This study investigated the interdependence of the immune system of theleukocytes in blood and rinsing saliva, subjective symptoms of the autonomic nervous system (S-ANS), and psychological status.
The subjects were 22 male workers with no systemic and oral disease, and an average age of 33.0 & plusmn;7.1. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects prior to the study.
The number of leukocytes in the subjects' blood and their demarcation ratios were measured by Coulter Counter on the first day. The number of leukocytes in rinsing saliva (LRS) was also measured at 11: 00 am for five consecutive days. Self-administered questionnaires were used to evaluate S-ANS and the psychological status during that five-day period. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) showed five negative and one positive mood conditions in the subjects, representing the TA: Tension-Anxiety, DD: Depression-Dejection, AH: Anger-Hostility, F: Fatigue, C: Confusion, and V: Vigor scales. Three indexes, the mean, standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV), were used to show variation status during the 5-day period on LRS, S-ANS and POMS.
The following results were obtained:
1. By cross-sectional evaluation, a significant positive correlation was observed in the relationship between S-ANS and five negative mood scales (TA, DD, AH, F and C).
2. By variation index (mean, SD, CV), there was a significant negative correlation between the CV of S-ANS and mean of five negative mood scales, and a positive correlation between the CV of S-ANS and mean of the V scale.
3. The CV of LRS was negatively correlated with the ratio of lymphocytes and positively correlated with the ratio of neutrophils in the blood. These correlations were statistically significant.
4. A significant negative correlation was observed between the ratio of neutrophils in the blood, and the SD of the DD and C scales.
5. There was a significant negative correlation between the CV of LRS, and the mean of the DD, AH and F scales. A significant positive correlation was observed between the CV of LRS and mean of the V scale.
These results suggest the existence of interdependence among the leukocytes, subjective symptoms of the autonomic nervous system, and psychological status is more clearly demonstrated by variant than cross-sectional evaluation.

View full abstract

In this paper, trait anxiety is studied in people with a history of recurrent aphtha (RA).
The subjects were 111 people (54 males/57 females) with a history of RA and 117 controls (53 males/64 females) with no history of RA.
Trait anxiety was measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).
The results were as follows: O Trait anxiety was significantly higher in those with a history of RA than in the controls for female subjects and those up to the age of 25 (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference for males and the over-25's. e2 Trait anxiety was significantly higher in those with a high frequency of aphtha recurrence than in those with low recurrence (p<0.05).
The results suggest that trait anxiety in RA patients might be related to such factors as sex, age and frequency of aphtha recurrence.

View full abstract

Lafutidine (FRG-8813) is a new H₂-receptorantagonist that not only has a strong inhibitory effect on gastric secretion but also augments the gastric mucosa protection factor and dilate arterious in the gastric submucosa and enhances gastric mucosal blood flow via capusaicinsensitive afferent neurons.
Its presence in the tongue too, suggests that lafutidine may be effective for patients diagnosed with glossodynia. This treatment was attempted with 50 glossodynia patients, who received lafutidine in doses of 10mg twice daily for 8 weeks.
The pain amelioration rates (reduced and better) were 54.0%(27/50 cases) after 2 weeks, 60.0%(30/50 cases) after 4 weeks, 80.0%(40/50 cases) after 6 weeks, and 84.0%(42/50 cases) after 8 weeks. The pain level on VAS was 46.8mm on average before administration, and 12.1mm on average after 8 weeks.
The administration of lafutidine exhibited good clinical efficacy, safety and utility in the treatment of glossodynia.

View full abstract

Histrionic personality disorder is characterized by shallow and labile affectivity, selfdramatization, theatricality, exaggerated expression of emotions, suggestibility, egocentricity, selfindulgence, lack of consideration for others, easily hurt feelings, and continuous seeking for appreciation, excitement and attention.
We have provided orthognathic surgery for a mandibular prognathic patient with histrionic personality disorder in cooperation with psychiatrists.
The 23-year-old woman had been disgusted by her misshapen face since the age of seven. An orthodontist referred her to our department for surgical treatment of mandible protrusion. The patient had already been under treatment for histrionic personality disorder at the psychiatry department of our hospital since the age of eighteen.
We first consulted with the psychiatrists, who assured us that she would be able to undergo the surgical procedure. We performed sagittal splitting ramus osteotomy and genioplasty.
The post-surgical course was good physically, but the mental problems included delirium. These were promptly resolved in cooperation with the psychiatrists.
She is now satisfied with the result of the treatment, including occlusion and appearance, and her mental condition is stable.
Not only the somatic but also the mental condition must be taken into consideration when conducting orthographic surgery for the patient with histrionic personality disorder.

View full abstract

This paper reports the case of a 19-year old female halitophobic patient treated by the description of impressions using e-mail, and discusses the therapeutic significance of this method.
It is generally difficult to communicate with patients of this kind because of their poor verbalization ability. We have often found that use of the description of impressions makes it easier for halitophobic patients to express their feelings.
In this case, the patient was excessively afraid of her reports being revealed to others. Her written descriptions of her impressions were full of self-reproach and did not work therapeutically.
We then tried to exchange descriptions by e-mail instead. Using this media, she came to express her experiences and emotions more vividly than in writing.
It is concluded that the use of description of impressions by e-mail may be suitable for some halitophobic patients, as in this case. This method may have a wide range of applications for halitophobic patient, especially those who are under long-term follow-up or live in distant places.

View full abstract

The authors have proposed that pathophysiologically, oral psychosomatic disorders may be due to several biochemical disorders involving neurotransmitters in the brain, the pathologic connections between teeth and undefined complaints arising from cognitive process in the higher centers of the brain. On the basis of this hypothesis, we administered milnacipran, a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), to patients with oral psychosomatic disorders, and reviewed the results. The oral psychosomatic disorders treated consisted of 30 cases of glossodynia, 14 of oral malaisis, 5 of atypical facial pain, 4 of occlusal disease, 1 of halitophobia and 1 of dysmorphophobia. Ages ranged from 23 to 90 (Ave. 64.0). Milnacipran was very effective in 21 cases, markedly so in 13, moderately in 8, and mildly in 11. It was without effect in 19 cases. The mean final dose of milnacipran was 42.3mg/day. Anticolinegeric side effects were rare and milnacipran had good tolerability. From these results, it is suggested that milnacipran is useful for treating oral psychosomatic disorders, especially in elderly patients.

View full abstract

A traditional Chinese medicine, Hange-koboku-to was administerea to patients wnose sensations of occlusional abnormality were presumably induced by psychosocial factors. The results were as follows:
1. The medicine was effective or very effective in seven out of nine patients suffering from Meiheqior, the sense of dyspnea.
2. Psychological tests detected a tendency toward depression in all subjects.
3. Hange-koboku-to was very effective for treating the sense of occlusional abnormality in two patients and effective in six, while produting no change in one patient.
These findings point to the efficacy of Hangekoubokutou for patients complaining of malocclusion and suffering from the sense of dyspnea and depressive tendencies.

View full abstract