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Biomedical subjects

V J Knott

Publications and source records attributed to V J Knott.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Comparison of chlormethiazole (Heminevrin) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium) in the treatment of acute alcohol withdrawal.

This study was carried out to compare the efficacy of chlormethiazole and chlordiazepoxide in the treatment of acute alcohol withdrawal syndrome in 40 patients. Repeated biochemical, clinical, and psychophysiological measurements were obtained in a randomized, double-blind design in which one group of patients received chlormethiazole and a second group received chlordiazepoxide over a period of 7 days. Analysis indicated both drugs to be of equivalent potency and were equally well tolerated by patients. The more severe aspects of withdrawal were brought under control within the first 4 days of treatment. However, even at 7 days, there still persisted some symptoms attributable to the withdrawal from alcohol.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Cortical slow potential shifts in tardive dyskinesia.

1. Slow cortical potential shifts such as the late terminal E-wave component of the CNV appear to be determined mainly by the level of motor preparation and as such it was employed to investigate the degree of cortical involvement in schizophrenics exhibiting abnormal motor phenomena induced by prolonged treatment with neuroleptics. 2. The basic experimental task was a constant foreperiod warned reaction time task consisting of a brief warning tone (S1) followed 4 sec later by a light, the imperative stimulus (S2), upon which the subject was instructed to release a response key. The task was presented twice, in a randomized order, under neutral and fast set instructions, to tardive (TD) and non-tardive dyskinesia (NTD) groups. 3. Computer EEG analysis identified and analysed on early O-wave measured as the average amplitude 500-1000 msec post S1, and the latter E-wave measured as the average amplitude 500 msec prior to S2. Two additional epochs of PINV activity were also analysed. 4. The results indicated that the TD group exhibited significantly larger PINV activity, but unlike NTD patients, the TD group failed to exhibit any significant increases in E-wave amplitude concommitant with improved behavioral reaction times. The results are discussed in relation to a disinhibitory theory of tardive dyskinesia.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Separate and combined effects of alcohol and tobacco on the amplitude of the contingent negative variation.

To examine the separate and combined effects of alcohol and tobacco smoking on cortical functioning, the amplitude of the contingent negative variation (CNV) was studied during a simple reaction time task in non-smokers, tobacco-deprived smokers and non-deprived smokers in sessions involving administration of four cigarettes and/or 0.65 g/kg ethyl alcohol. Computer analysis indicated that alcohol and combined alcohol + tobacco significantly reduced the CNV amplitude in non-deprived smokers. Two sub-groups of non-smokers were identified, one showing large pre-drug CNV amplitudes and significant alcohol-induced reductions and the other showing small pre-drug amplitudes and no change in CNV amplitude after alcohol. No significant results were observed with alcohol, tobacco or alcohol + tobacco combined in tobacco-deprived smokers. The results are discussed in relation to previously reported studies which have indicated both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between alcohol and tobacco, and suggestions are forwarded regarding the experimental and clinical significance of tobacco-induced enhancement of CNV amplitude reduction by alcohol.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Reaction time, noise distraction and autonomic responsivity in smokers and non-smokers.

Non-smokers, 'low-arousal smokers,' and 'high-arousal smokers' were exposed to intermittent, a periodic noise of 100 db (A) while performing a choice reaction time task. The former were smokers who experienced their strongest need to smoke in low-arousal situations characterized by, e.g., monotony and low-level stimulation, while the latter experienced their strongest need to smoke in high-arousal situations characterized by anxiety and high-level stimulation. Behavioral measures of decision time and movement time were examined together with tonic and phasic measures of skin conductance and heart rate during noise and in response to a single high intensity 100 db (A) auditory tone. Relative to a noise-free condition, noise significantly impaired decision time of smokers and this was paralleled by autonomic rsponse measures to tone stimulation which were reflective of less efficient defensive response mechanisms to aversive stimulation. Significant differences were also observed between low- and high-arousal smokers.

Arousal↗
PubMed1978

Effects of tobacco, time on task, and stimulus speed on judgments of velocity and time.

16 college students were required to predict the time of target arrival for a stimulus apparently moving horizontally to a point of occlusion and to reproduce the time interval the stimulus was present under smoking and no-smoking conditions. Tobacco resulted in underestimations of velocity and time judgments particularly in the early stage of the task and for the slowest stimulus speed.

Adult↗