Implicit memory for music in Alzheimer's disease.

Short, unfamiliar melodies were presented to young and older adults and to Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in an implicit and an explicit memory task. The explicit task was yes-no recognition, and the implicit task was pleasantness ratings, in which memory was shown by higher ratings for old versus new melodies (the mere exposure effect). Young adults showed retention of the melodies in both tasks. Older adults showed little explicit memory but did show the mere exposure effect. The AD patients showed neither. The authors considered and rejected several artifactual reasons for this null effect in the context of the many studies that have shown implicit memory among AD patients. As the previous studies have almost always used the visual modality for presentation, they speculate that auditory presentation, especially of nonverbal material, may be compromised in AD because of neural degeneration in auditory areas in the temporal lobes.

Long-term retention of transient news events.

Many retrospective analyses of remote memory have demonstrated recency effects in that memory for events proximal to the time of testing is superior to memory for events from remote time periods. However, the rate at which information decays over time and the specific pattern of forgetting may vary depending upon the distinct attributes of stimuli used as indices of memory. Studies examining long-term forgetting of well rehearsed, conceptually integrated information underscore preservation of remote events, some of which are thought to be permanently stored in memory. A different pattern of forgetting emerges in relation to recall of discrete facts whereby recall declines according to a negatively accelerated decay curve. In the current study long-term retention of transient news events was examined. Results were examined in relation to the effects of age and sex. All age groups demonstrated recency effects in that events from the recent past were recalled better than remote events. Age did not exert a negative influence on recall of remote or recent events with the exception of younger participants who did not recall items predating their dates of birth. Older female participants were less adept at recalling very old events than their male counterparts.

Evaluation of low-dose endotoxin administration during pregnancy as a model of preeclampsia.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence implicates nitric oxide (*NO) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The authors tested the hypothesis that administration of low-dose endotoxin to pregnant rats mimics the signs of preeclampsia in humans and that *NO and *NO-derived species play a role in that animal model. METHODS: Endotoxin was infused at doses of 1, 2 and 10 microg/kg over 1 h to rats on day 14 of pregnancy. Mean arterial pressure, urinary protein, urinary and plasma nitrite plus nitrate (NO2- + NO3-) concentrations, and platelet count were measured before and after the endotoxin infusion. In another group of pregnant rats, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor L-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) was administered in drinking water at a dose of 3 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) starting on day 7 of pregnancy. Endotoxin was then infused at 10 microg/kg on day 14 of pregnancy. Kidneys and uteroplacental units were examined histologically and analyzed immunohistochemically for 3-nitrotyrosine. RESULTS: Endotoxin administration at doses of 2 and 10 microg/kg caused proteinuria and thrombocytopenia in pregnant rats, but did not result in hypertension. Urinary NO2- + NO3- concentration, reflective of tissue *NO production rates, was significantly elevated in pregnant rats that received endotoxin at 10 microg/kg. Ingestion of L-NAME caused hypertension. Tissues from pregnant rats treated with L-NAME, endotoxin at 10 microg/kg, and a combination of L-NAME and endotoxin had increased 3-nitrotyrosine immunoreactivity. CONCLUSION: Nitric oxide either directly or through secondary species plays a significant role in the biochemical and physiologic changes that occur in a rodent model of endotoxin-induced injury.

The thyroid hormone receptor-beta gene mutation R383H is associated with isolated central resistance to thyroid hormone.

Resistance to thyroid hormone (RTH) action is due to mutations in the beta-isoform of the thyroid hormone receptor (TR-beta). RTH patients display inappropriate central secretion of TRH from the hypothalamus and of TSH from the anterior pituitary despite elevated levels of thyroid hormone (T4 and T3). RTH mutations cluster in three hot spots in the C-terminal portion of the TR-beta. Most individuals with TR-beta mutations have generalized resistance to thyroid hormone, where most tissues in the body are hyporesponsive to thyroid hormone. The affected individuals are clinically euthyroid or even hypothyroid depending on the severity of the mutation. Whether TR-beta mutations cause a selective form of RTH that only leads to central thyroid hormone resistance is debated. Here, we describe an individual with striking peripheral sensitivity to graded T3 administration. The subject was enrolled in a protocol in which she received three escalating T3 doses over a 13-day period. Indexes of central and peripheral thyroid hormone action were measured at baseline and at each T3 dose. Although the patient's resting pulse rose only 11% in response to T3, her serum ferritin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase rose 320%, 117%, 121%, and 30%, respectively. In addition, her serum cholesterol, creatinine phosphokinase, and deep tendon reflex relaxation time fell (25%, 36%, and 36%, respectively). Centrally, the patient was sufficiently resistant to T3 that her serum TSH was not suppressed with 200 microg T3, orally, daily for 4 days. The patient's C-terminal TR exons were sequenced revealing the mutation R383H in a region not otherwise known to harbor TR-beta mutations. Our clinical evaluation presented here represents the most thorough documentation to date of the central thyroid hormone resistance phenotype in an individual with an identified TR-beta mutation.

A cervical teratoma with invasive squamous cell carcinoma in an HIV-infected patient: a case report.

HIV infection among women is increasing in the United States. Since January 1993, cervical cancer has been considered an AIDS-defining illness. We report a rare case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in a teratoma of the uterine cervix in an HIV-infected patient. This patient was treated with a radical hysterectomy, para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy. She is currently 1 year from treatment and is without evidence of recurrence.

Neuropsychological investigations of multiple sclerosis: a clinical perspective.

Numerous research studies indicate that a subgroup of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience cognitive and emotional deficits that correspond to degenerative brain changes. In some instances, neuropsychological impairment may be the initial and/or predominant symptom of MS. These observations underscore the need for neuropsychological evaluation as a critical component in the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of MS patients. In the current paper clinical issues relevant to the neuropsychological assessment of MS patients are reviewed and a proposal for comprehensive testing is presented.

A study of patterns of chewing gum consumption amongst the Irish population.

A study to determine the pattern of chewing gum consumption amongst the Irish population was undertaken by means of a questionnaire completed by approximately 1,500 respondents from primary and secondary schools and third level colleges and employment exchanges. The results showed that approximately one-third of the respondents chewed gum at least once per day and a sizeable proportion of the younger population use sugar-free gum.

Interferon inactivator(s) in patients with AIDS and AIDS-unrelated Kaposi's sarcoma.

Interferon inhibitory activity was found in the plasma of 11 of 14 patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). This was not seen in 75 normal persons, including six whose specimens were randomly and blindly interspersed among the patient samples. Plasma from a single patient with the AIDS prodrome (AIDS-related complex), who later demonstrated AIDS, did not contain interferon inhibitors but did contain high levels of interferon. Three patients with AIDS-unrelated Kaposi's sarcoma had neither significant levels of interferon nor interferon inhibitory activity. The existence of interferon inhibitory activity in the plasma has to be taken into account when interferon preparations are administered therapeutically.

Interferon and interferon inactivators in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome and Kaposi's sarcoma. A preliminary report.

The interferon system has been implicated in the diagnosis and potential treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In our study of AIDS patients we have identified the presence of circulating serum interferon inactivator(s). These interferon inactivators were not detected in AIDS prodrome patients or in patients with classical Kaposi's sarcoma. The evidence suggests that interferon inactivators may play a role in the clinical manifestation of AIDS.

Gastric cancer in young patients.

A retrospective review of the Roswell Park Memorial Institute experience and literature review of gastric carcinoma in young adults reveals that long-term survival is rarely achieved. The primary correctable cause of failure is a very long delay in diagnosis, a result of both reluctance to initiate diagnostic studies and inaccuracy of routine upper gastrointestinal series. A high index of suspicion and liberal utilization of gastroscopy and gastric cytology combined with an aggressive surgical approach to gastric pathology would probably lead to improved survival for the young gastric carcinoma patients.

The effect of malignant epithelial tumors, surgical therapy, and bacterial sepsis upon various parameters of interferon system.

The influence of tumor load, surgical trauma, and bacterial sepsis upon the ability of patient's peripheral leukocytes to produce interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), the detectable serum IFN levels and circulating serum IFN inactivators were studied. Peripheral blood leukocytes of patients with solid tumors had significantly reduced ability to produce IFN-alpha. Complete resectional surgery resulted in restoration of their ability to produce normal IFN-alpha levels. Circulating IFN levels were detectable in 70% of patients with localized disease while only in 20% of patients with metastatic disease. Interferon-alpha activators were detected in 45% of all patients. Both circulating interferon and IFN-alpha inactivators became undetectable upon tumor resection. Surgical trauma is accompanied by a transient but definite decrease in IFN-alpha production capability. Bacterial sepsis during postoperative days, in patients who successfully recovered, was definitely accompanied by increase in IFN-alpha production capability. Our findings suggest that advanced malignant epithelial tumors have an adverse effect upon the patient's ability to produce interferon and are often accompanied by the presence of circulating serum interferon inactivators. These effects can be reversed by surgical resection of the malignant neoplasm.

The role of fibrin adhesive in vascular surgery.

Fibrin Seal (FS) (a natural adhesive material composed of fibrinogen, cold insoluble globulin, factor XIII, platelet growth factor, antiplasmin thrombin, and calcium chloride) was utilized in the construction of vascular anastomosis of the femoral artery of mongrel dogs. A significant decrease in the number of sutures necessary to achieve adequate anastomosis and minimize the likelihood of postoperative bleeding was noted. There was no long-term increase in tissue reaction or decrease in arterial patency. On the basis of these preliminary results the role of FS as a hemostatic agent in vascular and especially microvascular surgery warrants further investigation.

The role of pentoxifylline in the prevention of tumor cell implantation.

Short-term administration of pentoxifylline concurrent with intraportal or intravenous instillation of W163 adenocarcinoma was ineffective in preventing tumor cell implantation in adult male rats.