[Inbreeding and serious mental illness in the first Spanish Bourbons]. / Consanguinidad y enfermedad mental grave en los primeros Borbones españoles.

INTRODUCTION: There is an argument about inbreeding as a risk factor in the development of major mental illnesses like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. The genealogical trees of European royal dynasties represent an opportunity to study this relationship. Felipe V was the first Bourbon king to rule in Spain, who was thought to have possibly suffered a severe mental disorder. Felipe's son Fernando VI, also had a mental disease. Nevertheless Carlos III, Felipe V's son born from a different, unrelated mother, apparently showed no trace of such disorder. We hypothesize that consanguinity or inbreeding could explain the tendency in the acquiring of severe mental disorders. SUBJECTS AND METHODS:  Biographies of three Spanish Bourbon kings (Felipe V, Fernando VI and Carlos III) were analysed in order to evaluate if they were likely to have suffered from some mental disorder, according to DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria. An inbreeding coefficient was determined with the PedPro Program. RESULTS:  Felipe V and Fernando VI could have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, whereas Carlos III could have been diagnosed with a mild personality disorder. Both Felipe V and Fernando VI had a high inbreeding coefficient (0.091109 and 0.095023, respectively), while Carlos III had a lower one (0.038264). The inbreeding coefficient of siblings of couples of first grade cousins is 0.0625. CONCLUSIONS:  A high inbreeding coefficient is a risk factor in developing bipolar disorder. Felipe V and Fernando VI suffered from bipolar disorder. The analysis of genetic trees by the inbreeding coefficient is a valuable tool in the study of heredability of bipolar disorder. Endogamy accumulates pathogenic alleles and increases risk to suffer it. These kings had a high consanguinity which was an important risk factor to the illness. High consanguinity is a risk factor to suffer bipolar disorder.

TITLE: Consanguinidad y enfermedad mental grave en los primeros Borbones españoles.Introducción. Se discute si la consanguinidad es un factor de riesgo para sufrir trastorno bipolar o esquizofrenia. Los árboles genealógicos de las casas reales son una oportunidad para estudiarlo. Felipe V posiblemente sufrió un trastorno mental grave, como también su hijo Fernando VI. Sin embargo, Carlos III, también hijo de Felipe V, pero fruto de otro matrimonio, aparentemente no. Se mantiene la hipótesis de que la consanguinidad podría haber sido un factor de riesgo para ello. Sujetos y métodos. Se analizan las biografías de estos tres reyes para detectar si sufrieron algún trastorno mental de acuerdo con el DSM-5 y la CIE-11. Se estudia su coeficiente de consanguinidad mediante el programa PedPro con una base de datos de 25.776 individuos. Resultados. Felipe V y Fernando VI podrían haber sido diagnosticados de trastorno bipolar, mientras que Carlos III podría haberlo sido de un leve trastorno de la personalidad. Felipe V y Fernando VI tenían un coeficiente de consanguinidad elevado (0,091109 y 0,095023, respectivamente), mientras que en Carlos III era sólo de 0,038264. El coeficiente de los dos primeros es mayor que el de los hijos de primos hermanos (0,0625). Conclusiones. Felipe V y Fernando VI sufrieron un trastorno bipolar. El análisis de los árboles genéticos mediante el coeficiente de consanguinidad es una valiosa herramienta para el estudio de la heredabilidad del trastorno bipolar. La endogamia acumula alelos patógenos y el riesgo de sufrirlo. En estos sujetos, la alta consanguinidad fue un importante factor etiopatogénico de la enfermedad que sufrieron. Una elevada consanguinidad supone un factor de riesgo de sufrir trastorno bipolar.

[Rat man. A review]. / Una revisión del caso del "Hombre de las ratas".

We will focus on one of the key cases analyzed by Freud, the one he himself named the "Rat Man" (fictional name for patient Ernst Lanzer) and analyzed as an "obsessive neurosis". As in the Dora case, in this clinical case Freud intends to describe the prototype of obsessive neurosis in which no element is missing. Everything is there: sexual and forbidden thoughts that obsess the subject, aggressive thoughts towards the people he loves (especially the one called the "lady" and his own father), the sense of duty and debt that are imposed in the form of an expensive constraint, etc. However, a careful examination of the patient's symptoms and behavior both in his daily life and with his therapist allows us to ask ourselves whether this is really a "neurotic" disorder and not a different pathology, particularly in relation to psychotic disorders. Although Freud's diagnosis of obsessive neurosis may evoke the current obsessive-compulsive disorder, other pathologies and comorbidities that would relativize the main diagnosis must be considered.

What was it like to suffer from obsessional disorder in the United States, 1840-1950?

The time period from 1840 to 1950 was one of rapid, dramatic change in the experience of suffering from and receiving treatment for obsessional disorder in the United States. Several patient case histories are discussed in detail, including those of a theology professor's acquaintance (1844), a wealthy gentleman (1880), a hosiery shop proprietor (1938), and a former college student (1949). Although the focus here is on the patients' experience, many broader aspects of the history of obsessional disorder are also explored.

Kraepelin's views on obsessive neurosis: a comparison with DSM-5 criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder

Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926) is considered one of the founders of modern psychiatric nosology. However, his conceptualization of obsessive-compulsive phenomena is relatively understudied. In this article, we compare and contrast excerpts from the eighth edition (1909-1915) of Kraepelin's Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry focusing on what Kraepelin called "obsessive neurosis" and related "original pathological conditions" with the current DSM-5 criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Consistently with DSM-5 OCD, Kraepelin described obsessive neurosis as characterized by obsessive ideas, compulsive acts, or both together. His detailed descriptions of these symptoms are broadly coherent with their characterization in DSM-5, which is also true for the differential diagnoses he provided. He also mentioned cases illustrating decreased insight into symptoms and association with tic disorders. In conclusion, Kraepelin's experience, which reflects decades of consistent clinical work, may help validate current ideas and explain how the current conceptualization has emerged and developed. Even though one can hardly say that the classification laid out in DSM-5 goes back to Kraepelin's views directly, it still is true that Kraepelin played an outstanding role in systematizing psychiatric diagnostic criteria in general, and provided a major contribution to the conceptual history of OCD.

Kraepelin's views on obsessive neurosis: a comparison with DSM-5 criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926) is considered one of the founders of modern psychiatric nosology. However, his conceptualization of obsessive-compulsive phenomena is relatively understudied. In this article, we compare and contrast excerpts from the eighth edition (1909-1915) of Kraepelin's Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry focusing on what Kraepelin called "obsessive neurosis" and related "original pathological conditions" with the current DSM-5 criteria for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Consistently with DSM-5 OCD, Kraepelin described obsessive neurosis as characterized by obsessive ideas, compulsive acts, or both together. His detailed descriptions of these symptoms are broadly coherent with their characterization in DSM-5, which is also true for the differential diagnoses he provided. He also mentioned cases illustrating decreased insight into symptoms and association with tic disorders. In conclusion, Kraepelin's experience, which reflects decades of consistent clinical work, may help validate current ideas and explain how the current conceptualization has emerged and developed. Even though one can hardly say that the classification laid out in DSM-5 goes back to Kraepelin's views directly, it still is true that Kraepelin played an outstanding role in systematizing psychiatric diagnostic criteria in general, and provided a major contribution to the conceptual history of OCD.

Body dysmorphic disorder: history and curiosities.

Body dysmorphic disorder is a chronic psychiatric disorder characterized by excessive preoccupation with an absent or minimal physical deformity. It causes severe distress and impairs normal functioning. In the last centuries, this disorder has been mentioned in the medical literature by important mental health practitioners by different names, such as "dysmorphophobia" or "dermatologic hypochondriasis". However, not until the last century was it included among the obsessive-compulsive disorders, although its classification has changed over time.Patients with body dysmorphic disorder constantly seek cosmetic treatments in order to improve their physical appearance, which more often deteriorates their mental condition. The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in cosmetic medical practice has led in this field of study to the new science "cosmetic psychodermatology". This paper presents a summary of important facts about body dysmorphic disorder and its description throughout the history of medicine.

Vallejo-Nágera (1926-1990) and the concept of 'soteric neurosis': a forgotten sketch of hoarding disorder in the obsessive-compulsive spectrum literature.

Juan Antonio Vallejo-Nágera, psychiatrist, painter and writer, wrote a widely adopted textbook of psychiatry in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, particularly during the 1970s, the famous Introducción a la psiquiatría. There, he advanced the concept of soteric neurosis, a condition regarded as a 'mirror image' of phobias and similar to the diagnostic entity described in DSM-5 under the heading of hoarding disorder. Indeed, much earlier than the recent nosological discussions on hoarding, Vallejo-Nágera already reported soteric neurosis to be distinct from obsessive-compulsive disorder and to be associated with excessive attachment to objects and positive affect (pleasure), leading to accumulation, decreased treatment seeking, increasing interference in daily activities and blurred boundaries with normality. Vallejo-Nágera also made several predictions, including the propensity soteric neurosis patients may have towards the development of separation anxiety, obesity and other 'masked' symptoms. In the light of his original and insightful contributions to the concept of hoarding disorder, it would be interesting to assess his hypotheses in future studies.

The creator of the term 'anancasm' was Hungarian: Guyla Donáth (1849-1944).

There is considerable confusion in the field of research on the history of psychiatry as to who created the term anancasm. This article seeks to clarify that the term was coined by the Hungarian psychiatrist Gyula Donáth, who was born in Baja, on the Danube, and worked mainly in Budapest. Donáth's publications reveal that his predominant sphere of interest and research was neurology and psychiatry. A number of his publications deal with epilepsy and obsessive-compulsive disorders. After a period of intensive research, during which he spent some time in Berlin at the clinic of neuroscientist Carl Westphal, Donáth proposed the term 'anancasm' in 1895 to describe compulsive mental processes.

[Gene-environment-interaction of ODD and Conduct Disorder Versus "Anethic Psychopathy"]. / Eine frühe Gen-Umwelt-Theorie der Störungen des Sozialverhaltens versus "Anethischer Psychopathie".

Gene-environment-interaction of ODD and Conduct Disorder Versus ¼Anethic Psychopathy«. In 1934, Kramer and von der Leyen demonstrated in a sophisticated longitudinal study with eleven conduct disordered and neglected children labelled as ¼anethic psychopaths« that ¼anethic traits« subsided in a favourable educational setting. Sound prognoses, due to the diversity of environmental factors, were found to be impossible. On the contrary they stated that negative labelling led to an affirmation of a negative prognosis. In theory, they supposed a genetic predisposition resulting in a heightened sensitivity to the environment. This early theory of epigenetics radically contradicted the Nazi dogma of hereditability and ostracism and the selection procedures in mainstream psychiatry at that time. The debate ended with von der Leyen's suicide and the prohibition of medical work and publication towards Kramer. Even after the end of the Nazi policy of ¼eradication of the socially debased«, this early theory was not taken on again, nor dignified.

Obsessional Disorders in al-Balkhi's 9th century treatise: Sustenance of the Body and Soul.

Some argue that the earliest case of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was reported by Robert Burton in his compendium The Anatomy of Melancholy (1621) and that only in the 19th century did modern concepts of OCD evolve, differentiating it from other types of mental illness. In this paper, we aim to reveal an even earlier presentation of the malady we now call OCD based on the 9th century work, Sustenance of the Body and Soul, written by Abu Zayd al-Balkhi during the Islamic Golden Era. Discovery of this manuscript reveals that Abu Zayd al-Balkhi should be credited with differentiating OCD from other forms of mental illnesses nearly a millennium earlier than is currently claimed by anthologies documenting the history of mental illness. Particular attention is paid to al-Balkhi's classifications, symptom descriptions, predisposing factors, and the treatment modalities for obsessional disorders. Analysis of this manuscript in light of the DSM-5 and modern scientific discoveries reveals transcultural diagnostic consistency of OCD across many centuries. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are also discussed.

[Are the current concepts of obsessive disorders a novelty? From Westphal (1877) and Thomsen (1895) to ICD-10 and DSM-5]. / Sind die aktuellen Konzepte der Zwangsstörung ein Novum? Von Westphal (1877) und Thomsen (1895) zur ICD-10 und zum DSM-5.

In German-speaking countries it was Carl Westphal who in 1877 offered the first precise definition of obsessive ideas and distinguished obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as an independent disorder in its own right. The criteria mentioned by him for establishing OCD gave rise to a debate on the character and classification of OCD but were not fully acknowledged by his colleagues at the time. In 1895 Westphal's student Robert Thomsen tried to substantiate all points in his teacher's theory that had raised criticism. Thus the works by Westphal and Thomsen are most relevant for the current conceptualization and definition of OCD, for they laid the basis for the present phenomenology, definition and classification of OCD according to ICD-10 and DSM-5. Apart from phenomenologically differentiating between obsessions (i.e. obsessive thoughts and impulses) and compulsions (i.e. compulsive actions and inhibitions), Westphal and Thomsen also laid the basis for most of the current diagnostic criteria. Thomsen led the way to current classifications by subdifferentiating OCD as an illness on its own on the one hand and obsessions and compulsions as symptoms accompanying other conditions on the other.

History and conceptual problems of the relationship between obsessions and hallucinations.

Contemporary psychiatric nomenclature defines schizophrenia (SCZ) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as distinct disease entities characterized by non-overlapping diagnostic criteria. Nevertheless, a complex association between SCZ and OCD exists on the psychopathological level. And although the relationship between obsessions and delusions has been widely studied and discussed, the relationship between obsessions and hallucinations has not received the same attention. This article presents an historical overview of the studies on the co-occurrence of obsessions and hallucinations. We also analyze the clinical significance of this overlap, as discussed in the early descriptions of these phenomena in the nineteenth century and continuing through the most recent, contemporary conceptualizations. In clinical practice today, we may encounter both SCZ patients with typical ego-dystonic obsessive-compulsive symptoms and SCZ patients affected by obsessions that intertwine with psychotic symptoms, generating complex psychopathological syndromes (e.g. "obsessive hallucinations"). A further complication is that some OCD patients show perceptual disturbances. Taking into consideration the possible coexistence of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and psychotic symptoms is crucial for proper diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Further investigations are required to fully evaluate the psychopathological interrelationships between obsessions and hallucinations.

[Introduction and transformation of the psychiatric term "anancasm". From Gyula (Julius) Donáth via Kurt Schneider to ICD-10]. / Einführung und Wandlung des psychiatrischen Terminus "Anankasmus". Von Gyula (Julius) Donáth über Kurt Schneider bis zur ICD-10.

The conceptual history of "anancasm" in psychiatry remains almost unexplored and this article will help to remove this deficit. It was the Budapest-based neuropsychiatrist Gyula Donáth (1849-1944) who first proposed this Greek-rooted term in 1897 as an international term for compulsive symptoms and as an independent mental illness similar to present-day obsessive compulsive disorders (ICD-10). By suggesting this term Donáth wanted to extend the concept of compulsion as proposed by his teacher Carl Westphal to other compulsive phenomena, psychomotor impulses and restrictions including echolalia, coprolalia, echokinesis, echopraxia, contemporary maladie des tics (present day Tourette's syndrome) and even intermittent dipsomania (craving for alcohol), paraphilias, sexual fetishes and homosexuality. In 1923 Kurt Schneider used this term for a subgroup of psychopathic personalities, the so-called insecure anancastic psychopaths. His concept was much different to that suggested by Donáth, with the only thing in common being the compulsory component. Schneider's anancasts suffered from feelings of insecurity and insufficiency and were forced to try to overcompensate by being excessively careful, meticulous and hyper-correct. Based on Schneider's concept anancasm has survived as a name for a subdivision of compulsive personality disorders in ICD-10; however, these rather complex personality defects were not what Donáth had in mind when he first suggested the term anancasm. The paper discusses further discrepancies between Donáth, Schneider and ICD-10.

[On the history of obsessive compulsive disorders: their place in the nosological classifications up to the beginning of the 20th century]. / Die Geschichte der Zwangserkrankung: Ihre Stellung im Wandel der psychiatrischen Formenlehre bis Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts.

Influenced by French psychiatry, the first German works on obsessive-compulsive phenomena were published in the second half of the 19th century. First they were seen as one form of the unitary psychosis, later they became involved in the dispute about the concept of paranoia. The first German definition, proposed by Carl Westphal in 1877 and of crucial importance in the conceptual history of obsessive disorders as an illness (OCD) ever since, stood in this tradition. Still the adequate nosological classification of obsessive phenomena was still heavily disputed. As more and more varied forms of obsessive disorders were described, the highly unspecific concept of neurasthenia gained importance. Then degeneration theory was a widespread aetiological concept to integrate the large number of obsessive phenomena. Towards the end of the 19th century, when psychoanalysis emerged, psychological aspects started to interest psychiatrists and psychoanalytical suggestions like Sigmund Freud's concept of obsessional neurosis were discussed. However, none of these different nosological suggestions, nor any of the proposed definitions, found general approval. Above all the question to what extent affects were involved and whether certain phenomena were compulsive in nature or not remained the subject of (ongoing) controversy. This led to a variety of highly inconsistent aetiopathogenetic concepts being proposed.

On the nature of obsessions and compulsions.

In this chapter, we give an overview of current and historical conceptions of the nature of obsessions and compulsions. We discuss some open questions pertaining to the primacy of the affective, volitional or affective nature of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Furthermore, we add some phenomenological suggestions of our own. In particular, we point to the patients' need for absolute certainty and the lack of trust underlying this need. Building on insights from Wittgenstein, we argue that the kind of certainty the patients strive for is unattainable in principle via the acquisition of factual knowledge. Moreover, we suggest that the patients' attempts to attain certainty are counter-productive as their excessive conscious control in fact undermines the trust they need.

Obsessive compulsive disorder and psychopathic behaviour in Babylon.

BACKGROUND: The history of obsessive compulsive, phobic and psychopathic behaviour can be traced to the 17th century AD. METHODS AND RESULTS: We draw attention to these behaviours in a Babylonian cuneiform medical text known as Shurpu. These three categories were united in the Babylonian mind around the concept of the mamit 'oath' idea, the behaviour habits being so unbreakable it appeared that the subject had sworn an oath to do or not to do the action involved. The behavioural accounts were entirely objective, including what we would call immature, antisocial and criminal behaviour, and obsessional categories of contamination, aggression, orderliness of objects, sex and religion. They do not include subjective descriptions of obsessional thoughts, ruminations or the subject's attitude to their own behaviour, which are more modern fields of enquiry. CONCLUSIONS: The Babylonians had no understanding of brain or psychological function but they were remarkable describers of medical disease and behaviour. Although they had both physical and supernatural theories of many medical disorders and behaviours, they had an open mind on these particular behaviours which they regarded as a 'mystery' yet to be 'resolved'. We are not aware of comparable accounts of these behaviours in ancient Egyptian or classical medicine. These Babylonian descriptions extend the history of these disorders to the first half of the second millennium BC.

Freud on play, games, and sports fanaticism.

Much has been written in the secondary literature on Freud's aggression-release perspective vis-à-vis competitive sports. Very little has been written, however, on Freud's own explicit contribution to play, games, and sport. That is likely the result of Freud's reluctance to take up them--especially from the gamesman's and sportsman's points of view. One can, however, tease out the development of Freud's thoughts on games, play, and sport through a careful examination of his corpus over time. In doing so, one finds an early view of play and games, where the drives behind those activities are self- and other-preservative, and a later view, where Freud introduces his death drive. The article ends with some notions on what Freud might have said on the fanaticism that accompanies competitive sport, had he expressly taken up the issue.

Cognitive behavioral therapy of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Until the mid-1960s, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was considered to be treatment-resistant, as both psychodynamic psychotherapy and medication had been unsuccessful in significantly reducing OCD symptoms. The first real breakthrough came in 1966 with the introduction of exposure and ritual prevention. This paper will discuss the cognitive behavioral conceptualizations that influenced the development of cognitive behavioral treatments for OCD. There will be a brief discussion of the use of psychodynamic psychotherapy and early behavioral therapy, neither of which produced successful outcomes with OCD. The main part of the paper will be devoted to current cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with an emphasis on variants of exposure and ritual or response prevention (EX/RP) treatments, the therapy that has shown the most empirical evidence of its efficacy.

Did Evagrius Ponticus (AD 346-99) have obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Evagrius Ponticus was one of the most important and influential spiritual writers in the early Christian church. This author argues that he suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder: in particular, the demonic 'thoughts' which he repeatedly describes meet all the criteria for obsessions. If this is true, it offers a new perspective on the relation between pastoral theology and psychiatric disorders: the spiritual tradition which Evagrius helped found may, as a result, have tended to exacerbate such symptoms in others, but it also possessed the resources to address them in a practical way.