ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A history of psychiatric disorders is a high risk for suicide. The present study compared the clinical features of psychiatric patients in Japan who attempted suicide by jumping from a height and those who attempted suicide by self-stabbing. METHODS: We compared two groups of suicide attempters who were hospitalized for both physical and psychiatric treatment (n=202). We compared the psychiatric diagnoses and clinical features between those who attempted suicide by jumping from a height (N=147) and those who did so by self-stabbing (N=55). RESULTS: The self-stabbing group (mean age 52.3 years) was significantly older compared to the jumping group (mean age 37.9 years). A significantly higher proportion of females were found in the jumping group. Jumping from a height was significantly associated with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, whereas self-stabbing was significantly associated with mood disorders. LIMITATIONS: The results were drawn from data from a single hospital in a large urban city, and the study population did not include subjects who completed their suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that differences in suicide methods (here, between jumping from a height and self-stabbing) may be related to suicide attempters' psychiatric diagnosis, gender and age. It is thus important to obtain a more detailed background information about a patient's suicide attempt and to create suicide prevention plans in accord with individuals' psychiatric diagnosis, age and gender, especially among those who have attempted suicide by jumping from a height or self-stabbing.
Subject(s)
Self-Injurious Behavior , Suicide, Attempted/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Age Factors , Female , Humans , Japan , Male , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Suicide, Attempted/prevention & control , Suicide, Attempted/psychologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Memantine has been reported to have positive effects on visual hallucinations and cognition in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). We hypothesized that memantine would have similar effects on a patient having Charles Bonnet syndrome, preclinical DLB. METHOD: We evaluated the effect of memantine on visual hallucination, cognitive abilities and so on from baseline to 4 months after the start of medication. RESULTS: Treatment of the patient with memantine resulted in the disappearance of visual hallucinations but could not stop the progression to dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that, for a patient having preclinical DLB, memantine had some degree of positive effects, but the mechanism remains to be revealed.
Subject(s)
Antiparkinson Agents/therapeutic use , Lewy Body Disease/drug therapy , Memantine/therapeutic use , Prodromal Symptoms , Aged , Cognitive Dysfunction/drug therapy , Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology , Female , Hallucinations/drug therapy , Hallucinations/etiology , Humans , Lewy Body Disease/complications , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of ramelteon for treating delirium. METHODS: Three patients were prescribed ramelteon for delirium. The severity of the delirium was assessed using the Japanese version of the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale. RESULTS: Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale scores improved after treatment with ramelteon in all cases. CONCLUSION: These cases suggest that ramelteon may be beneficial in the treatment of delirium. Randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm the therapeutic benefits.
Subject(s)
Delirium/drug therapy , Indenes/therapeutic use , Patient Satisfaction , Psychotropic Drugs/therapeutic use , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Indenes/administration & dosage , Japan , Middle Aged , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Severity of Illness IndexSubject(s)
Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic/drug therapy , Receptors, Fc/therapeutic use , Receptors, Thrombopoietin/agonists , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/therapeutic use , Thrombopoietin/therapeutic use , Animals , Chronic Disease , Clinical Trials as Topic , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Megakaryocytes/drug effects , Mice , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Receptors, Fc/administration & dosage , Receptors, Fc/metabolism , Receptors, Thrombopoietin/metabolism , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/administration & dosage , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism , Recombinant Fusion Proteins/pharmacology , Signal Transduction , Stem Cells/drug effects , Thrombopoietin/administration & dosage , Thrombopoietin/metabolism , Thrombopoietin/pharmacologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To highlight the association between posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) and chronic alcoholism. METHODS: We present a case report, a review of the literature and a discussion. RESULTS: We report on the case of a 51-year-old man with chronic alcoholism, who suddenly developed visual disturbance and confusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on admission demonstrated abnormal findings. However, clinical symptoms and imaging promptly improved, indicating the diagnosis of PRES. CONCLUSION: PRES should be considered when making a diagnosis for disturbed consciousness in alcoholic patients.
