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Biomedical subjects

E Zarifian

Publications and source records attributed to E Zarifian.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[Anxiolytic drugs and inhibition].

The term "désinhibition" has a different meaning for the psychopharmacologist and for the psychiatrist. The action of anti anxiety agents on animal behavior is described with a special interest for the passive and active avoidance tests. The mode of action and the site of action of benzodiazepines is discussed, focussed on the existence of an endogeneous ligand displacing the binding of diazepam. The differences between low and high doses of anti-anxiety agents are stressed in patients and normal volunteers, and the treatment of inhibition by benzodiazepines is also discussed.

Animals↗

[A new psychotropic drug: carpipramine, intermediate compound between 2 therapeutic classes].

An open clinical study was conducted with carpipramine in 100 hospitalized subjects presenting various mental disorders. The therapeutic results on symptoms were assessed both as a whole and with the help of a rating scale. Doses varied from 50 to 400 mg per day. Carpipramine seems to be particularly efficient on schizophrenias, 66 cases of which were tested. The best results were observed in hebephrenic forms and depressive syndroms during the illness; in these indications, carpipramine exerts a clear psychomotor stimulating activity which is useful in decreasing indifference, apathy and ideomotor slowness. Schizophrenias with paranoid delusions or depersonalization anxiety tend to be somehow aggravated. Carpipramine does not seem to be a true antidepressant despite its desinhibitory properties. The compound proves useful in deficits of the psychomotor tone such as those occuring in psychasthenia or the deficit syndrom which follows withdrawal from opiates. Clinical and biological tolerances seem to be excellent and extrapyramidal side effects are exceptional. Carpipramine may be considered as a strongly desinhibitory neuroleptic agent which bears some resemblance to antidepressants because of its psychoanaleptic effect. The authors raise the question of possible antipsychotic properties in higher doses in relation to pharmacological data and a bipolar, antipsychotic and predominantly desinhibitory, therapeutic action.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗

[Study of free and total tryptophan in the plasma. It value in psychiatry].

The dosage of the whole tryptophan and of the free tryptophan was conducted in 16 normal subjects to establish reference values and in 12 schizophrenic subjects among whom 7 were under treatment and 5 were not. The method of dosage is made by spectrofluorimetry by increasing the native fluorescence of tryptophan. The results give mean values for the free tryptophan and for the ratio of the free tryptophan to the whole tryptophan values that are higher in the schizophrenics than in the normal subjects used as reference, while the whole tryptophan seems to be little modified ; this increase is more noticeable in the schizophrenics under treatment. The limited number of the cases studied does not enable us yet to establish correlations between the increase of the free tryptophan found in some cases and the nature of the schizophrenia, its age and its evolutivity or even the clinical response to the treatment. However, some figures for the free tryptophan being very much higher than the mean value in some schizophrenics, suggest ways of research for understanding the pathogenisis of schizophrenia and the mechanisms of the therapeutic action of the psychotropic drugs.

Adult↗

[Blood level of tryptophan in psychiatric diseases].

The dosage of the free tryptophan and of the total tryptophan is interesting in psychiatric diseases when a possible role of serotonin is suspected: endogenous melancolia, schizophrenia, sleep disorders. The dosage of tryptophan is made by ultracentrifugation and separation then spectrofluorimetry by increasing 15 times the native fluorescence of tryptophan. The data are given for 16 healthy volunteers and 12 schizophrenics treated and not treated. The methodology of sampling is described and must be strictly standardized to get interpretable data.

Humans↗

[A French experience with methadone].

Methadone chlorhydrate has been administred to opiate addicts either for a short period with a decreasing dosage as a withdrawal cure, or for longterm treatments as a basis of a maintenance program. The analysis of precise clinical criteria regarding the socio-professional states, the family-life, the general health and the psychopathological diagnosis, allows an evaluation of the success of the cure and of its elective indications. The study of the personnality of the drug-addicts shows the importance of this factor in the potential success of a methadone cure. Urinary biological controls are regularly performed. This limitations and promises of this treatment discussed form a basis of a year's experience.

Administration, Oral↗

[Trial of verification of the thymoanaleptic action of hypothalamic thyrostimulin (thyrotropin releasing factor of TRF) in melancholic states].

After the studies conducted by PRANGE and KASTIN in 1972, we tried to verify whether T.R.F. had a real thymo-analeptic effect and if a repeated administration could cure a depressive state. We used T.R.F. either intra-venously -- in slow perfusion or directly -- (1 mg per day) or p.o. (30 mg per day) on 18 mono or bipolar melancolic patients. The treatment lasted from 8 to 21 days. We have observed 4 good results obtained between the second and the sixth day, all among bipolar melancolic patients. In the other cases the results were negative. In all cases the tolerance was very good. These results, though very limited, present very interesting perspectives about a physiological substance whose site and actions are known with a relative precision.

Administration, Oral↗