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Biomedical subjects

B J Spring

Publications and source records attributed to B J Spring.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Cognitive remediation in schizophrenia: should we attempt it?

Subtle cognitive deficits persist in schizophrenia even after active periods of psychosis subside. Even though early attempts to ameliorate cognitive impairments were relatively successful, the endeavor was abandoned nearly 30 years ago. We contrast this state of affairs with that of closed-head injury, in which less well-designed and less successful attempts to treat similar impairments have been greeted with much enthusiasm. Objections to cognitive remediation in schizophrenia are evaluated and the attempt is encouraged.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1989

Psychobiological effects of carbohydrate- and protein-rich meals in patients with seasonal affective disorder and normal controls.

Patients with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) frequently report carbohydrate craving and note that carbohydrate ingestion energizes them. Bright artificial light has been shown to reverse the symptoms of SAD, including carbohydrate craving. In this study, 16 depressed SAD patients and 16 matched controls were fed two different isocaloric meals, one rich in protein and one rich in carbohydrates, in a crossover design. Although their biochemical response in terms of plasma large neutral amino acid concentrations was identical, SAD patients reported activation following carbohydrate ingestion, whereas normal controls reported sedation. Marked ordering effects on psychological parameters were noted, suggesting that order should be taken into account as a methodological consideration in meal studies.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The effects of dietary neurotransmitter precursors on human behavior.

The neurotransmitter precursors tryptophan and tyrosine are present in a variety of foods. In order to document possible effects of tryptophan and tyrosine on human behavior, single oral doses of these substances and matched placebos were administered to 20 men in a double-blind, crossover study. Various tests of mood state and performance were then administered. Tryptophan increased subjective fatigue and decreased self-ratings of vigor and alertness, but did not impair performance on any of the tests. Tyrosine produced no effects in our young population compared with placebo, but did decrease reaction time relative to tryptophan. It may be concluded that tryptophan has significant sedative-like properties, but unlike other sedatives may not impair performance.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Shift of attention in schizophrenics, siblings of schizophrenics, and depressed patients.

This study investigated whether deviant types of attention, measured by reaction time, would characterize schizophrenics, depressives, and healthy siblings of the schizophrenic probands. Nineteen schizophrenics, 16 depressives, 15 healthy siblings of the schizophrenics, and 19 normals were tested on the cross-modal reaction time task. Two ways of conveying information about the impending imperative stimulus were compared to attempt to normalize schizophrenic cross-modal retardation. Deviant shift of attention was measured by cross-modal retardation, i.e., a greater than normal lengthening of reaction time to cross-modal vs. ipsimodal stimuli. Both schizophrenics and depressives showed deviant shift of attention to sound stimuli, but only schizophrenics were deviant to light stimuli. Anomalous cross-modal retardation was not normalized by the experimental manipulation. Both patient groups showed significantly slowed reaction time, suggesting deviances of general alertness. Depressed patients displayed anomalous sustained attention, indexed by significant lengthening of reaction time over trials. Siblings of schizophrenics did not differ significantly from controls on any aspect of reaction time performance. High magnitude of cross-modal retardation to sound and slow overall reaction time may be markers of psychopathological disorder rather than vulnerability. High cross-modal retardation to light may be a marker of schizophrenic disorder. Slowing of reaction time over trials is a potential marker of depressive disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mood, performance, and pain sensitivity: changes induced by food constituents.

We examined the behavioral effects of the dietary constituents tryptophan and tyrosine on human mood, sensorimotor performance and pain sensitivity. Tryptophan and tyrosine are neurotransmitter precursors present in varying amount in protein-containing foods. Tryptophan (50 mg/kg) increased subjective drowsiness and fatigue but unlike many hypnotics did not impair sensorimotor performance. Tryptophan also decreased human pain sensitivity in a manner that was more specific than certain analgesic drugs.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Individual differences among cocaine users.

The present study examined whether individual differences in personality could differentiate two types of cocaine users. We hypothesized that self-medicators (SM) use cocaine as a way to alleviate their dysphoric moods, whereas sensation seekers (SS), in contrast, use cocaine primarily to engender positive mood states. Eighteen male cocaine users were classified based on two dimensions of the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. SM were defined by having high harm avoidance (>17) and low novelty-seeking scores (<18), and SS by high novelty-seeking (>18) and low harm-avoidance scores (<17). It was predicted that SM would report higher depression and anxiety than would SS, and would also exhibit a brain activity pattern similar to that found in clinical depression. The results showed that SM reported higher anxiety than SS, F(1, 8) = 27.5, p < .001, but did not differ in depression. SM exhibited decreased blood flow within the left frontal lobes, F(1, 10) = 6.78, p < .05, similar to what has been observed in major depressive disorder. These findings suggest the importance of attending to individual differences in the motivation for cocaine use so that treatment can be targeted more effectively.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Re-formation of the coracoacromial ligament after open resection or arthroscopic release.

In 21 (91%) of 23 shoulder revisions after primary surgery involving resection or release of the coracoacromial ligament, there was evidence of a reattached or re-formed coracoacromial ligament. In 9 cases there was no other obvious explanation for symptom recurrence, and in 7 cases the coracoacromial ligament might have influenced progression of rotator cuff pathosis. Electron micrographs of a re-formed ligament showed a substantially large amount of large-diameter (> 100 microns) collagen fibrils resembling those of a normal ligament. We conclude that the coracoacromial ligament has an ability to re-form or reattach, whether primarily resected or released, and that this might account for recurrent symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inferior capsular shift procedure in athletes with multidirectional instability based on isolated capsular and ligamentous redundancy.

Twenty-five athletes (26 shoulders) who underwent an inferior capsular shift procedure for multidirectional glenohumeral instability based on isolated capsular and ligamentous redundancy were evaluated at a median of 54 months (range, 25 to 113) after the operation. Twenty-one athletes (84%) returned to their preinjury activity level at a median of 5 months after surgery. Of 21 athletes involved in sports using overhead motions, 16 (76%) returned to their previous sport after the operation, and 12 (57%) were still active in this sport at the preinjury level at follow-up. According to the Rowe score, 23 shoulders (88%) were excellent or good. The University of California at Los Angeles score for 24 shoulders (92%) was excellent or good. The operations on two shoulders (8%) failed. One patient had a spontaneous redislocation, and one had recurrent subluxations. Nine contralateral shoulders had a history of significant instability; four of these had undergone Bankart repair. We concluded that athletes who have multidirectional instability based on isolated capsular and ligamentous redundancy can be successfully treated by an inferior capsular shift preserving the subscapularis tendon insertion. We found a high rate of return to demanding upper extremity sports in our patients, range of motion was restored in the majority of shoulders, and the failure rate after a median of 54 months was acceptable.

Adolescent↗