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Biomedical subjects

D K Winstead

Publications and source records attributed to D K Winstead.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Biorhythms revisited: rhythm and blues?

In a previous study, no significant relationship was seen between date of psychiatric admission or psychiatric emergency room visit and various phases or critical days in the biorhythm cycle. The present study evaluated these relationships for date of admission of 313 patients--192 with major depression, 88 with bipolar disorder, and 33 with schizophrenia or other diagnoses. No significant relationship to critical days or any combination of critical/noncritical days was found. Two further analyses failed to reveal any significant relationship between admission date and ascendant versus recuperative phases or any combination of cycle and phase. No differences were seen between affectively ill and other patients on any measures evaluated.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1984

A corpus callosal deficit in sequential analysis by schizophrenics.

This preliminary study evaluated interhemispheric (i.e., corpus callosal) information processing by chronic schizophrenic and normal subjects. In right-handed normals the left hemisphere has been reported to be superior in temporal sequential analysis. Consequently temporal information presented to the right hemisphere requires time to cross to the left hemisphere for analysis. Measurement of hemispheric laterality and corpus callosal transfer time were evaluated by a two-pulse temporal discrimination task. Two dot stimuli were presented with decreasing temporal separation during bilateral and unilateral conditions. Subjects were required to judge perceived simultaneity and nonsimultaneity of dot onset. The results indicate that left hemisphere function in chronic schizophrenic and normal controls is superior to the right hemisphere in temporal analysis. Corpus callosal transfer time was significantly slower for chronic schizophrenics than for normal controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Bulimia: diagnostic clues.

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by the ingestion of large amounts of food, usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse. Although sometimes a symptom of obesity or anorexia nervosa, bulimia is often associated with borderline weight and nutritional status and thus may be difficult to detect. Since secrecy and shame accompany this syndrome, patients are reluctant to seek treatment. We present ten diagnostic clues for identifying bulimic patients: (1) preoccupation with weight, (2) gastrointestinal complaints, (3) dental and oropharyngeal changes, (4) salivary gland enlargement, (5) edema and bloating, (6) amenorrhea, (7) dermatologic complaints, (8) substance abuse, (9) laboratory changes, and (10) serious consequences. A case study illustrates the major features of the disorder and its treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Temporal integration deficit in visual information processing by chronic schizophrenics.

The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate speed of visual information processing of chronic schizophrenics and normal subjects. Retarded information processing by schizophrenics has been attributed to a dysfunction at the earliest stage of processing. In the present study, by using a backward-masking paradigm and varying target duration we were able to evaluate whether schizophrenic and normals conform to an iconic or visual persistence theory of processing. Also, we evaluated whether schizophrenic and normal information processing is a function of the total time a stimulus is available for viewing prior to disruption (stimulus onset asynchrony, SOA), or whether it is the time following the stimulus offset prior to disruption by the mask (interstimulus interval, ISI). The former conforms more closely to a visual persistence and the latter to an iconic notion of processing. The results indicate that schizophrenics and normals conform to the processing of information as a function of the SOA as opposed to ISI. However, schizophrenic processing during the period of temporal integration (i.e., up to 130 msec) was significantly retarded when compared to normal controls. These findings suggest that for chronic schizophrenics, visual signals associated with target processing during the temporal integration period have either decayed at a slower rate or are more unstable than those of normals. Also discussed is the compatability of these findings with a visual persistence as opposed to an iconic model of information processing.

Form Perception↗
PubMed1982

Meridional differences in temporal resolution.

Previous investigations of temporal resolution have shown that performance is influenced by a number of stimulus parameters. The interstimulus interval needed for accurate two-pulse discrimination has been shown to (i) decrease monotonically with flash duration, luminance, and contrast; and (ii) increase monotonically with the spatial frequency of the target. A signal-detectability two-alternative forced-choice procedure was employed to reexamine the effects of spatial frequency on temporal resolution. Also assessed was the effect of grating orientation on such performance. The results confirm that temporal resolution declines with increases in spatial frequency. Furthermore, temporal resolution was significantly lower when oblique, as opposed to vertical, grating targets were used. The 'oblique effect' in temporal resolution was observed only with the highest-spatial-frequency target (15 cycles deg-1), and not with stimuli of lower spatial frequency (0.9 and 3.8 cycles deg-1). These findings suggest that stimulus parameters which elicit greater transient channel activity, as opposed to sustained channel activity, enhance temporal resolution. When transient activity is at a minimum, meridional differences in temporal resolution are likely to be attributable to sustained channel activity.

Form Perception↗
PubMed1982

Visual processing deficits in acute and chronic schizophrenics.

Psychophysical techniques have been used to assess the duration that brief visual stimuli remain in visual memory. At the earliest "iconic" stage the duration depends on several parameters, one of which is spatial frequency. In the present experiment, a two-pulse temporal resolution task was used to evaluate the duration of iconic persistence in schizophrenics as a function of spatial frequency. Normal controls, acute, and chronic schizophrenics viewed achromatic gratings of different spatial frequencies. Their objective was to discriminate between a single or double flash of these gratings. Signal detection analysis was used to control for psychological factors. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed that schizophrenics (i) do not conform to the typical relationship between iconic persistence and spatial frequency of the grating and (ii) have longer iconic persistence than normals on all spatial frequencies. The results are discussed in terms of the different sensitivities of transient and sustained neurophysiological mechanisms involved in spatiotemporal frequency visual analysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

An attitude survey of the effects of marijuana on sexual enjoyment.

Determined attitudes on the effects of marijuana on sexual enjoyment by self-report for a group of 84 graduate students of health sciences. The students were grouped in three categories: those who had sexual experience while under the influence of marijuana (experienced smokers), those who have smoked marijuana but who have not had such experience (non-experienced smokers), and non-smokers. Results are again inconclusive despite the fact that a majority in each category responded in a positive manner to the initial question concerning the effect of marijuana on the enjoyment of sexual intercourse. There is sufficient support to indicate that at least some experienced smokers have derived an enhancement of sexual pleasure while they were using marijuana. The implication is that there may be value in researching the use of marijuana in treatment of sexual disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Patient autonomy in alcohol rehabilitation. II: Program evaluation.

The alcoholism inpatient services at the U.S. Army Hospital Nürnberg are described and assessed with attention to current issues. The results compare favorably with contemporary findings, and include an almost zero dropout rate that relates to giving the patient more "say so" in treatment selection by providing a variety of treatments in a smorgasbord fashion. Abstinent and nonabstinent patients following treatment are contrasted on psychometric and demographic variables.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Patient autonomy in alcohol rehabilitation. I. Literature review.

A brief literature review on alcoholism treatment supports the authors' thesis that the alcohol abuser should be given some autonomy or "say so" in treatment selection. Presenting a variety of treatments as alternatives to the alcoholic may reduce treatment dropout rate, the aversive stigma frequently associated with therapy,and antiherapeutic disruptions while improving community coordination in alcoholism rehabilitation and providing an effective approach in treating the "total life" health of the alcoholic.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1979

Evaluation of day treatment center effectiveness.

A study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of the Day Treatment Center as an alternative to rehospitalization for chronic psychiatric patients. The project utilized a subject as his own control design comparing equal time intervals before and during Day Treatment Center involvement. The study demonstrates the efficacy of the Day Treatment Center as a therapeutic modality that not only helps prevent hospitalization, but also assists in decreasing the average length of stay when admission is unavoidable.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Psychotropic drugs: a biopsychosocial approach.

A biopsychosocial theory and approach to drug-seeking behavior suggests new questions for the family physician to ask his patient when psychotropic drugs are being considered. The theory and rational guidelines for prescribing allow the physician to make more appropriate decisions when faced with difficult situations. Pharmacotherapy can then be directed toward alleviating anxiety that inhibits the patient's existing coping skills or toward activating the depressed/apathetic patient to use his existing skills. With this approach, social, psychologic and biologic coping devices can be simultaneously mobilized.

Drug Prescriptions↗
PubMed1977

Propoxyphene on demand. Analgesic-seeking behavior in psychiatric inpatients.

Although anxiety is known to enhance a patient's response to pain, the exact relationship is unclear. This problem is particularly acute among psychiatric patients where analgesics are frequently both used and abused. This study attempts to evaluate factors associated with analgesic use among these patients with the hypothesis that anxiety, other measures of psychopathology, and ward tension would be associated with frequent analgesic use. An unselected series of psychiatric admissions during a three month period were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, MMPI, and a questionnaire dealing with prior drug use. Propoxyphene napsylate (Darvon-N) was made freely available on request from nurses who recorded details of the interaction on a prepared card. The nursing staff also recorded unusual incidents on the unit and evaluated daily the level of ward tension. The results indicate that, when made freely available to psychiatric inpatients, propoxyphene was used very conservatively and for appropriate complaints. Factors associated with drug seeking behavior are discussed in relation to other research regarding the use and abuse of analgesics.

Adult↗