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Biomedical subjects

J Crawford

Publications and source records attributed to J Crawford.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Poor co-ordination in 5 year olds: a screening test for use in schools.

A simple standardized screening test (South Australian Motor Co-ordination Screening Test, SAM Test) was developed to screen for poor co-ordination in 5 year olds. This SAM Test, which can be used by teachers, nurses and doctors, has explicit pass/fail criteria and has classified correctly 90% of children. The McCarthy Motor Scales, which are time consuming and limited to use by psychologists, were used to categorize 60 poorly co-ordinated and 60 normal children. The 120 children thus selected were tested on 19 items covering gross and fine motor skills. Statistical analysis to determine which items best discriminated between the two groups found the following five gross motor items to be most effective: one leg balancing, hopping, heel-toe walking on line, jumping over ribbon and dropping ball and catching.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1987

Public attitudes to the disease concept of alcoholism.

Proponents of the disease concept of alcoholism have argued that its dissemination among the general public will promote humanitarian attitudes toward alcoholics. This claim was subjected to empirical scrutiny. A quota sample of 200 members of the general public completed a questionnaire designed to measure beliefs about alcoholism and attitudes toward alcoholics. As predicted, the majority of respondents endorsed a disease formulation. However, examination of the data using correlational and factor analytic techniques indicated that two humanitarian views--expressing sympathetic attitudes toward alcoholics and regarding them as deserving of public funds--were largely independent of endorsing a disease view.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Lung cancer in the elderly.

Half of all lung cancers occur in persons aged 65 years and older. The symptoms of lung cancer in the elderly may be nonspecific and misleading. Age trends in incidence, histologic subtype, and stage suggest that selective screening of older persons for lung cancer should be studied. Recent data reveal that the mortality risk for lung cancer surgery in selected elderly patients is comparable to that for younger patients. Age alone should not deny older lung cancer patients optimal evaluation, treatment, and care.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1987

Relationship of cancer and aging.

The major risk factor for cancer is progressive age. Molecular advances in our understanding of carcinogenesis and the aging process are helping to clarify this relationship. The magnitude of cancer in the elderly warrants institution of an active prevention program by clinicians caring for this population.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Chronic illness and functional limitation in Ontario children: findings of the Ontario Child Health Study.

The Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS) was based on interviews of 1869 Ontario families who were selected by means of a stratified, multistaged sampling method from the 1981 census of Canada. Its primary purpose was to determine the prevalence and distribution of mental health problems in Ontario children aged 4 to 16 years and their families, but it also allowed an estimate of other significant medical conditions and provided an overview of these children's use of health care, education and social services. Our results are based on questionnaire responses concerning 3294 children. Limitation of function without a chronic illness or medical condition was reported in 1.9%, the converse in 14.0%, and a chronic illness or medical condition with limitation of function in 3.7%. When the three groups are considered together, 19.6% of Ontario children had a chronic health problem. Children of lower socioeconomic status were much more likely to have chronic health problems. Overall, children with chronic health problems were more likely to use physician, special education, social and mental health services. These findings have implications for those who provide services for children, plan community programs or train professionals in caring for children.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1986

Inhibition of platelet aggregation in whole blood by dipyridamole and aspirin.

We have examined the effects of dipyridamole on platelet aggregation in whole blood both in vitro and after administration to man. The effects of dipyridamole ex vivo were compared with those of aspirin and a combination of dipyridamole and aspirin. In vitro dipyridamole was most effective as an inhibitor of platelet aggregation induced by platelet activating factor (PAF) and low concentrations of arachidonic acid (AA). Its inhibitory effect was always potentiated by adenosine suggesting that its effect on aggregation may be via inhibition of adenosine uptake into blood cells. Ex vivo, dipyridamole, aspirin and the combination of these drugs inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by PAF and AA. Again, adenosine increased the degree of inhibition. These results stress the importance of measuring platelet aggregation in the natural whole blood environment for detection of the inhibitory effects of dipyridamole and suggest a mode of action for the drug.

Aspirin↗
PubMed1986

A comparison of minimal versus intensive controlled drinking treatment interventions for problem drinkers.

Thirty-seven problem drinkers with problems of low to moderate severity were randomly allocated to two groups, one receiving 'minimal' treatment of three or four sessions' assessment and advice, and the other 'intensive' treatment of one or more of a selection of individually tailored, cognitive-behavioural therapies lasting an average of 9.1 sessions. The two groups were followed up an average of 15.5 months after termination of treatment. Analysis of covariance revealed that the intensive group reduced consumption significantly more than the minimal group. Also, the intensive group showed a significantly greater increase in the number of days abstinent in the month prior to follow-up. Analysis of covariance also showed that, in spite of their small numbers (n = 7), women increased their days abstinent by a significantly greater amount and reported a significantly greater reduction in number of days drinking between 10 and 20 units. Overall, successful outcome was associated with higher pre-treatment employment and higher alcohol consumption although, given the large numbers of measures, these findings could have occurred by chance.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

A T cell model for age-related loss of homeostasis: identification of the cell type responsible for age-related delay in recovery of the PHA-induced mitogenic response from radiation injury.

Immunologic recovery from radiation injury was used to assess age-related loss of immunologic homeostasis. Mice were exposed to 500 rad to determine whether macrophages, T helper cells and/or T responder cells were responsible for the age-related delay in recovery of PHA-induced mitogenesis. Recovery of macrophages was determined by facilitation of macrophage-deficient cultures, recovery of T helper cells by interleukin 2 production, and recovery of T responder cells by incorporation of tritiated thymidine. The results showed that in old mice macrophages are resistant to radiation and aging, T helper cells recover completely from radiation, and recovery is incomplete for T responder cells.

Aging↗
PubMed1986

Application of iodine-123-labeled isopropylamphetamine imaging to the study of dementia.

Forty-seven patients diagnosed as clinically demented were imaged with 123I isopropylamphetamine (IMP). All of these patients also had a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study. In those patients diagnosed as having senile dementia of the Alzheimer type a bilateral reduction in IMP uptake in the temporo-parieto-occipital region was always seen. The NMR appearances were normal in 64% of these sites. The IMP images of patients with multi-infarct dementia varied from normal to marked focal deficits. There was, however, a much closer agreement between the abnormalities seen on the IMP and NMR images. In alcoholic dementia no focal areas of reduced IMP uptake were seen, although the uptake was generally irregular. In both Korsakoff's psychosis and Huntington's chorea the IMP uptake pattern and the NMR study were normal.

Aged↗
PubMed1985

Platelet behaviour in normal pregnancy, pregnancy complicated by essential hypertension and pregnancy-induced hypertension.

Platelet behaviour was studied throughout pregnancy in a group of women who remained normotensive and a group with essential hypertension (EHT). Women who developed pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) were also studied together with a group of non-pregnant female controls. We determined the sensitivity of platelets to arachidonic acid (AA) and determined the effects of dazoxiben, a thromboxane synthetase inhibitor, on AA-induced platelet behaviour. A marked increase in platelet reactivity was evident in all three groups throughout pregnancy; platelets became more sensitive to AA and less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of dazoxiben. The change was apparent as early as 16 weeks gestation. In normotensive pregnancy and in EHT platelet behaviour had returned to normal six weeks after delivery. Platelets from women who developed PIH were more sensitive to AA than those from the other pregnant women and platelet reactivity had not returned to normal six weeks after delivery. The results indicate that alterations in platelet behaviour may contribute to the vascular complications that are known to be associated with pregnancy and with PIH in particular.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗
PubMed1985

The essential role of L-glutamine in lymphocyte differentiation in vitro.

The biochemistry of human B lymphocyte differentiation to plasma cells is incompletely understood. L-glutamine appears to be required for both lymphoblastic transformation and plasma cell formation in pokeweed-mitogen-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cell cultures. Cells cultured with pokeweed mitogen in glutamine-deficient RPMI-1640 with 10% heat-inactivated and dialyzed fetal bovine serum were unable to incorporate 3H-thymidine or undergo morphologic lymphoblastic transformation assessed at 72 hours. However, 3H-thymidine incorporation could be maximally restored with as little as 0.08 mM L-glutamine or by using nondialyzed heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, containing approximately. 1 mM L-glutamine. In subsequent cultures, using glutamine-deficient RPMI-1640 with 10% nondialyzed heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, lymphoblastic transformation was equivalent with or without additional L-glutamine supplementation. However, only cultures with 2 mM L-glutamine supplementation underwent plasma cell differentiation as assessed by cytoplasmic staining with fluorescein-conjugated anti-immunoglobulin. When the kinetics of cellular immunoglobulin synthesis and secretion were analyzed by 3H- leucine incorporation into immunoglobulin, synthesis was 2-5 fold greater, and secretion 3-10-fold greater in cell cultures with 2 mM L-glutamine supplementation. By electron microscopy, only the glutamine-supplemented cells showed development of rough endoplasmic reticulum consistent with active immunoglobulin production. L-glutamine supplementation had no apparent effect on cell recovery, viability, % B cells, % T cells, % monocytes, or % helper and suppressor T cells. Thus, L-glutamine is essential for both lymphoblastic transformation and plasma cell differentiation. Future investigation of the selective nutritional requirements of cultured cells should yield further insights into the biochemical control of immune cell differentiation and function.

Cell Differentiation↗
PubMed1985

Evaluation of hyperviscosity in monoclonal gammopathies.

The serum or plasma hyperviscosity syndrome has been described in both monoclonal and polyclonal immunoglobulin disorders. The usefulness of initial and serial plasma viscosity measurements by an automated viscometer technique was evaluated and compared with serum protein electrophoresis data in 107 patients without monoclonal gammopathies and 153 patients with monoclonal gammopathies. In patients without monoclonal gammopathies, plasma viscosity correlated best with the concentration of gamma globulins. In patients with monoclonal gammopathies, plasma viscosity correlated best with the serum monoclonal protein concentration, but individual patient variations in the ratio of plasma viscosity to monoclonal protein concentration made accurate prediction of plasma viscosity difficult without direct measurement. Six of eight patients with plasma viscosity above 5.0 cp had classic symptoms of hyperviscosity syndrome, and four of the six had recurrent episodes. Six other patients with plasma viscosity above 4.0 cp had more subtle presentations of hyperviscosity but responded equally well to therapeutic lowering of plasma viscosity. These patients are part of a larger subset of 27 patients in whom initial plasma viscosity was above 3.0 cp. No patient with an initial plasma viscosity below 3.0 cp subsequently showed hyperviscosity symptoms. Plasma viscosity measured by this technique is a useful tool in screening patients with dysproteinemias to identify and monitor those with and at risk for the hyperviscosity syndrome.

Blood Protein Electrophoresis↗
PubMed1984

The current systems assessment and the clinical care process. A tool for clinical supervision and the design of clinical information systems.

A side benefit of a current systems assessment carried out prior to automation was the development of a systematic picture of the clinical care system as captured in the system flow chart. The results of this assessment provided clinical administrators with a blueprint identifying the current system's strengths and weaknesses, which could be used both to introduce improvements and to measure the effect of such changes totally apart from the initial question of automation.

Delivery of Health Care↗
PubMed1984

Digital tomosynthesis: technique modifications and clinical applications for neurovascular anatomy.

Digital tomosynthesis studies (DTS) using a linear tomographic motion can provide good quality clinical images when combined with subtraction angiotomography. By modifying our hardware system and the computer software algorithms, we were able to reconstruct tomosynthesis images using an isocentric rotation (IR) motion. Since this is the motion used by C-arm and U-arm angiographic units, these modifications allow for the use of DTS studies in most modern angiographic suites at a reasonable cost. Applying a combination of linear tomographic and IR techniques in clinical cases, we performed DTS studies in six patients, five with aneurysms and one with a hypervascular tumor. The results showed detailed definitions of the pathologic entities and the regional neurovascular anatomy. Based on this early experience, DTS would seem to be a useful technique for the preoperative surgical planning of vascular abnormalities.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1983

Phase contrast microscopy of microbial aggregates in the gingival sulcus of Macaca mulatta. Subgingival plaque bacteria in macaca mulatta.

The objective of this study was to study the relationship of microbial aggregates in the subgingival crevice to changes in periodontal health in Macaca mulatta. The sample included 68 oral sites from 17 Rhesus monkeys of various ages. The periodontal health of each site was evaluated using Plaque and Gingival Indices and crevice depth measurement. The subgingival plaque samples were examined by phase contrast microscopy and recorded on 16 mm film. A Microbial Index was developed based on a qualitative estimate of the numbers of organisms, morphology of predominant organisms, and the presence or absence of motility. The Microbial Index was demonstrated to be simple in use and highly reproducible. The findings indicate that changes in the Microbial Index are consistent with tissue changes seen in the periodontal status in M. mulatta. From this preliminary study, the oral flora of adult M. mulatta appears to have sufficient similarities to human oral flora to be used as a microbial model for experimental periodontal disease research. Future studies to refine and confirm the validity of the Microbial Index are warranted. It may prove to be a useful tool to monitor the effect of various treatment modalities on the periodontal flora and to determine the presence or absence of active disease.

Animals↗