Convulsive therapy: a review of the first 55 years.

Convulsive therapy was introduced to psychiatric practice in 1934. It was widely hailed as an effective treatment for schizophrenia and quickly recognized as equally effective for the affective disorders. Like other somatic treatments, it was replaced by psychotropic drugs introduced in the 1950s and 1960s.

The fundamental neural mechanisms of electroencephalography.

We are at an interesting time in the evolution of the EEG. Studies are opening the door to understanding the intrinsic neuronal properties and network operations responsible for the generation of EEG oscillations. I will review some of our knowledge regarding the physiology of the normal and abnormal EEG.

Amaurosis fugax in the young.

A 36-year-old healthy woman developed amaurosis fugax of the right eye lasting 1 minute. Work-up revealed right carotid stenosis thought most compatible with an atherosclerotic plaque. A carotid endarterectomy was performed which corroborated the radiologic diagnosis.

Munchausen's syndrome and substance abuse.

The syndrome of factitious disorders with physical symptoms was named "Munchausen's syndrome" by Richard Asher (1951). The present article contains an interesting case report of a patient who has a history of Munchausen's syndrome, substance abuse, and genuine physical illness. A review of the literature supports a strong association of substance abuse in patients with Munchausen's syndrome.

Duration of psychosis and outcome in first-episode schizophrenia.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the potential effect of duration of untreated illness on outcome in a group of first-episode schizophrenic patients.

Method: Seventy patients with schizophrenia diagnosed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria entered the study and were followed for up to 3 years. All patients received standardized treatment and uniform assessments both during the acute phase of their illness and throughout the follow-up period.

The pulley suture. Utilization in scalp reduction surgery.

A suture variation not commonly utilized in dermatologic surgery is helpful in approximating wound edges without the complications of excessive undermining or the scarring of conventional retention sutures. It is especially useful in scalp reduction surgery.

Game-playing epilepsy.

A 25-year-old woman with documented generalized seizures evoked by playing checkers was given a battery of psychological tests as well as a series of cognitive and non-game-related tasks during a session of intensive EEG-video monitoring. Generalized epileptiform discharges during each task, as well as during intervals of checkers playing, were quantified to determine possible triggering factors. Previous reports have discussed the roles of attention, concentration, stress, thinking, and spatial processing in similar cases.

Intellectual deficits in first-episode schizophrenia: evidence for progressive deterioration.

The developmental processes leading to neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenia are poorly understood. Both early developmental defects and subsequent deterioration may occur. Intelligence test profiles are often used to estimate premorbid ability and deterioration from prior levels of functioning.

Management of dislocated nuclear fragments after phacoemulsification.

We examined 13 patients referred for management of dislocated lens fragments after phacoemulsification. Ocular findings included corneal decompensation, glaucoma, inflammation, and retinal tears and detachments. Eleven of the 13 patients underwent vitrectomy with removal of lens fragments.

Reactions of methadone patients to HIV antibody testing.

The emotional and behavioral responses of methadone patients to HIV antibody testing were examined by comparing 8 seropositives with 8 matched seronegatives. Seropositives displayed a wide range of immediate emotional reactions to learning their results, but no severe or damaging reactions; seronegatives were uniformly relieved. Almost all patients informed other persons of their serostatus with unremarkable consequences.

Substance abuse comorbidity in schizophrenia: editors' introduction.

Substance abuse is a pervasive problem in American society that extends to persons with mental illness. Despite the fact that substance abuse in the mentally ill is a major clinical problem, there have been very few systematic investigations of the dimensions, nature, and treatment of this problem. This issue of the Schizophrenia Bulletin attempts to examine the problem of substance abuse in schizophrenia from various perspectives by reviewing the published literature, presenting original data, and identifying areas and approaches for future scientific investigation.

Peripheral retinal neovascularization in birdshot retinochoroidopathy.

A 69-year-old black woman had ocular findings consistent with birdshot retinochoroidopathy; these included cream-colored depigmented spots at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium and vitreitis. She also had peripheral retinal neovascularization with localized vitreous hemorrhage. There were no laboratory or systemic findings consistent with other disease entities.

Acute mercury poisoning and mercurial pneumonitis from gold ore purification.

We describe four men who had symptoms of acute mercury poisoning following exposure to mercury vapor. They were attempting home gold ore purification using a gold-mercury amalgam and sulfuric acid. Three of the four patients required treatment with penicillamine.

Glucose and alanine absorption following massive small bowel resection.

A 90% small bowel resection in 8 dogs resulted in a significant decrease (p less than 0.05) in D-xylose and D-glucose absorption during the early postoperative period. The absorptive capacity of the residual gut with regard to L-alanine, however, remained unchanged.

Macular pucker and retinal angioma.

A 44-year-old white female had a macular pucker associated with a peripheral retinal capillary angioma. Following successful destruction of the angioma with cryotherapy, the macular pucker regressed and visual acuity returned to normal. This is the first report documenting the regression of a macular pucker following successful treatment of a peripheral retinal angioma.

Postoperative hospital course of patients with history of severe psychiatric illness.

The postoperative hospital course of 54 patients with a past history of psychiatric illness was studied through chart review. Both chronic schizophrenics and chronic depressives tolerated surgical procedures well, without any unusual difficulties or exacerbation of psychiatric illness. They represented no management problems.

The evaluation of auditory function in homozygous sickle cell disease.

The most significant clinical manifestations of sickle cell disease (SCD) are those associated with CNS involvement. This disease is systemic in character, with the tissues of the CNS being the most sensitive to even temporary anoxia. For this reason, the incidence of peripheral and central auditory dysfunction in patients with SCD may be greater than in the "normal" population.

Culture of human laryngeal papilloma cells in vitro.

Human laryngeal epithelial cells have been grown in tissue culture in a hydrated collagen gel containing Nutrient Mixture F12 (Gibco) supplemented with 15% fetal calf serum and 10 micrograms/mL hydrocortisone. Primary cells often remain viable in culture for more than six months. They can be serially transferred two to four times before senescence.

Health habits and depression in adolescence.

In a study of the relationship between health habits and depression, 80 high school students, selected on an availability basis, were administered a Health Behaviors Questionnaire (HBQ) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The HBQ and the BDI significantly correlated (r=0.43p<0.