The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between schizophrenia subtype and morphological characteristics of trees drawn in the Baum test. Subjects comprised the following three groups: 20 patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia according to International Classification of Diseases (10th revision; ICD-10) criteria; 26 patients with non-paranoid schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria; and 53 healthy individuals. Differences in psychiatric symptoms as assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score were compared between patients with paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia. In addition, differences in two morphological characteristics of trees, namely trunk-to-crown ratio and trunk end opening, were compared between the three groups. No differences in psychiatric symptoms were identified between patients with paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia. Conversely, mean +/- SD trunk-to-crown ratio was 13.1 +/- 8.0 for patients with non-paranoid schizophrenia, 8.8 +/- 4.6 for patients with paranoid schizophrenia, and 5.4 +/- 3.4 for healthy individuals. Significant differences were identified between all three groups. Furthermore, mean trunk end opening was 0.80 +/- 0.7 for patients with paranoid schizophrenia, 0.38 +/- 0.6 for patients with non-paranoid schizophrenia, and 0.06 +/- 0.3 for healthy individuals. Again, significant differences were apparent between all three groups. These findings suggest that morphological differences in trees drawn in the Baum test can be observed between the two schizophrenia subtypes in terms of not only psychopathological interpretation, but also gestalt formation, as assessed on the basis of trees with collapsed gestalt or with some degree of gestalt. This suggests the possibility of multiple disorders at a physiological level. The present study confirmed that the Baum test can quantitatively assess facets of schizophrenia that existing scales such as BPRS are unable to analyze, and is useful for investigating brain function in patients with schizophrenia.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1819.2003.01130.x | DOI Listing |
Schizophr Bull
January 2025
Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
Background And Hypothesis: Delusions are classified into themes but the range of themes reported in the literature has never been examined and the extent to which they differ in prevalence, or relate to clinical characteristics or cultural variation, remains poorly understood.
Study Design: We identified studies reporting delusional theme prevalence in adults with psychosis and completed two multivariate, multilevel, random-effects meta-analyses: one including data from structured assessment scales only and another also including data from ad hoc and clinical assessments to include themes from a wider range of countries and contexts. Sensitivity and meta-regression analyses examined the association with clinical and methodological variables.
J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect
November 2024
Department of Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington DC, USA.
Neurosyphilis is a condition characterized by insidious onset of encephalopathy and delirium. The infrequency with which it is encountered makes neurosyphilis a formidable diagnostic challenge. We present a rare case of a 71-year-old male with ischemic cardiomyopathy, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), undifferentiated arthritis and alcohol use disorder who was brought to the emergency department after he was found altered, confused, and paranoid.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSurg Neurol Int
December 2024
Department of Neurosurgery, Fundación Clínica Shaio, Bogotá, Colombia.
Background: Impulsive aggression is the core symptom of intermittent explosive disorder, which can be a feature of several psychiatric disorders. There is a subset of individuals who do not respond adequately to medical treatment; they are treatment refractory. The objective of this report is to describe a case of a patient with a background of schizophrenia and concomitant refractory aggressiveness disorder, treated with two-stage bilateral hypothalamotomy and unilateral amygdalotomy with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKR).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChin J Integr Med
January 2025
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100007, China.
Objective: To explore the effects of acupuncture in comparison with sham acupuncture on cognitive functions in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 31 RRMS patients in the acupuncture group were treated with traditional Chinese acupuncture based on the treatment principle of calming the mind, reinforcing qi and blood, and 31 patients in the control group were treated with sham acupuncture (shallow needling at non-acupuncture points) twice a week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) score, which was evaluated by a psychologist at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment.
Cureus
November 2024
Psychiatry, Maudsley Health, Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, Dubai, ARE.
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder marked by severe disturbances in thought, perception, and behavior. Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, such as paliperidone, are widely used to promote sustained remission and ensure medication adherence, especially in patients prone to relapse. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unique challenges, with studies indicating that infections like COVID-19 may exacerbate psychiatric symptoms through neuroinflammatory pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!