bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Endocrinology and the psychiatrist
Authors: Breathnach Caoimhghin 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjective:Exegetic review of the three areas of common interest to the endocrinologist and the psychiatrist.Method:Literature review through Science Citation Index and references in BMJ, Lancet, Nature, and Science.Findings:Psychiatric symptoms, specific in each condition, may develop in the course of a classical endocrinopathy. Though introduced as a possible diagnostic aid, titration of the hypothalamico-pituitary control of the adrenal and thyroid glands has proved to be a useful research strategy and possible prognostic indicator in affective disorders. Growth in our knowledge of the behaviour effects, distribution, function and pathophysiology of neuropeptides during the last two decades opens a magic casement on their potential value in neuropsychiatric theory and therapy.Conclusion:The psychiatrist ignores endocrinology at his peril, as does the endocrinologist psychiatry, especially in regard to the emerging role of peptides in neuromodulation.
Do cases of neuroleptic malignant syndrome cluster?
Authors: Huckle Phil , Kellam Alexander , Williams Peter , Tanaghow Amgad , Lloyd Alan 
Published: March 2016

AbstractNeuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) is a rare but potentially fatal reaction to neuroleptic medication. Both the incidence and aetiology of the NMS are matters of considerable controversy. We present a clustering of cases of NMS in a distinct geographical area in South Wales. Five cases were reported in an eight month period in 1990 and more recently, a second cluster of three cases occurred in a three week period in November, 1991. We discuss some of the possible explanations for this apparent “epidemic” of cases in South Wales.
A new developmental epidemiology of schizophrenia: the HRB Schizophrenia Research Unit, 1991-92, and contemporary perspectives of the disease
Authors: Waddington John L , Larkin Conall 
Published: March 2016

AbstractGeneral aspects of research funding in the biomedical sciences are briefly discussed and some specific issues of policy considered, as they relate particularly to the Health Research Board's Unit strategy. The origins, objectives and workings of the Board's Schizophrenia Research Unit are elaborated, in relation to contemporary perspectives of this illness as a neuro-developmental disorder, and the extent of progress made over it's first year of operation is outlined. It is argued that the ‘neurodevelopmental hypothesis’ now has substantial foundations; it provides an important conceptual focus, both for the field in general and for the Health Research Board's Schizophrenia Research Unit in particular.
Childhood hallucinations in the context of parental psychopathology: two case reports
Authors: Cryan Elizabeth M J , Ganter Kathleen 
Published: March 2016

AbstractThree children who experienced hallucinations in two single-parent families are described. The children's symptoms subsided when the families were treated using a family therapy approach. This report highlights the need for mental health professionals to be aware of the possible response of children to parental psychopathology.
Primary care based psychiatric clinics: observations on a one year cohort of referrals
Authors: Cooper Stephen J , Gilliland Andrew , McGilloway Sinead , Doherty Michael , Cormac Elizabeth 
Published: March 2016

AbstractA one year cohort of referrals (n=178) to a primary care based psychiatric clinic in a large Health Centre is described. Fears that such a clinic might detract from treatment provided for psychotic patients seemed unfounded. Waiting time for assessment was short and patients were more likely to attend than at hospital based clinics. Admission rates were considerably reduced. Contact between patients and their general practitioner seems to continue at a high level even during psychiatric intervention but half of the “frequent attender” group cease contact. The pattern of attendance on follow-up suggests that many patients may receive unnecessarily long out-patient care.The evidence to date suggests that such clinics provide a useful service but other aspects of quality of care require evaluation.
Transsexualism in a Klinefelter male: a case report
Authors: Cryan Elizabeth M J , O'Donoghue Frank P 
Published: March 2016

AbstractWe report a Klinefelter male who presents requesting gender reassignment surgery. There may be a predisposition to gender dysphoria in Klinefelter's Syndrome, and in the case we describe, the perception of his symptoms as being of biological origin coupled with the unavailability of gender reassignment surgery in the Republic of Ireland has had a negative therapeutic effect.
The Hillsborough football stadium disaster: a single case study
Authors: Travers Raymond F , Baker Gus A 
Published: March 2016

AbstractExpectations for service provision following a disaster are understandably high but difficult to meet. This report considers the case of a patient with pre-morbid anxiety traits and asthma who suffered organic brain damage as a consequence of the Hillsborough Football Stadium disaster, whose care was reactive rather than proactive and resulted in his compulsory admission to a psychiatric hospital. Aftercare arrangements need to be anticipated in advance and should involve early psychiatric assessment of at-risk patients. Medical control of case management following disasters needs further clarification.
Medical audit in an elderly depressed cohort
Authors: Donnelly Peter 
Published: March 2016

AbstractMedical audit was carried out to evaluate drug therapy in a cohort of depressed patients admitted to a functional ward for the elderly. A retrospective case note study was carried out in 61 consecutive admissions with a diagnosis of depression. Seventeen of the 41 patients (41%) with a diagnosis of Manic Depressive Psychosis were not taking antidepressant medication on admission. Of the 11 patients who received Electroconvulsive Therapy seven (64%) did so under Section 3 of the Mental Health Act. Four of the 41 patients (10%) with a diagnosis of Manic Depressive Psychosis were not on prophylactic antidepressants or lithium on discharge. Seventeen of the patients (28%) were taking benzodiazepine hypnotics on admission, and 14 of these were discharged on the same type and dosage. There were no patients on more than one type of antidepressant or antipsychotic at any one time. These findings reflect deficiencies in the general practice and specialist treatment of depressive illness in an elderly cohort. The need for on-going audit in this at risk group is emphasized.
Deliberate self-harm: a comparison of first-time cases and cases with a prior history
Authors: Gupta Kamal , Sivakumar Kandiah , Smeeton Nigel 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjective: Eighty one patients admitted following deliberate self-harm were assessed using a semi-structured interview. The aim of the study was to compare clinical and social profiles of the 42 patients who had committed self harm for the first time with those of the 39 who had committed self harm in the past.Method: The patients were assessed jointly by a psychiatrist and either a community psychiatric nurse or a social worker. A description of past suicidal behaviour, socio demographic information, medical and psychiatric history were recorded. Suicide intent was assessed both from the clinical interview and rated objectively using Pierce's suicide intent scale. Psychiatric diagnoses were made using the ICD 9 classification.Results: The entire group had experienced difficulties in sustaining relationships. This problem was significantly more widespread in repeaters with increased use of physical violence in their relationship. More patients with a previous history claimed to have death wishes at the time of self harm, and asserted that they would harm themselves again compared with patients without a previous history. Clinical predictions regarding future self harming behaviour were in line with the patient's stated intentions.Conclusion: The persistent desire to commit self harm and more widespread relational difficulties amongst the patients with a previous history suggests a need for different treatment strategies and outcome measures for the two groups.
Oedipism and ocular self-mutilation
Authors: Hingorani Melanie , Singh Arun , Williams Hugh 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSelf-enucleation is a rare and disturbing form of self-mutilation. A case is reported in which a schizophrenic patient simultaneously attempted the three main forms of major self-mutilation, that is self-enucleation, amputation of the penis and of the right hand. The historical background, underlying psychiatric factors and possible complications are discussed.
Unfit to plead in Ireland
Authors: Hutchinson Lynn , O'Connor Art 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn Ireland patients who are found unfit to plead are automatically detained in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) at the pleasure of the court. The CMH is the only high security psychiatric hospital in the Republic of Ireland. There is no limit on the length of detention and no review system in place. We reviewed the case notes of all the prisoners admitted to the CMH since 1937 who were found unfit to plead. We identified 24 cases which included only one female. The mean age was 33.5 years. Nearly 25% had a criminal record and over 60% had a past psychiatric history. The primary diagnoses were schizophrenia (12), mental handicap (4), personality disorders (3), psychotic episode (2), dementia (2) and manic depression (1). The average length of stay in the CMH was 18 years. We review the situation in the UK and in the USA and we make recommendations about legislation.
Police referral of compulsory admissions — a comparison study
Authors: Doyle Harry , Delaney William 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjective: To determine the characteristics of compulsory admissions by the police and to compare them with compulsory admissions by other means. Method: A retrospective review over one year of the case records of 48 consecutive compulsory admissions after referral by the police was compared with 96 other randomly chosen compulsory referrals over the same period. Results: In both groups a majority had a chronic history of mental illness with frequent prior compulsory hospitalisation. Significant differences were found between the two groups with the police group more often younger, single, unemployed, males. They were also significantly more likely to suffer from schizophrenia and to have had their admission precipitated by behaviour of an assaultive nature, or by property offences, and on admission to spend a shorter period in hospital. Conclusions: It is suggested that at-risk case registers and the use of alternative emergency procedures will serve to lessen the need for police intervention with the mentally ill.
Patients formerly prescribed triazolam: a study in general practice
Authors: Holden John D 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjective: To discover whether patients who had formerly been prescribed triazolam continued to take psychotropic medication after its withdrawal.Method: 11 general practitioners provided details of the psychotropic medication of their patients who had previously been prescribed triazolam, 12 month after its withdrawal from Britain.Results: 70 of 91 patients (77%) were still taking regular hypnotics twelve months after the drug was withdrawn. Success at withdrawal was linked to lower doses of triazolam but did not depend upon age or sex.Conclusions: The withdrawal of triazolam resulted in a proportion of patients stopping hypnotics that is comparable with other interventions to reduce psychotropic consumption in general practice. Most patients continued to take hypnotics, which suggests that the withdrawal of a drug will usually lead to the substitution of a similar one when one is available.
Post-traumatic stress disorder in women who were victims of childhood sexual abuse
Authors: O'Neill Kevin , Gupta Kamal 
Published: March 2016

AbstractTwenty-six women who had been sexually abused in childhood were assessed by means of structured interviews as to the nature of the abusive experience and subsequent psychiatric disorder. Nineteen (73.1%) fulfilled the criteria of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a comparison was made between PTSD and non-PTSD groups with regard to quantitative abuse variables. The phenomenon of latency or delay in onset in PTSD symptomatology was investigated. The possible implications of those findings were discussed.
Motivation towards learning and behaviour deviance in eight to eleven year old children attending an urban primary school
Authors: O'Regan Sylvia , Fitzgerald Michael , Kinsella Anthony 
Published: March 2016

AbstractMotivation towards learning was assessed in a class of 3rd, 4th and 5th standard, using a self report scale. Results for children identified as behaviourally deviant were compared with those of their non-disturbed peers. The findings show no significant difference on motivational scores between both groups; behaviourally deviant children differing from their non-disturbed peers only on an informational subscale of judgment.
Wernicke
Authors: Breathnach Caoimhghin S 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCarl Wernicke [1848-1905] gave the first description of sensory aphasia [1874] and of ophthalmoplegic encephalopathy [1881]. In addition, his notion of ‘Sejunction’ [1894] foreshadowed Bleuler's ‘schizophrenia [1908], and he may be justly said to have been the first successful organic neuropsychiatrist.
Positron emission tomography in the study of neuropsychiatric disorders – its uses and potential
Authors: Dolan Raymond J 
Published: March 2016

AbstractPET represents the most powerful tool available for the measurement of in-vivo brain function. The basic principles of the technique and its application to the study of brain energy metabolism and neuroreceptor function are described by reference to findings from clinical studies of cerebral metabolism in neurological and psychiatric disorders. The extension of such resting state investigations by the application of activation paradigms in dynamic studies is discussed. The potential of PET as a tool to investigate neuroreceptor function is outlined in the context of preliminary findings from studies of dopaminergic function in schizophrenic patients.
Caffeine use by psychiatric patients
Authors: Dalby J. Thomas , Williams Richard 
Published: March 2016

AbstractCaffeine remains the most widely used psychoactive drug and psychiatric populations tend to ingest more caffeine than the general community. It is important to assess caffeine intake in psychiatric patients as it may distort diagnostic signs and is known to interact with psychotropic medications. A blanket condemnation of caffeine use by psychiatric patients is, however, unwarrranted for while it may exacerbate some conditions (eg. anxiety disorders) it may prove beneficial to others (eg. schizophrenics) when used in moderate quantities. A scale for the estimation of caffeine intake is provided.
Deaths in the Central Mental Hospital
Authors: Stokes Marjorie , O'Connor Art 
Published: March 2016

AbstractAll deaths occurring in the in-patient population of the Central Mental Hospital during the period 1963 to 1987 inclusive were examined. The death rate during the total period was 11.7 per 1,000 admissions. The suicide rate during the total period was 3.9 per 1,000 admissions – there had been no suicides during the most recent five year period. Although the admission rate has been rising since the mid-1970s, the death rate over the last fifteen years has remained stable.Many of the deaths prior to 1970 were in elderly long stay patients who died from natural causes. Five deaths in young patients are described separately – in two of these anticholinergic side effects of medication may have contibuted to the deaths. Seven suicides occcuring during the study period are described separately – four of these occurred in the months soon after admission.
Validation of Language Localisation by Computer Assisted Tomographic and Topographic Techniques
Authors: Breathnach C. S. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractComputerized tomographic procedures have been used extensively since their introduction to examine specific language disabilities in aphasic patients and to correlate anatomical and clinical changes. The resulting overwhelming evidence in favour of lateralisation and localisation has been confirmed by regional blood flow studies and punctate electrical stimulation as well as by the topographic maps provided by neurometries. That specific lexical functions are localised within the peri-Sylvian cortex in the left cerebral hemisphere is now generally accepted, but the macroscopic mapping, which largely ignores the contribution of the ipsilateral thalamus and possibly of the basal nuclei, must not be mistaken for the language encoding processes in the parallel pathways which have been identified.
Telephone consultancy in adolescent psychiatry: an audit
Authors: Sheerin Declan Finnian 
Published: March 2016

AbstractObjective: An audit was carried out to evaluate the performance of a telephone consultancy service in adolescent psychiatry. Its objective was to answer the following questions: What does a telephone consultancy service actually do? Is it worth having? If so, how can we improve it? Method: Proforma data sheets on 69 consecutive calls to the Telephone Consultancy Service over a 16-month period were analysed. Results: Seventy-seven percent of enquirers used the service to request a referral or to ask about the appropriateness of referral but only 46% of enquiries were responded to in this way. Twenty-two percent of enquiries were given counselling or advice on how to proceed with the cases themselves. Almost 50% of calls came from the social work department and they enquired principally about conduct problems (27% of their calls) and sexual abuse victims (18% of their calls). General practitioners infrequently used the service (7 calls over a 16-month period). Conclusions: These findings appear to indicate that a telephone consultancy service can provide a counselling service and highlight community resources that may be overlooked by other agencies. However, infrequent use of the service by general practitioners suggests that there has been poor dissemination of information about the service – therefore it is important to bolster awareness of the service itself on a periodic basis amongst potential users.
Suicide in schizophrenia
Authors: Cannon Mary , Buckley Peter , Larkin Conall 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSuicide is recognised as the most devastating possible outcome of a schizophrenic illness. This study examined the characteristics of 15 schizophrenic patients who committed suicide. These patients were older and less socially isolated than noted in other research. Drowning was the commonest method of suicide and overall, the methods chosen were comparable to those reported among the general Irish population. A past history of deliberate self harm was common although no temporal relationship between such behaviour and suicide emerged. The findings are discussed in the light of the existing literature on this topic.
Time series regression results of suicide rates by social correlates for the USA and Northen Ireland
Authors: Lester David , Curran Peter S , Yang Bijou 
Published: March 2016

A time series analysis of suicide in Northen Ireland and the USA for 1960 to 1984 revealed different correlates. Whereas divorce rates predicted national suicide rates in the USA, birth and marriage rates predicted suicide rates in Northern Ireland.The major sociological theory proposed for understanding variations in national suicide rates was that of Durkheim. Durkheim proposed that two broad social characteristics were in large part responsible for the appearance of suicidal behaviour: social integration, the degree to which the people in a society were interconnected through social relationships, and social regulation, the degree to which the emotions and desires of people in the society were controlled and channeled by the social norms and customs.Durkheim argued that suicide would be common when social integration was very strong (altruistic suicide) or very weak (egoistic suicide) and when social regulation was very strong (fatalistic suicide) or very weak (anomic suicide). Later theorists have argued that Durkheim placed more emphasis than was warranted on very strong social integration and regulation. Johnson argued, for example, that suicide would be more common when social integration and regulation were weak.
St. Clare's and St. Louise's child sexual abuse assessment units: an analysis of their origin, function and work practices
Authors: Ryan Imelda , Fitzpatrick Carol 
Published: March 2016

AbstractSt. Clare's Unit, in the Children's Hospital, Temple Street, and St. Louise's Unit, in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, were set up by the Department of Health in Dublin in 1987 to carry out child sexual abuse assessments. Each unit is staffed by multidisciplinary teams and works closely with Community Care teams, the Gardaí, and treatment agencies. Assessment involves gathering information from referrers, the parents and the child at interview, and from physical examination. The information obtained is interpreted in context, and conclusions are based on the composite picture.Analysis of the first two years' work shows that sexual abuse was confirmed in approximately half the cases seen, the abuser being known to the child and within the child's family or community network in the majority of cases.As more professionals become trained in child sexual abuse assessment it is envisaged that more cases will be managed at local level, with perhaps more complex cases being referred to the units. This will enable unit staff to further develop a role in consultation, education, training and research.
Male prison transfers to the Central Mental Hospital, a special hospital (1983–1988)
Authors: O'Connor Art , O'Neill Helen 
Published: March 2016

AbstractDuring the course of imprisonment, whether on remand or when serving a sentence, people sometimes need to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital. In Ireland the only psychiatric hospital a person can be transferred to is the Central Mental Hospital (CMH).We describe 627 prison transfers to the CMH between 1983 and 1988. The number each year varied from 99 in 1983 to 127 in 1988. The percentage on remand varied from 49% in 1984 to 31% in 1987 and 1986. The average age of sentenced prisoners was 28 years and 35 years in the case of those on remand. The diagnostic categories were as follows: Schizophrenia (31%), Reactive Depression (23%), Personality Disorder (25%), Mania (5%), Drug and Alcohol (8%) and Mental Handicap (4%). The longest average stay in the hospital was seven weeks for Mania and the shortest was three weeks for Reactive Depression. The largest proportion on remand was for Mania (79%) followed by Schizophrenia (58%). We make recommendations about legislation and the role of the catchment area psychiatric hospital.
The North Dublin Old Age Psychiatry service — survey of patients referred in the first six months
Authors: Wrigley Margo M. , Gannon Miriam A. 
Published: March 2016

AbstractIn Ireland, the demographic pressure of greater numbers of elderly people surviving longer with an attendant increase in the prevalence of dementia and depression compounded by the running down of old mental hospitals and the closure of smaller general hospitals has provoked debate on the need for Old Age Psychiatry (Psychogeriatric) Services.The first Old Age Psychiatry service in the Republic of Ireland started in North Dublin in January 1989. Detailed information on all referrals (173) assessed in the first six months of operation was collected and is presented. The findings are discussed in the context of the stated government policy of caring for the elderly within the community setting.