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Results for “MENTAL PROCESSES”

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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1979

[Effect of caffeine on motor reactions and visual-mental processing time].

The effect of coffee without and with caffeine (200 mg) on the performance of "awake" respectively "fatigued" subjects was proved. 5 females and 7 males (22 to 32 years) were chosen for the cross-over double-blind study. Motor reaction time, visual-mental processing time, reading-speed and reading-errors were recorded. Further experiments under aggravated conditions were carried out. In the morning ("awake") caffeine increases the efficiency of all parameters excepted the reading errors. At night ("fatigued") the increase by caffeine is insignificant. Even in some subjects caffeine decreases the speed of reading and increases the number of errors. Under test-conditions, which were aggravated by strong acoustical disturbance, caffeine does not improve efficiency, compared with caffeine-free coffee. Overriding into the range of decreasing performance in spite of increasing central activity was not found under any test-condition.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A review of the effects of antihistamines on mental processes related to automobile driving.

The newer, second-generation H1-receptor antagonists have been shown to have potent antiallergic effects without inducing sleepiness. However, because traditional antihistamines may cause functional or cognitive impairment, the clinician still must consider warning patients about activities that could be hazardous. Because the effects of drugs on driving an automobile are difficult to measure directly, studies must use surrogate activities in a laboratory setting. Effects of antihistamines on the central nervous system are assessed with psychomotor tests, which are selected on the basis of their relativity to real-world activities, to develop a profile of mental processes that may be affected. This article reviews the psychomotor tests and study design used to characterize the intensity and duration of drug effects after single and multiple doses and in combination with other impairing agents such as ethanol. Several studies have been published that assess the effects of cetirizine, an H1-receptor blocker, on mental performance. In the study discussed here, diphenhydramine hydrochloride and hydroxyzine were used as positive controls to demonstrate that the period during which some traditional antihistamines impair performance is different than the period of reported drowsiness they induce. The results of this series of studies show that cetirizine induced minimal changes in mental performance tests and only following the highest (20 mg) dose studied.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Do low cholesterol levels slow mental processing?

The plasma cholesterol levels of 279 students were measured and related to decision and movement times in choice reaction time tasks with one, two, four, and eight lamps. In female subjects, low plasma cholesterol levels were associated with slower movement times and, when responding to one or two lamps, slower decision times. In male subjects, there was a nonlinear relationship between cholesterol level and decision times. Because these data are correlational in nature, it is not possible to assume a causal relationship between cholesterol levels and speed of mental processing. The literature, however, supports the suggestion that further work should consider the possibility of a causal relationship.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Sodium valproate and mental processes in newly referred epileptic patients. A computerized EEG study.

Seventeen epileptic patients suffering from generalized idiopathic epilepsy who underwent antiepileptic treatment with sodium valproate (NaVPA) for the first time were studied. The EEG was recorded at rest with eyes closed (EC), during blocking reaction, fixation and mental arithmetic tasks. The computerized EEG study, performed before and after therapy, utilized spectral analysis; data underwent statistical evaluation including ANOVA and correlation analysis. Before NaVPA therapy, a significant decrease of beta 1 and beta 2 relative power, compared with control subjects, was observed in epileptic patients at rest with EC, whereas fast activity increased during mental tasks. After treatment, no significant variations in fast activity were observed during tasks, with a pattern similar to that observed in the control population. Therefore, considering the effect of NaVPA primarily on fast activity, which reflects rather well preserved mental functioning processes, it is possible to hypothesize that the drug interferes positively with mental activities.

Adolescent↗