PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J M Gaillard

Publications and source records attributed to J M Gaillard.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

[Choice of symptoms in neuroses. Hysterical and obsessive-phobic neuroses].

This publication is a first attempt to verify our hypothesis that symptom choice in the classical neuroses depends on a disequilibrium between assimilation and accommodation, in the Piagetian sense, of reflective thinking. Results of tests derived from classical paradoxes of Western thought, from genetic psychology and from a neuropsychological test of the habituation of the alpha-blocking response support the following hypothesis; the reflective thinking of hysterical patients appears dominated by a primacy of assimilation and that of obsessional patients by a primacy of accommodation.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1979

Involvement of pre- and postsynaptic receptors in catecholaminergic control of paradoxical sleep in man.

In an attempt to clarify the roles of pre- and postsynaptic catecholaminergic (CA) receptors in the regulation of paradoxical sleep (PS) in man, the effects of various doses of chlorpromazine (CPZ) and clonidine (CLN) have been investigated. The action of CPZ was biphasic, small doses enhancing and larger doses depressing the production of PS. However, the effect of CLN was monophasic, showing no modification after small doses, and a decrease in production of PS after moderate doses. In addition, a small dose of CLN, ineffective by itself, completely abolished the effect of a small dose of CPZ. These observations can be explained by preferential blockade of presynaptic alpha-receptors by a small dose of CPZ. They show, too, that it is possible to investigate in man the functional consequences of pharmacological manipulation of pre-synaptic receptors on cerebral CA neurons.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[The physiology of sleep and the physiopathology of insomnia].

After a review of the semiology and organization of normal sleep, the neuronal structures presently accepted as participating in sleep mechanisms are discussed. During a series of experiments designed to define the physiopathological role of slow wave sleep in chronic insomnia, we recorded in our laboratory normal subjects of both sexes and insomniacs whose predominant disorders was sleep maintenance. Sleep modifications as a function of aging chiefly involve stage 4, which is reduced by about one half between the ages of 19 and 30. Analyzing a large group of normal and insomniac subjects, it is possible to show a statistical association between very low values of slow wave sleep and short and fragile total sleep. This association cannot be explained simply by an increase in waking pressure. Comparison of a group of 16 insomniacs with 16 age and sex matched normal subjects shows in the insominacs a deficiency of production of slow wave sleep (stages 3 and 4), most probably linked to a disturbed waking/sleep balance, whereas the other parameters of sleep, especially paradoxical stage, remain unmodified. These results are consistent with the hypothesis of a physiopathological role of slow wave sleep deficiency in chronic primary insomnia; on the other hand, slow wave sleep may possibly be responsible for sleep induction and maintenance, playing the role of a physiological hypnogenic mechanism.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Distribution of tryptophan in erythrocytes, leukocytes and thrombocytes, and its binding to plasma albumin.

The extended theory about a dysfunction of the serotoninergic system in depression and schizophrenia includes the hypothesis of a disturbance in the transport systems of tryptophan and tyrosine from blood to brain. It would be interesting to know if blood cells may be used as a model for the central transport mechanisms of these amino acids. After an oral load, the in vivo distribution of L-tryptophan (50 mg/kg) was studied in the blood plasma, in the different blood cells and its binding to plasma albumin, in six healthy, seven schizophrenic and two depressive subjects. In all the compartments studied, tryptophan reached a peak, 1--2 hours after the load. Before and after the load, the variation of the tryptophan concentration in the erythrocytes was parallel to the plasma free tryptophan, whereas the uptake of this amino acid was higher in leukocytes and thrombocytes than in erythrocytes. However, this model does not show differences between schizophrenic and normal subjects with regard to the transport of tryptophan and tyrosine in these cells.

Biological Transport, Active↗
PubMed1979

The influence of oral tryptophan on cortical evoked responses in normals and schizophrenics.

The cortical evoked responses to sensory stimulation were studied in order to evaluate the central effects of oral tryptophan in normals and schizophrenics. In the first study, seven volunteer male students were tested during four experimental sessions. Visual evoked responses to flashes were recorded at occiput and vertex, before and 1 1/2 hours after the ingestion of 35 mg/kg tryptophan in apple purée with 50 g glucose or placebo. Some significant modifications of evoked responses were observed after tryptophan ingestion: a decrease of amplitude and an increase of variability. The latencies were rather stable, presenting only minor modifications. From these results, corroborated by some data from literature, it may be supposed that tryptophan induces a decrease of arousal. In the second study, seven chronic schizophrenics and 6 volunteer controls were tested, using an analogous experimental design, however with some modifications: the tryptophan dose was increased to 50 mg/kg and administered in 200 ml of milk, instead of apple purée with glucose. The modifications of evoked responses recorded in the preceding study were no longer found. Probably, the substitution of milk for glucose resulted in an alteration of the transport of tryptophan across the blood-brain barrier. The blood parameters were rather similar in the two studies; therefore, the central effects of tryptophan did not parallel its blood levels.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1979

Blood-brain movements of tryptophan and tyrosine in manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia.

In order to investigate possible disturbances of the blood-brain transport mechanisms of monoamine precursors in manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia, we have measured the brain arterio-venous difference of DOPA, or 5-HTP, or tyrosine and tryptophan in 36 patients, during the infusion of either L-DOPA or L-5-HTP. The infusion lasted for 30 min, and blood was sampled during and immediately after the infusion, simultaneously in the femoral artery, the jugular vein and a vein of the arm. During the infusion of L-DOPA, manic patients have a higher extraction of L-DOPA than depressive patients and controls. During the infusion of L-5-HTP, pdpressive patients have a higher brain extraction of 5-HTP than manic or schizophrenic patients. In depressive patients, a small uptake of tryptophan correlated with a large outflow of tyrosine was observed. The opposite was seen in manic patients, with an outflow of tryptophan correlated with an uptake of tyrosine. In schizophrenics, there was an outflow of tryptophan and random variations of tyrosine. These brain arterio-venous differences were not correlated with arterio-venous differences for peripheral tissues. Taken together, these results are compatible with a disturbance of the blood-brain transport of amino acids precursors of monoamines in manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[Biological approach to depressive conditions: study of sleep (author's transl)].

Sleep disturbances are common in depressive states, and have been recently precised. Apart from insomnia, alterations of the organization of sleep and especially a shortening of paradoxical sleep latency, as well as modifications of slow wave sleep, have been reported. The main effect of classical antidepressant drugs is a marked decrease or a complete abolition of paradoxical sleep. However, some antidepressant drugs do not affect paradoxical sleep, and other drugs, devoid of antidepressant properties, depress markedly the production of paradoxical sleep. The investigation of the modifications of sleep in depressive states, as well as of the effect of antidepressant drugs, may contribute to a better understanding of the physiopathology of these diseases.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1978

Biphasic effect of chlorpromazine on rat paradoxical sleep: a study of dose-related mechanisms.

The experiments reported here investigated the effect of chlorpromazine (CPZ) alone or after inhibition of catecholamine (CA) synthesis on paradoxical sleep (PS) in the rat. The dose--response curve for CPZ was biphasic with enhancement of PS after low doses, and depression of PS after higher doses. In contrast, low doses of CPZ after inhibition of CA synthesis markedly decreased PS. This decrease was greater after tyrosine hydroxylase inhibition than after dopamine-beta-hydroxylase inhibition. These results support the view that low doses of CPZ produce increased activity in brain CA synapses, and that both dopamine and noradrenaline participate in the control of PS in the rat.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Chronic primary insomnia: possible physiopathological involvement of slow wave sleep deficiency.

This study was designed to compare the sleep of a carefully selected group of patients with chronic primary insomnia toage- and sex-matched controls, in order to investigate the possible physiopathological role of slow wave sleep deficiency in this disturbance. In addition, the effect of age on normal sleep was studied in a group of 40 normal subjects. Sleep was recorded in the laboratory and automatically scored with an electronic system already described. The general trends of sleep stages were computed. Aging in normal subjects was characterized by a sharp decrease of stage 4, but a good stability of stage 3. Insomniacs' sleep showed a sleep-waking imbalance and a marked deficiency in stages 3 and 4. This deficiency seems to be similar to the age effect in normals, but more accentuated; it cannot be attributed merely to increased pressure of wakefulness. We suggest that slow wave sleep is involved in sleep induction and maintenance, and that its deficiency is linked to the fragility of sleep in chronic primary insomnia.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

[Uptake of tryptophan and tyrosine in some cases of manic depressive psychosis and schizophrenia (author's transl)].

The uptake of tryptophan and tyrosine by the brain has been studied in 6 manic-depressive patients and in 8 schizophrenics. In an attempt to saturate the blood-brain transport mechanisms, this uptake has been evaluated by measuring the arteriovenous differences (arterial plasma-internal jugular plasma) of these two amino acids before and after perfusion with L-dopa and L-5-HTP. Considering a positive difference as an uptake and a negative one as an outflow, results show (1) in melancholia an uptake of tryptophan and an outflow of tyrosine; (2) in mania an uptake of tyrosine and an outflow of tryptophan, and (3) in schizophrenia an outflow of tryptophan accompanied with either an uptake or an outflow of tyrosine. In addition, the kinetics of tryptophan binding to plasma proteins and the ratio of tryptophan/tyrosine uptake are different in manic-depressive illness and in schizophrenia. These results support the view that a disturbance in the blood-brain transport mechanisms of tryptophan and tyrosine could be involved in the physiopathology of manic-depressive illness and schizophrenia.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1977

[Hypersomnia with periodic apnea in a patient with acquired micrognathism].

A case presenting association of sleep apnea with daytime hypersomnolence and retrognathia is described. Sleep laboratory evaluation showed severe discontinuous hypoxemia and a mean of 250 upper airway obstructions. The patient was treated successfully by surgical correction of the retrognathia.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1977

Paradoxical sleep and brain catecholamines in the rat after single and repeated administration of alpha-methyl-paratyrosine.

This study is concerned with the role of catecholamines (CA) in the regulation of paradoxical sleep (PS) in the rat. Alpha-methyl-paratyrosine (alphaMPT), an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, was used in a multiple administration schedule in order to avoid toxic effects. From 2 to 10 doses of 75 mg/kg of alphaMPT, a progressive reduction of green fluorescence occurred in CA cell bodies as well as in terminals. The green fluorescence reduction was faster in dopaminergic than in noradrenergic neurons, and faster in cell bodies than in terminals. Sleep recordings showed a slight increase of PS after one or two doses of 75 mg/kg of alphaMPT, and a dose-related decrease after 3-7 injections. After two doses of 75 mg/kg, the number of PS phases was significantly increased. This can be due to the release of a non-CA PS primer mechanism. These experiments support the view that an intact synaptic transmission in CA neurons is necessary for the realization of PS.

Adrenergic Fibers↗
PubMed1977

[Temporal organization of sleep stages in man].

By fitting orthogonal polynomials to the cumulated occurrences of sleep stages, it is possible to describe in a simple form their general trend, i.e. their temporal evolution, in the absence of cyclic ultradian variations. Thus, stages 1, 2 and 3 can be described by a cubic function, REM stage by a parabolic one, while total sleep itself is linear. The fittings can be performed on a general average or on individual data, allowing completion of the subject's clinical description. The first derivative of the general trends gives the instantaneous trend, which has the form of a probability, that of the occurrence of a given stage at a given moment of the night. The study of normal sleep with this technique reveals new aspects of its evolution as a function of time, and makes it possible to propose and test hypotheses on the reciprocal relations between stages.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

[General trends of sleep stages studied by applying orthogonal polynomials].

In an attempt to describe in a dynamic way the evolution of sleep stages or of total sleep as a function of time, we applied to the totality of stages a method of fitting by orthogonal polynomials. With some precautions, the proposed method is of very general application, in man as in animals. It permits description of the evolution of a sleep stage throughout the night by a simple analytical function; further it allows comparisons and statistical treatment separately for each characteristic of this evolution (level, slope and curvature). Finally, the calculations can be done on a general average of a series of measurements or on individual data.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Analysis of dream contents by scaled and rated measurements.

The study was undertaken in order to test a dream-rating scale and to propose some modifications, especially for use in laboratory situations where the effect of a given experimental factor is to be assessed on mental activity in sleep. Dreams collected from normal subjects under EEG monitoring were analysed in detail in order to establish definitions for each rating point of each dimension of the rating scale. The scoring of a second set of dreams by two judges using this scale resulted in an inter-rater agreement significantly above the level of chance agreement.

Adult↗