Is central auditory processing disorder present in psychosis?

Purpose: The scope of this study was to trace central auditory processing issues in patients with first-episode psychosis using a psychoacoustic test battery approach.

Method: Patients (n = 17) and volunteer control subjects (n = 17) with no personal or family history of schizophrenia were included in the study on the basis of normal hearing sensitivity. The authors implemented a central auditory processing battery consisting of monaural and binaural tests with verbal and nonverbal stimuli.

Hemispheric laterality assessment with dichotic digits testing in dyslexia and auditory processing disorder.

One of the widely used tests to evaluate functional asymmetry of cerebral hemispheres is the dichotic listening test with the usually prevailing right ear advantage. The current study aims at assessing hemispheric laterality in an adult sample of individuals with dyslexia, with auditory processing disorder (APD), and adults experiencing comorbidity of the two mentioned disorders against a control group with normal hearing and absence of learning disabilities. Results exhibit a right hemispheric dominance for the control and APD group, a left hemispheric dominance for the group diagnosed with both dyslexia and APD, and absence of dominance for the dyslexia group.

Depression, heart rate variability, and exercise training in dialysis patients.

Background: Functional limitations, altered cardiac autonomic activity, and psychological distress are known disorders in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients, relating to increased morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of an exercise training program on emotional parameters and heart rate variability (HRV) indices, as well as to determine whether emotional stress contributes to autonomic dysfunction in these patients.

Methods: Forty-four HD patients were randomly assigned into group A (24 patients, aged 46.

Auditory Processing Disorders in children suspected of Learning Disabilities--a need for screening?

Aim: The current study aims to assess: (a) the prevalence of auditory processing in a population of children reporting learning difficulties, (b) the correlation of APD diagnosis with age, the intelligence coefficient (IQ) and with the presence of a specific learning disability such as dyslexia and (c) to evaluate the reliability of each auditory processing test used in this study in identifying APD.

Method: We evaluated one hundred and twenty-seven consecutive children referred to the academic tertiary LD Clinic of the Psychiatric Department by means of a psychoacoustic mainly non-verbal test battery.

Results: APD was found to be present in 43.

Development of a standardized scoring method for the Graphic Sequence Test suitable for use in psychiatric populations.

Although the graphic version of the Alternating Sequences Test which was introduced by Luria exists for years little has been done to standardize it. The aim of the current study was to develop a novel and detailed standardized method of administration and scoring. The study sample included 93 normal control subjects (53 women and 40 men) aged 35.

Personality disorders and violence.

Purpose Of Review: To review the most recent literature on the relationship between personality disorders and violent behavior. The review does not aim to address the issue of a possible etiological connection between previously being the victim of violent acts and later developing a personality disorder.

Recent Findings: Recent data suggest that personality disorders, especially antisocial and borderline, are strongly related to the manifestation of violent acts.

Depression and anxiety in epilepsy: the association with demographic and seizure-related variables.

Background: Depression and anxiety are common psychiatric symptoms in patients with epilepsy, exerting a profound negative effect on health-related quality of life. Several issues, however, pertaining to their association with psychosocial, seizure-related and medication factors, remain controversial. Accordingly, the present study was designed to investigate the association of interictal mood disorders with various demographic and seizure-related variables in patients with newly-diagnosed and chronic epilepsy.

Late-life depression, religiosity, cerebrovascular disease, cognitive impairment and attitudes towards death in the elderly: interpreting the data.

Geriatric depression is considered to be a major health problem in the elderly. Passing the age, the speed of mental process is decreasing and personality obtains more mature functioning (better coping) while most of its traits remain stable. Empirical studies have shown that fear of death is most prominent during midlife and not late-life.

Season of birth, clinical manifestations and Dexamethasone Suppression Test in unipolar major depression.

Background: Reports in the literature suggest that the season of birth might constitute a risk factor for the development of a major psychiatric disorder, possibly because of the effect environmental factors have during the second trimester of gestation. The aim of the current paper was to study the possible relationship of the season of birth and current clinical symptoms in unipolar major depression.

Methods: The study sample included 45 DSM-IV major depressive patients and 90 matched controls.

A systematic review of existing data on long-term lithium therapy: neuroprotective or neurotoxic?

Lithium is an efficacious agent for the treatment of bipolar disorder, but it is unclear to what extent its long-term use may result in neuroprotective or toxic consequences. Medline was searched with the combination of the word 'Lithium' plus key words that referred to every possible effect on the central nervous system. The papers were further classified into those supporting a neuroprotective effect, those in favour of a neurotoxic effect and those that were neutral.

Amisulpride-induced tardive dyskinesia.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a movement disorder that develops during the course of long-term treatment with neuroleptic agents and is characterized primarily by choreiform and athetotic movements. We report the case of a 34-year-old man suffering from schizophrenia, disorganized type. He received amisulpride (400 mg daily) and the result was much improvement.

Peripheral thyroid dysfunction in depression.

The involvement of the thyroid gland and thyroid hormones is generally believed to be important in the aetiopathogenesis of major depression. Major support comes from studies in which alterations in components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis have been documented in patients with primary depression. However, screening thyroid tests are often routine and add little to the diagnostic evaluation.

Life events and clinical subtypes of major depression: a cross-sectional study.

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between stressful life events and depression. Ninety major depressive patients, aged 36.57 +/- 12.

Personality disorders: new data versus old concepts.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this paper is to review the most recent literature on personality disorders.

Recent Findings: Recent data suggest that individual personality disorder criteria and full diagnosis may remit within 1-2 years. The same line of evidence disputes the separation of axis I and axis II disorders and suggests the presence of a continuum.

Acute dystonia with low-dosage aripiprazole in Tourette's disorder.

Objective: To report a case of an acute dystonic episode in a patient with Tourette's disorder (TD) treated with the partial dopamine agonist aripiprazole.

Case Summary: An 18-year-old male with TD was prescribed aripiprazole 10 mg orally daily, which produced a significant improvement in his symptoms. However, after 3 days of treatment, he experienced an acute episode of dystonia with facial muscle spasm, oculogyric crisis, and torticolis.

Bi-syllabic, modern Greek word lists for use in word recognition tests.

The development of a word recognition test for Modern Greek, which is comprised of three fifty-word lists, is described herein. The development was guided by four principles: (1) use of the shortest words possible (two syllables for Greek) (2) use of highly frequent words (3) phonetic balance and (4) appropriate balance of first and second syllable stress. The lists were recorded by one male and one female native speakers.

Reliability and psychometric properties of the Greek translation of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y: preliminary data.

Background: The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y is a brief self-rating scale for the assessment of state and trait anxiety. The aim of the current preliminary study was to assess the psychometric properties of its Greek translation.

Materials And Methods: 121 healthy volunteers 27.

Are dexamethasone suppression test nonsuppression and thyroid dysfunction related to a family history of dementia in patients with major depression? An exploratory study.

Objective: Recent data suggest that the low thyroid function syndrome in depression is nonspecific. They also suggest that depression may constitute a risk factor for the development of dementia, especially in atypical patients who have high rates of hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis disorders. This study aimed to search for correlations among Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) cortisol levels, thyroid indices, and family history of dementia in patients with depression.

Is there a dysfunction in the visual system of depressed patients?

BACKGROUND: The aim of the current study was to identify a possible locus of dysfunction in the visual system of depressed patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty Major Depressive patients aged 21-60 years and 15 age-matched controls took part in the study The diagnosis was obtained with the SCAN v 2.0.