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Biomedical subjects

N Adler

Publications and source records attributed to N Adler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Do adolescents understand what physicians say about sexuality and health?

The high rates of adolescent sexual activity, often with adverse medical and social outcomes among minority females, prompted us to survey 160 girls between the ages of 13 and 18 concerning their knowledge of reproductive health terms, anatomy, and body functions. All were patients in a clinic in an inner-city hospital. We hypothesized that adolescents who were older, sexually active, and/or had received formal sex education would be better informed. We used a two-part, self-administered questionnaire. The first part focused on definitions of nine common medical and reproductive health terms; the second focused on definitions of unlabeled anatomic drawings of male and female genitourinary systems. The subjects' responses revealed their lack of information as well as a great deal of misinformation. No statistical differences in knowledge were found related to age, sexual activity status, or formal sex education. Many patients knew only nontechnical and slang terms and did not understand medical terms used by physicians in the clinic. Clinicians should not assume similar patients (minority and poor) know or understand their terminology and should use simple and, if necessary, explicit vocabulary.

Academic Medical Centers

Gait electromyograms and surgical decisions for paralytic deformities of the foot.

Twenty-one patients who had 23 gait electromyographic (EMG) examinations for paralytic deformities of the foot had surgical procedures performed. Outcome of the surgery was analysed with respect to the value of the pre-operative gait studies in deciding on appropriate surgical procedures. When outcome at follow-up (mean 3.6 years) was satisfactory and surgery had been in accordance with the EMG findings, or when outcome was unsatisfactory when the EMG had been disregarded, the value was deemed positive. Conversely, if the EMG data had been disregarded but outcome was satisfactory, the value was negative. Using these criteria, 70 per cent of the EMGs of the four muscles tested (tibialis anterior and posterior, peroneal and gastrocnemius) were a positive contribution to the evaluation and decision for the particular surgical procedure.

Adolescent

Stimulation of the paraventricular nucleus area of the hypothalamus elevates urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin during daytime.

The paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) is thought to be a part of the neural circuit comprising the melatonin rhythm generating system (MRGS). Electrical stimulation of the PVN during the early lights-on period significantly elevated urinary 6-hydroxymelatonin content to nearly 50% of night levels; stimulation during the lights-off period did not produce significant changes. In contrast to the effects of PVN stimulation, stimulation of surrounding brain areas was without effect at either time. This observation confirms the participation of the PVN in the MRGS.

Animals

Balance reactions and eye-hand coordination in idiopathic scoliosis.

We undertook this study to determine if subclinical postural control mechanisms were abnormal in idiopathic scoliosis. Ninety-one female patients and fifty-seven age-matched female controls were examined. We used a force plate ataxiometer to quantitate postural sway in the standing position and recorded the displacement and acceleration of the center of pressure during static stance and under perturbation with eyes opened and closed. A joystick-controlled video system was used to measure reaction time and eye-hand motor coordination. The scoliosis group demonstrated significantly less sway during two of the eight standing balance conditions and on the remaining balance tests there was a similar trend, albeit nonsignificant. The reaction time for the scoliosis group was also significantly slower, but the accuracy was not significantly worse. We noted no statistical differences between progressive and nonprogressive or between braced and unbraced patients. The subgroup of patients whose curves progressed despite bracing had a tendency to demonstrate greater stability on all standing tests. They also exhibited faster reaction times and less error in eye-hand coordination than other patient groups. No correlation existed between severity of curve and test performance. We found no indication of deficient balance in idiopathic scoliosis, and the tests could not predict curve progression.

Adolescent

Parental reactions to the onset of adolescence.

This paper documents the common changes associated with the onset of puberty and examines parents' reactions to these changes. Nine hundred questionnaires were sent to the parents of sixth and seventh graders (11-13 years old) in four communities. The questionnaire requested information on the perception of recent behavioral changes and the parents' emotional responses to them. Four hundred parents responded. Parents reported significant changes, both positive and negative, in their children in the year prior to the study. Reported changes were not significantly related to community locations, demographic or education variables, and, with one exception, to the sex of the child. First-born children were perceived more negatively and generated more negative feelings in parents. Younger parents (less than or equal to 38 years of age) perceived more negative changes and experienced more negative and anxious feelings toward their children than did older parents (greater than or equal to 39 years). These findings suggest that a primary cause of stress for parents with children in this age group may be a lack of knowledge about the developmental process. Physicians may be able to reduce the stress by providing anticipatory guidance to parents about the physical growth and psychologic aspects of early adolescence.

Adolescent

Rat model for acute myocardial infarction: application to technetium-labeled glucoheptonate, tetracycline, and polyphosphate.

Cauterization of rat myocardium serves as a quick (2 min) inexpensive technique to create an animal model of acute myocardial infarction useful in evaluating radiopharmaceuticals as potential clinical imaging agents. Preliminary evidence indicates that is correlates well with behavior in man. Application of the model led to the discovery, confirmed by later investigators, that chelating agents such as glucoheptonate and polyphosphate show significant uptake in recent myocardial lesions.

Animals

Modulation of the copulatory sequence of the male rat by a schedule of reinforcement.

Copulating male rats were permitted a maximum of seven intromissions in which to ejaculate. This experimental constraint of the male rat's sexual behavior produced an increase in the number of sessions in which the male ejaculated before the seventh intromrission. This species-specific behavior pattern is therefore susceptible to environmental conditioning.

Animals