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In addition to the motor symptoms of Morbus Parkinson, a number of cognitive and emotional changes take place. The diagnosis of these concomitant symptoms has received increasing attention in research and clinical practice. Global rating scales offer economical advantages but generally do not satisfy the requirements of psychometric criteria, and they do not suffice in light of the multidimensional symptoms of the disease. Based on recent research results, recommendations from the CAPSIT protocol (Core Assessment Program for Surgical Interventional Therapies) for diagnosis of neurosurgically treated Parkinson's patients, and the restraints of everyday clinical work, we propose a standardized neuropsychological diagnostic routine. It includes diagnostic methods that are in use internationally and so timesaving and easily accessible that they can be considered suitable for routine diagnostics. Data comparison among various treatment centers can thus take place more easily. We have included only methods that differentiate well and whose test criteria offer a basis for thorough consultation as well as planning and evaluation of multidimensional therapy.

The share of psychological factors involved in the disease pattern of asthma bronchiale is considered to be about one to two thirds, according to the literature. It is only rarely that a distinction is made between causative psychogenetic factors and such factors that exercise an influence on the course of the pattern of symptoms. The aim of the present study was to cover prospectively the possible--including the psychological--parameters influencing the pattern of symptoms of asthma in relation to time. To this end a symptom diary was kept for 35 asthma patients for an average time of 8 weeks. The entries were made daily. The points noted and counted were the concurrent occurrence of dyspnoea and various subjective influencing factors such as everyday stress, weather, etc. or their coincidence with a time lag of one day. There were surprisingly few links between dyspnoea and mental stress/stressors in relation to time. On the other hand, there was a high coincidence in relation to impairment of the quality of life and to a lesser extent also in relation to subjectively experienced weather and local conditions. The results show that stress factors--contrary to the aetiological beliefs held by laymen--are not represented by a simple relationship between psyche and asthma as time-concurrent or time-lagging coincidences to shortness of breath. However, clarification of complex socio-psychosomatic linkups in the psychogenesis of asthma bronchiale were not the subject of this study.

In a quality-of-life study in the first year after successful in-patient rehabilitation following first infarct, a questionnaire method for daily and weekly evaluation of subjective life quality was carried out. The questionnaire presents varying aspects in particular processes concerning the assessment and valuation of life quality. Errors in measurement resulting from processes of memory and revaluation as they are possible in methods with longer intervals of data collection are avoided. An investigation of the reliability of this method revealed good reliability. To definitely assess the validity of this evaluation, further inquiries will be necessary. However, the correlation analysis points to a great significance of the collected weekly data.

48 patients, who had had acute Herpes zoster were screened for a retrospective investigation concerning the development of post-herpetic neuralgia. Subjects with and without neuralgia were compared with respect to medical, demographic and psychological variables. Nine patients were excluded from the investigation because of reported pain, which was not due to Herpes zoster. From the 39 subjects who remained in the analysis, 59% had postherpetic neuralgia for at least three months, and 28% for more than a year. No medical or demographic risk factor was sufficient for a prediction of the pain group. By applying objective criteria to psychometric test protocols, an index was constructed which differed between the groups. The pain-group showed a higher frequency of psychopathological impairment than those without post-herpetic neuralgia. However, the psychopathology was not consistently related to the length of neuralgia or the intensity of persistent pain.