Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H S Andersen

Publications and source records attributed to H S Andersen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Progressive atrophy of the frontal lobes in first-episode schizophrenia: interaction with clinical course and neuroleptic treatment.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective study examined the interaction of clinical course of disease and brain structure with time in schizophrenic patients. METHOD: A total of 21 first-episode schizophrenic patients, 10 patients with other psychiatric disorders and a control group of 9 healthy volunteers had CT at first admission and at reinvestigation 5 years later. RESULTS: At first admission all of the patients had enlarged cortical fissures and sulci compared to controls, and the duration of untreated psychosis was significantly correlated with sulcal enlargement. At reinvestigation, frontal and central brain atrophy had progressed in schizophrenic patients. CONCLUSION: The study indicated that ongoing psychosis and lifetime dose of classical antipsychotics were the main candidates accounting for the finding of progressively disturbed brain structure during the first 5 years of schizophrenia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[The epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorders].

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been subjected to several epidemiological studies during the last 10 years. Large differences in prevalence between different studies can only partly be explained by differences in methodology, impact of the trauma and populations. Changes in diagnostic criteria, the stressor criteria, general mentality over time and cultural differences may account for some of the differences. In general populations a lifetime prevalence of PTSD of between 1% and 9% has been found. In unselected traumatized populations 20-45% will develop PTSD after exposure to significant traumas. Among soldiers who have participated in battles of war a PTSD prevalence of 15-20% has been found. After exposure to lesser traumas and among well-trained corps 5-10% develop PTSD. Over long periods the point prevalence of PTSD in a given traumatized population diminishes. Predictive factors related to PTSD are complex.

Combat Disorders↗
PubMed1996

[Heroin abuse among Danish prisoners on remand. I. Prevalence related to form of administration].

Two groups of Danish prisoners on remand (in solitary confinement and not in solitary confinement) were examined by interview on reception (n = 133 & n = 95) in order to evaluate the prevalence and form of administration of opioid abuse/dependence. About 50% had abused opioids during their lifetime; one third were dependent at the time of reception. Twenty percent of opioid dependent prisoners administered opioids by smoking. More intravenous users were treated with methadone before and during imprisonment than those who were dependent on smoking opioids. Few were objectively suffering from withdrawal symptoms. The psycho-social impact of dependence on smoking heroin and intravenous heroin one month prior to imprisonment was at the same level and substantial as measured by the Global Assessment Scale.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

[Heroin abuse among Danish prisoners on remand. II. Consequences related to form of administration].

Heroin-abusing Danish prisoners remanded in custody were based on interviews grouped as either smoking dependent (n = 18) or intravenous dependent (n = 55). Intravenous users had a longer duration and earlier debut of abuse than users who smoked opiates. Only intravenous users had serious somatic complications. Both groups of opioid dependent prisoners were marked by severe psychosocial dysfunction and considerable psychiatric co-morbidity. The intravenous users were generally more affected than the smokers concerning social and psychiatric parameters and earlier criminality, perhaps due to their longer duration of abuse.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1996

[Abnormal neurological findings at first admission in patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorders. Results of computer tomography and measurement of regional cerebral blood flow].

Forty-five patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder admitted to hospital for the first time had a neurological examination, including integrative sensory and complex motor acts, by a trained neurologist. The patients were studied by CT and regional cerebral blood flow as well. A control group of 24 healthy volunteers was included. The patients had significantly more neurological abnormalities (NA) than the healthy volunteers. Medication did not explain the discrepancy. The NA were associated with sulcal enlargement and smaller brains as visualized by CT but not with ventricular enlargement. There was no association between the regional flow values and NA.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

In vivo mitral valve morphology and motion in mitral valve prolapse.

Mitral leaflet morphology in mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has been suggested to be prognostically important, but in vivo valvular morphology is incompletely described in patients with MVP or in normal subjects. Accordingly, the length of both mitral leaflets and their zone of apposition, the thickness of their rough and clear zones, diastolic and systolic mitral annular diameters, and indexes of abnormal leaflet motion were measured in the parasternal long-axis echocardiographic view in 100 patients with MVP and 100 age- and sex-matched normal subjects. In both groups posterior leaflet thickness was related to age, as were anterior leaflet thickness and posterior leaflet length in patients with MVP. Compared with normal subjects, MVP patients without mitral regurgitation had thickened leaflets, elongated anterior leaflets, and large annular diameters (p < 0.0001). Patients with severe regurgitation had thicker leaflets, longer posterior leaflet and annular dimensions, and more abnormal leaflet motion than MVP patients without regurgitation. Leaflet thicknesses of different zones were supranormal in 60% to 67% and in 49% to 59% of MVP patients with and without severe regurgitation, respectively. MVP patients with regurgitation also had higher prevalences of abnormal mitral annular diameter than those without regurgitation (67% vs 29%) and > 3 mm posterior leaflet billowing into the left atrium (60% vs 34%). Thus, mitral valve size and leaflet thickness are increased in MVP patients without as well as with clinically important mitral regurgitation. The usefulness of leaflet thickening as a marker of severe MVP is limited by its high prevalence in patients with clinically mild MVP.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Regional cerebral blood flow distribution in newly diagnosed schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder.

Regional cerebral blood flow distribution (rCBF) in 24 first admissions with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder and in 17 healthy volunteers was examined. Single photon emission computed tomography with a brain-retained tracer, technetium-99m-d,l-hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime, was used to study subjects under resting conditions and during performance of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. The study is a replication of a previous investigation in an independent series of patients and healthy volunteers. The patients had significantly lower relative blood flow in prefrontal regions during activation than did the healthy volunteers. An earlier series of 19 patients and 7 healthy volunteers was studied using exactly the same procedure. Analyses of the combined samples from the two studies (43 patients and 24 healthy volunteers) showed the patients to have significantly lower relative flow in prefrontal regions both at rest and during activation and higher flow in the left striatum during activation. The same finding emerged when analyses were confined to drug-naive patients and patients educationally matched to the healthy volunteers. The study suggests a defective frontostriatal interrelationship in schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Neurological abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder at first admission to hospital: correlations with computerized tomography and regional cerebral blood flow findings.

Forty-five patients with schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder admitted to hospital for the first time had a neurological examination, including integrative sensory and complex motor acts, by a trained neurologist. The patients were studied by CT (computerized tomography) and rCBF (regional cerebral blood flow) as well. A control group of 24 healthy volunteers was included. The patients had significantly more neurological abnormalities (NA) than the healthy volunteers. Medication did not explain the discrepancy. The NA were associated with sulcal enlargement and smaller brains as visualized by CT but not with ventricular enlargement. There was no association between the regional flow values and NA.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Sensory deprivation].

A review of sensory deprivation is presented. The history of the concept and the terminological problems are reviewed. The symptoms are subdivided into: perceptual, cognitive and affective and the physiological disturbances are reviewed. Various etiological theories are discussed. These include biological, psychodynamic and social psychological theories. Experimental variables related to the subject, the investigator and the design of the research are presented. A review of the clinical and practical implications of sensory deprivation is given. It is emphasized that sensory deprivation might contribute to development of symptomatology in numerous situations. Finally, the potential therapeutic effects of controlled sensory deprivation are discussed.

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Minor head injury: impact on general health after 1 year. A prospective follow-up study.

A prospective follow-up study of 51 patients hospitalized due to minor head injury (MHI) was performed. After one year 28 patients answered the General Health Questionnaire, the Impact of Event Scale and a symptom checklist. A significant impact on general wellbeing attributed to head injury, was indicated. Half of the patients reported some sequelae from head injury, only 25% to a degree that resulted in a case score on General Health Questionnaire. Incidence of prominent post-traumatic stress symptoms was around 20%. Outcome seemed without correlation to trauma severity. Patients with sequelae after one year reported more symptoms at one week after trauma, and the results point to the magnitude of the health problems due to sequelae throughout follow-up. Aspects of prevention and treatment are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Altered modulation of prefrontal and subcortical brain activity in newly diagnosed schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder. A regional cerebral blood flow study.

To measure prefrontal and subcortical activity during a cognitive task, we examined 19 newly diagnosed schizophrenics and patients with schizophreniform psychosis. Seven healthy volunteers served as controls. The patients were drug naive or had received neuroleptics for a few days only. Cerebral blood flow distribution was depicted by single photon emission computed tomography at rest and during activation with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. A significant relative activation deficit in the left inferior-prefrontal region was revealed during the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in the patient group. Furthermore, the patients had impaired striatal suppression on the left side during the cognitive task. The test performance was significantly impaired in the patients. The inability to reduce striatal activity may be due to a lack of corticostriatal feedback during prefrontal activation.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Posttraumatic stress disorder. 1. Background].

This article gives a review of the theoretical and clinical conditions in the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis which was introduced in 1980. Investigations suggest a definite relationship between the traumata and the subsequent stress disturbances while the roles played by premorbid factors and the paratraumatic happenings are still not elucidated. The conditions is common after violent traumata. The subsequent course tends to be chronic although the prognosis in many cases in which rapid intervention is instituted is good. Greater awareness of the occurrence of PTSD is recommended.

Humans↗
PubMed1989

[Posttraumatic stress disorder. 2. Therapy and clinical examples].

The principles of short-term psychotherapy for the posttraumatic stress disorder are summarized. A review is presented of psychopharmacological treatment of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The case histories of three patients with PTSD are briefly mentioned.

Aged↗