0
Article   |    
INSULIN THERAPY OF SCHIZOPHRENIA IN THE ELGIN STATE HOSPITAL
GERT HEILBRUNN; RUTH STERNLIEB
Am J Psychiatry 1940;96:1203-1211.
View Article Information
The Elgin State Hospital, Elgin, Ill.
text A A A
PDF of the full text article.
Abstract
Three hundred fifteen schizophrenic patients treated during a period of almost three years showed 72 per cent recoveries and 10 per cent social remissions in cases with a duration of psychosis less than seven months, 35 per cent and 20 per cent respectively in the group ill from 7 to 18 months and 10 per cent for cases over 18 months duration.A similar percentage was obtained in patients who had not responded to previous metrazol therapy.There were 15 per cent relapses in the first two groups.The treatment with insulin and metrazol simultaneously did not benefit patients who had failed to respond previously to either therapy. For this reason and also because of the disproportionately severe toxic changes in the cerebral ganglion cells of similarly treated rabbits this modification was discontinued.No fatalities or lasting serious complications were encountered.Epileptiform seizures occurring in 33 per cent of the patients had no therapeutic effect. No spinal fractures were found in a sampling of patients.The number of relapses was especially high in cases which had had previous spontaneous remissions. The chance of another recovery decreases with each relapse. No definite criteria for a future relapse could be established from the patient's history before, or the symptomatology during the psychosis. The relapses occurred most frequently within six months after discontinuance of treatment.A group of failures was compared with a group of recovered patients as to symptomatology of the psychosis and evaluation of personality factors. This study failed to furnish any fundamental differences. A practical prognostic help was found in the patient's reaction to intravenous sodium amytal.Abstract Teaser
Figures in this Article

    Your Session has timed out. Please sign back in to continue.
    Sign In Your Session has timed out. Please sign back in to continue.
    Sign In to Access Full Content
     
    Username
    Password
    Sign in via Athens (What is this?)
    Athens is a service for single sign-on which enables access to all of an institution's subscriptions on- or off-site.
    Not a subscriber?

    Subscribe Now/Learn More

    PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-IV-TR® library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.

    Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing PsychiatryOnline@psych.org or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).

    +
    +
    +

    CME Activity

    There is currently no quiz available for this resource. Please click here to go to the CME page to find another.
    Submit a Comments
    Please read the other comments before you post yours. Contributors must reveal any conflict of interest.
    Comments are moderated and will appear on the site at the discertion of JBJS editorial staff.

    * = Required Field
    (if multiple authors, separate names by comma)
    Example: John Doe



    Related Content
    Articles
    Books
    The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry, 5th Edition > Chapter 10.  >
    Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders, 4th Edition > Chapter 20.  >
    Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders, 4th Edition > Chapter 21.  >
    DSM-IV-TR® Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders > Chapter 5.  >
    APA Practice Guidelines > Chapter 4.  >
    Topic Collections
    Psychiatric News
    APA Guidelines
    PubMed Articles