Recovering at the cost of amnesia?

Abstract

Despite the great progress of psychiatry, many of its fundamental problems remain unresolved. Obviously, new ideas that expand the present understanding of such problems are useful. In this paper, the following hypothesis is proposed: mental disorders are caused by hypoxic phenomena, stimulating hypertrophied growth of a neural network; treatment should be directed towards the damaging of abnormal elements of this network; successful treatment is inevitably accompanied by moderate retrograde amnesia. Based on this hypothesis, the connection between etiology, pathogenesis, and therapy of mental disorders is described, the role of retrograde amnesia is shown, and potential new methods of treatment (shaking, vibration, and ultrasound) are predicted. To test the hypothesis, some means are discussed. The first means is based on the analysis of the reasons of unsuccessful clinical trials of the method of mental disorders treatment by acute hypoxic hypoxia (USA, 1938-1940). Such a method, according to the hypothesis, should damage the abnormal elements of a neural network as a result of acute hypoxia. Analysis of the equipment and procedure shows that the trials were unsuccessful as a result of insufficiently powerful hypoxic influence. Improvements to this method are proposed. When using this method, it is advisable to measure the cerebral blood oxygenation index and reduce it by regulating the oxygen concentration in the hypoxic gas mixture given to the patient. This reduction should continue until the patient reaches a state of moderate retrograde amnesia. It is also advisable to note the blood oxygenation index value at the moment when the patient lapses into unconsciousness, and then, on the basis of this value, estimate a necessary power (i.e., acuteness and duration) of hypoxic hypoxia. Other means for testing the hypothesis are also discussed: retrospective analysis of the results of electroconvulsive therapy, and testing the predicted methods of treatment.

• Authors: Simon N Basovich
• Journal: Medical hypotheses (Med Hypotheses) Vol. 71 Issue 3 Pg. 340-6 (Sep 2008) ISSN: 0306-9877 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18511211 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Oxygen

Topics

• Amnesia, Retrograde (etiology)
• Humans
• Hypoxia (complications)
• Mental Disorders (therapy)
• Nerve Net (pathology)
• Oxygen (blood)
• Respiratory Therapy (instrumentation, methods)