Psychiatry Commons^™

Alzheimer's Disease And Down's Syndrome: An Overview, Dr.Devanshu Desai, M.B.B.S.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The association between Alzheimer's Disease and Down's Syndrome is well recognized through clinical observations and genetic studies. However, the exact nature and the implications of this link is far from clear as yet. The challenge of diagnosis, genetics and the differences in clinical presentations of Alzheimer's Disease in relation to the Down's Syndrome are reviewed here. Promising areas of research are pointed out and importance of relevant family history is emphasized. A current knowledge in the subject through various studies is presented.

An Historical Review Of Electroconvulsive Therapy, Bruce A. Wright, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The initial clinical trial of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was performed by Ugo Cerletti and Lucino Bini at the University of Rome in 1938. The following paper will examine both the developments which led to the first trial of ECT, and the use of ECT over th e subsequent fifty years. Hopefully, by investigating the historical aspects of the development and progression of ECT, a better understanding of this treatment modality can be attained.

Working With Homeless Women And Children: Opportunities For Training, Lance D. Clawson, M.D., Ronald J. Koshes, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The diversity of the homeless population allows for unique training opportunities in psychiatry, especially for child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. The prevalence of psychopathology both existing in and as a result of displacement and disenfranchisement requires a specialized knowledge of this population and provides an extraordinary education in community outreach, emergency psychiatry and social service delivery systems. The authors review their experience of working with homeless women and children in the community. Possibilities for more comprehensive training and research are also presented.

The Real Mother-Issues In Adoption, Penelope J. Hooks, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Our society has deemed adoption a desirable alternative method of creating a family. It satisifies the need of a child for parents, it gratifies the desire of adults who yearn to provide a home and love for a child, and it gracefully solves the dilemma for the one who cannot or will not raise the child. In addition to the usual developmental conflicts, families involved in adoption will encounter a variety of fears, fantasies, resentments, and misconceptions which may adversely affect identity formation in the child. Here I will attempt to explore some of the psychodynamic issues which will be …

Cognitive Information Processing In Borderline Personality Disorder: A Neuropsychiatric Hypothesis, J.Wesley Burgess, Ph.D., M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Neurocognitive information processing was compared in 18 borderline subjects and 14 controls of similar age and gender. An 11-item screening examination significantly differentiated the two groups (P < 0.001). Significant differences were found on Delayed Memory, Serial Sevens, Rhythm Reproduction, and Perseveration subtests (P < 0.05). The results are interpreted as evidence for mild frontotemporal brain deficits. The findings support a developmental model of borderline disorder where early stress/injury during the childhood period of frontotemporal vulnerability results in failure to negotiate developmental landmarks and adult deficits in cognition, emotion/behavior modulation, and insight.

A Sexually And Physically Abused Child: His Inner World, Carmen Mayugba-Sugai, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

This paper describes how a sexually abused 8 year old boy's internal dynamics correlated with and influenced his behavior while he was on an inpatient unit. Through play therapy and unit staff's observation, the psychopathological sequelae to the abuse unfolded in a very interesting way. This process of correlating play material with observations of behavior on the unit, helped the treatment team in understanding the child's inner world.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders Associated With Chromosome 15, Karl G. Sieg, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Chromosome 15 is a focus of increasing interest to both psychiatry and neurology. Several neurodevelopmental disorders are genetically associated with this autosome, including Prader-Willi syndrome, Angelman syndrome, Dyslexia, Autism, Hyperlexia, Ring 15 Chromosome syndrome, and Trisomy 15 syndrome. This report provides a review of the molecular biology of chromosome 15 and these associated disorders.

Therapeutic Alliance And Involuntary Commitment Of A Minor, Karen Dineen Wagner, M.D., Ph.D, Sharon R. Weinstein, M.D., Richard F. Wagner, Jr., M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Children are legally entitled to be present throughout the commitment hearing for continued hospitalization. The effect of this process on the therapeutic alliance between the child and the psychiatrist warrants examination. A case study of a 14 year-old boy who participated in the court proceedings is presented. The outcome of the hearing resulted in a disruption of the therapeutic alliance. Alter natives to current commitment procedures for minors are discussed.

In Response: A Practical Approach To The Assessment And Management Of Psychiatric Emergencies, William R. Dubin, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

I would like to respond to the article entitled "A Practical Approach to the Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Emergencies" (Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 7:8 I-9 1, 1989). The authors are to be congratulated for their concise distillation of the major clinical problems encountered in emergency psychiatry. However, there are several aspects of this review which require further amplification and clarification.

Psychiatrists' Knowledge And Attitudes About The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, Carol L. Alter, M.D., Ellen S. Dickinson, M.D., Greg Miller, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Since 1981 the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has become the primary health care issue in this nation. Psychiatrists have had a central role in caring for AIDS patients: they have been asked to evaluate and treat patients with neuropsychiatric manifestations of AIDS and emotional reactions to the illness itself, as well as to treat those who are fearful of acquiring AIDS. Numerous studies in the literature have explored the physician and lay population's knowledge and attitudes about AIDS. To date no study has addressed these issues in psychiatrists in specific (1- 9).

Most studies suggest that individuals who have …

The Homicide Witness And Victimization; Ptsd In Civilian Populations: A Literature Review, Gerald M. Streets, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

People who witness the murder of an individual, whether a family member or acquaintance, often experience their loss as a psychic trauma. This described trauma is revealed by the symptom complex defined in the DSM-III-R as post -traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children, in particular, frequently suffer from debilitating grief, which hinders their emotional and cognitive development. This grief may masquerade as a learning disability, hyperactivity, or an attention deficit disorder. Witnessing murder and being victimized (i.e, rape, incest, and physical abuse) are equivalent experiences in their potential for generating massive intrapsychic conflict. Being poor is a predisposing factor which puts …

Exploring Frontal Lobe Dysfunction In Schizophrenia With Positron Emission Tomography, Donald P. Hall, Jr., M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Frontal lobe dysfunction in schizophrenic pa tients has been highly suspected for many years. Many psychiatrists and patients, however, are awaiting solid proof of a biological manifestation of this disease. While positron emission tomography does not uniformly demonstrate such a manifestation, it does demonstrate a prefrontal cortex deficit in most reported studies. Further, a localization of the attention deficit of schizophrenia, in the prefrontal cortex, is strongly suggested by some studies.

INTRODUCTION

Positron emission tomography (PET) has enabled investigators in modern clinical psychiatry to demonstrate that schizophrenia is, at least in part, a frontal lobe disorder. PET studies of many …

A Case Of Conversion Catatonia Misdiagnosed For 24 Years, Pauline K. Wiener, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Catatonia is a syndrome whose etiology may be both diverse and difficult to substantiate. Ms. H. is a 45-year-old black female with 18 previous psychiatric hospitalizations beginning at age 21. A common characteristic to all hospitalizations was a catatonic presentation (i.e ., the patient was mute with marked muscular rigidity; she would refuse to eat or follow orders). In each of her previous 18 hospitalizations, the patient was thought to be psychotic.

It was found that each catatonic episode could be related to a severe psychological stressor. The patient's illness never involved delusions, hallucinations or disturbances in thought form. Upon …

Enhancing The Utility Of The Dexamethasone Suppression Test: A Chart Review And Application Of Bayes' Theorem, Scott B. Patten, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) is the most extensively studied biological test in psychiatry. Despite this, its role in the diagnostic assessment of psychiatric patients remains controversial. Shortcomings of the test include limited sensitivity (45%) and limited specificity (75-80%) (1). The DST has many proposed uses, including the differentiation of endogenous from non-endogenous depressions, helping to decide when maintenance medications may be withdrawn, and as a diagnostic test for major depression. This paper is concerned with the latter use only, that is, the ability of the DST to function as a useful diagnostic test for major depression.

The significance of …

Reliability Of Trainees' Endorsements On Standardized Psychiatric Interviews, Thomas E. Uttley, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

This study investigated the utilization of standardized psychiatric interviews (SPI's) in psychiatric training programs. As the field of psychiatry, and the training of its' new members moves to conformits' principles to scientific models, the reliable use of SPI's is use ful in reaching that goal, in both research and diagnostic applications. This investigation contains two studies. In Study 1, a random survey of 20 percent of all psychiatric residency training programs was conducted to determine the prevailing level of training devoted to SPI's. The resulting findings are referred to as "training as usual" (TAU). Study 1 shows that residents are …

Treating Dual Diagnosis Patients: Challenges And Opportunities, Robert H. Howland, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The use and abuse of drugs and alcohol have recently gained greater attention both from the public and the medical profession. Despite increasing cognizance of its unfortunate consequences, substance use has become a more pervasive element of contemporary society. As substance abuse has come to affect more segments of the population, it is not surprising that this problem also has affected the mentally ill. Awareness of the mentally ill substance abuser has grown, although this population has not been well studied or well served by the mental health system. These dually diagnosed patients often are depicted as the square pegs …

Special Article: One Resident's Perspective On A Different Style Of Psychopharmacological Practice, Michael Amiel, M.D., Docteur J.P. Blayac

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

This article provides a comparison of psychopharmacological practices in the U.S. and France. The prescription as well as proscription of various classes of psychotropic drugs are considered. Even though the general guidelines of psychopharmacological practice remain the same, the details vary considerably and are determined especially by commercial factors.

INTRODUCTION

Though a comparison of current clinical psychopharmacological practices in France and the U.S. is an unaddressed topic, these contrasts may be quite striking to an American-trained psychiatrist. The following observations are based on my two month inpatient experience as a fourth-year psychiatric resident at a public psychiatric institution located in …

A Practical Approach To The Assessment And Management Of Psychiatric Emergencies, J. Gregory Kyser, M.D., Bradley C. Diner, M.D., Gilbert W. Raulston, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Patients present to the psychiatric emergency room manifesting a wide variety of symptoms ranging from mild anxiety to violent, uncontrollable behavior. The emergency room psychiatrist must recognize these various presentations and provide appropriate interventions for such patients. It may not be of the utmost importance to distinguish between the subtypes of schizophrenia or endogenous vs. exogenous depression, just as it is not crucial to decide immediately the cause of an acute abdomen, primarily to recognize its presence. However, it is critical to recognize the presence of a psychosis, suicidal intent or the presence of an organically caused alteration in mental …

Confrontations With Death: Psychological Responses During Internship, Michael Miller, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

During internship, the daily confrontation with the consequences of disease contributes much to the distress which young physicians experience (I). Not only are interns responsible for first line medical care, they must also provide emotional support for their patients struggling with pain, disability and impending death. This paper seeks to examine some of the factors responsible for the turmoil involved in caring for these dying patients.

Our conceptions of death and dying are determined to a large extent by the cultural context in which we live. Compared with other times in which death was not so ego alien, we presently …

Identity Formation And Reformation In First And Second Career Psychiatric Residents, Steven J. Kingsbury, M.D., Ph.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Although all residents seek to acquire competence, those entering psychiatry as a first career appear to use different strategies for the early protection of self esteem than do those entering psychiatry as a second career. These differences and their ramifications for the resident and the residency are discussed.

Differences appear in the formation of a professional identity as a psychiatrist when that career is the second career as opposed to the formation of that identity when the career is the first. For most older psychiatric residents, a first career typically precedes the entrance into psychiatry. In my case, I was …

On Becoming A Psychiatrist: A Resident's Perspective, Phebe M. Tucker, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Developing an identity as a psychiatrist is a process which has been seen by many to span an individual's career; from the first decision of choice of a career, through residency training and beyond, into the years of practice. As part of a "Residents' Day Paper," psychiatrists in the Oklahoma City area were surveyed in order to look at their perceptions of the growth of their professional identities. Despite the limitations of a small sample population, limited to one metropolitan area, some interesting common patterns emerged: the psychiatrists surveyed had diverse educational and cultural back grounds, similar practical and unconscious …

Telephone Associated Pathology: Clinical Case Studies And Discussion, Mark Servis, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The advancement of modern technology shapes and develops new expressions of psychopathology and accompanying treatments. This is most apparent with the telephone, an instrument of contact and communication for the patient, and assessment and intervention for the therapist. The telephone both constrains and creates unique constellations of patient symptomatology. This paper will examine one such telephone symptom complex-the habitual over use of the telephone by non-bipolar patients. The frequent monopolization of the phone seen in some bipolar patients will not be considered, though the elements of intrusion and aggression discussed in this paper are probably shared by manic patients.

A …

A Pilot Study Of Brief Group Therapies For Preschool Children: Parent Training Vs Group Play Therapy Vs Project Group, William S. Evans, Jr., M.D., Susan A. Black, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The optimum modality for treating preschool age children with behavioral and emotional problems is uncertain. One study showed that children with good ego strength respond to psychotherapy independent of whether it is group or individual psychotherapy, provided that a minimum period of psychotherapy occurs (ovick, 1965). The literature has demonstrated that parent training, individual play therapy, and group therapy are all effective modes of treatment with children (Axline, 1969; Moreland, et ai, 1983; Pesco solido & Petrella, 1986). Due to the limited psychiatric resources in the military setting and increasing demand for service, the option for individual therapy may be …

The In-Hospital Suicide: A Psychological Autopsy Of A System Involving Borderline Dynamics, Kathleen A. Hughes, Md, Al Santos, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

This manuscript reviews principles of hospital management in the care of severe borderline patients with concomitant affective syndromes. The case presented highlights a process of experiential learning in a novice clinician (a beginning psychiatric resident) and illustrates several critical areas of concern with these patients. The following four facets of clinical management are discussed: 1) Failed attempts to understand borderline dynamics and subsequent countertransference reactions; 2) Staff resistance to consistent, honest and open acknowledgement of suicide potential; 3) Special risks when borderline dynamics are combined with affective syndromes; and 4) Possible suicide preventive measures and their relative effectiveness.

Conversion Hallucinations In A Patient With Pseudohypoparathyroidism, John Kasckow, Md, Ph.D., Allan Maltbie, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

There are few case reports in the literature which discuss psychiatric disturbances in patients with pseudohypoparathyroidism (PH P) (1,2). PHP is a disease characterized by an inadequate response to parathyroid hormone . Often these patients are obese with a short, stocky build and moon-shaped face. Mental retardation is present in as many as 10% of these patients; a reversible dementialike syndrome can also occur (2,3). In addition, Capgras' syndrome has been observed in pseudohypoparathyroid patients (1,2). In these last two reports the authors concluded that the psychosis was probably organically-based. Hay et al (I) noted in their case report that …

What Supports Supportive Therapy?, Peter N. Novalis, M.D., Ph.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Think of 1896, the year Jacob Freud died, kindling a depression in his son Sigmund which led to The Interpretation of Dreams. To a raucous convention in Chicago, William Jennings Bryan declaimed against the gold monetary standard: "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold" (I). Years later the monetary gold standard was abandoned during the New Deal, but Freud's newly mined "pure gold of analysis" continued to be an object of adulation and emulation, despite Freud's prediction that its …

Pharmacologic Treatments Of Cocaine Dependence, Michael B. Knable, D.O.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The rapid escalation of cocaine abuse in the United States in the 1980's has generated a host of interesting hypotheses on various aspects of this problem. After a succinct discussion of epidemiologic, clinical, and neuro-pharmacologic aspects of cocaine abuse, a survey of the current literature on psychopharmacologic management of dependence is offered. While several agents have emerged as useful adjunctive treatments for abstinence syndromes it is important for the clinician to remember that there is not official approval for such treatments. Additionally, psychotherapeutic maneuvers, which remain the major tools in treatment of addicts, should not be overlooked when an experimental …

Book Review: Assessing The Risk, Suicide Risk: The Formulation Of Clinical Judgement, Michael Gray, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Book review of:

SUICIDE RISK: THE FORMULATION OF CLINICAL JUDGEMENT

John T. Maltsberger

New York University Press, New York, 1986

174 pp . $26 .95

Working With The Homeless: The Psychiatric Resident's Experience, Ronald J. Koshes, Md, Lance D. Clawson, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

HOMELESSNESS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The latter years of the twentieth century have witnessed a phenomenon unparalleled since the depression of the 1930's. Legions of homeless, disadvantaged, often mentally ill poor have emerged thronging cities, crowding public places and presenting perplexing complex, social, political, economic, and medical/psychiatric service delivery issues ( I ). Counting the homeless, and among them the mentally ill homeless, is a task fraught with difficulty, as some studies have illustrated (2 ,3). Estimates of mental illness among the nation's homeless range from 10% to 70% (4). In the District of Columbia, there are an estimated six to …

Loss And Termination In The Development Of A Resident Group, Teresita A. Mccarty, Md, Kate M. Hendrickson, Md

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Separation and loss experiences are major issues in psychotherapy, but role identity and intimacy are considered the tasks of therapists in training. Experiential groups are advocated during training to enhance coping skills and to teach group process. Focusing on separations in a group setting can highlight that loss is inevitable at any stage of life. The group experience also adds personal meaning to the importance of loss as a training issue. If the group has sufficient time to develop, the members will be able to observe the wide range of responses possible in their peers. We describe the effects of …