Graphology and psychiatric diagnosis: Is the writing on the wall?

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-54
Author(s):  
Mary Davoren ◽  
Natalie Sherrard ◽  
Eugene Breen ◽  
Brendan D. Kelly

AbstractObjective: To review the role of handwriting analysis in psychiatry.Method: Case-report and review of key papers.Results: M, a 27-year-old man, presented with incoherent speech, palilalia, logoclonia, incongruous affect, paranoid delusions and auditory hallucinations. M was diagnosed with schizophrenia and cannabis misuse, complicated by speech and language difficulties. M spent long periods writing on pieces of paper; towards the start of his admission, his writing was unintelligible but became more intelligible as his psychosis resolved. M's handwriting demonstrates clinical features of psychosis (e.g. clang associations) and graphological abnormalities associated with schizophrenia in the literature (rigidity in letter-formation, mechanical expressions, and tendency toward over-use of straight lines).Conclusion: Analysis of handwriting is likely to play a limited role in psychiatric diagnosis but may prove useful in monitoring clinical improvement in certain patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-224
Author(s):  
Hyeong Seop Kim ◽  
Heesuk Shin ◽  
Chul Ho Yoon ◽  
Eun Shin Lee ◽  
Min-Kyun Oh ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Aurora Alessandrini ◽  
Giancarlo Brattoli ◽  
Bianca Maria Piraccini ◽  
Ambra Di Altobrando ◽  
Michela Starace

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans (KFSD) is a rare, X-linked, hereditary disorder of keratinization, characterized by skin involvement and progressive scarring alopecia of scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes. The diagnosis is helped by the particular clinical features, but pathology is mandatory. <b><i>Case Presentation:</i></b> We described a case of a female patient referred to the outpatient’s hair consultation of our department, in which we performed trichoscopy as a very useful tool for the diagnosis, followed by pathology that confirmed KFSD. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In our article, we underlined the importance of trichoscopy for the diagnosis of this hair disease, with also a review of the literature on diagnosis and treatment.


2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1469-1469
Author(s):  
A. Paraschakis ◽  
G. Molochas

AimTo impress the diversity of positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.MethodCase report and review of the literature (PubMed).ResultsMale patient, 43 years old, single, elementary school graduate, living with his mother. First hospitalization.Clinical featuresPersecutory ideas and auditory hallucinations dating from 8 months: he was convinced that his neighbor wanted to harm him; for this reason he had recruited his dog. He noted that the dog was following him when he was going out in the neighborhood, and was very aggressive towards him (he“heard” the dog barking at him continuously). His fear made him stop working (scrap dealer) and he was afraid of coming out of his home. He had even thought of poisoning the animal. Laboratory as well as neuroimaging exams (EEG, brain CT) were normal. The patient was treated with haloperidol (30 mg daily) and olanzapine (15 mg daily). He was discharged after 18 days. Three months later, he spontaneously stopped medication (15 mg olanzapine daily); in three weeks time the same ideas had resurfaced and was “hearing” the neighbor's dog barking again loudly at him. Since then he takes his medication regularly without experiencing any symptoms. Only one relevant article was found in the literature (Dening, T.R., and West, A.“The Dolittle phenomenon: hallucinatory voices from animals”, Psychopathology. 1990; 23: 40–45).ConclusionsAnimals could, rarely, play a key role in the delusional ideas of patients with schizophrenia. This doesn’t make these ideas less debilitating or even potentially dangerous.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Lisa Sheridan ◽  
Cathy McHale ◽  
Joshi Dookhy ◽  
Tara Coughlan ◽  
Desmond O'Neill ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) is recognised as having a unique role in contributing to the overall neuropsychological assessment of people living with dementia and cognitive impairment. The role of the SLT within a memory clinic has become more widely understood. It is now recognised that speech and language characteristics are reported to be amongst the most reliable behavioural markers for distinguishing amongst different dementia subtypes, and specific analysis of a language production and delivery facilitates timely and more accurate diagnosis. Methods Patients with a language predominant presentation or those with subjective complaints of speech/language difficulties were referred for SLT assessment through the tertiary memory assessment and support service from January 2018 – March 2019. Assessment of speech and language skills, and overall cognitive communications skills were reviewed, and this information was used to aid with differential diagnosis and contribute to the person’s overall cognitive profile. The SLT attends weekly memory service interdisciplinary consensus diagnosis conference. Data was collected on these patients to observe the profiles of those patients referred to SLT. Results 22 patients were seen for full SLT assessment during this period, 13 women, 9 men; mean age 69.5 (range 48- 80). Diagnoses include: AD (32%), FTD behavioural variant (14%), Primary Progressive Aphasia (14%), Non-amnestic MCI (18%), Amnestic MCI (14%), Other neurological disorder (8%). 68% of these patients required ongoing SLT intervention for their cognitive communication difficulties following diagnosis. Conclusion SLTs fulfil an integral role in supporting both the diagnostic and post-diagnostic care pathways of people living with dementia and cognitive impairment attending memory services. SLTs have a unique role and skillset in identifying the specific nature of language difficulties for a person with dementia or cognitive impairment and in reducing the impact of the communication difficulties for the person and for their family members.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43
Author(s):  
Tracy Lazenby-Paterson ◽  
Hannah Crawford

The literature recognizes the important role of the Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) in the treatment of communication and swallowing disorders in children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). However there is also a need to emphasize the importance of specialist SLP input across the lifespan of people with ID, and to recognize the specific, ongoing and changing communication and swallowing needs of adults with ID as they get older.


2014 ◽  
Vol 75 (S 02) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Heredero ◽  
J. Solivera ◽  
A. Romance ◽  
A. Dean ◽  
J. Lozano

Author(s):  
CHAITHRA KALKUR ◽  
NILOFER HALIM ◽  
ANUSHA RANGARE ◽  
Rumisha .

Ectodermal dysplasia is a heterogeneous group of inherited disorder affecting two or more ectodermally derived tissues such as skin, hair, nails, eccrine glands and teeth. The disorder is of two types: Hypohydrotic ectodermal dysplasia/Christ seimens –Touraine syndrome and Hydrotic ectodermal dysplasia/clousten syndrome. Commonly associated signs include hypohidrosis, anomalous dentition, onychodysplasia, hypotrichosis. Multidisciplinary approaches are required for optimal treatment3. Here, we present two cases of 19 and 13 year old male siblings who were diagnosed with the disorder based upon their clinical features. Key Words: ectodermal dysplasia, hypodontia; anomalous dentition.


Author(s):  
Margarida Victor ◽  
Ana Goncalves Ferreira ◽  
Susana Carmona ◽  
Henrique Vara Luiz ◽  
Maria Carlos Cordeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  

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