Asenapine maleate normalizes low frequency oscillatory deficits in a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia.

Asenapine maleate (AM) is an atypical antipsychotic that, unlike many other antipsychotics, shows some efficacy in treating cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Normal cognitive function has long since been associated with high frequency neuronal oscillations. However, recent research has highlighted the potential importance of low frequency oscillations.

Development of an "object category recognition" task for mice: Involvement of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Recent research suggests that rats are capable of object categorization-like processes. To study whether mice possess similar abilities, we developed a spontaneous one-trial object category recognition (OCR) task. Based on the spontaneous object recognition paradigm, mice discriminated between two otherwise equally novel objects, one from a novel category and one from a studied category.

A comparison of perinatal outcomes in singletons and multiples born after in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection stratified for neonatal risk criteria.

Objective: To compare perinatal singleton and multiple outcomes in a large Dutch in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) population and within risk subgroups. Newborns were assigned to a risk category based on gestational age, birthweight, Apgar score and congenital malformation.

Design: Register-based retrospective cohort study.

Guideline adherence in ectopic pregnancy management.

Background: Evidence-based guidelines have been issued for ectopic pregnancy (EP), covering both diagnostic and therapeutic management. In general, guidelines aim to reduce practice variation and to improve quality of care. To assess the guideline adherence in the management of EP, we developed guideline-based quality indicators and measured patient care in various hospitals.

Long term costs and effects of reducing the number of twin pregnancies in IVF by single embryo transfer: the TwinSing study.

Background: Pregnancies induced by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) often result in twin gestations, which are associated with both maternal and perinatal complications. An effective way to reduce the number of IVF twin pregnancies is to decrease the number of embryos transferred from two to one. The interpretation of current studies is limited because they used live birth as outcome measure and because they applied limited time horizons.

Do cycle disturbances explain the age-related decline of female fertility? Cycle characteristics of women aged over 40 years compared with a reference population of young women.

Background: The cause of declining fertility with age, in women who still have regular menstrual cycles, is not clear.

Methods: Follicle development, endometrial growth and hormonal patterns were evaluated in cycles of older women (aged 41-46 years; n = 26) who previously were normally fertile, and these cycles were compared with a reference group of relatively young fertile women (aged 22-34 years; n = 35).

Results: Clearly abnormal cycles were found in only two women in the older age group, and in one woman in the younger group.

Hormone patterns after induction of ovulation with clomiphene citrate: an age-related phenomenon.

Since the introduction of clomiphene citrate (CC), more than three decades ago, a discrepancy has been observed between ovulation and pregnancy rates for which as yet no explanation exists. To investigate if ovulation disorders or abnormal hormonal patterns occur more often in CC-stimulated seemingly ovulatory cycles, we performed hormonal and sonographic monitoring in first cycles of oligo- or amenorrheic patients who were stimulated with 50 mg CC, and compared the hormonal patterns to those in natural cycles of age-matched proven fertile women. Twenty-four first CC cycles were monitored.

Familial idiopathic premature ovarian failure: an overrated and underestimated genetic disease?

The incidence of familial cases of premature ovarian failure varies from 4 to 31%. Recall bias may explain part of the variance. Thorough evaluation of alleged affected relatives showed a lower incidence than the original family history suggested.

Diagnosis of subtle ovulation disorders in subfertile women with regular menstrual cycles: cost-effective clinical practice?

Serial monitoring by plasma progesterone measurement is advised in the literature for fertility work-up, to detect ovulation disturbances in women presenting with regular menstrual cycles. Three strategies to diagnose such 'subtle ovulation disorders' (SOD, defined as anovulation, inadequately timed ovulation or ovulation of a follicle of reduced size in regularly cycling women) were evaluated, in order to investigate costs of such a diagnosis. On the basis of a 'maximal', an 'ultrasound-only', and a 'preselection' strategy, total medical costs and costs including non-medical costs were calculated for each SOD diagnosis.

A patient with a progesterone-producing adrenal adenoma who presented with primary amenorrhea.

A case report is presented of a patient with a primary amenorrhea due to a progesterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma. Clinical and endocrinological abnormalities disappeared after removal of the tumor, and the patient experienced her menarche. To our knowledge, a predominantly progesterone-producing adrenal adenoma--in this patient associated with the clinical picture of primary amenorrhea--has not previously been described.

Is there a carryover effect of mild ovarian hyperstimulation with gonadotropins on the subsequent cycle?

Objective: To investigate the effect of mild ovarian hyperstimulation on hormonal and sonographic variables of the subsequent natural cycle.

Design: Prospective study of three consecutive cycles.

Setting: University Hospital, Department of Reproductive Medicine, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Intra-uterine insemination or timed intercourse after ovarian stimulation for male subfertility? A controlled study.

In this randomized trial we investigated whether intra-uterine insemination (IUI) in couples with male subfertility leads to a higher probability of conception than timed intercourse after ovarian stimulation with human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). A total of 76 couples started 249 cycles, of which 47 were cancelled to prevent multiple pregnancies or hyperstimulation. After 202 completed treatment cycles, 15 pregnancies occurred, 11 after IUI and four after timed intercourse.

Low luteal phase serum progesterone levels in regularly cycling women are predictive of subtle ovulation disorders.

Serial hormonal and ultrasound measurements were performed in a group of 50 infertile women with regular menstrual cycles of normal length, and evidence of luteinization by measurement of biphasic basal body temperature (BBT). The progesterone levels however, remained below a critical threshold of 32 nmol/l (1 nmol/l = 0.315 ng/ml) in two cycles.

The pattern of the luteinizing hormone surge in spontaneous cycles is related to the probability of conception.

Objective: To determine whether the pattern of the LH surge in a treatment cycle with artificial insemination with the husband's semen (AIH) because of cervical factor infertility is associated with the probability of conception.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Time of onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction.

Several studies have observed an increased occurrence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the morning based on subjective self-reports and objective confirmation. Evidence has also been collected to suggest a circadian variation in the onset of sudden cardiac death and silent myocardial ischemia. No published reports have examined the time of onset of AMI in relation to time after awakening.