Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Beckmann

Publications and source records attributed to H Beckmann.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Glutamate in schizophrenics and healthy controls.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glutamate levels were measured in 28 paranoid schizophrenic patients and 15 healthy individuals. From the 28 patients 15 were treated with neuroleptic drugs and 13 did not take any drugs. No significant difference was found between glutamate in patients without neuroleptics and controls. However, CSF glutamate was significantly higher in patients taking neuroleptics than in controls (P less than 0.001) or in patients without neuroleptics (P less than 0.01). This and other data from the literature indicate that enhanced levels of cerebral glutamate may be significant for the antipsychotic efficacy of neuroleptic drugs.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Pimozide versus Haloperidol in acute schizophrenia. A double blind controlled study.

Thirty acutely hospitalized schizophrenic patients were treated under double blind condition with either haloperidol (40-60 mg/day) or pimozide (40-60 mg/day) for 30 days. Ten patients in the pimozide and eleven in the haloperidol group showed a very good or good clinical response. There were no definite differences of treatment results as assessed by the Global Clinical Impression. Both groups showed a statistically significant decrease of the global scores of the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (p less than 0.01). There was a significant decrease of affective bluntedness and anergia in the pimozide but not in the haloperidol group. Extrapyramidal side effects were more pronounced in patients on pimozide who therefore needed more anticholinergic drugs. There was no consistent correlation between drug serum levels and global scores or single factors of the BPRS in either treatment group. It is concluded that pimozide in dose ranges from 40-60 mg has powerful antipsychotic properties indistinguishable from those of haloperidol but exerts stronger extrapyramidal side effects.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1982

CSF monoamine metabolites in schizophrenic patients.

The monoamine metabolites 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were measured in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 16 psychiatrically health controls and in 28 schizophrenic patients. There was no difference in CSF MHPG and HVA levels between the group of patients and the controls. CSF levels of 5-HIAA were significantly lower in schizophrenic patients than in controls. Differential analysis of patients with and without neuroleptics revealed that these findings were not due to drug treatment. Positive correlations were found between the level of 5-HIAA and the items: hallucinatory behaviour, grandiosity, and tension as rated on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. As 5-HIAA CSF data are controversial for nosological entities, the search for correlations between 5-HIAA and individual psychopathological variables could provide more specific indices for psychiatric diagnosis, treatment or prophylaxis.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Analgesic and euphoric effects of high dose diazepam in schizophrenia.

Schizophrenics treated with high doses of diazepam (150-200 mg/day) showed marked analgesia besides certain antipsychotic effects. Euphoria was noticed in some of the patients. We hypothesized that influence on the endorphin metabolism might contribute to these clinical effects. Therefore, we measured pain threshold by three different methods before and during diazepam treatment. All patients exhibited a 1.5- to 2-fold increase of pain perception. Further, using a double-blind design, the opiate antagonist naloxone (30 mg i.v.) was administered. A significant decrease but not a complete block of the euphoric state and of analgesia was achieved. It is, therefore, concluded that other pharmacological properties of diazepam might be involved in the diazepam-induced euphoria and analgesia in man.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[The histocompatibility system in schizophrenia].

Various diseases with a noticeable autoimmune component and frequent occurrence within one family show a statistically significant correlation with specific human leucocyte antigens (HLA). This correlation was also found in studies of HLA in psychiatric disorders. However, results have been contradictory. The phenotype frequencies of HLA specificities were investigated in 100 schizophrenic patients and 472 controls from the same geographic area in Germany. The frequency of HLA-B27 was significantly increased in the patient group as a whole and in the subgroups of paranoid patients, chronic schizophrenics, patients with poor prognosis and in patients with the onset of the disease before the age of 20 years. In the latter three subgroups an elevated incidence of HLA-A9 was also found. The combination A9-B27 was detected in 0,63% of our control group and in 7% of the patients. Of these patients 85,7% were chronic paranoid patients with poor prognostic features. The present study indicates a possible marker of genetic heterogeneity in schizophrenia and gives support to the possibility of using HLA typing in genetic studies of schizophrenia as well as in the differential diagnosis and prognosis. Moreover, in spite of the statistical significance of our findings, the fact that the associations are well below 100% indicates that other factors (presumably environmental) must be involved in the etiology of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Recent concepts of neuromodulators in affective disorders.

Though certain controversies exist current hypotheses on the etiopathogenesis of affective disorders postulate a dysfunction in central neurotransmitter systems, mainly of the biogenic amines serotonin (5-HT) and/or noradrenaline (NA). As antidepressants have differential influence on neurotransmitter function and prediction of clinical response is unreliable, recent investigations attempt to define more "serotoninergic" or "noradrenergic" types of endogenous depression. Results of our as well as of other groups indicate that NA turnover (as measured by the excretion of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxymethylglycol-MHPG-) is low in patients who respond to imipramine and amphetamine and high in subjects who respond to amitriptyline and sleep deprivation. Conversely, 5-HT turnover (as measured by 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid concentration in cerebrospinal fluid) has been found to be low in patients who respond to clomipramine and amitriptyline and to be normal or high in those who respond tp nortriptyline. These findings suggest biochemical heterogeneity of depressions which are largely uniform in their clinical appearance. Further investigations are presented which indicate that, in addition to NA and 5-HT, acetylcholine functions contribute significantly to the regulation of mood and drive.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic↗
PubMed1982

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid cyclic nucleotides in alcohol-dependent patients suffering from delirium tremens.

In eight patients with a history of alcoholism (on average 9 years), cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate (AMP) and cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate (GMP) were determined in CSF in the acute untreated phase of delirium tremens and at 2 weeks later when clinical symptoms had vanished. Before the second lumbar puncture a drug-free period of 1 week had existed. The results were compared with an age- and sex-matched neurological control group. CSF cyclic AMP concentrations were markedly reduced by 62% (p less than 0.005) in the acute state of delirium tremens and remained at the same level 2 weeks later; cyclic GMP concentrations were increased by 37% (p = 0.05) and showed a small further increase (p less than 0.05) at the second lumbar puncture. A negative correlation existed between age and cyclic AMP content of CSF (r = -0.756; p less than 0.05) in the patients group. The data indicate that the earlier observed increase in norepinephrine turnover in the acute state of delirium tremens (Athen et al., 1977) seems not to induce an increase of cyclic AMP content in CSF.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

[An ethological interpretation of stereotypy induced by environmental stimulus (author's transl)].

Stereotyped behavior in the schizophrenic patient is described, provoked by yawning or fragments of this act in the environment. It consists of elements that, in an ethological sense are reminiscent of activities which increase vigilance and cleanse the body. It is suggested that yawning brings about a certain 'mood transfer' which induces this kind of specific stereotyped behavior. The adequacy of an ethological interpretation of these symptoms of disease is briefly discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Platelet monoamine oxidase in healthy subjects: the "biochemical high-risk paradigm" revisited.

Activity of platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) has repeatedly been reported to be associated with various forms of psychopathology. This investigation was designed to reexamine the "biochemical high-risk paradigm" developed by Buchsbaum et al. (1976). In 383 healthy students (193 males, 190 females) platelet MAO activity was measured. The 35 students with the lowest and 37 with the highest enzyme activities were then examined with three personality tests (16 PF of Cattell, Freiburger Persönlichkeitsinventar, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire). Furthermore, biographic data with respect to psychosocial problems were explored. There were no consistent differences between subjects with low or high MAO. Therefore, we could not confirm any correlation between psychopathology and platelet MAO in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Antidepressant efficacy of tranylcypromine isomers: a controlled study.

The (+)- and (-)-isomers of the monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO-I) tranylcypromine (TCP) were administered separately in a double-blind controlled study to 20 depressed patients. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, the AMP-system and the Bf-s self-rating questionnaire were used for documentation of psychopathological state and autonomic side effects. Overall there was a statistically significant decrease in the Hamilton depression scores (p less than 0.01 for the (+)-isomer, but not for the (-)-isomer group, whereas self-rating scores did not show a significant decrease in either group. Autonomic side effects were more pronounced (p less than 0.05) in the (+)-isomer group. As platelet MAO was significantly stronger (p less than 0.001) inhibited in the (+)-TCP group as compared with the (-)-TCP group, it is suggested that MAO inhibition rather than uptake blockade is the biochemical mechanism responsible for both the antidepressant activity and the autonomic side effects due to TCP medication.

Affective Disorders, Psychotic↗
PubMed1981

HLA antigens and schizophrenia: a pool of two studies.

Results from two studies on HLA antigens in schizophrenic patients were pooled and analyzed. A statistically significant difference appeared in the frequency for HLA-B27, which was increased in the patient group (n = 164) as compared to the controls (n = 585). The strong correlation between this antigen and some forms of arthropathies and the fact that arthropathies and schizophrenia very seldom occur in the same individual suggest that HLA-B27 could serve as a genetic marker for both diseases. The development of either one or the other may depend upon the interplay between the genetic marker (HLA-B27) and other biological and environmental factors. In addition to the potential value of HLA-B27 as a marker for vulnerability to schizophrenia, the human leucocyte antigens may also serve to differentiate between various subtypes of the illness.

Genetic Markers↗
PubMed1981

Trazodone and amitriptyline in treatment of depressed inpatients. A double-blind study.

Trazodone (TZ), a 'new generation' antidepressant and amitriptyline (AMT) were administered in a double-blind controlled study to 43 depressed inpatients. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), the AMDP-system and the Bf-s self-rating questionnaire were used for documentation of psychopathological changes and autonomic side effects. The Newcastle-Scale for definition of a neurotic and an endogenous subgroup of depression was retrospectively applied. No significant improvement was noticed on the Bf-s self-rating questionnaire in the TZ group as compared to the AMT group (p less than 0.001). The global HAM-D score decreased significantly in the TZ group (p less than 0.05) as well as in the AMT group difference (p less than 0.01) emerged during the trial in favour of AMT. Core symptoms of depression were significantly improved in the AMT group but not in the TZ group: depressed mood (p less than 0.001), psychic anxiety (p less than 0.001) and retardation (p less than 0.05). TZ was faster actin than AMT in controlling agitation. Results of this clinical study demonstrate TZ to have sedative and some anxiolytic properties but only negligible antidepressant efficacy.

Amitriptyline↗
PubMed1981

The anticholinergic biperiden in depressive disorders.

In an open study the cholinolytic biperiden was administered to 10 severely depressed inpatients in an average dose of 12 mg per day for 30 days. Patients were classified according to the International Classification of Diseases, the research Diagnostic Criteria and the Newcastle Scale. A significant improvement was demonstrated in the global score of the Hamilton Depression Scale (p less than 0.001). Especially the factors retardation (p less than 0.001) and agitation (p less than 0.001) and the items depressed mood (p less than 0.001), initial insomnia (p less than 0.05), work and interest (p less than 0.001) and gastrointestinal symptoms (p less than 0.001) could favorably be influenced. Nevertheless, biperiden treatment had to be discontinued after three weeks in two patients because of a paranoid syndrome in one case and symptoms of inner restlessness and disturbances of vital feelings in the other case. There was a positive correlation between the clinical response and the cortisol non-suppressability to dexamethasone prior to the study (p less than 0.03). These results taken together with other findings from the literature suggest that cholinergic mechanisms may have an important impact on the pathogenesis of certain forms of depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Platelet MAO activity and personality characteristics. A study in schizophrenic patients and normal individuals.

Low levels of platelet monoamine oxidase have been found in schizophrenic and bipolar depressive patients. The enzyme activity seems to correlate negatively with certain personality traits (social activity, sensation seeking, hypomania, positive affect and monotony avoidance) which are correlated to some extent with the score "extraversion" from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). The present study was carried out in an attempt to investigate further the possible correlation between platelet MAO activity and the personality traits measured by the EPQ. 41 schizophrenic patients and 20 healthy probands were blindly examined for platelet MAO activity and personality characteristics. The enzyme activity was found to correlate negatively with the extraversion score in patients and healthy probands, which is in agreement with the data from other studies. This correlation is discussed and a hypothesis suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Low platelet MAO activity and schizophrenia: sex differences.

The authors compared platelet monoamine oxidase activity in schizophrenic patients and normal controls. A significant reduction in the enzyme activity was found in the male schizophrenic patients but not in the females. No differences were detected among the subgroups of schizophrenia. Sources of bias and the possible mechanism for the findings are discussed.

Adult↗