On the Curability of Mental Diseases by “Shock” Treatment

1941 ◽  
Vol 87 (369) ◽  
pp. 529-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolf Freudenberg

The treatment of mental disorders by drastic methods coming as a “shock” to the patient was applied early in history all over the world (1). The severity of the procedure usually varies with the degree of civilization achieved. The earliest method was occipital branding. Water cures followed later: “The frantic person was placed with his back to the water without being permitted to know what was going to be done. He was knocked backwards into the water by a violent blow on the chest, when he was tumbled about in a most unmerciful manner until fatigue had subdued the rage.” Anglo-Saxon priests used a form of treatment described in Bald's Leechbook: “In case a man be a lunatic take the skin of a mereswine (porpoise), work it into a whip, swing the man herewith, soon he will be well. Amen.” (1).

Psychiatry ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 100-112
Author(s):  
N. Yu. Pyatnitskiy

The origin of the term and notion of “coenaesthesis” of German-speaking medical school was analyzed. Whereas in Germany the term “Coenaesthesis” was presumably fi rst used by J. Reil’s pupil Ch.F. Huebner (1794) in his written in Latin dissertation and the concept that considered the changes in “general feeling” as a ground for some psychiatric disorders was elaborated by J. Reil (1799, 1805), in Russia the similar ideas were expressed by A.F. Solnzev (1825) in his also written in Latin dissertation as D.D. Fedotov and V.G. Ostroglazov indicate. It may be assumed that the Scotch doctor A. Crichton (Alexander Kreiton in Russian transcription) contributed to the propagation of the concept of “Coenaesthesis” from Germany to Russia, due to his account of German concept of “General feeling” in his “Inquiry into the nature and origin of mental derangement” (1798) and succeeding fi fteen years work in Russia. In German-speaking psychiatry the Reil’s concept of “Coenaesthesis” was farther developed by Austrian doctor and psychiatrist E. von Feuchtersleben (1845), who underlined its meaning not only in hypochondrial but also in hysterical disorders and actively used the term “Coenaesthesis” along with the German term “general feeling”; the concept of general feeling is also refl ected in the famous W. Griesinger’s “Pathology and therapy of mental diseases”. In connection with the following separation from general feeling the muscular, temperature and pressure feelings its notion got narrowed as also the circle of mental disorders that was considered as determined by the different changes in general feeling. That is noticeable in German-speaking psychiatry in the concepts of R. von Kraft-Ebing and E. Kraepelin; while H. Schuele did not use the notion of general feeling at all. In Russia A.F. Solnzev’s concept of Coenaesthesis was for a long time forgotten, but in France in the second half of the XIXth century psychologist and philosopher Th. Ribot opened “cenesthesie” anew. In anglo-saxon psychiatry the disorders of general feeling were never considered as a special psychopathological syndrome (with the exception of its presentation by A. Crichton).


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miquel Martorell ◽  
Xavier Lucas ◽  
Pedro Alarcón-Zapata ◽  
Xavier Capó ◽  
Maria Magdalena Quetglas-Llabrés ◽  
...  

: Mental disorders comprise diverse human pathologies including depression, bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, and dementia that affect millions of people around the world. The causes of mental disorders are unclear but growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress and the purine/adenosine system play a key role in their development and progression. Xanthine oxidase (XO) is a flavoprotein enzyme essential for the catalysis of the oxidative hydroxylation of purines -hypoxanthine and xanthine- to generate uric acid. As a consequence of the oxidative reaction of XO, reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide are produced and, further, contribute to the pathogenesis of mental disorders. Altered XO activity has been associated with free radical-mediated neurotoxicity inducing cell damage and inflammation. Diverse studies reported a direct association between an increased activity of XO and diverse mental diseases including depression or schizophrenia. Small-molecule inhibitors, such as the well-known allopurinol, and dietary flavonoids, can modulate the XO activity and subsequent ROS production. In the present work, we review the available literature on XO inhibition by small molecules and their potential therapeutic application in mental disorders. In addition, we discuss the chemistry and molecular mechanism of XO inhibitors, as well as the use of structure-based and computational methods to design specific inhibitors with the capability of modulating XO activity.


Author(s):  
Kolarkar Rajesh Shivajirao ◽  
Kolarkar Rajashree Rajesh

The perfect balance of Mind and body is considered as complete health in Pāli literature as well as in Ayurveda. Pāli literature and Ayurveda have their own identity as most ancient and traditional system of medicine in India.The universal teachings of the Buddha are the most precious legacy ancient India gave to the world. The teachings are a practical code of conduct, a way of purity and of gracious living. There is a scientific study of the truth pertaining to mind and matter, and the ultimate truth beyond. In fact, the Buddha should be more appropriately known as a super-scientist who studied the entire laws of nature governing the Universe, by direct personal experience. The Buddha's rational teachings are clearly explained in the Eight-fold Noble Path, divided in three divisions of Sīla (morality), Samādhi (mastery over the mind), Paññā i.e. ‘Pragya' (purification of the mind, by developing insight). In Ayurveda Psychotherapy can be done by Satvavajaya Chikitsa and good conduct. Aim is to augment the Satva Guna in order to correct the imbalance in state of Rajas (Passion) and Tamas (Inertia). Sattvavajaya as psychotherapy, is the mental restraint, or a "mind control" as referred by Caraka, as well as Vagbhata is achieved Dnyan (education), Vidnyan (training in developing skill), Dhairya (development of coping mechanism), Smruti (memory enhancement), Samadhi (concentration of mind). According to WHO, Mental disorders are the common problem. The burden of mental disorders continues to grow with significant impacts on health and major social, human rights and economic consequences in all countries of the world.


1952 ◽  
Vol 98 (413) ◽  
pp. 515-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Yap

Few mental diseases have attracted the attention of medical men working in outlandish parts of the world more than Latah. This is due, not only to its intrinsic interest, showing as it regularly does the unusual symptoms of echolalia, echopraxia, and automatic obedience, but also to its remarkable geographical distribution. This illness was described by travellers to the Malay Archipelago in the latter part of the nineteenth century, but very similar reactions were later found to exist in other lands, known to the native peoples by other names. The term “Latah,” however, is the best known, and as the common features between these various reactions became apparent, it has been used as an inclusive name for them all. It is to-day employed with much the same connotation in the French, Dutch, Italian, and English literature, but the discussion of its nature betrays inadequate understanding, attempts at its nosological classification remain unsatisfactory, and speculations as to its aetology continue to be somewhat fanciful.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-39
Author(s):  
Kevin Morris ◽  
Mohammad Nami ◽  
Joe F. Bolanos ◽  
Maria A. Lobo ◽  
Melody Sadri-Naini ◽  
...  

Neurological disorders significantly impact the world’s economy due to their often chronic and life-threatening nature afflicting individuals which, in turn, creates a global disease burden. The Group of Twenty (G20) member nations, which represent the largest economies globally, should come together to formulate a plan on how to overcome this burden. The Neuroscience-20 (N20) initiative of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT) is at the vanguard of this global collaboration to comprehensively raise awareness about brain, spine, and mental disorders worldwide. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the various brain initiatives worldwide and highlight the need for cooperation and recommend ways to bring down costs associated with the discovery and treatment of neurological disorders. Our systematic search revealed that the cost of neurological and psychiatric disorders to the world economy by 2030 is roughly $16T. The cost to the economy of the United States is $1.5T annually and growing given the impact of COVID-19. We also discovered there is a shortfall of effective collaboration between nations and a lack of resources in developing countries. Current statistical analyses on the cost of neurological disorders to the world economy strongly suggest that there is a great need for investment in neurotechnology and innovation or fast-tracking therapeutics and diagnostics to curb these costs. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, SBMT, through this paper, intends to showcase the importance of worldwide collaborations to reduce the population’s economic and health burden, specifically regarding neurological/brain, spine, and mental disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (07) ◽  
pp. 831-840
Author(s):  
Avani S Bhuva ◽  
◽  
Dr. Dhirendra Mishra ◽  

Mental disorder is becoming one of the major health issues in society today. (WHO) depression will be the leading mental disorder all over the world by 2030. The timely prediction of such disorders is very essential for maintaining the health of human beings. These mental disorders are associated with different symptoms, some of these symptoms are visible in the form of facial expressions, gestures, change in voice modulation, etc. and some of them even cannot be noticed by naked eyes. Therefore, it is highly important to collect appropriate verbal and non-verbal symptom details about any individual along with using best-suited algorithms for accurate prediction using information technology. This paper explores different types of such symptoms associated with different types of mental disorders, their causes, and existing prediction-based solutions. The paper further presents the critical analysis of these aspects and proposes usages of biometrics-based traits for building better prediction systems for mental disorders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Russell Fulmer

AbstractPsychodynamic theory and practice has evolved from its psychoanalytic roots. The modern psychodynamic approach is among the most inclusive and versatile schools of thought available to therapists. With both cross-cultural application and a growing evidence base, psychodynamic therapy is practiced in many countries and cultures around the world. The dynamic approach is a system that touches on human development, personality, mental disorders, and of course, therapy. This article presents an overview of contemporary dynamic theory, its underlying philosophy, and its main objectives. 


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (S1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
N. Sartorius

The classification of mental disorders in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) will be revised in the course of the next three years and its publication (as the 11th Revision of the ICD) will be published, after the approval of the World Health Assembly in 2014. In parallel, the American Psychiatric Association created a Task Force which has begun work on the proposals for the revision of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual which is to be published as the DSM 5th Revision, in 2012. The World Health Organization has established a special advisory group that should assist it in developing proposals for the classification of mental disorders for the 11th Revision of the ICD and this group collaborates closely with the APA Task Force creating the DSM5 proposals.Numerous ethical issues arise in this process and need to be discussed now so as to inform the process of agreeing on the proposals for the new classifications. They include the importance of an internationally accepted classification as a protection against abuses of psychiatric patients; the need to set the threshold for the diagnosis of a mental disorder at a level ensuring that people with such disorders receive help, the need to avoid imposition of diagnostic systems or categories without sufficient evidence and others. The presentation will briefly discuss the process of constructing the proposals for the new classifications and ways in which the groups established by the WHO and the APA handle these ethical questions.


1960 ◽  
Vol 106 (442) ◽  
pp. 274-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang-Wei Chu ◽  
Mei-Chen Liu

This report is based on a survey of 1,716 Chinese patients admitted to the Peking Municipal Psychopathic Hospital during the years 1933–1943. It is mainly concerned with a statistical presentation of the relative frequency of the various mental disorders and with certain other data which may be of interest to psychiatrists and other members of the medical profession.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e15510110385
Author(s):  
Aline de Sousa Rocha ◽  
Benedita Maryjose Gleyk Gomes ◽  
Roberta Sousa Meneses ◽  
Marcos Antonio Silva Batista ◽  
Rosane Cristina Mendes Gonçalves ◽  
...  

The psychiatric reform that took place in Brazil carries characteristics of other movements that occurred in other parts of the world. The idea common to all movements is the struggle for the rights of the individual in mental suffering, seeking mainly the rupture of the mental model. These changes led to several transformations in the care scenario, for all professions directly linked to the patient. Nursing in turn has experienced and experiences significant changes in the provision of care. The aim of this study is to talk about nursing care for patients affected by mental disorder, making a temporal analysis of how this care occurred and how it presents itself in the current mental health conjuncture. The methodology is of the literature review type, which occurred through research in the databases BIREME, Lilacs, Scielo, BDENF and VHL. For this, the descriptors: nursing care for people with disorders were selected; nursing care for patients with mental disorders. In view of the results, it was evidenced that nurses are an important part of caring for patients with mental disorders, noting that these make up a multidisciplinary team and highlighting that care goes far beyond just caring for the patient, but that it consists mainly in the relationship with the patient's family, in bonding, in the work that aims at social reintegration and often also the family reinsertion of the individual. Profession that needs to undergo constant updates, but has experienced numerous transformations throughout this period of Reformation.


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