Biomedical subjects

E Lepkifker

Publications and source records attributed to E Lepkifker.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Alexithymia and suicidality in panic disorder.

To evaluate the prevalence of suicidal behavior in patients with panic disorder (PD) and to study the role of alexithymia (AL), an affect component, as a predictor of suicidal behavior in PD, we compared 42 patients with PD with or without agoraphobia with 24 healthy controls with regards to depression, AL and suicide risk. Only 5% of the PD patients reported previous suicide attempts. A higher frequency of positive AL (score > 73) was found among the PD patients (39% v 4% among the controls). PD patients had a higher suicide risk and AL as compared to controls, but only the increased suicide risk reached statistical significance. AL subjects had higher suicide risk scores as compared to non-AL subjects. Significant correlations were found between the AL score and suicide risk, although the most significant correlation was, as expected, between the depression level and the suicide risk. A low rate of previous suicide attempts was found in the PD group, perhaps reflecting the low comorbidity in our sample. We suggest that AL may have a role in the causation of suicidal behavior in PD patients, although further studies should re-examine this issue with larger samples.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The treatment of kleptomania with serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Kleptomania is characterized by an irresistible impulse to steal objects not needed for personal use or for their monetary value. Several recent case reports have shown that Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) could be effective in the treatment of kleptomania just as it is in other obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. We report five cases of kleptomania patients who were successfully treated with fluoxetine or paroxetine in combination with a psychotherapeutic intervention. In one case, the discontinuation of the medication repeatedly led to the resurgence of the kleptomanic behavior. Our case series illustrates the effectiveness of SSRIs in kleptomania. It thus supports the assumption that this syndrome involves a dysfunctional serotoninergic mechanism.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alexithymia, affect intensity and emotional range in suicidal patients.

BACKGROUND: Although negative affect in general has been widely associated with suicide, the role of specific emotions and affect features in depression and suicidality is unclear. This study examined the potential of three major components of the affect structure as predictors of suicidal behavior. METHODS: Twenty suicidal depressed (SD) inpatients were compared with 20 nonsuicidal depressed (NSD) inpatients and 20 healthy controls for alexithymia, emotional range (ER; i.e. variety of emotions experienced by the subjects) and affect intensity (AI; i.e. the intensity of their emotional responsiveness). RESULTS: Both the SD and the NSD patients had a narrower range of emotions, a stronger AI and a higher degree of alexithymia than did the healthy controls. No differences were found between the scores of the two inpatients groups. CONCLUSIONS: The three affect components examined (alexithymia, AI and ER) did not prove to represent sensitive predictors of suicidal behavior. Hopelessness and depression severity were found to be more reliable in the prediction of suicidal risk. We discuss the implications of this study, particularly the possibility of early detection and intervention in patients at risk.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Seizures and the Dandy-Walker syndrome: a case of suspected pseudoseizures.

BACKGROUND: A major pitfall in the diagnosis of conversion disorder is the difficulty in ruling out organic causes. METHODS. A 19-year-old female was referred with seizures and the Dandy-Walker syndrome. We continued the medical workup and also treated the patient with psychotherapy. RESULTS: The patient's symptoms gradually abated, however, the headaches remained. No neurologic illness evolved during the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of pseudoseizures is suggested according to clinical evaluation and follow-up. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended in such cases for efficient diagnosis and treatment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Long-term lithium prophylaxis in recurrent unipolar depression. A controversial indication?

The authors assessed results obtained with long-term lithium maintenance in a group of 33 recurrent unipolar patients, followed regularly in the outpatient clinic of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center for 1-15 years. They analyzed changes of frequency, severity and duration of depressive relapses, rate and duration of hospitalization, suicidal ideas or attempts, and various assessments of outcome. A significant reduction was found on all indices during lithium management as compared to before lithium treatment, attesting to the efficacy of long-term prophylactic lithium in recurrent unipolar depression. These results are discussed and compared with those from other reports.

Depressive Disorder↗