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Biomedical subjects

B T Engel

Publications and source records attributed to B T Engel.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Skin potential level: age and epidermal hydration effects.

Age differences in skin potential level (SPL) of young adult and aged men were investigated using basal skin potential level (BSPL) procedures at three levels of epidermal hydration. A glycol medium was used at a site of least hydration. A distilled water and agar solution was the medium at two other more hydrated sites which also received either 0 min or 15 min pretreatment in distilled water. A 0.5% KCl electrolyte concentration was used at all sites. Significant effects for age and hydration were dependent on the point in the recording session comparisons were made. The major findings were: (1) the old men had significantly lower SPLs than did the young men at the start of recording with the glycol electrolyte medium; there were no significant age differences at the start of recording with the agar mediums, or at BSPL with any hydration condition. (2) Hydration significantly affected SPL magnitude at the start of recording, but not at BSPL. SPL recorded with the glycol medium at certain points in the recording was significantly related to outdoor activity among the aged men. This effect was independent of differences in cardiovascular status, and cardiovascular status was not significantly correlated with glycol SPL. It is concluded that there is a reduced sweat gland potential in old age which can only be observed when recording conditions produce high epidermal resistance. This reduced sweat gland potential is related to low levels of outdoor activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Behavioral treatment of high blood pressure. I. Analyses of intra- and interdaily variations of blood pressure during a one-month, baseline period.

A group of 125 patients was enrolled in a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two behavioral treatments of high blood pressure, "relaxation' and systolic blood pressure "biofeedback." All patients monitored their pressures three times daily and also had their pressures recorded by a health professional weekly for a one-month, baseline period. This article reports only the results form the baseline period. The main findings are: 1) extensive self-monitoring of blood pressure is feasible and practical; 2) systolic pressure rises throughout the day, but is highest in the afternoon; 3) diastolic pressure falls form morning to evening, but is highest in the afternoon; 4) intradaily range of systolic but not diastolic blood pressure is higher among women than among men; 5) both systolic and diastolic pressures fall throughout the first 3 weeks; 6) standard deviations and ranges of self-determined blood pressures are highly intercorrelated; however, changes in professionally measured blood pressures are poorly correlated with these indices of blood pressure lability; 7) systolic pressure levels, rates of decline throughout the baseline period and lability indices are correlated with age, but comparable measures of diastolic blood pressure are not correlated with age.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The role of behavioral conditioning in the cardiovascular adjustment to exercise.

The purpose of this study was to determine if normal subjects could be trained to attenuate their cardiovascular responses while exercising on a bicycle ergometer. Ten young, untrained subjects exercised on a bicycle ergometer for five sessions. Half of the group was asked to slow their heart rate while exercising with heart rate feedback during exercise. Their average heart rate increase was 20% less than that of the control subjects, who exercised without feedback. The control subjects subsequently also received feedback during exercise and they were able to attenuate their heart rate responses comparably. Systolic blood pressure was not affected by feedback training. Changes in rate-pressure product paralleled changes in heart rate. These data show that autonomically mediated adjustments to exercise can be brought under experimental control through the use of appropriate behavioral techniques.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Irritable bowel syndrome: physiological and psychological differences between diarrhea-predominant and constipation-predominant patients.

Patients with different irritable bowel symptoms and normal subjects were compared to determine whether subtypes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) could be distinguished on the basis of colonic motility or psychological test scores. A provocative test involving stepwise distension of the rectosigmoid area revealed two types of colonic motility. Slow contractions having durations of at least 15 sec and occurring at irregular intervals were more frequent in IBS patients than in normals but did not differentiate constipation from diarrhea. Fast contractions having durations of less than 15 sec and occurring in runs at frequencies of 6-9 cpm were more frequent in patients with diarrhea than in normals or constipated IBS patients. Constipated patients showed no more fast contractions than normals. Severity of bowel symptoms was correlated with the overall amount of motility (motility index) in patients with diarrhea but not in patients with constipation. Patients with IBS showed significantly elevated levels on the following psychological traits: anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, and somatization of affect. However, there were no significant trait differences between patients with diarrhea and those with constipation. Also, there was no correlationbetween amount of psychopathology and either colonic motility or severity of symptoms in the whole group of IBS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Signouts against medical advice from a coronary care unit.

Twenty-nine patients who were admitted to a Coronary Care Unit (CCU) but who subsequently discharged themselves against medical advice (AMA) were matched with a group of control patients who were admitted to the same unit but who remained in the hospital for the entire course of their treatment. The two groups were then compared on the basis of sociodemographic, medical, behavioral, and psychiatric variables. Results were that the AMA group differed significantly from the control group in a number of factors including age, number of previous AMA signouts, severity of medical problems, and self-reports of alcoholism and emotional difficulties. The relationship of these findings to the AMA behavior is discussed and intervention strategies are suggested.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

Age-related changes in the nigrostriatum: a behavioral and biochemical analysis.

Rotational behavior was examined prior to (Exp. 1) and following unilateral lesions (Exp. 2) in the substantia nigra of young and old rats. Before lesioning no preferences for turning to the left or right were seen in either age group following graded doses of amphetamine. However, after radiofrequency lesions of the left substantia nigra both young and old rats turned predominantly to the left, and the ratio of left to right turns increased as a function of amphetamine dose. However, there were significant differences between young and old rats in the effect of amphetamine on rotational behavior, with old rats showing decided decrements in response strength. Direct dopaminergic stimulation under apomorphine or dopaminergic receptor blockade with haloperidol produced no such age related deficits. The results are discussed in terms of possible presynaptic alterations in dopaminergic functioning with aging.

Aging↗
PubMed1978

A behavioral strategy for promoting treatment compliance following myocardial infarction.

Seven men who had recently experienced a myocardial infarction were treated for medical noncompliance. Patient selection was based on recent and past noncompliant behaviors, denial of infarct, and degree of job involvement. Treatment strategy included (1) self-planning of a rehabilitation program by the patient (activity hierarchy), (2) self-monitoring of bio-behavioral data, (3) weekly visits to review data and decide on new activities. Results showed that all patients were highly compliant as determined by several criteria. The technique is relatively easy to apply and it seems to have wide appeal to patients who might otherwise be at high risk for self-injurious behavior.

Aged↗
PubMed1975

Learned control of blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure.

UNLABELLED: Five patients with documented histories of essential hypertension of at least ten years' duration participated in a triphasic study of training to control systolic blood pressure (SBP). Phase 1 was a seven week period during which patients took their BP (systolic and diastolic) at home and mailed these data to us daily. Phase 2 was a three week period during which patients were taught to control SBP using a noninvasive technique: patients were trained to raise, to lower and to alternately lower and raise SBP. Phase 3 was a three month period during which patients again took their BP at home and mailed these data to us daily. RESULTS: (1) all patients learned SBP control: average increas 15%; average decrease 11%; (2) during SBP control heart rates, breathing rates, triceps brachii muscle tension and EEG activity did not change; (3) follow-up tests at one and three months showed evidence of retained SBP control; (4) baseline SBP fell from 153 mm Hg during laboratory training to 135 mm Hg at the three month follow-up; (5) phase 3 home BPs fell 18/8 mm Hg from phase 1 levels; (6) at home patients also were able to reduce SBP from 141 mm Hg (average) to 125 mm Hg (average) by means of the lowering technique learned in the laboratory.

Aged↗