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Biomedical subjects

R D Griesel

Publications and source records attributed to R D Griesel.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Cognitive and behavioural effects of a school breakfast.

The cognitive and behavioural effects of a school breakfast were explored in a study of 55 children in Grade II and Standard 1 at a farm school outside Johannesburg. A previous study had confirmed widespread undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies among the children. For comparative purposes, 55 children at an inner-city school, among whom no signs of undernutrition were found, were assessed in the same way. Three different types of measures of attention, distractibility, short-term memory and activity level were used: psychometric testing of the children; teacher ratings of children's classroom behaviour, and coded video-recorded classroom behaviour. A pre- and post-test design was employed to assess the effects of a school breakfast, continually in place in the experimental school for a period of 6 weeks. The results indicated significant change from pre- to post-test assessment among the experimental children in respect of the psychometric measures, teacher-rated hyperactivity and video-recorded classroom behaviour. With regard to the latter measure, the children showed a decline in both the occurrence and duration of off-task and out-of-seat behaviour, and an increase in active participation in class and positive peer interaction. While the children in the comparison group also showed some changes from pre- to post-test, probably attributable to the effects of observation, familiarity with the test materials and developmental change, the changes were not generalised or consistent. The findings support the conclusion that a school breakfast programme had a beneficial effect on the cognitive and behavioural performance of socially disadvantaged, undernourished children in their first 2 years of school.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The reliability of hand-written and computerised records of birth data collected at Baragwanath hospital in Soweto.

This study examined the reliability of hand written and computerised records of birth data collected during the Birth to Ten study at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto. The reliability of record-keeping in hand-written obstetric and neonatal files was assessed by comparing duplicate records of six different variables abstracted from six different sections in these files. The reliability of computerised record keeping was assessed by comparing the original hand-written record of each variable with records contained in the hospital's computerised database. These data sets displayed similar levels of reliability which suggests that similar errors occurred when data were transcribed from one section of the files to the next, and from these files to the computerised database. In both sets of records reliability was highest for the categorical variable infant sex, and for those continuous variables (such as maternal age and gravidity) recorded with unambiguous units. Reliability was lower for continuous variables that could be recorded with different levels of precision (such as birth weight), those that were occasionally measured more than once, and those that could be measured using more than one measurement technique (such as gestational age). Reducing the number of times records are transcribed, categorising continuous variables, and standardising the techniques used for measuring and recording variables would improve the reliability of both hand-written and computerised data sets.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1995

Enrolment into Birth to Ten (BTT): population and sample characteristics.

The population under study in the South African longitudinal study of urban children and their families, 'Birth to Ten' (BTT), comprised all births during a 7-week period from April to June 1990 in Soweto-Johannesburg. Specification of the population base for the cohort was hampered by a number of flaws in the notification and record-keeping systems of the local authorities. As far as could be ascertained, 5460 singleton births occurred during this time to women who gave a permanent address within the defined region. Enrolment into BTT took place over the first 15 months of the study and covered the antenatal, delivery, 6-month and 1-year periods. By the end of this time, and despite a major health service strike during the delivery phase, 74% of all births (4029 cases) had been enrolled into the study. There were marked variations in levels of enrolment, however, by population group membership, residential area and place of delivery. In general, there was substantial under-enrolment of largely middle-class white women and their babies. Initial non-enrolment of specific segments of the population and attrition of the enrolled sample up to the end of the first year are discussed in the context of racial and social differentiation in South Africa.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Glue sniffing: a comparison study of sniffers and non-sniffers.

A study of 22 glue sniffers and 22 non-sniffers was carried out with individuals from the same reference group. The subjects were all street children living in supervised shelters. No statistically significant differences were found between the sniffers and non-sniffers on cognitive measures or biographical features (e.g. time spent at school, years on the street). When rated by shelter staff on a modified version of the Christiansen Rating Scale (1967) the sniffers were perceived to be significantly more disturbed in their relationships with others, however, methodological issues do not permit conclusive evidence of behavioural differences to be drawn. The authors conclude that the findings lend support for the view that the effects of volatile substance abuse on cognitive and personality functioning cannot be clearly demonstrated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Flunarizine--effective add-on therapy in reading epilepsy.

Since it was first described in 1956, reading epilepsy, an uncommon disorder, has engendered great interest among neurologists, the reason being that it is probably one of the most complex of the sensory-evoked reflex epilepsies and one in which the mechanism of seizure production is as yet unresolved. Unfortunately, it often defies the standard medications useful in the treatment of other forms of epilepsy. A patient with typical reading epilepsy, preceded by jaw-jerking, is described in this report. An additional feature of this case is the presence of a stutter from early childhood. Therapy with phenytoin, carbamazepine and sodium valproate failed to provide satisfactory control. Flunarizine, as add-on therapy to sodium valproate, produced an excellent therapeutic response.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Electro-encephalography and performance in a poorly nourished South African population.

The electro-encephalographic (EEG) characteristics and psychometric performance of 'normal' black South African peri-urban children were assessed in the course of a large-scale normative study. Children identified as being poorly nourished according to growth standards were compared with a group of mildly growth-retarded children and with another group with normal growth. The socio-economic backgrounds of the three groups were checked and found to be the same. The children had had access to regular clinic attendance and none had ever been hospitalised for any serious illness--in particular malnutrition. Across the entire age range the poorly nourished children invariably were found to fare worse on both EEG and psychometric measures than the normal group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Electro-encephalographic disturbances due to chronic toxin abuse in young people, with special reference to glue-sniffing.

A study was carried out in order to document any abnormalities in the electro-encephalogram (EEG) that might appear in young adolescents who have deliberately inhaled the range of volatile substances loosely referred to as 'glue'. The EEGs of a group of 'street children' being assisted in a Johannesburg shelter were examined. The records were analysed for any clinical abnormalities and also subjected to spectral analysis in order to examine the overall characteristics of frequency, power and spatial distribution. The EEGs clearly revealed that, although at the time of the examination the subjects were ostensibly abstinent, both clinical and normative evidence of continuing brain disturbance was present. It was concluded that glue sniffing is likely to have long term electrocerebral sequelae.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Effects of a nutrition education programme on the psychological performance of malnourished children. A 3-year follow-up study.

A group of 63 black children who were treated for protein energy malnutrition within their first 3 years of life were followed up after a period of 3 years. Half the group had undergone a home-based nutrition education programme in addition to receiving routine medical care, while the remaining children received only medical care and formed a control group. No differences were found at follow-up between these two groups on either growth or psychological performance measures. The malnourished group was subsequently matched for age and sex with a normal group of children and compared for psychological functioning, growth and socio-economic background. The malnourished children were found to be smaller and to have significant deficits in psychological performance compared with the normal group. While the findings illustrate the need for preventive and remedial action, they also reveal the shortcomings of brief unidimensional intervention programmes.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1979

Long-term effects of kwashiorkor on the electroencephalogram.

The long-term effects of kwashiorkor on the electroencephalogram were assessed by means of computer analysis techniques. The experimental group, consisting of 30 black children, 6 to 12 years old, hospitalized for the treatment of kwashiorkor during the first 27 months of life, was age-matched with three control groups. These were a group of siblings and of yardmates, neither of whom had been exposed to acute infantile malnutrition, and a very high socioeconomic group of white children. The results revealed significantly less alpha activity and more slow-wave activity in the electroencephalogram of the kwashiokor group than in those of the control groups. These findings confirmed previous results based on visual analysis procedures.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1978

The visual evoked potential in children after kwashiorkor.

An index of the long-term effects of kwashiorkor on the electrocortical development of the child was obtained by recording the visual evoked potential (VEP) of 4 groups of children aged 6--12 years. The malnourished group, consisting of 30 Black children hospitalized for treatment of kwashiorkor during the first 27 months of life, was age-matched with 3 control groups. Some evidence of right hemisphere VEP deficit was found in the kwashiorkor group.

Child↗
PubMed1978

Long-term effects of kwashiorkor on psychomotor development.

The long-term effects of kwashiorkor on psychomotor development were assessed by means of 3 tests. A group of 31 children aged from 6 to 12 years, who had been hospitalized for the treatment of kwashiorkor during infancy, was age-matched with 2 control groups, consisting of a group of siblings and a group of yardmates, none of whom had been exposed to acute infantile malnutrition. The test scores for the groups were not significantly different. The results are discussed in the light of suggestions that marasmus has a more damaging effect on human development than kwashiorkor.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1975

Sleep patterns afted graded exercise.

The effects of six graded and measured exercise activities on sleep patterns were investigated in two healthy young men. Electrophysiological recording were made continuously throughout the night to distinguish sleep states. This experiment was designed to test the hypothesis of a relation between physical activity and slow-wave sleep (SWS: stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep). A progressive increase in SWS over the whole-night sleep record was found with progressively increasing physical fatigue. A fall in rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep and at higher exercise levels, of stage 2 sleep, was found. The results support the hypothesis that SWS is involved in the recovery process from fatigue.

Adult↗