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American Journal of Psychiatry

  • Volume 141
  • Number 6
  • June 1984

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages725–732

Alexithymia refers to a specific disturbance in psychic functioning characterized by difficulties in the capacity to verbalize affect and to elaborate fantasies. Although initially described in the context of psychosomatic illness, alexithymic ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.725

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages733–741

The authors measured plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), plasma norepinephrine, blood pressure, and heart rate responses to the alpha 2-adrenergic agonist clonidine in 25 depressed patients and 25 normal control subjects. In the control ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.733

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages742–748

Predicting the outcome of psychotherapy is a central concern in psychiatry. Twenty-one medical students seeking psychotherapy were evaluated on a number of psychodynamic and process variables using self- report scales and scales completed by the therapist ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.742

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages748–752

The authors studied high-potency versus low-potency neuroleptic dosing practices for 110 Boston-area psychiatric inpatients and compared the findings with the dosing practices reported in surveys of nearly 16,000 Veterans Administration patients. Mean ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.748

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages753–759

There is evidence that patients with anorexia nervosa (particularly those who also have bulimia) and patients with affective disorder share many features. The authors present sleep polygraph data from 20 young women with anorexia nervosa (17 also bulimic) ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.753

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages759–763

The scores of 14 women with hyperprolactinemia on the Symptom Rating Test and the Symptom Questionnaire were compared with those of nonpsychotic women attending a psychiatric clinic, women attending a family practice clinic, and female nonpatient ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.759

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages764–769

On the basis of semistructured evaluations of all new patients presenting for care during a 1-year period at a comprehensive psychiatric facility, the authors systematically assessed the relationship between various aspects of the patients' symptoms and ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.764

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages769–773

Members of the Spiritual Baptist Church in the West Indies engage in a ceremony called "mourning," which involves prayer , fasting, and the experiencing of dreams and visions while in isolation. Twenty-three church members who had undergone the experience ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.769

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages774–777

There is an urgent need for psychiatric services for mentally ill inmates in local jails. The authors recommend that a psychiatric team be established inside the jail to provide short-term crisis evaluation, disposition, and treatment; that special ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.774

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages778–781

A group of 39 elderly subjects whose mean age was 76 years were taught a standard mnemonic technique to improve face and name recall. About half of the subjects (the experimental group) received relaxation training before learning the mnemonic, and the ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.778

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages782–785

In a sample of 1,032 psychiatric inpatients studied for 1 year, chronic patients (more than 6 months' inpatient stay) represented 17.4%, almost half of whom were discharged during a 2-year follow-up; an additional 19.4% died. The incidence of "new" long-...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.782

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages786–789

Filed against the state of Massachusetts in 1977, Brewster v Dukakis involved the claim that psychiatric patients living in state hospitals or at risk of being hospitalized in these facilities have a right to treatment in community settings. The decree ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.786

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages790–791

In a double-blind trial, 48 smokers completed a nicotine tolerance questionnaire and then received nicotine gum or placebo during smoking cessation. Subjects given active gum were more likely to remain abstinent if their questionnaire responses indicated ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.790

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages792–793

Of 80 patients given alprazolam, eight became hostile early in treatment. The authors suggest that alprazolam-induced hostility may be more likely in patients with well-suppressed chronic anger and resentment and cite reports of hostility associated with ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.792

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages794–795

Of the 270 patients who had been hospitalized at least 1 year in Maryland public psychiatric facilities in 1976, 15% remained 7 years later. The authors' data provide evidence that a new long-term population is not accumulating in Maryland.

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.794

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages796–797

Withdrawal of dopamine agonists may precipitate or exacerbate neuroleptic malignant syndrome. This case report of neuroleptic malignant syndrome following withdrawal of neuroleptics and amantadine suggests that dopamine agonists should not be discontinued ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.796

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages798–800

Results of liver function tests in 46 depressed patients changed little during treatment with desipramine and were uncorrelated with drug plasma levels. The findings suggest that tricyclic-associated hepatitis, rather than being dose dependent, is an ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.798

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages800–801

Thirty-seven children, one or both of whose parents had sleepwalked during childhood, were studied prospectively. At 8 years of age, they were more likely to manifest sleepwalking, recurrent sleeptalking , and emotional lability than control children.

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.800

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages802–803

Three patients who met DSM-III criteria for borderline personality disorder and who did not improve while taking a number of other drugs improved substantially while taking alprazolam.

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.802

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages804–805

Some patients with persistent psychophysiologic insomnia have a history of generalized anxiety, minor depression, or drug misuse. Their sleep resembles sleep of patients with generalized anxiety (except for night 2 improvement in the insomniacs' sleep ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.804

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages806–807

Leukopenia, a rare but serious side effect of many psychotropic agents including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), has not been reported in the literature in association with phenelzine. The authors report such a case and suggest a toxic etiology ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.806

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages808–809

Three depressed patients developed a dyskinesia directly following ECT. In each case the dyskinesia improved some time after cessation of ECT. All patients had prior treatment with an antipsychotic drug and previous diagnoses of schizophrenia or ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.808

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages810–811

The authors gave the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) to 42 opiate addicts 2 weeks after detoxification. The DST provided a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 93% for major depression diagnosed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria.

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.810

Publication date: 01 June 1984

Pages812–813

The lithium loading dose method developed by Cooper and associates resulted in achievement of therapeutic concentrations in 29 of 30 psychiatric inpatients. Fewer lithium determinations were required than in 30 other inpatients treated with the ...

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.141.6.812

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