Adriano C.T. Rodrigues

Delusional Misidentification Syndrome: Why Such Nosologic Challenge Remains Intractable

The delusional misidentification syndrome has lately been the object of lengthy psychopathological discussions. Controversies persist as to how best to define it, distinguish its subtypes and set their limits. Attempts to provide this syndrome with a better conceptual framework have usually relied on proposing new definitions and classifications. In this article, we suggest that some prevailing difficulties are basically related to two separate but intertwined issues: the self-reflexive property of the human mental functioning and the first-person linguistic expression of human experience. We argue that this discussion belongs to a broader context than the one it is usually referred to, as it deals with problems germane to conceptual psychopathological investigations in general. In that regard, DMS provides us with a very telling example, to the extent to which it has, at its core, to account for the puzzling phenomena of identity, which are particularly affected by cultural and linguistic variables.

Karl Jaspers e a abordagem fenomenológica em psicopatologia

Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) nasceu em Oldenburg, cidade alemaproxima ao litoral do Mar do Norte, numa familia de classe media.Sua diligente mae procedia de uma comunidade camponesa, assimcomo seu pai, um bem-sucedido advogado e diretor bancario. Tambemfoi atraves do direito o primeiro contato de Jaspers com auniversidade. Apos breve passagem por aquele curso trocou-o pelamedicina, graduando-se em Heidelberg em 1908. Havendoapresentado, desde a infância, saude debil e limitadas capacidadesfisicas, a vida sempre lhe exigiu cuidadosa administracao dasatividades que desempenhava. Alem da possibilidade de reunir seusinteresses por ciencias naturais e humanas numa unica atividade, seuingresso nos estudos em psiquiatria se deu, em 1909, tambem emfuncao de crer que a atuacao em psicopatologia – requerendo-lhemenos desgaste fisico do que intelectual – seria sua melhoroportunidade de ter uma carreira plenamente prolifica (Jaspers, 1994;Hoenig, 1966). Como bem observado por Jenner et al. (1996), umaconvergencia singular de fatores – seu pendor filosofico, seutreinamento medico e sua saude fragil – provavelmente responde pormuito do que foi possivel Jaspers desenvolver no campo dapsicopatologia. Dificilmente um filosofo poderia dispor, para

Alterações neuropsiquiátricas na doença de Wilson e uso da eletroconvulsoterapia: relato de caso

Wilsons disease consists in a inborn error of metabolism with marked neuropsychiatric manifestations. These manifestations need to be correctly identified and treated. There are four neuropsychiatric symptoms clusters established for Wilsons disease patients: behavior and/or personality disorders, mood disorders, cognitive deficits, and psychotic manifestations. Although such patients are more commonly seen in neurological and hepatological settings, mental health professionals must keep in mind a high level of suspicion, once first presentations may be of psychiatric nature. This study presents a review of literature about neuropsychiatric aspects of Wilsons disease, emphasizing diagnostic issues. It is presented the case of a 26 years old male patient initially with psychiatric polimorfic symptoms. The treatment of this patient with electroconvulsive therapy is presented, adding a report of this therapeutic modality, applied to that case, to the two only previous records in the literature.