PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

V A Kral

Publications and source records attributed to V A Kral.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Long-term follow-up of depressive pseudodementia of the aged.

Forty-four elderly patients of both sexes (mean age 76.5 years) suffering from depressive pseudodementia were intensively treated for the depression. When that cleared up, cognitive function reverted to premorbid level. Patients were regularly interviewed and retested at six months intervals for four to 18 years (average 8). Some patients experienced, during the follow-up period, a recurrence of the depression for which they were again successfully treated. At the end of the observation period, 39 of the 44 patients (89%) had developed a dementia syndrome of the Alzheimer type.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

"Forgetting": a phenomenological analysis.

The phenomenology of forgetting is being analyzed from the point of view of the clinical observer as well as that of the forgetful subject. Six types of forgetting can be differentiated, to each of which the subjects reacts in different ways. Certain conclusions pertaining to the process of remembering and the areas where neurochemical research seems urgently needed, are being outlined.

Amnesia↗
PubMed1986

Differential diagnosis of the dementias of unknown origin: a clinician's view.

The close cooperation of clinical and laboratory research has helped to clarify the etiology of some of the dementing processes of the senium. However, the necessary investigations are complicated, laborious, expensive and can be carried out only in well equipped centres in larger cities. This restricts the number of patients who eventually may benefit from these investigations to a small number. What is needed for the psychogeriatric practice particularly in rural areas and smaller cities are simple diagnostic guidelines for the psychiatrist to answer the question whether the patient suffers from a dementia and if so whether the dementia is in all probability due to a primary degenerative process of the brain parenchyma or of the cerebral vasculature or is it due to another cause. If degeneration of the brain parenchyma seems the prevalent pathogenetic mechanism one would like to establish in a given case which of the known degenerative processes is most probably present in order to avoid mistakes in clinical judgement with their often life threatening consequences.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1985

A new definition of Alzheimer's disease: a hippocampal dementia.

Preliminary data support the hypothesis that the decline of all higher cognitive functions in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type is attributable to histopathological changes in the hippocampal formation, with or without neocortical neuronal lesions. Previous literature amply supports the critical role of this "locus minoris resistentiae" in memory processing and cognitive physiology. New observations include quantitative morphometric evaluations of the hippocampal formation from a longitudinal study of prospectively tested patients and histological and neurochemical data from patients with a clinical presentation consistent with typical Alzheimer's disease, in whom the only neuropathological abnormality was devastating nerve cell loss and gliosis in the hippocampi.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Correlative studies in Alzheimer's disease.

An approach is described for establishing and maintaining a correlative study of Alzheimer's Disease. A sample of the findings by the University of Western Ontario (U.W.O.) Dementia Study Group is provided.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

Clinical value of the London Psychogeriatric Rating Scale.

The London Psychogeriatric Rating Scale (LPRS) was developed in answer to the demand for a reliable psychometric rating scale suited to a psychogeriatric population. All inpatients on a Psychogeriatric Unit (approximately 140 at any specific time) were rated with the LPRS every third month for an 18-month period. The 4 components of the total score include a measure of mental status originally derived by factor analysis. Predictive validity has been established in terms of various clinically relevant areas including the following: a) ward placement; b) outcome (continued hospitalization, discharge, or death); c) diagnosis (by scoring levels and progress patterns across time); and d) ability of the patient to function in, or benefit from, a particular treatment program. The scale has been used successfully to assess a given patient's progress quantitatively and globally over a long period.

Aged↗
PubMed1976

Somatic therapies in older depressed patients.

While psychotherapy is the treatment of choice in neurotic situational depressions of older patients, it is not effective enough in endogenous bipolar or monopolar depression of elderly. These respond better to somatic therapy, mainly pharmacotherapy, or, if necessary, ECT. Experience shows the aged endogenous depressions respond favorably to tricyclic antidepressants as well as to mono-amino oxidase inhibitors, although the dosage may have to be kept lower than with younger patients. ECT, if necessary, is well tolerated and effective in aged patients. However, proper precautions have to be taken before this treatment is commenced. Patients with a history or signs of recent coronary thrombosis or decompensated heart failure should be excluded. Also, the number of treatments should be kept at a minimum. The individual treatments should be spaced farther apart and so-called "intensive treatment" avoided. If an endogenous depression lasts for more than 2 years and does not respond to any other kind of treatment, psychosurgery may have to be considered. Experience has shown that long-lasting, deep depressions of the aged can be helped by this method without any important personality change.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1973

Psychiatric problems in the aged: a reconsideration.

The numerically important mental disorders found in the senescent population are reviewed from the point of view of their relationship to the process of ageing. Only two direct relationships are seen: the acute confusional states due to the age-linked decline in stress resistance; and the neurotic reactions due to the diminished capacity for rapid and adequate adjustment to the more subtle but chronic sociopsychological changes the aged individual is so frequently exposed to in our society. The chronic dementing processes of the senium, senile and arteriosclerotic dementia, are more likely to occur at an advanced age, but apparently are not the final outcome of cerebral and/or cerebrovascular ageing, although the ageing process seems to favour their phenotypical manifestation. The functional psychoses may occur at an advanced age but are not directly related to the process of ageing.

Adaptation, Psychological↗