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R D Stieglitz

Publications and source records attributed to R D Stieglitz.

67 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Interindividual variability of lithium-induced EEG changes in healthy volunteers.

A placebo-controlled, double-blind study on the effects of lithium on the electroencephalogram (EEG) was performed in 20 healthy volunteers. A reanalysis of the data which previously had been evaluated by factor analysis and other techniques is presented. The aim of this reanalysis is a quantitative reconstruction of visually defined vigilance stages. In 8 of the 10 healthy subjects who received lithium, a "stabilization" of vigilance on a slightly lowered level (i.e., increased continuity of alpha activity and a tendency in the direction of increased alpha anteriorization) could be demonstrated after a 2-week medication period (mean lithium plasma level: 0.65 mmol/l), indicating that in these subjects lithium counteracts the physiological decline of vigilance to be expected under resting conditions. The interpretation of this finding as a reduction of physiological variability, or as a "dynamic restriction," corresponds to findings in other areas of lithium research which can be interpreted in an analogous manner. In two subjects, however, a small decline of vigilance was observed. These two subjects showed an especially pronounced alpha rhythm in their predrug EEG compared with the other volunteers. The authors discuss whether the delineation of different EEG reaction types contributes to the responder problem in lithium research.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Flupentixolhydrochloride in low dosages: effects on perceptual and psychomotor performance in emotionally stable and emotionally labile healthy subjects.

Effects of flupentixol on performance were evaluated in a double-blind study with 107 healthy male subjects. Experimental factors were dosage (0, 1, and 2 mg Fluanxol 0.5/day), the trait variable 'neuroticism' (high vs. low score on a questionnaire scale), and time of measurement (before and after 4 days of treatment). Drug effects were measured by means of seven paper-and-pencil tests and eight apparatus tests covering the following cognitive functions: endurance in attention, spacial orientation, flexibility and speed of closure, perceptual speed, response speed, psychomotor coordination, knowledge of traffic rules, and basic motoric tempo. Univariate and multivariate ANOVAs disclosed that flupentixol has detrimental effects on perceptual and psychomotor functions, in particular when administered in a dosage of 2 mg/day. These treatment effects did not interact with the trait variable neuroticism. Nevertheless, there were substantial differences between emotionally stable and emotionally labile subjects in both absolute performance level and change of performance over time.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Subjective findings in emotionally stable and labile subjects following oral application of flupenthixol in small doses].

The mood-changing effects of flupentixol (Fluanxol 0.5 mg) were evaluated in a double-blind study with 107 healthy male subjects. Experimental factors were dosage (0, 1 and 2 mg flupentixol/day), time of measurement (before, during, and after 4 days of treatment), and the trait variable "neuroticism" (high vs. low score on a questionnaire scale). Drug effects were measured by means of rating scales and symptom checklists. Statistical analyses revealed that state anxiety and bodily symptoms associated with depressive states were diminished by flupentixol. Moreover, emotionally labile subjects reported an impairment of vigilance under drug treatment. Placebo effects proved to be more substantiated in the group of emotionally stabile subjects than in the group of emotionally labile subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Self-rating data as a selecting factor in clinical trials of psychotropic drugs.

In psychiatry the relationship between rating by others and self-rating has been discussed again and again. The question has been raised as to the influence of complete data material (all patients with self-rating and rating by others) on results, in comparison to results where patients without self-rating are not taken into evaluation. This question was answered by conducting a double-blind study which included two pharmacologically active substances (amitriptylinoxide and trazodone) and two sub-samples of patients (patients with rating by others and self-rating, and patients with rating by others alone). The trial was performed in a total of 57 in-patients suffering from endogenous depression (ICD 296.1) who received drug treatment for 21 days. The effect was assessed multi-methodically. While no differences between the two drugs were seen in the sub-sample "self-rating and rating by others", amitriptylinoxide proved to be superior to trazodone in the sub-sample "rating by others". On the basis of these findings the use of rating by others and self-rating procedures will be considered.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Delineation of pharmacopsychological effects by means of endogenous event-related brain potentials: an exemplification with flupentixol.

A new experimental paradigm for studying cognitive functions by means of endogenous event-related brain potentials is presented. The paradigm has the following characteristics: (1) subcomponents of 'P300' (P3a, P3b, positive slow wave) and subcomponents of 'CNV' (early and late wave) are separated in time; (2) probability effects known to work on P300 subcomponents are completely under experimental control; and (3) psychologically defined antecedent conditions which affect particular endogenous components can be manipulated precisely and independently of each other. The usefulness of the paradigm for monitoring pharmacopsychological effects on cognitive functions is exemplified by means of flupentixol (Fluanxol 0.5). Reliable drug effects were observed with a dosage of 2 mg/day after 4 days of treatment. The results can be taken as evidence that flupentixol has an impairing effect on human information processing resources; in particular functions related to motor preparation, perceptual analysis, and memory retrieval are affected.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[A comparison of four symptom lists (author's transl)].

At present there are four lists of symptoms in German (BL, FBL, BFB, KASSL) for which sufficient empirical data permit an evaluation. The BL, FBL, and BFB lists relate to items of the physiologic and physiologic/psychic fields, whereas the items of the KASSL refer more to psychic problems. With all four procedures the computation of global scores is justified by factor and item analyses, although the results of the BFB are least satisfactory. Information about reliability exists for all lists and point to favorable formal characteristics, i.e., symptom scores permit reliable assessment. The importance of symptom configurations is still ambiguous and needs further investigation. Measuring change with the four lists is a problem which is unsolved and needs further reflection. Because of its broad basis of test information the BL global score is recommended for use.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The symptom pattern variations of unipolar depression during life span: a cross-sectional study.

The psychopathological syndromes are analyzed for 436 patients suffering from a unipolar affective psychosis, depressed type, without any further psychiatric or somatic diagnosis, separately for the second to eighth decade of life. The intensity of the depressive syndrome, as well as the apathy syndrome according to the Manual for the Assessment and Documentation of Psychopathology (AMDP) system, does not decrease. The autonomic syndrome increases for the group in the involutional age, and the psycho-organic syndrome for the group in the old age. The analysis of special symptom patterns, as for the agitated behavior or symptoms of the psycho-organic syndrome, is presented.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Are there distinct biochemical subtypes of depression? EEG characteristics of clinically defined on-drug responders and non-responders.

Subgroups of clinically defined responders and non-responders to clomipramine or maprotiline showed different electroencephalographic dynamics of vigilance, even before pharmacotherapy was initiated. Two hours after the first drug administration subgroup differences no longer existed. On the 21st day of medication we found a tendency towards re-establishing the pre-drug situation. Our findings lend support to the assumption of 'distinct biochemical subtypes' which, however, rather correspond to different stages of the pathophysiological process than represent invariant 'traits'.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Experience of aversive tension and dissociation in female patients with borderline personality disorder -- a controlled study.

Assuming that the experience of strong aversive tension might be an indicator of the extent of affect dysregulation within patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), we sought to operationalize the duration and intensity of these phenomena. In addition we studied the relationship between aversive tension and the experience of dissociative features. Seventy-two female patients with BPD, together with 55 healthy controls, completed a self-rating questionnaire covering the previous 24 h. Substantial and highly significant differences with regard to the duration and intensity of the subjectively perceived states of aversive tension were found. Amongst patients with BPD there was a strong correlation between duration and intensity of tension, and experience of dissociative features, both somatoform and psychological. The findings underline the clinical importance of states of aversive tension in BPD particularly with regard to stress-related induction of dissociative features.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the German version of the PTSD Symptom Scale (PSS).

The psychometric properties of the PTSD Symptom Scale (PSS) were evaluated in a clinical sample of severely injured in-patients after a traffic accident (n = 123). The PSS contains 17 items which were derived from the DSM-III-R criteria of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results indicate that the PSS has satisfactory reliability and validity (internal and external). The results are in correspondence with the results of Foa et al. using a sample of rape and non-sexual-assault patients.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The multiaxial system of ICD-10: evaluation of a preliminary draft in a multicentric field trial.

The multiaxial system (MAS) of ICD-10, chapter V (F) consists of three axes: axis I, clinical syndromes (psychiatric disorders including personality disorders and somatic diseases); axis II, disabilities; axis III, environmental/circumstantial and personal life-style/life management factors. Results of a multicentric field trial evaluating a preliminary draft of the MAS are presented. 45 raters in seven German centers made 488 ratings on 12 written case histories. With a mean kappa of 0.50 for 3-character diagnoses interrater reliability for axis I was moderate although lower than expected from previous field trials. On axis II the WHO Disability Diagnostic Scale (WHO-DDS) was compared to the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) used in DSM-III-R and DSM-IV. For both scales the intraclass correlation coefficient showed a moderate interrater reliability (WHO-DDS = 0.62; GAF = 0.65). On axis III the number of relevant psychosocial circumstances coded by the different raters varied greatly. Interrater reliability was very poor with kappa values ranging from 0.03 to 0.55 for the different categories and an overall kappa of 0.16.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Application of the AMDP system in diagnosis and prediction].

Starting from general considerations on the value of the AMDP-System in the diagnostic process, the authors summarize evaluation criteria which seem to be fulfilled within this System. They discuss possible diagnostic applications with regard to ICD-9 and operational diagnostic criteria; they present examples of syndromal diagnosis; they exemplify the possibility of a multiaxial diagnosis with the AMDP-System, and its place in prediction research. Finally, the diagnostic power of the AMDP-System and perspectives of future research and applications are presented.

Depressive Disorder↗