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Biomedical subjects

M Abeles

Publications and source records attributed to M Abeles.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Methods used by urban, low-income minorities to care for their arthritis.

The purpose of this study is to describe the current treatment methods minorities use and believe are effective in relieving the pain and discomfort of arthritis. One hundred sixty subjects from two urban, low-income minority communities reported to case finders that they had some form of arthritis. Subsequently they were interviewed and examined by a rheumatologist. Sixty-six percent were black, and 34% were Hispanic. The study found that 83% had some type of rheumatic disease. Differences existed between the black and Hispanic samples in age, rheumatic disease distribution, and methods of care. The majority of black respondents were older, with a frequent diagnoses of osteoarthritis, compared to the Hispanics, who reported fibrositis as their dominant rheumatic problem. An array of conventional and nonconventional therapies were used by both groups to care for their arthritis. Prayer (92%), equipment (70%), and heat (33%) were reported as "most helpful" for the blacks. Hispanics reported prayer (50%), heat (40%), and topical ointments as "most helpful." In order to communicate and provide optimal care to patients from divergent cultural backgrounds, it is important to understand both likenesses and differences, and to be sensitive to the patient's belief system and health care practices.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Single unit activity in the auditory cortex of a monkey performing a short term memory task.

Short term memory to tones (STMT) was investigated by recording single unit activity in the auditory cortex of a behaving monkey. The activity of each unit was studied in two behavioral conditions: a) During task performance, the monkey had to compare two tones separated by one second of silence (inter-stimulus interval). b) During a non-performing period; the monkey heard the two tones but did not respond behaviorally. It was noted that the firing rate of many units during the inter-stimulus interval (ISI) was dependent on the frequency of the first tone. Such dependency was observed even towards the end of the ISI, both during task performance trials (50% of the units) and during the non-performing period (32% of the units). The activity of these units could be the basis of STMT in both of these behavioral states. In 65% of all the units tested, the responses during the ISI were of a higher magnitude in the performance period than were the responses in the non-performance period. The activity of these units may be related either to general processes such as attention and expectation or to short-term memory processes. During task performance, the responses of 23% of the units to the second tone were dependent on whether its frequency was identical to that of the first tone. Such dependency was never observed during the non-performing period. These units may detect similarity or non similarity between two tones presented one second apart. Periodic patterns of firing were not found in the study, thus suggesting that the ISI responses were not generated by reverberatory activity in simple closed loops. On the basis of these results, several alternative mechanisms of STMT are suggested.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1989

Outcome of an osteoarthritis education program for low-literacy patients taught by indigenous instructors.

A 10-h osteoarthritis education course was developed and evaluated for older low-income patients with osteoarthritis. Indigenous community leaders were trained to teach the course within inner-city neighborhoods of Hartford, Connecticut. Significant differences were obtained using a quasi-experimental group, pre/post-test design. There was a significant increase in knowledge (P less than 0.001) both on a verbal knowledge test and a picture story test (P less than 0.001). There was a significant increase in scores on an exercise scale (P less than 0.001). Attitude toward one's illness improved. There was a slight improvement in function which was not significant. Use of adaptive equipment increased as a direct result of the program. The course was well accepted and enjoyed by the participants.

Connecticut↗
PubMed1989

Neuronal activities related to higher brain functions--theoretical and experimental implications.

The activities of several single units (6-10) were recorded simultaneously in the auditory cortex and in frontal cortical areas of cats and monkeys. The response properties of the single units and the interaction between them were studied. It is shown that single units in both areas may participate in prolonged processes and be involved in more than one process. Adjacent neurons need not function in unison; while some neurons are activated, others may stay inactive. The interactions among adjacent neurons are weak, and can be modulated by sensory stimulation, and by arousal and behavioral states. These properties lead us to hypothesize that information is represented in the cortex by coactivation of sets of neurons rather than by independent modulation of the single-unit firing rate. A single unit may be a member of several representing sets. Thus, each neuron may participate in more than one function and each small cortical area may contain members of several functional sets. A mechanism for computing and transmitting information, based on converging-diverging links, between neuronal sets is described and tested by simulations and analysis of experimental data.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Aseptic necrosis and glucocorticosteroids in systemic lupus erythematosus: a reevaluation.

To reassess predisposing factors in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who develop aseptic necrosis of bone, we studied 172 patients with SLE seen at our institution between 1975 and 1987 followed for longer than 1 year. Twenty-eight (16.3%) of these patients developed clinically apparent aseptic necrosis. In 12 of these 28 the continuous glucocorticosteroid dose was known. These 12 patients were compared to 15 controls with SLE followed for a minimum of 4.5 years for whom continuous glucocorticosteroid dosage was also known. We were unable to find any significant differences between patients with aseptic necrosis and controls in prevalence of specific lupus organ system involvement, Raynaud's phenomenon, or abnormal serological or hematological variables. Overall disease activity at the time of maximal glucocorticosteroid dosage did not differ significantly between the 2 groups but was slightly greater at the time SLE was diagnosed in the group with aseptic necrosis. Glucocorticosteroid intake during the first 1.5 years after diagnosis of SLE and during the third year after diagnosis was significantly greater for the patients with aseptic necrosis than for the control patients, as was glucocorticosteroid intake during the maximal 1, 3 and 6 months of therapy. We conclude that glucocorticosteroid intake is the major factor predisposing to aseptic necrosis in patients with SLE.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Sacroiliitis and brucellosis.

A 21-year-old Peruvian man presented with sacroiliitis, fever, elevated liver enzymes, abdominal and right scrotal pain. Brucellosis was diagnosed based on culture and serological data. Appropriate therapy led to full recovery. Our case presents a timely reminder that brucellosis should always be considered as part of the differential diagnosis of sacroiliitis.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Detecting spatiotemporal firing patterns among simultaneously recorded single neurons.

1. A particular firing pattern among simultaneously observed neurons represents a particular sequence of activity. If any multineuron pattern repeats significantly more than expected by chance, we may be observing a repeated state of a neural assembly as it processes similar units of information. 2. We present here an algorithm that rapidly finds all single or multineuron patterns that repeat two or more times within a block of data, as well as equations for calculating the number of patterns of given length and repetition that would be expected. The complexity of patterns for which it is practical to compute expected numbers is three to six spikes (inclusive). 3. Confidence limits are based on these expected numbers of patterns, so that is possible to identify groups of patterns that are worthy of further analysis. 4. These methods are tested against simulated multineuron data that has various types of known nonstationarities, with good agreement between observed and expected values. 5. Application to real spike trains shows a large excess of observed repeating patterns, of which some, but not all, are shown to be due to bursts of high frequency firing. 6. It should be possible to apply the new method as a filter in real time in order to search for an association between repeated pattern events and externally observable events (stimulus, behavior, etc.). Any repeated pattern events which cannot be so associated may represent a new indicator of internal events in the nervous system.

Algorithms↗
PubMed1988

Polymyositis with tubular aggregates.

We report a patient with classic idiopathic polymyositis who had tubular aggregates on muscle biopsy. Tubular aggregates are distinctly rare in polymyositis although seen in a variety of other muscle disorders including myopathies associated with muscle cramping. Our patient did not have muscle cramps or severe myalgia. Moreover, the patient's disease responded to steroids, indicating that tubular aggregates were not a marker for steroid resistance. The function of the tubular aggregates in this disease is not clear.

Biopsy↗
PubMed1987

Computer-based patient education for older persons with osteoarthritis.

A program of 8 lessons on various aspects of osteoarthritis (OA), its treatment, and patient self-care was prepared on an Apple IIc computer. The courses were then field-tested and evaluated by 72 older (age range 52-88) OA patients in community centers for senior citizens. Statistical analysis of the findings showed significant increases in knowledge and significant self-reported, beneficial behavior changes, including increased exercise, use of heat, and rest. Our findings demonstrate that older persons can use the computer to learn to cope with OA when a thoughtfully planned program is made available in a community setting.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Dermatomyositis and Hodgkin's disease. Case report and review of the literature.

The association between dermatomyositis and Hodgkin's disease has been infrequently reported. A patient with advanced Hodgkin's disease and dermatomyositis is presented and an additional 11 cases obtained from the world literature are reviewed. The clinical features, response to treatment, and outcome of these diseases are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Sartorial ridge gout.

A 54-year-old man presented with acute swelling and pain in the posteromedial aspect of the knee not involving the joint itself. Aspiration of the soft tissue swelling produced viscous fluid in which multiple, negatively birefringent crystals were noted on compensated polarized microscopy. The first described case of acute gout involving the sartorial ridge, this case underlines the need for examining aspirated fluid from soft tissue as well as from joints for crystals.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

The effects of stimuli on the activity and functional connectivity of local neuronal groups in the cat auditory cortex.

Simultaneous extracellular recordings from one electrode of 'local' groups of 3-6 neurons were obtained from the auditory cortex of unanesthetized, paralyzed cats. The activity and functional connectivity of local microenvironments were examined under various auditory stimuli. Single cell response patterns were examined using peri-stimulus (PST) histograms and functional connectivity among neighboring cells by the cross renewal density (CRD) histograms. Analysis of the PST histograms suggested that a high percentage of single cells demonstrated different response patterns to different stimuli. Analysis of the CRD histograms suggested, on the one hand, that only small numbers of neighboring cells behaved as if there were direct connections from one cell to another, and that these direct connections appeared to be excitatory. On the other hand, many cell pairs shared input from shared sources which lay outside the local groups. The majority of functional connections were altered by at least one of the stimuli delivered, thus demonstrating the system's plasticity. It is suggested that long-term gates at the synaptic level are responsible for this phenomenon.

Action Potentials↗