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Biomedical subjects

G Roccatagliata

Publications and source records attributed to G Roccatagliata.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of pivagabine in neurasthenia.

One hundred and eighteen patients with neurasthenia, as defined by ICD 10 (International Classification of Diseases), participated in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of pivagabine (4-[(2,2-dimethyl-1-oxopropyl)amino]butanoic acid, CAS 69542-93-4, Tonerg). Pivagabine 1800 mg/d was administered orally for four weeks. At the end of the trial, active medication was significantly superior to placebo on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) improvement of illness scale. In addition, pivagabine treatment reduced the physical and mental fatigability of patients, and increased their sense of well-being.

Adolescent↗

Epileptic seizures in patients with acute catatonic syndrome.

Acute catatonic syndrome is a condition that can be caused by a variety of metabolic, neurological, psychiatric, and toxic conditions, including neuroleptic malignant syndrome. Although ictal catatonia as a manifestation of non-convulsive status epilepticus has been described, reference to the occurrence of seizures in patients with acute catatonic syndrome is anecdotal. Twenty nine patients with acute catatonic syndrome were reviewed to identify patients with seizures after the onset of acute catatonic syndrome. Patients were divided into four diagnostic groups: affective (15), schizophrenic (eight), toxic (two), and organic (four). Seizures occurred in four patients (13.8%): two patients with dystonic seizures had viral encephalitis and schizophrenic disorder respectively; one patient with complex partial seizures had viral encephalitis and one patient with absence status had neuroleptic malignant syndrome. The results indicate the value of EEG in detection of epileptic activity in patients with acute catatonic syndrome, both at onset and in the course of such disturbance, particularly to provide a differential diagnosis between pseudo-seizures and neuroleptic-induced acute dystonia.

Acute Disease↗

[Not Available].

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History, Modern 1601-↗

[Effect of fenfluramine in Huntington Chorea].

Serotoninergic function has been evaluated in 15 H.C. patients. Therapeutic results obtained with an inhibitor of 5 HT reuptake (Fenfluramine) were evaluated in comparison to the effects of L-5HTP, CSF-5HIAA measurements were performed is each case before and after treatment. The pathological role of 5HT impairment in H. C. can not be excluded by the behavioral effects and CSF-5HIAA modifications that were observed.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗

Neuroendocrinological and clinical data upon trazodone treatment in depressed patients.

Prolactin and somatotropin secretory rhythmicity was studied in 7 inhibited depression male patients, evaluated by the Hamilton Rating Scale for depression, before and after trazodone (400 mg i.v. once daily) treatment. The mean 24-hour hormone levels of the patients were comparable to the controls. Trazodone enhances the prolactin value, increasing chiefly the titres during sleep which were lower in respect to controls before treatment. The drug decreases the mean 24-hour somatotropin levels, mainly the values during sleep. A serotoninergic effect is possibly involved. An improvement of mood has been observed in all cases.

Adult↗

[HLA and Huntington chorea].

Twenty-three patients with documented Huntington's Chorea were typed for 54 HLA antigens belonging to A, B and C loci. The control group was constituted by 124 healthy subjects of the same ethnic background. Patients and controls were typed with the same antisera. In this study no significant differences in the distribution of HLA antigens between the two groups were found. These data indicate that Huntington's Chorea is not associated with any of HLA antigens serologically determined. However, these findings do not exclude the possibility that other genes, whether or not related to MHC, could be responsible of the family inheritance of the disease.

Adult↗

Mental impairment and intelligence g factor: a psychometric profile.

Correlation among psychometric tests in normal Ss (N = 102) was examined for g factor saturation. A psychometric profile employing a test battery was drawn for use with neuropsychiatric patients (N = 35) to study whether mental impairment is due to a destruction of the general intelligence or of some specific intellectual function. Specific intellectual functions seem to have been involved, albeit at different degrees, Attentive abilities were the most impaired, abstract thinking the least. A methodological approach is proposed for further studies on mental impairment in neurological disorders.

Adult↗

CSF-MHPG in depressive syndromes: basal values and imipramine-induced modifications.

The levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylethylene-glycol (MHPG) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), before and after treatment with imipramine, were determined in 12 patients with endogenous depression. No significant change as observed in the whole group of patients, but patients with higher CSF-MHPG basal values showed better therapeutic results and a significant decrease of the norepinephrine catabolyte. The possible relevance of norepinephrine system imbalance to the therapeutic response to imipramine is discussed.

Adult↗

[Schizophrenia and HLA antigens].

38 schizophrenic patients (21 hebephrenics and 17 paranoids) and 124 healthy subjects were matched for HLA antigens. HLA typing was determined by the microdroplet lymphocyte toxicity method developed by Terasaki of UCLA. In order to detect 47 HLA antigens as many as 118 antisera were used. No significant differences in HLA typing were found between the two groups. However, the separate evaluation of HLA antigens of hebephrenic schizophrenics did not give any statistical significance, as well. The authors discuss these findings in the light of previous studies on the topic.

Adolescent↗

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome: treatment with trazodone.

Central monoaminergic pathways dysfunction has been shown in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome of experimental animals: noradrenergic hyperfunction and serotonin transmission impairment is suggested by many studies. Trazodone is a new psychotropic drug which has a marked norepinephrine receptor blocking power; moreover, it inhibits serotonin reuptake and was fully effective in the treatment of man's withdrawal syndrome (17 alcoholic inpatients). The good therapeutical results make it conceivable that monoaminergic pathways dysfunction has an important pathophysiological role in the alcohol withdrawal syndrome of man also.

Adult↗

[Cerebrospinal HVA and 5-HIAA in patients with endogenous depression in the course of treatment].

HVA and 5-HIAA levels were determined in the lumbar CSF of 17 patients affected by endogenous depression. The modification of the amine metabolites after treatment (tryciclics, bromocriptine, trazodone, ECT) were not related to the specific therapy nor to the clinical improvement. In 11 patients, HVA and 5-HIAA showed opposite modificatons. The possible role of interactions between dopaminergic and serotoninergic systems in the pathogenesis of endogenous depression is discussed.

Adult↗

Interactions between central monoaminergic systems: dopamine-serotonin.

Concentration of dopamine and serotonin metabolites (HVA and 5-HIAA) in the CSF was evaluated before and after pharmacological treatment in 19 patients with different neuropsychiatric diseases. In every case a reciprocal modification of the two metabolites occurred after treatment. The result supports the hypothesis of a functional balance between the monoaminergic systems in the central nervous system.

Adolescent↗

Trazodone intravenously administered and plasma prolactin levels.

Plasma prolactin levels during intravenous Trazodone infusion have been evaluated. Although the modifications were not statistically significant, a slight decrease of plasma prolactin levels was noted. This result suggests that Trazodone has no remarkable effect on hypothalamic function.

Adult↗

Bromocriptine and dopaminergic function in Huntington disease.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) content of homovanillic acid (HVA) was assayed in 10 patients with Huntington disease. On doses of less than 40 mg of bromocriptine daily, there was clinical improvement and the CSF HVA concentration increased. On higher doses of bromocriptine, chorea worsened and the CSF HVA concentration decreased. Bromocriptine at low dosage seems to act as a partial dopamine antagonist, with phenothiazine-like effects, and at higher doses it acts as a direct dopamine-receptor stimulating agent.

Adult↗