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Biomedical subjects

H Walter

Publications and source records attributed to H Walter.

450 records · Page 25Linked 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↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ataxia of stance in different types of alcohol dependence--a posturographic study.

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ataxia of stance in different types of alcohol-dependent patients. Posturographic measurements were performed in 82 abstinent alcohol-dependent patients and 54 healthy controls in order to analyse postural control. According to Lesch and co-workers, alcohol dependence was classified as total abstinence (Type I), drinking without loss of control (Type II), fluctuating course (Type III), and persistent severe drinking (Type IV). The mechanisms of alcohol dependence in these subtypes can be summarized as follows: Type I patients drink alcohol to counteract symptoms of alcohol withdrawal; Type II patients use alcohol as an agent for solving conflicts; Type III patients drink alcohol to 'treat' an affective disorder; and Type IV patients have a history of pre-alcoholic neurological and/or psychiatric disorders. The neurological examination showed pathological findings in 39%, whereas posturographic measurements uncovered impaired postural control in 61% (chi2 = 8.8, P = 0.003). Comparing the different study groups revealed that ataxia of stance was most common in alcohol-dependent patients classified as Type IV (tau = 0.24, P = 0.005). In conclusion, posturographic measurements are superior to the clinical examination in detecting postural imbalance in alcohol-dependent patients. The prevalence of postural imbalance is highest in patients classified by Lesch as Type IV. Consequently, this type of alcohol dependence -- characterized by pre-alcoholic neurological and/or psychiatric disorders, bears the highest risk of developing ataxia of stance.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Exercise-induced hypoglycaemia and subcutaneous insulin infusion.

To assess whether exercise-induced hypoglycaemia could be prevented by interruption of insulin infusion (3 h) we studied diabetic patients treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). The studies were performed in 7 insulin-dependent diabetics (aged 31.4 +/- 4.8 (mean +/- SD) years, duration of diabetes 16.9 +/- 5.4 years), after an overnight fast and in the afternoon, 4 h after the last pre-meal bolus injection (exercise and control period). Bicycle exercise (45 min at 60% of maximum oxygen consumption) was started 30 min after the insulin infusion was stopped. During exercise there was a more pronounced decline in blood glucose in the afternoon (2.2 +/- 0.3 mmol/l, mean +/- SEM) than in the morning (1.4 +/- 0.4 mmol/l) (p less than 0.01). This corresponded to higher mean levels of free insulin during exercise in the afternoon (20 +/- 4.5 mU/I vs 12.0 +/- 1.0 mU/l, in the morning). Interruption of insulin delivery for 3 h resulted in a moderate increase of blood glucose, a gradual decrease of free insulin, and a moderate increase in free fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate. During exercise in the afternoon 3 diabetics suffered from symptomatic hypoglycaemia (BG less than 2.8 mmol/l). In contrast with most of the other patients they showed no decline of free insulin during exercise. Thus even after interruption of basal rate insulin infusion moderate postprandial exercise may lead to hypoglycaemia if there is relative hyperinsulinism.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Valproic acid and Carbamazepine: a successful antipsychotic medication? The problem of diagnosis and its relevance for therapy.

This single-case study deals with a 24-year-old woman who suffered after a severe depressive episode from paranoid-psychotic symptoms, which did not respond to antipsychotic medication, but to antiepileptics. In this case report, it is elaborated why psychotic symptoms may not respond to antipsychotic medications and the utility of a polydiagnostic approach is shown. Psychotic symptoms based on dynamic instability may occur simultaneously in the pathogenesis of affective disorders and schizophrenia. It is demonstrated that the use of a polydiagnostic approach will lead to a more refined etiopathogenetic attribution.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Y-specific SSLP of the locus DYS19 in four different European samples.

The Y-Specific Simple Sequence Length Polymorphism (SSLP) of the locus DYS19 was investigated in two Slovakian samples--Bratislava and Medzev--and in two German samples--Bremen and Hannover. The allele frequencies show a significant difference between the Slovakian and German samples.

Alleles↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Optical visualization of polymer-polymer interactions.

Surface-enhanced absorption (SEA) has been used to monitor interactions of biomolecules and to observe structural changes of polymers. Such interactions of biomolecules are of interest in high-throughput screening and diagnostics. The structural changes of synthetic polymers can be exploited in optical sensorics. Based on SEA we have developed a technique that enables us to transfer the interaction of polyelectrolytes between two flat, solid surfaces into a visible color change, exploiting nanoscopic metal clusters. The polyelectrolytes are coated onto electrochemically oxidized aluminum, glass, and polycarbonate substrates. The change of surface color is monitored with a flat-bed scanner, and the interactions are analyzed kinetically. The results are interpreted with regard to adhesion, surface tension, electrostatic interactions, and miscibility.

Colorimetry↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The mental life of artifacts. Explications, questions, arguments.

Our working assumption reads: Every mental property exhibited by a natural system can be exhibited by an artificial system, at least in principle. Is this true? The paper is in two parts. The first part is explicative: What do we mean by 'natural' or by 'artificial'? When are we ready to ascribe thinking to a system? We show that sometimes behavior is enough, sometimes underlying mechanisms are decisive. We study the difference between simulation and realization of a property and the kinds of explanation used in the philosophy of mind. The second part is argumentative. We collect and discuss positive arguments for and critical arguments against the working hypothesis. No decisive counterargument is found.

Artifacts↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Emergence and the cognitive neuroscience approach to psychiatry.

In this paper, I introduce the philosophical notion of strong emergence and argue that it is almost exclusively applied to properties related to (conscious) subjective experience. Contrary to the still common attitude of refraining anxiously from these topics, I argue that we have a promising scientific approach to them: the cognitive neurosciences. I list a spectrum of interesting, potentially strongly emergent properties already investigated, and discuss the example of volition in more detail. Psychiatric disorders, like antisocial personality disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorder, open new ways for understanding aspects of volition such as willed action, decision making, and agency. I conclude that the notion of strong emergence is only a preliminary label which, however, might be understood as a challenge for empirical scientists to explain and understand phenomena related to subjectivity and consciousness.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficiency of human insulin (recombinant DNA) in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis and severe nonketoacidotic hyperglycemia.

Human insulin (recombinant DNA) was compared with pork insulin in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis and severe nonketoacidotic hyperglycemia using a continuous, intravenous, low-dose regimen. Seven patients (age range 48 +/- 26 yr, mean +/- SD) with diabetic ketoacidosis and three (52, 65, and 70 yr) with nonketoacidotic hyperglycemia were studied. In the ketoacidotic group the initial values of blood glucose, pH, and base excess were 808 +/- 353 mg/dl, 7.06 +/- 0.1, and -22.8 +/- 5.9 mmol/L, respectively. The mean initial values of blood glucose and osmolality of the three patients with nonketoacidotic hyperglycemia were 731 +/- 127 mg/dl and 355 +/- 49 mosmol/kg, respectively. Within 24 h insulin therapy led to continuous improvement in blood glucose to 187 +/- 90 (ketoacidotic patients) and 172 +/- 28 mg/dl (nonketoacidotic group) and normalization of pH, base excess, and osmolality. The mean insulin requirement was 84 +/- 45 U/24 h in ketoacidotic and 86 +/- 18 U/24 h in nonketoacidotic patients, respectively. The comparison groups receiving pork insulin did not differ significantly in either clinical or initial and subsequent biochemical data or in insulin requirement.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical utility of nonenzymatically glycosylated blood proteins as an index of glucose control.

This study compares the utility of nonenzymatically glycosylated serum proteins (lys-GSP) to glycosylated hemoglobins (HbA1a-c) as control indices of glucose homeostasis in patients with IDDM. The diagnostic value of lys-GSP was also examined in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance, and in two patients with insulinoma. The intraindividual fluctuation of lys-GSP in normoglycemic subjects is very small, resulting in an interindividual range of 3.0 +/- 0.3 lysine-bound glucose/mg protein (means +/- SD, N = 52). HbA1a-c with a normal range of 6.4 +/- 0.9% (N = 52) shows greater variability. In IDDM there is no overlap of lys-GSP levels between the normal and the diabetic range at the 95% confidence level. In patients treated with an open-loop insulin delivery system failure of normalization of the glucose balance was clearly discernible by an elevation of GSP. In contrast, in about 40% of the patients with incomplete glycemic control the HbA1a-c levels fell within the normal range. The utility of lys-GSP for diagnosis of diabetes is compared with the results of 60 oral glucose tolerance tests. Two patients suffering from insulinoma displayed decreased lys-GSP values. From these results it appears that determination of lys-GSP represents a more sensitive parameter for long-term control than HbA1a-c and is suitable for monitoring even small fluctuations of blood glucose.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effectiveness of everyday occupations for changing client behaviors in a community living arrangement.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effect of three occupations-based interventions for reducing the frequency of dysfunctional behaviors (disruptive vocalizations, distraction of others, withdrawal from appropriate social interactions) in two women with dual (i.e., developmental, psychiatric) conditions. Additionally, the duration of time spent appropriately engaged was examined. METHOD: A single-subject, multiple baseline, across-subjects design, with two dually diagnosed residents in a Community Living Arrangement (CLA), was used to evaluate change in four behaviors under three alternating conditions. Condition 1 was CLA (morning and evening combined) compared with the school and sheltered workshop, Condition 2 was CLA morning, and Condition 3 was CLA evening. Intervention consisted of engagement in everyday occupations associated with the school-workshop and CLA settings as well as a positive reinforcement program. RESULTS: Using occupations-based interventions and a behavior modification program, 5 of 6 behaviors improved significantly in the school-and-workshop setting compared to the CLA, under Condition 1. Under Condition 2, the morning occupations-based intervention in conjunction with positive reinforcement for active participation significantly improved 4 of 6 behaviors for the two residents. Similarly, under Condition 3--the evening occupations-based intervention--4 of the 6 targeted behaviors improved significantly. CONCLUSION: The use of everyday occupations as interventions, in conjunction with positive reinforcement for active participation, was effective for decreasing dysfunctional behaviors and increasing functional behaviors in two women with dual conditions who resided in a CLA.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiology of drug use and abuse. Physician's role].

Drug use in a given population, whether justified by a medical prescription or not, is a subject that is often emotionally rather than objectively discussed. In this study, objective data from the Austrian population are collected in order to provide a more comprehensible view of that complex phenomenon: drug use, abuse or addition seem to relate to various factors such as gender, age, profession and local differences. Physician's role in drug use in more or less important, depending on the nature of the substance. Indeed, tranquillizers and hypnotics are medically prescribed drugs although laxatives, geriatric and homeopathic medicines are rarely prescribed by a physician. However, these factors could account for only a part of this subject and other research should focus on the relations between physician, patient and the drug.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

ESD, GLO1, PGD, PGM1 and PGM2 gene frequencies in the Salerno Province (Italy).

Esterase D (ESD), glyoxalase 1 (GLO1), phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) and phosphoglucomutase 1 and 2 (PGM1 and PGM2) systems have been studied in the Salerno province (Campania, Southern Italy). The mean weighted frequencies for the Campania region were calculated. These frequencies show a general similarity to those reported for the other Italian regions.

Carboxylesterase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serum protein polymorphisms (HP; TF-, GC- and PI-subtypes) in Sardinia.

Haptoglobin (HP), transferrin (TF), group-specific component (GC) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (PI) polymorphisms have been studied in Sardinia and the following gene frequencies have been found: HP*1 = 0.389, TF*C1 = 0.754, TF*C2 = 0.213, TF*C3 = 0.032, GC*1F = 0.193, GC*1S = 0.546, GC*2 = 0.260, PI*M1 = 0.607, PI*M2 = 0.221, PI*M3 = 0.126, PI*S = 0.040 and PI*Z = 0.006. These findings confirm the genetic uniqueness of Sardinians compared to the other Italian populations.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ligation of CD28 on resting T cells by its ligand B7 results in the induction of both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines.

It has been well documented that cross-linking CD28 with mAb can provide a potent costimulatory signal to T cells for the production of IL-2, IL-6, IFN-gamma, GM-CSF and TNF-alpha. Much less is known about the role of the CD28 molecule in the induction of Th2-type lymphokines such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10. So far, only limited data are available about the secretion of IL-2, IL-6, IFN-gamma, and GM-CSF by T cells when using B7 as the natural ligand for CD28. We investigated whether B7-CD28 ligation can result in the secretion of Th2-type cytokines using 3T6 mouse fibroblasts transfected with human CD32 (Fc gamma RIIa high-responder allele, 3T6-CD32 cells) or with both CD32 and B7 (3T6-CD32/B7 cells). It was found that upon stimulation through the TCR/CD3 complex, B7-CD28 interaction not only results in the production of cytokines of the Th1 type, but also gives rise to the production of large amounts of Th-2 type cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-10. In contrast to the production of IL-2, IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha, the production of IL-4 after co-stimulation with B7-CD28 interaction was restricted to CD45RO+ memory T cells. In addition, the production of IL-4 after co-stimulation by B7-CD28 interaction was not influenced by the addition of IFN-gamma. The production of IFN-gamma was not affected by IL-4, but was slightly inhibited by IL-10.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗