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Biomedical subjects

J Dalery

Publications and source records attributed to J Dalery.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Looking for the agent: an investigation into consciousness of action and self-consciousness in schizophrenic patients.

The abilities to attribute an action to its proper agent and to understand its meaning when it is produced by someone else are basic aspects of human social communication. Several psychiatric syndromes, such as schizophrenia, seem to lead to a dysfunction of the awareness of one's own action as well as of recognition of actions performed by others. Such syndromes offer a framework for studying the determinants of agency, the ability to correctly attribute actions to their veridical source. Thirty normal subjects and 30 schizophrenic patients with and without hallucinations and/or delusional experiences were required to execute simple finger and wrist movements, without direct visual control of their hand. The image of either their own hand or an alien hand executing the same or a different movement was presented on a TV-screen in real time. The task for the subjects was to discriminate whether the hand presented on the screen was their own or not. Hallucinating and deluded schizophrenic patients were more impaired in discriminating their own hand from the alien one than the non-hallucinating ones, and tended to misattribute the alien hand to themselves. Results are discussed according to a model of action control. A tentative description of the mechanisms leading to action consciousness is proposed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The efficacy and acceptability of amineptine versus fluoxetine in major depression.

The temporal dimension, particularly anticipation, appears to be a very important component in the understanding of depressed patients. In a 90-day multicentre study, the efficacy and acceptability of amineptine and fluoxetine were compared in 169 patients with major depression. Comparison of the two antidepressants was based on double-blind methods, after random allocation of the treatments between two parallel groups. The two drugs did not differ over the whole course of the study, but the improvement in scores on day 4 was globally more marked in the amineptine than the fluoxetine group. Intragroup analysis showed that amineptine was significantly superior to fluoxetine on the retardation pole of the mood, anxiety, retardation, danger scale. The positive effect of amineptine on anticipation may enable the depressed patient to make plans for the future. Anticipation may be a key dimension to be more precisely explored in specific psychopharmacological protocols with antidepressants.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Increased serum levels of neuron-specific enolase in epileptic patients and after electroconvulsive therapy--a preliminary report.

Serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels were studied by an enzymo-immunoassay method in 2 groups of patients: a group of epileptic patients, and a group of patients with refractory major depression after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). In patients without organic neurological disease (n = 274) the mean serum NSE level (+/- S.D.) was 8.4 +/- 3.4 micrograms/l. No correlation with sex or age was observed. No significant difference was observed between epileptic patients without seizure or major electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormality, and a reference group. Significant increases were observed in 32 samples collected from patients with interictal EEG without spikes and waves before the 7th day after a seizure, in whom mean NSE was 21.5 +/- 9.4 micrograms/l, and in 26 samples from 4 patients without seizures but with spikes and waves in the interictal EEG, whose mean NSE was 20.6 +/- 11.5 micrograms/l. The increases of serum NSE levels in epileptic patients seem therefore to be linked to seizures and/or to EEG abnormalities. The consequences of these observations for the survey of epileptic patients, and for the diagnosis of cerebral tumors (mainly neuroblastoma) or for monitoring treatment after surgical resection, are discussed. In only 1 patient out of 6, an increase in serum NSE levels was observed with a peak about 12 h after ECT. No significant correlation with the ECT features (length of seizures, one- or two-sided electrodes) was observed.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Practical modalities of consolidation treatment].

Long-term treatment has the double objective of consolidating the beneficial therapeutic effect of the initial treatment and of preventing the aggravations which usually occur within 6 or 8 months following the beginning of a depressive episode. The practical measures in long-term treatment of a depressive state are fairly well laid down. Effective antidepressant treatment for an isolated acute depressive episode should be prolonged, at the same dose, for 4 to 6 months following relief from the episode. Epidemiological studies confirm the superiority of antidepressant treatment over placebo in the prevention of recurrence of depressive episodes, complementing a psychotherapeutic approach. Treatment should always be stopped very gradually. If further recurrence occurs, it becomes necessary to continue treatment beyond the 6th month.

Affect↗
PubMed1994

Triiodothyronine does not affect the average incorporation of L-[35S]methionine in rat brain structures.

The autoradiographic method with L-[35S]methionine was used to examine the effect of acute administration of L-triiodothyronine on local rates of brain protein synthesis in free-moving adult rats. Triiodothyronine was given intraperitoneally at doses of 12.5 or 25 micrograms kg-1. It did not modify the rate of plasma methionine incorporation in the 40 brain regions examined, despite a 4- to 8-fold increase of plasma free triiodothyronine levels. Biochemical analysis confirmed that triiodothyronine (25 micrograms kg-1) had no apparent effect on the overall rate of protein synthesis in the brain as a whole. These results suggest that changes in the circulating levels of thyroid hormones do not exert a general and direct metabolic effect in brain of intact adult rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Long-term treatment with an antidepressant. Objectives and side effects].

The value of long-term therapy in recurrent affective disorders has been investigated in various pharmacological studies. These studies demonstrated the efficacity of various antidepressant drugs on preventing relapse and recurrence and when compared to placebo. Prolonged treatment with antidepressant may have deleterious side effects, such as rapid cycling phenomena or increased risk of suicide. The need for long-term antidepressant treatment must be discussed on an individual basis.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed1992

Disappearance of hypothalamic TRH asymmetry in suicide patients.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the functional and/or pathological significance of the hemispherical lateralization of TRH using radioimmunoassay to determine the TRH concentration of nuclei and areas within the hypothalamus of suicide patients, with matching measurement being carried out on control subjects. In suicide patients, we found no significant difference in TRH concentration between the left and right intrahypothalamic structures, while the group used as control subjects (see Borson-Chazot, 1986) showed a significant left side predominance in the ventromedial nucleus, paraventricular nucleus and area dorsalis. As regards the TRH concentration in the right intrahypothalamic structures, no significant difference was found between the suicide patients and the control subjects. The absence of the left TRH predominance for the three intra-hypothalamic structures in question may be of pathological significance.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Relationship between symptoms rated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and brain measures in schizophrenia.

The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to rate clinical symptoms in 42 inpatients with schizophrenia before they were examined by computed tomography. Significantly higher mean size of lateral and third ventricles, and higher mean cortical atrophy were found in schizophrenic patients compared with healthy control subjects. Ventricular enlargement and cortical atrophy were significantly related to low scores on the Composite subscale of the PANSS. Positive correlations were observed mainly with negative items such as blunted affect, emotional withdrawal, difficulties in abstract thinking, passive-apathetic social withdrawal, and lack of spontaneity of conversation. Additional positive correlations were observed with two items from the General Psychopathology subscale (mannerisms and disorientation). Inverse correlations were found with most positive items. These results suggest a relationship between brain structural abnormalities and the symptomatology of schizophrenia recorded with PANSS.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

[Post-puberty anorexia nervosa].

Post-puberty anorexia nervosa requires a thorough clinical study to facilitate its diagnosis and its early treatment. Longitudinal studies have demonstrated that good results usually depend on the speed of medical intervention (preferably with admission to hospital) and to the duration of treatment. The fact that certain cases result in death is too often due to excessive intensive care. Infusions must be avoided at all costs and should be replaced by forcible feeding if absolutely necessary. Finally, a better approach to, and a better understanding of adolescents should contribute to the prevention of anorexia nervosa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Nocturnus terrors--somnambulism].

Among disorders of sleep in children, pavor nocturnus ("night terrors") is common and considered harmless. Yet the clinical picture, the child's personality and the polygraphic electroencephalographic recordings suggest that it should be treated sooner and more often than is usually done. Somnambulism ("sleep walking") also is very frequent. It has no consequences in most cases, but it may be the cause of serious events such as falling out of a window which is rare but may result in death or disablement. Some children have repeated attack of somnambulism, and these constitute a true pathology of sleep requiring a specific treatment that will cure or improve. All this must be known to the practitioner who will inform the parents.

Adolescent↗