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Biomedical subjects

J A Lucas

Publications and source records attributed to J A Lucas.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Boston naming test discontinuation rule: rigorous versus lenient interpretations.

Two interpretations of the Boston Naming Test (BNT) discontinuation rule of "six consecutive failures" were uncovered in an informal survey. The rigorous interpretation includes correct responses to phonemic cues in the count of failures, whereas the lenient interpretation does not. Using both methods to score the same protocols, BNT final scores were changed in 3% of 655 normal elderly persons and in 31% of 140 patients with Alzheimer s Disease (AD). Among normals, discrepant scores were most often found in persons age 80 years and older, and scores differed by up to 16 points. Among AD patients, discrepant scores did not preferentially occur in any age group, but scores differed by up to 10 points. The clinical impact of BNT scoring differences occasionally can be substantial and warrants attention.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1997

In vitro assessment of the influence of nutrition, temperature and larval density on trapping of the infective larvae of Heligmosomoides polygyrus by Arthrobotrys oligospora, Duddingtonia flagrans and Monacrosporium megalosporum.

The influence of nutrient level, temperature and larval density on the trapping of Heligmosomoides polygyrus L3 by the nematophagous fungi Arthrobotrys oligospora, Duddingtonia flagrans and Monacrosporium megalosporum were investigated by quantification of trapped nematodes. All 3 factors were found to have a significant effect on the number of larvae trapped by A. oligospora and M. megalosporum. Decreased nutrient concentrations resulted in increased trapping for these 2 fungi, but nutrient availability was not found to have a significant effect on trapping by D. flagrans. The 3 fungi were found to have similar responses to temperature, with peak trapping occurring at or near the optimum growth temperatures. Nematode trapping was found to be density dependent for all 3 fungi, with increased percentage trapping at increased larval densities. Comparison in a single experiment of the relative importance of these factors to each fungus showed that nutrient level was the main factor influencing trapping by A. oligospora, whereas D. flagrans and M. megalosporum were more dependent on larval density.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1997

Free and cued selective reminding test: MOANS norms.

Age-adjusted norms are presented for persons age 56-98 years on the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT; Buschke, 1984; Grober & Buschke, 1987). These data were obtained via several research projects that are known collectively as Mayo's Older Americans Normative Studies (MOANS). These norms should be useful when the FCSRT is used as a "stand alone" test. They should also promote accuracy in the comparison of any person's FCSRT performance against his or her functioning on any other tests with MOANS norms. The unique features of the FCSRT are discussed. These norms will, hopefully, enhance the utility of the test when it is used in clinical and research investigations of various amnestic disorders.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Unilateral pallidotomy for Parkinson's disease: comparison of outcome in younger versus elderly patients.

We studied the effects of medial pallidotomy in the first 20 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) undergoing this MRI/electrophysiologically guided procedure at our institution. The mean age of patients was 65.5 years (median 66.5) and none suffered any serious complications. Pallidotomy significantly improved motor function in both "on" and "off" states as measured by Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores and timed tests (Purdue pegboard and counter tapping) in the arm contralateral to surgery 3 months postoperatively. Patients also improved in terms of activities of daily living, reflected by improved UPDRS activity of daily living and complications of therapy scoring and reduced levodopa-induced dyskinesias; six of 11 patients who could not walk in an "off" state prior to surgery could do so postoperatively. The total UPDRS score improved by 22% from preoperative values. The aforementioned improvements occurred similarly in patients greater than (n = 11) or less than 65 years (n = 9) at surgery. Neuropsychological measures indicated that although the majority of cognitive function remains unchanged in right-handed PD patients following dominant (left) hemisphere pallidotomy, mild specific declines in word generation are present. The findings of this study suggest that unilateral pallidotomy is safe and associated with improved motor functioning in elderly as well as younger PD patients experiencing significant disability despite optimal medical therapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Tropicamide eyedrops cannot be used for reliable diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the mydriatic effect of tropicamide eyedrops as a diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we assessed pupillary responses in 22 normal control subjects, 23 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease, 4 patients with isolated memory difficulty, and 6 patients with non-Alzheimer's dementia. Three separate studies were performed, the second and third on a subset of the original group. With use of infrared binocular pupillography, after 5 minutes of dark adaptation, we averaged pupil size during a 1-minute interval for baseline determinations. We then instilled 0.01% tropicamide into one eye. In the first two studies, we averaged pupil size for a 1-minute period at 5-minute intervals for 30 minutes, followed by a pupil light reflex test. In the third study, we measured pupil size every 5 minutes for 45 minutes and omitted the light reflex test. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted in pupil dilatation between normal subjects and patients with Alzheimer's disease and between patients with non-Alzheimer's dementias and the Alzheimer's disease group in all three studies. Furthermore, on reperformance of the test in the same patients, more than 50% changed from a group above or below 13% pupil dilatation (a cutoff reported to distinguish Alzheimer's disease from normal control subjects) to the opposite group. CONCLUSION: Results of this study indicate that pupil measurement after instillation of tropicamide cannot be used as a reliable diagnostic test for Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, test-retest reliability with use of dilute tropicamide eyedrops is questionable.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Effect of heavy metals on soil denitrification and CO2 production after short term incubation.

The toxicity of three heavy metals, Cd, Zn and Cu, has been tested in a Mediterranean soil. The soil was incubated (108h) with mixed solutions of those metals before evaluating denitrification and CO2 production, both by gas chromatography. These activities were used as biological indicators of heavy metal toxicity, and compared to non-treated control soil samples. Statistical analyses showed no significant differences in CO2 production between treated and non-treated control soils. The lowest levels of respiration were observed in soils treated with the largest amounts of Zn and Cd. Denitrification increased significantly in soils treated with solutions containing 100 micrograms/ml of Cu and 1000 micrograms/ml of Cd or Zn.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1994

Diagnosis and management of Baylisascaris procyonis infection in an infant with nonfatal meningoencephalitis.

Baylisacaris procyonis, the common raccoon ascarid, is known to cause life-threatening visceral, neural, and ocular larva migrans in mammals and birds. Two human fatalities have been previously described; however, little is known about the spectrum of human disease caused by B. procyonis. In this report, the case of a 13-month-old child who had nonfatal meningoencephalitis secondary to B. procyonis infection is presented. The suspected diagnosis was confirmed with use of newly developed enzyme immunoassay and immunoblot techniques. The diagnosis, management, and prevention of B. procyonis infection in humans is discussed. Clinical, serological, and epidemiological evaluations established B. procyonis as the etiologic agent. The child survived his infection but continued to have severe neurological sequelae. The potential for human contact and infection with B. procyonis is great. There is no effective therapy; therefore, prevention is paramount.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Group cognitive-behavioral treatment of panic disorder.

The present study examined the efficacy of an 8-wk, cognitive-behavioral group treatment for panic disorder. Patients meeting DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia were randomly assigned to treatment (N = 34) or delayed treatment control (N = 33). The treatment consisted of: (a) education and corrective information; (b) cognitive therapy; (c) training in diaphragmatic breathing; and (d) interoceptive exposure. At posttreatment, 85% of treated Ss were panic free, compared to 30% of controls. Treated Ss also showed clinically significant improvement on indices of anxiety, agoraphobia, depression and fear of fear. Recovery, as estimated conservatively by the attainment of normal levels of functioning on each of the major clinical dimensions of the disorder (i.e. panic, anxiety and avoidance), was achieved in 64% of the treated Ss and 9% of the controls. At the 6 month follow-up, 63% of the treated patients met criteria for recovery. These findings mirror those from recently-completed trials of individually-administered cognitive-behavioral treatment, and suggest that CBT is a viable alternative to pharmacotherapy in the treatment of panic disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Peroxisome induction potential and lipid-regulating activity in rats. Quantitative microscopy and chemical structure-activity relationships.

Structurally diverse lipid-regulating agents induce hepatomegaly, hepatic peroxisome proliferation, and hepatocarcinoma in rats by mechanisms not fully understood. Nevertheless the initial hepatic response is a prompt, florid proliferation of peroxisomes. In investigations reported here, changes in the rat hepatic peroxisome compartment were measured by quantitative microscopy to determine chemical structure requirements that relate to peroxisome proliferation and lipid regulation. Aryloxyalkanoic acids plus amide analogs, and thio, benzimidazole, phenylpiperazine, and oxazole derivatives induced peroxisome proliferation and generally decreased plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. These compounds contain an acidic function or are readily metabolized to a chemical with an acidic function. Substitution of the acidic function with an adamantyloxy eliminated peroxisome proliferation and induced contrasting effects on lipid profile, increasing triglycerides and decreasing total cholesterol. A previously unreported, direct correlation emerged between peroxisome proliferation and plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels. These effects could not be elicited separately, negating identification of functional groups that could be associated with either activity. Chemical structure and resulting peroxisome proliferation with changes in plasma lipoproteins are therefore closely interrelated in rats.

Amides↗
PubMed1989

Handedness and language among the mentally retarded: implications for the model of pathological left-handedness and gender differences in hemispheric specialization.

The relationship between handedness and language was examined among 238 mentally retarded subjects representing the four DSM III classification ranges of mental retardation. Language ability was found to be significantly related to handedness, with an increased prevalence of left-handedness among those individuals with language deficits. In addition, both expressive and receptive language ability interacted with gender, with the main effects of each language variable being stronger for females than males. Although no main effects were found for severity of retardation, a significant interaction was found between severity and gender. Results support the model of pathological left-handedness and are discussed within the context of this theory, as well as with regard to gender differences in cerebral lateralization of language and cognitive functioning.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Nonclinical panic in college students: an investigation of prevalence and symptomatology.

This article presents data on the prevalence and symptomatology of panic attacks and panic disorder (PD) in a large nonclinical sample (n = 2,375) of college students. Results showed that approximately 12% of the sample had experienced at least one unexpected panic attack and that 2.36% met DSM-III-R criteria for panic disorder. Although there were no sex differences in overall panic attack prevalence, men reported significantly more panic-related worry than women, and women reported a higher panic frequency than men. Compared to subjects who met DSM-III-R criteria for PD, infrequent panickers presented with fewer panic symptoms, fewer panic episodes, less panic-related worry, lower anxiety sensitivity, and less panic-related avoidance. Moreover, compared with PD subjects, the infrequent panickers were much less likely to report fears of dying, going insane, and derealization during a panic attack. The findings provide preliminary support for the role of anxious apprehension as a psychological vulnerability factor in the pathogenesis of panic disorder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Conservative management of Cushing's syndrome in pregnancy. A case report.

A woman with clinical and laboratory findings of Cushing's syndrome was managed during pregnancy without the use of surgery or drugs to lower her serum cortisol. A good maternal and infant outcome was achieved with conservative measures, and surgical removal of an adrenal adenoma was delayed until the postpartum period.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1988

Failed fertilization during an in vitro fertilization cycle after oral ingestion of amantadine hydrochloride.

Oocyte fertilization occurred during three in vitro fertilization/embryo transfer (IVF/ET) treatment cycles of an infertile couple but failed during an IVF cycle when the husband took amantadine for prophylaxis against viral infection. Semen parameters were similar to those of other cycles attempted by this couple as well as to those of other IVF couples treated concurrently. We circumstantially suggest that amantadine, and potentially other ingestible medications or foods, while not spermicidal, may impair gamete function during IVF/ET.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Restaging laparotomy and ovarian cancer.

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 41 patients who had restaging laparotomy after initial surgery and chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. In 37 of them, the cancer was epithelial. Stage and amount of residual disease after initial cytoreductive surgery correlated with laparotomy outcome. There were no operative deaths, and perioperative morbidity was relatively minor. Of the 25 patients with residual disease after initial cytoreductive surgery ten had a complete response, eight had a partial response, two had stable disease, and five had progression. Three patients (11.5%) had recurrent disease after a negative restaging laparotomy. We discuss salvage therapy and the value of restaging laparotomy in ovarian cancer.

Female↗