scholarly journals The demands of comorbidity: Implications for the explanation and classification of mental disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amie M. Sinden

<p>A central goal of psychiatric classification is to assist in the assessment and treatment of those who experience mental disorder. This challenge takes on greater significance in complex cases, especially given the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity. High rates of comorbidity also challenge the validity of current psychiatric nosology. Etiological classification has been promoted as an alternative to improve the state of psychiatric diagnosis. However, comorbidity makes specific conceptual, explanatory and methodological demands of any such classification strategy. In this thesis, a demand for coherent and integrative explanation of comorbidity acts as a standard by which to assess the strength of different causal models of mental disorder and their resultant concepts. Integrative pluralism is presented as an epistemological framework well-suited to the complexity of this scientific challenge.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Amie M. Sinden

<p>A central goal of psychiatric classification is to assist in the assessment and treatment of those who experience mental disorder. This challenge takes on greater significance in complex cases, especially given the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity. High rates of comorbidity also challenge the validity of current psychiatric nosology. Etiological classification has been promoted as an alternative to improve the state of psychiatric diagnosis. However, comorbidity makes specific conceptual, explanatory and methodological demands of any such classification strategy. In this thesis, a demand for coherent and integrative explanation of comorbidity acts as a standard by which to assess the strength of different causal models of mental disorder and their resultant concepts. Integrative pluralism is presented as an epistemological framework well-suited to the complexity of this scientific challenge.</p>


Author(s):  
Marco Del Giudice

The chapter discusses the definition of mental disorder, reviews the biological explanations for vulnerability to disease, and presents a detailed taxonomy of undesirable conditions that may be regarded as disorders in a broad sense (whether or not they involve genuine dysfunctions). After detailing the main evolutionary and developmental processes that can lead to psychopathology, the chapter addresses some important questions about the structure and classification of disorders and the nature of psychiatric comorbidity. The chapter also considers the strengths and weaknesses of other emerging approaches: computational psychiatry, the network approach to psychopathology, the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), and transdiagnostic models such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP).


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidan G.C. Wright ◽  
Leonard Simms

Background: Psychiatric comorbidity is extensive in both psychiatric settings and the general population. Such comorbidity challenges whether DSM-based mental disorders serve to effectively carve nature at its joints. In response, a substantial literature has emerged showing that a small number of broad dimensions—internalizing, externalizing, and psychoticism—can account for much of the observed covariation among common mental disorders. However, the location of personality disorders within this emerging metastructure has only recently been studied, and no studies have yet examined where pathological personality traits fit within such a broad metastructural framework.Methods: We conducted joint structural analyses of common mental disorders, personality disorders, and pathological personality traits in a sample of 628 current or recent psychiatric outpatients. Results: Bridging across the psychopathology and personality trait literatures, the results provide evidence for a robust five-factor metastructure of psychopathology, including broad domains of symptoms and features related to internalizing, disinhibition, psychoticism, antagonism, and detachment. Conclusions: These results reveal evidence for a psychopathology metastructure that (a) parsimoniously accounts for much of the observed covariation among common mental disorders, personality disorders, and related personality traits, and (b) provides an empirical basis for the organization and classification of mental disorder.


2020 ◽  
pp. 84-89
Author(s):  
Inna Ivanovna Lapkina

Today, around 50 million people worldwide suffer from cataracts, more than a half of them need surgical treatment. High prevalence of this pathology in Ukraine, the need to improve the provision of ophthalmic care to patients, and the reform of the health care system have made the research relevant. Concomitant diseases and special conditions of the eye increase the risk of intra− and postoperative complications, worsen the functional parameters of patients after surgery. In order to develop a unified approach to the treatment of complicated cataracts based on diagnostically related groups of patients, a retrospective analysis of case histories of patients with different variants of complications related to the condition of the lens itself, its ligament apparatus and other structures of the eye was conducted. In each case, the surgeon has to choose the appropriate modification of cataract phacoemulsification surgery. The study proposed the classification of cataract phacoemulsification modifications on the basis of the techniques and the sequence of operation stages, taking into account the classification of the degrees of turbidity of the lens, proposed by L. Buratto. It has been noted that in complicated cases, according to the indications of the patient, surgery may be performed on several modifications of cataract phacoemulsification. The developed classification made it possible to generalize the various variants of pathology and greatly facilitate the choice of tactics of surgical treatment in complicated cataracts. It can be used not only for practical application, but also for improving the qualification of trained professionals. The prospect of further research is to identify contraindications for outpatient treatment of the patients with complicated cataracts. Key words: cataract complication, classification of phacoemulsification modifications, diagnostically related groups.


Author(s):  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
Prabhas Kumar ◽  
Rama Krishna Roy ◽  
Rashmi Rekha Kumari ◽  
Abhay Kumar ◽  
...  

Background: Water buffaloes are important milch species of tropical and subtropical countries. In general, they are considered to more resistant to diseases compared to crossbred cattle. However, a recent problem of tick-borne diseases in the water buffaloes by the field veterinarians and farmers causing production losses was observed. The study was conducted to explore the spectrum of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) infections in buffaloes and analyze the associated risk factors. Methods: Acute-phase response, cytokine and oxidative stress in infected buffaloes with TBDs were evaluated and compared with the negative buffaloes (control) to elucidate their role in pathogenesis and outcome of infection. The study was undertaken in 107 tick-infested water buffaloes. The conventional Giemsa stained blood smear (GSBS) based confirmation and classification of infection of haemo-parasites were made. The statistical model was used to understand their relevance with TBDs. Conclusion: Tick-borne disease in water buffaloes must be looked upon seriously to maintain good productivity. The buffaloes are often accompanied by low and un-yielding clinical symptoms due to associated co-infections of haemo-parasites. Our study showed that the buffaloes had a high prevalence (47.66%) of haemo-parasites transmitted by the ticks associated with co-infections and a low level of parasitemia. Most buffaloes responded symptomatically with the different modalities administered. Production parameter was not restored post 15 days of treatment. Oxidative stress is one of the important mechanisms of production losses in infected buffaloes.


Author(s):  
Aleksey Borisovich Petrukhin

Gastroenterology belongs to one of the leading branches of therapy. In the structure of diseases of the internal organs, diseases of the digestive system occupy a particularly important place due to their high prevalence, which increases with age. As a rule, these diseases have a chronic, progressive, recurrent course, which ultimately leads to severe disorders of the activity of many organs and systems of the body. The article presents the basic requirements for the formation of a clinical diagnosis of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are most common in the practice of a family doctor.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
E U Iwuozo ◽  
J O Enyikwola ◽  
I O Obekpa ◽  
O O Ijachi ◽  
A A Godwin ◽  
...  

Electroencephalography (EEG) remains an important investigative tool in supporting the diagnosis and classification of various seizure types. We sought to examine and characterize the EEG findings from all patients referred for the procedure. This cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out at an EEG unit in Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, Benue State, North Central Nigeria from May 2016 to December 2020. Relevant patients' information were extracted and analysed using SPSS version 21. A total of 484 patients were seen over the study period with age range of 1-87 years and median age of 23 years. They comprised of 254 (52.5%) male and 230 (47.5%) female. The psychiatrist and the Physicians/Neurologist referred most of them for EEG, 201 (41.5%) and 124 (25.6%) respectively. The most reported indication for EEG was clinical suspicion of seizure disorder 291 (60.1%), whilst some did not have a clear indication 111 (22.9%). About 417 (86.2%) of our patients had abnormal EEG finding out of which 414 (99.3%) were diagnostic of seizure disorder made up of generalized seizure in 255 (61.6%) and focal seizure in 159 (38.4%). About 237 (48.9%) of them were already on antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at referral of which 190 (80.2%0 were taking carbamazepine. This study showed a high prevalence of abnormal EEG with most of them diagnostic of seizure disorder especially generalized seizure. They were mostly of younger age group with about half of them already on AEDs at referral, majority of who were sent by the Psychiatrist.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 64-68
Author(s):  
N. Vechkanova ◽  
N. Stepanov ◽  
I. Mashnin ◽  
Z. Duvayarov ◽  
V. Selkin

Hydronephrosis refers to diseases of the urinary system, which are characterized by high prevalence. Moreover, this pathology of all obstructive uropathies, leading to a decrease in the function of the renal parenchyma, accounts for up to 15% of cases. Therefore, the search for various markers involved in the development and progression of kidney damage is particularly relevant, since in the literature there are very contradictory data. Our article presents the results of a survey of 40 patients with established and confirmed diagnosis of stage I hydronephrosis (according to the classification of N. A. Lopatkin), and 20 completely healthy people (control group). All patients initially and at the end of the study determined the levels of cytokines: IL-1a, IL-1b, IL-1ra and G-CSF. We found that patients with hydronephrosis had higher rates of pro-inflammatory components of the IL-1β system: IL-1β — 104.42 (75% CI [111.8–151.4]) pg/ml, which was significantly higher than in the control group 3.7 times. In patients with hydronephrosis, there is an increase in the levels of IL-1β, IL-1a, and G-CSF against the background of a decrease in IL-1ra. The study of the IL-1 and G-CSF systems in dynamics during hydronephrosis is a very promising direction, opening up enormous opportunities in creating effective diagnostic markers of hydronephrosis in the very early stages of the formation of this pathology. Thus, analysis of the literature indicates that damage to the renal tissue in obstructive uropathies is an extremely complex process, and the initiation of fibrogenesis processes with partial inhibition of resorption leads to remodelling of connective tissue and progression of nephrosclerosis.


2019 ◽  
pp. 418-434
Author(s):  
Maha Alattar

This chapter covers the relationship between sleep-related headaches and sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sleep apnea headache (SAH), a type of sleep-related headache that is classified in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, is a distinct subset of headache that is caused by OSA and occurs distinctly on awakening. Once recognized, treatment of OSA is associated with significant improvement in, and often resolution of, SAH. Given the high prevalence of headaches in the general population, sleep disorders must be considered in the evaluation of patients with headaches. A comprehensive sleep evaluation should be an integral part of the assessment of headache disorders. Sleep apnea headache and other types of headaches associated with sleep are reviewed in this chapter.


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