The Personality Sphere in Patients with Panic Attacks

One-year follow-up of cardiac anxiety syndromes. Outcome and predictors of course.

In a representative sample (n = 31) of patients with panic attacks and a cardiac anxiety syndrome, a prospective follow-up study after a 1-year interval was performed. At the follow-up assessment 33% of the patients were in remission, whereas the majority of patients had an unfavorable course. Avoidance behavior and female sexual status were found to be predictive for an unfavorable course. Within a matched-pair design controlled for age and sex, no difference between panic disorder with and without cardiac anxiety syndrome was observed in any psychosocial or psychopathological outcome variable. This result is an argument against the validity of the subtype cardiac anxiety syndrome.

The use of research assistants in polydiagnostic research.

Chronifizierte paranoid-halluzinatorische Psychose als Erstmanifestation einer HIV-Infektion?

In a 36-year-old patient an acute onset of psychosis occurred, probably due to HIV infection. For one year HIV-infection with reduced T4/T8 ratio had been known without clinical manifestation (stage IV B of the CDC-classification). He developed chronic delusional hallucinations, which persisted for more than one year in spite of adequate psychoactive drug therapy. So far AIDS-related dementia has not become evident. Focal lesions caused by opportunistic infections or tumour were excluded by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The latter revealed several small lesions and the brain scan showed a nonhomogeneous pattern of cerebral blood flow. CSF-examination disclosed a mild l…

Prediction of Course in Major Depression. Does Psychopathology Predict Future Drug Intake or Relapse?

The influence of medication on the course of major depression: a 3-year-follow-up with polydiagnostic measures.