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Biomedical subjects

L M Bierer

Publications and source records attributed to L M Bierer.

25 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Combined administration of physostigmine and clonidine to patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type: a pilot safety study.

Reports of cholinergic and noradrenergic deficits in brain specimens from Alzheimer patients have suggested that concomitant augmentation of cholinergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission can benefit some dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) patients. However, pharmacological agents that enhance central cholinergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, like physostigmine and clonidine, might have serious adverse effects. Therefore, prior to the commitment of major resources in efficacy studies, feasibility pilot studies are necessary to ensure that physostigmine and clonidine, combined, can be safely administered to DAT patients. Physostigmine, 2 mg every 2 h, and clonidine, up to 0.3 mg/day, were tolerated by the nine DAT patients without clinically meaningful adverse effects.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Effortful and automatic cognitive processes in depression.

Ten patients with major depression and ten age- and sex-matched normal controls were presented with two contrasting cognitive tasks: one required sustained effort and information processing, and the other required only superficial information processing that could be accomplished automatically, with little effort. Depressed patients performed more poorly only on the effort-demanding cognitive task.

Cognition↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Platelet phospholipid synthesis in Alzheimer's disease.

The rates of incorporation of [3H]choline and [3H]ethanolamine into membrane phospholipids of platelets from 22 drug-free Alzheimer's disease patients and 18 normal elderly controls were compared. No significant differences between groups were found. If alterations in lipid metabolism are involved in the pathophysiological processes underlying Alzheimer's disease, such alterations are not manifest in measures of radiolabeled base incorporation into platelet phospholipids.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship of parental trauma exposure and PTSD to PTSD, depressive and anxiety disorders in offspring.

This study examined the relationship of parental trauma exposure and PTSD to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive and anxiety disorders in the adult offspring of Holocaust survivors. One hundred and thirty-five subjects (55 men and 80 women) were divided into three groups according to parental trauma exposure and PTSD: 60 subjects were offspring of Holocaust survivors who endorsed having at least one parent with PTSD, 33 were offspring of Holocaust survivors who reported having no parent with PTSD, and 42 were demographically similar subjects with no parental Holocaust exposure. All subjects underwent a comprehensive psychiatric interview in which information about lifetime psychiatric diagnoses and exposure to traumatic events was obtained. Subjects also completed a checklist based on the 17 DSM-IV symptoms of PTSD, to estimate the symptom severity of PTSD in their parents. A presumptive diagnosis of parental PTSD was assigned according to DSM-IV criteria. Forward and forced entry stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to determine the effects of parental exposure, parental PTSD, and the subject's own history of trauma in the development of PTSD, depressive, and anxiety disorders in the offspring. The findings demonstrate a specific association between parental PTSD and the occurrence of PTSD in offspring. Additionally, parental trauma exposure, more than parental PTSD, was found to be significantly associated with lifetime depressive disorder. The identification of parental PTSD as a risk factor for PTSD in offspring of Holocaust survivors defines a sample in which the biological and psychological correlates of risk for PTSD can be further examined.

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.

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