Biomedical subjects

D Addington

Publications and source records attributed to D Addington.

60 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1983

Trace acid levels in the plasma and MAO activity in the platelets of violent offenders.

The plasma concentrations of the unconjugated and conjugated so-called "trace acids," phenylacetic acid (PAA), m- and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (mHPA, pHPA), and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity were measured in 103 male prisoners detained in a psychiatric institution. Twenty-three had been convicted of violent crimes, 18 of sexual offenses, 24 of armed robbery, 27 of nonviolent property offenses, and 11 of miscellaneous nonviolent offenses. Unconjugated pHPA and conjugated PAA were found to be significantly reduced in the violent offenders when compared with those of the "nonviolent" groups. The levels of pHPA were also found to be low in sexual offenders. Platelet MAO activities to phenylethylamine, tryptamine, and p-tyramine between any of the categories of prisoners were not significantly different.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Correlative relationship between biochemical activity and aggressive behaviour.

Correlative relationships were investigated between biogenic trace amines and histories of violence among offenders incarcerated in two federal penitentiaries. Plasma levels of unconjugated (U) and conjugated (C) trace acids (PAA, mHPA and pHPA) and platelet MAO activity to the substrates PE, TRYP and TA were assessed. A pilot study (N = 26) revealed a lower activity of MAO to TRYP among violent offenders. The factor analytically derived scale, Prison Disturbance, correlated with mHPA (U) .77 (p less than .001), mHPA(C) -.42 (p less than .05) and PAA (U) -.37 (p less than .10), controlling for time incarcerated. In the principal investigation (N = 103), PAA(C) (p less than .01), pHPA (U) (p less than .05) levels, and MAO activity to TRYP (p less than .05) were lower among violent offenders. Factor scores of biochemical activity produced even more significant results. However, when these results were cross validated with data from the pilot study, only minimal relationships were maintained.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A depression rating scale for schizophrenics.

Scales for assessing depression are well developed for non-psychotic populations but have been criticized for being inappropriate for psychotic populations. As a result we have developed a new rating scale for the measurement of depression in schizophrenia based on items selected from the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Present State Examination. The selection was based on a three stage procedure first factor analysis then measures of internal consistency and finally face validity. Ratings of depression were made on 50 acutely ill schizophrenics meeting DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia assessed at two points in time. Our results indicate that several items from both scales form a superior instrument for measuring depression in schizophrenia. The eleven items generated a Cronbach's alpha of 0.84 at time one and 0.89 at time 2.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Their course and relationship over time.

Recent approaches to subtyping schizophrenia have made use of the concepts of positive and negative symptoms. It is sometimes assumed that positive and negative symptoms are distributed discontinuously or inversely. Many of the studies that have examined this concept are cross-sectional. This research examines the relationships among positive and negative symptoms in a sample of 41 DSM III diagnosed schizophrenics. Using the SANS and the SAPS, symptoms are assessed, first, in the acute phase of the illness and then, 6 months later, in a period of relative remission. Results showed that positive and negative symptoms were not inversely related at either phase of the illness. Secondly, in comparison to positive symptoms, negative symptoms were highly intercorrelated at both times. Thirdly, the presence of negative symptoms in the acute phase was highly predictive of the presence of negative symptoms at follow-up. Implications for the longitudinal course of symptoms in schizophrenia are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia: development and interrater reliability of a German version (CDSS-G).

A German version of the Calgary Depression Rating Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS-G) approved by the author of the original scale is presented comprising a semi-structured interview for 9 items to sensitively and specifically assess depression in schizophrenia and related disorders. The process of translation is outlined and the finally derived CDSS-G was investigated with respect to interrater reliability in three studies. To keep comparability with the CDSS source version a standard procedure was used. Two trained raters jointly assessed ten schizophrenic patients (study I). In a second study, videotapes with the CDSS-G were presented to clinically inexperienced raters (study II, N = 14/15) to test the agreement on the CDSS-G in this sample. Finally, in a third study clinically experienced researchers participated in a rater training (study III, N = 34). They carried out CDSS ratings on three patients with mild depressive symptoms. The dependence of interrater reliability on depression severity was investigated for all studied patients. Both intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and weighted kappa coefficients (kappa(w)) were calculated. The results revealed a high ICC = 0.97 in study I for the total CDSS-G score. Single item ICC values were all above 0.70. The results of study II revealed somewhat lower agreement on CDSS-G items and total scores in psychiatric novices with however acceptable values of kappa(w)>0.50 for the total scores. Study III yielded satisfactory results (0.66<kappa(w)<0.76) for clinically experienced psychiatrists in schizophrenic patients with mild depression. The results demonstrate adequate to excellent interrater reliability of the CDSS-G corroborating the results of the original version in different settings.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Risperidone: integrating research and practice.

Risperidone is a serotonin/dopamine antipsychotic which differs in important ways from established antipsychotics. This article highlights research findings relevant to clinical practice and points out differences between risperidone and established antipsychotics.

Antipsychotic Agents↗