Psychosomatic Medicine Faster Service from Outside North America
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by SACHAR, E. J.
Right arrow Articles by ARTISS, K. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by SACHAR, E. J.
Right arrow Articles by ARTISS, K. L., LT. COL.,

Psychosomatic Medicine 25:510-537 (1963)
© 1963 American Psychosomatic Society

Psychoendocrine Aspects of Acute Schizophrenic Reactions

EDWARD J. SACHAR M.D.1, JOHN W. MASON M.D.2, HAROLD S. KOLMER JR., LT. COL., MC 2, and KENNETH L. ARTISS LT. COL., MC 2

1 Departments of Neuroendocrinology and Psychiatry, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, D. C.; Present address: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Boston, Mass.
2 Departments of Neuroendocrinology and Psychiatry, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Walter Reed General Hospital, Washington, D. C.

Four young male soldiers suffering from first-episode acute schizophrenic reactions were studied psychiatrically and endocrinologically over a period of months while they received milieu therapy for their illnesses.

Independent of endocrine findings, the clinical course of each patient was classified into phases, in which special emphasis was given to periods designated "Acute Psychotic Turmoil," "Psychotic Equilibrium", "Anaclitic Depression," and "Recovery."

Psychiatric phases characterized by a high degree of anxiety or depression were found to be associated with marked elevations in urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion--as high as 2-3 times normal.

Conversely, output of corticosteroids dropped toward normal levels during "Psychotic Equilibrium" and "Recovery" periods, both these phases being characterized by relative emotional calm.

These shifts in 17-hydroxycorticosteroid excretion (Turmoil > Psychotic Equilibrium < Depression > Recovery < Turmoil) were predicted, and were statistically highly significant. Epinephrine excretion tended to follow a similar pattern, with elevations as high as 8 times normal occurring during "Turmoil" phases.

It is suggested that corticosteroids and epinephrine excretion may not be influenced by the type of psychological defenses employed by the patient in protecting himself from anxiety and depression, but rather by the effectiveness of the defenses, whether they be psychotic or neurotic.

The potential uses of psychoendocrine techniques in clinical psychiatry are discussed.

Submitted on May 7, 1963




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Psychosom. Med.Home page
J. W. Mason, S. Wang, R. Yehuda, H. Lubin, D. Johnson, J. D. Bremner, D. Charney, and S. Southwick
Marked Lability in Urinary Cortisol Levels in Subgroups of Combat Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder During an Intensive Exposure Treatment Program
Psychosom Med, March 1, 2002; 64(2): 238 - 246.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1963 by the American Psychosomatic Society