0000000000113999
AUTHOR
Klaus Wiedemann
Anxiolytika und Hypnotika
Schon zu Urzeiten nutzten Menschen naturliche und artifizielle Mittel zur Anxiolyse und als Hypnotika. So ist bekannt, dass die Sumerer vor mehr als 7000 Jahren Opium einsetzten, wenn vielleicht auch mehr als Analgetikum oder in kultischen Handlungen. Die ersten schriftlichen Rezepte des Bierbrauens sind von 3500 v. Chr. auf einem agyptischen Papyrus uberliefert, wahrend entsprechende Reinheitsgebote aus babylonischer Zeit bekannt sind. Zwar galt Bier im Wesentlichen als ein Nahrungsmittel, es wurde aber auch wegen seiner anxiolytischen und hypnotischen Eigenschaften geschatzt.
Computerized brain tomography measures compared with spontaneous and suppressed plasma cortisol levels in major depression.
We determined brain density and ventricular measurements with computerized tomography (CT) in 33 depressed patients and compared the results with basal plasma cortisol and its suppressibility by dexamethasone. Mean plasma cortisol was positively related to elevated ventricular brain ratio (VBR). No association could be found between dexamethasone suppression test (DST) status and VBR or any other CT parameter. Elevated plasma cortisol levels and increased VBRs were positively correlated with total scores on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Global Assessment Scale and the Bech-Rafaelsen Melancholia Scale, but they were not significantly correlated with total score on the Hamilton Anxi…
Masturbation to Orgasm Stimulates the Release of the Endocannabinoid 2-Arachidonoylglycerol in Humans
Abstract Background Endocannabinoids are critical for rewarding behaviors such as eating, physical exercise, and social interaction. The role of endocannabinoids in mammalian sexual behavior has been suggested because of the influence of cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists on rodent sexual activity. However, the involvement of endocannabinoids in human sexual behavior has not been studied. Aim To investigate plasma endocannabinoid levels before and after masturbation in healthy male and female volunteers. Outcomes Plasma levels of the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide, the endocannabinoid-like lipids oleoyl ethanolamide and palmitoyl ethanolamide, arachido…
Psychological and hormonal features of smokers at risk to gain weight after smoking cessation--results of a multicenter study.
Preclinical and clinical data suggest modulating effects of appetite-regulating hormones and stress perception on food intake. Nicotine intake also interferes with regulation of body weight. Especially following smoking cessation gaining weight is a common but only partially understood consequence. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction between smoking habits, the appetite regulating hormone leptin, negative affectivity, and stress vulnerability on eating behavior in a clinical case-control study under standardized conditions. In a large population-based study sample, we compared leptin and cortisol plasma concentrations (radioimmunoassay) between current tobacco smokers with …
Functional polymorphism in the neuropeptide Y gene promoter (rs16147) is associated with serum leptin levels and waist-hip ratio in women
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> The neuropeptide-Y (NP-Y) gene is a strong candidate gene in the pathophysiology of obesity-linked behavior, and several single-nucleotide polymorphisms of NP-Y have already been linked to body weight and appetite. However, the results from current studies remain inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to test whether a certain functional genetic variant (SNP rs16147) in the NP-Y promoter gene is associated with serum leptin levels and body fat distribution. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We genotyped and measured the serum leptin levels of the NP-Y rs16147 polymorphism in 1,097 Caucasian subjects in the context of a pop…
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Naltrexone and 6β-Naltrexol During Anti-craving Treatment in Alcohol Dependence: Reference Ranges.
Aims Aim of this study was to associate concentration of naltrexone and its major active metabolite 6β-naltrexol in blood with therapeutic outcome during treatment with naltrexone in subjects with alcohol dependence. Treatment with the μ-opiate receptor antagonist naltrexone has been shown to reduce craving for alcohol and alcohol intake in patients suffering from alcohol dependence. Short summary This article shows the use of therapeutic drug monitoring in alcohol dependent patients, who are treated with naltrexone. The plasma concentrations of naltrexone and 6β-naltrexol showed high inter-individual variability. They were predictive for treatment response, as they correlated significantly…