Did schizophrenia change the course of English history? The mental illness of Henry VI ☆
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Abstract
Henry VI, King of England, at age 19 founded Eton College and King's College, Cambridge. At 31 he had a sudden, dramatic mental illness in which he was mute and unresponsive. Before, he had been paranoid, grandiose, and indecisive. After, he was apathetic with deterioration of ability, drive, interest and self-care, and hallucinations and religious delusions. This illness, which is consistent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, robbed Henry of his personality, his crown, his wife, his only son, and his life. It led to three decades of brutal fighting for the crown (the `Wars of the Roses') that resulted in a new dynasty with a dramatic impact on the country: the Tudors, Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I and their descendants. Henry's story illustrates how schizophrenia can devastate individuals and families and change the course of history and yet it raises questions about how achievement and illness are related.
Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science
Review article
Schizophrenia and Depression: A systematic Review of the Effectiveness and the Working Mechanisms Behind Acupuncture
Objective
This systematic review assessed clinical evidence for the use of acupuncture as an add-on treatment in patients with depression and schizophrenia and for its underlying working mechanisms.
Data Sources
Four databases (Medline, Scopus, ERIC, and the Cochrane Library) were searched with a cutoff date of March 31, 2014.
Study Selection
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of acupuncture treatment for depression and schizophrenia were considered for inclusion. The scarcity of acupuncture research involving schizophrenia led to the inclusion of randomized controlled trials and case studies.
Data Extraction
The primary and secondary aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of acupuncture in treating patients with depression or schizophrenia and the possible working mechanisms underlying acupuncture through a systematic literature review.
Data Synthesis
The overall clinical results on using acupuncture to treat depression are promising, but only limited evidence for its effectiveness in treating schizophrenia was found. Acupuncture improves the quality of life, particularly that of sleep, in psychiatric patients. Brain research has revealed that acupuncture has a modulating and normalizing effect on the limbic–paralimbic–neocortical network (LPNN), including the default mode network. Because the LPNN is related to sleep and emotions, this might explain the improved qualities of life and sleep after acupuncture.
Conclusions
From the evidence found in this study, acupuncture seems to be an effective add-on treatment in patients with depression and, to a lesser degree, in patients with schizophrenia, but large well-designed studies are needed to confirm that evidence.
Key words
- Acupuncture;
- Schizophrenia;
- Depression;
- Sleep disorders;
- Emotions
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
