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Biomedical subjects

G Harrer

Publications and source records attributed to G Harrer.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[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↗

[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↗

[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↗

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↗

[Not Available].

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History of Pharmacy↗

[Autonomic dysfunction in multiple sclerosis (respiratory and cardiac disturbances) (author's transl)].

Except for rectal, vesical and sexual disorders almost nothing is known about disturbances of autonomic functions in multiple sclerosis. MS plaques, however, do not spare vegetative centres and spinal tracts. Therefore autonomic disorders are to be expected in other functional ranges as well. We could not confirm the study of Neubauer and Gundersen (1978) who found the short time variability and the long time variability of pulse rate to be significantly diminished in patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. Our investigation, however, revealed frequent occurrence of rigid, paradoxical and atactic courses of the patients' graphs obtained by "averaging" the pulse rate alterations dependent on respiration. We consider this to be an indication of cardio-respiratory hyposynergia in precision regulations. As compared with the normal control group the patients' respiratory rate was significantly raised, and this was almost exclusively due to an abbreviated time of inspiration. Concerning the pulse rate and the pulse-breathing quotient the patients did not differ significantly from the healthy controls. The findings in 40 MS patients (definite diagnosis) and in 40 healthy persons point to the fact that cardio-respiratory disorders are no rare occurrence.

Adult↗

[Persistent forty-eight hour cycle in a case of manic-depressive psychosis-chromopathological aspects (author's transl)].

Connections between psychopathological symptoms and chronobiological factors are discussed in the light of a bipolar manic-depressive illness in a female patient suffering during several years from a cycle of 24 hours of depression alternating with one day of hypomania. The forty-eight hour periodic psychosis was evoked by a severe cerebral trauma. All over the world there is only a small number of patients with such regular psychotic cycles. They present a good opportunity to study a conceptual model of desynchronization in phasic psychiatric disorders implying the hypothesis of disturbance of the time structure of functions resulting in a psychotic state.

Aged↗

[Sarcoidosis of the nervous system. Clinical and neuropathological findings in three cases (author's transl)].

Three cases of neurosarcoidosis are reported, which demonstrate almost the complete spectrum of known neurological symptoms in this disease. Furthermore, extensive neuropathological findings are reported in one case. It is emphasized that recognition of neurosarcoidosis presents almost insuperable difficulties in those cases in which sarcoidosis is not obvious in other organs.

Adult↗

[On the temperature sensitivity of multiple sclerosis patients (author's transl)].

Aggravation of neurological symptoms in MS patients in heating is well known. This phenomenon is explained by the change of conduction in demyelinated nerve fibers. In raised temperature conduction block occurs. The threshold of conduction block dependent on temperature, is probably proportional to the degree of demyelination. It is possible to inhibit this effect by tyrosin. This model may present a view to a part of neurophysiological mechanisms of MS, on which we possibly can take therapeutical influence. By way of a questionnaire 125 MS patients were asked about changes of their symptoms in heating or cooling. 93% had marked sensitivity to heating. In 90% worsening of neurological symptoms or of general feeling occured in a hot bath. On the other hand about half the patients reported improvement in a cold bath. Therefore we suggest, that a noticeable part of neurological deficit is reversible, if we were able to raise the threshold of conduction block, which depends on temperature, ph, electrolytes and neurotransmitters.

Adult↗