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Biomedical subjects

G Harrer

Publications and source records attributed to G Harrer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Treatment of depressive symptoms with a high concentration hypericum preparation. A multicenter placebo-controlled double-blind study].

In a multicenter, placebo-controlled double-blind trial, the effect on depression (ICD 10 F 32.1) of treatment with an innovative highly concentrated hypericum preparation was investigated. The study contained 97 outpatients who received 100 to 120 mg of the hypericum extract bid. The course of the illness was assessed with the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the von Zerssen Depressivity Scale (D-S) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGIS). Treatment resulted in an appreciable improvement in the symptoms of depression, and the 70% response rate (n = 43), corresponded to that of chemical antidepressants. The preparation also showed an anxiolytic effect. The substance was extremely well tolerated, and no side-effects were reported by any of the patients.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1994

Clinical investigation of the antidepressant effectiveness of hypericum.

To date, 25 controlled therapy studies have investigated the antidepressive effectiveness of hypericum extracts. A total of 1592 treatment cases have been included. The dosage was typically 300 to 900 mg total extract daily; the therapy duration was 2 to 6 weeks. Fifteen studies were performed comparing hypericum extracts with placebo, 10 studies as comparative studies. This paper presents an overview of their results.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1994

Placebo-controlled double-blind study examining the effectiveness of an hypericum preparation in 105 mildly depressed patients.

One hundred and five outpatients with mild depressions of short duration were treated in a double-blind study with either 3 x 300 mg hypericum extract or placebo. The therapy phase was 4 weeks. The effectiveness was judged according to the Hamilton Depression Scale after 2 and 4 weeks. The values of the mean basic score in these periods fell from 15.8 to 9.6 or 7.2 in the active group, and in the placebo group, from 15.8 to 12.3 and 11.3. The differences between active and placebo groups were statistically significant with P < .05 and P < .01 achieved after 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. In the active group, 28 of 42 patients (67%) and, in the placebo group, 13 of 47 patients (28%) responded to treatment. Notable side effects were not found.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Effectiveness and tolerance of the hypericum extract LI 160 compared to maprotiline: a multicenter double-blind study.

A randomized, double-blind study examining the effectiveness and tolerance of a standardized hypericum preparation when compared to maprotiline was performed in a group of 102 patients with depression, in accordance with ICD-10, F 32.1. The study was conducted in the offices of neurology and psychiatry specialists. The patients received, over a period of 4 weeks, either 3 x 300 mg of the hypericum extract or 3 x 25 mg maprotiline pills of identical appearance. Effectiveness was determined using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Depression Scale according to von Zerssen (D-S), and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). The total score of the HAMD scale dropped during the 4 weeks of therapy in both treatment groups by about 50%. The mean values of the D-S scale and the CGI scale showed similar results, and after 4 weeks of therapy, no significant differences in either treatment group were noticed. The onset of the effects occurred up to the second week of treatment, but were observed earlier with maprotiline than with the hypericum extract. On the other hand, maprotiline treatment resulted in more cases of tiredness, mouth dryness, and heart complaints.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[The usefulness of event-related negativity in demonstrating the therapeutic effects of nootropic drugs using cerebrolysin as an example].

This study investigated the usefulness of the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) in the assessment of therapeutic efficacy of a nootropic substance, Cerebrolysin. A total of 41 geriatric patients with the diagnosis of moderate organic brain syndrome of different etiology were included in this randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study. After ten Cerebrolysin- plus multi-vitamins-Infusions, the treatment group of 27 patients showed a significant CNV-amplitude increase as compared to pre-treatment values. In the placebo group of 14 patients CNV-amplitudes even decreased after ten Infusions with multi-vitamins alone. These findings were interpreted in line with the vigilance model of nootropic drug effects as a vigilance-increasing effect of Cerebrolysin, i.e. as an increased neuronal performance readiness. The results confirmed the usefulness of the CNV method by providing an EEG-index of nootropic drug effects.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Contingent negative variation (CNV) differences between cerebrovascular patients with and without dementia.

This study investigated the clinical usefulness of the contingent negative variation (CNV) as a neurophysiological index of cognitive dysfunction associated with cerebrovascular disease. A total of 31 patients ranging in age from 45 to 88 years with the diagnosis of a stroke were included. Nineteen patients were classified as demented according to clinical assessment and the Mental Deterioration Index (MDI) based on the WAIS, the other 12 patients as non-demented. In a discriminative CNV-paradigm two different tones served as warning stimuli for a flash of light presented 1.5 s later that could be turned off by a press on a button only after the relevant tone. According to our hypothesis, CNV amplitudes of demented patients were significantly smaller than those of the non-demented group. Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between severity of dementia (MDI) and degree of amplitude reduction. Thus, it was concluded that the CNV method could make an important clinical contribution to the assessment and course of dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Depression and criminality.

The delinquency of the depressed numerically only plays an unimportant role. The 'extended suicide' is regarded as the most typical and simultaneously most tragic delict. Almost exclusively this concerns severely depressed young mothers of 30 to 40 years of age, who in a delusional frame of mind include their children in their suicide, in order to prevent them from a presumably unavoidable disaster. Suicidality and aggressivity are intimately related phenomena, which should be treated in a forensic-psychiatric manner. Criminal acts, such as sexual and property delicts arising from an acting out of inner tension, may occur in anxiety or manic-depressive states of a mixed character. Although as a whole infrequent, the criminogenous importance of especially milder forms of depression is obviously often overlooked.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

[Disorders of the neurotransmitter system in multiple sclerosis--possibilities for a therapeutic approach?].

The type and extent of neurological deficits in multiple sclerosis depends on the localisation and size of the lesion and the type of neuropathological pattern of the lesion. The elective demyelinating process (loss of myeline sheath without axonal damage) brings, about a showing and faulty conduction of impulses and thereby a disturbed processing of information. It can finally come to a total (functional, reversible) conduction blockage. Additionally also disturbances in the synaptic transmission may be involved. The occurrence and extent of these disturbances in conduction and transmission depend on definite paristatic factors. Our presented concepts of the "therapeutic model" based on pathophysiological investigations in multiple sclerosis show the tendency towards a "marked symptomatic therapy", which does not however, influence the basis of the disease processes, but rather represents an extremely helpful suppression of symptoms for the patients concerned.

Body Temperature↗
PubMed1985

[Forensic psychiatry problems in depression].

Forensic complications involving criminal or civil law are generally rare in depressive disorders, but are of varied nature and of great consequence to the person concerned. Suicide, which is the problem of greatest practical importance may have far-reaching consequences with regard to legal insurance, apart from the medical responsibility or liability. From the point of view of civil law, moreover, the effects of depression on thought and action, as well as on free will with respect to legal capacity, testifiability, marriageability, actionability and potential considerations of interdiction ought to be examined. Last, but not least, consequences of a socio-legal nature may ensue. The spectrum of possible crimes by depressed subjects essentially comprises disease-characteristic offences, amongst which the desperate deed of extended suicide is foremost, as well as other criminal acts with a less direct connection to the depressive syndrome. Additional factors such as alcohol and medication may further complicate the relationship and also the assessment of culpability. In the forensic judgment of depressed subjects diagnostic classification is not alone decisive, but depends to a greater extent on the nature and severity of the psychopathological state and its influence on motivational aspects.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMed1985

[Therapy of multiple sclerosis].

The routine therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS) in world-wide use today is comprised of four measures: Antiinflammatory and antiedematous treatment with ACTH or Synacthen, respectively, and corticosteroids: only during acute episodes. - High dosage, short duration, no long-term therapy. Immunosuppression with azathioprine (Imurek): Due to the relatively high risk only to use in malignant courses (frequent and severe bouts). Basic therapy with unsaturated fatty acids (sunflower oil, Naudicelle). Influencing circumscribed target symptoms (spasticity, micturition difficulties, constipation, etc.). In addition, physiotherapeutic, psychagogic and, if necessary, nursing and social measures are included. More than a decade's experience with ultrasound therapy of the lymphatic ring as developed by Selzer in over 300 MS-patients gives the impression of a reduction in bout frequency and severity. A statistical evaluation of therapeutic efficiency has so far been impossible for well-known disease-specific reasons, which hold true for all MS-treatment methods. Great practical importance within a foreseeable space of time may be reached by efforts to influence disturbance in nerve conduction and synaptic transmission as specifically caused by the demyelination process. The successful medicinal deceleration of sodium inactivation, inhibition of potassium activation and extension of the action potential, as well as specifically influencing the neurotransmitters responsible for the disturbed synaptic transmission could lead to a total recovery or improvement of dysfunction in a great many cases. Such a "global symptomatic therapy" might indeed not change the course of disease, but bring about great progress to the patient.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1985

[Multiple sclerosis and the electroencephalogram (computer EEG studies)].

A computerized analysis of EEg-records from 96 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients yielded about twice as many abnormal results (79%) in comparison to the usual visual EEG-evaluation (39%). The statistically significant (p less than 0.05) increase in slow frequencies in addition to beta frequencies to the cost of alpha, but especially the reduction in total percentage of alpha contribution to overall EEG-power discriminated most efficiently between MS-patients and our normal population. Thus, alpha index alone allowed for 87% correct classification of the normal population, and 73% of patients with normal visual EEG-records were correctly classified as belonging to the MS-population. Extending the patient group to include pathological visual EEG-records as well, the corresponding figures were 95% and 89%, respectively. The computerized EEG-analysis was thus clearly superior to the usual visual inspection.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Transient global amnesia as a manifestation of Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis.

A 43-year-old man developed severe global amnesia with uncinate fits and a single generalised convulsion 10 days after a febrile infection. CSF pleocytosis and serological findings indicated an acute Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis. All of the symptoms cleared within 2 weeks except for occasional generalised seizures. This seems to be the first observation of Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis presenting predominantly as transient global amnesia.

Adult↗