Two dosages of imipramine in hospitalized endogenous and neurotic depressives

Fifty-one newly hospitalized depressed patients participated in a double-blind comparison of two dosage levels of imipramine hydrochloride (150 mg vs 300 mg daily). Although some patients were suffering from neurotic depressions, they, together with the endogenous depressives, were a severely depressed group who required hospitalization. Improvement occurred with both dosage regimens, although a greater and more consistent improvement was noted in the 300-mg group than in the 150-mg group. There were a few differences between the response of the endogenous and that of the neurotic depressives, as assessed by the physician and self=rating scales. However, endogenous depressives who received 150 mg were overrepresented in the treatment failure group. A comparison of the response of deluded and nondeluded depressives indicated that the deluded patients responded less well than the nondeluded depressives, although half of the delusional group did respond to the treatment.

Therapeutic failure of oral thyrotropin-releasing hormone in depression

A double-blind investigation of the psychological and hormonal responses to orally administered thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in a dosage range of 200 to 300 mg daily was conducted in a group of 11 depressed patients hospitalized for an initial 10-day period and followed as outpatients for the balance of a 30-day period of observation. The study was purposely restricted to depressives conventionally classed as reactive, neurotic, or characterologic, the groups most commonly encountered clinically. Contrary to some reports of TRH as an effective antidepressant, our results indicated not only failure of benefit but actual antitherapeutic effects in 3 of 6 treated patients as compared with placebo controls. Excessive CNS arousal with psychomotor activation produced dysphoric mental and behavioral effects in these patients.

Lithium in tardive dyskinesia

A single blind trial and a placebo controlled double blind trial of lithium were carried out in elderly patients with tardive dyskinesia. In the pilot study, neuroleptics were continued: in the controlled trial, neuroleptics were discontinued. The results of both studies were essentially negative. Thus, the suppression effect of neuroleptics is much more dramatic than anything seen in the two studies. Several reasons for this were discussed namely, the severity and chronicity of the symptoms.

Once versus thrice daily thiothixene in the treatment of schizophrenic in-patients

Reports have been accumulating in the literature attesting to the failure of patients, particularly out-patients, to take medication as prescribed (Stewart and Cluff, 1972; Moulding et al., 1970). The incidence of these failures, which may include anything from missing occasional doses to taking no medication at all, has been reported to range from 25–59 Per cent. In addition, it has not been possible to identify those patients who will have the highest failure rates (Blackwell, 1972). While most of the studies have involved medical patients, it is probably legitimate to assume that schizophrenic patients are at least as unreliable in taking medication as the medical patients. Thus, in one study of 125 psychiatric patients, Willcox et al. (1965) found that 48 per cent took no medication at all.

Helium Flux from the Earth's Mantle as Estimated from Hawaiian Fumarolic Degassing

Averaged helium to carbon dioxide ratios measured from systematic collections of gases from Sulphur Bank fumarole. Kilauea, Hawaii, when coupled with estimates of carbon in the earth's crust, give a helium flux of 1 x 105 atoms per square centimeter per second. This is within the lower range of other estimates, and may represent the flux from deep-seated sources in the upper mantle.

Studies on copper and cobalt therapy of cattle in central coastal Queensland

Four experiments described determined the effect of copper and cobalt therapy on the growth and productivity of cattle on the marine plains of central coastal Queensland. Copper was administered by subcutaneous injections of copper glycinate, and cobalt by dosing per os with heavy cobalt pellets. The growth of weaned cattle was significantly improved by copper, particularly from June to October when limited palatable feed on the high ground forced the animals to forage on the para grass swamps. During the same period, 2-year-old heifers also showed a growth response to copper. Their conception rate increased after 19 months of copper therapy but not after 10.5 months. The growth rate of their calves bas significantly increased by copper supplementation. Liver copper concentrations were always low in untreated cattle. Copper therapy maintained these reserves at higher levels, which varied according to the season and the rate of growth of the animals. Calves born to treated cows had higher initial liver copper reserves than those from untreated cows, but in the absence of copper therapy these reserves declined to low and comparable levels in all calves at weaning. Pasture analyses suggest that the copper deficiency revealed was due to interference with copper metabolism rather than to a low copper status in the diet; this interference did not appear to be due to molybdenum. Weaned cattle appeared to respond to cobalt during 1960 but not subsequently, while the cows and calves showed no response. The vitamin B12 status in liver and serum appeared adequate in both treated and untreated cattle.