Regional cerebral blood flow and comorbid diagnosis in abstinent opioid addicts.

Studies using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) have found low cerebral blood flow (CBF) in frontal and parietal cortices in patients with chronic opiate dependence. In the present study, SPECT with 99mTc-HMPAO as tracer was used to compare 27 detoxified opiate addicts with nine healthy control subjects. All the subjects were evaluated with clinical psychiatric (DSM-IV), psychometric and neuropsychological measures. Compared with normal control subjects, the addicts showed a non-significant reduction of whole brain perfusion values. Significant hypoperfusion in the right frontal and left temporal lobes was found in addicts with comorbid depression, and a significant decrease in CBF in the right frontal lobe was observed in those with antisocial tendencies. A significant negative correlation emerged between Depression subscale scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and left temporal CBF in the patients. No significant correlations were found, however, between measures of cognition and CBF in opiate addicts. The asymmetrical findings in CBF that characterized the addicts relative to normal control subjects may be more closely related to mood and behavioral traits than to substance abuse, per se.

Rapid opiate detoxication in outpatient treatment: relationship with naltrexone compliance.

A variety of detoxification methods have been utilized for the treatment of heroin withdrawal before individuals begin long-term opiate-free and naltrexone programs. While methadone in decreasing doses is still widely used for detoxication procedures, rapid and ultrarapid protocols including clonidine and opiate receptors antagonists have been proposed. This study compares the efficacy of different detoxification methods and investigates possible changes in naltrexone compliance. Ninety-eight heroin-addicted individuals were studied to evaluate withdrawal symptoms, craving, mood, urine toxicologic screens, and drop-out rate during therapy with: Group A: clonidine only (5 days); Group B: clonidine, oxazepam, baclofen, and ketoprofene with naloxone and naltrexone (2 days); and Group C: methadone in decreasing doses (10 days). Naltrexone compliance and relapse rates were evaluated during a 6-month follow-up period. Rapid detoxification with opiate antagonists (Group B) induced slight and transient withdrawal symptoms, and resulted in a significantly lower percentage of heroin catabolites in urine controls during the detoxification procedure, lower negative and positive craving, less mood problems, and higher compliance in extended naltrexone treatment. In comparison with clonidine only (Group A) and methadone (Group C), the early use of naltrexone during detoxification in combination with benzodiazepines and clonidine facilitated extended naltrexone acceptance and improved the recovery outcome in outpatients.

Clonidine and opiate receptor antagonists in the treatment of heroin addiction.

Good results in detoxification methods have been reached using both together clonidine and opiate receptors antagonists. One hundred fifty-two heroin-abusing patients were studied evaluating withdrawal symptoms after therapy with (a) clonidine only, (b) clonidine and naltrexone, (c) clonidine and naloxone, and (d) placebos. Treatment results, emotional and behavioral changes, and involvement in psychosocial programs were evaluated after a 6-month follow-up. Although opiate antagonists were able to induce slight and transient withdrawal signs and symptoms, there was, in the group of patients treated with clonidine and naltrexone together, a low percentage of catabolites in urine and an improvement in mood and family relationships. Furthermore, the patients that underwent longer naltrexone treatment showed a stronger involvement in psychosocial programs, and even their relatives demonstrated more interest in the recovery program. A decrease in the difficulties of accepting an opiate antagonists treatment and a different evaluation of withdrawal syndrome were the results of an early use of naltrexone.

Abnormal muscle mitochondria in ischemic claudication.

The gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscles findings in 18 patients with chronic arterial insufficiency were reviewed with regard to mitochondrial changes. Prominent mitochondrial alterations were present in eight out of 18 patients. The comparison of clinical data between patients with and without mitochondrial changes revealed that in this latter group all patients were at stage IV, whereas the degree of ischemic disease was milder in the other group: the difference in distribution of patients at stage IV between the two groups was statistically significant. This supports the view that mitochondrial changes are expression of adaptive modification rather than damage.

Spontaneous hemiballism and disappearance of parksinsonism following contralateral lenticular lacunar infarct.

Hemiballism was observed in a 77-year-old woman with Parksinson disease after a contralateral lenticular infarct without apparent involvement of the subthalamic nucleus. Parkinsonian signs ipsilateral to the hemiballism remained abolished despite subsequent nearly complete recovery from the hyperkinesias. It is argued that clinical events were due to a single ischemic lesion of the putamen-pallidum complex.

Exposure-effect and exposure-response relationships between occupational exposure to styrene and neuropsychological functions.

A neuropsychological test battery was administered to 50 workers exposed to styrene and to 50 sex-, intelligence-, and age-matched controls. The main styrene metabolites, ie, mandelic acid (MA) and phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA), were measured as exposure indices in the urine collected on Saturday mornings, just before neuropsychological testing. Exposure-response and exposure-effect relationships were found between the intensity of the exposure (as reflected by the sum of MA and PGA) and the scores of the neuropsychological tests. Verbal learning skills were significantly impaired in workers with a sum of MA and PGA higher than 150 mmole/mole creatinine, corresponding to styrene airborne concentrations higher than 25 ppm (mean daily exposure). Logical memory and visuo-constructive abilities were shown to be significantly affected in workers with MA and PGA higher than 300 mmole/mole creatinine, corresponding to exposure levels of more than 50 ppm of styrene in air.

[Retrospective study of 50 cases of spinal meningioma]. / Studio retrospettivo di 50 casi di meningioma spinale.

The clinical history prior to surgery of 50 consecutive cases of spinal meningioma was reviewed. The following features turned out to be particularly interesting: a 7:1 female to male ratio; the symptoms began after the sixth decade in no less than 66% of patients; only 36% were correctly diagnosed as having spinal tumor at the first clinical examination; the average duration of symptoms was 16 months prior to surgery. Such findings are discussed and compared with those of the previous reports.