RESEARCH PROJECTS
Neurodevelopmental perspectives of the neonatal ventral hippocampus lesion as an animal model of schizophrenia Abnormal
neurodevelopment has been suggested to play a major role in the pathophysiology
of schizophrenia. The glutamate NMDA system, which has also been implicated
in schizophrenia, is an integral part of neurodevelopment and cortical
maturation. Various abnormal behaviors in schizophrenia can be modeled
in animals treated with NMDA antagonists and/or dopamine agonists. The
neonatal lesion of ventral hippocampus (VH)-an animal model of schizophrenia-
can be used to study the impact of early cortical lesion on the neurodevelopment
of various brain systems. The aims of this project are 1) study the pain
threshold in the neonatal and adult VH lesioned rats, 2) study the effects
of the noncompetitive NMDA antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801) on pain threshold,
locomotion, and stereotypy in adult rats with neonatal VH lesion, and 3)
study the developmental changes in the NMDA, dopamine, and opiate receptors
in different brain regions after neonatal and adult VH lesions. H. A.
Al-Amin, S. Atweh, and M. Khani. (Supported by URP, LNCSR, AUB
MPP, and Massabki Fund.)
Behavioral, cellular, and molecular effects of addictive substances on sensorimotor processes: modulation by environmental and pharmacological factors The
mesocorticolimbic circuitry has been implicated in the pathophysiology
of several neuropsychiatric syndromes (drug addiction and central pain).
Behavioral studies have shown that alteration in the dopamine/glutamate
interactions at both the cortical and subcortical levels can modulate the
mesocorticolimbic circuitry. We propose the following approaches to investigate
the dopaminergic and glutamatergic mechanisms involved in sensorimotor
integration and their relations to addiction and pain: a) effects of acute
and chronic administration of psychostimulants on motor behaviors and pain
tests, b) modulation of the above behaviors by different environmental,
anatomical and pharmacological interventions, and c) correlation of the
above behavioral effects with changes in the cellular and molecular mechanisms
involved in the activity of the dopamine, glutamate, and opiate systems.
Such mechanisms include gene expression and immunoreactivity of the various
receptors of the latter systems at both the cortical and subcortical levels.
H.
A. Al-Amin, M. Khani, S, Atweh, and S. Jabbur. (Supported by
CEDRE.)
History of Asfourieh hospital, patient profiles, and the contribution of Asfourieh to Middle-Eastern psychiatry Asfourieh
hospital was founded in 1900, and received its first psychiatric patient
in August of that year. The last patient was discharged from Asfourieh
in April 1982. During those 82 years thousands of patients were hospitalized
and treated at Asfourieh, and they received multiple modalities of treatment
depending on the time frame they were in. Even though Asfourieh closed
down 16 years ago, it remains a major resource of information regarding
the pattern of psychiatric disorders that were prevalent during that time
period. We would like to review the archives and records of Asfourieh Hospital
that are available to us from 1900-1982, if any are still available. We
would like to identify the major psychiatric disorders that were admitted
and treated at Asfourieh, and assess the outcomes if possible. We also
would like to assess the contribution of Asfourieh to Middle-Eastern psychiatry.
N.
Damluji.
Measuring stress level and job satisfaction among AUH nursing staff Nurses
have reported high level of stress and burnout when working in changing
and demanding environments. The civil war has brought about many changes
and stressors at the AUH. We will be using standardized and reliable scales
in this study which are the "Nursing Stress Scale", and the "Job Satisfaction
Inventory". We will be collecting specific demographic profiles, measuring
the stressors and job satisfaction among AUH nurses over a 6 months period.
We will later report on the findings, and compare it to similar studies
in other academic settings abroad. A stress management program will then
be developed depending on the results and findings. N. Damluji and
L. Farhood.
Diagnostic review of 500 cases seen at the American University of Beirut outpatient psychiatric clinic Five
hundred patients who were seen during a 12-month period at the AUB Psychiatric
outpatient clinic were evaluated on several demographic and clinical parameters.
We will report on the diagnostic findings of these patients, the demographics,
outstanding clinical and diagnostic features, and compare them to similar
studies and cohorts in the USA and Europe. N. Damluji, M. Khani and
H. Al-Amin.
Brief recurrent depression: nosological and therapeutic considerations Twenty-two
patients with DSM IV criteria for Brief Reactive Depression were identified
and followed up for a period of 3 to 5 years. Treatment over a prolonged
period of time with antidepressants and mood regulators was evaluated and
patterns of response established. Our data indicates that the relationship
to major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder is far from being settled.
There are strong indications that brief reactive depression may be a variant
of the bipolar-cyclothymic spectrum. M. Khani, and N. Damluji.
Management of treatment resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) with intravenous anafranil Twenty-five
cases of patients with severe and intractable OCD were treated with an
intravenous protocol of Anafranil. The patients had severe OCD as rated
on Yale-Brown scales. They were initially treated as outpatients with oral
medications, including Anafranil and SSRI's, aall failed to show a therapeutic
responses after an a adequate trial. The patients were then admitted to
the American University Hospital and treated with intravenous Anafranil,
on a set protocol. Most patients showed significant improvement with the
IV treatment. The paper will discuss their treatment and response, and
will also include a one-year follow-up on these patients. M. Khani,
and
N. Damluji.
Psychiatric profile of serious and fatal suicide attempts seen at AUH: war and post-war comparisons In
this study we investigated the psychiatric, demographic, and clinical profiles
of Lebanese patients admitted to AUB-MC as a result of serious suicide
attempts between 1989-1997. Specific criteria were used to identify patients
whose suicide attempts were considered "severe", including ICU admission,
longer lengths of stay, complications, or death as an outcome of the attempt.
We will report on the findings and the differences between War and Post-War
findings. M. Khani, N. Damluji, and B. Khoury.
Attitudes of Lebanese HIV-positive and AIDS patients towards their illness This
study attempts to study the attitudes of HIV infected and AIDS patients
in Lebanon on their illness, their living and coping with it, and their
perception of their family and community's reaction to their illness. An
initial pilot study was conducted on 15 patients from the private clinics
and the infectious disease Out Patient Department clinics at AUB-MC. Patients
were interviewed with open-ended questions. Their responses were then formatted
into a structured questionnaire with closed-ended items, which will be
administered to a sample of 70 patients taken from OPD and private clinics
at AUB-MC and St. Georges hospital. Results will help us understand patients'
conceptualization of their disease, and their compliance with their treatments.
It will also help us determine the necessity of including a counseling
component to the treatment of HIV, and AIDS patients at AUB-MC. B. Khoury,
G. Awar*, and J. Mokhbat*.
Psychiatric profiles of Lebanese suicidal patients: war and post-war comparisons The
purpose of this study is to investigate the psychiatric profiles and characteristics
of Lebanese patients admitted to the AUB-MC as a result of a suicide attempt
between the years 1989-1997. Archival data was collected from 275 patients
hospitalized at the medical center for suicide attempts. A checklist of
variables included socio-demographic data, psychiatric diagnoses, method
of suicide, intensity and duration of suicidal thoughts, previous attempts,
and precipitating event. Results showed a higher frequency of suicide attempts
after the war, especially among younger females, who were either high school
or college students. Most common method used after the war was overdosing
on benzodiazepines, followed by toxic ingestion, and was often done on
impulse rather than out of planning. Post-war psychiatric diagnoses for
this sample were primarily major depression and adjustment reactions, with
family conflicts and relationship issues being the most frequent precipitating
stressors. B. Khoury, N. Damluji, and M. Khani.
Attitudes of medical students towards mental illness and psychiatric treatments: comparison between pre- and post-psychiatric training The
purpose of the study is to compare the attitudes of 2nd and
3rd year medical students at AUB-MC, towards mental illness
and psychiatric treatments, before and after they undergo psychiatric training.
As part of their second year curriculum, the 2nd year medical
students take a didactic psychiatry course, followed in their 3rd
year by a psychiatry clinical rotation where they are exposed to in-patient
and out-patient cases. Two questionnaires will be administered pre- and
post- training for both classes: Attitude Toward Seeking Psychological
Help questionnaire, and the Opinions About Mental Illness questionnaire.
Both questionnaires have been validated and standardized on AUB students
in a previous study, and therefore can be used. A checklist on socio-demographic
information will also be included in the packet. B. Khoury, and
M. Gharzedddine*. (Supported by URB.)
Women survivors of childhood sexual abuse: attitudes toward pornography and its effect on their committed relationships This
study investigates the attitudes of women with a history of childhood sexual
abuse toward pornography, and the effect their partner's use of pornography
has on their relationship. Participants consisted of 125 adult women who
had been randomly recruited from four counties around the San Francisco
Bay area. Instruments used were the Briere's Child Maltreatment Interview
Schedule, the Women's Experiences Pornography Questionnaire-Revised, the
Interactional Style Questionnaire, and the Locke-Wallace marital adjustment
test. Two-way ANOVAS, t-tests as well as descriptive analyses were used
to analyze the results. The major finding was the absence of a predicted
difference between the abused and the non-abused samples in their experiencing
negative or positive feelings toward pornography when they were exposed
to it. This finding may be a result of the sample characteristics, which
consisted primarily of white, educated and employed women with a high-socioeconomic
status. (Accepted for publication.) B. Khoury, and W. Stock *.
Assessing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in released Lebanese prisoners of Israeli camps Released
Lebanese prisoners of Israeli camps are being interviewed and assessed
on several demographic and clinical scales to assess the presence or absence
of PTSD, Depression, or other psychological problems related to their incarceration.
The study will discuss the findings with recommendations for intervention.
B.
Saab*, L. Farhood* and N. Damluji.
Lipska, B.K.*, Al-Amin, H.A., Lillrank, S.M.* and Weinberger, D.R.*, Excitotoxic lesions of the rat medial prefrontal cortex: Effects on abnormal behaviors associated with neonatal hippocampal damage. Neuropsychopharmacology, 19, 451-464, 1998. Al-Amin, H.A., Lipska, B.K.*, Lillrank, S.M.*, Phillips, I.* and Weinberger, D.R.*, Postpubertal modulation of NMDA system after neonatal ventral hippocampus (VH) lesions in rats. Society of Neuroscience, New Orleans, October 1997. Damluji, N., Medical student education in Psychiatry at the American University of Beirut: observations & recommendations. Symposium presented at the 8th International Pan Arab Congress of Psychiatry in Bahrain, February 1999. Damluji, N. and Khani, M., Management of treatment resistant OCD with intravenous anafranil. Symposium presented at the 8th International Pan Arab Congress of Psychiatry in Bahrain, February 1999. Damluji, N. and Khoury, B., Suicide in Lebanon: war and post-war comparisons. Symposium presented at the 3rd Regional Al-Ain Psychiatric Conference, Al-Ain, UAE, 1998. Khani, M., and Damluji, N. Brief reactive depression: Nosological and therapeutic considerations. Symposium presented at the 8th International Pan Arab Congress of Psychiatry in Bahrain, February 1999. Khoury, B., Attitudes of HIV-infected Lebanese patients toward their illness. Symposium presented at the 8th Pan Arab Psychiatric Congress, Bahrain, February 1999. ———, Attitudes of HIV-infected and AIDS Lebanese patients toward their illness and their coping with it. Symposium presented at the 106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, USA, 1998. ———, Brain compatible education: applications for teaching of math and science. Published proceedings of the Second Science and Math Teachers' Conference, AUB, Lebanon, 1998. ———, Lebanese women survivors of childhood sexual abuse: a psychiatric profile. Lecture presented at the 33rd Middle East Medical Assembly, AUB, Beirut, Lebanon, 1998. ———, Psychiatric profiles of Lebanese suicidal patients: war and post-war comparisons. Symposium presented at the 106th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, USA, 1998. Khoury, B., and Damluji, N., Psychiatric profiles of Lebanese suicidal patients. Symposium presented at the 3rd Regional Al-AiPsychiatric Conference, Al Ain, 1998. Lipska,
B.K.*, Al-Amin, H.A., Khaing, Z.Z.*, Lerman, D.N.*, Lillrank, S.M.*, and
Weinberger, D.R.*, Effects of acute and chronic neuroleptic treatment on
expression of D2 and D3 receptors, neurotensin, and enkephalin in rats
with neonatal lesions of the ventral hippocampus. Society of Neuroscience,
New Orleans, October 1997.
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