Current cannabis use and tardive dyskinesia.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between substance abuse and tardive dyskinesia (TD) in 51 chronic, neuroleptic-treated, community outpatients with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of schizophrenia. In the presence of a clinical researcher, subjects completed a questionnaire on past and current alcohol and drug use, and provided information pertaining to variables which have, in the past, been implicated in the development of TD: smoking habits, caffeine consumption, and current neuroleptic dose. Subjects were also administered the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) in an interview format with either two or three trained raters present in the room. Consistent with previous reports, our results indicated a trend for females and older patients with a longer duration of illness to show elevated scores on the AIMS. In a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, however, cannabis use was found to correlate best with the presence of TD, out-ranking other putative factors.

Women as victims of torture.

This is a retrospective study on the effects of torture on Latin American refugee women in Toronto. Thirty-six cases of female torture victims are reviewed. The cases are divided in 2 groups, according to whether they experienced physical and psychological torture or only psychological assaults. Both groups are compared in terms of demographic characteristics, social and/or political involvement prior to the traumatic experiences, symptoms for which they sought psychiatric intervention and recovery rates. The symptoms presented by all women are consistent with those described in the literature for torture victims, regardless of their sex. The main findings are that women who experienced direct physical and psychological violence more frequently had persistence of symptoms than women who experienced only psychological violence.

[Neurobiological bases of schizophrenia]. / Bases neurobiológicas de la esquizofrenia.

Environmental and biological factors play an important role in the etiology of Schizophrenia. We believe that the disorder is probably multifactorial with a genetic predisposition that triggers morphological (CT, MRN) and functional (EP, SPECT and PET) brain alterations in the areas, where the integration of the affect, comprehension and expression of emotions occur. These areas are also involved in the planification and organization of cognitive and emotional functions. These findings may have clinical implicancies (soft signs), and neurochemical corroborations (neurotransmitters and receptors qualifications and imaging in SPECT and PET.

Tardive dyskinesia: a five year follow-up.

A group of chronic schizophrenic patients receiving prolonged treatment with neuroleptics was assessed in 1978 at an outpatient clinic to determine the prevalence of Tardive Dyskinesia. Those with TD were reassessed after two and five years with regard to change in TD severity. The Smith scale was used every time and, on the last assessment, the AIMS scale and videotaped interviews were added. Because of the high attrition rate, results, though interesting, cannot be generalized.