Biomedical subjects

Colin J Davis

Publications and source records attributed to Colin J Davis.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Is speech perception modular or interactive?

Norris et al. recently reported experimental evidence that listeners learn phoneme categories in response to lexical feedback. To reconcile these findings with their modular account of speech perception, the authors argue that top-down feedback can be used to support phoneme learning, but not to influence on-line phonemic processing. We suggest that these findings have broader implications than the authors assume, and we discuss potential challenges for integrating a modular theory with top-down learning.

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PubMed2003

Pain in endometriosis: effectiveness of medical and surgical management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Endometriosis is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain and has a detrimental effect on the quality of life for women affected with the condition. It is also clear that early diagnosis with prompt effective management does not always occur. This review will discuss the medical and surgical treatment options and support conclusions with randomized double blind placebo-controlled studies where possible. RECENT FINDINGS: Assessment of the pelvic pain associated with endometriosis can be categorized according to its relation to the menstrual cycle. Dysmenorrhoea and ovulatory pain occur with cyclical changes, as compared with chronic non-cyclic pain and deep dyspareunia. Dyskesia and urinary pain may have a relation to the menstrual cycle. The severity of pain symptoms, as well as the effect on the woman's quality of life, should be quantified. The preoperative symptoms can be compared with the operative findings and the stage of endometriosis according to the revised American Fertility Score. SUMMARY: Review of the current literature demonstrates that a combined medical and conservative surgical approach is beneficial for most women with endometriosis associated pelvic pain.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

PubMed2002

High risk pregnancies in hypopituitary women.

BACKGROUND: Various short papers have suggested that pregnancies in women with hypopituitarism are high risk but no formal assessment of pregnancy outcome has yet been reported. METHODS: An audit was carried out concerning the outcome of 18 pregnancies in nine women who underwent ovulation induction in a single centre over 20 years. RESULTS: The live birth rate was 61%, miscarriage rate 28% and mid-trimester uterine death rate 11% with no survivors from four sets of twins. The Caesarian section rate was 100% and half of the live births were on or below the 10th centile for weight. One woman successfully breast-fed. CONCLUSIONS: Women with hypopituitarism have high-risk pregnancies, perhaps because of a uterine defect secondary to endocrine deficiency. Fertility treatment must strive for singleton pregnancies with application of particularly strict criteria to avoid twin pregnancies. Early elective Caesarian section is probably warranted in this group.

Adult↗