PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Becker

Publications and source records attributed to T Becker.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Neurological long-term follow-up in left atrial myxoma: are late complications frequent or rare?

Neurological manifestations were analysed in 13 patients with left atrial myxoma confirmed by histological study. In this group, 6 patients had neurological complaints at initial presentation, 5 had cardiac symptoms, and 4 patients presented with signs of systemic disease. CT was performed in 10 and MRI in 7 patients. There were signs of ischaemic or haemorrhagic infarction (6 of 12) and one lesion suggestive of myxoma metastasis; other findings mainly comprised non-specific white matter lesions revealed by MRI. Neurological follow-up 0.5-8 years after tumour resection revealed no delayed neurological complications, follow-up CT and MRI findings were not suggestive of lesions acquired after operation. It is suggested that this rare condition of cardiac myxoma should be suspected in young patients with CNS symptoms or signs lacking cerebrovascular or cardiovascular risk factors and should be included in the differential diagnosis of vasculitis. With timely diagnosis and resection of the cardiac tumour the long-term prognosis can be considered improved.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

MRI white matter hyperintensity in neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)--a clue to pathogenesis?

The case of a young female patient with neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) and extended MRI white matter hyperintensity in the left parietal and both occipital lobes is reported. MRI lesions resembled findings in hypertensive encephalopathy, they were not readily compatible with CNS vasculitis. Venous sinus thrombosis could be ruled out. Vascular encephalopathy with transient white matter edema and a small residual left parietal lesion is suggested. Neurochemical implications are discussed with particular reference to a possible involvement of excitatory amino acids in NMS pathogenesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Post partum blues: depressive disease or pseudoneurasthenic syndrome.

Depressive mood disorders following childbirth can be quantified with self-rating and observer-rating scales. During two months, in the period from November 1989 to March 1990, women admitted to the obstetric unit of the University of Würzburg were examined on days 3 and 5 post-partum with the Hamilton Psychiatric Rating Scale for Depression, the Montgomery-Asberg-Depression-Rating-Scale and the Befindlichkeits-Scale by von Zerssen. Results reveal that during the early puerperium, scores on these scales rarely reach the same severity as in major depressive disorder. The clinical picture is no different from emotional-hyperaesthetic hyposthenia following other kinds of physical illness such as endocrine disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Remission of schizophreniform psychosis after brain tumor surgery].

A 19-year-old female was admitted to hospital due to a schizophrenia-like psychosis of the paranoid type including delusions and various hallucinations. Neurologically she only showed tics of the eyebrows with increased eye blinking. 30 months before an astrocytoma located on the left basal temporal lobe had been resected after the patient suffered from several psychomotor and two grand mal seizures. Following post-operative anticonvulsant therapy seizures had completely disappeared and the patient had been free of symptoms of any kind. After the acute onset of the psychosis another follow-up MRI of the brain using coronary sections revealed a small relapse-tumor. Symptoms disappeared after high-dose neuroleptic therapy. Finally another surgical intervention led to a lasting remission of the psychotic symptomatology (so far 18 months). Postoperatively neuroleptics could be discontinued. Clinical picture and MRI findings will be discussed with a focus on possible etiological factors in schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Cell migration along glial fibers in dissociated cell culture of the frog optic tectum.

Migration of neurons along radial glial fibers is associated with the development of laminated regions in the mammalian brain. We examined cell interactions in dissociated cell cultures of the frog optic tectum, which is well laminated. Using time-lapse photography, we observed active migration of neuron-like cells along strands of radial glia-like cells, which were identified by indirect immunocytochemical staining of the glial fibrillary acidic protein. The migration patterns we observed in our cultures are strikingly similar to those found in mammalian cultures. We hypothesize that this type of neuron-glia interaction is involved in the constitution of laminae in the frog optic tectum.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Do arachnoid cysts grow? A retrospective CT volumetric study.

The volumes of intracranial arachnoid cysts were measured in 136 CT scans of 86 patients. Absolute and relative cyst size was calculated. Left hemisphere and middle cranial fossa location prevailed. A slight negative correlation of relative cyst size with age (r = -0.21, NS) disappeared when analysis was restricted to the adult age group (greater than or equal to 20 years). After the sample was divided into two groups according to relative cyst size (cysts less than mean volume vs cysts greater than mean volume), small AC showed no correlation with age, while large AC correlated positively with age (r = 0.79, P less than 0.05). A subgroup of large AC appears to expand with time, while the majority of small AC remain unchanged.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Interaction of gut and liver in nitrogen metabolism during exercise.

The role of the gut and liver in nitrogen metabolism was studied during rest, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity treadmill exercise, and 90 minutes of recovery in 18 hour-fasted dogs (n = 6). Dogs underwent surgery 16 days before an experiment for implantation of catheters in a carotid artery and in the portal and hepatic veins, and Doppler flow cuffs on the hepatic artery and portal vein. Arterial glutamine, alanine, and alpha-amino nitrogen (AAN) levels decreased gradually with exercise (P less than .05), while arterial glutamate, NH3, and urea were unchanged. Net gut glutamine uptake was 1.3 +/- 0.5 mumol/kg.min at rest, and increased transiently to 2.5 +/- 0.3 mumol/kg.min at 60 minutes of exercise (P less than .05) as gut extraction increased. Net hepatic glutamine uptake was 0.6 +/- 0.4 mumol/kg.min at rest, and increased to 3.4 +/- 0.6 and 2.6 +/- 0.5 mumol/kg.min after 60 and 150 minutes of exercise (P less than .05) as hepatic extraction increased. Net gut glutamate and NH3 output both increased transiently with exercise (P less than .05). These increases were matched by parallel increments in the net hepatic uptakes of these compounds. Alanine output by the gut and uptake by the liver were unchanged with exercise. Net gut AAN output was -2.1 +/- 1.8 mumol/kg.min at rest (uptake occurred), and increased transiently to 11.2 +/- 3.5 mumol/kg.min after 30 minutes of exercise (P less than .05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alanine↗
PubMed1991

Distribution of substance P, GnRH, Met-enkephalin in the central nervous system of the pig.

The distribution of substance P (SP), gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and Met-enkephalin in the brain and spinal cord of the domestic pig is described for the first time. The levels of SP, GnRH and Met-enkephalin were measured by specific radioimmunoassays in various regions of the brain and spinal cord of the pig. Substance P and Met-enkephalin are widely distributed within the central nervous system of the pig. High levels of SP were found in the preoptic area (POA), suprachiasmatic area (SCA), medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) and brain stem while moderate amounts of SP were found in olfactory bulb (OB). High levels of Met-enkephalin were found in POA, SCA and MBH, and moderate levels of Met-enkephalin in OB and brain stem. Both SP and Met-enkephalin levels were higher in the dorsal spinal cord in comparison with the levels of these peptides in the ventral spinal cord. This finding is in agreement with the predominant role played by these neural systems in primary afferent mediation of nociceptive impulses. The POA and SCA contained only low levels of GnRH while the MBH contained high levels of GnRH. Finally, some differences in the quantitative distribution of these peptides in the pig and rat are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Moving targets: bicycle-related injuries and helmet use among university students.

We conducted a cross-sectional study to evaluate bicycling habits and helmet use in a sample of university students in a southwestern state university. Thirty-one of 100 students in our sample owned bicycle helmets; of these, 17 (54.8%) wore helmets during most (more than three fourths) of their bicycle trips. Almost half of the students reported that more than 25% of their bicycling was done in heavy traffic but they rarely used bicycle trails. Sixty-five students in the sample had sustained at least one minor injury during the previous 5 years, and 18 had been hospitalized as a result of bicycle-related injuries. We found no substantial differences between male and female subjects in bicycle-related hospitalizations, although male subjects were more likely to sustain minor injuries than were females. Helmet ownership was most strongly associated with previous injury experience, especially hospitalization resulting from bicycling injuries (OR = 3.6; 95% CI = 1.3, 10.1). We also observed an association between helmet ownership and possession of insurance coverage for bicycling injuries (OR = 3.0; 95% CI = 1.2, 7.6). Ethnicity was a factor in helmet ownership--helmets were owned by 26 of 69 (37.7%) of non-Hispanic whites, in contrast to 1 of 24 (4.2%) of all other ethnic groups combined. Our survey data suggest that perceived risk is an important factor in bicyclists' use of safety helmets.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Thyroid and ovarian function in infertile women.

The aim of this study was to examine more closely the interaction between thyroid function and pituitary--ovarian axis in infertile women. In 185 infertile women without clinical signs of thyroid dysfunction, TRH-tests (TSH basal and 30 min after 200 micrograms TRH i.v.) were performed in the early follicular phase in addition to routine hormonal checks (gonadotrophins, oestradiol, DHEAS, testosterone, prolactin). The women were classified as euthyroid (n = 74; TSH stim 5-20 mU/l), latent hyperthyroid (n = 31; TSH stim less than 5 mU/l), and preclinical hypothyroid (n = 80; TSH stim greater than 20 mU/l). From frozen serum, the following determinations were performed: TSH IRMA, laevothyroxine (T4), thyroxine binding globulin (TBG), microsomal (Mab) and thyroglobulin (Tab) antibodies. Various correlations between the thyroid parameters and the pituitary--ovarian axis were demonstrated. With increasing TBG concentrations, the interval between menses decreased. Overall and spontaneous pregnancy rates were highest in women with normal (less than 75th perc.) basal and stimulated TSH, high (greater than 75th perc.) T4 and low (less than 25th perc.) Mab. Women with normal Tab or high TBG experienced the highest delivery rate (77 versus 30%), while in women with low Tab or high Mab abortion and tubal pregnancies were most frequent. As only 25 women exhibited elevated Mab (greater than 500 U/ml) or Tab (greater than 200 U/ml) which correlated with elevated TSH and normal T4, the routine determination of thyroid antibodies was not necessary. The TRH-test, however, should be included in infertility work-up.

Female↗
PubMed1991

[Study of traffic aptitude in relation to dental interventions].

Applying a video game the traffic aptitude of patients was investigated before and after dental surgical treatment and local anesthesia. Local anesthesia or operative removal of impacted third molars does not reduce the psychophysical performance important for driving a car if there is no influence of other factors. The consequences of the obtained results are discussed even under forensic aspects.

Anesthesia, Dental↗
PubMed1990

Effect of early exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the levels of opioid peptides, gonadotropin-releasing hormone and substance P in the adult male rat brain.

The effects of neonatal exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the adult animal brain neurochemistry and pain perception were evaluated. Newborn rat pups were culled to a litter size of 8 (males and females) and treated either with THC (2 mg/kg) or oil (control) daily, during days 1-4 after birth. After weaning, the THC-treated males were housed 4 per cage. During the juvenile period (day 50), the THC-treated animals exhibited significantly lower baseline tail-flick values (a measure of pain perception) than the control. However, as adults, the THC-treated animals exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to pain following 5 mg/kg morphine challenge. Furthermore, the THC-treated animals had significantly elevated beta-endorphin and methionine-enkephalin levels in almost all the brain areas sampled for the study. In addition, the neonatally THC-treated rats exhibited significantly higher levels of substance P (SP) and significantly lower levels of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in the anterior hypothalamus-preoptic area. The SP and GnRH levels did not differ among the THC-treated and control animals in the medial basal hypothalamus. The results of this study indicate that even a very low dose of THC administered during the neonatal period has a long-lasting effect on the brain neurochemistry. In particular, neonatal administration of THC appears to alter functioning of the endogenous opioid system.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Protein-protein recognition via short amphiphilic helices; a mutational analysis of the binding site of annexin II for p11.

Annexin II (p36) interacts with its ligand p11 via the short stretch of 12 amino acids (Ac-S-T-V-H-E-I-L-C-K-L-S-L) situated at the N-terminus. We have now synthesized some 37 tetradecapeptides, which differ from the original p11 binding sequence (Ac1-14) by single amino acid substitutions. The relative affinity of each peptide for p11 was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy using a competitive binding assay. The binding behaviour of the different peptides confirms the model of an amphiphilic alpha-helix induced upon binding to p11. The apparent affinities delta delta Gbind of the mutant peptides revealed that the N-acetyl group of serine 1 and the hydrophobic side chains at positions 3, 6, 7 and 10 contribute most to the binding. The observed destabilization of the complex upon removal of signal methyl groups from the hydrophobic side of the helix is comparable with the destabilization of proteins in which methyl groups have been removed from the inner core. We conclude that upon binding to p11 the hydrophobic side of the amphiphatic alpha-helix becomes fully buried.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Clinical, biochemical and psychometric findings with the new MAO-A-inhibitors moclobemide and brofaromine in patients with major depressive disorder.

N = 53 inpatients with major depressive disorder have been treated with the reversible, selective MAO-A-inhibitors moclobemide (double-blind versus maprotiline) and brofaromine (open study), respectively. Clinically, significant improvement of depression and an activating profile of action could be observed, typical side effects were sleep disturbances, agitation and weight loss. The neurobiochemical data showed an increase of noradrenaline plasma concentrations under treatment with moclobemide. Visual reaction times improved with antidepressant treatment. MAO-A inhibitors proved to be effective antidepressants in the treatment of hospitalized patients with predominantly endogenous depressions.

Benzamides↗
PubMed1990

Brofaromine (CGP 11 305 A): estimation of plasma concentrations by a biologic technique as compared to liquid chromatography.

In an open clinical trial 13 depressives significantly improved under the reversible and selective type-A monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor brofaromine. The inhibitory potency of deproteinated plasma on a crude MAO preparation from human placenta was measured as a parameter for plasma brofaromine. There were no significant differences in plasma MAO inhibitory potency between responders (improvement greater than 50%; n = 5) and non-responders. MAO inhibitory potency significantly (p less than 0.05) increased parallel to the increase of the dosage from 50 mg b.i.d. to t.i.d. confirming the validity of this technique. The biologic assay, however, overestimated brofaromine by a factor of two in acute kinetic experiments with healthy volunteers as compared to a chromatographic technique, although both methods significantly correlated (r = 0.928).

Adult↗