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Biomedical subjects

J M Rainey

Publications and source records attributed to J M Rainey.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Preinfusion anxiety and laboratory-induced panic attacks in panic disorder patients.

Seventy panic disorder patients participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized infusion study in which sodium lactate and isoproterenol were used to induce panic anxiety. Patients who panicked during lactate, isoproterenol, and placebo infusions generally had higher preinfusion anxiety scores. These findings held true irrespective of the order the infusions were given. Stepwise multiple regression analyses comparing panickers with nonpanickers as the criterion variable revealed that the items "afraid of going crazy," "feeling unsteady," and "feeling paralyzed" on the Panic Description Scale had the highest predicting values.

Adolescent↗

Plasma MHPG levels in lactate and isoproterenol anxiety states.

It has been claimed that an increase in brain noradrenergic activity plays a role in panic disorder and that enhanced noradrenergic activity may be reflected by plasma levels of MHPG. We investigated plasma MHPG levels in panic disorder patients at baseline and during lactate- and isoproterenol-induced anxiety states. These infusions and 5% dextrose infusions were given to 10 panic disorder patients and 9 healthy control subjects. Each subject received all three infusions, double-blind, in random order, and at 1-week intervals. When compared to controls, plasma free MHPG levels in panic patients were not elevated at baseline, during lactate or isoproterenol infusions, at the point of panic, or up to 20 min after the onset of panic. MHPG values were also not elevated in subjects who panicked compared to those who did not. MHPG values were significantly lower in three patients who failed to panic with isoproterenol, but the patient panickers had MHPG values similar to those of controls. Significant correlations between MHPG levels and anxiety ratings were infrequent and could be accounted for by chance alone. These results did not support the noradrenergic model for panic anxiety states induced by lactate or isoproterenol.

Adult↗

Do higher preinfusion heart rates predict laboratory-induced panic attacks?

Baseline and preinfusion heart rates of 13 panic disorder patients who panicked during a placebo infusion were not significantly different from those of 57 panic disorder patients who did not panic during a placebo infusion. The change in preinfusion heart rates from baseline values also was not significantly different between the two groups.

Adolescent↗

Platelet monoamine oxidase activity in panic disorder.

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity was studied in 21 patients meeting Research Diagnostic Criteria for panic disorder and in 12 healthy controls. Platelet MAO activity in females in both patient and control groups tended to be higher than that in males, but the results did not reach statistical significance. Platelet MAO activity was significantly decreased in panic disorder patients compared to controls.

Adolescent↗

Pre-infusion heart rates and laboratory-induced panic anxiety.

Resting and pre-infusion heart rates recorded in 66 panic disorder patients revealed no significant differences between panickers and nonpanickers. There was also no significant difference in pre-fusion heart rates between either lactate or isoproterenol panickers and placebo nonpanickers. There was neither a sensitizing nor a desensitizing effect of laboratory-induced panic attacks on subsequent pre-infusion heart rates.

Adolescent↗

The effect of tricyclic antidepressants on stress-induced heart rate changes in panic disorder patients.

Eight panic disorder patients participated in a double-blind placebo-controlled infusion study designed to induce panic-anxiety in the laboratory both before and after treatment with tricyclic antidepressants. Pre-infusion heart rates for the first infusion were significantly higher than baseline both before and after treatment. The delta increase in pre-infusion heart rates from baseline and the ratios of pre-infusion heart rates to baseline values were not significantly different between before and after treatment conditions indicating similar levels of arousal during the two pre-infusion periods, while the pre-infusion anxiety ratings after treatment were significantly lower.

Adult↗

A laboratory procedure for the induction of flashbacks.

The authors administered infusions of lactate intravenously to seven patients with a DSM-III diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, six of whom also met DSM-III criteria for panic disorder. The lactate infusions resulted in flashbacks in all seven patients and panic attacks in six patients. The authors conclude that with further development intravenous lactate infusion may be used to study flashbacks and other dissociative phenomena and to determine the relationship between flashbacks and panic anxiety.

Anxiety Disorders↗

Thyroid hormone levels in panic disorder.

A history of thyroid dysfunction has been reported in patients with phobic disorders. There is also evidence of a blunted TSH response to TRH stimulation in patients with panic disorder. In this study, values of T3, T4 and T7 were compared between 26 patients with panic attacks and 20 normal controls. Patients were diagnosed according to DSM-III criteria and those with a clinical history of thyroid dysfunction were excluded. Patients were not on any medication when the blood samples were drawn. The mean values of T3, T4 and T7 did not significantly differ between the two groups, suggesting no evidence of hypo or hyperthyroidism; however, the variance of distribution of T3, T4 and T7 values was significantly different between the two groups (Fmax values for T3: 2.55, p value less than 0.05; T4: 3.15, p value less than 0.01; T7: 2.55, p value less than 0.05).

Adult↗

A new metabolic pathway for N,N-dimethyltryptamine.

N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) undergoes a major structural alteration when added to whole human blood or its red blood cells in vitro. A new high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) peak is present in extracts of these treated tissues. The compound responsible for this peak has been identified by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and by mass spectrometry as dimethylkynuramine (DMK). The enzyme responsible for this appears to be different from tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase and also from indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase.

Carbon Radioisotopes↗

Response of tricyclic-induced jitteriness to a phenothiazine in two patients.

Some patients with panic attacks are extremely sensitive to tricyclic antidepressants and develop jitteriness, shakiness, and insomnia when given very low doses. Two patients who developed this "jitteriness syndrome" while taking tricyclic antidepressants are described. The side effects in these patients were markedly relieved by the addition of perphenazine.

Adult↗

Psychobiology of anxiety and anxiety disorders.

New techniques for studying receptor pharmacology, neurotransmitter activity, and neuroendocrine function in affective illness have made it possible to carry out sophisticated neurochemical and neuropharmacologic investigations of the anxiety disorders. Some important reasons for pursuing these strategies have been the high frequency of depression in anxious patients, the effectiveness of antidepressants in the treatment of panic disorder, and the availability of probes for studying the physiologic changes that occur during anxiety states in human subjects. In addition, the ability reliably to induce anxiety states in man has made it possible to study at least some clinical forms of anxiety under laboratory conditions. Although animal models for simple phobia have been developed, there are currently no adequate animal models of panic disorder in man. If valid, reliable animal models, for panic disorder and other human anxiety disorders can also be identified, then a much better understanding of the nature and causes of anxiety and more effective diagnosis and treatment of clinically important anxiety disorders may be possible.

Animals↗

Treatment of non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma with vinblastine and mitomycin: a Southwest Oncology Group Study.

Forty-five patients with stage III M1 non-small cell bronchogenic carcinoma were treated with vinblastine (1 mg/m2 by iv bolus twice a day on 2 consecutive days) plus mitomycin (10 mg/m2 on Day 1). This treatment was repeated at 3-week intervals for three courses. Consolidation therapy with doxorubicin and cisplatin at doses of 50 mg/m2 each was administered to responders every 4 weeks for two courses, with subsequent vinblastine and mitomycin maintenance therapy every 6 weeks. Eleven partial remissions (24%) were achieved, with a median duration of remission of 16 weeks (range, 8-32) and a median survival of 19 weeks. No differences were seen in median duration of remission or survival by cell type or performance status.

Adenocarcinoma↗