Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Dec 2013
ReviewA review of epidemiological evidence for general anesthesia as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.
Exposure to surgery and general anesthesia (GA) has been hypothesized to be a potential risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Some basic science research studies have demonstrated AD pathology in animals following exposure to inhalational anesthetics. However, controversy exists as to whether GA is associated with an elevated risk of developing AD in human populations. ⋯ A limited number of retrospective cohort studies have likewise not provided definitive information supporting an association. Therefore, at the present time there is limited information to support the hypothesis of AD developing as a consequence of GA, although there are few high quality studies in this area. Given the high prevalence and impact of AD, and the relatively frequent exposure of large populations to surgical procedures, the association between AD and GA requires further study.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Dec 2013
Relief of depression and pain improves daily functioning and quality of life in patients with major depressive disorder.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of depression relief and pain relief on the improvement in daily functioning and quality of life (QOL) for depressed patients receiving a 6-week treatment of fluoxetine. ⋯ Interventions which relieve depression and pain improve daily functioning and QOL among patients with MDD. The proposed model can provide quantitative estimates of improvement in treating patients with MDD.
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Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry · Dec 2013
Clozapine pre-treatment has a protracted hypolocomotor effect on the induction and expression of amphetamine sensitization.
Amphetamine locomotor sensitization is an animal model for the study of addiction and schizophrenia. The antipsychotic clozapine blocks the hyperlocomotion induced by an acute injection of amphetamine, but its effect on locomotor sensitization after repeated amphetamine administration remains unknown. In the present study we investigate the effect of repeated administration of clozapine on the induction and expression of amphetamine locomotor sensitization. ⋯ On the other hand, clozapine treatment had no effect over locomotor response on the expression of amphetamine sensitization in either LRS or HRS rats. These data suggest that clozapine effect on amphetamine locomotor response depends on individual differences. Also, our results suggest that clozapine pre-treatment attenuates the neuroplasticity underlying amphetamine sensitization, but clozapine treatment is unable to reverse these changes once amphetamine sensitization has been induced.