Method for treating depression and other maladies by means of patient-created symptom graphs
First Claim
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1. A method for treating patients suffering from depression by means of the controlled administration of antidepressant medication comprising the steps of:
- a. administering to a patient suffering from depression an antidepressant drug on a daily basis for a first dosage period set by the practitioner, and in conjunction with the administration of said antidepressant drug during said first dosage period;
b. administering to said patient suffering from depression a patient-completable symptom chart comprising a plurality of symptom fields, each symptom field corresponding to a particular symptom of depression, andc. said symptom fields being arranged sequentially on said chart, andd. each of said symptom fields including a series of printed symptom indicatives, with said symptom indicatives each corresponding to a particular degree of a related symptom and said symptom field including symptom indicatives ranging from an extreme manifestation of the symptom, to symptom indicatives indicating improvement in patient condition relative to said extreme symptom, to a positive symptom indicative indicating minimum manifestation of said symptom, ande. said symptom indicatives being arranged in said symptom field in a progressive sequence with the indicative relating to said extreme manifestation being at one end of said sequence, symptoms indicating improvement in said patient condition following said extreme symptom in said progressive sequence and said positive symptom being located at the other extremity of said progressive sequence, andf. a patient-markable graph field arranged in association with each of said symptom fields on said patient-completable symptom chart;
said graph field including a series of columns with the number of said columns in said graph field being at least equal to the number of days covered by said first dosage period, andg. each of said columns including zone means for receiving a patient-applied indication, with each of said printed symptom indicatives having a zone means in correspondence therewith in each column of said graph field, andh. said patient assesses his symptoms during said first dosage period by the step of applying an indication in said zone means which corresponds to the symptom indicative most closely corresponding to said patient'"'"'s assessment of his symptoms on each treatment date over said first dosage period, said patient thereby creating a graphical representation of said patient'"'"'s symptoms on said symptom chart; and
i. wherein upon the completion of said first dosage period, on the basis of said practitioner'"'"'s assessment of the graph created on said symptom chart by said patient during said first dosage period, said practitioner increases the originally administered dosage of antidepressant drug to be taken by said patient or said practitioner maintains said dosage of antidepressant drug to be taken by said patient at said originally administered dosage level, said dosage of said antidepressant drug being increased when said patient-created graph shows no improvement in said symptoms associated with said patient'"'"'s depression, and said dosage of antidepressant drug being maintained at said originally administered level when the slope of the line on said patient-markable graph field is upward or shows improvement in said symptoms associated with said patient'"'"'s depression;
j. the administration of said patient-completable chart in combination with said antidepressant drug providing a positive therapeutic effect.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a patient symptom chart on which symptom related graphs are created by the patient and a process of using these graphs in the treatment of various maladies including depression. Decision point plans or charts can also be used by the consulting physician in conjunction with the patient created graphs.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for treating patients suffering from depression by means of the controlled administration of antidepressant medication comprising the steps of:
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a. administering to a patient suffering from depression an antidepressant drug on a daily basis for a first dosage period set by the practitioner, and in conjunction with the administration of said antidepressant drug during said first dosage period; b. administering to said patient suffering from depression a patient-completable symptom chart comprising a plurality of symptom fields, each symptom field corresponding to a particular symptom of depression, and c. said symptom fields being arranged sequentially on said chart, and d. each of said symptom fields including a series of printed symptom indicatives, with said symptom indicatives each corresponding to a particular degree of a related symptom and said symptom field including symptom indicatives ranging from an extreme manifestation of the symptom, to symptom indicatives indicating improvement in patient condition relative to said extreme symptom, to a positive symptom indicative indicating minimum manifestation of said symptom, and e. said symptom indicatives being arranged in said symptom field in a progressive sequence with the indicative relating to said extreme manifestation being at one end of said sequence, symptoms indicating improvement in said patient condition following said extreme symptom in said progressive sequence and said positive symptom being located at the other extremity of said progressive sequence, and f. a patient-markable graph field arranged in association with each of said symptom fields on said patient-completable symptom chart;
said graph field including a series of columns with the number of said columns in said graph field being at least equal to the number of days covered by said first dosage period, andg. each of said columns including zone means for receiving a patient-applied indication, with each of said printed symptom indicatives having a zone means in correspondence therewith in each column of said graph field, and h. said patient assesses his symptoms during said first dosage period by the step of applying an indication in said zone means which corresponds to the symptom indicative most closely corresponding to said patient'"'"'s assessment of his symptoms on each treatment date over said first dosage period, said patient thereby creating a graphical representation of said patient'"'"'s symptoms on said symptom chart; and i. wherein upon the completion of said first dosage period, on the basis of said practitioner'"'"'s assessment of the graph created on said symptom chart by said patient during said first dosage period, said practitioner increases the originally administered dosage of antidepressant drug to be taken by said patient or said practitioner maintains said dosage of antidepressant drug to be taken by said patient at said originally administered dosage level, said dosage of said antidepressant drug being increased when said patient-created graph shows no improvement in said symptoms associated with said patient'"'"'s depression, and said dosage of antidepressant drug being maintained at said originally administered level when the slope of the line on said patient-markable graph field is upward or shows improvement in said symptoms associated with said patient'"'"'s depression; j. the administration of said patient-completable chart in combination with said antidepressant drug providing a positive therapeutic effect. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for treating patients suffering from anxiety by means of the controlled administration of antianxiety medication comprising the steps of:
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a. administering to a patient suffering from anxiety, an antianxiety drug on a daily basis for a first dosage period set by the practitioner and in conjunction with the administration of said antianxiety drug during said first dosage period set by the practitioner; b. administering to said patient suffering from anxiety, a patient-completable symptom chart comprising a plurality of symptom fields, each symptom field corresponding to a particular symptom of anxiety, c. said symptom fields being arranged sequentially on said chart, and d. each of said symptom fieles including a series of printed symptom indicatives, said symptom indicatives each corresponding to a particular degree of a related symptom, and each of said symptom fields including symptom indicatives ranging from an extreme manifestation of the symptom to symptom indicatives indicating improvement in patient condition relative to said extreme symptom, to a positive symptom indicative indicating minimum manifestation of said symptom, e. said symptom indicatives being arranged in said symptom field in a progressive sequence with the indicative relating to said extreme manifestation being at one end of said sequence, symptoms indicating improvements in said patient condition following said extreme symptom in said progressive sequence and said positive symptom being located at the other extremity of said progressive sequence, and f. a patient-markable graph field arranged in association with each of said symptom fields on said patient-completable symptom chart, said graph fields including a series of columns with the number of said columns in said graph field being at least equal to the number of days covered by said first dosage period, and g. each of said columns including zone means for a patient-applied indication, with each of said printed symptom indicatives having a zone means in correspondence therewith in each column of said graph field; and h. said patient assesses his symptoms during said first dosage period by the step of applying an indication in said zone means which corresponds to the symptom indicative most closely corresponding to said patient'"'"'s assessment of his symptoms on each treatment date over said first dosage period, said patient thereby creating a graphical representation of said patient'"'"'s symptoms on said symptom chart; and i. wherein upon the completion of said first dosage period, on the basis of said practitioner'"'"'s assessment of the graph created on said symptom chart by said patient during said first dosage period, said practitioner increases the originally administered dosage of antianxiety drug to be taken by said patient or said practitioner maintains said dosage of antianxiety drug to be taken by said patient at said originally administered dosage level, said dosage of said antianxiety drug being increased when said patient-created graph shows no improvement in said symptoms associated with said patient'"'"'s anxiety, and the dosage of said antianxiety drug being maintained at said originally administered dosage level when the slope of the line on said patient-markable graph field is upward or shows improvement in said symptoms associated with said patient'"'"'s anxiety; j. the administration of said patient-completable chart in combination with said antianxiety drug providing a positive therapeutic effect. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification