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Biomedical subjects

A Scher

Publications and source records attributed to A Scher.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Optic disc drusen and hypermetropia.

We report the case of a 41 year old lady with high hypermetropia and optic disc drusen (ODD) in both eyes. A recent study has shown that ODD has a greater tendency to form in eyes with a small scleral canal. It would therefore seem probable to find a higher rate of ODD in hypermetropic eyes. Some of the current literature denies this connection. In this article we discuss the pathogenesis of ODD and the possible connection between this entity and "high" hypermetropia.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Actigraphic home-monitoring sleep-disturbed and control infants and young children: a new method for pediatric assessment of sleep-wake patterns.

Two studies were conducted to evaluate actigraphic home-monitoring for the assessment of infants' and children's sleep patterns. In the first study, 11 children (aged 12 to 48 months) were monitored in the laboratory by traditional polysomnography and by actigraphy for one night. Actigraphic automatic sleep-wake scorings were compared with those of the polysomnograph; total agreement rate was 85.3%. In the second study, sleep patterns of 63 sleep-disturbed and 34 control healthy children (aged 9 to 27 months) were compared. These children were home-monitored by actigraph for a mean of 4.45 nights (total 482 nights). Actigraphic data were analyzed by an automated scoring procedure. Sleep quality of the sleep-disturbed children, measured by actigraphically derived sleep percent and number of longer-than-5-minute wakings, was significantly lower than that of the control subjects (P less than .0001). Sleep measures showed significant night-to-night stability in both groups. The stability of specific measures and their age trends were different between the groups. Actigraphic sleep measures alone could discriminate between sleep-disturbed and control children with a highly correct assignment rate of 79.4% and 91.2%, respectively.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

The physical and mental development of co-sibs surviving selective reduction of multifetal pregnancies.

Fetal reduction in humans is still controversial and considered exploratory. The medical, legal and ethical issues involved have been widely discussed, yet, the long term effects on the surviving co-sibs have not been documented. We report on the psychomotor and physical development of seven children born following fetal reduction in three women, initially bearing 13 fetuses altogether. To these children we matched controls for birth weight, gestational age, sex, mode of delivery, parity, age at examination and mother's age and education. The children's age at evaluation varied between 12.5 and 38 months. It was found that the mental and physical indices of these children did not differ from their matched controls. It is our belief that reduction of pregnancies of high fetal order into pregnancies of low fetal order is medically acceptable.

Abortion, Incomplete↗
PubMed1989

Short-term efficacy of thyroid hormone supplementation for patients with Down syndrome and low-borderline thyroid function.

The thyroid function of 44 subjects with Down syndrome who were between 2 and 51 years of age was assessed. Three patients (7%) had hypothyroidism, and in 2 of them high titers of antimicrosomal antibody were detected. Seven additional subjects (16%) had low-borderline thyroid function, 6 with elevated thyroid stimulating hormone. These 7 subjects constituted the cohort for an evaluation of the short-term benefits of thyroid hormone supplementation in the low-borderline thyroid functional state. A double-blind crossover drug placebo trial failed to document any cognitive, social, response time, or physical changes attributable to the 8- to 14-week drug treatment period compared to an untreated matched control group. Results provided no evidence for the efficacy of short-term thyroid hormone therapy for this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Plasma leukotriene C4 and reactions to contrast media.

Forty-five patients were randomly divided into three groups of 15 and within each group patients were given iothalamate, iopamidol or ioxaglate intravenously during radiological investigations. The plasma leukotriene C4 level was measured before and 30 s and 3 min after the administration of the respective contrast media. In patients demonstrating non-idiosyncratic contrast reactions, a consistent decrease in plasma leukotriene concentration was noted at both 30 s and 3 min following the administration of all three contrast media. A statistically significant decrease in plasma leukotriene occurred at 30 s with ioxaglate, but not with the other two agents. In the limited number of patients who experienced idiosyncratic reactions, the decrease in plasma leukotriene concentration was less apparent. This decrease in plasma leukotriene concentration has been attributed to changes in plasma volume following administration of hyperosmolar contrast media. The inability to demonstrate an increase in plasma leukotriene levels following the administration of both conventional and new, low-osmolar radiographic contrast media supports the cumulative evidence against an allergic mechanism in the majority of non-idiosyncratic and some idiosyncratic contrast reactions.

Female↗
PubMed1986

Advantages of the new low-osmolar radiographic contrast media.

Intravascular contrast media are important in the radiological diagnostic process. Their use is associated with significant side-effects, but new low-osmolar contrast agents have been developed in an attempt to decrease the severity and incidence of these. The molecular structure of contrast media and their relationship to side-effects is discussed. The advantages of, indications for and contraindications to the new low-osmolar contrast media are presented.

Chemical Phenomena↗
PubMed1982

Children's categorical representation of oblique orientation.

20 7-yr.-old children were given a memory task in which they were asked to compare successively presented oblique lines. The lines varied in respect to (1) their position within a square display and (2) their relation to the diagonal axis of the display. Children's performance suggests a categorical spatial representation system in which stimuli are encoded in terms of position and axis features. In comparing the orientation of two oblique lines, children match these coded categorical features (e.g., on axis vs off axis) and respond by the simple response rule: if a match say "same," if a mismatch say "different," so, children's recognition of oblique lines is often in error.

Child↗
PubMed1982

The axis feature: illusionary effects on children's judgments of length.

The effect of the position of lines on length estimation was investigated. 40 5-yr.-olds were asked to compare the two arms of an L-shaped figure presented inside circular frames of different diameters. For each figure one of the arms was on the axis, that is, the diameter, and the other arm was perpendicular to that axis. In making perceptual judgments about the relative length of two lines the children tended to describe the on-axis line as longer than the off-axis line. This illusion which, presumably, reflects a perceptual force induced by the characteristics of the structural pattern, supports the context model of visual anomalies.

Child↗
PubMed1982

Position and axis features in young children's oblique judgments: partial replication.

26 6-yr.-old children were given a memory task in which they were asked to compare the orientation of oblique lines. The performance of the children suggests a spatial representation system similar to that of older children. The representation assigned to obliques within a square display is characterized by the coding of position and axis information. Orientation comparisons are based on matching the coded information. As mental operations are limited the young children often do not respond correctly.

Child↗
PubMed1977

An approach to the radiological examination of the cervico-dorsal junction following injury.

In 257 cases of cervical spinal cord injury the orthopaedic level of injury was found to be between C6 and T1 in 34%, emphasising the frequency of injury in the cervico-dorsal region. This is a difficult region of the spine to X-ray and different techniques to demonstrate this region have been assessed. An additional technique which has proved useful is described and a scheme is suggested for the adequate visualisation of the cervico-dorsal region.

Humans↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mothers of anxious/ambivalent infants: maternal characteristics and child-care context.

A general model of the determinants of parenting was employed to explore the antecedents of the ambivalent attachment pattern in Israel. Specifically, three classes of variables were identified: maternal, infant, and child-care context. Participants were 98 mothers and their infants. This research was part of a longitudinal study on sleep patterns. Mothers filled out questionnaires and were observed with their infants in the Ainsworth Strange Situation laboratory procedure. Mothers of ambivalent infants showed lower education level, higher separation anxiety, and higher parenting stress than mothers of secure infants. Infants' perceived difficult temperament did not discriminate between the two groups. Longer hours spent at work and placement in group day-care were both associated with ambivalent attachment. The findings are discussed in light of the importance of considering distal factors such as maternal attitudes and general caregiving strategy in clarifying the antecedents of attachment patterns.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A longitudinal study of night waking in the first year.

A longitudinal study of the development of sleep patterns addressed the issue of continuity and change in night waking in the course of the first year. Mothers of 118 infants, who took part in a follow-up study of normal babies, completed a sleep questionnaire at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Regular night waking was a common characteristic throughout the first year (46% at 3 months, 39%, 58% and 55% respectively at 6, 9 and 12 months). The number of awakenings per night was a function of age. Following a decline in the number of interruptions from 3 to 6 months, an increase in night waking at age 9 months was recorded. Although the methodology does not lend itself to an objective validation of the changes in sleep-wake states, nor is it suitable for causal explanations, it is, nevertheless, important to note this profile. The increase in night waking towards the end of the first year coincides with significant socio-emotional advances which characterize this developmental stage.

Circadian Rhythm↗