Forms Of Mental Disease Research Articles

To the History of Scientific Concepts of the XIX Century Domestic Psychiatry: P.A. Butkovskiy’s Textbook

Background: the elaboration of problems of clinical psychiatry in Russia had already begun in the end of the XVIII — beginning of the XIX centuries by professors of internal medicine and of other branches of medical academic institutions, and from the thirties years of XIX century gradually moved to the hands of the doctors who were specialized in psychiatry (V.F. Sabler, A.I. Gerzog, I.F. Rjul, I.P. Malinovskiy and others).The aim was to analyze the history of the formation of scientific concepts in Russian psychiatry in comparison with the relevant German and French psychiatric concepts at that time.Method: narrative review.Conclusion: the author of the first domestic textbook of psychiatry “Diseases of the soul” (1834) was Professor of department of surgery and mental diseases of Kharkov’s University P.A. Butkovskiy. Creating his textbook P.A. Butkovskiy grounded on the textbook of one of the founders of german “school of psychics” J.Ch. Heinroth (1818) and took as a basis of classification of mental diseases Heinroth’s systematics. The forms of mental diseases according to P.A. Butkovskiy and J.Ch. Heinroth were distinguished by two principal signs: predomination of affection of the one among three areas of psyche: imagination, intellect and volition, and due to the changes in its functions: amplification or weakening. Wherein P.A. Butkovskiy connected with the affection of the brain only the group of “paranoiс” diseases (general paranoia, ecnoia, paraphrosyne, moria) and acquired stupidity (anoia) that were explained by exaggeration or weakening of the brain functioning respectively. P.A. Butkovskiy also introduced in Russian psychiatry the notion of “dynamics” and “psychosomatic” that were borrowed from J.Ch. Heinroth, and the concept of “general feeling” (coenesthesis) of J. Reil. The forms of mental disorders distinguished by J.Ch. Heinroth represented the next progressive step in the differentiation of syndrome pictures of mental diseases (but not in psychiatric nosology as the author considered), and the fact that P.A. Butkovskiy, the author of the first Russian Textbook on Psychiatry, created the similar systematics on the same principles, contributed to the building of mutual understanding between national psychiatric schools that were in the process of being formed.

The <i>Recovery Model</i> or the modelling of a cover-up?

In this article we present a psycho-social, ‘group-ish’ (Bion, 1961) and philosophically Cynical commentary upon contemporary notions of recovery, well-being and positive psychology. These are, at times, being cynically deployed to address profoundly damaging processes of social traumatisation that give rise to certain forms of mental disease, which we describe as ‘being unwell-ness’, and related psycho-social disease which is being linked to low productivity, under- or unemployment and low social status, and that we describe as worklessness and worth-lessness. We state at the outset of the paper that much excellent work is done by statutory, non-statutory and service user led groups and organisations to engage with these problems. However, in our commentary we will suggest how the language and currency of these initiatives are in danger of being hi-jacked and side-tracked by the vested interests of explicit and tacit political and professional agendas of the in group at the expense of those whom we seek to help.

Childhood Mental Disorders and Risk of Schizophrenia

Problem statement: Schizophrenia is one of the most serious forms of mental diseases, but the etiology of schizophrenia is still not well understood. Investigations are required to gain better understanding of the pre-onset course of schizophrenia. Approach: This study was a population-based birth-cohort study of males born between 1980 and 1984 in Western Australia (WA). Males were identified using birth registry records and followed-up until December 31st, 2009 or death using linked health data available through the Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS). Results: Children who developed a mental disorder before the age of 12 yrs had about at twice the risk of developing schizophrenia compared to those without a diagnosis. Increased risks appeared to be greatest for specific delays in development and hyperkinetic syndrome of childhood. Conclusion: Children with childhood mental disorders are at higher risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia later in life. These findings provide further evidence to support the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Everyday life experiences among relatives of persons with mental disabilities

Mental disability is one of the most significant health problems facing Europe today. For example Statistics reveal that between 20 and 40 percent of the Swedish population suffer from some forms of mental disease, ranging from grave psychoses to less serious anxiety and fear. This study has aimed to illuminate the experiences of relativeś in terms of contacts with persons with mental disabilities. Eighteen tape-recorded interviews were conducted with close relatives of persons suffering from mental disabilities within the health care district of Umeå, Sweden. The results indicate that the daily lives guilt about not providing enough support for their relatives. In addition to feeling physically exhausted and worn out they felt as though they carried a large responsibility and lacked support and back-up in their daily life.

Prolonged Grief Disorder and Depression in Widows Due to the Rwandan Genocide

Should pathological grief be viewed as a nosological category, separate from other forms of mental diseases? Diagnostic criteria for "Prolonged Grief Disorder" (PGD) have recently been specified by Prigerson and her coworkers. We interviewed a total of 40 widows who had lost their husbands during the Rwandan genocide in 1994. We assessed Major Depression using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) and prolonged grief reactions with the PG-13. In order to examine the distinctiveness of the two syndromes we performed a multitrait correlational matrix analysis using modified versions of Generalized Proximity Functions (GPFs). 12.5% (n = 5) of the sample fulfilled the criteria for a diagnosis of PGD; 40% (n = 16) met criteria for Major Depressive Episode. The two syndromes were strongly associated. No discriminant validity was found between the two constructs suggesting that PGD may rather be an appearance of depression than a separate nosological entity.

Clinicopathologic significance of granulovacuolar degeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

The observation of granulovacuoles in the hippocampal pyramidal neurons in cases of senile dementia was made at the turn of the century, but the extent to which the abnormality is specific and of diagnostic value in morphologic classification has not been clearly established. An analysis of the abnormality in a series of 200 unselected autopsies on patients with all forms of mental disease is presented. Granulovacuolar degeneration among the hippocampal neurons is a constant finding in Alzheimer's disease which lends itself to easy recognition and quantitation using routine staining methods. With approximate quantitation the abnormal feature has sufficient specificity to be of diagnostic value, and, in contrast to more commonly used morphologic criteria, granulovacuolar degeneration retains its specificity for the clinical manifestations of Alzheimer's disease throughout the “senile” age period.

Immigration and ethnic origin in mental illness.

A retrospective study of the prevalence of serious mental disease in the southern half of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan was made. The total admissions to the area's Provincial Mental Hospital during the year 1957 were reviewed. A selection was made from the hospital files on the basis of migration and ethnic status. English, German and Ukrainian groups (with a further division into foreign-born and Canadian-born groups) who represented the largest ethnic components of the population were chosen. They were studied to determine the acceptability of four hypotheses. 1. That the ethnic components chosen have different general (social) characteristics on the basis of their derivation from different cultures. 2. That the ethnic components chosen present different forms of mental disease in the community. 3. That the foreign-born and Canadian-born groups have different general (social) characteristics on the basis of derivation from different cultures. 4. That the foreign-born and Canadian-born groups present different forms of mental disease in the community. The Chi square method was used to determine the significance of the groups of factors chosen for each hypothesis. Discussion of the results emphasizes that Hypotheses 3 and 4 should be accepted. The greatest single factor for the acceptance, however, is neither the migrant nor the ethnic status of the individual but rather age. The discussion includes a review of the possible reasons for the great significance of this factor rather than cultural and ecological difficulties mentioned in other papers.

A biochemical concept of mental disease.

Evidence strongly favors an abnormal serotonin metabolism as an etiologic factor in some forms of mental disease, and it is possible that under certain circumstances a harmala alkaloid, endogenously produced, could cause a psychotic state; such a state would tend to be chronic because of a chemical feedback mechanism. Although only a theory, this hypothesis provides the fascinating motivation to fulfill Thudichum's dictate to study the normal brain chemistry “to its uttermost detail” so that eventually we may be able to isolate the “poisons fermented within the body” which are responsible for insanity.

Argininosuccinic aciduria: identification and reactions of the abnormal metabolite in a newly described form of mental disease, with some preliminary metabolic studies.

Argininosuccinic aciduria: identification and reactions of the abnormal metabolite in a newly described form of mental disease, with some preliminary metabolic studies.

New Data on Marriage and Mental Disease: The Incidence of Psychoses in the Widowed and the Divorced

It may be regarded as an established fact that the incidence of mental disorder is much higher in the single than in the married. In a previous paper two possible explanations were discussed: 1. There is a selection by marriage, whereby individuals who are personally and socially handicapped tend to remain single. Among such possible marriage handicaps there are certain personality traits which correlate markedly with a predisposition towards certain forms of mental disease, in particular schizophrenia.

Lobotomia pré-frontal. Resultados clínicos em hospital privado

SUMMARY Leucotomy, the so called surgical therapy of certain forms of mental diseases, is considered by the authors as having successfully passed its experimental stage. Emphasis is given to Egas Moniz, as the respon­sible man for the success of such method, which achieved recognition thanks to his brilliant and penetrating mind, deeply engaged in the study of physiopathology of the frontal lobes since the International Congress of Neurology in London, 1935, until the present Congress, when his scientific achievement wins full recognition. History of the therapy dates back to November 12th., 1935 when Moniz with Almeida Lima and Cid Sobral undertook the treatment of psychotic patients by means of the surgical interruption of the frontal association pathways to the thalamus. After the report of the process through Egas Moniz's monography (June, 1936), Aloysio Mattos Pimenta performed the first operation on August 21st, 1936, at the Juqueri Hospital, S. Paulo, Brasil. Freemann and Watts, in U. S. A., were the first to use Moniz's method, and performed their first operation on September 14th., 19.36, and then the method gained recognition in the world's neuro-psychiatrics centers, its use being quickly widespread. The great progress of the

A statistical investigation of the incidence of mental disorder in Norway

A total of 14,231 first admissions to Norwegian mental hospitals for the period of 1926 through 1935 are examined, and incidence rates by age, sex and diagnosis are determined. From these incidence rates, the expectations of the various forms of mental diseases are calculated. Different types of expectations and statistical methods are discussed, and the results of some authors compared. The objections generally voiced against the use of statistical information on hospital admissions as a basis for the determination of the incidence of mental disease in the average population are partly exaggerated, and in part the difficulties can be overcome by the use of adequate statistical methods. The expectations, arrived at by this “census method” form a valuable supplement to those obtained by the “direct method” generally used in psychiatric studies of heredity, and are, under favorable circumstances, even preferable as controls for investigations according to the sib method.

Hyperthyrotic Catatonia: A Schizophrenic Symptom-Complex

The thyroid, as one of the glands of internal secretion to be studied first and subsequently most intensively, was early regarded with interest in relation mental disorder. Its role in the production of cretinism and in myxoedema in which the activity of the gland is diminished, as well as the association of thyrotoxicosis with psychic changes, suggested that anomalies of this organ might be linked with some forms of mental disease.

Short Reviews

THIS little work, which is based on many years experience of mental diseases not only in Great Britain but also on the Continent and in America, is primarily intended for non-medical readers, especially magistrates, coroners and social workers, but it will also prove a useful introduction to the study of psychiatry, particularly in its practical aspects, by the medical student and graduate. In spite of its subtitle the book is not confined to treatment but also contains a concise and lucid account of the history, causes, symptoms and legal aspects of the various forms of mental disease. Special chapters are devoted to the discussion of mental deficiency, sterilization and research. In the last chapter Dr. Hutton maintains that the most important development of the future lies in the out-patient clinic, where all who feel mentally ill can openly come for treatment.

Correlations between Epidermal Impedance and the Clinical Course in Certain Psychoses

SummaryIn certain forms of mental disease, the epidermal impedance is found to reflect variations in the clinical course, the values decreasing during phases of agitation and increasing during periods of quiet, depression or recovery. The phenomenon is not limited to any diagnostic group and may be found among catatonics, cyclothemics, involutionals and even in the organic psychoses.

PSYCHOSES, PSYCHONEUROSES, AND ENDOCRINE DYSFUNCTION*

This report deals with the results of studies carried out on a consecutive series of patients referred for diagnosis and who presented some form of mental disease as a feature in the final summary of the case. The. Evans Memorial, under ordinary conditions, is not organized to furnish custodial care, and so a primary reference for mental disease was limited to the few individuals to whom adequate nursing supervision did not entail an expense which was prohibitive. The great majority of the patients comprising the group had given evidence of physical abnormalities calling for diagnostic resolution. The mental status either was established during the course of the study or had been previously recognized and the patient referred during its incipiency or in a period of temporary quiescence. The general method of study has been frequently reported (1), and need not be elaborated here. In addition to the usual procedures applied routinely, careful psychiatric studies were made by one of us (H.M.P) of the majori...

On the Therapeutic Effects of the Subcutaneous Injection of Ringer-Locke's Solution in Various Forms of Mental Disease

Since May, 1915, I have habitually used the Cantani injection in moribund cases of general paralysis, and I have been impressed on many occasions by the remarkable effects produced, in that the life of the patient has been prolonged generally for several days and often for a matter of weeks or months. I had been taught that nearly all forms of mental disease were practically incurable, and that general paralysis in particular was not only incurable, but invariably fatal. In view of my experience, however, I determined to try and improve the method. In taking up the investigation I was largely influenced by the fact that if the method of treatment were successful it would have the strong practical advantage of keeping the patients alive until relatives residing at long distances could reach them and so be present at the death-bed.

Psychological Medicine. A Manual on Mental Diseases for Practitioners and Students.

This is a systematic work on psychiatry, beginning with a chapter (18 pages) on normal psychology, embracing a consideration of the different forms of mental disease and ending with a chapter on treatment (39 pages). There is also a chapter of considerable size on general symptomatology, others on feigned insanity, relation of insanity with law, sleeplessness, etc. The author is a thoughtful, competent alienist of wide experience, but he has not found the secret of lucid, consecutive writing. No doubt he himself has a clear appreciation of the fundamental lines, the dominating traits of mental maladies, but he fails to bring them into salient relief. He lacks the power of graphic description. The book and the chapters are systematically divided, the paragraphs are not. For instance, under physical symptoms of alcoholism (page 191), is given a hodge-podge of symptoms; each one correct, but all enumerated in a hit-and-miss way which

The Activating Effect of Blood-serum for Cobra Venom in Mental Deficiency and other Mental Affections

Between the years 1910 and 1913 I carried out a research at the Clinical Laboratory, Glasgow University, on the activating effect of the blood-serum for cobra venom in various diseases. Since then a fairly extensive research has been carried out on various forms of mental disease, more especially on the commoner forms of mental disorder and mental defect in institutions, in order to confirm the view that the auxilytic action of human serum on cobra venom in haemolysis produces characteristic reactions whereby certain diseases can be diagnosed.

Psychoses in the Expeditionary Forces

At the present time, to investigate fully the psychoses of those in military service would necessitate an inquiry into the mental health of the male moiety of the entire British nation. Admitting the truism that the war has not produced any new form of mental disease, it is nevertheless interesting to bring forward and accentuate the differences and similarities found in psychiatric military and civil institutional practice.