Human V5/MT+: comparison of functional and cytoarchitectonic data

To date, the delineation of the human visual “motion area” still relies on functional paradigms originally devised to identify monkey area MT. Using fMRI, we have identified putative human area V5/MT+ in normals by modelling the BOLD responses to alternating radially moving and stationary dot patterns. Functional activations were compared with cytoarchitectonic probability maps of its putative correlate area hOc5, which was calculated based upon data from histological sections of ten human post-mortem brains. Bilateral visual cortex activations were seen in the single subject dynamic versus stationary contrasts and in the group random-effects analysis. Comparison of group data with area hOc5 revealed that 19.0%/39.5% of the right/left functional activation was assigned to the right/left hOc5. Conversely, 83.2%/53.5% of the right/left hOc5 was functionally activated. Comparison of functional probability maps (fPM) with area hOc5 showed that 28.6%/18.1% of the fPM was assigned to hOc5. In turn, 84.9%/41.5% of the area hOc5 was covered by the respective fPM. Thus, random-effects data and fPMs yielded similar results. The present study shows for the first time the correspondence between the functionally defined human V5/MT+ and the post-mortem cytoarchitectonic area hOc5.     

基于人工视网膜神经节细胞感受野的图像边缘检测

用光电池组装一个工感受野，在一维上模拟视网膜神经节细胞的零交叉滤波特性，进一步用该工工感受野构建一个图像边缘检测系统，并成功地用系统检测到图像边缘。一与般的基于视觉原理的图像系统相比，这种以人工感受野灵基础的系统，在图像输入的同时即可并行地提取图像边缘信息，而更接近于动物视觉系统原型，此结果将为人工视觉和图像技术的发展提供新的探索。     

人工神经网络预滤波的自适应运动心电信号增强器

运动心电图是一种将人体对象置于非平静状态下检测到的心电信号，其特点是运动导致基线严重漂移，肌电干扰显著增加，信噪比低。介绍了一种用人工神经网络预滤波的自适应运动心电信号增强器。运用人工神经网络的非线性和自适应处理的跟踪特性有机地结合设计而成。能降低噪声，提高信噪比，有效地提取运动心电信号。     

Functional coupling of the stabilizing eye and head reflexes during horizontal and vertical linear motion in the cat

Summary The otolith contribution and otolith-visual interaction in eye and head stabilization were investigated in alert cats submitted to sinusoidal linear accelerations in three defined directions of space: up-down (Z motion), left-right (Y motion), and forward-back (X motion). Otolith stimulation alone was performed in total darkness with stimulus frequency varying from 0.05 to 1.39 Hz at a constant half peak-to-peak amplitude of 0.145 m (corresponding acceleration range 0.0014–1.13 g) Optokinetic stimuli were provided by sinusoidally moving a pseudorandom visual pattern in the Z and Y directions, using a similar half peak-to-peak amplitude (0.145 m, i.e., 16.1°) in the 0.025–1.39 Hz frequency domain (corresponding velocity range 2.5°–141°/s). Congruent otolith-visual interaction (costimulation, CS) was produced by moving the cat in front of the earth-stationary visual pattern, while conflicting interaction was obtained by suppressing all visual motion cues during linear motion (visual stabilization method, VS, with cat and visual pattern moving together, in phase). Electromyographic (EMG) activity of antagonist neck extensor (splenius capitis) and flexor (longus capitis) muscles as well as horizontal and vertical eye movements (electrooculography, EOG) were recorded in these different experimental conditions. Results showed that otolith-neck (ONR) and otolith-ocular (OOR) responses were produced during pure otolith stimulation with relatively weak stimuli (0.036 g) in all directions tested. Both EMG and EOG response gain slightly increased, while response phase lead decreased (with respect to stimulus velocity) as stimulus frequency increased in the range 0.25–1.39 Hz. Otolith contribution to compensatory eye and neck responses increased with stimulus frequency, leading to EMG and EOG responses, which oppose the imposed displacement more and more. But the otolith system alone remained unable to produce perfect compensatory responses, even at the highest frequency tested. In contrast, optokinetic stimuli in the Z and Y directions evoked consistent and compensatory eye movement responses (OKR) in a lower frequency range (0.025–0.25 Hz). Increasing stimulus frequency induced strong gain reduction and phase lag. Oculo-neck coupling or eye-head synergy was found during optokinetic stimulation in the Z and Y directions. It was characterized by bilateral activation of neck extensors and flexors during upward and downward eye movements, respectively, and by ipsilateral activation of neck muscles during horizontal eye movements. These visually-induced neck responses seemed related to eye velocity signals. Dynamic properties of neck and eye responses were significantly improved when both inputs were combined (CS). Near perfect compensatory eye movement and neck muscle responses closely related to stimulus velocity were observed over all frequencies tested, in the three directions defined. The present study indicates that eye-head coordination processes during linear motion are mainly dependent on the visual system at low frequencies (below 0.25 Hz), with close functional coupling of OKR and eye-head synergy. The otolith system basically works at higher stimulus frequencies and triggers Synergist OOR and ONR. However, both sensorimotor subsystems combine their dynamic properties to provide better eyehead coordination in an extended frequency range and, as evidenced under VS condition, visual and otolith inputs also contribute to eye and neck responses at high and low frequency, respectively. These general laws on functional coupling of the eye and head stabilizing reflexes during linear motion are valid in the three directions tested, even though the relative weight of visual and otolith inputs may vary according to motion direction and/or kinematics.     

一种基于独立成分分析的功能磁共振数据处理方法

独立成分分析（ICA）是统计信号处理中的一项新技术，用来从混合信号的多维观测中提取具有统计独立性的成分。我们针对功能磁共振数据处理，采用先对相邻的两体元信号作ICA分离，然后与参考信号进行相关，把相关系数大于一定阈值的体元作为刺激引起兴奋的体元，从而实现刺激的功能定位。经实际脑功能磁共振数据试验，初步证明了方法的有效性。     

Prevention of hypotony after trabeculectomies with mitomycine

Hypotony with reduced a reduced visual acuity is often seen after trabeculectomy with mitomycine. In this study we describe measures such as reattaching the sleral flap with at least seven nylon sutures and the controlled and delayed use of argon laser suture lysis. With these preventative measures the percentage of hypotonies (IOP 6 mmHg) three months after surgery was reduced from 38 to 15% and chronically reduced visual acuity was reduced from 38 to 5%. With these adaptations in the surgical technique the complication rate of trabeculectomies with mitomycine can be markedly reduced without affecting the mean IOP (10.9 mmHg versus 10.8 mmHg) three months after surgery and the percentage of eyes with IOP 18 mmHg or less without medication (94 versus 91%).     

Pattern electroretinogram and visual evoked potential amplitudes are influenced by different stimulus field sizes and scotomata

The pattern electroretinogram and the visual evoked potential were recorded simultaneously with various stimulus fields and artificial scotomata of increasing sizes. In contrast to an earlier study, a smaller check size (20) and two stimulus field sizes (20° × 20° and 10° × 10°) for the scotomata were used. With a concentric decreasing stimulus field, a reduction of both the pattern electroretinogram and visual evoked potential was found. Both showed a simultaneous reduction of amplitudes, but, compared with the amplitude in the full field, the reduction was more extensive for the pattern electroretinogram at each test field size. This implies a greater contribution to the pattern electroretinogram from more eccentric retinal parts. An artificial central scotoma of increasing size in the 20° × 20° field had less influence on the pattern electroretinogram than on the visual evoked potential. The percentage amplitude loss of the visual evoked potential was more pronounced. The visual evoked potential was eventually abolished by a scotoma size from 10° × 10° upward, while the pattern electroretinogram was still registrable. When scotomata of similar size were introduced in a smaller (10° × 10°) field, percentage pattern electroretinogram and visual evoked potential amplitude losses were less separated than in a larger (20° × 20°) test field.     

Some observations on the mechanism of pressure related atrial fibrillation

In order to investigate the effect of atrial pressure on thepropensity of the atria to fibrillate and the mechanism of thisassociation, the right atrial pressure was changed acutely bytransfusion-bleeding in 12 anaesthetized open-chest dogs. Undervarious atrial pressures the conduction time was measured betweentwo pairs of hook electrodes positioned on the two atrial appendagesrespectively. The effective refractory period was measured bycontinuous pacing of the right atrium at a 250 ms cycle lengthat double threshold intensity and interpolating a progressivelyearlier stimulus after each eighth paced beat. The propensityof fibrillation was studied by rapid (450 min^–1) pacingof the atria at double threshold intensity for 10 s at differentatrial pressures. At a high (14 mmHg) atrial pressure the conductiontime (45.7 ± 14.2 ms) was significantly (P<0.01) longer,the effective refractory period (157.9 ± 15.2 ms) significantly(P<0.01) longer and the atrial fibrillation (11/19 or 57.9%)significantly (X² = 9.95, P<0.001) more common than at alow ( 10 mmHg) pressure (35.2 ± 11.6, 146.2 ±12.4, 3/24 or 12.5%, respectively). Analysis of variance showedthat the probability of atrial fibrillation was significantlyaffected by the atrial pressure but not by either the conductiontime or the effective refractory period The findings suggestthat an increase in right atrial pressure by acute volume overloadprolongs the inter-atrial conduction time and right atrial refractorinessand increases the propensity of the atria tofibrillate by rapidatrial stimulation. The effect of atrial pressure on fibrillationdoes not seem to be mediated by the prolonged atrial refractorinessor conduction time.     

Discriminative power of visual evoked potential characteristics in multiple sclerosis

To investigate the discriminative power of pattern-reversal visual evoked potential characteristics (peak latencies and amplitude) and to test whether the addition of visual evoked potential amplitude can increase the power of the visual evoked potential in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, we retrospectively studied visual evoked potentials in 59 patients with definite multiple sclerosis and 126 control subjects. Two check sizes (17 and 10) were used. Females had significantly higher amplitudes and shorter latencies than males. N80 latency showed a gradual increase and P100 amplitude a decrease with age. P100 latency was stable between the ages of 20 and 55 years but was increased in childhood and the elderly. The significance of visual evoked potential peak latencies and amplitude in separating the two groups was investigated by means of a (multivariate) discriminant analysis. The visual evoked potential with a pattern of 10 could be measured in 58% of patients with multiple sclerosis. The exclusive use of the P100 amplitude in the discriminant analysis resulted in a percentage of correctly classified cases of 84%, whereas for P100 and N80 latency it was 85% and 90%, respectively. With the 17 pattern, the N80 latency yielded also a higher correct percentage than did the P100 latency. Although N80 latency is, to a greater extent than P100 latency, influenced by age, sex and size of stimulus pattern, when these influences are accounted for, the N80 latency is a more sensitive measure than P100 latency in the classification of multiple sclerosis. Combined use of latency and amplitude for discriminant analysis yielded no significant improvement of the percentage of correctly classified cases.Abbreviations MS multiple sclerosis - SD standard deviation     

Neurotoxicity induced by lead levels: an electrophysiological study

The object of the present study was to evaluate, with the aid of visual evoked potentials (VEPs), modifications induced in the optic nerve by lead, and to investigate the relationship between blood lead levels (PbB) and modification of the VEP. We studied a sample of 300 men with PbB values between 17 and 60 g/100 ml. Our study demonstrates that alterations in the latency of the VEP are dependent on PbB levels, though there is not a directly proportional relationship.