The limitations of current methods of treatment for dysthymic disorder justify experimentation with new alternatives. Techniques of yoga hold promise. A brief package; Sudarshan Kriya exerts demonstrable effects on brain functioning and may have effects akin to ECT in depression. Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) was used to treat 46 hospital out-patients (22 males) of dysthymic disorder. Over 3 months, they had to practice it everyday for half-an hour and avoid any medication. They were assessed initially, at one and 3 months on interviews video-rated and self-report scales. In a subsample of mates (n=12), plasma prolactin and cortisol levels were obtained before and after the first full SKY session. 37 patients completed the treatment through three months and 25 (68%) of them remitted. A higher proportion of those practising SKY regularly remitted. Significant elevation of plasma prolactin, but not cortisol occurred after the first SKY session. SKY has demonstrable biological effects and is therapeutic in dysthymic disorder.
This paper reviews the less explored hematological side effects of clozapine and their relationship to neutropenia and agranulocytosis. A thorough literature search, including a 17 year medline search, was done looking for reports mentioning clozapine related side-effects other than leukopenia and agranulocytosis. There were a few reports on eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis. There was a single report on changes in basophils. hemoglobin and erythrocytes and none on lymphocytes, monocytes and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Prospective studies are needed to clarify the relevance and importance of the hematological side effects other than agranulocytosis and neutropenia.
Psychotic patients under treatment with haloperidol were examined using two clinical rating scales for measuring drug induced extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), During this examination the video recording was also obtained after consent. The video recorded material was rated independently by two clinicians, The interrater reliability of the total scores of these two scales rated using the video-recorded material was computed by intraclass correlation and these were above 0.9 (p<0.001). For validation, the scores by the two raters were compared with a clinicians's ratings which were obtained while examining the patient for recording, Although both video-raters obtained scores slightly smaller than the clinical rater, each video-rater agreed significantly (ICC=0.9, p<0.01) with the clinical rater. Individual items of the two scales however showed good to excellent degree of agreement except for akathisia between the two video-raters. Thus the video recording and rating method used can yield reliable and valid scores of drug induced Parkinsonism.
The trend towards examining the utility of dispositional hope and suicide-specific beliefs in understanding suicidal behaviours is a recent phenomenon. This report focuses on assessing the role of trait hope, reasons for living and. social desirability apart from depression and state hope in prediction of suicidal ideations in a non-clinic sample consisting of 101 individuals. The results indicated that reports of current ideations were not correlated with social desirability. However, reports of past ideations correlated negatively with it. Current as well as past ideators had weaker repertoires of reasons for living, compared to the non-ideators. Depression and reasons for living predicted 42% of the variance in current suicidal ideations in males, whereas trait hope and social desirability accounted for 32% of the total variance in current ideations in females. The report highlights gender differences in terms of predictors of suicidal ideations and suggests other areas for further inquiry.
EEG and CT are the only investigations readily available for evaluation of seizures in developing countries. However sensitivity of EEG and CT in detecting focal lesions is varied. Purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of EEG and CT in patients with simple partial seizures (SPS) and to correlate CT and EEG changes, Retrospective analysis of EEG and CT of 100 subjects with SPS and correlation of EEC and CT changes was done. The EEG revealed abnormalities in 42 patients of which 28 had focal changes. The CTs were abnormal in 73 patients and 67 had focal Lesions. EEG and CT could demonstrate focal changes in 75 subjects. However, there was poor correlation between various EEG and CT observations. EEG and CT have a complementary role in the evaluation of patients with simple partial seizures in developing countries. EEG is not a suitable screening test for selection of patients for CT.
People may develop a negative attitude to life in general as they grow old. Anxiety about death plays an important factor in developing such an attitude. The action taken to enable the patient who is hopelessly ill and suffering extreme pain, to die painlessly is called euthanasia. Through this study effort is taken to understand the elderly's perception about their death and their attitude to the concept of euthanasia. Two hundred elderly from various socio economic background had been selected. Wealth was found to be one main criteria to wish or not to wish for an early death. Majority of the respondents revealed that they were not afraid of death. Strong faith in God was given as the main reason to have such an attitude, Regarding euthanasia 61.5% of the respondents supported this view, Another highlight of the result is that unless care is taken, euthanasia may be misused as a means to avoid responsibility and to get rid of invalid elderly.
The present study is an attempt to develop a personality inventory based on 'Triguna' theory. The inventory was developed based on the information available on Triguna in Sankhya Karika, and Bhagavadgita. It contains 120 items, 40 items for each factor: each item to be scored on a 4 point scale. This was administered to 322 degree students from three colleges, belonging to male and female sexes, and Hindu and non-Hindu religious preference groups, and the data was obtained. Findings revealed that the inventory has content validation as reported by the judges. Each item in the inventory assesses a specific aspect of each of the Triguna. The three factors are independent of each other to a certain extent. The general trend of the present sample is that of Satva and Rajas predominance over Tamas, though Rajas is more than Satva. The findings are discussed in the light of the previous studies and suggestions for further research are offered.
This paper attempts to formulate and find out the effectiveness of a cognitive behavioral intervention program in a) modifying Type A Behavior Pattern (TABP); b) reducing anxiety and c) changing maladaptive assumptions in a subject who had CHD. A single case design (a 55 year old married, male, doctor) with pre- mid- and post-treatment assessments was used. The Cognitive behavioral intervention program developed based on the assessment and functional analysis, consisted of a) Coronary Counselling; b) Education about TABP, c) Stress Inoculation Training and d) Behavioral Counselling to Significant Others, Findings indicate the effectiveness of such intervention program in the modification of TABP and associated problems (e.g. anger, anxiety, CSR, dysfunctional cognitions, etc.).
Over 2600 cases of children who claim to remember previous lives have been identified and investigated from cultures where belief in reincarnation exists and also from cultures land communities where it does not. Over 400 such cases have been investigated in India where belief in reincarnation generally exists; but the vast majority of Moslems (Shiites excepted) do not believe in reincarnation, even in India. Twenty-six (7%)of the subjects of the 400 cases in India were Moslems in the present life or remembered having been Moslems in the previous life. A change in religion from Hindu to Moslem (7 cases) or Moslem to Hindu (12 cases) occurred in 19 of these cases. In spite of discouragement from the parents or others in the community, the subjects continued to talk about previous lives and displayed behaviour that was unusual for the present circumstances but was appropriate for the previous life remembered. Brief case reports are presented and various normal and paranormal hypotheses are considered to explain such behaviour. Each hypothesis has flaws; reincarnation seems best able to account for all features considered together.
This study aimed at exploring the nature of the stressors perceived and adjustment in different areas among thirteen to fifteen year old, school-roing early adolescents. Two hundred and sixty early adolescents were screened for psychological disturbance and identified as 'disturbed' and 'competent'. using the General Health Questionnaire and Interpersonal Competence Scale. The sixty disturbed and competent adolescents were then administered Checklist of Stressful Life Events and pre-Adolescent Adjustment Scale. The results revealed that the 'disturbed' adolescents had greater number or stressors and poorer adjustment in all the areas. School related stressors was perceived as the most significant stressor by both the group of adolescents.
Several factors such as age, gender, medication status, head measurements and stimulus laterality are known to influence seizure threshold in ECT. Determinants of high (greater than or equal to median stimulus dose) or low (< median stimulus dose) threshold were identified using discriminant function analysis. Separate analysis was conducted on unilateral(n=60) and bilateral ECT (n=110) patients in a prospective design. Among bilateral ECT patients, age and inion-nasion distance and among unilateral ECT patients, age, clinical global impression of severity and benzodiazepine status predicted the high or low threshold groups. Age emerged as the most significant predictor (p<0.001) which classified 69% of bilateral and 70% of unilateral ECT patients to either a high or low seizure threshold groups.
The aim of the present study was to find the efficacy of individualized cognitive behavioural package in the management of anxiety and depression, modification of health related behaviour and enhancement of subjective well-being in HIV-infected cases. A single case design with pre-, mid- and post- assessment was adopted. A total of 24 sessions were carried out with each subject, which involved 20 sessions of therapy and 4 sessions of assessment. Results indicated that all the subjects Were infected through sexual contact and alcoholism was a prominent high risk behaviour. Improvements were evident in all the cases, both objectively and subjectively.
Alcoholism among Indian women is only recently emerging as a growing problem. This study attempts to construct a preliminary profile of 10 women with alcohol related problems seen at a de-addiction facility. Patterns of drinking, progression to dependence, associated medical and psychosocial problems are examined. The paper highlights certain cultural differences in Indian,women alcoholics. The various issues are discussed in the contest of the special needs of this group.
Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) is a self-rating instrument, used for the clinical description and classification of both abnormal and normal personality variants. The shorter version of the TCI was translated to Kannada, regional language of Karnataka in south India. Based on the discrepancies arising in the back-translated version, the final Kannada version of the TCI was prepared. The Kannada and the English versions of TCI were administered to fifty subjects on two occasions separated hy a period of one week. Pearson's product Moment correlation coefficients between the two occasions were high. It was found that the translated version compares well with that of original English version.
Research on the role of succinylcholine dose for modification of peripheral convulsions during electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is limited. This aspect was examined in consecutive consenting patients (n=44) who received bilateral ECT. Succinylcholine dose for modification ranged between 30 and 50 mg (0.45-1.30mg/kg, mean=0.78mg/kg) as chosen by the attending anesthesiologist. Motor seizure was monitored by the cuff method. Two independent raters blind to succinylcholine dose measured the extent of motor seizure modification on a five-point rating scale - higher score indicating better modification. Measurement was obtained during one of the ECT sessions in each patient. The scale demonstrated good interrater agreement (Kappa coefficient=0.75). Tn stepwise, multiple, linear regression model only succinylcholine dose explained 11 % of the variance (beta=0.33, t=2.104, r(2)=0.11, p=0.007) in the extent of modification; higher dose yielding better modification. Only five patients (11%) had a score >3. Relatively larger succinylcholine doses (1mg/kg) may be required to produce effective modification.
The study aimed at examining parenting and behavioural problems, among preschoolers. A sample of 26 boys and 24 girls in the age group of 4-6 years, who had 6 months of schooling and were staging with their parents was taken. Mother's report was obtained on (1) General Information Schedule (2) Preschool behaviour Checklist (PBCL) (3) Disciplining Style Interview (4) Parenting Practices Questionnaire - Mother's from (5) Brigance Basic Skill Inventory, Results revealed that parenting pattern was that of high authoritativeness, and low permissiveness. Disciplining style was power assertive. Prevalence rate of behavioural problems was 12%. Parents power assertiveness was associated with greater behavioural problems. There was no significant relationship between dimensions of parenting (Authoritative authoritarian and permissive) and behavioural problems.
The term "stress-related disorders" is used to denote a variety of physical illnesses in which psychological stress and lifestyle related behaviours play an important role in the onset and maintenance of the disease process. Executives have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group because they experience high levels of job stress. In this study subjective perception of job stress and lifestyle related behaviours such as smoking, alcohol and caffeine intake, diet and exercise patterns were studied in a group of 46 male middle-level executives from a large private sector organisation. The results indicate an inadequate knowledge regarding the role of lifestyle related factors and a lack of health consciousness in this group. The implications of the findings are discussed keeping in mind both employers, who have to bear the burden of health-care costs, and professionals who are involved in conducting stress-management programmes.
