Biomedical subjects

M Ansseau

Publications and source records attributed to M Ansseau.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed2000

P300 event-related brain potential and personality in depression.

P300 is an event-related brain potential (ERP) particularly interesting to the study of cognitive processes in normal subjects and in psychopathology. P300 has been applied in depression with controversial results. A major source for these controversial results could result from the diversity of depressed patients included in the different studies. Supporting this assumption, impulsivity, blunted affect, suicidal behavior and psychotic features significantly influence P300 amplitude. However, no data are available on the possible influences of the personality of depressed patients on P300. Since personality is related to P300 in normal subjects, the aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between ERPs (P200, N200, and P300) and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) in 54 depressed patients. The main results of the study concern the absence of major correlations between personality dimensions as assessed by the TCI and ERP parameters among depressed patients. Only weak partial positive correlations relate N200 latency with harm avoidance, and P300 amplitude (Pz) with the self-directedness dimension. N200 amplitude is also negatively correlated to persistence. However, the preliminary nature of the presented results with respect to the weak statistical significance should be underlined.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

A French translation of the obsessive-compulsive drinking scale for craving in alcohol-dependent patients: a validation study in Belgium, France, and Switzerland.

The Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is an instrument developed to measure cognitive aspects of alcohol craving. The aim of this study was to validate the French translation of the OCDS according to the international methodology as published by Hunt and coworkers (see text), including forward-backward translations, patient interviews (9 patients), patient's perception of acceptability (15 patients), and final validation within a treatment program (50 patients). All 74 patients were native French-speaking alcohol-dependent patients from Belgium, France, and Switzerland. The derived aggregated total (TOT) score and both subscores corresponding to the obsessive (OB) and compulsive (CP) dimensions were shown to be asymptomatically normal. Good internal consistencies were found, with Cronbach alpha: TOT = 0.88; OB = 0. 82; CP = 0.79. The test-retest procedure was used to examine intrarater reliability (r = 0.81). The construct validity was examined with linear correlation of the two main components: r(OB, CP) = 0.62; r(OB, TOT) = 0.86; r(CP, TOT) = 0.92. Principal-components analysis revealed two main factors: the first factor representing the total scale score, while the obsessive and compulsive subscale scores were distributed along factor two. The translated scale seems to be psychometrically as valid as the original English scale and confirms the psychometric properties of the OCDS.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

[Guidelines for the treatment of depression].

Depression is a common psychiatric disorder with a lifetime prevalence estimated of 17%. About 25% of the patients develop chronic depression. Diagnosis and treatment are not easy to establish. The authors summarize the latest data on this topic, and suggest Guidelines based upon Consensus Conferences and Evidence-Based Medicine.

Antidepressive Agents↗

PubMed2000

[Guidelines for the treatment of alcoholism].

Alcoholism is a chronic disorder that results from genetic, psychosocial and environmental factors. General practitioners who provide continuous care can have a major role in the follow-up of patients with alcohol-related problems, by providing screening and assessment, patient education and referral to a specialist if indicated. Treatment of alcohol-dependence now benefits from clear guidelines. The authors summarize the latest data in this field.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed2000

[Guidelines for the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults].

The treatment of anxiety disorders has considerably improved and become more precise over the last two decades, on the basis of empirical results. The evidence of their efficacy is best established for panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia. The pharmacological treatment and the psychotherapeutical approaches of these three categories will be briefly reviewed, using data from well conceived studies and recommendations of experts. Thus, for each of these disorders, this article attempts to provide the physician with practical treatment guidelines.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

[Guidelines for the treatment of opiate addiction].

Over the past 20 years, scientific progress have revolutionised our understanding of the nature of opiate addiction and its various possible treatments. Addiction is a chronic illness treatable if the treatment is well-delivered and tailored to the needs of the particular patient. There is indeed an array of treatments that can effectively reduce drug use, help manage drug cravings, prevent relapses and restore people to productive social functioning. The treatment of drug addiction will be part of a long-term, medical, psychological and social perspective.

Evidence-Based Medicine↗

PubMed2000

[Anorexia nervosa in boys].

Anorexia nervosa is a severe and potentially fatal disorder that generally affects adolescent girls. However, a small number of boys also suffer from anorexia nervosa. Through an analysis of a series of studies and articles, a synthesis of male anorexia nervosa is offered, with emphasis on the differences of the illness between boys and girls. A clinical case is provided as an illustration of this article.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Depressive vulnerability is not an independent risk factor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.

Major depression has been repeatedly but not consistently reported to be associated with low bone mineral density (BMD) and to an increased risk for fracture in women. We have investigated, in healthy postmenopausal women, whether depressive symptomatology, assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), was associated to a significant decrease in BMD, hence supporting the hypothesis of an independent pathogenetic link between the two disorders. We investigated 121 postmenopausal women, aged 48-77 years, spontaneously attending a screening visit for osteoporosis in an outpatient facility. BMD of the spine and the non-dominant hip (total and neck areas) were measured by Dual Energy X-Ray absorptiometry. All subjects completed to the 'General Health Questionnaire' translated and validated in French. No significant correlations were observed between the GHQ score and BMD of the spine (P = 0.54), the total hip area (P = 0.65), or the femoral neck area (P = 0.65). No differences in terms of spinal or femoral BMD were observed between women with GHQ score < 5 or > or = 5. When comparing values of BMD between women within the upper and the lower quartiles for GHQ score, no difference was observed for spine (P = 0.69), total hip (P = 0.80), or femoral neck (P = 0.93). Similarly, GHQ scores were not significantly different when comparing women in the upper and lower quartiles of BMD distribution at the spine or the hip. In conclusion, notwithstanding the clinical pattern of postmenopausal osteoporosis can lead to depression and, on the other hand, hormonal and behavioral disturbances reported in depression might be enhancing factors for accelerated bone loss, our present results do not support the hypothesis that otherwise healthy postmenopausal women with increased depressive complaints are also more prone to exhibit osteoporotic fractures.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Effects of nicotine administered via a transdermal delivery system on vigilance: a repeated measure study.

Fifteen 18- to 25-year-old male smokers were tested in a within-subjects design to determine the influence of a transdermal patch of 21 mg nicotine on vigilance. Subjects were tested on the RVIP test (Rapid Visual Information Processing test) 1.30, 3.00 and 6.30 h after patch application, to verify the involvement of the dose of nicotine on the performance. This study confirms and extends the increasing effects of nicotine on vigilance previously found with orally and transdermally given nicotine. Moreover, it showed that such performance was independent of the time of nicotine absorption (1.30, 3.00 and 6.30 h after patch application), which suggests that a relatively low dose of nicotine suffices to activate vigilance processing. Regarding motor performance, no convincing effect of nicotine was observed on reaction time.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed1999

Efficacy and safety of tianeptine in the treatment of depressive disorders in comparison with fluoxetine.

BACKGROUND: Depression is treated by a great variety of antidepressant treatments. SSRIs (such as fluoxetine) are well known: it is, however, sure that further progress is needed and the search for antidepressants with other mechanisms of action (such as tianeptine) or different efficacy is still of interest. METHODS: A multinational study compared tianeptine with fluoxetine in 387 patients with Depressive Episode, or Recurrent Depressive Disorder, or Bipolar Affective Disorder (ICD-10), in a double-blind parallel group design. They were treated for six weeks. RESULTS: At inclusion, no significant difference between groups was shown. Final MADRS scores were 15.7 and 15.8 with tianeptine and fluoxetine, respectively (ITT population) (p = 0.944). MADRS responders were 58% and 56% with tianeptine and fluoxetine, respectively (p = 0.710). No statistical difference was observed for the other efficacy parameters. Thirty-six withdrawals occurred in each group, without any difference for the reasons of discontinuation. There was no major difference between groups for the other safety parameters. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, both tianeptine and fluoxetine exhibited a good efficacy and safety.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Harm avoidance and serotonin.

The relationships between the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and serotonergic activity has been described in some studies with controversial results. These studies have focused on specific patient populations rather than normal controls. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine the relationships between the TPQ and serotonergic activity in a group of non-patient subjects. Twenty-three normal subjects answered the TPQ, and the serotonergic activity was assessed by the prolactin response to a highly potent and selective 5-HT1a agonist (flesinoxan). A positive relationship between harm avoidance and PRL response to flesinoxan was found. This study is consistent with the hypothesized link between serotonergic activity and the harm avoidance dimension of the biosocial model of Cloninger.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

P300 event-related potential and serotonin-1A activity in depression.

The identification of the brain structures and neurotransmitters responsible for the generation and/or modulation of P300 could lead to important clinical implications. Since serotonin disturbances seem to play a critical role in depression, the aim of the study was to assess the possible relationships between the P300 event-related brain potential and serotonergic activity in depression. The study was conducted among 45 major depressive inpatients, and serotonergic activity was assessed by prolactin (PRL) response to flesinoxan (a 5-HT1A agonist). Results showed a significant negative correlation between P300 amplitude and PRL response to flesinoxan (r = -0.40, P = 0.007 at Cz; r = -0.47, P = 0.001 at Pz). In contrast, both P300 latency and reaction time were not related to endocrine response. This study supports a role for serotonin-1A in the neurobiological modulation of P300 amplitude.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

[Women and alcoholism].

As confirmed by many epidemiological studies, alcoholism remains predominant in men. However, female alcoholism has seemed to increase over the last decades, as woman social status as well as cultural stereotypes about women were being modified. Often associated with psychiatric disorders, alcoholism in women has a specific clinical, psychological and social profile. Biological specificities are also of high importance when differentiating female from male alcoholism.

Alcoholism↗

PubMed1999

[Depression in women].

The woman is twice more likely than man to suffer from depression. The reasons can be biological, psychological and social. The woman is particularly sensitive to depression during her reproduction period depending on the psychological modifications she faces and the hormone variations she has to go through. The general practitioner can encounter various depressive disorders with the following specific clinical and therapeutic aspects: premenstrual syndrome, gravidic depression, postpartum disorders, menopause depression.

Depression, Postpartum↗

PubMed1999

[Specific phobias in women].

Specific phobias are common, leading to a high level of suffering and disability when subjects have to face the phobic stimulus. According to the epidemiologic survey of Liège, one fifth of the population exhibits some phobic disorder during lifetime. Women are more affected than men (2:1). This article reviews definitions, etiopathogeny and treatments of specific phobias, and tries to explain the reasons why the trouble is more frequent in women.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMed1999

[Pharma-clinics. Drug of the month. Zaleplon (Sonata)].

Zaleplon (Sonata) is an original hypnotic derived from the pyrazolopyrimidine with a full agonistic activity on central benzodiazepine receptors B21 type. Zaleplon is characterized by an extremely short half-life (about 1 hour). At the 10 mg dose, it is an affective sleep inducer with limited risks of disturbances in morning performance. It is particularly suitable for the treatment of initial insomnia when the prescription of an hypnotic is justified.

Acetamides↗

PubMed1999

[A case of myasthenia gravis diagnosed as conversion disorder].

Conversion disorder is a difficult diagnosis. The patients' psychiatric backgrounds and the complexity of the diagnosis of some neurologic diseases are the main reasons for diagnostic errors. Based on one observation, the diagnostic criteria and the differential diagnosis of conversion disorder are addressed.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

[Clinical case of the month. Mental confusion due to the administration of tramadol in a patient treated with MOAI].

However currently less used, MAOI (monoamine-oxidase inhibitor) antidepressants have specific indications like refractory or atypical depressions. The main difficulties related to MAOI therapy consist in their potentially very dangerous interactions with certain foods on the one side, many medications on the other side. For example, we report the case of a patient treated for a resistant depression by phenelzine (Nardelzine) who presented a severe delirium after the administration of tramadol (Contramal, Dolzam). This case shows the importance of particular attention before the association of any drug in a patient treated by MAOI.

Confusion↗