Biomedical subjects

J J Semela

Publications and source records attributed to J J Semela.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1992

The I' potential of the brain-stem auditory-evoked potential.

We have consistently recorded a positive wave which precedes wave I, and is called I', within the human brain-stem auditory-evoked potential. It is postulated that I' represents initial neural activity of the auditory nerve, which presumably has as its origin auditory nerve dendrites. Thus, I' may represent a summed far-field dendritic potential from currents of excitatory postsynaptic potentials. We report latency and amplitude values of I'.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed1989

A microcomputer-based system for auditory evoked potentials.

We have been using a microprocessor/microcomputer-based system which affords flexibility in the recording of neuroaudiologic and neurophysiologic data. To date, we have used it to record auditory sensory and neural events. Data such as spontaneous oto-acoustic emissions, evoked oto-acoustic emissions, compound action potentials, and auditory brain-stem responses can be recorded, displayed and analysed. The system hardware is configured from commercially available and 'off-the-shelf' components. The software which directs stimulus generation, data recording, data display and analysis is all written in compiled BASIC or C. A hard-disk organizational scheme has also been developed to permit ease in categorizing, storing, and using in-house or commercially available systems, utility and applications software.

Computer Systems↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Significance of cultural variables in assessment and therapy.

Language is a function of culture. Within the African culture traditional and faith healers play an essential role in counseling the community on various personal and communal health- and life-related conditions. This kind of practice is particularly observed among the native populations, among those less affected by Western influences, and among those who have less opposition from Western and Asian religions. It is in this context that diagnosis and treatment of the bilingual child with potential language disorders were examined from the point of view of the African culture. The present study examines the degree to which the traditional or/and faith healers diagnose and explain the nature of the child's problem to the parent(s). The impact of the African traditional healer is compared to the diagnosis made by the modern medical practitioner who adheres to the Cartesian dualism model which seeks to treat the patient by applying medical and surgical procedures. Speech-language pathologists need to recognize and consider the healer's impact on any child with a potential language disorder.

Adolescent↗