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Biomedical subjects

U Halbreich

Publications and source records attributed to U Halbreich.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Clinical significance of premenstrual dysphoric changes.

Women who report premenstrual dysphoric changes are more likely to have had prior (and are at increased risk for subsequent) episodes of major depressive disorder than are women who do not experience these changes. Women who are currently depressed tend to have premenstrual exacerbations or changes in their symptoms. During the premenstrual period, there is an increased likelihood of suicidal, aggressive, or impulsive behavior and for admission to a psychiatric facility. The authors discuss the possible influence of menstrual cycle phases on the evaluation and treatment of women by investigators and therapists.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1988

Premenstrual changes. Impaired hormonal homeostasis.

Premenstrual changes (PMCs) in mood and behavior are very prevalent. Nonetheless, their pathophysiology is still obscure and no proven treatment is yet available. Evaluation of the plethora of available data leads to the suggestion that PMCs may result from a temporary impairment of homeostasis among a multitude of systems. This impairment is triggered by a differential pace and magnitude of change-over-time in levels of several hormones and other substances during the luteal phase.

Dietary Carbohydrates↗
PubMed1988

Premenstrual changes. Impaired hormonal homeostasis.

Premenstrual changes (PMCs) in mood and behavior are very prevalent. Nonetheless, their pathophysiology is still obscure and no proven treatment is yet available. Evaluation of the plethora of available data leads to the suggestion that PMCs may result from a temporary impairment of homeostasis among a multitude of systems. This impairment is triggered by a differential pace and magnitude of change-over-time in levels of several hormones and other substances during the luteal phase.

Endorphins↗
PubMed1987

Afternoon continuous plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol and age. Distinctive biologic subgroups of endogenous depression?

Afternoon continuous plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) were first shown to be a good representation of the mean 24-hour plasma level of MHPG in 18 normal subjects. Then, after the stability of the procedure was tested and retested, the afternoon continuous test for plasma MHPG levels was performed in 57 normal subjects and 42 endogenously depressed patients. A significant correlation between plasma MHPG levels and age was found in normal subjects and depressive patients. When the variable of age was taken into account, a distinct pattern of increasing plasma MHPG levels with age--the "MHPG per age"--was found in the depressed patients, especially the women, who could be divided into high or low MHPG per age groups. There was almost no association between plasma levels of MHPG or MHPG per age values and clinical symptoms, and the two biologic subgroups did not differ clinically.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The relationship of the dexamethasone suppression test (1 mg and 2 mg) to basal plasma cortisol levels in endogenous depression.

The 1 mg and 2 mg dexamethasone suppression tests (DST) were evaluated in two groups of endogenously depressed patients (n = 39 and n = 30, respectively) who also had a 1300-1600 hr basal cortisol assessment. Non-suppressors (on both DSTs) had significantly higher basal plasma cortisol levels and thus were significantly associated with relative cortisol hypersecretion. However, there was only a partial overlap between DST response and basal plasma cortisol, with a large variation of cortisol levels among non-suppressors. The 2 mg DST appears to be more specific for cortisol hypersecretion than the 1 mg DST. If cortisol hypersecretion is to be identified, neither the 1 mg or 2 mg DST is an adequate assessment nor a substitute for a basal cortisol assessment.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system in panic disorder.

The authors evaluated 24 outpatients with panic disorder by means of the afternoon continuous test for cortisol and the 1-mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and compared the results with those of 38 outpatients with major depressive disorder and 61 healthy control subjects. The mean basal cortisol level of the patients with panic disorder was significantly higher than that of the normal control subjects but almost identical to that of the depressed patients. Only three of the patients with panic disorder had abnormal DST results. These results indicate that patients with panic disorder have an abnormality of at least one function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system which overlaps the abnormality in major depressive disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Determination of total 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol in plasma using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection.

A method is described for determination of total (free plus conjugated) 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) in plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. After enzymatic hydrolysis of conjugates and deproteinization with zinc sulfate and sodium hydroxide, free MHPG is isolated by extraction prior to isocratic chromatographic separation. The absolute detection limit is about 30 pg which corresponds to a plasma concentration of 2-3 ng/ml when 0.5 ml of plasma is analyzed. Average within-analysis and between-analysis coefficients of variation (6.5 and 8.9%, respectively) are suitable for routine clinical analyses. Severe icterus is without effect, but even mild hemolysis causes detectable losses of MHPG from plasma. The mean +/- S.D. plasma MHPG concentration observed in sixteen healthy individuals (14.5 +/- 3.9 ng/ml) compares favorably with values reported using more complex reference methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Relationship between serum cortisol, liver function, and depression in detoxified alcoholics.

High levels of serum cortisol or abnormal dexamethasone suppression tests may be helpful in diagnosing major depressive disorder. However, a controversy exists as to whether abnormal liver function associated with alcohol abuse may negate the diagnostic value of the dexamethasone suppression test in alcoholics. We investigated the value of the dexamethasone suppression test in alcoholics by analyzing the liver function, cortisol levels, and psychiatric status of inpatients from an alcohol detoxification treatment center. The subjects met the DSM III criteria for alcohol dependence but took no chronic medication and had negative screening for substance abuse. They had routine blood screening to evaluate liver function, the afternoon cortisol test and dexamethasone suppression test to study glucocorticoid activity, and a structured evaluation to determine psychiatric diagnoses. The blood chemistry findings demonstrated a lack of significant liver synthetic dysfunction in this group, although 43% of the subjects had some elevation of their liver enzymes. We did not find differences in the liver function between patients with normal and abnormal cortisol levels. However, subjects with endogenous depression did have significantly elevated afternoon cortisol levels, and they tended to have more normal liver tests. These results indicate that modest liver dysfunction does not contaminate the validity of the plasma cortisol tests or the dexamethasone suppression test as diagnostic tools for assessing depression in this group of detoxified alcoholics. In addition, they demonstrate an association between depression and plasma cortisol levels and suggest a correlation between depression and better liver function in alcoholics who seek detoxification.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Premenstrual changes and changes in gonadal hormones.

Changes in plasma levels of estradiol and progesterone and their temporal relationship with changes in mood and behavior were studied along the menstrual cycle in 17 normal women with a wide range of severity and types of premenstrual changes (PMC). Emphasizing changes in hormonal levels over time as well as their rates of change, selective clinical features of premenstrual changes were found to be positively associated with peak levels of progesterone, its rate of decrease over time, and the ratio between the rates of decrease-over-time of progesterone and estradiol levels. A time-lag of 4-7 days between changes in plasma levels of progesterone and changes in clinical features was also found. Rate of change of estradiol was somewhat associated with clinical PMC. It is suggested that the association between gonadal hormones, other biological changes, and mood should be further studied as a diversified, dynamic, time-related process.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Dexamethasone suppression test in schizophrenia. A study and review.

The prevalence of an abnormal response to the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST) was examined in 40 inpatients suffering from a major depressive disorder (MDD), 17 inpatients suffering from schizophrenia, and 30 normal controls. 23.5% of the schizophrenics were DST nonsuppressors compared to 52.5% of MDD patients and 6.7% of normal controls. The prevalence of abnormal DST in schizophrenics in the literature is reviewed and factors like the presence of depression, doses of dexamethasone, and hospital admission, which may account for the wide variability of prevalence among studies (0-35%), are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

The dexamethasone suppression test (1 mg and 2 mg) in major depression: illness versus recovery.

This study reexamined the 1 mg and 2 mg DST in endogenous depression. Two groups of depressives were evaluated during illness and shortly after clinical recovery; one group with the 2 mg DST (N = 29) and another with the 1 mg DST (N = 16). The 2 mg DST was found to be a reliable state marker: all nonsuppressors during illness (N = 9) became suppressors after recovery. In contrast, the 1 mg DST was not a useful state marker: over 50% of the nonsuppressors during illness remained nonsuppressors after clinical recovery. A discussion of these discrepant findings dependent on the dose of dexamethasone is presented. This study suggests that although most psychiatric investigations are utilizing the 1 mg DST, the 2 mg DST should be reexamined.

Depressive Disorder↗
PubMed1985

Cortisol secretion in endogenous depression. I. Basal plasma levels.

Plasma levels of cortisol were sampled for 24 hours in 32 endogenously depressed (ED) patients and 72 normal controls who also underwent the dexamethasone suppression test. The ED patients had significantly higher mean 24-hour plasma levels of cortisol (means 24h PC). However, means 24h PC values of subjects in both groups were normally distributed, with a marked overlap between the two. Only seven ED patients had means 24h PC values higher than 2 SDs from the normal mean (greater than 10 micrograms/dL). An abnormal dexamethasone suppression test result was only partially related to basal cortisol levels. The mean plasma level of cortisol between 1 and 4 PM was found to be highly correlated with the means 24h PC value in ED patients, as has been previously reported in normal subjects and patients with various other diseases (in which it also powerfully discriminated between hypersecretors and normosecretors). This finding supports the use of mean cortisol levels between 1 and 4 PM as a reliable and convenient indication of cortisol secretion.

Adolescent↗