Biomedical subjects

Ljubica Leposavić

Publications and source records attributed to Ljubica Leposavić.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Psychosocial aspects of acquired hearing impairment in the patients with otosclerosis.

UNLABELLED: Currently available evidence reveals comparatively few studies of the psychological and social effects of acquired hearing impairment, in spite of the fact that clinicians have for a long time been aware of a connection between acquired hearing impairment and mental disorders. The existing data indicate that psychological disorders are significantly more frequent in a population with hearing impairment than in the average population and are accompanied by disharmony in interpersonal and social relations. AIM: Establishing the presence and the type of mental disorders in patients with hearing impairment due to otosclerosis, before and 6 months after corrective surgery, as well as finding the role of adaptation style (personal adjustment) and facing strategy (communication strategies) as mediating variables between the acquired hearing impairment and observed psychical changes. METHODOLOGY: in 60 subjects, potential candidates for stapedectomy, MMPI-201 has been applied before and after surgery, in order to evaluate the mental state. For assessments of personal adjustment to the impairment and communication strategies, a communication personal profile has been applied preoperatively. RESULTS: more psychiatric disorders are present in the preoperative group compared to the general population and the postoperative group. These disorders are of exclusively a neurotic nature; the most frequent are depressive, anxious depressive and anxious reactions. A connection was found between adaptation style and facing strategies whether in the presence or absence of psychological disorders. CONCLUSION: the findings indicate a need for professional psychiatric-psychological support as a part of a rehabilitation program designed to reduce psychological difficulties, i.e. to help individuals to become adapted to the acoustic environment and to prevent or at least minimize the negative consequences of hearing impairment by efficient communication strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2006

Suicide in the capital of Serbia and Montenegro in the period 1997-2004 - sex differences.

There are very few investigations about sex differences in suicide which include some other variables (e.g. age, profession etc). Data which concern suicide sex differences are obscure and usually are given in statistical accounts of causes of death. The aim of our study was to investigate sex differences in realized suicides within the city of Belgrade during the last eight year period. Data was taken from the index records of suicide in the city of Belgrade held at the Institute for Informatics and Statistics. We took sex as the main observed variable, and analyzed nine other variables as related to sex. Statistical analysis was done by using the crude specific rate. The variability of the rate was estimated by computing a confidence interval. The results of our study gave the profile of males and females who committed suicide in Belgrade in the period of the last eight years. Although there were significant quantitative differences, the female/male profile of completed suicides is similar, and differs only in the method of suicide: both males and females choose hanging, drowning and suffocation as the most common method of suicide, while poisoning is on the second most common method chosen by females and firearms the second most common method for males. The frequency of suicide, in both sexes, showed a tendency to decrease over the observed period (the highest suicide rate was in 2000- females 9.7, males 19.7, and the lowest in 2004- females 4.5 males 9.1). Male to female suicide rate ratio was 2 to 1. Sex differences were registered in all of the observed nine variables.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Attribution style of patients with delusion disorder].

INTRODUCTION: Attribution style represents a tendency to explain events by our own actions, or actions of forces and causes, persons or surroundings, which are external. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was the analysis of specific way in which patients with delusion disorders ascribe meanings to events. METHOD: The test group included 30 patients with delusional disorder, of both sexes, aged between 30 and 53, without serious organic or somatic disorders. In order to determine the specific attribution system, through a wider frame of cognitive style, Rorschach's cognitive techniques was applied. RESULTS: An average value of MMSE score amounted to 28.43 and IQ - to 103.86. The data were evaluated by Comprehensive interpretation system of John Exner, and only those parameters were used that were the most indicative for this analysis. Patients with delusional disorder belonged to ambitent experience type, which pointed to inconsistency because the role of emotions varied during the process of decision making. Processing quality was temporarily significantly reduced to less mature and unsophisticated level, especially in complex situations. Thinking was strongly fixed and inflexible. More than other people, they applied intellectualization in order to annihilate affective experiences, leading thus to delusional thinking disorder in extreme cases. Sometimes, internal conflicts between high self value and awareness that it might not be valid, could lead to delusional expressions, if the environment was especially unsupportive. CONCLUSION: Attribution style of patients with DD is externalized and implies the ascribing of negative experiences to another person's action. Marked self-centering and experience of increased personal value dominate over the perception of the environment in these patients, while discrepancy between real self and an ideal is decreased by specific ascribing.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Record of successful sertraline treatment of a pathological gambler].

This is a case report of 26-year old, advanced university student of the Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics, single. He has never been a psychiatric patient, but being unable to suppress the gambling impulse, he presented for treatment, on his own initiative, to the outpatient department. Patient met the criteria for diagnosis of pathological gambler, over the period of two years (International Classification of Diseases -ICD X, WHO, 1992). Various phases of the treatment as well as the applied protocols were presented. Initially, therapy was initiated by clomipramine, and abandoned because of adverse effects. During presentation of this case, positive therapeutic response was noted to mono therapy with sertraline in the period of six months, and a total remission was achieved. Progression of the applied therapy was presented in four phases. Observations of the patient concerning the control over impulse disorder were described in his own words. Data on neurobiological concepts as well as phychopharmaceuticals which, according to our knowledge so far, have been used in therapy of pathological gambling were discussed in our study.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Demographic and audiological factors as predictors of hearing handicap].

INTRODUCTION: Currently available evidence reveals comparatively few studies of psychological effects of hearing impairments, in spite of the fact that clinicians have for a long time been aware of a connection between the acquired hearing impairment and mental disorders. They are focused on the investigation of dysfunction in general. Thus, three domains of the auditory imbalance may be distinguished: disorder, disability and handicap. 'Handicap', according to the definition of the World Health Organization, is a hindrance in an individual that results from an impairment or disability and represents psychological response of the individual to the impairment. OBJECTIVE: Validation of acquired hearing impairment as a risk factor of psychical disorders as well as an analysis of relation of some demographic factors (sex, age, education) and audiological factors (degree and duration of the impairment) with the frequency of hearing handicap. METHOD: MMPI-201 has been applied in 60 subjects affected with otosclerosis, potential candidates for stapedectomy, before and after the surgery. RESULTS: Individuals with acquired hearing impairment manifest more frequent disorders of psychical functioning in comparison with general population, while demographic and audiometric parameters did not correlate with acquired hearing handicap. CONCLUSION: It may be assumed that the very recognition of demographic and audiological factors can not help much in the understanding of the psychological stress associated with hearing impairment.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Postoperative cognitive deficits].

Cognitive dysfunctions are relatively common in postoperative and critically ill patients. This complication not only compromises recovery after surgery, but, if persistent, it minimizes and compromises surgery itself. Risk factors of postoperative cognitive disorders can be divided into age and comorbidity dependent, and those related to anesthesia and surgery. Cardiovascular, orthopedic and urologic surgery carries high risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction. It can also occur in other types of surgical treatment, especially in elderly. Among risk factors of cognitive disorders, associated with comorbidity, underlying psychiatric and neurological disorders, substance abuse and conditions with elevation of intracranial pressure are in the first place in postoperative patients. Preoperative and perioperative predisposing conditions for cognitive dysfunction and their incidence were described in our paper. These are: geriatric patients, patients with substance abuse, preexisting psychiatric or cognitive disorders, neurologic disease with high intracranial pressure, cerebrovascular insufficiency, epilepsia, preeclampsia, acute intermittent porphyria, operation type, brain hypoxia, changes in blood glucose level, electrolyte imbalance, anesthetic agents, adjuvant medication and intraoperative awareness. For each of these factors, evaluation, prevention and treatment strategies were suggested, with special regard on anesthetic technique.

Cognition Disorders↗