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Biomedical subjects

S Giaquinto

Publications and source records attributed to S Giaquinto.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

[Subtotal colectomy in splenic flexure carcinoma in a patient with transverse colostomy who had undergone gastric resection (Billroth II)].

The Authors report a case of subtotal colectomy for splenic flexure adenocarcinoma in a gastro-resected patient bearing a transverse colostomy. They underline the considerable technical difficulties encountered during dissection because of multiple adhesions related to the previous operations (gastrojejunostomy and transverse colostomy). In fact, a gastric resection according to Billroth II and an emergency colostomy for bowel obstruction had been performed 20 years and 30 days respectively prior to the present operation. Nevertheless, reconstructive steps resulted easier and faster with the use of staplers.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1990

Neurobiological mechanisms of adaptative plasticity. A possible contribution to cybernetic studies.

Cybernetics can take advantages of future development in the field of Plasticity. The adaptative abilities of the nervous tissue, which is capable to modify its own functional organization and cope with pathological events, are triggered by communication within a network carrying memorized variations in the functional activity of the system induced by external inputs. Plasticity is served by anatomical modifications, as well as by neurophysiological processes. Regeneration, reactive synaptogenesis, functional reorganization, redundancy, equipotentiality are discussed. Some of these mechanisms are still unclear in the human and probably far-fetched. Personal EEG contribution argues against redundancy and equipotentiality.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

The EEG in the normal elderly: a contribution to the interpretation of aging and dementia.

Forty-seven normal elderly, 16 normal subjects ranging from 40 to 60 years of age and 14 patients affected by primary dementia are studied. The EEG is recorded from different brain areas and analysed by FFT algorithm. Main results are: There is persistence of the regional distribution of the alpha frequency which is higher in occipital than in frontal leads in the normal elderly. Spectral composition in the same group keeps its typical profile with age. Alpha-dominant tracings form 68%. Values collected from the two hemispheres are similar. Therefore, no evidence is detected for a selective age effect on one side, either right or left. In the elderly group, a sex-linked difference is found. Women have less delta and more beta frequency. The opposite holds true in men. EEG slowing is typical of old age. However, in occipital leads the alpha frequency has an average of 9.46 Hz. Statistical comparison between the normal groups (middle aged vs. elderly) gives no significant results. Significant differences are seen when the normal elderly are compared with demented subjects. The data do not support the hypothesis of a continuum from aging to mental deterioration.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

EEG changes induced by oxiracetam on diazepam-medicated volunteers.

The present study was carried out in order to verify whether, in benzodiazepine-medicated healthy volunteers, oxiracetam retained the properties already observed after administration in normal volunteers. In a cross-over study, 12 volunteers, medicated the night before with 5 mg diazepam, were i.v. treated with 1 g oxiracetam or saline. An electroencephalogram (EEG) was performed before, and 15 and 120 min after, nootropic or saline injection. Computerized examination of the EEG traces showed an increase of the alpha- and a decrease of the delta-relative activities, particularly in the fronto-temporal regions. These preliminary results suggest that oxiracetam might be useful in benzodiazepine-treated patients by improving their cognitive activities without nullifying the sedation of anxiety and neurotic behavior.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Cluster analysis of cognitive performance in elderly and demented subjects.

48 elderly normals, 14 demented subjects and 76 young controls were tested for basic cognitive functions. All the tests were quantified and could therefore be subjected to statistical analysis. The results show a difference in the speed of information processing and in memory load between the young controls and elderly normals but the age groups differed in quantitative terms only. Cluster analysis showed that the elderly and the demented formed two distinctly separate groups at the qualitative level, the basic cognitive processes being damaged in the demented group. Age thus appears to be only a risk factor for dementia and not its cause. It is concluded that batteries based on precise and measurable tasks are the most appropriate not only for the study of dementia but for rehabilitation purposes too.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1985

Quantitative study of action tremor in various patient categories.

An electronic method is proposed for quantifying the action tremor revealed by a threefold test of skill, which distinguishes young adult controls from elderly normals and patients with tremor. Parkinsonian patients can be differentiated from patients with essential tremor. The value of drugs against tremor is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

On six cases of radiation meningiomas from the same community.

The article deals with 6 patients operated on for meningioma many years after they had undergone X-ray therapy because of an epidemic of tinea capitis in their community. One of the patients developed another meningioma 13 years after the operation. A causal connexion between radiation and tumors is supported by the patient linkage and by the similarity of tumor type, site and latency (36.14 +/- 7.51 years).

Adult↗
PubMed1979

[A catamnestic study of recovered alcoholics].

Fifty-one alcoholics, previously admitted to the hospital for medical care and treated with disulfiram, were re-examinated after 1-3 years. In thirty of them (58%) total abstinence was found; eighteen patients (35%) behaved so in spite of disulfiram withhold during the first year of self-administration. No side-effects were reported. General behaviour, mood, work, interest and familiar relationships improved. The treatment generally failed in the cases of secondary alcoholism as in marked neurosis or psychosis. The research proved the main role of family and environment in the successful cases. The treatment with disulfiram is useful but incomplete.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1979

Alpha increase in puerperium.

Significant increases of both alpha peak amplitude and power were found in the EEG after delivery as compared to those observed at the 32nd week of pregnancy. Controls failed to display the same gain in the alpha rhythm. The frequency was unaffected. Beside these quantitative changes no particular EEG pattern occurred. Neither the methodology nor habituation were considered responsible for these increases, which are also independent of the prolactin levels, because they were observable after blockage by bromocryptine, a drug which also fails to modify the EEG. Significant reduction of anxiety, tension and irritability was scored in the Hamiltonian test for depression. It is likely that both aspects depend on a common humoral process. The role of the progesterone drop is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1977

Applications of statistical equivalence to newborn EEG recordings.

Epochs were selected from sleep EEGs of newborns during both quiet and REM phases. A first order parameter analysis was done in order to test the homogeneity (run test and one way variance analysis) of the data within the epochs, follwed by a study of spectral equivalence between epochs. Comparisons were made between average spectra in the frequency range 0.5--4 c/sec; and between their band-by-band components, to test the feasibility of automatic classification of sleep stages by means of frequency analysis. On the basis of the statistical parameters we used, spectral analysis appears to be of limited value for the purpose of automatic classification of newborn EEG records; due to a lack of complete homogeneity of the spectra within each sleep state, it is not possible to identify a characteristic spectrum for active sleep and quiet sleep.

Electroencephalography↗