Neuropsychobiology

Ban, Thomas A.

doi: 10.1159/000117486pmid: 8743

After reviewing the literature on nicotinic acid in the treatment of schizophrenia, the authors present the results of the Canadian collaborative study. The data indicate that nicotinic acid has no therapeutic effect of schizophrenia.

Essen-Möller, E.; Hagnell, O.

doi: 10.1159/000117487pmid: 1232556

As a supplement to findings made in two studies of the same rural population with a 10-year interval, the ‘reliability’ of various subjective ratings of normal personality was looked into: the variants in validity, solidity, and stability as described by Sjöbring. In addition the findings of Hagnell, according to which the above-mentioned normal variants of personality hardly influenced first incidence of mental disorder during the period of observation, while so-called ‘Ιesional’ variants did, were further investigated and confirmed.

von Knorring, L.

doi: 10.1159/000117488pmid: 1232557

An experience of pain according to Merskey’s definition was found in 24 out of 40 consecutive patients with depressive disorders. No age or sex differences were found between patients with and those without an experience of pain. In a comparison of ratings using the Cronholm-Ottosson depression rating scale, patients with an experience of pain were found to have a more severe type of depression, more psychic and vegetative anxiety, more motoric restlessness, more local tension, more thoughts of suicide, more hypochondriacal ideas, more sleep disturbances and a higher total depression score. On the other hand, no difference was found as regards depressive ideas, intellectual, conative or emotional inhibition or psychomotoric retardation. In the experimental part of the study, 30 patients – 18 with an experience of pain – were investigated with pain measures and visual averaged evoked responses. No differences were found in pain measures between patients with and those without an experience of pain. Out of 18 patients with an experience of pain, 15 were found to be augmenters as measured by visual averaged evoked responses. In the group of patients without pain only 4 out of 12 patients were augmenters.

Schulsinger, Fini; Mednick, Sarnoff A.; Venables, Peter H.; Raman, Abdul C.; Bell, Brian

doi: 10.1159/000117489pmid: 1232558

The experimental manipulation method is in general not feasible in studies of the etiology of severe mental illness, whereas this method can be used in studies pertaining to primary prevention, because possible preventive methods would most likely be of a protective or beneficial nature. Preventive experimentation requires early detection of those individuals who will eventually become seriously mentally deviant. A study of children at a high genetic risk for schizophrenia is described. This study suggested certain autonomic nervous system variables as predictors of later serious mental breakdown. In a WHO-sponsored project in Mauritius the authors used these results for the selection of a group of children at risk for mental illness. 1,800 3-year-old Mauritian children were studied socially, psychologically, pediatrically and psychophysiologically between 1972 and 1973. 100 of these children were selected for experimental preventive intervention during their daily presence in two modern kindergartens. Members of this group were characterized by either abnormally fast autonomic recovery or autonomic nonresponding, or normal autonomic responding. A matched group of another 100 children served as a community control. The paper presents preliminary results from the screening of the 1,800 children.

Shopsin, Baron; Janowsky, David; Davis, John; Gershon, Samuel

doi: 10.1159/000117490pmid: 8744

The authors have administered physostigmine intravenously to three hospitalized manic patients on a double-blind basis. All three individuals showed clinical change both during and after the physostigmine period, which can be clearly delineated into three distinct phases. The behavioral modifications occurring during the physostigmine run did not qualitatively alter the underlying mania. The authors focus on ‘rebound’ phenomena, or post-physostigmine changes, as a possible clinical index with which chemically to characterize the initial state of amine imbalance responsible for a given affective illness. The data are considered consistent with an adrenergic-dopaminergic-cholinergic balance hypothesis of affective disorders, and may provide a relevant link in understanding the interface or crossover between manic and schizo-affective illness.

Levitt, M.; Mendlewicz, J.; Fleiss, J.L.; Fieve, R.R.

doi: 10.1159/000117491pmid: 1232559

This report describes the effects of treatment with lithium (Li), rubidium (Rb) and sodium (Na; 1 mEq/kg/day) for 7 days on norepinephrine (NE) turnover in mouse heart. The effects of several drugs which modify the uptake and storage of NE were also studied in similarly pretreated mice. A method based on the combustion of tissue tritium to tritiated water was used to assay tritiated l-norepinephrine (l-NE-³H) concentrations in individual hearts. The rate of decline of tissue tritium concentrations in groups of pretreated mice maintained at ambient temperature (23–24 °C) or in the cold (4-5 °C) was determined. The results indicate that, compared to Na, Li and Rb did not modify the tritium turnover rate in mouse heart. Pretreatment with Li or Rb did not modify the uptake of tritiated NE in the heart. The effects of desipramine, cocaine, bretylium and chlorpromazine on NE uptake were not altered by the alkali ions. Further, pretreatment did not modify NE release by tyramine, metaraminol and guanethidine. These studies suggest that Li and Rb do not modify NE uptake, release and storage in mouse heart.

doi: 10.1159/000117492pmid: N/A