CT-guided needle biopsy of the pancreas: a retrospective analysis of diagnostic accuracy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of percutaneous needle biopsy of the pancreas and to compare its sensitivity with that of simple computerized tomographic (CT) prediction of malignancy. The records of 41 patients who underwent CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsies of the pancreas during a 4-yr period were reviewed retrospectively. Pre-biopsy CT scans were evaluated independently by two experienced radiologists in a blinded fashion.

Plasma and red cell levels of thioridazine and clinical response in schizophrenia.

The relationship of plasma and red blood cell (RBC) levels of thioridazine to clinical response in schizophrenia was evaluated in a fixed-dose study. Steady-state plasma and RBC levels of thioridazine, mesoridazine, and sum of thioridazine and mesoridazine, determined by gas-liquid chromatography, were not significantly correlated with clinical response as measured by improvement on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. RBC thioridazine levels were not substantially more strongly correlated with clinical response than plasma levels.

Abnormalities of brain structure and density in schizophrenia.

Quantitative and qualitative measures of brain morphology were derived through CT scans using computer-assisted methodology in patients with schizophrenia or schizo-affective psychosis and headache controls. Schizophrenics had significantly higher density of white matter, together with greater right vs. left asymmetry in density of white matter than controls.

Nuclear magnetic resonance in schizophrenia: a preliminary study.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scans were performed in nine patients with schizophrenia and five control subjects. NMR scans allowed multiple-plane views of the brains of schizophrenic patients and demonstrated much greater detail of morphological structure than computed tomographic (CT) scans. This small sample of subjects, however, showed no significant differences in several quantitative measurements between schizophrenic patients and control subjects.

The residual effect of chronic neuroleptic treatment on the neuroleptic binding assay in rats.

Chronic chlorpromazine administration to rats (25 mg/Kg/day) for 30 days followed by a washout period of 10 days resulted in an increase in both the measured maximum number of binding sites, Bmax, and the apparent dissociation constant, Kd, for the binding of 3H-spiroperidol to neural membranes of the brain. When membrane suspensions were progressively diluted before the binding assay, it was found that the apparent Bmax did not change with dilution, remaining higher in membranes of chlorpromazine-treated rats than in controls. The apparent increase in Kd, on the other hand, was found to be an artifact of the assay.

RBC and plasma levels of haloperidol and clinical response in schizophrenia.

The authors conducted a fixed-dose study of haloperidol blood levels and clinical response in schizophrenic in patients and found that those with steady-state RBC haloperidol levels in the range of 2.4--5.4 ng/ml showed greater improvement than those with lower or higher levels.

Effects of neuroleptics on platelet monoamine oxidase activity.

Platelet MAO activity in schizophrenics was significantly decreased, by about 15%, after 3 weeks of treatment with haloperidol. Treatment with thioridazine or butaperazine also tended to decrease platelet MAO activity. The neuroleptic-induced decrease began to appear within a few days of treatment and did not show tolerance over 1-2 months of treatment with haloperidol.

Regional uptake of [35S]-cysteine in rat brain after arterial injection.

The brain uptake index of [35S]-cysteine in ten rat brain regions and in the eye was determined by measuring [35S]-cysteine remaining in the brain regions and in the eye, five seconds after carotid injection, relative to a simultaneously injected diffusible internal standard, 3H2O and a non-diffusible internal standard Tc99m-Sn-DTPA. A statistical comparison for the regions that receive their blood supply from the internal carotid artery was done. Only the diencephalon and the septum-nucleus accumbens were found significantly higher than cortex.

Cholinesterase enzymes in the blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Plasma pseudocholinesterase activity was about 100% higher in patients with Alzheimer's type dementia than in similar age controls. Red cell acetylcholinesterase activity tended to be lower in patients than controls. Administration of lecithin substantially increased plasma choline levels but did not alter activity of either of the cholinesterase enzymes.

Human brain monoamine oxidase: one molecular entity-multiple binding sites?

Monoamine oxidase (MAO) of human brain cortex was partially characterized by using different substrates and inhibitors. Two Km values were calculated for each of the three substrates tested, i.e.

Amobarbital treatment of multiple personality. Use of structured video tape interviews as a basis for intensive psychotherapy.

The case of a 30-year-old woman with five distinct personalities is presented. The patient was treated, using a system of structured video taped sodium amobarbital interviews, in which areas to be explored were developed in psychotherapy. Tapes were played for the patient after each session.

A family therapy outcome study in an inpatient setting.

A small sample of adolescents hospitalized in a public mental health facility received family therapy while a control group received individual therapy. Follow-up at three months indicated that those treated in family therapy returned to functioning more rapidly and were rehospitalized less frequently than adolescent patients in individual therapy. Directions for further study are suggested