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Biomedical subjects

I McIntyre

Publications and source records attributed to I McIntyre.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

An evaluation of the domiciliary occupational therapy service in palliative cancer care in a community trust: a patient and carers perspective.

In the past 20 years there has been considerable growth in the provision of palliative care services. The shift in emphasis from hospice and hospital care to the development of community services has been significant. This enables people to be cared for at home and is in keeping with Government agenda. While this may be beneficial for the patient and fit in with the wishes of the family, it is likely to put heavy demands on the coping resources of individual carers. The views of service users are of paramount importance when discussing service evaluation and patient, family and carer empowerment. This research presents the findings of an evaluation of the domiciliary occupational therapy service provided for patients in the palliative stage of cancer care in North and West Belfast from the perspective of the patients and carers. For the purpose of this study, the palliative stage of cancer care is defined as the point from which the patient is no longer responsive to curative treatment, until death. A sample of 30 patients and their primary informal carers were selected using purposive sampling. A structured interview was carried out with both the patients and their carers to obtain views. Results suggest that although both patients and their carers value the service provided and report high levels of satisfaction, there are gaps identified in service provision and a lack of clear information among patients and their carers about the role of the occupational therapist and the range of services they can provide. There is a need to build upon the good work being done by domiciliary occupational therapists in the area of palliative cancer care and increase education and resources to ensure that a patient-centred, holistic, approach to care is used, addressing both the needs of the patient and their carers.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

The combined effects of diabetes and ionising radiation on the rat retina: an ultrastructural study.

The combined effect of STZ-diabetes and ionising radiation on the rat retina was investigated. Wistar rats, which had been diabetic for 6 months, were irradiated with a single dose of x-rays (1500 cGy) and the ultrastructural effects evaluated at 4-10 mths post-irradiation. At 4 months post-irradiation, the outer nuclear layer of the retina was greatly reduced in thickness and the photoreceptor outer segments were disorganised and reduced in length. In addition, the nerve fibre layer contained many cytoid bodies and there were many redundant basement membrane tubes throughout the inner retina. By 6 months post-irradiation, the photoreceptor cells were virtually absent, bringing the external limiting membrane into close apposition to the RPE. Throughout large areas of the outer retina, RPE cells were hypertrophic and some had proliferated into the inner retina. In many regions, proliferating retinal capillaries were observed within the RPE layer, and at 8 months post-irradiation, some vessels extended into the inner retina accompanied by RPE cells. At 10 months post-irradiation, the RPE was atrophic and degenerative with retinal glial cells coming into contact with Bruch's membrane. In some areas, the glia which had breached Bruch's membrane had invaded the underlying choroid. Where glial cells contacted the choriocapillaries, the vessels assumed the appearance of retinal vessels with plump endothelia and no fenestrations. This study has described a progressive inner retinal ischemia, with cytoid bodies, capillary non-perfusion and general atrophy of the inner retina intensifying markedly with increasing post-irradiation time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Effect of selective monoamine oxidase inhibitors on rat pineal melatonin synthesis in vitro.

Freshly cultured pineal glands respond to the monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) inhibitor clorgyline and to high concentrations of the MAO B inhibitor, deprenyl, with an increase in serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity and N-acetylated indoles and a fall in 5-hydroxylated serotonin degradation products. Glands cultured for 48 hours before challenge respond less. Response is absent in glands cultured for 72 hours and in glands from ganglionectomized animals cultured for 48 hours before challenge. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that these MAO inhibitors stimulate melatonin synthesis by protecting norepinephrine from degradation.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Electroconvulsive shock and brain muscarinic receptors: relationship to anterograde amnesia.

Rats were administered one electroconvulsive shock daily for 7 days (ECS X 7) and were killed 24 hours after the last treatment. Muscarinic cholinergic receptor number, as determined by [3H] quinuclidinyl benzilate [( 3H]QNB) binding, was significantly reduced in the cerebral cortex. A parallel group of rats was trained on a passive avoidance task 24 hours following the last ECS and tested for retention of the original avoidance response 24 hours later; these animals exhibited a profound amnesia. Animals tested 1 hour following training were not amnestic, indicating that learning was unimpaired. Animals trained 7 days following ECS X 7 were not amnestic and [3H] QNB binding changes were not demonstrable at this time. A single ECS which does not significantly affect cortical [3H] QNB binding, did not induce amnesia in rats trained 24 hours after the treatment and tested 24 hours later. The parallel, cumulative nature of ECS-induced muscarinic receptor down-regulation and ECS-induced anterograde amnesia suggests a possible causative relationship.

Amnesia↗
PubMed1984

Prediction of serum cortisol response to dexamethasone in normal volunteers: a multivariate approach.

Dexamethasone (DEX, 0.5 mg orally at 11 PM) challenge was used for the assessment of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity in 20 normal volunteers. Age and pre-DEX serum cortisol levels were theè evaluated as predictors of postDEX serum cortisol levels using step-wise multiple regression analysis. Both age and preDEX serum cortisol levels were significant predictors of postDEX serum cortisol levels. It is suggested that the adjustment for age and preDEX serum cortisol level could be useful for the interpretation of abnormal postDEX levels.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

The pharmacokinetics of mianserin in elderly depressed patients.

The pharmacokinetics of mianserin were examined in eight elderly depressed patients following a single oral dose of 60 mg. Plasma concentrations were measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and the data analyzed using a two-compartment open model. Mean (+/- SD) estimates were: absorption half-life 0.8 +/- 1.0h, peak concentration 117 +/- 23 micrograms/l, peak time 2.2 +/- 1.3h, distribution half-life 3.4 +/- 1.2h, elimination half-life 33 +/- 15h, apparent volume of distribution 20.2 +/- 7.9 1/kg, and oral clearance 0.49 +/- 0.21 l/kg/h. These parameters were not significantly different from those found in healthy volunteers. The absorption lag time (0.6 +/- 0.2h) and area under the curve (2009 +/- 566 micrograms/l/h) were significantly different in the elderly. The clinical implications of these differences for the treatment of elderly depressed patients are discussed.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1982

Blood and plasma concentrations of dothiepin and its major metabolites and clinical response.

Ten patients suffering from primary depressive illness were treated with 150 mg/d of dothiepin for 4 weeks. Blood and plasma concentrations of dothiepin and two metabolites, dothiepin S-oxide and northiaden were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Severity of depression was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. No significant correlation was found between amelioration score or percentage change and either blood or plasma concentrations of dothiepin, its metabolites or total drug and metabolite concentrations at week 4.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Production of immunoreactive calcitonin by myeloid leukaemia cells.

Raised plasma levels of immunoreactive human calcitonin (i-HCT) have been found in patients with chronic granulocytic leukaemia (CGL) in chronic phase and myeloblastic transformation and in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia at presentation and in relapse. In CGL levels were significantly higher in myeloblastic transformation than in the chronic phase. Leukaemia cells were cultured in a short-term liquid culture system in which little cell proliferation occurs and in a two layer blast-cell colony system which permits blast-cell proliferation. i-HCT was identified in supernatant media from cells cultured in both systems but levels were substantially higher in media collected from cells cultured in the latter system. These results suggest that i-HCT is synthesized by proliferating blast cells.

Calcitonin↗
PubMed1975

Letter: Rabies.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical pharmacokinetics of dothiepin. Single-dose kinetics in patients and prediction of steady-state concentrations.

The pharmacokinetics of dothiepin were evaluated in 9 depressed patients following a single oral dose of 75 mg. Blood and plasma concentrations of dothiepin and 2 major metabolites, northiaden and dothiepin S-oxide, were measured by gas chromatography/mass fragmentography. The mean (+/-SD) peak plasma concentrations of dothiepin were 49 +/- 27 micrograms/L at 3 +/- 1.2h. Mean (+/-SD) estimates of other parameters were as follows: absorption half-life 1.1 +/- 1.1h; distribution half-life 2.2 +/- 0.8 h; elimination half-life 25 +/- 7h; apparent volume of distribution 70 +/- 62 L/kg; and oral clearance 2.1 +/- 1.6 L/kg/h. The mean (+/-SD) peak plasma concentration of dothiepin S-oxide was 125 +/- 43 micrograms/L at 3.5 +/- 1.3h with an elimination half-life of 22 +/- 12 h. The mean peak plasma concentration of northiaden was 6 +/- 3 micrograms/L at 4.5 +/- 1.1h, with an elimination half-life of 31 +/- 12 h. No significant differences were found in pharmacokinetic parameters compared with a previous study in 7 healthy volunteers. When data for the patients and healthy volunteers were combined (n = 16), pharmacokinetic parameters were not found to be affected by age. However, a significant difference was found between males and females for the elimination half-lives of dothiepin and northiaden, and for the apparent volume of distribution of dothiepin. The 24-hour blood/plasma concentrations of dothiepin and dothiepin S-oxide accurately predicted the steady-state concentrations obtained following 4 weeks' treatment with dothiepin 150 mg nocte.

Dibenzothiepins↗