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Biomedical subjects

J A Mattes

Publications and source records attributed to J A Mattes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Extended-release physostigmine in Alzheimer disease: a multicenter, double-blind, 12-week study with dose enrichment. Physostigmine Study Group.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of extended-release physostigmine salicylate, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, was evaluated in 850 subjects with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease (AD) in a multicenter trial. METHODS: Subjects initially entered a dose-enrichment phase in which they received 1 week each of physostigmine salicylate, 24 mg/d and 30 mg/d, and daily placebo. Among the subjects who completed this phase, 35.9% responded to physostigmine treatment, whereas 62.4% were considered nonresponders, and 1.6% could not be evaluated because of missing data. After a 4-week placebo-washout phase, 176 responder subjects were randomized to receive their best dose of physostigmine or placebo in a 12-week double-blind phase. Primary efficacy measures included the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog), the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change With Caregiver Input (CIBIC+), and the Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC). RESULTS: In the intent-to-treat analysis of the double-blind phase, physostigmine-treated subjects scored -2.02 points better than placebo-treated subjects on the ADAS-Cog (F1,167 = 6.42 [P = .01]) and 0.33 points higher on the CIBIC+ (F1,150 = 5.68 [P = .02]). No significant improvement was observed on the CGIC or the secondary outcome measures. Nausea and vomiting were experienced by 47.0% of all physostigmine-treated subjects during the double-blind phase. CONCLUSIONS: Physostigmine demonstrated a statistically significant benefit compared with placebo on a clinical global rating of change and an objective test of cognitive function. Given the frequency of gastrointestinal side effects, the role of this agent in clinical use remains to be determined.

Aged↗

Olanzapine on trial.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

Pergolide to augment the effectiveness of antidepressants: clinical experience and a small double-blind study.

To attempt to confirm a prior report that pergolide can augment the efficacy of antidepressants in refractory patients, pergolide was administered to 12 patients receiving antidepressants. Eight patients were involved in a placebo-controlled evaluation of pergolide; the others were prescribed pergolide clinically. Results showed no evidence of benefit, so the double-blind study has been discontinued.

Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic↗

Risperidone: how good is the evidence for efficacy?

This article reviews the published literature evaluating the efficacy of risperidone. The literature includes three multicenter, double-blind studies that compared risperidone, haloperidol, and placebo, as well as three comparisons of risperidone with a standard neuroleptic. Efficacy of risperidone is reported, but most studies involved chronically hospitalized patients who were relatively refractory; the response to standard neuroleptics was not robust. Also, the reported superiority of risperidone on negative symptoms may be artifactual, since standard neuroleptics, because of extrapyramidal symptoms, can mimic or exacerbate negative symptoms. Finally, risperidone may have an antidepressant effect. It is as yet unclear whether risperidone is as effective as standard neuroleptics for positive schizophrenia symptoms in neuroleptic-responsive patients.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

Can the sensitivity of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale be increased?

The author analyzed and compared Mini-Mental State Exam and Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) scores for 48 patients with Alzheimer's disease to determine whether improvements could be made in the ADAS. Results suggest that cognitive ability could be more accurately evaluated by shortening the number of words on the ADAS word recall task and reducing the number of trials on the word recognition task. These modifications would increase the likelihood of identifying medication effects.

Aged↗

The dexamethasone suppression test as an indication of depression in patients with mental retardation.

The Dexamethasone Suppression Test (DST) was performed for three groups of institutionalized patients with mental retardation: (a) patients with symptoms of depression, (b) nondepressed patients with other problematic behavior (aggressiveness, self-injurious behavior, or withdrawal), and (c) control subjects with no behavioral or psychiatric symptoms. Results showed that depressed patients more frequently (though not significantly) had positive DSTs and significantly higher cortisol levels compared with the other two groups. Patients with other problematic behavior did not differ from control subjects. The DST may be particularly valuable in diagnosing depression in individuals with severe mental retardation, who are often nonverbal and unable to express depressive symptoms.

Adult↗

A placebo-controlled evaluation of vasopressin for ECT-induced memory impairment.

Vasopressin may be involved in normal memory functions and may alleviate certain memory impairments. In this study, the usefulness of vasopressin to relieve electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-induced memory impairment was evaluated using a placebo-controlled, random assignment, double-blind design. Patients were 33 depressives receiving bilateral ECT. Vasopressin, in a nasal spray, was administered q.i.d. from the first through the fifth ECT. Extensive memory testing evaluated both retrograde and anterograde amnesia; ratings of depression and patient ratings of subjective memory complaints were also obtained. Results did not show statistically significant evidence of benefit from vasopressin, though a number of comparisons were in the predicted direction. The role of vasopressin in reducing memory impairment of various types remains to be elucidated.

Administration, Intranasal↗