Delusional Behavior Research Articles

Analysis of structural factors in schizophrenic delusions.

A previous factor analysis of delusional properties, scored from verbatim typescripts of interviews held with 32 schizophrenic patients, had generated four interpretable factors. The present study considered the meaning of these qualitative factors in terms of their relationships to four types of information potentially important to understanding the development or maintenance of delusions--sex gender, intelligence, chronicity, and type of delusion (e.g., persecution, grandeur). The possible contribution of factorial structure to understanding delusional behavior was indicated by the number of relationships found between these factors and the independent variables.

Delusional behavior: An attributional analysis of development and modification.

Delusional behavior: An attributional analysis of development and modification.

Socio-clinical substrates of folie à deux.

Folie à deux, the psychosis of association, has been defined as ‘the transference of delusional ideas and/or abnormal behaviour from one person to one or more individuals who have been in close association with the primary affected person’ (8). At least three conditions have been regarded as pre-requisite for its diagnosis: (a) definite evidence that the partners have been intimately associated, (b) identical content of the delusional ideas in both the patients, and (c) unequivocal evidence that the partners share, support and accept each other's delusions (7).

Rapid elimination of bizarre and delusional behavior.

Rapid elimination of bizarre and delusional behavior.

The elimination of hallucinatory and delusional behavior by verbal conditioning and assertive training: A case study

A 20-yr-old male diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic had auditory and visual hallucinations and a very rigid religious delusional system. For the auditory hallucinations, verbal conditioning was used to eliminate his talk of “voices”. At the same time, assertive training was given. The visual hallucinations proved to be strictly manipulative, being consciously used to remove the patient from conflict situations. As he became more assertive these hallucinations disappeared. The delusional system, which was also functional in removing him from conflict, responded to verbal conditioning and assertive training. After 2 months of treatment the hallucinations and delusions ceased to be reported or observed. The patient has had no recurrence of psychotic symptoms for 2 1 2 yr.

Mineral metabolism and behavior: abnormalities of calcium homeostasis.

AbstractAbnormalities of calcium homeostasis are often associated with a variety of behavioral disorders such as severe neuroses and psychoses which are frequently accompanied by anxious, depressed and delusional behavior. In our clinical studies of these abnormalities it is evident that hypocalcemia can be corrected to normocalcemia by dietary calcium supplements and vitamin D therapy. This result implies that in those regions where there are small amounts of calcium in the diet and/or limited sunlight for vitamin D synthesis the possibility of hypocalcemia and associated behavioral disorders is high. Our studies have centered on the Eskimo as an excellent example of this phenomenon. We are asking two kinds of questions: What are the biological, psychological, and socio‐cultural adaptations that take place in response to these abnormalities of calcium homeostasis; and what do these adaptations have to do with natural selection? In order to answer these questions in our investigation of calcium homeostasis, we are developing a general model capable of showing its modes of interaction among the biological, psychological, and sociocultural variables. This model will emphasize the limitations of biological adaptations in this case and demonstrate the significance of psychological and socio‐cultural adaptations in shifting the course of natural selection.