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Biomedical subjects

R H Gerner

Publications and source records attributed to R H Gerner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

CSF neurochemistry of women with anorexia nervosa and normal women.

CSF tyrosine, tryptophan, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), gamma-aminobutyric acid, choline, and calcium were compared in 33 anorexic and 14 normal women. The only significant difference between groups was a lower tyrosine level in the anorexic patients; their MHPG level was nonsignificantly higher. No significant group differences in body weight or depressive subgroup were found. HVA levels were positively related to body weight, and choline was negatively correlated with anorexia severity. The role of tyrosine requires further research, but these findings do suggest that HVA and choline increase with some recovery measures and MHPG is increased with this illness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

CSF neurochemistry in depressed, manic, and schizophrenic patients compared with that of normal controls.

A total of 114 subjects (41 depressed, 20 schizophrenic, 15 manic, and 38 normal controls) underwent lumbar puncture and their CSF was analyzed for levels of tyrosine, tryptophan, homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), choline, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and calcium. Results showed that depressed patients, particularly those over 40 years of age, had lower levels of GABA than did controls, and that their level of HVA increased with age, while controls' decreased. Schizophrenic subjects tended to have higher levels of 5-HIAA and manic subjects tended to have higher levels of HVA and MHPG. Age-associated changes were found in HVA, 5-HIAA, MHPG, GABA, and choline concentrations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Dexamethasone suppression test and treatment response.

The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) is frequently used to predict response to antidepressant therapy or to noradrenergic vs. serotonergic antidepressants. In a study of 173 inpatients and outpatients, the DST was not found to be predictive of response to antidepressant treatment for all depressed patients or of treatment response in a subgroup of melancholic patients (N = 86). Response of DST suppressors and nonsuppressors to antidepressants stratified by neurotransmitter specificity was not found to differ.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Clinical utilization of the dexamethasone suppression test in an inpatient setting.

In 100 consecutive admissions to an inpatient psychiatric ward, results of the dexamethasone suppression test significantly influenced both treatment and discharge diagnosis. In contrast, MMPI results had no such effect. A positive DST correlated with a diagnosis of, and biologic treatment for, major affective disorder. A negative DST correlated with other diagnoses and the use of nonbiologic treatments, but may have been used incorrectly as evidence against the existence of an affective disorder.

Dexamethasone↗
PubMed1984

Central tryptamine turnover in depression, schizophrenia, and anorexia: measurement of indoleacetic acid in cerebrospinal fluid.

There has been a continuing interest in the possible role of the trace amine tryptamine in the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. We have therefore examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), the major metabolite of tryptamine, in a large group of normals and in several patient populations. No differences in CSF IAA levels (ng/ml, mean +/- SEM) were observed between normals (4.39 +/- 0.37, n = 36), anorectics (4.40 +/- 0.42, n = 35), schizophrenics (4.06 +/- 0.05, n = 17), manics (4.32 +/- 0.63, n = 10), or depressives (5.23 +/- 0.49, n = 39). A significant elevation (p = 0.05) was found in the subgroup of retarded depressives (RDC) where levels of 5.90 +/- 0.80 (n = 19) were observed. An age effect (r = 0.39, p = 0.02, n = 36) was observed in normals; however IAA was not reduced to either height or weight. IAA tended to be higher (but not significantly) in females in all groups studied; this difference also was not significant when all diagnostic groups (except anorectics) were combined (female: 4.95 +/- 0.44, n = 45; male: 4.46 +/- 0.30, n = 66). In general, the results indicate that tryptamine turnover is not altered in the disorders studied. The functional significance of the slight elevation seen in retarded depressives is not clear.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Regulation of natural killer cell cytotoxicity by prostaglandin E in the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. Part 1. Association between amount of prostaglandin produced, natural killer, and endogenous interferon.

MS patients' peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) spontaneously produced more prostaglandin E1&2 (PGE) in vitro than did OND or normal control MNC correlating with lower levels of NK activity and endogenous interferon (IFN) production while there were no differences between OND and normal controls. MS neat CSF contained significantly higher levels of measurable PGE with concomitantly lower NK activity and % IFN-positive cells than was seen in OND CSF. The PGE producing cells were depleted in the nylon wool-passed (NWP) and enriched in the nylon wool-adherent (NWAd) populations in direct correlation with depletion and enrichment of esterase-positive monocyte/macrophages, respectively, suggesting that at least some of the PGE-producing cells were adherent monocyte/macrophages. At 24 and 48 h after stimulation with PHA, MS unfractionated MNC produced significantly more PGE than OND and normal MNC; at 24 and 72 h, MS NWAd cells produced significantly more PGE than normals and ONDs. MS and ONDs produced the same amount of PGE at 48 h in the stimulated NWAd fraction.

Humans↗
PubMed1983

Methodological issues in the measurement of serum TSH--implications for psychiatry.

The TSH response to TRH has been reported to be blunted in endogenous depression. We compared two radioimmunoassay (RIA) techniques of TSH in 21 subjects (7 psychiatric inpatients, 14 normal controls) to determine whether differences in assay could account for discrepancies in the reported prevalence rates of blunted TSH responses in depression. A highly significant correlation (p less than 0.001) was found between the delta MAX TASH values of the two assays. The mean delta MAX TSH of one assay was significantly greater than the mean of the second assay. One assay yielded 6 blunted TSH responses to TRH, while the other yielded 9 such responses. Different TSH assay methods might account for discrepancies of the prevalence rates of blunted TSH response in depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

CSF cortisol in patients with depression, mania, or anorexia nervosa and in normal subjects.

The authors studied CSF cortisol in 30 depressed patients, 10 manic patients, 21 women with anorexia nervosa, and 22 normal control subjects. All patients were also rated on a global severity scale for mania or depression. Results indicated higher CSF cortisol levels in all three patient groups than in the control group. Only the depressed group had a significant positive correlation between CSF cortisol and severity ratings. The authors recommend further research into the hypothalamic mechanisms associated with cortisol secretion and regulation.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Neuroendocrine abnormalities in bulimia.

The authors examined the relationship of clinical variables, family history, and neuroendocrine function in 18 bulimic patients. Twelve of 18 patients (67%) showed abnormalities of cortisol suppression, and 8 of 10 (80%) showed blunted thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) tests. These findings suggest that neuroendocrine abnormalities identified previously in anorexia nervosa are not solely an artifact of low weight and, further, that eating disorders and affective disorders may share neurochemical similarities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

ECG findings in geriatric depressives given trazodone, placebo, or imipramine.

ECG effects were evaluated in 60 depressed geriatric patients in a drug-free baseline state and weekly during treatment with trazodone, placebo, or imipramine. Eighteen patients underwent crossover from placebo or imipramine to trazodone. Imipramine increased heart rate and was associated with more isolated ECG complications. Trazodone and placebo did not increase heart rate and had no other significant ECG effects.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Altered neuropeptide concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of psychiatric patients.

Immunoreactive somatostatin, bombesin, and cholecystokinin were measured in cerebrospinal fluid of normal subjects and patients with anorexia nervosa, depression, mania, and schizophrenia. Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity was decreased in anorexic and depressed patients. Bombesin-like immunoreactivity tended to be decreased in schizophrenics. Cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivity did not differ between groups. These data suggest a possible function for neuropeptides in regulation of human behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Central nervous system gamma-aminobutyric acid activity in man. Relationship to age and sex as reflected in CSF.

Central nervous system gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity was demonstrated to be an age- and sex-dependent phenomenon through the study of GABA concentration in lumbar CSF obtained from 87 drug-free normal individuals. Evaluation of the data from homogeneous subgroups of this population disclosed that both the propensity of lumbar CSF GABA levels to decrease with age and the magnitude of the rostrocaudal GABA concentration gradient are more pronounced in females, suggesting possible neuroendocrine involvement. Thus, age and sex are important variables that normally influence central GABAergic activity. Patient populations included in clinical investigations must be age- and sex-matched to avoid invalid conclusions biased by these physiologic variations in CSF GABA concentrations.

Adult↗