Prolonged P wave duration is associated with right atrial dimensions, but not atrial arrhythmias, in middle-aged endurance athletes

BACKGROUND

Atrial arrhythmias occur at a higher than expected prevalence amongst endurance athletes. Few studies have examined both atrial structure and arrhythmias in middle-aged endurance athletes. We examined the relationship between P-wave duration, atrial dimensions, and the presence of atrial ectopy in long-standing, middle-aged endurance athletes.

METHODS

Middle-aged athletes with a minimum of 10 years of competitive endurance sport history and no history of structural heart disease or clinical atrial arrhythmias, had 12-lead ECGs to assess P-wave duration, signal-averaged ECGs (SAECG) to assess filtered P-wave duration, a 24 h Holter monitor to assess atrial ectopy, and echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess atrial structural characteristics.

RESULTS

Amongst endurance athletes (n = 104; mean age = 54 ± 5 years; 63% male), filtered P-wave duration on SAECG was correlated with P-wave duration on 12-lead ECG (r = 0.36, p, 0.0001), as well as with larger CMR-derived RA areas (r = 0.30, p = 0.01) and volumes (r = 0.24, p < 0.05). There was no correlation between filtered P-wave duration and any LA measures on imaging (p > 0.05). There was no correlation between the incidence of atrial ectopy (premature atrial contractions or atrial tachycardia) and any electrocardiographic or structural measures.

CONCLUSION

Longer filtered P-wave duration was associated with larger RA areas and volumes, without an increase in atrial ectopy.

Doubling the power of DP4 for computational structure elucidation

Improvements to the DP4 computational structure elucidation method have led to a 2-fold reduction in structural uncertainty and 7-fold improvement of statistical confidence.

Quality of life and psychosocial measures influenced by exercise modality in patients with coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND

The optimal approach to prescribing resistance training (RT) combined with aerobic training (AT) for psychosocial and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is unclear.

AIM

To compare the effects of AT combined with RT (1 versus 3 sets) versus AT alone on HRQOL and psychosocial outcomes.

DESIGN

Subjects (N.=72) were randomized to AT (5 d∙wk-1) or AT (3 d∙wk-1) with either 1 set (AT/RT1) or 3 sets (AT/RT3) of RT performed 2 d∙wk-1.

SETTING

Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.

POPULATION

Subjects with coronary artery disease.

METHODS

HRQOL and psychosocial parameters were assessed before and after 29 weeks of training by questionnaire.

RESULTS

Fifty-three subjects (mean±SD age 60.6±10.6 years) completed training. There was a group effect for change in self-efficacy of lower body physical activity tasks (P=0.03) with significantly greater improvement for AT/RT3 than AT alone (17.5±16.6% vs. 3.2±12.8% respectively, p=0.04). Lower body self-efficacy improved for AT/RT1 (15.5±13.8%, p<0.001) but not for AT alone (P=0.2). Self-efficacy for upper body tasks improved with AT/RT3 (18.2±19.9%, P=0.003) and AT/RT1 training (12.6±15.8%, P=0.005) but not with AT alone (8.3±16.1%, P=0.1). AT/RT3 and AT/RT1 training yielded improvements in depression score (-4.0±7.7, P=0.04 and -3.0±5.1, P=0.02 respectively) but not with AT alone (-0.5±4.7, P=0.71). The improvement from baseline in physical HRQOL score (MOS, SF-36) averaged 8.2±11.2% for AT (P=0.04), 10.4±11.9% for AT/RT1 (P=0.006) and 12.0±12.9% for AT/RT3 (P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Both AT+RT groups with either 1 or 3 sets (AT 3 d∙wk-1and RT 2 d∙wk-1) each yield more pronounced psychosocial and HRQOL adaptations than AT alone (5 d∙wk-1). RT prescription beyond 1 set may further augment selected parameters in cardiac patients.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT

These results provide further rationale to develop combined AT+RT regimens for individuals with coronary artery disease.

The effect of haem in red and processed meat on the endogenous formation of N-nitroso compounds in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Red and processed meat (PM) consumption increases the risk of large bowel cancer and it has been demonstrated that haem in red meat (RM) stimulates the endogenous production of N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) within the human intestine. To investigate whether N-nitrosation occurs in the upper gastrointestinal tract, 27 ileostomists were fed diets containing no meat, or 240 g RM or 240 g PM in a randomly assigned crossover intervention design carried out in a volunteer suite. Endogenous NOC were assessed as apparent total N-nitroso compounds (ATNC) in the ileostomy output. ATNC concentration in the diets was 22 microg ATNC/kg (RM) and 37 microg ATNC/kg (PM), and 9 microg ATNC/kg in the no meat diet. Levels significantly increased to 1175 microg ATNC/kg SEM = 226 microg ATNC/kg) following the RM (P=0.001) and 1832 microg ATNC/kg (SEM=294 microg ATNC/kg) following PM (P<0.001) compared to the no meat diet (283 microg ATNC/kg, SEM=74 microg ATNC/kg). ATNC concentrations in the ileal output were equivalent to those measured in faeces in similarly designed feeding studies. Supplementation with either 1 g ascorbic acid or 400 IU alpha-tocopherol had no effect on the concentration of ATNC detected in the ileal output. In in vitro experiments, N-nitrosomorpholine (NMor) was formed in the presence of nitrosated haemoglobin, at pH 6.8 but not in the absence of nitrosated haemoglobin. These findings demonstrate that haem may facilitate the formation of NOC in the absence of colonic flora in the upper human gastrointestinal tract.

Experimental data checker: better information for organic chemists

An experimental data checker has been developed that reads, analyses, and cross-correlates experimental information copied and pasted from authors' manuscripts, which will be useful for authors, referees, editors and readers of papers reporting new molecular information, and which makes possible a quantification of the accuracy of journals' data.

Site-specific examination of secondary structure and orientation determination in membrane proteins: the peptidic (13)C=(18)O group as a novel infrared probe

Detailed site-specific information can be exceptionally useful in structural studies of macromolecules in general and proteins in particular. Such information is usually obtained from spectroscopic studies using a label/probe that can reflect on particular properties of the protein. A suitable probe must not modify the native properties of the protein, and should yield interpretable structural information, as is the case with isotopic labels used by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In particular, 1-(13)C=(18)O labels have been shown to relay site-specific secondary structure and orientational information, although limited to small peptides. The reason for this limitation is the high natural abundance of (13)C and the lack of baseline resolution between the main amide I band and the isotope-edited peak. Herein, we dramatically extend the utility of isotope edited FTIR spectroscopy to proteins of virtually any size through the use of a new 1-(13)C=(18)O label. The double-isotope label virtually eliminates any contribution from natural abundance (13)C. More importantly, the isotope-edited peak is further red-shifted (in accordance with ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations) and is now completely baseline resolved from the main amide I band. Taken together, this new label enables determination of site specific secondary structure and orientation in proteins of virtually any size. Even in small peptides 1-(13)C=(18)O is far preferable as a label in comparison to 1-(13)C=(18)O since it enables analysis without the need for any deconvolution or peak fitting procedures. Finally, the results obtained herein represent the first stage in the application of site-directed dichroism to the structural elucidation of polytopic membrane proteins.

Theoretical evaluation of the origin of the regio- and stereoselectivity in the Diels-Alder reactions of dialkylvinylboranes: studies on the reactions of vinylborane, dimethylvinylborane, and vinyl-9-BBN with trans-piperylene and isoprene

Ab initio and DFT calculations have been performed to study the origin of the regio- and stereoselectivity of the Diels-Alder reactions of dialkylvinylboranes with substituted dienes. B3LYP/6-31G energies of the transition structures for the reactions of dimethylvinylborane and vinyl-9-BBN with trans-piperylene and isoprene yielded calculated ratios which are in very good agreement with experimental values. Nonclassical carbon-boron [4+3] secondary orbital interactions seem to account for the high endo stereoselectivity of these reactions. However, C-B interactions become less important when the bulkiness of the alkyl groups attached to boron increases. Both endo and exo transition structures for the reactions of dimethylvinylborane and vinyl-9-BBN adopt classical [4+2] character. This study also extends Singleton's investigation on butadiene to regioselectivity. FMO theory has been used to rationalize the lack of regioselectivity in the reactions of dimethylvinylborane. The anomalous meta regioselectivity of the Diels-Alder reaction of vinyl-9-BBN with trans-piperylene is mainly caused by steric effects.

Alcohol oxidase and dihydroxyacetone synthase, the abundant peroxisomal proteins of methylotrophic yeasts, assemble in different cellular compartments

Alcohol oxidase (AO) and dihydroxyacetone synthase (DHAS) constitute the bulk of matrix proteins in methylotrophic yeasts, model organisms for the study of peroxisomal assembly. Both are homooligomers; AO is a flavin-containing octamer, whereas DHAS is a thiamine pyrophosphate-containing dimer. Experiments in recent years have demonstrated that assembly of peroxisomal oligomers can occur before import; indeed the absence of chaperones within the peroxisomal matrix calls into question the ability of this compartment to assemble proteins at all. We have taken a direct pulse-chase approach to monitor import and assembly of the two major proteins of peroxisomes in Candida boidinii. Oligomers of AO are not observed in the cytosol, consistent with the proteins inability to undergo piggyback import. Indeed, oligomerization of AO can be followed within the peroxisomal matrix, directly demonstrating the capacity of this compartment for protein assembly. By contrast, DHAS quickly dimerizes in the cytosol before import. Binding and import was slowed at 15°C; the effect on AO was more dramatic. In conclusion, our data indicate that peroxisomes assemble AO in the matrix, while DHAS undergoes dimerization prior to import.

Left ventricular performance during prolonged exercise: absence of systolic dysfunction

We assessed left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance during and after prolonged exercise under controlled conditions in a group of healthy, trained men. Previous studies have examined the effects of prolonged effort on left ventricular function, yet it remains unclear whether or not left ventricular dysfunction (e.g. cardiac fatigue) can be produced under such conditions. We studied 15 healthy men, aged 27+/-1 years (mean+/-S.E.M.). Subjects exercised on bicycles at a constant work rate (60% of maximum oxygen uptake per min) for 150 min. Measurements of gas exchange, blood pressure and haematocrit were obtained, concurrent with the assessment of left ventricular function using equilibrium radionuclide angiography, at rest, during exercise (every 30 min) and after 30 min of recovery. Fluid replacement was provided and monitored during the exercise period. The baseline resting and exercise ejection fractions were 66+/-2% and 78+/-2% respectively. During exercise, subjects consumed 1816+/-136 ml of fluid, and the haematocrit had increased at 120 min of exercise (from 47.2%+/-0.6 to 49.9+/-0.8%; P<0.05). There was no change in either systolic or diastolic blood pressure throughout the exercise period, but heart rate drifted upwards from 141+/-2 beats/min after 30 min to 154+/-3 beats/min after 150 min (P<0.05). There was a small decline (8%; P<0.05) in end-diastolic volume at 150 min. No changes were observed in left ventricular ejection fraction, the pressure/volume ratio or end-systolic volume. After 30 min of sitting in recovery, heart rate was still higher than the pre-exercise value (84+/-3 compared with 69+/-2 beats/min; P<0.05), as were measures of peak filling rate and time to peak filling (P<0.05). The ejection fraction in the post-exercise recovery period was similar to the pre-exercise value. The results indicate that prolonged exercise of moderate duration may not induce abnormal left ventricular systolic function or cardiac fatigue during exercise.

Discrete targeting signals direct Pmp47 to oleate-induced peroxisomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Pmp47 is a peroxisomal membrane protein consisting of six transmembrane domains (TMDs). We previously showed that the second matrix loop containing a basic cluster of amino acids is important for peroxisomal targeting, and similar basic targeting motifs have been found in other peroxisomal membrane proteins. However, this basic cluster by itself targets to peroxisomes very poorly. We have developed a sensitive quantitative localization assay based on the targeting of Pmp47-GFP fusion proteins to identify the important elements of the basic cluster and to search for other targeting information on Pmp47. Our data suggest that side-chain structure and position as well as charge are important for targeting by the basic cluster. Analysis of other regions of Pmp47 indicates that all TMDs except TMD2 can be eliminated or substituted without significant loss of targeting. TMD2 plus an adjacent cytoplasmic-oriented sequence is crucial for targeting. Cytoplasmic-oriented sequences from two other peroxisomal membrane proteins, ScPex15p and ScPmp22, could partially substitute for the analogous sequence in Pmp47. Targeting with high fidelity to oleate-induced peroxisomes required the following elements: the cytoplasmic-oriented sequence and TMD2, a short matrix loop containing a basic cluster, and a membrane-anchoring TMD.

A double ring closing metathesis reaction in the rapid, enantioselective synthesis of NK-1 receptor antagonists

[structure: see text]. The NK-1 receptor antagonist 1 has been prepared in seven steps from phenylglycine methyl ester. The key steps are a double ring closing metathesis reaction of tetraene 7 to prepare spirocycle 6 and a reductive Heck reaction to introduce the aryl moiety. This latter reaction discriminates the olefins of compound 6 and proceeds in a highly regio- and stereoselective manner.

Oxygen uptake kinetics during exercise in chronic heart failure: influence of peripheral vascular reserve

Exercise performance in chronic heart failure is severely impaired, due in part to a peripherally mediated limitation. In addition to impaired maximal exercise capacity, the O(2) uptake (VO(2)) response during submaximal exercise may be affected, with a greater reliance on anaerobiosis leading to early fatigue. However, the response of VO(2) kinetics to submaximal exercise in chronic heart failure has not been studied extensively; in particular, the relationship between oxygen utilization and the peripheral response to exercise has not been studied. The present investigation examined the time-constant (tau, corresponding to 63% of the total response fitted from exercise onset) of the VO(2) kinetics on-response to submaximal exercise and its relationship to maximal peripheral blood flow in patients with chronic heart failure, and compared responses with those in healthy sedentary subjects. Subjects were 10 patients with chronic heart failure (NYHA class II/III). The mean age was 50+/-12 years, with a mean resting left ventricular ejection fraction of 25+/-9%. Controls were 10 age-matched healthy subjects. VO(2(max)) was first determined for all subjects. Repeated transitions from rest to exercise were performed on a cycle ergometer while measuring breath-by-breath responses of VO(2) at a fixed work rate of 50% of VO(2(max)) (heart failure patients and healthy controls) and at a work rate equivalent to the average in heart failure patients (65 W; healthy controls only). On a separate occasion, post-maximal ischaemic exercise calf blood flow was measured (strain-gauge plethysmography). Whereas heart failure subjects displayed a significantly prolonged VO(2) kinetics response at a similar absolute workload (i.e. 65 W), as indicated by a longer tau value (42 s, compared with 22 s in controls; P<0.01), there was no difference in tau at a similar relative work rate [50% of VO(2(max))]. In addition, heart failure subjects demonstrated a lower maximal calf blood flow (P<0.05) than control subjects. These results indicate that patients with heart failure have a prolonged VO(2) kinetics on-response compared with healthy subjects at a similar absolute work rate (i.e. 65 W), but not at a similar relative work rate [50% of VO(2(max))]. Thus, despite a reduced maximal calf blood flow response associated with heart failure, it does not appear that this contributes to an impairment of the submaximal exercise response beyond that explained by a reduced maximal exercise capacity [VO(2(max))].

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of inhibitors of trypanosomal and leishmanial dihydrofolate reductase

This paper concerns the design, synthesis, and evaluation of inhibitors of leishmanial and trypanosomal dihydrofolate reductase. Initially study was made of the structures of the leishmanial and human enzyme active sites to see if there were significant differences which could be exploited for selective drug design. Then a series of compounds were synthesized based on 5-benzyl-2, 4-diaminopyrimidines. These compounds were assayed against the protozoan and human enzymes and showed selectivity for the protozoan enzymes. The structural data was then used to rationalize the enzyme assay data. Compounds were also tested against the clinically relevant forms of the intact parasite. Activity was seen against the trypanosomes for a number of compounds. The compounds were in general less active against Leishmania. This latter result may be due to uptake problems. Two of the compounds also showed some in vivo activity in a model of African trypanosomiasis.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of inhibitors of trypanosomal and leishmanial dihydrofolate reductase

This paper concerns the design, synthesis, and evaluation of inhibitors of leishmanial and trypanosomal dihydrofolate reductase. Initially study was made of the structures of the leishmanial and human enzyme active sites to see if there were significant differences which could be exploited for selective drug design. Then a series of compounds were synthesized based on 5-benzyl-2, 4-diaminopyrimidines. These compounds were assayed against the protozoan and human enzymes and showed selectivity for the protozoan enzymes. The structural data was then used to rationalize the enzyme assay data. Compounds were also tested against the clinically relevant forms of the intact parasite. Activity was seen against the trypanosomes for a number of compounds. The compounds were in general less active against Leishmania. This latter result may be due to uptake problems. Two of the compounds also showed some in vivo activity in a model of African trypanosomiasis.

Dissociation of peak vascular conductance and V(O2) max among highly trained athletes

Previously, a strong relationship has been found between whole body maximal aerobic power (VO(2 max)) and peak vascular conductance in the calf muscle (J. L. Reading, J. M. Goodman, M. J. Plyley, J. S. Floras, P. P. Liu, P. R. McLaughlin, and R. J. Shephard. J. Appl. Physiol. 74: 567-573, 1993; P. G. Snell, W. H. Martin, J. C. Buckley, and C. G. Blomqvist. J. Appl. Physiol. 62: 606-610, 1987), suggesting a matching between maximal exercise capacity and peripheral vasodilatory reserve across a broad range of aerobic power. In contrast, long-term training could alter this relationship because of the unique demands for muscle blood flow and cardiac output imposed by different types of training. In particular, the high local blood flows but relatively low cardiac output demand imposed by the type of resistance training used by bodybuilders may cause a relatively greater development in peripheral vascular reserve than in aerobic power. To examine this possibility, we studied the relationship between treadmill VO(2 max) and vascular conductance in the calf by using strain-gauge plethysmography after maximal ischemic plantar flexion exercise in 8 healthy sedentary subjects (HS) and 28 athletes. The athletes were further divided into three groups: 10 elite middle-distance runners (ER), 11 power athletes (PA), and 7 bodybuilders (BB). We found that both BB and ER deviate from the previously demonstrated relationship between VO(2 max) and vascular conductance. Specifically, for a given vascular conductance, BB had a lower VO(2 max), whereas ER had a higher VO(2 max) than did HS and PA. We conclude that the relationship between peak vascular conductance and aerobic power is altered in BB and ER because of training-specific effects on central vs. peripheral cardiovascular adaptation to local skeletal muscle metabolic demand.

Thalamic and amygdala-hippocampal volume reductions in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an MRI-based morphometric analysis

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia is characterized by subcortical and cortical brain abnormalities. Evidence indicates that some nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenic patients manifest biobehavioral abnormalities, including brain abnormalities. The goal of this study was to determine whether amygdala-hippocampal and thalamic abnormalities are present in relatives of schizophrenic patients.

METHODS

Subjects were 28 nonpsychotic, and nonschizotypal, first-degree adult relatives of schizophrenics and 26 normal control subjects. Sixty contiguous 3 mm coronal, T1-weighted 3D magnetic resonance images of the brain were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla magnet. Cortical and subcortical gray and white matter and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were segmented using a semi-automated intensity contour mapping algorithm. Analyses of covariance of the volumes of brain regions, controlling for expected intellectual (i.e., reading) ability and diagnosis, were used to compare groups.

RESULTS

The main findings were that relatives had significant volume reductions bilaterally in the amygdala-hippocampal region and thalamus compared to control subjects. Marginal differences were noted in the pallidum, putamen, cerebellum, and third and fourth ventricles.

CONCLUSIONS

Results support the hypothesis that core components of the vulnerability to schizophrenia include structural abnormalities in the thalamus and amygdala-hippocampus. These findings require further work to determine if the abnormalities are an expression of the genetic liability to schizophrenia.

Cortical abnormalities in schizophrenia identified by structural magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND

Relatively few magnetic resonance imaging studies of schizophrenia have investigated the entire cerebral cortex. Most focus on only a few areas within a lobe or an entire lobe. To assess expected regional alterations in cortical volumes, we used a new method to segment the entire neocortex into 48 topographically defined brain regions. We hypothesized, based on previous empirical and theoretical work, that dorsolateral prefrontal and paralimbic cortices would be significantly volumetrically reduced in patients with schizophrenia compared with normal controls.

METHODS

Twenty-nine patients with DSM-III-R schizophrenia were systematically sampled from 3 public outpatient service networks in the Boston, Mass, area. Healthy subjects, recruited from catchment areas from which the patients were drawn, were screened for psychopathologic disorders and proportionately matched to patients by age, sex, ethnicity, parental socioeconomic status, reading ability, and handedness. Analyses of covariance of the volumes of brain regions, adjusted for age- and sex-corrected head size, were used to compare patients and controls.

RESULTS

The greatest volumetric reductions and largest effect sizes were in the middle frontal gyrus and paralimbic brain regions, such as the frontomedial and frontoorbital cortices, anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri, and the insula. In addition, the supramarginal gyrus, which is densely connected to prefrontal and cingulate cortices, was also significantly reduced in patients. Patients also had subtle volumetric increases in other cortical areas with strong reciprocal connections to the paralimbic areas that were volumetrically reduced.

CONCLUSION

Findings using our methods have implications for understanding brain abnormalities in schizophrenia and suggest the importance of the paralimbic areas and their connections with prefrontal brain regions.

Central and peripheral adaptations after 12 weeks of exercise training in post-coronary artery bypass surgery patients

PURPOSE

Training adaptations in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) have been reported previously, but little is known about central and peripheral adaptations in those recovering from coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 12 weeks of endurance exercise training on exercise performance and left ventricular and peripheral vascular reserve in a group of uncomplicated CABG patients.

METHODS

Thirty-one patients were recruited and began training 8 to 10 weeks after uncomplicated CABG. Patients underwent progressive exercise training consisting of walking and jogging, at 75% to 80% maximal oxygen intake (VO2max). Measures of left ventricular function included ejection fraction (EF), ventricular volumes, and the pressure volume ratio, an index of contractility. Peak ischemic exercise calf blood flow and vascular conductance was determined using strain-gauge plethysmography. Maximal oxygen intake and submaximal blood lactate concentration also was determined.

RESULTS

A significant improvement in VO2max (1497 +/- 60 mL/min versus 1691 +/- 71 mL/min) was observed after training. This change was accompanied by an increase in the EF during submaximal exercise (60 +/- 3% versus 63 +/- 2% at 40% VO2max; 61 +/- 3% versus 64 +/- 3% at 70% VO2max) (P < 0.05), and the change in EF from rest to exercise (delta EF). No changes were observed for ventricular volumes during exercise, although there was a trend for a higher stroke volume at 70% VO2max. A significant increase (18%) was observed for peak ischemic exercise calf blood flow and vascular conductance. In addition, submaximal blood lactate concentration was lower after training.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that exercise training for 12 weeks in patients recovering from CABG can elicit significant improvements in functional capacity that, for the most part, are secondary to peripheral adaptations, with limited support for improvement in left ventricular function.

A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of auditory vigilance with low and high information processing demands

This study identified the brain activations associated with auditory vigilance tasks, using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We created auditory continuous performance tests (CPTs) in which a demanding task (working memory task) was made more difficult than a simple vigilance task by increasing working memory and interference filtering demands. Two cohorts of normal male controls performed significantly worse on the working memory CPT than on the vigilance task. Compared to the vigilance task, performance of the working memory task produced significant signal change in lateral and medial prefrontal cortex, precentral cortex, temporal lobe, including insula and hippocampus, parietal-occipital cortex, cingulate, thalamus, and superior colliculus. Performance and degree of activation was associated with an estimate of IQ. Further research should clarify the contributions of working memory and interference filtering to the activated network.

Are there sex differences in neuropsychological functions among patients with schizophrenia?

OBJECTIVE

Studies of sex differences in neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia report inconsistent results, due in part to methodological artifacts. The study presented here was specifically designed to examine sex differences in neuropsychological performance. It was hypothesized that schizophrenic women would exhibit fewer neuropsychological deficits than schizophrenic men and that their performance would be more similar to that of normal women than schizophrenic men's performance would be to that of normal men.

METHOD

Thirty-one outpatients with DSM-III-R-defined schizophrenia were systematically sampled from an extensive service network serving a large urban catchment area for seriously mentally ill persons. Twenty-seven normal comparison subjects were matched within sex on the basis of age, parental socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and handedness. An extensive neuropsychological test battery was administered, and multivariate analysis of variance was used to test for the effects of sex and group and sex-by-group interactions.

RESULTS

Male patients were significantly impaired across all functions in comparison with normal male subjects and on tests of attention, verbal memory, and executive functions in comparison with female patients. Female patients performed significantly worse than female normal comparison subjects only on tests of attention, executive functions, visual memory, and motor functions.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that women with schizophrenia may be less vulnerable to particular cognitive deficits, especially those involving verbal processing, than schizophrenic men.

A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of auditory vigilance with low and high information processing demands

This study identified the brain activations associated with auditory vigilance tasks, using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We created auditory continuous performance tests (CPTs) in which a demanding task (working memory task) was made more difficult than a simple vigilance task by increasing working memory and interference filtering demands. Two cohorts of normal male controls performed significantly worse on the working memory CPT than on the vigilance task. Compared to the vigilance task, performance of the working memory task produced significant signal change in lateral and medial prefrontal cortex, precentral cortex, temporal lobe, including insula and hippocampus, parietal-occipital cortex, cingulate, thalamus, and superior colliculus. Performance and degree of activation was associated with an estimate of IQ. Further research should clarify the contributions of working memory and interference filtering to the activated network.

The effect of lower body positive pressure on the cardiovascular response to exercise in sedentary and endurance-trained persons with paraplegia

Exercise intolerance in persons with paraplegia (PARAS) is thought to be secondary to insufficient venous return and a subnormal cardiac output at a given oxygen uptake. However, these issues have not been resolved fully. This study utilized lower-body positive pressure (LBPP) as an intervention during arm crank exercise in PARAS in order to examine this issue. Endurance-trained (TP, n = 7) and untrained PARAS (UP, n = 10) with complete lesions between T6 and T12, and a control group consisting of sedentary able-bodied subjects (SAB, n = 10) were tested. UP and TP subjects demonstrated a diminished cardiac output (via CO2 rebreathing) during exercise compared to SAB subjects. Peak oxygen uptake (O2peak) remained unchanged for all groups following LBPP. LBPP resulted in a significant decrease in heart rate (HR) in UP and TP (P < 0.05), but not SAB subjects. LBPP produced an insignificant increase in cardiac output (Q) and stroke volume (SV). The significant decrease in HR in both PARA groups may indicate a modest hemodynamic benefit of LBPP at higher work rates where circulatory sufficiency may be most compromised. We conclude that PARAS possess a diminished cardiac output during exercise compared to the able-bodied, and LBPP fails to ameliorate significantly their exercise response irrespective of the conditioning level. These results support previous observations of a lower cardiac output during exercise in PARAS, but indicate that lower-limb blood pooling may not be a primary limitation to arm exercise in paraplegia.

Precise segmentation of the lateral ventricles and caudate nucleus in MR brain images using anatomically driven histograms

This paper demonstrates a time-saving, automated method that helps to segment the lateral ventricles and caudate nucleus in T1-weighted coronal magnetic resonance (MR) brain images of normal control subjects. The method involves choosing intensity thresholds by using anatomical information and by locating peaks in histograms. To validate the method, the lateral ventricles and caudate nucleus were segmented in three brain scans by four experts, first using an established method involving isointensity contours and manual editing, and second using automatically generated intensity thresholds as an aid to the established method. The results demonstrate both time savings and increased reliability.

Reduced subcortical brain volumes in nonpsychotic siblings of schizophrenic patients: a pilot magnetic resonance imaging study

Substantial evidence suggests that nonpsychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients manifest subtle abnormalities in communication, eye movements, event-related potentials, and neuropsychological processes of attention, reasoning, and memory. We sought to determine whether adult relatives without psychosis or schizophrenia spectrum diagnoses might also have structural brain abnormalities, particularly in subcortical regions found to be impaired in patients with schizophrenia itself. Subjects were six sisters of schizophrenic patients and eleven normal female controls. Sixty contiguous 3 mm coronal, T1-weighted 3D magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the entire brain were acquired on a 1.5 Tesla magnet. Cortical and subcortical gray and white matter was segmented using a semiautomated intensity contour mapping algorithm. Volumes were adjusted for total brain volumes. Adjusted gray matter subcortical volumes were significantly smaller in relatives than in controls in total hippocampus, right amygdala, right putamen, left thalamus, and brainstem. Relatives had significantly enlarged left and total inferior lateral ventricles. These results, though preliminary, suggest that some never-psychotic relatives of schizophrenic patients have abnormal brain structure. If replicated in a larger sample including both sexes, these results would suggest that the genetic liability to schizophrenia is also expressed as structural brain abnormalities.

Acute effects of cocaine on human brain activity and emotion

We investigated brain circuitry mediating cocaine-induced euphoria and craving using functional MRI (fMRI). During double-blind cocaine (0.6 mg/kg) and saline infusions in cocaine-dependent subjects, the entire brain was imaged for 5 min before and 13 min after infusion while subjects rated scales for rush, high, low, and craving. Cocaine induced focal signal increases in nucleus accumbens/subcallosal cortex (NAc/SCC), caudate, putamen, basal forebrain, thalamus, insula, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate, lateral prefrontal and temporal cortices, parietal cortex, striate/extrastriate cortices, ventral tegmentum, and pons and produced signal decreases in amygdala, temporal pole, and medial frontal cortex. Saline produced few positive or negative activations, which were localized to lateral prefrontal cortex and temporo-occipital cortex. Subjects who underwent repeat studies showed good replication of the regional fMRI activation pattern following cocaine and saline infusions, with activations on saline retest that might reflect expectancy. Brain regions that exhibited early and short duration signal maxima showed a higher correlation with rush ratings. These included the ventral tegmentum, pons, basal forebrain, caudate, cingulate, and most regions of lateral prefrontal cortex. In contrast, regions that demonstrated early but sustained signal maxima were more correlated with craving than with rush ratings; such regions included the NAc/SCC, right parahippocampal gyrus, and some regions of lateral prefrontal cortex. Sustained negative signal change was noted in the amygdala, which correlated with craving ratings. Our data demonstrate the ability of fMRI to map dynamic patterns of brain activation following cocaine infusion in cocaine-dependent subjects and provide evidence of dynamically changing brain networks associated with cocaine-induced euphoria and cocaine-induced craving.

Sex differences in olfactory identification and Wisconsin Card Sorting performance in schizophrenia: relationship to attention and verbal ability

We investigated the hypothesis that different prefrontal brain systems (i.e., dorsal vs. ventral) and sex contribute differentially to cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. Performance was assessed among clinically stable, chronic schizophrenic outpatients and matched normal control subjects on olfactory identification [on the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT)] and on executive functions [using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST)]. Patients were impaired on both tests compared to controls, and male schizophrenics were impaired on the WCST compared to female schizophrenics. The pattern of results suggests that gender differences on the UPSIT are mildly accentuated in schizophrenia. The data support our previous study indicating that UPSIT performance is largely independent of the executive or attentional deficits typically associated with schizophrenia, with the exception of verbal ability. Further research with larger samples is required to test the hypothesis that there is a severely impaired subgroup of male patients with diffuse prefrontal dysfunctions.

Resistance and aerobic training in older men: effects on VO2peak and the capillary supply to skeletal muscle

Both aerobic training (AT) and resistance training (RT) may increase aerobic power (VO2peak) in the older population; however, the role of changes in the capillary supply in this response has not been evaluated. Twenty healthy men (age 65-74 yr) engaged in either 9 wk of lower body RT followed by 9 wk of AT on a cycle ergometer (RT-->AT group) or 18 wk of AT on a cycle ergometer (AT-->AT group). RT was performed three times per week and consisted of three sets of four exercises at 6-12 repetitions maximum. AT was performed three times per week for 30 min at 60-70% heart rate reserve. VO2peak was increased after both RT and AT (P < 0.05). Biopsies (vastus lateralis) revealed that the number of capillaries per fiber perimeter length was increased after both AT and RT (P < 0.05), paralleling the changes in VO2peak, whereas capillary density was increased only after AT (P < 0.01). These results, and the finding of a significant correlation between the change in capillary supply and VO2peak (r = 0.52), suggest the possibility that similar mechanisms may be involved in the increase of VO2peak after high-intensity RT and AT in the older population.