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Biomedical subjects

K Sedlacek

Publications and source records attributed to K Sedlacek.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Survival rate and causes of death in patients with pacemakers: dependence on symptoms leading to pacemaker implantation.

The survival rate of 2256 patients with pacemakers was analyzed. Patients paced for Adams-Stokes equivalents (e.g. dizziness) showed a significantly better survival rate than did patients with pacemakers implanted for Adam-Stokes attacks or heart failure (P less than 0.0001). The estimated survival of the latter two groups did not differ significantly. Of the deceased patients who had received a pacemaker for the treatment of heart failure, 54% died due to this condition despite pacemaker implantation. The relative percentage of cases of sudden death after pacemaker implantation was high in the groups with Adams-Stokes attacks (12%) and Adams-Stokes equivalents (13%). In patients paced for Adams-Stokes attacks, sudden death occurred more frequently in the first year after pacemaker implantation (P less than 0.015) than during the following years. Therefore, increased efforts should be made to monitor patients carefully after pacemaker implantation to enable prompt detection of malignant tachyarrhythmias, probably the cause of sudden death in a substantial number of patients with pacemakers.

Adams-Stokes Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

The effectiveness of biofeedback-assisted relaxation in modifying sickle cell crises.

Eight outpatients with sickle cell disease received six EMG and six thermal half-hour biofeedback training sessions. Statistically significant changes in the desired directions were obtained for the following variables: (a) frontalis muscle tension, (b) digital temperature, (c) frequency of headache as a crisis symptom, (d) frequency of analgesic use, (e) perceived pain intensity, (f) frequency of self-treated crises, and (g) state anxiety. Nonsignificant changes in hospital chart data were found. A 6-month posttreatment follow-up questionnaire revealed the continued effectiveness of the training received regarding headaches and mild pains.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Attention and autonomic self-regulation.

To examine how various aspects of attentional functioning are affected by autonomic self-regulation procedures, this study compared the effect of two treatment programs (EMG and thermal biofeedback used in conjunction with various somatic and cognitive relaxation/self-regulation strategies, and Benson's Relaxation Response procedure) and a Waiting List control group for essential hypertensive adults on three, perhaps overlapping, attentional dimensions: the capacity to disembed figure from ground (Embedded Figures Test, Block Design, and Picture Completion WAIS subtests); the capacity to voluntarily deploy attention (Digit Span subtest of the WAIS), and capacity to sustain attention or become absorbed (as measured by the Tellegen Absorption Scale). Thirty essential hypertensive men and women were randomly placed in one of the three groups. Attentional dimensions were assessed before and after the 10-week treatment program (or waiting period) and the relationship between blood pressure and attentional changes were assessed. The only group to evidence significant blood pressure reduction, the "Biofeedback Group," became significantly more Field Independent as measured by the EFT (p less than 0.001) and the Block Design measure (p less than 0.01) and evidenced a strong trend in the same direction on the Picture Completion measure (p less than 0.052, NS). No other significant pre-post attentional changes were found. A Pearson product correlation revealed that changes in diastolic blood pressure were significantly correlated with changes in EFT (r = 0.54, p less than 0.0001) and the Picture Completion measure (r = 0.32, p less than 0.05). The cognitive effect of autonomic self-regulation is discussed. In addition, the possible role of attention in autonomic self-regulation is examined.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Biofeedback in the treatment of blepharospasm: a case study.

Although biofeedback has been of value in treating spastic paresis and torticollis, its effectiveness in other movement disorders is less clear. Blepharospasm, which has no definitive treatment, often has a strong psychogenic component. The authors report the use of electromyographic and temperature biofeedback in a women with blepharospasm who had responded poorly to psychotherapy. Her improvement during biofeedback treatment further elucidated psychogenic factors contributing to the disorder. At 3-months follow-up it seemed that the patient's secondary gain from the blepharospasm diminished the maximum treatment response she could have had to biofeedback.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗