Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Abrams

Publications and source records attributed to R Abrams.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Brief pulse ECT in melancholia. EEG and clinical effects.

In a visual analysis of electroencephalograms (EEGs) obtained in 33 melancholic men before and after six brief pulse right unilateral, left unilateral, or bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments, the authors were unable to detect the relation between therapeutic outcome and differential hemispheric lateralization of ECT-induced EEG slowing that had been reported previously for sine wave ECT at the same clinical site. These results may be related to differences in neurophysiologic effects between sine wave and brief pulse ECT, and do not support the hypothesis that lateralization of ECT-induced EEG slowing is central to the antidepressant effects of ECT.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Antidepressant effects of high-dose right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy.

In a random-assignment, double-blind, controlled comparison in 38 melancholic men, overall antidepressant potency of high-dose electroconvulsive therapy (378-mC charge) given with right unilateral electrode placement was not significantly different from that with bilateral placement, although there was a trend for faster improvement with bilateral ECT. The suprathreshold character of the stimulus, about 2.5 times the expected seizure threshold, may have contributed to the high efficacy of brief-pulse right unilateral electroconvulsive therapy found in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Collaborative study on the use of motility enrichment on modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis medium for the detection of Salmonella from foods.

A collaborative study was performed in 15 laboratories to evaluate the use of motility enrichment on modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis (MSRV) medium for rapid Salmonella detection in a variety of food products. The results of this procedure were compared with those obtained by the cultural procedure using Rappaport-Vassiliadis (RV) broth as selective enrichment and modified brilliant green agar for selective plating. The tests were performed with Salmonella reference samples (SRS) as well as with naturally contaminated food products. When SRS were used without added food the productivity of both MSRV and RV was 96%. When SRS were combined with reference samples containing competitive bacteria the productivity was 98% for MSRV and 95% for RV. In the tests with food samples the productivity of MSRV was 92% with SRS added to food and 96% with naturally contaminated samples, while the productivity of RV was 88% and 90%, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the procedures.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1991

Treatment of Parkinson's disease with electroconvulsive therapy.

There is substantial evidence that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can ameliorate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease independent of any antidepressant activity. ECT thus presents a treatment alternative for the severely impaired, medication-resistant Parkinson's patient. In this article, we review the literature on this subject and present our recommendations for current clinical practice.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

The diagnostic implications of formal thought disorder in mania and schizophrenia: a reassessment.

The authors compared nine manic patients exhibiting formal thought disorders (tangentiality, neologisms, drivelling, private use of words, and paraphasias) with 102 manic patients without these thought disorders and with 31 schizophrenic patients. Manic patients with formal thought disorders tended to have more "schizophrenic" symptoms than did manic patients without formal thought disorders, but both groups improved significantly more during the index episode than did the schizophrenic patients. Although the prevalence of flight of ideas was high in mania, narrowly defined formal thought disorder was rare, suggesting that precise definition and description of thought disorders would be helpful in distinguishing mania from schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Differential effects of right unilateral and bilateral ECT on heart rate.

In a series of 11 melancholic patients who received both right unilateral and bilateral ECT during a single course of treatment, mean and minimum postictal heart rates were greater after bilateral ECT. Greater catecholamine release during bilateral ECT is the most likely explanation for these effects. These differences complement other evidence that bilateral ECT has a more pronounced physiological impact than unilateral ECT.

Catecholamines↗
PubMed1989

Antidepressant effects of right versus left unilateral ECT and the lateralization theory of ECT action.

In a random-assignment, double-blind, controlled comparison of right versus left unilateral ECT in 30 melancholic men, the two methods were not significantly different in overall antidepressant potency, although there was a significantly faster rate of improvement with left unilateral ECT. These results imply that the antidepressant effects of ECT cannot be attributed primarily to right hemisphere mechanisms, as others have postulated.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

A prospective randomized trial of HLA-matched versus mismatched single-donor platelet transfusions in cancer patients.

The use of histocompatability antigen (HLA)-matched platelets has been advocated for the support of thrombocytopenic cancer patients. We randomized 78 newly diagnosed cancer patients prospectively (before thrombocytopenia) to receive either HLA-matched or mismatched single-donor platelet transfusions. Three hundred forty-one platelet transfusions were given for 80 separate episodes of therapy-induced thrombocytopenia in 33 patients. Forty-five patients receiving intensive chemotherapy did not develop significant (less than 20,000 platelets/mm3) thrombocytopenia and did not receive a platelet transfusion. No marked difference was observed between the matched and mismatched groups in regard to number of total platelet transfusions per patient (median, 3 vs. 5, respectively; P = 0.076), number of platelet transfusions per episode (median, 3.0 vs. 3.5, respectively; P = 0.28), or days between transfusions (median, 2 vs. 2, respectively, P greater than 0.4). Bleeding episodes, although rare, tended to be of increased severity in the mismatched group. Febrile patients receiving mismatched platelets tended to have a lower posttransfusion increment increase than their nonfebrile counterparts (P = 0.068), although a similar trend could not be demonstrated between febrile and nonfebrile patients who received matched platelets (P = 0.22). Patients treated as outpatients had significantly higher posttransfusion increments than when transfused as inpatients when they were given mismatched platelets (P less than 0.0005). Development of antiplatelet antibody did not appear to affect response to platelet transfusions. Only one patient developed sustained high-level antibody titers. In patients where thrombocytopenia was significant, the transfusion of HLA-matched platelets did not appear to offer a significant advantage. However, HLA-matched platelet transfusions tended to be associated with higher posttransfusion increments in febrile patients and a trend toward fewer severe bleeding episodes. A multi-institution trial containing a large number of patients is needed to evaluate trends observed in this study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The association of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with thoracic irradiation (RT).

The authors report two cases of apparent adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) following limited thoracic irradiation for lung cancer. Respiratory failure followed rapidly after irradiation with diffuse bilateral infiltrates, both in and out of the irradiated volume along with progressive hypoxemia unresponsive to oxygen management. Other potential causes of lung injury such as lymphangitic tumor, cardiac failure, and infections were excluded by both premortem and postmortem examination. Autopsy findings in both irradiated and unirradiated volumes of lung were consistent with hyaline membrane changes. The possible relationship between radiation therapy to limited lung volumes and the development of adult respiratory distress syndrome is discussed.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1988

ECT-induced postictal delirium and electrode placement.

The authors report eight instances of ECT-induced postictal (emergence) delirium that occurred after bilateral ECT, right unilateral ECT, or left unilateral ECT. They conclude that postictal delirium is a random phenomenon unrelated to lateralized hemispheric mechanisms.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The nature of emotional blunting: a factor-analytic study.

To investigate the components of emotional blunting, we factor-analyzed an emotional blunting scale, and examined the relationships between the derived factors and several clinical variables in two patient samples. Two factors were identified, corresponding to "lack of emotional expression" and "avolition". The "avolition" factor was strongly related to clinical improvement after treatment. Discriminant analyses indicated that schizophrenics could be differentiated from manics by emotional expression and from depressives by avolition. Scores on two shorter scales derived from the factors were also highly predictive of clinical improvement and diagnosis. These results indicate that emotional blunting can be differentiated into two easily measured components which may have different clinical significance.

Affective Symptoms↗
PubMed1987

Cognitive dysfunction in melancholia.

Sixty-seven patients with melancholia and 42 normal controls were tested with a battery of neuropsychological tasks selected to assess regional cortical functioning in both hemispheres. Compared with controls, melancholics exhibited a pattern of bifrontal and right parietal impairment, which was independent of age, sex, handedness and drug administration. These findings confirm and extend prior studies and contrast with those we and others have reported in patients with schizophrenia.

Cognition Disorders↗