bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Italian version of the organic brain syndrome and the depression scales from the CARE: evaluation of their performance in geriatric institutions
Authors: Spagnoli Alberto , Foresti Giovanni , Macdonald Alastair , Williams Paul 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe Organic Brain Syndrome (OBS) and the Depression (D) scales derived from the Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation (CARE) were translated into Italian and used in a survey of geriatric institutions in Milan. During the survey validity and reliability tests of the scales were conducted.Inter-rater reliability (total score weighted kappa) was highly satisfactory for both scales (0·96 for OBS and 0·83 for D scale). Reliability was assessed three times during the survey and showed good stability for both scales, with a slight but significant trend towards reduction over time for the D scale. Reliability of the D scale was significantly lower when the subjects interviewed scored highly on the OBS scale (severe cognitive impairment).Criterion validity was highly satisfactory both for the OBS scale (cut-off point 4/5: sensitivity 77%, specificity 96%, positive predictive value 91%) and the D scale (cut-off point 10/11: sensitivity 95%, specificity 92%, positive predictive value 84%).Results are discussed with special reference to longitudinal assessment of reliability, the choice of the cut-off point, and the context-dependent properties of questionnaires.
Psychiatric disorder in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus attending a general hospital clinic: (i) two-stage screening and (ii) detection by physicians
Authors: Wilkinson G. , Borsey D. Q. , Leslie P. , Newton R. W. , Lind C. , Ballinger C. B. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisTwo-stage screening for psychiatric disorder was carried out with a sample of 99 male and 95 female outpatients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, using the General Health Questionnaire and the Clinical Interview Schedule. The estimated prevalence of psychiatric disorder in this sample was 18%: only 28% of the psychiatric morbidity so identified was detected by physicians. In contrast, physicians rated 10% of the sample as psychiatric ‘cases’ using a simple 6-point scale.
The effect of the dopamine agonist, apomorphine, on regional cerebral blood flow in normal volunteers
Authors: Grasby P. M. , Friston K. J. , Bench C. J. , Cowen P. J. , Frith C. D. , Liddle P. F. , Frackowiak R. S. J. , Dolan R. J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisApomorphine, a non-selective dopamine agonist, has been used as a pharmacological probe for investigating central dopaminergic neurotransmission in psychiatric illness. In this study repeated measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were made in normal volunteers before, and after, the administration of apomorphine (5 or 10 μg/kg), or placebo. The difference in rCBF, before and after drug (apomorphine versus placebo), was used to identify brain areas affected by apomorphine. Compared to placebo, both doses of apomorphine increased blood flow in the anterior cingulate cortex. Apomorphine 10 μg/kg also increased prefrontal rCBF (right > left). No decreases in rCBF were noted following either dose of apomorphine. Apomorphine-induced increases of anterior cingulate blood flow might serve as an in vivo index of central dopamine function. Such an approach would complement established neuroendocrine challenge paradigms for investigating central dopamine neurotransmission in psychiatric illness.
Clinically diagnosed presenile dementia of the Alzheimer type in the Northern Health Region: ascertainment, prevalence, incidence and survival
Authors: Newens A. J. , Forster D. P. , Kay D. W. K. , Kirkup W. , Bates D. , Edwardson J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisPotential cases of presenile dementia of the Alzheimer type (PDAT) in the Northern Health Region (estimated population aged 45–64, 655800) were ascertained for the years 1979–86 from in-patient ICD-9 codes and other sources. An algorithm was applied to the casenote information to distinguish between Alzheimer-type and other forms of dementia. A search of the NHS central register was made to establish date and place of death. Estimates were made for patients with missing case records. The point prevalence rate for PDAT was estimated as 34·6 per 100000 with an annual incidence of 7·2 per 100000 in the 45–64 age range. These rates are compared with those reported in other studies. Five-year survival following diagnosis for incident cases of PDAT was 64% with a longevity quotient (LQ), the percentage of expected time actually survived, of 69%. There was no evidence of a more malignant course in PDAT when compared with survival in older patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) in other studies. Sixty-six per cent of deaths occurred in hospital, 19% at home and 15% in residential homes.
Setting the scene for eating disorders: childhood care, classification and course of illness
Authors: Schmidt Ulrike , Tiller Jane , Treasure Janet 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe aim of this study was to determine whether the childhood experiences of patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa differ and affect the course of the illness. A semistructured interview developed by Harris et al. (1986) was used to assess the childhood family environment of 64 patients with restricting anorexia nervosa (RAN), 23 patients with bulimic anorexia nervosa (BAN), 37 bulimic patients with a history of anorexia nervosa (BN/HistAN) and 79 patients with normal weight bulimia nervosa (BN).There were no significant differences between groups in terms of parental mental disorder, low parental control or childhood sexual abuse. BN patients had had significantly more family arrangements and had experienced more parental indifference, excessive parental control, physical abuse, and violence against other family members than RAN patients with the BAN and BN/HistAN group being intermediate. There was a trend for BN-patients to have had more intra-familial discord than the other groups. Different aspects of adversity tended to cluster in the same patients and 65% of the bulimic group had experienced two or more types of childhood adversity. These results suggest that childhood experiences contribute to the form of eating disorder which later develops.
Inter-rater and temporal reliability of the Standardized Assessment of Personality and the influence of informant characteristics
Authors: Pilgrim J. A. , Mellers J. D. , Boothby H. A. , Mann A. H. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe Standardized Assessment of Personality (SAP) is a short, semi-structured interview designed to be used with an informant of the patient. The informants of 52 patients were interviewed separately by two raters for an inter-rater reliability study. The overall level of agreement was excellent, kappa = 0·76, with a range between 0·60 and 0·82 for the individual categories of personality disorder. For a temporal reliability study, the relatives of 77 patients were interviewed. The overall level of agreement was good, kappa = 0·65, with a range between 0·54 and 0·79 for individual categories. Characteristics of informants whose reports were rated with greater levels of reliability were female gender and greater length of acquaintance with the patient.
Diazepam alters brain 5-HT function in man: implications for the acute and chronic effects of benzodiazepines
Authors: Nutt D. J. , Cowen P. J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe effect of diazepam on brain 5-HT-mediated neuroendocrine responses was studied in healthy male volunteers. An acute dose of diazepam (15 mg) significantly attenuated the prolactin and growth hormone responses to intravenous L-tryptophan. After 3 weeks administration of diazepam (25 mg/d) these responses had returned to normal despite much higher plasma diazepam concentrations, suggesting that tolerance had occurred. A reduction in brain 5-HT function may underlie some of the acute therapeutic actions of benzodiazepines. It is possible that excessive ‘rebound’ 5-HT activity may contribute to the abstinence syndrome seen on benzodiazepine withdrawal.
Diagnoses of dementia and depression: a latent trait analysis of their performance
Authors: Grayson D. A. , Henderson A. S. , Kay D. W. K. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisFour diagnostic systems for dementia and depression are compared on a community sample of 274 subjects. They are: DSM-III, Gurland's system, AGECAT and a clinician's ratings. These are compared, not in the usual terms of prevalence rates and cross-tabulations of diagnostic categories, but by examining the performance of each system in terms of hypothetical, continuously distributed traits underlying the symptoms of dementia and depression, as in the latent trait model described by Duncan-Jones et al. (1986). Each diagnosis is characterized by the level of severity (threshold) at which it operates, and its accuracy. Evidence is given to support a dimensional view of dementia.
Physical and psychological correlates of severe heart disease in men
Authors: Bass Christopher , Akhras Fawaz 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisSeventy eight men were assessed one month before coronary artery bypass graft surgery using standardized measures of psychiatric morbidity and personality as well as a measure of emotional expression (the CECS). All patients had at least one coronary vessel occluded by 75% or more of its diameter, and functional capacity was assessed by calculating the exercise treadmill time (in seconds) for each patient.Most of the variance in exercise treadmill time was accounted for by the following variables: young age, short duration of symptoms, and less severe angina. Only one in five men was designated a psychiatric ‘case’. The only psychological measure significantly associated with atherosclerosis was expression of fear (on the CECS). A measure of Type A behaviour (Bortner score) was related to exercise treadmill time, but not to any of the angiographic or clinical indices of coronary heart disease (CHD).Like other measures of Type A behaviour, the Bortner scale is psychometrically impure and has doubtful validity. More valid behavioural variables (such as those measured by the CECS) require further investigation. Future studies on the relation between psychological factors and the extent of CHD should take account of not only sex differences but also patients without significant CHD: high rates of psychiatric morbidity in such patients confound the relation between psychological trait measures and atherosclerosis.
Dimensions of social insecurity and their relation to coronary-prone behaviour in college undergraduates
Authors: Yarnold Paul R. , Bryant Fred B. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisResearch suggests that Type A behaviour and ‘social insecurity’ (SI) may represent independent additive task factors for coronary disease. Research examining SI and Type A behaviour, however, has not rigorously evaluated the structure of the SI scale. The present study examined the structure of a previously used eight-item SI scale, and its relation to a questionnaire measure of Type A (the student Jenkins Activity Survey), for a sample of 504 undergraduates. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of responses to the SI items revealed a three-factor solution was most appropriate for Type As, and a two-factor solution for Type Bs. For both As and Bs, the first factor reflected insecurity regarding one's own capabilities and worth (self-specific insecurity), and the second factor reflected insecurity specific to a group or social context (group-specific insecurity). A third factor emerging only for Type As reflected insecurity regarding others' capabilities (other-directed insecurity). Semipartial correlations revealed Type A total score was marginally negatively related to group-specific insecurity and marginally positively related to other-directed insecurity, corroborating previous angiographic and prospective medical research. The hard-driving/competitive subscale was significantly negatively related to self-specific insecurity, supporting evidence regarding Type A and interpersonal dominance, competitiveness, and aggression.
Gender and mortality in schizophrenia: do women act like men?
Authors: Goldstein J. M. , Santangelo S. L. , Simpson J. , Tsuang M. T. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe effect of gender on mortality was explored for a sample of DSM-III diagnosed schizophrenics followed for up to 42 years. The data for 332 cases and 304 matched normal controls were from the retrospective cohort family studies, the Iowa 500 and non-500. Survival analysis and Cox regression models were used to test the effects of gender, illness status and their interaction on the risks for natural and unnatural deaths. The control men experienced significantly more unnatural deaths than the control women, which was not found for schizophrenic men and women. The unnatural death rate among schizophrenic women was similar to the rate for schizophrenic and control men, and significantly higher than for control women during the early phase of the illness. Findings suggest that some factors that predict suicide may be similar for schizophrenic women and men.
Sex differences in minor psychiatric morbidity among three aboriginal groups in Taiwan: the effects of lineage
Authors: Cheng Tai Ann , Hsu Mutsu 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisSex differences in minor psychiatric morbidity (MPM) have been investigated among three aboriginal groups in Taiwan. The study included both ethnographic observation and a sample survey (N = 733) using a modified Clinical Interview Schedule. The findings lend support to the hypothesis that although a female excess of MPM will be found among the patrilineal group (the Bunun), the reverse will be observed in the matrilineal group (the Ami); no such difference will be found in the bilateral group (the Atayal). Further analysis revealed sex differences in the mean duration of MPM and similar incidence ratios between two sexes in these three groups. Possible sociocultural explanations are proposed.
Comorbidity and co-transmission of alcoholism, anxiety and depression
Authors: Merikangas K. R. , Risch N. J. , Weissman M. M. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThis paper applies data from a family study of depression to assess patterns of comorbidity and co-transmission of alcoholism, anxiety disorders, and major depression. We found that all three disorders were strongly transmissible; however, alcoholism demonstrated the greatest degree of familial aggregation. The pairwise associations among depression, anxiety and alcoholism indicated that the traits are co-transmitted in families, especially depression and anxiety. Individual associations between traits (or comorbidity) were entirely explained by transmitted (perhaps genetic) agents, because the correlations between traits due to random environment were not significant. These findings have important implications for treatment, psychiatric nosology, and aetiological investigations of these conditions.
GP consultation as a factor in the low rate of mental health service use by Asians
Authors: Wilson Mona , MacCarthy Brigid 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisPatients attending five Health Centres in areas of NW London with a high Asian population were asked to complete a questionnaire screening for non-psychotic psychiatric illness and to state why they had come to see their doctor. The GPs were also asked to rate the purpose of the consultation for those patients who scored above the cut-off point on the questionnaire. The screening questionnaire revealed equivalent rates of non-psychotic psychiatric morbidity in the White and Asian samples and no differences in the way their symptoms were presented. The differences that did emerge showed that Asian patients scoring above the cut-off for psychiatric caseness were more likely to state that they were consulting their GP about a physical problem and GPs were more likely to identify psychiatric morbidity in White than Asian patients who exceeded the cut-off threshold. The results suggest the possibility of an interaction between the ways in which patients experience and communicate psychological distress, their ethnic origin, and their GP's mode of responding.
Further reliability and validity studies of a procedure to assess the needs for care of the chronically mentally ill
Authors: Haaster I. Van , Lesage A. D. , Cyr M. , Toupin J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe Needs for Care Assessment Schedule (NFCAS; Brewin et al. 1987) is an itemized and systematic procedure that aims to evaluate the needs for care of long-term mentally ill patients. The present study pursues reliability and validity related issues with the NFCAS in a different cultural context applying the procedure to 98 severely mentally ill patients belonging to different patient groups: short-term, long-term, in-patient and out-patient.Inter-rater reliability was found to be excellent. The results suggest that a clinician with little practical experience and adequate training may effectively use the procedure. The assessment of clinical relevance suggested that the procedure is both applicable and pertinent to all the patients in the study. Additional guidelines were developed for its use with long-term in-patients.
The differential response of chronic fatigue, neurotic and muscular dystrophy patients to experimental psychological stress
Authors: Wood G. C. , Bentall R. P. , Gopfert M. , Dewey M. E. , Edwards R. H. T. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisA group of patients suffering from chronic fatigue (CF) attending a medical clinic were compared with a group of muscular dystrophy (MD) patients from the same clinic and a psychiatric control (PC) group who were attending a psychiatric unit. A checklist was used to assess the patients' subjective physical and psychological state before and after exposure to a psychological stressor. For both physical and psychological symptoms the CF group had the largest response, the PC group was intermediate, and the MD group had the least response. Explanations may involve physiological arousal and attentional focusing.
Sampling the form of inner experience in three adults with Asperger syndrome
Authors: Hurlburt R. T. , Happé F. , Frith U. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThree adults with Asperger syndrome were invited to talk about their inner experiences, using an experience sampling and interview technique. They reported thoughts primarily or solely in the form of images. By contrast, normal adults previously tested with this technique reported inner experiences of a variety of forms. The present report suggests the feasibility and potential interest of the experience sampling method with high-functioning individuals with autistic disorder.
Phenomenology, demography and diagnosis in late paraphrenia
Authors: Howard Robert , Almeida Osvaldo , Levy Raymond 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisOne hundred and one patients with late paraphrenia were examined using the Present State Examination. The established high prevalence rates of female gender, the unmarried state and sensory impairment were confirmed. All of the symptoms of schizophrenia, with the exception of formal thought disorder, were found in the subjects with approximately the same prevalence as reported in schizophrenics with a symptom onset in younger life. The presence of visual hallucinosis was significantly associated with visual impairment, but the same association was not found between auditory hallucinations and deafness. Mean age at onset of symptoms was high at 74·1 years. Using ICD-10 diagnostic criteria the patients were categorized as schizophrenia (61·4%), delusional disorder (30·7%) and schizoaffective disorder (7·9%). Patients in these diagnostic categories differed in their pre-morbid IQ estimations, current cognitive state measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination and in the number of scored positive psychotic PSE symptoms and their systematization of and preoccupation with delusions and hallucinations. There were no significant differences between the patients in the ICD-10 schizophrenia and delusional disorder groups in terms of age at symptom onset, sex ratio, response to treatment, being unmarried, the presence of insight or sensory impairment. The high degree of clinical similarity between patients with late paraphrenia combined with the inability of ICD-10 to define diagnostic subgroups that correspond to patient clusters derived from clinical symptoms or which are meaningfully different from each other in terms of demographic and prognostic factors provide a strong argument for the retention of late paraphrenia as the most appropriate diagnosis for such patients.
Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in schizophrenia during verbal memory activation: a 99mTc-HMPAO single photon emission tomography (SPET) study
Authors: Busatto G. F. , Costa D. C. , Ell P. J. , Pilowsky L. S. , David A. S. , Kerwin R. W. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisRegional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was investigated in a group of medicated DSM-III-R schizophrenic patients and age, sex and handedness matched normal volunteers using a split-dose 99mTc-HMPAO Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPET) protocol. Measures were taken during the performance of a verbal memory task aimed at activating the left medial temporal lobe, a region repeatedly suggested to be structurally abnormal in schizophrenia. In normal subjects, the performance of the task was associated with significant rCBF increases in the left medial temporal, left inferior frontal and anterior cingulate cortices, and right cerebellum. Despite their significantly poorer performance on the memory task, the degree of medial temporal activation measured in the schizophrenic patients was not significantly different from that found in the control group. This finding suggests that memory deficits in schizophrenia do not necessarily imply failure to activate the left medial temporal lobe as assessed by 99mTc-HMPAO SPET.
A survey of dementia in the Canberra population: experience with ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria
Authors: Henderson A. S. , Jorm A. F. , Mackinnon A. , Christensen H. , Scott L. R. , Korten A. E. , Doyle C. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisA community survey of 1045 persons aged 70 years and over was conducted to identify cases of dementia in the cities of Canberra and Queanbeyan. Cases were identified using the Canberra Interview for the Elderly, administered by lay interviewers. When diagnostic criteria were rigidly applied, the point prevalence of dementia in the combined sample of community and institutional residents was considerably lower by ICD-10 than by DSM-III-R. Both criteria showed a similar rise in prevalence with age, and no gender difference. Agreement between the two systems had a kappa of only 0·48. ‘Probable’ cases by either criteria were identified solely from respondent-provided information in order to include persons for whom no informant was available. The point prevalence of such ‘probable’ cases was more similar for the two systems, and the kappa coefficient of agreement rose to 0·80. Analysis of the various components required for a diagnosis of dementia showed that the prevalence of all increased with age. Components involving cognitive assessment were correlated with education, but other components were not. The results of the study point to important differences between ICD-10 and DSM-III-R diagnoses of dementia.