Comparison of adinazolam, amitriptyline, and diazepam in endogenous depressive inpatients exhibiting DST nonsuppression or abnormal contingent negative variation.

Adinazolam, a triazolobenzodiazepine that has an action similar to antidepressants in several pharmacological tests, was compared with amitriptyline and diazepam in endogenous depressive inpatients exhibiting dexamethasone suppression test non-suppression and/or abnormal contingent negative variation. Three parallel groups of 22 patients received in double-blind conditions either adinazolam (60-90 mg/day), amitriptyline (150-225 mg/day), or diazepam (30-45 mg/day) over a 4-week period, with weekly assessments by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Results showed significant superiority of amitriptyline over diazepam on total Hamilton depression scores.

[Modifications of contingent negative variation (CNV) induced by oxytocin infusion].

The central effects of an intravenous infusion of oxytocin (OT), 3,680 mIU in 45 min, were investigated in 20 male volunteers in a double-blind study combining an electrophysiological and a psychometrical approach. The electrophysiological approach consisted in the simultaneous recording of the CNV (Fz-A1 and Cz-A1) and the spontaneous EEG (bipolar P3-P4) recording on which was carried out an FFT analysis. On the other hand, various psychometric tests allowed to assess memory (Rey's tests), attention (K-T test) processes and mood changes (visual analogue scales).

[Relationship between dexamethasone suppression test and contingent negative variation in major depressive patients].

We tried to relate two different indexes sensitive to the perturbations induced by major depression: the Dexamethasone Suppression Test or DST (Caroll, 1982) and the Contingent Negative Variation (CNV). The question was whether abnormalities in cortisol levels, following dexamethasone would enlight the modifications observed in CNV parameters and other electrophysiological indexes (EEG spectrum, reaction time). In 61 major depressive patients, 29 being DST-non-suppressors, we calculated differences in electrophysiological variables according to DST suppression or not, but we were not able to evidence significant differences between the groups.

Inhibitory influence of oxytocin infusion on contingent negative variation and some memory tasks in normal men.

A double-blind study combining electrophysiological and psychometrical approaches was carried out to investigate the central effects of an intravenous oxytocin (OT) infusion in normal men. Contingent negative variation (CNV) was selected as the measure of central cognitive evoked potential, and the psychometric tests measured mood, vigilance and memory. OT infusion induced a significant decrease of CNV amplitude and an increase of post-imperative positive potentials in vertex derivations.

Sleep and wake after benzodiazepine hypnotics: a 20-hour EEG comparison of lormetazepam and flunitrazepam.

In an electropharmacokinetic study, the effects of lormetazepam and flunitrazepam were compared by the means of a sleep EEG and waking EEG during the following daytime. At a 1-week interval, 6 normal subjects received at random either 2 mg lormetazepam or 2 mg flunitrazepam in a double-blind, crossover fashion. Sleep EEG was recorded throughout the night; 6-min EEG samples were recorded every hour during 10 hours on the following daytime for spectral analysis.

[Is there a correlation between the phases of CNV and the power spectrum of the EEG?].

In 14 volunteers, the relationships between CNV and EEG power spectrum were studied during 3 periods of 1 sec: before S1, between S1 and S2, and after S2. We noted first a relation between CNV amplitude and EEG spectrum over the 3 periods: there was an inverse correlation for the alpha band, and a direct correlation for the beta band. We also observed a direct, strong correlation (r = 0.

Self-reports of anxiety level and EEG changes after a single dose of benzodiazepines. Double-blind comparison of two forms of oxazepam.

A new formulation of oxazepam especially designed to increase the speed of absorption and eliminate the need to use water (freeze-dried dosage formulation; FDDF) was compared in double-blind and crossover conditions with the standard tablets of the same compound. 5 inpatients with generalized anxiety disorder received at 1-week intervals a single 30 mg dose of one of the compounds. Every 8 min for 96 min after drug intake, they completed a battery of visual analogue scales and had an EEG recording with computerized spectral analysis.

[Relation between fast EEG rhythms and contingent negative variation].

The experiments were done to investigate the relationships between activation level and contingent negative variation (CNV). Two groups of subjects, differing in their level of cortical arousal, were recorded with eyes open (OE, N = 17) or eyes closed (CE, N = 40). Beta activity, CNV, electro-oculogram, reaction time and heart rate were studied.

[Quantified EEG and CNV changes during inhalation of nitrous oxide].

The present study constitutes an approach to the action mechanisms of nitrous oxide (N2O) by assessing both the subjective effects induced by the inhalation of this anaesthetic gas, and their electrophysiological correlates, i.e., spontaneous EEG, analyzed by a Fourier algorithm, AEP and CNV.

Action of lysine-vasopressin on human electroencephalographic activity. Night sleep pattern, auditory evoked potential, contingent negative variation.

This study is an investigation of the central effects of vasopressin in man, as this hormone proved able to modify learning processes in animals and was applied successfully to post-traumatic, amnesic patients. Electrophysiological techniques were used to assess the effects of lysine-vasopressin (LVP) given by nasal spray (7 and 14 IU) on night sleep pattern (12 subjects), auditory evoked potentials (AEP; 26 subjects), and contingent negative variation (CNV; 26 subjects). Night sleep EEG was not modified to a great extent: in particular REM sleep did not undergo any change after LVP.

A correlation study of contingent negative variation, reaction time, and EEG power spectrum in control and psychopathological populations.

Contingent negative variation (CNV), reaction time (RT), and EEG power spectrum were measured in a group of 27 neurotics and 26 controls subjects, male and female, aged 18 to 38. CNV was recorded with a 1 sec interstimulus interval and averaged over 48 trials. Two spectral analyses of the EEG were performed, the first during the 1 sec period preceding S1 (spontaneous EEG), the second during the S1-S2 interval (activated EEG).

[Inversion of the polarity of contingent negative variation during falling asleep (author's transl)].

In 25 subjects repeated examination of contingent negative variation (S1 - S2 = 1 sec) under relatively unconstrained experimental conditions (simple, monotonous task, long recording sessions with eyes closed) favorized drowsiness and falling asleep. These periods of low vigilance level, observed in 7 subjects, are characterized by: (1) a global reduction in spontaneous EEG, measured by a diminution in the alpha/theta + delta index (FFT on bipolar leads P3--P4); (2) an inversion in alpha reactivity in the S1 - S2 interval, which, instead of diminishing, tends to augment 'paradoxically'; and (3) an inversion in the polarity of the CNV, which can reach a positive value as high as + 15 to + 20 microV. These electrophysiological phenomena are not accompanied by significant modifications in reaction time.

A study of psychological and endocrine variables on 14 patients treated by chronical haemodialysis.

In 13 patients suffering from renal dysfunction and treated by chronic haemodialysis, the mnemic functions appeared within the limits of normality and there was no positive correlation between blood levels of neurophysines and free cortisol. On the other hand, a negative correlation was found between levels of neurophysine I and items 3 and 5 of the memory test PRM. This negative result indicates that in haemodialyzed patients a discrepancy may exist between blood levels of neurophysines and vasopressin release, or that there is no direct relationship between plasma and CSF concentrations of such hormones.

[Use of lysine-vasopressine in the treatment of post-traumatic amnesia (author's transl)].

Following experimental works on the role of vasopressine (ADH) on learning and memory process, we have treated seven subjects suffering from post-traumatic amnesia with Lysine-Vasopressine (LVP), as a nasal spray for 15 days (14 UI per day). All subjects (males, aged 20 to 63) presented a deficit for 3 years, did not follow any treatment and did not hope for any improvement. Five subjects presented a real improvement, either immediately during the treatment, or in a way more progressive some weeks after the end of the treatment.

[Comparative study of the CNV and the quantitative EEG during a simple motor task (author's transl)].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate CNV amplitude variability and its degree of covariance with the spontaneous EEG (quantified by FFT algorithm) and the reaction time. 14 healthy male subjects made from atypical for one hour, and they had to keep their eyes closed. Recordings were during this period.