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Biomedical subjects

M R Volow

Publications and source records attributed to M R Volow.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1986

Pseudoseizures: an overview.

Pseudoseizures, formerly called hysterical seizures, have become an acknowledged clinical entity in their own right. Diagnosis of pseudoseizures is a complex process, depending primarily on clinical neurologic observation of the spell pattern and negative response to anticonvulsant therapy. Diagnosis is aided by psychiatric evidence of psychopathology, and in difficult cases, by video/EEG observation of actual spells, either spontaneous or induced by saline infusion or hypnosis. Exposure to some model of spell behavior is considered important in the development of most cases of pseudoseizures. Pseudoseizures are difficult to treat successfully, and exploratory attempts at treatment have included hypnosis and behavior therapy. Pseudoseizures may represent either conversion disorder or dissociative disorder.

Anticonvulsants↗
PubMed1984

Narcolepsy: preliminary retrospective study of psychiatric and psychosocial aspects.

A review of the charts of 24 ambulatory male veterans with narcolepsy or narcolepsy/cataplexy showed an impressive number of psychiatric and psychosocial difficulties in these patients, such as poor adjustment to the illness, high unemployability, and disturbed intrafamily relationships. Sixteen of the patients had psychiatric disorders according to DSM-III criteria, including adjustment disorder, major depressive episode, alcohol dependence, and personality disorder, but excluding any type of psychotic disorder. The study suggests that narcoleptic/cataplectic patients have more of these difficulties than narcoleptic patients do.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1980

Electroconvulsive therapy in the presence of brain tumor. Case reports and an evaluation of risk.

The clinical basis for the long established contraindication of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the presence of brain tumor is reviewed, as is the recent literature that has questioned the absolute nature of that contraindication. A need for a specific estimate of risk is noted. Seven retrospective case reports are added to the 28 cases reported in the literature. The clinical case report data are then pooled and evaluated by outcome. Results indicate a 74 per cent overall morbidity, including a 28 per cent 1-month mortality rate for patients with brain tumors who receive ECT. Twenty-one per cent of the patients had a positive behavioral response to ECT without complication.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Seizures terminable and interminable with ECT.

The authors discuss the incidence, detection, management, and significance of prolonged seizures with ECT and present a case example. They suggest that the incidence of this phenomenon may be underreported and that its occurrence may be linked to hyperoxygenation, the use of multiple-monitored ECT, and preexisting states of cerebral hyperexcitability. Since prolonged seizures may result in adverse metabolic changes, prompt detection and intervention are essential.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Biofeedback control of skin potential level.

This study explored the possibility of using biofeedback to arrest spontaneous declines in tonic electrodermal levels. For 3 days, 10 subjects (S) received 20 minutes of training in increasing skin potential level (SPL) negativity (arrested declines), followed by 20 minutes of training in decreasing SPL negativity (facilitating declines), with reverse order for half of the Ss. Simultaneous analogue and binary feedback of SPL were used. Training in the direction of SPL increases resulted in arrest of spontaneous declines in SPL negativity but did not result in large-magnitude increases above baseline. Training in the direction of SPL decreases facilitated declines in SPL. The absolute mean difference between the increase condition and the decrease condition on the 3rd day was 8.28 mV. Correlations suggested that considerable intraindividual variability may have been independently related to the Locus of Control personality dimension and to a Law of Initial Values limitation on SPL change. It was concluded that SPL was controllable to the extent of facilitating or arresting spontaneous declines.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1979

Electroencephalographic abnormalities in suicidal patients.

Struve has suggested that paroxysmal EEG abnormality is considerably more frequent in suicidal psychiatric inpatients than in nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients. In order to see if these observations were confirmed in other populations, the Zung Index of Potential Suicide and scalp EEG were administered to 216 consecutively admitted VA psychiatric inpatients. The results indicated only slightly greater EEG abnormality in suicidal patients (14.9%), than in nonsuicidal patients (6.6%) statistical analysis failed to support either a general association between overall EEG abnormality and suicidal behavior, or the specific association between paroxysmal EEG abnormality and suicidal behavior, reported by Struve. Some of the data suggested that further EEG observations might be worthwhile on patients in the Threatener subcategory of suicidal behavior.

Adolescent↗