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Biomedical subjects

C Eisdorfer

Publications and source records attributed to C Eisdorfer.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Are there clinical differences between familial and nonfamilial Alzheimer's disease?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine whether there are differences in clinical characteristics in two groups of patients with Alzheimer's disease, those reported to have a family history of dementia and those without a family history of dementia. METHOD: Using a data set from an Alzheimer's disease patient registry, funded as part of a National Institute on Aging cooperative agreement, the authors made comparisons of sociodemographic and clinical variables in a group of 462 patients with Alzheimer's disease, 172 reported to have at least one first-degree relative with dementia and 290 classified with no family history. RESULTS: Patients with a presumptive family history differed from those without a family history in two ways: the course of dementia was described as having a fast rather than a slow progression from onset of symptoms to diagnosis, and caregivers reported a higher prevalence of family history of psychiatric disorders. There were no significant differences in age at onset, duration, female gender, aphasia and apraxia, handedness, family history of Down's syndrome, or number of children, brothers, and sisters. CONCLUSIONS: The association of faster course and family history of psychiatric disorders in the patients with a family history of dementia is consistent with the hypothesis of heterogeneity, but the overall results could also be explained by a genetic-environmental model of Alzheimer's disease.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

A stress-moderator model of distress in early HIV-1 infection: concurrent analysis of life events, hardiness and social support.

A stress moderator framework was employed to investigate the relationship of negative life events, hardiness and social support to psychological distress among 67 asymptomatic HIV-1 seropositive gay males. Both main effects and stress moderator (interaction) models were evaluated. Main effects were found for negative life events and social support but not hardiness (either as commitment or overall hardiness); no moderator effects emerged. Results were the same whether events were quantified as negative impact or as number of events, and were in the predicted direction--life events associated with greater distress, social support with less distress. The present study replicates for early HIV-1 infection findings obtained in non-HIV-infected samples about the influence on psychological distress of negative life events and social support. Methodological limitations, possible explanations for the absence of stress moderator effects, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1991

The occurrence of different intrusive errors in patients with Alzheimer's disease, multiple cerebral infarctions, and major depression.

Recent evidence suggests that specific types of intrusive errors may occur more often in the protocols of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients than in those of patients diagnosed with other types of dementia. Using the FULD Object Memory Evaluation, we documented the occurrence of five qualitatively different types of intrusive errors for mildly and moderately impaired patients with AD and multiple cerebral infarctions (MCI). Depressed and normal elderly controls were also studied. Despite an equivalent degree of impairment on a broad array of neuropsychological measures, mildly impaired AD patients evidenced greater deficits on a measure tapping retrieval from semantic memory and demonstrated a higher occurrence of specific types of intrusive errors relative to their mildly impaired MCI counterparts. Further, both of these measures were highly correlated, suggesting that these indices may be particularly sensitive to semantic dysfunction associated with early AD.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Association of vitamin B6 status with parameters of immune function in early HIV-1 infection.

Nutritional deficiencies have been documented to affect immune function. The present study indicates that vitamin B6 deficiency is prevalent in CDC stage III HIV-1-infected subjects, despite adequate dietary vitamin B6 intake. As vitamin B6 deficiency has been previously shown to affect immune function, these relatively asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients were examined for evidence of a relationship between vitamin B6 deficiency and immune dysregulation. Vitamin B6 status in HIV-1-infected subjects was significantly associated with functional parameters of immunity [multivariate F(3,36) = 3.70, p less than or equal to 0.02]. Additional analyses indicated that overtly deficient participants exhibited significantly decreased lymphocyte responsiveness to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed, and reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity, compared to subjects with clearly adequate vitamin B6 status (chi 2 = 8.78, df = 3, p less than 0.04). Vitamin B6 status was not related to immune cell subpopulations, e.g., CD4, CD8 cell number, or level of serum immunoglobulins. The results of this study indicate that while vitamin B6 status is not a primary etiological factor in HIV-1-related immunological dysregulation, it appears to be an important cofactor of immune function.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Norepinephrine response in early HIV infection.

Norepinephrine response to a cold pressor test was investigated in 95 homosexual men in a longitudinal study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The baseline data obtained from 76 HIV+ and 19 HIV- subjects are included in this report. After the insertion of a venicatheter and following a 30 min rest, subjects immersed one of their hands in ice water for 2 min, and serial blood samples were obtained for the determination of catecholamine levels. The results show that the norepinephrine response in HIV+ subjects compared to that of HIV- subjects was blunted. Examination of the responses using linear and quadratic orthogonal polynomials suggested that these differences between the two groups were primarily a function of their rate of increase in norepinephrine levels. It was observed also that in HIV+ subjects, norepinephrine level peaked earlier than that in HIV- subjects. The data suggest that autonomic dysfunction is present in the early stages of HIV infection.

Autonomic Nervous System↗
PubMed1991

Caregiving: an emerging risk factor for emotional and physical pathology.

Caregiving is the act of attending to someone or of providing services to an individual in need. It is a complex activity, with ethical, psychosocial, and demographic dimensions, as well as clinical, technical, and community service components. The author describes the complexities of caregiving and the burdens on the family in a rapidly aging society. He points out that caregiving is associated with significant risk for psychopathology and that a more comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of chronically ill patients is necessary.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Cognition in early human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Relatively little is known about cognitive changes in early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. This study examined cognitive functioning in 46 HIV-positive gay men relative to an age and education equivalent group of 13 HIV-negative gay men. The HIV-positive men were asymptomatic except for lymphadenopathy or T4 counts less than 700. The cognitive battery measured language, memory, visuospatial, information processing speeds, reasoning, attention, and psychomotor processes. The HIV-positive group was significantly slower in processing information and performed significantly less well than the HIV-negative group on certain verbal memory measures. Deviations of 1 as well as 2 SDs from the norm/control group mean on four or more tests were observed in 43% and 22% of the HIV-positive subjects, respectively, compared with 8% and none of the HIV-negative subjects, respectively. The results suggest that cognitive inefficiency occurs in a subsample of individuals during early HIV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A modified HPLC technique for simultaneous measurement of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in cerebrospinal fluid, platelet and plasma.

A sensitive, reliable and simplified HPLC assay for simultaneous measurement of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), platelets and plasma is described. Perchloric acid is used for one step precipitation of proteins and extraction of 5-HT and 5-HIAA. Precision of the assay has been increased by calibration of the instrument using serotonin-free plasma spiked with known amount of standards and N-w-methyl-5-hydroxytryptamine as internal standard. Integration of the peaks and calculations are achieved by a preprogrammed data module using ratio method. As little as 20 pg/ml of serotonin in the deproteinated sample can be detected using this procedure. In a group of surgical patients, plasma 5-HT concentration is (Mean +/- S D) 3.4 +/- 2.7 ng/ml and that of platelet 748.3 +/- 448.3 ng/10(9) platelets. In CSF, 5-HT is found to be 3.3 +/- 3.4 ng/ml and 5-HIAA is 15.1 +/- 7.3 ng/ml. A good correlation (r = 0.648, p less than .0001) is observed between 5-HT and 5-HIAA in CSF.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Brain-reactive antibodies and the AIDS dementia complex.

To determine the role of autoantibodies in the development of the AIDS dementia complex, brain-reactive antibodies (BRAs) were assayed in 30 sera samples obtained from AIDS patients. Eighteen samples were obtained from AIDS patients with neuropsychological complications, and 12 samples were obtained from patients without any neuropsychological involvement. BRAs were analyzed using strips of nitrocellulose electroblots as a source of antigen, and were prepared from a sample of normal human parahippocampal tissue subjected to SDS-PAGE. Fourteen of 18 patients with neuropsychological complications and 4 of 12 patients without such complications were positive for BRAs to a protein with Mr of 45,000-50,000.

AIDS Dementia Complex↗
PubMed1988

Serum IgG brain reactive antibodies in Alzheimer disease and Down syndrome.

The cause(s) of Alzheimer disease (AD) remain unknown. Since neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques, a hallmark of AD, are also present in older patients with Down syndrome (DS), a close relationship between the two diseases has been suggested. IgG type of brain reactive antibodies (BRAs) are present in a majority of patients with AD but such studies have not been carried out in adult patients with DS. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis that if the brain changes in older patients with DS and patients with AD are identical, the occurrence and specificity of BRAs should be similar in both diseases. The frequency of BRAs was studied in sera obtained from 21 patients with AD, 26 older patients with DS, and 20 normal control subjects using electroblots prepared from rat spinal cord proteins. Circulating BRAs were found in 57% of patients with AD, 81% of patients with DS, and 30% of normal controls. However, the pattern of BRA reactivity was different in AD and DS. In AD, antibodies reacted with the 200-kDa subunit of neurofilament triplet singly or in combination with the 150-kDa, 70-kDa or with the associated 62-kDa protein. In DS, BRAs always reacted with the 70-kDa protein, usually in combination with the 200-kDa subunit and, less frequently, in association with the other subunits. No specific pattern of antibody activity was evident in the control group.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Depression in family members caring for a relative with Alzheimer's disease.

The reformulated learned helplessness model of depression was tested in a study of families caring for relatives with Alzheimer's disease who did not participate in family support groups or have access to respite care. Family members who identified themselves as major caregivers, ie, those providing daily assistance to the patient, received a clinical psychiatric interview, the Beck Self-Report Depression Scale, and a modified Hammen and deMayo Attributional Style Questionnaire. The results showed that 55% of major caregivers, primarily spouses, living with an older relative with dementia experienced clinical depression. Depressed caregivers were more likely to perceive a lack of control over their situation than those who were not depressed. Contrary to the reformulated learned helplessness hypothesis, they did not perceive their situation to be the result of internal, stable, and global attributions. The results suggest the need to study depression in ecologically stressful natural settings and to develop effective clinical intervention strategies.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

Age-related changes in venous catecholamines basally and during epinephrine infusion in man.

Plasma epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NE) levels were examined among healthy men aged 20 to 25 and 60 to 65 years basally and during EPI infusions. On separate days, 14.3 and 42.9 ng/kg/min EPI was administered intravenously for 45 min. Although there was no age difference in venous EPI levels basally, the old had less increase during the EPI infusions. The plasma metabolic clearance rate of EPI was greater among the old men. Plasma NE levels were elevated among the elderly men, but both age groups had an increase in NE during the EPI 42.9 ng/kg/min infusion rate. During EPI infusions, the old men had less increase in systolic but not diastolic blood pressure or heart rate compared with the young men. The different pattern of change in venous EPI levels and increased metabolic clearance rate of EPI observed among the old men could, in part, explain diminished end-organ responsivity.

Adult↗