Cholinergic modulation of microglial activation by alpha 7 nicotinic receptors.

Almost all degenerative diseases of the CNS are associated with chronic inflammation. A central step in this process is the activation of brain mononuclear phagocyte cells, called microglia. While it is recognized that healthy neurons and astrocytes regulate the magnitude of microglia-mediated innate immune responses and limit excessive CNS inflammation, the endogenous signals governing this process are not fully understood.

The Tourette's Disorder Scale (TODS): development, reliability, and validity.

To address the lack of a simple and standardized instrument to assess overall illness severity of Tourette's disorder (TD), the authors developed and tested a 15-item scale to measure a broad range of common symptoms including tics, inattention, hyperactivity, obsessions, compulsions, aggression, and emotional symptoms. Independent investigators used the 15-item Tourette's Disorder Scale (TODS) to assess 60 TD patients who were taking part in a double-blind placebo-controlled multicenter 8-week treatment study. Interrater reliability, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, and sensitivity to change were examined.

Translocation breakpoint in two unrelated Tourette syndrome cases, within a region previously linked to the disorder.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by both motor and vocal tics. The etiology of TS is poorly understood; however, evidence of genetic transmission arises from family and twin studies. A complex mode of inheritance has been suggested, likely involving contributions of several genes with different effect size.

A pilot controlled trial of transdermal nicotine in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that transdermal nicotine would be efficacious for the treatment of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Method: This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, pilot trial that compared the effects of daily transdermal nicotine (5 mg/16 hrs) to placebo in children and adolescents with ADHD. There was a three-day washout period of all psychotropic medication followed by a one-week treatment period.