Dear Colleagues:
Welcome to the May issue of Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience.
In this month’s “The Interface,” Sansone and Sansone continue their research into borderline personality disorder (BPD) by examining gender differences. Specifically, the authors examine differences in prevalence, self-harm behavior, personality traits, Axis I and II comorbidity, and treatment utilization between men and women with BPD and discuss what they found in the literature.
Next, in this month’s, “Update on Cognition,” Harvey discusses the problems with relying on self or family assessment of functional impairment in patients with schizophrenia. The author suggests that high-contact clinicians may provide reports of functioning that are more convergent with patients’ ability as measured by performance-based assessments.
Following this, Ghanizadeh compares tactile sensory function of children with autistic disorder to children with Asperger’s disorder. The results of his study indicate that at least some aspects of tactile perception can differentiate these two disorders. Additional research using formal intelligence quotient testing on all of the subjects should be performed in order to draw more concrete conclusions.
Next, Lee et al present a case of a 20-year-old man who was hospitalized in the psychiatric ward due to realistic visual hallucinations and no motor or sensory neurological findings. Brain imaging revealed an infarction in the territory of the left tuberothalamic artery. A head magnetic resonance imaging scan identified the neuropathology that led to immediately starting treatment for stroke.
In this month’s “Psychotherapy Rounds,” Manetta et al review psychodynamic psychotherapy, including understanding resistance and the core conflictual relationship theme. The authors present a composite case to illustrate some of the psychodynamic psychotherapy techniques that can be employed in a psychotherapy case.
We also have some interesting letters to the editor this month: One on use of oseltamivir in psychiatric patients and one on co-diagnosis of borderline personality order and bipolar disorder.
And finally, Meymandi helps answer the age-old question, “What’s in a name?” He explores the etymology of the name, Caterri (of which the more common name Catherine is derived), which leads his discussion on how language evolved.
Sincerely,
Amir Kalali, MD
Editor, Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience
