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Biomedical subjects

J L Mack

Publications and source records attributed to J L Mack.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Neuropsychological correlates of hypertension.

Twenty newly diagnosed, untreated hypertensive men (diastolic blood pressure greater than 105 mm Hg) and 20 normotensive controls were given a neuropsychological battery, including tests of generalized, more global functions (eg, reaction time and full-scale IQ) and of specific functions (eg, language and visual-spatial abilities) sensitive to focal damage. Tests of specific abilities yielded no differences between the two groups. In contrast, tests of general neuropsychological functioning revealed a deficit among hypertensives, who were significantly slower on the reaction time test and had a shorter span for digits in forward order. Results suggest that arterial hypertension is associated with impairment of vigilance and attention span. Future research will determine whether this impairment is associated with the diffuse pathological changes seen in the brain of hypertensive subjects, or with a more "functional" change (eg, reduced cerebral blood flow).

Attention↗
PubMed1976

Response to delayed auditory feedback in patients with hemispheric lesions.

The effect of delayed auditory feedback (DAF) on the performance of verbal and nonverbal tasks at two levels of difficulty by patients with left or right hemispheric lesions and non brain-damaged controls was compared. All subjects showed DAF effects, as measured by increases in response duration and intensity. While controls showed an increase in DAF effects as a function of increased task difficulty, the brain-damaged patients failed to show such an increase on tasks on which they were presumably impaired (verbal tasks for lefts, nonverbal for rights). Findings suggest a clear dissociation between DAF effects in unilateraly lesioned patients due to the nature of the stimulus material and its difficulty level.

Aphasia↗
PubMed1975

Optic ataxia: clinical-radiological correlations with the EMIscan.

After coronary by-pass surgery, a 47 year old, right-handed man developed Gerstmann's syndrome, a visual-spatial perceptual deficit, and a gross impairment of movememt under visual guidance ("optic ataxia"). Visual fields and extraocular movements were intact; he had a left hemiparesis. The EMIscan showed three lesions: a left parietal-occipital lesion; a posterior callosal lesion, and a right frontal lesion. It is hypothesized that optic ataxia in both visual fields requires bilateral lesions which, in the present case, were strategically placed so as to effectively disconnect motor cortex from visual input.

Ataxia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The evaluation of behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer's disease: the utility of three rating scales.

Behavioral disturbances, eg, wandering, irritability, depression, and delusions, are observed in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Determining the importance of such symptoms requires that they be evaluated objectively. The Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (Behave-AD), Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (Cornell), and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) were administered to 61 AD and 20 elderly control subjects. Only one AD subject showed no behavioral symptoms. All scales were reliably rated for presence or absence of symptoms. However, assessment of reliability of severity ratings was limited, because symptom frequency and severity were low. Although the Cornell and Behave-AD appeared more appropriate for AD subjects than did the BPRS, neither scale provided a complete description of behavioral symptoms, and each showed problems that interfere with its use. We recommend the development of a comprehensive scale with a well-anchored system of scaling and detailed rater instructions.

Aged↗