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F Abalan

Publications and source records attributed to F Abalan.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Alzheimer's disease and malnutrition: a new etiological hypothesis.

The author proposes an etiological hypothesis for Alzheimer's disease (malnutrition with or without malabsorption); this may explain clinical and biological phenomena which occur in this disease. A search through the literature revealed that all people suffering from Down's syndrome (and who all develop Alzheimer's disease from forty years of age) also suffer from malnutrition. This hypothesis may explain the anatomical and neurobiochemical perturbations and the inefficacy of choline. Consequent nutritional treatment of the disease is proposed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evaluation of the incidence of hospitalization of patients with psychotic disorders].

The aim of this study was to assess the administrative incidence of psychotic disorders, i.e. the incidence of first hospitalization for such disorders. Consecutively first-admitted patients hospitalized in 4 departments of Bordeaux's psychiatric hospital were included. Patients fulfilled the following inclusion criteria: no previous psychiatric hospitalization; aged 60 years or less; at least one overt psychotic symptom; clear consciousness. Patients were drawn from a 250,000 inhabitants urban catchment area, with an at risk population of 161,698 inhabitants. DSM IV diagnoses were made using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Instrument (MINI) as well as all available information collected from the patient, the relatives, and from any other informant. A complementary study was performed in the private psychiatric institutions and in the military Hospital of Bordeaux in order to assess the representativeness of the patients hospitalized in the state hospital. 59 patients were included during one year in the state hospital. The raw incidence rate was 0.37 per 1,000 (95% CI; 0.28-0.46). We used a direct standardization on age to calculate the incidence rates ratio to gender. Men were over-representated in the sample, with a standardized incidence ratio in men compared to women equal to 1.87 (95% CI; 1.25-2.8). Psychotic mood disorders had the highest incidence, with an incidence rate equal to 0.15 per 1,000 inhabitants (95% CI; 0.09-0.21). The incidence rate of DSM IV schizophrenia was lower than that of psychotic mood disorders, and was equal to 0.13 per 1,000 (95% CI; 0.08-0.18). Several studies conducted in European and North-American countries have recently suggested that the incidence of schizophrenia may have decreased in the past decades. Since few French studies on the incidence of such disorders have been carried out, it is not possible to assess whether the incidence of schizophrenia is or not decreasing in France. Further studies on the incidence of psychotic disorders are required in other French regions in order to assess the reproductibility of our results, and to have reference data on the incidence of psychotic disorders in the nineties.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Prognosis of short-term outcome in the first admission for psychosis].

The aim of the study was to assess the factors predicting the clinical and therapeutic outcome at discharge of first hospitalization in a population-based sample of patients presenting with psychotic symptoms. Factors predicting duration of the first hospital stay were examined using Cox proportional hazard regression. A family history of psychiatric hospitalization was the only variable independently predicting at trend level a longer hospitalization (HR = 0.54, 95% CI 0.28-1.07, p = 0.08). Since most subjects (92.5%) returned to an independent place of residence in the community after the hospital stay, factors predicting residential outcome were not assessed. Factors associated with persistence of psychotic symptoms, or prescription of antipsychotic drugs, at discharge, were examined using logistic regression models. Persistence of psychotic symptoms (whatever their intensity) was associated with a diagnosis of schizophrenia broadly defined (OR = 23.9, 95% CI 2.8-201.7, p = 0.003), with poor adjustment in the preceding year as measured by the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale (OR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.99, p = 0.04), and, at trend level, with older age at admission (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.99-1.21, p = 0.07). Prescription of antipsychotic drugs at discharge was independently predicted by low educational level (OR = 5.5, 95% CI 1.2-25.4, p = 0.03), low GAF score (OR = 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.99, p = 0.05), and, at trend level, by a diagnosis of schizophrenia broadly defined (OR = 4.1, 95% CI 0.80-23.4, p = 0.09). Univariate analyses showed that duration of psychosis before first admission was strongly associated with persistence of psychotic symptoms and with prescription of antipsychotic drugs at discharge. However, no association was found between duration of psychosis and outcome after adjustment.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Plasma, red cell, and cerebrospinal fluid folate in Alzheimer's disease].

This study compares plasma, red cell, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) folate levels in subjects with mild or moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) of senile onset and in non-demented control subjects. Twelve subjects with mild or moderate (Folstein's Mini-Mental-State-MMS--between 10 and 23) AD (DSM3 R criteria) and 12 control subjects without dementia and with MMS above 23 were included. To avoid any change in plasma folate levels due to dehydration, all dehydrated subjects were excluded. Were also excluded all subjects obviously suffering from malnutrition or alcoholism, or taking drugs likely to interfere with folate metabolism. Changes in folate levels due to posture or prolonged venous occlusion were carefully avoided. Patients with AD were 5 males and 7 females aged (Mean +/- SD) 80.2 +/- 5.7 years, MMS 14.8 +/- 2.6; controls were 7 males and 5 females aged 78.9 +/- 7.2 y, MMS 28.3 +/- 1.5. The two groups were not statistically different for these variables, except for the MMS. Plasma folate levels were lower (p < 0.006) in patients with AD (4.5 +/- 1.5 micrograms/l) compared with controls (7 +/- 2.2 micrograms/l). Red cell folate levels were lower (p < 0.007) in patients with AD (183.7 +/- 91.1 micrograms/l) compared with controls (300.4 +/- 96.1 micrograms/l). CSF folate levels were lower in AD (18.9 +/- 9.7 micrograms/l) than in controls (21.9 +/- 8.2 micrograms/l) but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Our results indicate poorer nutrition in patients with AD.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Neuropsychological sequelae of deportation to the Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War].

The essential neuropsychic consequences of the deportation to the nazi concentration camps of adults during the second world war are the "KZ syndrome", the survival syndrome (or persecution syndrome) and reactive schizophrenias. The "KZ syndrome" puts together a psychic asthenia, a progressive intellectual deterioration, anxiety, depressive mood and vegetative disturbances. It is brought about as a consequence of malnutrition and the psychic traumas suffered by those deported. It shows up mainly in the non-jewish deported. The survival syndrome is chronic, puts together anxiety, insomnia and nightmares, repetitive memories relative to the period of persecution, depressive symptoms, somatic complaints, neurovegetative disturbances and hypervigilance. It is observed mainly in those deported that are jewish. It is produced as a consequence of very severe psychic traumas suffered by the jewish deportees. Some reactive schizophrenias described in deported jews seem to be the direct consequence of psychic traumas of an extreme intensity.

Concentration Camps↗