RESUMEN

This retrospective study aimed to explore the sociodemographic and clinial profile of patients aged 60 years and above attending the psychiatric services of NIMHANS. Two hundred and sixty-five such patients utilized the services during one year. Preliminary analysis of the data revealed that nearly three-fourths of the patients were between 60 and 69 years of age. The family support was adequate for most of the patients. Psychoses made up two-thirds of the sample (nonorganic psychoses = 43% and organic psychoses = 22%). The difference in the distribution of organic and nonorganic psychoses between the two sexes was significant (p=0.01485); men had significantly more organic psychoses than women and the latter had more nonorganic psychoses than the former. It was found that about 70% of the sample had associated physical disorders. The implications are discussed.

RESUMEN

This retrospective chart review attempts to compare the utility, safety and efficacy of once daily (OD) versus divided dose (DD) lithium therapy in the prophylaxis of mood disorders. Sixty-six patients who met DSM-II1R criteria for mood disorders were grouped into those on OD Lithium (n=31) and those on DD lithium (n=35). The groups were matched on sociodemographic and clinical variables. The total daily dose was similar in the two groups, but the OD group tended to have higher serum lithium levels while the DD group tended to have a greater number of affective episodes during the period of follow up. The implications are discussed.

RESUMEN

The aim of the study was to compare once-daily with divided dosage lithium treatment in acute mania. In 79 retrospectively studied subjects who met the DSMIII-R criteria for mania, 26 independent and dependent variables were analyzed. The two groups of patients (categorized according to dosage schedule) were broadly comparable with respect to demographic and clinical characteristics. The two groups also did not differ on the outcome measures of lithium efficacy and lithium adverse effects. It is concluded that single dose lithium therapy is clinically comparable with divided dose lithium therapy in acute mania. Possible advantages of switching over to once-daily lithium regimes are discussed.

RESUMEN

Out of 17 schizophrenic and 14 manic patients diagnosed according to ICD-10, 11 and 9 patients respectively developed acute dystonia following a single intravenous injection of 40mg haloperidol. The results are not statistically significant (p>0.05) suggesting that monies and schizophrenics are equally vulnerable to develop neuroleptic - induced acute dystonia.

RESUMEN

The authors studied the effect of dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibition on the manic symptoms of a 34-year-old man. They found that fusaric acid decreased the patient's manic symptoms and that his symptoms approximately reverted to their previous state when a placebo was reinstituted.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

This study comprise of 23 patients of Wilson's Disease, who were assessed individually by a psychiatrist and neurologist separately. Clinically discernable psychiatric symptoms were detected in 11 patients. Depressed affect was the commonest finding in the series. While four out of five young patients showed depressive symptomatology, none of the six patients showed any depression. All four patients who had severely depressed affect were also patients who had most severe extrapyramidal features.

RESUMEN

Eighteen physically healthy volunteers were given 1200 mg of standard and sustained-release preparations of lithium on two different occasions. Serum lithium levels were estimated at four hourly intervals and statistically analysed. The findings and the results have been discussed with particular reference to their implications for future research.

RESUMEN

A case of central anticholinergic syndrome due to overdosage of trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride presenting as septal akinetic mutism with unequally dilated pupils is discussed in reference to similar presentation in animals and possible clinical application.

RESUMEN

The beliefs of patients attending walk-in clinic and outpatient section, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS, Bangalore were studied separately. The Walk-in Clinic and Outpatient population were divided into three groups by systematic randomization. The beliefs of Group I, Hand III were left untouched, contradicted and supported respectively. The follow up attendance pattern of the patients was taken as an indicator of treatment acceptance and according to the regularity of follow up in each group patients were categorised as good, fair and poor attenders.The significance of these findings is discussed and it is inferred that supporting scientifically tenable beliefs and keeping a neutral attitude towards unscientific beliefs may be the best policy for a clinician.