摘要:

β-Endorphin (β-EP) and cholecystokinin 8 (CCK-8) concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured in 12 drug-free autistic (AU) children, in 10 drug-free children with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) and in 11 healthy controls. The aim of the study was to see whether or not there was an alteration of β-EP and CCK-8 concentrations in this peripheral compartment, in which it has been suggested that secretion and regulation of the two peptides mimic those of neurons in the central nervous system. Mean β-EP values were significantly higher in AU than in PDD and control children, while there were no differences in CCK-8 values of the three gro

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119322

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Because brain serotonin levels depend directly on the amounts of exogenous tryptophan (TRP) available for its synthesis, amounts of TRP in the diet may be manipulated to alter the corresponding levels of serotonin. This technique has been used for probing the role of serotonin in mediating various forms of pyschopathology. In this study, 16 patients meeting DSM III-R criteria for schizophrenia (n = 14) or schizoaffective disorder (n = 2) were assessed for the effects of acute dietary TRP depletion under controlled conditions. The hypothesis was that lowering of serotonin would result in a diminution of ‘positive’ and/or ‘negative’ symptoms of psychotic disorders. No clinically or statistically significant improvement compared to baseline occurred when TRP depletion was imposed. Indeed, there was a statistically significant deterioration on measures of negative symptoms. The results are discussed in the context of the methodological

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119323

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The binding of [3H]nipecotic acid to GABA uptake sites was studied in post mortem human frontal cortex from 17 suicide victims and 21 controls without known neurological or psychiatric disorder. The suicide victims were subclassified according to the use of violent or non-violent methods and to the presence or absence of a known history of a depressive disorder. No difference was found between the suicide victims and the controls with regard to [3H]nipecotic acid binding to GABA uptake sites (Bmax) and apparent affinity (Kd). No differences were found either with regard to method of suicide or whether a depressive symptom existed or not. The binding of [3H]nipecotic acid to GABA uptake sites was also studied in post mortem human frontal cortex with regard to aging. The age of the subjects ranged from 16 to 84 years. No significant difference in either Bmax or Kd was found. The present findings suggest that the GABA uptake sites in the human frontal cortex are not subjected to regulation or degenerative changes in conditions investigated.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119324

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Carnitine is essential for mitochondrial energy production. Disturbance in mitochondrial function may contribute to or cause the fatigue seen in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients. Previous investigations have reported decreased carnitine levels in CFS. Orally administered L-carnitine is an effective medicine in treating the fatigue seen in a number of chronic neurologic diseases. Amantadine is one of the most effective medicines for treating the fatigue seen in multiple sclerosis patients. Isolated reports suggest that it may also be effective in treating CFS patients. Formal investigations of the use of L-carnitine and amantadine for treating CFS have not been previously reported. We treated 30 CFS patients in a crossover design comparing L-carnitine and amantadine. Each medicine was given for 2 months, with a 2-week washout period between medicines. L-Carnitine or amantadine was alternately assigned as fist medicine. Amantadine was poorly tolerated by the CFS patients. Only 15 were able to complete 8 weeks of treatment, the others had to stop taking the medicine due to side effects. In those individuals who completed 8 weeks of treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in any of the clinical parameters that were followed. However, with L-carnitine we found statistically significant clinical improvement in 12 of the 18 studied parameters after 8 weeks of treatment. None of the clinical parameters showed any deterioration. The greatest improvement took place between 4 and 8 weeks of L-carnitine treatment. Only 1 patient was unable to complete 8 weeks of treatment due to diarrhea. L-Carnitine is a safe and very well tolerated medicine which improves the clinical status of CFS patients. In this study we also analyzed clinical and laboratory correlates of CFS symptomatology and improvement parameters.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119325

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The efficacy and safety of tianeptine were compared, in the course of a multicentre randomised, double-blind, parallel group study, to those of placebo in the treatment of Major Depressions and Bipolar Disorder, Depressed with or without melancholia, without psychotic features. After a 1-week run-in placebo period, 126 depressed out-patients presenting DSM-III-R Major Depression or Bipolar Disorder, Depressed, with a total MÅDRS score of at least 25, were treated for 42 days with either tianeptine (25–50 mg/day) or placebo. Efficacy assessments were MÅDRS, CGI, HARS, Zung Depression Self Rating Scale and a VAS. Better efficacy of tianeptine was shown, and confirmed by covariance analyses, in final MÅDRS scores of the intention-to-treat population, of patients treated for at least 14 days and of completers; also in CGI items 1 and 2, MÅDRS item 10, and VAS. The results confirmed the efficacy of tianeptine (mean dosage: 37.5 mg/day) in the treatment of Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder, Depressed, with or without melancholia, compared to placebo. Tianeptine’s acceptability did not differ from that of placebo. For adverse events, a higher incidence of headaches was found with tia

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119326

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The inferior colliculus has been implicated in aversive or anxiogenic aspects of defensive behavior. Animals learn to turn off electrical stimulation applied to the inferior colliculus. The purpose of the present study was to determine (1) whether this aversion induced by electrical stimulation can be conditioned to a conditioned stimulus (CS, light) and (2) whether pre-exposure to the CS will diminish the extent of such conditioning, i.e. whether latent inhibition can be established with this paradigm. Rats were placed inside an open field, and thresholds for the escape response to electrical stimulation of the inferior colliculus were determined. The rats were then placed inside a shuttle box and submitted to a two-way avoidance paradigm. Electrical stimulation of the inferior colliculus at the escape threshold was used as negative reinforcement and shuttle box illumination as the CS. The rats quickly learned to avoid or terminate the inferior-colliculus stimulation. Furthermore, the performance of the animals in this paradigm was significantly disrupted when they were pre-exposed to 50 presentations of the CS before the session. These data suggest that the inferior colliculus has neural substrates for supporting associative learning and latent inhibition.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119327

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

There is some experimental evidence suggesting that temporal processing of brief duration in the range of milliseconds is based on dopamine (DA)-dependent neural counting mechanisms, whereas processing of longer duration is cognitively mediated. To further elucidate the critical role of DA receptors of the D2 receptor family for temporal information processing in humans, the effects of the 3 mg of haloperidol, 300 mg of sulpiride, and 150 mg of remoxipride were studied in a placebo-controlled double-blind experiment. In addition, concomitant changes in cortical arousal as well as speed of information processing and motor execution were measured. Temporal processing of brief duration was significantly impaired by haloperidol (p < 0.01) but not by sulpiride and remoxipride, whereas processing of longer duration was adversely affected by haloperidol (p < 0.001) as well as remoxipride (p < 0.01) as compared to placebo. The pattern of results in combination with the different pharmacological profiles of the dopaminergic drugs applied in the present study suggests that temporal processing of brief duration is mediated by D2 receptor activity in the mesostriatal system and, thus, point to the basal ganglia as a neuroanatomical structure possibly involved in timing of brief duration. On the other hand, deteriorating effects of D2 receptor blockers on processing of longer duration appear to be due to DA-induced impairment of memory functions which may be mediated by the mesolimbocortical DA system.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119328

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Global complexity of spontaneous brain electric activity was studied before and after chewing gum without flavor and with 2 different flavors. One-minute, 19-channel, eyes-closed electroencephalograms (EEG) were recorded from 20 healthy males before and after using 3 types of chewing gum: regular gum containing sugar and aromatic additives, gum containing 200 mg theanine (a constituent of Japanese green tea), and gum base (no sugar, no aromatic additives); each was chewed for 5 min in randomized sequence. Brain electric activity was assessed through Global Omega (Ω)-Complexity and Global Dimensional Complexity (GDC), quantitative measures of complexity of the trajectory of EEG map series in state space; their differences from pre-chewing data were compared across gum-chewing conditions. Friedman Anova (p < 0.043) showed that effects on Ω-Complexity differed significantly between conditions and differences were maximal between gum base and theanine gum. No differences were found using GDC. Global Omega-Complexity appears to be a sensitive measure for subtle, central effects of chewing gum with and without flavo

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119329

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

In children the early N1P2 response generated by an auditory oddball paradigm is a compound negative potential with distinctive 165-ms temporal and 240-ms frontocentral components. As this configuration differs considerably from the adult response, it may be assumed that neural systems engaged in auditory attentional processes differ with age. It is argued that the auditory vertex potential might index frontal lobe development and matching mechanisms. In combination with EEG spectral data this cognitive parameter could initiate an alternative approach to the evaluation and research of learning and attention deficit disorders.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000119330

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1997

数据来源: Karger