The Biological Basis to Personality Disorders.

Objective: To provide understanding into the biological basis of thinking and behavior in people with personality disorders, explain anatomic findings, and appraise therapeutic options.

Data Sources: PubMed was searched with no date restrictions using the terms personality disorders DSM-5, cluster B personality disorders, biological psychiatry of personality disorders, neurobiology of personality disorders, and neurobiology of cluster B personality disorders.

Study Selection/data Extraction: We identified 2,790 English-language articles and utilized 18 in this report.

School dysfunction: evaluative aspects.

Inability of a child to function in a formal school setting necessitates a review of potential physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral etiologies. A thorough, systematic history and examination is expected; the time of onset, age, and grade of the patient helps to narrow the differential diagnosis. A careful assessment should determine the work-up, correct diagnosis, and treatment.

Phobias.

Preview When phobias compromise a person's normal lifestyle or cause ongoing anxiety, they must be dealt with. Irrational, persistent fears may lead to isolation, depression, even substance abuse. What are the features of agoraphobia? Social phobia? Simple phobia? How common are these anxiety disorders? The authors answer these questions and discuss differential diagnosis and treatment options.

Electroconvulsive Therapy and Lithium: Safe and Effective Treatment.

It is often recommended that lithium not be prescribed during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The combined use of these treatments has been considered a risk factor for inducing encephalopathy; however, this precaution is controversial. We report the case of a woman who received over 70 outpatient maintenance ECT concurrently with lithium for years without signs of confusion.

Age-Related Changes in Cardiovascular Function Associated with Electroconvulsive Therapy.

The relationship between hemodynamic changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and age was studied in 13 patients. Their average age was 43 years (range 20-64 years). Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and rate-pressure product (RPP) all increased significantly following ECT.

Monitoring Seizure Duration During Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Three alternative monitoring methods for assessing the duration of seizures during electroconvulsive therapy were studied. The mean integrated amplitude of the electroencephalogram, facial muscle electromyogram, and "cuff method" were compared with the reference single-channel unprocessed electroencephalogram in 78 sessions with 17 patients. The measures of seizure duration differed significantly (p < 0.