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Biomedical subjects

D Pathak

Publications and source records attributed to D Pathak.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Hypochondriacal fears and beliefs in medical and law students.

We administered two validated scales of hypochondriacal concerns (the Illness Behavior Questionnaire and the Illness Attitude Scales) to 60 medical students and matched law students. Medical students took more precautions about their health and attended more to somatic symptoms, but the prevalence of hypochondriacal fears, beliefs, and attitudes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Five students (8.3%) in each group scored in the range of patients with hypochondriacal neurosis. Most of the students were free of these concerns. The prevalence of hypochondriacal concerns in medical students was substantially lower than the previously reported incidence over four years of study; this supports the previous observation that most of these reactions are short lived.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Hostility, somatic symptoms, and hypochondriacal fears and beliefs.

The authors administered self-rating scales of anger-hostility, somatic symptoms, and hypochondriacal fears and beliefs to seven groups of patients and nonpatients. Somatic symptoms were positively correlated with anger-hostility and were negatively correlated with feelings of friendliness; the correlation coefficients ranged from low to moderately high and were significant in most groups. Somatic symptoms tended to be associated more strongly with symptoms of anxiety and depression than with those of hostility. The associations of hypochondriacal fears and beliefs with hostility were inconsistent, varied between groups and with the concern measured. The findings do not support the view that anger or hostility are main or specific etiological factors either in somatization or in hypochondriacal fears or beliefs.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Embryonic/fetal growth following suckling-induced delay of implantation.

In rats fertilized during the first or second day post partum (second consecutive pregnancy), suckling induces delay of implantation for 8 to 22 days. However, pregnancy is prolonged for only 3 to 17 days because accelerated embryonic and early fetal growth makes up 4 to 5 days of the implantation delay. After implantation, embryonic/fetal growth is accomplished within 11 to 12 days for a second consecutive pregnancy, whereas 16 days are required for first or second-spaced pregnancies. After weaning, increased function of the intestinal tract and liver is not needed anymore for mammary milk synthesis, and abundant nutrients can be shifted to the uteroplacental unit for rapid embryonic/fetal growth. Because the exponential curves for fetal growth are similar for first, second consecutive, and second-spaced pregnancies, it seems that, besides an increased supply of nutrients, an as yet unidentified maternal or a placentofetal factor(s) may play a role for embryonic/fetal growth.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Neonatal lung neutrophils and elastase/proteinase inhibitor imbalance.

Serial bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed prospectively on 10 normal control subjects, 20 Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS), and 11 Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) newborn infants to evaluate the role of pulmonary inflammation in neonatal lung disease. Minimal inflammation was found in BAL at less than 24 h of life in all groups, but significant pulmonary polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) influxes were noted at 96 h in RDS and BPD compared with control subjects. By 1 wk of life, BAL PMN counts returned to normal in RDS, but counts remained significantly elevated through 5 wk in BPD. Alveolar macrophage (AM) counts were significantly elevated at 96 h in RDS (p less than 0.05), but were significantly depressed in BPD at 4 and 5 wk (p less than 0.05). The BAL elastase/alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1Pi) ratios in RDS did not differ from those of normal control subjects; however, these ratios were significantly elevated from 1 through 4 wk of life in BPD, placing these infants at risk for proteolytic lung damage. Lavage elastase levels were elevated in both RDS and BPD, associated with a parallel increase in BAL alpha 1Pi in RDS and depressed BAL alpha 1Pi in BPD. These findings suggest that pulmonary inflammation, associated with a prolonged PMN influx and an imbalance between elastase and alpha 1Pi, may contribute to the development of the neonatal chronic lung disease, BPD.

Albumins↗
PubMed1984

Hyperprolactinemia, distress, and hostility.

The scores of 14 women with hyperprolactinemia on the Symptom Rating Test and the Symptom Questionnaire were compared with those of nonpsychotic women attending a psychiatric clinic, women attending a family practice clinic, and female nonpatient employees. The scores of the hyperprolactinemic women were similar to those of the psychiatric patients. Hyperprolactinemic patients were significantly more hostile, depressed, and anxious and had more feelings of inadequacy than family practice patients and nonpatient employees. The authors recommend measuring the serum prolactin levels of women with depression, hostility, anxiety, and symptoms or signs suggestive of hyperprolactinemia.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Life events and hypochondriacal concerns.

In a study of 165 employees of a retail firm, life events were associated with several hypochondriacal concerns and with most of the self-rating distress scales. Life events related to illness and death were associated with fear of disease and showed weak associations with somatic symptoms and anxiety. Life events unrelated to illness and death were associated with hypochondriacal beliefs, bodily preoccupations, fear of death, and most of the distress scales. Illness and death do not appear to be common recent precipitants of hypochondriacal concerns in a normal population. One of the reasons for the observed associations appears to be that preoccupation with illness and death can occur at times of distress, regardless of the nature of the recent stressful life events.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Hostility in women before and after amniocentesis.

Fifty women undergoing amniocentesis and a matched control group of pregnant women were administered the Symptom Questionnaire to evaluate changes in psychologic distress. They were divided into subgroups according to previous experiences of pregnancy (no previous pregnancy, previous live births and no terminated pregnancy, previous terminated pregnancy). The amniocentesis subgroups did not show changes in anxiety, depression and somatic symptoms significantly different from those of the corresponding control subgroups. Only hostility was characteristic of amniocentesis, and its patterns varied according to the previous history of pregnancy.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1982

Psychological reactions to amniocentesis: a controlled study.

Fifty women who underwent amniocentesis and a matched control group of pregnant women were administered the Symptom Questionnaire to evaluate changes in distress. Anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms had significantly decreased after the results of amniocentesis were communicated to the patient, but the decrease was similar in the normal control women. Hostility was higher in the amniocentesis group and decreased to normal levels after amniocentesis was performed, even before the results were communicated to the patient.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed1982

Depressive symptoms and abnormal illness behavior in general hospital patients.

There have been many accounts of depression and abnormal illness behavior in medical inpatients, but systematic studies of their prevalence and features in a general hospital are lacking. Occurrence and characteristics of depression and illness behavior were studied in 325 inpatients of a general hospital in the northern part of Italy. Patients were surveyed in six separate wards (medicine, surgery, dermatology, OB-GYN, orthopedics, and ophthalmology) and represented about 90% of their actual population during a one-week period. Two self-report scales were used for screening: the CES-D (scale devised by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies of Depression at NIMH) for measuring depression and the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), developed by Pilowsky and Spence. Both scales were administered in their validated Italian translations. The customary cut-off point of 16 in the CES-D score revealed about 58% of the patients as depressed. A more conservative cut-off point of 23 still showed 33.5% of the patients as depressed. The IBQ scores of the depressed patients showed significantly (p less than 0.001) higher levels of general hypochondriasis, disease conviction, dysphoria, and irritability than the nondepressed patients. No relevant differences existed between wards in the amount of depression and IBQ scores, even when differences were adjusted for age, sex, marital status, and social class. Implications for psychosomatic research (sociodemographic characteristics of depression and illness behavior, bias in comparing hospital patients and controls in the general population, and so on) and treatment (consultation-liaison psychiatry) are discussed.

Depression↗
PubMed1982

Depression and illness behavior in a general hospital: a prevalence study.

Occurrence and characteristics of depression and illness behavior were studied in 325 inpatients of a general hospital in the northern part of Italy. Patients were surveyed in six separate wards (medicine, surgery, dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics and ophthalmology) and represented about 90% of their actual population during a 1-week period. Two self-report scales were used for screening: the CES-D for measuring depression developed by the NIMH and the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) developed by Pilowsky and Spence. Both scales were administered in their validated Italian translations. Applying the generally used cut-off point of 16 in the CES-D score, about 58% of the patients were classified as depressed. This cut-off was derived from community studies in the US. Applying a rather more conservative cut-off point of 23 (derived from the scores of psychiatrically depressed patients in Italy), still 33.5% of the patients emerged as depressed. The IBQ scores of the depressed patients showed significantly (p less than 0.001) higher levels of general hypochondriasis, disease conviction, dysphoria and irritability than the nondepressed patients. There were no relevant differences between wards in the amount of depression and IBQ scores even when differences were adjusted for age, sex, marital status and social class. Implications for psychosomatic research (sociodemographic characteristics of depression and illness behavior, bias in comparing hospital patients and controls in the general population, etc.) and treatment (consultation-liaison psychiatry) are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

The interrelationship of sex guilt, sex behavior, and age in an adult sample.

Sexual guilt is defined as a generalized expectancy for self-mediated punishment for violating or anticipating violating internalized standards of proper sexual conduct. Previous studies have focused on the relationship between sexual guilt and sexual behavior in college students. The relationship has been shown to be inverse and quite strong. The present study employed a sample of males, ages 27 to 73. The instruments used were the Sexual Guilt Subscale of the Mosher Forced Choice Guilt Scale and the Bentler Heterosexual Behavior Assessment Scale. As in prior studies, it was found that there was a significant inverse correlation between sexual guilt and sexual behavior. In addition, there was found to be an inverse correlation between sexual behavior and age. A significant positive correlation was found between sexual guilt and age. When age was held constant, it was found that there was a highly significant inverse correlation between sexual guilt and sexual behavior. This factoring out of age clarifies the relationship between these variables. The clinician should be aware that the age of a patient may not be a factor in his/her sexual behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Racial differences in perception of ward atmosphere.

The authors administered the Moos Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) to 17 black inpatients and 17 white inpatients at a VA hospital. Scores on 5 of the 10 subscales reflected significant differences on the basis of race. From these results, the authors assume that black patients and white patients perceive the same ward environment differently. They briefly discuss the treatment implications of such perceptual differences.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

The effects of chlordiazepoxide on self-rated depression, anxiety, and well-being.

The main purpose of this study was to compare sensitivity of several self-rating scales to drug effects in anxious and depressed patients. Twenty-two distressed nonpsychotic outpatients completed a double-blind crossover trial of chlordiazepoxide and placebo. All self-rating scales of depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms, and feelings of inadequacy discriminated significantly between chlordiazepoxide and placebo. The decrease in self-rated depression was about equal to the decrease in self-rated anxiety. Subscales describing well-being were more sensitive to drug effects than subscales describing symptoms. A questionnaire (The Symptom Questionnaire) and one of the self-rating scales (Symptom Rating Test) were more sensitive than global self-rating scales, global observer-rating scales, and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Some of the self-rating scales discriminated significantly between drug and placebo even when the sample size was reduced to two subsamples of eight patients each. High and significant positive correlations between two scales did not indicate equal sensitivity in discriminating between drug and placebo.

Adult↗