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Biomedical subjects

M W Dysken

Publications and source records attributed to M W Dysken.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Seasonal distribution of births in Alzheimer's disease.

We obtained season-of-birth data in 727 autopsy-confirmed cases of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and compared these data with expected general population birth rates. There were no significant differences between quarterly birth rates in the AD group and expected quarterly birth rates. Edward's test for cyclical trends did not establish a peak period of birth in the AD sample. No significant differences between observed and expected quarterly birth rates were found when data were analyzed with regard to either family history of dementia or to gender. Edward's test for peak quarter was significant for AD females, however, with the peak period occurring early in the first quarter. These negative findings between observed and expected quarterly birth rates, based on the large number of autopsy-confirmed AD cases in this study, suggest that a season-of-birth effect in AD is highly unlikely.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Rapid dynamic CT scanning in primary degenerative dementia and age-matched controls.

Dynamic computed tomography (CT) scanning of the brain was performed in 26 patients with primary degenerative dementia (PDD) and in 15 age-matched controls without evidence of a dementing illness. Changes in CT density values over time were obtained for 16 regions of interest (ROIs) that were carefully chosen to avoid overlap with adjacent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), sulsi, or bone. CT density washout curves were compared between patients and controls to detect regions where blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability might be increased. Although the patients' washout curves declined more gradually than control curves in 11 of the 14 ROIs with a functioning BBB, in no case did the difference reach statistical significance. Intrarater correlation coefficients indicated good overall reliability in the selection of ROIs.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Gender differences in TRH-stimulated TSH and prolactin in primary degenerative dementia and elderly controls.

We performed thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation testing in 18 nondepressed patients with primary degenerative dementia (10 M, 8F; average age +/- SD = 68 +/- 7) and 12 elderly controls (7M, 5F; average age +/- SD = 61 +/- 6). Six patients were retested approximately 2 years later. Initial Mini-Mental State Examination scores for patients ranged from 2 to 28 (average +/- SD = 18 +/- 6) and the scores for the control subjects were all equal to 30. Protirelin (500 micrograms) was injected iv and blood was sampled at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 min for thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH) and prolactin (PRL). There were no significant differences between patients and controls in baseline T4, T3 uptake, TSH, or PRL. No significant differences were found between patients and controls for either TRH-stimulated TSH or PRL at all time points. Duration of illness, severity of dementia, and severity of depressive symptoms did not correlate significantly with stimulation test results. There were, however, significantly greater responses in stimulated TSH and PRL for women compared with men in both patients and controls. Upon repeat testing (n = 6), TRH-stimulated TSH and PRL were not significantly different from the initial results.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale: a reliability and validity study.

Twenty-eight nondepressed patients with DSM-III obsessive-compulsive disorder completed both the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and the Leyton Obsessional Inventory (LOI) once a week for a total of three times change. In general, the correlations between the Y-BOCS change scores and the Global Ratings were significantly greater than between the LOI and the Global scores, the Y-BOCS was found to be more reliable than the LOI. Correlations were also obtained for the baseline period between the Y-BOCS and Leyton scores. At the end of a 14-week trial of clomipramine, the Y-BOCS and the LOI were again administered along with a Physician and Patient Global Rating of change. In general, the correlations between the Y-BOCS change scores and the Global Ratings were significantly greater than between the LOI and the Global Ratings. This last finding suggests that the Y-BOCS is a better measure of clinical change than is the LOI.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Smooth pursuit eye movements in dementia of the Alzheimer type.

Smooth pursuit eye movements (SPEM) to a sinusoidally modulated target moving horizontally across a cathode ray tube screen were examined for 17 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and for 14 age-matched control subjects. There were 3 target-motion conditions at frequencies representing varying ranges of target velocity. DAT patients differed from controls on all measures of smooth pursuit quality: their gain was reduced at high target velocities and lower target accelerations, they made more frequent directionally appropriate saccades and had more saccadic intrusions, they led the target with their eyes (phase lead) in all 3 conditions, and lag-adjusted cross-correlation coefficients, computed between digitized eye-movement and target signals, were lower among patients. The cross-correlation measure was most sensitive to between-group variability. These results suggest that the impaired SPEM observed in DAT patients reflect degeneration of cortical oculomotor centers, either through inappropriate saccadic intrusions in smooth pursuit as a result of physiologic disinhibition or through effects on attentional processes or both.

Acceleration↗
PubMed1989

Oxiracetam in the treatment of multi-infarct dementia and primary degenerative dementia.

Oxiracetam is a recently synthesized nootropic that was tested as a potential treatment for cognitive decline in patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID) and primary degenerative dementia (PDD). Subjects were 34 MID patients and 39 PDD patients who met entrance criteria for the study. A repeated measures ANOVA showed significant improvement in both patients with MID and patients with PDD for word fluency. The total score on the Relatives' Assessment of Global Symptomatology-Elderly showed significant improvement for patients with PDD. The average score on the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, however, showed a significant decline for patients with PDD.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1989

New findings in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

During the past several years, impressive progress has been achieved in the field of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Improved diagnosis and treatment of this disorder has brought about renewed interest and optimism. Newer biological findings as well as drug treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder are summarized here. A brief clinical description of obsessive-compulsive disorder is also included.

Brain↗
PubMed1985

Plasma levels of fluphenazine during fluphenazine decanoate treatment in schizophrenia.

The authors measured plasma fluphenazine levels in 20 schizophrenic patients receiving 25 or 50 mg fluphenazine decanoate (FPZ-D) by IM injection every 2 weeks. The plasma levels were determined by a sensitive gas-liquid chromatographic (GLC) assay with a nitrogen detector device developed in their laboratory. Using this chemical assay method, they replicated the finding of a sharp initial plasma peak within 24 h after the injection followed by a low but rather stable plasma level as previously reported by nonchemical assay methods. The interval plasma levels (averages of day 4-10 after injection) ranged from 0.17-0.61 ng/ml in 10 patients who received 25 mg; and 0.20-0.93 ng/ml in 7 patients who received 50 mg FPZ-D every 2 weeks. This four-fold variation in plasma levels during FPZ-D injection was smaller than previously reported levels achieved with oral antipsychotic drug treatment. Based on the study of plasma levels achieved with FPZ-D injection and oral FPZ-H (fluphenazine HC1) in 6 patients, the dosage requirement of FPZ-D appeared to be difficult to predict from the oral dosage of FPZ-H in the same patient. Two weeks past injection, fluphenazine was undetectable in approximately half the samples with the GLC method. Thus, radioimmunoassay or radioreceptor assay, which also measures metabolites, might be more suitable for the study of plasma levels in patients receiving FPZ-D injection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Geriatric depression: a guide to successful therapy.

In the apathetic, withdrawn patient, tricyclic secondary amines such as desipramine and nortriptyline are as efficacious as tricyclic tertiary amines, and they offer the advantage of fewer anticholinergic and sedating side effects. Depressions usually have a sudden onset, whereas degenerative dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia are manifested gradually. However, many elderly demented patients have concomitant depression, making assessment difficult.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Dose-related physostigmine-induced ventricular arrhythmia: case report.

Physostigmine, a centrally-acting cholinesterase inhibitor, has been shown to have potential as a treatment for primary degenerative dementia. In an experiment to test its effects, i.v. physostigmine caused the onset of unifocal premature contractions and runs of bigeminy in an 85-year-old man.

Aged↗