Cases of buprenorphine abuse in India.

Buprenorphine was introduced as a potent analgesic with low abuse potential. Reports of buprenorphine abuse by opiate abusers have accumulated over the years, highlighting its use as a cheap alternative to heroin. The lower potency compared with heroin is being compensated by using a cocktail of buprenorphine with benzodiazepines or cyclizine.

Negative and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia.

Ninety-five schizophrenic patients were assessed using the Present State Examination, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. Negative and depressive symptoms were frequent, and significant relationships among negative symptom complexes and depressive syndromes were noted. Retardation, lack of energy, slowness, and other symptoms of depression were significantly associated with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

Psychiatric manifestations of categoclass+schizophrenia.

Psychiatric manifestations of 72 CATEGO Class S+ schizophrenics were studied using a syndrome check list. Comparison of syndromic manifestations with other published works revealed significant cross-cultural differences. It was observed that Indian CATEGO S+ patients had significantly less depression, tension and anxiety.

The brief psychiatric rating scale in positive and negative subtypes of schizophrenia.

Usefulness of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) in distinguishing positive and negative subtypes of schizophrenia is presented. Ninety five schizophrenic patients were assessed on BPRS. Significant differences emerged between positive and negative subtypes of schizophrenia on items like emotional withdrawal, guilt feelings, tension, hallucinatory behaviour, motor retardation, blunted affect and excitement.

Pattern of follow up visits in a rural psychiatric clinic.

The present work reports about the pattern of follow up visits of a psychiatric clinic operating at a rural primary health centre. The follow up visits of patients registered in the clinic during the years 1984 and 1985 were recorded. It was observed that patients of both sexes and of all age groups almost equally attend the follow up clinic.

A phenomenological study of delusions in schizophrenia.

112 patients with final clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia were subjected to detailed mental sums examination using, a structured interview schedule the present state examination. Phenomenology of delusions was determined according to the definitions and criteria of this schedule. The relationships of phenomenology will) socio-demography variables were also studied.

Diagnostic systems for schizophrenia. A cross-sectional study of concordance from India.

In a cross-sectional study, five diagnostic systems for schizophrenia: CATEGO, Research Diagnostic Criteria, DSM-III, Feighner's Criteria, and Schneider's First Rank Symptoms, were evaluated for their usefulness, comprehensiveness and concordance, using a clinical diagnosis conforming to the ICD-9 concept of schizophrenia. The sample consisted of 112 patients. It was found that all the diagnostic systems had good agreement with the index diagnosis.