A neuropsychological model on how to evaluate patients subjected to stereotactic psychosurgery is presented. Four patients with chronic obsessive compulsive neurosis were randomly assigned to either stereotactic anterior capsulotomy or cingulotomy, and assessed pre-, peri-, and postoperatively according to this model. The best immediate and long-term follow-up results in reducing obsessional symptoms were obtained in the two capsulotomized patients. Psychosurgery should only be performed by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, with objective evaluation, adequate information on patients, and reliable test instruments.

All 49 members of four generations of a family were identified. In the first three generations eight members were afflicted with dementia, whereas in the fourth generation only one was demented but three of four were afflicted with motor neuron disease and they also had slight cognitive deficiencies. The pattern of heredity is compatible with dominant autosomal inheritance. Neuropsychological testing revealed affection mostly of the frontal lobes. A pedigree and six case reports are presented.

Frequencies of serum groups (Hp and Gc) and red cell enzyme types (PGM₁, 6-PGD and ES D) were studied in 195 patients with affective disorders. The patients were classified into four groups: (1) bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis; (2) unipolar, recurrent, depressive psychosis; (3) non-psychotic reactive depression, and (4) unclassifiable. The Hp² gene was increased in reactive and unclassifiable patients, the PGM¹₁ gene was increased in bipolar patients and the ES D¹ gene in reactive patients. No associations were found between affective disorders and the Gc and 6-PGD systems.

To investigate the occurrence of different psychogenic needs or groups of needs, 118 consecutive out-patients with previous depressive disorders were asked to complete the Cesarec and Marke Personality Inventory; 103 completed it. Strict diagnostic criteria were used in subgrouping the series which thus consisted of unipolar depressive psychosis (UP), 26 patients; bipolar depressive psychosis (BP), 16; unclassified depression (NUD), 8; and reactio neurotico-depressive (RND), 15. BP distinguished themselves from the other groups by a tendency to have a reduced need of approval, dependency, guilt feelings and ego conflicts and a stronger wish to dominate and lead. These results are in line with earlier findings. The NUD group was small but tended to have extreme scores, i.e. a particularly weak need to dominate and to be in the centre but also to be cared for.

82 consecutive patients checked at the out-patient clinic of the Psychiatric Department of the Umeå University were typed for HL-A antigens. The patients belonged to the diagnostic subgroups: bipolar (manic-depressive) psychosis (n = 33), unipolar recurrent depressive psychosis (n = 29) and cycloid psychosis (n = 20) and all had been on lithium treatment for at least 6 months. By comparing the group of those who did not relapse on lithium therapy (n = 48) with the group of those who did relapse (n = 34) there was a significantly higher frequency of the HL-A A3 antigens among those who did relapse, and none of those who did not relapse were found to have the HL-A B18 antigens. The results suggest a possible interference between HL-A antigens and response to lithium treatment. However, a large number of antigens were tested and a small number of patients.