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Biomedical subjects

G A Fava

Publications and source records attributed to G A Fava.

189 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical correlates of major depression in Cushing's disease.

Major depression is a common, life-threatening complication of Cushing's syndrome, with no significant differences between pituitary-dependent and -independent forms. Little is known about the clinical correlates of depression; in particular, whether patients with Cushing's disease and major depression show some clinical features that are distinctive compared to those who are not depressed. The occurrence of major depression according to DSM-IV criteria was ascertained in 162 patients with pituitary-dependent Cushing disease. Major depression occurred in 88 of the patients (54%). It was significantly associated with older age, female sex, higher pretreatment urinary cortisol levels, relatively more severe clinical condition, and absence of pituitary adenoma. Patients with Cushing's disease and depression appeared to suffer from a more severe form of illness, both in terms of cortisol production and clinical presentation, compared to those who were not depressed. Because of these connections, the presence of depression is an important clinical feature that should not be neglected. The findings in this study may have implications for a better understanding of the pathophysiological role of depression associated with medical illness.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of psychological distress in the setting of medical disease.

The biopsychosocial model of disease has recently been depicted as the basis for a renewed emphasis on the multiaxial diagnostic system of the DSM-IV. The authors challenge this stance, underscoring the clinical inadequacies of the DSM-IV in the setting of medical disease, particularly the chapters concerned with somatoform disorders and psychological factors affecting medical conditions. Diagnostic criteria which are based on the clinical insights derived from psychosomatic research in the past decades may offer new opportunities to psychosomatic medicine and consultation-liaison psychiatry. The development of the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR), encompassing alexithymia, type A behavior, irritable mood, demoralization, disease phobia, thanatophobia, health anxiety, illness denial, functional somatic symptoms secondary to a psychiatric disorder, persistent somatization, conversion symptoms and anniversary reaction, is described. Preliminary results obtained with the combination of DSM and DCPR criteria appear to be promising.

Denial, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Large bowel disorders. I. Illness configuration and life events.

Stressful life events preceding disease onset were investigated in a consecutive series of 60 patients with large bowel disorders (ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and appendicitis), using Paykel's methodology. Ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome were frequently preceded by events generally regarded as undesirable and involving losses or exits from the social field, which would be specific of a depressed population, while appendicitis seemed to reflect more generic psychosocial difficulties.

Appendicitis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Large bowel disorders. II. Psychopathology and alexithymia.

Psychopathology and alexithymia were investigated in a consecutive series of 60 patients suffering from large bowel disorders (ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and appendicitis). Patients with irritable bowel syndrome reported the highest percentage of psychiatric illness and the lowest alexithymic score. Conversely, patients with ulcerative colitis showed very pronounced alexithymic traits with limited psychopathology. Implications for psychosomatic research and treatment are discussed.

Appendicitis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Postpartum hostility and prolactin.

In a previous study ten women with hyperprolactinemia and amenorrhea had significantly higher Symptom Questionnaire scores for depression, hostility and anxiety than patients with amenorrhea only and a matched nonpatient employees group. The hyperprolactinemic patients and employees were compared with ten women on their seventh day after childbirth who had been matched for sociodemographic variables and had similar prolactin levels. Hostility was significantly higher in postpartum patients than employees and did not differ significantly from that of women with hyperprolactinemic amenorrhea. Postpartum hyperprolactinemic women did not differ significantly from the employees for anxiety and depression, which was significantly lower than in the amenorrheic patients. In several mammals aggression occurs concurrently with lactation. The studies in humans suggest an association of high prolactin levels with hostility.

Adult↗