Intramuscular Placebo Research Articles

Cyclazocine-induced sleep disruptions in nondependent addicts

1. 1. After one adaptation night, the sleep of seven male nondependent opiate addicts was studied following intramuscular cyclazocine (0.125; 0.25; 0.50 mg/70 kg) or placebo at weekly intervals in a randomized double-blind crossover design. Drug effects were measured on sleep stages and several episodic phenomena. 2. 2. Cyclazocine caused dose-related increases in sleep latency, REMS latency, percent spindle sleep, and a marked increase over placebo in wakefulness, drowsiness, and shifts in sleep-making states. 3. 3. Cyclazocine produced a dose-related decrease in all measures of delta sleep, and some measures of REMS, and a marked decrease below placebo of sleep efficiency and total REMS. 4. 4. All doses of cyclazocine caused sustained periods of waking with little muscle tension. 5. 5. Cyclazocine (0.5mg) consistently caused urination during periods of extended arousal; urination has not been seen after morphine or other opioids of the mu type. 6. 6. These studies indicate that cyclazocine has effects on human sleep which are in some ways similar and other ways dissimilar to morphine type analgesics. The results are consistent with the concept that cyclazocine is a mixed agonist-antagonist of the opioid type with agonist actions at the kappa receptor.

Intramuscular ceruletide does not affect food intake in obese and non-obese human subjects

Intramuscular ceruletide or placebo was given in a randomized double-blind crossover design to 12 non-obese and 12 obese individuals, 30 min before a palatable lunch meal. No significant effects were found on the amount of food intake or the hunger ratings in any group. Although rapid CCK or ceruletide infusions have been found in some studies to reduce food intake in man and animals, slow infusions have increased food intake. Under the present study conditions, the moderate rate of release of ceruletide from intramuscular depots did not affect the food intake.

Dexamethasone and Salbutamol in the Treatment of Acute Wheezing in Infants

Thirty-two infants, aged 1 to 12 months, hospitalized with acute wheezing, were studied. They were randomly divided into four treatment groups of eight patients each. The treatments were intramuscular dexamethasone or placebo (double-blind), and salbutamol (oral and inhaled), or none (open), in all four possible combinations. The study was carried out as a randomized block design with eight blocks of four infants each, matched by age and clinical score. Average daily improvements, as reflected by changes in the clinical score and length of hospital stay, was essentially the same for infants treated with placebo, salbutamol alone, and dexamethasone alone. However, combined salbutamol-dexamethasone treatment resulted in more than twice the rate of improvement of the other treatments. The difference was statistically highly significant (P less than .01). Furthermore, the response of this combined treatment was observed within 24 hours; none of the ten infants in whom there was no significant improvement within 48 hours and neither of the two patients who developed respiratory failure received the combined salbutamol-dexamethasone treatment. A potentiating effect of corticosteroids on the beta-adrenergic responsiveness is a possible explanation for the advantage of this combined treatment in the management of acute wheezing in infancy.

INTRAMUSCULAR ACTH OR PLACEBO IN THE TREATMENT OF HYPEREMESIS GRAVIDARUM

Thirty-two women with hyperemesis gravidarum were treated with intramuscular ACTH (0.5 mg) or placebo for 4 days in a randomized double-blind trial. The two treatments were equally effective in relieving hyperemesis, although the function of the adrenal cortex was stimulated only during the ACTH therapy. The administration of ACTH thus appears useless for the treatment of severe vomiting in early pregnancy.

Developmental scores of iron deficient infants and the effects of therapy

A recent HEW report has suggested that iron deficiency anemia may affect 15–20% of children under 18 years. Young children from low income families may be particularly vulnerable to developmental effects such as irritability and attentional and cognitive deficits which have been clinically reported in iron deficient subjects. The present study investigated both the cognitive and behavioral functions associated with iron deficiency anemia in infants and toddlers and the short-term effects of therapy on such behaviors. The subjects were randomly assigned to a treatment and control group. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development were administered before the institution of treatment with intramuscular iron or placebo, and the test was readministered in 5 to 8 days. Children treated with iron showed a significant increase, compared to the controls, in their scores on the Mental Development Index, averaging a mean gain of 13.6 points in a mean time of 6.8 days. The treated group was also found to become more alert and responsive and demonstrated improvement in tests of gross and fine motor coordination. These findings support the hypothesis that iron deficiency in infants produces developmental alterations and that these changes are rapidly reversible with iron therapy.

The effects of therapy on the developmental scores of iron-deficient infants

To test the hypothesis that iron deficiency in infants and children is associated with behavioral alterations, 24 infants with iron deficienty anemia, ages 9 to 26 months, were randomly assigned to a treatment and control group. Bayley Scales of Infant Development were administered before treatment with intramuscular iron or placebo; the test was readministered in five to eight days. Children treated with iron showed a significant increase in their scores on the Mental Development Index averaging a mean gain of 13.6 points in a mean time of 6.8 days. The treated group was found to become more alert and responsive and demonstrated improvement in tests of gross and fine motor coordination. These findings support the hypothesis that iron deficiency in infants produced developmental alterations and that these changes are rapidly reversible with iron therapy.

THE EFFECTS OF THERAPY ON THE DEVELOPMENTAL SCORES OF IRON DEFICIENT INFANTS

It has been proposed that iron deficiency in infants and children is associated with behavioral alterations. To test this hypothesis, 24 infants with iron deficiency anemia, ages 9 to 26 mos, were randomly assigned to a treatment and control group. Bayley Scales of Infant Development were administered before the institution of treatment with intramuscular iron or placebo and the test was readministered in 5 to 8 days. Mean hemoglobin level in the 2 groups was similar. It averaged 8.6 in the controls and 8.7 gm/dl in the treatment group. The 2 groupa did not differ with respect to age, sex, racial composition, or initial Bayley scores of Mental Development Index or Physical Development Index.Infants treated with iron showed a statistically significant (p = .01) increase in their scores on the Mental Development Index averaging a mean gain of 13.6 points in a mean time of 6.8 days. No changes were observed in the control group. The treated group was also found to become more alert and responsive and demonstrated improvement in tests of gross and fine motor coordination. All improvement occurred independent of significant increases in hemoglobin level. These findings support the hypothesis that iron deficiency, and not anemia, in infants produces developmental alterations and that these changes are rapidly reversible with iron therapy.