Status of perfusion scintigraphy in the diagnostic strategy in cerebrovascular disorders and space-occupying lesions

The results of an evaluation of the perfusion scintigraphy findings of 350 hospitalised neurological patients and 55 more strictly selected neurosurgical patients with cerebrovascular complaints, revealed an accuraty of 83%, a sensitivity of 89%, and a specificity of 83%. The selection of the patients had no influence on the results as a whole. Compared with contrast-medium angiography, incorrect diagnosis must be expected in 17% of the cases. This includes erroneous negative findings in 10% of the cases. Grounds for misinterpretations are suggested, and the biological and methodological limitations of the method are set forth.     

Diagnostic value of myelography as an expanded clinical study method

The paper investigates 54 myelograms and their influence on diagnostic thinking efficacy, on patient management efficacy, and on ultimate outcome efficacy, using statistical methods. Conventional myelography contributes to diagnostic thinking efficacy having a LLR- value of approximately 0.9. With an accuracy value of 0.95 it can be regarded as a reliable method of diagnosis. It alters diagnostic thinking efficacy in no less than 83% (94%) of the cases and patients management efficacy in 89%. Thus, by definition, myelography may be said to affect the state of health of the myelographed patients in 94.4%.     

A view of aggression in phobic states

This article attempts to apply a theory of aggression as motivation to overcome obstacles to the understanding of phobic states and their formation. The role of aggression in the genesis of phobic conditions is discussed, and the traditional analytic view of aggression as instinctual drive is contrasted with a motivational approach. The motivational view offers the advantage of a clearer understanding of the stimulus contexts, representational connections, and both real and imaginary object connections that are lacking in the more traditional understanding of aggression as a biological drive.     

Psychopathology of progressive paralysis. Remarks on some personal cases

Four of our own cases that presented a clinical picture of dementia are discussed. A study of the relative literature has failed to reveal any "swing" in the pattern of the clinical condition: Just as it did ninety years age, paralytic dementia accounts today for well over 60% of all cases, those clinical pictures erroneously regarded as "typical" "classic", accounting for a mere 10%-15% of cases. The need for routine lues serology is pointed out.