Biomedical subjects

U Polzer

Publications and source records attributed to U Polzer.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Efficacy and safety of high-dose cabergoline in Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of high-dose (up to 20 mg/day) cabergoline in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with motor fluctuations and/or dyskinesias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-four PD patients had cabergoline up-titrated and their levodopa (L-dopa) reduced over a maximum of 20 weeks, followed by at least 6 weeks steady cabergoline dosing. Primary endpoint was change in mean hyperkinesia intensity at the final visit (week 26). RESULTS: Mean (+/- SD) cabergoline was increased from 6.43 +/- 2.66 to 12.78 +/- 5.67 mg/day and mean L-dopa reduced from 606.6 +/- 263.9 to 370.6 +/- 192.5 mg/day. A significant reduction (P < 0.001) in mean hyperkinesia intensity occurred from baseline (day 0) to week 26. Improvements in 'on with dyskinesias', mean dystonia intensity (P < 0.05), time spent in 'severe off' condition, severity of 'off' periods as well as clinical/patient global impression, and health-related quality of life were observed. Twenty-four drug-related adverse events were recorded of which four were regarded as serious. CONCLUSION: High-dose cabergoline was well tolerated and provided significant improvements in the Parkinson symptomatology and a reduced requirement for L-dopa.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

[Multiple sclerosis--how specific is MRI?].

Lesions detected in the white matter by T2-weighted MRI are often inadvertently attributed to multiple sclerosis (MS). This can, as in the following case of a 34-year-old woman, lead to an incorrect diagnosis. The patient had a left-sided atrial myxoma that served as a source of emboli, leading to multiple lacunar lesions. These were incorrectly interpreted as consistent with MS. We discuss the MRT criteria that can lead to specificity of lesions in white matter in patients with clinical symptoms suggestive of MS.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Facial affect recognition in the course of schizophrenia.

Deficits in facial affect recognition have been shown repeatedly in schizophrenia. However, the stability of this deficit over time remains to be clarified. A total of 36 remitted, 32 acutely ill schizophrenic patients and 21 healthy volunteers participated in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. All subjects were assessed twice within 4 weeks (acute schizophrenics and normal controls), or 12 weeks, respectively (remitted schizophrenics). Subjects had to identify six basic emotions from corresponding facial expressions shown as photographs on a video screen. Both acute and remitted schizophrenics demonstrated a stable deficit over time in facial affect recognition unrelated to psychopathology and medication. This suggests that deficits in facial affect recognition in schizophrenia reflect a trait-like, rather than a state-dependent, characteristic.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1993

[Are visual and auditory perception modified in psychopathological assessment of expressive markers of psychiatric patients?].

The assessment of nonverbal expression (e.g. facial action, speech, body movements, etc.) are an important aspect of the diagnostic and prognostic process in psychiatric patients. By means of observer rating scales' expression is usually assessed on different observation levels. It appears that visual and auditory perception of expression interfere with one other. In the present study it was demonstrated, that ratings of certain attributes of expression was significantly more inconsistent in schizophrenic than in depressed patients, provided information was simultaneously displayed to both visual and auditory channels of perception. A "disintegration" of the components of expression in schizophrenics may explain why raters get differings impressions of the patient's overall expression. Moreover, the description of expressive behaviors seems to be influenced by diagnostic stereotypes. The development of a more objective method of assessment would therefore be promising.

Adolescent↗