The effect of moving textures on the responses of cells in the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus

Neurons in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the anaesthetized cat were activated with test stimuli (flashing spots, counterphased gratings and moving bars) in the presence of a moving background texture. Moving texture alone produced mild excitation, as a result of stimulation of the receptive field centre. Fast moving coarse textures were more effective than fine slow moving textures. The predominant effect of texture motion, however, was to reduce the response to all test stimuli displayed in the receptive field centre. The effects were similar for X- and Y-like cells. In the case of flashed spots, the sustained response was more strongly suppressed than the transient response. The direction of motion of the texture and differences in the relative motion of bar and texture had no influence on the degree of suppression. These observations are similar to effects seen on cat retinal ganglion cells, and are probably a form of gain control. Such suppressive effects are transmitted to the cortex and are likely to be evoked by large gratings, textures and by natural stimuli, all of which activate extensive regions of the receptive field surround.     

孙外主学术思想探析

孙外主主任医师从事临床数十年,力主继承祖国医学的经典针法,倡导针灸处方规范化,并探索性地提出了“腧穴疲劳性”这一新观点,本文旨在探析其学术思想及专病专治的临床经验。     

不同地区医院处方与经方药味、用量比较

目的：比较《伤寒杂病论》205首汤剂经方与北京东直门医院、河南中医学院一附院、上海龙华医院等3家医院中医处方的药物组成、用量.方法：按照中国历代度量衡量值表,对205首经方进行古今折算,计算经方平均药物组成、用量.随机抽取东直门医院、河南中医学院一附院3天门诊汤剂处方,上海龙华医院一天门诊汤剂处方,分别计算它们的处方平均药物组成、用量,分别与经方比较.结果：现代3家医院平均处方用药较经方明显增多,有显著差异,P＜0.05.河南中医学院一附院平均处方用量与经方用量无明显差异;北京东直门医院处方用量较经方用量小,有显著差异,P＜0.05;上海龙华医院处方平均用量较经方用量大,差异显著,P＜0.05.结论：与经方相比,东直门医院、河南中医学院一附院、上海龙华医院处方药味明显增加;与现代医院处方相比,经方单味药物用量较大.经方药物组成、用量值得深入研究.     

经方治疗便秘二则

中医学对便秘的阐述甚早。汉代张仲景称其为“脾约”、“闭”、“阳结”等。历代医家辨证均从“热秘”、“冷秘”、“气秘”、“虚秘”论治。笔者临床遇2例便秘者,均用经方取效。一则辨为脾肾阳虚,气化不利,一则为情志所伤,肝失疏泄所致,现介绍如下,以资同道参考。案一:唐某,女,45岁,2005年3月20日初诊。便秘10余年,大便秘结,4～5日1行,每便必努挣汗出,半小时以上方能排出,经常服用番泻叶、果导等泻剂。伴有颜面、双下肢水肿,腰部酸痛,形寒怕冷,小便清长,纳食不多,舌淡苔薄白,脉沉细。此脾肾阳虚,气化不利,津液不得运化,肠道失去濡润,水气泛…     

Multiple unit activity recorded from amygdala central nucleus during Pavlovian heart rate conditioning in rabbit

Using a Pavlovian heart rate conditioning paradigm, a rapid development of short latency increases in the multiple unit activity of the amygdala central nucleus were observed in response to a tone conditioned stimulus. In some cases the increases in multiple unit response showed a parallel development with the conditioned develerative heart rate response and were significantly correlated with it. These results suggest a direct role for the central nucleus in the expression of conditioned heart rate responding in rabbit.     

Neuronal responses of the rabbit brainstem during performance of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane (NM)/eyelid response

Through the use of a chronic microdrive recording system, neuronal unit activity was recorded throughout the brainstem of the rabbit during performance of the classically conditioned nictitating membrane (NM) extension/eyeblink response using an acoustical conditioned stimulus (CS) and a corneal airpuff unconditioned stimulus (UCS). Regions which exhibited neuronal responses near the onset of the learned response were found to be relatively localized to: the abducens, accessory abducens, and facial nuclei (the motoneurons known to innervate the muscles responsible for expression of the conditioned response); the sensory nuclei of the fifth (probably representing somatosensory or proprioceptive feedback from the conditioned response); the superior colliculus; the periaqueductal gray; various reticular regions and the brainstem nuclei directly connected with the cerebellum (pontine nuclei, tegmental reticular nucleus (Bechterew), red nucleus, and perhaps the inferior olive). Stimulus (tone-airpuff) evoked responses were found within all classical auditory nuclei of the brainstem; the superior colliculus; the periaqueductal gray; pontine nuclei; fifth sensory nuclei, and various reticular regions. Recent lesion studies have shown the ipsilateral cerebellum to be essential for the learning and retention of this response. Collectively these results indicate that the cerebellum and its related brainstem nuclei are critically involved in the control and production of the classically conditioned NM/eyeblink response and may contain essential long term neuronal changes--the 'memory trace'--which serves to encode this learned response.     

Extensively and partially hydrolysed preterm formulas in the prevention of allergic diseases in preterm infants: a randomized, double-blind trial

AIM: A randomized, double-blind study was conducted to evaluate whether use of protein hydrolysate-based preterm formulas in infants with an atopic predisposition helps prevent the development of allergic diseases. METHODS: Preterm infants (n = 122) with at least one first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with allergic disease were randomly assigned to receive an extensively or partially hydrolysed preterm formula (intervention groups) or a standard preterm formula until 4 to 5 mo of age. Infants whose parents preferred that they be breastfed received their mothers' fortified breast milk. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat analysis showed that the overall incidence of allergic diseases did not significantly differ between groups at both 4-5 and 12 mo of age. However, by 12 mo, use of the extensively hydrolysed versus the standard preterm formula had significantly reduced the risk of atopic dermatitis. At 4-5 and 12 mo, there was a significantly increased risk of non-acceptance of the extensively hydrolysed formula compared with the other formulas. CONCLUSIONS: This study failed to show that extensively or partially hydrolysed preterm formulas in comparison with a standard preterm formula reduced the overall incidence of allergic diseases in infants at high risk for atopic disease. However, use of the extensively hydrolysed compared with a standard preterm formula significantly reduced the incidence of atopic dermatitis observed at 12 mo. Infants who received extensively hydrolysed formulas were at increased risk for intervention discontinuation for any reason, particularly non-acceptance of the formula. Because of the small number of patients eligible for this analysis, these results should be interpreted with caution.     

Effects of buspirone and alprazolam treatment on the startle-potentiated startle response

The startle potentiated startle (SPS) paradigm has been reported to be an effective procedure for studying the conditioned enhancement of acoustic startle in the absence of electric shocks or extinction. This study examines the effects of two anxiolytic treatments, buspirone and alprazolam, on this SPS effect. Subjects were tested in the SPS paradigm 2 days a week (Monday and Thursday) for 10 weeks. Each startle test session consisted of 10 Noise Alone trials (115 dB acoustic noise burst presented for 40 ms) and 10 Light+Noise trials (115 dB acoustic stimuli presented during the latter 40 ms of a 3,540 ms period in which a 15-watt light was illuminated). Although there was no difference in startle amplitude on Noise Alone trials when compared to Light+Noise trials initially, by the end of the first test session and continuing throughout the duration of the experiment, startle amplitude on Light+Noise trials was significantly (approximately 50-75%) greater than on Noise Alone trials. After five control (i.e., no injection) SPS test sessions, once-weekly drug challenges were conducted over the course of 7 weeks. In these weekly drug challenges, subjects received acute treatment with various doses of the benzodiazepine anxiolytic alprazolam (0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg) or the novel anxiolytic buspirone (1.0, 2.0, 4.0 mg/kg); subjects also received vehicle treatment (0.5% methylcellulose) on one treatment day. All treatments were administered intraperitoneally (i.p.), 15 min before the start of startle testing. Consistent with previous reports, buspirone increased and alprazolam decreased startle amplitude on the Noise Alone trials; these effects were dose-related. Both agents reduced the magnitude of the SPS effect when it was expressed as the Light+Noise startle amplitude minus the Noise Alone startle amplitude. These findings are similar to the effects of these treatments in the traditional shock-based fear-potentiated startle paradigm.     

魏稼教授的飞针手法与临床应用

魏稼教授师承徐少廷的飞针法,并融入古代“凤凰展翅”与“饿马摇铃”补泻法的临床经验。根据明代杨继洲《针灸大成》载,前者属于捻转泻法,而后者则属于捻转加提插补法。“凤凰展翅”泻法操作重点是：二指夹持针柄,朝一个方向一捻一放4-8次,如瑞鸟展翅状;“饿马摇铃”补法的操作要点是：二指持针柄缓慢轻微摇摆50次,如饿马无力之状。文中附有治验病例。论证了以此法治疗三叉神经痛,胆石症合并胆囊炎,支气管哮喘等均有满意疗效。