John R. Whittier

Drug treatment in 117 cases of Huntington's disease with special reference to fluphenazine (prolixin)

SummaryDrugs employed in symptomatic treatment of the chorea and/or emotional disorder in 117 verified cases of Huntingtons disease in New York State are tabulated and analyzed. The effectiveness of oral fluphenazine is reported, and demonstrated in three case reports. Confirming data are now emerging from a co-operative research effort initiated by this unit, coming from all the New York state hospitals with which contact had been made, and at least one mental hospital out of the state.

Vasorelaxant Drugs and Cerebrovascular Disease

Under physiologic circumstances the smooth muscle of cerebral vessels, especially that of arteries and arterioles, is in a state of moderate contraction. This state may be altered by changes in blood gases or in nutrients and metabolic products of extracranial origin, which affect also the cerebral vessels, or by similar stimuli of intracranial origin. The latter produce vascular responses limited to the cerebral vessels, or to special branches of the system. The cerebral vessels are, however, uniquely independent of that general vasomotor activity controlled by autonomic reflexes. Pathological stimuli including thrombi, emboli, and toxic materials also produce cerebral vascular responses. Responses by cerebral vessels to pathologic stimuli are usually vasoconstrictor. If responses

Selected characteristics of aged patients: a study of mental hospital admissions.

Summary From a study of 540 male patients aged 60 and over admitted to a state mental hospital for the first time, it was concluded that the population was characterized by high incidence of individuals in pedigree with history of mental hospitalization (8 per cent), neurological abnormality (27 per cent), early mortality (50 per cent in the first year), heavy chronic alcoholism (20 per cent), precipitating circumstances (27 per cent), memory, judgement, and orientation defects (83 per cent), as well as depression (38 per cent).

Prevention of Slow Wave Response to Hyperventilation in the Human Electroencephalogram by a Vasodilator

* Director of Psychiatric Research, Creedmoor Institute. † Resident Psychiatrist, Creedmoor Institute. ‡ 1-(p-Hydroxyphenyl)-2-(1-methyl-2-phenoxyethylamino)-1-propanol hydrochloride; Vasodilan, Mead Johnson and Company. During the past 4 years, several investigators have reported that isoxsuprine hydrochloride, a’ synthetic vasodilator,

Changes with age in electric convulsive reactions in mental patients

produces clinical improvement in symptoms presumably due to cerebrovascular insufficiency.1-3 It has been known that either inhalation of

Effect of Cyclandelate, Isoxsuprine and Nylidrin On Hyperventilation Build-Up in the Electroencephalogram of Volunteer Subjects

In the adminis t ra t ion o.f electric convulsive therapy on the rome reception service of Creedmoor (N.Y.) State Hospital, it was noted that consistent individual differences appeared between patients with respect to the durat ions o.f tonic and clonic periods, and of ~he total convulsion. This article reports a study conducted to confirm and quantitas this observation, and to determine its significance, as far as possible, together with a review of per t inent experimental and clinical l i terature. MATERIAL AND METHODS

On growth and form in psychiatric research.

* From Creedmoor State Hospital and Creedmoor Institute for Psychobiologic Studies, Jamaica, New York 11427. A previous report’ showed that a vasorelaxant (isoxsuprine hydrochloride) prevented the hyperventilation build-up response in the human electroencephalogram, providing additional evidence that the response is due to cerebral vasoconstrictor reaction to hypocapnia, and that cerebral vasoconstriction can be blocked by such drugs. The availability of two other marketed vasorelaxants suggested a comparative study employing human volunteers.

Electroencephalographic study of dose-response relations for cyclandelate on hyperventilation-induced vasospasm in human brain.

ConclusionThis concludes the review of the growth and form of the psychiatric research organisms. A beginning science of the disorders of the subject has been offered.

Asphyxiation, Bulimia, and Insulin Levels in Huntington Disease (Chorea)

Administered orally, cyclandelate was found to be relatively ineffective compared to isoxsuprine and nylidrin.1 Because the data were drawn from experiments in which the dosage was acute, and clinical reports suggested that administration of cyclandelate over periods of days or weeks were often required to achieve symptomatic benefit in vascular insufficiency due to vasospasm, it was desirable to study chronic dose-response characteristics for this compound by the EEG slow wave response method.