Evening star., 1951-12-07
A Terrible 'AIoneness'
Usually Comes With Age
St. Elizobeths Studies Problem
Of Shorp Rise in SeniIity
By Thomos R. Henry

OF Shorp Rise in Senility
By Thomas R. Henry
With age comes a terrible "aloneness."
At the same time there is likely to be
hardening Of the brain arteries or de-
crease in the permeability Of brain cells
which results in slow brain starvation.
These probably are the chief factors
in the biggest psychiatric problem Of
our time-the increase in senile psy-
chooses. The number of persons over IS
admitted to mental hospitals actually
has increased more than 500 per cent
in the past Is years. That Is far out Of
proportion to the increasing number Of
aged In the American population which
has not quite doubled in the same
period.
The whole problem will be the object
Of special studies at st. Elizabeths Hos
pital. the Governments psychotic CEN
ter at Washington, where a special Sec
ton has just been opened for treatment
and research. 1t will make possible
long time studies of the senile psychoses.
Some persons live for many years in
this shadowy mental state at the far
edge Of life.
Pattern Now Obscure.
At present the pattern of senile psy-
Ghosts is obscure, says DR.. Wihfred
Overholser, ST. Elizabeths superintend-
ent. Two symptoms stand out in a great
many patients, but they are not neces-
sarily pathological in themselves. all
though they constitute part of the
framework Of the mental deterioration.
One is well known-the rapid failure Of
memory for recent events and the SEEM
ing accentuation of memory for the
past. The latter. 1t is probable, is ap-
parent only. for it Is unlikely that ac-
tually forgotten things suddenly come
back to the mind again. What part the
physiological changes in the brain may
play in this condition is unknown, but
psychologically it is easy to explain al
flight back to happier days from hap
less present
Second is the gradual construction Of
interests. Victims lose contact with the
world outside their immediate environ
ments, regardless Of the broadness Of
their contacts before. 1t all amounts to
what DR.. Overholser calls general
dilapidation of the intellect" In addi-
ton there is a return to childish ways
of behavior.
The basic psychological cause, DR..
Overholser believes, is the "aloneness."
Old friends die and there is little capac-
ity left to make new ones. 1t is not easy
to find any one with common interests
any more. In addition, of course, there
is the fear Of rapidly approaching
death.
Starvation of Brain.
These factors themselves might not
plunge reasonably strong minded per-
son into psychosis. But the starva-
ton of the brain-the increasing diff
Guilty of the circulation system in getting
oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells
makes adjustment much more difficult
The victim cannot reason things out
easily any more.
These conditions may result, DR. Over
holser points out. in considerable va
riety Of psychotic patterns. Perhaps
the most common is senile paranoia. The
old people get the idea that everybody
around them Is plotting against them.
1t doesn't take long before this reaction
becomes greatly exaggerated. The vic
Tins hear voices accusing them of all
sorts of crimes.
Sometimes there is just mental de-
terioration which does not follow any
particular pattern. The victim simply
world.
past to regard the condition as hope
1~e %& h. kal 1xv
and there has been little real research
on the problem
Experiments Conducted.
But experiments already conducted at
st. Elizabeths, DR.. Overholser says,
show that things may not be as hope
less as they seem. Heavy vitamin COM
plex supplements to the diet have proved
especially valuable. They may increase
brain permeability. At any rate, the
old people seem to get into better con-
tact with reality, are easier to handle.
and can be made more comfortable.
No actual cures are claimed. The sup
plements are made up chiefly of the
multiple "B" vitamins
1t still can be debated. DR.. Overholser
says. whether the sensational increase
is more than statistical. In addition to
the increasing age level Of the popula-
ton there have been notable changes
in American ways of life. In a quarter
of century the country has evolved
from house to an apartment civiliZa-
ton. The old folks could be cared for
in the houses, especially in rural areas.
There is no possibility of doing this in
apartments, and they must be sent to
institutions. This is the only way that
they appear in the statistics.
Still this comes far from accounting
for the sensational increase, psychia-
trists believe. They seek for some un-
known factor in present-day ways of
life.