British Journal of Psychiatry
September 1, 1987
J. Cutting
137 citations
In 74 patients with acute organic psychosis, a distinctive pattern of delusions, perceptual disturbance, and thought disorder emerged that was markedly different from the pattern in 74 acute schizophrenics. The findings challenge theories that equate schizophrenia with an organic psychosis, suggesting that the psychopathology of acute organic psychosis arises from fundamentally different origins than that of schizophrenia.
British Journal of Psychiatry
July 14, 2023
Colleen Loo, N. Glozier, D. Barton et al.
70 citations
In a phase 3 trial across seven mood disorders centers in Australia and New Zealand, subcutaneous racemic ketamine was tested against midazolam for treatment-resistant depression. With flexible dosing (0.5–0.9 mg/kg), ketamine led to a 19.6% remission rate compared to 2.0% for midazolam, a significant difference. Fixed dosing (0.5 mg/kg) showed no difference. Acute side effects, such as psychotomimetic effects and blood pressure increases, resolved within two hours. The subcutaneous route proved practical and feasible.
British Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 1963
A. M. Spencer
21 citations
LSD was used at Powick Hospital from 1952, but its dramatic psychic effects—hallucinations and sensory hyperacuity—proved therapeutically unimportant. The drug's main value was its ability to bring repressed childhood traumas into consciousness, such as parental rejection, hostility, sexual assaults, and the loneliness and fear caused by inhalant anaesthetics in a hospital setting. These memories were recovered and abreacted with great emotional release. LSD was uniquely effective at retrieving deeply repressed material; small doses could yield in one or two sessions what would otherwise require months of analysis.
British Journal of Psychiatry
July 10, 2019
B. Sessa
1 citation
No Summary
British Journal of Psychiatry
February 6, 2025
Eugene G. Breen, F. Al-Harbi
No Summary
British Journal of Psychiatry
December 3, 2024
E. Chesney, Thomas J. Reilly, Fraser Scott et al.
Abruptly stopping heavy, daily cannabis use can trigger psychosis, both in people experiencing their first episode and in those with a pre-existing psychotic disorder. A systematic review of 21 studies identified 44 individuals whose psychosis began after cannabis withdrawal, and a health-record search found another 68 cases. Almost all were daily users who stopped abruptly. Those who resumed cannabis after the acute psychotic episode were far more likely to relapse than those who abstained (odds ratio 13.9). The findings indicate that acute psychotic symptoms can emerge after cannabis cessation, not only during its use.
British Journal of Psychiatry
January 1, 1989
A 16-year-old Chinese woman who compulsively drank about 20 liters of water daily for six months became comatose. The behavior was driven by an enjoyable altered state of consciousness she experienced after drinking. Treatment with fluid restriction and education resolved the condition. The case suggests that the subjective experience of an altered state may explain why some people develop this obscure disorder.