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Biomedical subjects

J A Besson

Publications and source records attributed to J A Besson.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Estimation of premorbid intelligence in organic conditions.

The validity of premorbid IQ estimates provided by the National Adult Reading Test (NART) and Vocabulary sub-test of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale were evaluated, by comparison with matched, healthy control subjects, in Korsakoff psychosis, alcoholic dementia, dementia Alzheimer type (DAT), multi-infarct dementia (MID), Huntington's disease, and closed head injury (CHI). There was no significant difference in NART performance between control subjects and the alcoholic dementia, DAT, MID, and CHI groups. Although there appeared to be a decline in NART performance in the Korsakoff and Huntington's groups, it did provide a significantly higher IQ estimate than the Vocabulary sub-test. All clinical groups, with the exception of the CHI group, performed at a significantly lower level than the control group on the Vocabulary sub-test.

Adult

Brain imaging and treatment response in spasmodic torticollis.

A patient with spasms of the neck, occurring when he turned his head to the left, responded to treatment with benzhexol. Cerebral blood flow imaging demonstrated reduced uptake in the right corpus striatum compared with the left. The study demonstrates the presence of an abnormality in the basal ganglia; it also illustrates response to drug treatment. Cerebral blood flow imaging may be useful in the detection of basal ganglia abnormalities in spasmodic torticollis and assist in the selection of cases which should be targeted for treatment with drugs.

Adult

Technetium-99m HMPAO imaging in patients with basal ganglia disease.

Technetium 99m hexamethylpropylene-amine oxime (HMPAO) is trapped by cerebral grey matter and the basal ganglia on its first pass through the brain. To assess its potential for studying patients with diseases of the basal ganglia, a study of 15 normal volunteers and 32 patients with known or suspected basal ganglia disease have been investigated. Sixteen patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease showed no abnormality of the basal ganglia and varying degrees of cerebral underperfusion consistent with their intellectual status. Eight patients with Huntington's chorea showed a characteristic pattern of reduced or absent caudate nucleus uptake. Patients with diseases affecting the basal ganglia, such as Fahr's disease, Wilson's disease and hemibalismus had varying degrees of basal ganglia underperfusion as demonstrated by an HMPAO scan. We believe that this new radiopharmaceutical for the demonstration of cerebral blood flow shows significant potential for the diagnosis and management of patients with basal ganglia disease.

Adult

An NMR study of lithium responding manic depressive patients.

Manic depressive patients on long-term prophylactic therapy with lithium carbonate are examined by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Their ventricular brain ratios and cerebral grey and white matter spin lattice relaxation times (T1) are within normal limits. The implication of these findings in the light of previous studies using other techniques is discussed.

Adult

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and single photon emission tomography with radio-iodine labelled compounds in the diagnosis of dementia.

White matter lesions and T1 changes were identified using NMR and then compared between groups of patients suffering from dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT), Multiple infarct dementia (MID) and normal controls. All DAT and MID patients were also imaged with a gamma camera using 123Iodo-n-isopropyl-amphetamine, a radiopharmaceutical whose uptake in the brain follows the regional blood flow. While NMR was not able to differentiate between DAT and MID, 19 out of 21 DAT patients compared to four out of 18 MID patients showed bilateral parietal lesions on IMP scans.

Adult

Estimation of premorbid intellectual status in depression.

The validity of the NART and Vocabulary subtest of the WAIS as measures of premorbid IQ in depression was assessed by comparing a group of depressed patients (n = 39) with matched controls. The Vocabulary performance of the depressed group was significantly poorer than controls but there was no significant difference in NART performance.

Adult

Nuclear magnetic resonance brain imaging in chronic schizophrenia.

Patients with chronic schizophrenia were examined by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. Subgroups of the syndrome with high positive or high negative symptom scores and ventricular dilatation were compared with each other and with normal controls in respect of regional spin lattice relaxation time (T1) changes. Significant differences were not observed between the schizophrenic subgroups and controls but there were significant differences between the subgroups themselves. The presence of tardive dyskinesia was associated with increased T1 of the basal ganglia. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to findings using other techniques.

Adult

The psychological well-being of supporters of the demented elderly.

Interviews were conducted with the co-resident supporters of 79 elderly subjects. Forty of these elderly subjects had been diagnosed as being demented (20 mildly, 12 moderately and eight severely) following psychiatric assessment. The supporters were screened for psychological well-being with the 60-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Relatives' Stress Scale (RSS). Supporters of demented relatives showed significantly raised levels of stress on the RSS, but no increase in psychiatric morbidity on the GHQ, when compared with the supporters of non-demented relatives. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Aged

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR): I. Imaging biochemical change.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging of hydrogen in body water and fat is proving valuable in clinical investigation of the brain. An introduction to the technique and to the biological significance of the images is presented here. The 'multi-parameter' nature of these images is stressed, and the individual parameters described. NMR imaging may well be of value in investigating the pathology of organic and functional psychoses.

Brain

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). II. Imaging in dementia.

Proton NMR imaging of the brain is rapidly becoming established as a useful investigative tool in medicine. This paper examines the usefulness of the NMR parameters--spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) and proton density (PD)--in differentiating groups of patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) and multi-infarct dementia (MID) from each other, and from elderly controls. T1 values increase with severity of dementia. NMR parameters may also be of use in localising regions of brain damage.

Aged

Changes in the incidence of alcohol-related problems in north-east Scotland, 1974-1982.

The age-standardised rates of first-ever alcohol-related diagnoses amongst both general hospital in-patients and psychiatric referrals were examined in the Grampian region from 1974 to 1982. Male general hospital admissions in this category rose steeply from 1974 to 1978, but then declined steeply thereafter; it is concluded that this may reflect a beneficial effect on male drinking habits as a result of the liberalisation of Scottish licensing laws. The remaining data supported the belief that the gap is narrowing between male and female rates of alcohol-related illness.

Adolescent

The relationship between Parkinson's disease and dementia. A study using proton NMR imaging parameters.

The value of the spin lattice relaxation time (T1) obtained during nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was studied in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, with and without dementia. T1 increases significantly in the basal ganglia and cerebral white matter of the demented and non-demented groups. T1 of the cerebral white matter correlates with the severity of dementia.

Aged

Changing trends in solvent abuse in the north-east of Scotland.

The prevalence of solvent abuse in the northeast of Scotland was studied over two consecutive years (1981 and 1982). Information concerning the number of new cases of solvent abuse was obtained from questionnaires distributed to general practitioners in the area and by examining police files.The results obtained show a decrease in the number of cases of solvent abuse reported to general practitioners in 1982 compared with 1981 and police statistics show a similar trend. A more substantial decrease was found in Aberdeen and the larger towns near to Aberdeen than in the smaller towns further from the city.

Humans