[Connexions between instrumental delivery and cerebral damage in the infant (author's transl)]. / Zusammenhänge zwischen operativer Geburtsbeendigung und Zerebralschädigung des Kindes

An interdepartmental investigation was carried out on the incidence of brain injury, especially so-called minimal brain injury, after instrumental delivery of infants by means of forceps or vacuum extractor. There is no statistically-significant difference in the incidence of brain injury in infants delivered by means of forceps as compared with the vacuum extractor; there is, however, a significant increase in incidence of brain injury in infants following instrument-aided delivery as opposed to spontaneous delivery. A thorough explanation of the methods is given and the results are discussed.

Why is it that dysphoric patients do not realize their dysphoric mood?

In contrast to the clinical psychopathological approach to emotion, we used aspects of the cognitive emotion theories formulated by Lazarus [1966] and Folkman and Lazarus [1985]. According to these theories, emotion is a product of cognitive appraisal and coping a mechanism regulating emotion. We put into operation four coping types in a two-dimensional way (using the amount of anxiety and social desirability and the repressor-sensitizer concept of Byrne [1961] in the extended version of Krohne [1974]) in order to differentiate 30 patients labeled as 'dysphoric' (n = 15) or 'depressed' (n = 15) from a clinical point of view. It was possible to distinguish subpopulations of dysphoric patients as well as depressed patients (discriminant analysis, analysis of variance), which served as a basis for answering our questions to the effect that a clearly defined group of dysphoric patients - all diagnosed as bipolar manic depressives - predominantly employs rigid repressive coping strategies, i.e. defensively denying anxiety. Thus, rigid defensive reactions (i.e. perceptual defense) prevent a change in the direction of distressing emotions but leave the person in a state of high arousal. This psychological theory of coping disposition agrees very well with the clinical view of dysphoric state.

[Behavioral problems in children of Turkish guest workers in Vienna]. / Verhaltensprobleme türkischer Gastarbeiterkinder in Wien.

This paper describes the behaviour disturbances and emotional problems of Turkish immigrant children aged 9 to 13 years living in Vienna. The children's behaviour was rated with Rutter's scales and the relationship of the results to any language problems, the socioeconomic situation and the sociocultural background of the immigrant families was then analyzed. A consecutive series of 111 Turkish and 25 Austrian children were rated by their parents and by both Turkish- and German-speaking teachers. Psychiatric symptoms of the children's parents were assessed with the symptom checklist SCL-90. The prevalence of behavior problems did not differ between the Turkish and Austrian children, who were of similar social class. The most common symptoms were restlessness, overactivity, poor concentration and anxiety. Whereas socioeconomic and sociocultural factors did not influence the frequency or severity of behavior problems in the Turkish children, there was a highly significant relationship between behavior problems and problems with German or Turkish. Moreover, the children very frequently had problems with both languages. Therefore intervention strategies with such children should focus on the language problems.

[Management of breech delivery in primiparas - on the incidence of cerebral lesions. (author's transl)]. / Der Entbindungsmodus von Erstgebärenden aus Beckenendlage - ein Risikofaktor für den Zerebralschaden?

The investigation comprises a group of infants of primiparae with breech presentation after caesarean section and a group of infants delivered by means of manual aid. The school age children were examined on the incidence of brain injury. The investigation consisted of four parts; anamnesis, neurological status, EEG, psychological examination. Between these two groups there is not statistically-significant difference in the incidence of brain injury. The result of the investigation advocates the maintenance of selective sectioindication in case of primiparae and points to a possibly existing brain injury of infants with breech presentation before delivery.

Effect of bromazepam on gastric acid secretion related to hypnotically induced anxiety.

The effects of bromazepam (0.1 mg/kg b.w. i.v.) and of placebo on gastric acid secretion related to hypnotically induced anxiety were evaluated in a double blind study, 22 experiments were carried out on 4 healthy volunteers. Drugs were injected after one basal hour. Hypnosis was induced immediately thereafter, and a sequence of anxiety-charged situations out of the subjects past was recalled. After one hour, posthypnotic amnesia was suggested, the subjects awakened and observation continued for another hour. Acid output was measured by means of intragastric titration and a telemetering capsule. During hypnosis and recalling of anxiety in both series, acid output decreased. In the posthypnotic hour there was a significant increase of secretion in the placebo-series, while there was virtually no change in the the bromazepam-series. The pattern of acid output in the placebo-series seems to result from an activation of the sympathetic system under anxiety and a rebound vagal activation in the posthypnotic hour. By contrast, under the sedating effect of bromazepam, no anxiety could be evoked and no rebound vagal activation and thereby no increase of acid secretion resulted.