SYMPOSIA

Poster Presentations
[PP-029] Ref. No: 154
Cerebellar contusion presenting with pure psychiatric symptoms and cerebellar
cognitive affective syndrome: A case report
Baise Tıkır, Erol Göka, Makbule Çiğdem Aydemir, Sinem Duran
Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara, Turkey
E-mail: baisetikir@yahoo.com
The cerebellum is known to be responsible for posture and motor coordination of the body. Recent studies indicate that the cerebellum
has a role in conduction of higher brain functions, such as perception, affect, capacity to analyze, and memory, via neuronal connections
between the cerebellum and the other regions of the brain. Schmahmann and Shermann described a new syndrome called “the Cerebellar
Cognitive Affective Syndrome” (SCAS) and drew attention on cognitive functions of cerebellum. The syndrome was described in a group
of patients who had impairment of executive functions, difficulties with spatial cognition, personality changes, blunt affect and language
deficits in addition to primary neurological symptoms. In this case report we present a rare case of cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome
presenting with pure psychiatric symptoms,who had a posterior cerebellar lobe lesion due to a contusion at the back of the skull.
Key words: Cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome, cerebellum, cognitive functions
Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology 2011;21(Suppl. 2):S138
[PP-030] Ref. No: 226
Self-perception and anger with chest pain without cardiac etiology
Esra Aydın Sünbül 1 , Murat Sünbül 2 , Fatma Feriha Cengiz 1
1Erenkoy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Istanbul, Turkey
2Department of Cardiology, Marmara Universitesi, Istanbul, Turkey
E-mail: mrm_esra@yahoo.com
Objective: Physical symptoms are the most common expressions of social problems and emotional inconvenience. This problem is
usually medically unexplained in patients with chest pain. ‘Chest Pain without Cardiac Etiology’ is diagnosed in more than fifty percent
of patients with chest pain. Anger and suppressed hostility are important factors the development of somatic symptoms. It is important
to point out that somatization in depressive disorders is due to expression of anger while somatization in anxiety is due to anger
suppression. It is known that, while patients with chronic pain experience anger, they do not care enough to express it because they are
in denial of this situation. The form of anger expression in patients with chronic pain may be effective in the disease process and is one of
the subjects to be emphasized. Suppression of intense anger leads to the development of chronic pain and suppressed anger scores are
higher than healthy controls. In this study, we compared patients with chest pain without detected cardiac etiology and healthy controls
in terms of anger and self perception.
Methods: Twenty five patients were included in the study. They all presented to the cardiology clinic with complaints of chest pain, but
did not have any detected cardiac etiology. The healthy control group of 80 persons was organized by matching them with the patients
according to their age, gender, and education. The Socio-demographical data collection form, Multidimensional Anger Scale, and Social
Comparison Scale were given to both of the groups.
Results: There was no significant difference between the socio-demographic features of the two groups. The non-cardiac chest pain
group scored higher on the Social Comparison Scale. The healthy control group scored higher on calm behaviour and nonchalant
response. Revenge for the reaction and inward looking responses were significantly higher in the non-cardiac chest pain group.
Conclusions: The non-cardiac chest pain group had more negative perception of self as compared to healthy individuals, further they
were found to be more negative in their forms of expressing anger. Repressed anger and hostility are important factors in the development
of chronic pain. Work on the relationship between mind and body has been a topic of interest in recent years. Not just how an individual
perceives himself, but also how other people perceive and relate to him, probably effects the physiological system of that individual.
Key words: Chest pain without cardiac etiology, self-perception, anger
References:
1. Kirmayer lj, Young A. Culture and somatization: clinical, epidemiological and ethnographic perspectives. Psychosom Med 1998; 60: 420-430.
2. Mayou R. Invited review: atypical chest pain. J Psychosom Res 1989; 33: 393-406.
S138 Bulletin of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Vol: 21, Supplement: 2, 2011 - www.psikofarmakoloji.org