Voice-Hearing and Personification: Characterizing Social Qualities of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Early Psychosis

Abstract Recent therapeutic approaches to auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) exploit the person-like qualities of voices. Little is known, however, about how, why, and when AVH become personified. We aimed to investigate personification in individuals’ early voice-hearing experiences. We invited Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) service users aged 16–65 to participate in a semistructured interview on AVH phenomenology. Forty voice-hearers (M = 114.13 days in EIP) were recruited through 2 National Health Service trusts in northern England. We used content and thematic analysis to code the interviews and then statistically examined key associations with personification. Some participants had heard voices intermittently for multiple years prior to clinical involvement (M = 74.38 months), although distressing voice onset was typically more recent (median = 12 months). Participants reported a range of negative emotions (predominantly fear, 60%, 24/40, and anxiety, 62.5%, 26/40), visual hallucinations (75%, 30/40), bodily states (65%, 25/40), and “felt presences” (52.5%, 21/40) in relation to voices. Complex personification, reported by a sizeable minority (16/40, 40%), was associated with experiencing voices as conversational (odds ratio [OR] = 2.56) and companionable (OR = 3.19) but not as commanding or trauma-related. Neither age of AVH onset nor time since onset related to personification. Our findings highlight significant personification of AVH even at first clinical presentation. Personified voices appear to be distinguished less by their intrinsic properties, commanding qualities, or connection with trauma than by their affordances for conversation and companionship.

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Voice-hearing and personification: Characterising social qualities of auditory verbal hallucinations in early psychosis.

10.31234/osf.io/rvfty ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ben Alderson-Day ◽

Angela Woods ◽

Peter Moseley ◽

Stephanie Common ◽

Felicity Deamer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Of Onset ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Auditory Verbal Hallucinations ◽

North East ◽

The North ◽

Bodily States ◽

Early Intervention In Psychosis ◽

Sizeable Minority ◽

Inductive Thematic Analysis

Background: Recent therapeutic approaches to auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) exploit the person-like qualities of voices. Little is known, however, about how, why and when AVH become personified. We aimed to investigate personification in individuals’ early voice experiences. Methods: We invited users of Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services aged 16–65 to participate in a semi-structured interview on AVH phenomenology. Voice-hearers in the first nine months of using EIP were recruited through two NHS trusts in the North-East of England. We used content and inductive thematic analysis to code the interviews, then examined key associations with personification using a variety of statistical methods. Results: Forty individuals participated between September 2017 and April 2019. Many participants reported a range of negative emotions (predominantly fear, 60%, 24/60, and anxiety, 62.5%, 26/40), visual hallucinations (75%, 30/40), bodily states (65%, 25/40), and “felt presences” (52.5%, 21/40) in relation to voices. Complex personification, reported by a sizeable minority (16/40, 40%), was associated with experiencing voices as conversational (OR = 2.56) and companionable (OR = 3.19), but not as commanding or connected to trauma. Neither age of onset nor time since voices were first reported related to voice personification. Conclusions: Our findings affirm recent investigations of the heterogeneity of AVH while offering new insights into the variety and significance of personified voices. Personified voices appear to be distinguished less by their intrinsic properties, commanding qualities or connection with trauma, than by their affordances for conversation and companionship.

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Alteraciones sistémicas y metabólicas producidas por lesión medular

Latin american journal of clinical sciences and medical technology ◽

10.34141/ljcs6429407 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 59-75

Author(s):

Gabriel Guízar Sahagún

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Daily Living ◽

Autonomic Function ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

Scientific Literature ◽

International Standards ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Cord Injury ◽

Life Threatening ◽

The Impact

Besides the well-known loss of motor and sensory capabilities, people with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience a broad range of systemic and metabolic abnormalities including, among others, dysfunction of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, and endocrine systems. These alterations are a significant challenge for patients with SCI because such disorders severely interfere with their daily living and can be potentially life-threatening. Most of these disorders are associated with impairment of regulation of the autonomic nervous system, arising from disruption of connections between higher brain centers and the spinal cord caudal to the injured zone. Thus, the higher and more complete the lesion, the greater the autonomic dysfunction and the severity of complications.This article summarizes the medical scientific literature on key systemic and metabolic alterations derived of SCI. It provides information primarily focused on the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of these disorders, as well as some guides to prevent and alleviate such complications. Due to the impact of these alterations, this topic must be a priority and diffuse to those involved with the care of people with SCI, including the patient himself/herself. We consider that any collaborative effort should be supported, like the development of international standards, to evaluate autonomic function after SCI, as well as the development of novel therapeutic approaches.

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Chronic Inflammation and Radiation-Induced Cystitis: Molecular Background and Therapeutic Perspectives

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10010021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Carole Helissey ◽

Sophie Cavallero ◽

Clément Brossard ◽

Marie Dusaud ◽

Cyrus Chargari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stromal Cells ◽

Therapeutic Strategy ◽

Randomized Trials ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Radiation Cystitis ◽

Fibrotic Process ◽

Radiation Induced ◽

Therapeutic Irradiation ◽

Underlying Pathophysiology

Radiation cystitis is a potential complication following the therapeutic irradiation of pelvic cancers. Its clinical management remains unclear, and few preclinical data are available on its underlying pathophysiology. The therapeutic strategy is difficult to establish because few prospective and randomized trials are available. In this review, we report on the clinical presentation and pathophysiology of radiation cystitis. Then we discuss potential therapeutic approaches, with a focus on the immunopathological processes underlying the onset of radiation cystitis, including the fibrotic process. Potential therapeutic avenues for therapeutic modulation will be highlighted, with a focus on the interaction between mesenchymal stromal cells and macrophages for the prevention and treatment of radiation cystitis.

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A Case of Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Presenting with Dry Cough

Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien des Sciences Neurologiques ◽

10.1017/s0317167100005072 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 243-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sandrine Larue ◽

Steve Verreault ◽

Peter Gould ◽

Michael B. Coulthart ◽

Catherine Bergeron ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Presentation ◽

Mutation Screening ◽

Disease Onset ◽

Visual Hallucinations ◽

Progressive Dementia ◽

Gene Encoding ◽

Progressive Ataxia ◽

Persistent Cough ◽

Jakob Disease ◽

Classical Triad

ABSTRACT:Background:Clinical diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is based on the classical triad of rapidly progressive dementia, myoclonus and abnormal EEG. The 200k mutation within the gene encoding PrP, located on the short arm of chromosome 20, accounts for more than 70% of families with CJD worldwide.Case Report:Herein, we report a patient who developed persistent dry cough and classical signs of CJD, including severe cognitive decline, cerebellar signs, and myoclonic jerks, leading to death a few weeks after disease onset. Mutation screening showed that he had the 200k point mutation in the PRNP gene. His mother had died twenty years earlier with neuropathologically confirmed CJD. She had presented a rapidly progressive ataxia with myoclonus, dementia, visual hallucinations, and the same persistent dry cough.Conclusions:The clinical presentation of this familial CJD case with persistent dry cough is quite unusual. Therefore, a neurological etiology should be sought when confronted with an unexplained persistent cough.

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Schwannomas of the Nose and Paranasal Sinuses

American Journal of Rhinology ◽

10.2500/105065893781976465 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 59-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

John R. Wanamaker ◽

Hayes H. Wanamaker ◽

Bernard Kotton ◽

Greg D. Akers ◽

Pierre Lavertu

Keyword(s):

Paranasal Sinuses ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

Clinical Course ◽

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Management Philosophy ◽

Nose And Paranasal Sinuses ◽

Therapeutic Tools ◽

Diagnostic Work ◽

Work Up

Schwannomas are benign neoplasms arising from the peripheral nerve sheath. The sinonasal tract is an unusual location for these neoplasms. Because of their rarity, few series have been reported. Five previously unreported cases of schwannomas of the nose and paranasal sinuses are presented that illustrate the spectrum of disease. The clinical presentation, diagnostic work-up, clinical course, and diverse therapeutic approaches will be discussed. A management philosophy based on the diversity of these tumors and their clinical behavior, and incorporating the new diagnostic and therapeutic tools available to the clinician will be presented. The implications of newer diagnostic techniques including sinonasal endoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and immuno-chemistry in the diagnosis and treatment of these tumors will be discussed.

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Treatment of infant leukemias: challenge and promise

Hematology ◽

10.1182/asheducation-2013.1.596 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 (1) ◽

pp. 596-600 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Patrick Brown

Keyword(s):

High Frequency ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

State Of The Art ◽

Poor Response ◽

Cooperative Groups ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Unique Biology ◽

Current Therapies ◽

Epidemiologic Features ◽

Infant Leukemia

Abstract Leukemia in infants is rare but generates tremendous interest due to its aggressive clinical presentation in a uniquely vulnerable host, its poor response to current therapies, and its unique biology that is increasingly pointing the way toward novel therapeutic approaches. This review highlights the key clinical, pathologic, and epidemiologic features of infant leukemia, including the high frequency of mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements. The state of the art with regard to current approaches to risk stratified treatment of infant leukemia in the major international cooperative groups is discussed. Finally, exciting recent discoveries elucidating the molecular biology of infant leukemia are reviewed and novel targeted therapeutic strategies, including FLT3 inhibition and modulation of aberrant epigenetic programs, are suggested.

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Fifty Years of Experience with Chordomas in Southeast Scotland

Neurosurgery ◽

10.1227/00006123-198502000-00007 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 166-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

P. O'Neill ◽

B.A. Bell ◽

J.D. Miller ◽

I. Jacobson ◽

W. Guthrie

Keyword(s):

Clinical Presentation ◽

Surgical Intervention ◽

Slow Growth ◽

Multicenter Trial ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Slow Growth Rate ◽

The Past ◽

New Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract We report the clinical presentation and management of 34 patients with a histologically proven chordoma, treated in the neurosurgical departments in Edinburgh and Dundee, over the past 50 years. Although these tumors are commonly regarded as being locally invasive with a variable, but generally slow growth rate, they can metastasize, and this may precede surgical intervention, as in one of our patients. Our cases are compared to those in previously published series, and a comprehensive review of the treatment modalities for tumors at various sites is presented. The optimal treatment to be recommended from our own experience, and that of others, is aggressive operation and radiotherapy. A combination of hyperthermia and chemotherapy has shown some promise, but remains untested, and highlights the need for a multicenter trial with long follow-up to allow the evaluation of new therapeutic approaches.

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Alterations in the intrinsic properties of striatal cholinergic interneurons after dopamine lesion and chronic L-DOPA

eLife ◽

10.7554/elife.56920 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Se Joon Choi ◽

Thong C Ma ◽

Yunmin Ding ◽

Timothy Cheung ◽

Neal Joshi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Normal Activity ◽

Sk Channels ◽

Intrinsic Properties ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Physiological Basis ◽

Cholinergic Interneurons ◽

Pharmacological Blockade ◽

Cholinergic Interneuron ◽

Spontaneous Firing Rate ◽

Small Conductance

Changes in striatal cholinergic interneuron (ChI) activity are thought to contribute to Parkinson’s disease pathophysiology and dyskinesia from chronic L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) treatment, but the physiological basis of these changes is unknown. We find that dopamine lesion decreases the spontaneous firing rate of ChIs, whereas chronic treatment with L-DOPA of lesioned mice increases baseline ChI firing rates to levels beyond normal activity. The effect of dopamine loss on ChIs was due to decreased currents of both hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) and small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK) channels. L-DOPA reinstatement of dopamine normalized HCN activity, but SK current remained depressed. Pharmacological blockade of HCN and SK activities mimicked changes in firing, confirming that these channels are responsible for the molecular adaptation of ChIs to dopamine loss and chronic L-DOPA treatment. These findings suggest that targeting ChIs with channel-specific modulators may provide therapeutic approaches for alleviating L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in PD patients.

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Childhood epileptic seizures imitating migraine and encephalitis

Srpski arhiv za celokupno lekarstvo ◽

10.2298/sarh1210558k ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 140 (9-10) ◽

pp. 558-562

Author(s):

Ruzica Kravljanac ◽

Milena Djuric

Keyword(s):

Antiepileptic Drugs ◽

Clinical Presentation ◽

Late Onset ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Epileptic Seizures ◽

Childhood Epilepsy ◽

Visual Hallucinations ◽

Seizure Recurrence ◽

Acute Therapy ◽

Epileptic Discharges

Introduction. Paroxismal events can resemble epileptic seizures, however, some epileptic seizures, especially benign occipital childhood epilepsies can imitate migraine, cycling vomiting or encephalitis. Objective. The aim of this study was evaluation of clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) features and outcome in children with benign occipital childhood epilepsies. Methods. Investigation included 18 patients with benign occipital childhood epilepsies hospitalized in the period from 2007 to 2010. The diagnosis was based on clinical and EEG characteristics of seizures, while treatment included acute therapy for seizures and chronic antiepileptic drugs. Prognosis was analyzed in terms of neurological outcome and seizure recurrence rate. Results. Benign occipital childhood epilepsy with early onset was diagnosed in 15 children. Vegetative symptoms, mostly ictal vomiting (13), eye deviation and loss of consciousness (13) dominated in the clinical presentation. The most frequent EEG findings showed occipital epileptic discharges. Benign occipital childhood epilepsy with late onset was diagnosed in three cases. Seizures were manifested by visual hallucinations, headache and secondary generalized convulsions. All three patients were administered chronic antiepileptic drugs and had good outcome. Conclusion. In our patients, clinical manifestations of benign occipital epilepsies had some similarities with clinical features of migraine and encephalitis. It could explain misdiagnosis in some of them. Knowledge about main features and differences between each of these disorders is crucial for making appropriate diagnosis.

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Blunt gastric rupture: a plural clinical presentation and literature review

BMJ Case Reports ◽

10.1136/bcr-2020-239942 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. e239942

Author(s):

Bruno Maltese Zuffo ◽

Pedro Souza Lucarelli-Antunes ◽

Luca Giovanni Antonio Pivetta ◽

José Cesar Assef

Keyword(s):

Clinical Presentation ◽

Clinical Suspicion ◽

Medical Community ◽

Gastric Injury ◽

Therapeutic Approaches ◽

Essential Step ◽

Gastric Rupture ◽

Rare Lesion ◽

Low Incidence ◽

Mechanism Of Trauma

Blunt trauma is still the leading mechanism of trauma found in patients admitted to trauma centres worldwide. In these patients, the gastric injury is a very rare lesion, occurring in less than 2% of all blunt traumas. Besides the low incidence, gastric rupture mortality is high, which makes the diagnosis an essential step. Thus, this study aims to report two blunt gastric injuries, with different clinical features, prompting the discussion about the main features of clinical suspicion and diagnosis, besides the main therapeutic approaches. Therefore, this study can alert the medical community to the quick diagnosis and assertive therapy, saving patients of unwelcome endpoints.

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