Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026838 (spasticity)
 6,471 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Three of four offspring of consanguineous parents presented a unique association of microcephaly, mental retardation, spasticity, connective tissue abnormalities, cleft palate, persistent hypertrophic primary vitreous, and short stature. In one patient brain atrophy was documented. All the affected individuals had severe asthma and it is thought that the asthma is associated with the syndrome complex. Genetic transmission is most likely autosomal recessive. We believe this constellation of findings to be a new genetic syndrome and have termed it the oculo-palato-cerebral dwarfism syndrome.
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PMID:Oculo-palato-cerebral dwarfism: a new syndrome. 399 92

The clinical investigation of prophylactic agents for bronchial asthma is at once simple and laborious: simple because provocation tests are available for measuring the bronchial reactivity of the asthma patient to numerous stimuli and his response to treatment; but laborious because some of these methods are poorly standardised and above all because bronchial spasticity varies greatly from patient to patient and in the same patient at different times. The fluctuating pattern of asthma, is, moreover, an obstacle to clinical investigation. It has to be taken into account in devising trial protocols. Besides bias associated with the disorder itself, there are other difficulties inherent in the prophylactic nature of the treatment. It is a simple enough matter to evaluate the activity of a bronchodilator since the effect of such a compound is directly measurable. Evaluation of the efficacy of a prophylactic agent is more difficult since the fluctuations in episodes of bronchoconstriction and in the bronchodilator treatment needed for these episodes have to be evaluated jointly. We shall have occasion to revert to the practical consequences of this later.
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PMID:Criteria for the clinical evaluation of prophylactic agents in bronchial asthma. 730 62

Recurrent gastroesophageal reflux (GER) after antireflux procedures (ARP) has been correlated with significant neurological impairment (NI). Other major risk factors for recurrent GER have not been extensively characterized. The authors reviewed their experience with ARPs in children to better characterize the risk factors for recurrent GER and identify successful management strategies for these patients. The charts of 281 consecutively treated children who had an ARP at our institution (1985 to 1992) were reviewed. The neurological status of each child was assessed as normal or impaired (cerebral palsy, seizures, mental retardation, spasticity), and other medical diagnoses such as chronic pulmonary disorders (eg, interstitial disease, cystic fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, asthma, etc), and congenital malformations and syndromes were identified. The average follow-up period was 3 years (range, 1 to 7.5 years). Patients with symptoms of recurrent GER were evaluated with an upper gastrointestinal study. Patients with a radiologically intact fundoplication and suspected GER were further evaluated with a 24-hour pH probe. Statistical analyses were performed using the Fisher's Exact Test. Of the 281 patients who underwent ARP, 39 had documented recurrent GER (average, 16 months after surgery). Twenty-five (64%) of these children had chronic pulmonary disease (CPD). Thirty-two percent of all children with CPD had recurrent GER after ARP, versus 7% of those without CPD (P < .0001). For children with NI and CPD there was an increased risk (P < .0001) of failure when compared with the risk in the normal subgroup (children without CPD or NI) who underwent ARP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Chronic lung disease is the leading risk factor correlating with the failure (wrap disruption) of antireflux procedures in children. 817 86

The results of numerous studies of occupational bronchial asthma proved that bronchial spasticity and nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity persists after cessation of occupational exposure. The aim of the study was to evaluate the condition of patients with bronchial asthma after cessation of occupational exposure. A group of 23 patients with bronchial asthma had been observed twice: 1-6 months after cessation of occupational exposure and then 36 or 48 months later. An analysis of the clinical progress, both during the diagnostic process and the control examination, was based on a questionnaire including questions on cough intensity, dysponca, mean daily use of aerosol beta-mimetics and daily oral and inhalatory doses of corticosteroids. The analysis covered the month during the year proceeding the examination in which patients found themselves in the best psychosomatic condition. During both periods considered by patients themselves as the best ones from the clinical point of view, respiratory function tests and allergological tests were performed. The majority of patients with occupational bronchial asthma had reported, 2-3 years after cessation of occupational exposure, subjective complaints which indicated the improvement of their clinical condition. In those patients, the decrease in the intensity of specific allergic reactions was not observed. In the majority of patients with occupational bronchial asthma nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity has not diminished despite a two-year break in occupational exposure.
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PMID:[Clinical state, bronchial reactivity and atopic symptoms in patients with occupational bronchial asthma 3-4 years after cessation of occupational exposure]. 884 81

It is now known that there are at least two types of cannabinoid receptors. These are CB1 receptors, present mainly on central and peripheral neurones, and CB2 receptors, present mainly on immune cells. Endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonists ('endocannabinoids') have also been identified. The discovery of this 'endogenous cannabinoid system' has led to the development of selective CB1 and CB2 receptor ligands and fueled renewed interest in the clinical potential of cannabinoids. Two cannabinoid CB1 receptor agonists are already used clinically, as antiemetics or as appetite stimulants. These are D 9 - tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and nabilone. Other possible uses for CB1 receptor agonists include the suppression of muscle spasm/spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury, the relief of chronic pain and the management of glaucoma and bronchial asthma. CB1 receptor antagonists may also have clinical applications, e. g. as appetite suppressants and in the management of schizophrenia or disorders of cognition and memory. So too may CB2 receptor ligands and drugs that activate cannabinoid receptors indirectly by augmenting endocannabinoid levels at cannabinoid receptors. When taken orally, THC seems to undergo variable absorption and to have a narrow 'therapeutic window' (dose range in which it is effective without producing significant unwanted effects). This makes it difficult to predict an oral dose that will be both effective and tolerable to a patient and indicates a need for better cannabinoid formulations and modes of administration. For the therapeutic potential of cannabis or CB1 receptor agonists to be fully exploited, it will be important to establish objectively and conclusively (a) whether these agents have efficacy against selected symptoms that is of clinical significance and, if so, whether the benefits outweigh the risks, (b) whether cannabis has therapeutic advantages over individual cannabinoids, (c) whether there is a need for additional drug treatments to manage any of the disorders against which cannabinoids are effective, and (d) whether it will be possible to develop drugs that have reduced psychotropic activity and yet retain the ability to act through CB1 receptors to produce their sought-after effects.
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PMID:Cannabis and cannabinoids: pharmacology and rationale for clinical use. 1057 83

The plant Cannabis sativa has a long history of medical use in the treatment of pain and spasms, the promotion of sleep, and the suppression of nausea and vomiting. However, in the early 70s cannabis was classified in the Narcotic Acts in countries all over the world as having no therapeutic benefit; therefore, it cannot be prescribed by physicians or dispensed by pharmacists. In the light of this contradictory situation an increasing number of patients practices a self-prescription with cannabis products for relieving a variety of symptoms. An anonymous standardized survey of the medical use of cannabis and cannabis products of patients in Germany, Austria and Switzerland was conducted by the Association for Cannabis as Medicine (Cologne, Germany). During about one year 170 subjects participated in this survey; questionnaires of 128 patients could be included into the evaluation. 68% of these participants were males, 32% females, with a total mean age of 37.5 (+/- 9.6) years. The most frequently mentioned indications for medicinal cannabis use were depression (12.0%), multiple sclerosis (10.8%), HIV-infection (9.0%), migraine (6.6%), asthma (6.0%), back pain (5.4%), hepatitis C (4. 8%), sleeping disorders (4.8%), epilepsy (3.6%), spasticity (3.6%), headache (3.6%), alcoholism (3.0%), glaucoma (3.0%), nausea (3.0%), disk prolapse (2.4%), and spinal cord injury (2.4%). The majority of patients used natural cannabis products such as marihuana, hashish and an alcoholic tincture; in just 5 cases dronabinol (Marinol) was taken by prescription. About half of the 128 participants of the survey (52.4%) had used cannabis as a recreational drug before the onset of their illness. To date 14.3% took cannabis orally, 49.2% by inhalation and in 36.5% of cases both application modes were used. 72.2% of the patients stated the symptoms of their illness to have 'much improved' after cannabis ingestion, 23.4% stated to have 'slightly improved', 4.8% experienced 'no change' and 1.6% described that their symptoms got 'worse'. Being asked for the satisfaction with their therapeutic use of cannabis 60.8% stated to be 'very satisfied', 24.0% 'satisfied', 11.2% 'partly satisfied' and 4.0% were 'not satisfied'. 70.8% experienced no side effects, 26.4% described 'moderate' and 3.3% 'strong' side effects. 84.1% of patients have not felt any need for dose escalation during the last 3 months, 11.0% had to increase their cannabis dose 'moderately' and 4.8% 'strongly' in order to maintain the therapeutic effects. Thus, this survey demonstrates a successful use of cannabis products for the treatment of a multitude of various illnesses and symptoms. This use was usually accompanied only by slight and in general acceptable side effects. Because the patient group responding to this survey is presumably highly selected, no conclusions can be drawn about the quantity of wanted and unwanted effects of the medicinal use of the hemp plant for particular indications.
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PMID:[Results of a standardized survey on the medical use of cannabis products in the German-speaking area]. 2146 33

Diseases in which Cannabis and cannabinoids have demonstrated some medicinal putative properties are: nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, muscle spasticity (multiple sclerosis, movement disorders), pain, anorexia, epilepsy, glaucoma, bronchial asthma, neuroegenerative diseases, cancer, etc. Although some of the current data comes from clinical controlled essays, the majority are based on anecdotic reports. Basic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies and more extensive controlled clinical essays with higher number of patients and long term studies are necessary to consider these compounds useful since a therapeutical point of view.
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PMID:[Potential therapeutic usefulness of cannabis and cannabinoids]. 1120 42

There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptors, CB(1) and CB(2), both coupled to G proteins. CB(1) receptors exist primarily on central and peripheral neurons, one of their functions being to modulate neurotransmitter release. CB(2) receptors are present mainly on immune cells. Their roles are proving more difficult to establish but seem to include the modulation of cytokine release. Endogenous agonists for cannabinoid receptors (endocannabinoids) have also been discovered, the most important being arachidonoyl ethanolamide (anandamide), 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and 2-arachidonyl glyceryl ether. Other endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptor types may also exist. Although anandamide can act through CB(1) and CB(2) receptors, it is also a vanilloid receptor agonist and some of its metabolites may possess yet other important modes of action. The discovery of the system of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids that constitutes the "endocannabinoid system" has prompted the development of CB(1)- and CB(2)-selective agonists and antagonists/inverse agonists. CB(1)/CB(2) agonists are already used clinically, as anti-emetics or to stimulate appetite. Potential therapeutic uses of cannabinoid receptor agonists include the management of multiple sclerosis/spinal cord injury, pain, inflammatory disorders, glaucoma, bronchial asthma, vasodilation that accompanies advanced cirrhosis, and cancer. Following their release onto cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids are removed from the extracellular space by membrane transport and then degraded by intracellular enzymic hydrolysis. Inhibitors of both these processes have been developed. Such inhibitors have therapeutic potential as animal data suggest that released endocannabinoids mediate reductions both in inflammatory pain and in the spasticity and tremor of multiple sclerosis. So too have CB(1) receptor antagonists, for example for the suppression of appetite and the management of cognitive dysfunction or schizophrenia.
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PMID:Cannabinoid receptors and their ligands. 1205 30

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and Laurence-Moon syndrome (LMS) have a similar phenotype, which includes retinal dystrophy, obesity, and hypogenitalism. They are differentiated by the presence of spasticity and the absence of polydactyly in LMS. The aims of this study were to describe the epidemiology of BBS and LMS, further define the phenotype, and examine genotype-phenotype correlation. The study involved 46 patients (26 males, 20 females) from 26 families, with a median age of 44 years (range 1-68 years). Assessments were performed in 1986, 1993, and 2001 and included neurological assessments, anthropometric measurements, and clinical photographs to assess dysmorphic features. The phenotype was highly variable within and between families. Impaired co-ordination and ataxia occurred in 86% (18/21). Thirty percent (14/46) met criteria for psychiatric illness; other medical problems included cholecystectomy in 37% (17/46) and asthma in 28% (13/46). Dysmorphic features included brachycephaly, large ears, and short, narrow palpebral fissures. There was no apparent correlation of clinical or dysmorphic features with genotype. Two patients were diagnosed clinically as LMS but both had mutations in a BBS gene. The features in this population do not support the notion that BBS and LMS are distinct. The lack of a genotype-phenotype correlation implies that BBS proteins interact and are necessary for the development of many organs.
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PMID:Clinical and genetic epidemiology of Bardet-Biedl syndrome in Newfoundland: a 22-year prospective, population-based, cohort study. 1563 13

1. Preparations from Cannabis sativa (marijuana) have been used for many centuries both medicinally and recreationally. 2. Recent advances in the knowledge of its pharmacological and chemical properties in the organism, mainly due to Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, and the physiological roles played by the endocannabinoids have opened up new strategies in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases. 3. Potential therapeutic uses of cannabinoid receptor agonists include the management of spasticity and tremor in multiple sclerosis/spinal cord injury, pain, inflammatory disorders, glaucoma, bronchial asthma, cancer, and vasodilation that accompanies advanced cirrhosis. CB(1) receptor antagonists have therapeutic potential in Parkinson's disease. 4. Dr. Julius Axelrod also contributed in studies on the neuroprotective actions of cannabinoids.
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PMID:Implication of cannabinoids in neurological diseases. 1669 78


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