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Biomedical subjects

M D Warner

Publications and source records attributed to M D Warner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Growth hormone response to growth hormone releasing hormone in depression and schizophrenia.

Growth hormone releasing hormone, a 44-amino acid peptide (GHRH-44), was administered (1 micrograms/kg i.v.) to 6 normal controls, 10 schizophrenic subjects, and 7 depressed subjects. A significantly lower growth hormone (GH) response was found in the schizophrenic and depressed groups. Two molecular forms of GH, 22K GH and 20K GH, were also measured but did not further differentiate the three groups of subjects.

Adult↗

Psychiatric correlates of repetitive rhythmic blinking on a routine EEG.

Our findings suggest that EEG tracings dominated by repetitive rhythmic blinking (RRB) may be indicative of a functional rather than an organic brain disorder. Evaluation of organicity in psychiatric patients is the most common reason for obtaining an EEG. As a normal EEG does not totally rule out organic involvement, such findings as the presence of RRB on the record may strengthen the value of EEG in such evaluations. More research is necessary to further delineate the relation between increased blinking and functional psychiatric disorders.

Blinking↗

Usefulness of screening EEGs in a psychiatric inpatient population.

Many clinicians presume that a screening electroencephalogram (EEG) is useful in differentiating psychiatric from neurologic disorders. In a retrospective review of 698 charts of psychiatric inpatients, the authors assessed the usefulness of screening EEGs. Usefulness was defined as leading to a change in diagnosis or treatment. While 31% of screening EEGs were abnormal, only 1.7% of cases led to a change in diagnosis that might otherwise have been missed. It is unclear whether the EEG is a useful screening test on the basis of these results. Caution is warranted in interpreting these results because of the inaccuracies inherent in any retrospective review. Prospective studies are needed to better define EEG's usefulness in psychiatry.

Adolescent↗

Alprazolam as an antidepressant.

Alprazolam appears to be an effective antidepressant in the treatment of outpatients who have a diagnosis of major depressive disorder. The authors have reviewed six controlled double-blind studies of alprazolam in the treatment of depression. Four of the six studies included only outpatients and clearly demonstrated a clinical effectiveness comparable to that of the tricyclics but with fewer, less severe side effects and better tolerance. The other two studies involved both inpatients and outpatients, so no conclusions can be drawn regarding the effectiveness of alprazolam in an inpatient population; further controlled studies are needed to answer this question. No satisfactory explanation exists for the mechanism of alprazolam's proposed antidepressant action.

Alprazolam↗

TRH stimulation test and depression.

A thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test was performed in 52 male inpatients with major depressive disorder. Twenty-nine percent of the 52 subjects had a delta thyroid-stimulating hormone (delta TSH) less than 5 microU/ml. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amine metabolites, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG), homovanillic acid (HVA), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5HIAA), were measured in 29 subjects, and a dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was performed in 48 subjects. Of the three CSF amine metabolites, only MHPG correlated significantly with baseline TSH and none correlated with delta TSH. The baseline TSH correlated positively with the TSH response at 30 minutes. Neither baseline TSH nor delta TSH correlated with cortisol levels before or after dexamethasone. The correlation between CSF MHPG and serum TSH suggests a relationship between central norepinephrine and baseline TSH.

Adult↗

Trazodone and priapism.

The association of priapism with trazodone is reviewed based on data reported to the Food and Drug Administration. The data suggest that priapism may be most likely to occur within the first 28 days of treatment and that the majority of cases occur with doses of 150 mg/day or less. All age groups appear to be vulnerable to this adverse effect. Patients should be informed of this potential side effect and instructed to discontinue the medication if any unusual erectile problems develop.

Adolescent↗

Prolactin bioassay and hyperprolactinemia.

The Nb2 rat lymphoma bioassay (BA) for prolactin (PRL) was performed in 26 subjects with hyperprolactinemia, 17 of whom had radiologic evidence of a pituitary adenoma. All subjects were treated with the long acting dopamine agonist CV 205-502. The radioimmunoassay (RIA) PRL significantly decreased with treatment but the BA/RIA PRL remained essentially the same, indicating that the relative bioactivity was unaffected.

Adenoma↗

Elevated baseline and postdexamethasone cortisol levels. A reflection of severity or endogeneity?

This study investigated whether elevated baseline and postdexamethasone cortisol levels were more strongly related to severity of depression or presence of endogenous symptoms. In 43 inpatients with major depressive disorder, a positive correlation was found between the total score on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. baseline and 8.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. postdexamethasone cortisol levels. Only the 8.00 a.m. postdexamethasone cortisol level was significantly correlated with the number of Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) endogenous items present. Despite a statistically significant relationship between severity and endogeneity, our results suggest elevated baseline and postdexamethasone cortisol levels may be more closely related to severity of depression, rather than the presence of a cluster of symptoms referred to as endogenous.

Dexamethasone↗