American Journal of Psychiatry

Volume 142, Issue 1

January 1985

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January 1985

Meditation and psychotherapy: a rationale for the integration of dynamic psychotherapy, the relaxation response, and mindfulness meditation

Pages:1–8
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.1

Preview Abstract

A framework for the integration of meditation and psychotherapy is presented through a consideration of the psychobiological nature of meditation (the relaxation response) and discussion of a traditional meditation practice (mindfulness meditation) as an ...

January 1985

Medicolegal pitfalls in the treatment of borderline patients

Pages:9–14
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.9

Preview Abstract

Patients with the borderline syndrome, although not always the sickest patients, often cause the most difficulty because of their intense and contagious affects, their often impulsive behavior, and the strains they place on the treaters' ...

January 1985

Depression in borderline personality disorder: lifetime prevalence at interview and longitudinal course of symptoms

Pages:15–21
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.15

Preview Abstract

The author compared a group of patients with borderline personality disorder with groups of subjects with antisocial personality and bipolar II illness. The lifetime prevalence at interview of DSM-III major depression was high in all groups. Chronic ...

January 1985

Psychotherapy during radiotherapy: effects on emotional and physical distress

Pages:22–27
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.22

Preview Abstract

The authors determined the effects of ongoing weekly individual psychotherapy on the symptoms of patients undergoing a 6-week course of radiotherapy for cancer. Forty-eight patients were given weekly psychotherapy sessions for 10 weeks; another 52 ...

January 1985

Oral physostigmine treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Pages:28–33
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.28

Preview Abstract

Twelve patients with Alzheimer's disease received 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg of oral physostigmine every 2 hours for 3-5 days; symptoms after each dose were assessed with the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale. Placebo and the dose associated with ...

January 1985

Psychological outcome of lumpectomy versus mastectomy in the treatment of breast cancer

Pages:34–39
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.34

Preview Abstract

Forty-six patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy were compared 14 months after surgery with 21 patients who underwent lumpectomy and radiation; all patients had stage I or II breast cancer. Lumpectomy patients reported less of a loss of ...

January 1985

The sooner the better: a study of psychological factors in women undergoing immediate versus delayed breast reconstruction

Pages:40–46
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.40

Preview Abstract

Patients who had reconstructive breast surgery at the time of mastectomy (immediate) or within 1 year (early) had significantly less recalled distress about their mastectomy than those who had it more than 1 year later (delayed). Women who had immediate ...

January 1985

Weight reduction at the work site: a promise partially fulfilled

Pages:47–52
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.47

Preview Abstract

Three consecutive studies of weight reduction at the work site were conducted with 172 female union members, who participated in 16-week behavioral group programs. There was no significant difference in weight loss over the three studies, but attrition ...

January 1985

How primary care physicians treat psychiatric disorders: a national survey of family practitioners

Pages:52–57
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.52

Preview Abstract

A survey of 350 family practice physicians nationwide showed that 22.6% of their patients had significant psychiatric disorders. Physicians reported treating most psychiatric problems themselves, usually through a combination of psychotropic drugs, advice,...

January 1985

Patients' rights: a cultural challenge to Western psychiatry

Pages:58–62
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.58

Preview Abstract

To some degree, all psychiatric encounters, by constraining behavioral variation and autonomous decision making, threaten a personhood already impaired by illness. The challenge presented by this and other factors in Western psychiatry is how to resolve ...

Article

January 1985

A New Year's Appreciation

J. C. N.

Pages:63–70
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.63

January 1985

Hyperammonemia in Alzheimer's disease

Pages:71–73
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.71

Preview Abstract

Postprandial blood ammonia levels were significantly higher in 22 patients with Alzheimer's disease than in 37 control subjects. In the Alzheimer group, fasting blood ammonia levels were significantly higher in patients whose EEGs showed triphasic waves ...

January 1985

Concordance for the syndrome of autism in 40 pairs of afflicted twins

Pages:74–77
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.74

Preview Abstract

The UCLA Registry for Genetic Studies in Autism was established in 1980 to test the hypothesis that genetic factors may be etiologically significant in subsets of patients. To date 61 pairs of twins have enrolled and 40 meet research diagnostic criteria ...

January 1985

Clinical correlates of decreased anteroposterior metabolic gradients in positron emission tomography (PET) of schizophrenic patients

Pages:78–81
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.78

Preview Abstract

The finding in schizophrenic patients of a reversal of the normal frontal to posterior pattern of brain metabolic activity with positron emission tomography (PET) is of interest, but its relevance to psychopathology is unknown. Using PET, the authors ...

January 1985

Findings in psychiatric consultations with patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome

Pages:82–86
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.82

Preview Abstract

Thirteen of 40 patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) admitted to the wards of a large city hospital were seen by the staff of a psychiatric consultation service. Eleven were gay men and two were bisexual men. "Depression" was the stated ...

January 1985

Psychiatric diagnoses of Cuban refugees in the United States: findings of medical review boards

Pages:86–89
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.86

Preview Abstract

To assess the reproducibility of psychiatric diagnoses made in immigration proceedings, the authors examined cases of 109 Cuban refugees who had appealed psychiatric diagnoses that precluded their admission to the United States according to the ...

January 1985

A diagnostic and family study of posttraumatic stress disorder

Pages:90–93
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.90

Preview Abstract

A family history study of 36 patients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder revealed a positive history of familial psychopathology in 66% of the patients. Alcoholism, depression, and anxiety disorders were the disorders most commonly found. The ...

January 1985

Neuroendocrine and personality variables in dysthymic disorder

Pages:94–97
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.94

Preview Abstract

In an attempt to characterize a subgroup of depressed patients diagnosed as having dysthymic disorder, the authors gave them two commonly used biological tests for depression and several personality inventories and compared the results with those from age-...

January 1985

Alprazolam-induced dyscontrol in borderline personality disorder

Pages:98–100
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.98

Preview Abstract

The authors report a significant increase in dyscontrol in patients with borderline personality disorder who were taking alprazolam during a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. They suggest that caution be used in prescribing alprazolam to ...

January 1985

Consistent reversal of abnormal DSTs after different antidepressant therapies in a patient with dementia

Pages:100–103
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.100

Preview Abstract

The authors present a longitudinal case study of a 57-year-old man whose initial symptoms consisted of depression and dementia associated with an abnormal dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Antidepressant therapy resulted in consistent reversal of the ...

January 1985

The impact of broadened civil commitment standards on admissions to state mental hospitals

Pages:104–107
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.104

Preview Abstract

In 1979, the state of Washington broadened its criteria governing the involuntary commitment of the mentally ill. This study examined the impact of the revised law on involuntary and voluntary admissions and on the type of patient admitted to state ...

January 1985

Association of fragile X syndrome with autism

Pages:108–110
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.108

Preview Abstract

The fragile X syndrome has been associated with autism. Blood samples from 37 autistic children and a control group were negative for fragile X chromosome. Large numbers of nonrandom autosomal lesions were observed in both the autistic and control groups.

January 1985

Cognitive function after coronary bypass surgery: effect of decreased cerebral blood flow

Pages:110–112
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.110

Preview Abstract

The effect of regional cerebral blood flow during coronary bypass surgery on performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination was studied in 14 patients. No association between lowered regional cerebral blood flow and cognitive scores was found.

January 1985

Hypnotic change in combat dreams of two veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Pages:112–114
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.112

Preview Abstract

The recurrent nocturnal traumatic dreams of two veterans were dispelled with hypnosis. Dream substitutions were rehearsed in hypnotic trance and subsequently dreamed at night, and afterward the original traumatic dreams ceased.

January 1985

A withdrawal syndrome after abrupt discontinuation of alprazolam

Pages:114–116
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.114

Preview Abstract

A patient who received therapeutic doses of alprazolam for 8 weeks experienced a withdrawal syndrome beginning 18 hours after its abrupt discontinuation. Short-acting and minimally sedating benzodiazepines may have increased potential for withdrawal ...

January 1985

Alcohol and strokes in young adults

Pages:116–118
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.116

Preview Abstract

Current drinking, alcoholic binges, and a history of alcohol intoxication differentiated young stroke patients from older stroke patients and young medical control subjects. Acute heavy alcohol consumption may be an important element in the development of ...

January 1985

Self-mutilation and contagion: an empirical test

Pages:119–120
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.119

Preview Abstract

Twenty-five subjects treated at a center for disturbed adolescents were observed over a 1-year period for signs of self-mutilative contagion. Statistical analysis confirmed that self-mutilation occurred in clusters throughout the year, suggesting that ...

January 1985

The impact of grief on ventilatory control

Pages:121–123
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.121

Preview Abstract

The authors studied ventilatory control in four parents grieving over the death of an infant. Abnormalities in respiratory control were common and resembled those previously reported in depressed patients. The results raise questions about the ...

January 1985

The waking event-dream interval

Pages:123–124
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.123

Preview Abstract

Through self-observation, the author estimated the interval between waking events and their incorporation into a dream. Most of the events had occurred the day of the dream, but some had occurred 3-4 days earlier.

January 1985

6-Sulphatoxy melatonin in melancholia

Pages:125–127
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.125

Preview Abstract

The daytime and nighttime levels of 6-sulphatoxy melatonin, a metabolite of melatonin, were measured in eight melancholic patients. Three patients did not show a marked nocturnal increase in 6-sulphatoxy melatonin excretion. The author discusses the ...

January 1985

The dexamethasone suppression test in newly hospitalized schizophrenic patients

Pages:127–129
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.127

Preview Abstract

Of 15 unmedicated chronic schizophrenic patients with acute exacerbations and 15 healthy controls given the dexamethasone suppression test (DST), 11 patients and two controls were nonsuppressors. The results add to the evidence that the DST has limited ...

January 1985

Case report of lateralized affective states immediately after ECT

Pages:129–131
Published Online:1 April 2006

https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.142.1.129

Preview Abstract

Dysphoric states were observed in a patient immediately after right unilateral and bilateral ECT, while euphoric states followed left unilateral ECT, suggesting that disruption of lateralized neural mechanisms may have been involved in the pathophysiology ...