Neural evidence for compromised mental imagery in individuals with chronic schizophrenia.

Mental imagery impairment has been reported in schizophrenia. The present study aimed to investigate the neural evidence for mental imagery impairment in patients with schizophrenia. The study participants included 20 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 18 healthy control subjects.

Familial trichotillomania: role of genetic factors in the determination of subtypes.

Objectives: Trichotillomania (TTM) is a psychiatric syndrome characterised by the inability to control repetitive hair pulling. Psychiatric data reveal that TTM is not usually prevalent among all family members of patients, and so far only one case of familial TTM has been reported.

Methods: In this study, we report a case of familial TTM that afflicted four sisters and discuss the importance of genetic factors in this disorder.

Dissociative disorders and dissociative symptoms among veterans of the Iraq-Iran war suffering from chronic post-traumatic disorder.

Objective: To evaluate any dissociative disorders in patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and find any relationship between dissociation and related variables in these patients.

Methods: A case controlled study carried out among 130 male patients with PTSD, and 130 matched individuals from the normal population. The study was carried out between January and September 2005, at Beheshti Psychiatric Hospital, Kerman, Iran, Demographic data and history of childhood physical abuse and self-harm in both groups were recorded.

A variant of Capgras syndrome with delusional conviction of inanimate doubles in a patient with grandmal epilepsy.

Background: Capgras syndrome is the most common type of delusional misidentification syndromes. In this phenomenon, the patient believes the delusional conviction that a familiar person has been replaced by imposters. Capgras syndrome was thought to occur in psychotic and organic contexts.

Relationship between dream contents and positive/negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients.

Objective: The relationship between dreams and schizophrenia has been a subject of discussion for many years ago. Little is known about details of dream contents in schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between dream contents and positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Nicotine and opium dependence in psychiatric patients.

Objective: Many psychiatric patients have nicotine and other substance dependence. The goal of this research is examining the frequencies of nicotine and opium dependence among psychiatric inpatients in Kerman, Iran.

Methods: Three groups of psychiatric inpatients, chronic medical patients and a sample from the local population, each including 400 subjects were selected.