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Biomedical subjects

M Arató

Publications and source records attributed to M Arató.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Dexamethasone suppression test and coping behavior in psychosocial stress.

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were administered to 144 healthy inductees on day 2 of military service. One hundred and four of them completed a 120-item questionnaire describing their coping responses to this particular challenge. Thirty-six subjects (25%) failed to suppress plasma cortisol adequately. Their mean scores on the MMPI clinical standard scales were within the normal range. High postdexamethasone cortisol levels were associated with denial and passivity, and with low demand for social support. These results suggest that the DST might be more related to coping with a stressor than to a specific diagnosis. The authors speculate that high hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activity may have a primary role in psychological defense promoting inattention to the aversive aspects of stressful situations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

High-dose infusion therapy for severe depressions.

The present paper reports the results of high-dose intravenous antidepressive treatment performed at the Psychiatric Department of the Hungarian Central Hospital in Budapest. Based on the differences in the comparative dexamethasone suppression tests (DSTs), prolactin (PRL) responses and Fischer Symptom Check List (FSCL) scores, it is hypothesized that a high parenterally administered dose of dibenzepine acts differently in comparison to oral drugs, which are extensively metabolized in the hepatic microsomal system. The results obtained so far suggest that the effect of high-dose intravenous dibenzepine in endogenous depressive states is comparable to that of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), as far as the regression of symptoms and biochemical changes are concerned.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Retrospective psychiatric assessment of 200 suicides in Budapest.

Based on an interview with the closest family member, using the Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia--SADS, a retrospective psychiatric assessment and diagnostic classification was carried out on 200 completed suicides. Eighty-one per cent of the victims had a recent psychiatric disorder, in 63% depression. The prevalence of psychiatric illnesses was similar to that of other studies from countries with lower suicide rates.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1988

Does 3H-imipramine binding asymmetry indicate psychiatric illness?

We have accepted that serotonin is essentially an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the human brain, so we propose that it is precisely this inhibiting effect that has weakened in psychiatric cases. We have investigated the asymmetry of tritiated imipramine binding sites (Bmax) in the frontal cortices of homicide victims (n = 6) and controls (n = 6) who died of natural causes. Of these homicide victims examined in our experiment, five proved to have been psychiatric cases and one case had no psychiatric record. The two groups were comparable in age, gender and postmortem delay. The number of imipramine binding sites (Bmax) in the frontal cortices of controls was significantly higher in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere. But the homicide victims who were psychiatric cases had significantly higher (Bmax) values in the left hemisphere. While we only found higher Bmax values in the left hemisphere of homicide victims with mental diseases, our data may serve to prove the direct role of the serotonergic mechanism in the development of psychiatric cases.

Brain↗
PubMed1987

Electroretinographic examination and definition of serum zinc levels in patients with chronic pancreatitis.

The authors have verified that retina dysfunction in patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis could be demonstrated by the help of electroretinography and eliminated or significantly corrected by administration of pancreas enzyme preparations. The retinograph may be applied successfully in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis and also in evaluation of the efficacy of the substitution treatment. The insufficiency of zinc absorption may play a definite role in the development of these functional disturbances. It has also been established that lower zinc values parallel with the decrease of the stool fat contents in patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis and can be significantly improved by enzyme preparations.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase activity and alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Fifty male alcoholics had serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) activity, and serum prolactin (PRL) levels measured on the day of withdrawal, and 22 of them also on days 7 and 28 after it. The obtained values were related to the development of withdrawal symptoms. Treatment was begun with meprobamate on the first day of withdrawal, and from day 7 it was completed with disulfiram (250 and 500 mg/day, respectively). Serum DBH activity decreased significantly by day 7, however a further fall of it occurred by day 28 only in patients receiving high doses (500 mg) of disulfiram. PRL levels rose over the period of withdrawal which reached significance level on day 28. No correlation was found between serum DBH activity and the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Serum DBH activity did not differ from that of the healthy controls at either point of time, while serum PRL level was significantly elevated throughout the period of the study.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Dexamethasone suppression test and depressive symptoms in schizophrenics and endogenous depressed patients.

Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) was given to 30 depressed and 30 schizophrenic patients. 10 depressed patients (33%) and 6 schizophrenics (20%) showed abnormal DST; the difference was not statistically significant. The DST-positive and DST-negative patients did not differ significantly in the total scores on anxiety-depression factor of the BPRS, either in the group of depressed patients or in schizophrenics.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The dexamethasone suppression test in panic disorder and major depressive episodes.

Dexamethasone Suppression Tests (DST) were performed on 30 patients with panic disorder and on 30 patients treated for major depressive episodes in order to seek an answer to the question of whether or not the two disorders have a common biological background. The hypothesis was based on the results of family studies known from the literature and on the favorable therapeutic response obtained with tricyclic antidepressants. Normal suppressive (i.e., negative in our terminology) DSTs were found in 16.7% of the patients with panic disorder and in 56.7% of patients suffering from major depressive episodes. The anxiety indices of the two groups differed significantly from each other. The results do not suggest the possibility of a close genetic relationship between the two conditions.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Platelet MAO activity and the dexamethasone suppression test in bipolar depression.

The correlation between postdexamethasone cortisol levels after the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was studied in 31 depressed female inpatients with Research Diagnostic Criteria primary, endogenous, bipolar depression (12 bipolar 1 and 19 bipolar 11). Out of the 31 patients, 25 showed abnormal DST results. Platelet MAO activity did not differ significantly from the matched control group. There was a trend that patients with higher MAO activity had lower postdexamethasone cortisol levels, but it was significant only for the 0800 hr cortisol levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Aminergic studies and cerebrospinal fluid cations in suicide.

Cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) measurements have been collected over six years from 275 drug-free, recently hospitalized psychiatric patients, almost exclusively females. In accord with other observations from various countries, patients who had attempted suicide shortly before admission had significantly lower mean CSF 5-HIAA concentration and this was particularly true for those using violent methods. This finding could be replicated in five subsequent samples of patients evaluated separately and using different assay procedures, and proved to be independent of the clinical diagnoses. CSF HVA also showed similar tendencies but it had much larger variance with respect to suicide attempts and therefore fell short of statistical significance. In two patient populations CSF calcium and magnesium measurements have been obtained. CSF calcium did not prove to be related to either suicidal behavior or the diagnosis of major depression; on the other hand, CSF magnesium was found to be significantly lower in the suicide attempters and also correlated with CSF 5-HIAA. Nonsuicidal depressives had comparable CSF calcium and magnesium levels to the controls.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Sensation seeking, paired associate learning and brain catecholamines.

Paired associate learning performance and strategies were analyzed in terms of learning situations (training vs. 'contextual' and 'noncontextual' transfer), personality factors [Thrill and adventure seeking (TAS) and disinhibition (Dis)] and catecholamine enzyme activity [dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and monoamine-oxydase (MAO)]. Performance was better in transfer situations, in high MAO-high DBH subjects (high catecholamine turnover rate?), and as a negative function of DBH (preponderance of dopaminergic activity?). Error patterns of response selection (high omission and low intrusion error rate) were found to be a positive function of contextual transfer, TAS and DBH (high response-contingent noradrenergic activity?).

Adult↗