renan; Gondoin, Ph.

    2009-02-01

    We present an overview of the new insight provided by the CoRoT satellite on stellar rotation. Thanks to its ultra-high precision, high duty cycle, long photometric monitoring of thousands of stars, CoRoT gives us a powerful tool to study stellar rotational modulation, and therefore to measure stellar rotational periods and to study active structures at the surface of stars. This paper presents preliminary results concerning this type of study. CoRoT will also provide us with an insight of internal stellar rotation via the measurement and exploitation of rotational splittings of oscillation modes. This approach to stellar rotation with CoRoT will require a careful analysis of the oscillation power spectra, which is in progress, but prospects for such measurements are presented.

  13. Uniformity and nonuniformity of neural activities correlated to different insight problem solving.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Q; Li, Y; Shang, X; Zhou, Z; Han, L

    2014-06-13

    Previous studies on the neural basis of insight reflected weak consistency except for the anterior cingulate cortex. The present work adopted the semantic and homophonic punny riddle to explore the uniformity and nonuniformity of neural activities correlated to different insight problem solving. Results showed that in the early period of insight solving, the semantic and homophonic punny riddles induced a common N350-500 over the central scalp. However, during -400 to 0 ms before the riddles were solved, the semantic punny riddles induced a positive event-related potential (ERP) deflection over the temporal cortex for retrieving the extensive semantic information, while the homophonic punny riddles induced a positive ERP deflection over the temporal cortex and a negative one in the left frontal cortex which might reflect the semantic and phonological information processing respectively. Our study indicated that different insight problem solving should have the same cognitive process of detecting cognitive conflicts, but have different ways to solve the conflicts. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Differential relationships between set-shifting abilities and dimensions of insight in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Diez-Martin, J; Moreno-Ortega, M; Bagney, A; Rodriguez-Jimenez, R; Padilla-Torres, D; Sanchez-Morla, E M; Santos, J L; Palomo, T; Jimenez-Arriero, M A

    2014-01-01

    To assess insight in a large sample of patients with schizophrenia and to study its relationship with set shifting as an executive function. The insight of a sample of 161 clinically stable, community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia was evaluated by means of the Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder (SUMD). Set shifting was measured using the Trail-Making Test time required to complete part B minus the time required to complete part A (TMT B-A). Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships of TMT B-A with different dimensions of general insight. Regression analyses revealed a significant association between TMT B-A and two of the SUMD general components: 'awareness of mental disorder' and 'awareness of the efficacy of treatment'. The 'awareness of social consequences' component was not significantly associated with set shifting. Our results show a significant relation between set shifting and insight, but not in the same manner for the different components of the SUMD general score. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  15. [Insight and psychiatric dangerousness: A review of the literature].

    PubMed

    Bonnet, S; Lacambre, M; Schandrin, A; Capdevielle, D; Courtet, P

    2017-04-01

    Violence committed by individuals with severe mental illness has become an increasing focus of concern among clinicians, policy makers, and the general public, often as the result of tragic events. Research has shown in the past two decades an increased risk of violence among patients with mental disorder. Nevertheless, of those suffering from mental illness, perpetrators of other directed violence form a minority subgroup. The means by which there is this association between mental illness and violence has remained controversial. Factors such as positive psychotic symptoms, medication non-adherence, alcohol or psychoactive substance abuse and antisocial personality were found to be predictive of violence. Overall, literature provides support to the assertion that violent behavior of mentally ill patients is a heterogeneous phenomenon that is driven by multiple inter-related and independent factors. Furthermore, psychiatrists are often asked to predict an individual's future dangerousness, in a medical or a legal context. In the process of risk assessment of dangerousness, more focus has been placed on dynamic risk factor. In this context, lack of insight has established itself both as a part of violence risk models and as a clinical item in structured approaches to measure dangerousness. However, few studies have tested these associations. The main purpose of this paper is to review the literature concerning the relationship between insight and dangerousness and discuss the contributions of the insight in the assessment of dangerousness in patients with mental illness. We included twenty studies that evaluated the association between insight and variable such as physical or verbal violence, aggressiveness, hostility or sexual aggression. According to the findings of this review, the strength and specific nature of this relationship remain unclear due to considerable methodological and conceptual shortcomings, including heterogeneity in the definition and

  16. The impact of cognitive insight, self-stigma, and medication compliance on the quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Lien, Yin-Ju; Chang, Hsin-An; Kao, Yu-Chen; Tzeng, Nian-Sheng; Lu, Chien-Wen; Loh, Ching-Hui

    2018-02-01

    Impaired quality of life (QoL) is a common and clinically relevant feature of schizophrenia. In the present study, we attempted to formulate a model of QoL in the chronic stage of schizophrenia by including key variables-namely cognitive insight, self-stigma, insight into treatment, and medication compliance-that were proposed as its significant predictors in previous studies. We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to simultaneously test the associations between these variables. A total of 170 community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia participated in this study. Cognitive insight, self-stigma, insight into treatment, medication compliance, and QoL were assessed through self-reporting. Symptoms were rated by interviewers. The influences of cognitive insight, stigma, insight into treatment, and medication compliance on QoL were supported using SEM. Our findings indicated that cognitive insight had a significant, positive, and direct effect on both self-stigma and insight into treatment; in contrast, it had a negative and direct effect on medication compliance. Notably, no evidence indicated a direct effect of cognitive insight on QoL. Thus, individuals with high cognitive insight reported low QoL because of stigma, low medication compliance, and their increased insight into treatment. In contrast, cognitive insight might indirectly ameliorate QoL mediated by the effect of insight into treatment on medication compliance. The findings provide additional support of the links between cognitive and clinical insight, self-stigma, medication compliance, and QoL in those with schizophrenia and suggest the need for screening and intervention services appropriate for this high-risk population.

  17. Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy for Early Psychosis: A preliminary study of a novel integrative psychotherapy.

    PubMed

    Vohs, Jenifer L; Leonhardt, Bethany L; James, Alison V; Francis, Michael M; Breier, Alan; Mehdiyoun, Nikki; Visco, Andrew C; Lysaker, Paul H

    2018-05-01

    Poor insight impedes treatment in early phase psychosis (EPP). This manuscript outlines preliminary findings of an investigation of the novel metacognitively oriented integrative psychotherapy, Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy, for individuals with early phase psychosis (MERIT-EP). Twenty adults with EPP and poor insight were randomized to either six months of MERIT-EP or treatment as usual (TAU). Therapists were trained and therapy was successfully delivered under routine, outpatient conditions. Insight, assessed before and after treatment, revealed significant improvement for the MERIT-EP, but not TAU, group. These results suggest MERIT-EP is feasible to deliver, accepted by patients, and leads to clinically significant improvements in insight. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Analysis Insights: Energy Storage - Possibilities for Expanding Electric Grid Flexibility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    2016-02-01

    NREL Analysis Insights mines our body of analysis work to synthesize topical insights and key findings. In this issue, we explore energy storage and the role it is playing and could potentially play in increasing grid flexibility and renewable energy integration. We explore energy storage as one building block for a more flexible power system, policy and R and D as drivers of energy storage deployment, methods for valuing energy storage in grid applications, ways that energy storage supports renewable integration, and emerging opportunities for energy storage in the electric grid.

  19. 75 FR 38129 - The Berry Company LLC, a Subsidiary of Local Insight Media Holdings, Inc., Formally Known as...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-01

    ... Subsidiary of Local Insight Media Holdings, Inc., Formally Known as Local Insight Yellow Pages Including On... Company LLC, a subsidiary of Local Insight Media Holdings, Inc., formally known as Local Insight Yellow... directory advertising and Internet advertising services. The company reports that workers leased from...

  20. Neural Correlates of Learning from Induced Insight: A Case for Reward-Based Episodic Encoding

    PubMed Central

    Kizilirmak, Jasmin M.; Thuerich, Hannes; Folta-Schoofs, Kristian; Schott, Björn H.; Richardson-Klavehn, Alan

    2016-01-01

    Experiencing insight when solving problems can improve memory formation for both the problem and its solution. The underlying neural processes involved in this kind of learning are, however, thus far insufficiently understood. Here, we conceptualized insight as the sudden understanding of a novel relationship between known stimuli that fits into existing knowledge and is accompanied by a positive emotional response. Hence, insight is thought to comprise associative novelty, schema congruency, and intrinsic reward, all of which are separately known to enhance memory performance. We examined the neural correlates of learning from induced insight with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using our own version of the compound-remote-associates-task (CRAT) in which each item consists of three clue words and a solution word. (Pseudo-)Solution words were presented after a brief period of problem-solving attempts to induce either sudden comprehension (CRA items) or continued incomprehension (control items) at a specific time point. By comparing processing of the solution words of CRA with control items, we found induced insight to elicit activation of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex (rACC/mPFC) and left hippocampus. This pattern of results lends support to the role of schema congruency (rACC/mPFC) and associative novelty (hippocampus) in the processing of induced insight. We propose that (1) the mPFC not only responds to schema-congruent information, but also to the detection of novel schemata, and (2) that the hippocampus responds to a form of associative novelty that is not just a novel constellation of familiar items, but rather comprises a novel meaningful relationship between the items—which was the only difference between our insight and no insight conditions. To investigate episodic long-term memory encoding, we compared CRA items whose solution word was recognized 24 h after encoding to those with forgotten solutions. We

  1. Neural Correlates of Learning from Induced Insight: A Case for Reward-Based Episodic Encoding.

    PubMed

    Kizilirmak, Jasmin M; Thuerich, Hannes; Folta-Schoofs, Kristian; Schott, Björn H; Richardson-Klavehn, Alan

    2016-01-01

    Experiencing insight when solving problems can improve memory formation for both the problem and its solution. The underlying neural processes involved in this kind of learning are, however, thus far insufficiently understood. Here, we conceptualized insight as the sudden understanding of a novel relationship between known stimuli that fits into existing knowledge and is accompanied by a positive emotional response. Hence, insight is thought to comprise associative novelty, schema congruency, and intrinsic reward, all of which are separately known to enhance memory performance. We examined the neural correlates of learning from induced insight with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using our own version of the compound-remote-associates-task (CRAT) in which each item consists of three clue words and a solution word. (Pseudo-)Solution words were presented after a brief period of problem-solving attempts to induce either sudden comprehension (CRA items) or continued incomprehension (control items) at a specific time point. By comparing processing of the solution words of CRA with control items, we found induced insight to elicit activation of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex (rACC/mPFC) and left hippocampus. This pattern of results lends support to the role of schema congruency (rACC/mPFC) and associative novelty (hippocampus) in the processing of induced insight. We propose that (1) the mPFC not only responds to schema-congruent information, but also to the detection of novel schemata, and (2) that the hippocampus responds to a form of associative novelty that is not just a novel constellation of familiar items, but rather comprises a novel meaningful relationship between the items-which was the only difference between our insight and no insight conditions. To investigate episodic long-term memory encoding, we compared CRA items whose solution word was recognized 24 h after encoding to those with forgotten solutions. We found

  2. Focus on Profession: Teaching Insights Using a Technology in a SLA Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karabayeva, Kamilya

    2015-01-01

    Modern higher education requires the problem of development of professional value insights of a teacher of a new formation to be solved. One of the vital tasks of the national education is development of axiological resources of a teacher's individuality and his value system and insights. It should be noted that teaching means of development of a…

  3. Insight and Figurative Language in Psychotherapy: Two Fragments of a Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barlow, Jack M.; And Others

    This study discusses the role figurative language can play in promoting insight in a patient undergoing psychotherapy. The first part of the study reviews some of the research into the nature of creative insight; the next section discusses some of the research relating to the value of metaphor in the treatment of schizophrenic patients. The major…

  4. The predictive effect of insight on adverse clinical outcomes in bipolar I disorder: a two-year prospective study.

    PubMed

    Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Sheng; Yen, Ju-Yu; Ko, Chih-Hung

    2008-05-01

    Research has revealed that a lack of insight is associated with poorer clinical outcomes in schizophrenia; however, the predictive value of insight on adverse clinical outcomes among bipolar patients is quite understudied. The aim of this prospective study was to examine the impact of insight on adverse clinical outcomes among the patients with bipolar I disorder over a 2-year period. Sixty-five remitted bipolar I disorder patients received follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months to detect the adverse clinical outcomes defined by the incidence of bipolar-related psychiatric hospitalization, emergency room visits, violent or suicidal behavior. The Schedule of Assessment of Insight was used to provide a baseline insight score. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the predictive value of insight on the adverse clinical outcomes. Impaired insight into treatment and a greater number of previous hospitalizations significantly increased the risk of adverse clinical outcomes with bipolar disorder in the 2-year period. However, insight into recognition of the illness and re-labeling of psychotic phenomena did not have any significant effect on adverse clinical outcomes. Bipolar patients' insight into treatment is an independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes. Improving insight into treatment might be a promising target for a better outcome.

  5. Insight, psychosis, and depression in Africa: a cross-sectional survey from an inpatient unit in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Poole, Norman A; Crabb, Jim; Osei, Akwasi; Hughes, Peter; Young, David

    2013-06-01

    Few studies of the relationship of insight to psychopathology have been conducted in non-Western populations. This study examined the relationships between insight and depression, anxiety, and positive and negative symptoms on patients with schizophrenia resident in a psychiatric hospital in Ghana. A sample of 49 participants, (37 men and 12 women), with DSM-IV defined schizophrenia took part in semistructured interviews consisting of the Hamilton Rating Scales for Depression (HAM-D) and Anxiety (HAM-A); the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight - Expanded Version (SAI-E) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Bivariate correlations between variables were examined and those significantly correlated with an insight domain were included in multiple regression models. Variables associated with the total insight score were age, gender, anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and treatment compliance. In the final model, HAM-D positively predicted total SAI-E score, whilst PANSS-pos was negatively associated with total SAI-E score. The results are broadly consistent with those found in Western samples regarding insight and depressive symptoms. Implications of these results for competing theories of insight in psychoses are discussed. Patients able to identify themselves as ill may be aware of their affective symptoms.

  6. Insight in Frontotemporal Dementia: Conceptual Analysis and Empirical Evaluation of the Consensus Criterion ''Loss of Insight'' in Frontotemporal Dementia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Evers, Kathinka; Kilander, Lena; Lindau, Maria

    2007-01-01

    The objective of this study was to suggest a new formulation of the core research diagnostic consensus criterion ''loss of insight'' in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Eight patients with FTD (diagnoses made by interviews, medical and neuropsychological examination, CT scan, and regional cerebral glucose metabolism measured by positron emission…

  7. Innovative Leadership: Insights from a Learning Technologist

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Bruce

    2012-01-01

    Professor Ricardo Torres Kompen is a leading proponent for, and researcher in, personal learning environments (PLEs). During his interview, Torres Kompen clarified his research on PLEs, particularly the digital toolbox within PLEs. He elaborated on experiences with implementing PLE initiatives, personal insights on using social media and Web 2.0…

  8. Self-Efficacy and Functional Status in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Insight, Cognition and Negative Symptoms

    PubMed Central

    Kurtz, Matthew M.; Olfson, Rachel; Rose, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Self-efficacy, defined as the confidence one has in the ability to perform a behavior or specific task, has been introduced as a crucial motivational factor for successfully carrying out social and everyday living skills (Bandura, 1977, 1997). Few studies have assessed its role in functioning in schizophrenia. The current study was designed to investigate whether degree of illness insight determined whether self-efficacy was a mediator of the relationship between two key illness features, negative symptoms and cognition, and functional skills. Sixty-nine individuals with schizophrenia were administered measures of self-efficacy, cognition, symptoms, insight and performance-based measure of everyday living and social skill. Results revealed that self-efficacy was only linked to measures of functional skills when illness insight was intact. There was evidence of moderation of confounding effects such that when self-efficacy was controlled, the relationship between negative symptoms and measures of everyday life skills became non-significant, but only when illness insight was intact. These findings emphasize the importance of including illness insight in models of the role of self-efficacy in functioning in schizophrenia. PMID:23375941

  9. Verbal learning contributes to cognitive insight in schizophrenia independently of affective and psychotic symptoms.

    PubMed

    Engh, John A; Sundet, Kjetil; Simonsen, Carmen; Vaskinn, Anja; Lagerberg, Trine V; Opjordsmoen, Stein; Friis, Svein; Andreassen, Ole A

    2011-06-01

    Patients with schizophrenia exhibit distorted beliefs and experiences, and their own evaluation of this is labeled cognitive insight. We examined the relationship between cognitive insight and neurocognition, as well as the contribution of neurocognition in explaining cognitive insight. Clinically characterized patients with schizophrenia (n=102) were assessed with a measure of cognitive insight, Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) and a neuropsychological test battery. The contribution of neurocognition to the explained variance in BCIS components self-reflectiveness (i.e. objectivity and reflectiveness) and self-certainty (i.e. overconfidence in own beliefs) was examined controlling for current affective and psychotic symptoms. A significant negative correlation was found between self-certainty and verbal learning, whereas no associations were found between self-reflectiveness and any of the neuropsychological tests. Verbal learning was added significantly to the explained variance in self-certainty after controlling for potential confounders. High self-certainty was associated with poor verbal learning. This suggests that overconfidence in own beliefs is associated with cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Child Disruptive Behavior and Parenting Efficacy: A Comparison of the Effects of Two Models of Insights

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Erin; Rodriguez, Eileen; Cappella, Elise; Morris, Jordan; McClowry, Sandee

    2012-01-01

    In this article, we investigate the effectiveness of INSIGHTS into Children's Temperament (INSIGHTS), a temperament-based preventive intervention, in reducing the disruptive behavior problems of young children from low-income, urban families. Results indicate that children enrolled in INSIGHTS evidenced a decrease in disruptive behavior problems…

  11. Does Insight Affect the Efficacy of Antipsychotics in Acute Mania?: An Individual Patient Data Regression Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Welten, Carlijn C M; Koeter, Maarten W J; Wohlfarth, Tamar D; Storosum, Jitschak G; van den Brink, Wim; Gispen-de Wied, Christine C; Leufkens, Hubert G M; Denys, Damiaan A J P

    2016-02-01

    Patients having an acute manic episode of bipolar disorder often lack insight into their condition. Because little is known about the possible effect of insight on treatment efficacy, we examined whether insight at the start of treatment affects the efficacy of antipsychotic treatment in patients with acute mania. We used individual patient data from 7 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled registration studies of 4 antipsychotics in patients with acute mania (N = 1904). Insight was measured with item 11 of the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) at baseline and study endpoint 3 weeks later. Treatment outcome was defined by (a) mean change score, (b) response defined as 50% or more improvement on YMRS, and (c) remission defined as YMRS score less than 8 at study endpoint. We used multilevel mixed effect linear (or logistic) regression analyses of individual patient data to assess the interaction between baseline insight and treatment outcomes. At treatment initiation, 1207 (63.5%) patients had impaired or no insight into their condition. Level of insight significantly modified the efficacy of treatment by mean change score (P = 0.039), response rate (P = 0.033), and remission rate (P = 0.043), with greater improvement in patients with more impaired insight. We therefore recommend that patients experiencing acute mania should be treated immediately and not be delayed until patients regain insight.

  12. Parental insightfulness and parenting behavior: a two-dimensional analysis of parent contributions to child cognitive outcomes.

    PubMed

    Gomez, Jessie A; Carter, Alice S; Forbes, Danielle; Gray, Sarah A O

    2018-06-01

    Utilizing a two-dimensional model of parenting emphasizing both (1) proximity seeking and (2) exploration, consistent with a conceptual framework rooted in attachment theory, the relations between parental insightfulness, observed parenting, and child cognitive outcomes were investigated in a low-income sample of 64 of caregivers and their young 3-5-year-old children. Specifically, observed parental sensitivity (proximity seeking) and intrusiveness (exploration) and parental insightfulness assessed dimensionally to capture Positive Insight and Focus on Child were examined in relation to child cognitive outcomes. Parental intrusiveness was negatively correlated with cognitive performance; however, parental sensitivity was not associated with child cognitive outcomes. Parents' capacity to remain child-focused during the Insightfulness Assessment was negatively correlated with observed intrusiveness and was associated with child cognitive performance. These results suggest unique contributions of dimensions of parental insightfulness and parenting behaviors to child cognitive outcomes - specifically, parents' capacity to remain focused on children's experience during the Insightfulness Assessment and nonintrusive parenting behavior, which may reflect strategies to support children's exploration.

  13. Caregiver Insightfulness and Young Children’s Violence Exposure: Testing a Relational Model of Risk and Resilience

    PubMed Central

    Gray, Sarah A. O.; Forbes, Danielle; Briggs-Gowan, Margaret; Carter, Alice S.

    2016-01-01

    This study employed a relational post-traumatic stress frame to explore the co-contribution of young children’s exposure to violence and caregiver insightfulness on child behavioral outcomes in a high-risk, non-referred sample of caregivers and preschoolers (n = 64; mean age 3.83 years, SD = .77). Caregiver insightfulness did not have a main effect on child outcomes but did moderate the relation between violence exposure and child behavior across all observed outcomes. Violence-exposed children with non-insightful caregivers demonstrated higher caregiver-rated internalizing and externalizing behaviors and observer-rated negative affect than all other groups. Among children not exposed to violence, insightfulness was not related to children’s behavior problems or negative affect, suggesting violence-specific processes. Though cross-sectional, results suggest that the effects of violence and caregiver insightfulness on child outcomes are contingent on one another and that caregiver insightfulness may play a protective role in contexts of violence. PMID:26503175

  14. Cross-cultural psychometric assessment of the VAGUS insight into psychosis scale - Spanish version.

    PubMed

    de León, Patricia Ponce; Gerretsen, Philip; Shah, Parita; Saracco-Alvarez, Ricardo; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel; Fresán, Ana

    2018-01-01

    Impaired insight into illness, a core feature of schizophrenia with negative clinical implications, is a multidimensional phenomenon existing on a continuum. However, the degree to which illness perception in distinct cultures influences the appraisal of insight into illness in schizophrenia remains unclear. As such, we aimed to determine if the psychometric properties of the VAGUS insight into psychosis scale (www.vagusonline.com), which was originally assessed in English speaking Canadians, were similar in a sample of Latino Mexican Spanish speaking patients with schizophrenia. To accomplish this, the VAGUS - Self-Report (SR) version was translated from English to Spanish and psychometrically evaluated in 95 participants. The Spanish version of the VAGUS-SR was internally consistent (ᾳ = 0.713), and demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity with the subscales of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Factor analysis identified two components of insight, congruent with two of the components of the English version of the VAGUS-SR. In conclusion, the VAGUS-SR is a brief, novel, and valid measure of insight into illness in schizophrenia, which demonstrated similar psychometric properties in two culturally and linguistically distinct samples with schizophrenia. Future studies should assess whether the VAGUS demonstrates similar psychometric properties in non-Western cultures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Therapeutic alliance in schizophrenia: the role of recovery orientation, self-stigma, and insight.

    PubMed

    Kvrgic, Sara; Cavelti, Marialuisa; Beck, Eva-Marina; Rüsch, Nicolas; Vauth, Roland

    2013-08-30

    The present study examined variables related to the quality of the therapeutic alliance in out-patients with schizophrenia. We expected recovery orientation and insight to be positively, and self-stigma to be negatively associated with a good therapeutic alliance. We expected these associations to be independent from age, clinical symptoms (i.e. positive and negative symptoms, depression), and more general aspects of relationship building like avoidant attachment style and the duration of treatment by the current therapist. The study included 156 participants with DSM-IV diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in the maintenance phase of treatment. Therapeutic alliance, recovery orientation, self-stigma, insight, adult attachment style, and depression were assessed by self-report. Symptoms were rated by interviewers. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that more recovery orientation, less self-stigma, and more insight independently were associated with a better quality of the therapeutic alliance. Clinical symptoms, adult attachment style, age, and the duration of treatment by current therapist were unrelated to the quality of the therapeutic alliance. Low recovery orientation and increased self-stigma might undermine the therapeutic alliance in schizophrenia beyond the detrimental effect of poor insight. Therefore in clinical settings, besides enhancing insight, recovery orientation, and self-stigma should be addressed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Do psychosis patients with poor insight show implicit awareness on the emotional stroop task?

    PubMed

    Wiffen, Benjamin D R; O'Connor, Jennifer A; Russo, Manuela; Falcone, M Aurora; Joseph, Candice; Kolliakou, Anna; Di Forti, Marta; Murray, Robin M; David, Anthony S

    2014-01-01

    The insight into psychosis can be assessed reliably by clinicians from interviews with patients. However, patients may retain implicit awareness of illness while lacking explicit awareness. In a sample of first-episode psychosis patients, we used a test of processing of mental illness-related and other negative words as a measure of implicit awareness to see how this varied in relation to insight. An emotional-counting Stroop task tested reaction times to words of three types: psychosis-related (e.g. 'crazy'), general negative (e.g. 'cancer') and neutral (e.g. 'oyster'). Data were available from 43 patients and 23 healthy controls. Patients' insight was assessed using the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight (SAI-E). Patients reacted slower than controls to words across all conditions, and both patients and controls reacted slower to salient and negative words than neutral words. There was a near significant interaction between word type and group (Wilks' lambda = 0.53, p = 0.055); patients experienced greater interference from negative rather than psychosis-related words (p = 0.003), and controls experienced greater interference from salient rather than negative words (p = 0.01). Within the patient group, there was a correlation between insight and interference on salient words (r = 0.33, p = 0.05), such that those with less insight experienced less interference on psychosis-related words. Psychosis-related words were less threatening and less self-relevant to psychosis patients with less insight. This suggests that the lack of awareness such patients have of their illness is genuine and more likely to be mediated by lower-level information processing mechanisms than strategies such as conscious, motivated denial. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  17. An integrative model of the impairments in insight in schizophrenia: emerging research on causal factors and treatments.

    PubMed

    Vohs, Jenifer L; George, Sunita; Leonhardt, Bethany L; Lysaker, Paul H

    2016-10-01

    Poor insight, or unawareness of some major aspect of mental illness, is a major barrier to wellness when it interferes with persons seeking out treatment or forming their own understanding of the challenges they face. One barrier to addressing impaired insight is the absence of a comprehensive model of how poor insight develops. To explore this issue we review how poor insight is the result of multiple phenomena which interfere with the construction of narrative accounts of psychiatric challenges, rather than a single social or biological cause. Expert commentary: We propose an integrative model of poor insight in schizophrenia which involves the interaction of symptoms, deficits in neurocognition, social cognition, metacognition, and stigma. Emerging treatments for poor insight including therapies which focus on the development of metacognition are discussed.

  18. Gestures and Insight in Advanced Mathematical Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoon, Caroline; Thomas, Michael O. J.; Dreyfus, Tommy

    2011-01-01

    What role do gestures play in advanced mathematical thinking? We argue that the role of gestures goes beyond merely communicating thought and supporting understanding--in some cases, gestures can help generate new mathematical insights. Gestures feature prominently in a case study of two participants working on a sequence of calculus activities.…

  19. Atopic Dermatitis According to GARP: New Mechanistic Insights in Disease Pathogenesis.

    PubMed

    Nousbeck, Janna; Irvine, Alan D

    2016-12-01

    In complex disease such as atopic dermatitis, the journey from identification of strong risk loci to profound functional and mechanistic insights can take several years. Here, Manz et al. have elegantly deciphered the mechanistic pathways in the well-established 11q13.5 atopic dermatitis risk locus. Their genetic and functional insights emphasize a role for T regulatory cells in atopic dermatitis pathogenesis. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Neurocognition, Insight into Illness and Subjective Quality-of-Life in Schizophrenia: What is Their Relationship?

    PubMed Central

    Kurtz, Matthew M.; Tolman, Arielle

    2010-01-01

    Subjective quality-of-life (SQOL) has been recognized as a crucial domain of outcome in schizophrenia treatment, and yet its determinants are not well understood. In a recent meta-analytic investigation of 10 studies of neurocognition and SQOL in schizophrenia (Tolman & Kurtz, Scz Bull, in press) measures of crystallized verbal ability and processing speed were moderately negatively correlated with SQOL. One potential explanation for inverse relationships between measures of elementary neurocognition and SQOL is that higher levels of cognition may serve as a proxy for better insight into the illness, and better consequent recognition of illness-related functional impairment. This study sought to determine whether: (1) symptoms, neurocognitive variables, and insight into illness influence SQOL; and, (2) whether insight mediated or moderated a relationship between elementary neurocognitive function and SQOL. Seventy-one stabilized clients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were administered a neuropsychological test battery, symptom and subjective quality-of-life measures. Elementary neuropsychological measures of crystallized verbal ability, attention and working memory, and problem-solving were all inversely related to SQOL. Insight into illness and depression severity, but not positive and negative symptoms, were also inversely related to SQOL. Insight was not found to mediate or moderate any of the relationships between elementary neurocognition and SQOL. Taken together, these findings suggest that neurocognition and insight into illness have inverse relationships to SQOL and that elementary neurocognition does not influence SQOL through its link with illness insight. PMID:21211943