Has the cataphasic form of schizophrenia increased in modern times?

According to our investigations the incidence of cataphasia, which is a subtype of schizophrenia, has become more common in the last years and on average, has started earlier in life. As the central disorder of this illness concerns thinking perhaps there exists a relation of our finding to the rapid modern development of techniques, insofar as the cognitive function is overstrained in childhood and adolescence, when the nervous system has not matured yet. Introverted individuals seem to be at a particular risk. However, it must not be disregarded that cataphasia is an inherited illness which cannot be caused by external influences, but can only be promoted in its manifestation.     

Communication-promoting exercise therapy in a closed male psychiatric ward

The use of the communication-promoting gesture therapy in a locked psychiatric men's ward led to the result, that a part of the restlessness and aggression potential of the patients could be commuted into a constructive social behaviour. Simultaneous increased frankness and confidence of patients in physicians and male nurses. A tied group doesn't seem to be a condition for that.     

Subjective factor in EEG evaluation exemplified by the nonspecific hyperventilation effect

Subjective differences in EEG evaluation are demonstrated by means of a seven step scale for grading the unspecific hyperventilation effect in 3263 EEG of children. Intermediate steps of this scale allow to minimize such unavoidable differences.     

Validity of post-proline splitting dipeptidyl aminopeptidase activities in the cerebrospinal fluid for neurologic and psychiatric diagnosis

The dipeptidyl-peptidase activity of 650 liquores cerebrospinalis was obtained by means of the substrate Gly-Pro-NHNp (Gly-Pro-4-nitroanilid) at pHs of 5.5 and 7.4. In comparison with a reference collective, the suitability of the method as a supplementary liquor parameter in neurological psychiatric diagnosis was examined. The introduction of the measurement at pH 7.4 can be particularly recommended for the distinguishing of bacterial and nonbacterial meningitis.     

Perceptions by the aged of crime, criminals, and the criminal justice system

A general fear of crime victimization led to modified activities in the community and feelings of relative safety in their own area for 132 elderly respondents on a 24-item questionnaire. They held sympathetic views of crime perpetrators as disadvantaged victims of society themselves, but came to the unlikely conclusions that more police control and harsher prison sentences are needed.     

A new quantitative approach to the assessment of stages of vigilance as defined by spatiotemporal EEG patterning

Electroencephalographically oriented research on vigilance needs valid measures for assessing the level of vigilance between wakefulness and sleep. When studying different psychologically, psychopathologically, and pharmacologically induced states, special attention has to be paid to minor alterations of the level of vigilance which are reflected, essentially, in topographical changes of alpha-activity (Stage A). Since vigilance is a dynamic process, brief fluctuations in the range of a few seconds must also be recorded. In our opinion existing methods of quantification do not fully meet these demands. We have, therefore, developed a relatively simple procedure which can be characterized as an attempt quantitatively to reconstruct visually, i.e., spatiotemporally defined patterns of vigilance. The usefulness of this method, which also has certain limitations, has been demonstrated in psychopharmacological studies.     

Effect of directed attention on cerebral asymmetries in stuttering adults

9 stutterers and 9 nonstutterers were administered a dichotic digits test under conditions of free recall and directed attention. Analysis indicated right-ear preference for both groups and no differences between the free recall and directed listening conditions. Results are discussed in relation to previous studies in which dichotic digit-stimuli were presented to stutterers.