Plasma uric acid in patients receiving anticonvulsant monotherapy

In newly diagnosed adult patients with epilepsy followed prospectively on monotherapy, carbamazepine and phenytoin were associated with a fall in plasma uric acid, but sodium valproate and phenobarbitone were associated with a rise in plasma uric acid. The mechanisms and significance of these findings are discussed.     

Preconception Care for Improving Perinatal Outcomes: The Time to Act

Maternal and Child Health Journal -     

Paranoid and aggressive behavior in two obsessive-compulsive adolescents treated with clomipramine.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is increasingly recognized in patients of different age groups. Serotonergic agents, such as clomipramine, have been recently found to be useful in the management of this condition. However, unexpected side effects, such as dysphoria, aggressiveness, and paranoid ideation, may occur with therapeutic doses of this compound, as evidenced in the cases of two male adolescents presented here. Possible pathogenetic factors, involving serotonin and serotonin-receptor abnormalities are discussed. Management of these side effects is based on adequate dose reduction and monitorization.     

The health-related quality of life of male and female heavy smokers

Objectives: Heavy smokers are a segment of the smoking population who are at increased risk of smoking-related morbidity and least likely to achieve cessation. This study identifies the impact of heavy smoking on quality of life by gender and describes the subpopulation for improved targeting.Methods: South Australian representative population data (n = 3010) was used to compare the health-related quality of life status of male and female heavy smokers as assessed by the SF-36.     

Conversational topics of 4-year-olds

Young children's ability to participate in conversation has been of particular interest in the study of pragmatic aspects of language. In this study, topics of conversation were investigated by videotaping 10 dyads of 4-year-old children during play. Ten-minute samples were analyzed according to a number of topic-dependent measures. Results revealed that all dyads evidenced some lengthy topics (13-91 utterances). Longer topics were characterized by three text-level functions. Enacting Scenarios, Describing, and Problem Solving. Nevertheless, three fourths of all dialogues were considered relatively short. Generally, partners contributed equally to dialogue, but in some dyads, 1 child dominated initiation. Findings of the study suggest that 4-year-olds are capable of extended participation in dialogue, at least part of the time. Naturalistic play settings may elicit samples of conversation that are representative of preschoolers' ability.