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Biomedical subjects

H J Michalewski

Publications and source records attributed to H J Michalewski.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cochlear receptor (microphonic and summating potentials, otoacoustic emissions) and auditory pathway (auditory brain stem potentials) activity in auditory neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To define both auditory nerve and cochlear receptor functions in subjects with auditory neuropathy (AN). DESIGN: We tested 33 AN subjects (66 ears) and compared them with 21 healthy subjects (28 ears). In AN subjects, the average pure-tone (1, 2, and 4 kHz) threshold loss was 57 dB HL. Click stimuli were used to elicit transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs), cochlear microphonics (CMs), and auditory brain stem responses (ABRs). Both cochlear and ABR potentials were recorded from surface electrodes (vertex-ipsilateral mastoid) using averaging procedures. The amplitudes and latencies of CMs and ABRs and the amplitude of the TEOAEs were analyzed. RESULTS: CM amplitudes recorded from normal ears decreased as a function of subject age. CMs recorded from AN subjects fell within the normal age-adjusted range in 60% of the subjects and were >2 SEEs (standard error of estimate) above the age-adjusted normal regression in 40% of the subjects. TEOAEs were absent in 19 (30%) AN ears (bilaterally in eight, and unilaterally in three subjects) and were present in 44 ears. In AN subjects, correlations among CM amplitude, TEOAE amplitude, and pure-tone average thresholds were not significantly related. CM amplitudes were not significantly different whether TEOAEs or ABRs were present or absent. The ABR was present in 21% of AN subjects and consisted of a low-amplitude Wave V without a preceding Wave I. Measures of CM amplitude and PTA hearing loss were not significantly different in those AN ears with a preserved ABR compared with ears with absent ABRs. Summating potentials to transient click stimuli were of small amplitude (<0.1 microV) and detectable in approximately 50% of the AN and healthy control subjects limiting formal analysis of summating potentials. CONCLUSIONS: In a significant proportion of AN subjects, we found abnormalities of cochlear receptor function, including elevated CM amplitudes and absence of TEOAEs. These two abnormalities occurred independently of each other. A low amplitude Wave V of the ABR was found in approximately one-fifth of AN subjects, evidence that neural synchrony can be partially preserved in some subjects with this disorder.

Adolescent↗

Delayed facilitation of motor cortical excitability following repetitive finger movements.

OBJECTIVES: To define motor cortical excitability changes occurring at various times after non-fatiguing bimanual exercise of the index fingers. METHODS: Twenty healthy right-handed subjects were studied with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the right non-dominant hemisphere. They performed regular (3-4/s) repetitive opening-closing bilateral movements of the index finger onto the thumb. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) of the left first dorsal interosseus (FDI) and rate of the repetitive finger movements were determined (1) before exercise, (2) immediately following 3 exercise periods of 30, 60 and 90 s, and (3) over a subsequent 30 min rest period. RESULTS: Rate of movement did not show significant change during any of the exercise periods but did increase significantly when tested after 15 min of rest. MEPs immediately after 30 and 60 s of exercise were facilitated whereas MEPs after 90 s of exercise did not differ from baseline measures. MEP amplitudes were significantly increased after rest of approximately 15 min compared to the baseline MEPs. In contrast, motor potentials evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation were unchanged throughout the experimental test periods. CONCLUSIONS: Motor cortical excitability relating to an intrinsic finger muscle (FDI) was facilitated beginning 15 min after a brief period of non-forceful, repetitive activity of that muscle. This delayed facilitation of motor cortex after exercise may represent a form of short-term potentiation of motor cortical excitability.

Adolescent↗

Motor cortex excitability in chronic fatigue syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To use transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to define motor cortical excitability in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) subjects during a repetitive, bilateral finger movement task. METHODS: A total of 14 CFS patients were tested and compared with 14 age-matched healthy control subjects. TMS of the motor cortex (5% above threshold) was used to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Subjects performed regular (3-4/s) repetitive bilateral opening-closing movements of the index finger onto the thumb. MEPs of the first dorsal interosseus (FDI) were measured before, immediately following exercise periods of 30, 60 and 90 s, and after 15 min of rest. RESULTS: Performance, defined by rate of movement, was significantly slower in CFS subjects (3.5/s) than in controls (4. 0/s) independent of the hand measured. The rate, however, was not significantly affected by the exercise duration for either group. The threshold of TMS to evoke MEPs from the FDI muscle was significantly higher in CFS than in control subjects, independent of the hemisphere tested. A transient post-exercise facilitation of MEP amplitudes immediately after the exercise periods was present in controls independent of the hemisphere tested, but was absent in CFS subjects. A delayed facilitation of MEPs after 15-30 min of rest was restricted to the non-dominant hemisphere in controls; delayed facilitation was absent in CFS subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with CFS do not show the normal fluctuations of motor cortical excitability that accompany and follow non-fatiguing repetitive bimanual finger movements.

Adult↗

The N100 auditory cortical evoked potential indexes scanning of auditory short-term memory.

OBJECTIVE: To study activity of auditory cortex reflected by the N100 and P200 components of the auditory evoked potentials during memorization and scanning of short-term memory stores. METHODS: In a MEMORY task subjects classified a probe digit either as a member or not a member of a previously presented list of digits that varied in size from one, 3, 5 and 7 items. For comparison, subjects in a NUMBER task listened to a list of digits as in the MEMORY task but determined only whether the probe digit as odd or even. Evoked potentials to the presentation list and to probes were recorded from scalp electrodes and separately averaged for both tasks. The components peaking at approximately 100 ms (N100) and 200 ms (P200) that reflect activity of primary auditory cortex were identified and peak amplitudes and latencies were measured. RESULTS: For presentation set items, the amplitude of N100 was affected by set size in the MEMORY but not in the NUMBER task; N100 was larger for the one item set than for the 3, 5, and 7 item sets. P200 increased in amplitude in a linear manner for both the MEMORY and NUMBER tasks. For probe items, N100 but not P200 amplitude decreased in a linear manner as the number of items in the presentation set increased in the MEMORY but not in the NUMBER task. The linear change of N100 amplitude during memory scanning was particular to inset but not to out-of-set probes. The amplitudes of both N100 and P200 were almost twice as large in probe digits than in the digits in the presentation set in both the MEMORY and NUMBER tasks. CONCLUSION: Auditory sensory cortical activity in humans during an auditory short-term memory task shows dynamic changes during both memorization and memory scanning.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Cortical motor potential alterations in chronic fatigue syndrome.

Premovement, sensory, and cognitive brain potentials were recorded from patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) in four tasks: i) target detection, ii) short-term memory, iii) self-paced movement, and iv) expectancy and reaction time (CNV). Accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were recorded for tasks i, ii, and iv. Results from CFS patients were compared to a group of healthy normals. Reaction times were slower for CFS patients in target detection and significantly slower in the short-term memory task compared to normals. In target detection, the amplitude of a premovement readiness potential beginning several hundred milliseconds prior to stimulus onset was reduced in CFS, whereas the poststimulus sensory (N100) and cognitive brain potentials (P300) did not differ in amplitude or latency. In the memory task, a negative potential related to memory load was smaller in CFS than normals. The potentials to self-paced movements and to expectancy and RT (CNV) were not different between groups. The findings in CFS of slowed RTs and reduced premovement-related potentials suggest that central motor mechanisms accompanying motor response preparation were impaired in CFS for some tasks. In contrast, measures of neural processes related to both sensory encoding (N100) and to stimulus classification (P300) were normal in CFS.

Adult↗

Transient deafness due to temperature-sensitive auditory neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To define mechanisms accounting for transient deafness in three children (two siblings, ages 3 and 6, and an unrelated child, age 15) when they become febrile. DESIGN: Audiometric tests (pure-tone audiometry, speech and sentence comprehension), tympanometry, middle ear muscle reflex thresholds, otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), and electrophysiological methods (auditory brain stem responses [ABRs], sensory evoked potentials, peripheral nerve conduction velocities) were used to test the children when they were afebrile and febrile. RESULTS: ABRs, when afebrile, were abnormal with a profound delay of the IV-V and absence of waves I-III. The ABR in one of the children, tested when febrile, showed no ABR components. Measures of cochlear receptor function using OAEs were normal in both febrile and afebrile states. Cochlear microphonic potentials were present in the three children, and a summating potential was likely present in two. When afebrile, there was a mild threshold elevation for all frequencies in the 15-yr-old and a mild elevation of thresholds for just low frequencies in the two siblings. Speech comprehension in quiet was normal but impaired in noise. One of the siblings tested when febrile had a profound elevation (>80 dB) of pure-tone thresholds and speech comprehension was absent. Acoustic reflexes subserving middle ear muscles and olivocochlear bundle were absent when febrile and when afebrile. No other peripheral or cranial nerve abnormalities were found in any of the children. Sensory nerve action potentials from median nerve in one of the children showed no abnormalities on warming of the hand to 39 degrees C. CONCLUSION: These children have an auditory neuropathy manifested by a disorder of auditory nerve function in the presence of normal cochlear outer hair cell functions. They develop a conduction block of the auditory nerves when their core body temperature rises due, most likely, to a demyelinating disorder of the auditory nerve. The auditory neuropathy in the two affected siblings is likely to be inherited as a recessive disorder.

Acoustic Impedance Tests↗

Sequential changes of auditory processing during target detection: motor responding versus mental counting.

Brain potentials evoked to non-targets in an auditory target detection task changed in amplitude, duration, polarity, and scalp topography as a function of position in the stimulus sequence relative to the target. (1) A negative prestimulus readiness like-potential, or RP, the poststimulus N100, and a late slow wave to non-targets immediately after the target were reduced in amplitude compared to non-targets immediately before the target. The amplitudes of these potentials after the target then increased in size as a linear function of the number of non-targets in the sequence. (2) The amplitudes of the positive components, P50 and P200, were larger to non-targets immediately after the target than to non-targets immediately before the targets. P50 amplitude then decreased to subsequent non-targets in the sequence in a linear manner; P200 amplitude was reduced equivalently to all subsequent non-targets. (3) The duration of the P200 component could extend into the time domain when the P300 to targets would occur. The P200 component to non-targets was therefore designated 'P200/300'. The duration of the P200/300 component was shorter to non-targets immediately after the target than to non-targets immediately before the targets. P200/300 duration then extended in a linear manner to subsequent non-targets in the sequence and approached the peak latency of the P300 evoked by targets. (4) The anterior/posterior scalp distribution of P50 and the polarity of the late slow wave to non-targets changed as a function of non-target position in the sequence. The subject's response to the targets (button press or mental count) influenced these sequential effects. Linear trends for sequence were present in the press but not the count conditions for the amplitude of the RP, N100, and P300; linear trends for P50, P200/300 duration, and the late slow wave were found in both the press and count conditions. Reaction time was speeded as a function of the number of preceding targets. These dynamic changes in the processing of auditory signals were attributed to an interaction of attention and the subjective expectancies for both the appearance of a target stimulus and the requirement to make a motor response.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Brain potentials before and during memory scanning.

Brain potentials were recorded from 10 normal subjects engaged in a 3-item auditory verbal short-term memory task. A fixed interval (3 s) between the last memory item and the probe was compared to a random interval (1.8-4.2 s with a mean of 3 s). Subjects indicated by button press whether the probe was or was not a member of the memory-set. The same 3-item task was also presented as a counting task and required a button press to the "fourth stimulus' (the probe). The amplitudes of several slow potential shifts preceding and following the probe, and the amplitudes and latencies of the accompanying short duration components (N100, P200) were measured. When the probe appeared at a fixed interval, the amplitude of a slow negative potential in the 300 ms period preceding the probe was slightly larger in the memory than in the counting task. When the probe appeared at a random interval in the memory task, the slow negative shift preceding the probe was absent. Another slow negative shift that peaked at approximately 376 ms after the probe was present in the memory tasks but was absent in the counting task. The amplitude of a late positive shift that peaked at approximately 700 ms after the probe was not different within the memory tasks, or between the memory and counting tasks. N100 amplitude but not P200 amplitude was larger in the memory task when the probe occurred at a fixed than at a random interval. These results suggest that the amplitude of a slow negative shift preceding the probe was related primarily to a temporal expectancy for the appearance of the probe and to a lesser extent to memory processes. In contrast, a slow negative shift that followed the probe occurred only during the memory tasks.

Adult↗

Readiness to respond in a target detection task: pre- and post-stimulus event-related potentials in normal subjects.

Brain potentials were recorded from 12 normal subjects engaged in an auditory target detection task (target stimulus probability of 0.2, stimulus rate of 1 every 2 sec) when instructions were (1) to press a response button with the thumb of the dominant hand to each target or (2) to keep a mental count of each target. A pre-stimulus slow negative potential was identified before every stimulus except non-targets immediately after targets. The amplitude of the pre-stimulus negativity was significantly affected by task instructions and was up to 4 times larger during the button press than the mental count condition. In contrast, the amplitudes and latencies of the event-related components (N100, P200, N200 and P300), when slow potentials were removed by filtering, were not different as a function of press or count instructions. The immediately preceding stimulus sequence affected both the amplitude and onset latency of the pre-stimulus negativity; both measures increased as the number of preceding non-targets increased. The amplitude of the pre-stimulus negative shift to targets also increased significantly as RT speed decreased. The major portion of the pre-stimulus negative potential is considered a readiness potential (RP) reflecting preparations to make a motor response. The amplitude of the RP during the target detection task did not significantly lateralize in contrast to the RP accompanying self-paced movements.

Adult↗

Brain potentials in a memory-scanning task. III. Potentials to the items being memorized.

Cerebral potentials evoked by items presented for memorization in a memory-scanning task were recorded from subjects ranging in age from 18 to 86 years old. Subjects were divided into younger (average age = 29 years) and older groups (average age = 66 years). Both verbal (digits) and non-verbal (musical notes) stimuli were used. Digits were presented in the auditory as well as the visual modality, and notes were presented acoustically. Potentials are described in terms of their scalp distribution, latency, and amplitude and are compared between the young and old subjects. Potentials evoked by the memorized items consisted of a positive (P50-90), negative (N100-150), positive (P185-225) sequence in the first 250 msec following stimulus onset. A sustained potential shift then followed whose amplitude differed with the items being memorized. The shift was positive in the parietal region being largest (5 microV) with verbal items presented visually and slightly smaller (3 microV) with non-verbal auditory stimuli (the notes); in contrast, verbal auditory digits were not associated with a detectable sustained parietal potential shift. In the frontal recordings there was a sustained potential shift accompanying all stimulus types, which was more negative in the young subjects. The amplitude of these sustained potential shifts differed as a function of the position of the item in the memorized set. These results provide electrophysiological evidence of brain activity during memorization that varies with the items being processed as well as differing between young and old subjects.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Brain potentials in a memory-scanning task. I. Modality and task effects on potentials to the probes.

Event-related potentials were measured in normal young subjects during a memory-scanning paradigm modified from one proposed by Sternberg. The stimuli used were verbal (digits) and non-verbal (musical notes) with the verbal stimuli and notes presented acoustically and the verbal stimuli also presented visually. In this paradigm each set of stimuli was presented for memorization, and then, after a 2 sec interval, a probe item appeared and was identified by the subject as belonging or not belonging to the memorized set. Memorized set sizes of 1, 3 and 5 items were studied. The potentials are described in terms of scalp distribution, latency and amplitude, and are compared with behavioral descriptors of performance (accuracy and reaction time). These potentials are also compared with those evoked by an auditory target-detection task ('odd-ball' paradigm) in the same subject at the same session. The potentials evoked by the probe stimuli consisted of a positive (P50-90), negative (N100-150), positive (P185-225) sequence in the first 250 msec, followed by a later, long-lasting (approximately 700 msec) positive component (labeled P3). This positivity consisted of an earlier component (latency of approximately 350-400 msec) with a frontal distribution, followed by a larger and later parietal component. The amplitude of the frontal component and the latency of the parietal component varied with the number of items in the memorized set differently from behavioral reaction times. Stimulus modality also affected both the amplitude and latency of the sustained parietal positive potential. Memory processes associated with the P3 complex in the 'odd-ball' task and the long-lasting positivity in the memory-scanning task are discussed.

Adult↗

Brain potentials in a memory-scanning task. II. Effects of aging on potentials to the probes.

Brain potentials accompanying the classification of probe items as being members of a previously presented list were recorded from subjects ranging in age from 18 to 86 years old. A group of older subjects (average age = 66 years) was compared to a younger group (average age = 29 years). The items tested were verbal (digits) and non-verbal (musical notes). Digits were presented in the auditory and visual modalities, and notes were presented acoustically. Reaction times (RTs) and performance accuracy were computed. Potentials are described in terms of scalp distribution, latency and amplitude as a function of the type of stimulus (verbal/non-verbal, auditory/visual) and age group (younger/older). Evoked potentials to target notes in an auditory target-detection ('odd-ball') task were also recorded for comparison with the memory tasks. Potentials evoked by probes consisted of a sequence of sensory components in the first 250 msec followed by a cognitive component that was positive in polarity and sustained in duration (approximately 700 msec labeled P3), consisting of an earlier frontal component, P3a (mean latency: younger = 385 msec, older = 406 msec), and a large (15 microV) and later parietal constituent, P3b (mean latency: younger = 574 msec, older = 630 msec). The frontal derivation of the younger subjects showed a sustained negative bias of the wave forms in the latency range of 200-500 msec (P2 to P3) compared to the older subjects. Reaction times were longer in older subjects than in younger subjects for all stimulus types and set sizes. For the potentials evoked by the probes the younger group had consistently larger late parietal components (P3b) than the older group, whereas the late frontal potentials (P3a) were larger for the older than younger subjects. Except for visual stimuli, the latencies of the parietal sustained potentials were not influenced by subject age in contrast to the uniform changes in RT for all stimulus types. Significant amplitude and latency effects on the parietal sustained potentials accompanied the different stimulus types and memorized-set sizes which were similar for the two age groups. These results suggest that the effects of aging on short-term memory are primarily on response selection, as evidenced by RT slowing with aging, and not on memory-scanning processes as evidenced by the similarity of the latency measures of the accompanying brain potentials between the two age groups.

Adult↗

Brain potentials during mental distance judgments.

Visual event-related potentials were recorded from a group of 10 normal subjects while they judged the proximity of two letters of the alphabet. Subjects viewed singly the letters A, D, G, L, N, T, W and Z and indicated by button press whether the letter displayed occurred before or after the comparison letter M. Reaction times to close letters (L and N) were longer than ordinally more distant letters (A, D, G, T, W, Z). A late parietally positive potential of approximately 475 ms covaried in latency and amplitude with these judgments. Late potentials were delayed in latency and reduced in amplitude to close letter (L and N) judgments compared to the other letters. The results suggest that mental processes, such as alphabetic distance judgments, may be usefully studied by examining their associated event-related potentials.

Adult↗

Latency variability and temporal interrelationships of the auditory event-related potentials (N1, P2, N2, and P3) in normal subjects.

Peak latency variation and the temporal interrelationships of the auditory event-related potential were investigated in 12 normal adults (ages 28-42). Measures of variation were based on both conventional averages and single trials. Estimates of N1, P2, N2 and P3 latencies were made on a trial-by-trial basis to target stimuli recorded from Fz, Cz and Pz scalp locations. Results showed that single-trial latency variability of the auditory ERP differed both among the various components and between subjects. Larger standard deviations were measured for the later N2 and P3 components than the earlier N1 and P2 components. Regression analyses between various component latencies indicated a strong covarying relationship between N2 and P3, with N2 accounting for up to 61% of the variance of P3 latency at Pz. Earlier N1 and P2 components added little to the overall prediction of either P3 or N2. For the other components, P2 accounted for 9-16% of the variance of N2, while N1 accounted for approximately 1% of the variance of N2; N1 accounted for 8-10% of the latency variation of P2. The correlations between single-trial peak latencies and RTs were positive but of low magnitude. The highest correlations between peak latency and RT were found for N2 (r = 0.33) and P3 (r = 0.24). The low correlations between the single-trial latencies of N1 and P3 suggest that the processes reflected by these components are independent and support a distinction between the earlier and the later components of the ERP. The close temporal coupling between N2 and P3 suggests that N2 may reflect cognitive properties in common to P3 in stimulus evaluation processes.

Adult↗

A comparison of the emitted late positive potential in older and young adults.

An emitted potential paradigm was used to investigate P3 scalp potentials in a group of older individuals (M = 66.8 years) and a group of younger persons (M = 22.0 years). Since no physical stimulus is necessary to elicit an emitted potential, an age comparison of P3 can be made which does not depend on normal sensory transmission channels. Both traditional and latency corrected averages to missing auditory clicks were analyzed from electrodes placed over midline frontal, central, and parietal locations. Results indicated that while the scalp distribution of emitted potentials was similar for both age groups, amplitudes at Pz and Cz were significantly smaller in the older group. Latency corrected potentials indicated similar trends but did not reach significant levels. No group differences were seen for N2 or P3 latencies for either traditional or corrected averages. The findings support age differences in the amplitudes of the P3 component and suggest that when P3 is not synchronized with a sensory event, latencies in this component may not be sensitive to age differences.

Adult↗

Age and sex differences in the human auditory brainstem response.

Age and sex differences in the brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) were investigated in older (60 to 79 yrs), middle-aged (40 to 59 years), and young (20 to 39 yrs) individuals. Within each age group the number of males (N = 10) and females (N = 10) were divided equally. Scalp potentials were recorded from the vertex to clicks presented at 60, 70, and 80 dB(SL) for stimulus rates of 5, 10, and 15 clicks/sec. Results indicated that older adults had longer latencies at Wave III than either middle-aged or young adults. Age effects were also found for Waves I, II, and IV but were restricted to the lowest intensity and were more evident in older males than females. Significant sex effects showed that the females in each group had shorter Wave IV and V latencies than males. The results suggest that age affects neural propagation at the level of the olivary complex (Wave III) and that BAER latencies are also influenced by the sex of the individual.

Adult↗

Sex differences in the amplitudes and latencies of the human auditory brain stem potential.

Sex differences in the amplitudes and latencies of the auditory brain stem potential (BAEP) were investigated using 3 levels of intensity and 3 stimulus presentation rates. The females displayed consistently larger BAEPs for waves IV, V, VI, VII than the males. The only latency differences which reached significance over all the intensities and rates occurred for wave V. The females showed significantly shorter wave V latencies than the males. Since hearing losses and individually determined click thresholds were comparable between the two groups tested, the exact sources of the uneven distribution of amplitude and latency effects are in question. Differences in the relative distances of the anatomical generators are considered in accounting for the sex differences. Because the precise origin of the sex differences cannot be stated with certainty at this time, attempts to develop normative data for the BAEP should consider the possible influences of sex differences.

Adult↗