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Biomedical subjects

I Iancu

Publications and source records attributed to I Iancu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

The pathogenesis and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The outlook for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) began to change in the early 1980s with the introduction of clomipramine (CMI), a serotonergic antidepressant. The observation that only drugs with a serotonergic profile are effective in OCD has been the basis for the serotonergic hypothesis of OCD. The serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors are effective alternatives for CMI and can be used when the patient cannot use or tolerate CMI. In this review, we examine the pathophysiology of OCD, based on drug response profile, peripheral markers of serotonergic function, pharmacologic challenge studies, and neuroimaging. We also consider the medications found to be effective in OCD, the length of treatment, with special regard for maintenance therapy, and such issues as the approach for the treatment-resistant patient, augmentation strategies, and nonpharmacological treatments.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1996

Seven-year follow-up of child survivors of a bus-train collision.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term effects of a traumatic bus-train collision and to examine the effect of levels of exposure and immediate reactions on long-term adjustment. METHOD: Seven years after the accident, 389 subjects, all doing compulsory army service, filled out self-report questionnaires assessing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychiatric symptomatology, and military functioning. In addition, subjects were questioned about their immediate reactions to the traumatic event. RESULTS: The most highly exposed subjects reported the highest levels of somatization, depression, phobic anxiety, and psychoticism and more PTSD symptoms. Acute stress symptoms and manifestations of fear immediately after the accident were strongly related to long-term maladjustment CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the investigation and assessment of long-term adjustment after traumatic events should take into account both contextual factors, such as the level of exposure to the event, and personal factors, such as the victims' immediate reactions.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1996

Coping styles and suicide risk.

A total of 30 psychiatric in-patients admitted because of suicidal behaviour were compared with 30 non-suicidal psychiatric in-patients and 32 healthy controls on measures of suicide risk and coping styles. The three groups were similar with regard to demographic variables, but the suicidal group scored higher on the suicide risk scale. Suicidal patients were significantly less likely to use the coping styles of minimization and mapping. They were unable to de-emphasize the importance of a perceived problem or source of stress. They also lacked the ability to obtain new information required to resolve stressful life events. Four coping styles correlated negatively with the suicide risk (minimization, replacement, mapping and reversal), while another three (suppression, blame and substitution) correlated positively. These findings may have important implications for therapists and primary prevention workers, and might pave the way towards recognition of the role played by coping styles in predicting suicide and its use for cognitive intervention in these high-risk patients.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Valproic acid in ultra-rapid cycling: a case report.

Valproic acid has been proven to be efficient in the treatment of bipolar affective disorders as an adjunctive agent to lithium and carbamazepine. Recently, its efficacy in rapid cycling states has attracted interest. We present the case of a male patient with bipolar affective disorder who developed an extreme state of ultra-rapid cycling (48-h cycles). Only the addition of valproic acid therapy to prior lithium treatment succeeded in curtailing the ultra-rapid cycling. Several issues regarding ultra-rapid cycling and valproate's efficacy in bipolar disorder are discussed.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1995

Nightmares related to fluoxetine treatment.

Sleep disturbances are found in most depressive patients. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine hydrochloride, seem to improve sleep by changing the depressive affect and the underlying biological mechanisms. Insomnia is an occasional adverse effect of the medication, but it was shown that only 2-3% of the patients with fluoxetine-induced insomnia discontinued the drug for this reason. We could not find any report of nightmares or night terrors under fluoxetine treatment. We report on four patients who experienced nightmares on fluoxetine monotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

The belief in the transmigration of souls as a presenting symptom of generalized anxiety disorder in a military setting.

Transmigration of souls is one of the central beliefs of the Druze religion and culture. However, in rare cases this belief can represent psychopathology. A case of an 18-year-old Druze soldier suffering from generalized anxiety disorder whose presenting symptom was a belief in transmigration of souls is described. This case illustrates the interaction between cultural and religious beliefs with psychopathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Obsessive-compulsive disorder limited to pregnancy.

The relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and pregnancy is reviewed in the light of recent reports concerning the frequent onset and exacerbation of obsessive-compulsive disorder during pregnancy. We present the case of a young woman who developed obsessive-compulsive disorder during a pregnancy and recovered completely after delivery. Five years afterwards she is still symptom-free. Several possible explanations for this unusual occurrence are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The sociocultural theory in the development of anorexia nervosa.

The relationship between anorexia nervosa (AN) and sociocultural factors is examined. Anorexia nervosa was first described in the West and was reported as particularly rare or absent in Eastern cultures. However, the frequency of its presentation has increased worldwide over the past two decades, probably as a consequence of changes in cultural norms and concepts of feminine beauty and an increasing inflow of Western values into other countries. Sociocultural factors are important in the development of AN in psychologically vulnerable young females, although other factors may also be implicated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Psychiatric aspects of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a potentially dangerous disorder of pregnancy characterized by severe and protracted vomiting. It is suggested that psychosocial factors may have a role in determining whether the pregnant woman experiences a transient spell of mild vomiting or progresses towards the much rarer but more significant pernicious vomiting. Psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and behavior therapy have been reported to contribute to the treatment of patients with hyperemesis gravidarum. A review of the etiological factors as well as of the therapeutic approaches is presented.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1994

Cultural effects on eating attitudes in Israeli subpopulations and hospitalized anorectics.

We assessed eating attitudes and body image using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT: Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) and a 17-item body image scale in Israeli Jewish female high school populations in five distinct residential settings (kibbutz, moshav, city, and 2 different boarding schools); in five ethnically distinct Arab female high school populations (Muslim, Christian, Druze, Circassian, and Bedouin); and in a group of hospitalized adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa. We hypothesized that the attitudes of the adolescent females most exposed to Western body shape ideals and simultaneously undergoing role conflict between traditional and modern images of the female role would most resemble attitudes of anorectics. This was partly supported by the findings. Ethnic differences also emerged in attitude toward food. All the Arab populations except the Circassian showed strong Western influences in their attitudes toward eating and body image and thus may well be prone to epidemics of anorexia and similar eating disorders in the near future. Kibbutz girls were most similar to the anorectic group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder in a young Russian immigrant].

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive dieting, severe weight loss, disturbed body image and inexplicable fear of gaining weight. It afflicts mainly upper class women of developed countries. We present a 16-year-old recent immigrant from Russia, where she had developed anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression. The management of this patient is presented in the light of the sociocultural theory of the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa and the clinical link between eating disorders and depression and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The Ganser syndrome in two adolescent brothers.

The Ganser syndrome is rare in children and adolescents. Two cases of Ganser syndrome in adolescent brothers, both of whom developed the syndrome while in jail and awaiting trial, are presented. Both brothers subsequently developed signs and symptoms indicative of affective disorder. The differential diagnosis and the management of these two patients are discussed in the light of the nosological controversies surrounding this clinical entity.

Adolescent↗