Structural abnormalities in schizophrenia: further evidence on the key role of the anterior cingulate cortex.

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined whole-brain structural abnormalities in schizophrenia, with a special focus on the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex (ACC, PCC) as this is an understudied issue in schizophrenia. METHOD: Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analyses of gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) were performed to detect volumetric differences between 14 patients with schizophrenia and 14 healthy controls matched for age, sex, educational level and parents' educational level. We examined within-group GM and WM correlations and completed the analysis with measurements of sulci in medial cortical areas. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy controls, the schizophrenic patients showed significant decreases in GM volumes in the ACC and PCC, and in neighboring WM regions such as the corpus callosum and the fimbriae of the fornix. Moreover, the patient group also displayed a negative correlation between volumes of GM and WM in the ACC. Finally, the patients showed significantly reduced volumes in the right cingulate sulci and left inferior frontal sulci. CONCLUSION: Our results replicate typical brain-structural abnormalities with new findings in the medial prefrontal cortex, suggested to be a key region in this disorder.

Correlated structural and functional brain abnormalities in the default mode network in schizophrenia patients.

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence of default mode network (DMN) dysfunction in schizophrenia. It has also been suggested that brain structural changes are maximal in a medial frontal area which overlaps with the anterior midline node of this network. METHODS: Brain deactivations were examined in 14 schizophrenic patients and 14 controls during performance of two tasks requiring identification or labelling of facial emotions. Grey matter and white matter volumes were compared using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS: Relative to the controls, the schizophrenic patients showed failure to deactivate in the anterior and posterior midline nodes of the default mode network, as well as other areas considered to be part of the network. Grey matter volume reductions in the patients were found in medial cortical regions which overlapped with the same parts of the network. The functional and structural changes showed significant correlations in a number of medial cortical areas. CONCLUSIONS: Failure of deactivation in the default mode network is seen in schizophrenic patients when they perform facial emotion tasks. This failure is more extensive than that seen during performance of working memory tasks. The study also supports recent findings of brain structural changes in schizophrenia in the territory of the default mode network.

[The salt content of food: a public health problem]. / Le sel dans l'alimentation: un problème de santé publique.

Salt abuse in nutrition may exert harmful effects on health, increasing arterial hypertension and its cardiovascular consequences. It is a risk factor, particularly for older subjects and those having chronic diseases such as arterial hypertension, some renal diseases, and obesity. In subjects more particularly vulnerable, the maintenance of sodium balance, which is mainly aldosterone dependent, is perturbed. Although the use of salt for food preservation has greatly declined, it remains a serious risk factor. Excessive salt intake however results more often from poor dietary habits. The WHO and AFSSA have advised to reduce daily salt intake to 5 g, whereas it is currently about 9-10 g. In spite of repeated warnings, salt abuse remains the causal agent for many disease conditions, mainly arterial hypertension. That is why legislative measures should be taken in order to limit the salt content of food industry products, particularly as a preservative in foods. A large-scale public information campaign would be necessary with participation of public health partners, particularly physicians and pharmacists.

Effect of risperidone versus haloperidol on emotional responding in schizophrenic patients.

RATIONALE: Studies on emotional processing report that schizophrenic patients present a specific pattern of emotional responding that usually includes deficits in emotional expressiveness, increased feelings of unpleasant emotion but decreased feelings of pleasant emotion, and increased physiological reactivity. However, studies have rarely controlled the nature of antipsychotic medication. Yet, the influence of these drugs on emotional response is uncertain and could vary depending on their pharmacological profile. OBJECTIVE: This prospective and randomized study aimed to compare the effects of an atypical antipsychotic, risperidone, to a typical one, haloperidol, on patients' emotional responding during an emotional induction task. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five schizophrenic patients underwent two emotional and clinical evaluations: one before treatment initiation and a second 4 weeks after. Emotional states of fear, sadness, anger, joy, and disgust were induced, as well as a neutral baseline state. Video recordings of patients during the induction task allowed for assessment of emotional expressiveness. Self-reports and measures of skin conductance and heart rate were performed to determine both subjective and physiological reactions to emotional experience. RESULTS: Compared to haloperidol, risperidone did not reduce patients' facial expressiveness, decreased physiological reactivity, and decreased experience of unpleasant emotion but maintained experience of pleasant emotion. Emotional expressiveness was negatively correlated to parkisonism. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results suggest that atypical antipsychotics allow for better-adapted patterns of emotional responding than typical ones do. We suggest that this effect is due to reduced striatal D2 blockade, therefore, attenuating akinesia, coupled with increased 5HT and DA levels in prefrontal cortex, which improves emotional regulation.

[Brief survey about feeding and obesity]. / Remarques sur l'alimentation.

How the epidemic obesity appeared in the United States during the eighties. Respective intake of fats, proteins and carbohydrates (ch) in the diet is notified. Ch such as sucrose provide pleasure and reward specially by infants and children. Lactose occurs in the life of the newborn with a peculiar situation; its sweetening effect is weak and devoid of any neurochemical stimulation. The amounts of lipids and ch in the daily diet are frequently excessive if physical activity is inappropriate. TV dinners are specially endangered. Eating too much snacks disrupts the physiological rhythm of the digestive economy. The carbonated soft beverages are used instead of water, affording large amounts of inapparent sugars. Ice creams are often too rich in ch and lipids. Fruits and vegetable fibers fail in the diet.

[Milk lactose. Hypothesis on its biological importance]. / Le lactose dans le lait. Hypothèse sur son importance biologique.

Lactose is the main source of energy supplied to the newborn mammalian in its mother's milk. Because of its lower sweeting power, lactose is unable to induce a reaction as does dextrose. Lactose does not lead to release of mediators such as endorphins or dopamine and is free of reward effects.

[Risks related to the uncontrolled development of pharmacognosy in the United States and France]. / Risques liés à l'essor incontrôlé de la pharmacognosie aux Etats-Unis et en France.

A number of plants of ancestral tradition exhibit properties deserving therapeutic applications. However, their use in conditions which do not guarantee sufficient safety may lead to incidences and sometimes serious accidents. In the US the weakness of the present provisions of the federal regulation do not allow a satisfactory and preliminary control. Moreover, these plants are mostly prescribed by non-medicals and outside the authority of pharmacists. This situation would be highly prejudicial if it would be implemented in Europe. France has a well conceived and satisfactory system, but which is unable to benefit from new accessions, namely exotic plants. To ignore them would lead to strengthening the already existing and parallel organizations. The authors suggest that the health authorities should create a complementary system open to new medicinal plants, avoiding uncontrolled sales. They suggest also that before any acceptance a realistic probationary period would be applied in order to evaluate the quality but overall the eventual toxicity of these plants.

[Origin of the word tea, and its extension to designate different hot infused drinks]. / Origine et historique du mot the: son extension pour designer diverses infusions.

Currently, the word tea applies to the teatree and to the vegetal material, as well as to the infused drink itself. During the VIth century, the chinese language and writing become specific when they designate the teatree with the word -cha-. However, this word is likewise used to designate different hot infused drinks. When imported from China to Europe during the XVIIth century, its consumption spreads rapidly among town people. Used by the Chinese traders operating in the Fou-Kien area, the vulgar word -te- set up in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany and France, from which issue tea, Tee and the . At a time when the physicians consider the consumption of hot infused drinks as jeopardizing the stomach, their common use becomes largely widespread during the XVIIIth century with several types of medicinal herbs often named tea, as the Swiss tea (labiateae), the tea of Europe (veronica) and for example the lime tea. The use of China tea influenced the habits of European people.

[Production of cinchona in the French empire: A. Yersin and E. Perrot]. / Productiion de quinquina dans l'empire français: A. Yersin et E. Perrot.

In the wake of the war of 1914-1918, Professor E. Perrot and Dr A. Yersin were concerned with providing various territories of the French empire with sufficient cinchona resources to fight off malaria. This aim was particularly important in case of a conflict which could impede the supply of quinine due to the quasi-monopoly held by the Netherlands with their overseas possessions in Indonesia. Beginning with documents, in particular the correspondence held by the Museum of Materia Medica at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Paris, an attempt is made to illustrate the policy carried out with difficulty by Perrot and Yersin.

[André Le Fournier and the "Beautification of human nature and embellishment of ladies" (1541)]. / André Le Fournier et la "Décoration d'humaine nature et ornement des dames" (1541).

Bibliographic data concerning a physician lecturer of the XVIth century in Paris. His book of cosmetology deals with general aspects of health wider than the only dermatological cure.

[Indo-European heritage and medical vocabulary]. / Héritage indo-européen et vocabulaire médical.

A convenient education in Greek and Latin language would be highly suitable for a correct use of the medical vocabulary. The book La mémoire des mots en médecine, pharmacie et sciences is a first attempt for this goal. It presents about 4000 French and European words.