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Biomedical subjects

R Sandyk

Publications and source records attributed to R Sandyk.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

The relationship of thought disorder to third ventricle width and calcification of the pineal gland in chronic schizophrenia.

Since the early writings of Bleuler in 1908, it has been recognized that schizophrenia is a heterogenous disorder with diversity in symptomatology, course, prognosis, and probably etiology. Over the past 50 years, considerable research has been devoted to the prognosis of schizophrenia and despite variability among findings, certain historical and clinical predictors have been established. A recent study undertaken in 58 DSM-III diagnosed schizophrenic inpatients found that of the various clinical clusters assessed prospectively, thought disorder stood out as the single most salient predictor of poor outcome (Kay & Murrill, 1990). In the present study I have investigated the relationship of thought disorder to CT scan measures of third ventricle width (TVW), prefrontal cortical atrophy, and cortical atrophy in 14 chronic schizophrenic patients. In addition, I have studied the relationship of thought disorder to pineal calcification (PC) and choroid plexus (CP) sizes in 20 chronic schizophrenic patients. TVW and PC size were the only neuroradiological measures found to be associated with the degree of thought disorder. These findings suggest that both diencephalic damage and calcification of the pineal gland may be related to disorganized thinking in schizophrenia and, by inference, to an unfavorable prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Vitamin C in the treatment of schizophrenia.

This report concerns a 37-year-old chronic schizophrenic patient who derived substantial benefit from the addition of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to his neuroleptic treatment. The case highlights the potential usefulness of vitamin C as an adjunctive agent in the treatment of chronic schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Weak magnetic fields antagonize the effects of melatonin on blood glucose levels in Parkinson's disease.

Treatment with picoTesla magnetic fields recently has been reported to attenuate symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). The mechanisms by which weak magnetic fields ameliorate Parkinsonian symptoms are unknown. There is evidence that the pineal gland is a "magnetosensor" in the brain since in experimental animals exposure to external magnetic fields alters the firing rate of pineal cells and induces inhibition of melatonin secretion. Hence, the clinical effects of weak magnetic fields in PD likewise may involve the mediation of the pineal gland. Animal data indicate that the pineal gland is involved in the regulation of glucose metabolism and that exogenous administration of melatonin induces an hyperglycemic effect. To investigate the hypothesis that the pineal gland mediates the therapeutic properties of weak magnetic fields in PD, I studied the effects of orally administered melatonin (3.0 mg) followed by a 6 minute application of low intensity external weak magnetic fields (7.5 picoTesla) on blood glucose levels in two Parkinsonian patients. In both patients melatonin challenge produced a moderate hyperglycemic effect which was reversed by subsequent stimulation with weak magnetic fields. These findings support the hypothesis that weak magnetic fields inhibit melatonin secretion and that the antiParkinsonian properties of weak magnetic fields are mediated partially via the inhibition of melatonin secretion. Furthermore, these data suggest that melatonin receptor antagonists could be beneficial as an adjunctive treatment in PD and highlight the importance of the pineal-hypothalamic axis in the pathophysiology of the disease as well as in the mechanisms of action of antiParkinsonian drugs.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Multiple sclerosis: the role of puberty and the pineal gland in its pathogenesis.

Epidemiological studies demonstrate that the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) is age-dependent being rare prior to age 10, unusual prior to age 15, with a peak in the mid 20s. It has been suggested that the manifestation of MS is dependent upon having passed through the pubertal period. In the present communication, I propose that critical changes in pineal melatonin secretion, which occur in temporal relationship to the onset of puberty, are intimately related to the timing of onset of the clinical manifestations of MS. Specifically, it is suggested that the fall in melatonin secretion during the prepubertal period, which may disrupt pineal-mediated immunomodulation, may stimulate either the reactivation of the infective agent or increase the susceptibility to infection during the pubertal period. Similarly, the rapid fall in melatonin secretion just prior to delivery may account for the frequent occurrence of relapse in MS patients during the postpartum period. In contrast, pregnancy, which is associated with high melatonin concentrations, is often accompanied by remission of symptoms. Thus, the presence of high melatonin levels may provide a protective effect, while a decline in melatonin secretion may increase the risk for the development and exacerbation of the disease. The melatonin hypothesis of MS may explain other epidemiological and clinical phenomena associated with the disease such as the low incidence of MS in the black African and American populations, the inverse correlation with sun light and geomagnetic field exposure, the occurrence of relapses in relation to seasonal changes and fluctuations in mood, and the association of MS with affective illness and malignant disease. Therapeutically, this hypothesis implies that application of bright light therapy or the use of other major synchronizers of circadian rhythms such as sleep deprivation or application of external weak magnetic fields may be beneficial in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of relapses in the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Nocturnal melatonin secretion in multiple sclerosis patients with affective disorders.

The pineal gland has been implicated recently in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic demyelinating disease of CNS. Since nocturnal melatonin secretion is low in some groups of patients with mental depression, we predicted lower melatonin secretion in MS patients with history of affective illness compared to those without psychiatric disorders. To test this hypothesis, we studied single nocturnal plasma melatonin levels and the incidence of pineal calcification (PC) on CT scan in a cohort of 25 MS patients (4 men, 21 women; mean age = 39.4 years, SD = 9.3), 15 of whom had a history of coexisting psychiatric disorders with predominant affective symptomatology. Other factors that may be related to depression such as vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, magnesium, and homocysteine, were also included in the analysis. Neither any of the metabolic factors surveyed nor the incidence of PC distinguished the psychiatric from the control group. However, the mean melatonin level in the psychiatric patients was significantly lower than in the control group. Since low melatonin secretion in patients with depression may be related to a phase-advance of the circadian oscillator regulating the offset of melatonin secretion, we propose that the depression of MS likewise may reflect the presence of dampened circadian oscillators. Furthermore, since exacerbation of motor symptoms in MS patients may be temporally related to worsening of depression, we propose that circadian phase lability may also underlie the relapsing-remitting course of the disease. Consequently, pharmacological agents such as lithium or bright light therapy, which have been shown to phase-delay circadian rhythms, might be effective in the treatment of affective symptoms in MS as well as preventing motor exacerbation and hastening a remission from an acute attack.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Magnetic fields normalize visual evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potentials in multiple sclerosis.

The present communication concerns a 46 year old woman with a 10 year history of chronic progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in whom external application of magnetic fields (MF) (7.5 picoTesla; 5 Hz) during a period of remission resulted in a rapid and dramatic improvement in symptoms including vision, cerebellar symptomatology (ataxia and dysarthria), mood, sleep, bowel and bladder functions as well as fatigue. Improvement in the patient's symptoms was associated with normalization of the pretreatment latencies of the visual evoked potentials and brainstem auditory evoked potential responses within a week after initiation of magnetic treatment. This report demonstrates that treatment with picoTesla MF is an effective, nonpharmacological modality in the management of MS and for the first time documents reversal of abnormal evoked potential responses by this treatment. The pineal gland is a magnetosensor. As MF affect the release of the pineal gland's principal hormone, melatonin, it is hypothesized that the effects of picoTesla MF in MS are partly mediated by the pineal gland which has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS (Sandyk, 1992 a; b).

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed1993

Positive symptoms and chronicity of illness in schizophrenia.

I have proposed recently that the positive symptoms of schizophrenia such as hallucinations and delusions reflect a compensatory mechanism to overcome the dopaminergic deficiency which underlies the core pathology of the disease, namely the negative syndrome. In such case it is possible, in analogy with Parkinson's disease, that these compensatory mechanisms will diminish with progression of the disease. Thus, one would expect the severity of positive symptoms in schizophrenia to decline with progression of the disease. To test this hypothesis, I studied in 20 chronic schizophrenic patients the association between positive symptoms (hallucinations and delusions) with chronicity of illness. I found a significant inverse correlation between chronicity of illness and severity of delusions (r = -.51, p < .05) and hallucinations (r = -.47, p < 0.05). In contrast, chronicity of illness was unrelated to negative symptoms (blunted affect and emotional withdrawal). These data support the prediction that the compensatory ability of the brain to increase dopamine functions may diminish with progression of the disease and are in accord with the clinical impression that with time schizophrenic patients tend to display a more negative syndrome profile and become "burnt out schizophrenics."

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Delusional depression in Parkinson's disease.

A 72 year-old female patient is presented in whom delusional depression, a possible distinct subtype of depressive illness characterized by a selective decrease of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) norepinephrine (NE) metabolism, preceded the onset of Parkinsonism by several years. The report suggests that delusional depression may be a particular manifestation of depressive illness in Parkinsonian patients. In addition, since the activity of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) is genetically determined, the co-occurrence of delusional depression and Parkinsonism in this patient may be related to a common underlying genetic defect that expresses itself biochemically by reduced cerebral NE metabolism.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The effects of external picoTesla range magnetic fields on the EEG in Parkinson's disease.

We report a 68 year old man with a 7 year history of Parkinson's disease (PD) who obtained little benefit from treatment by dopaminergic and anticholinergic agents. During the six months prior to presentation, he experienced more rapid deterioration in symptoms including memory functions, increasing depression, and dystonia of the foot. External application of picoTesla range magnetic fields (MF) resulted in rapid attenuation of tremor and foot dystonia with improvements in gait, postural reflexes, mood, anxiety, cognitive, and autonomic functions. Plasma prolactin and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels rose three days after initiation of treatment. In addition, distinct electroencephalographic (EEG) changes were recorded nine days after two treatments with MF and included enhancement of alpha and beta activities as well as resolution of the theta activity. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, objective EEG changes in response to picoTesla range MF in PD. Since the pineal gland is a magnetosensor and as some of the clinical effects produced by MF such as relaxation, sleepiness, mood elevation, increased dreaming, and enhancement of alpha and beta activities in the EEG have also been noted in healthy subjects administered melatonin, we propose that the clinical effects as well as the EEG changes noted after treatment with MF were mediated by the pineal gland which previously has been implicated in the pathophysiology of PD.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Successful treatment of an acute exacerbation of multiple sclerosis by external magnetic fields.

A 55 year old woman with multiple sclerosis presented with a 5 week history of an exacerbation of symptoms. Prominent among these symptoms was trigeminal neuralgia, migraine headaches, blurring of vision, and ataxia of gait. While treatment with carbamazepine (TegretolR) (800 mg/d) and oral prednisolone (15 mg/d) over a 4 week period produced no improvement in symptoms, externally applied magnetic fields (MF) (7.5 picoTesla; 5 Hz) placed over the scalp for a 7 minute period on three different days resulted in a complete resolution of symptoms within two weeks of initiation of treatment. Partial relief of the neuralgic pain and headaches was obtained immediately after completion of the first treatment indicating that resolution of symptoms was related to the effects of MF and not to a spontaneous remission. This is the first report demonstrating the clinical efficacy of pico Tesla range MF in rapidly resolving an acute relapse of MS.

Electromagnetic Fields↗
PubMed1993

Cigarette smoking: effects on cognitive functions and drug-induced parkinsonism in chronic schizophrenia.

Epidemiological studies suggest an apparent protective effect of cigarette smoking on the risk of Parkinson's disease. There is also a report suggesting that patients with Parkinson's disease who smoke are less likely to develop dementia. I investigated the relationship of smoking to the severity of cognitive functions and presence of drug-induced parkinsonism in a group of 111 neuroleptic-treated chronic institutionalized schizophrenic patients. Patients who smoked had significantly less cognitive impairment (p < .02) and a lower prevalence of drug-induced Parkinsonism (p < .02) compared to nonsmokers. These findings suggest that cigarette smoking may protect against the development of dementia and drug-induced Parkinsonism in schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Rapid improvement of visuoperceptive functions by picoTesla range magnetic fields in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Impairment in perceptual motor or visuospatial tasks is among the most frequently encountered abnormality in neuropsychological testing of patients with Parkinson's disease, being present in up to 90% of cases. Visuoperceptive deficits can result from cortical and subcortical lesions involving the right hemisphere, thalamus, and basal ganglia and are thought to reflect a defect in attentional-arousal mechanisms induced by lesions that interrupt a cortical-limbic-reticular activating loop. Clinically, the presence of visuoperceptive impairment may not be noted by Parkinsonian patients but may contribute to various disabilities including difficulty driving a vehicle and difficulties performing daily tasks which require intact visuospatial abilities (i.e., walking, dressing, drawing and copying designs). The present communication concerns two fully medicated Parkinsonian patients who responded to extracranial treatment with picoTesla range magnetic fields (MF), behaviorally and also demonstrated rapidly and dramatically enhanced visuoperceptive functions as demonstrated on various drawing tasks. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of extremely weak MF in enhancing cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Dementia↗
PubMed1993

Resolution of longstanding symptoms of multiple sclerosis by application of picoTesla range magnetic fields.

Recent clinical reports have suggested that treatment with extremely weak magnetic fields (MF) in the picoTesla range is an efficacious modality for the symptomatic therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the remission and exacerbation periods of the disease. The present communication concerns a 64 year old woman with a 22 year history of MS of the chronic-progressive type who presented with a longstanding history of ataxia of gait, weakness in the legs, difficulties with swallowing, loss of bladder control, blurred vision, diplopia, chronic fatigue, and cognitive impairment. In this patient two 30 minute treatments with MF on two separate days resulted in a dramatic improvement of symptoms. Specifically, the patient experienced marked improvement in balance and gait as well as increased strength in the legs to the extent that she was able to abandon the use of a walker within 48 hours after initiation of magnetic treatment. In addition, there was complete resolution of diplopia, bladder dysfunction, and fatigue with improvement in mood and cognitive functions. The report attests to the unique efficacy of extremely weak MF in the symptomatic treatment of patients with MS including those patients with a chronic progressive course of the disease and supports the hypothesis that dysfunction of synaptic conductivity due to neurotransmitter deficiency specifically of serotonin rather than demyelination underlies the neurologic deficits of the disease.

Brain↗
PubMed1992

The pineal gland and the clinical course of multiple sclerosis.

Clinical, epidemiological, biochemical, immunological, and radiological studies suggest that the pineal gland may be implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). The following communication is concerned with the association among MS, pregnancy, the postpartum period, and melatonin secretion and illustrates, based on a clinical case report, the influence of the pineal gland on the clinical course of MS. This association is noteworthy since MS may worsen during the postpartum period and melatonin secretion is reported to be altered most dramatically by pregnancy and delivery. Since melatonin secretion is cyclical, undergoing diurnal, weekly, seasonal, and annual variations, it is proposed that the pineal gland may be the "prime mover" underlying the spontaneous exacerbations and remissions in MS.

Calcinosis↗
PubMed1992

Is the pineal gland involved in the pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma.

The pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma, which is the most common malignant neoplasm of the female genital tract, is unknown. It is believed that a prolonged period of increased estrogenic exposure unopposed by progesterone may underlie the malignant transformation of the endometrial cells. In the following communication, we propose that deficient melatonin functions may be an additional endocrine factor implicated in the pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma. This hypothesis is based on the observations that: (a) melatonin has antiestrogenic properties; (b) melatonin stimulates progesterone production which opposes the action of estrogens; (c) an increased rate of endometrial hyperplasia, a premalignant condition, has been noted during the winter, a time of year associated with diminished melatonin secretion; (d) an increased incidence of anovulatory cycles, which is a risk factor for endometrial carcinoma, occurs in the winter; (e) melatonin secretion decreases sharply during the menopause, a period associated with an increased risk of endometrial carcinoma; (f) obesity, which is a major risk factor for endometrial carcinoma, is associated with impaired circadian melatonin secretion; (g) diabetes mellitus, which is an additional risk factor for endometrial carcinoma, is associated with decreased melatonin secretion and an increased rate of pineal calcification; and (h) the prevalence of endometrial carcinoma is lower in the black population compared to the white population. Similarly, the incidence of pineal calcification, which reflects the secretory activity of the gland, is significantly lower in the African and American black populations as compared to the white population.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗