bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Procedural validity of the computerized version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-Auto) in the anxiety disorders
Authors: Peters Lorna , Andrews Gavin 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe procedural validity of the computerized version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-Auto) was examined against the consensus diagnoses of two clinicians for six anxiety disorders (agoraphobia, panic disorder (±agoraphobia), social phobia, simple phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive episode (MDE)). Clinicians had available to them all data obtained over a 2- to 10-month period. Subjects were 98 patients accepted for treatment at an Anxiety Disorders Clinic, thus, all subjects had at least one of the diagnoses being examined. While the CIDI-Auto detected 88·2% of the clinician diagnoses, it identified twice as many diagnoses as did the clinicians. The sensitivity of the CIDI-Auto was above 0·85 except for GAD, which had a sensitivity of 0·29. The specificity of the CIDI-Auto was lower (range: 0·47–0·99). The agreement between the CIDI-Auto and the clinician diagnoses, as measured by intraclass kappas, ranged from poor (k = 0·02; GAD) to excellent (k = 0·81; OCD), with a fair level of agreement overall (k = 0·40). Canonical correlation analysis suggested that the discrepancies between the CIDI-Auto and clinicians were not due to different diagnostic distinctions being made. It is suggested that the CIDI-Auto may have a lower threshold for diagnosing anxiety disorders than do experienced clinicians. It is concluded that, in a sample where all subjects have at least one anxiety disorder diagnosis, the CIDI-Auto has acceptable validity.
Development of a new scale for measuring acculturation: the Taiwan Aboriginal Acculturation Scale (TAAS)
Authors: Cheng Andrew T. A. , Hsu Mutsu 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisAs part of the Taiwan Aboriginal Study Project (TASP), a new acculturation scale (the Taiwan Aboriginal Acculturation Scale, or TAAS) has been developed among the aboriginal minorities of Austronesian origin in Taiwan. The design of the original 54 items was based on Milton Gordon's concept of assimilation in association with a careful consideration of cross-cultural validity. These items were administered to 144 subjects stratified by age and sex who were randomly sampled from four major Taiwanese aboriginal groups. Item analysis and factor analysis were applied to select an 18-item scale which has three subscales (factors): cultural assimilation, social assimilation, and social attitude. Results of validity and reliability studies of the TAAS were found to be acceptable. The development of TAAS demonstrates the applicability of the concept of acculturation as a process that involves changes both in attitude, and in behaviour, to non-western societies.
Education, gender and cognitive performance in a 62-year-old normal population: results from the Turva Project
Authors: Portin R. , Saarijärvi S. , Joukamaa M. , Salokangas R. K. R. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisFour WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) subtests, and tasks of memory and cognitive control were administered to a population sample of 143 men and 179 women. Subjects with a minor advantage in years of education out-performed those with only primary schooling. Gender-related effects were also remarkable. Whereas the general abilities were equal in the genders, women out-performed men on recall of word pairs and objects, on verbal cognitive control and on Digit Symbol. In contrast, men excelled on Trail Making A, and on Block Design. The findings emphasize the need for age norms by gender and education for cognitive tests.
Saccadic abnormalities in psychotic patients. I. Neuroleptic-free psychotic patients
Authors: Crawford T. J. , Haeger B. , Kennard C. , Reveley M. A. , Henderson L. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISMost of the previous research reporting abnormalities of rapid re-fixation eye movements (saccades) in patients with schizophrenia has used patients receiving neuroleptic medication. In this study non-neuroleptically medicated schizophrenics were compared with other psychiatric patients using a variety of saccadic paradigms to determine the specificity of saccadic dysfunction. The patient groups consisted of schizophrenics (N = 18), bipolar affectives (N = 18), anxiety neurotics (N = 10) and normal controls (N = 31), none of whom had received neuroleptic medication for the preceding 6 months. Four behavioural paradigms, reflexive, predictive, remembered and ANTI were used to elicit saccades. The primary abnormality in the schizophrenic group was a significantly increased rate of distractibility in the ANTI (saccades made towards the target rather than in an opposite direction) and REM (saccades made prior to the imperative cue) paradigms. The major neuropsychological variable predictive of these errors was Wisconsin card sort perseverative errors. These data, in conjunction with findings from previous neurological research, would seem to provide converging evidence towards dysfunction of prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia.
Exclusion of linkage of schizophrenia to the gene for the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and chromosome 11q translocation sites
Authors: Kalsi G. , Mankoo B. S. , Curtis D. , Brynjolfsson J. , Read T. , Sharma T. , Murphy P. , Petursson H. , Gurling H. M. D. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISThere have been previous reports of a 1q43;11q21 translocation cosegregating with schizophrenia and a 9p22;11q22.3 translocation cosegregating with manic depression. In addition, the genes for the dopamine D2 receptor and for tyrosinase both map to chromosome 11q. Three 11q DNA markers were used to investigate 23 pedigrees containing multiple cases of schizophrenia. Strongly negative lod scores were obtained, providing evidence against linkage over a 70 cM region which included both translocation sites and both candidate genes.
Enhanced adrenal sensitivity to adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) is evidence of HPA axis hyperactivity in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: O'Brien J. T. , Ames D. , Schweitzer I. , Mastwyk M. , Colman P. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisAdrenal sensitivity was assessed in 16 non-depressed patients with NINCDS/ADRDA Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 18 control subjects by measuring cortisol response to low dose (0·05 μg/kg i.v.) exogenous adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH). Controlling for sex and medication, both peak cortisol level (peak–baseline) and area under cortisol response curve (AUC above baseline) were significantly greater in AD subjects. This shows that HPA axis hyperactivity, as demonstrated by enhanced adrenal sensitivity to ACTH, occurs in AD. Similar findings have been reported to occur in depression. Among AD subjects, AUC cortisol response correlated with current age (r= 0·70,P= 0·001) and age at onset of dementia (r= 0·73,P= 0·001) and an inverse correlation was seen between cortisol AUC and cognitive test (CAMCOG) score (r= −0·51,P= 0·044). Our findings suggest that HPA axis hyperactivity in AD is associated with advancing age and cognitive dysfunction. Such changes may be cause, or consequence, of neuronal loss.
Verbal fluency in schizophrenia: relationship with executive function, semantic memory and clinical alogia
Authors: Joyce E. M. , Collinson S. L. , Crichton P. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisTo examine whether poor verbal fluency in schizophrenia represents a degraded semantic store or inefficient access to a normal semantic store, 25 normal volunteers and 50 DSM-III-R schizophrenic patients, matched for age, sex and IQ, were recruited. Although schizophrenic patients were impaired on both letter and category fluency, they showed a normal pattern of output in that category was superior to letter fluency, and an improvement in category fluency when a cueing technique was employed (Randolph et al. 1993). These results resemble those found in disorders of frontostriatal systems (Parkinson's and Huntington's disease) and suggest that poor verbal fluency in schizophrenia is because of inefficient access to semantic store. A measure of improvement with cueing was directly related to performance on the Stroop executive task. Of all symptom measures derived from SANS and Manchester Scales, only alogia was related to verbal fluency in that superior improvement correlated inversely with the degree of alogia. It is suggested that both alogia and poor verbal fluency are mediated by the same underlying cognitive abnormality that reflects frontostriatal dysfunction.
Reported parental behaviour and adult affective symptoms. 2. Mediating factors
Authors: Rodgers Bryan 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisPotential mediators of the modest association between retrospectively rated parental behaviour and adult affective symptoms in offspring were investigated in a national longitudinal study of a cohort followed to the age of 43. Personality measures from adolescence could account for a small part of this association. Personal relationships in adulthood were more strongly associated with both parental behaviour and symptoms: marital history, emotional support, social network and availability of help in a crisis. Poor parenting did not lead to a general vulnerability to later life events, and socio-economic status and financial hardship were not implicated in the link between parental behaviour and adult symptoms. However, parental affectionless control was associated with certain types of life stressors in adulthood, i.e. interpersonal as opposed to non-interpersonal life events. Collectively, aspects of personal relationships accounted for much of the elevated symptom levels in those rating parents as low on care or high on control. Findings were consistent with the notion that interpersonal competence is important in the continuity between childhood experience and adult mental health, but other possible interpretations are discussed.
Service utilization by schizophrenic patients in Groningen and South-Verona: an event-history analysis
Authors: Sytema S. , Micciolo R. , Tansella M. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe question addressed to in this paper is whether severely mentally ill patients are treated differently in a community mental health service without the back-up of a mental hospital (South-Verona, Italy) compared with an institution-based system in which mental hospitals, although highly modernized, are still predominant (Groningen, The Netherlands). Using the psychiatric case-registers in both areas, the patterns of care in 2 years of follow-up of schizophrenic patients were constructed. Survival analysis was used to analyse in-, day- and out-patient episodes of care. Three-quarters of the Groningen and half of the South-Verona patients experienced at least one episode of hospitalization; 20% of the Groningen and 5% of the South-Verona patients were long-stay patients at the end of the observation period. The South-Verona patients had more episodes of in-patient and especially of day-patient and out-patient care. Cox's regression showed that the duration of episodes controlled for the history of events and sociodemographic characteristics, was significantly shorter in South-Verona. One of the main conclusion was that hospitalizations for the severely mental ill are also needed in a community-based system of care, supporting the assumption of a ‘bed-rock’ of mental illness. However, the South-Verona community mental health service seems to be able to reduce the duration of hospitalizations considerably.
Personality traits in LLPDD and normal controls during follicular and luteal menstrual-cycle phases
Authors: Parry B. L. , Ehlers C. L. , Mostofi N. , Phillips E. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisIn 15 women with Late Luteal Phase Dysphoric Disorder (LLPDD) and in 15 normal control subjects, personality traits were assessed using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) during follicular and luteal menstrual-cycle phases. Compared with controls, LLPDD subjects had less compulsive but more passive/aggressive and borderline/cycloid traits, and more depression and hypomania. Menstrual-cycle phase did not significantly affect personality variables in either group. In particular, depression and hypomania in LLPDD subjects suggests a relationship with affective disorders.
On the medical history of the doctrine of imagination
Authors: Fischer-Homberger Esther 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISIn the early moderera the notion of imagination was made responsible for phenomena which were later explained in terms of embryology, genetics, psychology, bacteriology or other scientific disciplines. Images, often seated in the upper abdomen (hypochondriac region) or the womb (hysteria), were regarded as powerful influences on material reality. In the course of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the hypochondriac forms of imagination became mere whims and spleens, but they kept much of their original potency in respect of the uterus, accounting for monstrosities and the shaping of human offspring. The hysterical conversion of imagination into somatic phenomena has never been questioned. Since the two World Wars the realm of imagination has again expanded beyond the uterus and the older disease-concepts. In the last 10–20 years images seem to have regained some of their original creative force.
Factors affecting the prescribing of psychotropic drugs in general practice consultations
Authors: Raynes Norma V. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISThe characteristics of patients and information-gathering processes in general practice consultations producing prescriptions for antibiotics and psychotropic drugs are discussed. The contribution of patients presenting symptoms and the exploration of these by the general practitioner in the prescribing of psychotropic drugs, is compred with that of diagnosis.
Is schizophrenia an HLA-associated disease?
Authors: McGuffin Peter 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISCertain specificities of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system have been shown to be associated with particular diseases. A review of recent studies in schizophrenia shows inconsistent results for schizophrenia as a whole, although a significant increase in HLA A28 remains on combining the data. There are more consistent findings for disease subtypes. In particular, HLA A9 and HLA CW4 are increased in paranoid schizophrenics, while HLA Al and the A1–B8 haplotype are increased in nuclear forms. It is postulated that the relationship between the schizophrenias and certain HLA types could be due to an influence of the latter upon neuronal postsynaptic membrane sensitivity to central neurotransmitters such as dopamine.
Alzheimer's disease in a mother and identical twin sons
Authors: Sharman Melanie G. , Watt D. C. , Janota I. , Carrasco L. H. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISAlzheimer's disease confirmed by histological examination is described for the first time in identical twin brothers who both died at the age of 38 years. Their mother died of a dementing illness at the age of 42 years and her brain was atrophied at post mortem.
A case of anorexia nervosa with an associated urogenital malformation
Authors: Robertson Mary M. , Hamburger Anthony S. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISA further case of anorexia nervosa with an associated urogenital malformation, namely hypospadias, is presented. The prevalence of urogenital abnormalities in patients with anorexia nervosa is much higher than expected on the basis of coincidence.A relationship between anorexia nervosa and urogenital malformations has been suggested previously. We report a further case with certain unique features.
A cross-national comparison of the institutionalized elderly in the cities of New York and London
Authors: Gurland B. , Cross P. , Defiguerido J. , Shannon M. , Mann A. H. , Jenkins R. , Bennett R. , Wilder D. , Wright H. , Killeffer E. , Godlove C. , Thompson P. , Ross M. , Deming W. E. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISTwo random samples, each constituting 0·5 % of the institutionalized elderly (over 65) in the cities of New York and London have been compared. This preliminary report of a collaborative study demonstrates the similarity of the 2 samples.Institutions in the 2 cities are shown to differ in size, type of ownership and the frequency that skilled nursing is provided.Some implications of these 2 findings are raised now, and will be discussed later when the full data for the study are presented.
Measuring the need for psychiatric treatment in the general population: the community version of the MRC Needs for Care Assessment
Authors: Bebbington P. , Brewin C. R. , Marsden L. , Lesage A. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisThe community version of the MRC Needs for Care Assessment Schedule (NFCAS-C) is a new instrument designed for the psychiatric conditions seen in general populations. Its principles are based on the original Needs for Care Assessment, although that was developed for the very different population of those with long-standing mental illness (Brewinet al.1987). The NFCAS-C is designed to reproduce, in an itemized and systematic manner, the functioning of well-organized primary care and psychiatric services. It is primarily intended for research purposes, in particular, the comparison of treatment needs and services in different populations. In this paper we describe the problems of assessing the need for psychiatric care in general populations and the rationale and development of the instrument, while in its companion we present the results of a reliability study (Lesageet al.1995).
Abnormal eating attitudes and behaviours in two ethnic groups from a female British urban population
Authors: Reiss David 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisAfrican-Caribbean (N= 136) and White British (N= 192) female family planning clinic attenders were administered the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). A proportion of the participants were subsequently interviewed. The African-Caribbeans were found to have both significantly more disordered eating attitudes and a significantly higher level of abnormal eating behaviour than the White British. Although the African-Caribbean group had a significantly higher mean Body Mass Index this did not mediate the difference in levels of eating attitudes. When compared with the White British group more African-Caribbean women reported feelings of failure, guilt, abnormality and self-consciousness concerning their eating habits. The results indicate that eating problems may be highly prevalent in this ethnic minority population and suggest that there may be differences in the nature of eating disorder psychopathology between ethnic groups.
Growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in non-delusional and delusional depression and healthy controls
Authors: Contreras F. , Navarro M. A. , Menchon J. M. , Rosel P. , Serrallonga J. , Perez-Arnau F. , Urretavizcaya M. , Vallejo J. 
Published: July 2009

SynopsisGrowth hormone (GH) responses to growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) of 53 in-patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive episode with melancholia (24 non-delusional and 23 delusional depression) were compared with those of 19 healthy controls. No significant differences in basal GH were found between the control and either the non-delusional or the delusional groups. The whole group of depressed patients showed a significantly lower response than the control patients at all points of the GH response to GHRH curve as well as a lower area under curve. When the three groups (control, delusional and non-delusional depressed) were compared, it was found that only the non-delusional depressed patients had a significantly lower area under curve and lower values at +60, +90 and +120 min than the controls. The only significant difference between the two groups of depressed patients was that the delusional group showed a delayed appearance of the maximum response peak and a more prolonged response.
Cognitive features of psychotic states arising in late life (late paraphrenia)
Authors: Almeida O. P. , Howard R. J. , Levy R. , David A. S. , Morris R. G. , Sahakian B. J. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISThe cognitive performance of 47 elderly psychotic patients with onset of symptoms in late life (late paraphrenia) was compared to that of 33 controls matched for age, sex, ethnic origin, number of years of education, and pre-morbid IQ as measured by the NART. Neuropsychological indices of general cognitive functioning (MMSE, CAMCOG, WAIS-R verbal and performance scores) showed that patients were performing the tasks at a significantly lower level than controls. Patients also showed a trend to have a lower span capacity than controls, particularly at the spatial span subtest. There was no obvious impairment of learning as measured by the digit and spatial recurring span tasks nor of simultaneous matching-to-sample ability. However, patients' performance on a delayed-matching-to-sample procedure was significantly worse than that of controls. In addition, patients performed worse than controls on the Recognition Memory Test for Faces, but not for Words. Finally, the performance of patients on tests assessing executive functioning (Verbal Fluency Test, Computerized Extra and Intra-Dimensional Shift Task, Computerized Spatial Working Memory Task, and Computerized Tower of London Task) was consistently worse than that of controls. These results suggest that psychotic states arising in late life are predominantly associated with a decline on measures of general cognitive ability and executive functioning. The neuropsychological meaning of these findings is discussed in the light of cognitive models of psychotic symptoms, as well as of schizophrenia and dementia research. We concluded that the lack of a clear pattern of impairment among these patients may be the result of their clinical and cognitive diversity.
Sequential cross-sectional and 10-year prospective study of severe negative symptoms in relation to duration of initially untreated psychosis in chronic schizophrenia
Authors: Waddington J. L. , Youssef H. A. , Kinsella A. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISCurrent clinical correlates of duration of initially untreated psychotic symptoms were investigated in a cross-sectional analysis followed by a 10-year prospective study among 88 inpatients with a long-standing schizophrenic illness, many of whom had experienced prolonged periods of untreated psychosis due to illness onset and hospital admission in the pre-neuroleptic era. After controlling for the effects of age, and duration and continuity of subsequent neuroleptic treatment, the primary clinical correlate of duration of initially untreated psychosis was muteness. Over the subsequent 10-year-period, no new cases of muteness emerged and some existing cases of muteness partially resolved, though the speech that emerged remained very sparse and revealed generally gross cognitive debility. The pathophysiology underlying active, unchecked psychosis may also constitute an active morbid process that is associated with the further progression of severe negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in the long-term.
Acute stress response: a comparison of head injured and non-head injured patients
Authors: Bryant Richard A. , Harvey Allison G. 
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSISAcute stress responses were investigated in head injured (N = 38) and non-head injured (N = 38) motor vehicle accident victims immediately following their trauma. Results indicated that amnesia of the traumatic event was associated with less acute post-traumatic stress, intrusive symptoms, perceived injury, and fear of future risk. A proportion of head injured patients reported intrusive and avoidance symptoms despite being amnesic of their trauma. Findings are discussed in terms of the differential post-traumatic adjustment of head injured and non-head injured traumatized patients.