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Biomedical subjects

C Perris

Publications and source records attributed to C Perris.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Comparative clinical evaluation of lofepramine and imipramine. Psychiatric aspects.

Lofepramine, an imipramine analogue, was compared with imipramine in a multicentre, double-blind clinical trial. The 62 patients (31 in each of two treatment groups) had a depressive syndrome that normally would have been treated with a tricyclic antidepressant. These patients had not received any adequate treatment for this present depressive episode. After a wash-out period and once a week during treatment (up to 5 weeks), routine laboratory tests and electrocardiograms was done. The dosage was 50 mg t.i.d. for imipramine and 70 mg t.i.d. for lofepramine. Depression ratings with the Cronholm-Ottosson depression rating scale were performed before treatment and once weekly for 3 weeks and then in the 5th week. The last four ratings were combined with rating of side-effects. In the 5th week of treatment 15 out of 31 in the lofepramine group and 18 out of 31 in the imipramine group had recovered. This difference was not significant, nor did the median values of individual symptoms differ between the groups. The side-effects were moderate and the two groups only differed significantly in the items "dry mouth" and accommodation disturbances in favour of lofepramine. The drug compliance was checked by plasma levels of desmethylimipramine in the imipramine group, parent compound, and "apparent" desmethylimipramine in the lofepramine group. The relationship between plasma drug levels, the effect on noradrenaline uptake in vitro and amelioration discussed in Siwers et al. (1977) in this issue. The clinical outcome in the two groups did not differ significantly; interpretation of this result is discussed in relation to the reliability and selection of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Changes in psychopathology in relation to EEG variables and visual averaged evoked responses (V.AER) in schizophrenic patients treated with penfluridol or thiothixene.

In a study of 28 schizophrenic in-patients treated with penfluridol or thiothixene, patients were followed with clinical ratings, EEG variables, the mean integrated amplitude (MIA) on both the left and right sides--both with filters with frequency ranges from 7.5 to 13.5 and 0.5 to 25 Hz--as well as its within-patient variance (WPV) on both sides and with both filters, and also with visual averaged evoked responses (V.AER). Moreover, determinations of plasma levels of the drugs were conducted in a search for possible objective measurements of the effects of the treatment, but also to try to find measurements that would make it possible to predict the outcome of treatment. MIA left/right and WPV left/right were found to be the most promising variables to follow the effect of treatment, which were correlated to factors 1 and 2 of the Mårten's S-scale. WPV left/right before treatment was correlated to changes in factor 4 of the S-scale during the trial.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Neurophysiological measures and visual averaged evoked responses in psychiatric patients. Relationship to monoamine oxidase activity in platelets.

In 57 consecutive patients with psychiatric disorders correlations were sought between the neurophysiological variables - amplitudes and latencies of visual averaged evoked responses (VAER), the proneness to augment or to reduce the amplitude of VAER with increasing stimulus intensity, PAR and PRI, the mean integrated amplitude (MIA) and its within patient variance (WPV) and the monoamine oxidase activity (MAO) in platelets, both with beta-fenylethylamine (MAO1) and with tryptamine (MAO2) as substrate. When multiple correlations with age occurred, a multiple regression was calculated to evaluate the relative importance of each component. MAO1 was found to be significantly correlated to Ampl. N1 and Lat. 2, 3 and 4 of VAER while MAO2 only gave a significant correlation with LaT. 4. As in earlier studies Ampl. N1 was found to be significantly correlated to the content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in liquor, these measurements seem to be the most important in psychiatric disorders where the monoaminergic systems are supposed to be disturbed.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Prophylactic lithium and personality variables. An international collaborative study.

61 patients - 28 suffering from bipolar, and 33 from unipolar psychotic affective disorders - completed two personality inventories, one before and one about 6 months after starting lithium treatment to prevent relapses. On the basis of empirical observations it had been assumed that personality characteristics would change more in bipolar than in unipolar patients and that these changes would concern mainly those personality characteristics which reflect sociability and impulsivity. The inventories used were the EPI and the MNT. The results were in agreement with the predictions. Moreover, a significant decrease in N-scores was found both in bipolar and unipolar patients. It is assumed that these changes reflect both the therapeutic effect of lithium and an effect upon the personality characteristics of patients who suffer from bipolar or unipolar affective disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Evaluation of the lithium RBC/plasma ratio as a predictor of the prophylactic effect of lithium treatment in affective disorders.

62 patients with affective disorder, 31 unipolar, 22 bipolar and 9 cycloid psychotics who had received prophylactic lithium therapy for 0,3 to 7,5 years were studied. Lithium in plasma, lithium in red blood cells (RBC) and the lithium ratio (RBC/plasma) were estimated. The lithium ratio does not seem to be of predictive value in determining for which patients prophylactic lithium therapy will succeed.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Indications for long-term pharmacological treatment of schizophrenic syndromes.

The practice of long term pharmacological treatment of schizophrenic syndromes has become widespread and seems to be currently recommended. The concept appears, however, to be poorly defined, and the assumptions underlying this therapeutic approach are scarcely discussed. In the present paper possible differences as concerns the hypotheses which might motivate a long term pharmacological treatment are schetched and their possible implications discussed. A short review of factors which might influence the decision for long term pharmacological treatment is also presented. Finally some recommendations for an appropriate management of long term psychopharmacological treatment are suggested.

Antipsychotic Agents↗
PubMed1976

Controlled trial of penfluridol and thiothixene in the maintenance treatment of chronic schizophrenic syndromes.

In a controlled trial of penfluridol and thiothixene as maintenance drugs in patients with chronic schizophrenic syndromes, some improvement over previous neuroleptics was seen with both drugs. This improvement was mainly evident in variables concerned with participation in social activities as assessed with the S-scale and by ward behaviour. The drug dosages necessary were very low and gave few and easily manageable side-effects. There was no significant difference between penfluridol and thiothixene. Penfluridol has the clear practical advantage of being the only long-acting drug for oral administration so far available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Neurophysiological measures related to levels of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, homovanillic acid and tryptophan in cerebrospinal fluid of psychiatric patients.

In 26 patients with psychiatric disorders, EEG, and visual averaged evoked responses (VAER) were recorded. In the analysis of the EEG, the mean integrated amplitude (MIA), its within patient variance (WPV), and the coefficient of variation CV=(square root of WPV/MIA) X 100 were calculated. Patients were grouped as augmenters on reducers according to their tendency in the VAER recording to augment or to reduce the intensity of incoming signals with increasing stimulus intensity. The content of monoamine metabolites, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, 5-HIAA, and homovanillic acid (HVA), and --for 17 patients-- tryptophan, in the cerebrospinal fluid was determined. In the analysis of the results, WPV in the alpha-band was found to be significantly correlated to HVA (r=0.45, p less than 0.02) and to 5-HIAA (r=0.34, p less than 0.05). In a multiple regression analysis, the correlation between WPV and HVA was found to be the most important. CV was found to be signfiicantly correlated to tryptophan (r=0.68, p less than 0.01). In the analysis of the results of the VAER, reducers were found to have higher levels of 5-HIAA and tryptophan and significantly higher values of HVA. The results are discussed in relation to earlier neurophysiological and biochemical theories about psychiatric patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Lithium RBC/plasma ratio in subgroups of patients with affective disorders.

The lithium RBC/plasma ratio was determined in 59 patients during prophylactic lithium therapy -- 10 cycloid psychotics, 28 unipolars and 21 bipolars -- as well as in 20 patients during lithium therapy in phase of illness -- 8 cycloid psychotics, 5 unipolars and 7 bipolars. The lithium ratio was found to be normally distributed both among patients in phase of remission and those in phase of illness. No differences in lithium ratio were found between patients in phase of remission and phase of illness, respectively. During prophylactic lithium therapy, no differences were found in the lithium ratio between patients in different diagnostic subgroups. In a correlation matrix, the lithium ratio was found to correlate to lithium in RBC but not to age, sex, type of illness, weight, lithium dosage, duration of treatment or level of lithium in plasma. The lithium level in RBC was determined only by the lithium level in plasma. Thus, the lithium RBC/plasma ratio does not seem to be of diagnostic value in affective disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Penfluridol and thiothixene. Dosage, plasma levels and changes in psychopathology.

Plasma levels of penfluridol and thiothixene were studied after 4 weeks treatment in a double-blind controlled trial of 47 patients suffering from chronic schizophrenic syndromes. There was found a tenfold variation in plasma levels for penfluridol, and about a twentyfold variation for thiothixene. For penfluridol, a significant correlation between dosage and plasma level and also between dosage and changes in psychopathology as regards factor 5 in the Märtens & Jonsson S scale which comprises the items most characteristic of a schizophrenic syndrome, was found. For thiothixene, a significant correlation between plasma levels and changes in factor 5 was found. A gas-chromatographic method for penfluridol is also described.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

EEG techniques in the measurement of the severity of depressive syndromes.

Previous results from our laboratory support the hypothesis that measurements of EEG mean integrated amplitude (MIA) are correlated with the depth of depression as assessed by a rating scale, and also with the degree of memory impairment during depression. Moreover, it could be shown that there occurs, during severe depression, a more pronounced involvement of the dominant (DH) than of the non-dominant (NDH) brain hemisphere. A similar interhemispheric difference has also been found in a previous study of visual averaged evoked responses (V.AER). A new series comprising 51 untreated depressed patients has been investigated for both MIA and V.AER to extend the previous findings. In agreement with previous results a significant negative correlation between the within patient variance (WPV) of the MIA and depression scores was found. Moreover, a statistically significant negative relationship between the amplitude of the first two V.AER and depression scores was obtained. Since DH is most important for verbal functions, it is assumed that the degree of involvement of the DH is more pronounced in retarded depressed patients with pronounced speech disturbances.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

The bipolar unipolar dichotomy and the need for a consistent terminology.

A division of the major psychotic affective disorders into a bipolar (true manic-depressive) and unipolar (recurrent depressive or recurrent manic) group represents a clear advance in the classificatory work of affective illness which had been suffering from stagnation. Several investigations have already contributed provocative findings which support the heuristic value of this distinction. However, to be reliable a separation of bipolar from unipolar affective disorders must rely upon clear-cut definitions of the labels to be used in order to avoid inconsistency in terminology hampering the reliability of our findings.

Bipolar Disorder↗