Orbicularis oculi responses to stimulation of nerve afferents from upper and lower limbs in normal humans

A brief mechanical or electrical stimulus to peripheral nerve afferents from the upper and lower limbs elicited a small and inconsistent EMG response of the orbicularis oculi muscles. This response was facilitated when the stimuli were delivered at fixed leading time intervals, of 45–300 ms, with respect to a supraorbital nerve electrical stimulus. Also, the peripheral nerve stimulus modified the conventional blink reflex responses, inducing facilitation of R1 and inhibition of R2. These results suggest a complex processing of sensory inputs from the face and the limbs at the brainstem, where they are probably integrated in a network of interneurons influencing the excitability of facial motoneurons.     

Analgesic actions of dynorphin A(1–13) antiserum in the rat brain stem

This study was performed to evaluate the effects of dynorphin A(1–13) antiserum when microinjected into an active hyperalgesic region within the rat brain stem. When administered within the dorsal posterior mesencephalic tegmentum (DPMT) of intact conscious rats, dynorphin A(1–13) antiserum produced rapid onset and persistent prolongation of a low intensity thermally evoked tail avoidance response (LITETAR). These analgesic actions of the dynorphin A(1–13) antiserum appeared to be dose dependent. These studies support previous hypotheses about the existence of tonically active brain stem opioid hyperalgesic processes. Further, the results provide indirect evidence for a potential role of brain stem dynorphin(s) in facilitating pain.     

Clinical and manometric evaluation of anorectal function following low anterior resection with low anastomotic line using an EEA™ stapler for rectal cancer

Anorectal function was evaluated in eight patients who had low anterior resection of the rectum with a low anastomotic line, using an EEA^™ stapler, with determination of function based on periodic manometric studies and clinical symptoms. Immediately following surgery all patients suffered from frequent bowel actions and soiling. These symptoms improved with time and most patients could enjoy almost normal daily life by the sixth postoperative month. One month after surgery, anal canal resting pressure and maximum squeeze pressure were significantly reduced and rectoanal inhibitory reflex was absent; neither showed a distinct tendency to improve thereafter. Rectal sensation and reservoir capacity, which also were seriously impaired, recovered satisfactorily by the time of the six-month examination. This suggests that an improvement of clinical symptoms following this operation is dependent upon the recovery of reservoir capacity and sensation of the neorectum, and that this operative procedure is a functionally acceptable option for low rectal cancer.     

单一电铃电路条件性行为疗法在建立儿童自主排尿反射中的作用研究

本工作在于探讨单一电铃电路条件性训练在建立儿童自主排尿反射中的治疗作用。采用新型研制的电铃电路床单，将电铃声刺激与膀胱充盈刺激有效的吻合起来，夜间训练遗尿患儿清醒后自主排尿。对年龄５～１０岁，经多项检查诊断确定为功能性遗尿的患儿（男１８名，女４名）２２人施行条件性行为训练方法。临睡的铺平电铃电路床单、患儿遗尿初期浸湿床单，引起铃响（患儿不惊醒时由母亲唤醒），患儿起床自主排尿。采用阳性强化法对患儿自主排尿进行巩固，给予原发以及继发性奖赏。结果：单一电铃电路条件性训练平均１２个有效治疗日后，９４．９７％（１８／１９）患儿遗尿症状消失，其中效果最佳者仅用了３个有效治疗日，最后长的达３０个有效治疗日，２人因故中断治疗，１人治疗无效。可见，单一行为方法是一条治疗儿童功能性遗尿的有效措施。     

Experimental models of reflex contractile activity in the rabbit bladder

We were able to produce two highly reproducible experimental models (in the rabbit) that demonstrated a high degree of reflex bladder contractile activity. In one model, a somatovesical reflex was induced by touching or pinching the perineal area. This reflex may be organized through a neurogenic reflex at the spinal level. In another model, rhythmic bladder contractions were produced by distal urethral constriction in the absence of bladder distension. These rhythmic contractions were thought to be due to a supraspinal reflex. In both types of contractile reflexes, intravenous administration of hexamethonium inhibited the reflex contractile activity virtually completely, intravenous atropine inhibited over 90% of the induced contractile activity, thus suggesting that these contractions were mediated reflexly through cholinergic stimulation. These two models of reflex bladder contractions should be useful for the study of hyperreflexic bladders.     

老年性白内障手术心电监护

目的：评价老年性白内障超声乳化伴人工晶体植入术心电监护的临床意义。方法：随机选择老年性白内障超声乳化伴人工晶体植入术行心电监护244例（287只眼）。结果：手术中出现血压明显升高，心肌缺血及心律失常者114例，经及时处理后恢复。结论：老年性白内障患者，术中行心电监护对提高手术安全性十分重要。     

Recto-colonic reflex is impaired in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Motor and sensory dysfunction of the gut are present in a subset of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of a recto-colonic inhibitory reflex in healthy humans. It is not known whether this reflex exists in IBS. We studied rectal compliance, perception and the recto-colonic reflex by measuring volume responses of the descending colon to rectal distentions by barostat in 26 IBS patients and 13 healthy controls under both fasting and postprandial conditions. In the fasting state, rectal distention inhibited colonic tone and phasic motility to a similar extent in health and IBS. After a meal, rectal distention inhibited colonic tone and phasic motility to a lesser degree (P < 0.05) in IBS than health. Under postprandial but not fasting conditions, rectal distentions of increasing intensity were associated with higher pain scores in IBS than in health. Rectal distention inhibits tonic and phasic motility of the descending colon in healthy controls and in IBS patients. Postprandially this recto-colonic inhibitory reflex is impaired and attenuated in IBS patients compared with controls. These findings point to an altered reflex function in IBS and have implications for pathophysiology and therapy.     

Carotid baroreflex function ceases during vasovagal syncope

Abstract. Despite the arterial baroreflex control of heart rate and blood pressure, vasovagal syncope is a common cause of loss of consciousness in people exposed to stimuli that reduce the central blood volume, such as head-up tilt. Carotid baroreflex function was evaluated using a rapid pulse train of neck pressure and neck suction in three conscious volunteers who developed a vasovagal episode during head-up tilt. The maximal gain of the carotid-heart rate and carotid-blood pressure baroreflex function curves were identified as measures of carotid baroreceptor responsiveness. When presyncopal symptoms developed, one further baroreflex assessment was obtained before the subjects were returned to the supine position. The bradycardia and hypotension exhibited during pre-syncope and syncope reflected a leftward and downward relocation of both the cardiac and vasomotor stimulusresponse curves. In addition, during the vasovagal syncope, baroreflex control was suppressed as blood pressure remained low during neck pressure stimuli. In conclusion, arterial baroreflex function ceases during vasovagal syncope.     

Effects of stress and shock anticipation on prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex

The effects of shock anticipation and attention to external stimuli on prepulse inhibition (PPI) were compared. In the threat-of-shock experiment, acoustic startle stimuli were presented with and without prepulses when aversive shocks were or were not anticipated. In the control experiment, startle and prepulse stimuli were delivered during periods with attended or ignored external stimuli. In the threat-of-shock experiment, startle was potentiated (fear-potentiated startle) and PPI was increased by shock anticipation. A gradual reduction in the overall PPI throughout the experiment was also found. In the control experiment, only PPI was increased in the attend condition. The PPI level remained constant throughout the experiment. The increase in PPI in the threat and attend conditions may have resulted from an increase in the general level of alertness that facilitated the processing of the prepulse. The gradual decrease in PPI in the threat experiment was hypothesized to result from a progressive deficit in sensory functioning due to the stressful nature of repeated shock anticipation.