bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cerebral ventricular size in depressed subjects
Authors: Dolan R. J. , Calloway S. P. , Mann A. H. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisA computed tomographic study of 101 depressed patients and 52 normal control subjects is described. Increasing age and male sex were both associated with larger ventricular size in both patient and control groups. Controlling for these effects, the depressed patients had larger ventricles than the control subjects. In the patient group there was no association between ventricular size, course of illness or exposure to drug treatment or electroconvulsive therapy.
Densitometric analysis of scans: important sources of artefact
Authors: Jacobson R. R. , Turner S. W. , Baldy R. E. , Lishman W. A. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisComputed tomography (CT) research in psychiatry often relies on the assessment of minor structural changes. Recently, it has come to encompass changes in regional brain X-ray absorption density. The artefacts prone to be encountered in density measurements are reviewed, and illustrated by a series of studies carried out using a CT 1010 scanner. They are shown to be more important than hitherto assumed in the interpretation of CT scan research.
Clinical judgement and the standardized interview in psychiatry
Authors: Lewis Glyn , Williams Paul 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISThere has been little discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of allowing a psychiatrist to make clinical judgements about the presence or absence of symptoms in administering currently used standardized psychiatric interviews. This paper reports an examination of the value of clinical judgements in defining cases of minor psychiatric disorder, by studying existing data in which the Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS) was used. This comparison can be made because the first section of the CIS is largely self-report while interviewers are also instructed to use clinical judgement in the second section to decide on ratings. The results indicate that in the context of identifying minor psychiatric disorder the ratings requiring clinical judgement add little information to those based on self-report, may be less reliable and may lead to the biased assessment of anxiety and depression.
Classification of depression by grade of membership: a confirmation study
Authors: Davidson Jonathan R. T. , Woodbury Max A. , Zisook Sidney , Giller Earl L. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISOne hundred and thirty out-patients with depression were studied by grade of membership multivariate (GOM) analysis. Five depressive types were generated. Pure Type I represented a mild form of melancholia in older, stable males, who showed a modest drug response. Pure Type II included obsessive-anxious symptoms in older patients who responded well to an MAOI drug, but poorly to placebo. Pure Type III was a mildly symptomatic form of depression which responded well to placebo. Pure Type IV included features of agitation, mood worsening later in the day, anorexia and depersonalization; it was commonly precipitated by external stress and MAOI treatment was more effective than placebo. In Pure Type V depression, patients were mostly younger females with high levels of symptomatology, atypical vegetative symptoms, unstable life-styles, disadvantaged backgrounds and a poor response to MAOI and placebo. These results resemble in many ways our earlier GOM study of depression, as well as other multivariate studies of depression in the literature.
The reliability of diagnostic coding in psychiatric case registers
Authors: Sytema S. , Giel R. , Horn G. H. M. M. Ten , Balestrieri M. , Davies N. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISIn total, 103 cases were randomly selected from the Groningen, Nottingham and South Verona registers. Six raters (two in each of the register areas) were involved in coding these cases according to the ICD–9. In general, interrater agreement was satisfactory when codes were grouped into a limited number of categories. Nevertheless, considerable variation in agreement rates was found. We distinguished three steps in the diagnostic process. The selected logistic model showed that reliability is significantly affected in each step, but only substantial in the first where clinicians formulate a diagnosis.
The growth hormone response to insulin induced hypoglycaemia in alcoholics
Authors: Chalmers R. J. , Bennie E. H. , Johnson R. H. , Kinnell H. G. 
Published: July 2009

synopsisThe growth hormone response to insulin induced hypoglycaemia was studied in 7 alcoholic in-patients who had been abstinent for 2–11 days and in 10 normal controls. Blood samples were taken at intervals after the injection of soluble insulin (0·1 U/kg body weight). The growth hormone response was impaired in 4 of the alcoholics and the depression was not related to differences in blood glucose or plasma free fatty acids. The Cortisol response was also impaired in the alcoholics. We conclude that alcoholics observed after alcohol withdrawal may have a depression of hypothalamic/pituitary function.
The contribution of psychological features to the symptoms of treated hypertensive patients
Authors: Bulpitt C. J. , Dollery C. T. , Hoffbrand B. I. 
Published: July 2009

synopsisTwenty-seven symptoms of 859 treated hypertensive patients were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire and correlated with the depression (DEP), free-floating anxiety (FFA), phobic anxiety (PHO), obsessionality (OBS) and extraversion (HYS) scores of the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire. The psychological features were associated with 24 of the 27 symptoms, and the extent to 1which these measurements determined the presence of a symptom was calculated. DEP and FFA were correlated with most of the symptoms, PHO with weak limbs, blurred vision, slow walking pace, nocturia and a lessened interest in sex. HYS was positively associated with the frequency of sexual intercourse in men and negatively with complaints of dyspnoea, tingling in the limbs and a slow walking pace. OBS was only associated with diarrhoea.
Previous occupational stability as a predictor of employment after psychiatric rehabilitation
Authors: Watts Fraser N. , Bennett D. H. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisSeveral indices of occupational stability are discussed and the importance of controlling for age in assessing occupational stability emphasized. The ability of 6 indices to predict the stable resettlement of psychiatric patients at work after a course of rehabilitation was examined. Though mean job length was a significant predictor, indices based on change of occupation rather than change of job were more successful. Stable resettlement at work was related to how much time people had spent in long jobs but not to how little time they had spent in short jobs. The amount of unemployment during the 2 years before hospital admission predicted return to work immediately after discharge, but did not predict stable resettlement at work.
The rating of symptoms by a psychiatrist and a non-psychiatrist: a study of patients referred from general practice
Authors: Wing J. K. , Henderson A. S. , Winckle Margaret 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisA psychologist interviewing patients referred to the psychiatric service of a health centre rated twice as much morbidity, measured by total PSE score, as a psychiatrist interviewing equivalent patients. Scores on the self-rated GHQ showed no difference between the 2 groups. It is suggested that such differences could be avoided by giving careful attention to training interviewers.
Psychiatric aspects of pregnancy in schoolgirls: a review
Authors: Shaffer D. , Pettigrew A. , Wolkind S. , Zajicek E. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThis review has searched the literature to examine the hypothesis that illegitimate pregnancy in girls of school going age is an indicator of underlying psychopathology and, in particular, that pregnancy or sexual activity provide a form of gratification for otherwise deprived young girls. Surveys suggest that precocious sexual activity is more common in disadvantaged young teenagers and that pregnant schoolgirls are especially likely to come from large families, and to have unskilled parents. There is a suggestion that the younger groups of pregnant teenagers come from unsatisfactory home backgrounds. However, these conclusions are derived from inadequate studies and should be treated with caution.Relatively few sexually active teenagers use contraceptives but there is no evidence that this represents a subconscious intent to conceive and there is greater support for more straightforward explanations. There is a further suggestion that girls who continue with their pregnancy when the choice for termination is available are more disadvantaged than girls who obtain a termination, although the reasons for this association are not clear. Children born to very young mothers appear to do less well than children born to older mothers. However, it may be that this difference can be attributed to greater overall disadvantage in the younger group rather than to specific age related deficiencies in ‘mothering ability’.The problems of schoolgirl pregnancy are compounded by interruption of her schooling and early re-conception. There is evidence that these complications can be lessened by the provision of specially designed intervention programmes.
Brief Communication The movement of hostility during recovery from depression
Authors: Lyketsos G. C. , Blackburn Ivy M. , Tsiantis J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisSixteen depressed in-patients from a hospital in Athens were assessed using the Hamilton Rating Scale and the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire. Comparison of admission, discharge and mid-treatment scores showed that:(1) There was a larger drop in depression score in the first half of treatment.(2) Hostility scores, except for extrapunitiveness, decreased significantly over time, larger changes occurring in the first half of treatment.(3) Comparisons with British scores showed that during illness there were no significant differences between British and Greeks, though the latter tended to be more extrapunitive. At recovery, the Greeks were significantly more extrapunitive.The movement of hostility in depressive illness, the validity of the HDHQ and need for national norms are discussed.
Incidence of referred mental illness in Chichester and Salisbury
Authors: de Alarcón Jacqueline Grad , Sainsbury Peter , Costain W. Roy 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe annual rates of referral to two differently organized comprehensive psychiatric services in separate but demographically similar areas are presented for various demographic social and clinical categories. In Part 1 the rates are examined for similarities both between the two areas and with findings from other studies in order to obtain pointers to factors affecting the inception of psychiatric disorders. In Part 2 an attempt is made to evaluate an aspect of the community service. Differences between the rates in the two areas are discussed with a view to identifying those variables that selectively affect referral to a community service.
Social versus clinical prediction in minor psychiatric disorders
Authors: Huxley Peter , Goldberg David 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisFifty new psychiatric outpatients, suffering from minor disorders, were assessed using standardized social and clinical interview schedules. Forty-six were successfully followed-up six months later and their condition was assessed using a specially constructed rating scale. Social dysfunction in the area of the patient's material circumstances was the single most important predictive variable. Clinical predictions of outcome were shown to be closely related to the proportion of time the patient had been ill over the five years before inception.
Exposure in vivo of agoraphobics: contributions of diazepam, group exposure, and anxiety evocation
Authors: Hafner Julian , Marks Isaac 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisFifty-seven chronic agoraphobic outpatients were treated by 12 hours of exposure in vivo on four days over two weeks to check the effects of oral diazepam versus placebo during group exposure, group versus individual exposure, and high versus medium anxiety arousal during individual exposure. The controlled parallel design allowed comparative evaluation of each treatment condition to six months follow-up. Assessment was blind with respect to drug and psychological treatment. Patients in all treatment conditions improved significantly in phobias and in related life areas.Outcome to group exposure on phobias and other measures was similar in all three drug conditions (placebo, waning diazepam, peak diazepam) with no significant differences between them. Diazepam patients had significantly less discomfort than placebo patients during group exposure treatment. Group exposure patients improved slightly but significantly more than individual exposure patients on non-phobic measures, though group exposure was accompanied by more panics during treatment yet was easier to run by the therapist. Individual exposure under high anxiety arousal was no more therapeutic than with lower anxiety. Diazepam is a mild palliative during group exposure but does not facilitate outcome to treatment. Group exposure in vivo is mildly facilitatory for outcome compared with individual exposure. Anxiety evocation during treatment was not therapeutically helpful.
The prevalence of early childhood autism: comparison of administrative and epidemiological studies
Authors: Wing Lorna , Yeates Sybil R. , Brierley Lorna M. , Gould Judith 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe results of surveys and inquiries to identify autistic children, carried out in England and Wales, the U.S.A. and Denmark, are compared. Three studies, in each of which either a total population of children or a wide range of handicapped children was screened, using case-note inspection and interviews, all estimated the prevalence of the autistic syndrome to be between four and five children per 10,000 aged under 15 years. Inquiries that counted diagnosed cases only or that relied upon local authority records produced much lower prevalence rates for the autistic syndrome. The reasons for this are examined, and the implications for prevalence studies of handicapping conditions are discussed.
An investigation of psychological factors involved in the predisposition to auditory hallucinations
Authors: Slade P. D. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisPrevious research by the author (Slade, 1972, 1973) and others has suggested that psychological stress plays an important role in triggering off the experience of auditory hallucinations. Clearly, however, predispositional factors are involved as well. The present study is an attempt to investigate some of the psychological factors which may predispose the individual to such experiences. A battery of tests involving cognitive, personality and mental imagery variables and the verbal transformation effect was administered to two small groups of psychotic patients differing only in respect of a history of auditory hallucinations and a normal control group. The main conclusion was that the results lend direct support to the proposition of Mintz & Alpert (1972) that a combination of vivid mental imagery and poor reality-testing in the auditory modality provides the basic predisposition for the experience of auditory hallucinations.
Cortical evoked potentials and clinical rating scales as measures of depressive illness
Authors: Ashton H. , Golding J. F. , Marsh V. R. , Thompson J. W. , Hassanyeh F. , Tyrer S. P. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisRelationships between clinical ratings and cortical evoked potentials were examined before and during antidepressant drug treatment in 32 patients with major depressive disorder (DSM-III). Clinical rating scales included Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Beck Depression Inventory, Present State Examination (PSE) and Newcastle Scale. Evoked potentials included contingent negative variation (CNV), post-imperative negative variation (PINV) and auditory evoked potential (AEP) There were close correlations between all rating scales, and factor analysis produced only one component, suggesting that the common variance between them related to severity of depression. CNV magnitude before treatment correlated negatively with severity of depression regardless of diagnostic category. Depressed patients had a prominent PINV which persisted during antidepressant treatment. The amplitude of late components (N1P2) of the AEP was reduced strikingly in patients with a history of suicide attempts.
Recent clinical and epidemiological trends in parasuicide in Edinburgh and Oxford: a tale of two cities
Authors: Platt Stephen , Hawton Keith , Kreitman Norman , Fagg Joan , Foster Jean 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThis is a report of clinical and epidemiological trends in parasuicide in Edinburgh and Oxford over the period 1976 to 1984. Rates of parasuicide declined in both cities, but more markedly among women than men. Male rates tended to be higher in Edinburgh and female rates higher in Oxford. Age-specific rates were similar for the two cities in 1983–84, with peak rates for females among 15–19 year olds and those for males among 20–24 year olds in Edinburgh and 25–34 year olds in Oxford. Parasuicide incidence was higher in lower social class groups and among the unemployed in both cities. During the study period there was a massive decline in barbiturate overdoses, a more modest decline in minor tranquillizer overdoses but, in Oxford, a marked increase in self-poisoning with paracetamol. By the end of the study period the proportion of patients receiving a diagnosis of drug addiction had doubled in Edinburgh, although it had remained fairly constant in Oxford. There were differences in patterns of aftercare offered to patients in the two cities; these almost certainly reflect differing clinical policies.
Depressive thoughts in general practice attenders
Authors: Williams Paul , Skuse David 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisDepressive thoughts were commonly reported by a sample of patients attending a south London general practitioner. Their occurrence corresponded more closely with a psychiatrist's than the general practitioner's diagnosis of depression; a ‘scale’ composed of questions about depressive thinking discriminated well between depressed and non-depressed men, but was a much poorer discriminator in the women.
Distortion of body image in the obese: a sensory phenomenon
Authors: Gardner Rick M. , Martinez Renée , Espinoza Tracy , Gallegos Venice 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisBody weight in 42 obese and normal weight subjects was measured using a video TV monitor. Tasks included a continuous task where subjects manipulated the width of their body image on TV, and a discrete task, where they judged the accuracy of their TV image which was presented as either normal, too heavy, or too thin. Subjects rated their full body, body regions which included face, waist, and thighs, and two inanimate control objects. Results from the continuous task revealed that obese subjects overestimated body size more than normals. There was also a significant difference in the ratings of the four body regions, with all regions overestimated. Judgements were more accurate for body regions and control objects on ascending trials where the subjects had to increase the width of the image. No differences were obtained between obese and normals on judgements of the control objects. On the discrete discrimination task, a signal detection analysis revealed sensory sensitivity differences between obese and normal weight subjects. Obese subjects were poorer at detecting size distortions of the body regions. The thin/normal discrimination was more difficult than the heavy/normal discrimination. No response criterion differences were found between obese and control subjects, although subjects adopted a more strict criterion with the thin/normal discriminations. Implications of these findings for clinical intervention in eating disorders are discussed.
The assessment of Type A behaviour pattern: results from a spouse-report approach
Authors: Condon John T. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisEvidence is summarized suggesting that existing self-report questionnaires for the assessment of Type A behaviour pattern suffer from major methodological shortcomings. Type A individuals may be unwilling or unable to accurately self-report. The female spouse of the male patient can potentially provide a more objective, accurate ‘trait’ description less contaminated by ‘state’ variables such as diagnosis of illness or medication. The development of a spouse-report questionnaire is described and pilot data from 41 couples are presented, including comparison of the self-report and spouse-report responses on 46 questionnaire items and five scales. Unexpectedly high levels of agreement were found between self and spouse reports. Possible explanations of such agreement are critically examined.
Viruses in human brains: a search for cytomegalovirus and herpes virus 1 DNA in necropsy tissue from normal and neuropsychiatric cases
Authors: Taylor G. R. , Crow T. J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisDNA was extracted from the brains of patients with Alzheimer-type dementia, schizophrenia, Huntington's chorea and from patients without neurological disease, and examined for the presence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and human cytomegalovirus sequences. By selecting cloned virus DNA fragments which do not hybridize to normal human DNA we were able to achieve a detection level assessed on reconstruction experiments of 1 virus genome per 50 cells. Screening at such sensitivity did not detect virus sequences in the higher CNS, except in cases of encephalitis or immunosuppression. We conclude that, at this level of sensitivity, these viruses cannot be regarded as normal residents of the higher CNS, and at the time of death they do not appear to be associated with these neuropsychiatric conditions.
Dextroamphetamine-induced arousal in human subjects as a model for mania
Authors: Jacobs D. , Silverstone T. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisBecause of the practical difficulties which arise in studying manic patients, a reproducible model for mania using human subjects would be a valuable adjunct to research in this condition. Dextroamphetamine, given as a single oral 20 mg dose, fulfils the criteria for such a model in that there are very close similarities between the changes which occur after dextroamphetamine and those which have been observed in mania in terms of subjective experience, physiological and endocrine changes, and response to pharmacological agents.
Effects of carbamazepine on serum electrolytes in affectively ill patients
Authors: Joffe Russell T. , Post Robert M. , Uhde Thomas W. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe effects on serum electrolytes of carbamazepine, an acute and prophylactic treatment for manic-depressive illness, were assessed in subjects with primary affective disorder. Carbamazepine caused statistically significant, but clinically insubstantial, reductions in serum sodium and calcium, but not in the other electrolytes measured. Decreases in serum sodium and calcium were not related to carbamazepine dose, blood levels, or the degree of clinical improvement. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.