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Biomedical subjects

O H Rundell

Publications and source records attributed to O H Rundell.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Managing pregnancy-related nocturnal nasal congestion. The external nasal dilator.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of an over-the-counter mechanical nasal dilator during sleep in pregnant women with nasal congestion. STUDY DESIGN: Pregnant women with symptoms of nocturnal nasal congestion not attributed to allergies or "cold" symptoms were randomized in a double-blind manner to receive either a spring-loaded device or placebo device without a spring. Each patient assessed breathing and sleep quality for a three-day baseline and three-day treatment period. A 10-question diary was utilized to assess breathing, ease of falling asleep, sleep quality, and continuity and depth of sleep. Averaged scores for each question were computed for baseline and treatment periods, and differences were calculated. Statistical analyses were by the sign test, Fisher's exact test and Student's test. RESULTS: Thirty-four (21%) of 160 screened patients were enrolled into the study; 24 (15%) completed the study. All agreed to being assigned to receive either the spring-loaded device (n = 12) or a placebo (n = 12) device. Responses to 8 of the 10 questions favored the former as compared with the placebo (P = .05, sign test). Moreover, patients treated with the spring-loaded device gave more favorable responses to the question, "Overall, compared with most nights, how easy was your breathing through-out last night?" (P = .02, t test). CONCLUSION: Use of this drug-free external nasal dilator improved the ease of breathing among patients with pregnancy-related nocturnal congestion.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A laboratory validation study of a portable system for remote recording of sleep-related respiratory disorders.

This study represents the validation of an out-of-laboratory recording system for screening sleep disorders by comparing it to an in-laboratory system which accomplishes complete polysomnography. Forty patient cases were collected. Each patient slept in the sleep laboratory with the simultaneous monitoring of eight channels from the Sleep I/T (CNS, Inc), as well as complete polysomnographic monitoring comparable to that which accomplishes routine patient evaluations utilizing the Sleeplab (CNS, Inc) system. The data collected on the Sleeplab system were analyzed in a computer-assisted manner followed by manual overreading of the raw data. The Sleep I/T data analysis was performed automatically using default parameters. The results revealed no significant differences in the determination of sleep efficiency, respiratory disturbance index (RDI), periodic leg movement (PLM) index, or the desaturation index. For the RDI, the sensitivity was 100 percent and the specificity was 93 percent for correctly detecting an RDI of 15 per hour, and the PLM index had a sensitivity of 89 percent and specificity of 97 percent in detecting episodes greater than 20 per hour. These data demonstrate excellent agreement between this out-of-laboratory system and polysomnography in its ability to detect accurately RDI, PLM index, and saturation levels.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Genetic markers in familial narcolepsy.

We studied three patients in a single family (father and two sons), all with long histories of overwhelming daytime sleepiness, hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis. Two of the three had a clear history of cataplexy. Multiple sleep latency tests revealed extremely short sleep onset latencies and at least two sleep onset rapid eye movement periods in each patient. Histocompatibility studies were remarkable for negative HLA-DR2 antigens in all three.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Persistent hypoxemia and excessive daytime sleepiness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Fourteen patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic hypoxemia were studied to evaluate the relationship between hypoxemia and objective and subjective daytime sleepiness. Patients were selected with a waking PaO2 of less than 70 mm Hg and less than 50 percent predicted FEV1. Clinically, none of these patients had complaints of significant daytime sleepiness. Each patient underwent standard all-night polysomnographic evaluation followed by a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). There was no significant correlation between the mean sleep onset latency for the MSLT and the waking PaO2, PCO2, FEV1, or spontaneous desaturations during sleep. Patients with COPD exhibited a mean MSLT that was within normal limits, despite a short total sleep time and numerous arousals from sleep. We conclude that there appears to be no relationship between chronic daytime hypoxemia and subjective reports and objective measures of daytime sleepiness.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Polysomnography methods and interpretations.

As the field of sleep disorders medicine continues to mature, appropriate diagnostic techniques are becoming properly defined and standardized. This article focuses principally upon diagnostic testing for sleep apnea, although other sleep disorders are discussed briefly. When interpreting a polysomnogram, one must consider a number of complex variables. A critical discussion of the methods for adequately measuring these variables is provided together with guidelines for appropriate interpretation.

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed1988

Dose effects of methaqualone on stimulus encoding in a memory scanning task.

Three task variables, stimulus quality, memory set size and response type, were used in a Sternberg binary classification task to define stimulus encoding, short-term memory scanning, and response selection stages within a serial stage reaction process. Mean reaction times, and the slopes and intercepts of the function relating reaction time to memory set size, were used to test the hypothesis that performance deficits seen at two doses of methaqualone (2.9 mg/kg and 5.9 mg/kg), in the range formerly in common clinical use, were specific to the stimulus encoding stage of the reaction process. Mean reaction times were increased significantly by the methaqualone at both doses, but the effects of the two doses did not differ from one another. The intercept of reaction time as a function of set size showed significant main effects of methaqualone, stimulus quality, and response type, and a significant hyper-additive interaction of methaqualone with stimulus quality. At 2.9 mg/kg, the intercept was increased by methaqualone but only with degraded stimuli. At 5.9 mg/kg, the intercept was increased by methaqualone for both high and low quality stimuli. These results suggested a dose-dependent selective effect of methaqualone on the stimulus encoding stage of the reaction process.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Commentary on the utility of experimental social and learning models of alcoholism.

This chapter reviews the status of models in scientific research generally and in alcohol research in particular. The reader's attention is drawn to both advantages and disadvantages of models. The authors concur with others that models should be judged primarily by a criterion of usefulness rather than that of truthfulness . The commentary then examines what animal models of alcoholism have purported to model and the variety of criteria offered to evaluate such models. The authors agree in part with Cicero that there is not now and perhaps never will be a "true animal model of alcoholism." Indeed, when the variety of expression of alcoholism in humans is considered, the utility of any single, comprehensive model of alcoholism (animal or human) is questionable. However, the authors note that models of alcohol-relevant phenomena need not replicate or map all the characteristics thought to be present in the human alcoholic. Finally, the authors review several examples of models of alcohol-related phenomena (presented in Chapters 1-4), noting that although such models may be limited, they appear useful in advancing our understanding of this complex and pressing problem area. The authors conclude that an effective strategy for alcohol investigators would be to develop parallel models for both animals and humans and to engage in collaborative research based on such models.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1984

Effect of alcohol on recall and recognition as functions of processing levels.

Other investigators have suggested that the memory impairments found in alcohol intoxication represent the failure to process information to sufficient depth, i.e., an encoding deficit. The present study employed different processing levels (semantic, phonemic and graphemic) in intentional-learning experiments to examine the effects of two different doses of alcohol on verbal free recall and recognition. Alcohol significantly impaired both recall and recognition. Guiding processing at information input with semantic orienting tasks and at retrieval with recognition testing improved the retention performance of both intoxicated subjects and controls administered a placebo. However, neither procedure corrected the relative decrement associated with the higher of the two doses of alcohol. Alcohol intoxication had no effect on the speed or accuracy of the initial encoding of items at any processing level. The results offer no support for the view that the verbal-retention deficits associated with alcohol intoxication are related either to the spontaneous failure to undertake deep semantic processing or to the inability to do so.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Secobarbital effects on recall and recognition in a levels-of-processing paradigm.

Dose effects of secobarbital on free recall and recognition of words were examined in levels-of-processing paradigms. Secobarbital significantly impaired recall, even when initial item processing was guided with appropriate orienting tasks. However, when processing was guided both at input (with orienting tasks) and at retrieval (with recognition testing), secobarbital-related retention deficits reported in conventional 'learn these words' experiments were not found. Levels-of-processing theory suggests at least two possible mediators for retention deficits associated with drug intoxication, a production deficit at encoding or reduced processing capacity. Neither of these hypotheses can account for the data. A third hypothesis suggests that the intoxicated subject adopts a cautious response-decision strategy, thus failing to emit available items in recall testing or to endorse correct items on recognition. The results of signal detection analysis offered no support for this hypothesis. Considered together with earlier studies, the data indicate that when processing is guided only at retrieval, secobarbital produces both recall and recognition decrements. On the other hand, when processing is guided only at input, the drug produces recall deficits. Apparently, when secobarbital-intoxicated subjects are left to generate their own responses at retrieval, they fail to undertake optimal retrieval strategies. When their processing is guided both at input and retrieval, their drug-induced retention decrements can be corrected.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Dose effects of secobarbital in a Sternberg memory scanning task.

Mean reaction times obtained in a Sternberg memory-scanning task were examined for the effects of secobarbital at two doses (1.47 mg/kg and 2.94 mg/kg) spanning the dose range commonly used in clinical practice. Both doses slowed reaction time significantly, with a more pronounced effect at the higher dose. The discriminability of the probe stimulus interacted with the barbiturate, producing a hyperadditive effect on reaction time, but only at the high dose. There were no other significant interaction effects involving the drug. These data are interpreted as additional support for an hypothesis localizing the effects of secobarbital to stimulus-encoding stages in the reaction process.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Altered sleep physiology in chronic alcoholics: reversal with abstinence.

Somnograms obtained from recently abstinent chronic alcoholics reveal gross disruption succinctly described as "fractured" sleep. Sleep onset is delayed and the rhythmic properties of the sleep pattern are markedly disturbed with numerous brief arousals and changes of sleep stage. Excessive stage 1 and stage rapid eye movement sleep are present while the high voltage slow wave sleep is markedly reduced or absent. With continued sobriety (9 mo or more) the sleep stage percentages tend to return to normal levels, but the disruption of the sleep pattern persists after as much as 21 mo of abstinence.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

A model for service delivery research and evaluation: management implications for alcohol, drug abuse and mental health organizations.

Public alcohol, drug and mental health organizations have failed to adequately demonstrate their impact. Historically, the justification for these programs have relied more on good intentions and good faith to support their efforts than on their documented efficacy. This lack of documentation has contributed, in part, to recent federal and state mandates for better management, control, and evaluation of publicly financed mental health, alcohol and drug abuse care. This paper presents a model of applied research and evaluation designed to enhance the capabilities of public mental health, drug and alcohol programs in demonstrating their clinical and rehabilitative results.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1981

Feasibility of an alcoholism health insurance benefit.

The present study examined the impact of alcoholism treatment upon the subsequent utilization of health care services. Information gathered on a sample of 2,362 alcoholic clients at time of admission and six months later, was utilized to compare the savings in medical care expenses with the costs of alcoholism treatment. For the first year following treatment, costs exceeded savings by an average of $263 per client (benefit-cost ratio = 0.63:1). However, if the savings were sustained, the benefits would exceed costs within two years of the treatment period. These findings support the notion that alcoholism treatment produces a reduction in medical costs and provides some economic justification for an alcoholism insurance benefit.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Psychiatric morbidity in prisons.

Faced with the recommendation by an outside consultant to construct a large hospital for the criminally insane, the Oklahoma legislature approved a proposal by the state mental health department to study the mental health treatment needs of the prison population. Through a variety of assessment techniques, the authors found the inmates had a spectrum of disorders needing different treatment approaches. Approximately 78 per cent of the inmates are diagnosable. Thirty-five per cent require treatment other than brief intervention, and 10 per cent are seriously ill. It is estimated that 20 per cent may be resistive and may require involuntary treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Drinking behavior, remission, and relapse: the Rand Report revisited.

Utilizing the Armor, Polich, and Stambul 1976 criteria, the clinical course of patients from 26 treatment programs was studied, with relapse analyses differing from the data reported by Armor et al. The overall rate of remission at 6 mo follow-up was considerably lower (54%) in this study. The data suggest that those alcoholics who chose to reduce their drinking, as an option, experienced a substantial risk of relapse.

Alcohol Drinking↗
PubMed1979

Benefit--cost methodology in the evaluation of therapeutic services for alcoholism.

Benefit--cost analysis as a form of "social profitability analysis" can be a powerful tool in the overall evaluation of alcoholism treatment efforts. Alcoholism treatment potentially leads to a multiplicity of benefits in addition to sobriety. Benefit--cost analysis provides a methodology for converting many of these diverse benefits into a common metric (dollars), thereby allowing the comparison of aggregate benefits and treatment costs. The analysis thus leads to the expression of treatment outcome in terms of the return on investment. A benefit--cost analysis conducted on 3034 clients from the Oklahoma data base indicated a return to society of $1.98 for every $1 invested in alcoholism treatment. Such data may represent a critical portion of the information required for responsible resource allocation decisions.

Alcoholism↗