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Biomedical subjects

G Franck

Publications and source records attributed to G Franck.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Positron emission tomographic study in Alzheimer's disease and Pick's disease.

Positron Emission Tomography has been used to compare patients with Alzheimer's disease and 3 patients with biopsy-proved Pick's disease to age-matched volunteers. In Alzheimer's disease, there was a trend to a decrease of the metabolism parallel to the severity of the affection. The hypometabolism was predominant in the temporo-parieto-occipital and the middle temporal regions. In 2 cases of Pick's disease with a classical "frontal syndrome", there was an important fronto-temporal hypometabolism, very suggestive of the diagnosis owing to both its location and intensity. A third patient presented with a slowly progressive dysphasia. A left perisylvian hypometabolism was observed before any evident anatomical abnormality. The clinical symptoms evolved to a dementia and the hypometabolism extended to both frontal lobes.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1988

Further studies on colistin (polymyxin E)-induced cell leakage in mycobacteria: Mg++ efflux in Mycobacterium avium and its effects on drug-susceptibility.

Action of colistin (polymyxin E) was investigated on the opportunistic pathogenic species Mycobacterium avium ATCC 15769 (resistant strain, MIC greater than 100 micrograms/ml). Mycobacterium intracellulare ATCC 13950: a colistin-susceptible strain (MIC 25 micrograms/ml), was used as a parallel control for Mg++ efflux experiments. After the addition of 100 micrograms/ml of colistin to bacteria suspended in a buffer, both loss of viability and Mg++ efflux were followed for one week. Although there was an initial Mg++ efflux in both strains, it soon attained a plateau in case of the resistant strain without any loss of viability until 48 h, whereas in case of the susceptible strain, Mg++ efflux was about 3 times higher than former, a plateau was attained only 24 h after the drug addition, and the loss of viability started only 6 h after the drug addition. Consequently, the loss of viability of M. avium with later incubation times (6 days) was not due to the action of colistin on the cytoplasmic Mg++ efflux solely, but some additional effect was implicated. The drug-susceptibility of extracellularly-growing and intracellularly-growing (in the J-774 macrophage cell line) M. avium to the antibiotics tested could not be potentiated when they were used in combination with 5 micrograms/ml of colistin (maximal obtainable serum level in man) or the polymyxin B nonapeptide (PMBN), nor in the case of bacteria pretreated with these molecules.

Amoxicillin↗
PubMed1988

Blunted response of growth hormone to clonidine and apomorphine in endogenous depression.

We measured the growth hormone (GH) response to clonidine (an alpha-2-adrenergic agonist) and to apomorphine (a dopaminergic agonist) in 15 major endogenous and 15 minor depressive in-patients matched for gender and age. Results showed a significantly smaller GH response in the major depressives to both clonidine (P less than 0.01) and apomorphine (P less than 0.001). No significant difference existed between the two groups with regard to changes in blood pressure and pulse rate during either test. While major depressives showed a trend toward smaller sedative side-effects than minor depressives after clonidine, they showed significantly smaller sedative and gastro-intestinal side-effects after apomorphine. No significant correlation was present either in the major depressive or in the minor depressive group between the GH responses following clonidine and apomorphine challenges. These results support the hypothesis of both noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter disturbances in major depression, with individual variability with regard to those biochemical anomalies.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Metabolic and blood circulation evaluation of acute ischemic cerebral accident in humans using positron emission tomography].

Positron emission tomography and oxygen-15 were used to evaluate the effects of an almitrine-raubasine combination on cerebral blood flow and oxydation metabolism in patients with acute cerebral ischaemia. In 5 patients, aged between 58 and 74 years, with cerebral ischaemic accident in the territory of the middle cerebral artery, blood flow rate, oxygen consumption and brain oxygen extraction were measured before and after a 90-min intravenous infusion of almitrine bismesilate 15 mg and raubasine 5 mg. Only one patient presented with initial relative luxury perfusion, the intensity of which was reduced by the combined treatment. The other 4 patients had focal reduction of cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption prior to treatment. Statistical analysis conducted on three cerebral areas (epicentre of the lesion, anterior and posterior juxtalesional areas and homologous heterolateral areas) showed a significant 3.6% increase of oxygen consumption in the epicentre, both hemispheres included, and a significant increase of cerebral blood flow in all three areas (3% on the healthy side, 13% on the diseased side). No significant change in oxygen extraction was demonstrated. The authors conclude that acute almitrine-raubasine treatment has beneficial effects on the brain immediately after a cerebral vascular accident, reflecting respect of the circulation-metabolism couple.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1987

Diagnostic performance of basal free cortisol/18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC) ratio in endogenous depression: comparison with the dexamethasone suppression test.

We assessed the 8:00 AM ratio of free cortisol/18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC) in 56 endogenous depressive inpatients and in 22 normal volunteers. A ratio higher than 40 was associated with a diagnostic sensitivity for endogenous depression of 75%, a specificity of 95.5%, and a diagnostic confidence of 97.7%. These diagnostic results were at least equivalent to the Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) using a cortisol cut-off limit of 5 micrograms/dl. This may thus represent a simpler procedure than the DST in the diagnostic analysis of endogenous depression.

18-Hydroxydesoxycorticosterone↗
PubMed1987

Neuroendocrine evaluation of catecholaminergic neurotransmission in mania.

Several lines of evidence suggest catecholamine overactivity (noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic) in mania. We studied the growth hormone (GH) response to clonidine (an alpha-adrenergic agonist) and apomorphine (a dopaminergic agonist) in seven inpatients meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria for mania. They had been completely drug free for at least 3 months before the neuroendocrine procedures and were age- and sex-matched to seven major depressive and seven minor depressive inpatients, drug free for at least 2 weeks. GH was assayed every 20 min for 40 min before and 120 min after either clonidine (0.15 mg i.v.) or apomorphine (0.5 mg s.c.), with an interval of at least 2 days between the tests. The three groups differed significantly in the GH peak response: after clonidine (mean +/- SD), 3.2 +/- 2.4 ng/ml in manics, 3.2 +/- 2.4 ng/ml in major depressives, and 13.2 +/- 8.7 ng/ml in minor depressives; after apomorphine, 10.5 +/- 7.4, 3.2 +/- 1.9, and 26.9 +/- 15.8, respectively. While there were significant differences between manics and minor depressives and between major and minor depressives after both clonidine and apomorphine, manics did not significantly differ from major depressives on either test. These results do not provide neuroendocrine support to the catecholaminergic hypothesis of manic disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Intranasal oxytocin in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A 55-year patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder showed clear improvement during 4 weeks of treatment with intranasal oxytocin compared to 4 weeks of intranasal placebo. This improvement was concurrent with the development of severe memory disturbances, supporting the amnestic properties of the peptide. However, the patient also developed psychotic symptoms and a marked decrease in plasma sodium and osmolality, which may have masked the obsessive symptomatology. This case highlights the need for careful monitoring in long-term oxytocin therapy.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1987

[Sleep and depression: toward a standardization of the use of the latency of paradoxical sleep as a biological marker of major depression].

Among the various disturbances in sleep architecture among major depressive patients, the shortening of REM latency seems the most specific feature. Therefore, several groups have tested the usefulness of this parameter as a "biological marker" of major depression. The divergent results of those studies probably result from the marked differences in the methodology used. In this context, we compared the diagnostic sensitivity of various methodologies for selection of REM latency data among 92 major depressive inpatients recorded for 4 consecutive nights. The selection of individual night values or of mean values yielded very similar diagnostic sensitivity. However, the selection of the shortest REM latency from consecutive nights was associated with a higher diagnostic sensitivity, especially if at least 3 nights were included. After controlling for age, 87% of patients were identified by this methodology (sum of REM latency and age less than 90). Therefore we propose to standardize the methodology for use of REM latency: recording of 3 consecutive nights and selection of the shortest REM latency. If the sum of this value and of patient'age equals 90 or less, the diagnosis of major depression is supported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

[Study of regional cerebral glucose metabolism, in man, while awake or asleep, by positron emission tomography].

Measurements of regional cerebral glucose uptake by the 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose technique (18FDG) and positron emission tomography (PET) along with polygraph recordings were made serially during relaxed wakefulness and different stages of nocturnal sleep in two right-handed normal volunteers. During stage III-IV sleep, values declined diffusely in both hemispheric regions (-31%), thalamus (-33%), cerebellum (-33%) and brain stem (-25%). During paradoxical sleep regional values increased diffusely compared with slow wave sleep. Compared to wakefulness, regional metabolic values seemed to increase but the results were more variable from one volunteer to the other. These preliminary data indicate important regional alterations in cerebral metabolism between sleep states.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

[Paraneoplastic limbic encephalopathy, inappropriate ADH secretion and recurrent subclinical epileptic seizures. Clinical, anatomo-pathological and metabolic correlations by positron emission tomography].

We report a case of limbic encephalopathy clinically characterized by a progressive amnestic syndrome and many EEG seizures mainly localized on the left temporal area. Biological investigations revealed diabetes mellitus and a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (IADH). Haemodynamic and metabolic studies by positron-emission tomography showed an important increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen on the left anterior temporal region precisely where the electrical seizures were recorded. Nine months later, severe disorders of memory and a dramatic decrease in CBF and CMRO2 on the same area region were present. At autopsy, a small size oat cell bronchial carcinoma was found with metastases in two small adjacent lymph nodes. Neuropathological examination showed atrophy (neuronal loss, protoplasmic gliosis) in the amygdala; where there was in addition an area of nodular gliosis. The hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus lesions were severe on the left and moderate on the right side. The authors discuss the nosology of their case in the paraneoplastic syndromes and, with a review of the literature, the role of ADH and cellular hyperactivity in the pathogenesis of specifically localized neuronal alterations.

Amnesia↗
PubMed1986

[Study of cerebral metabolism and blood flow in partial complex epilepsy and status epilepticus in man using positron emission tomography].

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) with the oxygen-15 steady state inhalation technique was used to provide quantitative values of regional cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen consumption (CMRO2) and oxygen extraction ratio (OER) in 25 patients with partial complex seizures during the interictal state, in 1 patient with recurrent temporal seizures and in 3 patients whose EEGs were characterized by periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs). Interictal scans showed temporal zone(s) of hypoperfusion and hypometabolism in 80% of patients with normal X-ray CT Scan. In all cases, ictal scans revealed a focal or multifocal increase in CBF and CMRO2. The localization of the most affected regions correlated well with the spatial distribution of the EEG abnormalities. Comparison of the different values of CBF, CMRO2 and OER showed that the increase in perfusion always exceeded that of oxygen consumption and hence was accompanied by a significant decrease in OER, the latter was always the most prominent in the region of the focus determined by serial EEG recordings. The observed imbalance between blood flow and oxidative glucose metabolism could suggest an impairment of O2 utilization by the mitochondria in the epilepticus focus during seizures or status epilepticus.

Brain↗
PubMed1986

Dexamethasone suppression test and MMPI scales.

In 42 major depressive inpatients, we analyzed the relationship between dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) scales. Cortisol levels following DST were positively correlated with the depression as well as the social introversion MMPI scale scores, and negatively correlated with the hypomania scale scores. DST nonsuppressor depressives (n = 15) exhibited significantly higher scores on the social introversion scale and significantly lower scores on the hypomania subscale than DST suppressors (n = 27). Moreover, stepwise discriminant analysis using the hypomania score was able to correctly classify 71% of the sample according to DST dichotomy, whereas the association of other scales did not significantly improve the classification. Therefore, these results support a relationship between DST and depressive/manic psychopathology rather than anxious psychopathology.

Adolescent↗