The aim of the paper is to encourage and give some directions for research activities which might help us to understand the patterns of interaction in the families of Indian schizophrenics, thus paving the way for suitable intervention strategies. The Western studies implicating the role of family are examined for relevance to Indian patients. The methodology of studying family interaction is critically evaluated. The factors believed to be responsible for a better prognosis of schizophrenia in Indian context are outlined with the hope of discovering those family characteristics which might be protective against schizophrenia. It is pointed out that the co-operation of the Indian family should not be automatically assumed: the patient can, in fact, be a stressful burden. Finally, arisingout of observations made in the earlier sectors, the specific research directions are outlined.

Seizure duration was estimated using a single channel EEG recording during ECT. Seizure endpoint was defined as the point of last spike. Three psychiatrists independently rated forty seven EEG records. Seizure endpoint could be reliably identified. The reliability coefficient between three raters was 0. 92, indicating high agreement among raters. Modal difference between any pair of raters as well as all three was 0.5 second or less. Operational definition of seizure endpoint improves the reliability of identifying the same and hence estimation of seizure duration from even a single channel EEG trace.

Epilepsy is one of the most frequently associated conditions with mental retardation which interferes with the learning process. Vie present study investigates the 1207 cases (Male -8I4, Female-393) registered at NIMH, Secunderabad, over a period of two years. Vie factors studied were the prevalence of epilepsy, degree of mental retardation, aetiology and associated factors. Ten mentally retarded persons with epilepsy were followed up longitudinally to study the effect of epilepsy on learning. It was observed that an attack of seizure resulted in a setback in the learning of skills. The results are discussed.

Cost consideration has special relevance in psychiatric practice, where the drug treatment has to be continued for long duration. On evaluating, the cost of different brand names, of the same generic drug using CI MS and MIMS (India, 1991), it was found that Cost Range and Cost Ratio varies considerably. The Cost Ratio is more than 3 for Tab. Thioridazone 100 mg and Cap. Daxepin 75 mg. Since, the superiority of any costlier brand over the others has never been reported, and keeping in view the financial aspect of prescribing the cheapest of the brand available should be prescribed, whenever possible.

Thirty patients diagnosed as Conversion Disorder and Somatization Disorder on DSM-IU were investigated using IBQ and EPI. The patients differed with the controls on all the 7 factors of illness dimensions. They scored higher on neuroticism and low on extroversion.

A self-administered questionnaire (SKAQ) in simple Hindi was constructed and standardized for assessing the knowledge and attitude of a north Indian population towards sex. SKA Q is a 55- item questionnaire split into two parts: a 35-item knowledge-part with dichotomous choice of responses and a 20-item attitude-part scorable on 3-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicated a better knowledge and a liberal attitude. Its test-retest reliability was established and discriminant validity demonstrated. Both males and females showed poor knowledge about and entertained conservative attitudes. Surprisingly, normal subjects were no different from patients with sexual problems.

Leff has concluded from his analysis of the JPSS Study that the emotions of anxiety, depression and irritability are poorly discriminated amongst the population using non-Indo-European languages. The present author after analyzing similar data from the ICMR Multicentred Collaborative Study of Factors Associated with the Course and outcome of Schizophrenia that the Tamil population using Tamil, a non-Indo-European language is able to discriminate these emotions as well as the brethren speaking Hindi of lndo-European origin.

Cognitive Dysfunction' was assessed in 30patients diagnosed to have Major Depression (DSM III R), using the PCI memory scale and the Wechsler Adult Performance Intelligence Scale, form PR both of which have been developed and standardised in India. Depressed patients revealed marked impairment on tests of attention and concentration, and immediate and delayed recall on tests of memory (PCI); while tests of performance (WAPIS) revealed global impairment. This impairment reversed with recovery from depression. While improved test scores occured along with improvement in depression, there was no direct correlation between the two i.e. the degree of improvement in WAPIS/PGI total scores was not directly proportional to the degree of improvement in depression scores.

A study comprising of detail history collection of first - day heroin chasing of 80 heroin addicts in respect to the contribution of their peers was done. Analysis reveals that the peer group influence was significantly operative in several ways in the initiation of heroin abuse.

Cognitive deficits are the recognised symptoms of the dementias of later life. However, behavioural symptoms also contribute significantly to the problem and are often the main reason for a clinical consultation. The present study describes non - cognitive behavioural symptoms in 30 patients during various stages of dementia. Anxiety, depressive features, agitation, wandering and paranoid symptoms are the main features. The paper also discusses the usefulness and limitation of pharmacological treatment of these symptoms.

Forty elderly psychiatric out-patients with an ICD-9 diagnosis of depression and twenty matched controls were studied for the presence of physical illnesses, using a pre-defined battery of investigative techniques. While the prevalence of physical illness diagnosis was not significantly different between the two groups, the number of subjects with undiagnosed illnesses and those with multiple illnesses was significantly higher among the depressives. Among specific illnesses, hypertension, osteoarthritis and cataract were significantly more common among depressives. Significance of the findings is discussed.

Social responses to Koro illness was studied from an urban population (n = 118) of Darjeeling district of West Bengal State, during and after the North Bengal Koro epidemic. The prevalent social cognition of Koro as a positive illness paradigm, both among the Koro-affected and non-affected families, was the important social dynamics that helped the epidemic to spread as the illness in the region. The cognition-intensity related to the Koro vulnerability has diminished gradually with the passing of time, which was well corroborated with the gradually weaning incidence curve of Koro illness in the region.

Hypercortisolemia, as measured by baseline serum Cortisol levels (Carroll and Mendels, 1976) and abnormal response to dexamethasone suppression test (DST) (Carroll et at., 1981) is thought to characterize abnormal hypothalamic-pituitory- adrenal (HPA) axis functions in patients of depression. Whether adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) shows similar abnormalities is a matter of controversy. Whereas Nasretal. (1983) and Roy et al. (1986) reported higher plasme ACTH levels in depressed patients as compared to controls. Fang et al. (1981) and Yerevanian and Woolf (1933) did not find such difference.

A patient experienced depression before being diagnosed as AIDS positive. He was well accepted by family members despite being aware about the infecttivity and fatality of the disease.

This case report describes the progression of dysmorphophobic symptoms in the dimension of intensity from a normal age related concern, to primary dysmorpliophobia, to a somatic delusion during depressive and manic phases of a bipolar affective disorder. The depressive episodes were resistant to drug treatment but responded to ECTs.

A case which initially presented with schizophrenic symptoms and was being managed as a patient of schizophrenic illness with tardive dyskinesia for 12 years, was on careful review of history and examination diagnosed as having Huntington's Disease. Clinical and theoretical aspects of Huntington's disease presenting with schizophrenic symptoms, and neurological deficits which are seen in schizophrenia are discussed.

Recently, many cases of Fluoxetine induced mania have been reported in the literature. The detailed analysis of these case reports demonstrates that these patients had either positive family history of affective disorder (Lebegne, 1987), past history of affective illness (Settle and Settle, 1984; Lebegne, 1987; Nakra el al., 1989) or were related to high doses of fluoxetine (Chouinard and Steiner, 1986., Turner et al., 1988). Fluoxetine might have precipitated mania in susceptiple individuals (genetic loading) or mania might have developed naturally at that time even without fluoxetine (patients with past history of affective disorder) in these patients.