ICD-10 mild cognitive disorder: epidemiological evidence on its validity.

Criteria for the diagnosis of ICD-10 Mild Cognitive Disorder (MCD) were applied to a sample of 897 community dwelling elderly participants. Criterion A (the presence of a physical disorder) was met by 44%, Criterion B (report of a cognitive disorder) by 17%, Criterion C (an abnormality in quantified cognitive assessments) by 60%, and Criterion D (exclusion on basis of dementia and other conditions) by 74%. A total of 36 cases (4%) met all four criteria.

Evidence for the presence of a non-catecholamine, clonidine-displacing substance in crude, methanolic extracts of bovine brain and lung.

In the present study we have prepared crude, methanolic extracts of bovine lung and bovine brain and, using radioligand binding assays in conjunction with a number of simple chromatographic techniques, provided evidence for the presence of a non-catecholamine 'clonidine-displacing substance' (CDS). The level of CDS in lung extracts (9 units/g wet weight n = 11) is approximately 3 times that in the brain extracts. Furthermore, the effect of the crude, methanolic extracts are selective for non-adrenoceptor, imidazoline (labelled by [3H]-idazoxan) and alpha 2-adrenoceptor binding sites (labelled by [3H]-clonidine); both extracts are 5-10-fold more potent displacers of ligand binding to alpha 2-adrenoceptors compared with binding to opiate receptors (labelled by [3H]-etorphine) and practically inactive against alpha 1-adrenoceptor and muscarinic binding sites (labelled by [3H]-prazosin and [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate, respectively).

A latent trait analysis of an inventory designed to detect symptoms of anxiety and depression using an elderly community sample.

An 18-item inventory designed by Goldberg et al. (1987) to detect symptoms of anxiety and depression was administered to an elderly general population sample. Latent trait analysis was used to assess the dimensionality of the inventory and the location and discriminatory ability of the symptoms.

Age differences and interindividual variation in cognition in community-dwelling elderly.

The cognitive test performance of 897 community-dwelling elderly Ss, aged 70 years and over, was examined for age trends and interindividual variation. Data were subjected to factor analysis, and 3 factors emerged (Crystallized Intelligence, Fluid Intelligence, and Memory). Over the age span sampled, Crystallized Intelligence, Fluid Intelligence, and Memory all decreased with the decrease being greatest for Fluid Intelligence and least for Crystallized Intelligence.

The relationship between health and cognitive functioning in a sample of elderly people in the community.

The association between health status and cognitive performance was examined in a sample of 708 community dwelling elderly people aged 70 years or over. Cognitive performance declined significantly across the age groups 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85-89 years on the Mini-Mental State Examination and on measures of fluid intelligence and memory, but not on measures of crystallized intelligence. Health status declined significantly across age for five of 49 past and current medical conditions, for measures of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and for systolic blood pressure, but did not decline significantly for global self-ratings of health, diastolic blood pressure or reports of smoking.

A survey of dementia in the Canberra population: experience with ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria.

A community survey of 1045 persons aged 70 years and over was conducted to identify cases of dementia in the cities of Canberra and Queanbeyan. Cases were identified using the Canberra Interview for the Elderly, administered by lay interviewers. When diagnostic criteria were rigidly applied, the point prevalence of dementia in the combined sample of community and institutional residents was considerably lower by ICD-10 than by DSM-III-R.

Complaints of cognitive decline in the elderly: a comparison of reports by subjects and informants in a community survey.

In a community survey, subjects and their informants were asked the same questions about memory and intellectual decline in the subjects. Subjects and informants both commonly reported cognitive decline, although in most cases the decline was not seen as interfering with daily life. However, when responses from subjects and informants were cross-tabulated, agreement was found to be poor.

The reliability and validity of the French version of the Canberra Interview for the Elderly.

A French version of the Canberra Interview for the Elderly (CIE) was developed. This instrument is designed for lay administration and, using a computer algorithm, produces diagnoses of dementia and depression according to ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria. The reliability of this French version was found to meet or exceed the English version in a test-retest design.

Alpha 2-adrenoceptors: more subtypes but fewer functional differences.

The proliferation of receptor subtypes based on differences in amino acid sequence does not necessarily coincide with functional differences. The number of alpha 2-adrenoceptor subtypes, as defined by ligand-binding and molecular studies, has been increasing in the past few years, which suggests the possibility of distinct physiological and pathological pathways that could be targeted by new selective drugs. However, the evidence from functional studies has been less convincing.

Do mental health surveys disturb? Further evidence.

In a community survey of 873 persons aged 70 years or over, focusing on dementia, cognitive decline, depression, and current life circumstances, we included an enquiry into the emotional impact of the interview. A large majority reported at the end of the interview that it had no adverse effect on their emotional state. About 4% reported that it made them distressed, 1% that it depressed them, and 2% that it had intruded on their privacy.

The genetics of bipolar disorder.

Growing interest in the application of molecular biological techniques to psychiatric disorders has reinvigorated interest in the genetics of the psychoses. It is therefore timely to review the current state of knowledge of the genetics of bipolar disorder. Family, twin and adoption studies are all consistent in confirming the strongly heritable nature of this condition.

The prevalence of depressive disorders and the distribution of depressive symptoms in later life: a survey using Draft ICD-10 and DSM-III-R.

The point prevalence of depressive disorders was estimated in a sample of persons aged 70 years and over, which included both those living in the community and those in institutional settings. Lay interviewers administered the Canberra Interview for the Elderly to the subjects and their informants. The point prevalence of depressive episodes as defined by the Draft ICD-10 diagnostic criteria was 3.

Changes in [3H]-PK 11195 and [3H]-8-OH-DPAT binding following forebrain ischaemia in the gerbil.

1. A high density of [3H]-PK 11195 binding sites was present in gerbil cortical membranes (Bmax [3H]-PK 11195 1360 +/- 71 fmol mg-1 protein) in comparison to rat cortical membranes (254 +/- 21 fmol mg-1 protein). This effect was species-specific as similar findings were obtained with hippocampal membranes (Bmax 1430 +/- 111 fmol mg-1 protein in gerbil, compared to 196 +/- 31 in rat).

Interethnic variations in the presence of Schneiderian first rank symptoms.

Differences in the presence of Schneiderian First Rank Symptoms in first admission schizophrenic patients were examined in five subcultural groupings treated in the same facilities. Examination of the case notes of 212 patients revealed that first rank symptoms were most prevalent in the UK immigrant group and least frequently present in the Greek immigrant group. First rank symptoms were more prevalent in patients admitted recently, admitted voluntarily, and amongst those who had at least some command of English.

Sodium modulation of 3H-agonist and 3H-antagonist binding to alpha 2-adrenoceptor subtypes.

1. The alpha 2-adrenoceptors on human platelets and neonatal rat lung were characterized with the agonist and antagonist ligands [3H]-adrenaline and [3H]-RS-15385-197 respectively. A correlation of affinities for 3H-antagonist binding showed the receptors to be of the alpha 2A-(platelet) and alpha 2B-(neonatal rat lung) adrenoceptor subtypes, whereas a correlation of affinities for 3H-agonist binding showed the receptors to have similar characteristics (r = 0.

The association between mental, social and physical activity and cognitive performance in young and old subjects.

The influence of mental, social and physical activity on fluid, crystallized and memory tasks was examined in 60 young and 56 elderly subjects using multiple regression. Once the influence of education, age, health and psychiatric morbidity was removed, physical activity was associated with higher fluid test performance in old but not in young subjects. Moreover, mental activity was associated with higher performance on fluid and crystallized tasks for subjects with low education but not for subjects with high education.

The disabled elderly living in the community: care received from family and formal services.

Objectives: Based on a community sample, to assess the reasons disabled elderly people need care, the type of formal services they receive, the characteristics of their carers and the degree of psychological morbidity in these carers.

Design And Setting: A community survey of people aged 70 or more years living in Canberra or Queanbeyan. Survey participants were asked to nominate informants, who were interviewed about the subjects' state of health.

[3H]p-aminoclonidine and [3H]idazoxan label different populations of imidazoline sites on rat kidney.

In the presence of RS-15385-197 to preclude binding to alpha 2-adrenoceptors, [3H]p-aminoclonidine labelled a low affinity high capacity site, (Kd = 127.6 +/- 19.7 nM, Bmax 978 +/- 172 fmol/mg protein) whereas [3H]idazoxan labelled a high affinity low capacity site (Kd = 1.

Parental 'affectionless control' as an antecedent to adult depression: a risk factor refined.

It has been well established that individuals with a history of depression report their parents as being less caring and more overprotective of them than do controls. 'Affectionless control' in childhood has thus been proposed as a risk factor for depression. Evidence is presented from a logistic regression analysis of data from a volunteer community sample that lack of care rather than over-protection is the primary risk factor.