Schizophrenia in Greenland: a follow-up study

A total of 289 Greenlanders admitted for the first time to a mental hospital from 1980 to 1983, were followed for 7 years. Thirty-seven patients, 24 men and 13 women, were diagnosed with schizophrenia at least once during the follow-up period. The annual first admission rate per 100,000 was 41 for men and 23 for women. The schizophrenics were compared with a group of non-schizophrenics at the same age admitted in the same period. The main results were young age at first admittance, high male-female ratio and poor clinical and social outcome. The results were compared with WHO's cross-cultural studies. Young age and a high male-female ratio are in accordance with the developing countries, whereas poor outcome is in accordance with the industrialized countries.     

Parkinsonism in alcohol withdrawal: a follow-up study

Transient parkinsonism associated with alcohol intake and withdrawal has previously been described. We followed-up three patients with acute alcohol withdrawal-induced parkinsonism 9-11 years after their initial presentation. None showed any evidence of parkinsonism at follow-up. This suggests that withdrawal-induced parkinsonism is caused by a completely reversible abnormality in nigrostriatal dopamine transmission, which is unaccompanied by underlying nigral degeneration, as we had previously hypothesized.     

Hypochondriacal psychoses: a long-term follow-up

From a large series of delusional subjects 23 patients demonstrated hypochondriacal delusions as the main delusion during the long-term course of approximately 30 years. An extensive study of these cases reveals that the majority had abnormal premorbid personality, especially somatization, paranoid and/or avoidant traits. Previous and/or precipitating somatic illnesses, if present, were not very serious. The hypochondriacal preoccupation diminished in the long term, but the overall prognosis varied, as the patients did not belong to a uniform diagnostic category. Implications for the clinician in diagnosing and treating are discussed, and the importance of early detection of correct diagnostic category is stressed.