Biomedical subjects

J Cutting

Publications and source records attributed to J Cutting.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1979

Differential impairment of memory in Korsakoff's syndrome.

Groups of Korsakoff, alcoholic and non-alcoholic subjects were given picture-recognition memory (patterns and objects) and verbal learning tasks. Korsakoff subjects were impaired relative to the two control groups on verbal learning and object-picture memory; on pattern memory Korsakoff and alcoholic subjects were comparable but both were inferior to non-alcoholics. These findings gave some support to the idea (Butters and Cermak, 1976) that visuo-spatial functions (represented here by pattern memory) are impaired through chronic alcoholism whilst the development of Korsakoff's syndrome induces an additional impairment in semantic processing of information (represented here by verbal learning and object-picture memory).

Adult↗

PubMed1979

The neuropsychiatric disorder in systemic lupus erythematosus: evidence for both vascular and immune mechanisms.

As part of a prospective survey of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) a detailed collaborative study of the clinical, psychiatric, and laboratory features in 15 patients with nonfocal neuropsychiatric disease has been undertaken. In addition to conventional clinical and psychometric evaluation, electroencephalograph, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, the study included the assessment of cerebral blood flow with oxygen-15 brain scans and serological testing for the presence of antineuronal and lymphocytotoxic antibodies. Of the 15 patients 12 had psychiatric manifestations, while 13 had various neurological abnormalities. All except 2 episodes of cerebral disease were transient. Striking abnormalities in cerebral blood flow and metabolism were seen in 12 patients, even in the presence of subtle clinical features. Sequential scans showed that improvement in clinical features was accompanied by a reversal of scan abnormalities. All sera contained brain-reactive antibody, either antineuronal IgG antibody (13) or lymphocytotoxic IgM antibody (12) or both (10), though there was an inconsistent association between clinical features and antibody titre. It is suggested that transient disturbances of cerebral vascular function in SLE might allow brain-reactive antibodies from the circulation access to cerebral tissue. In this way the nature of the neuropsychiatric abnormalities would depend on both vascular and immunopathogenic mechanisms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1979

Memory in functional psychosis.

Acute schizophrenic, chronic schizophrenic, and depressive patients (20 of each) were compared with normal subjects and six groups of patients with organic brain disease. They were given tests of verbal learning (left hemisphere type function) and pattern recognition memory (right hemisphere type function). All functional psychotics showed impaired memory. Acute schizophrenics were, however, only impaired on the verbal task, suggesting left hemisphere dysfunction, while chronic schizophrenics and depressives were impaired on both tasks, suggesting bilateral dysfunction.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

A cognitive approach to Korsakoff's syndrome.

Ten Korsakoff and ten alcoholic subjects were compared on their ability to take advantage of meaningful and linguistic factors in five verbal memory experiments. Korsakoff subjects were deficient in the use of visual imagery, in remembering random letters and in learning relatively easy paired-associates; there was a suggestion that they did not benefit from variation in word class. The effect of word frequency, the ability to remember very easy paired-associates, and possibly the effect of pronounceability were preserved. These findings were interpreted as supporting a model which emphasised the disruption of some higher cognitive structure whilst leaving intact simpler memory functions.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

A reappraisal of alcoholic psychoses.

A retrospective study of alcoholic psychoses is reported. The phenomena of the illnesses corresponded poorly with classical descriptions of alcoholic hallucinosis, delirium tremens and alcoholic paranoia. Alternative diagnostic approaches were tried (Catego, restrictive definition of alcoholic hallucinosis). The problems of distinguishing psychoses with associated organic factors from 'idiopathic' forms are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

Patterns of performance in amnesic subjects.

Patients with Korsakoff's syndrome, dementia, alcoholism, right and left temporal lobectomy, and normal subjects were compared on verbal learning and picture recognition memory tasks. Alcoholics and right lobectomy patients were similar on all measures, but the other groups had a characteristic pattern, particularly on hit and false positive rates in picture recognition.

Adult↗

PubMed1978

Study of anosognosia.

Anosognosia (denial of weakness) and "anosognosic phenomena" (other abnormal attitudes to a weak limb) were studied in 100 acute hemiplegics. Both conditions were associated with lesions of either hemisphere. Apathy, visual field defect, and impaired picture identification were particularly prominent in anosognosia. A failure to integrate information from one side of the body was regarded as fundamental to the condition; explanations in terms of "unilateral neglect" and "agnosia" are discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed1978

Specific psychological deficits in alcoholism.

Forty alcoholics and 40 controls were compared on tests of frontal lobe functions, abstracting ability, and verbal and picture memory. Alcoholics were inferior to controls, and heavy drinkers poorer than moderate ones (life-time alcohol consumption) on picture memory and a verbal fluency test of frontal lobe functions. Verbal memory and abstracting ability were not significantly impaired. Although this pattern may indicate that frontal and right temporal areas of the brain are particularly vulnerable to the effects of chronic alcoholism, the possibility that it may merely reflect general sensitivity of the tests to brain damage cannot be ruled out.

Adult↗