The Snodgrass and Vanderwart set revisited: norms for object manipulability and for pictorial ambiguity of objects, chimeric objects, and nonobjects.

In this paper, we propose a standardized set of 480 black-and-white line drawings, half meaningful and half meaningless. Meaningful pictures represent a common object, and were selected from the Snodgrass and Vanderwart set (1980). Meaningless pictures include 120 chimeric objects (made up of two halves of real objects) and 120 nonobjects, that were constructed from the meaningful pictures while controlling for visual complexity.

Effects of oral creatine supplementation on maximal pedalling performance in older adults.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of giving short-term doses of creatine by mouth to healthy older male subjects, taking into account their training status. A group of 42 volunteers was divided into three: a sedentary group composed of elderly sedentary men [n = 14, mean age 70.1 (SEM 1.

Effects of strength exercise and training on the natural killer cell counts in elderly humans.

Background: To investigate the effects of strength exercise and training on the natural killer cell counts in elderly humans.

Methods: The study examined strength exercise-induced changes in the number of NK cells and changes in stress hormones in 16 sedentary elderly subjects before and after a 8-week strength training intervention. Blood samples were obtained before, immediately and 6 hours after a standardized strength test.

Cardiovascular tolerance of healthy elderly subjects to weight-lifting exercises.

Objective: To evaluate the hemodynamic strain and the myocardial tolerance of weight-lifting exercises in healthy elderly subjects.

Methods: Sixty-five healthy elderly subjects (32 men/33 women) aged 65-80, were studied. Weight-lifting exercises consisted of two sets of 12 repetitions at 12-repetition maximum (RM) and four sets of five repetitions at 5-RM for, horizontal leg press, seated chest press, and bilateral leg extension movements.

P300, N400, aerobic fitness, and maximal aerobic exercise.

Electrophysiological effects of aerobic fitness and maximal aerobic exercise were investigated by comparing P300 and N400 before and after a maximal cycling test. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were obtained from 20 students divided into two matched groups defined by their aerobic fitness level (cyclists vs. sedentary subjects).

Effects of a short-term strength training programme on lymphocyte subsets at rest in elderly humans.

The effects of a short-term strength training programme on resting lymphocyte subsets and stress hormone concentrations were analysed in 32 elderly sedentary subjects. Out of these 32 subjects, 8 women and 8 men [mean age 70.1 (SEM 1.

Responses of total and free insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 after resistance exercise and training in elderly subjects.

To investigate the effects of an acute bout of exercise on total and free insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 plasma concentrations, 32 healthy elderly subjects (67-80 years, 16 men) performed a strength test, which consisted of two sets of 12 repetitions at 12-repetition maximum and four sets of 5 repetitions at 5-repetition maximum for horizontal leg press, seated chest press, and bilateral leg extension movements. Ten out of the 32 subjects served as time controls. Blood samples were drawn prior (08.

Inhibition of calcium influx during hypoxia/reoxygenation in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

Calcium has been demonstrated to play an important role in hepatocyte damage during ischemia/reperfusion phases. Calcium influx was determined in primary cultured rat hepatocytes submitted to a succession of warm hypoxia and reoxygenation phases in the presence of diltiazem, gallopamil and a Na+/H+ antiport inhibitor, HOE-694. Only diltiazem significantly inhibited calcium influx with higher potency after reoxygenation than after hypoxia only, suggesting a complex mechanism of action of diltiazem which could act on different physiological functions involved in Ca2+ invasion of hepatocytes after hypoxic insult.

Effects of creatine monohydrate ingestion in sedentary and weight-trained older adults.

To investigate the effects of an oral creatine supplementation in older adults, 32 elderly subjects (67-80 years; 16 females, 16 males) were randomly assigned to four equivalent subgroups (control-creatine; control-placebo; trained-creatine; trained-placebo) based on whether or not they took part in an 8-week strength training programme and an 8-week oral creatine monohydrate creatine supplementation programme. The strength training programme consisted of three sets of eight repetitions at 80% of one-repetition maximum, for leg press, leg extension and chest press, 3 days a week. The 52-day supplementation programme consisted of 20 g of creatine monohydrate (or glucose) and 8 g of glucose per day for the initial 5 days followed by 3 g of creatine monohydrate (or glucose), and 2 g of glucose per day.

[Amelioration of perioperative somatosensory evoked potentials in the surgery of injuries of the spine].

Somatosensory evoked potentials were performed in 38 patients with traumatic spine pre, per and postoperatively. In 3 cases, the S.E.

Visual and brainstem auditory evoked potentials and maximal aerobic exercise: does the influence of exercise persist after body temperature recovery?

Transversal studies have shown a strong correlation between specific evoked potential (EP) values and specific physical activities, as well as between EP values and the amount of training. Prior to longitudinal studies investigating the effect of training in EPs, it is mandatory to determine whether a recent training session could interfere with regular EP recording. Exercise-induced hyperthermia is known to modify EP values.

Decreased pulmonary diffusing capacity of divers over a 6-year period.

Non-smoking, male, professional firemen divers (n = 15) underwent two pulmonary function tests (PFT) separated by 6 years. Measured data were compared to European Coal Steel Community recommended reference values to permit cross-sectional and then longitudinal study. Higher vital capacity (VC; P < 0.

Use of i.v. insulin in well-controlled non-insulin-dependent diabetics undergoing major surgery.

We conducted a randomized, prospective study to assess the effect of i.v. insulin on blood glucose control, development of ketone bodies and hormonal changes in 60 well-controlled, non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDDM) undergoing major surgery.

Short-term effect of cold provocation on single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity in subjects with and without Raynaud's phenomenon.

The lung diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was determined by the single breath method (DLCOsb) before, during, and after immersion of the left hand in cold water in four groups of subjects: (i) normal individuals; (ii) subjects with idiopathic Raynaud's disease; (iii) patients with progressive systemic sclerosis without associated Raynaud's phenomenon; and (iv) patients with connective tissue disease associated with Raynaud's phenomenon. Our results showed significant differences in the evolution of DLCOsb after cold stimulation between the groups. Control subjects (group one) showed a transient but significant reduction in DLCOsb at the end of two minutes of cold stimulation, normalizing ten minutes later.

Relationship between interatrial conduction times and left atrial dimension in patients undergoing atrioventricular stimulation.

Interatrial conduction time (IACT) and left atrial dimension (LAD) were determined in 75 patients (41 males, 34 females, mean age 78.2 +/- 7.9 years) undergoing atrioventricular (AV) stimulation.

Effect of severity of surgery on metabolic control and insulin requirements in insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

We have evaluated insulin requirements and the relationship between hormonal variables, changes in blood glucose and insulin requirements in insulin-dependent diabetic patients undergoing two degrees of severity of surgery: minor (vitrectomy) and major (gastrectomy, bowel resection, hip replacement). The study began just before induction and ended 2 h after surgery. Blood glucose concentrations were comparable in both groups but the total amount of insulin given was significantly greater in the major surgery group.

Intraoperative glycaemic control in non-insulin-dependent and insulin-dependent diabetes.

We have compared intraoperative glycaemic control, insulin requirements and metabolic and endocrine variables in 40 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients (NIDDM) and 40 insulin-dependent diabetic patients (IDDM) undergoing general anaesthesia for elective procedures. Two i.v.

Comparison of two methods of i.v. insulin administration in the diabetic patient during the perioperative period.

We have examined the effects of two types of insulin therapy (continuous i.v. infusion (group A: 1.

Pulmonary function of a firemen-diver population: a longitudinal study.

Non smoking, male professional firemen-divers (n = 20) underwent two pulmonary function tests (PFT) separated by 8-9 years. Measured data were compared to European Coal Steel Community recommended reference values to permit cross-sectional and then longitudinal studies. Higher vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; both P < 0.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Differences related to physical activity.

Shorter sensory-motor reaction times have been reported in athletes compared with sedentary subjects. Previous results have shown significantly shorter visual evoked potentials (VEPs) latencies in a group of tennis players, but there was no difference between a group of rowers and control subjects. In the present study, the same groups were investigated in order to establish whether similar differences could be found in relation to brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEPs).

Interatrial conduction in patients undergoing AV stimulation: effects of increasing right atrial stimulation rate.

To evaluate the frequency of spontaneous or rate dependent interatrial blocks, the interatrial conduction time (IACT) was studied on 100 consecutive patients (mean age 78.3 +/- 7.8 years) during a transvenous dual chamber pacemaker implant.

Long latency event-related potentials (P300) in gifted children.

In children, P3 latency decreases with increasing age. This decrease could be linked with the maturation of cognitive processes. According to this hypothesis, event-related potentials P3 were recording in gifted children to research an electrophysiological correlation with the mental precocity.

'De novo' absence status of late onset: report of 11 cases.

Absence status (AS) is a heterogenous epileptic syndrome that can occur at any age, usually in a context of prior epilepsy. Eleven cases of AS occurring in middle-aged patients who had no history of epilepsy were retrospectively collected over a 10-year period (10 women and one man; mean age, 58.6 years).

Visual evoked potentials: differences related to physical activity.

Visually evoked potentials to patterned stimuli were recorded from tennis players, rowers and non-athlete control subjects. Each group consisted of 12 males and 12 females of similar age. Tennis players showed shorter P100 latencies compared to those of control subjects and rowers.

[Prolonged confusion syndrome in the course of cyclosporine treatment: a state of confusion?].

Cyclosporine is a potent immunosuppressant that is more and more widely used, particularly after organ transplantations. Many neurological side effects, including convulsions, that could be related to this drug, have been previously observed, most often with high blood concentrations. We report, for the first time, a case of prolonged confusion where a non convulsive status epilepticus may be discussed.