Disgust implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Psychiatric classificatory systems consider obsessions and compulsions as forms of anxiety disorder. However, the neurology of diseases associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms suggests the involvement of fronto-striatal regions likely to be involved in the mediation of the emotion of disgust, suggesting that dysfunctions of disgust should be considered alongside anxiety in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive behaviours. We therefore tested recognition of facial expressions of basic emotions (including disgust) by groups of participants with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and with Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome (GTS) with an without co-present obsessive-compulsive behaviours (GTS with OCB; GTS without OCB). A group of people suffering from panic disorder and generalized anxiety were also included in the study. Both groups with obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCD; GTS with OCB) showed impaired recognition of facial expressions of disgust. Such problems were not evident in participants with panic disorder and generalized anxiety, or for participants with GTS without obsessions or compulsions, indicating that the deficit is closely related to the presence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Participants with OCD were able to assign words to emotion categories without difficulty, showing that their problem with disgust is linked to a failure to recognize this emotion in others and not a comprehension or response criterion effect. Impaired recognition of disgust is consistent with the neurology of OCD and with the idea that abnormal experience of disgust may be involved in the genesis of obsessions and compulsions.

Executive function, mentalizing and humor in major depression.

Major depression is associated with cognitive deficits including memory, executive functions, and affect perception, which have been linked to dysfunction of fronto-subcortical networks. However, little is known about social cognition on more complex socially relevant tasks, such as humor processing. In this investigation a computerized humor-processing task was administered to 27 patients with a diagnosis of major depression (Dep) and 27 healthy controls (HC). Theory of mind (mentalizing) and executive functions were also assessed. Both groups were similar in IQ, age, and gender. Depressed patients performed below the control group with respect to both affective and cognitive aspects of humor processing, and these were related to mentalizing and executive performance. Our findings suggest social cognition deficits in major depression. Ability to process humor and appreciate mentalistic perspectives may in turn influence social interactions and should be given consideration in therapeutic approaches to depression.

[Age and sex dependence of schizophrenic delusional themes--a contribution to the understanding of abnormal thinking?]. / Alters- und Geschlechtsabhängigkeiten schizophrener Wahnthematik--Ein Beitrag zum Verständnis des krankhaften Denkens?

In the frame of statistical evaluations of different kinds of delusional themes some of them depended on sex and age of the schizophrenic patients. Thus, female persons suffered in a significant way much more from delusions with direct influence on their body and delusional jealousy than male persons. On the other hand the symptomatology of the older patients showed significant frequencies in delusions with distant disturbances in comparison with younger ones. The results were discussed in context with the problematic of understanding the delusion. To accentuate the psychosocial connections of psychopathological ways of thinking social clichés respectively common stereotypes were proved. Last not least "regressive" tendencies in delusional themes were regarded in the view of the social situation of the peoples having these symptoms.

["Mediumistic psychoses". A case report]. / Zur Problematik "mediumistischer Psychosen". Ein Fallbeispiel.

Psychiatric diseases resulting from occult practices or spiritualist influences have long been known Henneberg in 1919 first described independent forms concelved as having a psychological genesis as "mediumistic psychoses". The continued importance of these disorders and the difficulties in their typological classification are illustrated by reference to a patient of our own who had pronounced auditory hallucinations. In classifying "mediumistic psychoses", it appears appropriate to give first consideration to atypical schizophrenic disorder.

[External supervision in psychiatry]. / Zur Problematik externer Supervision in der Psychiatrie.

The necessity and the problems of external supervision in psychiatry are explained. Therefore important aspects of the current discussion are reported, especially questions of conception and definition. External supervision that is professional help by persons with institutional independence. Not least in this way it is possible to consider the level of personal and individual relationship in clinical teams while problems of co-operation and effectiveness should be solved. This is a special style to improve quality in team-work. Some possibilities of those supervisions are mentioned. In this context experiences of the own hospital are presented.

[AIDS in psychiatry and psychotherapy: special psychodynamic and psychopathologic aspects based on a case with "AIDS phobia"]. / Zum Thema AIDS in der Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie: Spezielle psychodynamische und psychopathologische Aspekte anhand eines Falles mit "AIDS-Phobie".

First some social conditions of psychic illness on the background of "AIDS" as an up-to-date problem were demonstrated. Then important psychopathological states of patient with a positive or negative AIDS-test were explained. Furthermore follows a case study with a so-called "AIDS-phobia". In the discussion the "AIDS-phobia" become apparent not as a special phobic behaviour but as a extensive hypochondriacal syndrome, sometimes near by a hypochondriacal delusion.

[Ambulatory individual psychotherapy for cancer patients]. / Ambulante Einzelpsychotherapie bei Krebspatienten.

Psychological aspects of malignant diseases, especially cancer, are discussed increasingly. In general cancer patients take special endeavours to be inconspicuous concerning their psychic illness. Psychotherapeutic fundamentals are the best starting-point to meet latent needs of ambulatory psychological assistance. Individual problems, difficulties with the own psychical condition or metaphoric ideas should be treated after all not in an uncovering way. Therefore, "supportive" respectively "interactional" psychotherapeutic help, which is described separately, is especially useful.