Nicotine dependence and smoking cessation / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death, disability and disease in the world and is projected to be the leading cause of death and disability across all developed and developing countries by 2020. Nicotine, the primary active ingredient of cigarettes that contributes to physical dependence, acts on nicotine receptors in the central nervous system and leads to the release of neurotransmitters (such as dopamine). Like other drugs of abuse, nicotine is thought to produce reinforcing effect by activating the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system. A wide variety of cessation treatments of nicotine dependence is commercially available, yet only 2 general approaches have received empirical validation: behavioral intervention (including 5 As brief intervention) and pharmacotherapy. The evidences show that 5 As brief intervention is one of the most cost-effective treatments in clinical work for busy physicians. Three types of medications have been available in market for smoking cessation treatment: nicotine replacement treatment (NRT, i.e., transdermal patch, gum, inhaler, nasal spray, and lozenge), sustained release bupropion and varenicline. Varenicline, a novel alpha4beta2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist, is effective for tobacco dependence. Phase III trials suggest that it is more effective than NRT and bupropion SR. The safety profile of varenicline is excellent, with the most commonly occurring adverse events, nausea, typically mild and well tolerated. However, new safety warnings are added to the varenicline label because of post-marketing report including agitation, depression and suicidality. A causal connection between varenicline use and these symptoms has not been established.

The assessment analysis of the criminal responsibility in the mentally ill offenders / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To analyze the assessment results of the criminal responsibility of the mentally ill offenders.Methods A case control study was employed in the current study.BPRS,Criminal Responsibility SCale were used to investigate the 147 criminal cases evaluated by forensic psychiatrists from January 2005 to January 2006 in the 5th hospital of Nanning city,Guangxi province.Results (1)There was a significant difference between the responsibility group and no-responsibility group in the BPRS total score(45.23±7.88 vs 31.16±9.32),factor 3(17.23±4.49 vs 8.18±5.19),factor 4(4.80±2.04 vs 3.89±1.67),factor 5(8.18±3.21 vs5.36±3.23).(2)By the discriminatory analysis,the 8 variables such as psychiatric history,psychiatric diagnosis.the BPRS factor 3 and 4,the Responsibility Scale factors 3,4,and 5 were selected into the discriminatory equations.Conclusions 1.The study suggested that the psychiatric diagnosis.psychopathology and its severity of the disorders,the criminal motivation,understand of the consequence and the ability of self-protection play an important role in assessing the criminal responsibility of the mentally ill offenders.2.The study confirmed Criminal Responsibility Scale had the excellent credible and effective degree.And it can be widely used in the assessment of criminal responsibility ofthe mentally ill offenders.

Comparison of 6 microelements in hair between schizophrenic patients and normal persons / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: It has been testified the interrelation between many microelements and mental diseases by determination of serum concentration or single determination of several microelements. But there are lack of definite data in comparison between big samples and various microelements.OBJECTIVE: To determine the levels of 6 microelements (Pb, Cd, Al, Zn, Cr and Ni) in hair of schizophrenic patients and compare with normal persons.DESIGN: Case-control, single center and big sample observation was designed.SETTING: Department of Psychiatry, Nanning Fifth People's Hospital.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 440 cases of latest inpatients of schizophrenia were selected from the ward of Department of Psychiatry, Nanning Fifth People's Hospital from April to December in 2000. They had not taken drugs for anti-mental disease yet, of which, 260 cases were male, 180 cases female; aged averagely (34±13) years, 122 cases ≤ 29 years old, 236 cases aged varied from 30 to 49 years and 82 cases ≥50 years old. In the control group, 218 persons were selected from the staffs of Nanning Fifth People's Hospital, of which, 128 cases were male and 90 cases female; aged averagely (37±11) years, 56 cases ≤ 29 years old, 121 cases aged varied from 30 to 49 years and 41 cases ≥50 years old. All of the participants were in the know and agreed with the experiment.METHODS: WFX-12 type atomic absorption spectrophotometer was used to determine in parallelism the levels of Pb, Cd, Al, Zn, Cr and Ni in hair of 440 cases of schizophrenic patients and 218 cases of normal persons.Multi-factor logistic regressive model analysis was carried out on microelement levels between patient group and normal group.ment levels in hair concerning to sex and age among schizophrenic papatients and normal persons.RESULTS: Totally 440 cases of schizophrenia and 218 normal persons enanalysis: The odds ratios (OR) were 1.07, 0.32, 0.99, 0.99, 1.74 and 0.63 successively between schizophrenia and the levels of Pb, Cd, Al, Zn, Cr and Ni;mong schizophrenic patients: The levels of Cd and Zn in hair of male patients were higher than those of females [(0.46±0.40) μg/g, (0.33±0.27) μg/g;(128.40±38.95) μg/g, (118.95±35.67) μg/g, F=14.84, 6.71, P ≤ 0.01].The levels of microelements of patients at 3 different age divisions were tween schizophrenic patients and normal persons: The levels of Pb and Cr in hair of schizophrenic patients were higher than those in the control group[(10.22±7.79) μg/g, (8.44±7.57) μg/g;(1.36±0.71 μg/g, (1.18±0.46) μg/g,F=6.21-8.52, P ≤ 0.01], but the levels of Cd, Zn and Ni were lower than those in the control group [(0.41±0.36) μg/g, (0.51±0.40) μg/g;(124.53±37.89) μg/g, (139.21±34.52) μg/g;(0.90±0.66) μg/g,(1.05±0.53) μg/g, F=6.21-8.52, P ≤ 0.01].CONCLUSION: A certain of correlation presents between the levels of Pb, Cd, Al, Zn, Cr and Ni in hair and schizophrenia. The levels of Cd and Zn are different concerning to sex, in which, those of male were higher than female. The difference was not significant in the levels of 6 microelements concerning to age in patient group. The levels of Pb and Cr in hair of schizophrenia were higher than the normal persons, but the levels of Cd, Zn and Ni were lower than the normal persons.