ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the stability of performance on neuropsychological tests in a group of 14 schizophrenic patients. These patients were first tested as inpatients and later on as outpatients. The patients' results are also compared with matched normal controls and with standardized norms. The patients' test results were stable over time and no change in performance was found for the patients as a group, suggesting that these aspects of the patients' functioning were of a trait quality. The patient group had significantly poorer results on a majority of the tests compared with the controls. The variation of the level of cognitive functioning among the patients, however, was great. In clinical practice today, neuropsychological examinations are often included in the diagnostic procedure, and their results also have impact on treatment planning. However, the possibility to generalize the findings is reduced as a consequence of the low number of patients in the study.
Subject(s)
Cognition , Psychomotor Performance , Schizophrenia/diagnosis , Schizophrenic Psychology , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Disease Progression , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Neuropsychological Tests , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
Few if any reliable indicators of long-term outcome have been found in eating disorders. Impulsivity was the strongest predictor in the present study of 35 adults with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. This variable accounted for 25% of anorectic symptoms at 2 to 3 years follow-up and 14% at 4 to 6 years (Eating Attitudes Test). The relationship was specific insofar as impulsivity predicted neither depression nor overall mental health. Cognitive impairment may be one reason for the poor prognosis of impulsive patients.
Subject(s)
Anorexia Nervosa/psychology , Bulimia/psychology , Impulsive Behavior/complications , Adult , Age Factors , Anorexia Nervosa/complications , Anorexia Nervosa/therapy , Bulimia/complications , Bulimia/therapy , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Prognosis , RecurrenceABSTRACT
The frequency of anorectic/bulimic disturbances in a sample of male and female subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was compared to that of male and female normal controls. The results suggest an overrepresentation of anorexia/bulimia in the female diabetics. Prevalence of eating disorders was determined from the scores on the Eating Attitudes Test. As a group, the female diabetics had significantly (p less than .05) higher scores on the test, suggesting a greater "awareness" of topics related to food and eating. The results are discussed within a risk-factor model, in which insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus may be viewed as one factor in the development of eating disorders.