Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

R R Lewine

Publications and source records attributed to R R Lewine.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Sex differences in schizophrenia: a commentary.

A critique is offered of Samuels' article suggesting that reported sex differences in concordance rates for schizophrenia are either methodological artifacts or a function of sociological processes. Evidence of sex differences in age of onset, clinical expression, concordance rates among primary relatives, and premorbid competence is cited. Finally, it is concluded that sex differences in schizophrenia offer important clues to the development of the disorder and should be considered in future theories of schizophrenia.

Age Factors

Parents of schizophrenic individuals: what we say is what we see.

The language used to describe the families of schizophrenic individuals is reviewed briefly. It is suggested that this language has negative connotations and is a legacy of past theory interpreting parents as primary causal agents in schizophrenia. If we are to engage the families of schizophrenic patients in cooperative therapeutic endeavors, we must begin to speak to and about those families in more neutral terms.

Adult

Choosing control groups in the study of schizophrenic subtypes.

The choice of comparison groups in the study of schizophrenic subtypes is discussed. Current research rests upon the comparison of schizophrenic subtypes and controls unselected for the subtype characteristics used to divide the schizophrenics. One cannot infer, on the basis of this type of group comparison, whether subtype differences are specific to schizophrenia or reflect general personality and behavioral characteristics. It is suggested, therefore, that control groups be selected for their comparability to the schizophrenics on subtype characteristics.

Attention

Childhood behaviour in schizophrenia, personality disorder, depression, and neurosis.

Teachers' comments in the childhood school records (grades K-12) of 143 psychiatric patients and their matched controls were coded along 23 bipolar dimensions. Two methods of grouping these scales were compared: rational clusters and factor analysis. Factor analysis yielded more numerous and narrowly defined behavioural groupings. Schizophrenics, personality disorder patients, neurotics, and depressives were compared to their matched controls on each of the cluster and factor scores. Both schizophrenics and personality disordered patients were significantly less agreeable in childhood than their respective controls. Pre-schizophrenics also were significantly more unstable. Depressives were more independent than their controls, while neurotics did not differ significantly in any respect from normals in childhood. The data suggest that schizophrenia may have specific developmental patterns of possible aetiological or early diagnostic significance.

Adolescent