We experimentally assessed the functions of hair pulling and hair manipulation of a 19-year-old woman (Kris) with moderate mental retardation and cerebral palsy. In Phase 1 a functional analysis revealed that Kris pulled and manipulated hair for the greatest amount of time in the alone condition, suggesting that the behaviors were maintained by some form of automatic reinforcement (Vaughan & Michael, 1982). In Phase 2 we assessed the nature of the sensory stimulation that maintained hair pulling by providing continuous access to previously pulled or cut hair and, thereafter, by having Kris wear a rubber glove. The results suggested that hair pulling was maintained by digital-tactile stimulation (automatic positive reinforcement). These findings are discussed, and recommendations for further analyses of automatically reinforced habit behaviors are provided. (+info)
Practical management of hair loss.
(2/38)
OBJECTIVE: To describe an organized diagnostic approach for both nonscarring and scarring alopecias to help family physicians establish an accurate in-office diagnosis. To explain when ancillary laboratory workup is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: Current diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for hair loss are based on randomized controlled studies, uncontrolled studies, and case series. MEDLINE was searched from January 1966 to December 1998 with the MeSH words alopecia, hair, and alopecia areata. Articles were selected on the basis of experimental design, with priority given to the most current large multicentre controlled studies. Overall global evidence for therapeutic intervention for hair loss is quite strong. MAIN MESSAGE: The most common forms of nonscarring alopecias are androgenic alopecia, telogen effluvium, and alopecia areata. Other disorders include trichotillomania, traction alopecia, tinea capitis, and hair shaft abnormalities. Scarring alopecia is caused by trauma, infections, discoid lupus erythematosus, or lichen planus. Key to establishing an accurate diagnosis is a detailed history, including medication use, systemic illnesses, endocrine dysfunction, hair-care practices, and family history. All hair-bearing sites should be examined. A 4-mm punch biopsy of the scalp is useful, particularly to diagnose scarring alopecias. Once a diagnosis has been established, specific therapy can be initiated. CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis and management of hair loss is an interesting challenge for family physicians. An organized approach to recognizing characteristic differential features of hair loss disorders is key to diagnosis and management. (+info)
Psycho dermatology: the mind and skin connection.
(3/38)
A psychodermatologic disorder is a condition that involves an interaction between the mind and the skin. Psychodermatologic disorders fall into three categories: psychophysiologic disorders, primary psychiatric disorders and secondary psychiatric disorders. Psychophysiologic disorders (e.g., psoriasis and eczema) are associated with skin problems that are not directly connected to the mind but that react to emotional states, such as stress. Primary psychiatric disorders involve psychiatric conditions that result in self-induced cutaneous manifestations, such as trichotillomania and delusions of parasitosis. Secondary psychiatric disorders are associated with disfiguring skin disorders. The disfigurement results in psychologic problems, such as decreased self-esteem, depression or social phobia. Most psychodermatologic disorders can be treated with anxiety-decreasing techniques or, in extreme cases, psychotropic medications. (+info)
Further evaluation of the role of protective equipment in the functional analysis of self-injurious behavior.
(4/38)
Using a procedure similar to the one described by Le and Smith (in press), we evaluated the effects of protective equipment during a functional analysis for 2 individuals who engaged in severe self-injurious behavior (SIB). Results of our analyses revealed that the use of protective equipment during functional analyses of SIB suppressed levels of responding such that a behavioral function could not be identified. (+info)
Hair loss: diagnosis and management.
(5/38)
Alopecia is usually treatable and self-limited, but it may be permanent. Careful diagnosis of the type of hair loss will aid in selecting effective treatment. Reassurance is an important component of any treatment regimen. (+info)
Ant-induced alopecia: report of 2 cases and review of the literature.
(6/38)
Localized scalp hair loss is associated with many processes, including alopecia areata, trichotillomania, tinea capitis, and early lupus erythematosus. There are several reports of localized alopecia after tick- and flea-bites and bee stings, but there are only two reports of ant-induced alopecia in the literature. We present two cases of alopecia induced by ants of genus Pheidole (species pallidula) and review the literature for insect-induced alopecia. Ant-induced alopecia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of localized sudden-onset alopecia, at least in some geographic areas of the world. (+info)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania: a phenomenological comparison.
(7/38)
BACKGROUND: Similarities between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and trichotillomania (TTM) have been widely recognized. Nevertheless, there is evidence of important differences between these two disorders. Some authors have conceptualized the disorders as lying on an OCD spectrum of conditions. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy eight OCD patients (n = 278: 148 male; 130 female) and 54 TTM patients (n = 54; 5 male; 49 female) of all ages were interviewed. Female patients were compared on select demographic and clinical variables, including comorbid axis I and II disorders, and temperament/character profiles. RESULTS: OCD patients reported significantly more lifetime disability, but fewer TTM patients reported response to treatment. OCD patients reported higher comorbidity, more harm avoidance and less novelty seeking, more maladaptive beliefs, and more sexual abuse. OCD and TTM symptoms were equally likely to worsen during menstruation, but OCD onset or worsening was more likely associated with pregnancy/puerperium. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support previous work demonstrating significant differences between OCD and TTM. The classification of TTM as an impulse control disorder is also problematic, and TTM may have more in common with conditions characterized by stereotypical self-injurious symptoms, such as skin-picking. Differences between OCD and TTM may reflect differences in underlying psychobiology, and may necessitate contrasting treatment approaches. (+info)
Strategy implementation in obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania.
(8/38)
BACKGROUND: The use of strategies to aid performance when undertaking neuropsychological tasks is dependent on intact fronto-striatal circuitry, and growing evidence suggests impaired spontaneous use of strategies in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, studies to date have not examined the effects of strategy training on task performance in OCD or in trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling, a condition that has been argued to share overlap with OCD in terms of phenomenology and co-morbidity). METHOD: The ability to generate novel visuospatial sequences using a computer interface was examined before and after undertaking optimal strategy training in 20 OCD patients, 17 trichotillomania patients, and 20 controls (matched for age, education, and IQ). RESULTS: OCD patients failed to improve ability to generate novel sequences above baseline despite successfully completing strategy training to the same extent as other groups. In contrast, performance of trichotillomania patients improved significantly after training to the same extent as controls. Groups did not differ on memory span, trial-by-trial action monitoring, or ability to generate novel visuospatial sequences prior to strategy training. CONCLUSIONS: Strategy implementation deficits, suggestive of cognitive inflexibility and fronto-striatal dysfunction, appear integral to the neurocognitive profile of OCD but not trichotillomania. Future research should investigate cognitive flexibility in obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders using a variety of paradigms, and clarify the contribution of specific neural structures and transmitter systems to deficits reported. (+info)