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Biomedical subjects

I Pilowsky

Publications and source records attributed to I Pilowsky.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

A controlled quantitative study of facial expression in Parkinson's disease and depression.

A microcomputer-based approach to the quantification of facial expression was used to measure and compare the smiling behavior of a group of Parkinson's disease sufferers, a group of patients with major depression, and a control group of comparable age. Subjects were asked to view a series of amusing slides and their expressions were recorded. The most animated smile for each subject was chosen for analysis and scores on 12 computer-generated measures were obtained using the Facial Expression Measurement program. These measures are end-lip measure, mouth width measure, mouth-opening measure, mid-top measure, mid-lower lip measure, top lip-thickness measure, lower lip-thickness measure, eye-opening measure, top eyelid/iris intersect measure, lower eyelid/iris intersect measure, inner eyebrow measure, and mid-eyebrow measure. The depressed group differed significantly from the other groups, with higher scores on end-lip measure, mid-top lip measure, and mid-eyebrow measure. All subjects completed the Levine-Pilowsky Depression Questionnaire. The depressed patients obtained higher depression scores than the parkinsonian group, who in turn had significantly higher depression scores than the control group. The depression score was correlated with end-lip measure, mouth width measure, mid-top lip measure, eye-opening measure, and mid-eyebrow measure in the population as a whole. A significant negative correlation emerged between the depression score and mid-eyebrow measure in the depressed group. Both the depressed group and the parkinsonian group were found to smile significantly less often during the slide session when compared with the control group. These results are discussed in the light of earlier findings.

Affect↗
PubMed1988

A study of facial expression in Parkinson's disease using a novel microcomputer-based method.

The aim of this study was to compare the smiling behaviour of a group of Parkinson's disease sufferers with a control group of a similar age using a novel microcomputer-based approach, which utilises a mathematical model of the face to quantify facial expression. The findings indicate that the Parkinson's group differed from the control group in the frequency of smiling while watching a series of cartoons and in the degree of mouth opening during smiling. Both groups completed the Levine-Pilowsky Depression questionnaire, and patients with Parkinson's disease had significantly higher depression scores than those of the control group. Significant negative correlations between depression score and frequency of smiling, and depression score and inner eyebrow separation were also found.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

Illness behaviour and general practice utilisation: a prospective study.

The Illness Behaviour Questionnaire (IBQ) was used to compare general practice patients who presented physical complaints in the absence of objective pathology, with those in whom the presence of pathology was established. Patients without pathology showed a greater conviction as to the presence of disease, and greater degrees of anxiety, depression and irritability. Males and females differed on their IBQ scores: males showing more disease conviction, somatic focusing and hypochondriasis. Utilisation of general practitioner services (as indicated by the number of visits in the six months subsequent to completing the IBQ) was associated with greater age, and for the group as a whole, utilisation was predicted by higher scores on the following IBQ scales: disease conviction, affective disturbance and disease affirmation. This was also the case for males, but in females only affective disturbance correlated with a greater number of visits. Four patterns were delineated in the relationship between age, illness behaviour variables, the presence or absence of objective pathology, and G.P. contacts.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Abnormal illness behaviour (dysnosognosia).

This paper reviews the concept of abnormal illness behaviour (dysnosognosia). The need for a multidisciplinary approach is emphasized, especially for patients who affirm the presence of somatic illness in an inappropriate way. Taking the multidisciplinary pain clinic as a model of this approach, the range of treatments available is discussed. It is suggested that 'thymologia' and 'somatologia' may be more value-free ways of describing patients' verbal behaviour than alexithymia, and that psychotherapeutic methods can be utilized if a flexible style is adopted.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1985

A study of brief psychotherapy for chronic pain.

Twenty-six patients attending the pain clinic of a large metropolitan general hospital were randomly assigned to receive either twelve sessions of psychodynamic psychotherapy or six sessions of cognitively orientated supportive psychotherapy. Questionnaires measuring aspects of illness behaviour, depression and anxiety were administered before and after treatment, but did not reveal any significant differences between the treatment groups at any time. Global subjective estimates of outcome reported to an independent observer were made after completion of therapy and showed no significant differences. All measures were repeated six and twelve months after completion of therapy and revealed significant improvement in the dynamic therapy group only with respect to levels of activity. These findings suggest that brief psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy may have a role in the management of chronic pain but further evaluation of this approach is clearly necessary, involving larger numbers of patients, before a more definitive conclusion can be reached.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Sleep disturbance in pain clinic patients.

One hundred out-patients, referred to a multidisciplinary pain clinic for the management of chronic pain, were questioned regarding their sleeping habits and were grouped according to whether they reported 'good,' 'fair' or 'poor' sleep. All patients were administered questionnaires to measure illness behaviour, depression and anxiety. Information was also obtained regarding the site, intensity and quality of pain as well as amount of general activity. 'Good' and 'poor' sleepers were found to differ on most measures, particularly depression, pain intensity, activity levels and hypochondriasis. These findings suggest that reported sleep disturbance may provide an index of impairment and act as an indicator of psychological disturbance in chronic pain patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Cryptotrauma and "accident neurosis".

Accidents may often have been far more traumatic psychologically and emotionally than appears to be the case at first sight. Attention is drawn to such "Cryptotrauma" and illustrated with three clinical vignettes. Emphasis is placed on the need for painstaking analysis of the accident in all its details. Without such careful investigation "Post traumatic stress disorders" can easily be overlooked, since patients tend not to offer the information spontaneously.

Accidents, Occupational↗