Scale for retrospective assessment of immediate concussion symptoms.

The retrospective diagnosis of concussion is often missed by clinicians. We present a brief scale for retrospective assessment of the immediate concussion symptoms (ICS) to facilitate the diagnosis of patients without visible head injury or full loss of consciousness. We administered the scale to 90 survivors of car accidents (mean age 42.

Are burnout prevention programs for hospital physicians needed?

Introduction: Burnout, whether as a brief episode or more protracted, affects all aspects of a physician's life. Given the critical role of physicians in society, efforts to monitor, preserve, and enhance physician health are beneficial also to their patients. We investigated the patterns of burnout in physicians.

Body Composition Changes Associated With Methadone Treatment.

Background: Methadone is associated with a statistically significant increase in BMI in the first 2 years of treatment.

Objectives: To evaluate the changes of body composition (bone mass, % fat, % muscle mass, % water, and basal metabolic rate) related to this increase.

Patients And Methods: Changes in body composition were monitored, via bioelectrical impedance, in 29 patients in methadone treatment for opiate dependency (age 18 to 44, mean = 29.

Reactions of Psychiatric Patients to Telepsychiatry.

Telepsychiatry could offer a viable medical service to remote or isolated social communities if it does not generate adverse reactions such as delusional ideation, particularly in patients in settlements without adequate exposure to mainstream culture and internet. We examined subjective reactions to telepsychiatry of randomly selected 84 psychiatric patients from remote locations in Ontario, Canada. They rated the quality of their teleconferencing sessions via 10 item questionnaire and were asked about advantages and disadvantages of telepsychiatry.

SELF-REPORTS OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, SCL-90-R PERSONALITY SCALES, AND URINE TESTS IN METHADONE PATIENTS.

In routine work, medical staff usually has to rely on the patient's self-reports of criminal activity and of recent involvement in fights. This study examines how these self-reports of crime correlate with the patients' routine urine tests and personality measures. Pearson correlations of these self-reports by 55 methadone patients (M age = 34.

Psychopathology and Urine Toxicology in Methadone Patients.

Several studies reported high rates of psychiatric commorbidity among methadone patients. We examined the relationships of measures of psychopathology to outcomes of screening urine tests for cocaine, opiates, and benzodiazepines in a sample of 56 methadone patients. They also completed the Symptom Check List-90-Revised (SCL-90-R).

Fetishistic Preferences of Clients as Ranked by a Sex Worker.

A former escort girl and stripper, now retired and in her forties, of intelligence at the level comparable to that of university graduates, was interviewed about unusual sexual requests of her former clients. She reported that most frequent requests were (1) those involving a foot or shoe fetish, (2) those to sell to the male client her underwear, and (3) those to urinate into her underwear before selling it to the client.

The role of nutrient-based epigenetic changes in buffering against stress, aging, and Alzheimer's disease.

Converging evidence identifies stress-related disorders as putative risk factors for Alzheimer Disease (AD). This article reviews evidence on the complex interplay of stress, aging, and genes-epigenetics interactions. The recent classification of AD into preclinical, mild cognitive impairment, and AD offers a window for intervention to prevent, delay, or modify the course of AD.

Proof-of-Concept Randomized Controlled Study of Cognition Effects of the Proprietary Extract Sceletium tortuosum (Zembrin) Targeting Phosphodiesterase-4 in Cognitively Healthy Subjects: Implications for Alzheimer's Dementia.

Introduction. Converging evidence suggests that PDE-4 (phosphodiesterase subtype 4) plays a crucial role in regulating cognition via the PDE-4-cAMP cascade signaling involving phosphorylated cAMP response element binding protein (CREB). Objective.

WITHDRAWN:A Validation Study of the International Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome.

Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.

Wait time impact of co-located primary care mental health services: the effect of adding collaborative care in northern Ontario.

Objectives: In the shared care model, psychiatrists and physicians work in the same office areas, write their notes in the same casebooks, and can more rapidly exchange information about referrals and health conditions of their patients. We evaluated the impact of the introduction of a shared mental health care service, co-located with a primary care site, on wait times for mental health services in a northern Ontario city.

Method: Chart reviews were conducted to examine a total of 3589 referrals for 5 mental health outpatient services (1 shared care and 4 existing services) from January 2001 to the end of June 2004.

Clinical correlates of insight in schizophrenia.

111 schizophrenic patients diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III were rated on Landmark's symptom checklist, on demographic variables, and on variables descriptive of the course of illness. Of the 111 patients, 108 (97.3%) showed poor insight into their illness at some time in the past and 65 (58.

Autonomic signs and dosing during the initial stages of clozapine therapy.

Background: Recent reports implicate clozapine in heart rate variability, QTc prolongation, torsade de pointes and sudden death at therapeutic doses, even in physically healthy patients. This study aims to examine whether autonomic (vital) signs are correlated with clozapine dose titration and blood levels of clozapine and nor-clozapine during clozapine therapy.

Material/methods: Thirty-seven consecutive patients with diagnosis of schizophrenia treated with clozapine were included in this prospective longitudinal study.

Relation of blood counts during clozapine treatment to serum concentrations of clozapine and nor-clozapine.

Objective: To determine the relation between serum clozapine and nor-clozapine levels and blood cell counts during clozapine treatment.

Method: We undertook a prospective longitudinal study of 37 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia treated with clozapine. We obtained informed consent and then determined serum concentrations of clozapine and nor-clozapine weekly.

Sociodemographic correlates of assimilation of refugees from Kurdistan.

Successful assimilation of refugees in their host country is an important prerequisite of psychological well-being. Refugees' satisfaction in the new country is one of key indicators of their assimilation. The satisfaction with their host country was assessed for 54 Kurdish refugees of mean age of 35.

A frequent misunderstanding associated with point biserial and phi coefficients.

The label "Pearson r" is legitimately used both for the standard Pearson r calculated on continuous variables and for its other varieties in the form of the point biserial or the phi coefficient. This fact is often ignored by psychologists and psychiatrists.