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Biomedical subjects

P L Olson

Publications and source records attributed to P L Olson.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1989

Effect of prior headlighting experience on ratings of discomfort glare.

This study investigated the effects of prior headlighting experience on ratings of discomfort glare from headlamps in an actual driving situation. Specifically, discomfort glare ratings given by West Germans who had recently arrived in the United States and were, presumably, used to the relatively low levels of glare associated with headlamps in West Germany were compared with ratings given by U.S.-born subjects. The West German subjects reported significantly more discomfort than did the U.S. subjects. This finding is in agreement with the so-called range effect, in which subjective judgments are affected by the range of available stimuli. Consequently, the present findings support the hypothesis that discomfort glare ratings are affected by prior visual experience.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Systemic absorption of oral vancomycin in patients with renal insufficiency and antibiotic-associated colitis.

The systemic absorption of orally administered vancomycin was evaluated in five patients (six occasions) with moderate to severe renal insufficiency and documented antibiotic-associated colitis. The patients' ages ranged from 28 to 63 years and weights varied from 50.0 to 76.2 kg. Vancomycin doses were 125 mg (one case), 250 mg (three cases), and 500 mg (two cases) every six hours. Multiple serum concentrations were obtained (range four to 19) during the seven- to 28-day courses of vancomycin therapy. Vancomycin serum concentrations were detectable in five of the six cases as soon as two hours after the first dose, and plateaued within four days. A linear relationship between daily dose and the vancomycin serum concentration was observed (r = .8575, P less than .01). Routine monitoring of vancomycin serum concentrations in adult patients may not be necessary unless high dose (greater than 2 g/d) or prolonged therapy (greater than ten days) is required.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1984

Computerized video tasks as training techniques for driving-related perceptual deficits of persons with brain damage: a pilot evaluation.

This pilot study investigated the modifiability of perceptual deficits by training which consisted of performing microcomputer-generated video tasks. These commercially available remedial programs tapped a range of skills, such as right/left discrimination, color matching, visual scanning, judgment of line orientation, visual search, shape discrimination, visual memory, eye tracking, visuomotor coordination, and visual imagery. Four subjects with acquired brain damage were given 10 hours of training. Perceptual skills were assessed with a battery of seven paper-and-pencil tests administered both before and after the training. Following the training two subjects showed some improvement on several of the perceptual tests used, while two other subjects showed improvement on only a limited number of tests. Based on these results and on the performance changes on the video tasks themselves, a comprehensive evaluation of the potential benefits of this type of training on driving performance is recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Improved driving performance following perceptual training in persons with brain damage.

This study investigated (1) the modifiability of perceptual deficits by simple paper-and-pencil exercises, and (2) the effects of such exercises on driving performance. Eight subjects with acquired brain damage were given 8 to 10 hours of perceptual training. The training was preceded and followed by repeated evaluations of perceptual skills and in-traffic driving performance. Results indicated that (1) perceptual skills improved following such training, (2) the training was associated with improved driving performance, and (3) the degree of driving-performance improvement was directly related to the degree of improvement of perceptual skills.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Automotive headlighting: effect of foreground illumination.

Described are studies of the relationship between the level of foreground illumination provided by automotive headlamps and the driver's eye-fixation pattern and ability to identify objects ahead of the car. Analysis indicates that the driver's eye fixations tended to move further from the car at high levels of foreground illumination. There were no differences in distance of target identification as a function of level of foreground illumination.

Automobile Driving↗
PubMed1981

Driving and perceptual/cognitive skills: behavioral consequences of brain damage.

This study investigated the effects of brain damage on perceptual/cognitive skills and driving. The subjects included 23 persons with brain damage, 18 persons with spinal-cord damage, and 10 able-bodied persons. Each subject was evaluated using a battery of perceptual and cognitive tests, a set of driving tasks in a parking lot, and actual in-traffic driving over a fixed route. The results indicate that (1) while persons with brain damage, as a group, exhibited impaired perceptual/cognitive skills and also impaired driving, those who scored well on certain perceptual/cognitive tests tended to show good driving performance as well, (2) different perceptual/cognitive tests are good predictors of driving performance by persons with and without brain damage, and (3) the driving problems exhibited by some of the persons with brain damage likely result, in part, from the deficits in their perceptual and cognitive skills.

Adult↗