RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Neurotic excoriation is a psychodermatological disease of primary psychological/psychiatric genesis, responsible for self-induced dermatological disorders. Childhood traumatic events are closely related with self-injurious behaviors. The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychiatric features of neurotic excoriation and to investigate the effect of childhood traumatic events on the disease. METHODS: Thirty-eight neurotic excoriation patients who did not receive any psychiatric treatment within the past year and 40 healthy individuals having similar sociodemographic features were included in the study. For clinical evaluation, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form were applied to all the individuals. RESULTS: In this study, we observed that 78.9% of neurotic excoriation patients were diagnosed with at least one Axis I psychiatric disorder, the most frequent diagnoses of which were major depressive disorders and anxiety disorders. The anxiety and depression levels were significantly higher in the patient group than in the healthy individuals. Regarding the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and physical abuse subscales and weighted average total scores were found to be significantly higher in the patient group (p<.05). CONCLUSION: Our study has shown a close relationship between neurotic excoriation and childhood traumatic events as well as the accompanying psychiatric problems. We suppose that early interventions by both dermatologists and psychiatrists and especially a detailed investigation of childhood traumatic events by establishing a therapeutic collaboration are highly important and that using psychotherapeutic interventions can result in better treatment outcomes in many patients.
RESUMO
Previous studies have shown alterations of eyeblink reflex in patients with various psychiatric disorders. It has previously been demonstrated by our group that EEG measures of the reactivity to eye opening could effectively predict patient-reported startle response in patients with acute stress reaction. In our present study, EEG spectral power analysis and eyeblink electrical startle responses were acquired from a total of 39 patients diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders: 7 patients with schizophrenia, 10 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 10 patients with panic disorder, 5 patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 7 patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). EEG percent power data of each frequency band (delta, theta, alpha, beta) obtained from the 19 leads under open or closed eyelid conditions were used to calculate the arithmetical difference between eyes-open and eyes-closed states as representative of "EEG reactivity to eye opening". Data was analyzed separately for each diagnostic group. For all of the disorders, right-sided R2c (contralateral secondary component) latency was the single eyeblink startle measure that was found to be significantly correlated with EEG reactivity to eye opening. The correlation was most significant for right temporal theta frequency in schizophrenia, right temporal theta frequency in MDD, left central beta frequency in panic disorder, left parietotemporal delta frequency in PTSD and right occipital alpha frequency in GAD. Findings showed a newly identified pattern that has potential scientific and clinical value with respect to psychiatric medicine.
