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Biomedical subjects

S Scarone

Publications and source records attributed to S Scarone.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

EEG and clinical findings during pemoline treatment in children and adults with attention deficit disorder. An 8-week open trial.

A clinical study has been conducted on a selected group of 9 children and 12 adults with attention deficit disorder, evaluating the response to the therapy with magnesium pemoline by means of EEG power spectra. Pemoline was given orally in increasing doses ranging from 20 to 80 mg/day. EEG was recorded during baseline and at three fixed intervals during the treatment. Clinical response was assessed by objective and subjective ratings. In the adult sample, the drug produced two opposite patterns of EEG response which allowed us to discriminate by the 1st day of treatment responders who reported a paradoxical calming and non-responders who reported a worsening in anxiety. Inconsistent EEG power changes produced by the drug in children did not allow the discrimination of responders and non-responders. Children did not show paradoxical signs of sedation. EEG and clinical data suggest that adults and children show different drug response and that the paradoxical sedation is present only in adults.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Opioid plasma levels in primary affective disorders. Effect of desimipramine therapy.

Mean plasma levels of beta-endorphin (beta EP), beta-lipotropin (beta LPH) and ACTH were significantly higher in 22 patients with primary affective disorders (PAD) and in 2 schizoaffective subjects off therapy since 10 days than in 22 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Desimipramine therapy (50-100 mg/day per os for 3-5 weeks) induced in parallel psychological improvement and fall in beta LPH-beta EP in 6 of 8 PAD patients treated, and a normalization of beta EP-beta LPH levels with minimal mood improvement in the 2 schizoaffective subjects. These results indicate that the opioid levels are increased in PAD and schizoaffective patients and normalized by the desimipramine therapy in those patients in whom the affective disorders improved.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1983

Bromocriptine therapy in chronic schizophrenia: effects on symptomatology, sleep patterns, and prolactin response to stimulation.

Ten chronic schizophrenic patients were given bromocriptine in doses increasing from 1.25 to 5 mg over 6 days (the low-dose therapy) and then up to 40 mg over 15 days (the high-dose therapy). Psychopathological status was assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, twice daily the first 6 days, and every 2 days thereafter. The prolactin (PRL) response to haloperidol stimulation (1 mg i.v.) was measured in five cases before and 3 days after the end of high-dose therapy, and in one patient before and 3 days after the end of low-dose therapy. Electroencephalographic sleep studies were carried out before therapy and every 2 nights during low-dose therapy in five patients, and in two cases during high-dose therapy. Bromocriptine therapy modified neither clinical symptomatology nor sleep patterns. The PRL response to haloperidol after therapy was markedly lower than that before therapy in the five patients treated with high doses, and markedly higher in the single patient tested who was treated only with low-dose therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Daytime sleep patterns of primary depressives: a morning nap study.

The electroencephalographic sleep patterns of 10 primary depressives were recorded during baseline nights and two morning nap sessions using a fixed time schedule. Averaged sleep measures for baseline nights replicated previous findings of altered rapid eye movement (REM) sleep patterns and sleep continuity. REM sleep during morning naps occurred only in patients with elevated REM indexes on baseline and prenap nights; it failed to appear in morning sleep of patients who exhibited contrasting REM characteristics. An analysis of hourly REM sleep distribution and averaged deviations from group means revealed significant differences between the two groups which could account for the uneven daytime REM propensity.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Abnormal anterior pituitary responsiveness to hypothalamic hormones in primary affective disorders. Effect of desipramine therapy.

Abnormal anterior pituitary responsiveness to acute administration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone was investigated in 8 patients, 6 women and 2 men, with primary affective disorders in a depressive phase and in 2 women with schizoaffective disorders. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone, 500 micrograms i.v., induced a rise of plasma growth hormone levels in 1 patient suffering from primary affective disorders and in the 2 schizoaffective subjects, a rise of follicle-stimulating hormone in 1 schizoaffective patient, of luteinizing hormone in the 2 schizoaffective patients, an excessive prolactin rise in 5 patients with primary affective disorders and in 1 schizoaffective subject and a flat response of thyroid-stimulating hormone in 4 patients with primary affective disorders and in 2 schizoaffective patients. Desipramine was given at a dose of 50-100 mg/day for 3-5 weeks. The thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test was repeated when the patients were improving or after 5 weeks of treatment without improvement. The hormonal impairments tended to disappear in those patients showing symptomatic improvement and were still present in those who did not improve.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Nocturnal myoclonus and nocturnal myoclonic activity in the normal population.

The presence of nocturnal myoclonus (NM) and nocturnal myoclonic activity (NMA) was assessed in the sleep laboratory in 100 subjects without any complaint of sleep disturbance. Subjects were included only if they were physically and mentally healthy and not using any medication. The subject sample was selected to have a representative proportion of women and men and a wide age distribution. Six percent of the subjects met the clinical criteria for NM, and five percent had NMA. Thus, either NM or NMA was noted in 11 percent of the total sample. The prevalence of NM or NMA was slightly higher in men than in women and positively and significantly correlated with increasing age. No relationship was found between the presence of NM or NMA and weight, smoking, or the consumption of caffeinated beverages. When the amount of each sleep stage was controlled for, myoclonic activity occurred most frequently during stage 2 sleep. The degree of sleep disturbance related to myoclonic activity was minimal, with the mean total duration of both types of myoclonic activity per subject-night being only about six minutes. In addition, only about 10 percent of the events were related to EEG arousals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Sleep apneic activity in a normal population.

One hundred subjects without any complaint of sleep disturbance were evaluated in the sleep laboratory for the presence of sleep apnea and sleep apneic activity (SAA). This sample, which had a representative proportion of women and men and a wide age distribution, included only subjects who were physically and mentally healthy and were not using any medication. None of the subjects had the clinical condition of sleep apnea, and only 12 percent of the subjects met the more liberal criterion for SAA. The prevalence of SAA was slightly higher in men than in women. SAA was positively and significantly correlated with increasing age. However, relative severity, as judged by the mean number of events and the duration of events, showed no consistent pattern in relation to age. Further, it was demonstrated that those subjects with SAA were significantly heavier than those without the activity. Neither smoking nor caffeine consumption was related to the presence of SAA. When the amount of each sleep stage was controlled for, SAA occurred significantly more often during REM sleep. A relatively small number of EEG arousals were related to SAA, with only about one-fifth of the events resulting in brief arousals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Effects of two dosages of chlordesmethyldiazepam on mnestic-information processes in normal subjects.

A double-blind, randomized protocol was used to investigate the activity of a benzodiazepine derivative, chlordesmethyldiazepam, at two different dosages, 1 mg and 2 mg (CDDZ1 and CDDZ2), on mnestic functions and information processing in normal subjects. CDDZ2 significantly impaired short-term shortage of logical and associative memory, without activity on spatial and visual memory, whereas CDDZ1 showed no difference from the placebo. Neither CDDZ1 nor CDDZ2 impaired the level of vigilance and the information processes the morning after use of the drug.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Catecholaminergic drugs in chronic schizophrenia.

The effect of dopaminergic-related and stimulatory drugs have been studied in chronic hebephrenic schizophrenics untreated with neuroleptic drugs. 6 patients received therapy of 2 g L-dopa + 200 mg carbodopa per day orally for 30 days, then placebo for 30 days. Following that 3 of the same patients received therapy of 2 g L-dopa + 200 mg carbodopa + 300 mg imipramine orally for 30 days, then placebo for 30 days. Following that the same 3 patients received 1 mg apomorphine s.c. for 15 days, then placebo for 15 days, then 1 mg apomorphine s.c. + 2 g L-dopa + 200 mg carbodopa per os daily for 15 days, then placebo for 15 days. The patients were examined psychologically by the Wittenborn Rating Scale, the Weigl Object-Sorting Test, and tests for verbal learning and verbal association, before and after each therapeutic trial. Levels of FSH, LH, testosterone and GH were assayed radioimmunologically before, in the middle of and after each course of therapy. 2 patients showed improvement in the affective-behavioural symptomatology during therapy, while the other 4, who had a more severe degree of mental deterioration and destruction, were unchanged. FSH and LH levels, very low under basal conditions, did not change under therapy. Testosterone was very low before therapy and increased in only 1 subject. Normal basal GH levels increased during therapy in some of the patients, but not constantly. The results obtained are discussed in relation to the catecholamine hypotheses of schizophrenia.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Sleep, psychophysiological functioning and learning processes in schizophrenia.

Sleep research has underlined how sleep is a specific functional moment inserted in the more complex system of circadian psychobiological rhythms. Many experimental data have evidenced that in particular REM sleep is involved in information processing and cognitive processes. The authors examine correlations between daytime cognitive performances and sleep patterns in a group of 11 schizophrenic patients, and in a control group made of 11 non-schizophrenic (borderline, depressed, character disorders) patients. Results show that there exists a relationship between REM sleep and cognitive activities, beyond nosographic partitions. They on the other side suggest caution in using sleep as a means of discrimination between schizophrenic and non-schizophrenic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Neurophysiological aspects and learning processes in schizophrenic patients.

Two groups of schizophrenic patients (acute and chronic subjects) were observed in order to study possible differences in neuropsychological performances and their relationship with symptomatology. 16 acute and 16 chronic patients, aged 18 to 35 years were tested with a battery of neuropsychological tests (Word Association Test, Serial Verbal Learning, Weigl's test, Simple Reaction Times, Choice Continuous Reaction Time). Clinical profiles were evaluated by means of MMPI and WAIS (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale). Findings concerning cognitive processes show no significant differences between the two groups. Results suggest a correlation between clinical profiles and performances in acute patients, whereas in chronic subjects this correlation seems markedly reduced. Finally, chronicity (i.e. the length of illness) does not seem so be an important factor in determining consistent defects in neuropsychological performances.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1976

A study of the EEG sleep patterns and the sleep and dream experience of a group of schizophrenic patients treated with sulpiride.

The modifications of spontaneous sleep in schizophrenic patients following N-ethyl-2(2-methoxy-5-sulfamido-benzamidomethyl)-pyrrolidine (sulpiride, Dobren) administration are reported in this study. No significant modifications in the quantitative distribution of the various sleep phases (LST, SWS, REM) were observed, while a significant percent increase of SWS was noted, together with a significant decrease in the number of awakenings during the night and an increase of the sleep onset time. The patients' own difficulty to fall asleep, however, decreased significantly, and also a significant increase of dream recall could be observed.

Adult↗