Biomedical subjects

A Villeneuve

Publications and source records attributed to A Villeneuve.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1978

Therapeutic trials in tardive dyskinesia.

The search for a treatment of tardive dyskinesia has generally been guided by the putative biochemical mechanisms underlying the extrapyramidal disorders, but no markedly effective treatment has yet been found. The currently postulated mechanism in tardive dyskinesia involves namely an imbalance between the central dopamine-acetylcholine systems whose balance may also be influenced by neuroendocrine factors. The agents reported having some clinical efficacy in the management of this neurological complication act on these systems. The clinical investigation for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia is laborious and raises several problems that could account for the unpredictability and the discrepancies in results. These problems can be divided into three broad categories: patient variables, experimental treatment variables and methodological variables. These variables are discussed and some suggestions made.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1977

Influence of the antiparkinsonian drugs on the plasma level of neuroleptics.

The interaction between various neuroleptics and antiparkinsonian drugs was analyzed by measuring the neuroleptic plasma level before and after withdrawal of antiparkinsonian drugs. The population completing the study consisted of 32 chronic schizophrenics treated with chlorpromazine (8), levomepromazine (14), thioridazine (6), or haloperidol (4). Twenty-five were also receiving benztropine; 4, trihexyphenidyl; and 3, procyclidine. During the first 4 weeks patients remained on neuroleptics and antiparkinsonians, the latter being withdrawn during the 5th week, and the neuroleptics alone being administered during 16 following weeks. The plasma level of neuroleptics was assayed by gas liquid chromatography, once weekly in the morning at two different times. The analysis of variance showed a significant difference in neuroleptic plasma level when patients took neuroleptics only versus the period they had received neuroleptics and antiparkinsonians. The multiple comparison based on Studentized range Q0-05 revealed a significant progressive increase of neuroleptic plasma level during 12 weeks after withdrawal of antiparkinsonian drugs after which a plateau was reached. The hypothetical mechanisms of action of antiparkinsonians on neuroleptic plasma level are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1975

Influence of reserpine on all-night sleep pattern in nonlobotomized and lobotomized chronic schizophrenic patients.

This study was performed on two groups of schizophrenic patients. One group consisted on nine nonlobotomized patients and the other of nine lobotomized ones. The groups were matched for age, sex, duration of illness, clinical symptoms, type and dose of psychopharmacological treatment. The patients of both groups were administered 1 mg of reserpine half an hour before bedtime, for three successive days. Before reserpine administration the mean percentage time of the NREM stage 4 was significantly higher in the lobotomized group. There was no significant difference in the REM parameters. After three days of reserpine administration in the nonlobotomized group, there was no significant difference in the mean percentage of the NREM stage 4, whereas the mean REM percentage significantly increased and REM latency decreased. In the lobotomized group the same procedure, i.e., three days of reserpine administration, provoked a significant decrease in the mean percentage of the NREM stage 4 and no significant changes in the REM parameters. This difference in reserpine action on sleep in the lobotomized group is discussed.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed1974

Release phenomena and iterative activities in psychiatric geriatric patients.

This survey was undertaken to assess the frequency of some of the so-called release phenomena and iterative activities in an aged psychiatric population. Three groups of geriatric psychiatric patients with diagnoses of (I) organic brain syndrome, including senile dementia (56), (II) functional psychoses, predominantly schizophrenia (51) and (III) chronic schizophrenia never treated by neuroleptics or other biologic agents (16), were compared with (IV) a control group of 32 elderly people in good physical and mental health.In general, for the manifestations studied, the geriatric psychiatric patients suffering from an organic brain syndrome and treated with neuroleptics differed notably from the control group. This latter group, although older, had few neurological signs of senescence and the spontaneous oral movements usually associated with the use of neuroleptics were absent. Release phenomena such as the grasp and pouting reflexes, as well as the stereotyped activities, were encountered significantly more frequently in patients with an organic brain syndrome than in the two other groups of patients. Our survey has yielded limited results with regard to the possible influence of type of illness and neuroleptic treatment on the incidence of release phenomena and iterative activities.

Aged↗

PubMed1974