scholarly journals Electroconvulsive Therapy and Corpus Callosum Aplasia: A 3-Year Followup

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Ulrich Palm ◽  
Philipp Strauss ◽  
Christoph Born ◽  
Oliver Pogarell
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Medical History ◽  
Treatment Option ◽  
Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
Brain Malformation ◽  
Second Generation Antipsychotics ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a powerful treatment option in severe or chronic catatonic states and has been reported to be useful in oligophrenic patients. We report the followup medical history of a patient with corpus callosum aplasia (or agenesis) who was continuously treated with ECT over three years. First, he improved considerably after a series of ECT, but relapses of catatonia made a continuous, weekly ECT necessary. Due to the severity of the brain malformation, an add-on medication with benzodiazepines and second generation antipsychotics was necessary to treat catatonic symptoms. This case emphasises the benefits of long-term ECT in oligophrenic patients.

scholarly journals Sotalol does not interfere with the antielectroshock action of selected second-generation antiepileptic drugs in mice

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga K. Borowicz-Reutt ◽  
Monika Banach ◽  
Monika Rudkowska ◽  
Anna Stachniuk
Keyword(s):  
Antiepileptic Drugs ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
Antidepressant Drug ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Avoidance Task ◽  
Maximal Electroshock ◽  
Term Memory ◽  
The Brain

Abstract Background Due to blocking β-receptors, and potassium KCNH2 channels, sotalol may influence seizure phenomena. In the previous study, we have shown that sotalol potentiated the antielectroshock action of phenytoin and valproate in mice. Materials and methods As a continuation of previous experiments, we examined the effect of sotalol on the action of four chosen second-generation antiepileptic drugs (oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, pregabalin, and topiramate) against the maximal electroshock in mice. Undesired effects were evaluated in the chimney test (motor impairment) and step-through passive-avoidance task (long-term memory deficits). Finally, brain concentrations of antiepileptics were determined by fluorescence polarization immunoassay, while those of sotalol by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results Sotalol at doses of up to 100 mg/kg did not affect the electroconvulsive threshold. Applied at doses of 80–100 mg/kg, sotalol did not affect the antielectroshock action of oxcarbazepine, lamotrigine, pregabalin, or topiramate. Sotalol alone and in combinations with antiepileptics impaired neither motor performance nor long-term memory. Finally, sotalol significantly decreased the brain concentrations of lamotrigine and increased those of oxcarbazepine and topiramate. Pharmacokinetic interactions, however, did not influence the final antielectroshock effects of above-mentioned drug combinations. On the other hand, the brain concentrations of sotalol were not changed by second-generation antiepileptics used in this study. Conclusion Sotalol did not reduce the antielectroshock action of four second-generation antiepileptic drugs examined in this study. Therefore, this antidepressant drug should not interfere with antiseizure effects of lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, pregabalin, and topiramate in patients with epilepsy. To draw final conclusions, our preclinical data should still be confirmed in other experimental models and clinical conditions.

scholarly journals New antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of agitation and psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease: focus on brexpiprazole and pimavanserin

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Caraci ◽  
Mario Santagati ◽  
Giuseppe Caruso ◽  
Dario Cannavò ◽  
Gian Marco Leggio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Receptor Antagonist ◽  
Safety Profile ◽  
Antipsychotic Drugs ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Second Generation Antipsychotics ◽  
Recent Phase

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are symptoms of disturbed perception, mood, behavior, and thought content that occurred frequently. These symptoms, which include apathy, depression, anxiety, psychosis, agitation, and aggression, can serve as predictors of and early clinical diagnostic markers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and are common precipitants of institutional care. Agitation and psychosis are associated with accelerated disease progression and increased tau phosphorylation in patients with AD. Current guidelines recommend the use of second-generation antipsychotics for the treatment of agitation and psychosis in AD, but only after first-line non-pharmacological interventions and for no longer than 12 weeks because long-term use of these drugs is associated with an increased risk of mortality and an increased frequency of cerebrovascular events. Therefore, new antipsychotic drugs with improved efficacy and safety are needed as an alternative to current antipsychotic drugs. In this report, we discuss some of the most relevant advances in the field of agitation and psychosis in AD and focus on the recent positive clinical evidence observed with two new antipsychotics drugs: brexpiprazole and pimavanserin. Brexpiprazole is a receptor partial agonist (D2, D3, 5-HT1A), receptor antagonist (5-HT2A/B, α1B/α2C) according to the neuroscience-based nomenclature. Two recent phase III clinical trials have shown that brexpiprazole 2 mg/day is effective for the treatment of agitation in patients with AD and has an improved tolerability and safety profile compared with currently available second-generation antipsychotics. Pimavanserin is a receptor antagonist (5-HT2A, 5-HT2C) that has been given market authorization for psychosis occurring in Parkinson’s disease. Recent phase II studies suggest that this drug is effective in AD patients with more severe psychosis, although further long-term studies are needed to better define the efficacy and long-term safety profile of pimavanserin for the treatment of psychosis in AD.

Priming-Induced Shift in Synaptic Plasticity in the Rat Hippocampus

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 2024-2028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Wang ◽  
John J. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Hippocampal Slices ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Crossover Point ◽  
Term Potentiation ◽  
Before And After ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Dependent Mechanism

The activity history of a given neuron has been suggested to influence its future responses to synaptic input in one prominent model of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity proposed by Bienenstock, Cooper, and Munro (BCM theory). Because plasticity of synaptic plasticity (i.e., metaplasticity) is similar in concept to aspects of the BCM proposal, we have tested the possibility that a form of metaplasticity induced by a priming stimulation protocol might exhibit BCM-like characteristics. CA1 field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) obtained from rat hippocampal slices were used to monitor synaptic responses before and after conditioning stimuli (3–100 Hz) of the Schaffer collateral inputs. A substantial rightward shift (>5-fold) in the frequency threshold between long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP) was observed <1 h after priming. This change in the LTD/P crossover point occurred at both primed and unprimed synaptic pathways. These results provide new support for the existence of a rapid, heterosynaptic, experience-dependent mechanism that is capable of modifying the synaptic plasticity phenomena that are commonly proposed to be important for developmental and learning/memory processes in the brain.

scholarly journals Mitigating the Consequences of Subconcussive Head Injuries

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 387-407
Author(s):  
Eric A. Nauman ◽  
Thomas M. Talavage ◽  
Paul S. Auerbach
Keyword(s):  
Head Injury ◽  
Clinical Diagnosis ◽  
Head Injuries ◽  
Tissue Level ◽  
Clinical Neurology ◽  
Subconcussive Injury ◽  
History Of ◽  
Tissue Alteration ◽  
The Brain

Subconcussive head injury represents a pathophysiology that spans the expertise of both clinical neurology and biomechanical engineering. From both viewpoints, the terms injury and damage, presented without qualifiers, are synonymously taken to mean a tissue alteration that may be recoverable. For clinicians, concussion is evolving from a purely clinical diagnosis to one that requires objective measurement, to be achieved by biomedical engineers. Subconcussive injury is defined as subclinical pathophysiology in which underlying cellular- or tissue-level damage (here, to the brain) is not severe enough to present readily observable symptoms. Our concern is not whether an individual has a (clinically diagnosed) concussion, but rather, how much accumulative damage an individual can tolerate before they will experience long-term deficit(s) in neurological health. This concern leads us to look for the history of damage-inducing events, while evaluating multiple approaches for avoiding injury through reduction or prevention of the associated mechanically induced damage.

Do Benzodiazepines Interfere with the Action of Electroconvulsive Therapy?

1992 ◽  
Vol 160 (4) ◽  
pp. 545-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel I. Cohen ◽  
Claire Lawton
Keyword(s):  
British Journal ◽  
Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Depressed Woman ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
The Brain

A 67-year-old anxious and depressed woman was withdrawn from a long-term course of a benzodiazepine and soon after was given ECT. This proved ineffective, but ECT given some months later was successful. It is suggested that the chronic administration of the benzodiazepine may have induced changes in the brain that interfered with ECT.British Journal of Psychiatry (1992), 160, 545–546

scholarly journals Unusual case of Marchiafava-Bignami disease presenting as axial hypotonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 645-647
Author(s):  
Svetlana Miletic-Drakulic ◽  
Jasna Jevdjic ◽  
Dejan Aleksic ◽  
Gordana Toncev
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Motor Coordination ◽  
Early Recognition ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
First Case ◽  
Heavy Alcohol Consumption ◽  
History Of ◽  
Acute Form ◽  
The Brain

Introduction. Marchiafava-Bignami disease is a rare disorder mostly associated with chronic heavy alcohol consumption that results in progressive demyelination and necrosis of the corpus callosum. Case report. We reported a 35-year-old woman with a history of alcohol consumption and malnutrition. Neurological examination revealed axial hypotonia, dysarthric speech and lack of motor coordination. The brain multislice computed tomography imaging demonstrated hypodense lesion of the corpus callosum. On the basis of her history, clinical features and imaging studies, the diagnosis of an acute form of Marchiava-Bignami disease was made. Definite diagnosis was confirmed at autopsy. Conclusion. Marchiafava-Bignami disease is of a medical emergency and early recognition and early aggressive treatment are critical for a good clinical outcome. To our knowledge, this is the first case of Marchiafava-Bignami disease presented with axial hypotonia.

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