Feeling Of Warmth Research Articles

Letters

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article LettersFull AccessAngelo Fioritti, M.D.Angelo FiorittiSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:1 Oct 2004https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.55.10.1178-bAboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail To the Editor: For most European psychiatrists, John Talbott represents "the ambassador" of American psychiatry. This role was very clear to me when John and I were first introduced at a well-attended conference in Venice in 1991. Here is an American, I thought, who really wishes to know our systems and who speaks our languages and appreciates our values. It is difficult to forget how warmly he was welcomed and praised by a most distinguished pan-European audience.As our friendship developed—and it grew to include John's wonderful wife Sue—I have had the opportunity to witness, with an increasing sense of participation and pride, how the translated editions of the Textbook of Psychiatry that John co-edited began to occupy the most easy-to-reach shelves in the bookcases of European psychiatrists and how Psychiatric Services in its Italian and Spanish editions has become for my generation the journal to read in order to learn about "American psychiatry at work." John's Textbook of Administrative Psychiatry has made this discipline less tough to those of us who are involved in the management of psychiatric services and has helped us gain the correct perspective on American managed care. The Italian Society for Psychiatry has acknowledged John's ambassadorial role by inviting him to its annual meetings and to other special events.On the personal side, I can only say that his words and warm feelings were invaluable to me in several challenging personal and professional situations. I have always wondered how he can sustain such meaningful and close relationships with so many people around the world, and I have long admired his generosity and inborn ability to understand and support younger psychiatrists of very different and sometimes distant cultures.How to continue John's work of cross-cultural communication and creation of opportunities will be a challenge for those who will take his place. John's retirement as editor of Psychiatric Services will present an opportunity for me, for the Italian Society of Psychiatrists, and for all European psychiatrists to more frequently enjoy John's presence and to thank him in person for his contributions as a unique American psychiatrist who understands—and really loves—Europe.Dr. Fioritti is director of the mental health and substance abuse program at Azienda USL Rimini (an NHS organization) in Rimini, Italy. FiguresReferencesCited byDetailsCited byNone Volume 55Issue 10 October 2004Pages 1178-b-1178 Metrics PDF download History Published online 1 October 2004 Published in print 1 October 2004

Reading in the Dark

Reading in the Dark

Adverse Effects From Inappropriate Medication Administration via a Jejunostomy Feeding Tube

Numerous complications can arise when administering medications to patients receiving continuous enteral feeding. We report a case of a patient who could not be fed by mouth and was receiving continuous jejunal enteral feeding who had an adverse event associated with inappropriate administration of a medication via his jejunostomy tube. He had taken an extended-release niacin product before hospitalization for type IIb hyperlipidemia. The patient was inappropriately given a single dose of 750 mg of niacin as the short-acting tablets that were crushed and administered via the jejunostomy tube. He experienced severe cutaneous flushing, a feeling of warmth, itching, nausea, and emesis. He was noted to have "prickly heat" to the forehead, according to the nursing notes. A discussion of problems and guidelines for medication administration in adult patients receiving continuous tube feeding is provided.

Why we need a new definition of information security

There is an old Peanuts strip where Charlie Brown says, “Working here is like wetting your pants in the pool, wearing a dark bathing suit. You get that warm feeling but nobody notices.” Increasingly, I think computer security professionals in large enterprises are in that metaphorical swimming pool. In fact, many are swimming in the deep end without their water wings. When computer security professionals do an excellent job protecting systems and information, the number of bad outcomes decreases. After a generation of peace, pretty soon people start asking why we need the army. I believe this problem stems in part from a fuzzy fundamental: the definition of information security.

Tacrolimus ointment for the treatment of psoriasis on the face and intertriginous areas

The safety and efficacy of 0.1% tacrolimus ointment for the treatment of psoriasis on the face, intertriginous areas, or both were evaluated in an open-label, clinical trial of 21 patients with psoriasis. Patients applied 0.1% tacrolimus ointment twice daily for 8 weeks. Efficacy was assessed through the investigator's evaluation of the individual signs and symptoms of psoriasis, and the physician's global evaluation of change in disease status. Assessments of cutaneous atrophy and other adverse events were made throughout the study to evaluate the safety of tacrolimus ointment. A total of 21 patients were enrolled in the study; 21 patients at least 18 years of age received study medication. Statistically significant improvement in the physician's assessment of the individual signs and symptoms was observed during the study. A total of 81% of patients (17 of 21) experienced complete clearance at day 57 (end of treatment). Only 2 patients reported adverse events, which were limited to itching and the feeling of warmth at the application site. None of the patients had atrophy, telangiectasia, or striae develop during the study. In summary, tacrolimus 0.1% ointment may be a safe and effective treatment option for patients with psoriasis on the face, intertriginous areas, or both. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:564-8.)

If the Only Journal You Read…

A television commercial proclaims that if you call a certain insurance company, you will be told not only their price but also the prices of some of their competitors. (The concept seems to be too good to be true, but I have never tested the veracity of their claim.) This is one commercial that actually gives me a warm feeling, as it reminds me of the scene in Miracle on 34th Street when the Macy's Santa sends mothers to competitors to find the toys their children covet. In that same spirit, I remind you that this Journal offers you only one portion of the evidence and information that physical therapists need for practice and education. I urge you to check out what some might call “our competition.” No single Journal—not even a collection of professional journals in a given field—can provide all the information needed for contemporary practice and education. Parochial views of the literature have to give way to an eclectic approach that maximizes resources. If Physical Therapy is the only journal you read, you are not sufficiently prepared for practice. This month, Miller and her colleagues (pages 123–131) report on their examination of the quality and type of research articles that have appeared in this and 3 other national physical therapy journals. As with most such analyses, the results can be judged only in the context of expectations. Of greatest concern is their analysis regarding both the rigor and applicability of the studies published. Neither the amount of rigor nor the level of applicability is adequate to fuel a growing profession. As Miller and colleagues acknowledge, because only 6 issues of each Journal were examined (and those were from a couple of years ago), their study, like …

Adverbial, Descriptive Reciprocals

Reciprocity was a topic very much on the minds of New Yorkers in the mid­ seventies. Fiengo & Lasnik, Dougherty, Katz, and Langendoen worried, for example, that the state of mutual respect asserted in ( 1 ) implies warm feelings between any two family members, but the actions that these feelings lead to can­ and, in this example, mustfall short of every family member kneeling at every other family member 's grave.

Love in Toytown

Love in Toytown

Results of the safety and efficacy of iobitridol in more than 61,000 patients.

We present results of a postmarketing surveillance study with iobitridol (Xenetix, Sulzbach, Germany) in more than 61,000 patients from 1996 until 2000. The purpose of this study was the assessment of safety and diagnostic efficacy of the non-ionic contrast agent iobitridol in the setting of a post-marketing surveillance study. Iobitridol (Xenetix) has been registered in Germany since 1996. Between 1996 and 2000 207 radiologists have documented in a questionnaire the routine use of Xenetix in 61,754 patients that have received Xenetix for diagnostic procedures. On each questionnaire parameters regarding demographic data, safety, and diagnostic efficacy were assessed. The data were statistically evaluated and analysed. The examination allowed for a diagnosis in 99% of cases. Image quality was rated as "excellent" or "good" in 89.8% of cases. In obese patients there was a significantly higher percentage ( p<0.001) of poor image quality. In 0.1% poor contrast was noted. Of patients, 28.8% had at least one risk factor, and 3.1% had three or more. Adverse events were noted in 2.3% of the examinations, but nearly half of them (1.1%) presented with "feeling of warmth" as the only symptom. Of adverse events, 0.2% were non-transient, and 1 patient died. In 0.2% of patients the procedure was stopped due to adverse events. In 0.9% of patients the causal relationship with the contrast agent was rated as probable (probable+possible=1.1%). The percentage of adverse events (excluding warmth) was independent of iodine concentration and of dose, and was higher in young patients. Xenetix is an efficient contrast agent for radiological procedures and is associated with a low rate of adverse events.

Rejuvenating facial massage--a bane or boon?

Facial massage is an extremely popular form of beauty treatment and is thought to rejuvenate the skin. We decided to study the benefits and untoward effects of this form of facial beauty treatment. One hundred and forty-two women (aged 17-63 years), who had received facial beauty treatment in three well-established beauty parlours in New Delhi, were entered into the study and observed for a period of 12 weeks after the facial beauty treatment. Twenty-seven of the subjects had a repeat facial beauty treatment 4-6 weeks after entry into the study, giving a total of 169 massage episodes observed. Immediate and delayed effects of the beauty treatment were examined. Facial beauty treatment generally consists of three steps: vigorous massaging of the face with creams, steaming (using a hot towel or a steaming gadget), and application of a face mask containing adsorbents and astringents. In our study, the creams used for massage included "off the shelf" creams manufactured by standard cosmetic companies in 95 (56.3%) subjects, herbal creams in 61 (36.1%), and creams containing exotic ingredients, such as gold salts, in 13 (7.7%). Sixty-one (36.1%) patients developed erythema and puffiness within 15 min to 2 h after the beauty treatment. This lasted for 2-6 h. Forty-one (24.3%) women underwent the procedure of comedone extraction after steaming. In 12 (7.1%) of these women, persistent erythema was noticed at the site of comedone extraction. Eight (4.7%) women developed mild dermatitis on the face, 2-7 days after the facial beauty treatment. Patch testing with constituents used in the facial beauty treatment was positive in four patients (herbal cream, 1; witch hazel, 1; orange face pack, 1; and gold cream, 1). In 47 (33.1%) subjects, an acneiform eruption was observed 3-10 weeks after the facial beauty treatment (mean, 6.1 +/- 3 weeks). Thirteen (27.7%) of these subjects had taken the facial beauty treatment for the first time, whereas 34 (72.3%) developed an acneiform eruption after every facial massage. The predominant lesions were deep-seated nodules, although a few comedones, especially closed ones, were present in some patients. Lesions were always present on the cheeks, an area of focus during the facial massage, and healed with hyperpigmentation. The benefits of facial beauty treatment, as mentioned by the subjects, included a feeling of freshness and rejuvenation in 84 (59.1%), keeping the skin supple in 76 (53.5%), feeling of warmth and tightening of the skin in 71 (50%), and delaying the onset of wrinkles in 21 (14.8%). Although there are several subjective benefits with facial beauty treatment, there may be immediate side-effects, such as erythema and edema, as well as delayed problems, such as dermatitis and acneiform eruption, in about one-third of patients.

Spotlight on topical pimecrolimus in atopic dermatitis.

Pimecrolimus (SDZ ASM 981), an ascomycin derivative, is a nonsteroid, has anti-inflammatory activity, and has demonstrated efficacy in reducing symptoms of atopic dermatitis in adult and pediatric patients when applied topically. Compared with vehicle, topical pimecrolimus 1.0% cream was significantly more effective at reducing symptoms of atopic dermatitis, as measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), in infants aged 3 to 23 months, children aged 2 to 17 years, and adults. The median reductions from baseline in the total EASI score in adults after treatment with pimecrolimus 1.0% or corresponding vehicle twice daily for 3 weeks were 47 and 0%, respectively. In infants and children, treatment with pimecrolimus 1.0% twice daily for 6 weeks resulted in significant decreases in mean EASI scores compared with vehicle. The severity of pruritus was significantly reduced in patients of all age groups after topical treatment with pimecrolimus 1.0% cream. Compared with vehicle, the incidence of eczematous flares was also reduced by intermittent long-term use of topical pimecrolimus 1.0% in adults, children and infants. Sixty-one percent of children treated with pimecrolimus for 1 year completed the first 6 months of treatment without experiencing a flare, compared with 35% of patients who received vehicle. Furthermore, the use of topical corticosteroids for the treatment of uncontrolled flares in adults, children and infants was lower in the pimecrolimus groups than in the vehicle groups. Topical pimecrolimus 1.0% cream is well tolerated in atopic dermatitis patients of all age groups. There were no clinically relevant systemic adverse events reported from any of the studies in patients with atopic dermatitis. The most frequently reported adverse events pertained to application site reactions, such as burning and a feeling of warmth. In conclusion, topical pimecrolimus 1.0% cream has shown efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in infants, children and adults. Although tolerability data concerning infants and children have not yet been published in full, the drug appears to be well tolerated in all age groups, and there have been no reports of clinically relevant systemic adverse events. Furthermore, pimecrolimus has shown no potential for skin atrophy, a problem commonly associated with treatment with topical corticosteroids. Topical pimecrolimus 1.0% provides a promising and well tolerated treatment option in the management of infants, children and adults with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis.

Topical pimecrolimus: a review of its clinical potential in the management of atopic dermatitis.

Pimecrolimus (SDZ ASM 981), an ascomycin derivative, is a nonsteroid, has anti-inflammatory activity, and has demonstrated efficacy in reducing symptoms of atopic dermatitis in adult and paediatric patients when applied topically. Compared with vehicle, topical pimecrolimus 1.0% cream was significantly more effective at reducing symptoms of atopic dermatitis, as measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), in infants aged 3 to 23 months, children aged 2 to 17 years and adults. The median reductions from baseline in the total EASI score in adults after treatment with pimecrolimus 1.0% or corresponding vehicle twice daily for 3 weeks were 47 and 0%, respectively. In infants and children, treatment with pimecrolimus 1.0% twice daily for 6 weeks resulted in significant decreases in mean EASI scores compared with vehicle. The severity of pruritus was significantly reduced in patients of all age groups after topical treatment with pimecrolimus 1.0% cream. Compared with vehicle, the incidence of eczematous flares was also reduced by intermittent long-term use of topical pimecrolimus 1.0% in adults, children and infants. Sixty percent of children treated with pimecrolimus for 1 year completed the first 6 months of treatment without experiencing a flare, compared with 35% of patients who received vehicle. Furthermore, the use of topical corticosteroids for the treatment of uncontrolled flares in adults, children and infants was lower in the pimecrolimus groups than in the vehicle groups. Topical pimecrolimus 1.0% cream is well tolerated in atopic dermatitis patients of all age groups. There were no clinically relevant systemic adverse events reported from any of the studies in patients with atopic dermatitis. The most frequently reported adverse events pertained to application site reactions, such as burning and a feeling of warmth. In conclusion, topical pimecrolimus 1.0% cream has shown efficacy in the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis in infants, children and adults. Although tolerability data concerning infants and children have not yet been published in full, the drug appears to be well tolerated in all age groups, and there have been no reports of clinically relevant systemic adverse events. Furthermore, pimecrolimus 1.0% cream has shown no potential for skin atrophy, a problem commonly associated with treatment with topical corticosteroids. Pimecrolimus 1.0% cream provides a promising and well tolerated treatment option in the management of infants, children and adults with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis.

Use of Hypnotic Analgesia for the Management of Postmastectomy Pain Syndrome

A 57-year old woman presented with a complaint of pain on the left chest wall, incision scar area, axillae, upper forearm and limitation of motions at left shoulder for 4 years. She was treated under the diagnosis of postmastectomy pain syndrome. Pain was constrictive, myalgia in characters and the visual analog scale was 4. She said that the pain was worse when tired and fatigued, but relieved when in the bath. Associated symptoms were not found. A cervical epidural puncture (C6/7) was performed and 1 % lidocaine with triamcinolone was injected. Gabapentin 300 mg daily was also given. Tender points injection with 0.5% bupivacaine and dexamethasone was performed several times. Stellate ganglion block with 1 % lidocaine was also included once in the treatment regimen. On the second visit at the outpatient clinic, she showed fairly good signs of relief of pain and limitation of motions, but still remained anxious and complained of feeling of anger, frustration, and a feeling of loss and suffering. Hypnotic analgesia was indicated. Two sessions (1 hour for one session) were scheduled in a quiet room. Feelings of magnetic power on both palms were used as an induction technique and imagination on escalator was adopted for the deepening hypnosis, arm levitation for dissociation, a warm feeling of body for changing sensation, progressive relaxation, symbolic imagery for posthypnotic suggestion (turning the radio button) and glove analgesia technique were tried. Self-hypnosis and ego-strengthening were instructed for further pain relief. After the treatment, she was quite satisfied due to reduction of pain and stabilization of mind.

Adverbial, Descriptive Reciprocals

No abstract.

Psoriasis of the scalp. Diagnosis and management.

Psoriasis of the scalp is a frequently occurring condition affecting approximately 2% of the Western population. The sharply demarcated erythematosquamous lesions with silver-white scaling characterize scalp psoriasis. Quality of life can be seriously reduced by this condition and therefore long term treatment is needed in most patients. Coal tar shampoos, containing 2 to 10% coal tar solution, are effective in scalp psoriasis. However, no double-blind studies are available to support such an assumption. Salicylic acid 5 to 10% has a pronounced keratolytic effect. Salicylic acid should be formulated in an ointment, which can be washed off easily. Crude coal tar is the most effective tar available for the treatment of psoriasis. An important feature of coal tar is its potent efficacy against pruritus. At the scalp, the application of crude coal tar is difficult. Therefore coal tar solution is the most frequently applied tar preparation in scalp psoriasis. Dithranol 0.1 to 3% is manufactured in various formulations. Treatment is initiated at a low concentration and the concentration is increased stepwise until a slight irritation, the feeling of warmth, is reached. In the treatment of scalp psoriasis, cream formulations are used. Imidazole antifungals have been used with success in scalp psoriasis. Overgrowth of the scalp with pityrosporon is a well-known feature of scalp psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. In case of resistance to other topical treatments use of a topical or systemic imidazole derivative might be helpful. So far, topical corticosteroids are the most frequently used treatments for psoriasis of the scalp. Corticosteroids inhibit epidermal proliferation, inhibit inflammation and modulate immune functions. Topical corticosteroids are fast acting: within 3 to 4 weeks maximal efficacy is reached. No data are available to support the efficacy and safety of topical corticosteroids during long term use. However, from epidemiologic surveys we know that these treatments are used by the majority of patients for more than 8 weeks. Since 1992 vitamin D3 formulations have been developed for the treatment of psoriasis. Calcipotriol is available in most countries. Tacalcitol is available in Japan and several other countries. Vitamin D3 analogues inhibit epidermal proliferation, enhance cornification and inhibit inflammation. Therefore, vitamin D3 analogues have a substantial antipsoriatic effect. Systemic treatments such as methotrexate, cyclosporine and acitretin are indicated in patients with recalcitrant disease. Management of scalp psoriasis requires long term strategies in order to reach an optimal improvement of the condition, while avoiding the adverse effects associated with the long term use of treatments.

Homo-Formalism: Analogy in "The Sacred Fount"

In The Principles of Psychology (1890), William James sets out to investigate the commonsense belief the thoughts which psychology studies do continually tend to appear parts of personal selves (227). The primary question about experience, according to James, is why it seems as if the elementary psychic fact were not thought or this thought or that thought, but my thought, every thought being owned (226). In putting the question this way, James takes issue with Hume's empiricist critique of identity, his conclusion that persons nothing but a bundle or collection of perceptions, and thus whatever we may have to imagine that simplicity and of the self, [t]here is properly no simplicity in it at one time, nor identity in different (35152). James's argument in the Principles is that this critique of the unified self ignores the most crucial evidence in its favor: what Hume identifies our natural propension to imagine that we are so unified. For James, the fact that individuals continue to experience themselves selves, despite all evidence to the contrary, suggests that this of self must be more than a mere mistake. What holds the self together in his analysis is, in the end, a feeling of warmth and intimacy (331) with one's past thoughts, a recognition that they all belong to the same self. And thus it is, finally, he claims, Peter, awakening in the same bed with Paul, and recalling what both had in mind before they went to sleep, reidentifies and appropriates the 'warm' ideas his, and is never tempted to confuse them with those cold and pale-appearing ones which he ascribes to (334). What is striking, I think, about this moment in the Principles is that the model for the routine way in which the self gets constituted a self in everyday life is an image of two men waking up in bed together. In calling attention to the strangeness of this image, however, I do not mean to suggest that the Principles is somehow really about homosexuality. In fact, it is precisely the asexual and unerotic nature of this image of Peter and Paul waking up together that interests me. One might argue that James relies on such an image here because the issue he's addressing is the issue of sameness, the way in which individuals inevitably recognize the sameness of their past and present selves. Given that (with their alliterative names) Peter and Paul are meant to work mirror images of one another, James is asking how it is that Peter, on awakening next to Paul, has no problem recognizing that he is himself and not Paul. His answer is that while we make judgements of similarity all the time, some things are more the same than others. No matter how warm and intimate are Peter's feelings for Paul, no

Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord: Neurophysiological mechanisms involved in the relief of ischemic pain

Spinal cord stimulation is a spin-off of the well-known ‘Gate Control Theory of Pain’ presented by Melzack and Wall in 1965. SCS has been used predominantly in chronic intractable pain conditions. Careful evaluation has revealed that a significant number of patients reported pain relief accompanied by a feeling of warmth in the lower limbs during SCS. This observation has led to the use of SCS in the treatment of patients with severe ischemic rest pain. Several studies have evaluated the effects of SCS on relief of ischemic pain, microcirculatory blood flow and limb salvage. However, up to now very little is known about the physiological mechanisms behind the beneficial effects on ischemic pain. The ‘Gate Control Theory of Pain’ comprehends a model in which the nociceptive unmyelated afferents are inhibited by stimulation of non-nociceptive myelinated afferents. Although the concept of this theory is not longer tenable in all its aspects, the idea remain unchanged. At present, several hypotheses for the relief of ischemic pain under spinal cord stimulation are discussed. These mechanisms seem most dependent on activation of the lumbal segments of the spinal cord. However, supraspinal effects may also be involved. Inhibition of afferent activity in the spinothalamic tracts, suppression of sympathetic activity, antidromic effects on peripheral reflex circuits may take part in the relief of ischemic pain. Stimulation may also induce antidromically mediated release of vasoactive substances with vasodilatory effects. Besides pain relieving effects SCS has also a beneficial effect on the ischemic condition per se. Further experimental and clinical research is necessary to increase understanding of the neurophysiological and neurochemical changes activated by spinal cord stimulation. summary

Does autonomic neuropathy influence spinal cord stimulation therapy success in diabetic patients with critical lower limb ischemia?

BACKGROUND Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) improves microcirculatory blood flow and relieves diabetic neuropathic and ischemic pain, reducing the amputation rate in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of autonomic neuropathy in diabetic patients with PAOD influences the success of SCS therapy. METHODS Sixty consecutive diabetic patients (15 with early and 13 with definite and/or combined autonomic neuropathy) with an ankle/brachial systolic pressure index (ABI) less than 0.20 ± 0.08, underwent spinal cord stimulation after failed conservative or surgical treatment. The neuropathic status of the patients was evaluated before implantation and pedal TcpO 2 measurements on the dorsum of the foot were performed. RESULTS Limb salvage and pain relief >75%, evaluated with the visual analogue scale, were achieved in 35 patients, whereas in 12 a partial success with pain relief >50% and limb salvage for at least 6 months were obtained. In 13 patients the method failed and the ischemic limbs were amputated. Among the 28 diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy the treatment failed or resulted in only partial success in 25, whereas in all 32 patients without neuropathy limb salvage and pain relief >75% were achieved ( p < 0.0001). Partial success in 10 patients with early neuropathy and in two with definite was achieved ( p = 0.008), whereas in 11 patients with definite neuropathy and in two with early the method failed ( p < 0.001). The stage of the neuropathy was inversely related to the success of SCS therapy, independent of the stage of the disease. The method’s success was related to the presence of adequate paraesthesias and warm feeling in the painful area with size reduction of the trophic lesions. CONCLUSIONS Diabetic patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease presenting with intractable pain may be successfully treated with spinal cord stimulation unless they have associated severe autonomic neuropathy.

The Safety and Efficacy of a Single Dose (500 mg or 1 g) of Intravenous Magnesium Sulfate in Neuropathic Pain Poorly Responsive to Strong Opioid Analgesics in Patients with Cancer

Neuropathic pain may respond poorly to morphine and is often difficult to relieve. Recent attention has been drawn to the role of the N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the potentiation of neuropathic pain. Magnesium is known to block the NMDA receptor. It reduces the neuropathic pain response in animals, and attenuates postoperative pain and migraine in humans. We have examined the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of two intravenous doses of magnesium sulfate in 12 patients with neuropathic pain due to malignant infiltration of the brachial or lumbosacral plexus. The first six patients received 500 mg, the remainder 1 g. Apart from a mild feeling of warmth at the time of the injection, both doses were well tolerated. After receiving 500 mg, three patients experienced complete pain relief and two experienced partial pain relief for up to 4 hours duration; pain was unchanged in one patient. After receiving 1 g, one patient experienced complete relief and four experienced partial pain relief of similar duration; pain was unchanged in one patient. Intravenous magnesium sulfate in these doses appears to be safe and well tolerated. A useful analgesic effect may be obtained in some patients and further evaluation is warranted.

Effect of Archetypal Embeds on Feelings: An Indirect Route to Affecting Attitudes?

Advertising practitioners have long been the target of charges of unethical conduct stemming from their supposed use of subliminal techniques, though very few studies have shown any value of subliminal embeds in an advertising setting. One way advertising professionals can contend with such charges is to understand as much as possible about subliminal persuasion, including the situations, if any, in which it occurs. Many studies of subliminal persuasion have investigated the effect of subliminal stimuli on cognitive constructs. The authors add to that work by focusing on affect, specifically three types of feelings identified as important to advertising effectiveness: warm, upbeat, and negative feelings. They found empirical support for the hypothesis that unconscious processing of subliminal embeds has significant effects on the upbeat and negative feelings that subjects report in response to ads. Those feelings in turn had a significant influence on ad and brand attitudes, which suggests that subliminal embeds may have a small, but indirect effect on attitudes.