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(1975). Plasma Nortriptyline and Clinical Response. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 249-253.

Fifty-three patients suffering from depressive illness were classified as 'responders' or 'non-responders' on the basis of an "amelioration score" of the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression after six weeks treatment with nortriptyline hydrochloride at 150 mgs. daily. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed on the four psychological rating scale scores used, to determine whether rating scales could predict treatment response to tricyclis antidepressants was found to be at 75% probability.ic anti-depressants was found to be at 757. probability.ic antidepressants. There was a significant difference between the two groups after adjustment for age. Subjects were then classified as 'non-responders' and 'responders' on the basis of their discriminant scores. The prediction of response to tricycl

Comparisons were made between the overall scores on the Beck, Hamilton, Zung and a visual analogue rating scale in a group of depressed patients. The comparisons were made initially and at one, two and three weeks. Significant correlations between the global scores were found on these depression scales. The value of these scales in clinical research studies in depression is discussed with special mention of the value of the visual analogue scale.

Psychiatric problems amongst students are an important field of study. The paper discusses a questionnaire survey of psychiatric symptoms in 2,363 Australian medical students. The findings are discussed and compared with those from other surveys. A positive correlation was found between higher academic performance and questionnaire-assessed “neuroticism”.

40 patients with senile dementia, 40 with arteriosclerotic dementia, and 40 people attending an elderly citizens' club have been compared with respect to certain social and personal data. The senile dementia group showed significant tendencies to positive family history, unusual personality characteristics and greater duration of widowhood.

A mercury-in-rubber strain-gauge plethysmograph was used to measure forearm blood flow in anxious and non-anxious psychiatric patients. No statistically-significant differences in forearm blood flow were found between the two groups.