RETARDED FETAL BRAIN DEVELOPMENT RESULTING FROM SEVERE DIETARY IODINE DEFICIENCY IN SHEEP

Potter B.J., Mano M.T., Belling G.B., Mcintosh G.H., Hua C, Cragg B.G., Marshall J., Wellby M.L. & Hetzel B.S. 1982 Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology 8, 303–313 Retarded fetal brain development resulting from severe dietary iodine deficiency in sheep Sheep have been used to study the effect of dietary iodine deficiency on the development of the fetal brain. Severe iodine deficiency caused reduction in fetal brain and body weights and in brain DNA and protein from 70 days gestation to parturition. The lowered brain weight and brain DNA at 70 days gestation indicates a reduced number of cells, probably due to slower neuroblast multiplication which normally occurs from 40–80 days in the sheep, and the reduction in DNA and protein after 80 days implies that the development of neuroglia could be slowed also in iodine deficiency. Morphological changes were observed in both the cerebral hemispheres and the cerebellum. In the cerebral hemispheres of the iodine-deficient fetuses an increased density of neurons was apparent histologically in the motor cortex and visual cortex and in the CAI and CA4 areas of the hippocampus in comparison with controls. In the cerebellum there was delayed migration of cells from the external granular layer to the internal granular layer and increased density of Purkinje cells in the iodine-deficient fetal brains. In addition, the molecular area was increased and the medullary area reduced in comparison with controls. These changes are indicative of delayed brain maturation. Evidence of fetal hypothyroidism was provided by low fetal thyroid iodine and plasma T4 values, thyroid hyperplasia from 70 days gestation, significant reduction in body weight at the same time as the brain retardation, and absence of wool growth and delayed skeletal maturation near parturition. It is apparent from the biochemical and histological changes observed during iodine deficiency that iodine is an essential element for normal fetal brain and physical development in the sheep.     

Bus hijacking by a pre-schizophrenic: From a viewpoint of criminal romance

Abstract  There are cases in which no clear symptoms of schizophrenia are observed in a person at the time of a crime but are diagnosed to have schizophrenia after the crime due to the appearance of typical symptoms. We present psychiatric evidence of a patient who saw a bus hijacking incident on TV during several years of isolation at home after graduation from junior high school, and was then determined to hijack a bus, and carried out the crime 6 months later. The patient exhibited clear symptoms of schizophrenia 3 days after the crime. This case of a crime committed before the appearance of clear symptoms of schizophrenia was evaluated from the viewpoint of verbrecherromantik or 'criminal romance'.     

Detection of Philadelphia Chromosome in Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia

Chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) is a rare myeloproliferativedisorder, differentiated from chronic myelogenous leukemia byseveral features. A case of CNL which was found by long-termculture to involve the Philadelphia chromosome is reported.     

Reliability of the task-related component (P3b) of P3 event-related potentials

Abstract Within session and between session reliabilities of the task-related component (P3b) of the P3 measures (amplitude, area and latency) and their habituation across eight sessions separated by 7–10 days, except for an interval of 1 month between the 6th and 7th sessions, were studied based on the difference waves, which were obtained by subtracting the ignored infrequent event-related potentials (ERP) from the target ERP elicited by a standard auditory oddball paradigm with eyes-open or eyes-closed conditions in 10 normal subjects. The within session reliabilities represented as Pearson correlation coefficients ( r ) were 0.57-0.66 for the three measures except for those for the latency and amplitude under the eyes-closed condition. The between session reliabilities expressed as intraclass correlation coefficients ( R ) ranged from 0.54 to 0.60 except for that for latency under eyes-closed conditions. Long-term habituation occurred within the first six sessions for the P3b amplitude and area, and dishabituation took place in the 7th session after an interval of 1 month, whereas no such phenomenon was observed for the P3b latency. Implications of the present results are discussed in terms of the clinical application of the P3 measures.     

Relationship between odor perception and depression in the Japanese elderly

Abstract Odor perception has been studied in patients with various mental disorders; however, no consensus has been reached as to its detection, identification, or pleasantness/unpleasantness of odors especially in patients with depression. One hundred and nineteen normal elderly individuals living at home were exposed to odors of rose, perfume, white ginger, Indian ink, cigarette smoke, milk, feces and orange scent using the scratch and sniff method. They were asked to rate the strength of each odor, its pleasantness or unpleasantness, their liking for it, and their familiarity with it. They were also asked to complete a self-rating depression scale (SDS). The relationship of the score of each psychological olfactory scale with the SDS score and the difference in the score of each psychological scale between high-SDS and low-SDS groups are discussed.