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Biomedical subjects

J Bell

Publications and source records attributed to J Bell.

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Mortality associated with alcoholism in New Zealand.

Rates of mortality were determined in patients attending an alcoholic assessment centre. The study group comprised 1068 patients, studied for a mean of 1.5 years after referral. A total of 50 deaths occurred, being four times the expected death rate in the general population. Significantly increased mortality rates were found for deaths from cirrhosis, other digestive disease, cardiovascular disease, neoplasms, trauma and alcoholism. In 15 patients death was due to definite alcohol-related causes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Plasma homovanillic acid and tardive dyskinesia during neuroleptic maintenance and withdrawal.

Plasma levels of homovanillic acid (HVA), a dopamine metabolite, were examined in 19 psychiatric inpatients during maintenance treatment on neuroleptic medications. A significant positive correlation was found between the level of HVA and the severity of tardive dyskinesia (TD) in these patients. Seven patients had their medication discontinued for 12 days. In spite of a fall in neuroleptic levels to negligible values, plasma HVA levels remained essentially stable while scores on the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) fell only slightly. The data support the hypothesis that some forms of TD may involve a persistent increase in presynaptic dopaminergic activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Pharmacology of the human iris: development and use of challenge strategies in the study of antidepression response.

Basic physiological and neurochemical control mechanisms of human iris musculature are reviewed. The advantages and limitations of using pupillary responses to cholinergic and adrenergic drug challenges as peripheral indices of neuronal receptor sensitivity, are examined. A group of 15 depressed patients were tested with ocular instillation of pilocarpine and phenylephrine before and during treatment with Tranylcypromine. No change of pilocarpine sensitivity was found. A significant enhancement of phenylephrine sensitivity during weeks 3-5, but not during the first or second week of treatment was noted. The above potentiation of alpha-adrenergic responsiveness was correlated with clinical recovery.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1983

Effect of hypoxia and hypercapnic acidosis on renal autoregulation in the dog: role of renal nerves.

Previous studies suggest that hypoxia and hypercapnic acidosis exert a renal nerve mediated adverse effect on renal haemodynamic function. We therefore examined the effect of hypoxia and hypercapnic acidosis on renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate responses to lowering renal perfusion pressure from 125 to 75 mmHg in the anaesthetized dog. To study the role of renal nerves in these responses, paired innervated and denervated kidneys were studied in each animal. Hypoxia (PO2 43 +/- 3 mmHg) affected neither renal blood flow nor glomerular filtration rate responses to decreasing renal perfusion pressure. Hypercapnic acidosis (PCO2 71 +/- 2 mmHg; pH 7.03 +/- 0.01) significantly decreased both renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate as renal perfusion pressure was lowered. This effect of hypercapnic acidosis could be abolished by renal denervation. These findings suggest that hypercapnic acidosis results in renal nerve stimulation, which prevents the usual decrease in renal afferent arteriolar tone that occurs in response to lowering of renal perfusion pressure.

Acidosis, Respiratory↗
PubMed1983

Fetal anatomical abnormalities and other associated factors in middle-trimester abortion and their relevance to patient counselling.

Fetuses present in 91 consecutive spontaneous or missed middle-trimester abortions were studied anatomically and tissue karyotyping was attempted. Anatomical abnormalities were found in 32 fetuses, two of these also had chromosomal abnormalities, six of these abortions were associated with other possible aetiological factors. In a further 23 pregnancies there were probably significant aetiological factors associated with the abortion and in 10, where the fetus had arrested growth, there were two with other possible factors. From a prospective analysis of subsequent pregnancies it would appear that if all the factors relating to middle-trimester abortion, including fetal autopsy, are analysed, better patient counselling and realistic prognoses can be given for subsequent pregnancy.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1983

Comparison of three methods to train a size discrimination with profoundly mentally retarded students.

Three procedures for training a size discrimination to profoundly mentally retarded adults were compared: (a) the size of the incorrect choice (S-) was progressively increased in discrete steps to criterion size (criterion related); (b) a prompt, unrelated to the criterion of size (the trainer pointing to the correct stimulus), was attenuated in discrete steps (noncriterion related); and (c) the stimuli were presented at criterion level on all trials without additional prompts (trial and error). Differences between groups were evaluated for the percentage of errors during training. Results indicated that the criterion-related method was most effective, noncriterion related was next, and trial and error was the least effective. These results were compared with previous findings.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Behavioral effects of early deprivation of nerve growth factor: some similarities with familial dysautonomia.

Female rats immunized with mouse nerve growth factor develop an antibody (anti-NGF) which reaches offspring through the placenta and via the milk. Pups exposed to maternal anti-NGF have fewer dorsal root and sympathetic neurons. When the offspring are examined on a wide variety of behavioral tests, they exhibit severe deficits in response to stress (ulceration, corticosterone levels), and mild deficits on some sensory and cognitive tasks. Exploratory and motor functions, however, are relatively normal. The pathologic and behavioral profiles of the animals closely mimic the sensory and sympathetic aspects of familial dysautonomia.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Does lofepramine have fewer side effects than amitriptyline? Results of a comparative trial.

A double blind trial was carried out comparing the tricyclic antidepressant lofepramine with amitriptyline in the treatment of patients suffering from moderate to markedly severe depression. No difference was demonstrated between the two drugs in terms of their antidepressant effect, but patients treated with lofepramine suffered from significantly less side effects than patients treated with amitriptyline. Both groups of patients had a high drop out rate but this was less marked in the groups of patients treated with lofepramine.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

A total population study of diagnosed chromosome abnormalities in Queensland, Australia.

Aneuploidy and structural chromosome rearrangements comprise a significant group of abnormalities in the general population. The true incidence of such abnormalities can be obtained by large research studies of consecutive newborns. In practice, the observed incidence of such chromosome abnormalities is obtained by karyotyping subjects who present for clinical reasons. The difference between the observed clinically indicated rates and the assumed rate (by comparison with data from consecutive newborn studies) would allow the estimation of the unrecognised chromosome abnormality load in the general population. The difference between these two rates would provide valuable data concerning the appropriateness of selection techniques for routine chromosome analysis. This paper reports such a study, from Queensland, Australia. A total population 5-year survey (1976-1980) of the diagnosed chromosome abnormalities in this unselected primary population of 2.2 million people is reported. Five hundred and eighty-nine chromosome abnormalities were detected in a consecutive series of 6092 karyotypes performed (9.7%). This figure is significantly lower than that found in most other reported series where case selection for karyotyping is determined by clinical criteria. In this current study the annual diagnostic rate for chromosome abnormalities was 5.41 per 100,000 of the general population. Cumulative frequency histograms for all types of chromosome abnormality, by age, are presented. In current practice, 32% of chromosome abnormalities are not diagnosed until adult life. Fifty percent of cases of chromosome abnormality (of all types) remain undiagnosed by the age of 1 year, in spite of a relatively liberal acceptance rate on the part of laboratories offering routine karyotyping services. It is concluded that a positive diagnostic rate greater than 10%, in routine chromosome laboratories, probably indicates that more than half the true cases of chromosome abnormality in a population are being missed.

Adolescent↗