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Biomedical subjects

B Ferguson

Publications and source records attributed to B Ferguson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

The general neurotic syndrome: a coaxial diagnosis of anxiety, depression and personality disorder.

The validity of the general neurotic syndrome, a combination of anxiety, depression and dependent personality disorder, was examined in a 2-year study of outpatients with dysthymic, panic and generalized anxiety disorder diagnosed using a structured interview schedule. The general neurotic syndrome, found in a third of the patients, was associated with greater mental disorder and a significantly worse outcome than patients without the syndrome. It did not, however, predict response to treatment. Further analysis revealed that the general neurotic syndrome was a better predictor of short- and long-term outcome than any other variable apart from initial psychopathology score. It is argued that the syndrome may represent a personality diathesis that makes the individual more vulnerable to both anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1992

The clinical evaluation of a new community psychiatric service based on general practice psychiatric clinics.

A new community psychiatric service in Nottingham based on general practice clinics was compared with a conventional hospital-orientated model. Despite providing treatment for an inner-city population of significantly greater social disadvantage, the community service was associated with similar levels of symptom morbidity as assessed by the CRPS and the SFS. It also involved greater use of day-hospital facilities, more extensive multidisciplinary care, and a commitment to longer-term follow-up of chronically ill patients. Such a model is offered as a basis for future developments of urban community psychiatric services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Unenlightened: an unsuccessful attempt to promote the use of cycle lights at night.

The risks of bicycle riding are greatly increased at night, especially if the cyclist does not have lights. Over 13 winter weeks a community behavioural intervention promoting cycle light use was implemented in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand, at two tertiary educational institutions. A third location served as a control. Baseline data from inspection of parked cycles and street observation of cycle riders showed that about 60% of cycles were not fitted with lights and between 40% and 60% of cyclists rode without legal lights, with the percentages varying as functions of sunset time, weather, and time of night. At neither experimental location did prompting, an incentive competition, nor performance feedback increase the number of parked cycles with lights or increase the number of cyclists observed riding with lights.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1991

Pricing and openness in contracts for health care services.

This paper explores the objective of increased competition and considers whether different types of competition are likely to lead to desirable market outcomes. Potential sources of market failure, and hence inefficiency, are examined. The paper then considers what type and degree of regulation may be necessary if the forces of unrestrained competition cannot be expected to achieve desirable outcomes. A number of different options, ranging from minimal regulation to central pricing schedules, are then discussed. Consideration is given to whether openness in costing and/or pricing is necessary and desirable in both short and long term. The paper raises a number of practical problems which may be faced and suggests ways in which incentives can be created to mimic the characteristics of a competitive market.

Contract Services↗
PubMed1991

Personality disorder in perspective.

Personality disorders have for many years been on the fringe of psychiatry, with considerable doubts expressed about the usefulness, implications and validity of the concept. It is argued here that developments in the past few years have brought personality disorders into the mainstream of psychiatric practice. In particular, the recognition that personality function can be separated usefully from clinical symptoms, and that both mental state and personality can be disordered simultaneously, has led to better assessment and understanding. Advances in the classification, epidemiology, treatment and prognosis of personality disorders show that these conditions are common, extensive in their pathology, and cause much suffering. They cannot be ignored or dismissed as peripheral to psychiatry for they are an essential part of good psychiatric practice.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Response to desipramine treatment in adolescent major depression.

Thirty adolescents (ages 15-20) who met DSM-III-R criteria for major depressive disorder completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, 6-week, fixed-dose (200 mg daily) study of desipramine (DMI). Thirty-three percent of the placebo group and 50 percent of the DMI group improved (greater than or equal to 50% change on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression). Subjective reports of adverse effects did not significantly differentiate the two groups. Major adverse effects, necessitating study discontinuation, occurred solely in the DMI group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Estrogen therapy.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1990

A plea for the diagnosis of hypochondriacal personality disorder.

Hypochondriacal personality disorder is identified as a separate condition by cluster analysis of data from a structured interview for assessing personality disorders, the Personality Assessment Schedule. Close examination of the patients identified as having hypochondriacal personality disorder suggests that they have common characteristics, including excessive preoccupation with the maintenance of health, distorted perception of minor symptoms so that they are elevated to the status of major disease, and frequent medical consultations and disciplines fringing on medicine. In a study of 1000 psychiatric patients 2.5% were found to have the disorder, most frequently among the affective psychoses.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1990

The Nottingham Study of Neurotic Disorder: relationship between personality status and symptoms.

Two hundred and ten psychiatric patients with one of three DSM-III diagnoses, generalized anxiety disorder (N = 71), panic disorder (N = 74) or dysthymic disorder (N = 65), were included in a clinical trial in which diazepam, dothiepin or placebo tablets, cognitive and behaviour therapy, or a self-help package were given over ten weeks. Personality status was assessed independently using a structured interview, the Personality Assessment Schedule. One hundred and ninety-eight patients had personality assessments, 89% with a close informant. Thirty-six per cent had a personality disorder and these patients had more severe psychopathology than those with no personality disorder. Personality disorder was more common in patients with dysthymic disorder and this group responded less well to treatment. The category of personality disorder had no apparent influence on symptoms.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1990

Liaison psychiatry in general practice: the comprehensive collaborative model.

A model of liaison psychiatry in general practice is described and its impact assessed using data from the Nottingham psychiatric case register. The model incorporates a comprehensive network of general practice psychiatric clinics for both psychiatrists and other mental health professionals, associated with mainly informal liaison with general practitioners and others in the primary care team, and a reduction in psychiatric outpatient clinics. Following the introduction of this model, the proportion of new and referred patients seen in primary care settings rose from 1% to 18% in Nottingham over an 8-year period. Over this period admission rates significantly fell in Nottingham compared with the rest of England and evidence is given that the growth of primary care psychiatry contributed significantly to this reduction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Patterns of sperm allocation across successive ejaculates in four species of voles (Microtus).

This study was designed to determine testes masses, total number of spermatozoa ejaculated per copulatory episode, and the pattern of sperm numbers in successive ejaculates in prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), montane voles (M. montanus), pine voles (M. pinetorum), and meadow voles (M. pennsylvanicus). Prairie voles displayed mean totals of 2.7 ejaculations and 30.5 X 10(6) spermatozoa before reaching a satiety criterion; montane voles 3.4 ejaculations and 19.0 X 10(6) spermatozoa, pine voles 2.4 ejaculations and 3.3 X 10(6) spermatozoa, and meadow voles 2.5 ejaculations and 25.5 X 10(6) spermatozoa. In all species the number of spermatozoa decreased in successive ejaculates. Significant species differences were noted for the total number of spermatozoa ejaculated and number of spermatozoa ejaculated in each of the first 3 ejaculates. Species differences also were noted for testes mass, with meadow voles having the largest testes and pine voles having the smallest. These data can be compared to similar data on laboratory rats and deer mice and related to recent theory regarding sperm numbers, testes sizes, and mating systems. In general, the species with large testes appear to ejaculate more spermatozoa. The significance of species differences in testes mass and total sperm numbers remains unclear, but may relate to the occurrence of multiple mating by females during a single receptive period.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

A comparison of time delay and decreasing prompt hierarchy strategies in teaching banking skills to students with moderate handicaps.

Four students with moderate handicaps were taught to cash checks and to use an automatic teller through either a decreasing prompt hierarchy or time delay procedure. The strategies were compared within a multielement design. Results indicated that both strategies led to the acquisition of the target tasks; however, the decreasing prompt hierarchy was more efficient. Four and 8-week follow-up probes indicated that the strategies were equally effective in producing maintenance of performance.

Activities of Daily Living↗