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Biomedical subjects

H Frank

Publications and source records attributed to H Frank.

278 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The concept of abnormal hemispheric organization in addiction research.

In addition to the established areas of endogenous psychoses, the concept of abnormal hemispheric organization in the field of psychiatry is also generating ever greater interest in the area of research into addiction. On the basis of the demonstrably higher rate of developmental risk factors (pre-, peri-, postnatal), in particular the marker left-handedness (LH) has been interpreted as an indication of induced hemispheric 'malcontrol' in endogenous psychoses. In various studies, elevated rates of LH have also been shown in alcoholics. Alcoholism could be related to biological factors associated with anomalous cerebral dominance. In a joint study carried out by the Anton Proksch Institut in Vienna (Austria), and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) involving a total of 250 alcohol-dependent inpatients, the hypothesis of deviant laterality in the presence of an elevated frequency of developmental risk factors has been confirmed exclusively in male alcoholics. A comparison of subtypes has also revealed that Type IV in the Lesch typology, and Type II in the Cloninger classification, are more vulnerable subtypes. These results clearly show that there are differences to be found within the overall group of alcoholics, and underscore the need for subtyping and gender-specific studies.

Alcoholism↗
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Comorbid anxiety and affective disorder in alcohol-dependent patients seeking treatment: the first Multicentre Study in Germany.

The goals of this study were to describe demographic variables, drinking history, and the 6-month prevalence of Axis I comorbidity among alcohol-dependent subjects in GERMANY: The variables: amount of alcohol consumption, age at onset of the first alcohol consumed, age at onset of daily alcohol consumption, age at onset of withdrawal symptoms and number of detoxifications were related to the different comorbid disorders and gender. In this study, 556 patients from 25 alcohol treatment centres were enrolled between 1 January 1999 and 30 April 1999. After a minimum of 10 days of sobriety patients who fulfilled ICD-10 and DSM-IV criteria of alcohol dependence were interviewed for data collection using the Mini-DIPS (German version of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule) and a standardized psychosocial interview. The 6-month prevalence of comorbid Axis I disorders was 53.1%. Among the patients with comorbidity, affective and anxiety disorders were most frequent. Comorbid stress disorder was associated with an early start of drinking, an early beginning of withdrawal symptoms, highest number of detoxifications, and the highest amount of alcohol consumed. Female patients with anxiety disorder consumed more alcohol and started earlier than females without this comorbid disorder. The data do not answer the question of the pathogenesis of comorbid disorders and alcoholism, but indicate that stress disorders in alcoholic patients and anxiety disorders in female alcoholics influence the course and severity of alcoholism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Capillary gas chromatographic analysis of amino acids by enantiomer labeling.

The optical isomers of amino acids can be easily separated by gas chromatography using capillary columns coated with the chiral polysiloxane peptide, Chirasil-Val. Quantitative trace amino acid analysis in complex mixtures such as biological fluids, sea water, or protein hydrolysates can be achieved by enantiomer labeling: The D-amino acid enantiomers, which do not occur naturally, are added to the sample prior to analysis as internal standards. Because the D-enantiomers show the same physical and chemical properties as the natural L-enantiomers, they are ideal standard references. In routine analysis, the derivatization is achieved with a new automated derivatization robot. The D-standard serves as overall internal standard for the whole analytical procedure from sample enrichment to derivatization, chromatography, and response of the detector.

Amino Acids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Psychodynamic conflicts in hearing children of deaf parents.

A case study documents the consequences of parental deafness on the personality development of hearing children. Of central dynamic significance are unacknowledged feelings of resentment generated by (1) acute feelings of humiliation experienced about the parents' imperfections, (2) identity confusion resulting from the parents' suspicious attitude toward the hearing world, and (3) the inevitable role-reversal resulting from the parents' handicapped status. The possibility of taking triumphant pleasure in more fortunate life circumstances evokes intense guilt and forms the basis for a conflictual attitude toward success. A proclivity toward guilt appears to be an outstanding psychological characteristic of children of handicapped parents, irrespective of the nature of the handicap. Some relevant variables include: greater resentment due to unavoidable early frustrations, a reluctance to direct aggression outward, despair about making reparations to parents seen as damaged by the child's aggression, and absence of external controls on the expression hostility (victories are easy). Some parallels are noted between conflicts displayed in hearing children of deaf parents and children of immigrant parents.

Achievement↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perihepatic lymphadenopathy: a marker of response to interferon alpha in chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recently it was shown that perihepatic lymphadenopathy (PHL) correlates with histological activity in chronic hepatitis C. However, the question whether there is a correlation between the response to interferon alpha and PHL has not yet been raised. METHODOLOGY: We examined 103 patients who had been treated with interferon alpha for hepatitis C. Prior to treatment all patients had undergone high resolution ultrasonography. Thirty-six patients had follow up ultrasound scans during the course of the treatment. According to size and number of lymph nodes we introduced a grading of the PHL and determined grade I as minimal, grade II as medium and grade III as extensive PHL. RESULTS: Classification of PHL prior to treatment revealed 40 patients with PHL I, 30 with grade II and 33 with grade III. Hepatic inflammatory activity according to the Ishak score was increased in patients with PHL III (9.1+/-2.4) compared to PHL II (6.7+/-2.9) and PHL I (7.3+/-3.1) (p=0.01). In patients with PHL grade I prior to treatment 45% were initial responder, patients with grade II or III showed response rates of 40% and 33%, respectively. During therapy we found an increase of PHL in one out of 13 primary responder vs. 10 out of 23 non-responder (p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, monitoring of PHL by abdominal ultrasonography is a simple, non-invasive and cheap additional marker of response to interferon alpha.

Adolescent↗