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Biomedical subjects

C Salzman

Publications and source records attributed to C Salzman.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Parenteral lorazepam versus parenteral haloperidol for the control of psychotic disruptive behavior.

In a double-blind, prospective study, 2 mg of intramuscular lorazepam and 5 mg of intramuscular haloperidol were equally effective in controlling aggression, agitation, and assaultive behavior. Although lorazepam and haloperidol produced an equivalent mean decrease in aggression, significantly more subjects who received lorazepam had a greater decrease in aggression ratings than haloperidol recipients; this effect was independent of sedation. Lorazepam produced significantly fewer extrapyramidal symptoms. These data support the current clinical practice of using lorazepam (alone, or in combination with a neuroleptic) for control of acute aggressive and assaultive behavior.

Acute Disease↗

Anxiety in the elderly: treatment strategies.

Anxiety in the elderly is often mixed with depression, and successful antidepressant treatment will often also eliminate the anxiety. For specific symptoms of generalized anxiety, benzodiazepines are important therapeutic agents. Selection of an appropriate benzodiazepine is guided by pharmacokinetic properties of individual drugs. Long half-life benzodiazepines usually are not preferred for older patients because of cumulative toxicity. Among the short half-life drugs, high-potency compounds (e.g., lorazepam, alprazolam) may be more toxic than low-potency compounds (e.g., oxazepam). Although confirming controlled data are lacking, clinical experience suggests that dependence, rebound symptoms, and memory impairment may be more intense with lorazepam and alprazolam. Clinicians should endeavor to use benzodiazepines for short periods when treating the elderly. Long-term use has been reported effective and nonhazardous, but subtle and gradual cognitive impairment may occur in other patients over time. Buspirone has also been reported as an effective, nontoxic antianxiety compound for older patients, but more experience and comparative research data are needed.

Age Factors↗

Antidepressants.

Depressive symptoms are common in the elderly, and depressive illness is the most common of emotional disorders in those of advanced age. This article focuses on the use of antidepressant drugs for the treatment of older depressed patients. To correctly understand the use of antidepressant drugs, it is necessary to first appreciate the medical, neurobiologic, and pharmacologic context within which antidepressant drugs are to be prescribed. Therefore, this article also includes a brief review of the etiology and diagnosis of depression in the elderly.

Age Factors↗

Practical considerations in the pharmacologic treatment of depression and anxiety in the elderly.

The author discusses four topics: (1) Age-related alterations in central nervous system function predispose elderly patients to increased risk of psychotropic drug toxicity. (2) Age-related alterations in psychotropic drug pharmacokinetics lead to decreased metabolism, increased volume of distribution, and decreased clearance. (3) Treatment of depression in the elderly with a special focus on selection of drugs and toxicity. Four classes of drugs are reviewed: cyclic antidepressants, atypical antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, and stimulants. and (4) Treatment of anxiety. Recommendations for benzodiazepine and buspirone use are given, and benzodiazepine toxicity in the elderly is reviewed in detail.

Age Factors↗

Induction of protective immunity against Schistosoma mansoni by a non-living vaccine. VI. Antigen recognition by non-responder mouse strains.

Previous studies have shown that many strains of mice develop partial resistance to Schistosoma mansoni as a result of intradermal vaccination with soluble schistosome antigens plus BCG. However, P and BALB/c mice are non-responsive to this intradermal vaccination protocol. In this study, humoral and cellular responses to schistosome antigens in vaccinated P and BALB/c mice were compared to those in protected C57BL/6 mice to identify an immune correlate to resistance in this model. Levels of circulating IgG and IgM antibodies to soluble adult worm antigens, as measured by ELISA, were comparable between strains. Moreover, Western blot analysis revealed no qualitative differences in antibody reactivity, with sera from vaccinated animals of all three strains recognizing the antigen previously identified as Sm-97 (paramyosin). However, vaccinated P and BALB/c mice showed specific defects in cell-mediated immunity to schistosome antigens, including decreased production of macrophage-activating lymphokines and an inability to produce activated macrophage effector cells in vivo at the site of antigen challenge. These observations strengthen our hypothesis that the intradermal vaccine acts through induction of T-cell-mediated immune resistance mechanisms.

Animals↗