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Biomedical subjects

A Coppen

Publications and source records attributed to A Coppen.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Hysterectomy, hormones, and behaviour. A prospective study.

60 premenopausal women were assessed before and after hysterectomy for menorrhagia or fibroids or both. Their mood, sexual functioning, and plasma oestrogens and gonadotrophins were regularly assessed for a period of up to 3 years. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either oestrone sulphate or placebo tablets during the trial. No evidence was found that this group of patients showed depression or sexual difficulties related to the hysterectomy. In comparison with their baseline gynaecological condition, they showed improved mood and vigour and unimpaired sexual activity.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed1981

Increased platelet monoamine oxidase activity in affective disorders.

Platelet monoamine oxidase activity was determined in 52 unipolar depressive patients, 26 patients with bipolar affective disorder and 48 controls using phenylethylamine as substrate. Unipolar depressive patients of either sex and bipolar depressive women showed significantly higher platelet MAO activity than controls. Women had higher activity than men. Neither age nor serum lithium level correlated with enzyme activity and there was no significant change in activity after the institution of lithium treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

A clinical and pharmacodynamic evaluation of sulpiride.

In a double-blind study the therapeutic efficacy of sulpiride was compared to that of haloperidol--an established neuroleptic agent. A total of 30 female patients with a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia were initially stabilised on the dosage of haloperidol which produced optimum therapeutic response when given once or twice daily. The patients were then randomly allocated to receive either sulpiride or haloperidol over a period of 12 weeks. Plasma drug concentrations and prolactin levels were determined. Clinical effects were evaluated by Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Wing Rating Scale, and Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale (EPS). A standardised side-effects checklist was used. Treatment with sulpiride was associated with a significant rise in plasma prolactin level, but paradoxically these patients had significantly reduced extrapyramidal symptoms. No significant correlation was found between plasma sulpiride concentration and prolactin level or any of the clinical variables. The study confirms the antipsychotic activity of sulpiride.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1981

Urinary free cortisol and clinical classification of depressive illness.

Urinary free cortisol was measured in 24 patients with primary depressive illness. The patients were classified according to their family history (Winokur's classification) and the Newcastle scale. There was a significant increase in urinary free cortisol (UFC) excretion in patients classified as endogenous on the newcastle scale, but UFC excretion was normal in patients with neurotic depression. No significant relationship between urinary free cortisol and the Winokur classification was observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

The action of antidepressant drugs on 5-hydroxy-tryptamine uptake by platelets--relationship to therapeutic effect.

The uptake of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) by the blood platelets of depressive patients treated with amitriptyline and zimelidine has been examined. Both drugs significantly reduce the uptake of 5-HT into the platelet and the degree of inhibition is correlated with the plasma drug level of amitriptyline. No significant correlations could be detected between the degree of inhibition of uptake and clinical change. The accepted mode of action of tricyclic antidepressant drugs, i.e. the inhibition of reuptake of released amines, is discussed.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1981

Lithium continuation therapy following electroconvulsive therapy.

Thirty-eight depressed patients who were treated with ECT were randomly assigned to receive lithium therapy or identical-looking placebo tablets for one year after clinical recovery in a double-blind trial. The patients who received placebo tablets spent an average of 7.8 weeks with an episode of depression (either as in-patients or day-patients) during the year. In comparison, patients who received lithium spent on average 1.7 weeks with an episode (P less than 0.02). The trial confirms the high rate of relapses after ECT and suggests that lithium considerably reduces this morbidity. It is suggested that ECT without continuation therapy is not a satisfactory treatment of depressive illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Seasonal variations in biochemical factors related to depressive illness.

Biochemical variates that may be related to depressive illness have been shown to vary significantly according to the season. This factor must therefore be carefully considered in biochemical and therapeutic investigations into depression, and may account for the seasonal variation in depression and suicide that have been reported by many investigators.

Amitriptyline↗
PubMed1980

Neuroendocrine studies in affective disorders. Part 1. Plasma prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in affective disorders: effect of ECT.

The plasma prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone, which is thought to be mediated by central 5-HT mechanisms, has been studied in patients with affective disorders. There was no difference between depressive patients (taken as a whole), bipolar patients undergoing a manic phase and controls in the prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone. When the depressive patients were divided on a genetic basis into familial pure and sporadic depressive disease it was found that the sporadic patients had an enhanced response. The results do not provide any strong evidence to suggest that central 5-HT mechanisms as measured by the prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone are abnormal in depressed patients or bipolar patients undergoing a manic phase. Patients after ECT had an increased prolactin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone which may indicate increased sensitivity of central 5-HT receptors following this treatment.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1980

Neuroendocrine studies in affective disorders. Part 2. Plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in affective disorders: effect of ECT.

The plasma thyroid-stimulating hormone response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in controls and patients with affective disorders has been studied. The results of the investigation do not suggest any abnormality of this response in monopolar or unipolar depressed patients or bipolar patients undergoing a manic phase of their illness. No significant difference in this response could be detected between 'sporadic depressive disease' patients and 'familial pure depressive disease' patients, and age- and sex-matched controls. The neuroendocrine response was essentially unchanged after treatment by ECT.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Renal function in lithium and non-lithium treated patients with affective disorders.

Renal function was examined in 101 patients maintained on sustained-release lithium carbonate for periods ranging from 1 to 12.5 years. A control group of patients with affective disorders who had never been given lithium was also investigated as well as a control group of normal subjects of comparable age and sex. Creatinine clearance, serum creatinine, maximum urine osmolality after DDAVP administration, urine and plasma beta 2-microglobulin and the urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase were not significantly different between patients on lithium and depressed patients never on lithium. Side effects that have been related to lithium therapy were not correlated with duration of lithium therapy. It is concluded that there was little evidence of a serious renal functional impairment attributable to lithium therapy.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1980

Antithymic immune factor in schizophrenia. A World Health Organization study.

Six WHO Collaborating Centre took part in the study of the antithymic activity of blood sera of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Blood serum specimens from 118 schizophrenic patients and 62 mentally healthy donors were investigated. Statistically significant differences between schizophrenic patients and the controls were found (p < 0.05). It is probable that as with other biological phenomena described in schizophrenia, antithymic activity is one of the biological factors, in combination with other factors, predisposing towards the development of the schizophrenic process.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Lithium restores abnormal platelet 5-HT transport in patients with affective disorders.

Kinetic analysis of the transport of 5-HT into the blood platelets of depressed patients and recovered depressive patients has shown that the rate of accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is significantly decreased both before and after recovery from the illness. This abnormality is corrected by both short and long-term lithium treatment. As a corollary to these studies, the effect of lithium in vitro on 5-HT uptake has been studied and the results are opposite to those reported in vivo. These findings suggest that lithium acts indirectly, and possible mechanisms of its action are discussed.

Biological Transport↗
PubMed1980

Electrodermal activity in depression: clinical and biochemical correlates.

Electrodermal activity was measured in a group of depressive patients and normal controls. Those patients classified as endogenous on the Newcastle Scale had significantly lower skin conductance levels than either the non-endogenous patients or controls. The endogenous depressives also contained significantly more non-responders to the experimental stimuli. The lack of responsiveness to external stimulation in non-responders is associated with a significantly lower rate of blood platelet 5-hydroxytryptamine uptake, suggesting that endogenous depressives have biological characteristics that distinguish them from other depressive groups and that electrodermal measures may be useful in the classification of depressive illness.

Blood Platelets↗