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Biomedical subjects

L G Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to L G Wilson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Cross-cultural differences in indicators of improvement from psychosis: the case of betel nut chewing.

This paper uses a case from the Micronesian Island of Yap to illustrate that indicators of improvement from an episode of schizophrenic psychosis can vary tremendously from culture to culture. At times, the clinician must search diligently for such indicators since the patient will not verbalize any perception of improvement. A 39-year-old Yapese woman was evaluated by a psychiatrist and was found to have been psychotic for several years, suffering from gross delusions, and auditory hallucinations, flattened affect, and social isolation. In addition, she had discontinued chewing betel nut that was used daily by virtually all of her fellow islanders on Yap. Two months after beginning treatment with twice monthly injectable antipsychotic medication she was still delusional, with flat affect, and heard the same voices. She was slightly less socially withdrawn and she had interestingly resumed chewing betel nut. It seemed that she had given up betel nut chewing during the socially withdrawn phase of her illness and had resumed it as she improved and became less autistically preoccupied. In her culture, betel chewing was a main avenue of social intercourse and an intrinsic part of almost all social activities. In her particular case, the resumption of betel chewing was a primary indicator of her improvement from psychosis and reintegration into her social group.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

The couvade syndrome.

This is a psychophysiologic reaction to a woman's pregnancy on the part of her spouse. Nausea, vomiting, cramps or appetite disturbance occur in the husband early in pregnancy or near term. Anthropologists have found that ritual couvades dates back to ancient rituals regulating the behavior of the husband of a woman in labor. The modern syndrome is usually a self-limited condition but may indicate fears and anxieties that can be relieved by the understanding approach of the family physician.

Culture↗
PubMed1976

The formation of exchangeable sulphite from adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate in yeast.

A new low-molecular-weight bound sulphite was found in yeast enzyme reaction systems which convert the sulphur of 35S-labelled adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate into exchangeable radioactive sulphite. This bound sulphite was separated from other components by paper electrophoresis and Sephadex G-25 chromatography, and shown to be a peptide with multiple thiol groups and an estimated mol.wt. of 1400. The labelled sulphur in this peptide is highly exchangeable with unlabelled sulphite, but exchangeability decreases with time and freeze-drying. The low-molecular-weight acceptor is tightly bound to enzyme B of the yeast system and, apparently, accepts the sulpho group of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate and is released as bound sulphite only in the presence of enzymically or chemically reduced fraction C. It is proposed that the low-molecular-weight acceptor is a carrier peptide which, after release of the reduced sulphur, becomes re-oxidized and returns to enzyme B. Fraction C appears to function as an obligatory reductant of the oxidized acceptor before it can accept another-SO-3-moiety from adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate. These findings are consistent with mechanisms proposed for sulphate reduction in spinach and Chlorella, and suggest that fraction C is the natural thiol required in these systems. An improved column technique for the preparation of adenosine 3'-phosphate 5'-sulphatophosphate is described.

Adenine Nucleotides↗
PubMed1976

Post-detoxification drug treatment of anxiety and depression in alcohol addicts.

A study was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of treating alcoholics after detoxification for the very commonly observed syndrome of anxiety, depression, and somatic complaints. Previous studies had indicated that these patients generally respond quite well to drug treatment with the phenothiazine class of drugs. However, a double blind placebo-controlled study of adequate size had not been undertaken. Forty-five comparably addicted male alcoholics with anxiety or mixed anxiety-depression from an inpatient alcohol treatment ward comprised the treatment group. Twenty-three patients received thioridazine treatment and 22 received placebo treatment in a double blind fashion after acute withdrawal from alcohol. Progress over a 4-week period was measured with standard rating instruments--the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (by physician) and the Zung and Lipman Self-Rating Scales. Both placebo and active medication groups improved symptomatically during the 4-week program. The thioridazine group had significantly better improvement in sleep disturbance (early, middle, and late insomnia) than the placebo group. There was also significantly better improvement in anxiety with thioridazine as compared with placebo. Interestingly, the placebo group had significantly better work and activity (as appraised by the ward physician) than the thioridazine group. The authors note that active drug effect might actually hamper some patients in their rehabilitative effort, especially if phenothiazines of the more sedating variety are used. Since alcohol rehabilitation generally utilizes a wide range of activities (such as didactic sessions, occupation therapy, group therapy), alertness and performance ability appear to be important factors in the rehabilitation program. Although thioridazine treatment for some patients with anxiety and insomnia would appear to be quite helpful, its blanket use for the post-detoxification anxiety-depression of the alcoholic might be detrimental for others and cannot be recommended as a routine treatment strategy in an alcohol rehabilitation program.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Viral encephalopathy mimicking functional psychosis.

Encephalitis, particularly herpes simplex encephalitis, frequently presents as a disorder with puzzling psychiatric symptoms before frank evidence of central nervous system involvement is apparent. The author describes three cases of encephalitis characterized by abrupt onset of bizarre psychological disturbance in the absence of gross neurologic dysfunction. Each patient was initially diagnosed as schizophrenic but later became critically ill and recovered only after a long and chaotic hospital course. The author warns psychiatrists and staff on psychiatric impatient units against mistakenly diagnosing cases of early encephalitis as functional psychoses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

A denture tray technique for remake dentures.

A technique is described to fabricate a replacement denture for your patient. It reduces patient and laboratory time. The technique does not compromise the patient's existing denture, the impression, jaw relation records, or esthetics. It provides superior trays and effective occlusion rims, thus simplifying recording techniques. A denture duplicating flask may be substituted for the two plastic impression trays to duplicate the denture. The duplicating flask may improve realignment of the upper and lower molds, but additional irreversible hydrocolloid is required to fill the mold.

Dental Impression Technique↗
PubMed1975

Evaluation of a regional Indian alcohol program.

The authors analyzed follow-up data collected by an Indian counselor and a psychiatrist on 83 American Indian alcoholic men. Follow-up status was judged by an interdisciplinary panel according to a six-step rating scale. The 44 percent improvement rate compares favorably with other treatment programs, especially in view of the selection process, which favored difficult patients. The authors suggest that the interdisciplinary rating panel is an approach that can prevent erroneous judgments of the drinking status of American Indians.

Adult↗