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Biomedical subjects

F Laffont

Publications and source records attributed to F Laffont.

70 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Determination of the degree of mental alertness in the enderly (author's transl)].

Telemetric polygraph recordings lasting from 10-18 hours were performed in 22 elderly and institutionalised patients whose ages ranged from 82 to 97 years in an attempt to determine whether they were able to maintain alertness throughout the course of the day. By combining the standard E.E.G. data with that from the telemetric recording it was possible to subdivide the patients into 4 groups: 1 Normal E.E.G. Stable state of awareness varying only between active waking and relaxed waking, apart from a clearly demarcated siesta period (8 subjects). 2 Normal E.E.G. State of awareness moderately stable but containing as well as one or two clearly defined, siestas some somnolent episodes (6 subjects). 3 Numerous fluctuations of alertness with several levels of drowsiness corresponding either to the classical stages of sleep or to undifferentiated stages (5 subjects, 4 with normal E.E.G.). 4 Abnormal E.E.G. and only two levels of alertness which were difficult to correlate with the behavioural state. All 4 subjects in this group had severe organic impairment. There was a good correlation between the data obtained from the standard E.E.G. and that from the telemetric recording. Patients having a normal E.E.G. maintained their alertness well, and those with the highest proportion of fast activity best of all. The possible limits of variation become very narrow in severe organic impairment.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Short-term effects of gamma-globulins on sleep organization in epileptic patients (author's transl)].

A study of the effect of gamma-globulins on sleep was conducted in 8 patients aged 1 to 35 years with epilepsy not responding to any of the conventional treatments. Two polygraphic recordings were carried out during the 4th and 5th nights following a placebo injection and then an injection of gamma-globulin 16 Merieux (1 ml/kg). The short-term effects of the gamma-globulins were : --reduction in percentage of paroxysms, --an acceleration in the electroencephalographic tracings of the different stages of sleep and those of the waking period, --a statistically significant increase in the percentage of paradoxical sleep, though the general organization of sleep remained unchanged.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Electrophysiologic abnormalities in chronic alcoholism, disclosed by the methods of evoked potentials and Hoffman's reflex. Study of a possible metabolic pathogenesis].

During a preliminary study comparing 5 normal subjects and 5 alcoholics (25 experiments) changes in evoked potentials were found in these patients. There was mainly a reduction in these potentials during the first 100 milleseconds following stimulation. Such a reduction generally means a disorder of the arrival of the influx at the level of the cortex and may be found mainly in peripheral nerve involvement. A complementary study of the H reflex (34 experiments) showed that this reflex was affected in 60% of chronic alcoholics whether or not they had liver cirrhosis. The theory according to which the EEG abnormalities observed may be linked to a metabolic disorder of the amino-acids was not confirmed. The changes of the first 100 milleseconds of the evoked potential associated with the change in Hoffman's reflex are in favour of early peripheral involvement even in alcoholics who do not appear to have any peripheral neuritis. These signs are different from those which are observed in marijuana or psylocybine poisoning where the EEG signs are due to central involvement.

Alcoholism↗