Objective Emotional processing dysfunction evident in eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), is considered relevant to the development and maintenance of these disorders. The purpose of the current functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to pilot a comparison of the activity of the fronto-limbic and fronto-striatal brain areas during an emotion processing task in persons with ED.Methods 24 women patients with ED were scanned, while showing emotionally stimulating (pleasant, unpleasant) and neutral images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS).Results During the pleasant condition, significant differences in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC) activations were found with AN participants presenting greater activation compared to BN and ED comorbid groups (EDc) and healthy controls also showing greater activation of this brain area compared to BN and EDc. Left putamen was less activated in EDc compared to both controls (C) and AN. During the unpleasant condition, AN participants showed hyperactivation of the Orbito-frontal Cortex (OFC) when compared to EDc.Conclusion This study highlights the potential functional relevance of brain areas that have been associated with self-control. These findings should help advance understanding the neural substrate of ED, though they should be considered as preliminary and be cautiously interpreted.

Introduction:Auditory hallucinations in deaf people are known since the XIX century. However, research in this area is scarce.Objectives:Auditory hallucinations can be caused by alterations in receptors, stimulus carrying routes or cerebral centres. Therefore, they can take place in persons without mental illness.Methods:Bibliographical review in literature and pub med using as key words: “Auditory hallucinations, Auditory deficit,ACBS”Results:There is always chronic hearing loss caused by an auditory injury.Higher prevalence in females with acute or gradual onset.Usually unilateral.Most common phenomena are musical hallucinations.Not associated with other types of hallucinations.Can be modified by attention and will.It is a hallucinosis.Not accompanied by disturbances of consciousness, memory or judgment.Treatment of hearing impairment leads to healing. Results are unsatisfactory with psychotropic drugs. Psychoeducation may lead to improvements.Conclusions:The existence of auditory hallucinations with consciousness of unreality rules out an organic pathology. It is important to assess hearing, because an entity has been defined by musical auditory hallucinations with unreality conscious and with preserved judgment, memory and consciousness, in patients with acquired hearing loss, mainly women and elderly, called by many professionals ACBS. Awareness of this entity by specialists in otolaryngology and psychiatry is essential.

ABSTRACT

IntroductionPatients suffering serious mental diseases have more medical comorbidity and a higher mortality than the general population, something that has important clinical an economical impact. Age is an influential variable in a patient’s clinical course.ObjectivesDescriptive retrospective study from September 2007 to May 2010. Centralized database explotation. Center: San Carlos Clinic Hospital, Madrid. Variables: number of patients, mean age, median stay, number of visits, % resolved in first visit, mortality and delay.Three groups of comparison are established depending on the age: 18–44, 45–75 and > 75 years of age. A p≤0,05 has statistical significance.Results606 patients are included. Table 1 shows all variables for the three groups.ConclusionsStatistical significance exists for all variables analyzed and for every comparison established apart from mortality. Mortality is very low (just one death in group age >75). Group age 45–75 years presents major number of consultations to internal medical liaison Unit. Age is a decisive variable in the clinical course of patients with medical problems.

IntroductionPsychiatric illnesses have a high prevalence in the general population. Psychiatric illnesses affect the way other medical processes develop: age of onset, distribution by gender, type an evolution, and the training of the psychiatrists in caring for them.ObjetivesTo describe the characteristics and the medical problems of patients who have been consulted by an Internal Medicine Liaison Unit while hospitalized in the Psychiatric Unit of a third level hospital. Comparison of the general profile of these patients and their consultations with that done to patients hospitalizad in the rest of the hospital.MethodsDescriptive retrospective study from September 2007 to May 2010. Use of a centralized database created with of all the administrative and clinical details regarding the consultation. A p ≤ 0.05 has statistical significance.Results648 patients were identified (40,7% men). Mean age 52.4 years. Mean stay 3 days. 34,4% were solved in one visit. Mortality rate 0,3%. 94,1% of discharges were due to recovery, the rest were transfered to another service.Distribution by major diagnostic groups: infectious 16,2%, cardiorespiratory 15,4%, mental illness 12,9%, metabolic 10,4%, tumoral 8,5%, digestive 8,2%, not defined 8,2%, hematologic 5%, others 15,2%.ConclusionsThe psychiatric patient is clearly younger and the female gender is slightly higher (59,3%) than in the control group. In this group the infectious and cardiorespiratoty illnesses predominate. The percentage of psychiatric consultations (34,1%; 648) over our global (1906) is impressive since the number of psychiatric inpatients is not proportional to this number.