The concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in lumbar spinal fluid (CSF) is a common... more The concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in lumbar spinal fluid (CSF) is a commonly used estimate of serotonin turnover in man. Valid comparisons between controls and psychiatric patients using this estimate necessitates sensitive and precise analytical methods and attention to factors such as age, body height and drug treatment. When these factors are taken into account, there is a small but significant difference between depressed patients and controls. There is however no simple association between a low CSF 5-HIAA and depressive illness. The repeated demonstration of a bimodal distribution of CSF 5-HIAA in depressive illness suggests the existence of a subgroup of depressed patients with a disturbance of serotonin functions. A low CSF 5-HIAA is associated with an increased tendency to attempt suicide also in non-depressed individuals and with a different reaction to antidepressant drugs.
Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been found to have behavioral (psychiatric and pers... more Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been found to have behavioral (psychiatric and personality) correlates and is assumed to be linked to central transmitter systems and thus presumably to neuropsychological processes. In the present study, computerized neuropsychological tests, a reaction time (RT) test and a visuo-spatial problem solving test, the Perceptual Maze Test (PMT), were given to 32 female and 29 male students, each sex group divided into three subgroups on the basis of platelet MAO activity. The tests yield measures of laterality (reaction time for left- versus right-sided stimuli) and different aspects of cognitive strategy and skill, e.g. time used for inspection of the maze, for processing the stimulus pattern, and for checking the correctness of solutions. Low MAO female subjects had shorter RTs, pronounced for left-sided stimuli, and shorter inspection times in the PMT compared to other female subjects. Low and high MAO males had difficulties in inhibiting responses, when required, and low MAO males were more rapidly prepared to respond to new stimuli after short intervals than other males. In the PMT, high MAO male subjects spent a smaller part of the total time on inspection in relation to other male groups and had more rubouts than low MAO males, whose maze solving behavior indicated higher visuo-spatial ability. The results are discussed in terms of possible neurochemical bases of impulsivity and psychopathy, and of spatial skill.
Many investigators have studied serotonergic function as reflected in concentrations of the serot... more Many investigators have studied serotonergic function as reflected in concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients suffering from various psychiatric and somatic illnesses,”” and also in recovered depressed patient^"-'^ and healthy These studies suggest that serotonergic function is disturbed in subgroups of psychiatric patients. The results have not always been conclusive, which is probably due to the influence of confounding factors such as age, sex, body height, food intake, and diurnal and seasonal fluctuations (for an overview, see Reference 5). Low concentrations of CSF 5-HIAA have repeatedly been associated with suicidal behavior, and especially with serious suicide attempts and completed suicide regardless of the nature of the psychiatric disorder (for an overview, see Reference 17). Low concentrations of CSF 5-HIAA have also been reported in healthy volunteers, and in depressed patients after recovery. A low CSF 5-HIAA, rather than being a sign of illness, may thus reflect personality traits associated with increased vulnerability for psychiatric illness and suicidal behavior. A couple of studies indicate that this vulnerability may be genetically determined. Sedvall et al., found an increased incidence of affective illness in families of low CSF 5-HIAA healthy volunteer^.'^ Similarly, affective disorders were more common in families of depressed patients with low CSF 5-HIAA.I8
In patients with ulcerative colitis, alexithymia and related traits were studied using the Karoli... more In patients with ulcerative colitis, alexithymia and related traits were studied using the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP), a recently constructed psychodynamic assessment instrument, and other measures of alexithymia (the Schalling-Sifneos Personality Scale (SSPS) and the Beth Israel Questionnaire (BIQ)), and other personality traits using the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). The results of these measures were analyzed for correlation. The prevalence of mental disorder as defined by DSM-III was not above normal, and the KSP T-scores were within normal limits. As rated with the KAPP, alexithymia was uncorrelated with age or level of education, but was inversely correlated with proximity to a major life event (abdominal surgery), suggesting that alexithymia may have a defensive function. Cluster analysis, with Regression in the service of the ego (R), Alexithymia (A) and Normopathy (N) as clustering variables, yielded 3 groups: normal, multidisturbed (problems with R, A and N) and inhibited (problems with R and N). SSPS failed to distinguish between the multidisturbed and the inhibited groups, and BIQ between any groups. In the multidisturbed group, correlations were found with detachment and with disturbances in interpersonal relations. The results suggest that disturbances in object relations are of major importance in alexithymia.
Repeated lumbar punctures in 16 healthy volunteers showed reproducible concentrations of 5-hydrox... more Repeated lumbar punctures in 16 healthy volunteers showed reproducible concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In seven depressed patients, studied during two or three illness periods, the metabolite concentrations were also fairly stable. In 11 patients CSF concentrations of 5-HIAA, but not of HVA, were higher after recovery than during depression. This increase of 5-HIAA after recovery was confined to patients whose initial serotonin metabolite levels were low. The finding constitutes further evidence of a biochemical heterogeneity within the depressive disorders, and suggests that patients whose CSF 5-HIAA is low during a depressive episode may have a less stable serotonin system than other patients with depressive illness.
In a group of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, the stability of char... more In a group of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, the stability of character traits and modes of mental functioning were studied after a major life event, major abdominal surgery, using the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP), an interview-based assessment instrument founded upon psychoanalytic theory. In addition, different personality and temperamental variables were assessed with 2 self-report instruments. The patients were assessed before surgery, and follow-up was made at least 1 year after their final scheduled surgery. Although the patients had undergone major abdominal surgery and convalescence between the assessments, the correlations between the scores before and after surgery were very high, and the levels of the scores were very similar. This was true for all the instruments, indicating that they assessed stable characteristics in the patients. The changes that did occur were mainly in the predicted direction. The results of this study suggest that the KAPP can assess modes of mental functioning and character traits that are relatively stable and only slowly variable.
There has been a shift of focus in suicide research toward a psychobiological approach during the... more There has been a shift of focus in suicide research toward a psychobiological approach during the last 2 decades. The reason for this is the recent emergence of two clusters of biological factors which tend to correlate with suicidal behavior. These are associated with serotonergic neurotransmission and with certain neuroendocrine functions, particularly the release of cortisol.
... ИНФОРМАЦИЯ О ПУБЛИКАЦИИ. Название публикации, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR POSTSTROKE DEPRESSION... more ... ИНФОРМАЦИЯ О ПУБЛИКАЦИИ. Название публикации, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR POSTSTROKE DEPRESSION. Авторы, Bjorn Martensson, Veronica Murray, Magnus von Arbin. Журнал, American Journal of Psychiatry. ...
ABSTRACT Derma översikt över läkemedelsinteraktion baserar sig på ett föredrag av Marie Åsberg vi... more ABSTRACT Derma översikt över läkemedelsinteraktion baserar sig på ett föredrag av Marie Åsberg vid psykiatriska föreningens vintermöte i Karlstad februari 1972.
The concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in lumbar spinal fluid (CSF) is a common... more The concentration of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in lumbar spinal fluid (CSF) is a commonly used estimate of serotonin turnover in man. Valid comparisons between controls and psychiatric patients using this estimate necessitates sensitive and precise analytical methods and attention to factors such as age, body height and drug treatment. When these factors are taken into account, there is a small but significant difference between depressed patients and controls. There is however no simple association between a low CSF 5-HIAA and depressive illness. The repeated demonstration of a bimodal distribution of CSF 5-HIAA in depressive illness suggests the existence of a subgroup of depressed patients with a disturbance of serotonin functions. A low CSF 5-HIAA is associated with an increased tendency to attempt suicide also in non-depressed individuals and with a different reaction to antidepressant drugs.
Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been found to have behavioral (psychiatric and pers... more Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been found to have behavioral (psychiatric and personality) correlates and is assumed to be linked to central transmitter systems and thus presumably to neuropsychological processes. In the present study, computerized neuropsychological tests, a reaction time (RT) test and a visuo-spatial problem solving test, the Perceptual Maze Test (PMT), were given to 32 female and 29 male students, each sex group divided into three subgroups on the basis of platelet MAO activity. The tests yield measures of laterality (reaction time for left- versus right-sided stimuli) and different aspects of cognitive strategy and skill, e.g. time used for inspection of the maze, for processing the stimulus pattern, and for checking the correctness of solutions. Low MAO female subjects had shorter RTs, pronounced for left-sided stimuli, and shorter inspection times in the PMT compared to other female subjects. Low and high MAO males had difficulties in inhibiting responses, when required, and low MAO males were more rapidly prepared to respond to new stimuli after short intervals than other males. In the PMT, high MAO male subjects spent a smaller part of the total time on inspection in relation to other male groups and had more rubouts than low MAO males, whose maze solving behavior indicated higher visuo-spatial ability. The results are discussed in terms of possible neurochemical bases of impulsivity and psychopathy, and of spatial skill.
Many investigators have studied serotonergic function as reflected in concentrations of the serot... more Many investigators have studied serotonergic function as reflected in concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients suffering from various psychiatric and somatic illnesses,”” and also in recovered depressed patient^"-'^ and healthy These studies suggest that serotonergic function is disturbed in subgroups of psychiatric patients. The results have not always been conclusive, which is probably due to the influence of confounding factors such as age, sex, body height, food intake, and diurnal and seasonal fluctuations (for an overview, see Reference 5). Low concentrations of CSF 5-HIAA have repeatedly been associated with suicidal behavior, and especially with serious suicide attempts and completed suicide regardless of the nature of the psychiatric disorder (for an overview, see Reference 17). Low concentrations of CSF 5-HIAA have also been reported in healthy volunteers, and in depressed patients after recovery. A low CSF 5-HIAA, rather than being a sign of illness, may thus reflect personality traits associated with increased vulnerability for psychiatric illness and suicidal behavior. A couple of studies indicate that this vulnerability may be genetically determined. Sedvall et al., found an increased incidence of affective illness in families of low CSF 5-HIAA healthy volunteer^.'^ Similarly, affective disorders were more common in families of depressed patients with low CSF 5-HIAA.I8
In patients with ulcerative colitis, alexithymia and related traits were studied using the Karoli... more In patients with ulcerative colitis, alexithymia and related traits were studied using the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP), a recently constructed psychodynamic assessment instrument, and other measures of alexithymia (the Schalling-Sifneos Personality Scale (SSPS) and the Beth Israel Questionnaire (BIQ)), and other personality traits using the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). The results of these measures were analyzed for correlation. The prevalence of mental disorder as defined by DSM-III was not above normal, and the KSP T-scores were within normal limits. As rated with the KAPP, alexithymia was uncorrelated with age or level of education, but was inversely correlated with proximity to a major life event (abdominal surgery), suggesting that alexithymia may have a defensive function. Cluster analysis, with Regression in the service of the ego (R), Alexithymia (A) and Normopathy (N) as clustering variables, yielded 3 groups: normal, multidisturbed (problems with R, A and N) and inhibited (problems with R and N). SSPS failed to distinguish between the multidisturbed and the inhibited groups, and BIQ between any groups. In the multidisturbed group, correlations were found with detachment and with disturbances in interpersonal relations. The results suggest that disturbances in object relations are of major importance in alexithymia.
Repeated lumbar punctures in 16 healthy volunteers showed reproducible concentrations of 5-hydrox... more Repeated lumbar punctures in 16 healthy volunteers showed reproducible concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and homovanillic acid (HVA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). In seven depressed patients, studied during two or three illness periods, the metabolite concentrations were also fairly stable. In 11 patients CSF concentrations of 5-HIAA, but not of HVA, were higher after recovery than during depression. This increase of 5-HIAA after recovery was confined to patients whose initial serotonin metabolite levels were low. The finding constitutes further evidence of a biochemical heterogeneity within the depressive disorders, and suggests that patients whose CSF 5-HIAA is low during a depressive episode may have a less stable serotonin system than other patients with depressive illness.
In a group of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, the stability of char... more In a group of patients with a preoperative diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, the stability of character traits and modes of mental functioning were studied after a major life event, major abdominal surgery, using the Karolinska Psychodynamic Profile (KAPP), an interview-based assessment instrument founded upon psychoanalytic theory. In addition, different personality and temperamental variables were assessed with 2 self-report instruments. The patients were assessed before surgery, and follow-up was made at least 1 year after their final scheduled surgery. Although the patients had undergone major abdominal surgery and convalescence between the assessments, the correlations between the scores before and after surgery were very high, and the levels of the scores were very similar. This was true for all the instruments, indicating that they assessed stable characteristics in the patients. The changes that did occur were mainly in the predicted direction. The results of this study suggest that the KAPP can assess modes of mental functioning and character traits that are relatively stable and only slowly variable.
There has been a shift of focus in suicide research toward a psychobiological approach during the... more There has been a shift of focus in suicide research toward a psychobiological approach during the last 2 decades. The reason for this is the recent emergence of two clusters of biological factors which tend to correlate with suicidal behavior. These are associated with serotonergic neurotransmission and with certain neuroendocrine functions, particularly the release of cortisol.
... ИНФОРМАЦИЯ О ПУБЛИКАЦИИ. Название публикации, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR POSTSTROKE DEPRESSION... more ... ИНФОРМАЦИЯ О ПУБЛИКАЦИИ. Название публикации, ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR POSTSTROKE DEPRESSION. Авторы, Bjorn Martensson, Veronica Murray, Magnus von Arbin. Журнал, American Journal of Psychiatry. ...
ABSTRACT Derma översikt över läkemedelsinteraktion baserar sig på ett föredrag av Marie Åsberg vi... more ABSTRACT Derma översikt över läkemedelsinteraktion baserar sig på ett föredrag av Marie Åsberg vid psykiatriska föreningens vintermöte i Karlstad februari 1972.
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