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Biomedical subjects

F A García-Sánchez

Publications and source records attributed to F A García-Sánchez.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

[Investigation in early intervention].

OBJECTIVE: Point out the importance of the research in early intervention (EI), its limitations, and peculiarities. DEVELOPMENT: After defender the importance of research in this applied field, its problems in EI are analysed from different perspectives. The idiosyncrasy of the intervention goals perfectly explain the concurrence of ethical and methodological limitations, which affect to the possible research designs. The diversity of possible needs of EI in the children lead to a great variability and heterogeneousity in the attended population and a great dispersion in the research purposes in this field. Centred in the interest by to improve the quality of the offered services, the actual situation of the research on the efficacy of the intervention in EI lead to reclaim insistently the development of multidimensional approaches. Evaluation of the intervention results, for example, must not exclusively centred in child developmental acquisitions, or at least not only in the classic aspects of motor, cognitive, language, etc.; quite the contrary, it must be take into account new areas and competencies, related both to the child and to his/her family. The evaluation of results or goals of the intervention must be only one dimensions more, which must be faced simultaneously to the evaluation of the characteristics of the child and his/her family and the characteristics of the programs itself. CONCLUSIONS: The accumulated experience after eight years of service of a Research Department in a Childhood Developmental and Early Intervention Centre permit point out that this type of initiatives are valid to promote the research in the EI field.

Child↗

Refractive errors in children with cerebral palsy, psychomotor retardation, and other non-cerebral palsy neuromotor disabilities.

The aim of this study was to analyse the refractive state of four different groups of children: those with spastic cerebral palsy (CP), aged between 7 and 81 months (N=50); psychomotor retardation, aged between 19 and 70 months (N=16); other neuromotor dysfunctions, aged between 12 and 75 months (N=37); and without psychomotor retardation, aged between 9 and 73 months (N=181). Refractive errors were determined using cycloplegic retinoscopy and non-cycloplegic retinoscopy (Mohindra's technique). We found higher percentages of hyperopia, tendency toward hyperopia, and other refractive anomalies in all the pathological groups of children than in the non-pathological control groups. Children from both the non-CP pathological control group and the group with psychomotor retardation had similar or even higher levels of hyperopia than children from the group with spastic CP. Our results in different age groups indicate a less effective normal emmetropization course in all the pathological groups of children studied. The correction of refractive errors is needed in these children before the end of the neural plasticity period.

Cerebral Palsy↗

Antihypertensive monotherapy and stress-induced changes in physiological activity.

The effects of two types of laboratory stressors, a structured interview and the cold pressor test, on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were studied in normotensive individuals (n = 16), unmedicated hypertensive patients (n = 12), and medicated hypertensive patients (n = 46). Fifteen patients were in the bisoprolol group, 16 patients were in the enalapril group, and 15 patients were in the nitrendipine group. Concurrent physiologic measures, finger pulse volume (FPV), electrodermal activity, and respiratory frequency (RF), were also used to evaluate the level of stress reached by the subjects during and after the tasks. No significant differences were evident between the different treatments in BP and other physiologic responses to stressors. Patients receiving bisoprolol maintained lower HR and systolic BP values, but these differences were not related to the reaction to the stressors. No significant differences were noted in diastolic BP (DBP) between the different groups. The highest physiologic responses were obtained during the structured interview. Antihypertensive monotherapy does not attenuate cardiovascular reactions induced by acute stress in controlled laboratory conditions. In laboratory studies of the relationships between stress and hypertension, it is important that social stressors be used and that physiologic rather than cardiovascular measures of stress be recorded.

Adult↗

Responsiveness patterns and handedness differences in bilateral electrodermal asymmetry.

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between subjects' handedness and electrodermal asymmetry when subjects were divided according to their electrodermal Responsiveness Patterns, obtained during a stimulus-free period. Skin conductance was bilaterally recorded in a sample of 48 subjects (24 dextrals and 24 sinistrals) during the performance of two tasks (watching a film and listening to neutral tones). Subjects were divided into four groups of 12 subjects each (dextral right-hand responders, dextral left-hand responders, sinistral right-hand responders and sinistral left-hand responders). No differences were found between dextral and sinistral subjects. Orientation of electrodermal asymmetry in each Responsiveness Patterns remained constant throughout the two conditions: right-hand responders showed higher electrodermal activity on their right hand, while left-hand responders showed higher electrodermal activity on their left hand. In addition, left-hand responders showed a slower habituation rate on their left hand than on their right hand, whereas right-hand responders showed no significant differences between hands.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Sex differences and the asymmetry of specific and non-specific electrodermal responses.

Phasic electrodermal conductance responses were bilaterally recorded from 30 subjects (15 males and 15 females). After a 5-min adaptation period subjects were presented with two series of ten 80-dB tones each, with a 4-min rest period between the two series. Data from sinistrals, ambidextrous, and from subjects with familial sinistrality were excluded from statistical analysis. Males displayed more asymmetry between hands both in their non-specific and specific responses, with larger skin conductance responses on the left hand. Females showed a less marked asymmetry, with larger skin conductance responses on the right hand. Similar results were found in skin conductance levels. It was concluded that sex differences are an important variable in the study of electrodermal asymmetry.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Sex differences and bilateral electrodermal activity: a replication.

The present study was aimed at replicating the results of a previous work on sex differences and electrodermal asymmetry from our laboratory (Román, et al. 1987). Skin conductance was bilaterally recorded in a sample of 44 dextral volunteers (22 males and 22 females) during a stimulus-free period, and the performance of two tasks (verbal and spatial). Subjects were grouped into two groups of right-hand and left-hand dominance in their electrodermal responses (EDRs) in accordance with their laterality coefficient scores at rest. During the tasks subjects appeared clearly differentiated by their lateralization in the magnitude and frequency of EDRs independently of gender: right-hand responders showed higher electrodermal activity on their right hand, while left-hand responders showed higher electrodermal activity on their left hand. Sex differences were not observed within each responsiveness pattern. The orientation of phasic electrodermal changes remained constant throughout the different conditions.

Adolescent↗