[Naikan therapy for prolonged depression: psychological changes and long-term efficacy of intensive Naikan therapy].

Objective: Many studies have shown that a considerable number of patients with prolonged depression are refractory to drug therapy or supportive psychotherapy. A few studies have shown the short-term effectiveness of intensive Naikan therapy for prolonged depression, but the long-term effects have not been reported. For other psychotherapies also, few studies have demonstrated their long-term effectiveness for prolonged depression.

[Psychiatric symptoms related to interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis].

Psychiatric symptoms related to interferon (IFN) treatment for chronic hepatitis have been a crucial issue in consultation liaison psychiatry. In this report we present a hypothesis regarding the development of psychiatric symptoms. There were marked differences in the incidence of psychiatric symptoms among studies.

Hyperviscoelasticity of epipharyngeal mucus may induce globus pharyngis.

Detailed observation reveals a lump of translucent sticky mucus standing in the epipharynx of most globus patients, suggesting that the mucus adherent to the epipharynx causes a globus sensation. The epipharyngeal mucus of 70 consecutive globus patients was sampled via the nasal cavity. Fucose and sialic acid, the determinants of the viscoelasticity of mucus, were measured.