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Biomedical subjects

A L Lieber

Publications and source records attributed to A L Lieber.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Limited clinical utility of urinary MHPG.

Ninety-five inpatient, RDC-diagnosed major depressives, 68 unipolar and 27 bipolar, underwent 72-hour urine collection for the measurement of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG). The average 24-hour urinary MHPG was compared by multivariate analysis of variance with the postdexamethasone cortisol (DST), the delta thyroid stimulating hormone (TRHST), six quantitative EEG (QEEG) measures of regional interhemispheric symmetry and six QEEG measures of focal frequency abnormalities. MHPG failed to discriminate between unipolar and bipolar II depression. It showed no significant correlations with postdexamethasone cortisol or delta TSH. It failed to correlate with QEEG regional coherence or with focal frequency abnormalities. MHPG covaries independently of other markers of depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Diagnosis and subtyping of depressive disorders by quantitative electroencephalography: III. Discriminating unipolar from bipolar depression.

One hundred fifty-two inpatient major depressives fulfilled the Research Diagnostic Criteria for unipolar (N = 111) or bipolar (N = 41) affective disorder. After at least seven days drug-free, all patients had a thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation test (TRHST), a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare post-dexamethasone cortisol, delta TSH, six regional QEEG measures of interhemispheric symmetry and six focal measures of QEEG frequency. Age, sex and diagnosis were included in the analysis. Unipolar depressives were discriminated from bipolar depressives by age, delta TSH and QEEG fast wave abnormalities in the alpha and beta frequency bands. Unipolar depressives were significantly older, had lower mean delta TSH, showed excessive alpha activity and deficient beta activity. Bipolar depressives were younger, had higher mean delta TSH, showed a deficit of alpha activity and excessive beta activity. Unipolar might be discriminable from bipolar major depression by the use of two objective procedures--TRHST and QEEG. The two disorders appear to be biochemical and electrophysiological opposites. Treatment implications are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Diagnosis and subtyping of depressive disorders by quantitative electroencephalography: IV. Discriminating subtypes of unipolar depression.

Of 216 symptomatic adult depressives who underwent comprehensive inpatient biomedical assessment of their illness, 111 met Research Diagnostic Criteria for primary unipolar depressive disorder. Seventy of these patients were segregated into two groups having different frequency analysis profiles as determined by quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). The following variables were assessed and tabulated for each of the seventy patients: age and sex; presence of endogenous, nonendogenous or atypical symptoms, cognitive impairment, anxiety, obsessive-ruminative thinking, panic and/or phobic symptoms; abnormalities of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and the thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation test (TRHST). Frequency of occurrence of each variable was compared between groups. Two variables were significant--age and TRHST abnormalities. The patients in group 1, characterized electrophysiologically by beta deficit with or without slow wave excess, were older and had more TRHST abnormalities than the patients in group 2, who were characterized electrophysiologically by having slow wave excess only. The implications of these preliminary findings for objective diagnostic subtyping of depression are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Diagnosis and subtyping of depressive disorders by quantitative electroencephalography: I. Discriminant analysis of selected variables in untreated depressives.

Of 88 inpatients admitted for assessment of affective illness, 70 met RDC criteria for major depressive disorder. All patients had a quantitative electroencephalogram (QEEG) after ten days drug-free. Several QEEG variables were examined by multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis of data from patients and controls. Measures of interhemispheric coherence, beta activity, and slow wave excess were potent discriminators. Depressives were discriminated from normals with an accuracy of eighty-six percent. Primary depressives were discriminated from alcoholics, primary dementias and normals with an overall accuracy of 76% (25% expected by chance). Primary and secondary major depressives were correctly classified with 77% accuracy. Unipolar depressives were discriminated from bipolar depressives with 88% accuracy. Differential diagnosis and treatment implications are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Diagnosis and subtyping of depressive disorders by quantitative electroencephalography: II. Interhemispheric measures are abnormal in major depressives and frequency analysis may discriminate certain subtypes.

Seventy-six inpatient RDC major depressives (51 primary and 25 secondary), drug free for at least ten days, and 93 normals were examined by quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG). Multivariate analyses of variance were performed on several diagnostic subgroups using QEEG variables identified in an earlier study as discriminators. Decreased interhemispheric coherence in the delta and/or theta frequency bands was present to a statistically significant degree in depressed subjects. Secondary major depressives showed a lesser decrease than did primary major depressives in both anterior and posterior brain regions. Depression secondary to organic brain syndrome was distinguished from other secondary depressions by the presence of significant slow wave excess in the former only. The ability of beta activity to discriminate unipolar from bipolar major depression was confirmed.

Beta Rhythm↗
PubMed1985

Use of biologic markers in a general hospital affective disorders program.

A dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and a thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation test (TRHST) were given to 100 affectively ill inpatients with a mean age of 54.8 years and 16 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Of the affectively ill patients, 54 had primary major depressive disorders. Sensitivity and specificity, respectively, were 41% and 100% for DST; 44% and 88% for blunted TRHST; and 24% and 94% for augmented TRHST. The combined sensitivity for all three responses was 87%. DST nonsuppression discriminated between major and minor depression and between unipolar endogenous and unipolar nonendogenous subtypes. However, it failed to discriminate among primary depression, depression secondary to serious medical illness, or organic brain syndrome with depression. A blunted TRHST response was significant only for unipolar major depressives. Augmented TRHST response was significant only for bipolar depressives, suggesting that the TRHST may discriminate bipolar from unipolar depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Human aggression and the lunar synodic cycle.

Data on five aggressive and/or violent human behaviors were examined by computer to determine whether a relationship exists between the lunar syndoic cycle and human aggression. Homicides, suicides, fatal traffic accidents, aggravated assaults and psychiatric emergency room visits occurring in Dade County, Florida all show lunar periodicities. Homicides and aggravated assaults demonstrate statistically significant clustering of cases around full moon. Psychiatric emergency room visits cluster around first quarter and shows a significantly decreased frequency around new and full moon. The suicide curve shows correlations with both aggravated assaults and fatal traffic accidents, suggesting a self-destructive component for each of these behaviors. The existence of a biological rhythm of human aggression which resonates with the lunar synodic cycle is postulated.

Accidents, Traffic↗