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Query: UMLS:C0011570 (depression)
 172,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The observation that the biogenic amine depleting agent, reserpine, could induce severe depression in a small proportion of the patients treated with it has proved to be seminal finding in what is now a much larger field of research relating the function brain biogenic amine systems to emotions and behavior. A review of the human reserpine literature suggests, however, that factors other than pharmacologically produced alterations in brain biogenic amine metabolism must have been critical determinants of the eventual mood alterations observed in conjunction with reserpine treatment. While some of these factors, such as previous history of depression, ongoing psychosocial and environmental stress, can be intuitively identified, there are practical as well as ethical problems involved in actually testing the relative contribution of these factors in precipitating human depression and thereby determining their importance in a quantitative fashion. In the present paper we have attempted to examine, in a nonhuman primate model of depression, the degree to which factors such as prior rearing condition, repeated peer separation, and housing environment can intact with the behavioral effects produced by biogenic amine depleting agents. Major emphasis will be placed on studies utilizing alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine, an inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase, to ostensively reduce levels of the catecholamine neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine. The results of these studies provide quantitative estimates, in terms of dose-effect relationships, of the degree to which a number of factors can combine to produce despair-like behavior in rhesus monkeys. These data may be of practical importance in evaluating the contribution of similar factors to the precipitation of human depression. Analysis of some of the existing literature relating alterations in behavior to changes in biogenic amine metabolism in animals suggests that there are important differences between rodent and primate species. These differences, when fully established, may indicate that additional research examining the mechanisms whereby modest alterations in biogenic amine metabolism can interact with environmental and social stress is needed.
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PMID:Interactions of pharmacological agents which alter biogenic amine metabolism and depression--an analysis of contributing factors within a primate model of depression. 4 83

A fundamental aim of the Neurosurgical Unit at Georgia Baptist Medical Center is to enable each individual to return to normal and meaningful functioning. The problem of chronic pain almost always results in a steady decrease in those activities, interests, and concerns which are essential to the normal process of living. When the process is disrupted, the result is usually a feeling of despair and uselessness. These problems will almost inevitably complicate the pain experience. In addition, the ever present stress that accompanies severe and chronic problems of any sort tends to result in related psychological difficulties such as depression, anxiety, feelings of inadequacy and a multitude of other family and personal problems. These difficulties often become major features of an individual's pain problem. A holistic approach to patient care is based on the concept that each individual needs to be considered physically, psychologically and spiritually. The active participation of the psychiatric liaison nurse as a member of the neurosurgical team helps integrate the forces that enable such an approach. By focusing on a thorough patient assessment, improved staff morale and improved well being of patients, the psychiatric liaison nurse assists the team in focusing its energy on total comprehensive patient care. The combination of clinical neurosurgical treatment and psychological care has proven effective in helping our neurosurgical team achieve the fundamental goal toward which we all work.
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PMID:Psychiatric liaison nurse for neurosurgery: an innovative approach to management of chronic pain. 16 40

Regression as a potentially adaptive psychological response is used as a conceptual model to understand a variety of behaviors seen in beginning psychiatric residents on an inpatient service. The behaviors, discussed and illustrated with brief examples, are (1) competition and identification, (2) sexuality, (3) aggression, (4) depression and despair, (5) dependency, and (6) fusion with patients. Factors on an inpatient service that foster regressive behavior in new residents are discussed, and some of the potential resolutions of the behavoirs are proposed. Regression is seen as an adaptive experience for most residents; with appropriate supervisory intervention, it can foster cognitive development.
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PMID:Regression in the service of residency education. 97 Oct 37

Some rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) infants have a "despair" or depression-like response to mother-infant separation, while others do not. The presumed interrelation between early rearing conditions and the neurobiological status of the infant that might lead to increased risk for despair is not understood. In this study, the characteristics of the "mother" were controlled by rearing infant rhesus monkeys with their biological mothers, or with inanimate mothers. Behavioral data were collected before and after separation at 6-7 months of age. The neurobiological status of the infants was evaluated by measuring the concentration of norepinephrine, its major metabolite, and the metabolites of dopamine and serotonin in cerebrospinal fluid. The results suggest that despair is not simply a behavioral response to separation. Instead, despair may reflect the inability to cope with the separation environment. Coping with the separation environment appears to depend on neurobiological and behavioral characteristics of the infant that are related to, if not determined by, characteristics of the mother.
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PMID:Strangers in a strange land: a psychobiological study of infant monkeys before and after separation from real or inanimate mothers. 171 4

The role of central nervous system (CNS) cholinergic and noradrenergic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of depression and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity is examined using the Behavioral Despair rat model of depression. Immobility (IM), the analog of depression in this model, and plasma corticosterone (C) were increased by physostigmine (PHYSO). Neostigmine (NEO), which does not cross the blood-brain barrier, produced the same peripheral cholinomimetic effects and motor inhibition as PHYSO, but did not change IM. PHYSO's effects on C and IM were blocked by metoprolol pretreatment and partially blocked by clonidine pretreatment. PHYSO increased acetylcholine in the striatum. In this animal model of depression, cholinergic and noradrenergic mechanisms are interactively involved in the regulation of behavioral depression and the HPA axis.
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PMID:The cholinergic-adrenergic hypothesis of depression reexamined using clonidine, metoprolol, and physostigmine in an animal model. 184 8

Social loss is considered to be one of the major precipitants of depression. Prior work with the Porsolt forced swimming test (FST) has failed to demonstrate increases in despair-like immobility as a result of prior social isolation in adult animals. In the present work, increased immobility was observed in young Swiss Webster mice that had been socially isolated for 24 h prior to a 15-minute FST. The effect was not apparent until after the first five minutes of testing. The increase in immobility as a result of social isolation was apparent in 17-21-day-old animals but not in 26-30-day-old ones. Control experiments indicated that the increase in immobility was not due to the slightly higher weight loss of the socially isolated animals. Administration of reserpine (0.25 mg/kg) induced a marginal increase in immobility in the youngest animals but decreased immobility at later ages. These data suggest that the mouse only exhibits a short period of time during early development where social isolation can promote despair-like immobility in the FST and suggest that analyses of depressive processes which result from social variables may be best studied during a limited age range in this species.
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PMID:Social isolation effects on the "behavioral despair" forced swimming test: effect of age and duration of testing. 206 7

Few clinical reports describe tolerance induced by antidepressants and this question is considered an unsolved problem for clinical use of this group of drugs. The present report deals with the effects of imipramine and mianserine on two animal models of depression, after acute or prolonged previous treatment with these antidepressants. Imipramine and mianserine potentiated amphetamine-induced anorexia both after acute administration or after prolonged previous treatment with each drug. Mianserine effects were not detected in the behavioral despair test and imipramine reduced rats immobility equally after acute and prolonged previous treatment. It was concluded that imipramine and mianserine do not induce detectable tolerance when previously administered to animals submitted to amphetamine anorexia or behavioral despair.
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PMID:Lack of tolerance to imipramine or mianserine in two animal models of depression. 209 93

The neuropeptides thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) and prolactin (PRL), which affect various behaviors in animals, showed "antidepressant" properties in an experimental model of depression. Subcutaneous administration of TRH reduced the total immobility time of rats tested in the despair (constrained swim) test and potentiated the anti-immobility effect of intraperitoneally administered desimipramine (DMI). This effect was not mimicked by the peripheral injection of TSH, T3 or T4. Hyperprolactinemia induced by pituitary homografts under the kidney capsule and the intracerebroventricular injection of PRL also potentiated the DMI-induced reduction of total immobility time of rats in the despair test and exerted "antidepressant" effects in aged rats.
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PMID:Effects of TRH and prolactin in the behavioral despair (swim) model of depression in rats. 212 10

2-(3,4-Dichlorobenzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-propanol, hydrochloride (JO 1017) is a novel antidepressant drug. Its biochemical and pharmacological properties were investigated in mice, rats, dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs. In vitro, it selectively inhibited serotonin uptake and had a high affinity for the 3H-paroxetine and 3H-imipramine binding sites. Biochemical studies demonstrated the lack of MAO-A and MAO-B inhibition and the absence of marked affinity for muscarinic, histaminic or other conventional brain receptors. Chronic treatment with JO 1017 induced a decrease in the Bmax values for imipramine sites but did not modify the Bmax for beta-adrenergic and 5-HT2 receptors. The neuropsychopharmacological profile of JO 1017 is characterized by a decrease of the immobility times in behavioural despair tests with mice, a decrease of the escape failures in the rat learned helplessness test, a strong potentiation of L-5-HT P-induced head-twitches in mice and an antagonism of reserpine-induced ptosis in rabbits. It weakly antagonized oxotremorine-induced hypothermia and did not influence the hypothermia induced by apomorphine. In contrast to most other antidepressants, a high dose of JO 1017 induced hypermotility in mice placed in an activity meter without producing stereotyped behaviour and group toxicity. Unlike tricyclic antidepressants, JO 1017 was devoid of severe cardiotoxicity in guinea pigs and had no central anticholinergic nor antihistaminic properties. These results suggest that JO 1017 is a selective serotonin uptake inhibitor with a high safety margin. JO 1017 may have a potential clinical utility both in the treatment of depression and for indications where serotonin transmission is involved, e.g., anxiety, panic attack, obsessive compulsive disorder, obesity and alcohol consumption.
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PMID:Biochemical and pharmacological evaluation of the novel antidepressant and serotonin uptake inhibitor 2-(3,4-Dichlorobenzyl)-2-dimethylamino-1-propanol hydrochloride. 216 3

Behavioural tests for predicting antidepressant activity in the animal provide a closer approximation than other tests of states of depression in man but are often long and costly to perform (except the behavioural despair test). The tests proposed here presuppose a pharmacological interaction (except the Porsolt test) but are simple enough to allow screening: included are antagonism of reserpine hypothermia, ptosis and akinesia; antagonism of effects induced by oxotremorine; antagonism of high-dose apomorphine; and potentiation of yohimbine toxicity. In combination with the study of motor activity in the mouse, these tests allow assessment of the specificity of antidepressant activity by establishing a ratio between the "antidepressant" dose and the "stimulant" or "sedative" dose. It can be predicted that a substance will be antidepressant and sedative or stimulant at the same dose if the ratio is close to 1; if the ratio is less than 1, at antidepressant doses the substance will be very sedative or stimulant according to the case. The specificity of the tests discussed can be debatable. Antagonism of reserpine-induced hypothermia indicates substances with direct or indirect beta-mimetic activity, ptosis antagonism, substances with alpha-adrenergic (not antidepressants) or serotoninergic (possibly antidepressants) activity; and akinesia antagonism, a direct or indirect dopaminergic activity (sometimes found in antidepressants) with psychostimulant activity. The oxotremorine test is related to the anticholinergic activity of substances, except in the case of hypothermia antagonism. The high-dose apomorphine test seems to be specific for substances inhibiting norepinephrine reuptake. The yohimbine test is simple to carry out, relatively inexpensive and does not fail to screen any molecule known to be effective to-date. The behavioural despair test is a good complement for screening except for drugs having a beta-agonist activity, it appears that this test is dependent on functional relationships between alpha 2 and serotonergic systems.
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PMID:Is it possible to predict the activity of a new antidepressant in animals with simple psychopharmacological tests? 218 84


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