Explosive Outbursts Research Articles

Explosive outbursts in children with Tourette's disorder

SANDLER, ADRIAN D. M.D.Editor(s): TEPLIN, STUART W. M.D., Editor; GRUS, CATHERINE L. Ph.D.; REIFF, MICHAEL I. M.D.

Explosive Outbursts in Children With Tourette's Disorder

Sudden, explosive outbursts of behavior occur in some children with Tourette's disorder (TD). The etiology of these symptoms is unknown. This study investigated the relationship between explosive outbursts, TD, and its comorbid disorders. Tic type and severity and the presence of specific comorbid disorders were compared in 37 children with TD and explosive outbursts and 31 children with TD who did not have such symptoms. Children with TD and explosive outbursts were more likely to demonstrate significant comorbid conditions, particularly attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. Tic type and severity did not appear related to the presence of explosive outbursts. A highly significant relationship was demonstrated between the number of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and explosive outbursts. Explosive outbursts in children with TD resemble intermittent explosive disorder and may reflect dysregulation of diverse domains of brain function. The presence of such symptoms should alert the clinician to underlying comorbid conditions.

Aggressive behaviour in children with Tourette syndrome and comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Aggressive behaviour, defined as sudden, explosive outbursts of rage, has been reported as a clinical problem in approximately 23% to 40% of Tourette syndrome (TS) patients (1-5). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are also reported in 50% to 70% of TS patients (6). To investigate whether aggressive behaviour was associated with TS directly or found primarily in TS with comorbid ADHD or OCD. Aggressive behaviour in 33 nonmedicated patients with TS (ages 6 to 14 years) and 6 healthy control subjects (ages 7 to 12 years) was examined by semistructured interview and multiinformant questionnaires. Aggression subscales on Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) completed by parents and Teacher's Report Form (TRF) completed by teachers distinguished the TS-only and control groups from the group with TS + Comorbidity (P < 0.046, and P < 0.016) after adjusting for tic severity and age. The conduct disorder subscale on the Conners Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) was also significantly higher (P < 0.005) in the TS + comorbidity group than in the TS-only or control groups, with more problems reported in the older children. These findings provide additional evidence that aggressive behaviour observed in children with TS may be associated with comorbid ADHD or OCD (6), independent of tic severity or age. This is consistent with the clinical observation that most TS patients have only minimal symptoms, which do not interfere with their daily functioning.

Psychopharmacology of mood disorders in persons with mental retardation and autism

The ever-growing range of designer drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other new antidepressants, atypical antipsychotic agents, and antiseizure medications may improve treatment efficacy and safety for persons with mood disorders and mental retardation (MR) and autism. Mood disorders are still frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and are often chronic and atypical. Diagnosis must rely on reporting of signs of the illnesses by caregivers, rather than by self-report. A key issue guiding the use of mood stabilizers as first-line drugs instead of antidepressants is the present or past existence of manic features. Chronic and atypical forms of bipolar disorder often require multiple mood stabilizers for acute and maintenance treatment. The role of the atypical antipsychotic agents in acute and maintenance treatment of mood disorders requires further study in this population, in terms of lower long-term risk and possible beneficial cognitive effects. The SSRIs appear to be broad spectrum and offer ease of prescription, may reverse some of the core features of autism, and can be beneficial for self-injury, explosive outbursts, and depressive and anxiety symptoms and behaviors. However, in view of the risk of drug interactions, together with the often numerous physicians treating mentally retarded persons for epilepsy and psychiatric and physical illness, scrupulous attention to pharmacotherapy detail and vigilance for drug interactions is essential. Research studies are needed to better characterize the phenomenology, biology, and treatment responses in the MR population. MRDD Research Reviews 1999;5:270–278. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Psychopharmacology of mood disorders in persons with mental retardation and autism

The ever-growing range of designer drugs such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other new antidepressants, atypical antipsychotic agents, and antiseizure medications may improve treatment efficacy and safety for persons with mood disorders and mental retardation (MR) and autism. Mood disorders are still frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and are often chronic and atypical. Diagnosis must rely on reporting of signs of the illnesses by caregivers, rather than by self-report. A key issue guiding the use of mood stabilizers as first-line drugs instead of antidepressants is the present or past existence of manic features. Chronic and atypical forms of bipolar disorder often require multiple mood stabilizers for acute and maintenance treatment. The role of the atypical antipsychotic agents in acute and maintenance treatment of mood disorders requires further study in this population, in terms of lower long-term risk and possible beneficial cognitive effects. The SSRIs appear to be broad spectrum and offer ease of prescription, may reverse some of the core features of autism, and can be beneficial for self-injury, explosive outbursts, and depressive and anxiety symptoms and behaviors. However, in view of the risk of drug interactions, together with the often numerous physicians treating mentally retarded persons for epilepsy and psychiatric and physical illness, scrupulous attention to pharmacotherapy detail and vigilance for drug interactions is essential. Research studies are needed to better characterize the phenomenology, biology, and treatment responses in the MR population. MRDD Research Reviews 1999;5:270–278. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Emotional Abuse in the Workplace

Abstract Violence and harassment in the workplace have garnered substantial public and research attention in the past decade. Most attention has been focused on the more extreme forms of physical violence such as homicide and, to a lesser degree, sexual and racial harassment in the workplace. However, recent surveys of workplaces suggest there is another form of violence that is more frequent, has similar effects as physical, sexual, and racial violence, yet appears to be more socially acceptable. Emotional abuse is the term coined in this review to capture the hostile verbal and nonverbal behaviors that are not explicitly tied to sexual or racial content yet are directed at gaining compliance from others. Examples of these behaviors include yelling or screaming, use of derogatory names, the “silent treatment,” withholding of necessary information, aggressive eye contact, negative rumors, explosive outbursts of anger, and ridiculing someone in front of others. Despite increasing public awareness, systemat...

Sulphur output and magma degassing budget of Stromboli volcano

STROMBOLI volcano in the Aeolian islands has been erupting continuously for more than 2,000 years1, and probably as many as 5,000, following a major flank collapse2,3. Here we describe air-borne measurements of the plume flux of SO2 during 1980–93, which show that the volcano emits very large amounts of gas, mostly by open-conduit degassing between explosive outbursts, while exuding little basalt. Microprobe analysis of sulphur in the K-rich (shoshonitic) basalt, along with data for primitive basalts in the region4,5, suggests that the time-averaged SO2 flux is produced by intrusive degassing of 0.01-0.02 km3 yr-1 of magma, 100-200 times more than the volume erupted. Over 5,000 years, this rate implies that 50-100 km3 of intruded basalt would have been degassed, suggesting either that the volcanic pile has grown substantially by intrusion6 or, more probably, that a large magma storage system is emplaced at a shallow level within the crustal basement. Our results indicate that Etna and Stromboli alone provide 10% of the global budget of volcanic SO2.

An IAVCEI commentary on the Galeras Tragedy

The International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior (IAVCEI) views the Decade Volcanos Project as an integral part of its efforts, outlined in full by Barberi et al. “1990”, during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The project is only one of several proposed IAVCEI activities for the IDNDR. The IAVCEI Executive Committee wishes to express its sadness and regret that the lives of colleagues were lost during the Galeras eruption in pursuit of the goals of the Decade Volcanos Project.Significant advances have been made in recent years in monitoring restless volcanos and in predicting, in a general sense, new periods of eruption. The behavior of magma beneath volcanos can be monitored by a wide range of techniques, and there have been some notable successes in predicting the timing of explosive outbursts, for example, at Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines in June 1991. However, the recent tragedies at Unzen (Japan, 1991), Galeras (Columbia, 1993), and most recently, Mayon (Philippines, 1993), bring into sharp focus the hazardous and unpredictable nature of active volcanos. These events illustrate that scientists still have much to learn before they develop a clear understanding of how volcanos work and how volcanic eruptions can be predicted accurately—particularly single, sharp, explosive events such as that on Galeras January 14.

Fluoxetine reduces explosiveness and elevates mood of Vietnam combat vets with PTSD

Thirteen of 18 depressed Vietnam War combat veterans who had frequent, explosive outbursts of rage enjoyed reduced explosiveness when treated with fluoxetine, They displayed and reported a greater ability to think rather than act. Duration of anger also diminished; and mood improved.

Fluoxetine reduces explosiveness and elevates mood of vietnam combat vets with PTSD

AbstractThirteen of 18 depressed Vietnam War combat veterans who had frequent, explosive outbursts of rage enjoyed reduced explosiveness when treated with fluoxetine, They displayed and reported a greater ability to think rather than act. Duration of anger also diminished; and mood improved.

Some speculations about the origin of the high speed HCN jets in Comet Kohoutek (1973f)

The origin of the high speed HCN jets observed in Comet Kohoutek (1973f) is considered. It is argued that the occurrence of these jets with Doppler shifts corresponding to velocities of ≈3–5 km s−1 with respect to the nucleus cannot be explained in terms of either (a) explosive outbursts of trapped sub-surface volatiles, (b) highly exothermic chemical reactions involving free radicals [or a combination of (a) and (b)] or (c) the outward expansion of the cometary atmosphere with additional heating. Instead, acceleration of the precursor ions of HCN by energetic electrons in the ionospheric current sheets or current arcs is suggested to play an important role. Also, a fraction of the HCN observed by electric discharges, associated with the ionosphere current system through the cometary atmosphere. It is not possible to make a realistic estimate of this fraction at the present time, but that it may be significant cannot be entirely excluded by the existing observations.

Newcastle disease encephalomyelitis in cats. II. Physiological studies on rhythmic myoclonus.

The term myoclonus is used clinically to describe a wide variety of suddenly appearing involuntary movements or jerks not otherwise readily classified. 1-18 These myoclonic movements may be generalized, segmental, or even limited to one muscle or muscle group. They vary in force and complexity from mere muscular twitches to coordinated movements sufficiently violent to displace one or more limbs, or throw the subject to the ground. They may be isolated, intermittent, and of short duration, as in the myoclonus accompanying certain epileptic states. On the other hand, they may continue repetitively over prolonged periods of time. The movements, when widespread, frequently appear synchronously throughout many parts of the body, or present first in one region before bursting forth successively in others. In some instances the explosive outbursts seem to follow a definite rhythm; in others they are rather irregular in time. It seems evident, therefore, that clinical patterns implied

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC GOUTY ARTHRITIS

The natural history of clinically overt gout is marked by explosive outbursts of acute gouty arthritis and by concomitant slow, insidious deposition of uric acid in the tissues, which in some instances progresses to disabling and deforming chronic gouty arthritis. Until recently, no clear distinction was made either in the immediate pathogenesis or in the management of these two manifestations of the gouty trait. Therapy in gout has, in fact, been almost wholly preoccupied with control of recurrent acute gouty arthritis; the most imperceptible accumulation of tophaceous deposits appears to have been accepted as inevitable and irremediable, save for what could be accomplished by surgical incision or amputation. The purpose of the present report is to describe the results obtained in the prevention and treatment of chronic gouty arthritis by a medical regimen combining uricosuric drugs and dietary regulation. THE DICHOTOMY OF GOUT Acute and chronic gouty arthritis both ultimately

Um kolarannsóknir í Hvalba

This paper deals with the coal-seams appearing on the northern part of Suðuroy between Hvalba and Trongisvág (Faroes). The chief problem: »How many seams exist in this area«? goes far back in the past. Reference is made to F. Johnstrup (1873), Th. Ihrmann, Th. Nordstrom and H. A. Stokes (A. Daigre 1908), P. E. Raaschou (1937) and H. Marstrander (1950) who suggest existence of other workable coal-seams, partly above, partly beneath the coalhorizon where it is now worked in Prestfjall. —The present investigations which were made on behalf of Geological Survey oi' Denmark and the Governraent oJ the Faroe Isles, come to the conclusion 1) that no real coalseam exists above the coalhorizon worked in Prestfjall, 2) that the present investigations liave found only negligible seams on lower level, 3) that the coal-bearing strata in the eastern area are greatly disturbed by explosive outbursts and intrusions.