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Biomedical subjects

E R Braverman

Publications and source records attributed to E R Braverman.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Dopamine D2 receptor gene variants: association and linkage studies in impulsive-addictive-compulsive behaviour.

Drug and alcohol seeking behaviour has become a great global problem affecting millions of inhabitants with a cost to society in the billions. Dopaminergic reward pathways have frequently been implicated in the etiology of addictive behaviour. While other neurotransmitters have also been implicated, to date the only molecular genetic defect which has been found to associate with alcoholism, drug dependency, obesity, smoking, pathological gambling, attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Tourette syndrome, as well as other related compulsive behaviours, are the variants of the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2). In this review of the available data on the subject, we report a number of independent meta-analyses that confirm an association of DRD2 polymorphisms and impulsive-additive-compulsive behaviour (IACB), which we have termed "Reward Deficiency Syndrome". While we agree that Meta-analyses of all exant studies support an association of variants of DRD2 and IACB, correct negative findings with alcoholism may be due to differences in assessing controls and inclusion/exclusion criteria for selection of diseased probands.

Behavior, Addictive↗
PubMed1994

Prolonged P300 latency in a neuropsychiatric population with the D2 dopamine receptor A1 allele.

The role of the dopaminergic system in P300 has been implicated and previous studies have suggested the presence of a heritable component in the genesis of P300 or P3, a late positive component of the event-related potential. In the present investigation, 155 Caucasian male and female diagnosed neuropsychiatrically-ill patients with and without comorbid drug and alcohol abuse/dependence were genotyped for the presence or absence of the A1 allele of the D2 dopamine receptor gene (DRD2). The relationship of the A1 and A2 alleles to P3 amplitude and latency was also determined. The results showed no significant difference in P3 amplitude between all groups studied with A1 and A2 allele carriers. However, we now report prolonged P3 latency in neuropsychiatrically-ill patients (with or without polysubstance abuse) with those carrying two copies of the A1 allele (homozygote) of the DRD2 gene (quadratic trend, p = 0.01). Moreover, the age-adjusted mean P3 latency in the D2A2/A2 allele group was 327.8 +/- 3.08 ms compared by ANOVA, to 360.04 +/- 4.86 ms in the D2A1/A1 group. Our work suggests an association of polymorphisms of the DRD2 gene and a biological marker previously indicated to have predictive value in vulnerability to substance abuse.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Cesium chloride: preventive medicine for radioactive cesium exposure?

Cesium is produced in high yield fission of uranium and plutonium. Radioactive cesium needles are a radiation hazard for radiotherapists. In this age of nuclear reactors, i.e. Chernobyl, radioactive cesium exposure may be a growing problem. Furthermore, there are numerous therapeutic potentials for cesium therapy, i.e. cancer, depression and schizophrenia. We explored the clearance of cesium in man and found that an oral dose of 50 mg maintains elevated blood cesium levels for 80 days. Cesium is accumulated mainly in the red blood cell fraction. Larger doses (6-9 grams) produce no observed harmful effects and maintain elevated blood levels of cesium for more than a year. Our data suggests there is a threshold of maximum cesium saturation in blood; if maintained, any additional cesium exposure, i.e. radioactive cesium, would be excreted at a more rapid rate. It is probable that large cesium doses can protect against radiation toxicity by blocking sites on red blood cells and thereby result in increased excretion and clearance of the radioactive forms of cesium. This hypothesis should be easily testable in laboratory animals.

Binding, Competitive↗
PubMed1987

The religious medical model: holy medicine and the Spiritual Behavior Inventory.

This paper describes the history and basis of the Spiritual Inventory from its beginning. Initially, the Inventory took the form of a casual interview. The advantage of an interview is clinical judgment and the ability to diagnose the spirituality of the patient. Analysis of spiritual behavior is a useful clinical tool. This paper also includes a detailed explanation of the role of the rabbi-physician.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1982

Epochal trace elements and evolution.

The use of some trace elements by plants and animals during the evolutionary process has resulted in epochal changes. Noteworthy is the fact that plants (but not animals) needed boron in order to grow stems and roots as they left the seas and became anchored on land. Iodine is plentiful in sea water but rare on land. Therefore, the iodination of tyrosine provided an iodine transport mechanism which allowed for the metamorphosis and the development of warm bloodedness--a great evolutionary advantage. Zinc from clay was needed for the formation of the first primitive nucleic acids and, later, the presence of zinc in the retina provide the enhanced night vision of the nocturnal predators--a natural advantage. Hence, boron, iodine and zinc can be termed epochal trace elements. Inquiry should be directed towards the possible roles of other trace elements, which may have been epochal in evolution.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Zinc, the brain and behavior.

The total content of zinc in the adult human body averages almost 2 g. This is approximately half the total iron content and 10 to 15 times the total body copper. In the brain, zinc is with iron, the most concentrated metal. The highest levels of zinc are found in the hippocampus in synaptic vesicles, boutons, and mossy fibers. Zinc is also found in large concentrations in the choroid layer of the retina which is an extension of the brain. Zinc plays an important role in axonal and synaptic transmission and is necessary for nucleic acid metabolism and brain tubulin growth and phosphorylation. Lack of zinc has been implicated in impaired DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis during brain development. For these reasons, deficiency of zinc during pregnancy and lactation has been shown to be related to many congenital abnormalities of the nervous system in offspring. Furthermore, in children insufficient levels of zinc have been associated with lowered learning ability, apathy, lethargy, and mental retardation. Hyperactive children may be deficient in zinc and vitamin B-6 and have an excess of lead and copper. Alcoholism, schizophrenia, Wilson's disease, and Pick's disease are brain disorders dynamically related to zinc levels. Zinc has been employed with success to treat Wilson's disease, achrodermatitis enteropathica, and specific types of schizophrenia.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The D2 dopamine receptor gene as a predictor of compulsive disease: Bayes' theorem.

The dopaminergic system, and in particular the dopamine D2 receptor, has been profoundly implicated in reward mechanisms in the meso-limbic circuitry of the brain. Dysfunction of the D2 dopamine receptors leads to aberrant substance (alcohol, drug, tobacco and food) seeking behavior. Decades of research indicate that genetics play an important role in vulnerability to severe substance seeking behavior. We propose that variants of the D2 dopamine receptor gene are important common genetic determinants in predicting compulsive disease.

Alleles↗