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Biomedical subjects

A S Henderson

Publications and source records attributed to A S Henderson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Environmental risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: their relationship to age of onset and to familial or sporadic types.

Data from a case-control study of Alzheimer's disease (AD) were analysed in relation to age of onset and familial/sporadic status. The analyses were restricted to environmental exposures which might injure the brain. Later-onset AD was found to be positively associated with starvation/malnutrition and with nose-picking and negatively with analgesics, while earlier-onset was associated with physical underactivity and nervous breakdown more than 10 years before. Sporadic AD was associated with starvation/malnutrition and with head injury. These analyses merit replication in other large case-control studies of AD.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1992

Control-informant agreement on exposure history in case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease.

Data on control-informant agreement from four published case-control studies of Alzheimer's disease are compared, using both the kappa statistic and proportion of agreement for the presence and absence of exposures. Agreement was best for exposures involving lifestyle, medical interventions or disorders of more recent origin, and worst for exposures which involved judgements by the respondent. Agreement levels are similar across studies, and are commensurate with levels of specificity and sensitivity to be expected in this type of enquiry. We discuss the problems and implications associated with the interpretation of data from such studies of the elderly.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

An epidemiological study of mental health and socioeconomic conditions in Sumatera, Indonesia.

A mental health survey was conducted in Palembang, Indonesia, to test the hypothesis that rapid socioeconomic and cultural change is detrimental to mental health. The 30-item General Health Questionnaire, translated into Bahasa Indonesia, was administered to a probability sample of 1670 adults (94.9% of the target sample). The Present State Examination was conducted on a weighted subsample of 100, using a 2-phase design. Overall morbidity rates were surprisingly similar to those in industrialized countries. A strong association was found between psychological symptoms and poverty. Persons belonging to communities that had progressed substantially in standards of living had fewer symptoms. The evidence points to a possibly beneficial effect of economic progress on mental health. Longitudinal data are needed to confirm this.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Altered chromosome 6 in immortal human fibroblasts.

Human diploid fibroblasts have a limited life span in vitro, and spontaneous immortalization is an extremely rare event. We have used transformation of human diploid fibroblasts by an origin-defective simian virus 40 genome to develop series of genetically matched immortal cell lines to analyze immortalization. Comparison of a preimmortal transformant (SVtsA/HF-A) with its uncloned and cloned immortalized derivatives (AR5 and HAL) has failed to reveal any major alteration involving the simian virus 40 genome. Karyotypic analysis, however, demonstrated that all of the immortal cell lines in this series have alterations of chromosome 6 involving loss of the portion distal to 6q21. The karyotypic analysis was corroborated by DNA analyses. Southern analysis demonstrated that only one copy of three proto-oncogene loci (ros1, c-myb, and mas1) on 6q was retained in immortal cells. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the microsatellite polymorphism at 6q22 (D6S87) showed loss of heterozygosity. In addition, elevated expression of c-myb (6q22-23) was observed. We hypothesize that the region at and/or distal to 6q21 plays a role in immortalization, consistent with the presence of a growth suppressor gene.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1992

The neglect of prevention in psychiatry.

The prevention of mental disorders has been neglected but the public health burden now is too high for this to continue. Nearly one half of all mental and neurological disorders are amenable to primary prevention. Effective measures could be applied even in countries with few resources. By and large these measures all rely on available knowledge and commonly involve sectors other than health. This paper calls attention to the opportunities that offer but that have been so far largely unheeded.

Dangerous Behavior↗
PubMed1991

Season of birth for Alzheimer's disease in the Southern Hemisphere.

Season of birth was compared in 170 clinically diagnosed cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Australia and 170 matched controls. A further comparison was made with a large population sample of the elderly. No evidence for seasonality of birth was found. This finding held not only for the total series of 170 cases, but also for the 143 born in the Southern Hemisphere, for sporadic cases, and for those with earlier onset. These negative findings in Australia contrast with the positive finding in London by Philpot et al. (1989).

Aged↗
PubMed1991

The prevalence of depression among Australian nursing home residents: results using draft ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria.

The aims of this study were, first, to estimate the prevalence of depressive disorders in Australian nursing home residents using international diagnostic criteria, and second, to explore environmental determinants of such disorders. Residents of 24 nursing homes were surveyed using the Canberra Interview for the Elderly (CIE) and a range of environmental measures was also taken. Of 323 residents who were screened for cognitive impairment, 165 (51%) scored 18 or above on the Mini-Mental State Examination (Folstein et al. 1975), and were interviewed with the CIE. According to DSM-III-R criteria and the CIE, the prevalence of major depressive episode was 9.7%. Using ICD-10 criteria, 6.1% of residents suffered from a severe depressive episode, 6.7% from a moderate depressive episode and 6.7% from a mild depressive episode. Some measures of the social environment were significantly related to depressive symptoms.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Is age kinder to the initially more able? A study of eminent scientists and academics.

Elderly eminent academics and blue-collar workers were compared with Doctor of Philosophy students and trade apprentices to investigate whether intelligence and memory deteriorate at a slower rate in persons with high ability. The elderly groups showed decline on tests of perceptual-motor speed, visuospatial reasoning, inferential thinking and memory relative to the young subjects. Initial ability determined the level of intellectual performance, such that elderly academics maintained their initial advantage over the elderly blue-collar workers. However, with the exception of the Similarities subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, the rate of change on tests of memory and intelligence did not differ for the high- and low-ability groups. The hypothesis that high ability is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline was not supported.

Academies and Institutes↗
PubMed1991

Delirium.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

The Parental Bonding Instrument: a measure of perceived or actual parental behavior?

In the investigation of the relationship between childhood adversity and adult psychopathology, scales that require retrospective reports of parental style are often employed. Controversy exists as to whether these scales reflect the actual behavior of the parents concerned or reflect the perceptions of the child. One such scale, the Parental Bonding Instrument, was completed by a volunteer sample of 672 twins. For females, agreement between twins was generally high and a shared environment model fitted all scales except maternal care. This is consistent with the view that the ratings reflect the behavior of the parents. Agreement between male twins was substantially lower and well-fitting models did not include a shared environment component. It is argued that the scales may be affected by competition between twins or comparisons made by the respondent with his or her co-twin.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

The genetics of six neurotic disorders: a twin study.

Persons who had met criteria for specific anxiety or depressive neuroses during their lifetime were identified from a sample of 446 pairs of adult twins. Although there was a genetic contribution to neuroticism and to symptoms, there was no inheritance of specific disorders. This concurs with previous work in a sample from the same Australian Twin Registry and with those from a Norwegian sample. It is concluded that while there is a genetic contribution to the predisposing trait, and therefore to the intermittent appearance of symptoms, this contribution is obscured by the grouping of symptoms into diagnoses and by the help seeking which is a prerequisite to clinical diagnosis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Human delta-aminolevulinate synthase: assignment of the housekeeping gene to 3p21 and the erythroid-specific gene to the X chromosome.

delta-Aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS) catalyzes the first committed step of heme biosynthesis. Previous studies suggested that there were erythroid and nonerythroid ALAS isozymes. We have isolated cDNAs encoding the ubiquitously expressed housekeeping ALAS isozyme and a related, but distinct, erythroid-specific isozyme. Using these different cDNAs, the human ALAS housekeeping gene (ALAS1) and the human erythroid-specific (ALAS2) gene have been localized to chromosomes 3p21 and X, respectively, by somatic cell hybrid and in situ hybridization techniques. The ALAS1 gene was concordant with chromosome 3 in all 26 human fibroblast/murine(RAG) somatic cell hybrid clones analyzed and was discordant with all other chromosomes in at least 6 of 26 clones. The regional localization of ALAS1 to 3p21 was accomplished by in situ hybridization using the 125I-labeled human ALAS1 cDNA. Of the 43 grains observed over chromosome 3, 63% were localized to the region 3p21. The gene encoding ALAS2 was assigned by examination of a DNA panel of 30 somatic cell hybrid lines hybridized with the ALAS2 cDNA. The ALAS2 gene segregated with the human X chromosome in all 30 hybrid cell lines analyzed and was discordant with all other chromosomes in at least 8 of the 30 hybrids. These results confirm the existence of two independent, but related, genes encoding human ALAS. Furthermore, the mapping of the ALAS2 gene to the X chromosome and the observed reduction in ALAS activity in X-linked sideroblastic anemia suggest that this disorder may be due to a mutation in the erythroid-specific gene.

5-Aminolevulinate Synthetase↗
PubMed1990

Genetic and environmental determinants of the lability of trait neuroticism and the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

A genetic analysis was conducted on trait neuroticism and symptoms of anxiety and depression in a five-wave study of 462 twin pairs. Models that assessed the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors to the lability (within-individual variability over time) of these measures were fitted to the data. Previous results concerning the substantial genetic involvement in the level of neuroticism and symptoms were confirmed. However, it was found that neither genes nor the shared environment of the twins was a significant cause of lability of these measures. An attempt was therefore made to identify aspects of individuals' environments that might be responsible for lability of neuroticism and symptoms. Adverse life events were found to predict variability of symptoms, but not of neuroticism. The availability of close social ties or having affectionless control in childhood did not contribute to lability.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Do mental health surveys disturb?

We have tested the assumption that mental health surveys do not cause distress. At the end of a two-wave community survey of psychiatric symptoms and personality factors, respondents were asked specific questions about how the interviews affected them. Being interviewed was distressing for some individuals, but it was seen as beneficial by a larger number. Those reporting distress were more likely to have had neurotic symptoms prior to both interviews and to have personality characteristics which would indicate proneness to distress. Whether the distress lasted beyond the interview situation is unknown. These results suggest that surveys of mental health should tell intended respondents about the possible effects of the interview, both positive and negative. Some studies should try to estimate the duration of any distress reported to have been induced.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1990

A case-control study of Alzheimer's disease in Australia.

We conducted a case-control study of clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (AD) on 170 cases aged 52 to 96 years, and 170 controls matched for age, sex and, where possible, the general practice of origin. Trained lay interviewers naive to the hypotheses and to the clinical status of the elderly person carried out risk-factor interviews with informants. Significant odds ratios were found for 4 variables: a history of either dementia, probable AD, or Down's syndrome in a 1st-degree relative, and underactivity as a behavioral trait in both the recent and more distant past. Previously reported or suggested associations not confirmed by this study include head injury, starvation, thyroid disease, analgesic abuse, antacid use (aluminum exposure), alcohol abuse, smoking, and being left-handed.

Aged↗