Uptake of dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine by platelets of patients with Parkinsonism.

The uptake of tritiated dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine by platelets from 11 patients with Parkinsonism who were not receiving any medication, and from 11 control subjects matched for sex and for age within a decade was compared. No significant differences were found in the uptake of either amine. Our findings, therefore, provide no support for the belief that there is a generalised defect of dopamine systems in Parkinson's disease.     

Akinesia in Parkinsonism. Relation between spontaneous movement (other than tremor) and voluntary movements made on command

In eleven patients with Parkinsonism there was a strong inverse relationship between the frequency of spontaneous activity of the arms and the degree of fatiguing of repetitive finger movements made upon command. The prevalence of spontaneous arm movement was related inversely (but more weakly) to the time taken to complete a pegboard test or to move clothespegs by hand; it had little association with the speed of linear movement or with simple motor reaction time involving the arm.     

CSF monamine metabolites in movement disorders and normal aging

We measured four monoamine metabolite levels in CSF before and after probenecid administration to normal controls and to patients with Huntington's disease (HD), dystonia, and tardive dyskinesia. We identified differences only for the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA), which showed increased baseline values and decreased turnover in normal aging, but decreased baseline values and normal turnover in HD. These results suggest that dopamine neurons are linked both to normal aging and to HD and that CSF HVA studies can distinguish differences in the functioning of dopamine neurons in normal aging and HD.     

Yips and other movement disorders in golfers

Golf is a sport that requires perfect motor coordination and a balance between mobility and stability. Golfer's “yips,” an intermittent motor disturbance manifested as transient tremor, jerk, or spasm that primarily occurs when the player is trying to chip or make a putt, is a movement disorder frequently encountered in both amateur and professional golfers. In addition, other movement disorders, such as tremors and dystonia, also can interfere with playing golf. Although the pathophysiology of the yips remains poorly understood, recent studies suggest that it may be a form of a task‐specific, focal dystonia involving the hand and arm. Because task‐specific dystonias and tremors are best treated by botulinum toxin injections, this also may be an effective therapy for the yips. The aim of this article is to systematically review the literature and our own experience with the yips and other movement disorders in golfers. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society     

Electroconvulsive therapy in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.

Early case reports note marked improvements in the signs of Parkinson's disease (PD) in several patients with coexisting psychiatric disorders after treatment with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Studies since 1959 reveal improvement of parkinsonism in over half of PD patients receiving ECT, regardless of the presence or absence of psychiatric comorbidity. Drug-induced parkinsonism, tardive dystonia, and tardive dyskinesia have also been shown to improve with ECT administration; tic syndromes have achieved mixed results. In animals, ECT enhances dopamine-mediated effects and increases GABA concentrations in the CNS. Optimal parameters relevant to the antiparkinsonism effects of ECT require further study.     

缝隙连接与运动障碍性疾病研究进展

缝隙连接是细胞间信号转导的重要方式。缝隙连接及其所组成的蛋白结构和(或)功能改变与多种疾病相关。运动障碍性疾病作为中枢神经系统的常见疾病,与缝隙连接有一定的关联性,其已成为国内外研究中枢神经系统疾病发病与治疗机制的关键因素。本文就缝隙连接及其与运动障碍性疾病的相关性进行概述。     

Drug-induced parkinsonism and other movement disorders

This is a review of reserpine, haloperidol, and various phenothiazines that produce parkinsonism and other movement disorders. The by-products of illicit meperidine synthesis, MPTP and its more sinister companion, MPP, are also discussed. Movement disorders, transient or fixed, frank parkinsonism and/or dyskinesia, due to a variety of other medications and toxic agents are included. These are methanol, lithium, methyldopa, antimetabolites, antidepressants, sympathomimetic anorexiants, some types of antihistamines, and various combinations of agricultural chemicals.     

Case studies in movement disorders

Six cases representing the most commonly encountered movement disorders-restless legs syndrome with periodic limb movements, tics, myoclonus, chorea, essential tremor, and cervical dystonia-are presented. Discussion of each case focuses on a practical approach to recognizing the important clinical features of each movement disorder as well as the current therapeutic options. A detailed discussion of botulinum toxin follows the case on cervical dystonia, focusing on its mechanism of action, clinical indications, side effects, and dosing.     

The relationship of essential tremor to other movement disorders: Report on 678 patients

We examined 678 essential tremor patients in specialty, university, and private practice clinics. The mean age of patients was 65.2 years with a similar number of men and women. Six percent of patients were left-handed. A positive family history of tremor was reported in more than 60% of patients. Alcohol ingestion was reported to decrease tremor in 74% of patients who were cognizant of the effect of alcohol on tremor. Mean age at tremor onset was 45.3 years. An earlier onset of tremor was observed in those patients having a positive family history of tremor. Tremor affected the hands in 90% of patients, head in 50%, voice in 30%, and legs and chin in 15%. Functional disability was common and impairment at work occurred in 18% Propranolol and primidone were the most frequently used drugs and were effective in 40% of patients. Six and one-tenth percent of essential tremor patients had concomitant Parkinson's disease, 6.9% had a coexisting dystonia, and 1.8% had myoclonus. It is concluded that the frequency of Parkinson's disease in essential tremor is more than would be reported in the general population and that other movement disorders are infrequently observed in essential tremor.     

Alcohol in essential tremor and other movement disorders

Many patients with essential tremor (ET) report transient improvement of symptoms after drinking alcohol. However, the brief duration of action, subsequent rebound, and the risk of developing alcohol addiction make the use of alcohol as a treatment for ET inappropriate. Whether excessive alcohol consumption is a risk for or a consequence of ET has been a subject of some controversy. In this review, we critically examine the mechanism of action of alcohol and its role in ET and other movement disorders. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society     

Paracrine relationship between incretin hormones and endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine in the small and large intestine

Background

Enterochromaffin (EC) cell-derived 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) is a mediator of toxin-induced reflexes, initiating emesis via vagal and central 5-HT₃ receptors. The amine is also involved in gastrointestinal (GI) reflexes that are prosecretory and promotile, and recently 5-HT's roles in chemosensation in the distal bowel have been described. We set out to establish the efficacy of 5-HT signaling, local 5-HT levels and pharmacology in discrete regions of the mouse small and large intestine. We also investigated the inter-relationships between incretin hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) and endogenous 5-HT in mucosal and motility assays.

Methods

Adult mouse GI mucosae were mounted in Ussing chambers and area-specific studies were performed to establish the 5-HT₃ and 5-HT₄ pharmacology, the sidedness of responses, and the inter-relationships between incretins and endogenous 5-HT. Natural fecal pellet transit in vitro and full-length GI transit in vivo were also measured.

Key Results

We observed the greatest level of tonic and exogenous 5-HT-induced ion transport and highest levels of 5-HT in ascending colon mucosa. Here both 5-HT₃ and 5-HT₄ receptors were involved but elsewhere in the GI tract epithelial basolateral 5-HT₄ receptors mediate 5-HT's prosecretory effect. Exendin-4 and GIP induced 5-HT release in the ascending colon, while L cell-derived PYY also contributed to GIP mucosal effects in the descending colon. Both peptides slowed colonic transit.

Conclusions & Inferences

We provide functional evidence for paracrine interplay between 5-HT, GLP-1 and GIP, particularly in the colonic mucosal region. Basolateral epithelial 5-HT₄ receptors mediated both 5-HT and incretin mucosal responses in healthy colon.     

Tetrabenazine in the treatment of Huntington's chorea and other hyperkinetic movement disorders.

Tetrabenazine (Nitoman, Roche) is a synthetic benzoquinolizine derivative which resembles reserpine pharmacologically and depletes dopamine and other monoamines in the central nervous system. Considerable evidence has now been accumulated regarding the physiologic equilibrium which exists between dopamine and acetylcholine in the human striatum and it appears that dopamine excess or dopaminergic receptor supersensitivity are mechanisms operating in hyperkinetic disorders like Huntington's Chorea. The treatment of hyperkinetic disorders by dopamine depleting agents, like tetrabenazine or reserpine, or by dopamine blocking agents, like Haloperidol and Pimozide, has not been tried for more than a decade. We report here our own observations in 15 patients with various hyperkinetic disorders treated with tetrabenazine in doses up to 200 mgm. daily for periods up to 12 months.     

The relationship between CSF HVA/5-HIAA ratio and suicide intent in suicide attempters.

There is a need to find stable biomarkers for suicidal behavior and suicide prediction. Reduced homovanillic acid/5-hydroxyindolacetic acid (HVA/5-HIAA) ratios in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in depressed suicide attempters have been reported. Suicide intent is a predictor of repetition of attempts and suicide. In the present study we investigated the relationship of HVA/5-HIAA ratio to the scales rating suicide intent and depressive symptoms. Fifteen consecutive medication-free male suicide attempters admitted to a psychiatric ward at the Karolinska Hospital and eight healthy male volunteers underwent lumbar puncture and had the CSF monoamine metabolite levels assayed. Patients were assessed with the Beck Suicide Intent Scale (SIS), the Montgomery Asberg Depression rating Scale (MADRS) and the Chapman Scale of Anhedonia. Within the suicide attempter group, HVA/5-HIAA ratio was significantly associated with the Suicide Intent Scale (SIS), but not with the MADRS scale or the Chapman Scale of Anhedonia indicating that the HVA/5-HIAA ratio may be a biomarker of suicide intent.     

述情障碍与心身疾病的关系

目的综合国内关于述情障碍与心身疾病关系的研究（以TAS-26为测量工具）。方法对已有研究进行元分析。结果情感描述困难（Ⅰ）、情感识别困难（Ⅱ）、缺乏幻想（Ⅲ）、外向性思维（Ⅳ）各维度的平均效应量依次为0.80,0.87,0.52,0.71。结论述情障碍各维度均参与了心身疾病的发生、发展过程。其中,以Ⅱ和Ⅰ维度的作用最为显著,其次是Ⅳ和Ⅲ维度。