On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic diso... more On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic disorders (operationalized MMPI) and the number and hazardous effects of stressful events on the one hand and the severity of the clinical picture and the time of the onset of psoriasis on the other. In our sample neurotic disorders are much commoner than in the general population indicating that they might represent one of the most significant factor of etiology, complications and prevention. The last hypothesis is based on the results showing that neurotic psoriatics develop psoriasis significantly later than non-neurotics. We haven't attained a profile of a typical neurotic person because neurotic disorders are manifested through different symptoms. The average number of stressful events was found significantly higher in more severe forms of psoriasis compared to the milder forms. Finally, a remark has been made about benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of psoriasis and the inclusion of psychotherapy in the treatment of psoriatic patients.
Background: The subjective complaints in patients with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) may persist f... more Background: The subjective complaints in patients with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) may persist for years. The most frequent complaints are headache, dizziness, drowsiness, mood disturbances, and memory and concentration disturbances. It is assumed that these complaints are caused by injury itself on one hand and psychological, emotional and motivation factors on the other. Aim: Evaluation of late posttraumatic complaints in patients with TBI more than a year after the trauma, and establishing their correlations to the severity of TBI and involvement in the lawsuits for financial compensation (litigation). Materials and methods: Ninety patients with the diagnosis of TBI were divided, according to the severity of the injury, in two groups: mild and with moderate-to-severe. The second classification criterion was litigation. A subjective complaints scale has been designed for the purpose of this research taking into consideration both anamnesis and hetero-anamnesis data. Results: Cognitive disturbance, aggressiveness and sleep disturbance are more frequently reported by the subgroup of moderate-to-severe TBI patients, and they have not been related to the litigation. Posttraumatic headache (PTH) turned out to be a distinctive complaint regarding both classification criteria. Vegetative disturbances are significantly related to litigation, but not to the degree of injury. Conclusions: Predictive complaints reflecting the severity of TBI are memory deficit, concentration problems, and aggressiveness and sleep disturbance. Vegetative disturbances are predictive in relation to compensation claims. PTH is important from the forensic point of view for the patients with moderate to severe TBI.
Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a common permanent sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI). I... more Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a common permanent sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Its objectivization is based on neuropsychological and neurophysiological assessment. Neuropsychological evaluation requires a test battery, whereas for neurophysiological assessment the most significant is application of P300 Event-Related Potentials (ERPs). The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to differentiate between degrees of severity of TBI on the basis of neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters. Patients and methods: A total of 90 patients with closed TBI were evaluated at least one year after trauma. Subjects were classified into three groups according to severity of TBI: mild, moderate and severe. In all subjects the Intelligence Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and P300 ERPs were performed. Results: General intelligence measures did not prove sensitivity enough to differentiate levels of severity of TBI, whereas the number of achieved categories on the WCST significantly discerned patients with mild and moderate TBI from patients with severe TBI. Perseverative errors significantly separated patients with mild TBI from patients with moderate and severe TBI. Non-perseverative errors significantly differentiated only patients with mild TBI from patients with severe TBI. Finally, P300 latency (EPLAT) significantly differentiated patients with mild TBI from patients with moderate and severe TBI. The results show that the applied test battery can discriminate between different levels of severity of TBI and emphasize the importance of P300 ERP in the evaluation of patients with brain injury. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the WCST and ERP P300 latency have a significant role in the assessment of cognitive deficit related to TBI.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, Oct 1, 1997
The aim of this study is to analyse the type of coping strategies used by patients with post-trau... more The aim of this study is to analyse the type of coping strategies used by patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For that purpose, two groups of war veterans (40 subjects in each group) were compared. The first group was made up of patients with PTSD, and the second (control) group comprised veterans who suffered combat trauma, but did not show any PTSD symptoms. Coping strategies were assessed using the Questionnaire of Coping Responses (McCrae, 1984).The results show that out of 118 items (examples of coping strategies) 10 show statistically significant differences between the group with PTSD and the one without it. PTSD patients used more maladaptive strategies (avoidance, pseudo-planning, fantasizing, impulsive and depressive behaviour), while subjects from the control group were more likely to use the strategy of controlling impulses.
This study explored several, latent factor models of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale?21 (... more This study explored several, latent factor models of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale?21 (DASS?21) using both a sample of clinically depressed patients and a Facebook sample from Serbia. The DASS?21, the Beck Depression Inventory?II, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory?Trait were administered to a sample of depressed individuals (N = 296; Mage = 52.21, SDage = 11.56). A Facebook sample (N = 376; Mage =29.12, SD = 8.96) completed the DASS?21 only. A bifactor model with one general distress (G) and two specific factors (Depression and Anxiety) were supported. The three factors had high omega coefficients, whereas omega hierarchical for Depression and Anxiety were low. Based on all evidence from our study, external validation, factor determinacy, and replicability, we concluded that the Serbian version of the DASS?21 assesses reliably general distress and anhedonia in both people with the clinical level of severity of distress and in general population. The Anxiety subscale ca...
Odsek za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Novi Sad Eksperimentom u kome je indukovan depresivni ... more Odsek za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Novi Sad Eksperimentom u kome je indukovan depresivni i euforični afekat, proverena je osetljivost na afektivne promene Skale stanja depresivnosti (SD), konstruisane za potrebe registrovanja kratkotrajnih varijacija u depresivnom raspoloženju. Skala je pokazala sposobnost registrovanja promene u stanju depresivnosti nakon indukcije depresivnog afekta, ali ne i nakon indukcije euforičnog afekta. Proverene su i druge psihometrij-ske karakteristike Skale i pokazano je da SD ima zadovoljavajuću pouz-danost, kako u smislu homogenosti, tako i vremenske stabilnosti. Provera konkurente validnosti SD pokazuje da je korelacija sa merom depresiv-nog afekta umerenog intenziteta viša nego ona sa testom depresivne lič-nosti, a obe korelacije su značajne. Divergentna validnost je nedovoljna kada je u pitanju korelacija sa jednom od dve mere stanja anksioznosti. Nađeno je psihometrijsko objašnjenje za ovaj podatak, ali je ukazano i na suštinsku povezanost ...
U ovom istraživanju bavili smo se neuralnim korelatima efekata placebo i 'anti-placebo' p... more U ovom istraživanju bavili smo se neuralnim korelatima efekata placebo i 'anti-placebo' poruka putem merenja moždanih talasa (ERP). Umjesto uobičajenog termina nocebo, koristili smo termin 'anti-placebo', budući da poruke koje smo zadavali ispitanicima nisu trebale da proizvedu negativne efekte, već da umanje ili ponište efekat placeba. Primenili smo termalnu draž intenziteta 45 stepeni Celzijusa na kožu podlaktice. Ukupno je 29 studenata uzelo učešća u četiri eksperimentalne situacije: bez analgezije, nakon primene analgezije (korišćenjem EMLA kreme), nakon primene neutralne kreme koja je prezentovana kao analgetik (placebo situacija) i nakon primene EMLA kreme koja je prezentovana kao herbalna krema koja nije zvanično prihvaćena kao medikament ('anti-placebo' situacija). Neposredno nakon stimulacije, od ispitanika je zatraženo da procene nivo neprijatnosti na subjektivnoj skali osetljivosti 1–10, a nakon toga im je zadat kognitivni eksperiment, tokom koga s...
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2012
Described case report speaks in favour of the relation between childhood sexual abuse with the de... more Described case report speaks in favour of the relation between childhood sexual abuse with the development of conversion disorder. Following Salmonella poisoning, adolescent, at the age of 16, develops series of severe somatic symptoms. Results of diagnostic procedures excluded organic foundation of the symptoms; diagnosis of conversion disorder is established. Soon, patient's problems stop abruptly and spontaneously, and the aetiology of the mental disorder remains unexplained. Six years later, adolescent reveals for the first time data about the childhood sexual abuse during the forensic evaluation (within the court process related to the request for compensation for the complications which occurred following the Salmonella infection). During the forensic evaluation, we had insight into the previous medical history, while an interview, psychological and psychiatric exploration was conducted with the examinee. Data about the sexual abuse retrospectively explain the dynamics of ...
On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic diso... more On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic disorders (operationalized MMPI) and the number and hazardous effects of stressful events on the one hand and the severity of the clinical picture and the time of the onset of psoriasis on the other. In our sample neurotic disorders are much commoner than in the general population indicating that they might represent one of the most significant factor of etiology, complications and prevention. The last hypothesis is based on the results showing that neurotic psoriatics develop psoriasis significantly later than non-neurotics. We haven't attained a profile of a typical neurotic person because neurotic disorders are manifested through different symptoms. The average number of stressful events was found significantly higher in more severe forms of psoriasis compared to the milder forms. Finally, a remark has been made about benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of psoriasis ...
On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic diso... more On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic disorders (operationalized MMPI) and the number and hazardous effects of stressful events on the one hand and the severity of the clinical picture and the time of the onset of psoriasis on the other. In our sample neurotic disorders are much commoner than in the general population indicating that they might represent one of the most significant factor of etiology, complications and prevention. The last hypothesis is based on the results showing that neurotic psoriatics develop psoriasis significantly later than non-neurotics. We haven't attained a profile of a typical neurotic person because neurotic disorders are manifested through different symptoms. The average number of stressful events was found significantly higher in more severe forms of psoriasis compared to the milder forms. Finally, a remark has been made about benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of psoriasis and the inclusion of psychotherapy in the treatment of psoriatic patients.
Background: The subjective complaints in patients with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) may persist f... more Background: The subjective complaints in patients with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) may persist for years. The most frequent complaints are headache, dizziness, drowsiness, mood disturbances, and memory and concentration disturbances. It is assumed that these complaints are caused by injury itself on one hand and psychological, emotional and motivation factors on the other. Aim: Evaluation of late posttraumatic complaints in patients with TBI more than a year after the trauma, and establishing their correlations to the severity of TBI and involvement in the lawsuits for financial compensation (litigation). Materials and methods: Ninety patients with the diagnosis of TBI were divided, according to the severity of the injury, in two groups: mild and with moderate-to-severe. The second classification criterion was litigation. A subjective complaints scale has been designed for the purpose of this research taking into consideration both anamnesis and hetero-anamnesis data. Results: Cognitive disturbance, aggressiveness and sleep disturbance are more frequently reported by the subgroup of moderate-to-severe TBI patients, and they have not been related to the litigation. Posttraumatic headache (PTH) turned out to be a distinctive complaint regarding both classification criteria. Vegetative disturbances are significantly related to litigation, but not to the degree of injury. Conclusions: Predictive complaints reflecting the severity of TBI are memory deficit, concentration problems, and aggressiveness and sleep disturbance. Vegetative disturbances are predictive in relation to compensation claims. PTH is important from the forensic point of view for the patients with moderate to severe TBI.
Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a common permanent sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI). I... more Objectives: Cognitive impairment is a common permanent sequela of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Its objectivization is based on neuropsychological and neurophysiological assessment. Neuropsychological evaluation requires a test battery, whereas for neurophysiological assessment the most significant is application of P300 Event-Related Potentials (ERPs). The aim of the study was to determine whether it is possible to differentiate between degrees of severity of TBI on the basis of neuropsychological and neurophysiological parameters. Patients and methods: A total of 90 patients with closed TBI were evaluated at least one year after trauma. Subjects were classified into three groups according to severity of TBI: mild, moderate and severe. In all subjects the Intelligence Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and P300 ERPs were performed. Results: General intelligence measures did not prove sensitivity enough to differentiate levels of severity of TBI, whereas the number of achieved categories on the WCST significantly discerned patients with mild and moderate TBI from patients with severe TBI. Perseverative errors significantly separated patients with mild TBI from patients with moderate and severe TBI. Non-perseverative errors significantly differentiated only patients with mild TBI from patients with severe TBI. Finally, P300 latency (EPLAT) significantly differentiated patients with mild TBI from patients with moderate and severe TBI. The results show that the applied test battery can discriminate between different levels of severity of TBI and emphasize the importance of P300 ERP in the evaluation of patients with brain injury. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the WCST and ERP P300 latency have a significant role in the assessment of cognitive deficit related to TBI.
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, Oct 1, 1997
The aim of this study is to analyse the type of coping strategies used by patients with post-trau... more The aim of this study is to analyse the type of coping strategies used by patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For that purpose, two groups of war veterans (40 subjects in each group) were compared. The first group was made up of patients with PTSD, and the second (control) group comprised veterans who suffered combat trauma, but did not show any PTSD symptoms. Coping strategies were assessed using the Questionnaire of Coping Responses (McCrae, 1984).The results show that out of 118 items (examples of coping strategies) 10 show statistically significant differences between the group with PTSD and the one without it. PTSD patients used more maladaptive strategies (avoidance, pseudo-planning, fantasizing, impulsive and depressive behaviour), while subjects from the control group were more likely to use the strategy of controlling impulses.
This study explored several, latent factor models of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale?21 (... more This study explored several, latent factor models of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale?21 (DASS?21) using both a sample of clinically depressed patients and a Facebook sample from Serbia. The DASS?21, the Beck Depression Inventory?II, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory?Trait were administered to a sample of depressed individuals (N = 296; Mage = 52.21, SDage = 11.56). A Facebook sample (N = 376; Mage =29.12, SD = 8.96) completed the DASS?21 only. A bifactor model with one general distress (G) and two specific factors (Depression and Anxiety) were supported. The three factors had high omega coefficients, whereas omega hierarchical for Depression and Anxiety were low. Based on all evidence from our study, external validation, factor determinacy, and replicability, we concluded that the Serbian version of the DASS?21 assesses reliably general distress and anhedonia in both people with the clinical level of severity of distress and in general population. The Anxiety subscale ca...
Odsek za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Novi Sad Eksperimentom u kome je indukovan depresivni ... more Odsek za psihologiju, Filozofski fakultet, Novi Sad Eksperimentom u kome je indukovan depresivni i euforični afekat, proverena je osetljivost na afektivne promene Skale stanja depresivnosti (SD), konstruisane za potrebe registrovanja kratkotrajnih varijacija u depresivnom raspoloženju. Skala je pokazala sposobnost registrovanja promene u stanju depresivnosti nakon indukcije depresivnog afekta, ali ne i nakon indukcije euforičnog afekta. Proverene su i druge psihometrij-ske karakteristike Skale i pokazano je da SD ima zadovoljavajuću pouz-danost, kako u smislu homogenosti, tako i vremenske stabilnosti. Provera konkurente validnosti SD pokazuje da je korelacija sa merom depresiv-nog afekta umerenog intenziteta viša nego ona sa testom depresivne lič-nosti, a obe korelacije su značajne. Divergentna validnost je nedovoljna kada je u pitanju korelacija sa jednom od dve mere stanja anksioznosti. Nađeno je psihometrijsko objašnjenje za ovaj podatak, ali je ukazano i na suštinsku povezanost ...
U ovom istraživanju bavili smo se neuralnim korelatima efekata placebo i 'anti-placebo' p... more U ovom istraživanju bavili smo se neuralnim korelatima efekata placebo i 'anti-placebo' poruka putem merenja moždanih talasa (ERP). Umjesto uobičajenog termina nocebo, koristili smo termin 'anti-placebo', budući da poruke koje smo zadavali ispitanicima nisu trebale da proizvedu negativne efekte, već da umanje ili ponište efekat placeba. Primenili smo termalnu draž intenziteta 45 stepeni Celzijusa na kožu podlaktice. Ukupno je 29 studenata uzelo učešća u četiri eksperimentalne situacije: bez analgezije, nakon primene analgezije (korišćenjem EMLA kreme), nakon primene neutralne kreme koja je prezentovana kao analgetik (placebo situacija) i nakon primene EMLA kreme koja je prezentovana kao herbalna krema koja nije zvanično prihvaćena kao medikament ('anti-placebo' situacija). Neposredno nakon stimulacije, od ispitanika je zatraženo da procene nivo neprijatnosti na subjektivnoj skali osetljivosti 1–10, a nakon toga im je zadat kognitivni eksperiment, tokom koga s...
European review for medical and pharmacological sciences, 2012
Described case report speaks in favour of the relation between childhood sexual abuse with the de... more Described case report speaks in favour of the relation between childhood sexual abuse with the development of conversion disorder. Following Salmonella poisoning, adolescent, at the age of 16, develops series of severe somatic symptoms. Results of diagnostic procedures excluded organic foundation of the symptoms; diagnosis of conversion disorder is established. Soon, patient's problems stop abruptly and spontaneously, and the aetiology of the mental disorder remains unexplained. Six years later, adolescent reveals for the first time data about the childhood sexual abuse during the forensic evaluation (within the court process related to the request for compensation for the complications which occurred following the Salmonella infection). During the forensic evaluation, we had insight into the previous medical history, while an interview, psychological and psychiatric exploration was conducted with the examinee. Data about the sexual abuse retrospectively explain the dynamics of ...
On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic diso... more On a sample of 38 psoriatic patients we tried to determine the relationship between neurotic disorders (operationalized MMPI) and the number and hazardous effects of stressful events on the one hand and the severity of the clinical picture and the time of the onset of psoriasis on the other. In our sample neurotic disorders are much commoner than in the general population indicating that they might represent one of the most significant factor of etiology, complications and prevention. The last hypothesis is based on the results showing that neurotic psoriatics develop psoriasis significantly later than non-neurotics. We haven't attained a profile of a typical neurotic person because neurotic disorders are manifested through different symptoms. The average number of stressful events was found significantly higher in more severe forms of psoriasis compared to the milder forms. Finally, a remark has been made about benefits of a multidisciplinary approach to the study of psoriasis ...
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