摘要:

Serotonin active transport by platelets of psychiatric patients was determined at 2 and at 8 a.m. Kinetic values, Vmax and Rm, of serotonin uptake by platelets of bipolar depressive patients at 2 a.m. were higher than those at 8 a.m. Contrary to that, the kinetic values, Vmax and Km, for unipolar patients at 2 a.m. were rather lower than the values at 8 a.m. Serotonin uptake kinetics by platelets of schizophrenic patients at 2 a.m. were similar to those at 8 a.m. The curves of serotonin uptake kinetics by platelets of bipolar patients at 2 and at 8 a.m. were different from those observed for platelets of unipolar and schizophrenic patients. The variability of the kinetics of serotonin uptake by platelets of the three groups of psychiatric patients may offer a clue to the heterogenicity of these disorders.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118473

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

In previous work, we have reported that specific combinations of platelet (MAO) activity and evoked potential augmenting/reducing (AR) are associated with risk for affective disorders. This new study screened 271 college freshmen solely on MAO and AR and selected a sample with extreme values on both measures. These students were interviewed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule and they completed a family history questionnaire and psychosocial scales. Following the previous work, the same MAO and AR combinations were related to the frequency of major depression and a family history of psychiatric disorder.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118474

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Animal studies have suggested interspecies differences in brain norepinephrine (NE) metabolism, especially with regard to the relative proportions of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (DOPEG) compared to 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethyleneglycol (MOPEG). In order to question the value of both glycol metabolites as peripheral indices of central noradrenergic activity, a comparative study of plasma DOPEG and MOPEG (measured by HPLC) related to depression, sex, age and diagnostic categories (DSM-III) was carried out on depressed and control subjects. In addition, two groups of 8 patients were randomly submitted to a desipramine 150 mg/day, or a metapramine 450 mg/day antidepressant treatment influencing the formation of DOPEG and MOPEG in a different way. The study did not demonstrate any difference between DOPEG and MOPEG for most of the experimental factors. We found also a significant positive correlation between plasma levels of DOPEG and MOPEG. Our results support the idea that each of these two biological indices can be used in the assessment of central noradrenergic activity.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118475

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

A multicenter, double-blind, between-patient trial comparing two doses of ketazolam (15 and 30 mg) with placebo, each given once daily, in the evening, to 92 outpatients affected by generalized anxiety disorders for at least 1 month, was carried out. After 1-week washout period 47 patients were randomized to ketazolam 15 mg, and 45 to placebo for 15 days (first period). At the end of this period, if the patient experienced a decrease on the total Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) of at least 25% of basal value, the treatment was kept unchanged for a further 15 days, otherwise 15 mg of ketazolam were added to the previous treatment (second period). Anxiety was rated after 2 and 4 weeks with the Italian HAM-A scale and with a 4-point scale (patient’s assessment). Seventy-eight patients completed the first period and 75 the whole study. During the first period the percentage of responders was almost identical in both treatment groups, but during the second period a further slight improvement was observed in the early placebo responders, while the HAM-A score of patients on ketazolam continued to improve significantly (p < 0.01) throughout the study. Likewise a significant (p < 0.001) difference between treatments was observed, on the 4-point scale, in the population as a whole (end of first period) as well as in responder patients (end second period). Tolerability was good, except in 1 patient on placebo, who was withdrawn from the study because of severe headach

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118476

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Viqualine dihydrochloride is a new molecule, which possesses strong serotonin reuptake inhibition properties and, at the same time, diazepam-like actions, such as [3H]-diazepam-binding inhibition and antipunishment effect. The drug was administered double-blindly to 10 patients suffering from major depression resistant to previous treatments with tricyclics. The comparison group (10 patients) received placebo. Lorazepam (10 mg/day) was also given to both groups. Viqualine proved to be significantly superior to placebo in the 4th week of treatment on all the three rating scales which were used. Tolerability of viqualine was good both objectively and on subjective grounds.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118477

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The effects of sodium valproate (25–200 mg/kg i.p.) were investigated in the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety in the rat. No single dose significantly increased the percentage of entries made onto the open arms. Chlordiazepoxide (5 mg/kg) both acutely and after 5 days of administration significantly increased the percentage of entries onto open arms and this anxiolytic effect was neither potentiated, nor antagonised, by sodium valproate (25–200 mg/kg). Chlordiazepoxide also increased the total number of arm entries (indicating a stimulant effect). When valproate (25–100 mg/kg) was given together with acute chlordiazepoxide it produced a dose-related antagonism of this stimulant effect. The group receiving valproate (200 mg/kg) plus acute chlordiazepoxide (5 mg/kg) had a total number of entries significantly lower than the controls. Thus, the combination of 2 non-sedative doses resulted in a significant sedative e

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118478

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Based on the association of cerebral ventricular enlargement with cognitive impairments in schizophrenia, the present study looked for relationships between the hemispheric ventricular size and tests of performance as well as their sensitivity to neuroleptics. No meaningful relations could be established. On the contrary, wider ventricles were associated with less cognitive and psychomotor impairment and less sensitivity to neuroleptics.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118479

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118480

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Effects of 6 and 12 mg bromazepam on reaction time, stimulus sensitivity and response bias in a 1-hour visual attention task, on smooth pursuit eye movements, and on performance in the digit symbol substitution test (DSST) were investigated in 12 healthy male volunteers. It was a placebo-controlled, double-blind, crossover study that used repeated measures. Three saliva samples and a blood sample were taken for correlating drug concentration and performance. Bromazepam lowered stimulus sensitivity dose-dependently. Response times for hits and response bias were affected by the 12-mg dose only. DSST performance decreased dose-dependently. Smooth pursuit was equally impaired by 6 and 12 mg. Concentrations in serum correlated with concentrations in saliva, but serum and saliva concentrations did not correlate with task performance.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118481

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The effects of mathematical, spatial and verbal task difficulty on EEG alpha amplitude and mean frequency asymmetry were investigated. Twenty right-handed subjects with no familial left-handedness (10 female, 10 male) were presented 3 levels of difficulty for each type of task. Difficulty was varied through increasing the rate of auditorily presented numerical stimuli. Also examined were EEG alpha correlates with measures of performance anxiety, subjective difficulty, loss of vigilance, confusion, the tendency to rely on a guessing strategy and performance. While increasing task difficulty led to right-parietal and posttemporal alpha acceleration for all tasks, task-dependent bilateral changes in alpha frequency were also observed. Increased mathematical task difficulty widened parietal amplitude asymmetry differences between high- and low-performance subjects, and produced performance-dependent changes in left-parietal and right-temporal alpha frequency. A curvilinear relationship between spatial-task difficulty and relative right-hemisphere alpha attenuation was found for the high-performance group only. Finally, numerous correlations were found between alpha measures and subjective and performance variables. Most of these correlations were found to be both task- and difficulty-level-specific. Task anxiety appeared to play a significant role in the determination of parietal- and temporal-lobe asymmetry.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118482

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger