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Biomedical subjects

P A Hamilton

Publications and source records attributed to P A Hamilton.

42 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Cerebral energy metabolism studied with phosphorus NMR spectroscopy in normal and birth-asphyxiated infants.

Phosphorus (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to study intracellular metabolism in the brains of 6 normal newborn infants and 10 infants who had been asphyxiated during delivery. In the normal infants spectral peaks mainly attributable to adenosine triphosphate, phosphocreatine (PCr), phosphodiesters plus phospholipids, and inorganic orthophosphate (Pi) were always detected, together with an additional large peak in the phosphomonoester region indicating the presence of a metabolite or metabolites (probably largely phosphoethanolamine) which may be involved in rapid growth of the brain. In the asphyxiated infants, data obtained on the first day of life showed no differences from those in normal infants, but by the second to ninth days inverse changes in the concentrations of PCr and Pi had caused a significant reduction in PCr/Pi. This latency suggest the possibility of effective early treatment before irreversible metabolic damage sets in. Mean intracellular pH when PCr/Pi was minimal was 7.17 +/- 0.10. Values for PCr/Pi below 0.80 were associated with a very bad prognosis for survival and early neuro-developmental outcome.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Women and depression.

As Western society increases in complexity and becomes more reliant on technology, women who thrive as integrators in interactional modes will face new dilemmas. Many women will view these changes as challenges, but for many other women, who view these changes as threats, the response will be depression. We lay a foundation to an understanding of depression in women, evaluating the current concept of depression and pointing out its limitations. We then review the traditional theories of women's increased vulnerability to depressive disorders, which have failed to explain adequately this phenomenon. A more recent theory of women's depression, based on the self-in-relation theory of women's development, is offered as an alternative.

Depressive Disorder↗

Women and somatization: unrecognized depression.

Depression is the mental health disorder most commonly seen in the primary health care setting. Estimates of the prevalence of people who are depressed but are seeking treatment for physical disorders in the primary care setting range from 12% to 55% of total patients. We conducted a study to determine the number of women with high depressive symptoms who were seeking treatment for physical disorders and compared this group with women with no depressive symptoms who were also seeking physical health care. The women with high depressive symptoms (n = 122) and the women with no depressive symptoms (n = 115) were similar in age, economic status, occupation status, and lifestyle. The depressed women reported significantly more physical complaints, increased disability, increased functional limitations, and increased use of health care services than did the nondepressed women. They disclosed a variety of physical complaints in all organ systems, had had more life events, and had a diminished belief in their ability to control their environments. The results of this study support the view that large numbers of women with depression that is unrecognized present themselves to the health care system for physical complaints. Health care providers need to extend their view of women as whole beings, instead of as a somatic complaint.

Adult↗