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The role of attention in the elimination of chronic, life‐threatening vomiting
Author(s) -
KELLY M. B.,
HEFFNER H. E.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1988.tb01433.x
Subject(s) - vomiting , anesthesia , medicine , pediatrics , body weight , psychology
. A 24‐year‐old retarded client, whose weight over 7 years had fallen from 130 pounds to 72 pounds due to vomiting, was being kept alive for 2 weeks by tube feeding. Behavioural treatment consisted of (a) 30 minutes of non‐contingent staff attention, (b) 2 minutes of no attention contingent on vomiting, and (c) a resulting 2‐minute delay in cleaning expelled vomitus. In 2 weeks, vomiting of 7 years history was reduced to zero. Through 2 months of follow‐up, vomiting remained at zero and weight increased to 97 pounds. The results support previous studies which suggested that vomiting may be reduced and eliminated by manipulating attention.