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PubMed2000

Gestalt psychology in Italy.

Graz gestalt psychology was introduced into Italy after World War I with Vittorio Benussi's emigration to Padua. His earliest adherent, Cesare Musatti, defended Graz theory, but after Benussi's premature death became an adherent of the Berlin gestalt psychology of Wertheimer-Köhler-Koffka. He trained his two most important students, Fabio Metelli and Gaetano Kanizsa, in orthodox Berlin theory. They established rigid "schools" in Padua and Trieste. The structure of Italian academics allowed for such strict orthodoxy, quite unlike the situation in America, where scientific objectivity mitigated against schools. In the 1960s, some of the students of Metelli and Kanizsa (above all Bozzi) initiated a realist movement-felt in Kanizsa's late work-that was quite independent of that of J. J. Gibson. Finally, more recently, Benussi and Graz theorizing have been embraced again, sentimentally, as a predecedent to Kanizsa-Bozzi.

Berlin↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship between language and disease concepts.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, well-known in anthropological linguistics, postulates that language may not only describe the world we inhabit but also mould the way we experience it. This paper argues that an individual's language may similarly determine his conception of disease. Possible relationships between linguistic features and disease concepts are cited for the Eskimo, the Navaho, and the Chines, and it is suggested that, in European languages, the extensive use of spatial metaphors to express abstract concepts may encourage a more rigid categorization of disease and inhibit the ability to conceive of multiple factors in disease causation. The use of nouns rather than verbs to express the idea of illness could lead to a static view of disease and tends to separate illnesses as distinct entities rather than defining them as aspects of bodily functioning. The bipolar structure of Indo-European languages, setting subject against predicate and noun against verb, may play a part in the persistence of the mind-body dichotomy and restrict the holistic perception of man with nature. These linguistic features, in leading to a conception of disease as a rigidly defined, unchanging, unicausal thing, may encourage an over-use of surgery and lead to difficulty in perceiving social and psychological factors in disease.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1993

Children's implicit personality theories as predictors of their social judgments.

Social judgment and trait ascription have long been central issues in psychology. Two studies tested the hypothesis that children who believe that personality is a fixed quality (entity theorists) would make more rigid and long-term social judgments than those who believe that personality is malleable (incremental theorists). Fourth and fifth graders (mean age 10.2 years) viewed a slide show of a boy displaying negative behaviors (Study 1--being shy, clumsy, and nervous; Study 2--lying, cheating, and stealing) and then made a series of ratings. Half of the subjects saw a consistent (negative) ending, and half saw an inconsistent (more positive) ending. Even when they viewed positive counterevidence, entity theorists did not differ in their ratings of the focal traits, but incremental theorists did. Entity theorists in Study 2 also predicted significantly less change in the short term and the long term than did incremental theorists. Study 2 further revealed that, when the behaviors were more negative, entity theorists made more generalized and global negative trait evaluations of the target, showed less empathy, and recommended more punishment. Differences in the social judgment processes of entity and incremental theorists are discussed, and implications for issues (such as stereotyping) are explored.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Psychological profile with Cushing disease (author's transl)].

Fifty-six patients with clinically and biologically unequivocal Cushing disease underwent psychological evaluation including at least one interview, a graphological test, a tree test, and a Szondi test. Patients were found to be hyperadapted, with a rigid repressive system, concealing major anxiety. These patients are closely dependent on their familial and professional affective relationships. This probably establishes the intensity of their repressive system. They need approval, appreciation, and recognition. Obsessional features are found (scrupulous conscience, compulsive activity) as well as manic-depressive features (fluctuations between depression and euphoric activity acting as a defense against depression). During the interviews it was established that onset of Cushing disease occurred a few months after prolonged stress; this stress dealt electively with the patients affective relationships.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

The treatment of loss of penile rigidity associated with Peyronie's disease.

Patients with Peyronie's Disease on occasion present with loss of rigid erections. A full evaluation is required to determine the presence or absence of arterial insufficiency or corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction. Treatment for these patients include intracavernosal pharmacotherapy, a vacuum/constrictor device, venous ligation surgery or a penile prosthesis. Whatever the therapeutic approach, the angulation produced by the Peyronie's plaque must be taken into account. Patients with Peyronie's Disease will present to their physicians with a variety of clinical scenarios. They may merely be concerned with the presence of an asymptomatic penile plaque and will simply require reassurance. More typically, however, penile curvature, pain, and/or difficulty with sexual relations will prompt the desire for medical advice. Treatment of penile pain which usually abates with time and attempts at non surgically treating the Peyronies plaque will not be discussed in this paper. Patients with penile plaque and curvature present in three distinct ways: a. penile rigidity preserved and the ability to continue sexual relations; b, penile rigidity preserved and the inability to continue with sexual relations because of significant angulation; c. the inability to have rigid erections. The patient who is able to continue sexual relations with preserved penile rigidity and the lack of significant penile angulation requires no treatment. However, the patient who has lost his ability to have sexual relations because of significant angulation is a candidate for penile straightening surgery (e.g. graft) (1, 11). It is the last group of patients. Namely those who are not able to maintain penile rigidity because of their Peyronie's Disease that will be addressed in this paper. Patients who present with impotence (i.e. loss of penile rigidity) and Peyronie's disease should be evaluated in a similar manner as patients who present with erectile dysfunction and do not have Peyronie's Disease. The standard approach would therefore include a detailed medical and sexual history, a measurement of penile arterial pressure or flow to determine adequate arterial inflow (5,8), a measurement of penile sensation (10) to determine if an underlying neurological problem is present and lastly an evaluation of the veno-occlusive mechanism (12,17). In addition, the presence of penile curvature and plaque may cause significant and disturbing psychological manifestations and it is advisable that these patients undergo a psychological interview to determine the presence or absence of psychiatric influences. Obviously, many older patients with Peyronie's Disease may suffer concomitant arterial insufficiency leading to loss of rigidity and impotence. An evaluation of arterial input into the penis by penile Doppler studies, duplex ultrasound, or cavernosal occlusion pressures is required to determine the presence of arterial insufficiency. Patients who are found to have significant decreases in arterial flow and/or pressure would therefore become candidates for either self-injection with vasoactive agents or a vacuum constrictor device. It is our feeling in general that these nonsurgical therapies should be tried prior to considering the implantation of a penile prosthesis in any patient who presents with erectile dysfunction. It should be noted, however, that many patients with Peyronie's Disease who present with loss of penile rigidity will have an underlying veno-occlusive dysfunction secondary to the plaque itself. Normally, venules draining the corpora are passively compressed between the expanding corporal tissue and the tunica albugince (6). When a Peyronie's plaque is present compliance of the underlying corporal smooth musculature may be decreased thus preventing venous compression. In a recent evaluation of 92 patients who presented in this manner 87% were noted to have veno-occlusive dysfunction as determined by dynamic cavernosometry and cavernosography (3)...

Erectile Dysfunction↗
PubMed2002

[Rigidity of psyche processes and factors predisposing to schizophrenia].

To evaluate the rigidity of psychic processes (RPP) as a factor predisposing (vulnerability) to schizophrenia and to study interactions between RPP and other susceptibility factors, psychological characteristics and magnetic resonance tomography data have been studied in 26 families with schizophrenia. Correlation, cluster and regression analyses and trait phenotypic variance decomposing into genetic and environmental components for heritability estimation were used. RPP indices in patients with schizophrenia and their relatives differed significantly from those in the control group of healthy subjects without positive family history of schizophrenia. The RPP heritability was estimated as high (58%). In RPP patients, RPP clustered with parameters of attention, memory, dynamic and intellectual activity; in the siblings--with attention, dynamic and intellectual activity and the width of anterior horns of left and right lateral ventricules next to genum, in the parents--with motivation, attention, memory, dynamic and intellectual activity. In the siblings, heritability for parameters of frontal horn lateral ventricules was estimated as high (66%) for the right ventricles and moderate (30%) for the left ones. Both morphological parameters are among morphological predictors for prognosis of negative symptoms in the patients with schizophrenia. The authors regarded RPP as a factor predisposing to schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Course of duodenal ulcer disease depending on personality type and effectiveness of differential psychotropic therapy].

AIM: To determine features of duodenal ulcer (DU) course as regards personality traits and to validate a differentiated approach to psychopharmacological correction of such patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The personality type was determined in 102 DU patients using an experimental psychological examination. RESULTS: Among the examinees, submissive and excitable personalities predominated (56.9 vs 43.1%, respectively). Submissive personalities were anxiously accentuated, moderately psychically rigid and moderately neurotic. Morphologically, they had diffuse fundal and antral gastritis with moderate H. pylori dissemination, intact acid production, ulcer size > 1 cm. Excitable personalities had antral gastritis with moderate H. pylori dissemination, high acid production, ulcer defect 0.6-0.9 cm. CONCLUSION: Anti-acid and eradication therapy in combination with individual psychotropic therapy (amitriptilin in submissive and nozepam in excitable personalities) reduced the time of DU healing and prevent recurrence for one year.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Acupuncture tonification: adjunct in psychiatric rehabilitation.

Our aim was to "tonify" chronic psychiatric patients, i.e., restore their physiological homeostasis and sense of well-being by using standardized acupuncture. In eighteen subjects, eleven diagnosed as schizophrenic, feelings of well-being lasting no longer than three days were obtained in over 60% of the treatments. In more than two-thirds of the cases normalization of blood pressure values tending to 120/80 was evident. Degree of physiological change did not appear to be associated with overall psychological improvement; neither was the number of treatments associated with long-term improvement. For future studies, increased treatment frequency and less rigidly controlled procedures are suggested.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1995

Erectile dysfunction. Are you prepared to discuss it?

Erectile dysfunction is more common than previously thought in men older than 40 years, perhaps because contributing medical risk factors increase with age. The medical history is of prime importance in outlining these factors, the most common of which are diabetes, hypertension, and smoking. Nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity testing with a portable home monitor may be helpful in determining whether the cause of erectile dysfunction is primarily organic or psychological. Specific therapeutic measures include sex therapy, psychotherapy, treatment for alcohol or tobacco dependency, replacement of offending medications, improved glycemic control, constriction rings, vascular surgery, androgen replacement therapy, bromocriptine mesylate (Parlodel), and thyroid, adrenal, or pituitary replacement therapy. Nonspecific therapies include yohimbine hydrochloride (Yocon), use of vacuum tumescence devices, intracorporeal injections, and penile implants.

Erectile Dysfunction↗
PubMed1993

Psychological distress, problem behaviors, and family functioning of sexually abused adolescent inpatients.

OBJECTIVE: By studying children and adolescents who have been sexually abused, improvements in identifying and treating emerging pathology can be gleaned before personality structures become more rigidly defined and less amenable to therapeutic interventions. It is through studying and comparing subgroups of victims and controls that clinical researchers can additionally elucidate abuse-related manifestations that contribute to the development of psychopathology. METHOD: A group of sexually abused adolescent psychiatric inpatients was compared with a control group of inpatient counterparts on measures of social competence, self-esteem, depression, substance abuse, and perceptions of family characteristics and functioning. Consecutive admissions to an adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit (N = 423) were carefully screened for a history of sexual abuse, then divided into two groups, each with 87 subjects, after matching on key variables including age, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and psychiatric diagnosis. RESULTS: Sexually abused and control group inpatient adolescents were similar on standardized measures of psychological distress and family functioning. Statistically significant differences were found between groups on substance abuse measures. CONCLUSION: The phenomenology of the relationship between sexual abuse and substance abuse and the implications for inpatient treatment are summarized.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Forward-facing motion biases for rigid and nonrigid biologically likely transformations.

When observers are presented directionally ambiguous motion, they exhibit a bias for experiencing movement in the direction in which shapes appear to face. We examined the influence of rigidity of a shape on the forward-facing bias with stimuli whose directionality is biologically specified. In general, the lack of shape correspondence during a nonrigid transformation should weaken the motion percept and decrease forward-facing bias. In contrast, representational momentum cues associated with a biologically likely nonrigid transformation should enhance the motion percept and increase forward-facing bias. Analysis for both rigid and nonrigid conditions indicated statistically significant forward-facing biases, but strength of bias did not differ significantly. The lack of difference between the two conditions suggests that the transformation was not one which allowed the influence of either consistency of correspondence or representational momentum to dominate and confirms that a comparably sized forward-facing bias can occur with both rigidly and nonrigidly transformed shapes.

Cues↗
PubMed2005

Catatonia causing permanent cognitive impairment: a case study.

OBJECTIVE: We describe a case of psychogenic malignant catatonia resulting in permanent cognitive impairment. BACKGROUND: Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by catalepsy, negativism, mutism, muscular rigidity, and mannerisms, often accompanied by autonomic instability and fever. Little is known about the long-term cognitive consequences of the syndrome. METHOD: Medical history includes neurologic examination, neuropsychological evaluation, electroencephalographic data, magnetic resonance imaging, sodium amytal interview, and treatment with electroconvulsive therapy. RESULTS: Selective deficits in executive function and an anterograde amnesia were evident a week post-ECT treatment and continued to be present at follow-up after 2 years and 8 months. CONCLUSION: The permanent cognitive impairments are considered in the context of catatonia as a frontal lobe syndrome.

Amobarbital↗