Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Munitz.
We show that there is a body image of an internal organ--the brain. Using questionnaires and drawings to compare three groups--healthy subjects, acutely ill and chronic patients (with a brain disease)--we demonstrate that there is constant body image, which is very little influenced by brain disease.
The active uptake of serotonin (5-HT) blood platelets of 20 schizophrenic patients and their families was studied. The uptake was studied over a wide range of 5-HT concentrations (0.1-20 microM), and Km and Vmax of the uptake process were calculated. Of 20 patients, 18 exhibited a lower rate of uptake than the family average at 5-HT concentrations lower than the Km value. At a 5-HT concentration of 0.1 microM, the average 5-HT uptake of patients was 2.15 pmol/10(8) platelets/min, while that of families was 2.99 pmol/10(8) platelets/min (33% difference). At a high 5-HT concentration, only the drug-treated patients had lower Vmax than the family average, and this might be attributed to the effect of the drugs. Km of patients and families were very similar. In eight families, one or more of the family members showed 5-HT uptake patterns very similar to that of the patient. We termed these healthy family members "schizophrenic risks". Our findings indicate the involvement of some genetic factors in this disease.
Active uptake of serotonin (5-HT) by blood platelets with bipolar primary affective disorder-bipolar type has been compared to that of their family members and healthy controls, and Km and Vmax values were calculated for each subject. The uptake of patients' platelets, as reflected by Vmax, was found to be significantly higher than that of healthy controls (P less than 0.05) and non significantly higher than that of family members (P less than 0.05). The average value obtained (in pmol/10(8) platelets/5 min) were 253.4 (patients), 199.7 (families), and 171.5 (controls). The increased uptake by patients' platelets was not dependent on the state of disease. In two families, daughters of the patients exhibited the same uptake pattern as their ill mothers. The Km values for patients, family members, and controls were all about 1.06 x 10(-6) M. This study raises the possibility that the differences between patients and healthy individuals might be attributed to genetic factors. The meaning and interpretation of the findings are discussed.
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Active uptake of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine by blood platelets of 22 acute schizophrenic patients and 15 normal control subjects was studied over a 6-week period. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was used to evaluate the subjects' mental state over this period. Serotonin uptake by platelets of the schizophrenic group was 40% lower than that by platelets of the control group (p less than 0.001). No significant differences in uptake of dopamine or norepinephrine were observed. These results might reflected a genetic defect in the schizophrenic patients. No significant correlations were found between the biochemical and BPRS results. A correlation was found between the uptake results with dopamine and norepinephrine but not between these amines and serotonin. This finding may provide indirect support for previously published experimental data which suggest that the carriers to dopamine and norepinephrine differ in function from those of serotonin.
Active uptake of serotonin by blood platelets of acute schizophrenic patients has been compared to that of a control group. Preliminary results presented in this article indicate that the uptake of the schizophrenic patients was about 40% lower than that of controls. Patients were followed over a period of 5 weeks with no significant change in uptake.
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Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) toward myelin human basic protein (HBP) was studied in 19 chronic drug-free schizophrenic patients and in 30 patients with primary affective disorders receiving psychoactive drugs, 74% of the schizophrenics showed an inhibition of macrophage migration, whereas only one patient from the affective group showed such a response. These results indicate that drugs are not responsible for the appearance of CMI to HBP in schizophrenics. One out of 9 ECT-treated patients developed a CMI to HBP.
We show that there is indeed an internal-organ body image: the heart. Using questionnaires and drawings, we compared a group of healthy subjects, a group of acutely ill cardiac patients and a group of chronic cardiac patients. A constant body image emerged which was not influenced by heart disease. It seems to us that this approach can serve as a model of further studies of internal-organ body image.
Cell-mediated immune response to myelin human basic protein was studied by the macrophage migration inhibition test in patients suffering from schizophrenia. Eighteen out of 32 patients with chronic schizophrenia demonstrated human basic protein-induced inhibition of the migration index, while 4 out of 41 acute schizophrenics showed an inhibition of macrophage migration.
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Clozapine is known to be beneficial for the treatment of dopamine agonist-induced psychotic states in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Many reports have suggested that it may also be efficacious for the treatment of parkinsonian tremor. We describe a patient with schizophrenia in whom early-onset PD appeared after treatment with antipsychotic drugs. When the parkinsonian symptoms proved resistant to anticholinergic agents, we introduced a trial with up to 50 mg clozapine daily, which yielded a prompt and dramatic response. Thereafter, the parkinsonian symptoms reappeared each time the patient discontinued clozapine and rapidly disappeared on its repeat initiation. There was also a marked improvement in his psychotic and depressive symptoms. This report suggests that some patients with concomitant schizophrenia and PD-a difficult treatment challenge-may benefit from clozapine treatment alone for both disorders.
Alopecia and hair loss are rare side effects of psychotropic drugs. There are a few case reports on hair loss associated with tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), but none deal specifically with paroxetine. We report on a 37-year-old female who complained of moderate hair loss during paroxetine treatment. Findings on discontinuation and rechallenge supported the assumption that the hair loss was a side effect of the paroxetine. Further investigation is needed to determine the scope of this troubling side effect.