The effect of aging on the D1 dopamine receptors in human frontal cortex.

Dopaminergic pathways to the cerebral cortex may be involved in cognitive function. We examined the effect of aging on the D1 dopamine receptors, and their high-agonist affinity (RH) sites, in postmortem human frontal cortex (n = 32; age range, 19-88 years). With aging, there was a significant decrease in the densities of the D1 dopamine receptors, and their RH sites, in human frontal cortex.

Area under pH 4: advantages of a new parameter in the interpretation of esophageal pH monitoring data in infants.

Twenty-four-hour continuous esophageal pH monitoring has become the preferred test to quantify acid gastroesophageal reflux. Agreement has been achieved that acid gastric content reflux into the esophagus constitutes a major cause of reflux esophagitis; we therefore calculated the "area under pH 4" (A) in 560 consecutive pH monitorings in infants 1-12 months old and related this parameter (A) to the reflux index (RI): RI less than 10%: A 185 +/- 295 (mean +/- 1 SD); RI 10-19%: A 1,046 +/- 1,206; RI 20-29%: A 1,967 +/- 2,038; RI 30-39%: A 3,307 +/- 2,955; RI greater than 40%: A 7,977 +/- 7,227. A higher RI is associated with a greater area under pH 4 (p less than 0.

Group B streptococcal endocarditis mimicking mitral valve myxoma.

A patient with group B streptococcal endocarditis and large vegetations resembling mitral valve myxoma is described. Group B streptococcal endocarditis and the differential diagnosis of vegetations and cardiac tumors are briefly reviewed.

Pain therapy: from theoretical research to clinical application.

After a brief review of the supraspinal and spinal effects of morphine, the reference substance for studies on analgesia, the authors expose a synthesis of the recent literature regarding neurotransmitter involvement in pain perception and transmission. From these data, some future prospects for pain treatment research are identified.