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Biomedical subjects

A Lautin

Publications and source records attributed to A Lautin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Volumetric measure of the frontal and temporal lobe regions in schizophrenia: relationship to negative symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has provided evidence for brain abnormalities in schizophrenia, but their relationship to specific clinical symptoms and syndromes remains unclear. METHODS: With an all-male demographically similar sample of 53 schizophrenic patients and 29 normal control subjects, cerebral gray and white matter volumes (adjusted for intracranial volume and age were determined for regions in the prefrontal lobe and in the superficial and mesial temporal lobe using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with 2.8-mm coronal slices. RESULTS: As a group, schizophrenic patients had wide-spread bilateral decrements in gray matter in the pre-frontal (7.4%) and temporal lobe regions (8.9%), but not in white matter in these regions. In the temporal lobe, gray matter reductions were found bilaterally in the superior temporal gyrus (6.0%), but not in the hippocampus and parahippocampus. While there were no overall group differences in white matter volumes, widespread decrements in prefrontal white matter in schizophrenic patients (n = 53) were related to higher levels of negative symptoms (partial r[49] = -0.42, P = .002), as measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. A post hoc analysis revealed that schizophrenic patients with high negative symptoms had generalized prefrontal white matter reductions (11.4%) that were most severe in the orbitofrontal subregion (15.1%). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that gray matter deficits may be a fairly common structural abnormality of schizophrenia, whereas reductions in prefrontal white matter may be associated with schizophrenic negative symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Fine volumetric analysis of the cerebral ventricular system in schizophrenia: further evidence for multifocal mild to moderate enlargement.

We used traditional volumetric regional analysis and a finer anterior-posterior (AP) profile volumetric analysis to examine the cerebral ventricular system in an all-male, demographically matched sample of schizophrenia patients (n = 73) and normal controls (n = 29) using 2.8-mm-thin coronal T1-weighted magnetic resonance images from a 1.5 tesla scanner. Traditional regional analysis was performed on various regions using absolute volumes after adjusting for intracranial volume (ICV) and age. The fine AP profile analysis was done by intrasubject "stacking" of contiguous coronal cross-sectional volumes (adjusted for ICV and age) across the AP plane, intersubject AP alignment of all slices relative to the mammillary bodies, and plotting of slice volumes along the AP plane with 95 percent t-test-based confidence intervals. Schizophrenia subjects had mild to moderate multifocal ventricular enlargement (overall effect size d = 0.48), which was especially prominent in the right posterior temporal horn and, more generally, in the central to posterior portions of the lateral and third ventricles. Schizophrenia subjects also had milder enlargement in the left frontal horn, but no significant differences were found in the anterior temporal horns and the right frontal horn. Post hoc analyses of demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological variables did not account for much variance in the ventriculomegaly observed in the schizophrenia group. The lack of a single locus in the observed ventricular enlargement, the nonsignificant results from schizophrenia subtypes based on regional distributions, and the strong positive correlations among the ventricular regions for the schizophrenia group suggest that the ventriculomegaly seen in this chronic population reflects a single brainwide disease process leading to a multifocal or patchy loss of integrity in brain structure.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Structural magnetic resonance image averaging in schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: Intersubject averaging of structural magnetic resonance (MR) images has been infrequently used as a means to study group differences in cerebral structure throughout the brain. In the present study, the authors used linear intersubject averaging of structural MR images to evaluate the validity and utility of this technique and to extend previous research, conducted using a different approach to image averaging, in which reduction in thalamic size and abnormalities in perithalamic white matter tracts in the brains of schizophrenic patients were reported by Andreasen et al. METHOD: A 1.5-T MR scanner was used to obtain high-resolution, whole brain T1-weighted structural MR images for an age-matched sample of 25 schizophrenic patients and 25 normal control subjects. A "bounding box" procedure was used to create a single "averaged" brain for the schizophrenic group and for the control group. Differences in signal intensity between the two average brains were examined on a pixel-wise basis through use of one-tailed effect size maps. RESULTS: Effect size maps revealed widespread patchy signal intensity differences between the two groups in both cortical and periventricular areas, including major white matter tracts. The signal intensity differences were consistent with cortical thinning/sulcal widening and ventricular enlargement. No differences were found within thalamus or in immediately surrounding white matter. Effect size maps for differences (schizophrenic minus normal subjects) had only small values. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with diffuse structural brain abnormalities of both gray and white matter in schizophrenic populations such as the one in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Double-blind, multicenter comparison of sertraline and amitriptyline in elderly depressed patients.

Two hundred forty-one elderly depressed patients entered the 8-week, double-blind phase of this parallel-group, multicenter study; 161 patients were randomized to receive sertraline (50-200 mg/day) and 80 were randomized to receive amitriptyline (50-150 mg/day). Among evaluable patients, there were no statistically significant differences between treatments in any of the primary efficacy variables: change in total Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score (17 items), percentage change in HAM-D score, change in HAM-D Item 1, change in Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) Severity score, change in the Depression Factor of the 56-item Hopkins Symptom Checklist, and the CGI Improvement score at the last visit. Similar results were obtained using data from all patients (intention-to-treat analysis), except that amitriptyline was superior in HAM-D Total score (p = .044). The two drugs produced a similar degree of response: on the basis of the HAM-D criterion, 69.4% of sertraline patients and 62.5% of amitriptyline patients responded, and, on the basis of CGI criterion, 79.5% of sertraline and 73.4% of amitriptyline patients responded. Twenty-eight percent of the sertraline patients withdrew from the study because of a treatment-related side effect and 2.5% (4) because of a laboratory abnormality. In comparison, 35% of the amitriptyline patients withdrew because of treatment-related side effects. Sertraline was associated with a statistically lower frequency of somnolence, dry mouth, constipation, ataxia, and pain and a higher frequency of nausea, anorexia, diarrhea/loose stools, and insomnia; thus, anticholinergic effects were less common and gastrointestinal effects were more common with sertraline than with amitriptyline.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1-Naphthylamine↗
PubMed1986

The dexamethasone suppression test and response to placebo.

The predictive value of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was evaluated in two consecutive double-blind, placebo-controlled trials evaluating 61 depressed inpatients randomized to either one of two drugs, sertraline or oxaprotiline, or placebo over a 4-week clinical trial. For 30 patients who completed at least 3 weeks of double-blind treatment on either drug, the initial DST was not predictive of response to drug treatment. For the 17 patients who completed at least 3 weeks of double-blind treatment on placebo, the presence of a positive DST predicted a statistically significantly poorer response to placebo as opposed to a negative DST. These preliminary findings suggest that for depressed individuals who present with a positive DST, remission without active medication is less likely and somatic treatment should be considered.

1-Naphthylamine↗
PubMed1985

High thresholds for movement perception in schizophrenia may indicate abnormal extraneous noise levels of central vestibular activity.

A theoretical argument proposes that thresholds for visual perception of movement should be abnormally high in schizophrenia. This may reflect a central vestibular dysfunction, consisting of abnormally high levels of extraneous noise within the neural activity of the central vestibulo-cerebellar complex. Two experiments are reported with results that support the hypothesis. To some extent, the disorder may explain the smooth pursuit eye movement dysfunction in schizophrenia. Relations to the dopamine hypothesis in schizophrenia are discussed.

Cerebellum↗
PubMed1984

TRH test abnormalities in psychiatric disorders.

Blunted responses to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation have been found consistently in depressed patients, and have been reported in other affective disorders as well. In a smaller number of schizophrenic subjects, TRH tests have generally been normal. Thus, it has been suggested that this test may have diagnostic utility in distinguishing schizophrenia from affective disorders. In the present study the TRH test was performed upon a sample of 51 subjects that included 17 schizophrenics in order to further study the diagnostic or symptom specificity of this endocrine test. Abnormal TRH tests were present in both schizophrenic and affectively disturbed patients. There were no correlations with ratings of depression or other aspects of psychopathology. Factors which may have previously obscured abnormal TRH tests in schizophrenia are discussed.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1982

Red cell phospholipids in schizophrenia.

Phospholipids in red blood cells (RBCs) of schizophrenics and controls were determined. Three different RBC preparations and two different extraction methods were used. Phospholipids were separated by thin layer chromatography and by high pressure liquid chromatography, and were quantified by phosphorus analysis and by ultraviolet absorption. Findings were consistent with values previously reported for normals. However, in contrast to recent reports of elevated phosphatidylserine levels in schizophrenics' RBCs, we observed no differences between populations.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Lithium prophylaxis of depression in unipolar, bipolar II, and cyclothymic patients.

The authors assessed lithium's prophylactic effect against depression in unipolar (N = 43), bipolar II (N = 102), and cyclothymic (N = 69) patients using a longitudinal life-table analysis and calculated the probability of remaining free of a depressive episode. The probability of remaining free of one depressive episode after 2 years of taking lithium ranged from 42% to 55% for the bipolar II patients, 31% to 42% for the unipolar patients, and 26% to 36% for the cyclothymic patients. The average probability of suffering one depressive episode severe enough to require either pharmacologic intervention or hospitalization in a 2-year period was 51% for the bipolar II patients, 64% for the unipolar patients, and 69% for the cyclothymic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

A double-blind comparison of trebenzomine and thioridazine in the treatment of schizophrenia.

Forty inpatient volunteers with diagnoses of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to treatment either with trebenzomine or thioridazine in a double-blind study of clinical antipsychotic efficacy following a 1-week placebo treatment. Psychopathology was rated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). There was a significant difference in therapeutic response to the two drugs in that psychopathology decreased significantly for the thioridazine group, but not for the trebenzomine group. Serum prolactin was elevated during treatment with thioridazine, but not with trebenzomine. Side effects were more frequently reported for the thioridazine group. These results fail to confirm previous reports of clinical antipsychotic efficacy for trebenzomine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Preliminary findings on psychiatric patients as research participants: a population at risk?

To determine whether hospitalized mentally ill patients expose themselves to research with high risks more often than hospitalized nonpsychiatric patients, the authors asked patients from both groups if they would be willing to participate in a series of hypothetical research studies. The mentally ill patients did not agree to participate in studies of either high or low risk more frequently than nonpsychiatric patients. Both groups tended to agree to low-risk/high-benefit studies more often than high-risk/low-benefit studies. Although Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores clearly differentiated between psychiatric and nonpsychiatric patients, psychopathology did not correlate with willingness to participate in any of the studies.

Humans↗
PubMed1980

Metoclopramide: antipsychotic efficacy of a drug lacking potency in receptor models.

Metoclopramide is a substituted benzamide derivative, structurally similar to procainamide and sulpiride. In behavioral, biochemical, and neuroendocrine tests it displays classic neuroleptic dopamine (DA) antagonist properties; in contrast to other DA antagonists, it lacks potency in currently used DA receptor models. In clinical studies using low doses or dubious measures, it was considered not to be efficacious as an antipsychotic. We now find that it indeed has a clinical profile similar to known neuroleptics when used in a dose range predicted from animal models. The findings raise questions regarding the validity and universality of several predictive models, as well as hypotheses purporting to explain molecular mechanisms of action of neuroleptic agents. The drug's inactivity in receptor models suggests that an as yet unidentified DA receptor subpopulation may be important as the mediator of many DA dependent neurobiologic phenomena.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed1980

Lithium carbonate and weight gain.

In order to evaluate weight gain in lithium-treated patients., a group of 21 bipolar patients on lithium were compared against a group of 12 bipolar patients on placebo over a 12-month period. During this time both groups exhibited euthymic mood. Eleven of the 21 patients on lithium gained greater than 10 lbs. whereas only 1 placebo patient gained more than 10 lbs. Thirteen of 21 lithium-treated patients showed a gain of 5% total body weight while only 2 of 12 placebo patients showed a gain of 5% total body weight. Both of these results were statistically significant (P less tha 0.05). The findings seem to indicate that weight gain is a direct effect of lithium treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Sodium valproate in schizophrenia: some biochemical correlates.

Sodium valproate given in doses of 750-3000 mg daily to eight schizophrenic patients produced a qualitatively similar increase in symptoms in five. CSF showed no significant change in gamma-amino-butyric acid or methoxy hydroxyphenyl glycol, but homovanillic acid increased non-significantly in five patients.

Adult↗