Maturational changes in the rhythms, patterning, and coordination of respiration and swallow during feeding in preterm and term infants

To study the coordination of respiration and swallow rhythms we assessed feeding episodes in 20 preterm infants (gestational age range at birth 26-33wks; postmenstrual age [PMA] range when studied 32-40wks) and 16 term infants studied on days 1 to 4 (PMA range 37-41wks) and at 1 month (PMA range 41-45wks). A pharyngeal pressure transducer documented swallows and a thoracoabdominal strain gauge recorded respiratory efforts. Coefficients of variation (COVs) of breath-breath (BR-BR) and swallow-breath (SW-BR) intervals during swallow runs, percentage of apneic swallows (at least three swallows without interposed breaths), and phase of respiration relative to swallowing efforts were analyzed. Percentage of apneic swallows decreased with increasing PMA (16.6% [SE 4.7] in preterm infants 35wks; 1.5% [SE 0.4] in term infants; p<0.001). Term infants had significantly lower BR-BR COV (0.405 [SE 0.016]) than preterm infants (0.641 [SE 0.052] at >35wks' PMA; 0.693 [SE 0.059] at 相似文献   

Abnormalities in the coordination of respiration and swallow in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Individual rhythms of suck, swallow, and respiration are disrupted in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Integration of respiration into suck-swallow efforts is critical for establishing coordinated suckle feeding. This study quantitatively assessed the coordination of respiration and swallow in infants with and without BPD. Thirty-four preterm infants of 26 to 33 weeks' gestational age were included: 14 participants with BPD (eight males, six females)and 20 comparison participants without BDP (10 males, 10 females). Participants were studied at postmenstrual age 32 to 40 weeks and postnatal age 2 to 12 weeks using digital recordings of pharyngeal pressure, nasal thermistor flow, and thoraco-abdominal plethysmography. The coefficients of variation (COV; standard deviation/mean) of the swallow-breath (SW-BR) and breath-breath (BR-BR) intervals during swallow runs, the percentage of 'apneic swallows' (runs of >or=3 swallows without interposed breaths), and phase relationships of respiration and swallow were used to quantify rhythmic coordination and integration of respiration into feeding episodes. Apneic swallows were significantly increased after 35 weeks in infants with BPD (mean 13.4% [SE 2.4]) compared with non-BDP infants (6.7% [SE 1.8]; p<0.05), as were SW-BR phase relationships involving apnea. The BPD cohort also had significantly higher SW-BR COV and BR-BR COV than non-BPD infants, indicating less rhythmic coordination of swallowing and respiration during feeding. Results emphasize the need for frequent rests and closer monitoring when feeding infants with respiratory compromise. Quantitative assessment of the underlying rhythms involved in feeding may be predictive of longer-term feeding and neurological problems.     

Developmental patterns of rhythmic suck and swallow in preterm infants

Twenty healthy preterm infants (gestational age 26 to 33 weeks, postmenstrual age [PMA] 32.1 to 39.6 weeks, postnatal age [PNA] 2.0 to 11.6 weeks) were studied weekly from initiation of bottle feeding until discharge, with simultaneous digital recordings of pharyngeal and nipple (teat) pressure and nasal thermistor and thoracic strain gauge readings. The percentage of sucks aggregated into 'runs' (defined as > or = 3 sucks with < or = 2 seconds between suck peaks) increased over time and correlated significantly with PMA (r=0.601, p<0.001). The length of the sucking-runs also correlated significantly with PMA (r=0.613, p<0.001). The stability of sucking rhythm, defined as a function of the mean/SD of the suck interval, was also directly correlated with increasing PMA (r=0.503, p=0.002), as was increasing suck rate (r=0.379, p<0.03). None of these measures was correlated with PNA. Similarly, increasing PMA, but not PNA, correlated with a higher percentage of swallows in runs (r=0.364, p<0.03). Stability of swallow rhythm did not change significantly from 32 to 40 weeks' PMA. In low-risk preterm infants, increasing PMA is correlated with a faster and more stable sucking rhythm and with increasing organization into longer suck and swallow runs. Stable swallow rhythm appears to be established earlier than suck rhythm. The fact that PMA is a better predictor than PNA of these patterns lends support to the concept that these patterns are innate rather than learned behaviors. Quantitative assessment of the stability of suck and swallow rhythms in preterm infants may allow prediction of subsequent feeding dysfunction as well as more general underlying neurological impairment. Knowledge of the normal ontogeny of the rhythms of suck and swallow may also enable us to differentiate immature (but normal) feeding patterns in preterm infants from dysmature (abnormal) patterns, allowing more appropriate intervention measures.     

Integration of suck and swallow rhythms during feeding in preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia

The aim of this study was to define quantitative measures for assessing the integration and maturation of suck and swallow rhythms in preterm infants as they relate to each other. Fourteen preterm infants (eight males, six females; gestational age range 26 to 32 weeks) with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and an age-matched cohort of 20 infants (10 males, 10 females; gestational age range 26 to 33 weeks) without BPD were studied weekly from time of initiation of oral feeding using simultaneous recordings of nipple and pharyngeal pressure. The integration of suck and swallow rhythms was quantified by using the coefficient of variation (COV) of the suck-swallow dyad interval. Infants without BPD had a significant correlation between increasing postmenstrual age (PMA) and decreasing COV of the dyadic interval (increasing stabilization; r=0.45; p=0.008). In the non-BPD cohort 35 weeks or less PMA, the mean dyadic COV was 0.42 (SD 0.12) versus 0.34 (SD 0.09) in those more than 35 weeks PMA (p=0.039). In contrast, dyadic stability in infants with BPD was not correlated with PMA. Infants with BPD of more than 35 weeks PMA had less dyadic stability (0.45, SD 0.10) than did age-matched controls (p<0.001). Dyadic stability was also correlated with feeding efficiency in the non-BPD group (r=0.46;p=0.007) but not in the BPD cohort. Therefore, ontogeny of rhythmic suckle feeding can be described quantitatively in preterm infants, allowing comparison with at-risk populations. Infants with BPD do not follow predicted maturational patterns of suck-swallow rhythmic integration.     

Changes in rhythmic suckle feeding patterns in term infants in the first month of life

To quantify parameters of rhythmic suckle feeding in healthy term infants and to assess developmental changes during the first month of life, we recorded pharyngeal and nipple pressure in 16 infants at 1 to 4 days of age and again at 1 month. Over the first month of life in term infants, sucks and swallows become more rapid and increasingly organized into runs. Suck rate increased from 55/minute in the immediate postnatal period to 70/minute by the end of the first month (p<0.001). The percentage of sucks in runs of > or =3 increased from 72.7% (SD 12.8) to 87.9% (SD 9.1; p=0.001). Average length of suck runs also increased over the first month. Swallow rate increased slightly by the end of the first month, from about 46 to 50/minute (p=0.019), as did percentage of swallows in runs (76.8%, SD 14.9 versus 54.6%, SD 19.2; p=0.002). Efficiency of feeding, as measured by volume of nutrient per suck (0.17, SD 0.08 versus 0.30, SD 0.11 cc/suck; p=0.008) and per swallow (0.23, SD 0.11 versus 0.44, SD 0.19 cc/swallow; p=0.002), almost doubled over the first month. The rhythmic stability of swallow-swallow, suck-suck, and suck-swallow dyadic interval, quantified using the coefficient of variation of the interval, was similar at the two age points, indicating that rhythmic stability of suck and swallow, individually and interactively, appears to be established by term. Percentage of sucks and swallows in 1:1 ratios (dyads), decreased from 78.8% (SD 20.1) shortly after birth to 57.5% (SD 25.8) at 1 month of age (p=0.002), demonstrating that the predominant 1:1 ratio of suck to swallow is more variable at 1 month, with the addition of ratios of 2:1, 3:1, and so on, and suggesting that infants gain the ability to adjust feeding patterns to improve efficiency. Knowledge of normal development in term infants provides a gold standard against which rhythmic patterns in preterm and other high-risk infants can be measured, and may allow earlier identification of infants at risk of neurodevelopmental delay and feeding disorders.     

Pharyngeal biorhythms during oral milk challenge in high-risk infants: Do they predict chronic tube feeding?

Background

Eating difficulties are common in high-risk neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infants; mechanisms remain unclear. Crib-side pharyngo-esophageal motility testing is utilized to assess contiguous swallowing physiology, and cross-system interplay with cardio-respiratory rhythms. Aims were to: (1) identify whether distinct pharyngeal rhythms exist during oral milk challenge (OMC), and (2) develop a chronic tube feeding risk prediction model in high-risk infants.

Methods

Symptomatic NICU infants (N = 56, 29.7 ± 3.7 weeks birth gestation) underwent pharyngo-esophageal manometry with OMC at 40.9 ± 2.5 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA). Exploratory cluster data analysis (partitioning around k-medoids) was performed to identify patient groups using pharyngeal contractile rhythm data (solitary swallows and swallows within bursts). Subsequently, (a) pharyngeal-esophageal, cardio-respiratory, and eating method characteristics were compared among patient groups using linear mixed models, and (b) chronic tube feeding prediction model was created using linear regression.

Results

Three distinct patient groups were identified with validity score of 0.6, and termed sparse (high frequency of solitary swallows), intermediate, or robust (high swallow rate within bursts). Robust group infants had: lesser pharyngeal and esophageal variability, greater deglutition apnea, pharyngeal activity, and esophageal activity (all p < 0.05), but less frequent heart rate decreases (p < 0.05) with improved clinical outcomes (milk transfer rate, p < 0.001, and independent oral feeding at discharge, p < 0.03). Chronic tube feeding risk = −11.37 + (0.22 × PMA) + (−0.73 × bronchopulmonary dysplasia) + (1.46 × intermediate group) + (2.57 × sparse group).

Conclusions

Robust pharyngeal rhythm may be an ideal neurosensorimotor biomarker of independent oral feeding. Differential maturation of cranial nerve-mediated excitatory and inhibitory components involving foregut, airway, and cardiac rhythms distinguishes the physiologic and pathophysiologic basis of swallowing and cardio-respiratory adaptation.     

Cervical accelerometry in preterm infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Cervical accelerometry with digital signal processing (DSP) can identify signals that are consistently associated with swallowing during feeding of infants. It is shown that these signals, called initial discrete sounds (IDSs), become more uniform with advancing postmenstrual age (PMA) in healthy preterm infants. The objectives of this study were to determine if cervical accelerometry and DSP at a higher sample rate than previously used (22 kHz versus 16 kHz), in conjunction with a DSP software package that allows manipulation of the sound files, would improve the accuracy of the previously developed variance index (VI) method of analyzing accelerometric information. The modified VI method was then used to measure developmental differences in the IDS morphology of infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). VIs were calculated for 24 feeding studies of infants of between 32 and 39 weeks PMA: 12 studies on healthy preterm infants (n = 10: three males, seven females; mean gestational age [GA] 28.6 weeks, SD 0.4; mean birthweight [BW] 1080 g, SD 82; PMA mean 35.2 weeks, SD 0.6) and 12 studies on infants with BPD (n = 7: five males, two females; GA 27.1 weeks, SD 0.4; BW 911 g, SD 71; PMA 36.2 weeks, SD 0.6). There was a significant inverse correlation between VI and PMA for the healthy preterm group (r = 0.66, m = -2.31/week,p = 0.02). There was no significant correlation between VI and PMA for the BPD cohort. The VI of infants with BPD was significantly different from that of infants without BPD (p < 0.007, multiple regression analysis, interaction PMA x Group). Additionally, using our modified VI technique, 100% of swallows were found to have the expected IDS signals.     

Respiratory patterns and strategies during feeding in preterm infants

Because patterns of integration of respiration into rhythmic suck-swallow efforts are highly variable, we examined the vagaries of respiratory efforts as they evolve from the first tentative attempts at integration through more complex rhythmic interactions, with a focus on several strategies in which breathing and suck-swallow are coordinated. Thirty-four preterm infants (18 males, 16 females) of 26 to 33 weeks gestational age, 32 to 40 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA), and 2 to 12 weeks postnatal age were studied weekly from initiation of bottle feeding (using breast milk or preterm formula, both fed from a bottle) until discharge, with simultaneous digital recordings of pharyngeal pressure, nasal thermistor airflow, and thoraco-abdominal strain-gauge readings. Exceptional patterns of feeding-adapted variations of respiration were noted, including breathing during swallow, alternating blocks of suck-swallow and respiration efforts, narial airflow without thoracic movement, modulation of respiratory phase relationship against swallow rhythm, and paired rhythms with swallow:breath ratios of more than 1:1. Some of these strategies were developmentally regulated. Alternating blocks of suck-swallow and respiratory efforts were only seen in the earliest (PMA 32-33 wks) studies. In contrast, coordination and phase relationships of suck-swallow and breathing stabilized over time, as did the percentage of synchronized narial and thoracic respiratory efforts, which increased significantly after 36 weeks PMA compared with synchronization at 32 to 33.9 and 34 to 35.9 weeks PMA (p<0.05). There was also a significant positive correlation between percentage synchronization and PMA (r=0.58; p<0.001). The strategies and patterns noted here further clarify the developmentally regulated coordination of suck, swallow, and respiration into mature infant feeding, and may be predictive of those infants with short- and long-term feeding or developmental difficulties.     

Coordination of suck-swallow-respiration in infants born to mothers with drug-abuse problems

To delineate quantitatively differences in suck-swallow-respiration coordination during feeding in term infants exposed to drugs in utero, 16 control infants (10 females, six males; mean birthweight 3209g, standard error of the mean [SEM] 103g) and 15 drug-exposed infants (seven females, eight males; seven cocaine, eight opiates; neonatal abstinence [Finnegan] scores less than 10; mean birthweight 3001g, SEM 93g) were studied in the first three days of life and again at one month of age. Coefficients of variation (COVs) of suck-suck, swallow-swallow, and breath-breath intervals were used as measures of stability of individual rhythms. COVs of suck-swallow and swallow-breath intervals were used to determine stability of multiply integrated rhythms. In the first three days of life, a significantly higher percentage of 'apneic swallows' (runs of three or more swallows not associated with breathing movements, divided by total run-swallows) was noted during feeding in the drug-exposed infants (mean 5.3% SEM 1.7%) compared with controls (mean 0.9%, SEM 0.4%;p<0.02), who also had less breath-breath rhythmic stability (higher COV) and shorter swallow-breath intervals. These differences were no longer evident at one month of age. Opiate-exposed infants were generally more affected than the cocaine-exposed infants. Swallowing was less rhythmic in the drug-exposed cohort, especially in opiate-exposed infants, but this difference also disappeared by one month. In the first days of life, drug-exposed infants were less efficient feeders, ingesting less volume per run-swallow than controls (mean 0.31ml, SEM 0.05ml, versus 0.45ml, SEM 0.05ml;p<0.05). The decreased efficiency appeared to be compensated for by a slightly faster swallow rate (mean 53 swallows per minute SEM 2 versus 47 swallows per min, SEM 1, in controls;p<0.005). By one month of age these differences between groups had disappeared as well. Intrauterine drug exposure, even in infants with relatively mild symptoms of withdrawal, may adversely impact development of brainstem respiratory and swallow centers, thus affecting, albeit transiently, the underlying biorhythms of feeding.     

Effect of auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention on length of stay, alertness, and feeding progression in preterm infants

This study determined whether an auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention (ATVV) reduced the length of hospitalization of 37 preterm infants by increasing the proportion of alert behavioral states, thereby improving their feeding progression. Participants comprised 12 infants born between 23 and 26 weeks' gestation with normal head ultrasounds and 25 CNS-injured infants born between 23 and 31 weeks' gestation. Infants were randomly assigned to the control group (11 males, five females) or study group (seven males, 14 females) at 32 weeks' postconceptional age. ATVV intervention was administered to the study group for 15 minutes, twice daily, 5 days per week, from 33 weeks of age until discharge. The study group demonstrated increased alertness during the first 5 minutes of intervention, which was significantly correlated to length of stay (p<0.05). The proportion of nippled (teat) intake increased significantly faster for the study group (p=0.0001). Infants in the study group were discharged at a mean of 36.54 weeks, 1.6 weeks earlier than control infants (p<0.05). ATVV intervention facilitated increased alertness, faster transition to complete nipple feeding, and decreased length of hospitalization.     

Increased swallowing frequency in GORD is likely to be caused by perception of reflux episodes

Abstract  Patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) swallow air more frequently and have more gas-containing reflux episodes than healthy controls. One explanation for this phenomenon may be that GORD patients primarily swallow more frequently and, as a consequence, have more swallow- or transient lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation-associated reflux episodes. Another explanation may be that GORD patients swallow more often in response to perception of reflux episodes. The aim of this study was to differentiate between these two possible mechanisms. In 34 patients with typical reflux symptoms oesophageal 24-h pH-impedance monitoring was performed twice, once off and once on proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. The number of reflux episodes and number of swallows and air swallows was evaluated. The symptom association probability (SAP) was used to distinguish patients with a good relationship between symptoms and reflux episodes (SAP+) from those who had not (SAP−). In both the SAP+ ( n  = 21) as SAP− patients ( n  = 13), the acid exposure time decreased during PPI therapy. In the SAP+ patients, the number of swallows decreased on PPI (829 ± 85 off vs 701 ± 79 on PPI, P  < 0.05), whereas in the SAP− patients, the incidence of swallows (802 ± 93 off vs 814 ± 69 on PPI, P  = NS) was not influenced by the PPI therapy. PPI therapy reduces the number of swallows in patients with a positive SAP, but not in those with a negative SAP. This finding supports the hypothesis that the increased incidence of swallows in GORD is brought about by responses to perceived reflux events.     

Premorbid adjustment in bipolar disorder: comparison with schizophrenia

Knowledge that poor premorbid adjustment (PMA) precedes illness onset in many schizophrenia cases can facilitate early detection. Increasing consideration is being given to a similar early detection strategy for bipolar disorder (BPD). Results of this preliminary investigation comparing PMA in BPD (N = 53) and schizophrenia (N = 39) outpatients revealed a significant difference at the late adolescent (F[1,58] = 4.499, p = 0.038) stage only, with specific differences in two areas of PMA: adaptation to school (t [58] = 1.83, p = 0.036) and social sexual functioning (t [58] = 2.441, p = 0.009). However, mood state may affect some PMA ratings in BPD. Depression ratings were not correlated with reported late adolescent PMA, but a significant, positive correlation was found for the childhood stage (r = 0.32, p = 0.02). Findings fail to support a trend similar to schizophrenia of deteriorating PMA in BPD; however, the approach to investigations of PMA in BPD may need to be reconsidered.     

间歇经口至食管管饲在急性卒中合并吞咽障碍患者中的应用研究

目的 探讨间歇经口至食管管饲(intermittent oro-esophageal tube feeding,IOE)在急性卒中合并吞咽障碍患者中的应用效果.方法 本研究为前瞻性随机对照研究,连续纳入2018年1月-2020年9月南京大学医学院附属鼓楼医院急诊科收治的急性卒中合并吞咽障碍患者,使用分层随机化方式将患者...     

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia predicts adverse developmental and clinical outcomes in very-low-birthweight infants

This study examined the developmental and clinical outcomes in very-low-birthweight (VLBW; < or =1500g) infants with and without bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) throughout infancy, and assessed if BPD predicted poor developmental outcome beyond the effects of other risk factors. One hundred and three VLBW infants (53 males, 50 females; mean gestational age 28wks [SD 2] birthweight 1041g [SD 261]) were graded for severity of BPD according to the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus definition. Neuro-development was assessed using the Neonatal Neurobehavioral Examination-Chinese version, at 36 and 39 weeks' postmenstrual age, and the 2nd edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 6 and 12 months' corrected age. Clinical outcome was measured by means of rehospitalization for pulmonary causes and treatment with pulmonary medications. Compared with infants without BPD, infants with BPD had higher rates of clinical morbidity, and those with severe BPD further exhibited higher incidences of developmental delay throughout infancy. BPD predicts poor 1-year developmental and clinical outcomes in VLBW infants for which effects are well correlated to the NIH consensus definition.     

Modulations in breathing patterns during intermittent feeding in term infants and preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia

As infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have difficulty maintaining adequate levels of oxygenation during rest, it was decided to investigate how the additional respiratory demands associated with nutritive feeding disrupt their breathing rates. The sucking and breathing patterns of six (three male, three female) preterm infants (between 23 and 29 weeks gestational age at birth), classified as having BPD were individually compared with the patterns observed in 12 (six male, six female) healthy term (control) infants (> or = 38 weeks gestational age at birth) with no known respiratory ailments. All infants were recruited from the neonatal unit at Simpson's Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh, Scotland. In general, the breathing patterns recorded for the infants with BPD during the pause periods of intermittent feeding lacked the striking regularity observed in the term infants. It was found that the severity of the BPD affected breathing rates by significantly reducing the duration and the regularity of a breath (P<0.05) while sucking during the intermittent phase of feeding.     

Development of pharyngo‐esophageal physiology during swallowing in the preterm infant

Background Poor feeding is a common cause of prolonged hospitalization of preterm infants. Pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) function of preterm infants has been technically difficult to assess and is therefore poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to assess the development of pharyngeal motility, UES function, and their coordination during nutritive swallowing in preterm infants. Methods Development of swallowing was assessed in 18 preterm infants. High resolution manometry was performed at first oral feeding attempt (31–32 week) and then weekly for 4 weeks. Pharyngeal and UES pressure changes were characterized in 980 swallows. Key Results During swallowing, we observed an age‐related increase in peak pharyngeal pressure at the laryngeal inlet (1 cm above UES) but an age‐related decrease in the time required for the UES to fully relax to nadir. Analysis of the timing of proximal pharyngeal contractile peak and UES nadir showed that the UES was not fully relaxed when bolus propulsive forces were at their peak in the youngest infants. Conclusions & Inferences Results show developmental changes in infant swallow physiology that can be clearly linked to the effectiveness of nutritive swallowing. Most preterm infants demonstrated poor pharyngeal pressures at the laryngeal inlet coupled with poor coordination of pharyngeal propulsion with UES relaxation. These pressure patterns were less efficient than those demonstrated by older infants who were more adept at feeding. These observations may explain why infants under 34 weeks are physiologically unable to feed effectively and experience frequent choking and fatigue during feeding.     

Associations of the 24-h activity rhythm and sleep with cognition: a population-based study of middle-aged and elderly persons

BackgroundCognitive functioning changes with age, sleep, and the circadian rhythm. We investigated whether these factors are independently associated with different cognitive domains assessed in middle-aged and elderly persons.MethodsIn 1723 middle-aged and elderly persons (age 62 ± 9.4 years, mean ± standard deviation, SD) of the Rotterdam Study, we collected actigraphy recordings of on average 138 h. Actigraphy was used to quantify 24-h rhythms by calculating the stability of the rhythm over days and the fragmentation of the rhythm. Sleep parameters including total sleep time, sleep-onset latency, and wake after sleep onset were also estimated from actigraphy. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the word learning test (WLT), word fluency test (WFT), letter digit substitution task (LDST), and Stroop color word test (Stroop).ResultsPersons with less stable 24-h rhythms performed worse on the LDST (B = 0.42 per SD increase, p = 0.004) and the Stroop interference trial (B = −1.04 per SD increase, p = 0.003) after full adjustment. Similarly, persons with more fragmented rhythms performed worse on the LDST (B = −0.47 per SD increase, p = 0.002) and the Stroop (B = 1.47 per SD increase, p <0.001). By contrast, longer observed sleep-onset latencies were related to worse performance on the WLT delayed recall (B = −0.19 per SD increase, p = 0.027) and the WFT (B = −0.45 per SD increase, p = 0.007).ConclusionsDisturbances of sleep and the 24-h activity rhythm were independently related to cognition; while persons with longer sleep-onset latencies had worse performance on memory and verbal tasks, persons with 24-h rhythm disturbances performed less on executive functioning and perceptual speed tasks.     

Family environment in families with versus families without parental bipolar disorder: a preliminary comparison study

OBJECTIVES: To compare family environmental characteristics of families with at least one bipolar parent and families with parents without any Axis I disorder. METHODS: Family environment of 24 families with at least one parent with bipolar disorder (BPD) and 27 families with healthy parents (healthy families, HF) were assessed using the Family Environment Scale (FES). We compared FES subscale scores between BPD and HF. We also compared FES normative scores with scores of BPD families. RESULTS: Seventeen (71%) of the 24 BPD families had at least one child with a mood disorder and one (3.7%) of the 27 HF had a child with a mood disorder. Families with BPD reported lower cohesion (p = 0.009) and expressiveness (p = 0.03) scores compared with HF, after controlling for group socioeconomic status differences. Bilineal BPD families had higher cohesion scores than unilineal BPD families (p = 0.05). We found no significant differences in any subscales between BPD families with (n = 9) versus without (n = 15) children with BPD. Compared with normative FES data BPD families reported lower cohesion (C) (p = 0.02) and independence (IND) (p = 0.004) scores and higher conflict (CON) (p = 0.02), intellectual-cultural orientation (ICO) (p = 0.05), moral-religious emphasis (MRE) (p < 0.001) and control (CTL) (p < 0.001) scores. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that members of BPD families may have difficulty communicating effectively with one another, suggesting that interventions aimed at improving this may be beneficial to patients with BPD. Results suggest that the impact of different lifestyles in different communities may influence FES scores, and thus it is important to use demographically matched comparison groups.     

Elevated inflammation markers in pheochromocytoma compared to other forms of hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of long-term catecholamine excess in pheochromocytoma on leukocyte and platelet count and on proteins of acute-phase response. METHODS: Fifteen subjects with pheochromocytoma, 16 with primary aldosteronism, 18 with essential hypertension and 17 healthy controls were studied. Sixteen subjects with pheochromocytoma were investigated after tumor removal. Leukocyte, neutrophil and platelet count, as well as C-reactive protein were measured in all subjects, while fibrinogen, alpha(1)-antitrypsin, alpha(2)-macroglobulin, orosomucoid, transferrin and prealbumin were only measured in subjects with pheochromocytoma, primary aldosteronism and essential hypertension. RESULTS: Subjects with pheochromocytoma showed significantly higher leukocyte [7.5 +/- 0.9 10(9)/l, p < 0.001 vs. primary aldosteronism (5.4 +/- 0.9 10(9)/l) and healthy controls (5 +/- 0.9 10(9)/l), p = 0.04 vs. essential hypertension (6.3 +/- 1.6 10(9)/l)], neutrophil (p < 0.001 vs. primary aldosteronism and healthy subjects) and platelet counts (p < 0.001 vs. primary aldosteronism; p = 0.01 vs. essential hypertension) compared to the other groups of subjects. Similar results were obtained for positive proteins of acute-phase response in subjects with pheochromocytoma [C-reactive protein: 0.62 +/- 0.52 mg/dl, p < 0.001 vs. healthy subjects (0.08 +/- 0.08 mg/dl), p = 0.001 vs. primary aldosteronism (0.17 +/- 0.19 mg/dl), p = 0.04 vs. essential hypertension (0.31 +/- 0.26 mg/dl); fibrinogen: p = 0.02 vs. primary aldosteronism; orosomucoid: p = 0.005 vs. primary aldosteronism; alpha(2)-macroglobulin: p = 0.009 vs. primary aldosteronism]. No significant differences were found in plasma levels of alpha(1)-antitrypsin, transferrin and prealbumin. Tumor removal led to a significant decrease in leukocyte (p = 0.004), neutrophil (p = 0.007) and platelet count (p = 0.003) and also to a significant decrease in acute-phase proteins (C-reactive protein: p = 0.03, fibrinogen: p = 0.008, alpha(1)-antitrypsin: p = 0.003, orosomucoid: p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Chronic catecholamine excess in pheochromocytoma is accompanied by an increase in inflammation markers which was reversed by the tumor removal.