摘要:

The Inventory for Depressive Symptomatology is a new scale for measuring depressive symptoms. The reliability, validity and correlations between self-report and clinician-rated versions of the scale were examined in 86 Italian psychiatric patients. Results confirmed the validity and internal consistency of the scales. Self-ratings and clinician ratings were highly correlated. Total score on the self-rating scale was generally higher than the corresponding clinician scale score. Item analysis revealed that most items were rated slightly higher by self-report, with the items contributing most to this discrepancy being psychomotor agitation and retardation, self-outlook, and irritable mood. Both quality of mood and psychomotor agitation were more frequently endorsed by self-report than by clinician rating.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118423

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Sydenham’s chorea is a movement disorder seen in rheumatic fever with basal ganglia pathology. This disorder has been associated with an increased frequency of psychopathology in both the acute choreiform stage and later in life. We conducted a prospective study of 29 subjects with Sydenham’s chorea and 29 age- and sex-matched controls. The total number of psychiatric symptoms 10 years after the initial contact was much greater in the study group than in controls (p < 0.001). Similarly, schizophrenia was more common in the study group compared to controls (p < 0.01). Possible neuropathological associations and treatment are discus

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118424

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Using a cross-sectional design, we examined the diurnal and circannual variation in platelet 3H-imipramine binding in 33 patients with bipolar affective disorder, 34 patients with unipolar affective disorder and 58 normal controls. There was no evidence for statistically significant diurnal or circannual variation in the binding parameters in any of the diagnostic categories.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118425

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

We evaluated to what extent the tyrosine (TYR) and tryptophan (TRP) transport by the red cells was stable in normal subjects during divers clinical conditions. Twenty-two normal subjects were studied. The values of TYR and TRP transport were found to be individually determined, showed no circadian oscillations and no changes during the menstrual cycle, but varied somewhat more during the postpartum period. A few normal subjects had low TYR and TRP transport values, as observed in patients with affective disorders.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118426

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Corticosteroid therapy may produce alterations in mood. Furthermore, several monoamines, including dopamine, have been implicated in the regulation of mood. We, therefore, examined the relationship between alterations in mood and plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) levels in patients on alternate-day corticosteroid treatment. Although several patients had substantial alterations in mood, there was no significant difference in plasma HVA levels between the on- and off-medication day. Furthermore alterations in depression and anxiety levels were not related to plasma HVA levels. The implications of these findings are discussed.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118427

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

A study was done on 40 outpatients suffering from major affective disorders (uni- and bipolar). Chlorimipramine or maprotiline was administered alternatively (x = 116.25 and 116.75 mg/day, respectively). The therapeutic effect of both antidepressive drugs is very similar, but maprotiline improves the gastrointestinal somatic symptoms faster and seems to be more effective in bipolar patients. It also produces less side effects than chlorimipramine.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118428

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Seventy patients with idiopathic syndromes were treated with maprotiline, a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, or clomipramine, a serotonin reuptake inhibitor in a 6-week, double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial. Fifty-two patients completed the double-blind phase. Overall, 50% of the patients improved. Significant decreases were seen not only in the levels of pain but also in bodily discomfort, sadness and inner tension (determined by visual analogue scales, VAS). A decrease was also found in the frequency of sleep disturbances, intellectual and emotional inhibition, irritability, guilt feelings, retardation, sadness and suicidal ideas (observed ratings). Sixty-three percent of the subjects showed an overall improvement during treatment with clomipramine as compared to 36% during treatment with maprotiline (p < 0.05). During clomipramine treatment significant decreases were seen on all the six VAS: sadness, bodily discomfort, inner tension, concentration difficulties, memory disturbances and pain. Bodily discomfort and pain were significantly reduced during maprotiline treatment. The effects produced by clomipramine were also significantly greater than the effects caused by maprotiline as concerns psychic anxiety and inhibition (VAS). The overall reduction in VAS was significantly greater with clomipramine when compared to maprotiline. The most important side effects were dry mouth (both drugs) and sweating (clomipramine). However, in the clomipramine group, 8 patients were excluded due to side effects as compared to 1 patient in the maprotiline group. Thus, the results indicate that antidepressants reduce not only pain but are also of clinical value in the treatment of patients with idiopathic pain syndromes. Drugs with pronounced effects on the serotonin reuptake are to be preferred.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118429

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

The cholinergic-adrenergic balance hypothesis of affective disorders postulates noradrenergic overactivity and cholinergic hypoactivity in mania and the converse in depression. Some evidence for cholinergic contributions to mood regulation derives from the antimanic and depressiogenic activity of physostigmine and arecoline. However, both drugs have pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic disadvantages. Therefore, the orally active muscarinic agonist RS 86 was tested in a double-blind dose-response study for its psychotropic effects in one healthy volunteer. A dose-dependent anergic-anhedonic syndrome was identified in comparison to placebo. The study confirms the physostigmine syndrome to be mediated by muscarinic, possibly Ml receptors, and gives further support to the hypothesis of a cholinergic modulation of mood and behavior in man.

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118430

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Synthetic human corticotropin-releasing hormone (hCRH) was administered as an intravenous bolus (100 µg) to 13 patients suffering from endogenous depression and to 12 healthy volunteers. Compared with controls, depressed patients showed a significant amelioration of mood and well-being 2 h after hCRH administration in the rating scales applied (‘Befindlichkeits-Skala’, &Egr;igenschaftswörterliste’, ‘Kurzskala Stimmung-Aktivierung’, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression). Based on our preliminary data, a psychotropic effect and at least a mediating function of hCRH regarding pathophysiology and etiopathogenesis of endogenous depressions must

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118431

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger

摘要:

Although controversial, evidence from various experimental sources suggests a dysfunction/overactivity of the hemisphere dominant for speech – usually the left – in schizophrenia and of the other one in depression. Based on these lateralization hypotheses and on the dependency of regional cerebral blood flow on regional neuronal activity, the concept of pharmacopsychotherapy was proposed. The present double-blind pilot study tried to test this concept by cognitive training procedures tentatively relevant to the mechanisms of information processing of the left (analytical) and right (holistic) hemisphere, respectively. It was hypothesized that the outcome of patients putatively trained in mechanisms of the right hemisphere might be superior to that of those trained left in depression and the converse in schizophrenia. This hypothesis could not be verified. Apparent differences in the outcome of depressives were attributable to differences of independent variables (age, seriousness of illne

ISSN:0302-282X    

DOI:10.1159/000118432

出版商:S. Karger AG    

年代:1988

数据来源: Karger