Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

P Brook

Publications and source records attributed to P Brook.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Quality control in orthodontics: indices of treatment need and treatment standards.

Two reliable and valid occlusal indices have been developed to assess treatment need (Index of Treatment Need, IOTN) and the standard of treatment (The PAR Index, Peer Assessment Rating). The IOTN assesses both dental aesthetics and dental health need. The PAR index provides a single summary score for the overall alignment and occlusion. The difference between the pre- and post-treatment scores reflects the degree of improvement and the success of orthodontic intervention and active treatment. Several practical uses of the indices are described: the estimation of treatment need in an unselected and a referred population and the assessment of the standard of treatment in the Hospital and General Dental Services. It has been suggested that the use of the occlusal indices would offer several advantages: (1) uniformity in prescribing patterns, (2) safeguards for the patient, (3) patient counselling and (4) monitoring and promoting standards.

Discriminant Analysis↗
PubMed1991

Quality control in orthodontics: risk/benefit considerations.

The literature concerning risk/benefit appraisal for orthodontic treatment is reviewed with respect to factors which influence dental health, social psychological well-being and the harmful effects of orthodontic treatment. There is little evidence to suggest that the absence of malocclusion is associated with a measurably higher self-esteem and life fulfillment, or with major advantages for dental health, except for a limited number of traits. With regard to treatment, small risks of iatrogenic harm exist, while the effects of partial or total failure of treatment, and the lack of long-term stability of results should not be underestimated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Is psychiatric training still improving?

A postal questionnaire inquiring about postgraduate training was directed to all consultants appointed to a post in general psychiatry for the first time between 1 October 1985 and 30 September 1986. Compared with previous surveys there is, overall, more expressed satisfaction with training in psychogeriatrics, supervised ward consultations, individual psychotherapy, work in the community, and with medico-legal experience. Diminished satisfaction is expressed in training in child and adolescent psychiatry, epidemiology, psychology, and neurology. An improved system of monitoring by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Joint Committee for Higher Psychiatric Training is suggested in order to further improve training.

Cohort Studies↗
PubMed1985

Residents' functioning and staff perceptions of 'ease of management' in two types of old peoples' homes.

Two hundred and forty-five residents in six old peoples' homes of different types were assessed for level of confusion, behavioural disturbance and whether they were most or least difficult to manage. Results show that: Residents in non-unit homes differ from those in unit establishments studied in being significantly more confused and behaviourally disturbed. EMI residents are more confused than non-EMI. Behaviourally, the two groups do not differ significantly. In the non-unit homes only, the cognitive and behavioural measures used in this study clearly distinguish 'difficult' residents from 'easy' ones. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Delusions and the psychopathology of the elderly with dementia.

Thirty-seven, out of a sample of 100 elderly subjects, all suffering from dementia, were found to have delusions. The delusions were more common in women, in patients with a history of psychiatric illness, and amongst those with higher information subscores (Blessed Scale); and were less common in patients suffering from apraxia or severe psychosocial incompetence. Amongst the deluded patients the simultaneous presence of disorientation, hallucinations and hyperactivity often signified the diagnosis of delirium, but on follow up it was not correlated with death within 18 months. The same symptoms in the non-deluded patients were correlated with severe social incompetence and death within 18 months. It is concluded that the presence of delusions in subjects over 75 years old suffering from dementia is related, to certain extent, to previous or concomitant psychiatric illness, and that it reflects a relative preservation of mental function amongst those without such history.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Visual hallucinations and sensory delusions in the elderly.

One hundred and fifty successive referrals to a psychogeriatrician were assessed for visual hallucinations. Forty-four (29.33 per cent) patients reported visual perceptual disturbances. No differences between hallucinators and non-hallucinators were found in terms of sex, age, length of illness, underlying psychiatric diagnosis or cognitive score. There was a significant correlation between presence of hallucinations and eye pathology (less than .001) and delusions (less than .001). The phenomenological characteristics of the visual hallucinations are analyzed. The "picture" sign is described in 7 patients and the Charles Bonnet syndrome in two. The significance of these findings is discussed.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Who's for psychiatry? United Kingdom medical schools and career choice of psychiatry 1961-75.

The medical schools of origin were identified in 1229 psychiatrists who qualified in the United Kingdom in the years 1961-75. The group was defined operationally as those who had entered for the preliminary test of the membership examination of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. From 1966-75 only 4 per cent of doctors opted for a career in the specialty. There are wide discrepancies between medical schools in the proportion of their graduates who enter psychiatry. The most likely reasons for this have to do with differences in student selection, the models of psychiatry put forward, the enthusiasm of teachers and the career pull from other specialties, notably general practice. A number of suggestions which might help to improve recruitment to psychiatry are put forward.

Career Choice↗
PubMed1982

The Charles Bonnet syndrome and the problem of visual perceptual disorders in the elderly.

The literature, classical and modern, on visual perceptual disturbances in the elderly is reviewed. The utility of the concept of the Charles Bonnet Syndrome, an eponym originally coined to describe visual hallucinations in the elderly in the absence of cognitive impairment and peripheral ophthalmopathy, is challenged, particularly as the syndrome has become progressively enlarged. Three representative cases of elderly patients who have developed different types of visual perceptual disturbances are described. It is proposed to undertake a systematic study of the frequency of such disturbances in the elderly and of what other pathologies, particularly cognitive and visual, may be associated with them.

Aged↗
PubMed1981

The choice of career of consultant psychiatrists.

All consultants in general psychiatry appointed in Britain between 1 October 1975 and 30 September 1978 were sent a questionnaire asking about their training and adequacy of experience before making a final decision. Over a quarter of the respondents were women, of whom a third had trained part-time. Family circumstances and availability of part-time posts were important determinants. Overseas graduates formed another quarter. For many psychiatry was not their first love but availability of posts and status were important factors in choice of career. Many consultants felt they lacked experience in the subspecialties within psychiatry.

Career Choice↗
PubMed1980

Is psychiatric training improving?

All consultants in general psychiatry appointed between 1 October 1975 and 30 September 1978 were sent a questionnaire asking about their training experience in various aspects of psychiatric practice. The results showed that the standard of training in several important areas of psychiatry were generally poor, although psychiatrists who had trained at the Maudsley Hospital or in teaching hospitals had better training than those who had worked in psychiatric hospitals. As compared with the last survey made three years ago there had been some improvement, but it had been least pronounced in psychiatric hospitals. The effects of approval visits made by both the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Joint Committee of Higher Psychiatric Training would seem to be achieving results, but more attention needs to be paid to the standard of training in psychiatric hospitals and units.

Education, Medical, Graduate↗
PubMed1978

Disappearance of chlorpromazine from plasma following drug withdrawal.

Plasma chlorpromazine measured by a gas chromatographic procedure was found to disappear rapidly during the first week after withdrawal of chlorpromazine treatment in a group of 17 chronically hospitalized patients. The drug or its metabolites were no longer measurable in plasma after 8 days.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Psychiatric training: the consultants' view.

All consultants in general psychiatry appointed between 1 October 1972 and 30 September 1975 were sent a questionnaire asking about their training experience in various aspects of psychiatric practice. The results showed that the standards of training in 13 areas of psychiatry were generally poor, although psychiatrists who had trained at the Maudsley Hospital had generally had better training than those who had worked in psychiatric hospitals. Perhaps the most alarming feature was the general lack of improvement over the past nine years. It will be several years before the effects of the visist of approval made by the Royal College of Psychiatrists can be seen and assessed. Meanwhile, the demands for a fairer share of experience for all trainees can perhaps be met by introducing rotational programmes that include both teaching and psychiatric hospitals.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed1976

Career intentions of senior registrars in general psychiatry.

A postal inquiry of all senior registrars in general psychiatry in the United Kingdom gave a nearly 90 per cent response rate. Between a quarter and a fifth of the respondents will not be pursuing general psychiatry at consultant level in this country, most of these opting for a psychiatric specialty. Nearly all the overseas graduates will probably remain in this country. Slightly fewer women than men are aiming for a consultancy in general psychiatry, the rest of the women proposing to switch to one of the specialties. Some of the implications of these findings are discussed, including a proposal for a yearly follow-up of the respondents.

Adult↗