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Biomedical subjects

A Hensen

Publications and source records attributed to A Hensen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Positive or negative symptoms--which are more appropriate as diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia?

For over a decade there has been a consensus that the diagnosis of schizophrenia should rest upon the presence of positive symptoms. Recently it has been suggested to give negative symptoms, which have played a prominent role in research, more diagnostic importance again. This study investigated the usefulness of that suggestion. In a sample of 489 inpatients covering the whole range of psychiatric diagnoses, the frequencies and prevalences of positive and negative symptoms were determined. Analyses of variance were calculated to assess the diagnostic validity of the different classes of symptoms. The study demonstrates that positive symptoms are of much higher diagnostic value than negative symptoms. A change of diagnostic procedures giving more importance to negative symptoms is discouraged.

Delusions↗
PubMed1994

[Positive or negative symptoms. Which are more reliable in the diagnosis of schizophrenia?].

Due to the anticipated revisions concerning diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia in DSM-IV, recent Anglo-American research has been particularly concerned with the controversial problem whether positive or negative symptoms are more suited for the determination of these criteria. We addressed this problem in an empirical study. A total of 489 consecutive admissions to the Department of Psychiatry at the RWTH University, Aachen were assessed for the distribution of positive, negative and basic symptoms according to six ICD-10 double-digit diagnostic categories. Positive symptoms were shown to be more useful for diagnosis than the negative or basic symptoms. Basic symptoms, however, had a pattern of distribution which supports the notion that they may also be useful for the early diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1992

A dose-escalation study of recombinant interferon-alpha in patients with a metastatic carcinoid tumour.

The efficacy of interferon alpha-2b in doses up to 12 x 10(6) IU three times weekly was studied in 21 patients with a metastatic carcinoid tumour. Of these 21 patients, 19 were evaluable for response. Patients were treated with escalating dosages of interferon alpha-2b: 3 x 10(6) IU, 6 x 10(6) IU and 12 x 10(6) IU. The escalation was performed every 8 weeks when no objective tumour regression was observed. Patients were also evaluated for biochemical response and symptomatic improvement. One objective tumour regression was observed. Of the 15 patients with elevated 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) excretion, 5 (33%) had a more than 50% decrease in 5-HIAA excretion. Relief of symptoms occurred in 11 patients (58%). This improvement was already apparent during the initial 8 weeks of treatment. Increasing the dose to 6 or 12 x 10(6) IU interferon alpha-2b did not result in further symptomatic improvement. In contrast toxicity was considerable with the higher dosages of interferon alpha-2b. It is concluded that low dose interferon alpha-2b (3 x 10(6) IU) three times weekly is as effective as higher dosages of interferon alpha-2b at ameliorating symptoms of the carcinoid syndrome.

Adult↗