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Biomedical subjects

H Loo

Publications and source records attributed to H Loo.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

High doses of haloperidol in schizophrenia. A clinical, biochemical, and pharmacokinetic study.

The effects of high doses of haloperidol on clinical status and plasma neuroleptic and prolactin concentrations and CSF levels of homovanillic acid (HVA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were investigated in three paranoid schizophrenic patients over six weeks. The patients had been receiving haloperidol. Oral dosages were increased at weekly intervals from 10 to 200 mg/day and then reduced to 10 mg/day. The increase did not affect paranoid symptoms. Neurological side effects were slightly increased in two patients and moderately reduced in one. Plasma prolactin levels, initially high, increased when the dosage was increased to 100 mg/day but did not increase further. The CSF levels of HVA and GABA increased to day 7 but returned to initial values on day 28 in two patients; they were decreased to day 28 in one patient.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[New antidepressant multicenter study in hospitalized patients: quinupramine (author's transl)].

Quinupramine is a novel and original antidepressant due to its selective and specific affinity for central muscarinic receptors and the lack of subsequent metabolites. These properties enable its use at low doses i.e. tablets and ampoules are dosed at 2.5 mg. A multi-centre trial with quinupramine was conducted in 25 hospital centers, involving 364 patients suffering from all types of depression, of which more than a third constituted by endogenous depression. The results indicated genuine antidepressant activity with notable achievement of manic swing. Its profile appears to be balanced with simultaneous improvement in mood disorders, psychomotor inhibition and insomnia. The onset of activity is rapid (about 8 days in half the cases). Tolerance was considered to be very good, while minimal side-effects only very rarely warranted corrective treatment. Quinupramine appears to be equally active as the reference antidepressants and is particularly well tolerated.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1982

[The value of the measurement of intra-erythrocytic lithium in the bio-clinical surveillance of lithium therapy (author's transl)].

THe correlation between red cell lithium concentration and signs of neurotoxicity have been reported in the literature by a great majority of authors. A deficiency in the lithium-sodium counter-transport mechanism may be responsible. Measurement of blood lithium levels only is not always sufficient to identify in the laboratory patients showing signs of intolerance. The three cases reported here indicate the limitations of the measurement of plasma lithium levels and the perfect correlation between neurological signs and erythrocyte levels. In vitro studies of transmembrane ion exchanges should make it possible to undertake an investigation before starting treatment in order to identify the risks of cellular toxicity.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

[Use of haloperidol in high doses in schizophrenia. Clinical, biochemical and pharmacokinetic study].

The effect of high doses of haloperidol on the clinical status, plasma neuroleptic and prolactin concentrations as well as on CSF HVA and GABA levels was investigated in 3 paranoid schizophrenic patients over a 6 weeks period. When the study was initiated patients had been on haloperidol (10 mg a day) for 4-10 weeks. Oral doses were increased at weekly intervals from 10 (day 0) to 100 (day 7) and 200 (days 14 to 28) mg a day and then reduced to 100 (day 35) and 10 (day 42) mg/day. A linear relationship was observed between plasmatic levels and daily doses of haloperidol. In neither patient, the increase in haloperidol dosage affected paranoid symptoms. Neurological side effects were slightly increased in 2 cases and moderately reduced in one case. Prolactin plasma levels, already high at the onset of the study rose when increasing the dose to 100 mg a day but did not increase further despite increment in the haloperidol dosage. CSF levels of HVA and GABA rose from day 0 to day 7 but were back to the initial values on day 28 in 2 patients and were decreased from day 0 to day 28 in one patient. For the 3 patients a close correlation was observed between changes in CSF HVA and GABA levels. It is concluded that high doses of haloperidol, although causing biochemical changes compatible with the occurrence of dopamine target cell supersensitivity, do not lead to any clinical improvement in the 3 studied schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Periorbital ecchymoses as the initial sign in multiple myeloma.

A 61-year-old man with bilateral recurrent periorbital ecchymoses was followed up for 36 months, at which time the diagnosis of multiple myeloma was established. However, in vitro tests of blood coagulation and platelet function gave normal findings. A biopsy specimen of the ecchymotic area showed no evidence of amyloid. Clinical and laboratory evaluation did not suggest another cause. The mechanism of the localized bleeding tendency could not be elucidated.

Blood Coagulation Tests↗
PubMed1981

Intellectual efficiency in manic-depressive patients treated with lithium. A control study.

A longitudinal study of 21 non-hospitalized manic-depressive subjects treated with lithium was carried out over a 3-year period: year 1 (Y1), year 2 (Y2), year 3 (Y3). A control group C of 21 subjects matched for age, sex and educational level was compared to Y1, Y2 and Y3 using the Cattell Intelligence Scale, the immediate memory recall test of numbers, the Code Test (WAIS), the 15-Word Test and the Benton Visual Retention Test. The vocabulary test of Binois and Pichot was first applied to C and Y1 to test the homogeneity of intellectual level between these two groups. A strategy of variance analysis followed by non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests was applied for statistical analysis of the results. Generally, except for the Cattell test, the patients presented lower scores than the control group. This decrease was not accentuated as time elapsed; the non-verbal were not affected more than the verbal tests. A clinical analysis was carried out relating the importance of the criteria "deterioration" to four other criteria: "age", "gravity and duration of illness ", "history of E.C.T." and "insufficient mood stabilization". The factor "gravity of the illness" was slightly more frequently associated with factor deterioration.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Modifications of biochemical parameters in blood platelets of schizophrenic and depressive patients.

The blood platelet may be considered as an interesting model of the serotoninergic neuron in biology and pharmacology. We studied some platelet parameters in neuropsychiatric patients (depressive and schizophrenic ones): serotonin (5-HT) uptake was abnormal for all schizophrenics and lowered for depressive patients; uptake of mepacrine, a marker of 5-HT passive diffusion, was diminished for manic patients; MAO and glutathione peroxidase activities were modified, essentially for paranoid schizophrenics and some alterations of the platelet hydroxyindole level were noticed; during treatment with neuroleptics of antidepressants biological parameters led to 'normality'. These results are discussed with clinical data and a hypothesis is proposed to join the biological modifications of paranoid schizophrenics.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1980

Long-term monitoring of tricyclic antidepressant plasma concentrations.

Plasma levels of antidepressant drugs were measured in 17 depressed patients at roughly monthly intervals over follow-up periods of three to 26 months. Good results in seven were associated with small fluctuations in level from visit to visit, while big fluctuations were associated with poor outcome. Such fluctuations were probably from poor compliance or drug interaction from self-medication. Severe side effects and cardiotoxicity were associated with high levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Parenteral loxapine in severely disturbed schizophrenic patients.

Loxapine is a tricyclic antipsychotic drug of the dibenzoxapine class. An uncontrolled open trial of this compound has been performed by intramuscular route in 28 patients previously refractory to other neuroleptic drugs. These patients received 50 to 200 mg loxapine daily by intramuscular route. Clinical evaluation, BPRS, NOISE and biological evaluation were performed before and at the 8th day of the treatment. Global clinical evaluation and statistical analysis of BPRS showed the high efficacy of loxapine with a sedative effect during the initial phase and a disinhibiting and "hallucinolytic" character at a later stage. Tolerance to the preparation appeared good both locally and systematically with the possible exception of transient effects upon body temperature.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

[New studies on the use of antidepressants].

The new data on the use of antidepressant drugs concern:--a precise characterization of the therapeutic spectrum of the antidepressant, --the knowledge of the mechanism of action of the drug,--the biochemical profile of the depression,--the pharmacokinetic data about the efficient plasmatic level of the anti-depressant: it is important to take into account the metabolism of the drug and its route of administration,--the discovery of new antidepressants different from tricyclis and I.M.A.O. inhibitors.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1979

Brain distribution and kinetics of 11C-chlorpromazine in schizophrenics: positron emission tomography studies.

The positron emitter 11C (20 minutes half-life) permits the labeling of chlorpromazine (CPZ) and the study of its distribution in humans by external counting. Trace amounts of 11C-CPZ were injected intravenously into 22 schizophrenic patients all untreated for several months with neuroleptics. The brain uptake was 6.04 +/- 1.6% of the injected dose 15 minutes after the injection, and it remained constant for 45 minutes. By positron emission tomography, the drug distribution was shown to be in the gray matter, and such structures as the cortex, caudate nucleus, thalamus and putamen could be identified. This new methodology will be helpful in studying specific receptors in humans in a noninvasive way.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Cesium].

Cesium is an alkaline metal close to Rubidium, which is studied in psychopharmacology in the prospect of a possible antidepressive effect. It has stimulating properties of the motor activity on the animal, antagonizes some sedative substances but does not modify either self-stimulation behaviour or induced agressivity. Given in large doses, Cesium presents hypertensive effects bound with a stimulation of the adrenal Epinephrine secretion. As for the synapses Cesium increases the neuro-transmitter release. However the Norepinephrine turn-over is not modified in the central nervous system while that of Serotonin is increased as well as the cerebral concentrations of Tryptophan, Serotonin and 5.HIAA. These very fragmentary data about the toxico-pharmacological properties of Cesium, as well as the very prolonged half-life of this ion (from 50 to 100 days), explain that contrary to Rubidium it has not still been used in man.

Animals↗