ABSTRACT
In two randomized double-blind controlled trials on 63 depressed female in-patients subject to recurrent affective disorder (bipolar and unipolar manic-depressive psychosis) lithium was shown to have major acute antidepressant effects. At the end of three weeks lithium produced more uniform improvement than did imipramine; lithium in combination with tryptophan (in the form of Optimax) was superior to tryptophan alone--the latter drug having no discernible antidepressant activity in this group of patients. Lithium did not produce an antidepressant effect until the second and third week of both trials.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Depression/drug therapy , Lithium/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Bipolar Disorder/blood , Clinical Trials as Topic , Depression/blood , Double-Blind Method , Drug Combinations , Female , Humans , Imipramine/therapeutic use , Lithium/blood , Middle Aged , Random Allocation , Tryptophan/therapeutic useABSTRACT
Cognitive functions were investigated in seven manic depressive patients while on lithium, after two weeks off lithium, and after a subcutaneous injection of physostigmine while on lithium. Test performance was unaffected by lithium, but after physostigmine the I.Q. score of a shortened version of the WAIS was significantly increased.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/psychology , Cognition/drug effects , Lithium/pharmacology , Physostigmine/pharmacology , Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Bipolar Disorder/physiopathology , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Lithium/therapeutic use , Physostigmine/administration & dosage , Psychological TestsABSTRACT
Various estimations of the erythrocyte sodium pump were determined in 18 female and 11 male adult subjects. In the female group, but not in the male group, the sodium concentration increased with age; the erythrocyte active transport decreased and passive transport increased with age and could account for the observed change in erythrocyte sodium concentration with age. The erythrocyte Na-K ATPase decreased with age in the females and this could account for the observed change in active transport.
Subject(s)
Aging , Erythrocytes/metabolism , Sodium/metabolism , Adenosine Triphosphatases/analysis , Adult , Biological Transport , Biological Transport, Active , Cell Membrane Permeability , Erythrocytes/analysis , Erythrocytes/enzymology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Potassium/analysis , Sodium/analysisABSTRACT
Erythrocyte sodium and potassium concentrations, erythrocyte membrane ATPase (Na-K specific and non-specific) and the rate of potassium influx into erythrocytes (ouabain-sensitive and insensitive) were estimated in a group of female patients suffering from mania and repeated on about two thirds of them when they had recovered. With recovery there was a statistically significant increase in the erythrocyte ouabain-sensitive potassium influx. The other parameters showed no significant overall change with recovery but the initial severity correlated significantly and negatively with the change in erythrocyte Na-K ATPase with recovery. The changes that occurred in the erythorcyte sodium concentration and Na-K ATPase activity were not random since they correlated significantly with changes in the active potassium influx.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/blood , Erythrocyte Membrane/metabolism , Erythrocytes/metabolism , Potassium/metabolism , Sodium/metabolism , Adenosine Triphosphatases/analysis , Biological Transport, Active , Cell Membrane Permeability , Erythrocyte Membrane/enzymology , Erythrocytes/analysis , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Potassium/analysis , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Remission, Spontaneous , Sodium/analysisABSTRACT
Whole blood cell ATP concentration was estimated in a group of manic and depressed patients and in a group of normal subjects. There were no significant differences between patient and control groups, nor in the patient groups were there any significant changes with recovery.
Subject(s)
Adenosine Triphosphate/blood , Bipolar Disorder/blood , Adult , Age Factors , Blood Cells/metabolism , Diet Therapy , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Remission, SpontaneousABSTRACT
Total and free plasma trytophan levels were measured in depressive and manic patients before and after recovery. No change was found in total or free plasma trytophan concentration on recovery from depressive illness. Free plasma tryptophan levels were higher in recovered manics than in active manics, and a group of four manic patients tested before and after recovery showed a significant increase in free plasma tryptophan concentration on recovery.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/blood , Depression/blood , Tryptophan/blood , Adult , Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Depression/drug therapy , Dietary Proteins/metabolism , Humans , Middle Aged , Nitrazepam/therapeutic use , Remission, SpontaneousABSTRACT
Plasma levels of total and free tryptophan were measured in patients with depressive neurosis and depressive psychosis, before and after recovery. No significant differences were found in total or free plasma tryptophan levels between 'neurotic' and 'psychotic' groups, and no change in these levels was found on recovery from depressive illness.
Subject(s)
Adjustment Disorders/blood , Depression/blood , Psychotic Disorders/blood , Tryptophan/blood , Adult , Diet , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Psychiatric Status Rating ScalesABSTRACT
A suggestion that mania is associated with an increased membrane transport of sodium has been investigated in a double-blind trial of a specific Na-K A.T.P.ase inhibitor (digoxin) in twelve female inpatients with mania. Digoxin had no effect.
Subject(s)
Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy , Digoxin/therapeutic use , Biological Transport , Bipolar Disorder/metabolism , Clinical Trials as Topic , Female , Humans , Placebos , Sodium/metabolismABSTRACT
Lithium was given to eight aggressive, non-manic-depressive female defectives in a doubleblind placebo-controlled study. The group as a whole showed a reduction in aggression scores while on lithium (p greater than 0.01): three patients became less aggressive,one became worse and two were unchanged. Both affective and predatory aggression seemed to be reduced. Two patients had to be withdrawn from the trial at an early stage because of the development of neurotoxicity.
