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Biomedical subjects

A M Yellin

Publications and source records attributed to A M Yellin.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Application of computer averaging techniques to the study of learned volitive heartbeat control.

Research on the acquisition of conscious cardiovascular control (Yellin 1984, 1986) utilized computer averaging of electrocardiographic (ECG) cycles to demonstrate and document precise, reliable and sustainable time-locking of heartbeat to external stimuli on demand. ECG cycles were treated as evoked responses, and successive epochs were summated, beginning with Zeitgeber-stimulus (ZS) onset, and with the duration of each epoch equaling the ZS's interstimulus interval. Cardiac synchrony was exhibited by event-modulated (time-locked) cardiac responses (EMCRs) and in average ECGs.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗
PubMed1984

The study of brain function impairment in fetal alcohol syndrome: some fruitful directions for research.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most prevalent known preventable health hazard to the human fetus by a noxious agent. It is associated with impairments of the central nervous system that are expressed in the forms of mental retardation of varying severity, learning disabilities, attentional deficits and an increased vulnerability to stress. Results of psychophysiological studies of the effects of ethanol on the central nervous system are reviewed, with the aim of exploring how conclusions derived from them can serve as testable hypotheses in FAS research. The experimental methods used in such studies are examined for their applicability to FAS research. It is concluded that FAS research effort will benefit from the inclusion of psychophysiological studies.

Brain↗
PubMed1984

The effects of neuroleptics on attention in adolescent schizophrenics.

In contrast to studies of adult psychiatric patients, there was no striking difference between vigilance task performance by 11 newly diagnosed, previously untreated adolescent schizophrenics and that of 58 nonpsychotic adolescent comparison subjects. Neuroleptic treatment failed to improve the performance of the schizophrenic subjects. Sedation, a frequent side effect, was associated with significant prolongation of reaction time and an increase in error rate. Attentional characteristics of adolescent schizophrenics appear to resemble those of other disturbed children. Their response to neuroleptics appears to be limited and the deleterious effects of sedation on attention may well outweigh any clinical benefit attributable to sedation. Findings are discussed in terms of methodology and age-related characteristics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Visual evoked potentials (VEP) recorded from the hippocampus of the chronically-implanted unanesthetized hedgehog.

Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded from the dorsal hippocampus of chronically-implanted unanesthetized European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus). The hippocampal VEP is less complex in appearance than the VEP recorded from the visual cortex. It consists of several distinct, reliably reproducible peaks and one distinct afterpotential (AP). The ease of recording and the reliability of the elicited electrophysiological responses recommended this primitive placental insectivore for use in comparative electrophysiological and psychophysiological studies.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Photically evoked potentials and afterpotentials recorded from the visual cortex of the unanesthetized hedgehog.

Evoked potentials to visual stimuli (VEP) were recorded from the visual cortex of the unanesthetized hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus), a primitive placental mammal with relatively little differentiation of cortex and thalamus. The VEPs consisted of several distinct positive and negative voltage deflections. Reproducibility of the response was high, as indicated from the small intrasession and intersession response variability. Rhythmic afterpotentials (AP), previously reported for higher mammals, were readily elicited. They had a lower frequency (3/sec) than APs observed in other mammals. The use of the hedgehog in electrophysiological and psychophysiological research is suggested because data obtained from this primitive placental mammal may shed light on CNS functions of higher mammals, as well as mammalian forms 'lower' on the evolutionary scale.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Auditory evoked brain potentials as a function of interstimulus interval in adults with Down's syndrome.

Auditory-evoked potentials (AEP) to repeated binaural tone pips of several interstimulus intervals (ISIs) greater than or equal to 1 s were recorded from the vertex of young adults with Down's syndrome (DS; trisomy 21) and normal young adults. The following results were obtained: (1) AEP amplitudes, as well as one latency measure, of both experimental groups increased with the lengthening of ISI. (2) AEP peak latencies of the DS group were longer than AEP peak latencies of the normal group for all the ISIs employed. (3) AEP amplitudes of the DS group tended to be larger than AEP amplitudes of the normal group. These findings are discussed in relationship to issues of attention.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1979

Effects of rate of repetitive stimulus presentation on the visual evoked brain potentials of young adults with Down's syndrome.

Visual evoked brain potentials (VEP) to repeated stimuli of several interstimulus intervals (ISI) were recorded from young adults with Down's syndrome (DS). The following results were obtained: (i) An ISI effect previously observed in normals: VEP amplitudes increased with increase in ISI; some ISI effect on latency was also observed; (ii) VEP amplitudes of DS subjects were larger than VEP amplitudes of normals; (iii) VEP peak latencies of DS subjects were longer than VEP peak latencies obtained from normals; (iv) ISI had a more pronounced effect on VEP amplitudes of DS than normal subjects. These results are discussed with respect to CNS differences and issues of attention and information processing.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Agreement of mothers' and teachers' hyperactivity ratings with scores on drug-sensitive psychological tests.

Hyperactivity ratings were obtained from parents and teachers for 45 hyperactive, children. The children were also given several psychological tests. Teachers' ratings, but not parents' ratings were negatively correlated with performance on the psychological tests that require sustained attention and on which performance is improved by stimulant drugs. This pattern of correlations was interpreted as evidence that teachers, but not parents, have an opportunity to observe children performing daily tasks that require sustained attention.

Attention↗
PubMed1976

Effects of imipramine and methylphenidate on perceptual-motor performance of hyperactive children.

Perceptual-motor effects of imipramine and methylphenidate were evaluated in a double-blind study of 47 hyperactive children. No effects were found for imipramine, although methylphenidate improved performance on several tests. Improvement due to methylphenidate was not related to base-line scores. A discriminant function was computed to compare baseline perceptual-motor scores of the hyperactive and 41 normal children. Only half of the hyperactive children were clearly discriminated from normal children by the discriminant function. The digit-span test, which was not sensitive to methylphenidate, effectively discriminated hyperactive from normal children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Blood pressure and pulse changes in hyperactive children treated with imipramine and methylphenidate.

The authors found significant increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate in hyperactive children treated with imipramine. Methylphenidate-treated children showed significant weight loss but no significant changes in blood pressure or pulse. The authors recommend caution in the use of imipramine and suggest the need for further study to determine short- and long-term effects of imipramine on blood pressure.

Adolescent↗