The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
The pharmacokinetics of sodium-gamma-hydroxybutyrate (NaGHB) have been examined as functions of dose and route of administration. The elimination of NaGHB appeared to be controlled by a capacity-limited process which can be described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics.
The family physician is in a unique position to care for the total needs of the patient. Suggestion therapy and clinical hypnosis are helpful in managing the psychologic aspects of disease in all age groups beyond five years, and are well within the purview of family physicians. Learning these techniques can enhance th physician's ability to care for the whole patient.
An etomidate infusion regimen for hypnosis as part of balanced, totally intravenous anesthesia was designed to maintain plasma etomidate concentrations above the awakening concentration of 300 ng/ml while avoiding dose-related side effects. The etomidate infusion regimen of 0.1 mg/kg/min for 3 min, 0.02 mg/kg/min for 27 min, and 0.01 mg/kg/min for the remainder of the anesthesia was used together with intravenous bolus doses of fentanyl, droperidol, and pancuronium. This was evaluated in 11 patients and the kinetics of etomidate were reexamined.
Methods and Findings in Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology
The present study explores pharmacologically on the model spontaneously beating 3H-noradrenaline pretreated guinea-pig atrial preparation the mechanism(s) by which the representative central nervous system (CNS) stimulant drug 3-methyl-3-ethylglutarimide (bemegride, MEG) and its representative CNS depressant homologue 3-methyl-3-n-butylglutarimide (MBG) affect transmitter release and the force and rate of atrial contraction and contracture, as well as the relevance of these atrial mechanism(s) to those involved in the production of drug-evoked convulsions and hypnosis in the mammalian CNS.
Changes in the magnitude and direction of physiological measures (EMG, EEG, temperature, etc.) are not strongly related to the reduction of clinical symptoms in biofeedback therapy. Previously, nonspecified perceptual, cognitive, and emotional factors related to threat perception (Wickramasekera, 1979, 1988, 1998) may account for the bulk of the variance in the reduction of clinical symptoms. The mean magnitude of these previously nonspecified or placebo factors is closer to 70% when both the therapist and patient believe in the efficacy of the therapy.
BACKGROUND: Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PKPD) modeling can be used to characterize the concentration-effect relation of drugs. If the concentration-effect relation of a hypnotic drug is stable over time, an effect parameter derived from the processed electroencephalographic signal may be used to control the infusion for hypnosis. Therefore, the stability of the propofol concentration-electroencephalographic effect relation over time was investigated under non-steady state conditions.
