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Biomedical subjects

S G Adams

Publications and source records attributed to S G Adams.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Attention, stress and negative emotion in persistent sleep-onset and sleep-maintenance insomnia.

This study investigated the relation of negative emotions, attention and stress to sleep parameters in insomniacs. It also assessed whether sleep-onset insomniacs differ from sleep-maintenance/mixed insomniacs in the relations of these variables to sleep parameters. Fourteen sleep-onset insomniacs, 13 sleep-maintenance or mixed insomniacs and 13 normal sleepers were recruited using two sequential questionnaires. The groups differed significantly on diagnostically relevant sleep parameters, assessed over 1 week by sleep diary. After completing standard anxiety, anger and depression inventories, subjects participated in two laboratory procedures during which electrophysiological responses were recorded: orienting response habituation and emotional stress elicitation. The 28 significant correlations of sleep parameters with emotion, habituation and stress measures averaged r = 0.415. In multiple regression analyses, emotion, attention and stress variables accounted for an average of 41% of the variance in sleep parameters (mean R = 0.64). Discriminant function analysis using these variables correctly classified 66% of the subjects into the three groups. It was concluded that negative emotions, stress responsiveness and attentional factors interact to influence insomnia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Predicting medication compliance in a psychotic population.

The compliance level of 42 acutely psychotic inpatients was assessed using a locally constructed standard interview and written questionnaire. Subjects rated their level of compliance and indicated variables that were associated with compliance and noncompliance. Reliable items from the written questionnaire were grouped into five categories: side effects, difficulties obtaining medication, reinforcement for not taking medication, symptom relief, and indirect benefits. A stepwise multiple regression indicated that indirect benefits accounted for 18% of the variance in the self-report measure of compliance. It was concluded that psychotic patients who recognize benefits that are secondary to symptom relief are more likely to comply with their medication regimen. The results suggest a need for research on variables associated with noncompliance and potential treatment interventions.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Unilateral versus bilateral botulinum toxin injections in spasmodic dysphonia: acoustic and perceptual results.

The present study compared the effects of unilateral and bilateral thyroarytenoid injections of botulinum toxin (botox) for the treatment of adductor spasmodic dysphonia. Using electromyographic guidance, 15 patients received unilateral botox injections of 15 units each and 11 patients received bilateral injections of 2.5 units in each site. Acoustic recordings of the patient's voice were made prior to injection and at two- and six-week intervals after injection. Both the unilateral and bilateral botox injections were associated with significant improvements in spasmodic dysphonia. This was determined by the acoustic measures of vocal shimmer and the number of voice breaks per second and by the perceptual measures of voice spasm severity. Both types of injections were also associated with a significant increase in vocal breathiness at two weeks post-injection. In addition, a number of acoustic measures including maximum phonation time, vocal jitter, and the number of voice breaks/second indicated that unilateral botox injections may provide both superior and longer lasting benefits than bilateral botox injections.

Botulinum Toxins↗
PubMed1992

Can the Lombard effect be used to improve low voice intensity in Parkinson's disease?

Low voice intensity is a common problem in Parkinson's disease. It is typically resistant to drug therapy and often persists despite extensive behavioural speech and language therapy. Based on previous findings that masking noise will produce a consistent increase in voice intensity in most normal individuals, the effects of white masking noise, presented at a sound pressure level of 90 dB, was examined in 10 parkinsonian patients with low voice intensity. Results indicated that all Parkinson's disease patients showed a marked increase in their voice intensity. Given this finding, it is proposed that masking noise may be an effective treatment for reduced voice intensity in parkinsonian speakers, particularly with the future adaptation of portable voice-activated maskers, such as the Edinburgh Masker.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Restriction fragment differences between the genomes of the Oka varicella vaccine virus and American wild-type varicella-zoster virus.

The Oka vaccine strains of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) have a significantly different BgII DNA restriction pattern from that of American wild-type isolates of VZV. This difference consists primarily of an additional BgII site, which lies within the BamHI "D" fragment. In conjunction with a study of the efficacy of an experimental Merck/Oka VZV vaccine, the area of the genome from which the most marked restriction pattern alteration arises was studied more closely to determine if there are other significant differences between the Oka strains and American wild-type strains. BamHI "D" fragments from the DNA of the Oka parent strain (the progenitor of the vaccine strain), the RIT/Oka vaccine strain (a derivative of the Oka parent strain), the Merck/Oka vaccine strain, and the EF strain (an American wild type), were submitted to extensive endonuclease digestion studies to ascertain if additional unique restriction sites are present in the Oka parent or vaccine strains. The extra BgII restriction site characteristic of the Merck/Oka vaccine strain is also present in the DNA of the parent virus as well as its derivatives and was therefore not produced by the "attenuation" process. No other novel sites were found in the Oka parent or Oka-derived strains in this section of the genome. The Merck/Oka vaccine strain of VZV, despite its Japanese origin, is therefore quite similar to circulating American varicella-zoster virus strains. Varicella-zoster virus DNA, at least in the area of the BamHI D fragment, also appears to be remarkably stable from strain to strain.

Blotting, Southern↗
PubMed1988

Recombination in tissue culture between varicella-zoster virus strains.

Several clinical varicella-zoster virus isolates obtained during testing of a live varicella vaccine had DNA restriction fragment patterns resembling neither vaccine nor wild-type virus [Gelb et al., J Infect. Dis. 155, 633-640, 1987]. One explanation for these isolates was recombination in vivo. To determine if such recombination is likely, two strains of varicella-zoster virus, distinguishable by restriction endonuclease fragment size differences (wild-type strain EF and the OKA vaccine strain), were grown together in tissue culture. After three passages, the mixed infection virus was plaque-purified. DNA from about 13% of the plaque-purified isolates had one or more BglI fragments found in neither parental virus. Hybridization studies showed that isolates containing one of the new BglI fragments were recombinants of the two parental strains. The BglI restriction fragment pattern of these recombinants resembled those of the unusual varicella isolates from individuals either vaccinated with the live attenuated OKA varicella vaccine and later exposed to natural varicella, or simultaneously exposed to both a recent recipient of the vaccine and natural varicella.

Culture Techniques↗
PubMed1988

Varicella-zoster virus DNA from persistently infected cells contains novel tandem duplications.

A persistent infection with varicella-zoster virus was established in the Mewo human melanoma cell line. This persistently infected cell line went through periodic crises of virus-induced cell killing and then recovery. Analyses of viral DNA derived from the persistently infected cultures revealed that novel viral nucleic acid rearrangements had been generated. These viral DNA sequences were derived from a specific region of the inverted repeat sequence of the genome flanking the short unique genome segment. The novel DNA was of various lengths, each generated by tandem duplication of an approximately 2760 base pair sub-sequence of the normal viral inverted repeat. These novel sequences were inserted into an otherwise apparently normal genome.

Antigens, Viral↗