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Biomedical subjects

M F Nolan

Publications and source records attributed to M F Nolan.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Conductive differences in electrodes used with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices.

The purpose of this study was to document conductive differences among commercially available electrodes used with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices. Impedance within a model system involving a human subject was calculated from oscilloscopic tracings of the pulse waveform for each of 25 different electrode types. Impedance values ranged from 1,000 to 7,800 omega Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. The observation that electrodes vary in their impedance and can thereby affect the stimulus applied to the skin raises the question of whether electrode choice might affect the clinical effectiveness of TENS. Attention is drawn to the skin electrodes as a variable that may affect the results of clinical and basic studies involving TENS.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Ad in question.

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Advertising↗
PubMed1988

Selected problems in the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for pain control--an appraisal with proposed solutions. A special communication.

The purposes of this communication are 1) to call attention to several problematic issues related to the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for pain control and 2) to consider strategies for correcting existing problems and averting additional problems in the future. Specific problems within two general areas of difficulty are identified, and proposed solutions to these problems are presented. It is hoped that discussion of these issues will encourage comment and debate, bring about further objective and critical evaluation of the effectiveness and value of TENS for pain control, and lead to a clearer understanding of the responsibilities of manufacturers and users of this therapeutic modality.

Consumer Behavior↗
PubMed1985

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for pain control after spinal fusion with Harrington rods. A clinical report.

During the past two years, we have been using transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for pain control after spinal fusion with Harrington rods. This report describes our postoperative pain management program and our evaluation of its effectiveness. We examined postoperative pain medication usage and found that patients using TENS received fewer doses of several commonly prescribed pain drugs than did patients not using TENS devices. Difficulties we encountered in evaluating our program are described along with recommendations for other researchers interested in assessing TENS in the management of postoperative pain.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Quantitative measure of cutaneous sensation. Two-point discrimination values for the face and trunk.

This study was performed to assess two-point discrimination ability for skin areas of the face and trunk. Using a compass-type instrument, I determined two-point discrimination values for three areas on the face and eight, nonoverlapping regions of the neck and trunk in a sample of 43 healthy young adult men and women. Mean values for the face ranged from 14.9 mm over the eyebrow to 10.4 mm along the lateral aspect of the mandible. Values for the neck and trunk ranged from 35.2 mm for skin of the lateral neck to 55.4 mm for the region immediately lateral to the C7 spinous process. I also found interindividual variation in two-point discrimination ability for a given skin area. Except for skin overlying the body of the mandible, where values for women were lower than those measured in men, no significant differences in discrimination ability were found between men and women. Although assessment of two-point discrimination is useful in the clinical evaluation of certain types of patients, the existence of intraindividual and interindividual differences suggests that therapists must interpret the results of these tests with caution.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

Ultrastructure and quantitative synaptology of the sacral parasympathetic nucleus.

This study examines the anatomical substrate for the spinal micturition reflex. Light microscopy of pyridine silver-stained sections revealed that the sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN) exists as a broken column or chain of cell clusters located along the intermediolateral portion of the dorsal horn in sacral segments S2-S4. Quantitative analysis of neuropil components in electron micrographs provides data for each type of bouton identified in this nucleus. On the somata of these neurons, boutons containing clear spherical vesicles (S type) comprise 70% of the bouton population. Terminals containing three or more dense core vesicles (GS boutons) account for 26% and boutons containing flattened vesicles (F boutons) comprise 4% of the population. F boutons are more common on large dendrites where they comprise 10% of the total bouton population. The actual population density of each bouton type is most evident when the number of boutons is expressed as boutons per 100 micron of membrane length (btn/100 micron). S type boutons are the most frequently encountered type. The population density of S boutons is the same on soma and dendrites at 6.66 btn/100 micron. F boutons are more numerous on large (greater than 2 micron) dendrites (1.28 btn/100 micron) than on small dendrites (0.63 btn/100 micron) or on somata (0.36 btn/100 micron). GS boutons occur more frequently on small dendrites (3.66 btn/100 micron) than on somata (2.29 btn/100 micron), large dendrites (2.88 btn/100 micron) or medium dendrites (2.27 btn/100 micron). These data suggest that the dense core vesicle-containing boutons are applied primarily to small (less than 1 micron) dendrites and that F boutons are associated mostly with large or proximal dendrites. These results provide a quantitative profile of the synaptic input to the sacral autonomic (parasympathetic) neurons which innervate the urinary bladder and demonstrate specific population differences on various postsynaptic structures in this nucleus.

Animals↗