Personality and depression: a validation study of the depressive experiences questionnaire.

This study investigated the validity of Blatt's model of depression as indicated by his operational measure of its constructs via the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976). Hypothesized relations between the two relevant scales of the DEQ and Tellegen's (1982) Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) were examined. Participants consisted of 195 women, including 67 hospitalized unipolar depressives, 77 never-hospitalized unipolar depressives, and 51 nonpsychiatric controls. Overall, the results partially supported the validity of the DEQ even though all participants were women and prior studies have indicated the DEQ's greater discriminative validity for men than for women. However, several of the most strongly predicted relations, such as between DEQ Self-Criticism and MPQ Achievement were not confirmed. Coherent, significant relations between scales of the two measures remained after partialling out the effects of severity of depression.

Personality and depression: a validation study of the Depressive Experience Questionnaire.

This study investigated the validity of Blatt's model of depression as indicated by his operational measure of its constructs via the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ; Blatt, D'Afflitti, & Quinlan, 1976). Hypothesized relations between the two relevant scales of the DEQ and Tellegen's (1982) Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, (MPQ) were examined, Participants consisted of 195 women, including 67 hospitalized unipolar depressives, 77 never-hospitalized unipolar depressives, and 51 nonpsychiatric controls. Overall, the results partially supported the validity of the DEQ even though all participants were women and prior studies have indicated the DEQ's greater discriminative validity for men than for women. However, several of the most strongly predicted relations, such as between DEQ Self-Criticism and MPQ Achievement were not confirmed. Coherent, significant relations between scales of the two measures remained after partialling out the effects of severity of depression.

Clomipramine hydrochloride in childhood and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder--a multicenter trial.

Children and adolescents with obsessive compulsive disorder were studied in an 8-week, multicenter, double-blind, parallel groups trial of clomipramine hydrochloride (CMI) versus placebo. Efficacy assessments included the child version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale and the National Institute of Mental Health Global rating scale. At the end of 8 weeks, CMI-treated patients showed a mean reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score of 37% compared to 8% in the placebo group. Side effects were typical of tricyclic antidepressants. In a 1-year open label treatment, CMI continued to be effective and well tolerated.

Smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements and neurological soft signs in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) demonstrate an increased number of neurological soft signs as well as neuroanatomic abnormalities detected with modern imaging techniques. Quantitative analysis of eye movements has proved fruitful in investigations of other neuropsychiatric disorders with similar findings. Therefore, we studied the smooth pursuit and saccadic eye movements of 8 OCD patients and 12 normal controls using infrared oculography and computerized pattern recognition software. We also measured neurologic soft signs using a standardized rating instrument. Despite having an increased number of neurological soft signs, OCD patients' performance on a variety of measures of eye movement was not significantly impaired. Neither the severity of obsessions or compulsions nor the number of neurologic soft signs correlated with any of the parameters of eye movement function. We conclude that OCD patients do not have prominent oculomotor dysfunction and that eye movement dysfunction and neurologic soft signs are not inextricably linked.

Attention deficit disorder in children at risk for anxiety and depression.

The comorbidity between attention deficit disorder (ADD) and anxiety and/or depressive disorders was examined in the children of parents with panic disorder, major depressive disorder, or with no diagnosis. A child received a diagnosis by a self-report, parent report, and by consensus, using a best estimate procedure. The prevalence rates of ADD were significantly greater in offspring of parents with depressive and panic disorder by the parents' report and in children of depressed parents by consensus. A significant relationship between ADD and anxiety and/or depression was found for parent, child, and consensus diagnoses. Higher rates of ADD were reported by children (1% versus 13%), parents (8% versus 31%), and in the consensus diagnoses (13% versus 29%) when anxiety and/or depression was present. These results suggest that in children referred for evaluation of ADD, the possibility of a primary anxiety or depressive disorder should be considered.

Does "physiologic" mitral valve prolapse occur with acute blood loss?

Intravascular volume changes are reported to affect the clinical and echocardiographic spectrum of patients with known mitral valve prolapse syndrome (MVPS). We tested whether acute blood loss can produce MVP in normal adults. Twenty-one subjects were studied with Doppler echocardiography before and after donating 550 ml whole blood. Two subjects demonstrated minimal (1+) prolapse postphlebotomy, but in only one echocardiographic view, and without mitral regurgitation by Doppler. Three subjects demonstrated slight, early (not late or pansystolic) mitral regurgitation after phlebotomy, but without prolapse. Left atrial dimensions decreased significantly after the blood donation but the left ventricular size was not significantly smaller. The 1+ MVP is within the range of superior systolic motion found in 35% of a normal population, free of heart disease, and without intervention. We find no evidence in our study or in the literature that pathologic degrees of MVP can be produced in normal subjects by physiologic alteration in blood volume.

Correlation between serum and salivary cortisol levels in depressed and nondepressed children and adolescents.

Serum and saliva cortisol levels were determined in 34 depressed and nondepressed children and adolescents. The serum and salivary measures were highly correlated. The measurement of salivary cortisol may be a useful noninvasive technique in the study of cortisol secretion patterns in young subjects.

Hemodialysis as a treatment for infantile autism.

A course of 10 weekly hemodialyses was conducted on a young adult female with infantile autism. Multiple parameters were measured to assess outcome. No significant changes were noted in her mood, behavior, or cognitive functioning. Several other autistic individuals were evaluated for the study but were felt to have either behavioral or cognitive limitations, which made the procedure unsafe. It is concluded that hemodialysis in a larger group of autistic individuals was not justified.