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The article deals with the performance of a group of patients with affective disorders on Wechsler-Bellevue scale. Patients with affective disorders show similar subtest patterns on the Wechsler-Bellevue Scale regardless of whether they are classified as manic or depressive. This pattern is characterized primarily by large negative Vocabulary Scatter on the Performance Scale. The above pattern, however, proved to be in part a function of age since it was more marked among the older patients in our groups. Since the pattern fluctuates with age its diagnostic reliability is thereby diminished.

The article examines the incidence of cancer among in-patients with affective disorders. The authors concluded that a form of depressive illness in male patients arising in late middle age without previous psychiatric illness and occurring without apparent cause may be an early and direct manifestation of latent carcinoma. There was no evidence to support an association depressive illness and subsequent deaths from cancer in psychiatric in-patients. Information about an increased mortality rate in patients with affective disorders is also discussed.

The article presents a study focused on the bearing of treatment on the classification of affective disorders. It aims to examine the nosological relationship between anxiety states and depressive illnesses from the perspective of therapeutic practice and treatment response. The study, which is based on a group of hospital patients with primary affective disorders, discussed physical treatment in four categories, including electroconvulsive therapy, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and sedatives or tranquilizers.

The article focuses on a retrospective study of clinical features of patients suffering from affective disorders of various degrees in Iraq. The incidence of various symptoms and signs of affective disorders was rated on a two-point scale. There are a few select areas where affective disorders in the country seem to differ from the same group in England. The patients do not feel nor show the sadness of western depressed patients and lack the infective joyous mood. Affective illness is seen as a manifestation of a defense mechanism.

The article discusses the results of a study, in which a double-blind trial of prophylactic lithium in recurrent affective disorders was performed. The study investigated the hypothesis that lithium reduces the frequency of manic and depressive episodes in patients with hitherto frequently recurring affective disorders. A Mann-Whitney U-test was performed between the lithium group and a dummy group, and the double-blind trial revealed that lithium has a prophylactic action in recurrent affective disorders.

The article reviews the related literature on the biochemistry of affective disorders. According to the author, there is evidence that in affective disorders there are biochemical disturbances in three main areas: in amine metabolism, in electrolyte distribution and in adrenal cortical activity. He stresses that there is growing evidence of a causal association between brain monoamines and affective disturbances. Further, there is good evidence that drugs, which increase the effective activity of brain monoamines, alleviate depression.

The article presents a study which aims to determine the effect of mineral metabolism in affective disorders. The researchers conducted a distribution of electrolytes measured by techniques based on the principles of isotope dilution. The findings indicate that severe depression and mania are accompanied by an increased in residual sodium which represents the increase of intracellular sodium. It is also suggested that the results of the study has a profound influence on sodium influence which has a therapeutic action on affective disorders.

The article examines the use of salt in treating patients with affective disorders. In the study, 45 patients with affective disorders from Saint Augustine's Hospital was used. Administered by mouth, carbonate was the type of salt used wherein initial dosage would vary between 300-1,800 milligrams daily depending the mental condition and physical condition of the patient. Few cases of chronic mania responded well with the treatment in which most of depressive patients had gratifying results. Other methods and results of the study were also discussed.

The article cites a study concerning the relationship between blood adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels and mood in patients who suffer from manic-depressive predictable short term cycle psychotic states, and in depressive patients who receive electroconvulsive therapy. In this study, ATP was identified by the luciferin-luciferase technique. Two patients, male and female with affective disorders were followed with blood ATP determinations and mood rating during a course of electroconvulsive treatment. The findings showed that the ATP was low in the depressive phases and it was found to be correlated significantly with mood. Moreover, based on the significant correlations with mood scores, it showed that the ATP increased to normal with clinical recovery.

The article presents a comparison between patients with anxiety states and those with depressive illnesses in relation to the independent criterion of prognosis. The study was conducted to the 154 patients with affective disorders admitted to the psychiatric hospitals in Newcastle, England. The assessment of outcome was made by two researchers who did not interview the patients and were unaware of the diagnosis. The results showed that patients with depressive illness has a significantly better prognosis than those with anxiety states. In addition, significant differences were found to the kinds of symptoms present in the two groups at follow-up.

The article presents a study on the outcome of illness of 126 patients admitted to hospital with affective disorders. By longitudinal measure of outcome which reflected the average level of adjustment throughout the follow-up period, the course and outcome of the group was examined. 60 percent of the patients were considered to have improved during the course of the follow-up. The study found that premorbid stability of the personality was related to a good outcome. The presence of features generally associated with depression was related to a good prognosis.

The article presents the preliminary results of the study on the classification of affective disorders. By means of a structured clinical interview and administration of the Maudsley Personality Inventory, a sample of 145 patients suffering from a primary mood change of anxiety and/or depression was examined. The study found that there are two distinct syndromes corresponding to anxiety and depression. The likelihood that there is also a depressive syndrome was diminished by the presence of an anxiety syndrome.

The article discusses the distribution of secondary cases of ancestral bipolar affective disorders in patients. The study was investigated among in-patients in a hospital who suffered from either manic, manic-depressive and circular psychoses and reactions, wherein their records were scrutinized to confirm the diagnosis of bipolar affective psychosis. Data revealed that among the 193 patients who were subject of the study, 26 of them were found to have two or more cases of relatives who had joined the mental hospitals. Likewise, the proportion of patients for whom an affected ancestral relative was reported was slightly greater in the group wherein for whom a family history had been obtained from one or both parents.

The article presents a study on the methodological problems of prophylactic trials in recurrent affective disorders. The two ways in which controlled prophylactic trials may be carried out are in concurrent comparison of the course of the disease in an experimental patient group and a control group, and in studies on a single group of patients during successive control periods and drug periods. The non-pharmacological factors that must be considered in conducting prophylactic trials include spontaneous variation of the disease during treatment, psychological effects of the treatment, and observer bias.

The article presents a study which examines the relationship between the Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI) and affective disorders. The subjects were 99 patients with a primary affective disorder who undertake the Maudsley Personality Inventory on admission to hospital. These patients were allocated to one of four operationally defined diagnostic groups which include phobic anxiety depersonalization state, simple anxiety state, reactive depression, and endogenous depression. It concludes that MPI scores are associated with the mental state of the patients.

The article reports on a study which examines the psychiatric features of affective disorders and subsequent death from physical disease of patients admitted in a psychiatric hospital. This study is based on 135 patients who were admitted with affective disorder in the hospital. The researchers claim that the observed mortality rates for males suffering from simple anxiety state and depression are significantly higher. The study reveals that none of the female patients have showed similar increase. It further points out that death from carcinoma on male patients with depression are significantly more frequent than expected.

The article examines the effect of lithium carbonate on the electroencephalogram (EEG) of patients with affective disorders. EEG changes are apparently unnecessary for the effective therapeutic action of lithium. It is possible that the production of abnormal slow waves in conjunction with the reputed changes in sodium, catecholamines and steroids provides clues to the mechanism of action of lithium. There was no difference in the number of abnormal EEG patterns in the manic, depressed, and normal states.

The article examines the use of plasma 11-hydroxycorticosteroids (PLASMA 11-OHCS) in treating patients with affective disorders. Concentrations of plasma 11-OHCS were measured at standardized times to test for gross disturbances in diurnal rhythm. Twenty-nine patients were investigated with a mean age of 52.8 years. Electroconvulsive therapy and anti-depressive drugs were the methods used in the study. No evidence was found regarding the difference in the pattern change regarding the use of both methods. Other results of the study were also discussed.

The article examines the effectiveness on the use normothymotics, a mood-normalizer drugs such as lithium and imipramine, in treating patients with affective disorders. Electrocardiographic changes with use of both drugs were also noted. Coming from the Greek word normo and thymos, normothymotics has been proposed as the name for the drug groups wherein in it indicates that the drug acts on the mood and their action turns a pathologically changed mood into a normal one. Other methods and results used of the study were also dicussed.