Encephale
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Among the peritraumatic reactions after a traumatic event, one best identifies dissociation as a predictor of serious post-traumatic problems. The dimension of emotional distress is recent in the literature and we have attempted to identify how it may contribute to the prediction of the evolution of post-traumatic symptoms. ⋯ This is the first study using a prospective inquiry to demonstrate the power of the peritraumatic emotional distress score. Our results suggest that the type of trauma is a strong predictor of prognosis at six months. Despite our small sample size, the absence of significant differences between the drop-out group and our subjects reduces the probability of a bias in our selection criteria to explain our results. This study points to the fact that the measurement of peritraumatic emotional distress (PDI) is a good predictor of PTSD symptoms six months down the road. This study underlines the importance of an initial psychotraumatic consultation to identify the type of trauma and to measure the intensity of the peritraumatic symptoms in order to predict the severity of the evolution.
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There are many studies focusing on personality disorders of the patients with epilepsy in developed countries, using different methods. Such investigations with standardised tools like personality questionnaires lack in African populations in general and among the number of epileptic patients who have important psychosocial problems. In Togo, epilepsy still remains a shameful and contagious disease that leads often unfortunately to a "social death". The number of epileptic patients in this country is estimated around 45,000 and 90,000 and the situation is worst in some areas of the country like in Nadoba, chef-lieu of the Tamberma region where lives an homogenous and stable population that has kept its tradition. ⋯ The average scores obtained in France in the course of the normative study in general population were rather different. The validation study of the French version of TCI showed differences with the population of North America, suggesting inter cultural differences while evaluating the personality and the necessity of using specific norms during each new translation of the instrument. However, the valued in the French-speaking populations (Belgium, Swiss, Lebanon) are in general very close to the French values. The character and behavioural disorders among are of interest and the difficulty in evaluating the part of hysteria in the manifestation of exhibiting pseudo-seizure of epilepsy is also underlined. This question is raised in Nadoba in women, called "Odueri" or "the women that fall", a particular form of tonico-clonic fits observed in that cultural setting. Is it a question of real epileptic seizure or are these phenomena a kind of trance? This investigation of the Tamberma in Togo urges to set up psychometric studies to define local norms. It also suggests the possible existence of personality traits specific to the "women that fall" but these aspects require further developments.
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This study analyses the short term effects of a cognitive-behavioral group therapy with 60 patients suffering from social phobia according to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM IV. The therapeutic program is based on 12 sessions of 2 hours (for 6 to 9 subjects) and includes exposure, cognitive restructuring and social skills training. The sample included 34 women and 26 men, with an average age of 34.8 years (SD=9.3). ⋯ The present study shows that the therapeutic cognitive-behavior group techniques used are specifically effective both on the principal symptoms of social phobia as on other psychological aspects, which were not specifically the focus of this therapy, like general anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. However, this efficient study on 60 subjects needs to be extended to the evaluation of long term effects. It also needs to be reproduced to assess personality disorders that may make the treatment more difficult and are frequently comorbid with generalized social phobia.