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Biomedical subjects

K L Davis

Publications and source records attributed to K L Davis.

384 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

The convergence of neuropsychological testing and clinical ratings of cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia.

This study examined the relationship between clinical rating of cognitive symptoms and performance on neuropsychological tests in acute and chronic samples of patients with schizophrenia. Two separate studies examined patients who varied widely in their lifetime functional outcome, including 263 elderly poor-outcome inpatients and 20 acutely admitted patients. In the first study, six cognitive performance measures were collected, and in the second study, five different measures were collected. Correlations with different symptom models of cognitive and negative symptoms were examined. In both samples, cognitive symptoms were never more highly correlated with cognitive test performance than with negative symptoms. When cognitive and negative symptom ratings were combined, they never accounted for as much as half of the variance in performance on the cognitive tests in both samples. These data suggest that clinical assessment of symptoms is not a viable alternative to neuropsychological testing to obtain information about cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. These results may also be specific to the clinical rating scale used, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A pilot study of clonidine plus physostigmine in Alzheimer's disease.

To assess the feasibility of one approach to combined cholinergic/noradrenergic treatment in Alzheimer's disease, ten patients were enrolled in a 2-week placebo-controlled study of oral physostigmine plus clonidine. The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS) was used as the primary outcome measure. Neither physostigmine alone, nor the combination of physostigmine plus clonidine, was associated with a statistically significant improvement for the group. Three patients did show an improvement of at least 4 points on the total ADAS score with the drug combination. The implications of these results for treatment strategies are discussed.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A pilot study of prednisone in Alzheimer's disease.

Preliminary to a multicenter trial, an open-label study was conducted of prednisone treatment in Alzheimer's disease. Prednisone was given at an initial dose of 10 mg (part 1) or 20 mg (part 2) and tapered over 7 weeks. There were no serious adverse events attributed to the medication, and there were no significant changes in either mean cognitive or behavioral assessment scores with treatment during either part. Serum levels of the acute phase proteins alpha-1-antichymotrypsin and C-reactive protein did not change significantly during part 1, but were suppressed by the higher dose given in part 2. Thus, a prednisone regimen with an initial dose of 20 mg is tolerable and results in suppression of the acute phase response in Alzheimer's disease.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Small cylindrical ultrasound sources for induction of hyperthermia via body cavities or interstitial implants.

In this study, small (outside diameter 1 mm) cylindrical ultrasound sources were investigated for induction of hyperthermia in tumours. These ultrasound transducers could be placed in small-diameter body cavities, or they could be used interstitially in brachytherapy catheters. The ultrasound field measurements showed that the field is fairly uniform as a function of the length of the applicator except at the ends where sharp peaks were located. However, there were significant field variations as a function of rotation angle around the transducers. The degree of these non-uniformities varied from transducer to transducer, and also as a function of frequency. The temperature measurements in vitro perfused kidneys showed that therapeutic temperature elevations could be induced in perfused tissues. The radial extent of the therapeutic zone could be increased by circulating water around the applicators, thus avoiding high temperatures on the applicator surface. It was also shown that some control over the temperature distribution along the length of the applicator could be achieved by using a two-element applicator. An array of four applicators implanted in a square pattern with the spacing of 25 mm between the catheters, was able to heat the tissue volume inside of the implant. The results showed that these small ultrasound applicators may offer significant improvement over existing techniques by increasing the penetration depth and the control over the power deposition pattern.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Experimental approaches to cognitive disturbance in Alzheimer's disease.

This paper reviews available and potential treatments for the cognitive disturbances associated with Alzheimer's disease. The neurochemical, neuropathological, and molecular-biological abnormalities associated with this disorder, as well as possible sites for pharmacological intervention, are discussed. These sites include genetic alterations in apolipoprotein E, amyloid precursor protein, and presenilin. Additionally, modification of amyloid processing, tau processing, and calcium regulation may have a role in future treatment. Intriguing epidemiological findings involving antiinflammatories, antioxidants, and estrogen for the cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease suggest the need for clinical trials of these agents. The current status of cholinesterase inhibitors, muscarinic receptor agonists, nicotine, and adrenergic and glutaminergic approaches to treatment are described.

Alzheimer Disease↗