Cardiac resynchronization therapy improves psycho-cognitive performance in patients with heart failure.

Background: Reduced cognitive performance and high prevalence of depression have been reported in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and severe left ventricular dysfunction. However, effects of contemporary device therapy on cognitive performance and depression symptoms have not been studied thoroughly.

Methods: Seventy-four consecutive CHF patients-45 receiving a biventricular defibrillator (CRT-D) and 29 receiving an implantable single or dual-chamber defibrillator (ICD) as a control group-were enrolled in this investigator-initiated, prospective, controlled, and investigator-blinded study.

On the function of histamine in the central nervous system of arthropods.

Histamine is localized in the CNS of many invertebrate taxa by various methods. It is described to act as a neurotransmitter, neuromodulator, and neurohormone. Because of its distribution throughout these taxa it is tempting to forward the following hypothesis: Histamine acts as a neuroactive substance in all invertebrates.

Cell proliferation and 3H-proline incorporation in periodontal ligament exposed to mechanical stress.

In order to study the metabolic processes induced in the periodontal ligament by mechanical influences, a tension spring was implanted in rats between the incisor and the first maxillary molar on the right-hand side, while the left maxilla of these animals as well as non-operated rats served as controls. Under such mechanical stress, there occurred at 3, 10 and 21 days after implantation a significant increase in the 3H-thymidine labeling index, which was demonstrable histoautoradiographically. A change in cell density was not discovered.