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Cohort Consisting (cohort + consisting)
Selected AbstractsGluR5,6,7 subunit immunoreactivity on apical pyramidal cell dendrites in hippocampus of schizophrenics and manic depressivesHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 5 2001Francine M. Benes Abstract Recent postmortem studies have suggested that changes in the regulation of kainate-sensitive glutamate receptors (kainate receptors) in the hippocampus may play a role in schizophrenia. To explore this possibility further, the distribution of immunoreactivity (IR) for the GluR5,6,7 subunits of the KR was assessed in a cohort consisting of 15 normal controls, 15 schizophrenics, and 9 manic depressives matched for age and postmortem interval (PMI). Cross sections of hippocampus showed abundant GluR5,6,7 -IR on apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the stratum radiatum and stratum moleculare. In normal controls, both the numerical and length density of IR dendrites were much higher in sector CA2 than in sectors CA3 or CA1. When data for the individual groups were separately examined, the schizophrenics showed a 30,35% reduction in the density of GluR5,6,7 -IR dendrites found in both stratum radiatum and stratum moleculare of sectors CA3 and CA2, as well as proximal and middle portions of CA1. In CA2, the magnitude of this decrease in schizophrenia was 2.5 times larger than that seen in any of the other sectors. For the manic depressive group, no significant differences were observed in any sectors or laminae examined. The potential confounding effects of either age, PMI, or neuroleptic exposure do not explain the reduced density of IR dendrites detected in the schizophrenic group. Taken together, the preferential reduction of GluR5,6,7 -IR observed on apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons is consistent with a functional downregulation of the kainate receptor in the hippocampus of schizophrenic brain. Hippocampus 2001;11:482,491. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Alters Biobehavioral Reactivity to Pain in NewbornsALCOHOLISM, Issue 4 2010Tim F. Oberlander Objectives:, To examine biobehavioral responses to an acute pain event in a Cape Town, South Africa, cohort consisting of 28 Cape Colored (mixed ancestry) newborns (n = 14) heavily exposed to alcohol during pregnancy (exposed), and born to abstainers (n = 14) or light (,0.5 oz absolute alcohol/d) drinkers (controls). Methods:, Mothers were recruited during the third trimester of pregnancy. Newborn data were collected on postpartum day 3 in the maternity obstetrical unit where the infant had been delivered. Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure was defined as maternal consumption of at least 14 drinks/wk or at least 1 incident of binge drinking/mo. Acute stress-related biobehavioral markers [salivary cortisol, heart rate (HR), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), spectral measures of heart rate variability (HRV), and videotaped facial actions] were collected thrice during a heel lance blood collection (baseline, lance, and recovery). After a feeding and nap, newborns were administered an abbreviated Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. Results:, There were no between-group differences in maternal age, marital status, parity, gravidity, depression, anxiety, pregnancy smoking, maternal education, or infant gestational age at birth (all ps > 0.15). In both groups, HR increased with the heel lance and decreased during the postlance period. The alcohol-exposed group had lower mean HR than controls throughout, and showed no change in RSA over time. Cortisol levels showed no change over time in controls but decreased over time in exposed infants. Although facial action analyses revealed no group differences in response to the heel lance, behavioral responses assessed on the Brazelton Neonatal Scale showed less arousal in the exposed group. Conclusions:, Both cardiac autonomic and hypothalamic,pituitary,adrenal stress reactivity measures suggest a blunted response to an acute noxious event in alcohol-exposed newborns. This is supported by results on the Brazelton Neonatal Scale indicating reduced behavioral arousal in the exposed group. To our knowledge, these data provide the first biobehavioral examination of early pain reactivity in alcohol-exposed newborns and have important implications for understanding neuro-/biobehavioral effects of prenatal alcohol exposure in the newborn period. [source] Mefloquine prescriptions in the presence of contraindications: prevalence among US military personnel deployed to Afghanistan, 2007,,PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 2 2010Remington L. Nevin MD Abstract Purpose Contraindications to mefloquine use include a history of certain prevalent neuropsychiatric disorders, which are thought to increase the risk of severe adverse events including anxiety, paranoia, depression, hallucinations, psychosis, and possibly suicide. Within the US military, the continued availability and use of mefloquine is subject to administrative policies dating to 2002 that require clinicians to exercise added caution during prescribing. This analysis was performed to quantify the effectiveness of these policies in ensuring health care provider compliance with package insert prescribing guidance. Methods A previously identified cohort consisting of 11,725 active duty US military personnel, among whom 1127 (9.6%) had contraindications to mefloquine use identified through medical surveillance and pharmaceutical databases, was examined to identify individuals receiving prescriptions for mefloquine in the 45 days prior to a combat deployment in 2007. Results Among the 11,725 cohort members, 4505 (38.4% of the cohort) received a prescription for mefloquine. Among the 1127 cohort members with contraindications, 155 (1.3% of the cohort) were prescribed mefloquine, comprising 13.8% of those with contraindications. Conclusions Despite the longstanding administrative policies meant to reduce such events, approximately one in seven individuals with neuropsychiatric contraindications received a prescription for mefloquine prior to a recent combat deployment, significantly increasing the risk of subsequent adverse events. Given the prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders among US military personnel and the continued availability of mefloquine, additional study is recommended to describe and quantify the nature and extent of mefloquine-associated adverse events experienced among this group. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Early breastfeeding cessation: validation of a prognostic breastfeeding scoreACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 5 2007Hanne Kronborg Abstract Aim: To validate a simple breastfeeding score to identify mothers who stop breastfeeding within 4 months after birth. Methods: Two independent cohorts of Danish mothers in 1999 and 2004 with 4 months of follow-up on breastfeeding duration were used. The breastfeeding score was developed from 471 mothers' responses to a questionnaire in 1999 and based on duration of schooling, previous breastfeeding experience, self-efficacy, and mother's confidence in ability to produce milk. The 2004 cohort consisting of 723 mothers was used to validate the score. Results: A breastfeeding score of 7 or higher classified 45% of the mothers in the 2004 cohort as being at risk of breastfeeding cessation. With this cut-point the sensitivity was 70% and the specificity 71%. Among primipara the cut-point gave a sensitivity of 76% and a specificity of 54% and classified 60% to be in the risk group. Among multipara the corresponding figures were 66%, 81% and 34%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve was 0.78. Conclusion: The breastfeeding score based on a simple scoring system derived from four risk factors was capable of predicting the breastfeeding duration in an independent sample. It may help health professionals to identify mothers at risk of breastfeeding cessation before 4 months. [source] | ||||||||||