Age-matched Normal Control Group Research Articles

Immediate memory functions of verbally deficient reading-disabled children.

Two groups of children (ages 8 and 12) with reading disabilities and verbal deficits were given a memory-for-colors task designed to evaluate intra- and intermodal serial memory functioning. The memory span of these children was compared to that of a group of age-matched normal controls. Eight-year-old verbally deficient reading-disabled children displayed intramodal (verbal-verbal) as well as intermodal (visual-verbal, verbal-visual) serial memory deficits. Twelve-year-old reading-disabled children displayed only verbal intramodal (verbal-verbal) deficits. The results suggest developmental differences in the relative influence of specific modalities in the immediate memory functions of these children, but emphasize the role of intramodal verbal factors across ages.

Plasma and Urinary Catecholamines and Their Metabolites in Chronic Renal Failure

The effect of chronic renal failure (CRF) on the plasma concentration and urinary excretion of catecholamines and their metabolites was studied in 14 patients with varying degrees of chronic renal failure who had creatinine clearances of 19 to 77 mL/min. The results were compared with those obtained in a group of age-matched normal controls. Plasma catecholamine concentrations were significantly higher in the CRF patients compared with age-matched normal controls (456.9 +/- 303.1 v 278.5 +/- 81.1 pg/mL). The urinary metanephrine (0.6 +/- 0.6 mg/g creatinine) and vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) (6.6 +/- 4.2 mg/g creatinine) were within the normal range. No significant correlations were found between creatinine clearance and urinary metanephrine and VMA excretion or with the plasma catecholamine concentrations. Our observations indicate that, despite the decrease in creatinine clearance, urinary VMA and metanephrine determinations are valid screening tests for pheochromocytoma in patients with compromised renal function. Plasma catecholamine concentrations, however, show moderate elevation with decreasing renal function.

Individual variations in the sleep of depression.

Variations in the intensity or severity of affective disorders were evaluated relative to perturbations in nocturnal sleep physiology. Individual variations in polygraphic features of the sleep cycle based upon psychopathologic scale ratings were investigated in two constituencies (Ns = 6) for 8 hr during 1-3 consecutive nights. The constituencies consisted of twelve young adult (18-25 years) nonpsychotic unipolar depressed psychiatric patients with a primary affective illness and an age-matched normal healthy control group (N = 8). The severely versus mildly depressed patient subgroups scored significantly higher on the Hamilton, Beck and Zung psychopathologic rating scales, indicating a larger magnitude of depressive symptomatology. The average value for total time asleep was 6.1 hr in severely versus 7.8 hr among the mildly depressed patients and controls. EEG-sleep of the severely versus mildly depressed patients and controls contained significantly less stages 2 and 3. Although total time asleep was almost identical in the mildly depressed constituency compared with controls, patients accumulated significantly more of stages 2 and 3. Both patient subgroups exhibited a significantly shorter REM latency than controls. REM latency was reduced to a significantly lower level in the severely versus mildly depressed patients. A significant decrease of REM cycle duration occurred in the polygraphic sleep recordings of severely depressed patients compared with the age-matched controls. The shortened REM latencies indicate a disinhibition of neural processes that would normally delay appearance of the initial REM episodes during nocturnal sleep. The present study generally extends and confirms finding on nocturnal EEG-sleep disturbances in depression associated with the severity of affective illness, particularly the disrupted REM cycle and shorter REM latency.

The effect of chronic propranolol therapy on regional cerebral blood flow in hypertensive patients.

In 31 hypertensive patients the effect of chronic oral administration of the beta blocking agent propranolol on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was studied, using the non-invasive 133Xenon inhalation technique. The results of the measurements were compared to the rCBF obtained in an age-matched normal control group. Our study shows that during long-term therapy with low doses of propranolol (less than 120 mg/daily) the rCBF is unaffected, but it is increased significantly if higher doses (greater than 120 mg/daily) are used. In all six patients who served as their own control, as they had basic rCBF measurements before or during low-dose propranolol, the rCBF on high-dose propranolol became significantly increased. The possible mechanisms which may cause the increased rCBF on high-dose propranolol are discussed.

Dynamic studies of trabecular bone formation and osteoid maturation in normal and certain pathological conditions

Quantitative histomorphometric analyses of iliac crest trabecular bone were performed after tetracycline double-labeling in 20 hyper- and 10 hypethyroid patients, in 20 epileptics receiving long-term anticonvulsant therapy, in 17 renal transplant patients receiving long-term immunosuppressive treatment and in various sex- and age-matched normal control groups. The bone formation rate was determined at the active cellular level, the basic multicellular unit (BMU) level and the tissue level. The average maturation period of osteold (OMP) was calculated from the bone formation rate at BMU level and the mean width of osteoid seams. In the hyperthyroid patients the bone formation rate was increased at all three levels, indicating an accelerated rate of formation of new remodelling units and a decrease in the duration of the formative phase of the remodelling cycle. In the hypothyrold patients and in renal transplant patients the findings were opposite to those in the hyperthyroid patients. In the epileptic patients an increase in bone formation rate at the tissue level alone suggested an increase in the rate of formation of new remodelling units and a normal duration of the formative. period. OMP, which was about 21–27 days in normal individuals, was decreased in hyperthyroidism, normal in anticonvulsant osteomalacia and increased in hypothyroldism and in renal transplant patients. OMP was inversely related to the average cellular activity of the osteoblasts in the different groups.

T Cell function in untreated B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Column separated T cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) showed significantly greater responses to mitogens than the unseparated leukemic lymphocytes (P < 0.01). However, the mitogenic responses were significantly lower at both 4 and 8 days than controls (P < 0.01 and < 0.05). After separation, rosette forming cells were 37% in the patients with CLL and 59% in age-matched controls, and 62% in young normal individuals. When the responses to PHA were calculated per rosette forming cell, no significant difference was observed between the leukemic patients and normal control group. This suggests that there were increased numbers of cells which have neither the characteristics of B and T cells (null cells) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and that these cells are unresponsive to PHA. Null cells were, in fact, obtained from these patients and were found to be unresponsive to PHA. When T cells were enriched by the rosette separation technique, the responses to PHA were significantly diminished at 4 days, but not at 8 days, when compared to age-matched and young normal control groups. These observations were unchanged when responses were calculated per rosette forming cell. The rosette forming cell in CLL appeared to respond normally to stimulation by most of the parameters measured. However, an exception noted at the short time interval (4 days) after PHA stimulation suggests that there may be a subtle intrinsic defect in rosette forming cells or that they maybe more susceptible to mechanical or chemical injury. There also appears to be an increased proportion of null cells in CLL which are unresponsive to PHA.

Circulating carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): relationship to clinical status of patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Plasma levels of circulating carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured by zirconyl phosphate gel radioimmunoassay in 112 patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. The levels were then related to category, extent, duration, and severity of disease, as well as to the ages and surgical status of the patients. The distribution of CEA levels and their mean values were significantly raised over the levels in 33 normal control subjects, and were similar among patients with ulcerative colitis compared with those with granulomatous bowel disease. Positive values were defined as those in excess of 2.5 ng/ml. Positive assays occurred in 42% of ulcerative colitis patients, in 38% of Crohn's disease patients, and in 40% of the total group with inflammatory bowel disease. Among normal control subjects, only 3% were positive. Among inflammatory bowel disease patients, positive CEA assays occurred more frequently with more severe disease, more extensive anatomical involvement, younger ages, and shorter duration of disease. Those patients who had undergone total colectomy showed levels of circulating CEA and frequency of CEA positivity similar to those of an age-matched normal control group. Levels of CEA did not correspond with known cancer risk factors in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Although rising or persisting plasma CEA values unrelated to severity and extent of disease may indicate an unfavourable prognosis in cancer, this study shows that a single CEA value in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease is not a reliable indicator of cancer risk.

Lipid measurements in coronary artery disease: Comparison with an age-matched normal control group

One hundred four male survivors of acute myocardial infarction and ninety-one age-matched clinically normal men were studied. Measurements of total cholesterol, total stainable lipid and the ratio of alpha beta stainable lipid were made. Below the age of forty years, all of these effectively discriminated the normal persons from those with coronary disease. The alpha/beta ratio provided the best segregation of the groups above the age of forty years. Cholesterol measurements made within the first two months after myocardial infarction are rapidly fluctuating and cannot be used as indicators of the true or “steady state” cholesterol level. The technic of electrophoresis and staining of lipoproteins is reproducible, reasonably simple, inexpensive and adaptable for large scale studies.