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Biomedical subjects

M F Poirier

Publications and source records attributed to M F Poirier.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Failure of Farr test in detecting IgM response to dinitrophenyl in mice.

In mouse serum the ammonium sulphate technique does not detect the immune response to the haptenic determinant DNP on polysaccharide, nor the early stage of the primary response to DNP on protein. Specific anti-DNP antibodies are easily detected, in the same sera, by the phage neutralization technique. This failure of the Farr test seems to be related to its inability to measure adequately mouse anti-DNP 19S antibodies.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

[Pharmacopsychoses during drug addiction].

Widespread use of certain drugs (amphetamines, L.S.D., hypnotics) in France, allowed us to observe more than 200 cases of acute or chronic psychoses among addicts. Sometimes these are transitory outburst but the occurrence of a delusional psychosis with long range evolution raises a difficult diagnosis problem in relation to functional psychoses. The emphasis should be put on respective roles of the drug and of a predisposed mental state. Circumstances of beginning, apparently direct relationship between drug taking and pathological symptoms, therapy efficiency, absence of earlier pathological traits (as in many of our patients) and relapse when intoxication starts again, are in favour of a pharmacological origin of the troubles.

Amphetamine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Regulatory function of Thy1-negative cells. I.--Evidence for cells without the Thy1-surface marker and without phagocytic properties, enhancing the IgM antibody response.

Dextran-activated Thy1-cells are effective in enhancing the IgM anti-body response of syngeneic and allogeneic spleen cells to an unrelated antigen. This regulatory activity is mediated through a soluble B-cell-enhancing factor (BEF) which is released by activated cells. Removal of macrophages by silica-treatment does not abolish the regulatory activity of remaining cells. BEF can be considered as an auxiliary factor which does not substitute for either T cells or macrophages in in vitro antibody production.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Assessment of metabolic impairments inducted by atypical antipsychotics among schizophrenic patients].

Conventional and atypical antipsychotics are known to induce weight gain, cause glucose and lipid impairments among schizophrenic patients. These impairments contribute to the intrinsic risk factors linked to the psychiatric pathology (sedentary state, nicotin addiction, diabetes) increasing numbers of cardiovascular complications. We propose to study ponderal modifications and presence of metabolic abnormalities in a population of schizophrenic patients treated by conventional or atypical antipsychotics, depending on the received treatment; 32 patients, whose schizophrenia diagnosis had been previously made, were consecutively included over a 4 months period. They were divided into three groups: patients treated by conventional antipsychotics (n = 6), by atypical antipsychotics (n = 16) or by a combination of both (n = 10); 6 patients (18%) display overweight problems, 4 patients (12.5%) got hypertriglyceridemia and 4 other patients (12.5%) have hypercholesterolemia. No particular drug could be directly targeted, partly because of the restricted size of our sample, but the patients presenting metabolism impairment were treated by atypical antipsychotic. The observance of these abnormalities is reflected in publications and lead to some antipsychotic treatments monitoring rules.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Personality tests and gender identification in male transsexuals].

The aim of this research project was to study gender identification in male transsexuals compared to male and female controls, using the Rorschach test and the MMPI. In the international literature, many researches have shown that the nature of the human response on Rorschach card III is linked to gender identification, as is the MMPI Mf scale. Ten untreated male homosexual transsexuals and 18 treated and operated male homosexual transsexuals were compared to 10 male and 12 female controls regarding verbal IQ, human content on Rorschach card III and the MMPI Mf scale. Absence of hormonal treatment for the first group of transsexuals was checked by a blood test at the time of the psychological testing. Responses on Rorschach card III were scored according to different kinds of human contents: male (M), female (F), gender-unidentified/neutral (N), bisexual (B), feminine then masculine or the opposite (M/F), and nonhuman (NH). N, B, M/F and NH responses were rare in all Rorschach protocols. As expected, responses given by participants in the control group were significantly more consistent with their anatomical sex than with the opposite sex. Untreated transsexuals do not differ from treated and operated transsexuals on Rorschach data, and both transsexual groups give significantly more female human representations than male controls. Transsexuals' results are similar to female controls. Untreated transsexuals' mean score on the MMPI Mf scale is significantly higher than that of treated and operated transsexuals' score, in the male profile (biological sex). Both groups of transsexuals score higher on the Mf scale in the male profile than in the female profile. The mean Mf score in the male profile is significantly higher than that of male controls, whereas, in the female profile, the mean Mf score is similar to that of female controls. This study shows that for both groups of transsexuals, results are homogenous in respect of Rorschach and MMPI, showing hyper-conformism to self-perceived gender. Results in both groups are similar to results of female controls, but tend to show even more feminine gender identification. The absence of any significant difference between untreated and treated and operated transsexuals seems surprising, suggesting that the hormonal treatment has not had a major impact on gender identification processes. It would doubtless be interesting to study gender identification using even more kinds of data: all human contents in the Rorschach protocol (not just the responses given to card III), MMPI Mf scale, Draw-A-Person Test and Animal-and-Opposite Drawing Test. This would enhance result liability and could provide useful information about how gendter identification processes evolve after surgical sex reassigment.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

(AAT)n repeat in the cannabinoid receptor gene (CNR1): association with cocaine addiction in an African-Caribbean population.

Owing to their agonist action on dopaminergic systems, cannabinoids may play a major role in substance dependency and schizophrenia. We examined the (AAT)n triplet repeat polymorphism nearby the CNR1 gene, which encodes human cannabinoid (CB1) receptor, in a male Afro-Caribbean population. The allelic and genotypic distributions were significantly different in non-schizophrenic cocaine dependents (n = 97), schizophrenic cocaine dependents (n = 45) and matched controls (n = 88) (P < 10(-4)). The frequency of the (AAT)12 repeat allele was increased in non-schizophrenic cocaine dependents and schizophrenic cocaine dependents vs controls (25.3 and 26.7 vs 5.7%) (P < 10(-4)). Our results support that the (AAT)n polymorphism nearby the CNR1 gene could be associated with predisposition to cocaine dependency.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[First clinical episode of bipolar disorders: a study within a population of bipolar I and bipolar II French patients].

Clinical symptoms of bipolar disorders onset act as a prognostic risk-factor. Discrepancies of data are related with geographical or cultural conditions. Within a patient population of bipolar (ICD 10) in and out patients of a psychiatric department, manic or hypomanic disorders initiate the space disease in 33% of the cases theses features are similar within the western psychiatric population. In a maghrebian population this proportion reaches 50%. A percentage of 65% of bipolar 1 patients was found within our sample. Sex ratio is 1 for bipolar 1, when, for bipolar 2 disorders sex-ratio was superior to 1, in favor of females. Mean age of the first episode of the disease was younger for patients with a familial history of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Effects of sulbutiamine (Arcalion 200) on psycho-behavioral inhibition in major depressive episodes].

UNLABELLED: Psycho-behavioural inhibition is characteristic of major depressive disorder and frequently recedes after the other depressive symptoms. This may induce an important psychosocial impairment which could be a risk factor for relapse. METHODS: The aim of this eight weeks, multicentric, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial was to assess the efficacy and safety of sulbutiamine (Arcalion) [600 mg p.d.] on the symptoms of psycho-behavioural inhibition of inpatients with DSM III-R defined Major Depressive Episode (MDE) treated by adjusted doses of clomipramine [75 to 150 mg pd]. Moderate doses of hypnotics and anxiolytics without potential activity on the mood were authorized during the trial. The MDE was assessed with the MADRS, HAM-A and CGI scales. Patients who did not respond adequately to the antidepressant treatment were prematurely withdrawn from the trial. The three Sheehan Disability Scales (SDS), the Norris Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Depressive Psychomotor Retardation Scale (ERD) were used to monitor psycho-behavioural inhibition. RESULTS: The mean intake scores were, as expected, fairly high: MADRS (32), HAMA-A (23), CGI (5) and ERD (27). The SDS and EVA scores showed that the patients felt severely handicapped in their social, professional and family life functioning as well as in their emotional, affective, cognitive and behavioural performances. At four weeks the MADRS, HAM-A and CGI scores indicated that the global improvement of the MDE was comparable in both treatment groups. However, the scores at the EVA and SDS scales showed that the patients treated with sulbutiamine were significantly less incapacitated than the placebo group in all of the various facets (affective, cognitive, emotional, behavioural) of psycho-behavioural inhibition. Furthermore, the safety data shows that both treatment groups were comparable and in particular that sulbutiamine had not induced any inappropriate behaviour, including suicide attempts, or mania. CONCLUSIONS: Sulbutiamine has no antidepressive effect but it can hasten the resorption of psycho-behavioural inhibition occurring during major depressive disorder and thereby facilitate the rehabilitation of patients in their social, professional and family life functioning.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical dimensions and visually guided saccades in schizophrenia].

Eye movement anomalies are more frequent in schizophrenic patients than in healthy subjects. This study deals with visually guided saccadic eye movements in seventeen schizophrenic patients [ten untreated (neuroleptic-naive or free), seven treated patients] and their correlations between symptoms presented by patients and oculomotor performances. There was no significant difference between the patients and the control group in visually guided saccades tasks. However, negative correlations between oculomotor performance and positive or disorganisation symptomatology were found. Thus, although no major oculomotor dysfunction in response to external stimulus was seen in schizophrenic patients, some symptoms were linked to oculomotor performance impairment. Thus psychiatric symptoms might share some common cerebral circuits which those involved in oculomotor tasks.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Validation of the French translation and factorial structure of the Tiffany and Drobes Smoking Urge Questionnaire].

UNLABELLED: Over the past 10 years researches and clinicians have made substantial progress in understanding and treating nicotine dependence. To demonstrate the effectiveness of these treatments, reliable and sensitive measures of change and outcome must be used. In the nicotine dependence treatment literature numerous outcome have been used: frequencies drug use, problems associated with substance use, psychiatric comorbidity, withdrawal severity, and craving. The term craving reflects the subjective reports of addicts regarding their attempts to abstain from drug use and the state of their minds at the point at which they attempt to fail. Exposure to cues previously associated with nicotine play a role in precipitating relapse in eliciting a conditioned craving/withdrawal response and can be measures by the Questionnaire of Smoking Urge (QSU). OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: Validation in a French translated version of the QSU published in 1991 by Tiffany and Drobes. METHODOLOGY: 42 male and 62 female participated in the study with the translated questionnaire: mean age was 36.7 years, mean age at starting and mean duration of tobacco consumption was respectively 20.2 years old and 16.5 years, daily consumption was 16.6 cigarettes per day. The French translation of the QSU was administered to smokers instructed to abstain from smoking one hour and a half to three hours. RESULTS: The back translation has been accepted by Tiffany because more than 85% of the items are similar to the original questionnaire. We founded the same factor analysis with two factors, "desire to smoke" and "intention to smoke" accounting for 34% and 11% of the items variance, respectively. These two factors were the same than those of the original questionnaire. CONCLUSION: The validation of the French translation of the QSU gives the opportunity to use a sensitive instrument to assess craving.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[French validation of a Minor Morphologic Anomalies Scale in schizophrenic patients and their parents].

UNLABELLED: Minor Physical Anomalies represent valuable indices of disturbance in early neurodevelopment. They are frequently observed in individuals with various brain disorders, including mental retardation, autism, epilepsy, hyperactivity, foetal alcohol syndrome and schizophrenia. The high prevalence of Minor Physical Anomalies in schizophrenia provides considerable support for a neurodevelopmental model in this disorder. However, studies in large sample using standardised scale are lacking. Such studies are needed in order to confirm their actual frequency and study the clinical correlates or morphological anomalies. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to revise and validate a French version of a scale designed for the evaluation of Minor Physical Anomalies in adult psychiatric patients and notably in patients with schizophrenia. METHODOLOGY: The scale was revised from the Waldrop scale. The choice of items was done on the basis of frequency, reliability in the adult, reliability of rating. Some new items, related to know syndroms with comportmental symptoms were added. Both raters had previously had a short initiation to the rating of the scale. Interrater reliability between two examiners, blind with regards to the diagnosis was evaluated. RESULTS: The interrater reliability was good, with an intraclass correlation coefficient at 0.97. Patients had significantly more minor physical anomalies than comparison subjects, and also more Minor Physical Anomalies than their parents. Fathers and mothers of these schizophrenic patients had significantly more Minor Physical Anomalies than normal comparison subjects. CONCLUSION: Although the evaluation of physical anomalies relies on subjective appreciation of normal vs abnormal, the revised version of minor physical anomalies scale (French version) was found to be a reliable tool, provided that a short initiation to the rating is performed. The scale differentiated schizophrenic patients from their parents, and the latter from the normal controls. A lot of questions remains unanswered concerning the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia. This scale appeared as a useful complementary tool to help in the determination of the developmental phenotypic status of the patients enrolled in pathophysiological studies aiming the identification of developmental factors in schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immune response in mice and lack of response in guinea-pigs and in rabbits to DNP on polysaccharide.

The immunogenicity of three DNP-LE conjugates possessing different numbers of haptenic determinants per molecule of carrier (DNP 3-LE, DNP6-LE, DNP 13-LE) has been tested in mice. All conjugates induce only 19S anti-DNP antibodies, but the lowest conjugate is more immunogenic. Lack of response to DNP-LE is observed in guinea-pigs and in rabbits, animals in which native LE is not immunogenic. The immune response is not affected in mice tolerant to LE, when immunization is performed intravenously. These results are discussed with a view to determine the role played by a T-independent carrier in the antibody synthesis against a hapten.

Animals↗