IUBio

behavior pattern--better spelling?

F. Frank LeFever flefever at ix.netcom.com
Thu Mar 18 23:05:00 EST 1999


How about "Lesch Nyhans"?



In <7csfu9$1md at dfw-ixnews11.ix.netcom.com> flefever at ix.netcom.com(F.
Frank LeFever) writes: 
>
>
>Once again I must apologize to the newsgroup for my poor spelling/poor
>memory for technical terms.  There is a disorder, "Lesch Neihans"
(just
>looking at it I think looks farther from correct spelling than I
>thought it would be!) which involves self-biting, especially when uric
>acid blood levels are high (it is a--perhaps genetic?--metabolic
>disorder).
>
>This case sounds less extreme than examples of that condition I have
>read of, but conceivably one could have milder expressions at one end
>of a "spectrum" of this basic disorder.
>
>Irt may, of course, be something entirely different.  I believe L.N.
>patients bite themselves more for self-stimulation than for expression
>of anger.  Early in my career (as an intern), I worked with patients
>with various self-injurious behaviors, in a Behavior Therapy unit.
>
>We were not so successful with a patient who was equally ready to hurt
>others as to hurt herself, but very successful with one who just hurt
>herself.  She came to us  with self-inflicted cigarette burns all over
>her arms, almost no hair on her head, and many  scars on her face
(most
>from putting it through a glass door, deliberately), and we
interrupted
>this behavior long enough for wounds to heal and hair to grow back.
>
>In those days, one could control patients' behavior by giving or
>witholding cigarettes...  With these (or tokens which could be
>exchanged for them) we first rewarded prompt compliance to a command
to
>sit--wherever she was, on the floor if no chair was right there.  When
>this became reliable, almost automatic, it could be used to interrupt
>self-injurious behavior the moment we saw it.  Eventually, she could
>work towards accumulating tokens (yes, they could be exchanged for
>other things besides cigarettes) earned by number of hours without
>self-injurious acts.
>
>On the other hand, might the case described be an expression of OCD? 
>Are their other aspects of behavior which would fit this diagnosis?
OCD
>these days is treatable with SSRIs, although (as a speaker at one of
my
>own conferences reported a few years ago) there is evidence that
>cognitive/behavioral therapy for OCD can produce changes in regional
>brain metabolism similar to that achieved by SSRI treatment.
>
>F. Frank LeFever, Ph.D.
>New York Neurppsychology Group
>
>
>
>In <7cquot$lpl$1 at news-2.news.gte.net> "SGH" <newsun at gte.net> writes: 
>>
>>Recently one subject was entered into a research study with one
>unusual
>>behavior exhibited.  The subject was a 9y/o white male who, when
>seemingly
>>aggravated , bit the back of his right hand over the knuckles. 
>>Unfortunately for us, this particular exhibit seems to be unknown to
>our
>>reference data.  I am trying to locate a reasonable "explanation"
with
>>possible preliminary diagnosis in order to clarify this behavior
>pattern.
>>
>>This child's history, according to his parents:  This child has bit
>the
>>back of his hand while stomping his feet since he was able to put his
>fist
>>in his mouth.  The mother reports noticing it at the age of 11
months.
> He
>>has one sibling, female 2 years his senior.  Father reports child had
>bit
>>his hand more frequently when he was younger, however, seems to bite
>it
>>less now.  Father had put "nail biting deterrent " on child's hand to
>keep
>>him from biting it.  Father reported that this did not work.  Both
>parents
>>report verbal reprimands to this behavior and Father reports biting
>his
>>hand in an effort to "show him how stupid he looks".
>>
>>OK, how do I catalog this?  Is this similar to nail biting?  I can't
>find
>>anything other than some material on children / adults that self
>>maim....This doesn't seem to fit this category.
>>
>>If there is anyone who can point me in the right direction....please
>reply
>>to : <newsun at gte.net>
>>Many thanks in advance, S. Goddard, RN
>




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