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T Jorna

Publications and source records attributed to T Jorna.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Postnatal health and welfare of offspring conceived in vitro: a case for epidemiological studies.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) has established itself as an important technique in human assisted reproduction and in livestock improvement. In both humans and livestock the possible long-term effects on health and welfare of offspring born after IVF and in vitro culture to the blastocyst stage are still largely unknown. Epidemiological studies in humans, using data collected for individuals born after normal (i.e. non-assisted) pregnancies, have provided evidence for associations between prenatal life events and adult-life disease. Due to the relatively short time that elapsed since the first IVF baby was born, comparable studies for IVF offspring are not yet possible. However, animal experiments and epidemiological studies with the available data from the livestock industry (mainly dairy cattle) may contribute to a better understanding of the risks involved.

Animals↗

Comorbidity of obsessive compulsive disorder in bipolar disorder.

The comorbidity of OCD and bipolar disorder has not been systematically examined. Therefore, we determined the frequency of patients meeting DSM-III criteria for OCD syndrome in a sample of 149 inpatients with DSM-III major affective disorder who had received a clinically reviewed structured diagnostic interview. The frequency of OCD syndrome was not significantly different between subjects with major depression (35.2%, n = 105) and bipolar disorder (35.1%, n = 37). This suggests that OCD is equally common in bipolar as in unipolar patients.

Adult↗

The symptom structure of panic attacks in depressed and anxious patients.

This study examined the panic symptom profiles of three diagnostic groups: those with panic disorder and no history of major depression; those with panic disorder with a history of major depressive episode but no current depression; and those current major depression with panic disorder. Patients were compared on the frequency of specific panic attack symptoms based on structured interview responses. The symptom profiles of all three groups were significantly correlated. The patients with past and current depressive episodes had the most similar symptom structure.

Adult↗

Effect of concurrent medical illness on dexamethasone suppression test results in depressed inpatients.

A retrospective evaluation of the clinical records of 138 depressed patients, who received the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) as part of a standardized physical and psychiatric assessment protocol, revealed that 60 had acute, chronic (mild or severe), stable or remitted medical conditions. The proportion of DST nonsuppressors did not differ between depressed subjects with medical conditions (45% nonsuppressors) and those without (34.6% nonsuppressors; p greater than 0.2). However, all of the six subjects with acute or chronic-severe medical conditions were found to be nonsuppressors (p = 0.003). These results may help clarify the medical exclusion criteria for the clinical application of the DST.

Adult↗

[A study of the usefulness of a metabolic profile test in determining the causes of herd problems on dairy farms in The Netherlands].

A metabolic profile test (MPT), consisting of the following parameters of the blood: glucose, urea, beta-hydroxybutyrate, copper, magnesium, calcium, non-esterified fatty acids, bilirubin, aspartate amino transferase, whole protein and the protein spectrum of the serum, was performed in twenty-two normal herds (control herds) in the Netherlands. Reference levels were estimated for the above parameters. The study showed that this MPT did not discriminate between normal herds and herds showing production problems or an increased incidence of metabolic diseases. Statistically significant differences between the three laboratories taking part in these investigations were not observed.

Animals↗

Toronto-Rochester Depression study of 116 HLA-typed kindreds.

The Toronto-Rochester Depression study consisted of 116 pedigrees ascertained for multiple cases of major affective disorders. Among the 857 psychiatrically evaluated family members, of whom more than 85% were given a structured interview, 363 had major affective disorder by Research Diagnostic Criteria and 385 had no history of psychological aberration. HLA region genes were typed in 804 of these persons.

Canada↗

Confirmation of the relationship of HLA (chromosome 6) genes to depression and manic depression. II. The Ontario follow-up and analysis of 117 kindreds.

HLA typing was conducted on 577 family members of 86 families having at least two first-degree family members with a lifetime history of major depression or bipolar disorder. The results were combined with a follow-up study of 10 Newfoundland kindreds and with the data obtained from our previous studies, giving a total cohort of 117 families of diverse ethnic and geographic origin. There was increased sharing of HLA haplotypes, as compared with random expectation, over all possible pairwise comparisons both in the follow-up studies (P less than 0.025) and in the total data (P less than 0.01). The increase in HLA haplotype sharing over random expectation was greater if comparisons within heavily loaded sibships (by prior convention, sibships with three or more affected siblings) were omitted from the analysis (P less than 0.002). There was also non-random transmission of HLA haplotypes in 50 families selected for a low-load, unaffected parent (P less than 0.005). Thus, we conclude that genes in the HLA region of chromosome 6 constitute one of the elements in the multifactorial etiology of affective disorder. This conclusion does not depend on any assumption concerning genetic heterogeneity or epistasis or on specific modes of transmission, penetrance values or linkage distances. In addition, the data suggest that chromosome 6 region genes may have a different effect in unipolar and bipolar illness.

Bipolar Disorder↗

Evidence for homogeneity of major depression and bipolar affective disorder.

This study compared the morbidity risk for affective disorder in relatives of probands who had bipolar (BP) or major depression (UP). Other risk factors were also evaluated. 112 consecutively admitted inpatients yielded 621 relatives with diagnostic information based on either the Renard diagnostic interview, hospital records or information from at least two reliable relatives using the Feighner diagnostic criteria. Similar age corrected morbid risk estimates were found for family members of UP and BP probands of 0.243 and 0.246. There was a 50% increase in morbidity risk for women in all three generations but no relationship to the diagnosis of the proband. A proportional hazards (life table) analysis demonstrated that probands with onset prior to age 40 had relatives with younger onset and higher risk. None of the analyses, including logistic regression and proportional hazards, differentiated UP from BP illness.

Adolescent↗

The relationship of HLA to depression and manic depression. I. The Newfoundland follow-up.

This report constitutes the Newfoundland component of a large scale replication study to assess the relationship of HLA to affective disorders; the Ontario component will be published subsequently. In a collaborative study between the University of Toronto, Memorial University and the University of Rochester, first degree family members of Probands with major affective disorder in Newfoundland were assessed for the lifetime presence of psychiatric disorder; their blood was also typed for Human Leucocyte Antigens (HLA). Because of the high rate of refusal to participate, only 10 Newfoundland families could be assessed completely. While this number of families is too small to evaluate the role of HLA as a marker of susceptibility to affective disorder, the results will be added to those of the larger Ontario component. Some problems of conducting research in communities similar to those found in Newfoundland are briefly discussed in the context of characteristics of the Probands in the study group as compared with those of subjects who refused entry into the study.

Adult↗