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Biomedical subjects

G Hole

Publications and source records attributed to G Hole.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Autonomic profile under hypnosis as assessed by heart rate variability and spectral analysis.

To test the hypothesis of a sympathovagal balance shift towards an enhanced vagal tone under the condition of a standardized hypnosis, we used the assessment of heart rate variability including spectral analysis in 10 healthy subjects (5 female, 5 male, age ranging from 27 to 42 years). We compared the subjects under baseline condition (resting) and under hypnosis, measured on a different day, for a measuring period of five minutes for each condition. The result was reduced total power in the low frequency band (0.01-0.05 Hz) reflecting sympathetic activity. Also, the ratio of low to high frequency power (LFIHF) was reduced when under hypnosis. This reduction was due to a reduced LF component, but only a slightly reduced mid frequency component. With considerable variability, we also found activated mid frequency bands (0.05-0.15Hz) under hypnosis, likely reflecting baroreceptor activity. We conclude that the autonomic status in hypnosis is associated with a change towards reduced low frequency activity, but not necessarily with enhanced high frequency activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[The depressive syndrome].

Depression is not like depression. For that it is important to divide the various impairs of emotional life: mood fluctuations--sorrow reactions--depressions. This provides specific knowledge about the versatile and so often misleading depressive syndrome--and not only at the doctors, but also at the concerned and especially the relatives, even friends, colleagues, neighbours and so on. Only this way it is possible to shorten the, within tormenting, time between the beginning of the depression and the first consultation of a doctor.

Depression↗
PubMed1994

Facial aesthetics: babies prefer attractiveness to symmetry.

The visual preferences of human infants for faces that varied in their attractiveness and in their symmetry about the midline were explored. The aim was to establish whether infants' visual preference for attractive faces may be mediated by the vertical symmetry of the face. Chimeric faces, made from photographs of attractive and unattractive female faces, were produced by computer graphics. Babies looked longer at normal and at chimeric attractive faces than at normal and at chimeric unattractive faces. There were no developmental differences between the younger and older infants: all preferred to look at the attractive faces. Infants as young as 4 months showed similarity with adults in the 'aesthetic perception' of attractiveness and this preference was not based on the vertical symmetry of the face.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Course of bacterial infections in high-dose therapy with clozapine].

The influence of neuroleptic drugs on body temperature regulation is well established. Even with atypical neuroleptic drugs such as clozapine, hyperthermia has been observed as well as the malignant neuroleptic syndrome. It is likely that the influence of clozapine affects the immune response. A case is reported in which afebrile angina tonsillaris and endocarditis developed, as a result of high-dosage therapy with clozapine over several years. Besides the special features of the course, differential diagnosis, therapy and possible influence on the body temperature and the immune response are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Endo-neurotic depression. Necessity and irritation of a diagnostic concept].

The traditional system of diagnosis which differentiates clearly between endogenous depression on the one hand and psychogenic depression on the other, results in an dichotomy that limits our thinking and perception. This limitation is an obstacle to an open-minded realisation of the multidimensional cause-effect links underlying depressive syndromes. The historical development is outlined and the descriptive-psychiatrical and psychoanalytical-psychodynamical theoretical aspects are described. There is a definite need for an unequivocal terminology that covers both clinical observations and therapeutic assessments. The term endo-neurotic as a logical development of Weitbrecht's endo-reactive concept represents a verbal diagnostic instrument enabling the characterisation of a typical group among a multitude of "multilayered" depressions. Endogenous and neurotic factors carry the same weight in such depressions, and the phasewise course of the disease does not permit the patient to be classified as purely "somatic" or purely "mental" or "psychological". If endogenous phases having a triggering effect on depression fail to occur during psychotherapy, this may be due to minor penetration by either endogenous or psychogenic factors. A clinical case report shows how intensive psychotherapy of neurotic mechanisms increasingly improves the management of situations that were formerly critical in respect of triggering depressions. The patient feels that this is really so, and the therapist gains confidence that his therapy is progressing in the right direction. Of course such an experience cannot be proven by statistics. This highlights the well-known discrepancy between idiographic and nomothetic methods. Progress could be achieved by "cutting more finely", i. e. by a terminology that is more differentiated and eliminates the compulsion to arrive at a rough diagnosis which disregards the finer gradations of the colours that make up the entire picture. Thus the term endo-neurotic could be useful to define a certain part of the diagnostic spectrum of depression with greater clarity.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗
PubMed1992

[Personality, motivation and affect as modulating factors in suicidal behavior of depressed women].

From a psychological point of view, we would expect that motivational rather than biological dysfunctions mediate initiation of violent and non-violent suicidal actions. To prove this assumption we classified depressed women in four groups according to their suicidal behaviour and matched them to age: suicide ideators, violent suicide attempters, non-violent suicide attempters, non-suicidal depressed controls. We then tested group differences in respect of aggression, impulsivity, introversion, affective lability, anxiety, depression and electrodermal activity (EDA). To take a closer look at motivational dysfunctions, we implemented the Action Control Scale (corresponding to Kuhls theory of action and state orientation), since we regard chronic state orientation as a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. Results show few differences in violent attempters compared with controls. In contrast to non-violent attempters, they show a greater tendency to achievement and action oriented behaviour being less introverted. Non-violent attempters, however, show most significant differences to their controls: Corresponding to a high state orientation, they are more depressed, anxious, less stable in respect of affectiveness, and more introverted, with low scores in aggression and contentedness in life. In contrast to some other studies, nonreactivity in the electrodermal system dominates in all groups. Results demonstrate that motivational dysfunctions like state orientation allow better prediction and understanding of violent or non-violent suicidal behaviour in depressed women than does electrodermal reactivity.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Psychosocial factors and follow-up of depressive disease].

In a one-year follow-up study 187 inpatients were studied using structured and semistructured interviews (Diagnostic Interview Schedule, Münchner Ereignisliste, Social Interview Schedule). In order to predict the course of depression we focused on psychosocial factors and their influence on the course of depression. The severity of depression at discharge and negative life events during the follow-up period could be identified as the main influence factors. Results suggest reciprocal influence between illness and social conditions, especially illness and marital relations. Marital dysfunctioning at follow-up was reported significantly more often by patients with unfavourable outcome, whereas patients who recovered did not differ from the control group in their marital conditions. The results suppose the value of social variables in the prediction of the course of illness. A few implications on these findings for therapeutic process are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Electrodermal hypoactivity in depression: psychobiological marker or differential psychophysiologic disposition?].

Research about the dominating hypoactivity in electrodermal system in affective disorders led to the assumption that electrodermal activity (EDA) could be an important biopsychological trait in the etiology of depression. However, experimental results are contradictory. Some studies find nosological validity, other studies an influence of psychomotor status on EDA or correlations to clinical improvement, etc. Most of these results are based on laboratory conditions (habituation experiment with tones). The person-situation-environment interaction and their dynamic process regulation on electrodermal activity are neglected. Also lacking is a comparable description of nosology, psychomotor status and experimental design. After discussing the neuropsychological background of the habituation paradigm which led to the "traditional" assumptions of the correlation between electrodermal activity and depression, results of different samples are shown tested over years using always the same classification and experimental methods. None of our assumptions could be verified. Although low levels in SCL dominate, we could not find results of high sensitivity and specificity in contrast to controls. However we found differences in other, more complex experiments containing personality traits and reactions to emotional words. In a multi-level process-oriented stress paradigm of the success/failure type we found a delay in regeneration of psychological and electrodermal measures after failure. This results demonstrate that investigation in electrodermal activity needs more complex and process-oriented experimental designs. EDA probably has not the quality of a biological marker, but seen in the context of person and situation factors it differentiates depressed states.

Arousal↗
PubMed1991

Proximity measures of social play in the laboratory rat.

Litters of laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) were filmed between 21 to 60 days of age, and data on 700 social play bouts obtained. These were analyzed for information on how play bouts ended and on the spatial relationship between the players and their physical environment. The results suggest that social play in this species (a) does not appear to be a covert means of securing priority of access to resources such as food, females, or territory; and (b) does not appear to represent practice for behaving in the contexts within which "serious" adult aggression occurs (e.g., practicing being "territorial," etc.). Players showed a strong preference for playing close to cover and away from exposed areas; if this is also true for wild rats, it would minimize the potential costs of play in terms of increased conspicuity to predators.

Aggression↗
PubMed1991

Suicidal behaviour and electrodermal activity in depressive inpatients.

Within the context of a habituation experiment, the electrodermal activity (EDA) of suicidal depressed patients was measured. Twenty-four patients had a suicide attempt in their most recent history; these attempts were divided into attempts with violent or nonviolent methods. All the patients who had used a violent method habituated quickly, as was the case for 4 of 5 patients who committed suicide in the year following the experiment. Just as many patients who used nonviolent methods habituated quickly or slowly. There was no indication that age, sex or medication had any influence. For 18 of these 24 patients, comparable groups, in terms of age and sex distribution, were formed containing either nonsuicidal depressed patients or patients with suicidal thoughts. No differences between groups concerning any of the EDA variables could be found. In accordance with these results, EDA cannot be considered to be a valid predictor for suicide-proneness. The relations between violent suicide attempts and nonreactivity should, however, be further examined and the group of nonreactive patients in EDA should be treated as a risk group for clinical reasons.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Suicidal behavior of schizophrenic patients in a psychiatric hospital].

Discussing the increase of inpatient-suicides in psychiatric hospitals affords an exact assessment of suicidality among schizophrenic patients, because this subgroup shows a great discrepancy between assumed actual suicidality and suicidal behavior. In a cros-sectional study we assessed the "Basissuizidalität" in the adult wards of the Psychiatric State Hospital of Weissenau (1986). In this article we report the results concerning the schizophrenic inpatients. Like other studies we found a lower suicidality of schizophrenic patients compared with other subgroups. We try to examine and interpret this result and correlate it to the assessed data in the area of aggressive behavior. Suicidal patients globally and suicidal schizophrenic patients specially are showing in a significantly higher frequency verbal aggression, aggressive and indirectly self-destructive behavior. Consequences for diagnosis and therapy of suicidal schizophrenic patients are discussed.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗
PubMed1991

[Psychopathologic and psychophysiologic follow-up of inpatient depressed patients with standardized treatment with clomipramine and oxaprotiline].

The aim of this study was to show psychopathological and especially psychophysiological data of depressed inpatients which were collected during a 28-day double-blind study with 68 depressed inpatients given clomipramine 150 mgr/die) or maprotiline/oxaprotiline 150 mgr/die). Using Hamilton-Depression-Scale, Self-depression-scale (SDS by Zung), Beschwerdeliste (BL) and Befindlichkeitsskala (Bf-S) by v. Zerssen an impressive reduction of depression scores was observed in all rating scales with some superiority of clomipramine. But at the end of the study at treatment day 28 both groups - clomipramine and maprotiline/oxaprotilin - had similar results. During treatment each patient was part of a weekly habituation experiment using electrodermal activity in an orientation reaction as measure. Contrary to other studies (Lader 1975 or Heimann 1976, 1980) there was no difference in the course of psychophysiological data (EDA) between both treatment groups or between depressive agitation and psychomotor retardation. There was also no relationship between reactivity in EDA at study begin and treatment results.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The increase of suicides in psychiatric hospitals in southwestern Germany according to diagnostic subgroups.

In this paper, results are shown of a study on suicides committed by psychiatric inpatients in four state mental hospitals in Baden-Württemberg, Federal Republic of Germany during the 15 years from January 1, 1970 up to the end of 1984. There was a mean suicide rate of 195 per 100,000 admissions. A comparison of 5-year sequences showed a significant increase of so-called hospital suicides in two of the hospitals at the end of the seventies and the beginning of the eighties. A statistical analysis of a trend of increase using nonparametric methods (Spearman rho, Kendall tau) showed a significant increase in the number of suicides and suicide rates in all four hospitals. In a second step, the same statistical procedure testing for an increase in the fifteen years was used for the group of schizophrenic (N = 106) and depressed (N = 55) inpatients who committed suicide. An impressive and highly significant increase was found especially in schizophrenic male inpatients with the ICD-9 diagnosis 295.3 (paranoid-schizophrenia), and within that group, in inpatients with 3 or more inpatient treatments. There was also an increase in the depressed group, especially in female depressives, but only significant at the 5% level in the trend analysis.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗
PubMed1990

Suicide risk in suicidal versus nonsuicidal depressed inpatients.

Depressed patients seem to be the prototype of patients with a higher suicide risk. Therefore, it is important for clinicians in psychiatric hospitals dealing with depressed inpatients as well as with depressed schizophrenic or alcoholic patients, to get a clear idea of the nature of suicide proneness among these inpatients. Results from different studies done by the Weissenau Depression Treatment and Research Group concerning the special issue of suicide proneness in depressed patients show that a "suicidal depressive syndrome" can best be described on a cognitive level by feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, and depressive delusions, and also by more sleep disorders and more past suicidal behavior.

Crisis Intervention↗
PubMed1990

[Basic suicidality at a psychiatric hospital].

Using a questionnaire the therapists of the Psychiatric Hospital in Ravensburg Weissenau were requested for information on the suicidality and symptomato-logy of their patients. This was done to assess the acute and chronic suicidality prevalent in a psychiatric hospital. The number of acute and chronic suicidal patients, the prevalence of self-destructive behaviour (38%) as well as the fact that 75% of the 475 assessed patients belonged to diagnostic groups with an imminent high risk of suicidality, show the high "basic suicidality" that therapists of a psychiatric hospital to deal with: 7% of the assessed patients were acutely, 11% chronically and 22% possibly suicidal; 38% had had suicidal episodes at least once in their life. The rate of suicidality was highest among patients with affective psychoses followed by those with personality disorders, neurotic disorders and depressive syndromes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

CGP 12.103 A versus clomipramine in the treatment of depressed inpatients--results of a double-blind study.

In a double-blind study, which was conducted as an interindividual comparison, 41 depressed inpatients were divided into two test groups according to a randomized list and received either the test substance CGP 12.103 A (19 patients) or the comparative substance clomipramine (22 patients). The study was conducted over a period of 28 days and the dosage of each substance, after being gradually increased, was stabilized at 150 mg. Except for a significantly varied distribution of syndrome patterns, the two treatment groups were comparable with regard to relevant criteria. Both treatment groups showed a significant improvement as assessed by both the degree of severity of depression and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale; on each scale, however, the clomipramine treatment group exhibited a tendency toward better antidepressive efficacy. According to the self-evaluations of the patients, which were conducted with the help of v. Zerssen's Self-Rating Scale, this tendency was not significant. The Kusta activation parameter indicated a tendentially stronger manifestation in the case of clomipramine. In the final evaluation the onset of efficacy for the CGP 12.103 A group lay in the mean on treatment day 6, for the clomipramine group on treatment day 10. The physician's overall assessment of therapeutic effect found no differences between the two treatment groups on day 14 and on day 28. Expected side effects were observed in the CGP 12.103 A group in nine patients, in the clomipramine group in 14. All in all, the test substance CGP 12.103 A, the (-) or R-enantiomer of the antidepressant oxaprotiline, which itself is derived from maprotiline, showed no essential differences in its antidepressive efficacy compared with clomipramine.

Anthracenes↗