Impact of progesterone on the gastrointestinal tract: a comprehensive literature review.

Women are more prone to gastrointestinal symptoms than men. A comprehensive literature search was performed to assess the impact of sex steroid hormone, especially progesterone, on the (healthy and diseased) gastrointestinal tract. Overall, 37 articles were identified. Based on these we conclude that progesterone has a dose-dependent and sex-dependent effect on gastric emptying (especially in mammals), slows down gastrointestinal motility, reduces the gallbladder's response to contractile stimulants, may support gastroesophageal reflux by reducing the esophageal sphincter pressure, may protect from Helicobacter pylori infection gastrointestinal sequelae (especially in mammals) and does not affect inflammatory bowel disease-specific symptoms. However, for several gastrointestinal symptoms and diseases no studies have yet been performed addressing the impact of sex hormone steroids.

[Violent offenders with or without antisocial personality disorder. A comparison]. / Gewaltstraftäter mit und ohne Antisoziale Persönlichkeitsstörung. Ein Vergleich.

BACKGROUND: The influence of legal offences on the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a common discussion. A population of imprisoned delinquents diagnosed with ASPD was compared to delinquents without ASPD concerning sociodemographic, criminological and clinical characteristics to determine if ASPD can differentiate delinquents apart from committing legal offences. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 36 violent offenders with diagnosed ASPD and 29 violent offenders without ASPD were recruited in the prison of Straubing (Germany); 28 control subjects without previous convictions were recruited in the German population. All subjects were examined with the SKID-I and SKID-II, GAF, BIS-11, EPI and K-FAF. RESULTS: Violent offenders with ASPD differ from violent offenders without ASPD concerning the following parameters: high values of impulsivity, aggression, irritability, neuroticism and extraversion; low levels of psychosocial functioning, cumulative "broken home" indicators and antisocial behaviour before the age of 11 ("early starters"). CONCLUSION: Some features are suitable for the discrimination between offenders with or without ADPD, but our results indicate that samples are better distinguished by a dimensional approach, oriented toward their degree of characteristics.

[CIPA (Comprehensive Individualized Process Analysis)--a method for combining quantitative and qualitative individual case analysis]. / CIPA--eine Methode zur Verbindung von quantitativer und qualitativer Einzelfallanalyse.

The main question of psychotherapy research nowadays is how psychotherapy works. Hence, interest focuses mainly on the process of psychotherapy. General change mechanisms as well as the therapeutic interaction are in the center of research interest. On the basis of process outcome findings (Orlinsky, Grawe, Parks 1994) and the schema theory of Grawe (1987) we developed a research instrument allowing the analysis of therapies from a theoretically and quantitative approaches. The research instrument (CIPA-Comprehensive Individualized Process Analysis) consist of three parts: The scales of the first part assess the general working mechanisms and the therapeutic relationship. The second part allows a rating of the patient's interactions inside and outside the therapy. In the third part the individual schemata are rated. The instrument and the research strategy are being illustrated by means of a selected therapy recorded completely on video tape. The results are interpreted on the basis of the individual schema structure as well as the therapy outcome. The possibility offered by the new instrument to combine quantitative and qualitative research strategies is discussed.