PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Fink

Publications and source records attributed to M Fink.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

The mitochondrial inner membrane protein Lpe10p, a homologue of Mrs2p, is essential for magnesium homeostasis and group II intron splicing in yeast.

The yeast ORF YPL060w/LPE10 encodes a homologue of the mitochondrial protein Mrs2p. These two proteins are 32% identical, and have two transmembrane domains in their C-terminal regions and a putative magnesium transporter signature, Y/F-G-M-N, at the end of one of these domains. Data presented here indicate that Lpe10p is inserted into the inner mitochondrial membrane with both termini oriented towards the matrix space. Disruption of the LPE10 gene results in a growth defect on non-fermentable substrates (petite phenotype) and a marked defect in group II intron splicing. The fact that in intron-less strains lpe10 disruptants also exhibit a petite phenotype indicates that functions other than RNA splicing are affected by the absence of Lpe10p. In the mitochondria, concentrations of magnesium, but not of several other divalent metal ions, are increased when Lpe10p is overexpressed and reduced when it is absent. Magnesium concentrations are raised to normal levels and growth on non-fermentable substrates is partially restored by the expression of CorA, the bacterial magnesium transporter, in the lpe10 disruptant. These features are similar to those previously reported for Mrs2p, suggesting that Lpe10p and Mrs2p are functional homologues. However, they cannot easily substitute for each other. Their roles in magnesium homeostasis and, possibly as a secondary effect, in RNA splicing are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2001

Catatonia: syndrome or schizophrenia subtype? Recognition and treatment.

Two views of catatonia influence clinical practice. In the classical European view, adopted by DSM classifications, the signs of catatonia indicate a form of schizophrenia. In the syndromal view, the signs of catatonia are motor signs that are readily identified in many psychiatric disorders. Catatonia is a parallel behavior phenomenon to delusions (in thought) and delirium (in cognition). The syndromic view includes the neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It encourages a different treatment algorithm, the use of benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy, to replace the customary use of antipsychotic drugs alone. The benefits of such treatment warrant the recommended change in concept and classification.

Catatonia↗
PubMed2001

Convulsive therapy: a review of the first 55 years.

Convulsive therapy was introduced to psychiatric practice in 1934. It was widely hailed as an effective treatment for schizophrenia and quickly recognized as equally effective for the affective disorders. Like other somatic treatments, it was replaced by psychotropic drugs introduced in the 1950s and 1960s. But two decades later, ECT was recalled to treat pharmacotherapy-resistant cases. Avid searches to optimize seizure induction and treatment courses, to reduce risks and fears, to broaden the indications for its use, and to understand its mechanism of action followed. Unlike other medical treatments, however, these searches were severely impeded by a vigorous antipsychiatry movement among the public and within the profession. ECT is effective in the treatment of patients with major depression, delusional depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, catatonia, neuroleptic malignant syndrome, and parkinsonism, and this breadth of action is both remarkable and unique. ECT is a safe treatment. No age or systemic condition bars its use. Its major limitations are the high relapse rates and the occasional profound effects on memory and recall that mar its success. Experiments to sustain its benefits with medications and with continuation ECT are underway. Its mode of action remains a mystery and this puzzle is an unappreciated challenge. The full impact of this intervention is yet to be felt.

Electroconvulsive Therapy↗
PubMed2001

Computerized tomography-guided epidural blood patch in the treatment of spontaneous low cerebrospinal fluid pressure headache.

A 54-year-old woman suffering from migraine for 35 years was referred to the pain clinic with a changed pattern of headache that had developed over the last 6 weeks. The pain was located in the central forehead region; aggravation in the prone and immediate relief in the supine position led to the hypothesis of a spontaneous low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure headache. Cisternography revealed a cyst-like formation in the cervico-thoracic region, indicating cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) myelography confirmed ventral leakage but failed to locate the exact site. Computerized tomography (CT)-guided epidural blood patching between T1 and T2 completely relieved the headache.

Blood Patch, Epidural↗
PubMed2001

Needle acupuncture in tension-type headache: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

UNLABELLED: A study with needle acupuncture was performed in tension-type headache employing a new placebo acupuncture METHOD: Sixty-nine patients (mean age 48.1 years, SD = 14.1) fulfilling the International Headache Society criteria for tension-type headache were randomly assigned to verum or placebo condition. No significant differences between placebo and verum with respect to visual analogue scale and frequency of headache attacks could be observed immediately, 6 weeks and 5 months after the end of treatment. There was a significant but weak improvement in quality of life parameters (clinical global impressions, Nottingham Health Profile) after verum treatment. In decision tree analyses, the changes in clinical global impressions and headache frequency depended significantly on primary headache frequency with a limit value of 24.5 days headache per month. High values in the von Zerssen Depression Score resulted in high mean visual analogue scale values.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2001

Coping strategies in episodic and chronic tension-type headache.

OBJECTIVE: To study the importance of coping with illness strategies in tension-type headache (TTH). BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of TTH is complex, and coping with illness strategies might contribute to the transformation to a chronic form. METHODS: We examined 89 subjects (mean age, 45.6 +/- 14.8 years; range, 18 to 72 years) with episodic (n = 37) and chronic (n = 52) TTH. Patients were required to fill in a Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness (FQCI), a von Zerssen Depression Scale, quality-of-life questionnaires, and a headache home diary (over 4 weeks). In addition, pressure pain thresholds (temporal muscles) and total tenderness scores were obtained. RESULTS: Patients with chronic TTH exhibited poorer quality-of-life measures, slightly more depressive symptoms, and significantly stronger avoidance behavior and endurance strategies on FQCI scales F4 and F5 (P< .05). There was no difference between episodic and chronic TTH with respect to measures of muscle tenderness or pain thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that disadvantageous coping with illness strategies might contribute to a transformation to chronic TTH.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2001

Circadian variations in the responsiveness of human gallbladder to sulfated mineral water.

It is well known that the intake of sulfate-containing natural mineral waters leads to contraction of the gallbladder, probably induced by the release of cholecystokinin (CCK). As early as 1959, there were some hints in the literature of circadian variations in gallbladder response; to find out whether this applies with sulfate as a stimulus, a pretest for basic information about gallbladder reaction to sulfate-containing mineral water was carried out on 19 healthy volunteers. On this basis, 15 healthy subjects of both sexes were then studied. After 6h of fasting, 500 mL of a sulfate-containing mineral water (2,800 mg SO4(2-)/L) were ingested within 5 min. The size of the gallbladder was registered ultrasonographically before and 15, 30, 60, and 120 min after drinking. The experiments were carried out seven times at different hours of the day for each volunteer. After the intake of the mineral water, the mean gallbladder size decreased significantly, followed by an increase after 60 min (P < .001). Significant circadian spontaneous variation in gallbladder size was detected (acrophase around 09:00; amplitude was 30.0% of daily average, P < .001). The contraction induced by the sulfate-containing water was most marked in the early morning hours and minimal around mid-day; the amplitude of this variation accounting for 29.0% of the daily average (P < .01). In contrast, the postdrinking relaxation was maximal around 18:00 and minimal around 9:00 (amplitude 38.5%. P < .001). These results show that the basal size of the gallbladder and its reaction to stimuli show a marked circadian variation: Whereas contractibility is maximal in the morning, dilatation is stronger in the afternoon.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

ECT remission rates in psychotic versus nonpsychotic depressed patients: a report from CORE.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the relative efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in psychotic and nonpsychotic patients with unipolar major depression. METHODS: The outcome of an acute ECT course in 253 patients with nonpsychotic (n = 176) and psychotic (n = 77) unipolar major depression was assessed in the first phase of an ongoing National Institute of Mental Health-supported four-hospital collaborative study of continuation treatments after successful ECT courses. ECT was administered with bilateral electrode placement at 50% above the titrated seizure threshold. The remission criteria were rigorous: a score <or=10 on the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) after 2 consecutive treatments, and a decrease of at least 60% from baseline. RESULTS: The overall remission rate was 87% for study completers. Among these, patients with psychotic depression had a remission rate of 95% and those with nonpsychotic depression, 83%. Improvement in symptomatology, measured by the HRSD, was more robust and appeared sooner in the psychotic patients compared with the nonpsychotic patients. CONCLUSION: Bilateral ECT is effective in relieving severe major depression. Remission rates are higher and occur earlier in psychotic depressed patients than in nonpsychotic depressed patients. These data support the argument that psychotic depression is a distinguishable nosological entity that warrants separate treatment algorithms.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Ultrasonic imaging using spatio-temporal matched field (STMF) processing--applications to liquid and solid waveguides.

This paper is devoted to imaging defects in liquid and solid ultrasonic waveguides. A new ultrasonic imaging technique, based on the spatio-temporal Green functions computation and cross-correlation, is presented. This technique extends the concept of matched field processing (MFP) used in ocean acoustics. Results of experiments conducted in water and in a solid Duralumin bar show that a strong improvement of the spatial resolution is observed with this MFP.

Acoustics↗
PubMed2001

Optimal focusing by spatio-temporal inverse filter. I. Basic principles.

A focusing technique based on the inversion of the propagation operator relating an array of transducers to a set of control points inside a medium was proposed in previous work [Tanter et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 108, 223-234 (2000)] and is extended here to the time domain. As the inversion of the propagation operator is achieved both in space and time, this technique allows calculation of the set of temporal signals to be emitted by each element of the array in order to optimally focus on a chosen control point. This broadband inversion process takes advantage of the singular-value decomposition of the propagation operator in the Fourier domain. The physical meaning of this decomposition is explained in a homogeneous medium. In particular, a definition of the number of degrees of freedom necessary to define the acoustic field generated by an array of limited aperture in a focal plane of limited extent is given. This number corresponds to the number of independent signals that can be created in the focal area both in space and time. In this paper, this broadband inverse-focusing technique is compared in homogeneous media with the classical focusing achieved by simple geometrical considerations but also with time-reversal focusing. It is shown that, even in a simple medium, slight differences appear between these three focusing strategies. In the companion paper [Aubry et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 48-58 (2001)] the three focusing techniques are compared in heterogeneous, absorbing, or complex media where classical focusing is strongly degraded. The strong improvement achieved by the spatio-temporal inverse-filter technique emphasizes the great potential of multiple-channel systems having the ability to apply completely different signal waveforms on each transducer of the array. The application of this focusing technique could be of great interest in various ultrasonic fields such as medical imaging, nondestructive testing, and underwater acoustics.

Echoencephalography↗
PubMed2001

Optimal focusing by spatio-temporal inverse filter. II. Experiments. Application to focusing through absorbing and reverberating media.

To focus ultrasonic waves in an unknown heterogeneous medium using a phased array, one has to calculate the optimal set of signals to be applied on the transducers of the array. (In most applications of ultrasound, medical imaging, medical therapy, nondestructive testing, the first step consists of focusing a broadband ultrasound beam deeply inside the medium to be investigated.) Focusing in a homogeneous medium simply requires to compensate for the varying focus-array elements geometrical distances. Nevertheless, heterogeneities in the medium, in terms of speed of sound, density, or absorption, may strongly degrade the focusing. Different techniques have been developed in order to correct such aberrations induced by heterogeneous media (time reversal, speckle brightness, for example). In the companion to this paper, a new broadband focusing technique was investigated: the spatio-temporal inverse filter. Experimental results obtained in various media, such as reverberating and absorbing media, are presented here. In particular, intraplate echoes suppression and high-quality focusing through a human skull, as well as hyper-resolution in a reverberating medium, will be shown. It is important to notice that all these experiments were performed with fully programmable multichannel electronics whose use is required to fully exploit the spatio-temporal technique.

Echoencephalography↗
PubMed2001

Credibility of a newly designed placebo needle for clinical trials in acupuncture research.

OBJECTIVE: To test the credibility of a newly designed placebo needle for acupuncture research. DESIGN: Analysis of data on credibility of true and placebo interventions of a randomised, placebo-controlled, patient- and evaluator-blind clinical trial. PATIENTS AND SETTING: The study was carried out at a university department for physical medicine and rehabilitation. 68 patients (age 48.1 +/- 14.1 years, mean +/- SD) fulfilling the criteria of the International Headache Society for tension-type headache were enrolled into the study. INTERVENTIONS: Group 1 (treatment) was assigned to traditional needle placement and manipulation, whereas in group 2 (control) a new placebo device was used. OUTCOME PARAMETERS: After the first treatment with real or placebo acupuncture, patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire on credibility. In addition, after 3 or 4 treatments, patients were asked for the feeling of needle insertion and deqi. RESULTS: No difference between real and placebo acupuncture was detected with respect to the credibility of the treatment (p > 0.05). Needle insertion was recognised in all patients in the real acupuncture group and in all but 4 patients of the placebo group (p < 0.05). deqi was reported by 84% of patients in the real acupuncture group and by 34% of patients in the placebo group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture with the placebo needle device described here is of high credibility, and does not differ from that of real acupuncture treatment. However, to achieve comparable prick sensations in both treatment conditions, careful training with the placebo needle is needed. Furthermore, from these results arise new questions with respect to the placebo response of placebo needles. Further investigations are warranted to test if placebo needles are active controls.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2001

ECT has much to offer our patients: it should not be ignored.

ECT is an effective treatment for severe mental disorders, including major depression, delusional depression, bipolar disorder, manic delirium, schizophrenia, malignant catatonia, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. It reduces suicidality, melancholia, catatonia, aggression, and excitement. Age is no barrier, with ECT successful in children, adolescents, and the old-old. It is effective when other treatments have failed. It is a safe treatment. The mortality rate is less than that associated with normal pregnancies. The fractures, panic, and amnesia that marked early treatments have now been modified. Even amnesia, which is often described as the main objection of patients, and the relapse rates are now comparable to the effects of medicines. It is an efficient treatment, costing less for a course of treatment than conventional new medicines and hospitalization. National and international psychiatric societies ignore ECT in their educational programmes. I believe that the leaders have a duty to our patients to provide a forum and educational opportunities for their members for all interventions that may relieve mental disorders. To ignore ECT, an effective treatment, is to do a disservice to our patients, and to abrogate the Hippocratic Oath to which many practitioners subscribe.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The influence of age on the response of major depression to electroconvulsive therapy: a C.O.R.E. Report.

As part of a C.O.R.E., multi-site longitudinal study comparing continuation electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) vs. continuation pharmacotherapy, the authors determined the response of 253 patients with major depression to acute-phase, bilateral ECT by use of the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Remission rates for three age-groups, > or =65 years; 46-64 years; and < or =45 years, were 90 percent, 89.8 percent, and 70 percent, respectively. Age, as a continuous variable, positively influenced response to treatment. Bilateral, dose-titrated ECT is a highly effective acute treatment for major depression, and older age confers a greater likelihood of achieving remission.

Age Factors↗