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Biomedical subjects

J L Claghorn

Publications and source records attributed to J L Claghorn.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Catecholamines and monoamine oxidase activity in anxiety.

Levels of platelet monamine oxidase activity, state anxiety and trait anxiety were quantified twice in 20 drug-free subjects with generalized anxiety and an equal number of healthy drug-free controls at 4-week intervals. Fifteen subjects in each groups also had plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine measured. The index group received relaxation training during the interval between the two evaluation sessions. Post-relaxation training values for monoamine oxidase, epinephrine, norepinephrine and the anxiety levels were found to be significantly lower than the pre-treatment values for the index group. No significant changes were seen in the control group values. For the index group, catecholamine levels and monoamine oxidase activity were seen to correlate significant before and after relaxation training.

Adult↗

Anxiety and platelet MAO levels after relaxation training.

The authors measured platelet MAO activity with phenylethylamine and tryptamine substrates in a group of 20 subjects with chronic anxiety before and after they underwent relaxation training. Levels of anxiety were quantified using a self-rating scale. Posttreatment values for anxiety and enzyme activity were significantly lower than pretreatment values. Anxiety and enzyme activity levels were not significantly correlated at any stage of the study.

Adult↗

Directional effects of skin temperature self-regulation on regional cerebral blood flow in normal subjects and migraine patients.

Vascular headache of the migraine type is associated with vasomotor changes in cerebral arteries. The authors studied whether skin temperature training (biofeedback) reduces the frequency, severity, and duration of these headaches by measuring the regional cerebral blood flow in 11 migraine patients and 9 normal volunteers using the noninvasive 133Xe inhalation technique. Half of each group was randomly assigned to a hand-warming or a hand-cooling group. Cerebral blood flow increased in several regions of the left hemisphere to a statistically significant degree only for the migraineurs who were in the hand-warming group. The pattern of vasomotor regulation apparently differs between migraine subjects and normal subjects. The migraineurs' headache symptoms were affected by both warming and cooling, but warming produced more salutary effects.

Adolescent↗

Daytime sleepiness in depression.

Daytime drowsiness and other sleep related symptoms such as attention and concentration difficulties, blurred vision and slurred speech were evaluated using seven point rating scales in 51 drug free depressed patients and an age and sex matched control group. Degrees of depression and anxiety were quantified using the Beck Depression Inventory and State Trait Anxiety Inventory respectively. Daytime drowsiness and sleep related symptoms were seen to be significantly higher in the index group. Both depression and anxiety scores significantly correlated with daytime drowsiness.

Adult↗

Catechol-O-methyltransferase and catecholamines in anxiety and relaxation.

Levels of anxiety, plasma epinephrine and norpinephrine, and red blood cell (RBC) catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity were measured before and after 4 weeks of relaxation training in a group of 15 drug-free, anxious subjects and at a similar interval in a group of 15 drug-free, healthy controls. The index group showed significant decreases in levels of anxiety and plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine after treatment. No changes were observed in the control values. RBC COMT did not show any significant differences in activity between the index and control groups and between the pre- and posttreatment values. Similarly, COMT activity levels failed to correlate with levels of anxiety and catecholamines before or after treatment. These findings indicate that anxiety is unlikely to have an effect on RBC COMT activity, whereas it has a direct effect on plasma catecholamines.

Adult↗

Cerebral blood flow in depression.

This section contains 1) new research findings, including preliminary data from pilot studies, either clinical or laboratory; 2) worthwhile replication studies; 3) case reports that describe a truly new syndrome or cast new light on established ones; and 4) case reports that indicate a new therapeutic procedure of potential value or call attention to adverse effects of drugs or previously unreported complications of therapeutic interventions. Program descriptions and literature reviews cannot be printed in this section. Criteria for format are listed in "Information for Contributors" in each issue; papers that do not adhere to these criteria will be returned to the author.

Adult↗

A multi-tiered screening system for the least restrictive setting.

The authors evaluated the placement process in a large psychiatric facility with both inpatient and outpatient services. They examined 71 inpatient and 90 outpatient new admissions using standardized tests of psychopathology and sociodemographic status. After correcting for response bias, the authors found, in contrast to other studies, that the level of morbidity in the inpatient service was significantly different from that in the outpatient unit. The measures of sociodemographic data indicate that inpatients were more dependent on social support systems and that this finding was not influenced by response bias.

Commitment of Persons with Psychiatric Disorders↗

MAO, DBH and COMT: the effect of anxiety.

Anxiety, a common accompaniment of depression, can be a source of confusion in affective disorder research. The present study examined the effect of anxiety on platelet monoamine oxidase, RBC catechol-0-methyltransferase, and serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-enzymes frequently implicated in affective disorders. Levels of anxiety, plasma catecholamines and the enzymes mentioned above were quantified in groups of anxious subjects and mentally and physically healthy controls. Anxious subjects were found to have significantly higher levels of blood plasma catecholamines and platelet monoamine oxidase. significant positive correlations were demonstrated between plasma catecholamines and platelet monoamine oxidase, while significant inverse correlations were found between trait anxiety and COMT, norepinephrine and DBH, and COMT and DBH

Adult↗