Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Amsterdam

Publications and source records attributed to J Amsterdam.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Variability of hormonal responses to a series of neuroendocrine challenges in depressed patients.

Abnormalities of hormonal responses to a number of neuroendocrine challenges have been reported in depressed patients. The authors used a series of four neuroendocrine challenges-thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation, insulin tolerance test (ITT), and overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST)-and examined eight hormonal responses in 24 healthy subjects and 26 patients with primary unipolar affective disorder. Seven control subjects (29.2%) and 25 depressed patients (96.2%) had at least one abnormal response, and 15 depressed patients (57.7%) had two or mor abnormal responses. These findings suggest that depressed patients show variability in hormonal response across a number of neuroendocrine axes. No consistent patterns of abnormality of hormonal response were observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Sperm function in affective illness.

There is evidence for functional changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of patients with affective disorders. Little is known concerning spermatogenesis or sperm function in depressed men. We systematically evaluated the sperm indices in a group of depressed males complaining of diminished libido, and a healthy control group. No differences were noted in sperm parameters between the groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Acute metabolic response to cold exposure in unipolar and bipolar II patients.

The thermoregulatory response to cold exposure was examined in 11 unipolar and 5 bipolar II drug-free outpatients and 12 healthy controls. Subjects were studied in an environmental chamber at 10 C for 60 min. The heat production response was derived from the rate of oxygen consumption measured at 15-min intervals. Rectal and mean skin temperatures were continuously recorded from thermistor probes. Responses of the controls were used to establish a standard range against which the responses of the patients were compared. Six unipolar patients (54.5%) fell outside the standard range (chi 2 = 8.86, df = 1, p less than 0.005). Four of these patients showed a paradoxical decrease in heat production. Responses of the bipolar II patients fell within a narrow segment of the standard range, such that 10 of 12 controls (83.3%) responded outside the segment (chi 2 = 10.12, df = 1, p less than 0.005). These findings indicate that unipolar patients show greater variability and bipolar II patients less variability than controls in thermoregulatory response to cold. These observations extend previous suggestions of hypothalamic-limbic system dysfunction in patients with depression.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The clinical application of tricyclic antidepressant pharmacokinetics and plasma levels.

The authors present a clinical approach for predicting and using plasma concentrations of tricyclic antidepressants in the treatment of depressed patients. They review the pharmacokinetics of this group of drugs and their side effects and toxicity. There is a suggested therapeutic range for plasma concentrations of imipramine, amitriptyline, and nortriptyline; more definitive studies are needed to determine the necessary plasma levels for achieving clinical response with the other tricyclic antidepressants (desmethylimipramine, protriptyline, doxepin, clomipramine, impiramine N-oxide, and butriptyline). A more thorough knowledge of the clinical pharmacokinetics of tricyclic antidepressants should lead to more rational use of these drugs, with a higher response rate and fewer adverse reactions.

Amitriptyline↗
PubMed1980

Prediction of steady-state plasma levels of amitriptyline and nortriptyline from a single dose 24 hr. level in depressed patients.

Amitriptyline and nortriptyline plasma levels were measured in depressed outpatients 24 hours after a single dose of amitriptyline and following chronic dosing to steady state. Plasma levels of amitriptyline and nortriptyline measured after the single dose correlated highly with steady state plasma levels. Full use as a test to rapidly place patients on a "therapeutic" dosage of drug will need to await a clear delineation of the relationship between blood levels and clinical response for amitriptyline.

Amitriptyline↗
PubMed1979

High dose desipramine, plasma drug levels and clinical response.

The concentration of tricyclic antidepressants in plasma may be a more important factor than the oral dose in determining whether or not a patient will respond to treatment. Knowledge of the drug dose-response curve and its levels in blood may enable the physician to convert a patient from a "nonresponder" into a "responder."

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diurnal variation of growth hormone secretion following thyrotropin-releasing hormone infusion in normal men.

Growth hormone (GH) secretion following a standard intravenous dose of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was studied in eight healthy young men in the morning (0800h), in the evening (2000h), and after an acute 12-hr shift of the rest-activity cycle. The maximal increment in serum GH concentration following TRH administration was significantly greater in the evening than in either the morning or evening after reversal of the rest-activity cycle (p less than 0.02). Seven of the eight subjects showed an increase in serum GH following TRH in the evening but not after rest--activity reversal (p less than 0.01). Only one subject showed a GH response during one of two morning trials. Serum GH concentration was also increased in two of six subjects following saline infusion in the evening. These findings indicate that the GH response to TRH may depend on the phase of GH secretory activity at the time of testing. The GH responses to TRH reported in various disease states may, therefore, reflect alterations in the GH secretory rhythm or disturbances in circadian rest--activity patterns.

Adult↗