Tracking the habituation of the event-related EEG potential in automatic change detection using an auditory two-tone oddball paradigm

The mismatch negativity and the P3a of the event-related EEG potential reflect the electrocortical response to a deviant stimulus in a series of stimuli. Although both components have been investigated in various paradigms, these paradigms usually incorporate many repetitions of the same deviant, thus leaving open whether both components vary as a function of the deviant's position in a series of deviant stimuli-i.e. whether they are subject to qualitative/quantitative habituation from one instantiation of a deviant to the next. This is so because the detection of mismatch negativity/P3a in the event-related EEG potential requires an averaging over dozens or hundreds of stimuli, i.e. over many instantiations of the deviant per participant. The present study addresses this research gap. We used a two-tone oddball paradigm implementing only a small number of (deviant) stimuli per participant, but applying it to a large number of participants (n > 230). Our data show that the mismatch negativity amplitude exhibits no decrease as a function of the deviant's position in a series of (standard and) deviant stimuli. Importantly, only after the very first deviant stimulus, a distinct P3a could be detected, indicative of an orienting reaction and an attention shift, and thus documenting a dissociation of mismatch negativity and P3a.

Indocyanine green angiography in traumatic choroidal rupture: clinicoangiographic case reports

Blunt trauma to the eye can cause choroidal ruptures. Often localization is obscured by hemorrhages, edema, and pigmentary changes. The use of indocyanine green (ICG) angiography to supplement fluorescein angiography in visualizing retinal and choroidal tissues was investigated. Three patients with acute traumatic choroidal ruptures received a retinal examination, including fluorescein and ICG angiography study. Choroidal ruptures were well localized in ICG angiograms in both early and late phases. In fluorescein angiograms, the defects were underestimated in early phases and overestimated in the later phases. In one patient with severe traumatic changes, ophthalmoscopy and fluorescein angiography identified all superficial splits, whereas ICG angiography readily detected deeper changes as well. ICG angiography is helpful in diagnosis major and minor ruptures of the choriocapillaris and the choroid, in defining the extent of traumatic ruptures, and in furthering the understanding of the pathology of traumatic ruptures, and in furthering the understanding of the pathology of traumatic tears.

Presence of messenger ribonucleic acid for epidermal growth factor (EGF) and EGF receptor demonstrable in monolayer cell cultures of myometria and leiomyomata

There is a paucity of data concerning the factors involved in the growth of uterine leiomyomata. The expression of mRNAs encoding EGF and the EGF receptor in myometrial and leiomyoma cultures suggest that EGF may be involved in the autocrine/paracrine regulation of human uterine leiomyomata and myometrial growth.

Detached ciliary tufts mistaken for peritoneal parasites: a warning

Detached ciliary tufts of columnar epithelial cells from the female genital tract may be mistakenly identified as protozoa when examined in wet mounts of fluid specimens in the laboratory because of their appearance and motility, although they are generally identified correctly in fixed specimens prepared for cytologic examination. A case of such mistaken identity in specimens from a gynecologic patient was documented, and the literature on ciliary tufts was reviewed. Infectious disease and gynecology consultants should be alert to the potential confusion arising from the presence of ciliary tufts in body fluids.

Comparative well-being of children and elderly

"This paper compares the economic well-being of children and the elderly to each other in the United States and across six industrialized countries. Using the Luxembourg Income Study database, we find that U.S. children--whose economic status is measured by their family income--are generally worse off than U.S. elderly in terms of both poverty and adjusted mean income. Moreover, U.S. children are worse off in terms of higher poverty rates than are the children in any of the other countries studied. The paper presents a variety of explanations for these differences."

Teratogenicity of anticonvulsant drugs. II: A prospective study

To 468 women with epilepsy enrolled in the study, 171 children were born and evaluated prospectively. The mothers in this group were characterized by low socioeconomic status, high frequency of tonic-clonic generalized seizures, and use of combinations of anticonvulsants. Approximately 30% of infants exposed to diphenylhydantoin in utero had minor craniofacial and digital changes. The infants did not show an increased rate of growth retardation, mental retardation, or major malformations. It is suggested that the nature of the association of birth defects and maternal epilepsy is complex and that the teratogenicity of anticonvulsant drugs plays only a minor role in this association. The sample size necessary to demonstrate a two- to threefold increase in malformations is beyond the capability of a single center.

Teratogenicity of anticonvulsant drugs. IV: The association of clefting and epilepsy

Cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) is the most common congenital malformation reported among infants of epileptic mothers. This study sought to examine the relative roles of anticonvulsant teratogenicity and other factors responsible for this association. Among 175 families with a proband with isolated CL/P, there were 13 parents with epilepsy and a high frequency of other family members with CL/P and epilepsy. Evaluation of the 13 cases suggested that teratogenicity of anticonvulsant drugs was not the primary factor responsible for the observed association of maternal epilepsy and clefting. Among 140 families with a proband with clefting other than CL/P, there were no instances of parental epilepsy observed.