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Biomedical subjects

C Edgar

Publications and source records attributed to C Edgar.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

BDNF dependence in neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastomas are heterogeneous tumors arising from sympathetic precursors in the neural crest. Growth factor stimulation of neuroblastomas promote diverse biological responses (mitogenesis, differentiation, cell death) depending on the particular tumor studied. Here we show that brief treatment with retinoic acid (RA) rendered the human neuroblastoma lines SY5Y, NGP, SMS-KCNR, and SK-N-SH dependent on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for survival. The BDNF- and trkB-expressing line SMS-KCN was dependent on an autocrine BDNF/trkB survival without exposure to RA. We conclude that the BDNF/trkB pathway plays an important role in neuroblastoma survival and speculate on a possible role in tumor pathogenesis.

Antibodies↗
PubMed2000

Interferon treatment is not associated with a worsening of psychiatric symptoms in patients with hepatitis C.

AIM: To study prospectively the psychiatric side effects of interferon-alpha in patients with hepatitis C. METHODS: Sixty-three consecutive patients at a hepatitis clinic were recruited. All were assessed using a psychiatric interview (SCID) and monitored using a self-reporting psychiatric symptom questionnaire (SCL-90). RESULTS: Patients on interferon did not suffer a drop in mood or an increase in anxiety or irritability. The subgroup with past depression also did not suffer an increase in depressive symptoms. No patients attempted suicide. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of serious psychiatric symptoms when being treated with interferon-alpha may not be high. Psychiatric illness or the possibility of psychiatric complications should not be used as a reason to refuse this treatment to patients with hepatitis C.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

The evolutionary genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia: the developmental instability model.

The importance of genes in the etiology of schizophrenia is well known, but the manner in which the relevant genomic factors influence neural development and the nature of selection forces operating on these factors are poorly understood. In several prominent papers, Crow has provided a unique and comprehensive theory that attempts to deal with these issues. A central aspect of his theory is that a single gene leads to reduced cerebral lateralization, increased ventricular size, and risk for developing schizophrenia. He relies greatly on Annett's right shift theory of individual variation in handedness. An alternative approach, based on the construct of developmental instability, provides a different way to conceptualize genetic influences, selection forces, and atypical lateralization in schizophrenia. We suggest that the developmental instability model has stronger empirical support and is better grounded in contemporary evolutionary genetics.

Biological Evolution↗
PubMed1984

Use of extraneous conversation in the teaching of nursing skills.

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of extraneous conversation as a distractor while assessing students' level of skill acquisition in the laboratory. The sample consisted of 50 nursing students enrolled in Introduction to Nursing Methods at a large Midwestern university. Subjects were assigned randomly to experimental and control groups. Extraneous conversation was used as a distractor during skill demonstration of intramuscular injections by the 25 students in the experimental group. The 25 students in the control group were not verbally distracted during skill demonstration. These skill demonstrations were videotaped. Data were collected from three evaluations: during the skill demonstration, a rating was based on the inclusion of critical elements; later on viewing the video tapes, faculty assigned a score to the performance based on the number of elements included; students were re-evaluated in the clinical setting based on guidance given by the instructor, performance of critical and noncritical elements, and the smoothness of the performance. Analysis of data from the ratings of students in the laboratory and from the ratings of students from the video tapes with the Wilcoxon rank-sum test revealed no significant differences (a = .05) in performance for the experimental and control groups. Chi-square analysis of data from the evaluation in the clinical setting indicated that students in the experimental group performed at a higher level than students in the control group.

Attention↗