Heike Wollersen

Noradrenergic modulation of emotion-induced forgetting and remembering.

We used a free-recall paradigm to establish a behavioral index of the retrograde and anterograde interference of emotion with episodic memory encoding. In two experiments involving 78 subjects, we show that negatively valenced items elicit retrograde amnesia, whereas positively valenced items elicit retrograde hypermnesia. These data indicate item valence is critical in determining retrograde amnesia and retrograde hypermnesia. In contrast, we show that item arousal induces an anterograde amnesic effect, consistent with the idea that a valence-evoked arousal mechanism compromises anterograde episodic encoding. Randomized double-blind administration of the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol compared with the selective norepinephrine (NE) reuptake-inhibitor reboxetine, and placebo, demonstrated that the magnitude of this emotional amnesia and hypermnesia can be upregulated and downregulated as a function of emotional arousal and central NE signaling. We conclude that a differential processing of emotional arousal and valence influences how the brain remembers and forgets.

Heroin-associated nephropathy

Since the first reports in the late 1960s and early 1970s there have been numerous studies describing the clinical and pathological features of renal diseases associated with chronic parenteral abuse of heroin, cocaine, morphine, amphetamine, and other narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs, including several adulterants. The past 35years have witnessed an explosive growth in illicit drug use in many parts of the world. Meanwhile, drug addict nephropathy constitutes an important cause of end-stage renal disease. The term ´heroin-associated nephropathy’ includes different morphological findings following chronic drug abuse. Up to now it still remains ambiguous as to whether or not heroin/morphine itself, adulterants, other diseases like hepatitis B and C infection, or HIV, lead to a spectrum of morphologically described ´heroin-associated’ findings in the kidneys. As a measure of prevention it appears that the purity of heroin plays an important role.

Dose-Concentration Relationships of Methadone and EDDP in Hair of Patients on a Methadone-Maintenance Program

After controlled oral administration of d,l-methadone solution (15–260 mg/day) in the context of a methadone-maintenance program, concentrations of methadone and 2-ethylidine-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenyl-l-pyrrolidine (EDDP), in head hair were determined (N=41), using a fully automated headspace solid-phase microextraction procedure in combination with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC/MS).Methadone was present in all samples in concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 13.29 ng/mg (mean 2.69±0.45 ng/mg). EDDP was also present in every sample in concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 2.17 ng/mg (mean 0.43±0.08). The concentration ratio methadone/EDDP was 7.5±5.7 in the proximal segments, but decreased to 4.8±1.4 in the distal segments. A statistically significant correlation between the intake dose and the methadone and EDDP concentrations in the subjects’ hair could be established only in the proximal segments (r=0.913 for methadone and r=0.901 for EDDP), but not in the distal segments. In all, 131 segments analyzed, the correlation coefficient was r=0.760 for methadone and r=0.738 for EDDP. In comparison to the dose-concentration relationship reported in the literature, we found a better correlation with higher correlation coefficients especially in the proximal segments.However, owing to a broad distribution in the correlation between dosage and concentration, the determination of methadone and EDDP in hair holds only limited information about prior methadone administration.

Klinisch-toxikologische Untersuchungen in forensischen Laboratorien

ZusammenfassungAn einigen medizinischen Fakultäten werden aufgrund der apparativen Ausstattung und Expertise forensisch-toxikologische Laboratorien der Institute für Rechtsmedizin auch in die klinisch-toxikologische Analytik eingebunden, insbesondere bei Fragestellungen, die über automatisierte Laborparameterbestimmungen hinausgehen. Ein Situationsbericht aus dem Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität Bonn untermauert die Bedeutung solcher klinisch-toxikologischer Analysen. Als Fazit kann festgehalten werden, dass klinisch-toxikologische Untersuchungen durch Institute für Rechtsmedizin nicht nur wichtige Dienstleistungen für das eigene Universitätsklinikum darstellen, sie dienen darüber hinaus der fachlichen und wissenschaftlichen Vernetzung.AbstractIn some medical faculties institutes of Forensic Medicine also carry out clinical toxicological investigations due to their expertise in forensic toxicology and the methods available, especially in cases where specific chromatographic methods are necessary. Experiences with clinical toxicological investigations for our own university hospital and surrounding hospitals will be reported. Clinical toxicology is not only a service for the hospital but promotes scientific and routine cooperation.