PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

S R Dunlop

Publications and source records attributed to S R Dunlop.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1990

Pattern analysis shows beneficial effect of fluoxetine treatment in mild depression.

In a multicentered study, 372 patients with mild major depressive disorder with a Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) score of 15 to 19 were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of treatment with placebo or 20 mg, 40 mg, or 60 mg/day of fluoxetine. Patients were rated weekly for improvement and the appearance of side effects. Pattern analysis of treatment response showed more patients in the active drug treatment groups having a persistent or a delayed persistent response, the types of response specifically associated with active treatment. Analyses of mean changes in treatment measures showed little difference among treatment groups. This may be explained in part by different distributions in outcome, placebo patients having had a higher frequency of mild improvement with fewer negative and very positive outcomes. Response rate analyses favor the active treatments numerically, but only one of the comparisons is statistically significant. These findings suggest a specific role for fluoxetine treatment in mildly depressed patients who do not respond promptly or who respond inconsistently to nonspecific treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Biological stress responses in high and low trait anxious students.

In an investigation of biological indicators of stress in normal humans, undergraduate psychology students were differentiated on trait anxiety and assessed under baseline, preexam (stress), and postexam conditions. Assessment at each condition involved drawing 20 ml of blood, followed by self-reporting for selected questionnaires. Self-reports included state anxiety, general psychological symptomatology, dysfunctional attitudes, academic confidence, sleep patterns, and intake of drugs, including alcohol and caffeine. Blood was analyzed for whole blood serotonin content, plasma MHPG, and platelet imipramine binding. Baseline differences between high and low trait anxious students on biological measures were significant only for whole blood serotonin content. Variation across situational conditions was significant for whole blood serotonin, with an increase under the stressful condition for both anxiety groups. Thus, serotonin is highlighted as an important factor in the human response to stress, whereas expected differences in MHPG were not observed. The serotonergic response to stress was not explained by changes in psychological or physical state variables. Changes in serotonin content were positively correlated with changes in platelet imipramine binding.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Rating verbal communication impairment in schizophrenia and affective disorders.

Audio recordings of interviews with 42 psychiatric patients (10 schizophrenic, 11 manic, 11 schizoaffective, and 10 depressive patients) and 10 hospitalized orthopedic patients were rated for the presence of verbal communication impairment using the system developed by Andreasen. The definitions of some categories required additional qualifying statements before agreement could be reached on their meaning and applicability in specific circumstances. Nevertheless, the results indicate that the scales can be used reliably by carefully trained, nonprofessional raters. Significant differences were found between diagnostic groups with regard to the frequency and severity of some categories of communication impairment, but the general pattern of results supports previous suggestions that these problems are not pathognomonic of schizophrenia. Based on our experience, we suggest a few changes that might be helpful to other investigators, both in the procedures used for obtaining samples of speech and the definitions of subcategories of verbal communication impairment.

Child↗
PubMed1982

The relationship between plasma and red blood cell neuroleptic levels, oral dosage, and clinical parameters in a chronic schizophrenic population.

Neuroleptic drug levels were determined in plasma and RBC in 63 subjects on various neuroleptic drugs using a radioreceptor binding assay. There was a correlation between oral dose in chlorpromazine equivalents and plasma level (r = 0.31, p less than .01). The correlation between dose and plasma level and ratios of plasma level to dose varied by drug. RBC neuroleptic concentration was not related to dosage. In a group of 25 chronic schizophrenic inpatients, plasma level was significantly curvilinearly related to total BPRS. For subjects with plasma levels below 25 ng haloperidol/ml, BPRS total and thought disorder subscores were negatively correlated to plasma level (p less than 0.02). RBC drug concentration was not related to psychopathology. For six of seven subjects, changes in medication based on plasma level resulted in some clinical improvement. Data are presented on the inter- and intraassay variability and other factors which affect the clinical usefulness of the radioreceptor assay.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1981

Comparison of MAO, D beta H, and COMT activities in chronic schizophrenics selected on the basis of nailfold capillary pattern.

A group of 17 white male chronic schizophrenic subjects were divided on the basis of plexus visualization score (PVS). High and low PVS subjects were compared to each other and to low PVS controls on measures of platelet monamine oxidase (MAO), rbc catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT), and plasma dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H). There were no differences between high and low PVS subjects on any biochemical variable. Schizophrenic subjects had lower platelet MAO activity than controls. Platelet MAO and rbc COMT were significantly correlated in schizophrenic subjects.

Adult↗