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Biomedical subjects

V Aalberg

Publications and source records attributed to V Aalberg.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Experiences from a facial pain unit.

During the academic year 1988/1989, 282 patients with chronic orofacial pain were referred to the facial pain unit of the University of Helsinki; 143 of these patients were suffering mainly of orofacial dysesthesia and 139 patients of masticatory dysfunction. Thirty-six of the patients with orofacial dysesthesia were referred for a psychiatric consultation. The result revealed a strong mental disturbance component associated with this kind of pain disorder. The patients with orofacial dysesthesia were treated mostly with amitriptyline, clonazepam, and distigmin; the patients with masticatory dysfunction were treated with splints and/or occlusal rehabilitation.

Adult↗

Psychiatric disorders in orofacial dysaesthesia.

70 patients with orofacial dysaesthesia were clinically examined at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the University of Helsinki. All the patients were referred for a psychiatric consultation. Later 16 refused to attend. 12 of the 54 patients (22.2%) who took part in the psychiatric interview were psychotic, 27 patients (50.0%) had a moderate mental disorder and 11 patients (20.4%) a mild psychiatric disorder. 4 of the patients had no psychic diagnosis (psychically healthy). The control group, which comprised 44 patients referred to the Department for surgical extraction of an impacted tooth, filled in the Cornell Medical Index questionnaire. 3 of the controls (6.8%) had a severe mental disturbance, 5 (11.4%) a moderate psychic disorder and 4 (9.1%) a mild psychiatric disorder, whereas 32 patients (72.7%) were mentally healthy. The results show that there is a psychic background in most patients with chronic orofacial pain who have no clinical findings corresponding to the sensation of somatic pain.

Adult↗

A holistic approach to stylalgia.

A follow-up study was performed on 20 patients surgically treated because of stylalgia (Eagle's Syndrome). The aim of the study was to investigate why somatic treatment was often ineffective; furthermore, if there was a psychosomatic background to the complaints. The results of a psychiatric interview in which 11 patients took part clearly showed that most of them were suffering primarily from a psychiatric disorder. The question of stylalgia only as a form of atypical facial pain is discussed.

Adult↗

Impaired body image of young female survivors of childhood leukemia.

The purpose of this study was to assess the body image of young female survivors of leukemia. Young female survivors of leukemia (n = 42) were compared with healthy age-matched control subjects (n = 69). The study included a semistructured face-to-face interview and a psychological test. The data were separated into three distinct evaluations of each subject's body image: 1) the subject's self-assessment, 2) evaluation by a psychiatrist, and 3) the Rorschach test. The body images of the survivors were inferior to those of the control subjects in all three evaluations (P < 0.001). The preceding leukemia was assessed still as extremely threatening in 26% of the survivors.

Acute Disease↗