摘要:

Saccadic eye movements were examined in 110 psychiatric patients and 26 controls, evaluating three parameters, the frequency of dysmetric saccades, nonfixation and the saccadic reaction time. Dysmetric saccades (dysmetria) were defined as saccadic reactions undershooting the target, nonfixation was defined as a deviation of the gaze from the target with the target stationary. While the nonfixation score and the saccadic reaction time were slightly increased in most of the psychiatric patient groups as compared to controls, an increase of the dysmetria score was confined to patients with schizophrenic and schizoaffective disorders. Dysmetria is thus interpreted as the expression of a relatively specific impairment of attention in these patients.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118010

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Age-of-onset data were gathered on 93 chronic schizophrenic probands and 57 affected (mainly schizotypal) siblings. 55% of affected individuals were ill before age 20 and 14% had their onset before age 14. The risk period for schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorders terminated at age 40. Age-of-onset did not distinguish paranoid from nonparanoid schizophrenics, or definite from probable schizotypal personalities. Schizophrenic and schizotypal subjects were similar in their age-of-onset patterns. Sex effect on age-of-onset was not present. A square-root normal distribution gave the best fit to the data. The implications of these findings for schizophrenia research were discussed.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118011

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

It has been postulated that delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP) possesses an agonistic activity on opiate receptors and might be of value in the treatment of withdrawal syndromes. To test this hypothesis, DSIP (25 nmol/kg) was injected intravenously as sole treatment to 67 patients presenting withdrawal symptoms (28 from ethyl alcohol, 39 from opiates). 27 % of the patients were lost or unsuitable for evaluation. From the 49 evaluable patients, DSIP produced a beneficial effect in 48 (22 alcoholics and 26 from 27 opiate addicts), with an immediate onset of action, a good and lasting suspension of the somatic symptoms and signs. Anxiety resolved more slowly, within hours. No major side-effect occurred. DSIP offers a new physiologically-based approach for the treatment of established withdrawal syndrome.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118012

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The effect of nomifensine on plasma levels of cortisol, prolactin, dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline and serotonin were studied in neurotic depressive patients. Cortisol levels were elevated in the morning and were significantly decreased by nomifensine treatment. Prolactin levels were within the normal range and nomifensine did not modify them. A significative increase in catecholamine plasma levels was observed at the 6th week of treatment in depressed patients (dopamine: 106%; noradrenaline: 14%; adrenaline: 10%) whose nomifensine plasma levels ranged between 84 and 105 ng/ml. No statistical differences were found between pre- and post-treatment serotonin concentration. Reduction of plasma cortisol and clinical improvement may be related to increased catecholamine levels.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118013

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The effects of a relatively new antidepressant drug, fluvoxamine, were compared with those produced by chlorimipramine on the 5-hydroxytryptamine system in rat brain. Daily treatment with fluvoxamine (25 mg/kg, i.p.) and an equivalent dose of chlorimipramine (28 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days reduced (3H)5-hydroxytryptamine uptake by crude synaptosomes (P2 pellet) of brain to 56 and 45 %, respectively, but produced no change in midbrain monoamine oxidase activity. Repeated administration of these drugs significantly decreased tryptophan hydroxylase activity as well as tryptophan level in the midbrain region. The concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid also was lowered in several discrete areas of the brain, but no change was seen in the endogenous levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine. Our data suggest that fluvoxamine, like chlorimipramine, is a potent inhibitor of 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake. Unlike tricyclic antidepressants, fluvoxamine does not seem to produce any sedation in animals, which was evidenced by no significant change in spontaneous locomotor activity.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118014

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The sample investigated consisted of two groups of emotionally labile healthy male subjects who were given either 100 mg/day of the antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (n = 16) or placebo (n = 16) for 8 days. Subjects were selected on the basis of their scores in the neuroticism scale of the Freiburg Personality Inventory (FPI-A: N score S≥6). By means of an extensive test battery (ratings of emotional state, emotional reactivity tests, performance tests, physiological parameters) at day 1 and day 8 of ingestion the psychotropic effects of carbamazepine were evaluated as well as the differences in effects after single and repeated administration. Behavioral effects could be demonstrated for carbamazepine after single administration, but the differences found were rather small and limited to four parameters. After several days of administration carbamazepine revealed clear effects on psychological parameters. It is concluded that a drug like carbamazepine needs more than a single administration to be effective in psychological tests, in contrast to tranquilizing, sedating, neuroleptic and stimulating drugs. Carbamazepine has this characteristic common with antidepressant drugs. The experiment demonstrated that carbamazepine is a drug which under the chosen dose level conditions has a positive influence on subjective emotional states, e.g. reduction of deactivation and emotional tension (anxiousness

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118015

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The sleep-waking pattern of the isolated female rat showed a clear ultra-, circa- and infradian vigilance rhythm. The ultradian period was about 4–6 h. During the day, the amount of slow wave sleep (SWS) decreased and that of paradoxical sleep (PS) increased. In general, desynchronisation of the EEG increased during the day. The circadian period was determined by the light-dark cycle. Although the rats slept mainly during their inactive light phase, there was a considerable amount of sleep at night. The infradian period was determined by the individual length of the oestrous cycle. During the oestrous night more motor activity and less sleep was seen. During the following day a strong rebound of waking, SWS and PS occurred, but not of the ‘connecting’ sleep phases dozing and PS spindles. During the oestrous night the strong stimulation of the rat masked the ultradian rhythm. All oestrous effects disappeared in castrated female rats, which, compared to intact rats, showed more dozing during the night and the day as well as more PS during the hours of dar

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118016

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118017

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Knowledge of the actual state of cerebral function and of the changes induced by psychotropic drugs is important not only to neurologically oriented specialities but also to other branches of medicine concerned with altering cerebral function. This applies especially to anesthesiology which involves numerous procedures leading to a temporary loss of cognitive brain function. Recently, the application of EEG combined with spectral analysis performed during anesthesia and intensive-care treatment has attracted attention: we investigated the changes in EEG during standardized anesthesiological and therapeutical procedures pre-, intra- and postoperatively, or during intensive-care treatment in 1,500 patients undergoing general surgery from 1977 to 1982. Two-track EEG leads accompanied by spectral analysis were used on line. The evaluation of routinely applied EEG monitoring justifies the following statements: EEG monitoring can be adapted technically and organized to comply with the working conditions and daily activities of an anesthesiological department. Spectral analytic representations allow the assessment of the EEG by the anesthesiologist. The various methods of general anesthesia produce specific EEG changes which can be obliterated by the cumulative effect of drugs. The actual depth of anesthesia is visible in the EEG. During a defined constant anesthetic depth, potentially hazardous cerebral dysfunctions can be detected early and treated accordingly. EEG monitoring can be useful in solving urgent medical problems of intensive-care therapy.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118018

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The central activity of ketotifen (Zaditen®), a benzocycloheptathiophene derivative for use in the prophylaxis of asthma, was determined by quantitative pharmaco-EEG in 7 healthy volunteers in a single-blind trial. During the 1st week of the trial, placebo was given twice daily followed by ketotifen 1 mg twice daily for 3 weeks. Placebo was again given for a further week. 15-min resting EEGs were taken immediately before and 3 and 6 h after medication on 8 defined days during the study, and the subjects were asked for side effects. Lead O2–Cz was analyzed by spectral analysis, and the relative power of the delta, theta, and fast and slow alpha bands as well as the dominant alpha frequency were calculated. The mean of each of these parameters was calculated per subject for each of the three measurements on each study day and compared with the baseline by means of one-way analysis of variance. A statistically significant slowing of the dominant alpha frequency, a decrease of the relative power of the fast alpha activity, and an increase of the relative power of the theta rhythm were found. These effects, indicative of a mild sedation, were highest during the 1st week of treatment with ketotifen, with a peak at the 3rd day, and gradually decreased thereafter. In contrast to the sensitive pharmaco-EEG method, none of the subjects complained of sedation or tiredness while taking ketotif

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118019

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1983

数据来源: Karger