摘要:

The dopamine D2 receptor gene is a candidate gene for schizophrenia. We screened three exons of this gene for mutations in a large sample of schizophrenics, delusional patients and healthy controls. No structural changes were found, thus suggesting that psychopathology is not related to DNA alterations in the DRD2 gene.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118888

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Plasma noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (Ad), dopamine (DA), platelet serotonin (p5HT), free serotonin (f5HT), glucose, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were measured before and after an oral load of glucose (OGTT) in 100 normal humans. One sham-feeding test was performed in every subject 2–3 weeks before OGTT. Aside from glucose rise, significant increases in NA, p5HT and the NA/Ad ratio were registered. No significant changes were observed in Ad, DA, f5HT, HR and BP mean ± SE values. Significant reductions in the NA/p5HT, Ad/p5HT and DA/p5HT ratios’ mean values were registered at 90 and 180 min. Several significant correlations were found amongst plasma neurotransmitters. Very high positive correlations were obtained when NA, Ad and DA were plotted against the ratio of each one of them over p5HT; however, they (r = 0.99) decreased significantly at 90 and 180 min. Upon evaluation of these results we infer that quiescence of adrenal glands occurs during OGTT. Under such circumstances, plasma neurotransmitters are left under the control of a central bipolar system: noradrenergic-parasympathetic. All numerical data strongly suggest that the noradrenergic system predominates at 60, 120 and 210 min, whereas parasympathetic predominance occurs at 90 and 180 min. The fact that the latter is interfered by atropine reinforces this hypothesis. Analyses of correlations also suggest that DA and p5HT probably act as a buffer and modulate the excessive increase in NA plasma levels registered during

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118889

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Immunological, neuroendocrine and psychological parameters were examined in 14 psychophysically healthy subjects and in 17 panic disorder patients before and after a 30-day course of alprazolam therapy. T lymphocyte proliferation in response to the mitogen phytohemoagglutinin, lymphocyte beta-endorphin (β-EP) concentrations, plasma ACTH, cortisol and β-EP levels were examined in basal conditions and after corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) stimulation. Cortisol inhibition by dexamethasone (DST) and basal growth hormone (GH) and prolactin levels were also examined. Depression, state or trait anxiety, anticipatory anxiety, agoraphobia, simple and social phobias, severity and frequency of panic attacks were monitored by rating scales. The immune study did not reveal any significant difference between patients and controls, or any effect of alprazolam therapy. The hormonal data for the two groups were similar, except for higher than normal basal ACTH and GH plasma levels, lower than normal ratios between the ACTH and cortisol responses to CRH, and blunted DST in some patients. All the impairments improved after alprazolam therapy, in parallel with decreases in anxiety and in severity and frequency of panic attack

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118890

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

We investigated subsets of peripheral immunologic cells in 12 drug-free patients affected by major depression according to DSM-III-R criteria, and who had recent evidence of somatic diseases. They were compared with 10 drug-free depressives, with 10 patients with panic disorder, and with 12 healthy volunteers, all without somatic disease. The immune subsets were measured by flow cytometry. The results showed that both groups of depressives had the same abnormalities in immune cells compared with the healthy volunteers or the panic disorder patients; in particular they presented a lower number of CD3+, CD8+ and HLA-DR+. The patients with panic attacks did not differ from healthy controls, except for CD4+ cells which were significantly lowered, even in comparison with the depressive groups. These data, although preliminary and in a small sample, suggest that some immune parameters may be influenced by the presence of a major psychiatric disorder.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118891

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Recently, heart rate (HR) variability has received considerable attention, and a decreased HR variability has been linked to a significant risk of cardiovascular illness. We have previously reported such a decreased variability in panic disorder patients. In this study, we report on HR variability in 12 depressed and 6 panic disorder patients at baseline and 1 and 3 weeks of treatment with imipramine as measured by the standard deviation, mean consecutive difference and the standard deviation of the mean consecutive difference of the R-R intervals in supine, supine deep breathing and standing postures. In all subjects, imipramine (mean dose: 70 mg/day) produced a significant decrease in heart rate variability at week 3 as measured by the above variables. This decrease in HR variability during imipramine treatment is probably due to its anticholinergic effects.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118892

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Gamma-aminobutyric acid-B (GABAB) binding sites labelled with [¾]GABA were determined in postmortem frontal cortex samples of 20 control subjects and 16 suicides. The suicide group was further subdivided according to the method of suicide and the existence of depressive symptoms prior to death. No significant differences in GABAB binding were found either between overall suicide and control groups or between the control group and the other subgroups (violent suicide, nonviolent suicide, nondepressed and depressed suicide victims). A significant increase in GABAB binding was observed in those individuals dying from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is concluded that although GABAB binding sites are not altered in our suicide group, a presyn-aptic dysfunction might account for the increased GABAB binding found in the carbon monoxide subgroup

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118893

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Cerebrospinal-fluid (CSF) corticotropin-releasing hormone, somatostatin, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone were measured by specific radioimmunoassays in 257 hospitalized psychiatry patients suffering from dementia disorders (n = 85), schizophrenia (n = 104), and mood and anxiety disorders (n = 39). Neurological controls (n = 29) were also investigated. Since there were large overlaps of the peptide levels across the nosological groups we subjected the dataset to a three-dimensional normal mixture distribution analysis. We obtained four biochemically separable clusters. Dementia disorders, but not the others, were heterogeneously distributed in these clusters but after eliminating the effects of age and illness duration this difference disappeared. No single clinical, psychological, or background variable emerged as a prominent correlate of the neuropeptide clusters. It is concluded that although CSF neuropeptide concentrations in psychiatric patient populations appear to be separable into distinct, normally distributed subgroups this distinction does not coincide with present nosological classifications.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118894

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

In this study, a total population, the 1957 Lundby cohort, was investigated with regard to the incidence of vascular dementia over a 15-year period, and to provide a succeeding study with basic data concerning the background factors for vascular dementia. The 1957 cohort comprises 2,612 persons who were registered in the geographically delimited Lundby area on July 1, 1957. The lifetime risk of developing vascular dementia was found to be 34.5% in men and 19.4% in women when all degrees of impairment were taken into account, the preponderance for the male sex being very obvious.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118895

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Fifty chronic schizophrenics with severe residual psychopathology were followed up over a 5-year period. All of them had continuously received neuroleptics for many years before and throughout the period of investigation. In 60% (n = 30) of the patients positive symptoms which were unchanged in quality and severity were present throughout the period of investigation. In 28% (n = 14) of the patients marked positive symptoms persisted from the very beginning up to 1990 (in every case more than 20 years). Applying Leon-hard’s classification it was obvious that syndromes are roughly unchanged with respect to the preneuroleptic era. In these patients neuroleptics seemed to have only unspecific suppressing effects on affectivity. It is supposed that in schizophrenia which leads to severe residual psychopathology, Leonhard’s classification is superior to the positive-negative distinction and is a promising concept for future research in etiology and ther

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118896

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

A multicenter randomized 4-week interindividual double-blind study was carried out in 58 hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder (DSM III 296.23,296.22,296.33,296.32,296.53 and 296.52) to test the dose-effect relationship of three different doses of the new cAMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram: 3 × 0.25 mg, 3 × 0.50 mg and 3 × 1.00 mg rolipram/day. With respect to the desired effect, the 3 × 0.50 mg dosage stood out from the others in almost all relevant parameters. With respect to the response rate, the efficacy of the 3 × 0.25 mg dosage was about the same as that reported in the literature for placebo. The inferior performance of the 3 × 1.00 mg dosage compared to the 3 × 0.50 mg dosage might indicate a reverse U-shaped dose-effect relationship. There was good tolerance to all three dosages. There were no findings that might cast doubt on the safety of the dosages

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118897

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1992

数据来源: Karger