Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W M Petrie

Publications and source records attributed to W M Petrie.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1985

Vitamins in psychiatry. Do they have a role?

Deficiencies of specific vitamins produce consistent symptoms of psychiatric disorder. Thiamine deficiency, which is common in alcoholism, can produce confusion and psychotic symptoms, in addition to neurological signs. Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency may contribute symptoms of disorientation, depression or psychosis; their measurement is a part of routine dementia work-ups. Pyridoxine deficiency results in seizures, although the effects of exogenously administered pyridoxine are not clearly understood in depression and anxiety - the disorders in which it is most frequently used clinically. The use of vitamins has been most prominent in psychiatry in the treatment of schizophrenia, where large doses of nicotinic acid were initially given alone and later combined with other vitamins and minerals. Several theoretical models were described to support the use of vitamins in schizophrenia. These included: the parallels of schizophrenia to the psychiatric symptoms of pellagra; hypotheses of a defect in adrenaline metabolism; and the accumulation of psychotoxic substances which produce psychotic symptoms. Initially, positive results were reported over 30 years ago, but have not been replicated by thorough investigations. An extensive series of comprehensive placebo-controlled trials failed to show efficacy for any of the vitamin therapies tested. Although clearly less effective than antipsychotic drug treatment, vitamin therapy is not without risks - adverse effects have been reported with nicotinic acid, pyridoxine and vitamin C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Folic Acid Deficiency↗
PubMed1985

Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is an extremely prevalent illness that has been more clearly understood in recent years. Although its cause is unknown, it is in some cases genetically transmissable. Symptoms include forgetfulness, memory loss, and confusion early in the illness and culminate in loss of personality and total cognitive degeneration. Diagnosis can be made with certainty only at autopsy, but the clinician must carefully eliminate treatable and partially treatable illnesses that present as dementia. A deficit of choline acetyltransferase seems specific to the disease and has been correlated to the neuropathologic changes in brains of patients with AD as well as to clinical symptomatology. While pharmacologic treatment strategies have attempted to increase brain acetylcholine function, they have not been clinically successful to date. Antipsychotic agents remain the treatment of choice for many AD patients, although helping the family care for such patients may be the most valuable service the physician can provide.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

Cholinergic effects on arousal and cocaine-induced olfactory-amygdala spindling and seizures in cats.

Effects of intravenous cholinergic and dopaminergic agents on pre-cocaine olfactory bulb (OB) spindling and behavioral arousal, and on cocaine-induced OB-amygdala spindling and behavioral seizures were evaluated in seven cats with stereotaxically implanted electrodes. Spindle data were computer analyzed using a special program for spindle detection and averaging. The number, duration and amplitude of pre-cocaine OB spindles were increased by physostigmine and decreased by atropine. Physostigmine augmented pre-cocaine behavioral arousal levels and this effect was associated with the absence of cocaine seizures. Cocaine-induced amygdala spindle number was increased by physostigmine. Changes in seizure duration following cholinergic drugs suggest cholinergic inhibitory effects. These data, in accord with previous studies showing cholinergic effects on reticulocortical arousal and seizures, suggest a cholinergic mechanism which is excitatory on OB-amygdala arousal spindling and inhibitory on cocaine-induced seizures.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1983

Psychoses with propranolol: a case report.

Functional and organic psychoses have been reported in association with propranolol therapy. The authors report a rare occurrence of both types of psychoses in the same individual at two different times during propranolol therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Violence in geriatric patients.

Two hundred twenty-two patients admitted to a geriatric psychiatry unit were surveyed for the commission of acts dangerous to others. Eighteen of these patients had used either guns or knives in acts of violence. Organic illness accounted for a minority of such acts, the majority having been perpetrated by patients with functional diagnoses of late paraphrenia, schizophrenia, or mania. The most dangerous patients were those who, in a clear sensorium, experienced paranoid delusions, hallucinations, or both, and believed that they were in danger of being attacked. One hundred twenty-one aggressive patients who did not use weapons against others were also identified. This group, which included a larger percentage of patients suffering from dementia, posed a much less serious threat to others than the violent group.

Aged↗
PubMed1982

Systematic studies with amoxapine, a new antidepressant.

Amoxapine, a tricyclic dibenzoxazepine is an antidepressant which in the dosage range of 150-300 mg/day is notable for its rapid onset of action. Because of the rather long, approximately 30-hour, half-life of 8-hydroxyamoxapine, the active metabolite of amoxapine, the possibility was raised that amoxapine therapy may be carried out with single daily dosages. Such a dosage schedule may improve compliance and, if appropriately timed, decrease perception of some of the unwanted effects of the drug. To test the hypothesis that there may be no disadvantages and perhaps even advantages of a once-a-day regimen as compared to a divided dosage schedule, a 6-week double-blind clinical trial was carried out in 35 hospitalized patients with major (18 patients) and minor (17 patients) depressive disorders. While no statistically significant difference was found in overall therapeutic and adverse effects between the groups treated with single or divided daily doses, onset of therapeutic effect appeared a bit faster in the group treated with single daily doses. Of particular relevance for drugs which can be given in single daily doses is their effect on psychomotor performance tests. In view of the findings that a once-a-day dosage regimen with amoxapine may have advantages over divided daily doses, a second study was carried out in which the effects of amoxapine (50 and 100 mg) were compared to an inactive placebo and amitriptyline (50 mg) with and without ethanol in 8 normal male volunteers. The study was double-blind and followed a latin square design. Since the effects of amoxapine on motor reflex, visual-motor coordination and depth perception did not differ significantly from placebo, the results suggest that the effects of amoxapine on the performances measured are clinically insignificant. No significant interaction with ethanol was noted.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

A collaborative study of a new antidepressant, viloxazine, in neurotic and endogenous depressives.

In a multicenter series of trials, viloxazine was compared with imipramine, amitriptyline, doxepin and placebo in 123 neurotic and endogenous depressive inpatients and outpatients. While significant period effects reflecting improvement were obtained on the majority of efficacy variables, no significant differences were obtained among the treatment groups or depressive types. Imipramine and amitriptyline exhibited more anticholinergic adverse reactions; while, viloxazine exhibited greater CNS effects. Dizziness and nausea were much more frequent in neurotic depressives which may be related to their psychopathology.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Viloxazine in the treatment of endogenous depression. A standard (amitriptyline) controlled clinical study.

In a double-blind clinical trial with 20 patients suffering from endogenous depression statistically significant changes (improvement) were present in the scores of all assessment instruments. Although no statistically significant differences occurred between the groups, significant improvement on the HAM-D occurred earlier for amitriptyline and significant improvement occurred earlier on HAM-A for viloxazine. 2 patients were discontinued due to adverse reactions; one for nausea and vomiting while receiving viloxazine and one for paroxysmal atrial tachycardia while receiving amitriptyline. The same number of TES occurred for each group with seven unique to viloxazine (numbness, tingling, palpitation, ejaculation difficulty, nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, epigastric pain and gustatory disturbances) and seven unique to amitriptyline (insomnia, irritability, syncope, tremor, nasal congestion, orthostatic hypertension and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia). Other than for 1 patient who developed syncope and orthostatic hypotension and the patient who developed paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, there were no clinically significant changes in pulse rate, blood pressure and weight. There were no clinical laboratory findings with either drug that were judged to be pathological.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Propranolol and depression.

The authors report the cases of 3 patients who had depressive episodes after administration of propranolol for medical illnesses. The depressive episodes were severe, occurred in a dose-dependent manner, and promptly remitted when propranolol was discontinued. Physicians' awareness of this complication, especially in cases of patients with a history of depression, may reduce the occurrence of this drug reaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Psychiatric changes associated with an excess of folic acid.

Two patients are described here who showed exacerbation of psychotic behavior during treatment with folic acid. The authors conclude that further investigations are warranted, since some reports indicate the antipsychotic potential of folic acid.

Acute Disease↗