Two self-rating depression scales, the Depression Factor Score derived from the SCL-90 and the Geriatric Depression Scale were administered to 220 medical geriatric in-patients, and two psychiatrists, after a clinical interview, made a diagnosis according to the DSM-III criteria for affective disorders. Eighteen patients were found to be affected by major depression, 49 by dysthymic disorder, 14 by atypical depression and 13 by an adjustment disorder with depressive mood. Women and single persons proved to be significantly more affected by depressive disturbances. The performance of both scales was good, so that they seem to be useful instruments aiding the non-specialist physician in a rapid screening procedure for the identification of depression in elderly patients with medical problems.

Adjustment Disorders↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A prospective randomized double-blinded controlled study of ropivacaine 0.75% versus bupivacaine 0.5%-mepivacaine 2% for peribulbar anesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ropivacaine 1% has recently been used in clinical trials for peribulbar anesthesia. This study aims to compare the safety and the efficacy of ropivacaine 0.75% with that of a 1:1 mixture of bupivacaine 0.5% and mepivacaine 2% for peribulbar anesthesia. METHODS: Two thousand patients undergoing peribulbar anesthesia for elective cataract phacoemulsification were prospectively studied over a 1-year period and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups according to the local anesthetic used. One thousand patients were administered peribulbar anesthesia with 9 mL of ropivacaine 0.75% plus 1 mL of hyaluronidase (group R), and 1,000 patients received peribulbar anesthesia with 4 mL of bupivacaine 0.5% plus 4 mL of mepivacaine 2% plus 1 mL of hyaluronidase plus 1 mL of sodium bicarbonate (group BM). Peribulbar anesthesia was always accomplished by the same physician by 2 injections of 5 mL each, with a 25-gauge 25-mm needle. Evaluation was performed by another physician blinded to the technique used and included assessment of pain on local anesthetic injection, ocular and eyelid akinesia, need for top-up injections, onset time and duration of anesthesia, intraoperative analgesia, duration of surgery, hemodynamic parameters, and incidence of perioperative complications. RESULTS: A greater incidence of pain on injection was found in group BM (P<.001). No difference between the groups was found regarding the onset time and the duration of anesthesia. Perioperative analgesia was satisfactory in both groups with no significant difference. Patients in group R showed a reduced need for top-up injection and a better ocular akinesia at 8 and 10 minutes (P<.01). The akinesia of the eyelid was comparable in the 2 groups and complete in all cases at 8 minutes. Cardiac arrhythmias were more frequent in group BM (P<.01). Local complications did not differ between the groups. An increase in mean artierial blood pressure and heart rate was observed in both groups 1 minute after injection of local anesthetic. CONCLUSIONS: Peribulbar anesthesia with ropivacaine provided better ocular akinesia 8 to 10 minutes after block insertion than a bupivacaine-mepivacaine mixture, which reduced the need for top-up injections. Ropivacaine also caused less pain on injection.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pyrimidine nucleotidases/phosphotransferases from human erythrocyte.

Two cytoplasmic pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase have been purified from human erythrocytes to homogeneity and partially characterized. The two enzymes, indicated as PN-I and PN-II, preferentially hydrolyse pyrimidine 5'-monophosphates and 3'-monophosphates, respectively. The kinetic analysis demonstrate that pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidases, in the presence of suitable nucleoside substrates, can operate as phosphotransferases by transferring phosphate to various nucleoside acceptors, including nucleoside analogues known as important drugs widely used in chemotherapy.

5'-Nucleotidase↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Dinucleoside polyphosphate NAD analogs as potential NMN adenylyltransferase inhibitors. Synthesis and biological evaluation.

Two dinucleoside polyphosphate NAD analogs, P1-(adenosine-5')-P3-(nicotinamide riboside-5')triphosphate (Np3A, 1) and P1-(adenosine-5')-P4-(nicotinamide riboside-5')tetraphosphate (Np4A, 2), were synthesized and tested as inhibitors of both microbial and human recombinant NMN adenylyltransferase. Compounds 1 and 2 proved to be selective inhibitors of microbial enzymes.

Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pain and depression in the population.

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Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Social adjustment and psychiatric re-admission: a study using a self-rating scale].

The paper describes the results of a study on the relationship between the degree of social adjustment and re-admission of discharged psychiatric patients using the Italian version of the SAG (Self Assessment Guide). The validity of such a scale has been described in previous works. In this study, the test-retest assessment has proved the reliability of the scale. The test was administered to a sample of 51 patients during the first week of hospitalization, 26 of whom were followed up three months after discharge. A statistically significant improvement was observed, on the SAG score obtained during the follow-up, in patients (n = 16) who were not admitted to hospital in the 12 month period following discharge. This was unlike the case of those who required a new admission. The improvement concerned mainly the total score, the affectivity, the interpersonal functioning and aggressivity scales.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Sudden cardiac death in subjects with healthy heart. Role of heart-mind interactions].

The Authors report the significant progress that has been made in the past few decades in defining the connections between the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system and the mechanisms by which neuroadrenergic influences over cardiac function can lead to heart disease. Moreover, the question of sudden cardiac death, particularly in individuals without a prior history of clinical heart disease, is analysed in the light of present knowledge concerning the deleterious effects on cardiac electrophysiologic properties of psychosocial and behavioural factors.

Arrhythmias, Cardiac↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Double-blind versus placebo comparison of single dose alpidem (50 mg or 75 mg) in a model of situational anxiety].

Alpidem (Ananxyl) is a new imidazopyridine anxiolytic. Two studies of single doses of alpidem (50 or 75 mg) versus placebo, involving 104 patients each, showed alpidem at these two doses to be effective in a human model for situational anxiety, which is the psychological state of patients awaiting cardiovascular examination or surgery. Clinical assessment showed no significant difference in safety between alpidem 50 mg and placebo. Conversely, at the dose of 75 mg, there was a higher incidence of drowsiness with alpidem than with placebo.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Stress and arterial hypertension].

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Adolescent↗