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Biomedical subjects

E Varsou

Publications and source records attributed to E Varsou.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Maternity blues in Athens, Greece: a study during the first 3 days after delivery.

BACKGROUND: Although maternity blues have been studied in many countries worldwide the factors that influence the occurrence of this clinical entity are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, time course and symptomatology of maternity blues in a Greek urban environment as well as the relation of maternity blues with certain clinical and sociodemographic factors. METHOD: A study of a sample of 402 women that were recruited during the first day after delivery. Each woman completed the Kennerley's Blues Questionnaire on a daily basis for the first 3 days of puerpartum. Clinical and sociodemographic data were obtained through questionnaires and personal interview. RESULTS: 179 (44.5%) women experienced severe maternity blues during the first 3 days after delivery. Delivery by caesarian section (P=0.006), stressful events during pregnancy (P=0.02), depressive feelings the last month prior to delivery (P=0.002), anxiety on the day of delivery (P=0.001) and hypochondriasis (P=0.001) were the factors that were found to relate significantly to maternity blues. CONCLUSION: The women's emotional condition prior and after delivery, delivery via caesarotomy, as well as fears concerning somatic health had strong impact on the occurrence of maternity blues.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Protracted acute stress reaction following an earthquake.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the official criteria of ICD-10 diagnosis of acute stress reaction (ASR) among earthquake victims. METHOD: Data on psychosocial variables and the diagnosis of ASR were collected from 91 subjects. RESULTS: The diagnosis of ASR was made in 70% of the sample. However, the restrictive duration criterion (i.e. symptoms not exceeding the first 48 h) was fulfilled only in 10%; in the remaining 60% the symptoms lasted for about another week. Thus, 60% of the sample constituted a group with protracted ASR (PASR) and 40% a group without it (n-PASR). Medical history was more frequent among PASR than n-PASR; PASR showed higher anxiety levels (both pre- and post-disaster) than n-PASR; finally, the persistence of ASR related positively to the fear of death at the time of the earthquake and pre-disaster anxiety levels. CONCLUSION: As in the vast majority of earthquake victims the ASR is protracted beyond 48 h, a revision of ICD-10 guidelines should be considered.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Melatonin response to clonidine administration in depression: indication of presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptor dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate alpha2-adrenoceptor sensitivity in depression, by using melatonin response to clonidine administration as an index of alpha2-adrenoceptor functioning. METHOD: 35 depressed subjects and 41 healthy controls were assessed for overnight urinary melatonin pre- and post-administration of oral clonidine. RESULTS: Administration of clonidine significantly reduced melatonin concentrations in depressed patients but not in control subjects. LIMITATION: A single oral dose (0.15 mg) of clonidine was administered. CONCLUSIONS: Further indication is provided for presynaptic alpha2-adrenoceptor dysfunction in depression with the application of an alternative pharmacological challenge method.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Neurotransmitter parameters in plasma and urine of affective patients in depression and in normothymia after drug treatment.

Several neurochemical parameters were estimated in plasma and urine of patients with affective disorders in the depressive phase and later in normothymia, after successful drug treatment. Significant increases were found for the activity of the enzyme dopamine-beta-hydroxylase in plasma and the concentrations of cyclic AMP in plasma and urine. No consistent changes were found for prolactin or cyclic GMP in plasma, and for methoxyhydroxyphenylgkyglycol, homovanillic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and cyclic GMP in urine. The major change we observed in the clinical state of the patients is thus not reflected in change in the urinary biogenic amine metabolites. Their changes were found to correlate inversely to their pretreatment values. In normothymia, high values decrease and low values increase for all three amine metabolites, indicating that antidepressives act towards a normalization of the amine turnover mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Subtypes of schizophrenia and ABO blood types.

Determination of ABO blood types was carried out in 430 (171 female and 259 male) patients with hebephrenic schizophrenia and in 340 (155 female and 185 male) patients with paranoid schizophrenia. Results were compared with a random sample of 600 individuals (268 female and 332 male) drawn from the general population. No significant association was detected between any of the ABO blood phenotypes and affliction either with hebephrenic or paranoid schizophrenia

ABO Blood-Group System↗
PubMed1979

Physical activity and plasma cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels in manic-depressive patients and healthy adults.

Intense exercise for one hour induced a significant increase in plasma cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in 5 healthy volunteers. In 44 manic-depressive patients, cAMP levels correlated more strongly with mood ratings than with activity scores. The authors conclude that physical activity is one of the factors which contribute to changes of cAMP levels in affective illness.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1978

Plasma cyclic AMP in manic-depressive illness.

The postulated disturbance of cyclic AMP (cAMP) in manic-depressive illness was investigated by using plasma as the biological material. Cyclic AMP was measured by a protein-binding assay, which was found very satisfactory for the purpose of this study. In the drug-free state, depressed patients (n = 28) had significantly lower and manic patients (n = 9) significantly higher plasma concentrations of cAMP than controls. Unmedicated manic-depressive subjects had normal cAMP levels during normothymic phases (n = 7). Cyclic AMP was reduced by neuroleptics in mania and elevated by tricyclics in depression. Lithium exerted a normalizing effect on cAMP in both phases of the illness. It is concluded that manic-depressive illness is associated with a disturbance in the cAMP system. The use of plasma rather than urine for the investigation of the state of cAMP in psychiatric disorders is advocated.

Adult↗