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Biomedical subjects

P S Wiegartz

Publications and source records attributed to P S Wiegartz.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Anxiety disorders in the elderly.

Although the epidemiology, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety disorders have received considerable attention in the child and adult literature, they have not received the same consideration in the geriatric population. This disparity is remarkable given the prevalence and associated costs of these disorders that can persist into late life. Further, although a considerable amount is known about these disorders in younger age groups, it is unclear whether the phenomenology of anxiety evolves over the course of the aging process. Thus, conclusions drawn based on younger populations of anxious adults may not hold true for older cohorts. This article reviews issues of epidemiology, phenomenology, neurobiology, and medical comorbidity, as well as pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments in older adults.

Adult↗

Obsessive-compulsive disorder subgroups: a symptom-based clustering approach.

Although obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often considered a heterogeneous condition, there is no generally accepted subtype typology. Cluster analysis was used to identify definitive symptom-based groupings of 106 OCD patients. A stable cluster solution was achieved and five patient subgroups were identified based on their pattern of symptoms on the Yale-Brown (Y-BOCS) symptom checklist: harming, hoarding, contamination, certainty and obsessionals. The five subgroups were characterized by dominant symptom patterns and significant secondary concerns reflecting the symptom heterorgenaity often seen in the clinical presentation of obsessional patents. Between cluster differences on multiple symptom measures were evaluated and several meaningful differences were identified. Cluster analytic procedures may prove to be a useful tool for identifying a functional taxonomy of OCD subtypes.

Adult↗

Acute onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder in males following childbirth.

Research on postpartum onset obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has focused exclusively on females. However, the authors present four cases of males with OCD onset that coincide with a spouse's pregnancy or delivery. The rapid onset and content of obsessions and compulsions are remarkably similar to those reported in previous studies of postpartum OCD in females. Each patient also responded to cognitive-behavioral therapy using exposure procedures. The implications of these cases for etiological models of postpartum OCD and future research directions are discussed.

Acute Disease↗