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Biomedical subjects

S Solomon

Publications and source records attributed to S Solomon.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Long-term follow-up of joint stabilization procedures in the treatment of fixed deformities of feet in leprosy.

This retrospective study of 52 patients, who underwent joint stabilization procedures for static deformities of the feet in leprosy between 1971 and 1985, was undertaken to asses the long-term results of joint stabilization of feet for fixed deformities in leprosy. The main purpose of joint stabilization is to make the feet plantigrade for weight bearing and to make the wearing of footwear possible. Deformities corrected include varus, equinus and equinovarus. Chronic ulceration occurs repeatedly if these deformities are not corrected and leads to inevitable bone destruction and eventual amputation.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Comparative trial of steroids and surgical intervention in the management of ulnar neuritis.

Fifty-seven ulnar nerves in 39 patients with early neuritis were studied to assess the benefits offered by medial epicondylectomy and external decompression in addition to steroid therapy. The patients were randomly allocated to the surgical or medical group. In those cases where there was bilateral involvement, surgery was carried out on only one side. All cases were assessed prior to treatment and after the first and second years following treatment. The improvement in motor and sensory functions attained at the end of the first year was sustained into the second year. The improvement sustained in both groups was similar even in the second year, and medial epicondylectomy with external decompression seems to have no added benefit as compared to steroid therapy alone in the early treatment of ulnar neuritis. Early diagnosis and treatment, especially in borderline lepromatous cases, seem to offer some hope of nerve function recovery.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1995

Age at onset of geriatric depression and sensorineural hearing deficits.

Comorbidity of sensorineural hearing deficits and both depressive states and dementia in late life provided the rationale for this investigation. Cognitively intact geriatric major depressives (n = 43) were assessed for depressive symptoms, cognitive performance, and delusions while symptomatic, and following treatment, when audiometry was performed. Late-onset depressed patients (LOD) had more hearing deficits compared to early-onset depressives (EOD). Age at onset of depression was found to have a significant effect on Pure-Tone Thresholds for 0.5-4.0 kHz and on Word Recognition in Noise in the better ear (0.001 < p < 0.031; ANCOVA). Criteria for neural deficit were met more frequently in LODs compared to EODs, although this was attributable to the older age of LOD. Additional investigations can contribute to our understanding of the relationship between forms of hearing loss and both the course of geriatric depression and its relationship to dementia.

Age of Onset↗
PubMed1995

Migraine prophylaxis with divalproex.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness and safety of divalproex sodium (Depakote) and placebo in the prophylaxis of migraine headache. DESIGN: Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled investigation, having a 4-week, single-blind placebo baseline phase and a 12-week treatment phase (4-week dose adjustment, 8-week maintenance). SETTING: Eight headache/neurology clinics throughout the United States. PATIENTS: One hundred seven patients randomized to divalproex or placebo (2:1 ratio): 70 receiving divalproex and 37 receiving placebo. INTERVENTION: Divalproex and placebo dosages titrated in blinded fashion during dose adjustment period to achieve actual/sham trough valproate sodium concentrations of approximately 70 to 120 mg/L. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: During the treatment phase, the mean migraine headache frequency per 4 weeks was 3.5 in the divalproex group and 5.7 in the placebo group (p < or = .001), compared with 6.0 and 6.4, respectively, during the baseline phase. Forty-eight percent of divalproex-treated patients and 14% of placebo-treated patients showed a 50% or greater reduction in migraine headache frequency from the baseline phase (P < .001). Among those with migraine headaches, divalproex-treated patients reported significantly less functional restriction than placebo-treated patients and used significantly less symptomatic medication per episode. No significant treatment group differences were observed in average peak severity or duration of individual migraine headaches. Treatment was stopped in 13% of divalproex-treated patients and 5% of placebo-treated patients because of intolerance (P, not significant). CONCLUSIONS: Divalproex is an effective prophylactic drug for patients with migraine headaches and is generally well tolerated.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Restricted ability to recover three-dimensional global motion from one-dimensional motion signals: psychophysical observations.

We tested human ability to recover the 3D structure and motion information from time-varying images where only 1D motion cues were available. Under these conditions, observers exhibit poor performance in discriminating between two perpendicular axes of rotation, or discriminating between rigid and non-rigid 3D motion. This behavior of the visual system is to be contrasted with the good depth from motion performance exhibited when 2D motion cues are given in the image, as was found previously in numerous studies, and also in the work presented here. In a related paper, we suggest a theoretical framework in which to understand this differential performance on the basis of the two types of motion cues (1D vs 2D). Our findings are consistent with those of previous studies of frontoparallel motion, where it was shown that in many cases, the 1D cues alone were not integrated by the visual system into the correct global motion percept. This accumulating evidence suggests that oriented (1D) motion detectors alone cannot account for observed human performance of global motion perception, and that the role of units such as point or endpoint detectors should be studied further.

Cues↗
PubMed1995

Restricted ability to recover three-dimensional global motion from one-dimensional local signals: theoretical observations.

Recovering 3D information from a 2D time-varying image is a vital task which human observers face daily. Numerous models exist which compute global 3D structure and motion on the basis of 2D local motion measurements of point-like elements. On the other hand, both experimental and computational research of early visual motion mechanisms emphasize the role of oriented (1D) detectors. Therefore, it is important to find out whether indeed 1D motion signals can serve as primary cues for 3D global motion computation. We have addressed this question by combining mathematical results and perceptual observations. We show that given the 2D-projected 1D instantaneous velocity field, it is mathematically impossible to discriminate rigid rotations from non-rigid transformations and/or to recover the rotation parameters. We relate this fact to existing results in cases where localized (point-like) cues are present, and to our own experiments on human performance in global motion perception when only 1D cues are given. Taken together, the data suggest a necessary role for localized information in early motion mechanisms and call for further physiological and psychophysical research in that direction.

Cues↗
PubMed1995

Rat corticostatin R4: synthesis, disulfide bridge assignment, and in vivo activity.

We have synthesized significant amounts of the most potent member of the rat corticostatins that inhibits ACTH-induced corticosteroid and compared its structure to that of the natural hormone. The cystine bridging arrangement that corresponds to that reported for a human defensin (3-31, 5-20, 10-30) was determined. The in vitro corticostatic activity of the synthetic rat corticostatin R4 paralleled that of the natural R4. Biological studies in vivo showed that doses of 8 or 12 mg corticostatin/kg effectively interfered with corticosterone release in stressed rats. We conclude that in the assays that were used, the biological activity of the synthetic and natural molecules was identical. The availability of significant amounts of synthetic material will make possible studies investigating the physiological role played by corticostatins in modulating the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed1995

Trend of HIV infection in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in south India.

SETTING: Tuberculosis is life threatening, transmissible and pandemic especially among millions of HIV infected persons. In developing countries like India where HIV infection is becoming prevalent and where tuberculosis infection has long been endemic, its incidence is increasing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to find out the trend of HIV infection in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in south India. DESIGN: HIV seropositivity was assessed in 1430 radiologically and/or bacteriologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis patients attending major tuberculosis institutions in Madras by the AIDS Cell, Institute of Microbiology, Madras Medical College, Madras from January 1991 to May 1993. RESULTS: HIV seropositivity was found to rise significantly from 0.77% in 1991 to 3.4% in 1993 (P < 0.05). 22 (91.67%) of a total of 24 HIV seropositive pulmonary tuberculosis patients had pulmonary cavities and 21 patients (87.5%) had bacteriological confirmation of tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The findings of this prospective study suggest that pulmonary tuberculosis patients with HIV infection are an in early phase of immunosuppression. This study reveals the rising trend of HIV infection; all persons with tuberculosis should therefore be questioned about the risk factors for HIV infection and urged to have an HIV test.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Transnasal butorphanol in the treatment of acute migraine.

We studied transnasal butorphanol (Stadol NS) for pain relief during acute migraine in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial using ambulatory patients at 10 geographically diverse headache centers. Patients were volunteer adults diagnosed with migraine with or without aura by International Headache Society criteria. One hundred fifty-seven patients completed the study. We treated the pain of one headache in each patient with either transnasal butorphanol (n = 107) or transnasal placebo (n = 50). Pain relief, pain intensity, nausea, vomiting, and effect on function were measured periodically. Adverse experiences were documented. Global assessments were made at follow-up. With butorphanol, migraine pain was reduced from moderate, severe, or incapacitating to slight or absent for 35 patients (33%) within 30 minutes, for 50 patients (47%) within 1 hour, and for 76 (71%) within 6 hours, compared to 2 (4%), 8 (16%) and 15 (30%) respectively for placebo. Side effects were prominent, though confounded by the migraine. The most common side effects, compared to placebo, were dizziness (58% vs 4%), nausea and/or vomiting (38% vs 18%), and drowsiness (29% vs 0%). We conclude that transnasal butorphanol is a useful analgesic for the pain of acute migraine. Its prominent side effects and low self reinforcement rate may limit its usefulness in some patients, while increasing its appropriateness for others.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Determination of vascular impedance in the peripheral circulation by transcutaneous pulsed Doppler ultrasound.

Instantaneous blood flow velocity characteristics and vascular impedance spectra derived noninvasively by pulsed Doppler ultrasound and invasively by electromagnetic flow probe were compared in the canine common femoral artery to validate the pulsed Doppler technique for determination of vascular impedance in the peripheral circulation. Although Doppler ultrasonography is routinely performed to evaluate blood flow velocity patterns in the human peripheral circulation; the validity of this technique to derive peripheral vascular impedance has yet to be investigated. Simultaneous measurements of blood flow velocity were determined by both noninvasive pulsed Doppler ultrasound and surgically implanted electromagnetic flow probe in the common femoral artery of eight dogs and compared in both time and frequency domains. Vascular impedance spectra derived from measurements of blood flow velocity determined by Doppler ultrasound and electromagnetic flow probe and simultaneous measurement of arterial pressure by a micromanometer-tipped catheter were obtained at baseline and after intra-arterial injection of acetylcholine in five additional dogs. During the first 10 to 20% of the cardiac cycle, Doppler ultrasound blood flow velocity was transiently greater than the simultaneously recorded electromagnetic blood flow velocity. During the remainder of the cardiac cycle, the two blood flow velocity waveforms were nearly superimposable. The frequency spectra of the blood flow velocity waveforms derived from Doppler ultrasound and electromagnetic flow probes were similar for harmonies less than 10 Hz. Vascular impedance spectra derived from measurements of blood flow velocity determined by Doppler ultrasound and electromagnetic flow probe with simultaneous measurement of arterial pressure by a micromanometer-tipped catheter were similar at baseline and after regional administration of acetylcholine. Mean vascular resistance (impedance at 0 Hz), characteristic impedance, and the first minima of the impedance modulus derived from Doppler ultrasound and electromagnetic flow probe blood flow velocity measurements were closely correlated at baseline and after dilation with acetylcholine (r > or = 0.89, p < 0.05 for all correlations). Doppler ultrasonography is a convenient and accurate technique for determination of vascular impedance in the peripheral circulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Prevalence of hearing problems, and use of hearing aids among a sample of elderly patients.

BACKGROUND: Deterioration of hearing with advancing age is well documented. However, the proportion of elderly people with hearing problems who wear hearing aids is low. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of hearing disability in a group of elderly patients in hospital and to determine their attitudes to hearing difficulties and the wearing of hearing aids. METHOD: A random sample of patients who were convalescing were interviewed. A detailed questionnaire was administered to patients regarding their hearing difficulties. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were recruited. Twenty two patients were excluded because of low mental test scores, hence 57 patients (72%) were eligible for inclusion into the study. Thirty eight patients were women (mean age 81 years) and 19 were men (mean age 79 years). Thirty patients (53%) reported difficulties with their hearing, of whom 12 had hearing aids. Seventeen patients had consulted their general practitioner about their difficulties, 15 of whom had been referred for audiological examination. Thirteen patients chose not to consult about their hearing problems, to 'suffer in silence'. Of the 12 patients with hearing aids three reported discomfort or pain and five reported problems such as an ill-fitting hearing aid and excessive amplification. Six patients said they wore their hearing aid for less than four hours a day. CONCLUSION: Almost all patients consulting their general practitioner with hearing problems were referred for audiological examination but subsequent follow up, especially of problems with hearing aids, was poor. Better health education and case finding is indicated and patients with hearing aids must be questioned specifically about problems when they consult health professionals. Proper assessment, screening and follow up has implications for resources and training, especially of practice nurses.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Concomitant administration of antiemetics is not necessary with intramuscular dihydroergotamine.

The influence of concomitant administration of an antiemetic agent on the course of nausea was assessed in a field trial of intramuscular dihydroergotamine for the treatment of acute migraine. Of 311 migraine patients enrolled onto the study, 62% (191 of 311) experienced nausea at the outset; 38% (119 of 311) did not. Of those with nausea at the outset, 54% (103 of 191) received an antiemetic. Of those without nausea at the outset, 25% (30 of 119) received an antiemetic. Thus, a total of 43% (133 of 311) of patients received a concomitant antiemetic, whereas 57% (177 of 311) received dihydroergotamine alone. When changes in the incidence of nausea were compared at 30 and 60 minutes after dihydroergotamine, an antiemetic effect was discerned in patients treated with or without a concomitant antiemetic. Antiemetic treatment yielded no significant difference in the percentage of patients experiencing nausea during the study. At baseline, 50% (88 of 177) of patients who received dihydroergotamine alone experienced nausea compared with 77% (103 of 133) of those who received an antiemetic. At the 30-minute point, 35% (61 of 173) of patients who received dihydroergotamine alone still experienced nausea versus 47% (62 of 133) of patients who received an antiemetic. At the 60-minute point, only 24% (42 of 174) of those given dihydroergotamine alone had nausea, compared with 38% (50 of 132) given concomitant antiemetic. Ongoing nausea seems to be a manifestation of the migraine process rather than an adverse effect associated with intramuscular dihydroergotamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Role of consciousness and accessibility of death-related thoughts in mortality salience effects.

On the basis of terror management theory, research has shown that subtle mortality salience inductions engender increased prejudice, nationalism, and intergroup bias. Study 1 replicated this effect (increased preference for a pro-U.S. author over an anti-U.S. author) and found weaker effects when Ss are led to think more deeply about mortality or about the death of a loved one. Study 2 showed that this effect is not produced by thoughts of non-death-related aversive events. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that this effect occurs only if Ss are distracted from mortality salience before assessment of its effects. Study 4 revealed that although the accessibility of death-related thoughts does not increase immediately after mortality salience, it does increase after Ss are distracted from mortality salience. These findings suggest that mortality salience effects are unique to thoughts of death and occur primarily when such thoughts are highly accessible but outside of consciousness.

Affect↗