Steady-state Response Data Research Articles

Children and Adolescents with Autism Exhibit Reduced MEG Steady-State Gamma Responses

Recent neuroimaging studies of autism have indicated reduced functional connectivity during both cognitive tasks and rest. These data suggest long-range connectivity may be compromised in this disorder, and current neurological theories of autism contend disrupted inter-regional interactions may be an underlying mechanism explaining behavioral symptomatology. However, it is unclear whether deficient neuronal communication is attributable to fewer long-range tracts or more of a local deficit in neural circuitry. This study examines the integrity of local circuitry by focusing on gamma band activity in auditory cortices of children and adolescents with autism. Ten children and adolescents with autism and 10 matched controls participated. Both groups listened to 500 ms duration monaural click trains with a 25 ms inter-click interval, as magnetoencephalography was acquired from the contralateral hemisphere. To estimate 40 Hz spectral power density, we performed time-frequency decomposition of the single-trial magnetic steady-state response data using complex demodulation. Children and adolescents with autism exhibited significantly reduced left hemispheric 40 Hz power from 200-500 ms post-stimulus onset. In contrast, no significant between group differences were observed for right hemispheric cortices. The production and/or maintenance of left hemispheric gamma oscillations appeared abnormal in participants with autism. We interpret these data as indicating that in autism, particular brain regions may be unable to generate the high-frequency activity likely necessary for binding and other forms of inter-regional interactions. These findings augment connectivity theories of autism with novel evidence that aberrations in local circuitry could underlie putative deficiencies in long-range neural communication.

Cardiorespiratory dynamics during sinusoidal and impulse exercise in man.

Dynamic characteristics of ventilation, cardiac output, and gas exchange during sinusoidally varying work rates for the periods from 1 to 12 min and impulse work rate with a duration of 10 sec were studied on five healthy men in an upright position. Changes in work rate were given by controlling externally the electromagnetic braking system of a bicycle ergometer. Stroke volume, heart rate, and cardiac output during exercise were determined continuously by using an automated impedance cardiograph. Breath by breath determination in minute ventilation, respiratory frequency, tidal volume, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide output, end-tidal pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and gas exchange ratio were conducted. From these and steady-state response data amplitude and phase relations between each variable and the input work loads were obtained utilizing the frequency analysis techniques. The response characteristics to sinusoidal stimuli were well represented by first-order models with time constants for VE, VCO2, VO2, and Q averaging 75, 67, 52, and 36 sec, respectively. The kinetics of HR closely resembled that of Q. There was a close link between both the dynamics of VE and VCO2. On the other hand, the responses to impulse stimuli were better described by second-order models in which fast and slow response components were connected in parallel. However, the contribution of the fast component to total response was small. Although this response may support in its form the neuro-humoral concept to explain exercise hyperpnea, a tight linkage was observed between VE and VCO2 responses to impulse stimuli. Thus, hyperpnea during the unsteady-state of exercise may be explained by the cardiodynamic hypothesis.

Ventilatory and gas exchange dynamics in response to sinusoidal work.

The dynamic relationships between ventilation and gas exchange variables during exercise were determined utilizing frequency analysis techniques. Five subjects exercised on a cycle ergometer for 30 min at work rates which fluctuated sinusoidally between 25 W and 80% of the anaerobic threshold at sinusoidal periods of 0.7, 1,2,4,6, and 10 min. VE, VCO2, VO2, and HR were computed and displayed breath-by-breath. From these and steady-state response data, digital computer routines extracted amplitude and phase relations between each variable and the perturbing work load. These response characteristics were well described by first-order linear dynamics with time constants for VE, VCO2, VO2, and HR averaging 1.4, 1.2, 0.8, and 0.8 min, respectively. The time constants of VE and VCO2 were strongly correlated among subjects (r = 0.97). Further, there was no evidence that neural afferents from the exercising limbs induced fast components in the ventilatory response to these forcings. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that exercise hyperpnea is linked to metabolism via carbon dioxide production.

Modal Interference in Vibration Tests

The paper is devoted to the dynamics of building structures excited by-sinusoidal excitation. The analysis indicates that the complicated response curves found for higher modes of some structures are a result of the interference of lower modes of vibration. A procedure is developed which enables the resonant frequency, mode shape and modal damping of the second mode to be recovered from steady-state response data when interference is present from the fundamental mode. This is a condition that has occurred in tests, and the procedure is applied to the second mode response of the Millikan Library Building to illustrate the method. The damping in the second mode is found to be about 3.7% of critical. The analysis also is generalized to apply to the response of higher modes of vibration with interference from any number of lower modes.