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M Arató

Publications and source records attributed to M Arató.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Double-blind, multicenter comparative study of sertraline and amitriptyline in hospitalized patients with major depression.

Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) for which marketing approval has been obtained recently in Germany. The results of several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies have demonstrated that sertraline has a clear antidepressive effect. However these studies have been conducted in outpatient populations. In the context of this multicenter study, a total of 160 inpatients were treated with sertraline 50-150 mg or amitriptyline 75-225 mg over a period of 6 weeks in a double-blind fashion. Sixty-two patients in the sertraline and 59 patients in the amitriptyline group were evaluated for efficacy in the according-to-protocol (ATP) population; 80 sertraline and 75 amitriptyline patients were evaluated for safety in the Intention-to-treat population (ITT). No statistically significant differences were detected between the two groups in the efficacy analysis performed on the basis of the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) total score and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). Due to its sedating properties, amitriptyline was found to be significantly more effective with regard to the HAM-D factor "sleep disturbance". The safety analysis, which was based on the CGI, the global assessment at the end of study and a score for somatic adverse events (FSUCL) revealed statistically significant advantages of sertraline over amitriptyline. Amitriptyline was associated with more autonomic and circulatory side effects, while epigastric complaints occurred more often with sertraline. The incidence of nausea - a typical SSRI side effect - was the same in both groups.

Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors↗
PubMed1996

[The Hungarian suicide enigma].

Hungary has had a traditionally high suicide rate in the last century. With a twofold increase between 1960 and 1985, this country had the highest recorded suicide rate in the world. This dramatic increase was due to an extreme high suicide mortality in elderly people. A very strong age effect, especially in women, is a unique phenomenon. Further demographic, epidemiological, psychosocial and biological investigations were carried out in the recent years, and overviewed here briefly. Post-mortem psychiatric assessment of suicide victims, biological research and epidemiological data suggest that undiagnosed and untreated depression is a significant factor in the high suicide mortality.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Psychoendocrinology of menopause].

The possible role of of the marked changes in the regulation of female sex hormones has been implicated in the higher prevalence rate of anxiety and affective disorders in women. There is no evidence, however, for a direct relationship between specific hormone alterations and psychiatric, nosologic entities in the critical periods (premenstrual, postpartum, menopausal). The menopausal psychosyndrome can develop as a result of a chain reaction triggered by the fairly universal and specific vasomotor symptoms: hot flushes and night sweats. The hormone substitution therapy of menopause may have a prompt effect both on the somatic and psychic symptoms, by suspending the domino effect. In addition to that oestrogen has some activating and mood elevating effect, while progesteron can reduce anxiety and related symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The role of psychosocial and biological variables in separating chronic and non-chronic major depression and early-late-onset dysthymia.

Psychosocial (sociodemographic characteristics, loss and separation and family atmosphere in childhood, recent life events) and biological (family history, DST, TRH-test) variables were investigated in 180 patients with Major Depression (MD) and Dysthymic Disorder (DD). The aim of the study was to reveal certain differences between the chronic and non-chronic course of MD and the early- and late-onset subtypes of dysthymia. When comparing the two course patterns of MD, a higher rate of malignant tumours among first-degree relatives, a greater number of long-lasting stress situations before the index depressive episode, longer duration of the previous episodes, less frequent DST nonsuppression, and a blunted TSH response to TRH were found in patients with a chronic course of MD. Several factors seem to influence the course pattern of MD, or else the chronic form represents a subgroup within MD. The late-onset dysthymics were mainly women with a low level of education, a lower suicidal tendency, normal suppression in DST, and a lack of blunted TSH responses to TRH administration during the period of double depression. The early-onset dysthymics showed a higher number of persons who had never married, who presented a more traumatic and frustrating childhood background, and who had a higher rate of DST non-suppressors and blunted TSH responses after TRH administration during the period of their double depression. Our data suggest that late-onset dysthymia might be a biologically distinct subgroup of chronic depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Localization and quantification of pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA and glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in pituitaries of suicide victims.

Suicidal behavior has been associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal overactivity in humans, as measured by increased corticosteroid secretion. To investigate whether this overactivity is reflected at the pituitary level, we have studied the localization of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA, and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA, in human anterior pituitaries, and quantified these messages relative to controls. Pituitaries from 7 suicide victims and 11 cardiac deaths were sectioned into 10-microns slides, stained with thionin and processed for in situ hybridization using a riboprobe complementary to human POMC mRNA. To correct for possible postmortem cell loss, hybridization with P1B15, a cDNA complementary to rat cyclophillin mRNA, was used in adjacent sections. POMC mRNA containing cells were found to be localized in clusters and were highly associated with corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptors. In contrast, GR mRNA containing cells were distributed through the pituitary, although areas of increased density were associated with POMC mRNA cells. Quantification with a computerized image analysis system revealed a 25% increase in POMC message in suicide victims. Analysis of the corticotrophic cell clumps showed that the suicide victims had higher POMC mRNA density per cell (p = 0.04) and larger corticotrophic cell size (p = 0.04) than the cardiac death victims. No differences in GR mRNA were detected between the two groups, although GR and POMC mRNA levels were highly and significantly correlated (r = 0.8, p < 0.001). There were no differences in P1B15 message between the two groups. We conclude that in situ hybridization is a useful tool to study gene regulation in human neuroendocrine tissue and that suicide victims show evidence of chronic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Serotonergic interhemispheric asymmetry: gender difference in the orbital cortex.

The asymmetry of tritiated imipramine (IMI) binding sites (which are associated with serotonergic mechanisms) were investigated in the orbital frontal cortex in 6 women and men who died of natural causes, and who did not have a history of mental disorders. There was significant interhemispheric asymmetry in both sexes, higher Bmax on the right side compared with the left. The Bmax values of IMI binding in the right orbital cortex in women were significantly higher than in men. Our preliminary findings--gender difference of serotonergic mechanisms in some area of the human brain--are in accordance with the observed gender differences in a variety of serotonin-regulated behaviors (sexual behavior, aggression and impulse control), and serotonergic mental disorders (eating disorders, suicidal behavior, anxiety disorders and depression).

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Suicide in subtypes of primary major depression.

Among 100 consecutive suicide victims with primary major depression at the time of their suicide, 46% were found to have had bipolar II depression, 1% bipolar I disorder and 53% non-bipolar major depression. Since the lifetime prevalence rates of bipolar II and bipolar I depressions are relatively low compared to primary major non-bipolar depression, the present findings suggest that bipolar II disorder gives a particularly high risk of suicide among the different subtypes of primary major affective illness. Fifty-nine percent of the patients had medical contact during the depressive episode, but the depression was frequently undiagnosed, untreated or undertreated. The implications of these findings for suicide prevention are discussed briefly.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Predicting neuroleptic response from a combination of multilevel variables in acute schizophrenic patients.

A predetermined set of 22 sociodemographic, psychosocial, clinical, neurocognitive and biochemical potential predictor variables was tested in 98 schizophrenic patients admitted for relapse. The patients were treated with neuroleptics, mostly with haloperidol, for 28 d. Ten of the 22 variables correlated significantly with the neuroleptic response. Using stepwise multiple regression analyses, an optimal combination of 5 predictors was found to be in hierarchical order: disturbances of premorbid adjustment, intensity of positive symptoms at admission, family history of schizophrenia, working ability during the year before admission and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase. The 5 best predictors explained 29% of outcome variance, and all 22 variables together explained 35%. Such neurological characteristics as neurological soft signs, handedness, abnormal voluntary movements, spontaneous blink rate and cognitive impairment did not predict the treatment response. Several psychopathological, psychosocial and clinical predictors known from the literature could also be confirmed by cross-validation.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

DST in India.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗
PubMed1989

Basal adrenocortical activity and DST in electrodermally differentiated subgroups of panic patients.

Twenty nine patients with panic disorder or agoraphobia with panic attacks were studied. The relationship between pre- and postdexamethasone serum cortisol level and electrodermal lability as reflected in electrodermal habituation rate and resting non-specific electrodermal activity was investigated. The frequency of non-suppression of cortisol following dexamethasone (DST non-suppressors) (at 5 micrograms/dl cut-off level) was 29.6% for the total group of patients. The basal plasma cortisol concentration showed positive correlation with the electrodermal habituation rate. The basal plasma cortisol level of slow habituator panic patients was significantly higher compared to rapid habituator patients, and it was above the normal range. On the contrary in rapid habituator panic patients the pre- and postdexamethasone cortisol difference was significantly less than in slow habituator patients, due to the normal basal plasma cortisol level and the relatively reduced rate of feedback suppression of cortisol following dexamethasone. Of the rapid habituator panic patients, 50% were non-suppressors following dexamethasone (at 5 micrograms/dl cut-off level). The above results might reflect two relatively different patterns of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal dysregulation in connection with two extremes of electrodermal habituation rate in panic patients.

Adult↗