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Biomedical subjects

R M Murray

Publications and source records attributed to R M Murray.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Towards an aetiological classification of schizophrenia.

The genetic contribution to schizophrenia is widely accepted, yet none of the proposed models of transmission has been convincing. Schizophrenia is generally viewed as aetiologically homogeneous with the exception of supposedly rare "phenocopies" associated with organic brain lesions and without a family history. However, up to one-third of schizophrenics have enlarged cerebral ventricles, and this appears to be a consequence of environmental damage. Although the aetiology of schizophrenia comprises genetic and environmental components acting in variable proportions, a simple division into familial and sporadic cases would facilitate research. Families with several ill members will be most valuable for molecular genetic studies, while the new brain imaging techniques should be particularly directed towards sporadic cases.

Birth Injuries↗
PubMed1985

Antagonism of aminoglutethimide and danazol in the suppression of serum free oestradiol in breast cancer patients.

The response rate of advanced postmenopausal breast cancer patients to treatment with aminoglutethimide (AG) + danazol was significantly worse than that with AG alone. The suppression of serum oestradiol levels by AG + danazol was similar to that by AG alone, but the combination treatment also suppressed sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels and increased the % free oestradiol, whilst these parameters were unaffected by AG alone. The degree of suppression by AG + danazol of free oestradiol concentrations was less than the suppression of total oestradiol level and in some patients the concentration of the free fraction was increased above pretreatment levels. These effects on the presumed biologically active unbound fraction of oestradiol may explain the poor clinical response rate to AG + danazol.

Aminoglutethimide↗
PubMed1984

Increased cerebral ventricular volume in monozygotic twins discordant for alcoholism.

21 pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for alcoholism and heavy drinking were examined by computerised tomography. Brain and ventricular volumes were calculated by the use of a semiautomated method with the rater blind to twinship and drinking history. 11 severely dependent alcoholics had larger ventricular volumes and ventricle/brain ratios than did their normal cotwins. These changes correlated best with the length of time the alcoholic twin had been drinking eight centilitres pure alcohol, equivalent to a bottle of wine, a day.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1984

Twin concordance for operationally defined schizophrenia. Confirmation of familiality and heritability.

Six sets of operational criteria for diagnosing schizophrenia were applied to a systematically ascertained twin series by raters who were blind to zygosity and to the psychiatric status of the co-twin. Assuming a multifactorial/threshold model of transmission, twin correlations in liability and, where possible, approximate broad heritabilities were calculated for each criterion. All definitions resulted in significant monozygotic twin correlations. The highest heritabilities (of approximately 0.8) were given by the Research Diagnostic Criteria and by the categories "probable" plus "definite" schizophrenia according to the criteria of Feighner et al. In contrast, Schneider's first-rank symptoms defined a form of schizophrenia with a heritability of 0 and, together with the criteria of Carpenter et al and Taylor et al, proved to be excessively restrictive, identifying fewer than half of the probands as schizophrenic.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

A genetic and environmental analysis of a twin family study of alcohol use, anxiety, and depression.

Alcohol consumption, anxiety, and depression were measured by questionnaire in 572 twin families ascertained from the Institute of Psychiatry (London) normal twin register, each family consisting of an adult twin pair, their parents, and siblings--a total of 1,742 individuals. A multivariate normal model for pedigree analysis was applied to each variable, with power transformations fitted to maximise the fit with distributional assumptions. The effect of shared twin environment was estimated by considering the measured cohabitation history of twin pairs. For log-transformed alcohol consumption, amongst current drinkers this effect was the same for MZ and DZ pairs but depended on the cohabitation status of pairs. For both anxiety and depression the effect was clearly not the same for MZ and DZ pairs. Therefore the basic assumption of the classical twin method appears to be invalid for all three traits. Estimates of heritability derived from these analyses were compared with those obtained (1) by applying the classical twin method to twin data only, and (2) by a pedigree analysis ignoring the effect of shared twin environment. For all variables there were considerable differences between estimates based on the three models. This study illustrates that data from twins and their relatives which includes information on cohabitation history might distinguish shared genes and shared environment as causes of familial aggregation. In these behavioral traits the effect of shared twin environment may depend on zygosity and play a major role in explaining familial aggregation in twin family data.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Preliminary findings from a study of the effects of a challenge dose of alcohol in male twins.

Twelve pairs of MZ and 7 of DZ normal adult male twins were given a challenge dose of 0.8 mg ethanol per kg body weight diluted to a 30% v/v solution. Measures of blood alcohol, mood, craving for alcohol, body sway, heart rate and four psychomotor tasks were taken before, during and after intoxication. Genetic factors were found to be involved in the response of heart rate, body sway and two of the psychomotor tasks, but not in changes in blood alcohol, alertness or craving for alcohol. Drinking habits did not exert a strong influence upon acute responses to alcohol, but were significantly related to craving for alcohol whilst intoxicated.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Depression, criminality and psychopathology associated with alcoholism: evidence from a twin study.

A study of 74 twin pairs with alcoholic probands from the Maudsley Hospital is reported. Pairwise concordance for alcoholism as categorised by the SADS-L Research Diagnostic Criteria is similar in MZ twins (29%, 8/22) and DZ twins (33%, 13/39). Concordance for all diagnoses other than alcoholism is however significantly greater in MZ twins (48%, 13/27) than DZ twins (21%, 8/39, P less than 0.001). Concordance in MZ and DZ twins for all diagnoses other than alcoholism, including depression, did not coincide with concordance for alcoholism. Data on criminality revealed that 21% (32/148) of the twin sample had non-alcohol, non-traffic offences on record at the UK Home Office. Of the 32 with criminal records, 28 were alcoholic probands and pairwise concordance for criminality was found in only 1 MZ and 2 DZ pairs.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1984

Genetic and environmental influences on obsessional traits and symptoms.

A biometrical genetic analysis was carried out on the response of 419 pairs of twins to the 42-item version of Leyton Obsessional Inventory. Just under half the variation in both the Obsessional Trait and Symptom Scales was due to heredity. Multivariate analysis revealed a genetic effect on the development of obsessional personality and also the transmission of a general tendency predisposing to neurotic breakdown. Although the influence of heredity was outweighed by that of the environment, the latter effect showed an absence of general factors and, in particular, of any noticeable effect from the common home environment.

Diseases in Twins↗
PubMed1984

Cerebral ventricular enlargement in non-genetic schizophrenia: a controlled twin study.

In a group of schizophrenics of twin birth, no evidence of ventricular enlargement was found where there was a family history of major psychiatric disorder. Among those schizophrenics without such a family history, cerebral ventricular size was significantly increased (P less than 0.01), and there was also evidence of birth complications. Among normal control twins, those who reported complicated births had significantly larger ventricles.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

A discriminant-function analysis of screening tests for excessive drinking and alcoholism.

Because a previous study among 385 psychiatric admissions had shown each of three rapid interviews to be far superior to each of nine laboratory tests in screening for excessive drinking and alcoholism, the separation of patients with these drinking patterns from normal drinkers was reexamined by the more sophisticated technique of discriminant analysis. It was thus possible to determine where there was overlap in the information provided by some tests in contrast to "new information" provided by others and whether the arbitrary cut-off points of the normal ranges of the laboratory tests were contributing to their poor sensitivity. Discriminant analysis again confirmed the good performance of the rapid interviews, particularly the Brief Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test and the Reich interview, but it also identified glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) as the best of the laboratory tests and of comparable efficacy to the rapid interview for the group of excessive drinkers. By comparison, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and mean corpuscular volume performed poorly. Using the whole range of results rather than a single cut-off point for discriminant analysis did not alter the relative performance of the screening tests. The optimum combination of tests was that of the Reich interview and the GDH, achieving 100% sensitivity for excessive drinking and alcoholism without any decline in the specificity or predictive value of a positive test result.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Psychiatric morbidity in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Seventy one patients with alcoholic liver disease and an equal number with non-alcoholic liver disease were interviewed using the schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia. Forty seven (66%) of the group with alcoholic liver disease had or had had psychiatric illnesses compared with 23 (32%) of the control group (p less than 0.001). Affective disorder, particularly major depression, neurotic disorders, and antisocial personality, were all more common among the patients with alcoholic liver disease than the controls. No patient had schizophrenia or other forms of psychosis. Among the patients with alcoholic liver disease 11 men (24%) and 14 women (54%) had an affective or a neurotic disorder that had antedated their heavy drinking, and 30 (77%) of those who had had such a problem at any time had symptoms at the time of interview. Abstinence from alcohol is essential for patients with severe alcoholic liver disease. In view of the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in these patients psychiatric assessment is important to increase the patients' likelihood of complying with such advice.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

A psychotic episode following Erhard Seminars Training.

A case of a psychotic episode following Erhard Seminars Training is reported. This is the first reported case of adverse psychological effects from this type of training in Great Britain but it closely resembles previous reports from the United States of America. The possibility of a distinct syndrome is tentatively raised. The apparent rarity of such episodes is noted.

Adult↗