Biomedical subjects

K Gill

Publications and source records attributed to K Gill.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

Differential effects of an early housing manipulation on cocaine-induced activity and self-administration in laboratory rats.

Several reports in the literature suggested that environmental influences which are reflected in the social housing conditions of the rat may play a role in the expression of individual differences in drug self-administration. The present experiments were performed in order to further examine the effects of early housing manipulations, as reflected by grouped or isolation housing, on cocaine-induced behavioral responding. The first study examined the effects of this manipulation on the locomotor stimulant properties of cocaine. The results suggested that grouped housing produced a significantly greater increase in cocaine-induced locomotion than was observed in animals housed in isolation. Experiment 2 examined the effects of housing manipulations on the self-administration of cocaine under a continuous reinforcement schedule. Differences in the rate of cocaine self-administration were only observed at the lowest dose tested. Responding at all other doses was equivalent, including the optimal dose for both groups, suggesting that the housing manipulations failed to affect the reinforcing efficacy of cocaine. The present investigation suggests that, while the early housing manipulation produced a differential sensitivity in rats to the stimulant properties of cocaine, the same manipulation failed to alter the sensitivity of rats to the reinforcing properties of cocaine as assessed through self-administration.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1991

Effect of ethanol on cadmium uptake and metabolism of zinc and copper in rats exposed to cadmium.

Effects of chronic administration of cadmium and ethanol, alone as well as in combination, on the uptake of cadmium and its interaction with other essential trace elements in various tissues of adult rats were investigated. Cadmium given in combination with ethanol led to a pronounced increase in cadmium absorption and accumulation in all the tissues studied relative to both non-exposed controls and rats treated with cadmium alone. Both cadmium and ethanol exhibited specific effects on copper and zinc levels of the tissues. These effects often were significantly altered when the animals were co-exposed to cadmium and ethanol. The results suggested that although both cadmium and ethanol individually pose a hazard to essential trace metal homeostasis of various organs, co-exposure can pose a major threat since animals exposed to ethanol absorb much more cadmium than their unexposed counterparts.

Absorption↗

PubMed1991

Clinical experience with automated percutaneous discectomy: the Nucleotome system.

The Nucleotome system was used to treat contained herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar spine over a 2-year period. The results were categorized as successful or unsuccessful according to patient perception and anticipated result. The overall success rate was 79%; 93% in private pay and 65% in workers' compensation. The causes of failure were three free fragments not identified in the preoperative scanning technique and 10 cases with significant back pain failing to respond to percutaneous techniques. Overall, percutaneous lumbar discectomy is believed to be an acceptable treatment technique for those patients with contained herniated nucleus pulposus.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Serotonin uptake inhibitors: effects on motivated consummatory behaviors.

Within the context of the role of serotonin (5-HT) in motivated behavior, the authors examine the effects of 5-HT uptake inhibitors on the regulation of motivated consummatory behavior. Emphasis in this field has for the most part focused on the consistent observation that treatment with these agents attenuates voluntary ethanol drinking behavior in both rats and humans. There has been extensive speculation that the underlying mechanism of the decrease in ethanol intake induced by 5-HT uptake inhibition may involve a modulation of ethanol's reinforcing properties. However, increasing evidence indicates that food consumption and fluid intake are also attenuated by these compounds. In addition, it has been shown that morphine, amphetamine, cocaine, and nicotine self-administration, as well as intracranial self-stimulation, are all decreased following 5-HT uptake inhibition. These observations support strongly the notion that the effects of these agents are global in nature and not specific to any single consummatory behavior. They also suggest that 5-HT uptake inhibition may result in nonspecific modification of motivated behavior in general.

Alcohol Drinking↗

PubMed1991

1991 Volvo Award in clinical sciences. Smoking and lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration: an MRI study of identical twins.

The primary objective of this study was to determine whether disc degeneration, as assessed through magnetic resonance imaging, is greater in smokers than in nonsmokers. To control for the maximum number of potentially confounding variables, pairs of identical twins highly discordant for cigarette smoking were selected as study subjects. Data analyses revealed 18% greater mean disc degeneration scores in the lumbar spines of smokers as compared with nonsmokers. The effect was present across the entire lumbar spine, implicating a mechanism acting systemically. This investigation demonstrates the efficiency of using carefully selected controls in studying conditions of multifactorial etiology, such as disc degeneration.

Awards and Prizes↗

PubMed1990

[Evaluation of clinical-pathological conferences using a program for computer-assisted diagnosis; analysis of 100 case reports].

Case studies as weekly published in the New England Journal of Medicine are analysed using the computer programme Medwise. The programme covers more than 3,500 disease profiles. After entering clinical data on all patients described in 1986 and 1987, the diagnostic outcome was compared with the results of the clinicians and with the eventual patho-anatomical findings. Medwise gave the correct diagnosis in 93% of the 104 cases considered. In 15 cases the clinicians failed to formulate the patho-anatomical diagnosis; Medwise correctly detected nine of these (60%). Medwise missed the diagnosis in seven cases, but the clinicians' answers were also faulty in six of them. These results indicate the usefulness of computer-assisted interpretation of clinical findings for establishing the diagnosis, provided that the course and laboratory data concerning the patient are accurately documented.

Autopsy↗

PubMed1990