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Biomedical subjects

N Battistini

Publications and source records attributed to N Battistini.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

The prediction of total body water from body impedance in young obese subjects.

Almost all formulae for the prediction of total body water (TBW) from body impedance are based on the assumption of a constant conductor configuration--i.e. a constant subject section. In this paper we report on data obtained for a group of 19 young obese subjects (relative weight greater than 120%) and 10 young normal subjects (relative weight 80-110%). In obese subjects, the application of two different formulae generated from normal children gave biased results and led to an underestimation of TBW with respect to the reference value obtained by deuterium oxide dilution. Body mass index accounted for more than 40% of the inter-individual variability, suggesting that body size was not taken sufficiently into consideration by the predictive formulae used. We have used the body surface area as the anthropometrical parameter for the prediction of TBW from body impedance. The regression formula that we propose (TBW = 1.156 x (surface area/body impedance) - 2.356; R = 0.96), although requiring further validation on external populations, seems to provide a more realistic assessment of TBW in young obese subjects. We therefore suggest that the assessment of TBW in young obese subjects requires specifically designed prediction formulae.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Electrophysiologic evaluation of local steroid injection in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Extensive sensory and motor nerve conduction studies were performed in a series of patients with electrophysiologically proven, idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome who were treated by a single steroid injection (40 mg of triamcinolone acetonide). Electrophysiologic studies, which included evaluation of median, ulnar, and radial orthodromic sensory action potentials, median and ulnar motor action potentials, and electromyography of two intrinsic muscles of the hand, were done before and at 45 days and six months after the treatment. By the end of the follow-up period, the symptoms had remitted completely in 11 hands (35%), 18 (58%) benefitted from partial relief, and two did not improve. In addition to the relief of symptoms, abnormalities of motor nerve conduction improved in 65% of cases, and abnormalities of sensory nerve conduction improved in 73% of all the individual digital branches of the median nerve examined. Recovery of function of the median nerve continued for a long period, even after the pharmacologic effect of the steroid agent had presumably ceased.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1989

Increase of neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity in the paraventricular nucleus of fasting rats.

The paraventricular nucleus (PVH) of the hypothalamus is a key region for the control of food intake. It presents a very high neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like positive innervation. In this paper we have studied the modifications of NPY-positive innervation in the PVH of 72 h starved rats vs control rats by means of semiquantitative immunocytochemistry. We observed a significant increase of NPY-like immunoreactivity in fasting rats. This result suggests a physiological role of NPY in the food intake regulation at the PVH level.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Diagnostic specificity of sensory and motor nerve conduction variables in early detection of carpal tunnel syndrome.

In the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) sensory nerve conduction is more sensitive than motor conduction. However, 8%-25% of the sensory distal latencies in symptomatic hands may still be normal. A systematic study was made of the median, ulnar and radial orthodromic nerve conduction velocities (SNCV) stimulating each of the fingers separately. Four SNCVs from the median nerve, two SNCVs from the ulnar nerve and one from the radial nerve were obtained, and the ratio of the median to radial SNCV and the ratios of the median and ulnar SNCVs were estimated. The significance of these parameters in the diagnosis of the CTS was studied, and a rapid technique for the screening of nerve entrapment in the initial stages of the disease is proposed. Three hundred and seventy-five symptomatic hands were examined. Seventy-five hands showed normal distal latency, in which cases, however, the SNCV of the ring finger was always outside the normal range, while the SNCVs of the thumb, index and middle fingers were abnormal in 64%, 80% and 92% of cases respectively. The amplitudes of the sensory responses were the least sensitive of the parameters studied. Our results suggest that a study of the median nerve digital branch to the ring finger may be of value in providing an easily performed and rapid technique for screening an early median nerve entrapment at the wrist.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Iodinated-NPY binding sites: autoradiographic study in the rat brain.

Several authors have described the presence of iodinated neuropeptide-Y binding sites on membranes of the mammalian CNS. In the present study we show a mapping of iodinated-NPY binding sites in the rat brain using receptor autoradiography. The sections were incubated with 125I-Bolton-Hunter coupled NPY (0.5-03 nM), in the absence or presence of 1 microM cold NPY. Some autoradiograms are studied by means of an image analyzer (VDC 501 Tesak) equipped with the host computer PDP 11 Digital, in order to enhance the contrast of the labeling. A very high density of NPY receptors is present in the limbic regions (hippocampus, amygdaloid complex, septal nuclei), in the cortex, and in some thalamic nuclei, while in some hypothalamic regions (paraventricular nucleus and median eminence) we detected a lower amount of NPY receptors. At the mesencephalic level, the substantia nigra presents a very high density of NPY receptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Differences between surface EMG in male and female subjects evidenced by automatic analysis.

40 healthy volunteers (20 males and 20 females) have been studied by an automatic analysis of their surface EMG. The power density spectrum (PDS) of the electromyographic signal, derived from the tibialis anterior muscle, was used to evaluate the RMS values of the EMG developed during maximal voluntary (Vc) and evoked (Vm) contractions. The ratios between Vc, calculated over each of 5 frequency bands (5-15, 20-40, 45-70, 75-110, 115-160 Hz), and the total Vc have also been calculated. No significant differences emerge in the Vm values for males and females, whereas the Vc values for female subjects are found to be significantly reduced (P less than 0.001) with respect to the corresponding values for males. Significant differences have also been found concerning the percentage distribution of power in the above mentioned frequency bands for men and women (P less than 0.001). It can thus, be hypothesized that there are two different modalities of motor unit recruitment and that different sociological and cultural traditions may be more important in producing these differences than sexually determined physiological differences.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Italian multicenter study of reversible cerebral ischemic attacks. Part 5. Risk factors and cerebral atherosclerosis.

As part of a prospective study, the influence of several premorbid and environmental factors on the presence, extent and severity of cerebral vessel atherosclerosis was studied in 462 patients with clinical diagnosis of RIA who underwent cerebral angiography. The extent and severity of atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels was quantified using extracranial and intracranial cerebrovascular scores (ECS, ICS) based on the number and severity of the lesions in 11 extracranial and 21 intracranial arterial segments. Results of univariate and multivariate analyses indicate that the presence of atherosclerotic changes of cerebral vessels, as shown by angiography, was strongly related with age in both sexes. The lesions were more frequent in males, in particular under age 55. Elevated cholesterol was associated with a higher incidence of atherosclerotic lesions. Smoking was associated with a higher incidence of extracranial lesions. Age, smoking and history of hypertension were the best predictors of the extent and severity of cerebral vessel atherosclerosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Opiate receptor autoradiography in fasting rats.

The discovery of opiate receptors and endogenous opiates within the brain has led to a variety of speculations concerning the physiological significance of these peptides. Opioid receptor antagonists, such as naloxone and naltrexone, have been shown consistently to reduce the consumption of food in many situations in different animal species. This study was undertaken to examine the modification of opiate receptors in hypothalamus and in medulla oblongata of fasted rats (72 h). In this condition, in which several authors observed an activation of opiate system, we describe a decrease in the number of 3H-naloxone binding sites that could indicate an homeostatic receptor down-regulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Automatic analysis of surface EMG (preliminary findings in healthy subjects and in patients with neurogenic motor diseases).

Supramaximal electrical stimulation of a motor nerve produces a full contraction of a muscle and the corresponding compound action potential can be recorded. Recent studies appear to support the view that all the motor units are activated during voluntary maximal contraction, at least in the tibialis anterior muscle. The compound action potential and the EMG interference pattern in the tibialis anterior are regarded as two different manifestations of the activation of all the motor units. A method has been developed which compares these EMG activities, by automatic analysis, in order to obtain useful parameters for clinical applications.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Evidence for cholecystokinin-dopamine receptor interactions in the central nervous system of the adult and old rat. Studies on their functional meaning.

Evidence has been presented for the existence of interactions between CCK and DA receptors both in striatal and limbic membranes. A similar type of modulation by CCK-8 of DA receptors also exists after chronic neuroleptic treatment indicating that supersensitive DA receptors are also modulated by this peptide. As seen from simulation curves, CCK-8 increases the binding of [3H]DA agonists and reduces the binding of [3H]DA antagonists in striatal membranes, suggesting that CCK-8 may increase striatal DA transmission. Results of this type may underlie some of the non-neuroleptic effects of CCK-8. In the aged brain, the ability of CCK-8 to modulate DA antagonist binding sites is changed such that the binding of [3H]DA antagonists is increased. Thus, in the aged brain, receptor-receptor interactions may be altered, leading to a derangement of heterostatic mechanisms (mechanisms changing chemical transmission without interfering with synaptic homeostasis). It was also demonstrated that during aging there is a preferential disappearance of CCK-like immunoreactivity versus TH immunoreactivity in the nigral DA neurons, especially in the medially located nigral DA cells; furthermore, co-existence in the TH/CCK co-storing terminals in the nucleus accumbens was reduced during aging. Such alterations should also lead to changes in heterostatic regulation because the CCK co-modulation line controlling the DA receptors may be preferentially affected.

Aging↗
PubMed1985

[Effects of reduction of blood viscosity at constant hematocrit on the cerebral blood flow].

It is well established that cerebral blood flow (CBF) is low in patients with high hematocrit and is high in anemic patients. An inverse relationship between CBF and hematocrit has been found. Furthermore, if hematocrit is reduced, CBF increases. There is some debate as to whether these observations are due to viscosity or to oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. In order to further elucidate this problem, CBF, blood viscosity and hematocrit were measured in 4 patients with paraproteinemias before and after paraproteins had been removed by plasmapheresis without changes in hematocrit. After plasmapheresis, blood viscosity significantly decreases and CBF increases by a mean of 24.4 ml/100 g/min. Mean arterial blood pressure and hematocrit were not influenced by plasmapheresis. These results indicate that blood viscosity is an important factor in determining CBF. This does not exclude the role of oxygen transport as an associated factor, but it is evident that oxygen transport and blood viscosity are independent variables in the control of CBF.

Blood Viscosity↗