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Biomedical subjects

T G Burns

Publications and source records attributed to T G Burns.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of single-dose intravenous secretin as treatment for children with autism.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a single injection of intravenous secretin results in measurable improvements in socialization and/or communication skills in children with autism. STUDY DESIGN: Sixty subjects with autism were randomly selected and assigned to either treatment or placebo group. Subjects in the treatment group received 2.0 clinical units of secretin per kilogram of body weight as a single intravenous dose. Subjects in the placebo group received normal saline solution. Neurodevelopmental and behavioral assessments were performed for all subjects before injection and at 3 and 6 weeks after injection. RESULTS: Assessment of language skills and parents' behavioral assessments revealed no significant differences between the treatment and placebo groups. Raters' assessments of severity of autistic symptoms did not differ for the 2 groups at 6 weeks after injection. A marginally statistically significant improvement in autistic behaviors was seen in the treatment group at 3 weeks after injection (P =.051). CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of intravenous secretin does not appear to have significant effects on either parents' perception of autistic behaviors or language skills at 6 weeks after injection. Transient, marginally significant improvements in autistic behaviors may occur in some children.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1985

Scheduled feeding and 24-hour rhythms of N-acetylserotonin and melatonin in rats.

Male rats, kept under a lighting condition of 14-h light, 10-h dark, were subjected to scheduled feeding regimens. Food was available either in the early light phase or the early dark phase. The 24-h rhythms of serum corticosterone and of N-acetylserotonin (NAS) and melatonin (MT) in the pineal and serum were determined. It was found that whereas serum corticosterone and NAS rhythms responded to the feeding schedules, the rhythms of pineal NAS and of serum and pineal MT remained synchronized with the light-dark cycle. These findings indicated that the pineal was not the major source of circulating NAS. Whereas environmental lighting was the dominant "Zeitgeber" for the NAS rhythms in the pineal and the MT rhythms in the pineal and serum, for serum NAS rhythm, food presentation was the stronger Zeitgeber.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Behavioral effects of 5-hydroxy-N-acetyltryptophan, a putative synthetic precursor of N-acetylserotonin.

1. Adult male rats were injected with either 5-hydroxy-N-acetyltryptophan (5-OHNAT), a synthetic putative precursor of N-acetylserotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the serotonin precursor, and behavioral effects were observed. Pretreatment consisted of carbidopa and nialamide. 2. The behavioral effects of systemic injections of 5-OHNAT and 5-HTP were qualitatively similar i.e. head weaving, forepaw treading, etc., but the effect of 5-OHNAT was appreciably delayed in onset. 3. 5-OHNAT loading may cause an increase in central nervous system 5-HT via initial deacetylation to 5-HTP. Alternatively, 5-OHNAT may cause a delayed increase in brain NAS and the "serotonin syndrome" may reflect increased conversion of 5-HT to NAS.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗