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At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources

PubMed1988

Disordered vergence control in dyslexic children.

By means of a synoptophore vergence eye movements were recorded in dyslexic and normal children while they were attempting to track small targets moving in simulated depth. Of the dyslexic children 64% were unable to make proper vergence movements when macular sized fusion targets (2 1/2 degrees) were employed, but their vergence control was better for larger (7 degrees) targets. The normal readers and the remaining dyslexics showed normal vergence responses for both large and small moving fusion stimuli. The results suggest that many dyslexics suffer a disorder of visuomotor control and perception for stimuli falling on the macula; this may explain their characteristic visual problems when reading. Hence recording vergence eye movement responses to small moving fusion stimuli may be useful in the investigation and treatment of children with reading difficulties.

Child↗

PubMed2025

Sawfish: improving long-read structural variant discovery and genotyping with local haplotype modeling.

MOTIVATION: Structural variants (SVs) play an important role in evolutionary and functional genomics but are challenging to characterize. High-accuracy, long-read sequencing can substantially improve SV characterization when coupled with effective calling methods. While state-of-the-art long-read SV callers are highly accurate, further improvements are achievable by systematically modeling local haplotypes during SV discovery and genotyping. RESULTS: We describe sawfish, an SV caller for mapped high-quality long reads incorporating systematic SV haplotype modeling to improve accuracy and resolution. Assessment against the draft Genome in a Bottle (GIAB) SV benchmark from the T2T-HG002-Q100 diploid assembly shows that sawfish has the highest accuracy among state-of-the-art long-read SV callers across every tested SV size group. Additionally, sawfish maintains the highest accuracy at every tested depth level from 10- to 32-fold coverage, such that other callers required at least 30-fold coverage to match sawfish accuracy at 15-fold coverage. Sawfish also shows the highest accuracy in the GIAB challenging medically relevant genes benchmark, demonstrating improvements in both comprehensive and medically relevant contexts.When joint-genotyping seven samples from CEPH-1463, sawfish has over 9000 more pedigree-concordant calls than other state-of-the-art SV callers, with the highest proportion of concordant SVs (81%). Sawfish's quality model enables selection for an even higher proportion of concordant SVs (88%), while still calling nearly 5000 more pedigree-concordant SVs than other callers. These results demonstrate that sawfish improves on the state-of-the-art for long-read SV calling accuracy across both individual and joint-sample analyses. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Sawfish source code, pre-compiled Linux binaries, and documentation are released on GitHub: https://github.com/PacificBiosciences/sawfish.

Haplotypes↗

PubMed2002

Prospective randomised double-masked trial of bilateral multifocal, bifocal or monofocal intraocular lenses.

AIMS: To evaluate the functional effect of bilateral implantation of two different multifocal intraocular lenses (IOL) compared with the standard monofocal IOL. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients were recruited into a prospective, double-masked, randomised, controlled trial at a single hospital in the United Kingdom. Sixty completed follow-up; 16 implanted with monofocal IOLs, 29 with AMO 'ARRAY' multifocal IOLs and 15 with Storz 'TRUEVISTA' bifocal IOLs. Phacoemulsification and IOL implantation was performed to a standardised technique in both eyes within a 2-month period. The main outcome measures were distance and near visual acuity, depth of field and validated assessment of subjective function (TyPE questionnaire). RESULTS: naided distance acuity was good, and equivalent across the three groups. Corrected distance acuity was significantly lower in the bifocal group. Patients with multifocal and bifocal IOLs could read smaller absolute print size than those in the monofocal group (P = 0.05), but at a closer reading distance such that mean unaided near acuity was equal in the three groups. Corrected near acuity was significantly higher in the monofocal control group (P < 0.05). Depth of field was increased in multifocal (P = 0.06) and bifocal (P = 0.004) groups. Overall visual satisfaction was equal in the three groups, while near visual satisfaction was higher in the multifocal group than the monofocal (P = 0.04). Spectacle independence was not seen in the monofocal group, but was achieved in 28% of multifocal IOL patients and 33% of bifocal patients (P < 0.001). Adverse symptoms such as glare and haloes were significantly more bothersome with multifocal (not bifocal) IOLs than monofocals (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Multifocal and bifocal IOLs improved unaided near vision performance, with around one in three patients becoming spectacle-independent. The main adverse effect was an increased incidence of subjective glare and haloes in the multifocal IOL group.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Survival and accumulation of microorganisms in soils irrigated with secondary treated wastewater.

Secondary-treated wastewater was used to irrigate forage crops during two years (1994 and 1995). The bacteriological quality of the soil irrigated with both secondary treated wastewater (without chlorination) and with potable water was evaluated. The following three treatments were investigated in this study: i) irrigation with potable water in amount equivalent to 100% of the class A Pan evaporation reading (as taken from the nearest Meteorological Weather Station); ii) irrigation with treated wastewater in amount equivalent to 100% of the A Pan reading and iii) irrigation with treated wastewater in amount equivalent to 125% of the A Pan reading. At the end of the last growing season, soil samples were collected at two soil depths and subjected to microbiological analysis. The bacteriological analysis showed that the total aerobic bacterial counts of surface soil were similar in all irrigated plots, suggesting that the use of this wastewater did not stimulate or inhibit these microflora. Surface soil was found to have higher bacterial counts than deeper soil suggesting bacterial removal from irrigation water by the first few centimeters of soil due to natural infiltration of soil. The total coliforms ranged from 2.1 x 10(3) CFU/g to 4.2 x 10(3) CFU/g while fecal coliforms were less, ranging from 1.2 x 10(2) CFU/g to 4.2 x 10(2) CFU/g. No detectable helminth eggs were recorded in the treated wastewater used for irrigation. The results strongly suggest the necessity to treat wastewater effluents to an extent to which no or very few residual bacterial contaminants will be detected.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

A simple telemedicine system using a digital camera.

Radiographs on a viewing box were photographed at a remote hospital in South Africa using a digital camera with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels at 24-bit colour depth. The resultant images were stored in JPEG format and transmitted as email attachments to be read on a PC monitor by radiologists in Durban and Cape Town. Twenty-seven images were received, of which 23 were of diagnostic quality (85%). The mean file size was 120 kByte. For quality control purposes, 100 chest radiographs were photographed at a base hospital and read by a radiologist blinded to the diagnosis. In this study 96 images were of diagnostic quality (96%) and the correct diagnosis was made in 90 cases (94%). Incorrect readings were made in six cases (6%): small pulmonary nodules (less than 1 cm in diameter) were missed in five cases and in one case early apical tuberculosis was missed. Digital camera technology permits simple, inexpensive telemedicine. Limited spatial resolution is a concern when reading chest images with small pulmonary nodules and infiltrates.

Humans↗

PubMed1987

Trypsin-like activity in subgingival plaque. A diagnostic marker for spirochetes and periodontal disease?

Taxonomic screening of subgingival plaque organisms with various enzyme assays have shown that Treponema denticola, Bacteroides gingivalis and an unspeciated Capnocytophaga species possess a trypsin-like enzyme (TLE) that can be detected by the hydrolysis of N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-2-naphthylamide (BANA). As these organisms can be considered to be periodontopathic, it was of interest to determine whether this BANA hydrolyzing enzyme could be detected directly in subgingival plaque samples. Subgingival plaque samples were collected from single sites of known pocket depth, and after dispersal by vortexing, aliquots were incubated overnight with BANA and were counted microscopically. The color reactions were developed with fast garnet, read by the eye and classified as positive (red to red-orange), negative (yellow) and questionable. In the BANA-positive plaques, the spirochetes averaged 43% of the microscopic count, whereas in the BANA negative plaques the spirochetes averaged 8% of the microscopic count. The average pocket depth of BANA-positive plaques was 6.7 mm, whereas the average pocket depth of BANA-negative plaques was 4.5 mm. When both of these parameters were combined, the presence of a positive BANA reaction was usually indicative of subgingival plaques containing greater than 34% spirochetes removed from sites that had probing depths of 7 mm or more. Seventy-one per cent of the plaques removed from untreated periodontal patients were BANA-positive, while only 8% of the plaques removed from successfully treated patients seen at maintenance recall visits were BANA-positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bacteroides↗

PubMed1997

Computer program for calculating the melting temperature of degenerate oligonucleotides used in PCR or hybridization.

Degenerate primers or probes have been widely used in molecular cloning, but the calculation of their melting temperatures could not simply be done using thermodynamic parameters because of degeneracy and the lack of a computer program. We present here a simple computer program named dPrimer for the calculation of melting temperature of degenerate oligonucleotides based on the nearest-neighbor model. The program was written in C+2 computer language and implemented in Macintosh with a Symantec C+2 compiler. The degenerate sequencing data were read into a graph data structure. All possible oligonucleotide sequences were then determined by a depth-first search algorithm. Their melting temperature (Tm) values were individually calculated, and output was given as Tm range, mean and standard deviation. These data could help one in the selection of PCR annealing and hybridization temperatures as well as in the design of degenerate oligonucleotides with a desired range of Tm.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Computer-assisted corneal topography: accuracy and reproducibility of the topographic modeling system.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of the efficacy and stability of novel refractive surgery techniques and comparative studies require accurate and reproducible corneal mapping technology, ideally to +/- 0.25 D. A vertically mounted Topographic Modeling System (TMS) system was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six calibrated PMMA spheres (30.00, 35.00, 43.00, 50.00, 55.00, and 60.00 D) were used. Two examiners performed three measurements on each test sphere and compared appropriate data with a previously tested and calibrated digital auto-keratometer (SK-1, precision < 0.25 D). The accuracy and reproducibility of all 25 rings of the TMS were studied as a function of focus (250 to 500 microns), centering (100 to 300 microns), and integrity of the inner and outer reflected placido images to mimic tear breaks at the corneal apex and peripheral vignetting and shadows produced by eyelids and eyelashes. RESULTS: The accuracy of the 25 rings decreased from the center to the periphery. The deviation scores (mean difference of three readings between measured and calibrated surface powers) of rings 3 through 25 were 100% within +/- 0.25 D only for the 43.00-diopter sphere. They were 56%, 68%, 43%, 13%, and 17% within +/- 0.25 D respectively for the 30.00-, 35.00-, 50.00-, 55.00-, and 60.00-diopter spheres. For 500 microns of defocusing, we observed a mean deviation of 0.35 D for the flattest sphere to 2.30 D for the 60.00-diopter sphere. For the same amount of defocusing, the error produced by the TMS increased progressively with the sphere dioptric power. Masking the first four and six rings, one by one, showed topographic maps to be valid only when all four central placido images were fully read by the computer. CONCLUSIONS: The TMS clinical performance could be improved by 1) increasing focus depth of field, 2) blocking data processing when central rings are incomplete or missing, 3) increasing the accuracy over the 30.00- to 60.00-diopter range, and 4) providing the user with calibration spheres.

Artifacts↗

PubMed2004

Evaluation of a new periodontal probe tip design. A clinical and in vitro study.

AIMS: In the search for an accurate periodontal probe which does not frequently penetrate the pocket base, a new tip has been designed which is flattened, and of 1 mm width and 0.45 mm thickness. This study aimed to evaluate the physico-mechanical and clinical properties of this probe (test) in comparison to a conventional 0.5 mm circular probe (control). METHODS: Photoelastic stress analysis was undertaken for test and control probe tips at 3.15 and 5 N loads. To assess probing validity, the clinical probing depth with each probe (0.25 N force) at 125 sites on 27 teeth (27 subjects), was compared with the post-extraction connective tissue level measurement. Also evaluated were probing reproducibility (1200 sites in 25 subjects) and patient comfort (30 subjects). RESULTS: Using photoelastic stress analysis, the test probe demonstrated lower stresses and less local stress concentration than the control. Clinically, the test probe measured close to the post-extraction gold standard in greater frequency than the control - 26 versus 11 readings (21% versus 9%) exactly matched, and 90 versus 67 (72% versus 54%) were within +/-0.5 mm of the laboratory measurement. The test probe was, on average, 0.13 mm coronal to the connective tissue attachment level, whereas the control penetrated 0.27 mm past this level. The intraclass correlation between clinical and laboratory readings was greater for the test than the control (r=0.81 and 0.74, respectively). Although the control probe overestimated probing depth more markedly at bleeding (0.41 mm) than at non-bleeding (0.15 mm) sites, the relative position of the test probe hardly differed with inflammatory status (-0.11 and -0.14 mm, respectively). Each probe demonstrated good clinical reproducibility. However, the test probe examination was more comfortable for the patient. CONCLUSION: This new periodontal probe tip appears to have greater validity, good reproducibility and produces less patient discomfort.

Dental Instruments↗

PubMed1993

Visual functions in a Swedish population of dyslexic and normally reading children.

Eighty-six 9-year old dyslexic children were carefully matched to controls with regard to age, sex, class in school, and intelligence and thorough visual functions tests and eye examinations were performed. As a group the dyslexic pupils exhibited a lower distance as well as near visual acuity both with monocular and binocular viewing. Furthermore, the dyslexic pupils had a lower contrast sensitivity at the lower and higher spatial frequencies. These differences were all statistically significant. However, no statistically significant differences between the two groups could be observed regarding refractive errors or contrast sensitivity in the middle spatial frequency range. Although some eyes were amblyopic, any severe eye anomalies or diseases were not found in any of the investigated children.

Child↗

PubMed1998

Treatment of a case of phonological alexia with agraphia using the Auditory Discrimination in Depth (ADD) program.

Phonological alexia and agraphia are acquired disorders characterized by an impaired ability to convert graphemes to phonemes (alexia) or phonemes to graphemes (agraphia). These disorders result in phonological errors typified by adding, omitting, shifting, or repeating phonemes in words during reading or graphemes when spelling. In developmental dyslexia, similar phonological errors are believed to result from deficient phonological awareness, an oral language skill that manifests itself in the ability to notice, think about, or manipulate the individual sounds in words. The Auditory Discrimination in Depth (ADD) program has been reported to train phonological awareness in developmental dyslexia and dysgraphia. We used a multiple-probe design to evaluate the ADD program's effectiveness with a patient with a mild phonological alexia and mixed agraphia following a left hemisphere infarction. Large gains in phonological awareness, reading and spelling nonwords, and reading and spelling real words were demonstrated. A follow-up reassessment, 2 months posttreatment, found the patient had maintained treatment gains in phonological awareness and reading, and attained additional improvement in real word reading.

Agraphia↗

PubMed1986

Microscopic track structure of heavy ions videoelectronically measured.

The track of an ionizing particle in a track detector, such as silver-chloride or nuclear emulsion, contains two measurable parameters, the "track width"--which corresponds to the integrated lateral energy deposition dE/dtau(x,r) over r along dx (dE/dx or LET)--and the lateral distribution of the track density along r, the radial structure of the track. A videoelectronic device consisting of a computer-controlled microscope, developed in Frankfurt, automatically reads out consecutive lateral profiles of the optical density of a preset track, following it through the depth of the detector. For a given track length (100 microns, 400 profiles for instance) the system evaluates the mean track width MTW and the variance sigma 2 . Both quantities are correlated so that a given MTW (LET) belongs to different values of sigma 2 depending on the charge of the particle. Videosystem and results are presented.

Heavy Ions↗

PubMed2006

Staying on the surface.

Every neurologist needs to develop an effective technique to diagnose and manage non-organic disorders, although there are different ways to go about it. The complex relationship that exists between functional and organic illness is an inescapable theme in daily neurological practice. Usually, it is better to read these case stories by examining their surface detail rather than to try to understand their psychological depth.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed1999

The response of muscle spindle primary afferents to simultaneously presented sinusoidal and ramp-and-hold stretches.

Fifteen primary (Ia) muscle spindle afferents from the tibial anterior muscle of the cat were subjected to a ramp-and-hold stretch (stretch rate 10 mm/s, stretch amplitude 8.5 or 7 mm) of the muscle, upon which was superimposed a sinusoidal stretch (10 Hz) of five different amplitudes (50, 100, 500, 1000 and 2000 microm peak to peak). The response of the Ia afferents to the sinusoidally overlaid ramp-and-hold stretch was subjected to computer analysis, by means of which the response to the superimposed sinusoids and the response to the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch were each obtained separately. Four basic discharge frequencies were determined from the response to the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch (obtained after elimination of the response to the concomitant sinusoidal stretch). The evaluation yielded the result that the concomitant sinusoidal stretch affected the response to the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch: the level of discharge of the Ia afferent was significantly increased and the dynamic and static indices were significantly diminished. These two effects intensified with increasing amplitude of the concomitant sinusoids. From among the oscillatory responses of the Ia afferent to the concomitant sinusoidal stretch (obtained after elimination of the response to the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch) the amplitudes of four selected responses were determined. These four oscillatory responses occurred during four time spans during which the four basic discharge frequencies were read. Evaluation showed that the response to the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch affected the modulation depth of the oscillatory responses, which decreased during the ramp and increased again during the plateau. The absolute amount of the change was independent of the amplitude of the sinusoids. The effect of the sinusoids on the response to the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch and that of the underlying ramp-and-hold stretch on the response to the sinusoidal stretches are interpreted in terms of ion currents occurring at the Ia sensory terminals. It is assumed that the probability of the stretch activated (SA) channels opening is increased by a stretching of the sensory terminals. A depolarizing Na+ and Ca++ inward current due to the activation of the SA channels in its turn activates a Ca++-activated and/or a potential-dependent K+ outward current which has a repolarizing effect. Ideas are put forward in the discussion as to how the inward and outward currents that are sinusoid-related and those that are ramp-and-hold-stretch related interact.

Action Potentials↗

PubMed2003

The salience of the body: transition in sexual self-identity for women living with multiple sclerosis.

AIM: The purpose of this paper is to outline understandings about the construction of sexuality and the impact of a changing body for women living with multiple sclerosis (MS). We suggest that the process of transition towards incorporating the experience of chronic illness into one's life is influenced by the (re)construction of self-identity. DESIGN AND METHODS: A participatory action process guided the research. The women joined the authors for five group sessions that totalled 15 hours of contact time. In addition, we offered women the opportunity for one-to-one interviews at home. Nine women volunteered to participate. This allowed us to gain additional in-depth data about individual experiences. The interpretive framework was guided by the self-identity literature. When reading the transcripts we questioned: What is going on here? What does this say about the construction of self? What does this say about the construction of identity? What influence does the body have in the construction of self-identity? Analysis was collaborative (with the women) and the resultant emerging construction of sexuality is shared in this paper. Data generated during one-to-one interviews are privileged and we include two accounts from women who live with MS. The women's stories focus on sexuality, however, within this sexual context, we observed shifts in self-identity which we contend may shape the illness transition experience. FINDINGS: The rationale for privileging only two accounts is to expand understanding of Ordinariness and Extraordinariness with particular focus on the salience of the body in the 'sexual' lives of the women. Self-identity was shaped by how they felt about themselves as sexual beings, how they experienced their body, how they felt about sexual activities and by the way others reacted to them. Importantly, we view the women's sense of self, identity and the relationship to the body and find that shifts in self identity shape the woman's transition towards Ordinariness. CONCLUSIONS: This exploration of illness experiences is a reminder that our bodies are vehicles for our sense of self and identity. Cultural, educational, social, religious and family contexts all impact on women's capacity to shape the consequences of illness and the choices available to them. Facilitating women towards an awareness of the choices available in order to sustain or reclaim self may in turn expedite transition towards Ordinariness so that illness may become a part of their life.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2005

D-IMRT verification with a 2D pixel ionization chamber: dosimetric and clinical results in head and neck cancer.

Dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (D-IMRT) using the sliding-window technique is currently applied for selected treatments of head and neck cancer at Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment of Candiolo (Turin, Italy). In the present work, a PiXel-segmented ionization Chamber (PXC) has been used for the verification of 19 fields used for four different head and neck cancers. The device consists of a 32x32 matrix of 1024 parallel-plate ionization chambers arranged in a square of 24x24 cm2 area. Each chamber has 0.4 cm diameter and 0.55 cm height; a distance of 0.75 cm separates the centre of adjacent chambers. The sensitive volume of each single ionization chamber is 0.07 cm3. Each of the 1024 independent ionization chambers is read out with a custom microelectronics chip.The output factors in water obtained with the PXC at a depth of 10 cm were compared to other detectors and the maximum difference was 1.9% for field sizes down to 3x3 cm2. Beam profiles for different field dimensions were measured with the PXC and two other types of ionization chambers; the maximum distance to agreement (DTA) in the 20-80% penumbra region of a 3x3 cm2 field was 0.09 cm. The leaf speed of the multileaf collimator was varied between 0.07 and 2 cm s-1 and the detector response was constant to better than 0.6%. The behaviour of the PXC was measured while varying the dose rate between 0.21 and 1.21 Gy min-1; the mean difference was 0.50% and the maximum difference was 0.96%. Using fields obtained with an enhanced dynamic wedge and a staircase-like (step) IMRT field, the PXC has been tested for simple 1D modulated beams; comparison with film gave a maximum DTA of 0.12 cm. The PXC was then used to check four different IMRT plans for head and neck cancer treatment: cervical chordoma, parotid, ethmoid and skull base. In the comparison of the PXC versus film and PXC versus treatment planning system, the number of pixels with gamma parameter<or=1 was 97.7% and 97.6%, respectively.

Chordoma↗

PubMed2006

Correlations in refractive errors between siblings in the Singapore Cohort Study of Risk factors for Myopia.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of myopia in parts of South East Asia has risen dramatically over the past 1-2 generations, suggesting that environmental factors may be particularly important determinants of refractive development in these populations. AIM: To assess the contribution of familial factors (shared genes and/or shared family environment) to refractive error and ocular component dimensions of school-aged children in Singapore. METHODS: Data were available for 315 children who had one or more siblings also participating in the Singapore Cohort Study of the Risk factors for Myopia (SCORM). Refractive error and ocular biometric parameters were measured under cycloplegia at baseline when children were 7-9 years, and at yearly follow-up sessions for the next 3 years, using consistent clinical procedures. The time children spent performing a variety of nearwork-related tasks was obtained from questionnaires. Familial influences were assessed by calculating between-sibling correlations. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and sex, the between-sibling correlation in refractive error was 0.447 (95% CI 0.314 to 0.564), suggesting that familial factors account for 63-100% of the variation in the cohort. The between-sibling correlation for 1-year change in refractive error was similarly high, at 0.420 (95% CI 0.282 to 0.543). All ocular component dimensions were correlated significantly between siblings, especially for corneal curvature and vitreous chamber depth--the major structural determinants of refraction. The amount of time siblings spent engaged in nearwork tasks (reading, watching TV, playing video games, computing) and in outdoor activities was also highly correlated between siblings (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Shared genes and/or shared environment are important factors in the refractive development of children in Singapore. Because the time spent in nearwork tasks is highly correlated between siblings, epidemiological studies will benefit from precise, quantitative measures of refractive error in parents and more distant relatives in order to begin to dissociate genetic and environmental sources of variation.

Biometry↗

PubMed2003

Implicit memory varies as a function of hypnotic electroencephalogram stage in surgical patients.

UNLABELLED: Previous studies have observed a correlation of implicit memory with certain electroencephalogram (EEG) measures during anesthesia. Here, we tested the relationship between hypnotic depth determined by computer system (Narcotrend(TM)) and implicit memory in anesthetized patients, assessed by a postoperative reading speed test. Thirty-two patients undergoing laparoscopic herniotomy and 30 age-matched volunteer controls were included the study. All patients received IV midazolam 2-3 mg followed by an induction dose of propofol and remifentanil. The anesthesia was maintained with propofol and remifentanil infusions and cisatracurium. Each patient was exposed to 2 of 4 stories, repeated 6 times. The first story was presented during light to moderate hypnotic EEG stages, and the second story was presented during deep hypnosis. Presentation of stories was balanced between patients and hypnotic stages. The controls listened to the two stories without receiving anesthesia. The reading speed for the previously presented stories and two new stories was measured approximately 7 h later with a computer program. No signs of inadequate anesthesia were observed, and no explicit memories of intraoperative events were revealed by a structured interview. No change of reading speed was observed for words presented during deep hypnotic stages. In contrast, an increased reading speed of 20 ms per word was found for content words (i.e., nouns, verbs, and adjectives), but not for function words (conjunctions, prepositions, and so on), presented during light to moderate hypnotic stages. Increased reading speed for semantically rich content words indicates that anesthetized patients are able to process acoustic information during light and moderate, but not deep, hypnosis. IMPLICATIONS: In this study, implicit memory was observed during general anesthesia at light to moderate, but not deep, hypnotic stages. Hypnotic stages were determined by a commercial electroencephalogram device, and implicit memory was measured by using a postoperative reading speed task. During lighter phases of anesthesia, patients should be protected against acoustic information that could negatively influence their postoperative outcome.

Adult↗