Psychiatry Commons^™

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.

Mead Johnson Award

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

The Mead Johnson Award has been established to honor the best paper submitted to The Jefferson Journal ofPsychiatry: A Resident Publication during each calendar year. An award of one thousand dollars is given to the chosen author, with an additional one thousand dollars to be given to the residency program or fellowship in which the author is enrolled. The winning submission will be selected by the Journal's editorial board from manuscripts submitted on any subject related to psychiatric practice and/or research. We invite authors to review the Information for Contributors section of this issue. The …

Editor's Column, Edward Kim, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

This issue of the Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry impressively reflects current trends in the American Psychiatric Association. Past President Herb Pardes took as his theme "The Research Alliance: Road to Clinical Excellence." Current President Elissa Benedek has adopted the theme "Our Children, Our Future" for the 1991 annual meeting. Adjusting to the responsibilities of chief editorship (under the watchful eye of my predecessor, Dr. Trefzger), I am impressed by the evolution of the Journal and the manuscripts submitted for review.

Editorial Staff

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

List of Editorial Staff for Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 8, Number 2, 1990.

Gender Roles And Their Influence On Life Prospects For Women In Urban Karachi, Pakistan: A Qualitative Study, Tazeen S. Ali, Gunilla Krantz, Raisa Gul, Nargis Asad, Eva Johansson, Ingrid Mogren

School of Nursing & Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Pakistan is a patriarchal society where men are the primary authority figures and women are subordinate. This has serious implications on women's and men's life prospects.
OBJECTIVE: The aim was to explore current gender roles in urban Pakistan, how these are reproduced and maintained and influence men's and women's life circumstances.
DESIGN: Five focus group discussions were conducted, including 28 women representing employed, unemployed, educated and uneducated women from different socio-economic strata. Manifest and latent content analyses were applied.
FINDINGS: TWO MAJOR THEMES EMERGED DURING ANALYSIS: 'Reiteration of gender roles' and 'Agents of change'. The first theme included perceptions …

An Automated Internet Application To Help Patients With Bipolar Disorder Track Social Rhythm Stabilization., Daniel Z Lieberman, Susan Swayze, Frederick K Goodwin

Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Faculty Publications

This column describes a pilot study of a fully automated, Internet-based program that provides a key element of interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, a form of psychotherapy shown to be effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder when combined with mood-stabilizing medication. Participants (N=64) recorded the time they completed activities of daily living and their mood at the time of each entry. After 90 days they demonstrated a 31% increase in social rhythm stability and a small, though statistically significant, decrease in symptoms of abnormal mood. Internet-based programs can enhance access to a best practice in the management of bipolar …

Factors Related To Psychiatric Readmissions In A Large Community Academic Hospital, William Stern, Edward R. Norris Md, Fapa, Fapm, Karen Burke Rn, Julia R. Correll Ba, Michael Kaufmann Md

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.

About The Authors

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

List of authors for Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 8, Number 1, 1990.

Letters To The Editor

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Letters to the Editor for Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 8, Number 1, 1990.

Book Review: Biologic Psychiatry For The Biologist, John P. Seibyl, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: THE THIRD GENERATION OF PROGRESS

Edited by Herbert Y. Meltzer, M.D .New York, Raven Press, 1987

1824 pages, $160.00

Book Review: Illness Or Person?, Beth Z. Mark, M.D.

Jefferson Journal of Psychiatry

Book Review of:

PSYCHOTHERAPY OF NEUROTIC CHARACTER

Dana Shapiro

New York, Basic Books, 1989

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 …