Inhibitory role of Syzygium cumini on autacoid-induced inflammation in rats

The ethanolic extract of Syzygium cumini bark has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity in our previous studies. The present study is an attempt to elucidate the anti-inflammatory activity of S. Cumini bark against inflammation induced by individual autacoid insult. Histamine (1 mg/ml), 5-HT (1 mg/ml), bradykinin (0.02 mg/ml) and PGE2 (0.001 mg/ml) were used as inflammogens. One of these agents (0.1 ml) was injected s.c. into the right hind paw of each rat. The ethanolic extract of S. cumini bark was tested at the doses of 100, 300 and 1000 mg/kg, p.o. The results indicated the anti-inflammatory activity of S. cumini bark in histamine, 5-HT and PGE2-induced rat paw oedema. However, there was no such significant inhibition of oedema volume observed in bradykinin-induced rat paw oedema at any dose level. Thus, it is concluded that S. cumini exhibits inhibitory role on inflammatory response to histamine, 5-HT and PGE2.     

Role of vagal afferents in the reflex effects of capsaicin and lobeline in monkeys

Reflex effects of pulmonary C-fiber receptor stimulation by right atrial injections of capsaicin and lobeline were investigated in conscious monkeys (n=17). Capsaicin injection (15.0+/-1.4 microg/kg) produced apnea mostly (n=15, latency-1.7+/-0.2 s) and bradycardia, which were abolished by vagotomy (n=4). Lobeline administration (142+/-6 microg/kg) produced either apnea (n=7, latency -2.0+/-0.3 s) or excitation of breathing (n=8, latency -3.5+/-0.3 s) and no change in heart rate. After vagotomy (n=4), the apneic response was abolished, but the respiratory excitation persisted. Neither capsaicin nor lobeline produced cough. In the anesthetized monkey also (n=7), lobeline injection (50-150 microg/kg) did not produce any cardiovascular response. However, it produced excitation of breathing, which persisted after vagotomy but was abolished by carotid sinus denervation. It is concluded that in the non-human primate, it is capsaicin that produces reflexes typical of pulmonary C-fiber receptor stimulation, and cough is not a part of this reflex.     

Persistent movement disorders following Japanese encephalitis.

The authors report on movement disorders that persist for a long duration following Japanese encephalitis (JE). Fifteen patients with diagnosed JE were followed up after an interval of 3 to 5 years. Of the four patients with a movement disorder, two were children with severe generalized dystonia in whom MRI revealed bilateral thalamic lesions. The two adult patients had parkinsonism. MRI in both adult patients showed lesions confined to the substantia nigra. Viral antibody and antigen were absent in the CSF of all patients.     

A PET study of the pathophysiology of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Positron emission tomography

OBJECTIVE: Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to compare cerebral metabolic patterns in schizophrenic subjects with predominantly negative symptoms (alogia, affective flattening, avolition, and attentional impairment) and in those with predominantly positive symptoms. METHOD: Fourteen right-handed male subjects with DSM-IV schizophrenia were assigned to groups with predominantly negative or predominantly positive symptoms on the basis of their post-drug-washout scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. The patients were compared to seven age- and gender-matched normal volunteers. PET scans with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose were obtained during a degraded Continuous Performance Task to measure absolute glucose metabolic rates. Statistical parametric mapping was used to estimate the regional metabolic differences between groups. RESULTS: The subjects with predominantly negative symptoms had significant differences in glucose metabolic rates, compared to both the subjects with predominantly positive symptoms and the normal subjects. Negative symptom subjects had a lower glucose metabolic rate in the right hemisphere, especially in the temporal and ventral prefrontal cortices, compared to the other groups, and higher metabolic rates in the cerebellar cortex and in the lower deep cerebellar nuclei. Negative symptom subscale scores were negatively correlated with glucose metabolic rates for most of the brain areas that differentiated subjects with predominantly negative symptoms from those with predominantly positive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Schizophrenic subjects with predominantly negative symptoms have greater metabolic abnormalities than subjects with predominantly positive symptoms, particularly in frontal, temporal, and cerebellar circuitry. These results are consistent with abnormalities in corticocortical, corticobasal ganglia, mesocortical dopamine, and cerebellar-thalamic-prefrontal circuits, which may underlie the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.     

Long-term effects of rivastigmine in moderately severe Alzheimer's disease: does early initiation of therapy offer sustained benefits?

Goals of the study included evaluating the long-term efficacy of rivastigmine in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patient categories stratified by baseline dementia severity, and post hoc investigation of particular benefits of early initiation of rivastigmine treatment in moderately severe AD. Both rivastigmine-treated groups (originally randomized to 1-4 or 6-12 mg/day) experienced significantly smaller declines in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) scores from baseline than the projected placebo group after 52 weeks. Patients receiving rivastigmine from Day 1 experienced significantly less decline compared with patients originally receiving placebo and then initiating rivastigmine treatment after a 6-month delay. Furthermore, cognitive benefits were more robust in patients with moderately severe disease compared with previous reports in mild to moderately severe AD. Findings suggest that early treatment with rivastigmine 6-12 mg/day is associated with sustained long-term cognitive benefits in patients with moderately severe AD. The results support the value of early treatment of AD patients, particularly those with moderately severe AD.     

A pilot, randomized, open-label trial assessing safety and pharmakokinetic parameters of co-administration of rivastigmine with risperidone in dementia patients with behavioral disturbances

BACKGROUND: The majority of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or vascular dementia display, in addition to cognitive impairment, various degrees of behavioral disturbances. As the use of cholinesterase inhibitors for the treatment of cognitive impairment in dementia becomes widespread, many of these patients will be treated concomitantly with cholinesterase inhibitors and with anti-psychotic drugs to ameliorate behavioral disturbances. Despite the widespread use of this combination in clinical practice, the safety and tolerability of such combination therapy has not been evaluated in controlled clinical trials. This pilot study examined the effects of addition of risperidone 0.5-2 mg/day to patients on rivastigmine 3-12 mg/day, and vice versa. METHODS: 65 patients suffering from AD, 10 from vascular dementia, and 15 from both were randomized to open label rivastigmine and risperidone, alone or in combination, for 20 weeks. Adverse events caused by co-administration were assessed. RESULTS: No clinically relevant adverse interactions were observed. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results indicate that rivastigmine and risperidone can be safely co-administered. Confirmation of these results in large clinical trials studies is warranted.     

Discovery of association rules in medical data

Data mining is a technique for discovering useful information from large databases. This technique is currently being profitably used by a number of industries. A common approach for information discovery is to identify association rules which reveal relationships among different items. In this paper, we use this approach to analyse a large database containing medical-record data. Our aim is to obtain association rules indicating relationships between procedures performed on a patient and the reported diagnoses. Random sampling was used to obtain these association rules. After reviewing the basic concepts associated with data mining, we discuss our approach for identifying association rules and report on the rules generated.     

Functional laryngeal surgery - critical determinants of successful rehabilitation

This study addresses the functional outcome and rehabilitative process in 30 partial laryngectomies carried out for laryngeal (22) und hypoorpharyngeal (8) cancers at the department of H/N Surgery, The kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology. Bangalore, India from 1985–1995, Special emphasis is directed towards post-surgical convalescence after various partial laryngeetomy techniques which include 6 vertical laryngectomies (V L / VPL). 17 supraglottic laryngectomies (SG L), and 7 supracricoid laryngectomies with Cricohyoidepexy (CHP). Rehabilitative success was measured with respect to the ease of dccannulation, resumption of normal deglutition and speech analysis - both objectively using standard speech analytical equipment in a speech laboratory and subjectively using the services of blinded judges to score recorded speech of patients. The speech analysis indicate that past SGL speech was the superior most followed by V L and C H P in that order. Aspiration was deemed as minimal and inconsequential after V L/VPL followed by CHP;and SGL, in the order of severity;the extended modifications to resect the arytenoid and / or basE of tongue and / or piriform fossa faring worse than classic standard technique.