Goethe: A bipolar personality? Periodicity of affective states in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as reflected by Paul Julius Möbius

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 174-180
Author(s):  
Holger Steinberg ◽  
Peter Schönknecht

This paper aims to investigate the character and etiological basis of German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s mental disorder. From 1898, German neuropsychiatrist Paul Julius Möbius developed the hypothesis that Goethe’s work provided several hints for the notion that the German poet suffered from a distinct bipolar disorder. The paper investigates Möbius’s psychopathographic study on Goethe and his hypothesis of a mood periodicity in Goethe against the mirror of modern concepts. Möbius came to the conclusion that Goethe’s illness was bipolar in character and became visible at intervals of seven years and lasted for about two years. The majority of Möbius’s contemporary psychiatric colleagues (Emil Kraepelin, Max Isserlin, Ernst Kretschmer, Josef Breuer) supported this view which has still not been convincingly challenged. In present-day terms, Möbius’s hypothesis can be best mirrored as a subclinical foundation of mood disorder. Furthermore, with his extensive study, Möbius disproved the common notion that Goethe had suffered from an illness as the result of a syphilitic infection.

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Robert M. Post ◽  
Heinz Grunze

Childhood onset bipolar disorder (CO-BD) presents a panoply of difficulties associated with early recognition and treatment. CO-BD is associated with a variety of precursors and comorbidities that have been inadequately studied, so treatment remains obscure. The earlier the onset, the longer is the delay to first treatment, and both early onset and treatment delay are associated with more depressive episodes and a poor prognosis in adulthood. Ultra-rapid and ultradian cycling, consistent with a diagnosis of BP-NOS, are highly prevalent in the youngest children and take long periods of time and complex treatment regimens to achieve euthymia. Lithium and atypical antipsychotics are effective in mania, but treatment of depression remains obscure, with the exception of lurasidone, for children ages 10-17. Treatment of the common comorbid anxiety disorders, oppositional defiant disorders, pathological habits, and substance abuse are all poorly studied and are off-label. Cognitive dysfunction after a first manic hospitalization improves over the next year only on the condition that no further episodes occur. Yet comprehensive expert treatment after an initial manic hospitalization results in many fewer relapses than traditional treatment as usual, emphasizing the need for combined pharmacological, psychosocial, and psycho-educational approaches to this difficult and highly recurrent illness.


1998 ◽  
Vol 173 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare Harris ◽  
Brian Barraclough

BackgroundWe describe the increased risk of premature death from natural and from unnatural causes for the common mental disorders.MethodWith a Medline search (1966–1995) we found 152 English language reports on the mortality of mental disorder which met our inclusion criteria. From these reports, covering 27 mental disorder categories and eight treatment categories, we calculated standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all causes of death, all natural causes and all unnatural causes; and for most, SMRs for suicide, other violent causes and specific natural causes.ResultsHighest risks of premature death, from both natural and unnatural causes, are for substance abuse and eating disorders. Risk of death from unnatural causes is especially high for the functional disorders, particularly schizophrenia and major depression. Deaths from natural causes are markedly increased for organic mental disorders, mental retardation and epilepsy.ConclusionAll mental disorders have an increased risk of premature death.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zaheer Allam

AbstractAs the Blockchain technology is gaining momentum in popular culture through Cryptocurrencies, its full implication and application to businesses, on a concrete and factual level, is still seen to be in its infancy stage. While the technology provides numerous advantages regarding stability, trust, speed and others, the robustness of the technology is not widely disseminated. This is further coupled by the common notion of resistance to change in business management processes. This paper explores the concept of Smart Contracts through the blockchain technology and its relevance to the business sector and further outlines the advantages and limitations of its applicability as of date.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Alexander

Daylighting in architecture has traditionally been a practice-based, intuitive and experiential process, based on the common notion that daylight enhances our spatial and sensory awareness. This Thesis tests the effectiveness of daylight as a mechanism for creating a psychological and emotional impact, and promoting wellness within the confines of designed spaces. The creation of the project is based on a Maggie’s Cancer Centre model of patient-centric design. Maggie’s Centers have been traditionally located in suburban settings, where they may be ideally oriented for day-light infiltration and outdoor connectivity. The Maggie’s model promotes three primary design factors: i) abundance of daylight, ii) connection to nature, and iii) a de-institutionalized environment. The design project was purposefully situated within the specific constraint of an urban environment, in downtown Toronto, Ontario; where the goal is to achieve a spatial character that embodies these three design factors where daylight and access to views of nature are limited by the urban context. The project demonstrates a method of daylight centric design that utilizes three primary techniques for daylighting that were extracted from precedent analysis: i) Direct light, ii) Bounced light, and iii) Diffused light. Through the methodical harvesting and manipulation of daylight, the project highlights its potential for positively enhancing patient experience and aptly demonstrates the curation of varied experiential narratives in light.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael de Assis da Silva ◽  
Marcelo Baggi Tancini ◽  
Renata Lage ◽  
Rodrigo L. Nascimento ◽  
Cristina M. T. Santana ◽  
...  

Autobiographical memory is essential to ground a sense of self-identity, contributing to social functioning and the development of future plans, and being an essential source for the psychiatric interview. Previous studies have suggested loss of autobiographical episodic specificity in unipolar depression, but relatively fewer investigations have been conducted in bipolar disorder (BD) patients, particularly across different mood states. Similarly, there is a scarcity of systematic investigations about mood-congruent and mood-dependent memory in relation to autobiographical memory in BD. Considering this, a total of 74 patients with BD (24 in euthymia, 26 in mania, and 24 in depression) responded with autobiographical memories to cue words belonging to four categories: mania, depression, BD, and neutral. Episodic specificity was scored according to the Autobiographical Interview, with high intra- and inter-rater reliability. Results indicated that patients in mania generally re-experience more episodic details than those in depression. Depressed bipolar patients reported fewer details of perception and less time integration of memories than those in euthymia or mania. Words linked to depression and BD induced greater episodic re-experiencing than neutral words, just as words about BD provided greater episodic re-experiencing and more details of emotion/thoughts than words about mania. Words linked to depression provoked more time details about the recalled episodes than words on BD or neutral themes. No mood-congruent or mood-dependent effects were observed. Current findings may improve the ability of clinicians to conduct psychiatric interviews and the diagnosis of BD, with special attention to how memory details are generated across different mood states of the condition. Additionally, interventions to foster autobiographical recollection in BD may be developed, similar to what has already been done in the context of schizophrenia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Ferro

Background.Despite the considerable physical, emotional and social change that occurs during emerging adulthood, there is little research that examines the association between having a chronic health condition and mental disorder during this developmental period. The aims of this study were to examine the sex-specific prevalence of lifetime mental disorder in an epidemiological sample of emerging adults aged 15–30 years with and without chronic health conditions; quantify the association between chronic health conditions and mental disorder, adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors; and, examine potential moderating and mediating effects of sex, level of disability and pain.Method.Data come from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health. Respondents were 15–30 years of age (n = 5947) and self-reported whether they had a chronic health condition. Chronic health conditions were classified as: respiratory, musculoskeletal/connective tissue, cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine/digestive. The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 was used to assess the presence of mental disorder (major depressive disorder, suicidal behaviour, bipolar disorder and generalised anxiety disorder).Results.Lifetime prevalence of mental disorder was significantly higher for individuals with chronic health conditions compared with healthy controls. Substantial heterogeneity in the prevalence of mental disorder was found in males, but not in females. Logistic regression models adjusting for several sociodemographic and health factors showed that the individuals with chronic health conditions were at elevated risk for mental disorder. There was no evidence that the level of disability or pain moderated the associations between chronic health conditions and mental disorder. Sex was found to moderate the association between musculoskeletal/connective tissue conditions and bipolar disorder (β = 1.71, p = 0.002). Exploratory analyses suggest that the levels of disability and pain mediate the association between chronic health conditions and mental disorder.Conclusions.Physical and mental comorbidity is prevalent among emerging adults and this relationship is not augmented, but may be mediated, by the level of disability or pain. Findings point to the integration and coordination of public sectors – health, education and social services – to facilitate the prevention and reduction of mental disorder among emerging adults with chronic health conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 16-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnar Nesvåg ◽  
Jørgen G. Bramness ◽  
Marte Handal ◽  
Ingeborg Hartz ◽  
Vidar Hjellvik ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundAntipsychotic drug use among children and adolescents is increasing, and there is growing concern about off-label use and adverse effects. The present study aims to investigate the incidence, psychiatric co-morbidity and pharmacological treatment of severe mental disorder in Norwegian children and adolescents.MethodsWe obtained data on mental disorders from the Norwegian Patient Registry on 0–18 year olds who during 2009–2011 were diagnosed for the first time with schizophrenia-like disorder (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision codes F20-F29), bipolar disorder (F30-F31), or severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms (F32.3 or F33.3). Data on filled prescriptions for psychotropic drugs were obtained from the Norwegian Prescription Database.ResultsA total of 884 children and adolescents (25.1 per 100 000 person years) were first time diagnosed with schizophrenia-like disorder (12.6 per 100 000 person years), bipolar disorder (9.2 per 100 000 person years), or severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms (3.3 per 100 000 person years) during 2009–2011. The most common co-morbid mental disorders were depressive (38.1%) and anxiety disorders (31.2%). Antipsychotic drugs were prescribed to 62.4% of the patients, 72.0% of the schizophrenia-like disorder patients, 51.7% of the bipolar disorder patients, and 55.4% of the patients with psychotic depression. The most commonly prescribed drugs were quetiapine (29.5%), aripiprazole (19.6%), olanzapine (17.3%), and risperidone (16.6%).ConclusionsWhen a severe mental disorder was diagnosed in children and adolescents, the patient was usually also prescribed antipsychotic medication. Clinicians must be aware of the high prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders among early psychosis patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 952-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Platt ◽  
Katherine M. Keyes ◽  
Katie A. McLaughlin ◽  
Alan S. Kaufman

AbstractBackgroundMost research on the prevalence, distribution, and psychiatric comorbidity of intellectual disability (ID) relies on clinical samples, limiting the generalizability and utility of ID assessment in a legal context. This study assessed ID prevalence in a population-representative sample of US adolescents and examined associations of ID with socio-demographic factors and mental disorders.MethodsData were drawn from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement (N= 6256). ID was defined as: (1) IQ ⩽ 76, measured using the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test; (2) an adaptive behavior score ⩽76, and (3) age of onset ⩽18 measured using a validated scale. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed 15 lifetime mental disorders. The Sheehan disability scale assessed disorder severity. We used logistic regression models to estimate differences in lifetime disorders for adolescents with and without ID.ResultsID prevalence was 3.2%. Among adolescents with ID, 65.1% met lifetime criteria for a mental disorder. ID status was associated with specific phobia, agoraphobia, and bipolar disorder, but not behavior disorders after adjustment for socio-demographics. Adolescents with ID and mental disorders were significantly more likely to exhibit severe impairment than those without ID.ConclusionsThese findings highlight how sample selection and overlap between ID and psychopathology symptoms might bias understanding of the mental health consequences of ID. For example, associations between ID and behavior disorders widely reported in clinical samples were not observed in a population-representative sample after adjustment for socio-demographic confounders. Valid assessment and understanding of these constructs may prove influential in the legal system by influencing treatment referrals and capital punishment decisions.General Scientific SummaryCurrent definitions of intellectual disability (ID) are based on three criteria: formal designation of low intelligence through artificial problem-solving tasks, impairment in one's ability to function in his/her social environment, and early age of onset. In a national population sample of adolescents, the majority of those with ID met criteria for a lifetime mental disorder. Phobias and bipolar disorder, but not behavior disorders, were elevated in adolescents with ID. Findings highlight the need to consider how behavioral problems are conceptualized and classified in people with ID.


1980 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 2097-2101
Author(s):  
M. J. Yedlin

abstract A simple geometric construction is derived for the shape of the wave front in a homogeneous anisotropic medium. It is shown to be equivalent to the intuitive method of constructing a wave front using Huygen's principle. Although this construction has been referred to and tersely described in the literature (Musgrave, 1970; Kraut, 1963; Duff, 1960), it is instructive to demonstrate its relationship to the common notion of the wave front obtained via consideration of the group velocity. The wave front is shown to be the polar reciprocal of the slowness surface (the dispersion relation at constant frequency). An appreciation of the pole-polar correspondence between the two surfaces allows quick inference of some of the important features of the wave front in a homogeneous anisotropic medium.


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