On the physical properties of red cell ghost membranes in the affective disorders and psychoses A fluorescence polarization study

Membrane order was measured in the erythrocyte ghost membranes of DSM-III schizophreniform disorder (SF), DSM-III schizophrenic (SCZ) and DSM-III manic (bipolar) (M) patients and a group of age- and sex-matched controls. Fluorescence polarization with the probe 1,6-diphenyl1-1,3,5-hexatriene was used to determine the steady-state fluorescence anisotropy (r_s). The SF group showed a significant increase in r_s (Δr_s = 0.037) from the control group. Although the means were not significantly different, 3 of 8 Ms and 5 of 8 SCZs also had r_s values > the highest control value. Thermotropic behavior of the membranes was evaluated over the range of 40 to 20°C. No difference among groups in membrane enthalpy was detected. Thus, the differences in r_s appear to be associated with differences in entropy. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) levels, which were known to be abnormal in these patients, were compared with the r_s values. A significant (P < 0.001, R= -0.63) linear correlation between r_s and membrane PC levels was observed. Overall these data further support the view that unusual membrane biophysical factors may occur with high frequency in the psychoses and affective disorders.     

2010—2021年国内外老年多重慢病研究热点分析

背景 随着人口老龄化进程的加快,同时患有多种慢病已成为老年人的常态,老年多重慢病相关研究也不断丰富,但鲜有对其研究进展及热点进行分析。目的 分析国内外老年多重慢病的研究热点,揭示近十年来（2010—2021年）老年多重慢病领域研究前沿的热点主题,为相关研究者追踪前沿信息提供参考。方法 基于文本挖掘技术和文献计量学等方法,检索Web of Science核心合集、Scopus、中国知网、万方数据知识服务平台、维普网、PubMed、中华医学会期刊全文数据库、APA-PsycINFO美国心理学会数据库中老年多重慢病领域的相关文献,检索时间为2010—2021年。使用CiteSpace 6.1.3、PASW 18、BICOMB 2.04等软件对文献的发文量趋势、来源、作者、机构、关键词等方面进行分析及可视化,并绘制战略坐标图对领域研究热点进行分析。结果 最终纳入老年多重慢病相关文献9 392篇,其中外文文献5 776篇,中文文献3 616篇。2010—2021年老年多重慢病领域中外文献发文量均呈指数型增长,中文文献年增长率为13.27%,外文文献年增长率为15.84%,该领域正处于发展阶段。中...     

Methylation and QTDT analysis of the 5-HT2A receptor 102C allele: analysis of suicidality in major psychosis

Suicide is an act deliberately initiated and performed by a person with full knowledge that a fatal outcome is probable. The serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of suicidal behaviour by a genetic association between the 5-HT2A T102C silent polymorphism and suicidality in patients with mood disorders and schizophrenia. However, a recent meta-analysis failed to confirm this association. We developed an improved quantitative assay for the measurement of allele-specific methylation of the 5-HT2A gene, and found that the methylation of the C allele in the pre-frontal cortex of heterozygous suicide victims (n = 10) was not significantly different in comparison with the non-suicide group (n = 10) (p = 0.084). We also analyzed methylation of the C allele in white blood cell DNA from bipolar and schizophrenic attempters and found a significant difference in the schizophrenic attempters (p = 0.00013) but not in the bipolar attempters (p = 0.616).Because the 5-HT2A gene is subject to imprinting, the parent-of-origin may affect inheritance of suicidal behaviour. Thus, we examined the parental origin of specific alleles for genetic association in a genetic family-based sample of major psychoses in which information on suicidal behaviour was available. This result suggests that methylation of the 102C allele does not influence completed suicide.     

Factors predicting suicide in psychotic patients

Summary Death rate and causes of death during a mean period of 5.8 years were investigated in 250 male inpatients with psychotic disorders (DSM-III). Fifty patients died during the observation period. Suicide was confirmed in 11 of these patients and could not be excluded in 7 cases, where the cause of death was reported as uncertain. Clinical and neurobiological characteristics (DST-non-suppression, CSF proteins, and monomaine metabolites) were compared in patients who committed suicide and non-suicide patients of the same age, with or without suicidal behaviour. A highly increased mortality rate was seen among the patients and the rate of suicide was more than 20 times higher than that expected in a normal population of the same age. The estimated annual incidence of suicide was 2.5%, 1.3%, 1.0% and 0.4% for patients with bipolar disorder, paranoid psychosis, major depression and schizophrenic disorder, respectively. The following factors were significantly positively correlated with completed suicide: depressive mood, elated mood, paranoid ideas, and paternal age. All suicides had previously shown suicidal behaviour and the suicide occurred during or shortly after a period of hospitalisation. No correlations were found with age at onset of illness, duration of illness, substance abuse or neurobiological parameters.     

Diagnosis of functional psychoses

Summary The results of a comparison between the clinical diagnoses of 115 probands with functional psychoses, made on the basis of careful clinical history-taking, interviewing and examinations, and those made by computerized evaluation (CATEGO) on the basis of the present state examination (PSE) were presented. The clinical diagnoses of the project psychiatrist and the provisional classification resulting from the application of the CATEGO program to the PSE symptom profiles were in an overall concordance of 82%. In a second step the 20 cases with differences in diagnoses were reevaluated on the basis of the full history and psychopathology and a syndrome checklist was completed. This reevaluation led to a practically full diagnostic agreement.     

Projections privées, projections publiques : Contenus, objectifs et lieux des processus de délocalisation psychique dans les états psychotiques

The concept of projection has, in Freud writings, wide uses. By trying to clarify them, it appears: on one hand, that neurotic projection concerns representations, while psychotic projection concerns sensations, affects, and more generally somatic states; on the other hand, neurotic projection concerns especially mental elements relative to the object, while psychotic projection concerns mental elements relative to the ego. Thus, psychotic projection appears as the attribution to another ego of somatic-psychic states and representations that the ego refuses to recognize as his own experiences. Therefore, this projection always has a “public” character in the sense that, being by definition anthropomorphic, it requires the other human: another “ego”, receptacle of the projected parts of the ego. The relationship of this mechanism with the processes of « hominisation » is discussed. Grounded in this conception of projection, a hypothesis on the constitution of the category of the “subject” between the “ego” and the “object”, is outlined.     

Effekte von (-) δ9-trans-Tetrahydrocannabinol (δ9-THC) auf Psychotizismus-Tests

Zusammenfassung Die Wirkung von 250 g/kg (-)⁹-Tetrahydrocannabinol p.o. wurde in einem Doppelblindversuch an 36 freiwilligen Probanden mit solchen objektiven Tests und Leistungstests untersucht, die nach Eysenck die Persönlichkeitsdimension Psychotizismus messen. Die Hypothese der Untersuchung bestand darin, da\ sich Probanden unter ⁹-THC von solchen unter Plabeo in gleicher Richtung wie endogene Psychotiker von psychisch Gesunden unterscheiden. Die Hypothese wurde nur in 5 von 19 Variablen bestÄtigt. 4 dieser 5 Variablen können als Tests der KonzentrationsfÄhigkeit betrachtet werden.

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Effects of (-)⁹-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol (⁹-THC) on tests of psychoticism

In a double-blind study on 36 volunteers the effects of 250 g/kg (-)⁹-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol p.o. on objective and performance tests measuring psychoticism according to Eysenck were assessed. The hypothesis was tested that subjects treated with ⁹-THC differ from those receiving placebo in the same way as endogenous psychotics differ from normals. Confirmation was obtained in only 5 out of 19 variables. Four of these 5 variables may be considered as tests of concentration.

     

Preliminary findings on calmodulin-stimulated Ca2+-ATPase of erythrocyte ghosts in psychotic patients

Summary Kinetic properties of the calmodulin-stimulated erythrocyte ghost Ca²⁺-ATPase seem to be altered in some sub-groups of affective and schizophrenic psychoses. The subgroup of affective disorders concerned mostly unipolar manic and bipolar psychoses with predominantly manic episodes. In the corresponding cases from schizophrenics hyper- and parakinetic basic syndromes were predominantly diagnosed. An evaluation of our preliminary results was undertaken in connection with our biochemical hypothesis on possible alterations in the regulation of Ca²⁺ concentrations and Ca²⁺-calmodulin-mediated processes under certain psychotic conditions.Our investigations were supported by the Ministerium für Hochund Fachschulwesen of the GDRParts of this paper were presented at the 5. Dresdner Symposion über Epilepsie und Antiepileptika, Dresden, November 1984. The authors wish to express their thanks to Prof. Emrich (Munich, FRG) for his assent and helpful discussions