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Platelet MAO activity in patients with dysthymic disorder
s22
Poster A. Clinical
placebo sessions. There was however a significant increase in seizure threshold from first to second ECT session evidenced by increase of the number of stimuli required to elicit a seizure in 4 patients and by reduction of the seizure time at the same stimulus level in the remaining 4 patients. Conclusion. TRH did not increase seizure threshold in patients undergoing ECT. Increase of seizure threshold between first and second session should be attributed to the ECT process itself. Exogenous TRH administration does no affect seizure threshold in ECT.
References Sackeim, H., Decina, P., Prohovnik, I., Malitz, S., (1987): Seizure threshold in electroconvulsive therapy: Effects on sex, age, electrode placement and number of treatments. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44: 355360. Post, R.M., (1992) The transduction of psychosocial stress into the neurobiology of recurrent affective disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry 149: 999-1010. Coffey, C.E., Lucke, J., Weiner, R.D., Krystal, A.D., and Aque, M., (1995): Seizure threshold in electroconvulsive therapy: I. Initial seizure threshold. Biological Psychiatry 37: 713-720.
A-46 El
Cytokine alterations in schizophrenic patients
St. Theodoropoulou”, C.N. Baxevanisb, G. Spanakosb, N.G. Papadopoulos b, M. Economou’, M. Papamichailh, C. Stefanis’. “Department ofPsychiatry, Evangelismos General Hospital, hDepartment of Immunology, Hellenic Anticancer Institute and “Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece. The biological mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia have been studied for long. Increased interest has recently surged about immunological alterations, especially certain cytokine production, and their serum or CSF levels. In a previous study we reported preliminary data on serum levels of certain cytokines in a small number of schizophrenic patients. In the current study, we investigated the serum levels of Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Interleukin-lp (IL-lfi) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-(Y) in a larger sample of DSM-III-R diagnosed schizophrenic patients and compared our findings with those of healthy blood donors. Cytokine determination was performed in serum from patients and controls using commercially available ELISA-kits. The mean value of serum IL-2 was significantly lower (p
References 1. Monteleone, P., Fabrazzo, M., Tortorella, A., Maj, M., Plasma levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in chronic schizophrenia: effects of clozauine treatment. Psvchiatrv Res 1997; 71: 11-17. 2. Ganguli, R., Brar, ,S., Chengappa, K.N.R.,*Deleo, M., Yang, Z.W., Shut-in, G., Rabin, B.S. Mitogen-stimulated interleukin-2 production in never-medicated, first-episode schizophrenic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995; 52: 668-72. 3. Theodoropoulou-Vaidaki, St., Baxevanis, C.N., Arsenis, P., Katsiyannis, A., Spanakos, G., Papadopoulos, N.G., Papamichail, M., Stefanis, C.N. Immune dysfunction in schizophrenic patients. Proceedings of the 9th World Congress of Psychiatry. Rio de Janeiro, 1993
IA 47
Platelet MAO activity in patients with dysthymic disorder
J. Tripodianakis”, D. Sarantidis”, M. Markianos. “Evangelismos General Hospital, Psychiatric Department Ipsilantou 45, 10676, Athens, Greece. bAthens University Medical School, Psychiatric Clinic, Eginition Hospital, Vas. Sophias 72 11528, Athens, Greece. The aim of the present study was to examine for possible associations between platelet MAO activity and primary Dysthmic Disorder (DD). For
that purpose we estimated the enzyme activity in 58 patients (15 males and 43 females) selected according to the DSM-III-R criteria and in 61 healthy controls (30 males and 31 females). Platelet MAO activities were found significantly lower in the female patients compared to female controls. Moreover, the enzyme activities were found to be even lower in the female patients who had attempted suicide. These differences did not exist in the male population. We could not find any associations of MAO activity to the age of the patients, the age of onset and the duration of dysthymia, as well as to HAMD (17 items) and SCL-90R scores. Finally, we could not find significant associations of MAO activity with early or late onset type of dysthymia, family history and somatic comorbidity. The finding of lower activity in the female dysthmic patients in our study, compared to the activity in the healthy controls of the same sex, supports the hypothesis that the activity of the enzyme is a trait and not a state dependent indicator of vulnerability to psychopathology for DD and this seems to be valid only for females.
IA-46
The effect of clonidine in the treatment of acute mania
Bogdana Tudorache. Romanian League for Mental Health, Jos. Mihui Bravu 90-96, Bl. DI 7, SC. 4, Ap. 149, Sector 2, Bucharest, Romania Twenty hospitalized patients have been treated for acute mania with doses of 450-750 Kg/day of clonidine (an a;-adrenergic agonist), for one month. The tolerance to the given doses was excellent. A marked decrease of the manic symptoms was noted in 65% of the patients during the first 10 days of the treatment. The response was prompt and maintained for the whole period of the research, the clonidine being efficient on the whole scale of the manic syndrome. The sedating effect was much lower than in the case of neuroleptics; it is quite likely that the clonidine could represent an advance in the acute treatment of manic patients.
A-49 El
The nuclear affects in anxious depression
Veltischev, Psychiatry,
D., Gurevich, J., Seravina, Moscow, 107076, Russia
O., Moscow Research
Institute of
The concept is based on the supposition of correspondence of the nuclear depressive affects (anxious, melancholic and apathetic) in personalities and depressive disorders. These relations are manifested in affective traits, psychopathology of depression and the type of psychobiological reactivity. Methods: The type of nuclear and masking affects has been studied in 107 patients with anxious depression (mild and moderate depressive episodes). The nuclear affects were valued by the associative test Pictoerammes (A. Luria. 1962). The Skin-Window test (J. Rebuck, 1955) was adapted to determine the variant of non-specific immunocompetent defensive mechanism. Results: Anxiety has been revealed in two variants-as a nuclear or masking affect. Anxious nuclear affect has been associated with nonstable personality, psychopathology and psychobiology and with marked side effects of antidepressant treatment; melancholic nuclear affect-with stable personality traits, symptoms of depression and psychobiological reactivity: and apathetic nuclear affect-with hyperstable indicators that suppose the effectiveness of stimulating antidepressant treatment. The results have demonstrated the significance of evaluation of nuclear affects for the diagnosis and treatment of anxious depression subtypes.
IA 50
Nitrous oxide may lead to irreversible neuron damage when abused chronically-a case report
J. Windhaber”, K. Dantendorfer”, P. Schnider”. “Department of Psychiatry, bDepartment of Neurology, University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A- 1090 Vienna, Austria Nitrous oxide is an inorganic gas with narcotic and analgetic effects. It is currently used as an adjuvant during many procedures in which general anesthesia is employed.. Nowadays nitrous oxide is used widespread in the USA for stimulation and recreation. The popularity of nitrous oxide is a growing problem especially in adolescents in Europe too because it is a euphoric and stimulating gas, it produces no “hang over”, it is not
Poster A. Clinical
placebo sessions. There was however a significant increase in seizure threshold from first to second ECT session evidenced by increase of the number of stimuli required to elicit a seizure in 4 patients and by reduction of the seizure time at the same stimulus level in the remaining 4 patients. Conclusion. TRH did not increase seizure threshold in patients undergoing ECT. Increase of seizure threshold between first and second session should be attributed to the ECT process itself. Exogenous TRH administration does no affect seizure threshold in ECT.
References Sackeim, H., Decina, P., Prohovnik, I., Malitz, S., (1987): Seizure threshold in electroconvulsive therapy: Effects on sex, age, electrode placement and number of treatments. Arch Gen Psychiatry 44: 355360. Post, R.M., (1992) The transduction of psychosocial stress into the neurobiology of recurrent affective disorder. Am. J. Psychiatry 149: 999-1010. Coffey, C.E., Lucke, J., Weiner, R.D., Krystal, A.D., and Aque, M., (1995): Seizure threshold in electroconvulsive therapy: I. Initial seizure threshold. Biological Psychiatry 37: 713-720.
A-46 El
Cytokine alterations in schizophrenic patients
St. Theodoropoulou”, C.N. Baxevanisb, G. Spanakosb, N.G. Papadopoulos b, M. Economou’, M. Papamichailh, C. Stefanis’. “Department ofPsychiatry, Evangelismos General Hospital, hDepartment of Immunology, Hellenic Anticancer Institute and “Department of Psychiatry, University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece. The biological mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia have been studied for long. Increased interest has recently surged about immunological alterations, especially certain cytokine production, and their serum or CSF levels. In a previous study we reported preliminary data on serum levels of certain cytokines in a small number of schizophrenic patients. In the current study, we investigated the serum levels of Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Interleukin-lp (IL-lfi) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-(Y) in a larger sample of DSM-III-R diagnosed schizophrenic patients and compared our findings with those of healthy blood donors. Cytokine determination was performed in serum from patients and controls using commercially available ELISA-kits. The mean value of serum IL-2 was significantly lower (p
References 1. Monteleone, P., Fabrazzo, M., Tortorella, A., Maj, M., Plasma levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in chronic schizophrenia: effects of clozauine treatment. Psvchiatrv Res 1997; 71: 11-17. 2. Ganguli, R., Brar, ,S., Chengappa, K.N.R.,*Deleo, M., Yang, Z.W., Shut-in, G., Rabin, B.S. Mitogen-stimulated interleukin-2 production in never-medicated, first-episode schizophrenic patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995; 52: 668-72. 3. Theodoropoulou-Vaidaki, St., Baxevanis, C.N., Arsenis, P., Katsiyannis, A., Spanakos, G., Papadopoulos, N.G., Papamichail, M., Stefanis, C.N. Immune dysfunction in schizophrenic patients. Proceedings of the 9th World Congress of Psychiatry. Rio de Janeiro, 1993
IA 47
Platelet MAO activity in patients with dysthymic disorder
J. Tripodianakis”, D. Sarantidis”, M. Markianos. “Evangelismos General Hospital, Psychiatric Department Ipsilantou 45, 10676, Athens, Greece. bAthens University Medical School, Psychiatric Clinic, Eginition Hospital, Vas. Sophias 72 11528, Athens, Greece. The aim of the present study was to examine for possible associations between platelet MAO activity and primary Dysthmic Disorder (DD). For
that purpose we estimated the enzyme activity in 58 patients (15 males and 43 females) selected according to the DSM-III-R criteria and in 61 healthy controls (30 males and 31 females). Platelet MAO activities were found significantly lower in the female patients compared to female controls. Moreover, the enzyme activities were found to be even lower in the female patients who had attempted suicide. These differences did not exist in the male population. We could not find any associations of MAO activity to the age of the patients, the age of onset and the duration of dysthymia, as well as to HAMD (17 items) and SCL-90R scores. Finally, we could not find significant associations of MAO activity with early or late onset type of dysthymia, family history and somatic comorbidity. The finding of lower activity in the female dysthmic patients in our study, compared to the activity in the healthy controls of the same sex, supports the hypothesis that the activity of the enzyme is a trait and not a state dependent indicator of vulnerability to psychopathology for DD and this seems to be valid only for females.
IA-46
The effect of clonidine in the treatment of acute mania
Bogdana Tudorache. Romanian League for Mental Health, Jos. Mihui Bravu 90-96, Bl. DI 7, SC. 4, Ap. 149, Sector 2, Bucharest, Romania Twenty hospitalized patients have been treated for acute mania with doses of 450-750 Kg/day of clonidine (an a;-adrenergic agonist), for one month. The tolerance to the given doses was excellent. A marked decrease of the manic symptoms was noted in 65% of the patients during the first 10 days of the treatment. The response was prompt and maintained for the whole period of the research, the clonidine being efficient on the whole scale of the manic syndrome. The sedating effect was much lower than in the case of neuroleptics; it is quite likely that the clonidine could represent an advance in the acute treatment of manic patients.
A-49 El
The nuclear affects in anxious depression
Veltischev, Psychiatry,
D., Gurevich, J., Seravina, Moscow, 107076, Russia
O., Moscow Research
Institute of
The concept is based on the supposition of correspondence of the nuclear depressive affects (anxious, melancholic and apathetic) in personalities and depressive disorders. These relations are manifested in affective traits, psychopathology of depression and the type of psychobiological reactivity. Methods: The type of nuclear and masking affects has been studied in 107 patients with anxious depression (mild and moderate depressive episodes). The nuclear affects were valued by the associative test Pictoerammes (A. Luria. 1962). The Skin-Window test (J. Rebuck, 1955) was adapted to determine the variant of non-specific immunocompetent defensive mechanism. Results: Anxiety has been revealed in two variants-as a nuclear or masking affect. Anxious nuclear affect has been associated with nonstable personality, psychopathology and psychobiology and with marked side effects of antidepressant treatment; melancholic nuclear affect-with stable personality traits, symptoms of depression and psychobiological reactivity: and apathetic nuclear affect-with hyperstable indicators that suppose the effectiveness of stimulating antidepressant treatment. The results have demonstrated the significance of evaluation of nuclear affects for the diagnosis and treatment of anxious depression subtypes.
IA 50
Nitrous oxide may lead to irreversible neuron damage when abused chronically-a case report
J. Windhaber”, K. Dantendorfer”, P. Schnider”. “Department of Psychiatry, bDepartment of Neurology, University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A- 1090 Vienna, Austria Nitrous oxide is an inorganic gas with narcotic and analgetic effects. It is currently used as an adjuvant during many procedures in which general anesthesia is employed.. Nowadays nitrous oxide is used widespread in the USA for stimulation and recreation. The popularity of nitrous oxide is a growing problem especially in adolescents in Europe too because it is a euphoric and stimulating gas, it produces no “hang over”, it is not