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Biomedical subjects

M A Gagnon

Publications and source records attributed to M A Gagnon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1980

Acupuncture for smokers: lack of long-term therapeutic effect in a controlled study.

Two types of acupuncture therapy, one aimed specifically at smoking withdrawal and the other aimed at enhancing relaxation, were compared with self-monitoring in 75 healthy men that wished to stop smoking. During the 2 weeks following treatment there was no significant difference in the adjusted mean daily smoking rates of the subjects receiving acupuncture therapy of the two types, but their combined rate was significantly lower than the rate of the subjects in the self-monitoring group. However, at 1, 3, and 6 months following treatment there were no longer statistically significant differences between the three treatment groups in the adjusted mean smoking rates. At no time were there significant differences between the three treatment groups in the proportion of subjects that stopped smoking during the study. Although acupuncture appears to have become a popular treatment for cigarette smokers, its effectiveness remains to be proven in the treatment of tobacco addiction.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1979

Quantitative determination of plasma oxyphenbutazone by gas-liquid chromatography with selective nitrogen detection.

A sensitive and specific gas chromatographic method, using the nitrogen-phosphorus detector for the detection and determination of oxyphenbutazone extracted from plasma is described. The method involves extraction and back-extraction steps followed by derivatization of both oxyphenbutazone and the internal standard with trifluoroacetic anhydride. The procedure permits the rapid and specific routine determination of oxyphenbutazone in plasma with a detection limit of 0.5 microgram/ml. The procedure is linear over the range of concentrations encountered after administration of a single oral therapeutic dose. No interference from the biological matrix is apparent. The suitability of the method for the analysis of biological samples was tested by studying the variation with time of oxyphenbutazone plasma concentrations in normal human volunteers over a period of several biological half-lives.

Autoanalysis↗
PubMed1978

Nanogram-range determination of plasma imipramine by gas-liquid chromatography using a selective nitrogen/phosphorus detector.

A sensitive and specific gas chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of plasma concentrations resulting from a single normal therapeutic dose of imipramine has been developed and is descriged. After extraction into a mixture of n-heptane/isoamyl alcohol (98.5:1.5), imipramine is well separated from its main metabolite, desmethylimipramine, and both compounds are detected using a selective detector operating in the N/P mode. The procedure permits the rapid routine quantitative analysis of relatively small plasma volumes (1-2 ml) containing as little as 1-2 ng of imipramine. No interference from the biological matrix is apparent. The suitability of the method for the analysis of biological samples was tested by studying the time of course of imipramine plasma concentrations in normal human volunteers, after administration of a single therapeutic dose.

Chromatography, Gas↗
PubMed1978

Thought-stopping as a treatment for reducing cigarette smoking.

Three treatments, thought-stopping, group discussion, and the wearing of a badge saying "I don't smoke", each combined with self-monitoring, were compared to one another and to self-monitoring alone for their ability to modify the smoking behavior of 60 volunteers. All procedures led to an important reduction of the smoking rate at the beginning of treatment, the reduction being significantly greater with thought-stopping. The latter remained the most successful treatment during the 6-month follow-up, although it did not differ significantly from self-monitoring alone.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Clonazepam: its efficacy in association with phenytoin and phenobarbital in mental patients with generalized major motor seizures.

In a 36-week controlled study, the efficacy of clonazepam administered with phenytoin and phenobarbital was evaluated in twenty-four epileptic mental patients suffering from major motor seizures. The patients were distributed in two strata according to the presence or the absence of chlorpromazine. As compared with placebo treatment in the chlorpromazine-free patients, a significant reduction in the frequency of the tonic-clonic seizures was observed during the 24-week clonazepam treatment. This effect could not be observed in the patients requiring the antipsychotic drug. The EEG performed before and at the end of the experimental period did not show any significant change. The most common adverse reactions to clonazepam were drowsiness and ataxia; they diminished with continued treatment.

Benzodiazepinones↗
PubMed1977

Hypolipidemic effect of tibric acid. A comparison with clofibrate and placebo in type IV hyperlipoproteinemia.

The effects of tibric acid, clofibrate, and placebo were compared in type IV hyperlipidemic patients for a 6-month period. The patients were divided into two pathological level groups according to their baseline triglyceride levels. Compared to the placebo, both tibric acid and clofibrate reduced the mean serum triglyceride concentration in the high pathological level group; however, clofibrate was also effective in the low pathological level group. The effects on total cholesterol were less pronounced with the two drugs. No effect was observed on esterified cholesterol, phospholipids, free fatty acids, and fasting blood sugar. After a 6-week follow-up period under placebo, no rebound of the triglyceride and cholesterol levels could be observed after discontinuation of the two active drugs. The other biochemical changes observed after each active treatment are discussed in relation to the different degree of activity of each active drug and to the different baseline levels of triglycerides.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Subjective phenomena in drug trials.

Three types of problem arise from subjective phenomena in drug trials: problems of control, measurement, and analysis. Examples are given in order to illustrate these three aspects and to present some recent advances in clinical pharmacology. The author discusses the control of drug compliance, the validity of questionnaires, the subjectivity of the observer and that of the observations. Drug side-effects and the statistical analysis of qualitative data are presented in more detail.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1977

[Physiological and psychological effects of biological feed-back training (alpha and EMG) among drug using college students].

Twenty-four volunteer college students, who were regular drug users, were randomly allocated to three training groups of equal size: alpha feedback, EMG feedback and a joked control group. Subjects, who were unaware of which feedback condition they received, were asked to practice at home during a six month follow-up period to achieve a relaxed state similar to that experienced during training. No group was successful in retaining gains made in their alpha levels during each session. The EMG group, however, significantly reduced their muscular activity during training and retained the improvement during follow-up. The alpha and joked groups did not significantly improve their EMG during training but at follow-up achieved the same levels as the EMG group. There was evidence to suggest a reduction in drug use among light and medium users that was maintained during follow-up. Significant and lasting improvements were made by each group in the duration and quality of their sleep. Anxiety levels were also reduced.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1975

Physiological and psychological effects of alpha and EMG feedback training with college drug users: a pilot study.

Twenty-four volunteer college students who were regular drug users were randomly allocated to three training groups of equal size: alpha feedback, EMG feedback and a joked control group. The subjects were unaware of which feedback condition they received and were asked to practise at home during a six-month follow-up period in order to achieve a relaxed state similar to that experienced during training. No group was successful in retaining gains made in their alpha levels during each session, but the EMG group significantly reduced their muscular activity during training and retained the improvement during follow-up. The alpha and joked groups did not greatly improve their EMG during training but at follow-up achieved the same levels as the EMG group. There was evidence to suggest that a reduction in drug use among light and medium users was maintained during follow-up. Significant and lasting improvements were made by each group in the duration and quality of their sleep and anxiety levels were reduced.

Achievement↗