Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A Touraine.
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The sensitive potential of the median nerve is evoked by stimulating the second and third fingers while being recorded percutaneously at the wrist. Three parameters are calculated on control subjects: amplitude, duration and velocity, which is obtained from the negative peak latency. These parameters have been measured on children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth's disease. Friedreich's ataxia and Fukuyama's disease. The results are in good agreement with the literature. The interest of this investigation for early diagnosis of the disease and its classification is emphasized.
In recent years the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for the treatment of painful disorders has been widely adopted. Minor side effects such as skin irritation are recognised but with appropriate safeguards the technique is considered free from permanent sequelae. This study examines the effects of TENS on hand skin temperature in 6 normal volunteers and 3 patients with alcoholic peripheral neuropathy. Changes of skin temperature were registered using thermocouples and a thermovision camera. Digital artery pulsation was recorded using the Doppler ultrasound technique. Stimulation at 5 to 10 per second of the ulnar nerve at the elbow and digital nerves in the fingers was maintained for 1 to 4 minutes. Profound cooling of the skin and decrease in arterial pulsation was observed and usually persisted for several minutes after cessation of stimulation. Digital arterial changes were not seen in the 3 patients with neuropathy. The possible physiological basis of the observations is discussed and the implications for TENS therapy considered.
The EMG signal was recorded from the brachial biceps in 12 different needle positions, in control subjects and patients, all the subjects exerting a standard effort. The signal was automatically analysed, off-line, and 18 parameters were computed from the signal waves. These parameters described the electrical activity of the muscle. The comparison between results from control subjects and patients showed significant differences for 13 parameters. Eight of them allowed one to separate neurogenic and myogenic patients. For each parameter, the observed variations from the normal exhibited opposite values for neurogenic and myogenic subjects. Some neurogenic patients with apparently normal biceps had a pathological quantitative analysis. The method could thus be used to reveal early disturbances.
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This is a preliminary report of a method of digital computer analysis of the electromyogram recorded from twenty sites in biceps brachial during fixed voluntary effort. The method allows several EMG parameters to be studied. The results in a group of normal subjects have been compared with those in patients with neuromuscular disease. Three parameters have proved of value in differentiating normal subjects from those with neurogenic disease.
A statistical study has been performed on E.E.G. spectral analysis of control subjects and cardiac patients. This work has confirmed that the cerebral activity was slightly different in relation to the age. These modifications concern alpha frequencies, and also delta, thêta and bêta energies. In cardiac patients, these changes occurred earlier than in control subjects, but the evolution is different in relation to the pathology.