Biomedical subjects

E Barbeau

Publications and source records attributed to E Barbeau.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Progressive prosopagnosia: clinical and neuroimaging results.

The authors report the longitudinal case study of a patient with the right temporal variant of frontotemporal lobar degeneration. His deficit, initially limited to visuoperceptual disturbances, progressed 2 years later to a severe semantic breakdown. Neuroimaging data indicate that the underlying degenerative process, initially confined to unimodal visual associative cortices, progressed along the ventral pathways to multimodal areas in charge of integrating knowledge from various modalities (the anterior temporal lobes).

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Cortical stimulation study of the role of rhinal cortex in déjà vu and reminiscence of memories.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role of perirhinal (PC) and entorhinal cortices (EC) in dreamy state symptoms (déjà vu and reminiscence of scenes). These phenomena have been attributed to functional alteration of memory networks supported by the medial temporal lobes, principally involving the amygdala and hippocampus. The role of sub-hippocampal structures (EC and PC) in inducing these phenomena has not previously been addressed. METHODS: The authors studied the symptoms evoked by direct electrical stimulations of PC and EC in comparison with those obtained after stimulation of the amygdala and hippocampus. Stimulations were performed in a group of 24 patients with epilepsy, during stereoelectroencephalographic (SEEG) recordings in the setting of presurgical evaluation. All patients had electrodes that sampled the rhinal cortices, amygdala, and hippocampus. RESULTS: A total of 280 stimulations were analyzed. Entorhinal and perirhinal stimulations induced classic mesial temporal lobe responses (emotional, dysautonomic) but also more specific responses, particularly the déjà vu phenomenon and reminiscence of scenes. Such déjà vu or déjà vécu type responses were produced proportionately more often by stimulation of the EC than by stimulation of the amygdala and hippocampus. In particular, déjà vu was associated with stimulation of the EC and reminiscence of memories with PC stimulation. CONCLUSION: This study strongly suggests that experiential symptoms are largely dependent upon functional modification of the physiology of the rhinal cortices.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Evaluation of visual recognition memory in MCI patients.

BACKGROUND: Neurofibrillary tangles seen early in Alzheimer disease (AD) initially appear in a subregion of the perirhinal cortex. In the monkey, damage to the perirhinal cortex impairs performance on visual recognition memory tasks. The authors evaluated impairment of visual recognition memory as a potential early diagnostic marker of AD. METHODS: The authors developed a visual delayed matching-to-sample task (DMS48) designed to assess visual recognition memory in humans. Twenty-three patients fulfilling the criteria of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (mean Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]: 26.6, SD = 1.6) were recruited. All underwent a full neuropsychological evaluation, which included the Free and Cued Selective Reminding (FCSR) test. Their performance was compared with that of 10 patients with mild AD, 20 patients with moderate AD, 20 patients with Parkinson disease (PD), and 40 age-matched controls. RESULTS: Control subjects and patients with PD performed close to ceiling. Patients with mild AD had very low scores, while patients with moderate AD answered at random. MCI patients obtained scores that were between those of control subjects and patients with mild AD (78%, SD = 16%). MCI patients who failed on the DMS48 had lower scores on free recall (p < 0.05) and received less benefit from cueing (p < 0.01) on the FCSR than the other MCI, suggesting a profile of genuine memory impairment related to medial temporal lobe lesions. CONCLUSION: The DMS48, a test of visual recognition memory, is impaired early in the course of patients with MCI. Further studies are necessary to determine whether the evaluation of visual recognition memory may contribute to the identification of patients with AD.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

[The human perirhinal cortex].

The perirhinal cortex is a structure that lies within the medial temporal lobe. In the present paper, we review current knowledge of the anatomical boundaries and functional correlates of this structure. In the past decade, numerous animal studies have attempted to understand the contribution of the perirhinal cortex to memory. Taken together, they suggest that the perirhinal cortex is crucially involved in recognition memory. This function appears to be independent from those assumed to be subserved by the hippocampus. In humans, data are scarce but tend to corroborate results found in the animal literature. The perirhinal cortex appears to support context-free (non-episodic) knowledge, such as general knowledge about the world and "item-specific" memories. Models of declarative memory that take into account the specific contribution of the perirhinal cortex are discussed, along with their potential application to early cortical neurodegenerative disorders.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Assessing and intervening on OSH programmes: effectiveness evaluation of the Wellworks-2 intervention in 15 manufacturing worksites.

AIMS: (1) To develop a transparent and broadly applicable method for assessing occupational safety and health (OSH) programmes or management systems; (2) to assess OSH programmes in a sample of manufacturing worksites; and (3) to determine whether a management focused occupational health intervention results in greater improvement in OSH programmes compared to minimal intervention controls. METHODS: OSH programmes were assessed using an adaptation of the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration's 1995 Program Evaluation Profile. Scores were generated from 91 binary indicator variables grouped under four "Essential Elements". Essential Element scores were weighted to contribute to an overall programme score on a 100 point scale. Seventeen large manufacturing worksites were assessed at baseline; 15 sites completed the 16 month intervention and follow up assessments. RESULTS: There was considerable variation in Essential Element scores across sites at baseline as judged by our instrument, particularly in "management commitment and employee participation" and "workplace analysis". Most sites scored highly on "hazard prevention and control" and "training and education". For overall OSH programme scores, most sites scored in the 60-80% range at baseline, with four sites scoring below 60%, suggesting weak programmes. Intervention sites showed greater improvements than controls in the four programme elements and in overall programme scores, with significantly greater improvements in "management commitment and employee participation". CONCLUSIONS: The OSH programme assessment method used is broadly applicable to manufacturing work settings, and baseline profiles suggest needs for improvement in OSH programmes in most such worksites. Despite a small sample size, results showed that sustained management focused intervention can result in improvement in these OSH programme measures.

Community Participation↗

PubMed2003

Category-specific visual agnosia: lesion to semantic memory versus extra-lesional variables in a case study and a connectionist model.

There is a current debate on the causes of category-specific agnosia. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of lesional and extra-lesional variables on object recognition. Extra-lesional variables, such as visual complexity or familiarity, are factors that influence recognition. Using a connectionist model based on study, we provide evidence that extra-lesional variables can yield dissociations in the recognition rate of different categories. Furthermore, it is shown that lesional and extra-lesional variables can interact (p < .01) when both are simultaneously modeled. Category-specific agnosia might thus result from complex interactions.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Local labor unions' positions on worksite tobacco control.

OBJECTIVES: This report describes local unions' positions on tobacco control initiatives and factors related to these positions. METHODS: A national random sample of local union leaders was surveyed by telephone. RESULTS: Forty-eight percent of local unions supported worksite smoking bans or restrictions, and only 8% opposed both a ban and a restriction. CONCLUSIONS: Support for tobacco control initiatives among local unions was higher than might be expected on the basis of previous evidence. Engaging unions in smoking policy formation is likely to contribute to the larger public health goal of reducing smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke among workers.

Attitude↗

PubMed1997

A Multisectoral Approach to Prevention of Lead Poisoning in Hungary: Lessons Learned and Potential for Replicability Elsewhere.

Hungarian and American occupational and environmental health professionals are collaborating in a research and demonstration project designed to prevent lead poisoning in Hungary. Using a multisectoral approach, the project has three phases: data collection and review, risk communication, and facilitation of program and policy development. First, the project team reviewed relevant data of many types through a workshop at which commissioned papers were presented, key-informant interviews, and a survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The team then conducted a multifaceted risk-communication program to disseminate information about lead hazards in general and what had been learned about lead exposures and lead poisoning in Hungary. It presented training workshops for workers exposed to lead at work and for groups serving as "mediators" who could affect others' behavior, such as nongovernmental organizations, labor unions, public health nurses, pediatricians, teachers and students, and coordinators of the Hungarian Healthy Cities Project. It also conducted a campaign of "concentrated action," using a variety of communication approaches directed to car owners, pregnant women, mothers of small children, and others, in order to convey knowledge and change attitudes, emphasizing emotional appeals. Project leaders will organize a multisectoral working group to develop, coordinate, and implement an overall activity plan aiming to reduce lead pollution. The approach developed and used in this project provides a model for preventing lead poisoning that may be transferrable or adaptable for use for preventing lead poisoning and other environmental health problems elsewhere.

Journal Article↗