Biomedical subjects

A J Sarno

Publications and source records attributed to A J Sarno.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Autonomic changes during orthostasis: a time-frequency analysis.

The transition between sitting and standing represents a period of dynamic changes in cardiac autonomic control. Previous research using heart rate (HR) has suggested a biphasic HR response from sitting to standing with an initial increase in HR followed by an HR decrease before stabilizing at a level above the sitting level. These HR changes have been interpreted as mediated by sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. However, more direct measures of cardiac autonomic control have not been investigated in an active orthostasis paradigm. This is due in part to the requirement of stationarity for traditional spectral analytic techniques. In the present study, time-frequency analysis was used to assess the relative contributions of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity to the cardiac autonomic control during the transition of orthostasis. We examined the heart rate time series during the transition between sitting and standing, and the 60 s prior and the 60 s following the transition. The high frequency component of the HR spectra (an index of parasympathetic activity) decreased sharply at the point of transition and remained depressed relative to the low frequency component (an index of sympathetic activity). These results suggest that time-frequency analysis may be a useful technique to examine non-stationary time series. Furthermore, the transition of orthostasis may be mediated more via parasympathetic activity than by sympathetic activity.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Laparoscopic procedures in pregnancy.

As the applications of laparoscopy for general surgical procedures expanded in the 1990s, pregnancy was initially considered a contraindication. Several case reports have suggested the safety of laparoscopy in pregnancy. Previous clinical studies indicate a higher fetal mortality may exist and advised caution. To evaluate the fetal outcome of laparoscopic procedures in pregnant patients at our institution, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records between 1991 and 1997 and identified 21 pregnant patients who underwent either a laparoscopic (n = 12) or open (n = 9) procedure. Appendectomies, cholecystectomies, and diagnostic laparoscopies were performed. Specific variables including age, length of procedure, hospital stay, duration of parenteral analgesic use, gestational age at the time of surgery and delivery, O2 saturation and EtCO2 during surgery, APGAR scores, and birth weights were compared between the two groups. Laparoscopic procedures during pregnancy resulted in shorter hospital stays (34 hours versus 91 hours; P = 0.01), less use of parenteral narcotic analgesics (5 hours versus 29 hours; P = 0.05), and no prolongation of operative times (51 minutes versus 63 minutes; P = 0.20). In addition, laparoscopy was performed at earlier gestational ages (12 weeks versus 29 weeks; P = 0.001). There was one miscarriage 7 days after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy early in the 1st trimester that was not statistically significant. Our experience did not show a higher incidence of fetal loss when comparing laparoscopic to open procedures in pregnant patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Adult age differences in semantic and episodic memory.

In 2 experiments, performance was compared on memory tests taken by older and younger adults for information that had been rated as more memorable for older adults or more memorable for each age group by adults in that age group. In Experiment 1, semantic knowledge was tested by having the participants recognize or recall information from memory (e.g., name as many states as you can). The older adults performed significantly better; thus, hypotheses of superior knowledge and ease of retrieval of that knowledge for that age group were supported. In Experiment 2, lists of presidents and states were presented to the participants, followed by recognition and recall tests of episodic memory. The younger adults performed significantly better. The older adults studied familiar items on the lists for less time and made many more errors. Thus, the hypothesis of an encoding deficit influenced by item familiarity for older adults was supported.

Adolescent↗