Neurological status of chronic depressive states have not been resolved u yet. Recent classificatory systems ICD-X and DSM-III-R have included chronic depression under affective disorders and have done away with the category of neurotic depression. The present study was undertaken with the aims of (a) to study clinical variables associated with major subtypes of chronic depression (chronic major depression and dysthymia) and (b) to investigate personality characteristics and life events associated with major subtypes of chronic depression. The sample was drawn from outpatients and inpatients as per DSM-DI-R criteria. 30 patients were studied (21 chronic major depression and 9 dysthymia). They were administered Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Eysenck Personality Inventory and Interview for recent life event (Paykel and Mangen, 1980) and details of sociodemographic and clinical variables were recorded. Symptomatically dysthymia and chronic major depression are indistinguishable. More patients of dysthymia have positive family history of depressive disorder. Dysthymia had significantly higher score on neuroticism. All chronic depressives tend to report more life stresses during the courses of illness.

Recent classification systems of schizophrenia consider the presence of psychotic features like certain forms of hallucinations and delusions as sine qua non of this disorder. Consequently, earlier categories like simple schizophrenia have been discarded from many diagnostic systems. However, there is a category of patients who present with gross deterioration in personality without ever experiencing hallucinations or delusions. Negative schizophrenia, a contemporary popular syndrome has again revived interest in this subgroup of patients. The authors present four cases diagnosed as simple schizophrenia and argue the case for retention of this subgroup of schizophrenia in the current nosological classification systems and conclude that simple schizophrenia of yesteryears has close resemblance with today's negative schizophrenia.

Platelet MAO activity was estimated in 60 male drug free schizophrenics and 26 controls matched for age. The paranoid group had significantly lower enzyme activity than the non-paranoid group and controls. Patients with premorbid schizoid personality had significantly lower enzyme activity than patients with non-schizoid premorbid personality and controls. A significant negative correlation between platelet MAO activity and severity and duration of illness was observed. Family history of schizophrenia, presence of auditory hallucinations and type and age of onset of illness were not related to platelet MAO activity.

A study of dosage requirements undertaken among chronic OPD patients found on unnecessarily high drug dosage regimes. Basing on OPD experiences authors discuss long term treatment strategies and strongly advocate low dose intermittent oral therapy.

Studies on association of psychiatric diseases and immunopathology has been an area of recent research activities. Alcohol has been implicated in some immune mediated disorders. Observation of occurrence of psoriasis, an immune mediated skin disorder in alcoholic patients has not been reported anywhere in literature. We report here 4 cases of alcoholism related psoriasis and discuss the possible immunological relationship between these two disorders. The need for study of effect of alcoholism on cell-medicated immunity associated conditions like auto-immune disorders and malignancy is presented.

Confabulations observed during head injury recovery were of two types ; momentary and fantastic. Both occurred in relation to either the dysmnestic phase of early recovery or the post traumatic amnesic syndrome. In a follow-up of 174 head injured patients, all 12 patients evincing confabulations had suffered from acceleration injuries. In comparison to controls, they had a longer post traumatic amnesia period. Clinical and psychometric lateralization of the deficits pointed to left sided impairment. Their memory scores were not qualitatively or quantitatively different from those of equivalent controls. Patients differed from the controls in certain personality dimensions. Relative contribution of clinical deficits, memory impairment and personality dimensions to the occurrence of confabulations and its dynamic significance in maintaining the personal identity system of the patient are discussed.