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Biomedical subjects

S R Jackson

Publications and source records attributed to S R Jackson.

54 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Serial reaction time learning and Parkinson's disease: evidence for a procedural learning deficit.

This paper presents evidence in support of a serial reaction time (SRT) deficit associated with Parkinson's disease, and related to the acquisition or execution of serial-order information. Eleven patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, and 10 age-matched but otherwise healthy control subjects, were compared on a variant of the SRT task introduced by Nissen and Bullemer (Cognit. Psychol. 19, 1-32, 1987). The results of this study clearly demonstrate that PD patients produce a quite different pattern of RT performance to that of control subjects. Such a pattern of results may reflect either: (1) a deficit in the patients' ability to learn the temporal order information provided by a repeating sequence of target locations in the SRT task; or (2) a deficit in the patients' ability to express temporal order information provided by the repeating sequence of target locations in the SRT task.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

An open, in-patient incremental safety and efficacy study of desmopressin in women with multiple sclerosis and nocturia.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the safety and efficacy of desmopressin in three doses given to women with multiple sclerosis to treat nocturia with or without enuresis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight women with clinically confirmed multiple sclerosis and nocturia with or without enuresis were entered as in-patients into an open, nonrandomized, placebo-controlled study of incremental doses of 20, 40 and 60 micrograms desmopressin. Urinary and serum sodium, plasma arginine vasopressin and urine osmolality were monitored every 4 h for 24 h. A single dose of placebo or desmopressin was given during each of four 24-h periods. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in nocturnal urinary volumes and a significant increase in nocturnal urinary osmolalities in patients taking desmopressin when compared with those taking a placebo, but there was no difference among the desmopressin doses. There was no significant difference in serum sodium level between the desmopressin doses. However, at the end of the 24-h period with the 60 micrograms dose, serum sodium was decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Neither a significant decrease in nocturnal urinary volumes nor an increase in urinary osmolality was achieved by doses of desmopressin > 20 micrograms. A dose of 60 g was associated with a decreased serum sodium level at the end of the 24-h period but there was no biochemical hyponatraemia. Because there were no benefits and a possibility of clinical hyponatraemia with higher doses, doses of > 20 micrograms desmopressin cannot be recommended.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Hydration monitoring in the prevention of recurrent idiopathic urinary tract infections in pre-menopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the use of simple hydration monitoring can encourage adequate hydration and reduce urinary osmolality and the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in a population of susceptible pre-menopausal women with recurrent idiopathic urinary infections. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study included 28 pre-menopausal women who had at least two idiopathic UTIs in the previous 6 months. Urinary osmolality was assessed by the patients at each void by a simple hand-held probe, and the readings over 4 months compared. Monthly urine culture was compared between successive 4-month periods in which the probe was or was not used. RESULTS: The study was completed by 17 women. There was a significant shift towards urine of lower osmolality over the 4-month period using the probe (Pearson's chi 2 < 0.001). Significantly fewer urinary tract infections developed during the 4 months using the probe (McNemar's chi 2 = 0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The use of the osmolality probe encouraged the subject to maintain adequate hydration. The resulting augmentation of the natural urethral 'washout' mechanism led to lower osmolality urine and a reduction in the incidence of UTIs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Recovery from rhabdomyolysis after allogeneic BMT: report of a case with speculation on causation.

A case of fulminant rhabdomyolysis occurring 4 months after allogeneic BMT for CML is reported. The patient developed rhabdomyolysis following the empiric institution of antibacterial and anti-tuberculous medication. His inpatient course was complicated by the development of acute anuric renal failure and a severe myopathy. With aggressive supportive care, both of these complications resolved, making this patient the only reported survivor of rhabdomyolysis occurring after BMT.

Bone Marrow Transplantation↗
PubMed1994

Hepatitis C seroprevalence in bone marrow transplant recipients and haemophiliacs.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C (anti-HCV) in patients who have undergone bone marrow transplantation in Wellington, prior to the introduction of hepatitis C screening, and to contrast these results with the prevalence of anti-HCV in the Wellington haemophiliac population. METHOD: Serum specimens were obtained from 30 patients who had undergone bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of haematological disorders, and from 29 haemophiliacs. Specimens were analysed using a second generation HCV immunoassay. RESULTS: Exposure to blood products was high in bone marrow transplant recipients with subjects receiving red cells or platelets from an average of 53 donors (range 15-100, SD 23.2) during their transplant procedure. Despite the high usage of blood products, only one of the 30 patients tested was positive for hepatitis C on the basis of second-generation antibody testing. Confirmatory testing in this patient, (anti-HCV immunoblot assay) was negative. In contrast, 26 of 29 (89%) haemophiliac patients tested were positive for anti-HCV. CONCLUSION: Although the infective risk of blood products cannot be underestimated, the risk of patients contracting hepatitis C from multiple single-unit transfusions, prior to the introduction of screening for hepatitis C was low. This contrasts with the high risk of hepatitis C seroconversion in patients exposed to pooled plasma products.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Vocal rehabilitation after pharyngo-laryngectomy--the Provox valve.

We describe our experience using the Provox voice prosthesis in patients undergoing free jejunal loop transfer following total pharyngo-laryngectomy. From our series and the few reports in the literature, the use of a voice prosthesis appears to be an effective method of speech rehabilitation in this group of patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Desmopressin in the treatment of nocturia and enuresis in patients with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the synthetic vasopressin analogue desmopressin [1-desamino 8-D-arginine vasopressin] is efficacious and safe in the management of nocturia +/- enuresis in patients with multiple sclerosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two women and 11 men, under 65 years of age, with clinically definite multiple sclerosis and nocturnal frequency +/- enuresis were entered into the study. A two week placebo run-in, to establish normal voiding patterns, followed by a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study of 20 micrograms intranasal desmopressin at night-time was carried out. RESULTS: Desmopressin caused a significant decrease in nocturnal urinary frequency, nocturnal urinary volume and the percentage of total daily urine passed at night. There was no significant fall in plasma sodium with desmopressin although there were two cases of asymptomatic hyponatraemia. CONCLUSION: Desmopressin is an efficacious and safe treatment for nocturia +/- enuresis in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Platelet volume: laboratory measurement and clinical application.

Modern cell analyzers routinely produce platelet indices, but many clinicians do not utilize them in clinical decision-making. In part this can be attributed to difficulties with their laboratory measurement. The mean platelet volume is dependent on a number of variables, including time of analysis after venepuncture, method of analysis, anticoagulant used and specimen storage temperature. The influence of these laboratory variables is significant and reproducible mean platelet volumes are dependent on standardized laboratory methodology. When pre-analysis factors are controlled, alterations in platelet volume can be demonstrated in a number of disease states and assessment of platelet volume can be useful in the monitoring and diagnosis of patients. An understanding of the pathophysiology of alterations in platelet volume and of the inverse relationship between platelet volume and count is a prerequisite for the successful clinical application of platelet volume measurements.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed1993

Recurrent pleomorphic adenoma.

Of 209 cases of pleomorphic adenoma treated in a 30 year period, 38 were secondary referrals with recurrent disease following surgery. Of these, 25 were women and 13 men with a mean time to recurrence of 9 years 4 months. Thirty-four recurrences were in the parotid gland, three in the submandibular gland and one in the anterior faucial pillar. Seven patients were untreated due to poor general condition or refusal of further treatment. Of the remainder, 15 had superficial parotidectomy and excision of the scar and nine a total parotidectomy. Three of these had extensive surgery with local flap repair. Of the patients with submandibular gland recurrence, two had local excision and one was treated with radiotherapy alone. One patient had a recurrence in the faucial pillar. Three patients developed malignant change in the recurrent tumour, of whom one died of disease.

Adenoma, Pleomorphic↗
PubMed1991

Second radical neck dissection.

We report a series of 96 patients (62 men and 34 women) undergoing a second radical neck dissection for enlarged contralateral cervical nodes after primary treatment of a squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, including an ipsilateral radical neck dissection. The proportion of patients requiring a second later neck dissection varied from 0% for tumours of the nasopharynx, nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, to 5% for tumours of the hypopharynx. The incidence of second neck dissection was not determined by the original T stage of the primary tumour, but patients with enlarged nodes at presentation were 5 times more likely to need a second neck dissection than those with no palpable nodes at presentation. Also, patients with a poorly differentiated tumour were twice as likely to need a second neck dissection as those with a well differentiated tumour. The overall 5-year survival after second neck dissection was 35% and the perioperative mortality 1.92%. Significant factors predicting survival after a second neck dissection were the time to recurrence, the clinical neck node status at recurrence, the number of histologically invaded nodes in the neck and the presence of extra-nodal disease.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1987

Vocal cord paralysis and tumour length in staging postcricoid cancer.

The present UICC classification of postcricoid cancer is based on directions of tumour spread which are uncommon and difficult to assess clinically. The classification takes no note of spread into the cervical oesophagus and fails to correlate staging with survival. The aim of this study was to assess the value of other criteria, including vocal cord paralysis and tumour length, in staging 157 patients with postcricoid cancer. Both vocal cord paralysis and tumour length could be assessed in most patients, and correlated with the mode of treatment. Generalized Linear Interactive Modelling (GLIM) identified vocal cord paralysis (P less than 0.001), performance status (P less than 0.025) and the interaction of length and histological grade (P less than 0.05) as significant predictors of survival. None of these variables is included in the current UICC classification.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is grasping impaired in hemispatial neglect?

Patients with right unilateral cerebral stroke, four of which showed acute hemispatial neglect, and healthy aged-matched controls were tested for their ability to grasp objects located in either right or left space at near or far distances. Reaches were performed either in free vision or without visual feedback from the hand or target object. It was found that the patient group showed normal grasp kinematics with respect to maximum grip aperture, grip orientation, and the time taken to reach the maximum grip aperture. Analysis of hand path curvature showed that control subjects produced straighter right hand reaches when vision was available compared to when it was not. The right hemisphere lesioned patients, however, showed similar levels of curvature in each of these conditions. No behavioural differences, though, could be found between right hemisphere lesioned patients with or without hemispatial neglect on either grasp parameters, path deviation or temporal kinematics.

Aged↗