The effects of caffeine on various body systems: a review

Caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in Western society. The intake of caffeine-containing beverages in many adults and children often reaches levels that can induce pharmacological effects. Ninety-nine percent of ingested caffeine is absorbed and distributed to all tissues and organs. The effects of caffeine intake differ greatly according to acute or chronic intake, level of intake, and the development of tolerance. Caffeine administered acutely to non-users or recent abstainers can induce hypertension, arrhythmias, altered myocardial function, increased plasma catecholamine levels, plasma renin activity, serum cholesterol levels, increased production of urine, gastric acid secretion, and alterations in mood and sleep patterns. Tolerance to chronic caffeine intake develops in most individuals, with the cessation of its effects on the renal system, the cardiovascular system, the gastrointestinal system and, to some extent, the central nervous system. Moderate caffeine consumers probably need to have little concern for the effect of caffeine intake on their health if their other life-style habits are also moderate.     

Platelet phospholipid synthesis in Alzheimer's disease

The rates of incorporation of [3H]choline and [3H]ethanolamine into membrane phospholipids of platelets from 22 drug-free Alzheimer's disease patients and 18 normal elderly controls were compared. No significant differences between groups were found. If alterations in lipid metabolism are involved in the pathophysiological processes underlying Alzheimer's disease, such alterations are not manifest in measures of radiolabeled base incorporation into platelet phospholipids.     

Identification of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism with Biological Parameters

The prevalence and incidence of heavy alcohol consumption are major problems which have been increasing in many countries in recent years. It is crucial for physicians to consistently identify early drinking problems as well as the various end disease states in order to minimize suffering and maximize recovery. This paper reviews the evolutionary development of clinical tools for detection of alcohol abuse. The focus is primarily on clinical/biochemical indicators of alcohol abuse, emphasizing but not limited to changes in hematological characteristics, liver enzyme activity, lipids, immune function factors, hormones, neurological factors, and some physically based tests. Use of test combinations and sophisticated statistical analysis of pattern changes in test batteries evidence increased diagnostic efficiency.     

Empirical assessment of the factorial structure of clinical symptoms in schizophrenic patients: formal thought disorder.

Male schizophrenic patients (n = 142) were examined with a clinical assessment of their language dysfunctions with the Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language, and Communication (TLC). Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the relative fit of several differential theoretical models of the factorial structure of thought disorders. The models examined were positive-negative thought disorder, a three-factor model based on the results of an earlier exploratory factor analysis, and a simpler verbal productivity-disconnection model that can be extracted from other exploratory analyses and empirical studies. The positive-negative thought disorder model failed to fit the data, while the three-factor model fit the data, but no better than the simpler verbal productivity-disconnection model.