Biomedical subjects

Maria Zafiropoulou

Publications and source records attributed to Maria Zafiropoulou.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

DNA damage and repair efficiency in lymphocytes from schizophrenic patients.

In the present study we examined schizophrenic patients' lymphocytes sensitivity to the effects of external factors, such as hydrogen peroxide and gamma-irradiation and also their repair efficiency with the comet assay. Our results did no show any difference in basal levels of DNA damage between schizophrenic and normal populations. The slightly increased sensitivity of the schizophrenic population to the externally induced DNA damage compared to controls was not statistically significant. Also the small reduction in the DNA repair efficiency in schizophrenics in comparison to normal population was found to be not statistically significant. Finally, patients with heritable predisposition to schizophrenia did not show any difference in their response from the other schizophrenics.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

A cognitive-behavioral intervention program for students with special reading disabilities.

Interaction among cognitive, meta-cognitive, and emotional factors seems to play a determining part in achievement behavior and especially in scholastic performance. In this study some preliminary results are presented of the implementation of a multidimensional cognitive-behavioral psychoeducational program especially designed for students with reading disabilities in which parents and teachers also take part. The aim of the program was to provide students with appropriate emotional and cognitive skills with which to address their learning problems. First results on the efficacy of the implemented program to 20 primary school boys and girls with special reading disabilities encourage research on management of learning problems with focus on cognitive and emotional aspects in which parents and teachers contribute. Research including a control group is necessary.

Child↗

PubMed2003

DNA damage in a human population affected by chronic psychogenic stress.

The effects of chronic psychogenic stress on the expression of DNA damage and cellular response to the damage were investigated. Using the comet assay, basal DNA damage was found to be similar in lymphocytes of both affected and non-affected populations (n = 30 in both groups). The induction of DNA damage in lymphocytes by external factors (H2O2 and gamma-irradiation), was also investigated. In these studies, cells were treated with 50, 100 and 150 microM H2O2 for 5 minutes or with 0.8, 2.5 and 4.2 Gy gamma-rays. A significant difference was found between the chronically stressed and the control populations, indicating the enhanced sensitivity of the former population. Cells were also held for 2 hours after the treatment, allowing time for the cells to deal with the induced DNA damage. Based on the level of residual DNA strand breaks, cells from the stressed population had more breaks than the controls. Gender does not alter these findings. In conclusion, our data indicate that cells from the stressed population were more sensitive to the induction of DNA damage and had higher level of residual damage. Therefore, stress conditions may cause the affected individuals to be susceptible to environmental mutagenic agents.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Visuomotor coordination and visuospatial working memory of children with specific reading disabilities: a study using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure.

The aim of the present study was to examine the visuospatial perception, short-term working memory, and motor skills of children with special reading difficulties, using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, which can record visuomotor and memory skills, observe drawing processes, and detect deficiencies in specific skills. 306 right- and left-handed boys and girls, ages 6.6 to 9.6 yr. (102 with special reading difficulties, 102 normal readers, and 102 with general learning difficulties) comprised one experimental and two control groups, respectively. The task was to depict the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure under two conditions, copying and drawing it from memory. Analysis indicated that (a) difficulty of the depiction of the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure, especially from memory, sharply affects children's performance and (b) the experimental group's performance was significantly poorer than that of controls in both conditions. The results are discussed in view of the predictive value of certain motor and cognitive skill deficiencies of children with special reading difficulties.

Child↗