Mikrochirurgie lumbaler Bandscheibenvorfälle Üerlegene Ergebnisse der Mikrochirurgie im Vergleich zu Standard- und perkutanen Verfahren (Literaturübersicht)

In a meta-analysis of 69 prospective and retrospective studies, we investigated the value of various surgical techniques in the treatment of lumbar disk herniations. This analysis includes standard diskectomy (5080 patients from nine series), microdiskectomy (5354/23), and comparison of both techniques (2494/10) and furthermore chemonucleolysis (2729/16), laser therapy (881/3), percutaneous nucleotomy (3506/18), comparisons of percutaneous techniques (942/5) with microdiskectomies (561/5) and standard diskectomies (1020/6). Outcomes were rated according to Macnab's criteria: I "excellent", II "good", III "improved", IV "same as before", V "worse", I/II "markedly improved", III "partially improved", IV/V "not improved", I-III "successful", and IV/V "unsuccessful". Results after microdiskectomy were "successful" more often (90% vs. 95%), "good/excellent" more often (82% vs. 73%), and patients left the hospital sooner than with standard diskectomy. Recurrence rates were comparable (4%). Results of both open techniques were clearly superior to those from any type of percutaneous treatment: chemonucleolysis und laser therapy were "successful" in 69% and 70% of cases respectively, with recurrence rates of 17% and 18%, endoscopic nucleotomy was "successful" in 84% of cases, and recurrence rate was 14%. Please ask the author for the reference database.     

Four "alien" hands for two hands after a lesion in corpus callosum

Callosal lesions, associated or not to internal frontal lesions, may produce different types of complex gestural behaviors. Four signs can be identified, each of which has been generally reported separately: the "alien hand" sign, the "diagnostic apraxia", the "wayward hand" and the "callosal apraxia". Some authors justify considering these signs as different entities, while others propose regrouping them either in an unique syndrome--the "alien hand"--or as two syndromes--the "frontal alien hand" and the "callosal alien hand". We present the observation of a patient who presented with the four mentioned syndromes in association. In this context, we review the clinical features of each of the four signs and the arguments supporting their individualization.     

"Koro" (genital retraction syndrome): psychotherapeutic interventions

"Koro" is a belief or delusion of retraction of the penis into the abdomen. Originally thought to be a Chinese and Indonesian culture-bound syndrome, it has recently been noted to occur in "Western" patients. Two Western patients with this syndrome are described and their psychotherapeutic treatment and outcome outlined. A stepwise approach to the treatment of the Koro symptom is suggested.     

Prediction and profile of the long-stay population. A nation-wide cohort of first time admitted patients

A nation-wide cohort of 12,737 first admitted patients aged 15 years or more to Danish psychiatric institutions was followed in the Danish Case Register for a 10-year period. Long stay patients were delineated as: 1) patients whose first admission lasted for more than 1 year (new long-stay); or 2) patients who later had an admission lasting for more than 1 year (late long-stay). Together they comprised 420 males and 527 females with an incidence rate of 0.22 males and 0.27 females per 1,000. Up to age 65 males dominated, after 65 females dominated. Thirty-three percent of demential disordered and 24 of schizophrenics became long-stay patients. A multiple contingency analysis showed that the variables "age group", "main diagnosis", "size of municipality of residence" and "marital status" were independently associated with the outcome "long-stay". The two long-stay groups differed. New long-stay patients tended to be females, older, suffering from demential disorders and with a total hospital stay shorter than that of the long-stay population. In a multiple contingency analysis the variables "age group" and "main diagnosis" were independently associated with the outcome "new long-stay" and the variables "age groups", "main diagnosis" and "size of municipality of residence" with the outcome "late long-stay".     

Personality traits in young patients with Parkinson's disease

OBJECTIVES: It has been hypothesized that the dopaminergic deficit of older patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with a reduction in the dopamine-dependent personality trait "novelty seeking". It is unknown whether this may also be found in younger patients with PD whose dopaminergic deficit is considered to be purely motor. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We interviewed 122 patients below 51 years of age and 122 age- and sex-matched healthy controls with regard to clinical and sociodemographic data. Both groups had to fill out the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) of Cloninger. Neuropsychological testing of formal intelligence and depression was also applied. RESULTS: "Novelty seeking" was not different between both groups. Patients were more often depressed than controls, explaining their difference in "harm avoidance" on the TPQ. "Persistence", a sub-scale of the third TPQ dimension "reward dependence", was significantly higher in patients. Neither sex, nor age, nor educational status were correlated with one of the three personality traits. CONCLUSIONS: The higher rate of depression explains our finding of more "harm avoidance" among young PD patients. According to a literature review the choice and performance of controls is crucial whether personality traits in PD patients may be assessed as abnormal.     

The use of a psychiatric register in predicting the outcome "revolving door patient". A nation-wide cohort of first time admitted psychiatric patients

A nation-wide cohort of all first admitted patients to all Danish psychiatric institutions over a 1 year period and aged 15 years or more was followed for 10 years in the Danish psychiatric register. Revolving door patients were defined as patients with a minimum of four admissions and 1) no admission or discharge period lasting for more than 1/4 of the observation period or 2) at least four admissions over the first 1/4 of the observation period. The revolving door population comprised 1,397 patients with an incidence rate of 0.42 males and 0.32 females per 1,000. Forty-three point five percent belonged to the same diagnostic group at first and last diagnostic assessment ranging from 28.3% in "organic psychosis" to 57.6% in "neurosis". A multiple contingency analysis showed a number of variables at first admission significantly associated with the outcome "revolving door". Many were conditioned by others and the independent variables were "age group", "main diagnosis" and "sex". Patients aged 15-24 years constituted a high risk group among schizophrenics. The 15-24 age group was further at high risk among females with personality disorder or abuse and males with manic depressive and psychogenic psychosis. Living close to a psychiatric institution was in males associated with the outcome independently of age and diagnosis, in females it was restricted to personality disorder. Revolving door patients were significantly younger than others and more likely to suffer from schizophrenia or alcohol/substance abuse.     

Depressed in-patients respond differently to imipramine and mirtazapine.

Tricyclic antidepressants and more recent antidepressants are generally considered to have equivalent efficacy in the treatment of depression. After a previous report of a marked difference in the response to mirtazapine compared to imipramine, we report here an analysis of different symptom clusters. One hundred seven consecutive in-patients with major depression (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III-R, DSM-III-R) and a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRS-D) score of 18 points or more were randomly assigned to double-blind treatment. Two and four weeks after predefined blood levels had been obtained, the severity of depression was assessed using the HRS-D. The mean dosages used were 235 mg/day of imipramine and 77 mg/day of mirtazapine, the latter being in excess of the 15-45 mg/day range currently advised. Total HRS-D scores and seven symptom clusters were analyzed in the 85 patients (79%) who were not receiving any co-medication. Imipramine was more effective against the clusters related to core symptoms of depression: "depression and guilt", "retardation", and "melancholia", respectively. Mirtazapine showed a biphasic response with regard to the clusters "sleep" and "anxiety/agitation", respectively, which consisted of a marked response after two weeks of predefined blood level, but with a waning of this effect at four weeks. Imipramine produced a more gradual response on these clusters, which was more pronounced at four weeks than with mirtazapine. Two aspects of the present study could be related to this finding: blood level control resulted in optimal treatment with imipramine but not mirtazapine, and - most importantly - the patients were not receiving any anxiolytic or hypnotic co-medication. These findings suggest that mirtazapine may have anxiolytic and sedative properties and fewer antidepressant properties than imipramine in severely depressed in-patients.     

"Don't tell us--show us": the use of role play in the teaching of psychoanalytic theory

The psychological concepts associated with psychoanalysis are sometimes considered to be precious and somewhat irrelevant by professionals working with disturbed adolescents. Discussions (at a theoretical level) of these ideas may not highlight their usefulness in clinical situations. This paper describes the use of active role play techniques in a staff training group designed to teach about the "Inner World of the Adolescent". The fundamental features of "transference" and "counter-transference" were brought alive during these groups, and several other theoretical contributions of modern psychoanalysis were demonstrated within the setting of a training session. These groups were not intended to train "therapists", but to support and improve existing styles of work with adolescents.     

Trials of adjunctive alprazolam in "negative symptom" patients

Four case reports are described in which adjunctive alprazolam was administered to schizophrenic or schizoaffective patients who satisfied criteria for the syndrome of "negative symptoms". The addition of alprazolam to ongoing neuroleptic and antiparkinsonian drug treatment produced substantial clinical benefit in only one of these cases, and that benefit was not replicated in a second trial in this case. These results are discussed in comparison to previously reported findings in other alprazolam-treated "negative symptom" patients.     

Pathological protective and defensive reactions in early childhood

A group of pathological defenses has been observed in infants between three and eighteen months of age who have experienced danger and deprivation to an extreme degree. The early defenses, "avoidance", "freezing", and "fighting", are apparently summoned from a biological repertoire on the model of "flight or fight". Before there ist an ego, pain ca bei transformed into pleasure of obliterated from consciousness while a symptom stands in place of the original conflict.     

Significance and usefulness of corticospinal motor evoked potential monitoring for lesions adjacent to primary motor cortex]

This study evaluated the usefulness of intraoperative corticospinal motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring in preventing postoperative motor deficits, and whether this procedure contributed to surgery on intrinsic brain lesions in the vicinity of the motor area. The subjects were 45 patients with brain tumors located in and around the primary motor area. MEP was recorded through the cervical epidural electrodes in response to stimulation of the motor cortex. The amplitude of D-response of MEP was compared at the beginning and at the end of surgery. Then MEP changes were divided into five groups; "increase", "no change", "diminish", "decrease" and "disappear". We used the DeJong classification for qualitative analysis of motor function, and reviewed these findings in relation to the change in MEP. It was possible to record MEP when the preoperative motor weakness was DeJong 3 or better. There was no postoperative motor deficit when the MEP amplitude was preserved at better than 50% of a control amplitude. If the amplitude decreased to less than 50%, motor deficits were encoutered. When MEP amplitude increased during the surgery, preoperative motor weakness was improved after the surgery. It is concluded that there is little possibility of causing motor deficits even if tumor removal is aggressively pursued, as long as the amplitude of D-response remains at 50% or more of the baseline. This monitoring procedure is expected to improve the overall surgical results in patients with intrinsic brain tumors around the motor area.     

Personality disorders and "psychopathy" in sex offenders imprisoned in forensic-psychiatric hospitals--SKID-II- and PCL-R-results in patients with impulse control disorder and paraphilia

In order to clarify differential-diagnostic questions 47 mentally ill sex offenders (with impulse control disorder and paraphilia) were assessed with regard to comorbidity of personality disorders and "psychopathy". For this examination the SKID-II for personality disorders and the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R) were used. 72 % of the sex offenders showed at least one personality disorder. The highest prevalence was found for cluster-B disorders, first of all the antisocial personality disorder. Using a PCL-R cut off score of 25 (for Europe) 10 of the 47 subjects (21 %) were diagnosed as "psychopaths", whereas being a "psychopath" is associated with a number of different personality disorders. The importance of structured diagnostic with regard to comorbidity of personality disorders in sex offenders imprisoned in maximum security psychiatric hospitals is stressed, and furthermore there is evidence that the PCL-R is a valid instrument for prognosis, but not a psychological-psychiatric instrument for the assessment of personality disorders.     

Outcome of "unknown" head injury patients at a tertiary care neurosurgical centre

CONTEXT: A large number of patients are admitted to hospitals in large cities without any identification. These "unknown" patients represent a unique problem in developing countries. There is no systematic study in world literature on this subgroup of patients. AIMS: To elucidate the natural history and outcome of traumatic brain injury patients admitted in the department of neurosurgery as "unknowns". SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of all traumatic brain injury patients admitted to the department of neurosurgery as "unknown", between January 2002 and March 2005. RESULTS: Three hundred and twenty five patients were admitted as unknowns over a 3 year and 3 months period. Most of the patients were young males and became known during their hospital stay. Overall, 33 patients stayed for longer than one month, with 4 of them staying for longer than 6 months. Mortality in mild, moderate and severe head injury group was 1%, 6% and 46% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Unknown patients represent a unique subgroup in metropolitan cities like Delhi. Managing them raises several medico-legal issues. Many of them occupy hospital beds for longer duration than required. There is an acute shortage of rehabilitation homes in Delhi for long term care and rehabilitation of such patients.     

An "expanded stick" model for coding Golgi-impregnated neuronal morphology

A new model for coding Golgi-impregnated neuronal morphology, which can be implemented in any computer-assisted optical microscope, is described. This model, in addition to storing the three-dimensional coordinates of the selected neuronal points and their topological identifiers, codes for "width", "nature", and "shape". The "width" code digitizes the width of a neuronal process. The "nature" code can identify structures such as perikaryon, axon, apical dendrite, basal dendrite, etc. The "shape" code defines nodules and spines. Computer graphics routines are described for drawing nodules and spines as well as neuronal processes with "width".     

"Timer" neurons and "scanner" neurons in the visual cortex of the cat in response to low-contrast between stimulus and background

The characteristics of the reactions and the properties of orientation detection in neurons separated formerly into "timers" and "scanners" at a high contrast (100) were studied in experiments on unanesthetized, relaxed cats at a lower contrast level. It was found that all "scanners" preserved their properties and did not pass to the group of "timers". On the other hand, only 40% of the initial number of the "timers" remained in this group. Correlation of the properties of neurons of these groups remained as it was at maximum contrast: in "timers" the reaction began and reached the maximum earlier than in "scanners"; it was of a higher frequency and shorter and its characteristics of the orientation tuning were considerably worse. Neurons which passed from the group of "timers" at the lower contrast possessed characteristics intermediated between those of the "timers" and "scanners", approaching the latter by a number of properties. The obtained data confirm the conclusion about the presence and stability of the activity of the visual cortex neurons--"timers" and "scanners" within a wide range of conditions; the former carry out the function of synchronizers, the latter--the role of orientation filters reforming in time.     

Consideration of the concepts of "remission" and "cured" in schizophrenia: a male case who experienced schizophrenia with psycho-motoric excitation 30 years ago]

Since the era of Kraepelin and Bleuler, schizophrenia has been considered to be very difficult to cure. Even if all symptoms of its acute phase have disappeared completely, it is customary to use the terms say "remission" instead of "cured". The chief reason why they have been unwilling to say "cured" is that, even if the present state seems to be "cured", there will be surely another attack in near future, so, the non-symptomatic state should not be understood as "cured". Whether schizophrenic patients can be cured or not is one of the great problems of modern psychiatry. Is there no probability for them to be cured? Recently, after a 30 years gap, I came to meet a man who had had a schizophrenic attack of the psychomotoric type when he was 25 years old and had been sent to the mental hospital where I had been at work and, by chance, had engaged in his treatment. After about 5 months' of acute state, he came at, so to speak, "Residualzustand" (Conrad) for about 1 year and then got insight into his psychosis. After the discharge, he had visited me as an outpatient once a month regularly. About one year thereafter, the change of my work place made us separate from each other. Since then, he stopped visiting the doctor and also stopped taking anti-psychotic drugs. He married at 29 years old and had 2 daughters and a son. In addition, he had started to work for his father's business. After his father's death, he became the owner of 5 shops and the supervisor of 50 workers. Is he not yet "cured"? Is he only in the state of "remission" even now? According to the principle of Kraepelin and Bleuler, he is not "cured" yet, because he will surely have a psychotic exacerbation in future. I wonder then, what is the difference of the two concepts of "remission" and "cured", and how is it possible to change "remission" to "cured"? Even Bleuler, E. has written in his world-famous textbook that the longer the duration of remission after the last attack, the smaller the probability of the next attack, and that after about 5 years free of attack, another exacerbation would be very improbable. Supported by the experiences of Utena, Miya and so forth, I proposed a thesis that if a person who had undergone schizophrenic attack has been in complete remission for more than 10 years, he can surely be counted as "cured". To verify this probability about the outcome of schizophrenia, it is very important for us to observe any patient who has attained the state of complete remission, and to describe and report his state thereafter as long enough as