The effects of diazepam on self-informed arousal and sustained attention

SummaryThe use of benzodiazepines seems to be associated with a deficit in the levels of arousal and attention during vigil. A number of studies have found residual effects a few hours after the intake of these drugs. This paper assesses the effects of a single dose of 10 mg diazepam on self-informed arousal (as evaluated with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale) and sustained attention (as evaluated with the Toulouse Piéron test) the morning after oral intake (11 hours later). Potential differences in the residual effects of benzodiazepines on men and women were also examined. A sample of 42 healthy young university students (21 female, 21 male) was exposed to three counterbalanced experimental conditions (control, placebo, diazepam). Diazepam only caused a reduction in arousal in women, and this deficit was similar to that caused by the intake of a placebo.

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Measurement of Attitudes Toward Bisexual Men and Women Among South African University Students: The Validation of an Instrument

Journal of Homosexuality ◽

10.1080/00918369.2011.555672 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 497-520 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Marlene Arndt ◽

Karina de Bruin

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

South African ◽

Bisexual Men ◽

Men And Women

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Attitudes of medical university students towards the functioning of homosexual men and women in public places

Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu ◽

10.26444/monz/120130 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 291-294

Author(s):

Joanna Tkaczuk-Włach ◽

Lechosław Putowski ◽

Anna Pilewska-Kozak

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Homosexual Men ◽

Public Places ◽

Men And Women ◽

Medical University

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A Betalain-rich Dietary Supplement, But Not PETN, Increases Vasodilation and Nitric Oxide: A Comparative, Single-dose, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Blinded, Crossover Pilot Study

Journal of Food Research ◽

10.5539/jfr.v10n1p26 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 26

Author(s):

B. V. Nemzer ◽

Z. Pietrzkowski ◽

J. M. Hunter ◽

J. L. Robinson ◽

B. Fink

Keyword(s):

Nitric Oxide ◽

Single Dose ◽

Endothelial Function ◽

Dietary Supplement ◽

Athletic Performance ◽

Side Reaction ◽

Nitrate Content ◽

Organic Nitrate ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Study Results

Nutraceutical supplements have demonstrated promise as agents for improving athletic performance and for positively affecting cardiovascular health and vigor through modulation of endothelial function at the cellular level. High-nitrate products, such as red beet juices and powders, have been observed to improve athletic performance potentially through increased nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in the blood. Similarly, a patented low nitrate, low sugar betalain-rich supplement has also been reported to significantly improve athletic performance. To the best of our knowledge, no acute clinical studies have been conducted that have demonstrated the comparative efficacies of high-nitrate or betalain-rich, low nitrate materials on measures of endothelial function in real time. In this acute single-dose, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study, we examined the effects of the betalain-rich low nitrate dietary supplement, (BRS, 50mg), in comparison to pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN, 40mg), a pharmaceutical drug that is a potent source of organic nitrate, and a placebo, on various measures of endothelial function for up to 4-hours post-ingestion. More specifically, in order to gauge post-treatment changes in endothelial function we measured flow-mediated dilation (FMD), nitrite (NO2)/nitrate (NO3) content, circulating nitrosyl-hemoglobin (NOHb) concentration, and cellular metabolic activity (CMA) measured as generation of reactive oxygen species, a side reaction of oxidative-reductive cellular metabolism. Ten participants completed all arms of the study. Results suggest that within 2 hours, BRS, but not PETN or placebo, resulted in significantly elevated levels of NOHb (a measure of bioavailable NO●) (p = 0.017) and increased vasodilation as measured by FMD, (p = 0.025). As expected, due to its high nitrate content, NO2/NO3 levels were increased by PETN within 2-hours (p = 0.048), but not by BRS or placebo. Finally, under these experimental conditions, PETN and BRS produced no significant changes for mitochondrial, NADPH-oxidase dependent or cellular CMA. These data provide preliminary support for single-dose effectiveness of BRS, but not PETN, on levels of bioavailable NO● and FMD, both important measures of endothelial function. Additionally, these data suggest potentially different mechanisms of action related to low nitrate BRS and organic nitrate PETN.

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Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of single-dose guanfacine in unilateral neglect following stroke

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2017-317338 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 89 (6) ◽

pp. 593-598 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Edwin S Dalmaijer ◽

Korina M S Li ◽

Nikos Gorgoraptis ◽

Alexander P Leff ◽

David L Cohen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Single Dose ◽

Crossover Study ◽

Functional Outcome ◽

Sustained Attention ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Double Blind ◽

Unilateral Neglect ◽

Directional Bias ◽

Double Blind Placebo

ObjectiveUnilateral neglect is a poststroke disorder that impacts negatively on functional outcome and lacks established, effective treatment. This multicomponent syndrome is characterised by a directional bias of attention away from contralesional space, together with impairments in several cognitive domains, including sustained attention and spatial working memory. This study aimed to test the effects of guanfacine, a noradrenergic alpha-2A agonist, on ameliorating aspects of neglect.MethodsThirteen right hemisphere stroke patients with leftward neglect were included in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled proof-of-concept crossover study that examined the effects of a single dose of guanfacine. Patients were tested on a computerised, time-limited cancellation paradigm, as well as tasks that independently assessed sustained attention and spatial working memory.ResultsOn guanfacine, there was a statistically significant improvement in the total number of targets found on the cancellation task when compared with placebo (mean improvement of 5, out of a possible 64). However, there was no evidence of a change in neglect patients’ directional attention bias. Furthermore, Bayesian statistical analysis revealed reliable evidence against any effects of guanfacine on search organisation and performance on our sustained attention and spatial working memory tasks.ConclusionsGuanfacine improves search in neglect by boosting the number of targets found but had no effects on directional bias or search organisation, nor did it improve sustained attention or working memory on independent tasks. Further work is necessary to determine whether longer term treatment with guanfacine may be effective for some neglect patients and whether it affects functional outcome measures.Trial registration numberNCT00955253.

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Effects of methylprednisolone on exercise-induced increases of plasma levels of polymorphonuclear elastase and myeloperoxidase in man. Preliminary results

Mediators of Inflammation ◽

10.1155/s0962935193000456 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 323-326 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

G. Camus ◽

J. Pincemail ◽

G. Deby-Dupont ◽

C. Deby ◽

A. Juchmès-Ferir ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Dose ◽

Oral Dose ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Plasma Levels ◽

Oral Absorption ◽

Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil ◽

Healthy Male ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Exercise Induced ◽

Male Subjects

The aim of the present study was to verify whether a single oral dose of methylprednisolone could modulate the exercise-induced release of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) elastase and myeloperoxidase. Four healthy, male subjects were submitted to a 20 min downhill run (−20%) at 60% VO2max, 3 h after oral absorption of a placebo or a single dose of 32 mg methylprednisolone. A marked neutrophilia (+103% of basal PMN count; p < 0.02) was observed 3 h after methylprednisolone ingestion. During both exercise trials, placebo and methylprednisolone, PMN counts were increased by 46% and 19% (p < 0.05), respectively. The running test caused marked and significant (p < 0.05) increases in plasma myeloperoxidase concentration (MPO). The magnitude of MPO changes was the same in the two trials (+110%). Exercise also resulted in significant changes in plasma elastase concentration (EL) in both experimental conditions (placebo: +104%, p < 0.05; methylprednisolone: +338%, p < 0.005). Plasma elastase levels reached at the end of exercise on methylprednisolone were significantly higher than after placebo (p < 0.05). A significant relationship was found between EL and PMN in methylprednisolone trial only (r = 0.72; l0 < 0.005). These results showed that the transient exercise-induced release of elastase and myeloperoxidase were not decreased by methylprednisolone.

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Differences between Men and Women on Selected Tennessee Self-Concept Scales

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1984.55.3.939 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 939-942 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bernadette M. Gadzella ◽

J. David Williamson

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Self Concept ◽

Men And Women ◽

Larger Sample ◽

Tennessee Self Concept Scale

Differences in self-concepts of 19 men and 69 women, all university students, were investigated. Nine subscales and the total self-concept of the Tennessee Self-concept Scale were analyzed by t tests and omega-squared. Women scored significantly higher on 7 of the 9 subscales and the total self-concept. Men accounted for from 9 to 16% of the variance in scores on the Identity, Self-satisfaction, Behavior, Moral-Ethical Self, Family Self subscales and the total self-concept score. Other studies with a larger sample of men are needed.

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Hormone dependency of splenic iron stores in the rat: effect of oestrogens on the recuperation of reserves in ferrodeficient subjects

Laboratory Animals ◽

10.1258/002367798780559275 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 290-297 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Miquel Borràs

Keyword(s):

Single Dose ◽

Regression Model ◽

Hormone Replacement ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Iron Dextran ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Iron Stores ◽

Hormone Dependency ◽

Positive Effect

Splenic iron stores are negligible in prepuberal rats, increasing quickly from the age of 2 months (at which moment sexual differences become apparent) and stabilizing around 3 months, when females show values approximately two-fold greater than males. Castration, adrenalectomy and hormone replacement studies show that the amount of iron stored depends directly on circulating oestrogens and is slightly but not significantly decreased, in our experimental conditions, by testosterone. The role of oestrogens is emphasized by the high correlation obtained, according to a hyperbolic regression model, between splenic iron values and doses of hormone administered to ovariectomized females. In ferrodeficient females (chronic phlebotomy), oestradiol had a positive effect on the replenishment of the stores, superior to that of iron dextran, and improved by combined treatment. However, iron levels found after a single dose were less than those found in non-phlebotomized animals.

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