Psychiatry research
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Psychiatry research · Jun 2003
Multinuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of high-energy phosphate metabolites in human brain following oral supplementation of creatine-monohydrate.
Alterations in brain high-energy phosphate metabolism, determined by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), have been reported in subjects with a number of brain disorders including major depression, schizophrenia, and substance abuse. It is not clear to what extent these changes can be modified by pharmacological or nutritional means. To address this possibility, we evaluated changes in brain chemistry that were associated with oral creatine (Cr) administration. ⋯ In addition, the brain inorganic phosphate level increased over the same period in the creatine group (9.8%). The current study is the first multinuclear (1H and 31P) MRS study to evaluate changes in brain high-energy phosphate metabolism following oral creatine supplementation in healthy human subjects. These findings suggest the possibility of using oral creatine supplementation to modify brain high-energy phosphate metabolism in subjects with various brain disorders, including major depression, schizophrenia, cocaine and opiate abuse, where alterations in brain high-energy phosphate metabolism have been reported.
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Psychiatry research · Jan 2003
Obsessive-compulsive behaviors in parents of multiplex autism families.
Parents of autistic probands with high and low rates of repetitive behaviors were compared for rates of obsessive-compulsive traits and disorder. The rate of repetitive behaviors was assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in 176 autistic probands from 57 multiplex families. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in parents was determined by direct interview using a parental history questionnaire, with screening for obsessive-compulsive traits using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale checklist. ⋯ Children with high scores on D1/D2 of the ADI-R (narrow restricted interests and rituals) were significantly more likely to have one or both parents with OCD, especially fathers, than those with low D1/D2. The occurrence of obsessive-compulsive traits or disorder in parents of autistic children in multiplex families is significantly more likely if autistic children have a high occurrence of repetitive behaviors. Dichotomizing autistic probands by severity and type of repetitive behaviors (circumscribed interests and compulsive rituals) may yield more homogenous groups, which could be helpful in genetic linkage studies.
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The present study investigated evening and nocturnal serum cortisol and melatonin concentrations in patients with primary insomnia to test if this clinical condition is accompanied by an increase of cortisol secretion and a simultaneous decrease of nocturnal melatonin production. Ten drug-free patients (4 males, 6 females) with primary insomnia (mean age+/-S. D.: 39.2+/-9.1 years) and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy controls participated in the study. ⋯ The lack of increased cortisol secretion in the patients with primary insomnia indicates that results from studies on the biological consequences of experimental sleep loss in healthy subjects cannot be applied to primary insomnia in general, especially if there are only minor objective sleep alterations. In spite of the negligible objective sleep disturbances in the present sample, nocturnal melatonin production was reduced, which tentatively suggests a role for this hormone in primary insomniacs. The pathophysiological significance of this finding is, however, still a matter of debate.
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For a physiological effect to be useful to regulate the electrical stimulus dose used in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), it must show sensitivity to the stimulus dose. In the analogy of using blood drug concentration to regulate drug dosage, this concentration must be sensitive to the dose. Accordingly, we examined the sensitivity of several physiological effects to ECT stimulus dose. ⋯ Only peak HR (P=0.02, t=2.2) varied with stimulus dose (by 6 beats/min) when subjects who showed only EEG seizure but no motor seizures were excluded. Subjects who maintained peak HR near their individual maximum values received fewer ECTs than other subjects (P=0.00003, t=5.20); this greater efficacy suggests that the peak HR reflects clinical efficacy as well as stimulus dose. In addition to EEG measurements, peak HR is a candidate to measure ECT seizure quality and provide feedback for stimulus dose regulation.
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Psychiatry research · Dec 2000
Psychometric assessment of subjective sleep quality using the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J) in psychiatric disordered and control subjects.
Subjective sleep quality has been identified as an important clinical construct in psychiatric disordered patients. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), one of the most widely used standardized measures to assess subjective sleep quality, generates a global score and scores seven components. The present study psychometrically assessed clinical profiles of subjective sleep quality in 82 control and 92 psychiatric disordered subjects (primary insomnia, n=14; major depression, n=30; generalized anxiety disorder, n=24; and schizophrenia, n=24), using the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J). ⋯ The PSQI-J global and component mean scores were significantly higher in psychiatric disordered subjects than control subjects, except for the component of sleep duration. Using a cut-off point of 5.5 in the PSQI-J global score, estimations of sensitivity and specificity provided 85.7 and 86.6% for primary insomnia, 80.0 and 86.6% for major depression, 83.3 and 86.6% for generalized anxiety disorder, and 83.3 and 86.6% for schizophrenia, respectively. The present study supports the utility of the PSQI-J as a reliable and valid measure for subjective sleep quality in clinical practice and research.