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Biomedical subjects

M H Schmidt

Publications and source records attributed to M H Schmidt.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Contrasting infant predictors of later cognitive functioning.

The predictive power of early visual attention in terms of later cognitive functioning was compared to standard developmental test scores and further early predictors of later development. In a longitudinal study of 226 infants at risk visual attention in a habituation-dishabituation paradigm was assessed at 3 months and cognitive development was measured at 3, 24 and 54 months. The results indicated that response decrement and response recovery measures are related to cognitive outcome in later childhood, but failed to support their superiority over standard developmental test scores or early biological and psychosocial predictors of later IQ. Methodological shortcomings of previous studies and theoretical weaknesses of the habituation concept were discussed as a possible explanation.

Attention↗
PubMed1994

Children with specific reading retardation--early determinants and long-term outcome.

In a prospective epidemiological longitudinal study of children (n = 399) from age 8 to 18 years, children with specific reading retardation (n = 37) were identified by the modified Research Diagnostic Criteria of ICD-10. The group with specific reading retardation was compared with a group with other specific developmental disorders (n = 62), a group of children with normal intelligence (n = 285) and a group of children with below average intelligence (n = 15). No correlation was found between reading retardation and pre- and perinatal complications. Children with reading retardation suffered from environment-related stress factors in early childhood and adverse familial conditions at 8 years and the educational level of the mother was significantly lower. The number of additional psychiatric symptoms was increased at ages 8, 13 and 18. Conduct disorders, in particular, were more frequent in children with specific reading retardation and the rate of juvenile delinquency was increased (25%). The non-verbal intelligence remained constant between ages 8 and 13, and spelling performance developed parallel to the control group with normal intelligence. Only one out of three showed a significant improvement in spelling ability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Follow-up of schizoaffective psychoses in adolescence].

Of 156 adolescent inpatients with psychotic disorders (ICD-9: 295.0 to 296.9), 25 had a schizoaffective psychosis with onset before age 18. Of these, 21 were followed up an average of 6.5 years later. Six of the subjects had had only one schizoaffective episode and 15 had had a second episode an average of 14 months later. Half of the subjects had had schizoaffective episodes only. More of the patients with an initial affective episode developed schizoaffective psychosis than of those with an initial schizophrenic episode. On average there had been 0.91 episodes per year during the follow-up period. Seventy-one percent of the subjects had been unable to continue their education or work at the previous level and most had marked deficits in social adaptation. The level of social competence at the end of the first episode was of predictive value for the later social handicap. A comparison with other groups of patients of the same age showed that those with affective disorders had faired better and those with schizophrenia appeared to have the poorest outcome. The schizoaffective group tended to resemble the schizophrenic group more closely than the affective group. Patients whose schizoaffective disorder began in adulthood had fewer problems on the educational and occupational level, better social adaptation and fewer episodes per year and had spent less time in inpatient treatment than those whose disorder had begun before age 18.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Diagnosis of expansive behavior in children: how do different observers assess in various situations?].

The present study addressed the question of the extent to which parental assessment of expansive behavior disorders can be validated by clinical assessment and how both types of assessment are correlated with behavior ratings by trained outside observers. The agreement between these different sources of information was analyzed in an unselected sample of 49 children aged 5 to 11 admitted to our inpatient unit for expansive behavior disorder. Most of the children met the clinical criteria for both attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder (CD). With regard to diagnoses, there was good agreement between the parents' assessment and the clinical assessment made one week after admission. However, the parents rated ADHD as more severe than the clinicians did. Ratings of the children's overt behavior in two standardized situations (play situation, test situation) by trained outside observers had only weak correlations with the parental and clinical assessments. The only significant correlation was between the clinical assessment of hyperactivity and the behavior ratings. The contribution of the situational variability of the children's behavior to the low agreement between the different sources of information is discussed. Where feasible, multiple perspectives should be taken into consideration.

Attention↗
PubMed1993

Intracellular growth factor metabolism in proliferation of a brain tumor cell line. Intracellular growth factors and brain tumor proliferation.

Brain tumor cells secrete platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), and through local production of these growth factors, brain tumor cells may stimulate their own proliferation. Previously we have shown that several different clones of canine glioma cells secrete varying amounts of PDGF and TGF-beta which correlate with in vitro cloning efficiency and in vivo tumorigenicity. In this study, intracellular trafficking of PDGF and TGF-beta was assessed by treatment of each clone with agents preventing vesicular degradation and secretion of growth factors. Clone 2 was more sensitive to these agents (chloroquine and monensin) than clone 5, resulting in retention of intracellular 125I-PDGF and 125I-TGF-beta. Furthermore, exogenous TGF-beta inhibited DNA-synthesis dramatically in clone 2 (compared with clone 5), presumably by interfering with intracellular growth factor receptor availability. This is supported by the fact that exogenous TGF-beta increased the number of its receptors on clone 2 cells, whereas surface receptors decreased on clone 5 cells treated with TGF-beta. These results illustrate the potential for autocrine growth factors to interact with their receptors intracellularly during neoplastic cell proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Acute exogenic psychosis following oral ingestion of 2 mg lormetazepam in an eleven-year-old boy.

After oral ingestion of 2 mg lormetazepam given by his mother, an 11-year-old boy suffered from severe adverse effects. Main symptoms were disorientation, restlessness, amnesia, anxiety, hostility, and rage reactions. Paranoid ideations and impaired perception were concluded from strange reactions and remarks of the child. Symptoms are similar to the van der Kroef syndrome described after the use of rapidly eliminated high-potency benzodiazepines. This case demonstrates drug abuse on the part of parents wishing to induce sleep in their children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The ischiocavernosus and bulbospongiosus muscles in mammalian penile rigidity.

The role of the perineal muscles in erection physiology is currently controversial. Specifically, confusion persists as to the function, if any, the ischiocavernosus (IC) and bulbospongiosus (BS) muscles possess in nonejaculatory erections. An extensive review of the evidence for and against such an erectile role across five orders of mammalian species indicates that the IC muscles create rigidity by producing suprasystolic intracavernous pressures. The BS muscles, on the other hand, are primarily involved in expelling semen during ejaculation. Beckett and coworkers were the first to demonstrate a clear relationship between IC muscle contractions, suprasystolic intracavernous pressures and rigidity. This Beckett model is used to differentiate an erect phase from a rigid erect phase in the erection cycle. The involvement of these muscles in sleep-related erection physiology is also reviewed. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

IDDM is a risk factor for adolescent psychiatric disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the rate of psychiatric disorders increases in children and adolescents with IDDM. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The rate of psychiatric disorders was assessed by highly structured interviews in a group of 93 IDDM adolescents 17-19 yr of age and compared with a healthy (nondiabetic) age-, sex-, and socioeconomic status-matched control group. RESULTS: The rate of psychiatric disorders was 33.3% in the diabetic group, more than threefold higher than in the control group (9.7%). With regard to the rate of psychiatric disorders, no sex-specific differences between the two groups were found. The diabetic adolescents suffered from significantly more introversive symptoms than their healthy counterparts, especially somatic symptoms, sleeping disturbances, compulsions, and depressive moods. In spite of the elevated rate of psychiatric disorders, the rates of life events and familial adversities did not increase in the diabetic group. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the notion that IDDM adolescents should be seen as a high-risk group for psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

The role of photodynamic therapy in posterior fossa brain tumors. A preclinical study in a canine glioma model.

Photodynamic therapy was studied in dogs with and without posterior fossa glioblastomas. This mode of therapy consisted of intravenous administration of Photofrin-II at doses ranging from 0.75 to 4 mg/kg 24 hours prior to laser light irradiation in the posterior fossa. Tissue levels of Photofrin-II were four times greater in the tumor than in the surrounding normal brain. Irradiation was performed using 1 hour of 500 mW laser light at a wavelength of 630 nm delivered through a fiberoptic catheter directly into the tumor bed via a burr hole. All animals receiving a high dose (4 or 2 mg/kg) of Photofrin-II developed serious brain-stem neurotoxicity resulting in death or significant residual neurological deficits. A lower dose (0.75 mg/kg) of Photofrin-II produced tumor kill without significant permanent brain-stem toxicity in either the control animals or the animals with cerebellar brain tumors receiving photodynamic therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Importance and determinants of early mother-child relations].

In a prospective longitudinal study on child development from birth to age eight 362 first-born infants and their families were investigated. The subjects were distributed across the nine cells of a two-factorial design, factor 1 representing the degree of organic, factor 2 the degree of psychosocial risk. At age 3 months mother-child interaction was videotaped and evaluated with microanalytic technique. The quality of MCI could be demonstrated to be as predictive for later cognitive development as early developmental tests. Social-emotional problems of the toddler and preschool child was predicted better by parameters of early MCI than by temperament. Disturbed interactions were associated with later cognitive retardation and enhanced behavior problems. MCI is significantly determined by neglect and rejection, which showed typical behavioral patterns. The early separation of mother and high risk newborn itself did not lead to alterations in maternal attachment. Compared with mother daughter dyads early interaction of mother and son was characterized by more reactivity and positive emotion.

Affect↗
PubMed1993

[Effect of timing and chronicity of stressors on the emotional development of children and adolescents. Results of a prospective epidemiologic longitudinal study of 8 to 18 years].

In a prospective epidemiological study with assessments at ages 8, 13 and 18 it could be demonstrated that if all risk factors are analyzed at the same time recent stressors are more important than stressors and disturbances in early childhood. But from a chronological point of view early stressors were found to be at least as important as later ones because the early stressors play a role in the development of some of the later ones. The effects of stressors were sex-specific to some extent: Boys were more seriously affected when of elementary school age, whereas girls were more affected in early childhood and in adolescence. Chronic stress proved to be more important than acute life events, the later being not only a cause but also a consequence of emotional disturbances. Children with early disturbances sometimes even had lower rates of disorders in adolescence if they had been brought up in an overprotective manner.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Diagnosis of stressful life events in clinical routine practice using a (half) standardized interview].

50 in-patients and 50 out-patients were assessed with a semi-structured interview based on the revised version of axis V (abnormal psychosocial situations) of the Multi-axial Classification Scheme. The interviewer was not acquainted with the patient's history. The information acquired during in-patient treatment was comparable to that obtained by interview, whereas during out-patient treatment, less information with lower reliability was obtained than on the interview. The study also shows that certain psychosocial factors can be identified better by interview and others by clinical assessment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Adverse temperamental characteristics and early behaviour problems in 3-month-old infants born with different psychosocial and biological risks.

In a prospective longitudinal study the influence of biological and psychosocial risk on early emotional and behaviour problems was investigated in a high-risk sample. Adverse characteristics of temperament and psychosomatic symptoms were assessed in 362 infants aged 3 months by observation of behaviour and parent interview instruments. Results showed cumulative negative effects of nearly equal significance of both biological and psychosocial risk on the severity and number of behavioural disturbances. No sex differences and no interaction of risk factors were found. Detailed analysis revealed that single risk factors were related to different patterns of infant behaviour problems.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗
PubMed1993

Total mutism--a case report of a rare psychiatric disorder and approaches for behaviour therapy.

Total mutism, which is an extremely rare psychiatric disorder, was observed in an 11-year-old boy. He refused to speak a few weeks after starting school. Behavioural analysis showed that learning by model as well as positive and negative reinforcements were involved in the pathogenesis and maintenance of the disorder. The treatment followed principles of behaviour therapy by the use of operant techniques in the sense of contingency management methods. White noise, transmitted by earphones, was utilized to interrupt auditory feedback. It has been suggested that by this method anxiety would be diminished in the case of speech phobia. Within a few months of hospital admission the boy developed speaking behaviour progressing from barely audible breaths to sibilants of normal loudness. Short dialogues were possible after 18 months. The additional conduct disorder improved simultaneously with the increase in verbal and social skills. One year after hospitalization some social uncertainty persisted with tendencies to avoid demands.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1992

Metal binding and folding properties of a minimalist Cys2His2 zinc finger peptide.

A minimalist Cys2His2 zinc finger peptide, Lys-Tyr-Ala-Cys-Ala-Ala-Cys-Ala-Ala-Ala-Phe-Ala-Ala-Lys-Ala-Ala-Leu-Ala- Ala-His-Ala-Ala-Ala-His-Ala-Lys, has been synthesized. Metal binding studies using Co2+ as a probe indicated that this peptide forms a 1:1 peptide/metal complex with a dissociation constant comparable to that observed for other zinc finger peptides. At high peptide concentrations, a 2:1 peptide/metal complex also forms, with four cysteinates coordinated to Co2+. Additional studies with sequence variants in which the canonical hydrophobic residues were changed to alanine, or in which one of the residues between the cysteines and the histidines was deleted, revealed an even more pronounced formation of the 2:1 complex over the 1:1 complex. In addition, the absorption spectra of the 1:1 peptide/Co2+ complexes of the variant peptides are significantly different from those seen for complexes of the parent peptide or those of more typical zinc finger peptides. NMR studies revealed that the parent peptide folds in the presence of Zn2+ to a structure very similar to that observed for other zinc finger peptides of this class. Taken together, these results suggest that the metal-binding and canonical hydrophobic residues are necessary and sufficient to determine the structure of this class of zinc finger peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1992

Acute jejunoileitis. A distinct entity?

A 44-year-old man with acute jejunoileitis of unknown etiology developed small bowel obstruction. Intermittent abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, ascites, and leukocytosis were prominent features. All stool cultures were negative. On steroid treatment, symptoms and radiographic features completely resolved. We suggest, in agreement with an earlier report, that acute jejunoileitis may be regarded as a distinct clinical entity.

Adult↗