Biomedical subjects

R C Stillman

Publications and source records attributed to R C Stillman.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1991

Automatic semantic priming with various category relations in Alzheimer's disease and normal aging.

The 6 experiments reported here tested the effects of various category relations on automatic semantic priming in 20 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 20 older control, and 22 younger control subjects. The tasks were either word pronunciation or lexical decision; the prime-target stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) was always 250 ms. A variety of category relationships between prime and target were examined: highly associated category comembers, subordinate-superordinate or superordinate-subordinate pairs, and pairs selected on the basis of category typically to form typical-typical, atypical-typical, typical-atypical, and atypical-atypical pairings. Both for AD versus older control subjects and for older versus younger control subjects, no significant group differences were found in the magnitude of overall semantic priming or in the effects on priming of factors pertaining to the prime-target relationship.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

The anatomy of mental unity and volition: an alternate view.

The preceding paper, by Louis Tinnin, challenges us to consider that there is a brain agency responsible for mental unity, volition and consciousness, which the author labels a "governing mental system" (GMS), or "ego," and that the neural substrate for this GMS is Wernicke's Area. The primary evidence in support of this position comes from three sources: a review of brain and language development in normal and abnormal individuals (e.g., deaf children); studies of patients who have undergone corpus callosum section for intractable epilepsy; and some observations of memory processing during the intracarotid sodium amytal (Wada) procedure. Our comments address two issues. The first is an analysis of the adequacy of these three sources as evidence for Tinnin's position. The second is a description of an alternative model to account for the mental system we agree exists but do not yet understand.

Cerebral Cortex↗

PubMed1988

Memory in chronic alcoholics: effects of inconsistent versus consistent information.

Alcoholics and controls were compared on their resistance to misleading information given after a witnessed event. The eyewitness testimony paradigm of Loftus, Miller, and Burns ("Semantic Integration of Verbal Information in a Visual Memory" Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, Vol. 4, pp. 19-31, 1978) was used, which is a naturalistic variation of a retroactive interference paradigm. Alcoholics did not show greater suggestibility than the controls, being no more "fooled" by the misleading, after-the-fact information. In contrast, alcoholics did show significant impairment in discriminating correct from among incorrect verbal statements about the accident. Thus, certain aspects of memory functioning may be preserved even while others are compromised as a result of chronic alcohol abuse.

Alcohol Amnestic Disorder↗

PubMed1981

A prospective evaluation of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol as an antiemetic in patients receiving adriamycin and cytoxan chemotherapy.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral and smoked delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was performed in eight patients with resected soft tissue sarcomas who received adjuvant Adriamycin and Cytoxan chemotherapy. Each patient served as his own control. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, in comparison with a placebo, did not significantly reduce the number of vomiting and retching episodes, volume of emesis, degree of nausea, or duration of nausea. In contrast to a previous report where significant antiemetic effects of THC were observed in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate, THC did not effectively reduce emesis induced by Adriamycin and Cytoxan. These findings suggest that the antiemetic properties of THC are effective only against specific chemotherapeutic drugs.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

The alcohol facilitation effect on memory: a dose-response study.

Sixteen normal male subjects participated in four sessions where they studied a set of pictures followed by either placebo, 0.025, 0.50, or 1.0 ml/kg alcohol. Later, when sober, recognition memory was tested. These doses resulted in peak blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.00, 0.018, 0.034, and 0.067 g/100 ml, respectively. The 1.0 and 0.50 ml/kg doses significantly improved memory for pictures studied before drinking. Alcohol appears to enhance memory directly rather than indirectly via a reduction in interference. It is suggested that a particular phase of the rising blood alcohol curve (0.02-0.03 g/100 ml) facilitates trace consolidation. The facilitating and possibly excitatory effects of alcohol may be important for understanding the rewarding aspects of drinking.

Adult↗

PubMed1980

Retrograde enhancement of human memory with alcohol.

In two experiments with normal male subjects, the ingestion of alcohol (1 ml/kg) immediately after learning significantly improved subsequent remembering. By comparison, marijuana (15 mg) had no significant post-acquisition effect. Facilitation of visual and verbal memory with alcohol under these conditions has implications for the interference and consolidation views of memory.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Delata-9-tetrahydrocannabinol as an antiemetic in cancer patients receiving high-dose methotrexate. A prospective, randomized evaluation.

Fifteen patients with osteogenic sarcoma receiving high-dose methotrexate chemotherapy were studied in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of oral and smoked delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as an antiemetic. Each patient served as his or her own control. Fourteen of 15 patients had a reduction in nausea and vomiting on THC as compared to placebo. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the number of vomiting and retching episodes, degree of nausea, duration of nausea, and volume of emesis (P less than 0.001). There was a 72% incidence of nausea and vomiting on placebo. When plasma THC concentrations measured less than 5.0 ng/mL, 5.0 to 10.0 ng/mL, and greater than 10.0 ng/mL, the incidences of nausea and vomiting were 44%, 21%, and 6%, respectively. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol appears to have significant antiemetic properties when compared with placebo in patients receiving high-dose methotrexate.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1978