Perazine and carbamazepine in comparison to olanzapine in schizophrenia.

Atypical antipsychotics like olanzapine are more efficacious in treating negative symptoms and have less side effects. Nevertheless, important adverse effects of olanzapine are, for example, weight gain and hyperglycemia. Perazine in combination with carbamazepine has shown satisfying results in several single-schizophrenia patients, leading to the hypothesis of being equal or even superior to atypical antipsychotic monotherapy.

Lamotrigine in the treatment of confusion psychosis. A case report.

We report on the successful treatment of four patients suffering from confusion psychosis according to the classification of Leonhard. The patients did not sufficiently respond to neuroleptic treatment or mood stabilizers like carbamazepine and valproate, but improved when lamotrigine was added, showing a marked reduction in clinical signs and symptoms. The implications of these findings including the possible mechanisms involved are discussed.

Lycanthropy--psychopathological and psychodynamical aspects.

Objective: The imagination of being transformed into an animal or being an animal is called lycanthropy. The phenomenon is presented and psychodynamical aspects are discussed.

Method: A literature review forms the base of this discussion of a psychopathological phenomenon.

[Charles Bonnet syndrome in an elderly patient with bilateral vision loss, hyperthyroidism and relative digitalis overdose].

Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is characterized by the presence of visual hallucinations in elderly, mentally healthy people. We report a visually impaired 90-year-old woman suddenly complaining of visual hallucinations, suffering from hyperthyroidism and a relative digitalis overdose. The diagnosis of CBS could be made after the exclusion of an intoxication and other neurological and psychiatric syndromes.

[Clomethiazole as an adjuvant in the treatment of confusional psychosis].

We report on the successful treatment of two female patients with the clinical features of severe confusional psychosis. The clinical picture of these cases was characterized by lability of mood, disorientation, delusions, hallucinations, misidentification of persons, severe thought disorder and impaired memory. A 55-year old female inpatient suffered from a psychotic episode with the clinical features of confusional psychosis.

[Lycanthropy-zooanthropism--discussion of a psychopathological phenomenon].

The belief to be transformed into an animal is named Lycanthropy. "Zooanthropismus" is the German equivalent. Three case reports raised the question how this phenomenon, in our cases to be transformed into a frog, a bee or a wolf/dog, can be interpreted in a psychopathological and diagnostic regard.