Biomedical subjects

S Torgersen

Publications and source records attributed to S Torgersen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Coping and MCMI-II symptom scales.

The associations of the MCMI-II symptom scales with dispositional coping strategies were studied among 239 psychiatric outpatients. A similar core-pattern of emotion-focused coping was associated with all symptom scales except the bipolar scale. High scores on the MCMI-II symptom scales were associated with low use of adaptive emotion-focused coping (e.g., seeking social support) and high use of maladaptive emotion-focused coping (e.g., disengagement). Thought disorder, drug dependence, and delusional disorder also were associated with reduced use of problem-focused coping. The findings support the theoretical distinction between adaptive and maladaptive emotion-focused coping. The potential negative impacts of this coping pattern in terms of mental health and life adaptation are discussed.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1993

Immune response to nickel and some clinical observations after stainless steel miniplate osteosynthesis.

Fifteen patients undergoing internal fixation for mandibular fractures were examined for delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to nickel before and after implantation of stainless steel miniplates. A lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) was used to measure the immune response before implantation and at removal of plates and screws. The clinical complications during fracture healing were also recorded. The results show that the in vitro LTT may be useful in nickel hypersensitivity testing. A significant increase in lymphocyte transformation was found as a response to nickel stimulation (0.5 microgram Ni/ml) at removal of the implants. We conclude that, despite an increase in LTT after stainless steel implantation, no adverse clinical complications related to DTH could be recorded after short-time observation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Parental representation in twins discordant for schizophrenia.

Parental representation was assessed with the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) in 12 monozygotic (MZ) and 19 dizygotic (DZ) same-sexed twin pairs discordant for DSM-III-R schizophrenia. The schizophrenic twins reported less care and more overprotection from both parents than the non-schizophrenic co-twins. Multiple regression analysis disclosed that the results were independent of sex and age. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrated that whether the twins were monozygotic or dizygotic had no impact on the results. A stepwise discriminant analysis showed that difference in perceived paternal protection was the most important variable distinguishing between schizophrenic probands and their non-schizophrenic co-twins.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

A twin study of DSM-III-R anxiety disorders.

The prevalence of anxiety disorders was studied in a sample of 20 monozygotic (MZ) and 29 dizygotic (DZ) co-twins of anxiety disorder probands. A comparison group of co-twins of 12 MZ and 20 DZ twin probands with other non-psychotic mental disorders was also studied. All subjects were personally interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis I (SCID-I). Panic disorder was significantly more prevalent in co-twins of panic probands. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was more prevalent in co-twins of GAD probands with a history of mood disorder (NS). Post-traumatic stress disorder was significantly more prevalent in co-twins of anxiety probands and was more prevalent in MZ than in DZ co-twins. The prevalences of social and simple phobia were equal in co-twins of anxiety and comparison probands. For both panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder the MZ:DZ concordance ratio was more than 2:1. The results support the hypothesis of a genetic contribution in the etiology of panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The hypothesis that simple and social phobia are mainly caused by environmental experiences was also supported.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

"True" schizotypal personality disorder: a study of co-twins and relatives of schizophrenic probands.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the type and nature of personality disorders among biological relatives of schizophrenic probands. METHOD: A total of 176 nonschizophrenic co-twins and other first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands were compared to 101 co-twins and first-degree relatives of probands with major depression. RESULTS: Schizotypal personality disorders were more common and histrionic personality disorders less common among the biological relatives of schizophrenic probands than among relatives of probands with major depression. A further exploration of the schizotypal criteria revealed that the so-called "negative" criteria such as odd speech, inappropriate affect, and odd behavior, as well as excessive social anxiety, were significantly more common among the relatives of schizophrenic probands. The latter criterion seems particularly important. The so-called "positive" schizotypal criteria were partly, although not statistically significantly, more common among the relatives of probands with major depression. There were only minor differences in frequencies of the negative criteria between monozygotic co-twins, dizygotic co-twins, and other first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that DSM-III-R schizotypal disorder is defined by a set of criteria that partly describe a "true" schizophrenia-related personality disorder and partly features that are not specific for relatives of schizophrenic probands. Furthermore, the genetic relationship between schizophrenia and "true" schizotypal personality disorder seems weak. Excessive social anxiety may be a marker of a possible genetic link between the disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Mood disorders: developmental and precipitating events.

A consecutive sample of 298 mainly non psychotic outpatients was classified according to DSM-III criteria. The differences in the reports from childhood and the precipitating events among the various subgroups of mood disorders (bipolar disorder, major depression, cyclothymic disorder, dysthymic disorder) and a residual group of patients with other mental disorders were examined. The patients in the non bipolar group reported more traumatic childhood experiences than the patients in the bipolar group. Precipitating events among patients in the group with major depression consisted more often of acute external stressors. Developmental factors and precipitating events in adulthood seem to be relevant in differentiating between the depressive disorders. The study supports the validity of the unipolar-bipolar distinction. The cyclothymic group seem to be a special variant of the major mood disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Clomipramine in the treatment of agoraphobic inpatients resistant to behavioral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Both behavior-modification methods and antidepressants have proved to be effective in the treatment of agoraphobia. The authors examined the effects of clomipramine on agoraphobia in patients who failed to respond to exposure-based behavioral treatment. METHOD: Eighteen patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia who had not responded to previous inpatient behavioral treatment were recruited to a 12-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study of clomipramine, at top doses of 150 mg/day for 3 weeks. The patients were assessed on measures of phobic avoidance, agoraphobic cognitions, panic, state and trait anxiety, subjective anxiety, and depression. RESULTS: One patient dropped out of the study after 6 weeks. On most outcome measures, the 17 study completers had significantly (p < .05) lower symptom scores at posttest in the active drug period than at posttest in the placebo period; however, the clinical gains were modest. CONCLUSION: The short-term efficacy of clomipramine for agoraphobic patients who failed to respond lastingly to behavioral treatment was demonstrated. It remains to be shown that clomipramine can lead to clinically significant and lasting benefits in these patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Maxillofacial fractures in a Norwegian district.

Records of 169 patients referred to Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway, for treatment of maxillofacial fractures during the period 1989-91 were studied with respect to socio-etiologic aspects, frequency and localization of jaw fractures, treatment, and complications. The number of maxillofacial fractures found in the present study was about twice as many as found in a study from the same area during the period 1974-9. Recent trends in the etiology of maxillofacial traumas were confirmed, such as increased number of fractures caused by interpersonal violence, and a reduction of cases related to traffic accidents. Alcohol abuse was a contributing factor in 28% of the patients. Mandibular fractures were 4.8 times more frequent than maxillary fractures. Reduction and fixation with miniplate osteosynthesis was the preferred treatment in most patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Birthweight and obstetric complications in schizophrenic twins.

Birthweight and obstetric complications were registered retrospectively in 24 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs. Sixteen pairs were discordant and 8 pairs were concordant for DSM-III-R schizophrenia. There was no significant intrapair difference in birthweight between the 2 groups of MZ twins. Prematurity was more often observed in the discordant pairs, but neither differences in prematurity nor differences in obstetric complications between the concordant and discordant twins reached significance. No difference in respect of family history of schizophrenia between the 2 groups of MZ twins was found. In the discordant pairs, no significant difference between the schizophrenic twin and the nonschizophrenic co-twin was observed regarding birth order, birthweight or physical condition at birth.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Mental health locus of control in first-degree relatives of agoraphobic and depressed inpatients.

Mental health locus of control in 77 first-degree relatives of agoraphobic, agoraphobic and major depressed (comorbid), and depressed inpatients were studied. Relatives of comorbid patients externalized locus of control more to chance than did relatives of agoraphobic and of depressed patients. These results suggest that a tendency to externalize to chance is familially transmitted and may be a vulnerability factor for the development of the comorbid condition of agoraphobia and major depression.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Metal release from arch bars used in maxillofacial surgery. An in vitro study.

Surgical arch bars (splints) are used in maxillofacial surgery as an aid to intermaxillary fixation procedures. Two different types of stainless steel arch bars, a solid bar and a silver-brazed bar, were studied with regard to metal release in vitro. Arch bars were ligated to jaw models and immersed in 0.9% saline solution. The electrolyte was analyzed for Ni, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd by atomic absorption spectrophotometry on days 3, 10, and 28. The amounts of metal released from the brazed arch bar were 140-600 times higher than those released from the solid arch bar. Clinical implications are suggested.

Chromium↗

PubMed1991

High interrater reliability for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis I (SCID-I).

The interrater reliability of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) was studied. Fifty-four audiotaped SCID interviews were rated independently by 3 raters. The highest interrater agreements were observed for schizophrenia (0.94), major depressive disorder (0.93), dysthymia (0.88), generalized anxiety disorder (0.95), panic disorder (0.88), alcohol use disorder (0.96) and other psychoactive substance use disorder (0.85). The remaining diagnoses of mood and anxiety disorders obtained acceptable interrater agreement (0.70-0.80), with an exception for obsessive-compulsive disorder (0.40). The poorest agreement was obtained for somatoform disorders ( -0.03). Lack of hierarchy in DSM-III-R allows for multiple Axis I diagnoses. Interrater reliability for multiple diagnoses was tested. Agreement was generally good for combinations of 2 diagnoses, and poorer when 3 diagnoses were combined. Our findings confirm that SCID yields highly reliable diagnoses. SCID is recommended for research on mental disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Subtypes of schizophrenia--evidence from a twin-family study.

In a combined twin-family study, the concordance for subtype of schizophrenia was investigated. The sample included 31 monozygotic (MZ) and 28 dizygotic (DZ) twin probands fulfilling the criteria of DSM-III-R schizophrenia. Their co-twins and first-degree relatives were personally interviewed and diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R. Any twin or relative diagnosed as schizophrenic was subclassified as either paranoid or nonparanoid. Schizophrenia was more often observed in co-twins of MZ probands with nonparanoid schizophrenia than in MZ probands with paranoid schizophrenia, indicating a stronger genetic influence in nonparanoid schizophrenia. Fifteen MZ pairs were concordant for schizophrenia, and 13 of these pairs were also concordant for subtype. Such a relationship was not observed in the first-degree relatives with schizophrenia. Our results indicate a complex etiology of subtypes in schizophrenia, and to some extent the etiology of subtypes may differ from the etiology of schizophrenia.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Twin concordance for DSM-III-R schizophrenia.

The monozygotic (MZ)/dizygotic (DZ) concordance rates for schizophrenia and the relationship between schizophrenia and schizophrenic spectrum disorders were studied in a sample of 31 MZ and 28 DZ schizophrenic probands and their co-twins. All subjects were personally interviewed with structured diagnostic instruments and classified according to DSM-III-R criteria. The concordance rates of 48% for MZ twins and 4% for DZ twins indicate a genetic transmission of DSM-III-R schizophrenia. In addition to the schizophrenic co-twins, 3 MZ co-twins had a noneffective psychotic disorder, thus supporting the hypothesis that genes are involved in the development of Axis I schizophrenic spectrum disorders. Schizotypal and paranoid personality disorders were observed in both MZ and DZ co-twins. These disorders may be familially related to schizophrenia, but a genetic relationship was not confirmed for the Axis II spectrum disorders. A substantial number of MZ co-twins of schizophrenic probands had no mental disorder.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Mental disorders in first-degree relatives of schizophrenics.

A total 215 first-degree relatives of 88 twin probands with schizophrenia, mood disorders and nonaffective psychoses were studied. The twins' parents and siblings were personally interviewed with structured diagnostic instruments and diagnosed in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria. The first-degree relatives were interviewed by interviewers who were blind to the twins' diagnoses. Schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder were significantly more frequent in first-degree relatives of schizophrenic twins. Respectively, anxiety and mood disorders were significantly more prevalent among the parents and siblings of probands with mood disorders. Schizophrenic spectrum disorders were significantly more common in the families of schizophrenic probands compared with relatives of mood disorder probands, thus confirming a relationship between schizophrenia and schizophrenic spectrum disorders. However, we cannot, based on our study, specify whether this relationship is caused by genetic or environmental factors.

Diseases in Twins↗

PubMed1990

Basic character inventory personality traits among patients with major depression, anxiety disorders and mixed conditions.

Two hundred and seventy-two mainly nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients between 19 and 59 years of age were divided into various clinical groups according to DSM-III: pure major depression, major depression in combination with various anxiety disorders, pure anxiety disorders and a group with other mental disorders. The groups were compared as to differences in personality traits assessed by means of the Basic Character Inventory. The mixed major depression/non-panic anxiety disorder group appeared to be the most deviant with more oral-neurotic personality traits in addition to obsessive traits, while the pure major depressive disorder and the pure anxiety disorder group were less disturbed. Especially cases with non-panic-anxiety features in addition to major depression were those which manifested a neurotic obsessive personality structure. These findings imply that it is important to distinguish between major depression cases with and without various anxiety disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

The relationship between the MCMI personality scales and DSM-III, axis II.

Compared were the personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) to the diagnosis of personality disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. [DSM-III]; American Psychiatric Association, 1980), obtained by means of the Structured Interview for the DSM-III Personality Disorders (SIDP). The results from 272 psychiatric outpatients show a good correspondence for the Avoidant and the Dependent scales, a fairly good correspondence for the Schizotypal, the Histrionic, the Borderline, the Narcissistic, and the Paranoid scales, and no correspondence for the Schizoid, the Passive-Aggressive, and the Compulsive scales. The Passive-Aggressive scale seems to be positively correlated to personality disorders in general, whereas the Compulsive scale seems to be negatively correlated to a number of personality disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

DSM-III personality disorders among patients with major depression, anxiety disorders, and mixed conditions.

Of 298 mainly nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients between 19 and 59 years of age, a group of patients having either pure major depression, major depression in combination with anxiety disorders, or pure anxiety disorders was extracted. The anxiety disorders were further differentiated in panic and nonpanic anxiety disorders. The groups were compared as to differences in frequency of personality disorders assessed by means of the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders. The mixed major depression/anxiety disorder group appeared to be the most deviant with more severe personality disorders such as paranoid and borderline in addition to avoidant and dependent personality disorder. The differentiation between panic and nonpanic anxiety showed that it was patients with nonpanic anxiety features in addition to major depression who had this higher frequency of personality disorders. These findings imply that it is important to distinguish between major depression cases with and without anxiety disorders both in forthcoming research and in clinical practice.

Adult↗