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Biomedical subjects

C Hallstrom

Publications and source records attributed to C Hallstrom.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Self-help and benzodiazepine withdrawal.

Despite an increased understanding of the potential dangers of benzodiazepines among doctors and patients, and a decline in anxiolytic prescribing, motivating and supporting current benzodiazepine users through withdrawal can be difficult and time consuming for medical services. Self-help organisations offer another approach. This is a study of one such organisation, TRANX (UK), which examined the characteristics of its members and their outcome. The results suggest that this organisation did provide effective counselling and support for its members, and implies that self-help is a realistic alternative or adjunct to orthodox health care for those wishing to withdraw from benzodiazepines.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Inadequate treatment response to des-enkephalin-gamma-endorphin compared with thioridazine and placebo in schizophrenia.

The possibility of an involvement of peptidergic systems in schizophrenia has been under investigation for a number of years. Studies of the efficacy of des-tyr-gamma-endorphin were equivocal; more recent studies with des-enkephalin-gamma-endorphin have reported some activity but the peptide has only been investigated as an adjunct to neuroleptic medication, apart from one very small active reference comparator study. In the multicentre study reported here, 96 patients suffering from schizophrenia (DSM-III with a current exacerbation if chronic) were allocated randomly to double-blind treatment with either des-enkephalin-gamma-endorphin (DE-gamma-E) (Org 5878) 10 mg given as a once daily intramuscular injection for 4 weeks, thioridazine 400 mg orally in 2 divided doses or placebo using a double-dummy technique to preserve blindness. There was a significant advantage for thioridazine compared with placebo registered on all measures at weeks 3 and 4. There was no difference between DE-gamma-E and placebo. There was a significant difference between thioridazine and DE-gamma-E at weeks 3 and 4 registered on the MSS and at week 3 registered on the BPRS. The lack of efficacy of DE-gamma-E suggests that the theories that the endorphins have an important role in schizophrenia have to be revised. The need for well designed placebo controlled studies for assessing efficacy in schizophrenia is emphasized.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Antidepressant blood levels in acute overdose.

Plasma antidepressant levels and clinical condition were measured sequentially for at least 24 hr in eight patients who presented with acute antidepressant overdosage. There was no evidence to suggest that a knowledge of the drug plasma levels had anything to offer in the management of a patient whose overdose included a tricyclic antidepressant.

Adult↗