Nosology and diagnosis of alcoholism. Issues and perspectives in subtyping (DSM III) simple alcoholism and alcoholism associated with other psychopathologies.

The presence of psychopathological syndromes in alcoholic in-patients was assessed using the NIMH-Diagnosis. The most stricking finding of this study was the high percentage of additional psychopathological syndromes associated to alcoholism. Based on this finding, a tentative classification of alcoholism is proposed.

On the pathogenesis and therapy of dementia of the Alzheimer type: some neuropathological, biochemical, genetic and pharmacotherapeutic considerations.

The extensive literature on dementia of Alzheimer type (DAT) testifies to the enormous progress achieved in the clinical and biochemical delineation of this disease. Newly developed laboratory and imaging techniques are also being applied to the diagnosis of DAT. Nevertheless, unequivoval diagnosis still relies primarily on morphological data from biopsy or autopsy.

Effects of trichothecenes (T-2 toxin) on protein synthesis in vitro by brain polysomes and messenger RNA.

The effects of T-2 toxin on protein synthesis were tested in two reticulocyte lysate in vitro systems pretreated with micrococcal nuclease. One of the test systems contained purified globin mRNA and was initiation dependent. The other contained rat brain polysomes and incorporated amino acids by an elongation dependent process.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase in Drosophila: developmental and functional aspects.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activities were determined in adult flies from several Drosophila species endowed with widely different tolerance to ethanol (ETOH). Plotting ALDH against ADH activities resulted in a high correlation coefficient (r = 0.966).

Biological markers in major psychosis and alcoholism: phenotypic and genotypic markers.

Some basic concepts and trends which appear to be essential in the search for biological markers in mental disorders are discussed. Comments related to major psychosis and alcoholism are presented under three headings: (i) heterogeneity of disorders (ii) multifactoriality of disorders and (iii) mental disorders as genetically influenced disorders. Tentative classification and terminology of biological markers are given.