摘要:

15 depressive patients and 15 controls, 9 of them age- and sex-matched, were administered 0.2 mg/70 kg i.v. fentanyl, a specific and highly potent µ-opiate receptor agonist. Growth hormone response was significantly reduced in depressive patients in comparison to controls, whereas prolactin response did not significantly differ between the two groups. Cortisol plasma concentration increased in depressive patients and decreased in controls. The difference between the groups failed to reach statistical significance. Only in patients, butnot in controls, fentanyl led to a significant increase in plasma noradrenaline. In contrast, a significant increase in the visual analogue scale for the evaluation of psychotropic drug effects was found only in controls after fentanyl administration. From these preliminary results in connection with other studies we conclude a possible involvement of a disturbed opioid system at least in a subgroup of depressive patients

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118542

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Thirty-four adolescent psychiatric inpatients were studied in order to find out whether there is a correlation between serotonin platelet uptake (SPU), suicidality and aggression. The patients were divided into four main diagnostic groups according to clinical data: borderline personality disorder, affective disorder (unipolar) including schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia and Others’. These patients were also characterized by the quantitative symptoms profile from K-SADS scale (Children’s Version of the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia) and by their behavior: aggression, suicide attempts and violent suicide attempts. In the schizophrenic group, a correlation was found between low Vmax values of SPU and aggressive behavior (p < 0.05). In addition, in the ‘other’ group a correlation was found between low Vmax values of SPU and conduct disorder (p < 0.05). On the other hand, in ‘other’ patients a correlation was found between low Km values of SPU and violent suicide attempt (p < 0.05). It is noteworthy that the lowest (20–35%) Vmax values of SPU were found in the patients of the affective group as compared to values of the three other diagnostic groups. These findings are similar to those concerning unipolar depressive adults. It is assumed that there are less binding sites for serotonin on platelets of depressive adolescents than was suggested for depr

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118543

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Preliminary findings regarding the presence of plasmatic benzodiazepine binding inhibitory activity (BBIA) in 14 psychiatric patients prompted us to investigate it further in larger samples of psychiatric patients (n = 44) and in healthy controls (n = 14). The results have shown that BBIA is present in all the subjects included with statistically significant differences between the patients and controls. The highest concentrations were found in the patients with no difference between anxious or depressed patients, and the lowest in the healthy controls. These findings indicate that BBIA might play a role in the pathophysiology of some manifestations of anxiety.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118544

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Three patients are described in whom surgical removal of a craniopharyngioma was followed by extreme hyperphagia resulting in obesity and abnormal food-seeking behavior, including foraging for food, stealing food or stealing money for food. These behaviors resemble those seen in the Prader-Willi syndrome but contrast with those noted in bulimia. This deviant behavior was a major factor in the poor outcome of surgery. Attempts at rehabilitation were unsuccessful.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118545

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118546

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

This review covers some modern concepts in the development of drugs to treat appetite disorders. Specific attention is paid to the peripheral satiety system and the role of gastrointestinal peptides such as cholecystokinin in the pathogenesis of satiety. Alterations in neuropeptide Y and/or peptide YY are suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of bulimia. Corticotropin-releasing factor is a putative candidate peptide involved in anorexia nervosa. The serotonin reuptake inhibitors fenfluramine and fluoxetene decrease weight in obese subjects. Endogenous opioids modulate the choice of palatable foods. Anorexia in the old appears to be related to a decrease in opioid feeding drive and an excess of the satiety action of cholecystokinin. Other agents involved in weight regulation include those which alter gastric emptying, increase thermogenesis, or modulate fat cell metabolism. It should be stressed that many neurotransmitters that modulate appetite also alter other behaviors, increasing their propensity to produce side effects.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118547

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

This paper reviews the use of cognitive models in human psychopharmacology to examine the role of the cholinergic system in memory and attention. We suggest that while studies of attention have continued to keep pace with developments in psychology, few studies have been reported which selectively test memory functions specified by current cognitive models of memory. We report the work from our laboratory which has demonstrated effects of cholinergic blockade on attention and memory, with particular emphasis on the work examining selective cholinergic mediation in working memory.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118548

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The effects of 3 mg haloperidol and 125 mg Madopar® on duration discrimination (DD) as well as reaction times were tested in a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover study with 24 healthy male volunteers. Performance in DD was significantly impaired under haloperidol compared to placebo as well as to Madopar. No changes could be demonstrated for Madopar compared to placebo. Similar results were obtained for measures of reaction time. Significant negative correlations between individual changes in DD and measures of reaction time under each drug condition revealed that subjects with drug-induced impairment in DD also show an increase in reaction times. The nearly identical patterns of drug-induced changes in DD and measures of reaction time may be interpreted in terms of a common neural basis

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118549

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials (PRVEPs) were tested in 11 sets of monozygotic (MZ) twins and 22 sets of dizygotic (DZ) twins matched on age, sex and educational level. They ranged in age from 7 to 15 years. The PRVEPs of MZ twins exhibited a signifícantly greater degree of similarity than those of DZ twins. The peak latencies and amplitudes of PRVEP components obtained from MZ twin pairs were significantly correlated. The correlation coefficients for the peak latencies of the P2 (or P100) component were the only ones to differ significantly between the DZ twins of the same sex and DZ twins of opposite sexes. These coefficients, obtained using PRVEPs, were much greater than those obtained with flash visual evoked potentials

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118550

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Evoked potentials to auditory stimulations varying in intensity were studied in 13 children with autistic behavior treated with fenfluramine. Modifications of both amplitude and single-trial potential variability were considered according to the clinical and biochemical responsiveness to this drug. Six children (responders) were clinically improved by the treatment. Electrophysiological data were affected according to the clinical and biochemical responsiveness to fenfluramine: the auditory evoked potential amplitude increased, and the single-trial potential variability decreased at each intensity level only in responders whose dopaminergic metabolism was significantly modified by fenfluramine treatment. No modification was found in nonresponders. Both biochemical and electrophysiological results argued for an amphetamine-like action of fenfluramine in those autistic children whose attention deficits are associated with motor disturbances including hyperactivity.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118551

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1989

数据来源: Karger