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Biomedical subjects

G Remington

Publications and source records attributed to G Remington.

71 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Coadministration of a beta-adrenergic antagonist and a tricyclic antidepressant: a pilot study.

After a 7-day washout period, 16 subjects suffering from unipolar depression were randomly assigned to either desipramine (DMI) or DMI plus propranolol treatment for 21 days. Both groups showed a significant improvement in their scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) after 21 days of drug treatment. However, there was no significant difference in the improvement in HRSD scores between the two groups. The results of this pilot study support the need to reevaluate the popular belief that propranolol induces or worsens depression.

Depressive Disorder↗

The remitting atypical psychoses: clinical and nosologic considerations.

There exists in the literature a group of nonorganic psychoses which appear to have no obvious relationship to either schizophrenia or affective illness. Diagnostic terminology to classify these atypical psychoses has been varied, although features in common can be identified. For example, they often are associated with antecedent personality problems, acute onset, florid and mixed symptomatology, brief duration, and full remission with a return to premorbid level of functioning. Case material reflecting these types of psychoses is presented here, and is discussed with reference to the nosologic status of these atypical psychoses.

Adult↗

Ethnocultural factors in resident supervision: black supervisor and white supervises.

Ethnocultural differences between supervisor and resident can play a significant role during the course of psychotherapy supervision. Failure to deal with these issues can adversely affect the supervisory relationship, the supervised therapy, and the overall education of the resident. Four cases of black supervisor and white supervises illustrate the problems.

Adolescent↗

Pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia.

Numerous advances in our understanding of schizophrenia and its pharmacotherapy have occurred over the last forty years, reflected in basic research endeavours exploring the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, as well as efforts to establish new medications with a more selective psychotropic action and fewer side effects. Ongoing clinical research has, at the same time, provided valuable information regarding the applicability of the various agents, appropriate dosing, symptom response patterns and side effect profiles. This growth in knowledge also has served to underscore the limitations and drawbacks of currently available drugs, leading to a more cautious approach in their use. Newer technologies, such as positron emission tomography, hold considerable promise in our efforts to further clarify the precise mechanisms mediating schizophrenia, and to establish treatment alternatives.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

Gas sniffing as a form of substance abuse.

The authors review the existing literature on inhalation of gasoline fumes, highlighting the acute and chronic physical and psychological effects. The clinical picture of gas sniffing includes visual hallucinations, changes in consciousness, euphoria, nystagmus, dizziness, weakness and tremors. There is the possibility of rapid recovery, sudden death or brain damage with chronic abuse. When leaded gasoline is abused then blood and urine lead levels and erythrocytic delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydrase (ALAD) levels may be helpful. Although the treatment of acute and chronic gas sniffing syndromes is often supportive and non-specific, when lead levels are high chelated therapy is indicated including British anti-lewisite, calcium disodium versenate or D-penicillamine. We also report our findings on an isolated native Indian population where intentional gas sniffing has reached epidemic proportions. Ten percent of the total population and 25% of the children between 5 and 15 years of age had been identified as gasoline inhalation abusers. In this population, the most important etiological factors included environmental, family and cultural components. The authors emphasize the need to correct the family and social deficiencies in such communities if the incidence of gas sniffing is to be decreased.

Adolescent↗

The question of lithium/neuroleptic toxicity.

The question of lithium-haloperidol incompatibility has been debated for a number of years now. The difficulty remains in distinguishing a combined toxicity syndrome, rather than toxicity to either agent alone. The authors reviewed a further case of adverse drug response following the concomitant use of lithium and haloperidol. It is their conclusion that a combined toxicity syndrome does exist, although it remains for future investigations to determine whether this effect is additive or synergistic. Finally, the possibility of underlying organic susceptibility is raised with reference to the case presented here.

Adult↗

The role of cerebral arteriovenous malformations in psychiatric disturbances: case report.

A patient is described who had congenital vascular malformation of the vein of Galen, with several psychiatric, as well as neurologic, manifestations. Prior to this patient's death, there was an increase in some psychiatric manifestations in response to suggestions of surgical therapy for the cerebral venous anomaly. Other symptoms appeared to represent direct organic effects of the lesion. The medical literature on the anomalies of the great vein of Galen reveals a frequent but not specific relationship to concomitant psychiatric manifestations.

Adolescent↗

Escape performance after inescapable shock in selectively bred lines of mice: response maintenance and catecholamine activity.

The effects of inescapable shock on subsequent escape performance and shock-elicited activity were examined in six lines of mice selectively bred for differences in general locomotor activity. The line differences in locomotor activity were found to be unrelated to the differences observed on shock-elicited activity. However, escape performance following exposure to inescapable shock was predictable from the levels of shock-elicited activity. Those lines that displayed the greatest decline in motor activity during shock likewise displayed the most pronounced escape deficits. The line differences in escape performance induced by inescapable shock could be mimicked by treatment with a tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor, alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine. As predicted, the lines that displayed the least interference after tyrosine hydroxylase inhibition exhibited the smallest reduction in levels of catecholamines. The effects on escape performance following inescapable shock are interpreted in terms of the role of response maintenance deficits produced by catecholamine depletion.

Animals↗

Genetic and ontogenetic variations in locomotor activity following treatment with scopolamine or d-amphetamine.

Highly inbred mice of 3 strains (A/J, DBA/2J, and C57BL/6J) were tested in an open field at 14, 21, or 28 days of age. Ten minutes prior to testing, mice received treatment of saline, scopolamine (.5 or 1.0 mg/kg of body weight), or d-amphetamine (.5, 1.0, or 5.0 mg/kg). The d-amphetamine (5.0 mg/kg) increased activity in all strains at 14 days and 28 days of age, and at 21 days significantly increased activity in all except the C5BL/6. In contrast, increased activity with the scopolamine treatment was seen in DBA/2 at 21 days, but not in A and C57BL/6 until 28 days postnatally. The data support a caudal-rostral gradient of brain development with the inhibitory cholinergic system developing more slowly than the excitatory catecholamine system. In addition, strain-specific differences in activity levels are discussed in relation to the differential rates of chloinergic maturation.

Age Factors↗

A simple method for quantifying tremor in rodents.

A simple and accurate device to evaluate frequency and intensity of involuntary tremor is described. Discrete and quantifiable measures of tremor could be obtained in terms of vertical (i.e., absolute effects at a given time) and horizontal (i.e. temporal) changes. The technique was evaluated employing dosages of physostigmine 0.1-0.7 mg/kg. Applications to other behavioral indices, such as locomotor activity and wet-dog shakes, are discussed.

Animals↗

The nosologic status of the remitting atypical psychoses.

For many decades clinicians have recognized the importance of some nonorganic psychoses that have no obvious relationship to either schizophrenia or affective illness. These atypical psychoses are characterized by sudden onset, florid and fluid symptoms, brief duration, remitting outcome, and a pattern of recurrences. They are presumed to be caused by major stress or characterologic defects or both. Systematic investigations into these conditions have been comparatively sparse. This report reviews the literature concerning these remitting atypical psychoses, proposes descriptive criteria for their recognition, and makes suggestions for further research.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗

Reduction of hospital days in chronic schizophrenic patients treated with risperidone: a retrospective study.

Hospital costs for chronic schizophrenic patients consume a major share of the cost of mental health care. Despite the success of numerous community mental health programs, repeated hospital admission of schizophrenic patients is a significant problem. Effective therapy and compliance with that therapy are two important factors in reducing hospitalization. Adverse effects of antipsychotic agents, particularly extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), negatively influence compliance. A new antipsychotic agent, risperidone, has demonstrated efficacy against both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and has been associated with a low incidence of EPS. To assess the potential of risperidone therapy to reduce the number of days in the hospital, a retrospective analysis was undertaken of data from a year-long clinical trial of risperidone. For 27 patients who had completed 365 days of open-label therapy with risperidone, the number of hospital days during this period was compared with the number of hospital days in the preceding 365-day period, when the patients were receiving conventional antipsychotic medication. The mean number of hospital days was reduced from 106 to 85 days, for a 20% reduction (P = 0.003) after the initiation of risperidone. Three subgroups of patients were apparent: (1) those who had spent no time in the hospital in the pre-risperidone year, (2) those who had been continuously hospitalized in the pre-risperidone year, and (3) those who had spent part of the pre-risperidone year (3 to 165 days) in the hospital. A 73% reduction (P = 0.0009) in mean hospital days (from 49 to 13 days) was achieved in the third subgroup (n = 14). These findings suggest that risperidone may have a role in reducing hospital days for the chronic schizophrenic population.

Adolescent↗