Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity and its association with negative symptoms upon resolution of positive symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia and delusional disorder.

RATIONALE: How striatal dopamine synthesis capacity (DSC) contributes to the pathogenesis of negative symptoms in first-episode schizophrenia (SZ) and delusional disorder (DD) has seldom been explored. As negative symptoms during active psychotic episodes can be complicated by secondary influences, such as positive symptoms, longitudinal investigations may help to clarify the relationship between striatal DSC and negative symptoms and differentiate between primary and secondary negative symptoms. OBJECTIVE: A longitudinal study was conducted to examine whether baseline striatal DSC would be related to negative symptoms at 3 months in first-episode SZ and DD patients. METHODS: Twenty-three first-episode age- and gender-matched patients (11 DD and 12 SZ) were consecutively recruited through an early intervention service for psychosis in Hong Kong. Among them, 19 (82.6%) patients (9 DD and 10 SZ) were followed up at 3 months. All patients received an 18F-DOPA PET/MR scan at baseline. RESULTS: Baseline striatal DSC (Kocc;30-60) was inversely associated with negative symptoms at 3 months in first-episode SZ patients (rs = - 0.80, p = 0.010). This association remained in SZ patients even when controlling for baseline negative, positive, and depressive symptoms, as well as cumulative antipsychotic dosage (ß = - 0.69, p = 0.012). Such associations were not observed in first-episode DD patients. Meanwhile, the severity of negative symptoms at 3 months was associated with more positive symptoms in DD patients (rs = 0.74, p = 0.010) and not in SZ patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the role of striatal DSC in negative symptoms upon resolution of active psychotic episodes among first-episode SZ patients. Baseline striatal dopamine activity may inform future symptom expression with important treatment implications.

Heat distribution in the lower leg from pulsed short-wave diathermy and ultrasound treatments.

OBJECTIVE: To compare tissue temperature rise and decay after 20-minute diathermy and ultrasound treatments. DESIGN AND SETTING: We inserted 3 26-gauge thermistor microprobes into the medial aspect of the anesthetized triceps surae muscle at a depth of 3 cm and spaced 5 cm apart. Eight subjects received the diathermy treatment first, followed by the ultrasound treatment. This sequence was reversed for the remaining 8 subjects. The diathermy was applied at a frequency of 27.12 MHz at the following settings: 800 bursts per second, 400-microsecond burst duration, 850-microsecond interburst interval, peak root mean square amplitude of 150 W per burst, and an average root mean square output of 48 W per burst. The ultrasound was delivered at a frequency of 1 MHz and an intensity of 1.5 W/cm(2) in the continuous mode for 20 minutes over an area of 40 times the effective radiating area. The study was performed in a ventilated research laboratory. SUBJECTS: Sixteen (11 men, 5 women) healthy subjects (mean age = 23.56 +/- 4.73 years) volunteered to participate in this study. MEASUREMENTS: We recorded baseline, final, and decay temperatures for each of the 3 sites. RESULTS: The average temperature increases over baseline temperature after pulsed short-wave diathermy were 3.02 degrees C +/- 1.02 degrees C in site 1, 4.58 degrees C +/- 0.87 degrees C in site 2, and 3.28 degrees C +/- 1.64 degrees C in site 3. The average temperature increases over baseline temperature after ultrasound were only 0.17 degrees C +/- 0.40 degrees C, 0.09 degrees C +/- 0.56 degrees C, and -0.43 degrees C +/- 0.41 degrees C in sites 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The temperature dropped only 1 degrees C in 7.65 +/- 4.96 minutes after pulsed short-wave diathermy. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that pulsed short-wave diathermy was more effective than 1-MHz ultrasound in heating a large muscle mass and resulted in the muscles' retaining heat longer.

A bacterial artificial chromosome-based framework contig map of human chromosome 22q.

We have constructed a physical map of human chromosome 22q using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones. The map consists of 613 chromosome 22-specific BAC clones that have been localized and assembled into contigs using 452 landmarks, 346 of which were previously ordered and mapped to specific regions of the q arm of the chromosome by means of chromosome 22-specific yeast artificial chromosome clones. The BAC-based map provides immediate access to clones that are stable and convenient for direct genome analysis. The approach to rapidly developing marker-specific BAC contigs is relatively straightforward and can be extended to generate scaffold BAC contig maps of the rest of the chromosomes. These contigs will provide substrates for sequencing the entire human genome. We discuss how to efficiently close contig gaps using the end sequences of BAC clone inserts.

A high-density YAC contig map of human chromosome 22.

We have constructed a high-resolution clone map of human chromosome 22 which integrates the available physical and genetic information, establishing a single consensus. The map consists of all classes of DNA landmarks ordered on 705 yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) at an average landmark density of more than one per 70 kilobases. This map represents the practical limits of currently available YAC resources and provides the basis for determination of the entire gene content and genomic DNA sequence of human chromosome 22.