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Biomedical subjects

R Seidl

Publications and source records attributed to R Seidl.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Endogenous opioids in frontal cortex of patients with Down syndrome.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate differences regarding endogenous opioids in post-mortem frontal cortex of adult patients with Down syndrome (DS), patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) and neurologically healthy persons, respectively, using specific radioimmunoassays. The results of this study show that there is an increase in the levels of leu-enkephalin and dynorphin A in the frontal cortex of patients with DS as compared to the control group. An almost identical increase was also observed when comparing patients with AD to controls. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest a relationship between elevated tissue levels of leuenkephalin and dynorphin A in cerebral cortex and cognitive impairments in patients with DS and AD.

Aged↗

Prognosis of childhood epilepsy in newly referred patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognosis of childhood epilepsy and to analyze prognostic factors in addition to remission rate in a follow-up of newly referred patients. Two hundred eighty-one patients were followed for a mean period of 5.3 years. Overall, 253 patients (90%) achieved 1-year remission. The beginning of a 1-year seizure-free period was achieved in 77.9% by 1 year, in 84% by 2 years and in 88.6% by 3 years after onset of treatment. Early onset of seizures, symptomatic etiology, and neurologic handicap predicted a worse prognosis. In 44 of 253 children with complete suppression of seizures for 1 year, relapses occurred within the follow-up period. In one child with a relapse, remission could not be achieved in the 2nd year thereafter. In conclusion, our study shows a good prognosis for most children with epilepsy, especially in patients with idiopathic epilepsy and late onset of seizures and without neurologic dysfunction. Moreover, our data strongly suggest that the long-term pattern of seizure control is largely established during the first 2 years of treatment.

Adolescent↗

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials and visually evoked potentials in young patients with IDDM.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether young IDDM patients develop central nervous dysfunction and to establish a possible relationship with various disease parameters. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients, aged 13.5 +/- 2 years, with disease duration of 6 +/- 2.6 years and age of onset of 7.7 +/- 3.2 years (group 1), and 21 patients with short-term disease, age 9.7 +/- 3.5 years, duration of disease < 2 years and age of onset of 9.4 +/- 3.3 years (group 2) were compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects. Exclusion criteria were clinical signs of neuropathy, retinopathy, nephropathy, or hearing impairment. Neurophysiological studies included auditory and visually evoked potentials (EPs). RESULTS: Patients in group 1 revealed increased P100 latencies of visually EPs (103.4 +/- 4.5 vs. 96.8 +/- 3.7 ms) and interpeak latencies I-V of auditory EPs (4.16 +/- 0.10 vs. 3.99 +/- 0.09 ms) and had abnormal latencies (values outside 2.5 SD) in 37%. However, short-term patients (group 2) had results within normal limits compared with control subjects. In group 1, longer disease duration and younger age at onset correlated with an increase of P100 latency (P < 0.001) and IPL I-V (P < 0.001). Patients with a history of severe hypoglycemic episodes had increased latencies compared with patients without hypoglycemia (P < 0.05). Furthermore, metabolic control during the last 2 years was related to P100 latencies (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EPs noninvasively detect subclinical central nervous system involvement in children and adolescents with IDDM. Most important risk factors are duration of disease and frequency of severe hypoglycemia.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Quantitative EEG in young diabetics.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of metabolic control on quantitative electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities in young diabetic patients. We compared quantitative EEGs of 44 insulin-dependent diabetic patients with age-matched controls. Furthermore, differences in EEG variables of diabetic patients and controls were correlated with the age of onset and duration of diabetes, hemoglobin A1c concentrations, and episodes with severe hypoglycemia. We found a correlation between high values of hemoglobin A1c and decreased relative power of the alpha band. Patients with previous ketoacidotic episodes had increased relative power of the delta/theta band and decreased relative power of the alpha band. Patients with hemoglobin A1c values less than 8.5% exhibited slowing of background activity compared with normal controls. We conclude that metabolic control influences the EEG and that improvement of glucose metabolism is an important factor in avoiding EEG abnormalities in young diabetic patients.

Adolescent↗

Continuity and discontinuity of psychopathology: a study of patients examined as children and as adults. III--The infancy of "adult personality disorders".

We undertook a prospective study of all the children who, having consulted the Child Psychiatry Services (Service Médico-Pédagogique) between 1963 and 1967, later consulted the Adult Public Psychiatry Service (720 cases). We looked for specific clinical clusters which would enable us to differentiate statistically the groups of children according to their adult diagnoses. We present here the results for the group of children who were diagnosed as suffering from "personality disorders" in adulthood. We were able to establish an infantile cluster that significantly differentiated these children. It includes: aggressiveness, oppositional behaviour, unsociability, conflicts with peers. 54.6% had already been diagnosed as suffering from personality disorders in childhood. According to these results, the more a consulting child fits this profile, the greater the risk that he will suffer from a "personality disorder" in adulthood. We discuss the continuity/discontinuity of the symptomatology, and the implications for diagnoses of "personality disorders" and "borderline personalities".

Adolescent↗

Quantitative EEG before and after open heart surgery in children. A significant decrease in the beta and alpha 2 bands postoperatively.

Quantitative EEGs of 30 patients undergoing open heart surgery were investigated before, 6 days, 11 days and 44 days after operation. The study was conducted in order to investigate whether quantitative EEGs can show postoperative changes in children after open heart surgery. In 28 children, no new neurological signs of cerebral involvement were seen postoperatively. The most striking feature in these children was a significant decrease in the beta and the alpha 2 bands 6 and 11 days postoperatively. The pattern in the delta band was dominated by an increase 6 days postoperatively. Except for a slight decrease in alpha 2 waves, all variables were restored to preoperative values at 44 days after the operation. We found a significant decrease in plasma sodium and chloride after surgery but children with no or slight declines (1-3 mmol/l) also showed increased slow activity postoperatively. Therefore we conclude that an organic brain syndrome, although usually mild and transient, is a general phenomenon after open heart surgery.

Adolescent↗

[Continuity and discontinuity of psychopathology: a study of patients examined as children and as adults. II. Childhood antecedents of drug dependent adults].

The demographic stability of the Swiss Canton of Geneva provided us with the necessary conditions for a follow-up study of the entire childhood population who, having consulted the Child Psychiatry Services between 1963 and 1967, later consulted the adult public psychiatric services (720 cases). We looked for specific clusters of clinical signs which would enable us to differentiate, statistically speaking, the groups of children according to their adult diagnosis. We present here the results for the group of children who were diagnosed at adulthood as drug addicts (DSM III R). We found a specific cluster significantly differentiating these children from the other populations. It includes: a personality disorder (undifferentiated behaviour, and solitary and aggressive behaviour), environmental factors (monoparental, rejecting family) and a lack of mental deficiency.

Adolescent↗

[Continuity and discontinuity of psychopathology: a study of patients examined as children and as adults. I. Antecedents of adult schizophrenic disorders].

The demographical stability of the Canton of Geneva made it possible for us to do a prospective study of all the children who had consulted the Child Psychiatry Service between 1963 and 1967 and who later consulted the public adult psychiatry services. On the basis of the adult diagnoses, wo looked for specific clinical "clusters" in childhood which would allow us to differentiate statistically the groups of children. We present here the results of the group of children who developed schizophrenia in adulthood. We found a specific childhood "cluster" which clearly distinguishes these children from the others. It includes: serious relational disorders, neurodevelopmental impairment, attention deficit and school learning disorders.

Adolescent↗

Preparative purification of dipeptidyl peptidase IV.

Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV was purified from pig kidney by ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration, QAE-cellulose chromatography and affinity columns with Gly-Pro- and Concanavalin A-Sepharose. The specific activity of the purified enzyme is 41.8 units/mg. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silver staining show a single band. The enzyme preparation is free of aminopeptidase and dipeptidase activity, proved fluorimetrically and by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The most important procedure for removal of contaminating enzyme activities is a stepwise NaCl-gradient on a QAE-ZetaPrep ion exchange disk.

Animals↗

[The diagnosis of gall-stones by ultrasonics (author's transl)].

Ultrasonic and radiological tests were compared in 267 patients suspected of having gall-stones. Radiological diagnosis was not possible in 20, because of lack of opacification, while in nine a gall-bladder was not demonstrable by ultrasound. In 226 the two tests coincided (positively or negatively), with 21 negative cholecystograms being interpreted as proof of stone. Seven of twelve discordant results were proven at operation: in three the ultrasonic, in four the radiological diagnosis was confirmed. Because of its accuracy, simplicity and absence of any risk ultrasonics is recommended as the first test to be performed if cholelithiasis is suspected.

Cholecystography↗