Psychophysiological Functions Research Articles

Assessing the Mental Status of the Cognitively Impaired Elderly

Changes in mental status are often the first indication of changes in psychophysiological functioning of the older person. A brief and accurate mental status assessment is an essential part of a complete geriatric assessment. The MMSE, SPMSQ, CCSE, or NCSE may be used to aid in assessing the mental status of the cognitively impaired older person. Further testing and the reporting of results of mental status assessments among varying older populations is needed to build on the current level of knowledge of mental status assessment of the cognitively impaired older person.

Sexuality and psychophysiological functioning in women with diabetes mellitus

Subjective and objective psychophysiological responses to erotic visual stimulation were recorded for 24 women with diabetes mellitus type I and 10 control women. There were no significant differences in subjective responses (general sexual arousal and genital arousal) between the two groups. The objective response, a rise in the temperature of the labium minus, varied with the height of the initial temperature. Since this temperature was significantly higher in diabetic women, the subsequent rise during erotic visual stimulation was less in diabetic women than in controls. When samples from the two groups were matched for initial temperature, the difference in the increase in labial temperature was no longer statistically different. In both groups of women there was a significant correlation between the degree of subjective arousal and the rise in labial temperature when women with a high temperature (greater than 37 degrees C) at the start of the visual erotic stimulation were not included. The absence of a statistically significant effect of diabetes mellitus on the parameters studied may be due to a lack of serious neuropathy and angiopathy in the present sample of diabetic women. Future psychophysiological studies should include women with serious neuropathy with or without diabetes mellitus.

Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythms are observable in almost every neuroendocrine, behavioral, and psychophysiologic function, in addition to the classic vital signs. This article discusses how the circadian system might change with advanced age, how these changes interact with behavior changes, and how the resultant effects might influence sleep and daytime functioning.

On circadian variations in discrimination of duration.

Evidence from numerous studies indicates that physiological processes, e.g., body temperature, hormonal activity, as well as mental and psychomotor performance, e.g. memory, vigilance, reaction time, vary systematically with cime of day (Minors & Waterhouse, 1981). Also, time of day has been shown to influence time judgments of intervals ranging from 10 to 60 sec. studied by means of the method of production and verbal estimation. These result in most pronounced underestimation in the morning hours and fastest production of instructed time intervals and verbal overestimation between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. (Pfaff, 1968). No studies have investigated the effects of cime of day on perception of shorter intervals in the range of milliseconds. The present study was designed to test circadian variation of this type of performance. Thirty-six graduate students (16 men and 20 women) were divided into two groups matched for age and sex: a morning group tested between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. and an afternoon group tesced becween 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. In a forced-choice version of the method of comparison, subjects had to decide which of two acoustic stimulus intervals, marked by two consecutive 3-msec. clicks each, was the longer one. With the standard duration of 50 msec. presented first, each comparative duration (35, 40, 45, 55, 60, and 65 msec., respectively) was presented 50 times in randomized order resulting in 300 judgements of relative duration. As a measure of performance, probability of correct responses was computed for each subject. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance. Means and standard deviations of probability of correct responses for the morning group were 0.76 and 0.13 and for the afternoon group were 0.78 and 0.13. No significant effect of time of day could be demonstrated (F,,,, =0.07, p> .lo), indicating that circadian influences on time perception in the range of milliseconds are less evident than on the time estimations in the range of seconds or other psychophysiological functions. Furthermore, these results suggest that there may be different underlying mechanisms of time estimation in the range of seconds and discrimination of duration in the range of milliseconds.

Separate and combined psychophysiological effects of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption

The present study on the separate and the combined effects of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption on behavioral, electrocortical and cardiovascular functions involved 20 young female smokers, repeatedly tested on their performance in a visual information processing task before and after drug treatment. Each subject participated in four sessions where they received in a balanced sequence 0.7 g/kg alcohol or placebo followed by either real or sham smoking of a cigarette. The mental task required the subjects to detect sequences of three odd or even digits in a pseudorandom series of single digits presented on a TV screen. By using a variable subject-paced interstimulus interval, mental performance was analyzed continuously in terms of the achieved processing rate. The multivariate assessment of psychophysiological functions included the electrocardiogram, the finger plethysmogram and the electroencephalogram (EEG) measured on four electrode locations (Fz, Cz, P3, P4). The EEG was analyzed both for tonical changes in frequency distribution and for phasic responses to the correctly detected triads (Event-Related Potentials, ERP), yielding a CNV after the second digit and a late positive wave (LP) after the third digit. Cigarette smoking increased the processing rate, while it was decreased by alcohol. Smoking after alcohol diminished the performance decline due to alcohol. Heart rate acceleration and peripheral vasoconstriction were observed after smoking. Alcohol caused dilatation of the finger vessels which was prevented by smoking a cigarette after the drink.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Controllable and uncontrollable stress in humans: alterations in mood and neuroendocrine and psychophysiological function.

The authors exposed 10 healthy human volunteers to the stress of loud (100 dB) noise under controllable and uncontrollable conditions on two separate days. Subjects reported higher self-ratings of helplessness, lack of control, tension, stress, unhappiness, anxiety, and depression; had greater hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function as measured by elevations in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone; and had higher levels of sympathetic nervous system and electrodermal activity after the uncontrollable stress condition than after exposure to controllable stress. Thus, lack of control over even a mildly aversive stimulus can produce alterations in mood as well as neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous system changes in healthy subjects.

Aspects of work load and the level of psychophysiological functions of middle to elderly aged female workers

In order to best utilize middle to elderly aged female workers, aspects of work load and the level of Psychophysiological functions of middle to elderly aged female workers in a sewing factory have been investigated through field research. In addition, these results have been compared with a field research study of male workers in a machine factory. The results obtained were as followes ; l) The level of many Psychophysiological functions before and after work were significantly lower for the middle to elderly aged female workers than for the younger female workers in a sewing factory. 2) The complaints of subjective feelings of fatigue, of sites of physical fatigue symptoms and of cumulative fatigue index in the middle to elderly aged female workers were lower compared with those of the younger female workers in a sewing factory. The clear correspondence of the decrease of the level of Psychophysiological functions to feelings of fatigue was not recognized with the increasing age. 3) The decrease of Psychophysiological functions of middle to elderly aged female workers was not recognized and the complaint rates of feelings of fatigue were lower through daily work in a sewing factory. It was not observed that there was any difference in ability or in job performance between middle to elderly aged female workers and younger female workers. The tendencies for 1)-3) were comparatively similar to the results of middle to elderly aged male workers in a machine factory. Therefore, it was suggested that there was the adaptablity of middle to elderly aged workers for these light job regardless of sex. 4) The job consciousness, the Self-Actualization, the sense of job achievment and the weariness in female workers in a sewing factory showed different tendencies when compared with those of male workers in a machine factory. 5) The Ist category, "dullness and drowsiness" was the dominant pattern in subjective feelings of fatigue in middle to elderly aged female workers observed before and after work in a sewing factory. It was also surmised that work load was comparatively light. It was also thought that accumlated skills and knowledge in middle to elderly aged female workers had to be put to practical use in these light jobs.

A study on the type of housing necessary for improving the quality of life for the aged with a special consideration for the decreasing psychophysiological functions caused by aging (Part 2)

A study on the type of housing necessary for improving the quality of life for the aged with a special consideration for the decreasing psychophysiological functions caused by aging (Part 2)

Work load in culture of shiitake mushroom

Plugging-in of a wood piece for the culture of shiitake mushroom is one of machine-assisted works in forestry, and is achieved by the use of an electric drill. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of this work on the psychophysiological functions of workers. The work consisted of two conditions ; working on a work table and working on the bare ground. The work load was examined by multifaceted observation. Results indicated that the CFF and the function of concentration (TAF-test) when compared with pre-work values were not significantly reduced after approximately 50 minutes of work. But the work perfonuance produced a local muscular load due to work in unnatural work postures and the workers feel fatigue due to work itself. However, working on the work table had effects on mitigation on the work load, shortening of the working time and improvement of the work postures.

Proportional jerk: a new measure of motion as applied to eye movements in sleep and waking.

ABSTRACTThe third derivative of motion or the change in the rate of acceleration (also known as jerk) is examined in terms of its applicability to the study of psychophysiological function. An algorithm of this third derivative is presented to show that jerk can be derived from the arithmetic difference of two slopes which constitute the portion of motion being differentiated. By modifying the algorithm, a new parameter termed “proportional jerk’ or PJ is formulated whereby one slope is measured relative to the other slope; this PJ provides information about the smoothness of movement without being influenced by the velocity as is the traditional jerk measure. A practical application of the PJ to waking saccades and REMs in 11 human subjects revealed that REMs are significantly “jerkier’ or less smooth than waking calibration eye movements. Whereas the waking eye movements had a well‐defined negative phase of the PJ, the REMs did not show such stereotypical behavior. This is in accord with previous work which showed that waking saccade velocity increases to a maximum and then decreases whereas REMs maintain their peak or near peak velocities for varying periods. It was suggested that PJ can be useful in detecting subtle temporal changes in the course of movements and may be used as a parameter of motion even when the absolute amplitude is unknown.

Experimental exposure to toluene in combination with ethanol intake. Psychophysiological functions.

Effects of experimental exposure to toluene (3.2 mmol/m3, ie, 300 mg/m3) for 4.5 h and ethanol ingestion (15 mmol/kg) on the results of four performance tests, symptoms, mood, and physiological indices of wakefulness were studied in 12 male volunteers. Toluene exposure produced symptoms like headache and local irritation, as well as a weak depression of heart rate during rest, but did not reduce performance capability. Ethanol ingestion impaired performance on two of the tests and also increased heart rate. Mood was likewise altered by ethanol, but no increase in subjective symptoms due to ethanol ingestion could be demonstrated. Physiological indices of wakefulness were not affected by toluene exposure or by ethanol intake. No interaction effects were found.

A study on the type of housing necessary for improving the quality of life for the aged with a special consideration for the decreasing psychophysiological functions caused by aging

A study on the type of housing necessary for improving the quality of life for the aged with a special consideration for the decreasing psychophysiological functions caused by aging

Lack of Concordance Between Changes in Headache Activity and in Psychophysiological and Personality Variables Following Treatment

SYNOPSISHypotheses about the involvement of physiological and personality mechanisms in the relation between stress and headache have not yet been tested in a pretreatment‐post‐treatment treatment design though many behavioral techniques are based on these notions. Effects of four treatments (stress‐coping, stress‐coping including finger temperature biofeedback, stress‐coping including temporal vasoconstriction biofeedback and waiting list‐control) were analysed in migraine patients with regard to headache measures, psychophysiological functioning and personality variables. In tension headache patients three treatments were compared (stress‐coping, stress‐coping including frontalis EMG biofeedback, and waiting list‐control). Changes neither in physiological nor in personality measures showed concurrency with changes in headache variables. Our results do not confirm the hypothesis of a mediating role between stress and headache for temporal artery and frontal muscle stress responses in migraine patients and tension headache patients, respectively. Neither was the notion of involvement of personality change in headache improvement sustained.

Relation of neuroleptic dose and tardive dyskinesia to attention, information-processing, and psychophysiology in medicated schizophrenics.

Relationships of neuroleptic dosage and tardive dyskinesia with measures of attentional, information-processing, and psychophysiological dysfunctions in medicated chronic schizophrenics were explored by correlational and stepwise multiple-regression analysis. High neuroleptic dosage was found to be associated with increased reaction time, reduced span of apprehension, low basal skin conductance level, and reduced skin conductance reactivity. Severe abnormal involuntary movements were associated with increased eye-tracking dysfunction, increased scanning eye-movement rate, increased reaction time, and reduced skin conductance reactivity. These findings led to the hypothesis that neuroleptic dosage and tardive dyskinesia may be sources of error variance in the measurement of attentional, information-processing, and psychophysiological functions in schizophrenics.

Conversely exposure-related effects between atmospheric m-xylene concentrations and human body sense of balance.

Effects of fixed and fluctuating concentrations of m-xylene in air were studied on human psychophysiological functions. Nine healthy male volunteers were exposed to m-xylene 4 hrs a day, 3 hrs in the morning and 1 hr in the afternoon, with a 40 min. break in between. The subjects were sedentary or exercised at 100 W for 10 min at the beginning of each session in the chamber. The m-xylene concentrations in the air were fixed (8.2 mumol/l; 870 mg/m3) or fluctuated with peaks (5.2-16.4 mumol/l; 550-1740 mg/m3) but the TWA (8 hrs) concentration of m-xylene was always 4.1 mumol/l (435 mg/m3). The two control days, with and without exercise, were similar to the exposure days, but without exposure. Reaction times were measured with a device in which subjects responded to visual and auditory stimuli. Body sway was measured with the subjects' eyes open and closed with a strain gauge transducer platform. Changes in reaction times did not correlate with m-xylene concentrations in the air. Changes of average and maximal body sway were, however, consistently negatively correlated with the intensity of the atmospheric exposure to m-xylene at the beginning of each session in the chamber. Physical exercise combined with exposure to m-xylene improved rather than impaired body sway.

Attention dysfunction and psychopathology in college men.

Four hundred college men were screened on a measure of vigilance, the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). The individuals with good and poor attention (the upper and lower 5% of the CPT score distribution) were compared on multiple measures of psychiatric disturbance, cognition, and psycho-physiologic function. The attention dysfunction group (lower 5%) had a higher incidence of symptoms of hyperactivity both in childhood and as adults, but had no higher incidence of other psychopathology as assessed with either the Research Diagnostic Criteria or the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. Cognitive differences between the lower and upper CPT groups, including differences on Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale subtests, the Stroop test, reaction time, and evoked potentials, substantiated an attention dysfunction syndrome. Thus, attentional dysfunction in young adults seems more closely linked to hyperactivity than to current psychopathology.

Effects of alcohol drinking on mental task performance

The effects of low level alcohol in man were studied by several psychophysiological tests. Five male college students were tested on the battery of mental tasks involving Dot-Matrix, Signal Sound Detection, Choiced Reaction Time at three levels (33.5, 67.0, 134.0 ml : whisky) of alcohol dose. Alcohol concentration in breath, critical flicker fusion, heart rate and blinking counts were measured. Results obtained are as follows. Increase in the alcohol concentrations in breath and heart rate, decrease in the blinking counts are shown in proportion to alcohol dose level. Alcohol effects of least dose (33.5 ml) in this experiment are shown clearly on the condition of adding two subsidiary tasks to the main task. The results of this study suggest that the complex-task-method is useful to estimate the effects of low level alcohol to the psychophysiological functions in man.

Short-term exposure of human subjects to m-xylene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane.

Inhalation exposure of male volunteers to m-xylene (8.2 mumol/l, 200 ppm) and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCE) (8.2 and 16.4 mumol/l, 200 and 400 ppm), as well as to a combination of TCE (16.4 mumol/l) and xylene (8.2 mumol/l), induced only slight changes in psychophysiological functions such as body sway and reaction time. Exposure to the 8.2 mumol/l concentration of xylene or TCE tended to improve the performances, whereas TCE exposure at 16.4 mumol/l alone or in combination with xylene tended to have an opposite effect. The results thus suggest a biphasic acute effect of TCE on the central nervous system (CNS) and reveal that xylene and TCE together exhibit neither kinetic interaction nor synergistic nor antagonistic acute effects on the CNS functions studied.

Adverse consequences of hospitalization in the elderly

This study prospectively examines 502 general medical patients for evidence of side-effects of hospitalization unrelated to diagnosis or therapy of acute illness. Symptoms of depressed psychophysiologic functioning (confusion, falling, not eating, and incontinence) unrelated to acute medical diahnoses were found in 8.8% of the patients under 70 and in 40.5% of the elderly population ( P < 0.0001). The rate of medical intervention secondary to these symptoms (psychotropic medications, restraints, nasogastric tubes, and forely catheters) was 37.9% among the young patients and 47.1% in the elderly group ( P=0.4). The sample was too small to permit adequate empirical determination of the complication rate from medical intervention (thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolus, aspiration pneumonia, urinary tract infection, septic shock) but estimates from the literature indicate that each of the interventions studied entails a complication rate of 25–30%. Combining the observed rate of functional symptoms development and intervention, and the literature rates of complications, yields a risk of complications of 1.0% for the young and 5.7% for the elderly ( P < 0.0001). These data indicate that hospitalized elderly patients are at high risk of developing symptoms of depressed psychophysiologic functioning and of sustaining medical intervention as a result of these symptoms, with attendant medical complications. We suggest that the incidence of depressed psychophysiologic function needs to be assessed in patients treated outside the hospital, along with efficacy of treatment outside the hospital, to determine whether there are patients for whom hospitalization is not optimal therapy.

Dopamine and antianxiety activity

Clinical trials have indicated that buspirone (Buspar ®) is effective in the treatment of anxiety with efficacy and dosage comparable to diazepam. Until recently it has been thought that antianxiety drugs must alter benzodiazepine receptor binding in vitro. However, buspirone lacks any structural similarity to the benzodiazepines and does not interact with the benzodiazepine/γ-aminobutyric acid GABA) axis. Specifically, buspirone neither stimulates nor inhibits [ 3H]benzodiazepine binding, does not affect the influence of GABA or halide anions on benzodiazepine binding, and does not interfere with GABA binding or uptake. Behavioral testing has revealed that buspirone does not produce muscle weakness, does not control seizures, does not potentiate the impairment of psychophysiological function or lethality produced by administration of CNS depressants, does not produce sedation/hypnosis and does not appear to possess any abuse potential or liability for physical dependence. Thus, buspirone has been termed an anxioselective agent. Buspirone appears to only interact with the dopaminergic system with reasonable potency and exhibits properties of both a dopamine agonist and a dopamine antagonist. This suggests that dopamine is implicated in the etiology and expression of anxiety. A discussion of this implication is presented with a review of the clinical efficacy of nonbenzodiazepine drugs, especially dopamine agonists and dopamine antagonists, in the management of anxiety. In addition, neuropharmacological studies which have investigated the role of dopamine in animal models of anxiety are considered. Finally, the multiplicity of dopamine receptors and their regional localization in the brain are considered in the formulation of an hypothesis which features a role for the dopaminergic agents in the pharmacotherapy of anxiety.