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Biomedical subjects

K Davison

Publications and source records attributed to K Davison.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Dystrophin or a "related protein" in Duchenne muscular dystrophy?

Previously we have shown low levels of dystrophin immunoreactivity in muscle from patients with DMD. According to the "frame-shift hypothesis" DMD muscle should not synthesize any dystrophin through to the C-terminus and it has been suggested that the protein detected is not dystrophin, but a related autosomal homologue. We have labelled serial sections of DMD muscle with specific monoclonal antibodies to the amino, rod and C-terminal domains of dystrophin and find labelling on the same individual fibres, allowing us to conclude that the protein detected is Xp21-encoded dystrophin. This has an impact on the interpretation of myoblast transfer experiments. The abundance (on blots) of "C-terminal dystrophin" appears lower than "rod dystrophin" in both BMD and DMD.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

Handedness and epileptic schizophrenia.

Thirty-two epileptic patients with RDC diagnoses of schizophrenia were tested for handedness on the Annett Handedness Schedule, and handedness was assigned on the basis of Annett-Maudsley criteria. They were compared with three other groups of patients. Five (15.6%) of the epileptic schizophrenic patients were mixed or left handed. The prevalence of mixed and left handedness did not differ between the samples studied. However, there was a significant reduction of mixed and left handedness in male epileptics with schizophrenia. Mixed or left handedness in male epileptics appears to be protective against the development of psychiatric illness in general.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Dystrophin in skeletal muscle. I. Western blot analysis using a monoclonal antibody.

The value of analysing dystrophin on Western blots of skeletal muscle for the differential diagnosis of Xp21 muscular dystrophies is now fairly well established. Here we describe a sensitive system based on monoclonal antibodies to dystrophin. The specificity of the antibodies was established and experiments were undertaken to identify the source of dystrophin-related protein bands which were detected on blots of normal skeletal muscle. These investigations formed a necessary preliminary study to the application of the assay to samples of muscle obtained at biopsy from patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1989

Dystrophin in skeletal muscle. II. Immunoreactivity in patients with Xp21 muscular dystrophy.

In the preceding paper a sensitive Western blotting analysis system based on the use of a monoclonal antibody to dystrophin was described. Here we report the immunoreactivity on blots and on unfixed frozen sections of muscle from patients with Duchenne (DMD) and Becker (BMD) muscular dystrophy. Muscle from 3 BMD patients showed variation both in the band pattern observed on blots and in the immunocytochemical labelling of dystrophin on frozen sections. In contrast to previous reports, we were able to detect some minor dystrophin bands on blots from 6 of 9 DMD biopsy samples. Tissue sections from 8 of the 9 contained isolated fibres with dystrophin-positive labelling. We conclude that the majority of DMD patients have muscle fibres which can synthesize dystrophin in a limited manner.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Epileptic schizophrenia: clinical features and outcome.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcome of epileptic schizophrenia. A total of 106 patients with combined diagnoses of epilepsy and psychiatric disorder were identified; 20 were excluded and 70 agreed to participate. They were interviewed using the Schizophrenia and Affective Disorders Schedule - Lifetime Version and psychiatric diagnoses were assigned based on Research Diagnostic Criteria. Thirty-two subjects with additional diagnosis of schizophrenia were identified and compared with 31 functional schizophrenic patients matched for age. Both groups shared third person auditory hallucinations most in common, and delusions of passivity least; delusions of passivity occurred significantly more in functional schizophrenia. The global outcome was worse in epileptic schizophrenia and there was also evidence of significantly worse performance on the Mini-Mental State Examination by the same group.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Mania following head injury. A report of two cases and a review of the literature.

Secondary mania has been described in association with a variety of physical conditions. While there have been a number of reports of mania occurring in individuals with intracranial cerebral lesions, there have been few reporting its occurrence in association with non-penetrating cerebral trauma. Two further cases of mania following non-penetrating head injury and the efficacy of ECT in its management are reported, and a brief review of the literature relating to the subject is given.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Psychiatric sequelae of subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Twenty cases with psychiatric disorder occurring after subarachnoid haemorrhage were studied. Seventy per cent had a research diagnostic criteria diagnosis of major depressive disorder, most of whom also had signs of persisting organic brain damage. Ten per cent of the cases committed suicide, and only 10% had made a full recovery from the psychiatric disorder. There was no significant association between the laterality of damage and the subsequent development of major depressive disorder, however, middle cerebral artery haemorrhage was over-represented in the sample.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Specificity of neuropeptide degradation by two calcium-activated neutral proteases from human skeletal muscle.

Two calcium-activated neutral proteases (CAPI & II) were purified from human skeletal muscle by anion exchange, gel filtration and affinity (antipain-Sepharose and Blue Ultrogel A4R) chromatography. The enzymes were homogenous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and have similar properties with the exception of the Ca2+ concentration required for optimum activity (CAP I = 0.1 mM; CAP II = 1 mM). Both enzymes hydrolysed a wide variety of neuropeptides. In six cases, the products were separated and identified by hplc and amino acid analysis. Neurotensin was hydrolysed at Tyr3-Glu4; dynorphin1-13 at Arg8-Arg9; LH-RH at Gly6-Leu7; CCK-8 at Phe8-NH2, substance-P at Met10-NH2; somatostatin at Thr10-Phe11. Although differences in the rates of neuropeptide degradation were noted for the two CAP's the specificity was the same for these six peptides. It is suggested that conformational requirements may be more important than side chains adjacent to the cleavage site in directing the specificity of CAP.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1985

Drug treatment of organic brain syndromes.

The potential of drugs to do harm as well as good is nowhere more critical than in the treatment of organic brain syndromes. Appropriate management of different clinical situations may require particular drugs to be used, withheld, or withdrawn. This article offers guidance in making these difficult decisions.

Amnesia↗
PubMed1983

A double blind comparison of alprazolam, diazepam and placebo in the treatment of anxious out-patients.

The anxiolytic effects of alprazolam, a triazolobenzodiazepine, were evaluated in a double-blind 28-day comparison with diazepam and placebo in 46 out-patients suffering from anxiety states of moderate to severe intensity. Alprazolam 1.5-3 mg per day was found to be of at least equivalent anxiolytic effect to 15-30 mg diazepam per day, and there was evidence of antidepressant activity by alprazolam, but not diazepam, in neurotic depression. Side-effects occurred least often with alprazolam and were minor in nature. Laboratory data showed no changes attributable to alprazolam even in a patient who swallowed 15 capsules (7.5 mg). It was concluded that alprazolam is a safe and effective anxiolytic which is well-tolerated and also shows some antidepressant activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Schizophrenia-like psychoses associated with organic cerebral disorders: a review.

This review aims to collate some of the extensive literature on the schizophrenia-like psychoses occurring in association with organic cerebral disorders. Their relationship to "true' schizophrenia is considered clinically, genetically and conceptually. The conclusions reached are as follows: The association of many organic cerebral disorders with schizophrenia exceeds chance expectation. Although there may be group differences, these psychoses include a range of symptoms similar to those found in the general run of psychoses diagnosed as schizophrenia. These psychoses usually occur in patients without genetic loading for schizophrenia. Organic cerebral disorder occurs in a substantial minority of patients diagnosed as schizophrenic and is of particular importance in the psychoses of childhood and old age. The site of the brain lesion is more important than the predisposition of the patient in the genesis of these psychoses, and lesions in the temporal lobe and diencephalon are of particular significance.

Basal Ganglia Diseases↗