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Pain in psychotic patients
9O of pressure or local anaesthetics were recorded and correlated with simultaneous alterations in the perception of standardized stimuli. Light touch sensibility in hairy skin appeared to depend on the integrity o f A ~ / f i b r e s , cold and pinprick on A~i fibres, and wa.~nth a n d dull pain o n C fibre~,~: "Acupuncture anesthesia" -- a clinical study J.H. Modell, P.K.Y. Lee, H.G. Bingham, D.M. Gree~, Jr. and M.B. Habal, Anesth. Anal g., 55 (1978) 508--512 Forty-two patients who were to undergo plastic surgical procedures were asked whether they would accept acupuncture as a substitute for local anaesthesia. Eight patients agreed to acupuncture; one of these had 2 operative procedures with acupuncture. Five of the 9 procedures were successful; the remaining 4 required conversion to local anaesthesia. After intewiewing the patienLs, we felt that the success of "acupuncture anaesthesia" was largely dependent on patient motivation, and that a patmnt may experience pain during surgical procedures without any change in facial expression or vital signs. We concluded that "acupuncture anaesthesia" is of little value in our patient population at present. Its results are unpredictable; therefore, we anticipate that patient acceptance will be small.
PSYCHOLOGY
Pain in psychotic patients S. Veiileu::: and tL Melzack, Exp. Neurol., 52 (1976) 535--543 Fsy~hotic patients often report pain in the absence of aily apparent organic injury or pathology. The present slmdy investigates the qualities of pain felt by these patients. The subjects were 27 hospitalized p~ychotic patients. Fifteen complained of pain du~ing an interview period while 12 did no:~. The McGill Pain Questionnaire wa~ then administered to all patients. it was fou~ld that patients in both group~ used a lai~ge number of words that specify the affective dimension of pain. However, words specifying sensory qualities were us~ed significantly more o~ten by patients who complained of pa:n than by th¢)se who did not. The patient:.~ in pain, moreover, used significantly more sen:~ory than affective descriptors whereas the reve:rse was true for tho~;e r, ot ~n pain. The pain was not diffuse but was localize,d to specific body areas. The high affective scores indi~ate the necessity of psychotherapeutic approaches in treating ~he pain. However, the high scores on the ser~sor~ dimension suggest that traditional methods for the control of pain shgu]d also be utilized.
PSYCHOLOGY
Pain in psychotic patients S. Veiileu::: and tL Melzack, Exp. Neurol., 52 (1976) 535--543 Fsy~hotic patients often report pain in the absence of aily apparent organic injury or pathology. The present slmdy investigates the qualities of pain felt by these patients. The subjects were 27 hospitalized p~ychotic patients. Fifteen complained of pain du~ing an interview period while 12 did no:~. The McGill Pain Questionnaire wa~ then administered to all patients. it was fou~ld that patients in both group~ used a lai~ge number of words that specify the affective dimension of pain. However, words specifying sensory qualities were us~ed significantly more o~ten by patients who complained of pa:n than by th¢)se who did not. The patient:.~ in pain, moreover, used significantly more sen:~ory than affective descriptors whereas the reve:rse was true for tho~;e r, ot ~n pain. The pain was not diffuse but was localize,d to specific body areas. The high affective scores indi~ate the necessity of psychotherapeutic approaches in treating ~he pain. However, the high scores on the ser~sor~ dimension suggest that traditional methods for the control of pain shgu]d also be utilized.