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Biomedical subjects

R G Vasile

Publications and source records attributed to R G Vasile.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

The clenched fist syndrome.

The clenched fist syndrome is an entity in which the patient keeps one or both hands tightly clenched. It is seen in all groups; hand dominance or compensation is not a factor. It usually follows a minor inciting incident and is associated with swelling, pain, and paradoxical stiffness. No organic disease can be found and extension of the fingers is always possible under anesthesia. Psychiatrically the patient is classified as having severe anger and poor defense. The prognosis is poor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

The psychiatrist as medical backup: ambiguity in the delegation of clinical responsibility.

When the psychiatrist functions as medical backup, i.e., in a setting of delegated clinical responsibility, a number of problems may arise, originating from factors in the patient, in the physician, in the staff member to whom responsibility is delegated, and in the setting itself. The authors delineate these problem areas through case examples and discuss the implications for multidisciplinary training.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Profile of a large sample of patients with social phobia: comparison between generalized and specific social phobia.

This study examines a large cohort of subjects with social phobia, as part of a larger naturalistic and longitudinal study of 711 subjects with anxiety disorders. We focused on 176 subjects who were in an episode of social phobia at intake. We were particularly interested in evaluating the diagnostic distinction between generalized and specific social phobia. We compared these two groups along demographic characteristics, comorbidities, psychosocial functioning (health, role functioning, social functioning, and emotional functioning) and global assessment scores. We found that generalized social phobics tended to have an earlier age of onset as compared to the specific group; however, this is not a statistically significant difference at this level of analysis. The two groups did not differ for the current comorbidities examined. We observed no differences in the treatment received by the two types of social phobia subjects, and the two groups functioned equally well in terms of health and fulfilling social roles. In addition, we examined adverse childhood events (i.e., death of a parent, childhood abuse) and found no evidence for any differential impact these events might have on the type of social phobia. Although we did observe significantly greater fear of public speaking among the specific compared to the generalized group, which may indicate a qualitative difference between the subtypes, our results suggest that for most parameters, generalized and specific social phobia represent a continuum of similar and overlapping entities.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comorbidity of anxiety disorders in a multicenter anxiety study.

From 11 sites in New England and Missouri, 711 patients with > or = one of five index anxiety disorders were recruited onto a longitudinal study in which they were interviewed every 6 months regarding symptoms, course, and treatments received. Of the five disorders studied, panic disorder without agoraphobia was the disorder most often found as a sole diagnosis and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was least often found alone, both as lifetime diagnoses or when restricted to cases active at intake. Panic disorder with agoraphobia and agoraphobia without history of panic disorder (AWOPD) had three specific diagnoses with which they were frequently comorbid: social phobia, simple phobia, and GAD. AWOPD, social phobia, and GAD were frequently found in the presence of each other. It is possible that the experience of anxiety due to any syndromal cause may decrease the threshold for an individual to experience other anxiety symptoms or disorders. Clinicians should be aware of these patterns of comorbidity in order to formulate accurate differential diagnoses and prescribe treatments in a rational manner.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Single photon emission computed tomography in psychiatry: current perspectives.

Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is a widely available neuroimaging technique for the three-dimensional assessment of regional cerebral blood flow. The clinical utility of SPECT in neuropsychiatry is well established, and research devoted to its use in primary psychiatric disorders has been gaining momentum. In this review recent developments in SPECT neuroimaging are described, including the utility of SPECT in the differential diagnosis of the dementias and other neuropsychiatric conditions; SPECT studies of patients with affective disorders, at baseline and after treatment; and SPECT studies utilizing innovative techniques such as neuroreceptor imaging and activation strategies. Advances in SPECT research methodology and study design that may contribute to clarifying the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders are examined.

Brain↗