1/26. The reduction of soiling behaviour in an 11-year-old boy with the parent as therapist.An 11-year-old boy who had soiled daily for six years since entering school had threatened to commit suicide. Following an initial assessment, a parent was trained to monitor an experimental procedure that effectively reduced soiling to a level where the only occurrence noted in two months resulted from a bout of diarrhoea.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/26. Colorectal cancer complicating Crohn's disease.Some earlier studies have indicated that patients with inflammatory bowel disease, especially those with long-standing and extensive ulcerative colitis, have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. Moreover, others in tertiary care centres have suggested that patients with Crohn's disease also have a higher risk of colorectal cancer. Canadian data on colorectal cancer in Crohn's disease appear to be limited. For this investigation, a single clinician database of 877 patients with Crohn's disease was used. Altogether, there were six patients with colorectal cancer (ie, overall rate of 0.7%). All of these patients were men with an initial diagnosis of Crohn's disease established at a mean age of approximately 28 years, with either ileocolonic disease or colonic disease alone, but not with ileal disease alone. Although there was a predominance of women in the overall study population (ie, 56.1%), no women developed colorectal cancer. The clinical behaviour of Crohn's disease was classified as nonstricturing in all six patients with colorectal cancer, but in two patients, Crohn's disease was complicated by a perirectal abscess or a fistula. All cancers were located in the rectum and were diagnosed 30 years, 22 years, seven years, 18 years, 20 years and 40 years after Crohn's disease was initially diagnosed. In three patients, the cancer was detected in a residual rectal stump after a partial colon resection at least 10 years earlier. In five patients, localized extension of disease through the serosa, nodal or distant metastases (ie, liver, lung) was found at the time of cancer diagnosis; two patients have since died. The present study confirms that Crohn's disease involving the colon may be a possible risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer, at least in younger men, but, in this study, not in women. However, part of this increased risk in men may have been related to the presence of a rectal stump, rather than to Crohn's disease per se.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/26. Intragastric balloon for morbid obesity causing chronic gastric dilatation.We describe the radiographic findings observed in a morbidly obese and diabetic patient with an intragastric air-filled balloon introduced as a therapeutic measure to reduce food intake. The balloon was associated with chronic gastric dilatation and had to be removed 3 months after insertion. However, together with diet and behavioural therapy, it proved effective in reducing body weight and ameliorating glycaemic control. Although rarely used, intragastric balloons for the treatment of morbid obesity are still encountered in radiological practice. Radiologists must be able to recognize them and to understand their complications.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/26. Otorhinolaringologic manifestation of smith-magenis syndrome.smith-magenis syndrome (SMS) is a multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation (MCA/MR) syndrome link to a contiguous-gene deletion syndrome, involving chromosome 1 7p 11.2,whose incidence is estimated to be 1:25,000 livebirth. SMS is characterised by a specific physical, behavioural and developmental pattern. The main clinical features consist of a broad flat midface with brachycefaly, broad nasal bridge, brachydactily, speech delay, hoarse deep voice and peripheral neuropathy. Behavioural abnormalities include hypermotility, self-mutilation and sleep disturbance. This report defines the otorhinolaryngological aspects of a new case of SMS, confirmed by cytogenetic-molecular analysis, in a 9 year old girl affected by chronic otitis media, deafness and sinusitis, who presented with typical clinical signs and symptoms.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/26. An integrated physiotherapy/cognitive-behavioural approach to the analysis and treatment of chronic whiplash associated disorders, WAD.PURPOSE: The aim of this paper was to describe a model for an integrated physiotherapy/cognitive-behavioural approach in the analysis and treatment of chronic WAD patients, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach in three experimental single case studies. METHOD: Three patients with a diagnosis of chronic WAD were included in the study. Psychological and physical functional analyses were used to describe the problem areas and as a basis for the management of WAD. A programme including learning of basic and applied skills, generalization, and maintenance was carried through. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results showed that functional behavioural analyses can be useful in physiotherapy for structured patient assessment and in planning of treatment. It was also shown that physiotherapy integrated with cognitive behavioural components decreased the patients' pain intensity in problematic daily activities.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.75keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/26. Opioids in non-cancer pain: a life-time sentence?There is continuing reluctance to prescribe strong opioids for the management of chronic non-cancer pain due to concerns about side-effects, physical tolerance, withdrawal and addiction. Randomized controlled trials have now provided evidence for the efficacy of opioids against both nociceptive and neuropathic pain. However, there is considerable variability in response rates, possibly depending on the type of pain, the type of opioid and its route of administration, the time to follow-up, compliance and the development of tolerance. Five patients were selected with nociceptive or neuropathic pain in whom other pharmacological or physical therapies had failed to provide satisfactory pain relief. They received transdermal fentanyl (starting dose 25 microg/h) for at least 6 weeks. Transdermal fentanyl dosage was titrated upwards as required. Transdermal fentanyl provided adequate pain relief in patients with nociceptive pain (diabetic ulcer, osteoporotic vertebral fracture, ankylosing spondylitis) or neuropathic pain with a nociceptive component (radicular pain due to disc protrusion, herpetic neuralgia). The duration of treatment ranged from 6 weeks to 6 months for four cases. In the case of ankylosing spondylitis, treatment was carried out for 2 years, stopped and then restarted successfully. There were no withdrawal effects or addictive behaviour on treatment cessation, regardless of duration of the treatment. In conclusion, strong opioids may provide prolonged effective pain relief in selected patients with nociceptive and neuropathic non-cancer pain. Transdermal fentanyl treatment can often be temporary and can easily be stopped following adequate pain relief without withdrawal effects or any evidence of addictive behaviour.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/26. Residual cerebral activity and behavioural fragments can remain in the persistently vegetative brain.This report identifies evidence of partially functional cerebral regions in catastrophically injured brains. To study five patients in a persistent vegetative state (PVS) with different behavioural features, we employed [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), MRI and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) responses to sensory stimulation. Each patient's brain expressed a unique metabolic pattern. In three of the five patients, co-registered PET/MRI correlate islands of relatively preserved brain metabolism with isolated fragments of behaviour. Two patients had suffered anoxic injuries and demonstrated marked decreases in overall cerebral metabolism to 30-40% of normal. Two other patients with non-anoxic, multifocal brain injuries demonstrated several isolated brain regions with relatively higher metabolic rates, that ranged up to 50-80% of normal. Nevertheless, their global metabolic rates remained <50% of normal. MEG recordings from three PVS patients provide clear evidence for the absence, abnormality or reduction of evoked responses. Despite major abnormalities, however, these data also provide evidence for localized residual activity at the cortical level. Each patient partially preserved restricted sensory representations, as evidenced by slow evoked magnetic fields and gamma band activity. In two patients, these activations correlate with isolated behavioural patterns and metabolic activity. Remaining active regions identified in the three PVS patients with behavioural fragments appear to consist of segregated corticothalamic networks that retain connectivity and partial functional integrity. A single patient who suffered severe injury to the tegmental mesencephalon and paramedian thalamus showed widely preserved cortical metabolism, and a global average metabolic rate of 65% of normal. The relatively high preservation of cortical metabolism in this patient defines the first functional correlate of clinical- pathological reports associating permanent unconsciousness with structural damage to these regions. The specific patterns of preserved metabolic activity identified in these patients do not appear to represent random survivals of a few neuronal islands; rather they reflect novel evidence of the modular nature of individual functional networks that underlie conscious brain function. The variations in cerebral metabolism in chronic PVS patients indicate that some cerebral regions can retain partial function in catastrophically injured brains.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/26. Can pain-related fear be reduced? The application of cognitive-behavioural exposure in vivo.Although cognitive-behavioural treatments of patients with chronic pain generally are reported to be effective, customization might increase their effectiveness. One possible way to customize treatment is to focus the intervention on the supposed mechanism underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain disability. Evidence is accumulating in support of the conjecture that pain-related fear and associated avoidance behaviours are crucial in the development and maintenance of chronic pain disability. It seems timely to apply this knowledge to the cognitive-behavioural management of chronic pain. Two studies are presented here. Study 1 concerns a secondary analysis of data gathered in a clinical trial that was aimed at the examination of the supplementary value of coping skills training when added to an operant-behavioural treatment in patients with chronic back pain. The results show that, compared with a waiting list control, an operant-behavioural treatment with or without pain-coping skills training produced very modest and clinically negligible decreases in pain-related fear. Study 2 presents the effects of more systematic exposure in vivo treatment with behavioural experiments in two single patients reporting substantial pain-related fear. Randomization tests for AB designs revealed dramatic changes in pain-related fear and pain catastrophizing. In both cases, pain intensity also decreased significantly, but at a slower pace. Differences before and after treatment revealed clinically significant improvements in pain vigilance and pain disability.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/26. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis masquerading as chronic behavioural disturbance in an adolescent girl.AIM: To describe an unusual but treatable cause of behavioural disturbance in adolescence. methods: The case is reported of a 15-y-old girl presenting with acute confusion, memory problems and psychotic symptoms following an 18-mo history of change in personality, school failure and running away from home. A review of the literature is also presented. RESULTS: microbiology, toxicology, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging did not show any pathology of the central nervous system. Bilateral ovarian immature teratomas were eventually diagnosed and removed. The rapid improvement in the patient's mental and cognitive functions after corticosteroid treatment and the abnormality shown on the single photon emission computed tomography suggested a diagnosis of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis. CONCLUSION: Paediatricians and neurologists should be aware of this rare disease entity among the more common conditions of behavioural problems and substance abuse in adolescents.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.5keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/26. Atypical affective disorder with episodic dyscontrol: a case of von Economo's disease (encephalitis lethargica).The case is described of a patient with atypical affective disorder, episodic behavioural dyscontrol and parkinsonism resulting from presumed encephalitis lethargica. EEG abnormalities were found which were compatible with a post-encephalitic state and suggestive of epileptiform complications. Poor or deleterious response to neuroleptics, sleep disorder, and parkinsonism are features that may allow recognition of this illness in a psychiatric setting.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.25keywords = behaviour (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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