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Biomedical subjects

A A Ward

Publications and source records attributed to A A Ward.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Factors influencing future progress in neurosurgery.

The ever-widening horizons in the neurosciences are noted by the author. Maintenance of the bridges between research and clinical practice will result in improved therapy. Research interest is expanding, and involvement by neurosurgeons and neurosurgical training programs is vital for future progress. Techniques are required to evaluate and assess new surgical procedures that evolve from research endeavors.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Chronic epileptic foci in monkeys: correlation between seizure frequency and proportion of pacemaker epileptic neurons.

A total of 1,802 neurons from 15 alert, undrugged Macaca mulatta monkeys were studied. Thirteen monkeys had chronic epilepsy induced by subpial alumina injections in precentral cortex. Precentral neurons were judged epileptic by the magnitude and variability of the percentage of interspike intervals less than 5 msec during periods when the monkeys were awake. This method of quantifying epileptic single neuron activity appears highly reliable in distinguishing epileptic neurons from precentral neurons in either normal cortex, cortex contralateral to, or within the focus. For the 13 epileptic monkeys, the relative proportion of strongly epileptic neurons found within foci was logarithmically correlated with the mean number of daily seizures. Because of the similarity between the physiology of the alumina focus in monkeys and epileptic foci in humans, these data imply that the severity of focal human epilepsy is a function of epileptic neuronal mass.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1977

Surgical management of epilepsy.

Therapy with anticonvulsant drugs reduces the frequency and severity of seizures in many but not all epileptic patients. Unfortunately, in a significant number control remains poor even when maximal doses of multiple anticonvulsant drugs are given. Some of these patients are candidates for surgical treatment of epilepsy. The operative management of convulsive disorders is a well-established technique and is available in some centers. In selected cases, such operations are both safe and effective, with good longterm improvement or complete control in 76 percent of patients. We have summarized the 24-year experience with surgical operation for epilepsy at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Conditioned EEG desynchronization and seizure occurrence in patients.

Five patients with seizures poorly controlled by standard anticonvulsant medication, underwent EEG operant conditioning. The operant paradigm reinforced the production of low voltage fast activity while decreasing frequencies below 10 c/sec. Seizure frequency decreased in 2 patients, seizure severity was attenuated in 2 others, and one patient who was only given reinforecement for scalp EMG suppression whowed no change in seizure parameters. Pseudoconditioning and control periods ruled out placebo effects. A rationale for this phenomenon is proposed.

Adult↗