Cerebellar vermis area in schizophrenic patients - a post-mortem study.

Neuroimaging studies of cerebellar atrophy in schizophrenia have yielded contradictory results. In computer-tomography (CT) studies, cerebellar atrophy was found in up to 40% of schizophrenic patients. However, several recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies could not replicate these early findings; in addition, contradictory observations of enlargement of vermal structures were reported.

Nerve cell loss in the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus in Huntington's disease.

We estimated the total neurone number, glial number, and glial index (ratio glial cells/neurone) in the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus (MD) in seven patients suffering from Huntington's disease (HD; four males, three females, mean age 52.4 +/- 13.6 years) and age- and sex-matched controls (four males, three females, mean age 53.

Variability in the human entorhinal region may confound neuropsychiatric diagnoses.

The human entorhinal region consists of a number of areas; however, there is no generally accepted nomenclature for these cytoarchitectonic fields, and the designation of its constituent layers or strata is a matter of controversy. Here, we consider a hitherto neglected adjacent field, the preamygdaloid claustrocortex. Its medial subfield has a small common border with the rostromedial entorhinal region (width maximal 2 mm).

Nerve cell loss in the thalamic centromedian-parafascicular complex in patients with Huntington's disease.

The centromedian-parafascicular complex represents a nodal point in the neuronal loop comprising striatum--globulus pallidus--thalamus--striatum. Striatal neurone degeneration is a hallmark in Huntington's disease and we were interested in estimating total neurone and glial number in this thalamic nuclear complex. Serial 500-microns-thick gallocyanin-stained frontal sections of the left hemisphere from six cases of Huntington's disease patients (three females, three males) and six age- and sex-matched controls were investigated applying Cavalieri's principle and the optical disector.

[Disease models and change in attitude of involuntarily admitted schizophrenic patients].

The attitude to illness and therapy of 28 involuntary and 31 voluntary patients admitted to a state psychiatric hospital was investigated by means of a questionnaire at the time of admission and prior to discharge. Involuntary patients have less illness consciousness, and only 17.9% of them but 67.

Cortical and striatal neurone number in Huntington's disease.

The total cortical and striatal neurone and glial numbers were estimated in five cases of Huntington's disease (three males, two females) and five age- and sex-matched control cases. Serial 500-microns-thick gallocyanin-stained frontal sections through the left hemisphere were analysed using Cavalieri's principle for volume and the optical disector for cell density estimations. The average cortical neurone number of five controls (mean age 53 +/- 13 years, range 36-72 years) was 5.

[An unusual syndrome of partial neurotic neglect].

An impressive case of a 48-year-old woman is reported who after parental divorce when she was two-year-old grew up under a wicked stepmother and developed various obsessive symptoms. In context with some personal disappointments the woman increasingly neglected her home which after eight years appeared like a refuse pit. Simultaneously she continued to groom herself, to dress perfectly and to perform well in her office.

[Erroneous admission of HIV patients into a psychiatric hospital].

The case reports of four HIV positive psychiatric inpatients are presented, in the light of which widespread contact fears and avoidance reactions in lower offices of justice, social and health administration become evident. Attention is drawn to possible misuse of psychiatric hospitals for quarantine purpose as long as there are no clear provisions to deal with the increasing group of HIV subjects.

Urinary retention in the course of neuroleptic therapy with haloperidol.

A case history was presented of a 49-year-old female patient, who had developed paranoid-hallucinatory schizophrenia for the first time and suffered from an acute functional bladder obstruction while receiving haloperidol. Thorough urological examination showed no pathologic findings except for a medium-grade urinary tract infection. No beneficial effects were obtained after application of parasympathicomimetic substances (carbachol, distigminebromide).

[Local sudomotor attacks in the left ulnar nerve area (author's transl)].

Two patients with circumscribed sudomotor and vasomotor attacks in the area of the ulnar nerve of the left hand are described. The onset of the disease in both cases occurred at approximately 10 years of age. Etiology is discussed in terms of an excessive and erroneous visceral-efferent regeneration after unknown trauma of the ulnar nerve during childhood.

Alterations in the levels of cAMP and cGMP after decentralization of the rat superior cervical ganglion.

After cutting the preganglionic nerve trunk of the rat's superior cervical ganglion, the levels of cAMP and cGMP were measured in a postoperative period of between 3 and 21 dad by a partial recovery after 7 to 21 days.