Showing papers in "Neuropsychobiology in 1992"
TL;DR: The existence of two distinct sources of activity located in the frontal and parietal region of the brain, respectively, was demonstrated using EEG frequency mapping and pharmacological effects of lormetazepam and zopiclone were investigated.
Abstract: There is evidence for two types of sleep spindle activity, one with a frequency of about 12 cycles/s (cps) and the other of about 14 cps. Visual examination indicates that both spindle types occur independently, whereby the 12-cps spindles are more pronounced in the frontal and the 14-cps spindles in the parietal region. The purpose of this paper is to provide more information about the exact topography of these patterns. First the occurrence of distinct signals in anterior and posterior brain regions was verified using pattern recognition techniques based on matched filtering. Thus the existence of two distinct sources of activity located in the frontal and parietal region of the brain, respectively, was demonstrated using EEG frequency mapping. Evaluation of sleep recordings showed high stability both in the frequency and location of the presumed spindle generators across sleep. Pharmacological effects of lormetazepam and zopiclone on both spindle types were investigated. Both substances enhanced the sleep spindle activity recorded from the frontal and parietal electrodes, but this increase was more pronounced in the parietal brain region.
153 citations
TL;DR: A multicenter randomized 4-week interindividual double-blind study was carried out in 58 hospitalized patients with major depressive disorder to test the dose-effect relationship of three different doses of the new cAMP-phosphodiesterase inhibitor rolipram.
Abstract: 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
148 citations
TL;DR: Caffeine improved performance on a sustained attention task, the logical reasoning task and semantic memory task, whereas the effects of breakfast on mood changed from the late morning to early afternoon, and few interactions between breakfast and caffeine conditions were obtained.
Abstract: The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of breakfast and caffeine on performance, mood and cardiovascular functioning in the late morning and after lunch. Forty-eight subjects were tested at 07.45 and subjects then assigned to one of the four conditions formed by combining caffeine and breakfast conditions. Subjects in the caffeine condition were given a dose of 4 mg/kg, the caffeine manipulation being double blind. At 11.15 subjects were given another coffee (subjects remained in the same caffeine condition) and had lunch at 12.30. Performance was examined prior to lunch (11.30) and after lunch (14.00). Effects of breakfast on recognition memory (lower false alarm rate) and logical reasoning (reduced accuracy) were found in the late morning but not after lunch. However, a semantic processing task was performed more slowly by the breakfast group after lunch. Caffeine improved performance on a sustained attention task, the logical reasoning task and semantic memory task. Subjects given caffeine also reported greater alertness and feelings of well-being, whereas the effects of breakfast on mood changed from the late morning to early afternoon. Few interactions between breakfast and caffeine conditions were obtained.
101 citations
TL;DR: This report presents the results of a retrospective analysis of pooled efficacy data from eight studies in which buspirone was compared to placebo in 520 patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with significant improvement over baseline in total HAM-A scores compared to patients who received placebo.
Abstract: This report presents the results of a retrospective analysis of pooled efficacy data from eight studies in which buspirone was compared to placebo in 520 patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In addition to evaluating overall efficacy in the composite patient data base, four criteria were used to identify subsets of patients with GAD who had coexisting depressive symptoms of at least moderate intensity: (1) a score of > or = 2 on the Hamilton Anxiety (HAM-A) Rating Scale item 6 (depressed mood), (2) a score of > or = 2 on the Hamilton Depression (HAM-D) Rating Scale item 1 (depressed mood), (3) a HAM-D total score of > or = 18, or (4) a HAM-D Retardation Factor value (items 1, 7, 8, and 14) greater than the median for the group. Overall, patients treated with buspirone demonstrated significant (p < or = 0.001) improvement over baseline in total HAM-A scores compared to patients who received placebo. Buspirone also produced significant (p < or = 0.001) global improvement compared to placebo as assessed by the attending physician. Of the GAD patients stratified according to the four criteria for coexisting depressive symptoms, a substantial percentage (44-64%) of the total patient sample exhibited significant depressive symptoms as part of their anxiety disorder. Patients with GAD and coexisting depressive symptoms of at least moderate intensity exhibited significantly greater improvement with buspirone compared to placebo treatment regardless of the stratification criterion used. They also responded at least as well or better to buspirone therapy as did those with GAD who had less intense depressive symptoms.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
85 citations
TL;DR: In all subjects, imipramine produced a significant decrease in heart rate variability at week 3 as measured by the above variables, probably due to its anticholinergic effects.
Abstract: 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.
82 citations
TL;DR: All the impairments improved after alprazolam therapy, in parallel with decreases in anxiety and in severity and frequency of panic attacks.
Abstract: 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 therap
82 citations
TL;DR: Resting heart rate and subjective 'need for a cigarette' showed the predicted monotonic dose-response functions following nicotine, and there were no significant changes in any Profile of Mood State factor.
Abstract: Sixteen regular smokers, abstinent for 12 h prior to testing, were assessed on a battery of four visual attention tasks: rapid visual information processing (RVIP), letter cancellation, Stroop, and width of attention. Each subject was assessed under four conditions: placebo gum, 2 mg nicotine gum, 4 mg nicotine gum, and cigarette smoking (own brand), with the order of drug administration determined by latin square. Pre-post drug difference scores for letter cancellation response time demonstrated a significant monotonic dose-response function, with significantly faster performance following cigarette than placebo. RVIP response time and target detection were also affected by nicotine. One RVIP task parameter demonstrated a significant monotonic dose-response function, with highest performance under smoking. Other RVIP measures demonstrated curvilinear dose-response functions, with highest performance under nicotine gum, and broadly similar performance after placebo gum and cigarette smoking. Monotonic and inverted-U arousal/performance functions similar to these have been demonstrated in previous research with nicotine. In contrast to the significant changes in sustained attention, neither width of attention nor Stroop task performance (an index of distractability) was affected by nicotine. Resting heart rate and subjective 'need for a cigarette' showed the predicted monotonic dose-response functions following nicotine. There were no significant changes in any Profile of Mood State factor.
80 citations
TL;DR: There might be some disturbance in the function of the HPA-axis in a group of chronic schizophrenics and that these patients might have severe negative symptoms.
Abstract: The function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) and its association with clinical features in chronic schizophrenia were investigated. Twenty of 33 chronic schizophrenics exhibited an abnormal diurnal variation of the saliva cortisol level. The patients with abnormal diurnal variation gave higher scores for some negative symptoms than those with normal diurnal variation. On the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) of saliva samples, 13 of 34 chronic schizophrenics were abnormal. The patients with DST nonsuppression were more frequently classified into disorganized type and exhibited low scores of anxiety compared with the patients with normal suppression. The 9 patients who showed abnormal diurnal variation and DST nonsuppression were more frequently classified into disorganized type and showed higher scores of negative symptoms than the 9 patients who did not show any abnormal cortisol data. These results suggest that there might be some disturbance in the function of the HPA-axis in a group of chronic schizophrenics and that these patients might have severe negative symptoms.
70 citations
TL;DR: Adult alcoholics as well as pathological gamblers reported that, as children, they had higher than control levels of attention deficit disorder-related behaviors.
Abstract: Adult alcoholics as well as pathological gamblers reported that, as children, they had higher than control levels of attention deficit disorder-related behaviors. On the other hand, alcoholics and only a subset of gamblers showed deficits in a test of behavioral restraint.
69 citations
TL;DR: The findings suggest that the internal timing mechanism underlying temporal discrimination of intervals in the range of milliseconds is independent of the effective level of brain dopamine, and pharmacologically induced changes in clock rate appear to depend on the chronomutagenic effects of the drug applied.
Abstract: Performance on temporal discrimination of time intervals in the range of milliseconds is interpreted by the assumption of an internal clock; the higher the clock rate the better the temporal resolutio
63 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of low and high trait anxiety on saliva cortisol secretion were investigated on 64 healthy male volunteers, who were assigned either to an unpleasant or a control film, and subjects were divided within each film group by median split of their anxiety ratings into high and low trait anxious groups, resulting in four equal-sized groups.
Abstract: The present study, which aims to investigate effects of low and high trait anxiety on saliva cortisol secretion, was performed on 64 healthy male volunteers. They were assigned either to an unpleasant or a control film. Furthermore, subjects were divided within each film group by median split of their anxiety ratings into high and low trait anxious groups, resulting in four equal-sized groups. Saliva cortisol and mood ratings were the dependent variables. In contrast to the low anxious, the high anxious subjects responded with a diminished saliva cortisol response.
TL;DR: Investigating subsets of peripheral immunologic cells in 12 drug-free patients affected by major depression according to DSM-III-R criteria suggested that some immune parameters may be influenced by the presence of a major psychiatric disorder.
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: The pharmacokinetic change did not induce side effects in the patients, even when the total TCA plasma level increased to 965 (clomipramine) or 785 (imipramines) ng/ml, and the authors discuss the clinical implication and the possible mechanism of action.
Abstract: After a review of a pharmacokinetic interaction between tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) and fluoxetine the authors report their own data. They confirm the existence of an interaction of TCA with fluoxetine, in clinical practice, but the fluoxetine was not associated in all cases with a marked increase of TCA plasma levels. The increase appeared especially high with clomipramine (n = 4) and imipramine (n = 3), and lower or dose-dependent with amitriptyline (n = 4). The pharmacokinetic change did not induce side effects in the patients, even when the total TCA plasma level increased to 965 (clomipramine) or 785 (imipramine) ng/ml. The authors then discuss the clinical implication and the possible mechanism of action.
TL;DR: Results indicate that effects of anxiolytics on memory can be more easily demonstrated 1 week later than immediately after drug intake and, furthermore, that the disruptive effects of diazepam outweight the small effects of buspirone.
Abstract: Effects of a single dose of the anxiolytic buspirone (15 mg) on memory and psychomotor performance were studied in healthy volunteers and compared to those of the classic benzodiazepine anxiolytic dia
TL;DR: It is confirmed in this study that drug-free depressed patients have higher erythrocyte and plasma magnesium than controls, as shown in previous reports.
Abstract: No consensus has been obtained about blood electrolyte status, especially about magnesium, in affective disorders. This is mainly due to the lack of information about the distribution of the patients in clinical subgroups, sex, type of treatment and about the severity of their illnesses. Most of these studies concerned treated patients. We confirmed in this study that drug-free depressed patients have higher erythrocyte and plasma magnesium than controls, as shown in previous reports. Significant differences are observed in as shown in previous reports. Significant differences are observed in patients for sex and between clinical subgroups. Low plasma potassium levels are described in both male and female depressed patients. The erythrocyte magnesium level tends to normalize in parallel with clinical improvement, depending on sex and clinical subgroup, and seems then to be related to the intensity of the depression. Plasma magnesium in male and female patients, except for female unipolars, remains higher than controls in all conditions and might be related to the diagnosis of affective disorders.
TL;DR: In 63 depressed patients, the associations between severity of depression, psychomotor retardation, assessed by the Bech-Rafaelsen Melancholia Scale, and EEG spectral analysis were examined and motor retardation was closest correlated with slow EEG activity.
Abstract: In 63 depressed patients, the associations between severity of depression, psychomotor retardation, assessed by the Bech-Rafaelsen Melancholia Scale, and EEG spectral analysis were examined. Slow EEG activity (theta 2/alpha 1 bands) was positively and fast activity (alpha 3/beta bands) negatively correlated with the observed retardation. Out of the four retardation subitems (motor, verbal, intellectual and emotional), motor retardation was closest correlated with slow EEG activity.
TL;DR: It can be accepted that the therapeutic effect of pyritinol is superior to placebo in patients with mild to moderate dementia of both degenerative and vascular etiology.
Abstract: This trial was performed to investigate the efficacy of pyritinol in the treatment of senile dementia. Initially, a total of 183 inpatients were screened for eligibility. Of 164 patients who met the i
TL;DR: It is inferred that quiescence of adrenal glands occurs during OGTT, and numerical data strongly suggest that the noradrenergic system predominates at 60, 120 and 210 min, whereas parasympathetic predominance occurs at 90 and 180 min.
Abstract: 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 loa
TL;DR: The findings demonstrate that the qEEG method of assessment may give valuable data for a better classification of dementia syndromes and for a distinction between dementia and pseudodementia.
Abstract: The relationship between depression and dementia in Parkinson’s disease (PD) has rarely been explored. Using a quantitative EEG (qEEG) parameter, we studied four groups of subjects: PD, demented Alzhe
TL;DR: It is proposed that only some aspects of the impulsivity concept might be critical for the association with low MAO activity.
Abstract: Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and serum levels of the adrenal androgen metabolite dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) were measured in 18 male air force pilot recruits and 19 randomly se
TL;DR: An 'inverted U shape' relationship between sensation seeking and plasma FSH levels was showed and lower Thrill and Adventure Seeking scores were also found in subjects with higher levels of 17 beta-estradiol.
Abstract: The present study focused on exploring the relationship between a number of personality measures (Sensation Seeking Scale, SSS; State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI; and Susceptibility to Punishment Sc
TL;DR: Treatment with thyroxine in addition to lithium significantly decreased the intensity and frequency of rapid cycling episodes in rapid cycling bipolar patients who had previously responded to lithium treatment.
Abstract: Thyroid function was evaluated in 10 rapid-cycling bipolar patients who had previously responded to lithium treatment. Five patients had grade II and 1 patient had grade III hypothyroidism as determin
TL;DR: An algorithm proposed to calculate the correlation dimension D2 of different sleep stages characterizes the dynamics of the sleep EEG, estimates the degrees of freedom, and describes the complexity of the signal under study.
Abstract: In order to perform a nonlinear dimensional analysis of the sleep EEG, we applied an algorithm proposed to calculate the correlation dimension D2 of different sleep stages. D2 characterizes the dynamics of the sleep EEG, estimates the degrees of freedom, and describes the complexity of the signal under study. An attempt is made to correlate dimensionality analysis and informational aspects of the sleep EEG. Information processing by the brain during different sleep stages of healthy subjects under the influence of lorazepam and in unmedicated acute schizophrenics is estimated.
TL;DR: In the present population of patients with mild to moderate degree dementia, the safety of 1,600 mg/day of oxiracetam also up to 1 year of treatment was confirmed.
Abstract: The cognitive and behavioral effects and the safety of oxiracetam therapy during a placebo-controlled trial and the relevant follow-up up to 1 year in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (
TL;DR: The data suggest that lormetazepam and zopiclone, although chemically different, have a similar mode of action and display comparable effects on the sleep EEG and allow the detection of sleep spindles and K-complexes in a sleep EEG recording with a high degree of accuracy.
Abstract: The evaluation of sleep EEG patterns is mostly accomplished by visual analysis. With modern personal computers however, it is possible to perform signal detection within a reasonable length of time au
TL;DR: 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 therapy.
Abstract: 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 Leonhard'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 therapy.
TL;DR: It is concluded that although GABAB binding sites are not altered in the suicide group, a presynaptic dysfunction might account for the increased GABABbinding found in the carbon monoxide subgroup.
Abstract: 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.
TL;DR: The results of 1,858 depressed patients without melancholia and psychotic features, fulfilling DSM III criteria of Major Depressive Episode or Dysthymic Disorder, could be analysed and tianeptine safety was verified.
Abstract: 1,927 outpatients were included by 392 general practitioners in an open study in order to evaluate the safety of tianeptine in the ambulatory treatment of depression. The results of 1,858 depressed patients without melancholia and psychotic features, fulfilling DSM III criteria of Major Depressive Episode or Dysthymic Disorder, could be analysed. 1,458 patients completed the 3-month treatment period. The group treated with 37.5 mg/day of tianeptine showed improvement on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. With regard to the clinical tolerance of tianeptine, somatic complaints were rarely reported and adverse events necessitating premature termination of treatment (4.8% of included patients) were without clinical severity. Cardiovascular, haematologic, hepatic and biochemical safety were verified. No signs of dependence and no specific withdrawal symptoms were found after discontinuation of treatment.
TL;DR: The results indicate that substance abusers with high levels of self-reported antisocial personality and aggressive behavior have altered neuroendocrine responses to glucose challenge, although there was no evidence of hypoglycemia.
Abstract: Plasma glucose concentrations, and plasma prolactin and cortisol responses to a 5-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in 37 substance abusers, were examined to assess the relationship between vary
TL;DR: It is postulated that an abnormality in retinal dopaminergic neurons, which is known to reduce light responsiveness of horizontal and ganglion cells, is the underlying pathophysiology of this clinical finding.
Abstract: Electroretinographic (ERG) measurements were performed in 9 schizophrenic patients and in 13 control subjects. The measurements of schizophrenic patients as a group did not differ from those of normal