Gaie Wernicke encephalopathy symptoms - Gaie syndrome

Very often we do not pay enough attention to our mental health. And this is very dangerous in the modern world with its frantic pace, with a lot of things to do and an endless number of acquaintances. One day there may come a moment when our body simply “cannot”. You will learn about the most common syndromes and ways to combat them from this article.

marutti/Shutterstock.com

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the most unusual psychological syndromes. Many of them got their names thanks to our favorite fairy tales from childhood, dear films, and famous writers.

White rabbit syndrome

Versta/Shutterstock.com

Suddenly a white rabbit with red eyes ran past. Of course, there was nothing surprising in this. True, the rabbit said as he ran: “Oh, my God, my God! I am late".

Lewis Carroll “Alice in Wonderland”

If a person suffers from white rabbit syndrome, then he constantly experiences the feeling that he is late for something.

If you think about the frantic pace in which modern man has to live, then the majority of the population of planet Earth clearly suffers from this syndrome. You can find out how to deal with white rabbit syndrome and finally start living in peace here.

Wernicke encephalopathy (Haye-Wernicke syndrome)

Wernicke encephalopathy is an acute, reversible brain disorder caused by vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency, most often caused by long-term alcohol abuse.
This pathology is accompanied by mental disorders, cerebral disorders and high mortality. Read in the article

• 1 Symptoms
• 2 Diagnostics
• 3 Treatment
• 4 Forecast

Symptoms

The main reason for the development of Wernicke encephalopathy is insufficient supply of vitamin B1 to brain cells.

If this is due to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol, when ethanol blocks the absorption of thiamine and, accordingly, its cellular transport, then this disease is called Gaye-Wernicke syndrome.

Neuronal dysfunction in this case occurs long before the appearance of characteristic symptoms.

At this time, the body sends a person some signals about ongoing disorders in the form of sleep disorders, weight loss, frequent cramps, fatigue, weakness and causeless nausea.

However, given the fast pace of life, early awakenings and the habit of unhealthy snacks, many of these symptoms have become everyday life for most, and not a sign of illness.

Therefore, it is quite difficult to recognize this syndrome at an early stage.

Latent vitamin B1 deficiency is characterized by the accumulation of destructive changes that lead to depression of mental activity: decreased concentration, memory, mental reaction, etc. The classic trio of symptoms of this syndrome include:

1. Ophthalmoplegia is paralysis of the eye muscles, which can be unilateral or bilateral. Also, some patients experience nystagmus - spontaneous “oscillations” of the eye at a fast pace - up to 300 times per minute;
2. ataxia - a violation of motor skills with normal muscle tone;
3. confusion - disorientation, inability to focus on any subject. Drunken patients often develop delirium with severe alcoholic psychosis.

In acute form, this trio of symptoms is observed in only 30% of patients. Most patients complain of chronic weakness, lethargy and apathy. Oculomotor disorders and polyneuropathy are observed with severe damage to brain cells. But retinal hemorrhages develop in 58% of patients.

If left untreated, Wernicke's syndrome results in the development of Korsakoff's psychosis. This is a mental disorder characterized by weakened intellect, memory impairment and neuritis of the lower extremities. As it progresses, paralysis and paresis are possible.

Acute Gaye-Wernicke encephalopathy is considered a reversible pathological condition. However, brain disorders caused by long-term toxic effects of ethanol and thiamine deficiency are not always treatable. With rapid progression of the syndrome and lack of treatment, the following complications develop:

• irreversible weakening of mental abilities;
• dementia - dementia, loss of acquired skills and inability to learn new ones;
• atrophy of brain tissue;
• severe mental disorders;
• tumor development;
• complete paralysis;
• violation of metabolic processes;
• dysfunction of internal organs;
• coma and death.

Diagnostics

Due to the long asymptomatic course, early diagnosis of Gaye-Wernicke syndrome is difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct periodic screening using instrumental neuroimaging methods in alcohol abusers.

Using CT and MRI, you can determine the main sign of the pathological condition - necrosis of the mamillary bodies.

Considering the high cost of such an examination and the lack of necessary equipment in most public hospitals, general diagnostics includes the following methods:

• blood biochemistry - half of the patients have high pyruvate and decreased blood transketolase activity;
• electroencephalogram - 80% have generalized slowing of waves;
• rheoencephalography - decreased cerebral flow.

When differentiating alcoholic and non-alcoholic Wernicke syndrome, it should be noted that in the first case a characteristic trio of symptoms is more often observed, while in the second there is only a change in mental status.

The difficulty of diagnosing Wernicke encephalopathy lies not only in the long-term asymptomatic course of the disease, but also in the similarity of the clinical picture with schizophrenia, oncology and some other brain diseases.

Treatment

Treatment of acute syndrome includes the following basic measures:

• intravenous or intramuscular administration of vitamin B Doctors note that when taken orally, it is impossible to ensure that thiamine quickly overcomes the cellular barrier and its normal delivery to the tissues of the brain and other organs;
• intramuscular administration of magnesium (it is necessary for the normal absorption of vitamin B1) - magnesium sulfate intramuscularly or intravenously or magnesium oxide orally;
• multivitamin therapy, including taking vitamins B2, B6, B12 and C, as well as nicotinic acid. For a long time it was proposed to administer glucose after the administration of thiamine, but such therapy can lead to a sharp deterioration in the patient's condition;
• complete and radical cessation of alcohol;
• correction of electrolyte and metabolic disorders by normalizing nutrition.

There is no consensus among doctors regarding the required therapeutic dose of vitamin B1. Therefore, it is determined individually for each patient.

The most effective regimen is considered to be one in which thiamine is administered intravenously three times a day during the first week, then the dose is reduced and for a couple of weeks thiamine is given orally also three times a day, and then once.

If there is a high risk of developing Wernicke encephalopathy, the same regimen is used for prophylactic purposes, but in smaller doses and for a shorter duration.

Patients with Wernicke's syndrome are advised to have a low-carbohydrate diet, since the breakdown and processing of carbohydrates requires a large consumption of vitamin B1.

Forecast

With positive dynamics, the symptoms of the disease gradually disappear. Ophthalmoplegia disappears within 2–3 days.

However, horizontal nystagmus in lateral vision persists in most patients, and vertical nystagmus disappears after 2–4 months.

It may take up to six months to normalize the vestibular system, but every second patient still has severe ataxia in the form of slow and awkward walking.

Spastic hemiparesis with Wernicke-Mann pose © Spastic paralysis pose Wernicke-Mann

With timely and high-quality treatment, the prognosis is favorable.

However, in every fifth patient, Wernicke's syndrome ends in death, and in 80%, the development of Korsakoff's psychosis in the absence of timely treatment.

According to statistics, only 20% of patients who experience Korsakoff psychosis make a full recovery. It was also found that 25% of patients still improve cognitive function over time.

Source: https://MedExpert.guru/alco-bolezni/entsefalopatiya-vernike.html

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Megan/Flickr.com

A person suffering from ADD is inattentive, impatient, and has great difficulty concentrating on anything.

Dealing with ADD is quite difficult, but quite possible. Read about how to do this here.

Duckling syndrome

Chris/Flicker.com

This syndrome is named after ducklings because the duckling mistakes anyone it sees for its mother immediately after birth. Even an inanimate object can be considered a mother by a duckling.

In people, duckling syndrome manifests itself as follows: seeing something for the first time, a priori a person begins to consider this something the best. But in fact, everything can be exactly the opposite.

In order to get rid of duckling syndrome, you should not take everything for granted. Develop critical thinking, analyze, do not be too self-confident and do not make hasty conclusions.

Symptoms

One of the key characteristics of conduct disorders is often aggressive, antisocial behavior that goes beyond what is typical for a child or adolescent of that age.

A person with conduct disorder may also be driven by the need to dominate others through acts of aggression or intimidation.

A person with conduct disorder may appear to be disrespectful of accepted norms of behavior, as well as the feelings of other people.

Emotional symptoms of conduct disorder include:

• Lack of remorse: This may look like an inability to feel guilty for doing something wrong, an inability to feel guilty for hurting someone, or an indifference to punishment for breaking rules.
• Lack of empathy: They may ignore the feelings of others and appear cold, callous, or uncaring.
• Disregards expectations: The person may not care about doing well in school or other activities. They may seem to ignore others' expectations, even when they have clear goals set for them.
• Lack of emotional expression: The person cannot show any emotion. They may appear superficial or shallow, and turn emotions on and off at will. When they show emotion, they can use their emotional response to manipulate others.

Behaviors or actions that a person with conduct disorder may exhibit include the following:

• breaking rules at home and at school.
• bullying
• vandalism
• get into fights
• theft
• breaking and entering
• lie or be a deceiver.
• manipulating others
• truant from school
• running away from home
• cruelty to animals

When young children develop conduct disorder, the first signs are often biting and hitting.

In older children and adolescents, symptoms may progress to lying, stealing, fighting (sometimes with weapons), damaging property, and sexual coercion.

Individuals with conduct disorders may have difficulty reading social cues, which can lead to further aggression.

They may be more likely to assume that someone's behavior is more hostile than it actually is. By reacting to this perceived hostility, they can escalate tension in a situation and create conflict situations.

Behavioral disorders often coexist with other conditions, including:

Multitasking Syndrome

Courtney Dirks/Flickr.com

We all know that:

If you chase two hares, you won't catch either.

But despite this, most of us take on a lot of things at once and ultimately cannot complete any of them properly. And if you think about how much nerves we spend on this and how many sleepless nights we spend trying to do everything at once, it becomes scary. You can learn how to cope with things normally and not plunge yourself into the abyss of multitasking here.

Part I. PSYCHOLOGICAL SYNDROMES OF CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE

General patterns of development of individual psychological characteristics

A. Social situation of child development and leading activities

Age and individual psychological characteristics are traditionally studied separately, without connection with each other. In this case, different theoretical approaches and a different set of concepts are used. Thus, the concepts of age period, social situation of development, leading activity, psychological new formations of age, age crisis do not seem to imply the presence of individual differences. The concepts of temperament, psychotype, character accentuation, and personality traits do not reflect general mental development.

As a result, we do not have any reliable basis for predicting the course of development of an individual child - even if his individual characteristics, currently available, have been identified quite fully. Numerous psychocorrectional methods developed in recent decades are used largely blindly, since they are “linked” to the age and individual characteristics of the child separately. To overcome these difficulties, it is necessary to build a picture of the age-related development of individual psychological characteristics. However, first we will have to make a short digression into the field of the general theory of the mental development of the child.

As L.S. Vygotsky (1984) showed, each age period has its own social development situation specific to it. It is determined by the place that a child of a given age occupies in society. Vygotsky's students and followers - A.N. Leontyev (1983), D.B. Elkonin (1989), A.V. Zaporozhets (1986) - developed the concept according to which the social situation of development is embodied in the leading activity of the corresponding age period.

The social development situation of a preschooler is characterized by providing the child with a high degree of autonomy and independence. At a previous, early age (up to 3 years), his freedom was extremely limited due to the insufficient level of development of movements, skills and mental functions. At subsequent younger ages, the child’s independence is very severely limited; the framework of the school, which also extends to out-of-school life (for example, in the form of the need to prepare homework).

The social situation of development of a primary school student is determined by his role as a student who, under the strict guidance of adults, acquires the necessary knowledge and skills.

During adolescence, the social situation of development is again restructured. The degree of freedom and independence of the child increases again, but now this is freedom “conquered” by the child, and not voluntarily given to him by adults. At the same time, the “negative” manifestations of a teenager - negativism, rudeness, violation of many rules and requirements, even hooliganism - are perceived by adults as some kind of inevitable evil, naturally inherent in this age period. "What do you want? He’s in adolescence!” - a standard response to complaints for which a child of a different age would be advised to immediately see a psychiatrist. This suggests that adolescent freedom “taken by battle” is a typical element of the social situation of a child’s development during this period.

The relatively free lifestyle of a preschooler is embodied in the leading activity of this age period - role-playing play. It is no coincidence that most researchers emphasize the free nature of preschool play, and some even talk about the presence of an independent “game world” for preschoolers, independent of adults. In contrast, the leading activity of a primary school student - academic - requires submission to a large set of norms and rules, starting with the requirement to carry oneself in a certain way in class and. cum! rules of grammar and arithmetic. In adolescence, despite the fact that schooling continues, educational activity ceases to be leading; For the child (teenager) himself, she goes away! to the background. The leading activity is to build a system of social relations. It manifests itself in the interpersonal communication of a half-teen with peers (D.B. Elkonin, 1989), in socially useful activities (D.I. Feldstein, 1994), but also in those excesses that we talked about above - negativism, rudeness, hooliganism .

B. Psychological syndromes

The social development situation corresponding to a particular age is developed in the course of the historical development of society. Just like culture as a whole, it is not chosen by the child, but accepted by him. However, in each individual case it has its own specifics, depending on the specific relationships that a given child develops with the people around him (parents, teachers, peers). This specific system of relations, i.e. We call the specific embodiment of a social situation of development an interpersonal situation of development. It is this that determines the emergence and subsequent changes in individual psychological characteristics.

The “contribution” of the child himself to the interpersonal situation of his development is determined by the characteristics of his behavior and activities. Thus, now we will have to consider not age-wide leading activities, but specific features of the activities of a given child.

The object of our special attention will also be the contribution to the interpersonal situation made by others: parents, teachers, peers, psychologists, brothers, sisters, etc. The entire course of the child’s mental development greatly depends on their actions.

When describing “psychological diagnoses” we will use the term “syndrome”. This term is borrowed from medicine. It is used to denote a set of interrelated symptoms that form a particular disease. We will talk about psychological syndromes. In medicine, this approach has long proven its high practical effectiveness. A.R. Luria (1973) successfully used it in studies on the neuropsychological analysis of brain functions.

In psychology, the syndrome approach was outlined by L.S. Vygotsky already 60 years ago, but it still remained rather poorly developed. Vygotsky (1983) proposed using as a unit of psychological analysis not a set of individual symptoms, but a “psychological syndrome,” which is a set of naturally interconnected symptoms that have their own developmental logic. He described, in particular, a number of syndromes characteristic of abnormal development, during which a primary defect leads to the appearance of various secondary defects. For example, a mentally retarded child is often unable to successfully build relationships with peers, which leads to a reduced level of socialization. In this case, insufficient socialization is a secondary defect (unlike autism, in which reduced socialization is a manifestation of a primary defect). A complete syndrome is formed by a combination of primary and secondary defects. The development of such a syndrome (i.e., the occurrence of secondary defects) can be prevented through targeted preventive and corrective work (in the example given, through the organization of communication between a mentally retarded child and his peers).

In this book, the syndromic approach is used to analyze various options for the development of a normal child.

and to describe a number of
borderline states
(neurosis, psychopathic behavior, etc.).
A psychological syndrome is a complex of interrelated manifestations (symptoms). It is characterized by certain conditions of its origin, high stability and a specific direction of development, during which some symptoms are naturally replaced by others
(Venger, 1994; Venger, Kozulin, 1992). A general diagram reflecting the development of the psychological syndrome is presented in Fig. 1.

The sources of the syndrome are those factors that are significant for its occurrence. They can have a very diverse nature - genetic, social, medical. These may be the child’s personal characteristics (for example, his increased need for attention from others or his low level of sensitivity to social norms); expectations and attitudes of parents (for example, their negative attitude towards the existing social order, their own pedagogical concept or confidence in their child’s giftedness); living conditions (for example, the inability to find a group of peers with similar interests), etc. During the development of the syndrome, its sources do not undergo any regular changes.

The factors included in the core of a psychological syndrome naturally change during its development. Let's take a closer look at them. As can be seen in the diagram, the specificity of a particular psychological syndrome is determined by the interaction of three main blocks:

The psychological profile of a child is a combination of both his personal characteristics and indicators related to cognitive processes. For different syndromes, different features of the psychological profile may be of primary importance. As a rule, the most important role is played by certain character accentuations - such as an anxious-suspicious character, hysterical or schizoid accentuations.

The characteristics of a child’s activity depend on his psychological profile (in the diagram this dependence is indicated by an arrow). These features may relate to the intensity and effectiveness of the activity, its success, the degree of its compliance with social norms, etc. The main focus of the activity is especially important - whether it is aimed primarily at communication, practical achievements, knowledge, or some other aspect of reality. It is important to remember that the same psychological feature can give rise to different behavioral manifestations depending on the degree of its severity, other psychological characteristics, living conditions, behavior of others, etc. In turn, the same (or very similar) behavioral manifestations can be caused by different psychological characteristics.

The reaction of the social environment as the response of the social environment (parents, teachers, peers) to the characteristics of the activity of a given child (the relationship between these blocks is indicated by an arrow). The reaction of the social environment may consist in encouraging some forms of behavior and punishing others, in the general assessment of the child, in the intensity of communication with him, etc. Obviously, the connection of this reaction with the manifestations themselves is ambiguous and depends on the views, habits, personal characteristics and pedagogical attitudes of the adults raising the child.

There is a circular relationship between the described blocks: the picture of the child’s behavior is connected (albeit ambiguously) with his psychological profile; it determines (albeit, again, ambiguously) the reaction of others; in turn, this reaction causes certain changes in psychological characteristics. The influence of social relationships on the child’s psychological profile (marked in the diagram with an arrow, as before) provides feedback.

In cybernetics, the concept of positive and negative feedback has been developed. Negative feedback normalizes the mode in which the system operates. Positive feedback (“vicious circle”) puts the system out of balance and can lead to its destruction. A psychological syndrome is such an imbalance. It occurs when there is positive feedback, i.e. when the reactions of the social environment aggravate the very psychological problem (unfavorable specific psychological profile) that gave rise to these reactions. In the absence of positive feedback, a stable psychological syndrome does not develop. In this case, only a relatively short-term state can arise, which can be easily modified and overcome.

The proposed method for analyzing psychological syndromes allows not only to successfully identify them, but also to determine effective ways of their correction and prevention. As we have seen, a psychological syndrome is formed when positive feedback occurs to the system, i.e. the environmental reaction supports the very features that caused it. The correctional approach is based on the destruction of positive feedback and replacing it with negative feedback, which normalizes the child’s system of relationships with his social environment.

The syndrome approach does not reject or remove the classical typology of accentuations of character and general personality. However, unlike the latter, it takes into account not only the “internal” psychological characteristics of the child, but also their manifestation in activity, as well as the system of social relations. This makes him more productive when making recommendations.

Accentuation refers to a pronounced originality of character, which, however, does not reach the level of pathology. Depending on the predominance of certain character traits, different types of accentuations are distinguished. There is a natural, although ambiguous, relationship between character accentuations and psychological syndromes: with one accentuation, some syndromes are more typical, with another, others. However, character accentuations do not necessarily give rise to any holistic psychological syndrome. They can also be found in a relatively “pure” form.

Development options associated with a high level of demonstrativeness

Previous2Next

Didn't find what you were looking for? Use Google search on the site:

Monk syndrome for three days

is a belle/Flickr.com

The essence of this syndrome: you cannot complete what you start. It doesn’t matter what - training, foreign language courses, some project or anything else. It doesn’t even matter how much time you spent on this matter before: days, weeks, months and even years - in one not at all wonderful moment it all goes to hell.

It would be very disappointing if you stopped doing something important to you because of your laziness, your own disorganization, or simply because you are a master at coming up with excuses, right? You will learn how to always finish what you start and stop being a “monk for three days” here.

Classification

Since medicine has ignored this condition, the classification and criteria for genius syndrome are very conditional. Most of the described abilities of savants can be divided into several areas:

1. Excellent memory is inherent in all people with savant syndrome; their abilities are largely based on it. Vivid examples are the aforementioned Kim Pik or the mentally retarded teenager described in 1887, who by heart quoted six volumes of “The History of the Decline and Destruction of the Roman Empire” in forward and reverse order (this is twice as much as “War and Peace” by Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy).
2. Speed ​​counting. Multiplication of multi-digit numbers in the mind, raising to powers, extracting square roots. “How many seconds has a person lived for 70 years, 17 days and 12 hours?” The human savant Thomas Fuller answered this question a minute and a half later: “2,210,500,800” - and did not forget to take into account leap years.
3. Calculating the days of the week (“calendar savantism”) is close to the previous ability. What day of the week was May 23, 1367 or will it be October 16, 4386?
4. Ability for music. Quick (sometimes independent) learning to play musical instruments (from one to 22). The ability to reproduce with great accuracy a melody once heard. In many cases, this ability accompanies congenital or acquired blindness and mental retardation in early childhood. Case in point: Leslie Lemke, who was born with cerebral palsy, brain damage and severe glaucoma, which required his eyes to be removed in the first months of birth. He did not swallow food on his own until he was a year old; he spent the first decade of his life, in the words of his adoptive mother, “like a fragile little flower,” that is, in a corner, silently and motionless. He learned to stand at the age of 12, and at the age of 14 he played on the piano Tchaikovsky’s “Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra,” which he had heard the day before on TV. Lemke can repeat any melody, according to tradition, and backwards too.
5. Visual abilities. As in the case of music, the ability to repeat in great detail what was once seen in painting, graphics and sculpture.
6. Ability to learn languages. The case of Christopher, a patient with autism and the “disease of geniuses”, who can read, write and translate from one to another in twenty languages, is described.
7. "Mechanical" skill. Understanding of the principles of operation of mechanisms, the ability to repair and improve them. A case was published of a mentally retarded patient who began to speak at the age of ten, and who did not learn to read and write, despite intensive attempts, but who could repair bicycles, watches and electrical appliances such as stoves, projectors and dishwashers, as well as independently assemble various electrical devices.

Tuberous sclerosis (Pringle-Bourneville disease) is a genetic disease in which specific brain damage is observed and multiple benign tumors of various locations are formed. Frequency: 1:30,000 population.

As can be seen, most of the abilities of savants are aimed at reproducing what they hear, read or see, however, according to researchers, over time, people with the syndrome may develop improvisation skills, especially in music. In addition, most skills are largely devoid of much practical significance.

Monday syndrome

sumboid/Flickr.com

It seems they are not idle and could live. They should take Mondays and cancel them.

Andrey Mironov

Any adult, even a responsible and organized one, has encountered this syndrome at least once. It turns out that to avoid “Monday” syndrome, you need to set yourself the right pace at the beginning of the day. Read about how to do this in this article.

Alice in Wonderland syndrome

Lajpal_Kaur/Flickr.com

Another syndrome named after the work of Lewis Carroll. Scientifically, this syndrome is called “micropsia” and “macropsia”. A person suffering from Alice in Wonderland syndrome has a distorted perception of reality: surrounding objects will seem to him much smaller or much larger than they actually are.

Like the heroine Alice, people suffering from this syndrome will not understand what is reality and what is their distorted perception.

Most often, this syndrome can accompany migraine, but can also occur under the influence of various psychotropic drugs.

Rare syndromes

Psychiatry describes diseases that are accompanied by atypical symptoms and the prevalence of which is extremely low. Some of them are discussed below.

Alien hand syndrome

A pathological mental disorder in which the patient is sure that his hand does not belong to him and does not act according to his will. A person feels a limb, feels a hand, but cannot control his own movements with it. The disease occurs after a stroke or head injury; a cure for it has not yet been found.

Alice in Wonderland syndrome

In this state, the patient ceases to adequately perceive shapes and sizes. A person feels a distortion of space , he gets the impression that he is in the land of Lilliputians, where everything around him is very small in comparison with him or, on the contrary, he feels huge.

The causes of the disease can be migraine, Epstein-Barr virus, or taking medications that affect brain activity.

Dissociative fugue

One of the rarest syndromes in psychiatry, another name is the flight reaction. It consists in the fact that the patient unexpectedly leaves for a completely unfamiliar place, after which he completely forgets all data about himself . At the same time, memory is not completely lost, only information about one’s own personality is erased. Usually the fugue lasts a short time, the memory returns, and the patient cannot understand how he ended up in this vicinity. The disease manifests itself after severe or prolonged stressful situations.

Cotard's syndrome

A depressive, delusional state in which the patient is convinced that he has died , his body has “rotten” and decomposed, and there is a denial of the surrounding world - “the whole world has perished.” The patient may claim that he is a malicious lawbreaker who has harmed all of humanity. The disease is often observed in people suffering from schizophrenia, psychosis, and cerebrovascular diseases.

Capgras syndrome

A mental disorder characterized by delusional illusions of a person. In this state, the patient is sure that his loved one or close acquaintance has been replaced by a double . The disease occurs against the background of schizophrenia, epileptic disease, and also with brain injuries.

In psychiatry, there are many syndromes accompanied by similar symptoms. Sometimes it is difficult even for qualified psychiatrists to distinguish them from each other, so in some cases they are combined to make a diagnosis (astheno-depressive syndrome).

The article discusses the main syndromes encountered in psychiatry, their characteristics and causes, and also indicates rare psychological disorders.

Stendhal syndrome

Dustin Gaffke/Flickr.com

This is a mental disorder that is accompanied by rapid heartbeat, dizziness and hallucinations. This syndrome manifests itself when a person suffering from it finds himself in places where works of fine art are concentrated: in museums and art galleries. Stendhal syndrome can also be caused by excessive natural beauty.

Stendhal, in his book “Naples and Florence: A Journey from Milan to Reggio,” described the first manifestation of this syndrome, which later received its name in honor of the famous French writer.

Florence, Venice, Rome and Istanbul are the cities in which Stendhal syndrome is most often activated.

Diogenes syndrome

shelby gill/Flickr.com

People suffering from this syndrome tend to isolate themselves from society, are disdainful of themselves, are incredibly stingy and tend to collect various rubbish.

A striking example is Plyushkin from the poem “Dead Souls” by Gogol.

The syndrome is named after the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes, who, according to legend, lived in a barrel. However, Diogenes did not collect all kinds of rubbish and did not avoid human communication, so a number of researchers consider it advisable to rename this syndrome Plyushkin syndrome.

Amelie syndrome

Still from the film “Amelie”

Everyone who watched the film “Amelie” by French film director Jean-Pierre-Junet can guess what the essence of this syndrome is.

People suffering from this syndrome periodically relapse into childhood, love to watch strangers and make surprises for them, post various announcements and congratulations around the city - in general, the list could take a long time and still not list everything, so I simply advise everyone to watch this film .

Adele syndrome

wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

Adele syndrome, or love madness, is a passionate, unrequited love feeling.

The syndrome got its name thanks to Adele Hugo, the daughter of the famous French writer Victor Hugo.

Adele was a very beautiful and gifted girl, but her mental health was greatly affected by the death of her older sister. Later, the girl met the English officer Albert and fell madly in love with him. But she fell in unrequited love: Albert did not reciprocate the girl’s feelings.

She pursued Albert, lied to everyone first about her engagement, and then about marrying him. She upset the officer's engagement to another girl and spread rumors that she had given birth to a stillborn child from him. The story has a sad ending: Adele spent the rest of her life in a psychiatric hospital.

Despite the fact that all this seems incredible and greatly exaggerated, many girls and boys suffer from a similar syndrome.

It is hardly possible to identify specific methods that will help fight such a harmful feeling that sucks a person in like a black hole. You just should always remember that “There is no such thing as unhappy love...”, and find the strength and pride in yourself to abandon the person who doesn’t need you.

Symptoms of the disorder

People suffering from impostor syndrome say they feel like a fraud and worry that their deception will be discovered. It is difficult for them to accept their success, despite the fact that objectively it is deserved. As a rule, these are insecure people with very low self-esteem.

Fear of taking on new tasks

According to a study published in 2014, people with impostor syndrome focus on limited tasks instead of taking on additional responsibilities that will help them demonstrate their abilities [3]. “Impostors” avoid additional tasks, fearing that they will distract them or prevent them from efficiently completing existing ones.

Diffidence

For people with impostor syndrome, every new success can lead to even greater self-doubt. Even when such a person reaches significant heights, he is not able to accept this fact. On the contrary, he becomes increasingly worried that those around him will realize that he does not deserve this recognition.

Attributing success to external factors

“Impostors” deny their competence. They believe that their success is just an accident or the result of external factors.

Job dissatisfaction and burnout

Even if the impostor is not happy with his current position or what he is currently doing, the fear of failure prevents him from advancing in his career and changing jobs. Against the backdrop of constant job dissatisfaction, professional burnout often appears. However, according to the observations of researchers, people with impostor syndrome do not change anything in their lives, because they do not believe that they can achieve something more [4].

Focus on tasks and goals

“Impostors” often set extremely difficult goals for themselves, and when they cannot achieve them, they experience great disappointment [5].

Despite the seemingly absolute “harmlessness” of the syndrome, such people can experience mental disorders, experiencing:

• anxiety;
• fear;
• depression;
• disappointment;
• diffidence;
• shame.

However, impostor syndrome itself does not belong to mental disorders [6].

Dorian Gray Syndrome

zeondp/Flickr.com

This syndrome affects many young people who are able to throw all their energy, money and their own time into the pursuit of external youth and beauty. This becomes their main goal in life.

This syndrome is familiar to readers from Oscar Wilde’s novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

This syndrome often has a very negative effect on the human psyche and leads to other mental disorders.

Diagnostics

The doctor conducts a detailed interview with the patient and reviews family history (including a family history of sudden cardiac death). Physical examination usually does not reveal any abnormalities, so the patient is given an ECG - in some cases with the use of medications (calcium channel blockers) that help determine the characteristic signs of Brugada syndrome. Additionally, for differential diagnosis, other instrumental studies of the heart and 24-hour ECG monitoring (Holter) may be prescribed.

Laboratory diagnostics may include genetic testing for a mutation in the SCN5A gene, calcium and potassium levels, tests for MB-creatine kinase and troponin levels (to exclude other diagnoses).

Differential diagnosis

Most often, Brugada syndrome is differentiated (distinguished) from the following diseases:

• Romano-Ward syndrome is a congenital long QT syndrome type 3, also caused by mutations in the SCN5A gene (there is an opinion that LQT3 and Brugada syndrome may be different types of the same disorder);
• arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACMP);
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy;
• other diseases and disorders: acute myocarditis, hyperkalemia, hypercalcemia.

Capgras syndrome

ℓyts/Flickr.com

This syndrome is also called “delusion of a negative double.” A person susceptible to this syndrome is sure that people close to him have been possessed by their double. A person does not exclude the possibility that a double has moved into him, and attributes to the “second self” all the negative actions that he commits on his own.

What is impostor syndrome

Imposter syndrome or phenomenon was first described in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes [1]. They studied the condition of successful women who, despite their visible achievements and objective successes, believed that those around them simply overestimated them. A study conducted by a group of scientists in 2019 showed that in modern society, this syndrome (depending on the method of assessing the results and the participants) affects from 9 to 82% of people. Moreover, the disorder is typical for people of any age and gender, although it occurs more often among representatives of ethnic minorities [2].

But if for some the symptoms of the disorder are temporary, for example, they appear only in the first weeks of work in a new place, then for others the syndrome can last a lifetime.

Content:

• What is impostor syndrome
• Symptoms of the disorder
• Types of "imposters"
• Who is susceptible to the syndrome
• Is there a cure for this?

Othello syndrome

Eugene Parmon/Flickr.com

...or pathological jealousy. A person suffering from this syndrome is constantly jealous of his beloved / his lover, even if he has no reason or reason at all.

This syndrome makes people go crazy: people constantly watch the object of their love, their sleep is disturbed, they cannot eat normally, they are constantly nervous and cannot think about anything except that they are allegedly being cheated on.

Attempts to explain and study

A very small number of studies are aimed at trying to study this condition, which is probably due to its rarity, harmlessness to the host and limited ability to influence the substrate itself - the brain. The difference in incidence between men and women may be due to the neurotoxic effect of excess testosterone in the embryonic period on certain parts of the brain. In some cases, there is a connection between traumatic or other damage to the left temporal lobe and the development of savant syndrome, while the right parts of the brain either very well take over its functions (understanding graphic symbols), or go beyond the control of the left “logical” hemisphere, which is prone to summarize data and omit unimportant details. In a number of studies, some dysfunction of the left regions has also been described in autistic people.

Surprisingly, so far there is only one known attempt to artificially increase genius using savant syndrome. Allan Snyder of the University of Sydney, inspired by the idea of ​​“liberation from the tyranny of the left hemisphere,” tried to temporarily “disable” the left temporal lobe in eleven volunteers (of whom seven received a placebo) by applying repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation to it, and noted a short-term improvement in the skill redrawing and memorizing text. None of the scientists have yet decided to undertake more daring experiments - with mechanical effects on the brain - or have modestly kept silent about the results.

Anhedonia

This is not a syndrome, but due to its importance, anhedonia is also worth including on this list.

Pete Pahham/Shutterstock.com

Anhedonia is a diagnosis of lack of joy. Anti-war army, anti-fire fire. Yanka Diaghileva

Anhedonia is a decrease or loss of the ability to experience pleasure. A person suffering from anhedonia loses motivation for activities that can bring pleasure: sports, travel, favorite hobbies.

Anhedonia is treated with long sleep and a healthy diet; the rehabilitation process also includes visiting various institutions and events that should evoke positive emotions in a person. In severe cases, drug treatment is used.

Rigid person syndrome

Stiff person syndrome is a sporadic disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by progressive rigidity and painful muscle spasms in the axial musculature and proximal limbs, associated with motor unit hyperactivity. In some families, an autosomal dominant type of inheritance of the disease has been established. The syndrome most often affects adults, but is extremely rare in children. The term “stiffman syndrome” was introduced in 1956 by American neurologists FP Moersch and HW Waltman, who presented a description of 14 patients with a previously unknown disease, which was characterized by “progressive fluctuating muscle rigidity and spasms in the axial muscles.” Etiology and pathogenesis. The etiology and pathogenesis of rigid person syndrome (SPS) remains largely unclear. It is obvious that the basis of muscle rigidity and spasms is an increase in the excitability of alpha motor neurons in the anterior horns, but its causes have not yet been established. Motor unit hyperactivity (MU) is likely determined by a defect in the descending spinal cord tracts. Data from electrophysiological studies make it possible to associate the pathological activity of motor units with dysfunction of the descending suprasegmental brainstem spinal systems that control the functional state of interneurons of the spinal cord, which in turn inhibit the activity of alpha motor neurons of the anterior horns. 60% of patients have antibodies to glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid. This neurotransmitter is localized in GABAergic neurons of the central nervous system and B cells of the pancreatic islets. The immune-dependent nature of suffering is assumed. In patients with rigid person syndrome, antibodies associated with concomitant autoimmune diseases are detected, both organ-specific (to cells of the gastric mucosa, thyroid gland, etc.) and organ-nonspecific (antinuclear, antimitochondrial, antibodies to smooth muscles), which indicates a systemic defect immune system. Among patients with rigid person syndrome and their relatives, the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism is increased. Clinical picture. • in the initial period of the disease, aching pain and tension in the muscles of the trunk and proximal limbs are noted • muscle stiffness limits normal movements and gives the patient the appearance of a stiff person • later, against the background of generalized muscle stiffness, involuntary and very painful muscle spasms appear, which are provoked by any external stimuli of the sensory and of an emotional nature • spasms last several minutes and reach such strength that they sometimes lead to bone fractures and subluxations in joints • during sleep, the intensity of muscle tension and spasms weakens • tension of the abdominal wall muscles and contraction of the paravertebral muscles at the level of the chest and lower back cause hyperlordosis - characteristic sign of the disease • occasionally the bulbar muscles are affected • tendon and periosteal reflexes are brisk or significantly increased, accompanied by pyramidal extensor foot signs • muscle atrophy and myotonic phenomena are not observed Diagnosis of HRF. Currently, the diagnosis of HRF is based on a well-known complex of clinical, instrumental and laboratory studies. There are 3 groups of criteria for this disease. • Clinical criteria: gradual onset of the disease with soreness and tension of the axial muscles; with gradual involvement of the proximal muscles of the legs and, to a lesser extent, the arms, with the appearance of difficulties when walking and performing complex movements; constant tension of the thoracolumbar, paraspinal and abdominal muscles; pathological lumbar hyperlordosis; disc-shaped rigidity of the abdominal muscles; disappearance of rigidity during sleep; painful muscle spasms lasting from a few seconds to several minutes, caused by emotional or sensory stimuli; absence of other neurological symptoms; preservation of intelligence; no or minimal involvement of the cranial muscles. Atypical rare symptoms of the disease include oculomotor and cerebellar disorders, as well as isolated manifestations of rigidity in the legs or muscles of the pelvic girdle. • EMG criteria: include persistent tonic motor unit activity at rest that disappears during sleep or with intravenous benzodiazepines, peripheral nerve block, or general anesthesia; normal SRV in peripheral nerves; no signs of denervation and normal characteristics of the MUAP. • Additional criteria: the presence of antibodies to antigens of GABAergic neurons (especially antibodies to DKG); the presence of comorbid autoimmune endocrinopathies. Treatment. There is no etiotropic treatment. The basis of symptomatic treatment of rigid person syndrome is the use of GABAergic drugs, primarily benzodiazepines (diazepam, clonazepam) and baclofen, which block the increased activity of spinal motor neurons and reduce the severity of spontaneous and reflex muscle spasms, and, to a lesser extent, rigidity, postural disturbances, and limited mobility. The drug of choice is diazepam (Relanium, Sibazon), it is prescribed in very large doses, sometimes up to 50-75 mg/day. Clonazepam is used for the same purpose. In some cases, a beneficial effect has been obtained from the use of baclofen, tizanidine (sirdalud), sodium valproate and clonidine (clonidine). When combining a benzodiazepine and baclofen, the desired effect is often achieved using lower doses than with monotherapy, which reduces the risk of side effects. In severe cases, repeated injection of botulinum toxin A into the paraspinal muscles is effective. Correction of endocrine disorders (diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, etc.) is important, which can reduce the severity of rigidity and spasms. If the disease is based on an autoimmune process, corticosteroids, plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin have a positive effect. If these measures are ineffective in severe cases, long-term use of cytostatics (for example, azathioprine or cyclophosphamide) is possible. Forecast. Adequate symptomatic therapy allows, in some cases, to achieve long-term stabilization of the condition and maintain the patient’s functional capabilities at the level necessary for self-care. But in some cases, the condition of patients continues to worsen. The duration of the disease is 5−16 years. The outcome of the disease is unfavorable: mortality is due to progressive cachexia. In a few autopsy cases, no significant morphological abnormalities were identified.

Peter Pan Syndrome

Kevin Hamm/Flickr.com

All children, except for one and only child in the world, sooner or later grow up. James Barry "Peter Pan"

People suffering from Peter Pan syndrome under no circumstances want to grow up, and it doesn’t matter how old they are - 20, 30, 40...

Such people are called kidalts (adult children).

Eydie syndrome

Signs

The main symptom of the disease is a decrease, or even disappearance, of the pupil’s ability to constrict.
The pupils become different sizes, and the affected one is dilated and often deformed. With convergence (bringing the visual axes to the center to view objects up close), the affected pupil narrows slowly and dilates as soon as convergence stops. This effect is called pupillotonia. Vision also decreases. Often this condition occurs after a headache. At the very beginning of the disease, the pupil is very large, however, over time it narrows. Also, the size of the pupil can change during the day.

Usually only one eye is affected at first. But then, after a few years, Eydie syndrome may affect the second one.

Eydie syndrome is often accompanied by impaired reflexes of the arms and legs. Occasionally it is combined with diarrhea, constipation, and impotence.

Description

The cause of Adie syndrome can be both vitamin deficiency and infectious diseases. However, the exact cause, as well as the exact moment when this syndrome develops, is still unknown.

Women suffer from Eydie syndrome more often than men. The average age of patients is 32 years. There are familial cases of the disease.

In this disease, the cell bodies of the ciliated ganglion, located in the orbit, or postganglionic fibers are damaged. As a result, the innervation of the ciliary muscle and the sphincter of the iris is disrupted, and in this case, accommodation (the ability to clearly see objects at different distances) and constriction of the pupil are impossible.

However, over time, the ability to accommodate may return, but the reaction to light is not restored.

Eydie syndrome occurs in diabetes mellitus, Shy-Drager syndrome, segmental hypohidrosis, and amyloidosis. The ciliary muscle can also be damaged by diphtheria.

Diagnostics

A diagnosis of Eydie syndrome must be made by an ophthalmologist. To do this, he needs to listen to the patient’s complaints, examine him, and check the reaction of the pupils to light. If Eydie syndrome is suspected, the doctor should perform a slit lamp examination and a test with a weak solution of pilocarpine. This solution will not have an effect on a normal pupil, but the affected one will narrow.

It is necessary to differentiate Eydie syndrome from Argyll Robertson syndrome, which is characteristic of neurosyphilis.

Treatment

Treatment for Eydie syndrome has not yet been developed. But often it is not required. And to correct a cosmetic defect - different pupils - it is recommended to instill a weak solution of pilocarpine.

© Dr. Peter

Exploding head syndrome

ahhhlicia/Flickr.com

When falling asleep or waking up, a person may hear a loud sound, which can be compared to a shot or the cry of a wild animal. He will feel like his head is exploding.

Exploding head syndrome is very often a consequence of the frantic pace of life, permanent fatigue, and a heavy workload of affairs and worries. To cope with this syndrome, a person needs proper rest, ideally a rest for a couple of days or even weeks.

X-Men

According to Darold Treffert, who devoted more than 50 years to studying the “disease of geniuses,” in 2020 there were just over three hundred people living on the planet with vivid manifestations of savantism. On the other hand, Finnish scientists counted more than five hundred children with savant syndrome in their country alone.

About half of the savants have autism, while others are diagnosed with congenital abnormalities of brain development (for example, agenesis of the corpus callosum, lesions of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus), Williams syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, and varying degrees of mental retardation. According to individual researchers, every tenth autistic person has signs of savant disease; with other diseases, such a pleasant bonus is received less often: approximately 1:1400–2000 cases in patients with oligophrenia of various etiologies. About thirty cases of acquired savant syndrome have also been described, when extraordinary abilities develop, for example, after severe head trauma, hemorrhagic stroke, or as frontotemporal dementia progresses. The ratio of male to female savants is 4–6:1.

Williams syndrome ("elf face" syndrome) is a congenital malformation that occurs when a portion of the long arm of chromosome 7 is deleted, characterized by supravalvular aortic stenosis, peripheral pulmonary artery stenosis, characteristic facial features, dental defects and infantile hypercalcemia, mental retardation and short stature. Frequency - 1:10,000 newborns.

Sleeping beauty syndrome

viktoria/Flickr.com

Scientifically, this syndrome is called Kleine-Lewin syndrome. Those suffering from this syndrome are characterized by excessive sleepiness (18 hours of sleep, and sometimes even more), and if they are not allowed to sleep, they become irritable and aggressive.

Munchausen syndrome

Alexander Raths/Shutterstock.com

A person susceptible to this syndrome constantly feigns various illnesses and then seeks medical help. Those suffering from this syndrome are usually intelligent, inventive and resourceful, and have extensive knowledge of medicine.