PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Ferreri

Publications and source records attributed to M Ferreri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Recent clinical trials of hydroxyzine in generalized anxiety disorder.

Numerous clinical trials in the 1960s and 1970s have attested to the anxiolytic efficacy of hydroxyzine and its beneficial effect on sleep, as well as in reducing stress and anxiety associated with coronary disease. Experience with hydroxyzine has also shown a lack of organ toxicity and an absence of dependency. Recent controlled clinical trials with hydroxyzine have confirmed its efficacy (at a fixed dose of 50 mg) in generalized anxiety disorder--superiority over placebo on all anxiety measures from the first week with early target symptoms which are grouped in a cognitive component of anxiety. Efficacy was maintained throughout the 4 weeks of treatment and after abrupt discontinuation. In another controlled trial vs. lorazepam, hydroxyzine demonstrated greater and more rapid cognitive improvement.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗
PubMed1997

[Epidemiological approach of inhibition in general practice].

OBJECTIVE: To obtain preliminary data on the prevalence and characteristics of inhibition in an adult population consulting in general practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight hundred thirteen general practitioners, forming a representative distribution of general medicine clinics in France. Each evaluated, during a study period which did not exceed 2 days in 70% of the cases, 20 consecutive patients using a standard questionnaire, noting age, sex, motivation for consultation, presence of inhibition, inhibition score, and associated diseases (5 were possible). The physicians also scored 12 specific items (attitude, fatigue, feeling of being "blocked", concentration, memory, planning, indecision, inefficiency, creativity, sleep, appetite, sexuality) (0 = absent; 1 = discrete; 2 = moderate). The sum of the scores provided the global inhibition score (maximum = 24). RESULTS: Among the 15076 patients evaluated (M/F ratio 41.3/58.7; mean age 49.4 +/- 18 years; educational level: French aptitude certificate 44%) one or more of the inhibition items was the motivation for consultation in 23.9% and at least one item was scored in 80% of the cases. Fatigue was scored in more than half the patients. The percentage of patients considered to be inhibited (I) was 35.8% (M/F ratio 35.3/64.7; mean age 51.9 +/- 18 years). Compared with the non inhibited population (NI), the items most frequently associated with and most characteristic of inhibition were severe fatigue (I = 42.4% vs 8.7 NI), sleep disorders, difficulties in concentrating or memory, and a feeling of being "blocked". The symptom intensity score was 2.9 +/- 3.3, 10.9 +/- 5 and 15.9 +/- 4.7 in populations NI, I and PI (patients considered to be the most inhibited) respectively. This suggested that there is a correlation between a high score and presence of inhibition and its intensity. Anxiety was invariably described in all three subpopulations, but depression was the most discriminating factor (3.7, 33.9, and 67.2 for NI, I and PI respectively). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data show an unsuspected high frequency of inhibition in patients consulting in general practice. Inhibition was more frequently observed in women and in older patients inhibition showed a characteristic physical, intellectual and psychic symptomatology dominated by fatigue and increased in intensity when associated with a depressive syndrome.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Efficacy of amineptine in the prevention of relapse in unipolar depression.

The clinical properties of amineptine, a mainly dopaminergic antidepressant, were assessed in a double-blind controlled study involving patients fulfilling Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) criteria for unipolar depression. The aim was to determine how relapses could be prevented in this frequently recessing disorder. The study was a two-phase, 12-month, multicentre trial of patients suffering from major depression or dysthymia, diagnosed using DSM-III criteria and evaluated on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Mood, Anxiety, Retardation, Danger scale. Phase I was an open-label 3-month period, with the patients being given 200 mg amineptine per day. The second, 9-month period was a placebo-controlled prophylactic phase. A total of 458 patients were initially included in the study. Of the 376 who completed phase I, 303 (66%) were responders; 284 entered the prophylactic study, randomly assigned to two groups. Of the 134 patients in the placebo group who completed phase II, 25 (18.7%) suffered a relapse, compared with nine out of the 136 (6.6%) in the amineptine group. After resolution of an acute episode of major depression or dysthymia, long-term antidepressant therapy with amineptine significantly reduced the relapse rate.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Initial monoamine oxidase-A inhibition by moclobemide does not predict the therapeutic response in patients with major depression. A double blind, randomized study.

It is generally accepted that the clinical efficacy of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) is related to inhibition of this enzyme. In order to evaluate the predictive ability of monoamine oxidase-A inhibition for therapeutic efficacy, the start of treatment effects of moclobemide, a selective, reversible monoamine oxidase-A inhibitor, on plasma concentrations of monoamines and monoamine metabolites were determined. The plasma levels of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG, deaminated metabolite of noradrenaline), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA, deaminated metabolite of serotonin), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid and homovanillic acid (DOPAC and HVA, deaminated metabolites of dopamine), L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa) and noradrenaline were investigated and related to treatment outcome. This was a randomized double blind parallel group study in 47 patients with criteria of major depression according to DSM III R. Moclobemide 300 mg/day, 450 mg/day or 600 mg/day was administered continuously for 6 weeks. Plasma concentrations of monoamine metabolites and monoamines were determined just before treatment by moclobemide, 4 h after the first dose, 24 h after the first dose, before the first dose on day 7, and 4 h after the first dose, on day 7. Each moclobemide dose improved depression as measured by MADRS (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating scale) but there was no difference between the three doses. Moclobemide dose-dependently reduced plasma concentration of DHPG, L-dopa and HVA. No dose-dependent treatment effect was observed for plasma 5-HIAA, noradrenaline and DOPAC. The clinical outcome as defined by the final MADRS score was not related to any start of treatment changes in plasma monoamine metabolites reflecting inhibition of MAO-A. It is concluded that monoamine oxidase-A inhibition at the beginning of the treatment does not predict clinical outcome.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗
PubMed1996

Attitude of women towards early cancer detection and estimation of the compliance to a screening program for cervix and breast cancer.

Before the start of a feasibility study for cervical and breast cancer screening in two towns (Genoa and Rome) in Italy, a random sample (N = 349) of the target population was interviewed with the aim of evaluating (i) the degree of knowledge as to the purpose of the screening tests; (ii) the attitude towards early detection of these cancers; and (iii) the potential compliance to the program. Pap test: 48.7% of women were correctly informed about the object of the test; information was associated with the degree of education (p < 0.0001). Periodic Pap test was reported by 77.9% of women: the proportion was higher among younger (p = 0.013) and married women (p = 0.001). A 1-year interval between two tests was more frequently reported by younger women (p < 0.001). Estimated participation in the cervical cancer screening program was 63.3%. Increasing age (OR = 0.78; CI = 0.6-1.0), the married status (OR = 0.39; CI = 0.18-0.83) and lack of knowledge of the object of the test (OR = 0.47; CI = 0.25-0.87) hindered participation in the program. Mammography: 53.3% of women reported that it is a method used for early detection of breast cancer. Well-educated women were more likely to be correctly informed (p < 0.0001). Previous mammography was reported by 49.3% of women aged 50 to 69 years who never experienced breast cancer symptoms; married women more frequently reported having had the test (p = 0.02). Estimated participation in the breast cancer screening program was 59%. Women aged 60 years and over were less prone to participate (OR = 0.44; CI = 0.22-0.89). Increasing age was the most relevant barrier to participation in screening programs, and strong efforts should be made to involve older women, due to their greater chance of getting cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Classification and psychiatric practice].

The DSM IV/CIM 10 classifications constitute an important effort to organize some aspects of psychiatric field. It represents a specific model--categorical, descriptive, discontinuous--aiming at identifying and classifying the mental disorders. The needs of daily psychiatric practice imply that the clinician should use new frames and models in which the dynamical, interactive, continuous component prevails.

Comorbidity↗
PubMed1993

Planning of a screening programme for cervical cancer in Liguria and evaluation of the attitude of the female population towards cancer detection.

In 1990 an investigation aimed at evaluating the possibility of organizing a regional screening programme for the early detection of cervical cancer was carried out in Liguria. Information on resources available for early detection of cervical cancer was obtained from 12 of 20 Public Health Units; a screening programme was feasible in 8 of them. The number of Pap tests examined was evaluated for 6 of 20 cytology laboratories. Only one laboratory examined more than 20,000 Pap tests in 1989 and, according to the international guidelines, can be a referring centre for screening. However, no information was available concerning inter- and intralaboratory quality control programmes. In the same period a population-based survey was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire in order to evaluate the attitudes of women towards cervical cancer prevention. A total of 1,454 of 4,197 women (35%) participated in the study. Younger, well educated women employed in non non-manual work were more likely to participate in the study. About 65% of the respondents had satisfactory practices with regards to the Pap test, suggesting a strong self-selection that probably resulted in a sample of women more health-conscious than the general population. In conclusion, our results suggest that major interventions should be carried out in the Public Health Units to direct resources to the needs of the population. In addition, new educational methods should be adopted to reach selected population groups to encourage them to have a Pap test performed on a regular basis.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A double-blind multicentre comparison of remoxipride, at two dose levels, and haloperidol.

A total of 186 patients who met the DSM-III criteria for schizophrenia were admitted to a double-blind randomized multicentre trial in which the efficacy and safety of remoxipride at two dose levels was compared with those of haloperidol. Over a period of six weeks the patients received remoxipride 100-300 mg/day (n = 60), remoxipride 200-600 mg/day (n = 61), or haloperidol 10-30 mg/day (n = 64). There was no significant difference between the three treated groups with regard to the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores obtained. Remoxipride, at both dosage ranges used, thus had comparable therapeutic efficacy to that of haloperidol. In contrast, extrapyramidal symptoms occurred significantly more frequently in the group treated with haloperidol. Laboratory tests and cardiovascular investigations showed no specific drug effect in any of the treated patients. Remoxipride is thus effective in acute treatment of schizophrenia at both dosage levels and has an advantage over haloperidol in neurological acceptability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Fluoxetine versus amineptine in the treatment of outpatients with major depressive disorders.

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was compared to amineptine, a tricyclic antidepressant agent, in the treatment of 63 outpatients with major depressive disorders of mild or moderate severity. Patients were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of treatment with either fluoxetine or amineptine. Fluoxetine was found to have a more marked therapeutic effect than that of amineptine: better efficacy, fewer side-effects, and quicker and better improvement on the self evaluation scales.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Oropharyngeal form of the Lasthenie de Ferjol syndrome. Apropos of a case].

The Lasthenie de Ferjol Syndrome associates an iron-deficient anemia by blood auto-spoliation with mental disorders. In this paper, the authors present an oropharyngeal form of this disease. Based on this case review (and those reported in the literature), they remind us this syndrome's mains characteristics, underlying how exceptional and particular this clinical report is. At least they point out how to diagnose, manage, and treat patients with this strange illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Construction and preliminary validation of an anxiety scale, the FARD (Ferreri anxiety rating diagram)].

The complexity of the anxious disease does not facilitate the clinical approach. That the reason why the authors have developed a rating scale based on a descriptive symptomatology to find out a diagnosis, to rate the severity of illness and to facilitate the pharmaceutical prescription. To develop a skill needed by general practitioners as well as specialists, Prof. M. Ferreri worked with pools of medical doctors to isolate the more frequent items in the anxious symptomatology. So they pointed out a first group of 14 items. A first statistical approach was to compare the new scale with the well-known Hamilton anxiety scale by the way of a sample of 81 ratings. After a first factor analysis, a sub-group of 12 items were definitely retained. These items were split in 4 factors which permitted to present the factorial results in diagram [Acta psychiat. belg., 87, 704-713 (1987)].

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Anxiety states and bromazepam (author's transl)].

In the study reported here 73 ambulatory patients with neurotic or reactional anxiety state were treated with bromazepam (Lexomil) 6 to 12 mg/24 hours in 3 divided doses with a double dose at night. Treatment lasted from 28 days (8 patients) to 60 days or more (42 patients). Results were excellent or good in 43 cases, with rapid improvement in the psychic component of anxiety. Twelve of the 15 patient s who took bromazepam 4 hours before going to bed plus a hypnotic at night showed improvement in the quality of sleep. During weaning of ambulatory alcoholic subjects by gradual withdrawal of alcoholic beverages, bromazepam proved useful in reducing the anxiety load. The drug was generally well tolerated.

Adult↗