神经调节素1基因SNPrs2954041多态性与精神分裂症及其认知功能的关联研究

目的探讨昆明地区汉族人群神经调节素1(NRG-1)基因SNPrs2954041多态性与精神分裂症及认知功能的关系。方法采用聚合酶链反应限制性片段长度多态性(PCR-RFLP)的方法检测141例精神分裂症患者和84名正常对照的NRG-1基因SNPrs2954041多态性;采用韦氏记忆量表(WMS)和威斯康辛卡片分类测验(WCST)评估两组人群的记忆功能和执行功能,并用PANSS量表评定患者的临床症状。结果两组NRG-1基因SNPrs2954041多态性的基因型和等位基因频率差异有统计学意义(2=34.01,P<0.05;2=30.201,P<0.05)。按性别分组后比较,结果仍同前。患者组中各基因型组间认知功能比较结果示:①各基因型组间韦氏记忆量表的理解记忆得分差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),两两比较显示G/G与T/T基因型患者间差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。②G/G与T/T基因型患者比较,威斯康辛卡片分类测验中的错误数、持续错误数和分类个数差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论NRG1基因SNPrs2954041多态性与精神分裂症存在关联,他也与精神分裂症患者的认知功能相关。     

A Single-Blind, Crossover Comparison of the Pharmacokinetics and Cognitive Effects of a New Diazepam Rectal Gel with Intravenous Diazepam

Summary: Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics and cognitive effects of a new diazepam (DZP) rectal gel (Diastat®) with intravenously administered DZP.
Methods: Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled in a single-blind, randomized, double-dummy, two-period, crossover study. Subjects received either 15 mg of DZP rectal gel or 7.5 mg of DZP by intravenous infusion. Blood samples for DZP and desmethyldiazepam analysis were obtained before the dose and from 3 min to 240 h after the dose. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured over the first 24-h period. Subjects also completed five repetitions of a neuropsychological test battery over the first 8-h period.
Results: Diazepam rapidly appeared in plasma after rectal administration, exceeding 200 ng/mL within 15 min and reaching an initial maximum of 373 ng/ml at 45 min and a second maximum of 447 ± 91.1 ng/ml at ∼70 min. The absolute bioavailability of DZP rectal gel was 90.4%. Subjects receiving intravenous DZP were less alert and performed less efficiently on the WAIS Digit Symbol test 6 min after the dose. Subjects receiving DZP rectal gel performed less well on the WAIS Digit Span test 1 h after the dose and required more time to complete the Letter Cancellation and Grooved Pegboard tests 1 and 2 h after drug administration.
Conclusions: Diastat® displayed rapid, consistent absorption and was well tolerated. Alterations in cognition were mild and dissipated within 4 h of drug administration. This new rectal drug-delivery system offers an easy, safe, and bioavailable method to administer DZP.     

Triazolam-induced changes in alcoholic thought processes

 This study was designed to examine and contrast cognitive effects (explicit memory and access to semantic knowledge) of the benzodiazepine Halcion (triazolam) in ten normal volunteers and ten cognitively unimpaired detoxified alcoholics. The two groups were indistinguishable from one another under placebo conditions on all measures of cognitive functioning. Under Halcion test conditions (0.375 mg PO), both groups were about equally impaired in their recall of to-be-remembered information. However, alcoholics, were more likely to recall information that they were not asked to remember (intrusion errors) on all measures of explicit remembering. Alcoholics also generated relatively uncommon (low frequency) responses from semantic memory, rather than common, categorically related associations in response to stimuli such as types of vegetables, flowers, and fruit following the administration of Halcion, but were not different from normal volunteers in the types of responses generated under placebo conditions. These findings suggest that a drug challenge that simulates many of the effects of acute alcohol administration induces alcoholics to think and remember differently (qualitatively) from normal volunteers. Received: 7 July 1997 / Final version: 22 September 1997     

Immunoglobulins, cognitive status and duration of illness in alzheimer''s disease

Immunologic changes have been reported in the dementing illnesses of mid and late life. The results of two studies of drug-free males meeting research diagnostic criteria for primary neuronal degeneration of the Alzheimer's type suggest that serum IgG levels decrease with the progression of dementia. Serum IgG levels were inversely correlated with duration of illness and the levels of psychiatric symptomatology. Performance on the mini-mental status examination was positively associated with serum IgG concentrations.     

伴迟发性运动障碍的慢性精神分裂症患者认知功能研究

目的:了解伴迟发性运动障碍(TD)的慢性精神分裂症患者认知功能的损害情况。方法:以82例伴TD的(TD组)、70例不伴TD的慢性精神分裂症患者(非TD组)为研究对象,两组一般情况相匹配,选用韦氏记忆测验(WMS)、威斯康星卡片分类测验(WCST)及连线测验(TMT)进行认知功能评定。结果:①两组在WMS方面比较无统计学差异。②两组在WCST方面比较,TD组错误应答数、选择错误率、错误思考时间、持续应答数及概念化水平百分数成绩均显著差于非TD组。③两组在TMT方面比较,TD组PartB耗时数显著长于非TD组,而两组PartA耗时数无显著差异。结论:伴TD的慢性精神分裂症病人存在明显的认知功能损害,且可能涉及额叶皮层。     

Brief report: cognitive functioning in children with Tourette's syndrome with and without comorbid ADHD

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether patients with Tourette's syndrome (TS) with and without comorbid attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) differ in cognitive functioning and whether a higher level of cognitive functioning is associated with severity of TS symptoms and psychosocial functioning. METHODS: Cognitive functioning, symptom severity, and psychosocial functioning were examined in 40 patients (33 boys, 7 girls; age range 6-18 years) with TS, of whom 17 had the comorbid diagnosis of ADHD. RESULTS: Patients with a comorbid ADHD diagnosis evidenced poorer performance than those with TS alone with respect to severity of TS symptoms, psychosocial functioning, verbal and performance intelligence, and word fluency, but not on tests of cognitive flexibility. Psychosocial functioning was predicted by symptom severity, but not by intelligence or fluency. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm prior findings that comorbid ADHD is associated with more TS symptoms and worse psychosocial and cognitive functioning, and motivate whether cognitive flexibility plays a role in moderating the deleterious psychosocial effects of Tourette's syndrome and ADHD.     

Comparison of Discrete Cardiovascular Fitness Groups on Plasma Catecholamine and Selected Behavioral Responses to Psychological Stress

Discrete cardiovascular fitness groups consisting of high-fit (n=10) and low-fit (n=9) men performed a well-learned vigilance task and their self-report, performance, and plasma catecholamine responses were compared. No significant differences were observed between the fitness groups on self-report or psychomotor performance responses to the vigilance task. However, the low-fit group took significantly longer than high-fit subjects to complete the first of three sets of anagrams administered immediately after the vigilance task. Plasma norepinephrine but not epinephrine response was greater in the low-fit group compared to their high-fit counterparts. The findings indicate that enhanced cardiovascular fitness may be characterized by an attenuated plasma norepinephrine response to a vigilance task with sustained cognitive performance subsequent to the task.     

Attentional, emotional and hormonal data in subjects of different ages

The differences in attentional style among subjects of different ages and the influence of emotionality on the attentional components were studied for a limited experimental period. Variation in the hormonal data and its relation to behavioural parameters were also evaluated. The subjects enrolled in the study were divided into four age groups (A 18–29, B 30–45, C 46–59, D 60–77 years). The attentional tests involved different types of attention: alert, go/no-go, divided attention and working memory. Emotionality was assessed on the basis of skin conductance, heart rate and frontalis muscle tone. Testosterone (T), free testosterone (fT), non-specifically bound testosterone (NST), sex hormone binding globulin (sHBG), oestradiol, cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone were determined in the plasma. The data were analysed to identify endocrine and behavioural differences related to sex and age. The results showed an influence of age on reaction time (RT) and RT variability. This was particularly evident for groups C and D with respect to A in the simple (alert) and complex RT tests (go/no-go and working memory). Divided attention, with the highest RT, showed a clear distinction between group A and the other groups. The difference in frontalis electromyography (EMG) (test vs control) increased with age, while the autonomic responses (skin conductance and heart rate) did not vary. In most attentional tests, the age-related reduction of RT was associated with increased T, fT and NST and decreased cortisol.     

Greater Resistance to Extinction of Electrodermal Responses Conditioned to Potentially Phobic CSs: A Noncognitive Process?

Previous results have suggested that electrodermal responses classically conditioned to potentially phobic CSs (e.g., pictures of snakes or spiders) are highly resistant to extinction and occur largely independently of cognitive expectancies. In order to test stringently for these possibilities, 144 college student subjects were administered differential classical conditioning acquisition and extinction paradigms while expectancies of the shock UCS were closely monitored. Half the subjects had potentially phobic CSs, whereas the other half had neutral CSs. Regardless of type of CS, during acquisition no evidence of electrodermal conditioning was found among subjects unaware of the CS?UCS contingency, nor was conditioning found on the pre-aware trials of subjects who became aware. During extinction, there was significantly greater resistance to extinction of electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs as well as a similar trend with expectancies of the UCS. However, when expectancies were equated, there was no greater resistance to extinction of electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs. Thus, while electrodermal responses conditioned to potentially phobic CSs did exhibit greater resistance to extinction, this conditioning was no more independent of expectancies than is conditioning with neutral CSs.