الفهرس 
Breath holding attacksOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
This study was carried out on 30 pptients suffering from bronchial asthma associated with depressive symptoms. Cases selected from chest Department of Tanta University Hospital and outpatient clinics. The studied cases were submitted t o depressive scale of M.M.P.L. fa confinn their clinical depression* Psychological free patienta were excluded from our study. Depressed asthmatics were clasafied into 2 groupat- group I :- Comists of 20 patienta received tricyclic antidepressant (mitriptyline) drug in a dose of 75 - 150 mg/day >group 11:- Consists of 10 controlled patients received placebo. Both groups received minimal antiasthat ic drug (e. g arninophyline) plus amit riptyline and plaoebo treatment for 2 months with measurement of their respiratory function at the beginning and end of treatment by Wright’s peak flow, meter. The aim of this thesiis waa atudying the role of psychological,factoss in precipitating and predisposing bronchial mthma? Alao, t o evaluate the effect of antidepressant (anitriptyline) dmg in management of depressed asthmatics. In our study, we found that of depressed asthmetics, %heir age ranged from 20 - 50 years and the nuinbey of femal patients was more thnp that of males w i t h the rati-o 2 : 1 . No specific personality type was present among asthmatics* Fathers of asthmatics were domineering in 36.7% of patienta and aggressive in 23.3% of cases while, their mothers were submissive in 3w0 of patients and kindheart in 16.7% of cases. The majority of asthmatic families were of low social and economic level. Si-sty percent of asthmatics were of average i n t e l l i - gence* The majority of asthmatics (66.7%) started with bronchial asthma then depression appeared as a reaction to illness,. depression a s s o c i a t e d with onset of &rsthnla in 16.7% of cases, depression preceeded astbma in 1v0 of . cases. Seventy five percent of 20 depressed asthmatics under amitriptyline medication showed significant i m - provement in their respiratory function by Wright vs peak flow meter, while 4% of 10 controlled patients under placebo showed moderate improvement which was s t a t i s t i c a l l y insignificant.