摘要:

Formal thought disorder (i.e., abnormal utterances and communication problems) is a prominent feature of schizophrenia. To investigate the hypothesis that formal thought disorder in schizophrenics represents a disturbance of language functioning, we compared 21 thought-disordered and 16 non-thought-disordered schizophrenics on the Porch Index of Communicative Ability. The thought-disordered schizophrenics were significantly more impaired. We also examined nonlinguistic factors potentially impacting language performance in schizophrenics (e.g., disturbed attention, intellect, and/or thought content). Reduced attention was the best predictor of language performance in the thought-disordered group, whereas low intellect and reduced attention were predictive of language dysfunction in the non-thought-disordered group. Disturbed thought content was not predictive of language impairment in either group. These findings provide partial support for the idea that formal thought disorder in schizophrenics represents defective language functioning.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:673–680, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A sample of young patients with schizophrenia was studied in a longitudinal design to investigate the stability of an earlier reported four-dimensional symptom model (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, disorganization, and depression). Symptoms were measured in an acute phase soon after hospitalization, in a remitted stage 3 months later, and in a “mixed” phase 1 year after the second assessment. A different factor structure was found at each measurement, but a stable four-dimensional structure could be defined that closely resembled the factor structure of the first assessment. The symptom dimensions were uncorrelated, except disorganization and depression. Whether meaningful subtypes could be defined using statistical criteria also was investigated. With cluster analysis, four subtypes were defined that could be characterized as follows: rapid treatment responders, slower responders, and two relapse groups. Although some indication of the validity of these subtypes was found, it is concluded that there is a high risk of creating artificial boundaries with this approach.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:681–687, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

While the impact of social learning programs upon social deficits in schizophrenia has been widely studied, less is understood about which patients have the poorest social skills, and among those which patients have deficits most refractory to rehabilitation. To explore these questions, this study compared the symptom levels and performance on neuropsychological testing of 91 subjects with impaired and unimpaired social skills enrolled in a vocational rehabilitation program. After 10 weeks of rehabilitation and a supportive group treatment, social skills among a subsample of 41 subjects with initially impaired social skills were reassessed. Results indicate that subjects with initially impaired social skills had significantly higher levels of negative symptoms. However, multiple regression analysis revealed that cognitive impairments at intake, rather than level of negative symptoms, predicted improvement among subjects with initially impoverished social skills (R2= .35). Results suggest that level of cognitive impairment is associated with the persistence of social skills deficits in schizophrenia.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:688–692, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Auditory event-related potentials were recorded during a dichotic syllable discrimination task in 16 unmedicated patients who were in the residual state following the remission of acute methamphetamine (MAP) psychosis, and in 16 age-matched normal controls. The subjects were instructed to press a button in response to the target syllables applied to one designated ear. In the patients with MAP psychosis, the area of attention-related negative potentials was significantly smaller than that in the normal controls. The two groups did not differ significantly in P300 amplitude or latency. These results suggest that patients with MAP psychosis show impairment of selective attention, although they have less cognitive deficit than schizophrenic patients.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:693–697, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

High levels of distress were found in military mortuary workers prior to the arrival of the human remains from the Persian Gulf War of 1991. To better understand the stress of anticipating the handling of remains, we performed stepwise multiple regression analyses to identify the best predictors of intrusive thoughts and avoidant thoughts and behavior, two of the primary symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. After volunteer status and sex were controlled, fear and discomfort with mutilation and the grotesque, as measured by the Mutilation Questionnaire, and defensiveness or denial, as measured by the Marlowe-Crowne Scale, were significant predictors of intrusion and avoidance in the inexperienced group. In the experienced group, only the Mutilation Questionnaire predicted intrusion and avoidance. Results have implications for selection, training, and interventions for mortuary workers and other disaster workers whose job includes exposure to human remains.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:698–703, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Client attendance at individual counseling sessions in community-based methadone treatment programs was more frequent among clients with self-reported psychological problems at intake. These problems included anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and other symptoms suggesting psychopathology (hallucinations, difficulty controlling violence, etc.). The sample consisted of 462 clients in treatment at least 90 days, divided into two groups of no psychological problems reported at intake (no problems group,N= 341) and two or more problems reported (high problems group,N= 121). The high problems group was twice as likely to attend the treatment program's recommended minimum number of individual counseling sessions (two per month) than was the no problems group, and was more likely to discuss psychological issues in their individual counseling sessions. The high problems group showed significant decreases in drug use and illegal activity in the first 3 months after admission and did not differ significantly from the no problems group on drug-positive urines or illicit activity at month 3. Within the high problems group, clients who attended at least two individual sessions per month reported less cocaine and speedball use during treatment than those who attended fewer sessions.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:704–710, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

In the present study, the effectiveness and utility of DSM-III axis III in terms of adequate identification of physical disorders in psychiatric outpatients is appraised empirically. To this effect, the presence of physical disorders in diagnostic statements recorded in clinical charts is compared in a large medical center for two psychiatric outpatient samples, one from the nonmultiaxial DSM-II era and one after the implementation of the multiaxial DSM-III. In the earlier sample, 11% of the patients were diagnosed as having physical disorders. In the DSM-III sample, 42% of the patients were so diagnosed. The latter figure is consistent with the 40% average prevalence of physical disorders reported in careful studies of the physical condition of ambulatory psychiatric patients.—J Nerv Ment Dis183:711–714, 1995

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0022-3018    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1995

数据来源: OVID