Somatization in adolescence with reference to dysmorphophobia

Abstract An adolescent male obtained a position in a large business with assistance from others. Initially he had tension headaches due to maladjustment. He then showed signs of dysmorphophobic symptoms, expressed as a dissatisfaction with his nose. Subsequently, he had cosmetic rhinoplasty twice for esthetic reasons. After a few years, he presented with a psychosis. During treatment his symptoms developed into headache and fever that disappeared upon recovery. He was therefore able to seek employment independently. This transition of symptoms assumes an aspect of adolescent mentality and presents a trial and error approach to establishing a social identity. In general, somatization is assumed to be an immature defense mechanism of individual psychopathology. However, somatization may be a sign of an improvement in one's health. Somatization in adolescence may also be a sign of the beginning of a reintegration into society and have a bridging functional aspect that induces socialization in adulthood.     

Novel Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation System for Treatment of Dysphagia after Brain Injury

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a novel neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to the effects of conventional treatment in patients with dysphagia after brain injury. In total, 26 patients were non-randomly divided into an experimental group (n = 12) and a control group (n = 14). The experimental group received NMES intervention followed by conventional treatment, including thermal-tactile stimulation with intensive repetition of a dry-swallow task. The control group received conventional treatment without NMES. NMES at a fixed pulse duration of 50 μs and a frequency of 50 Hz was delivered over the skin areas above the motor point of the target muscles, i.e., the bilateral geniohyoid, mylohyoid/anterior belly of the digastric, and thyrohyoid muscles, using a high-voltage pulsed-current device. The two groups received 40-min treatments once a day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. Outcome, assessed before and 8 weeks after treatment, was evaluated with regard to the videofluoroscopic dysphagia scale (VDS), the anterior and superior displacement of the hyoid bone and larynx, and the functional oral intake scale. Both groups exhibited improvement, but the experimental group exhibited more significant improvement in the displacement of the hyoid bone and larynx, VDS-total score, and VDS-pharyngeal score than the control group did. The results suggest that NMES combined with conventional treatment is superior to conventional treatment alone in patients with dysphagia following treatment for brain injury. Further investigations are necessary to examine the effects of NMES in patients with more varied types of diseases.     

Comparison of Naftopidil 75 mg with Tamsulosin Hydrochloride 0.2 mg in the Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Objective: To compare the efficacy of two α₁‐adrenoceptor antagonists, α_1D‐adrenoceptor‐selective naftopidil (Naf) 75 mg and α_1A‐adrenoceptor‐selective tamsulosin hydrochloride (Tam) 0.2 mg, for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: Seventy‐seven patients with LUTS secondary to BPH were enrolled. Data were gathered from patients retrospectively: 41 patients who were prescribed Naf 75 mg for 4 weeks and 36 patients who were prescribed Tam 0.2 mg for 4 weeks, respectively. The efficacy criteria were improvement in LUTS International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality of life (QOL) scores after dosing. Results: Naf 75 mg significantly improved symptoms in all 11 categories (overall IPSS, incomplete emptying, voiding symptoms [Intermittency, poor flow and straining], storage symptoms [daytime frequency, urgency and nocturia frequency], QOL index, intermittency, poor flow, straining, daytime frequency, urgency, and nocturia frequency) (P < 0.05). Tam 0.2 mg significantly suppressed 10 of the 11 tested symptom categories except straining (P < 0.05). Comparison data of the two drugs tended to show Naf 75 mg had better efficacy on nocturia frequency than Tam 0.2 mg (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Naf 75 mg might show a better efficacy for LUTS with BPH in nocturia frequency than Tam 0.2 mg.