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Altered Perceptions (altered + perception)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Perception of facial expressions of emotion in bipolar disorder

BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Issue 4 2004
Helen R Venn
Objectives:, Some studies have reported deficits in the perception of facial expressions among depressed individuals compared with healthy controls, while others have reported negative biases in expression perception. We examined whether altered perception of emotion reflects an underlying trait-like effect in affective disorder by examining facial expression perception in euthymic bipolar patients. Methods:, Sensitivity to six different facial expressions, as well as accuracy of emotion recognition, was examined among 17 euthymic bipolar patients and 17 healthy controls using an interactive computer program. Results:, No differences were found between euthymic bipolar patients and controls in terms of sensitivity to any particular emotion. Although initial analysis of the data suggested impairment in the recognition of fear among the patients, identification of this emotion was not relatively impaired compared with that of the other emotions. Conclusions:, The study did not find any conclusive evidence for trait-like deficits in the perception of facially conveyed emotions in bipolar disorder. Altered perception of facial expressions that has been found to accompany depressed mood may instead reflect mood-congruent biases. [source]

Contribution of neuroinflammation in burning mouth syndrome: indications from benzodiazepine use

DERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 2008
Fabrizio Guarneri
ABSTRACT: Characterized by burning and painful oral sensations in absence of clinically significant mucosal abnormalities, the burning mouth syndrome is, despite numerous researches made, basically idiopathic and, consequently, difficult to treat effectively. Therapy with tricyclic antidepressants and benzodiazepines has been proposed, although the exact pathomechanism is not clear. The objective of this study is to define the possible reasons for the efficacy of benzodiazepines in the treatment of the burning mouth syndrome. Starting from the report of eight cases successfully treated with prazepam, the present authors examined the clinical features and the evidence from literature that support the possibility of a role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of the burning mouth syndrome. Available data suggest that the nervous system could be crucial in the pathogenesis of the syndrome (altered perception of pain, disturbance of neural transmission, increased excitability, negative involvement of trigeminal-vascular system), and the present authors' experience lets them suppose a role for neuroinflammation. This hypothesis could also explain the positive response to benzodiazepines in some patients. The important role of neuroinflammation in dermatologic and oral diseases has been only recently investigated and acknowledged. Further studies on the connection between neuroinflammation and burning mouth syndrome could open interesting perspectives in the understanding and management of this difficult clinical condition. [source]

What is the nature of the emergence phenomenon when using intravenous or intramuscular ketamine for paediatric procedural sedation?

EMERGENCY MEDICINE AUSTRALASIA, Issue 4 2009
Greg Treston
Abstract Objective: Ketamine has become the drug most favoured by emergency physicians for sedation of children in the ED. Some emergency physicians do not use ketamine for paediatric procedural sedation (PPS) because of concern about emergence delirium on recovery. The present study set out to determine the true incidence and nature of this phenomenon. Methods: Prospective data relating to any emergence agitation, crying, hallucinations, dreams, altered perceptions, delirium and necessary interventions were recorded in consecutive cases of ketamine PPS from March 2002 to June 2007, and analysed. Standard inclusion and exclusion criteria for the use of ketamine were followed. Results: A total of 745 prospective data collection records were available for analysis over the 5 year period. Of all, 93 (12.5%) children cried on awakening when recovering from PPS, 291 (39%) experienced pleasant altered perceptions and 16 (2.1%) experienced what was called ,emergence delirium'. None required any active treatment and all except one settled within 20 min. There was no evidence of an increased rate of nightmares on telephone follow up in the weeks post procedure. Conclusion: The belief that ketamine, in the doses used for ED PPS, causes frequent emergence delirium is flawed. A pleasant emergence phenomenon is common, but is not distressing for the child, and has no long-term (up to 30 days) negative sequelae. Rarely, there is anxiety or distress on awakening from ketamine sedation, which settles spontaneously. This should not deter emergency physicians from using ketamine for PPS. [source]

The Perceptions of Infant Distress Signals Varying in Pitch by Cocaine-Using Mothers

INFANCY, Issue 1 2003
Pamela Schuetze
Perceptual responses to infant distress signals were studied in 16 cocaine-using and 15 comparison mothers. All mothers rated tape recordings of 48 replications of a newborn infant's hunger cry digitally altered to increase in fundamental frequency in 100-Hz increments. Cries were rated on 4 perceptual (arousing, aversive, urgent, and sick) and 6 caregiving rating scale items (clean, cuddle, feed, give pacifier, pick up, and wait and see) used in previous studies. Analyses of variance showed that, as cry pitch increased, cries were rated as more arousing, aversive, and urgent sounding. The highest pitched cries received the highest ratings for caregiving interventions. Main effects for cocaine use showed cocaine-using mothers (a) rated cries as less arousing, aversive, urgent, and sick; (b) indicated they were less likely to pick up or feed the infant; and (c) indicated they more likely to give the crying infant a pacifier or just "wait and see." A Group x Cry Pitch interaction effect showed that mothers in the cocaine group gave higher ratings to wait and see as the pitch of the cries increased, whereas mothers in the comparison group gave lower ratings to wait and see as the pitch of the cries increased. These ratings indicate that cocaine-using mothers found cries to be less perceptually salient and less likely to elicit nurturant caregiving responses. These results suggest that maternal cocaine use is associated with altered perceptions of infant distress signals that may provide the basis for differential social responsivity in the caregiving context. [source]