Visual search organization in a cancellation task in developmental dyslexia.

There is converging evidence that performance on visual search tasks, often assessed with cancellation tasks, is associated with performance on reading tasks. However, results have been inconsistent across studies dealing with developmental dyslexia. One limitation of previous research is that accuracy, rather than search strategies, was assessed.

Auditory training improves auditory performance in cochlear implanted children.

Unlabelled: While the positive benefits of pediatric cochlear implantation on language perception skills are now proven, the heterogeneity of outcomes remains high. The understanding of this heterogeneity and possible strategies to minimize it is of utmost importance. Our scope here is to test the effects of an auditory training strategy, "sound in Hands", using playful tasks grounded on the theoretical and empirical findings of cognitive sciences.

Music lessons improve auditory perceptual and cognitive performance in deaf children.

Despite advanced technologies in auditory rehabilitation of profound deafness, deaf children often exhibit delayed cognitive and linguistic development and auditory training remains a crucial element of their education. In the present cross-sectional study, we assess whether music would be a relevant tool for deaf children rehabilitation. In normal-hearing children, music lessons have been shown to improve cognitive and linguistic-related abilities, such as phonetic discrimination and reading.

Long-term effects of auditory training in severely or profoundly deaf children.

Despite new technological advances in the rehabilitation of audition in profoundly deaf children, auditory training remains a fundamental part of their education. Consequently, it is necessary to learn what kind of stimuli, what kind of auditory tasks, and what kind of learning procedures generate faster and more long-lasting benefits. The present study evaluates a training program that includes numerous nonlinguistic stimuli that tap into several means of cognitive processing.

Antifungal agents of use in animal health--practical applications.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of antifungal agents currently in use in veterinary medicine. The practical applications and the therapeutic regimens that have proved successful in the treatment and prevention of fungal infections in dogs and cats, cattle and sheep, horse, pig, poultry and other birds, rodents, rabbits and fur animals are summarized.

Antifungal agents of use in animal health--chemical, biochemical and pharmacological aspects.

A limited number of antifungal agents is licensed for use in animals, however, many of those available for the treatment of mycoses in humans are used by veterinary practitioners. This review includes chemical aspects, spectra of activity, mechanisms of action and resistance, adverse reactions and drug interactions of the antifungals in current use.

Occupational asthma caused by palladium.

Occupational exposure to complex platinum salts is a well-known cause of occupational asthma. Although there is evidence that platinum refinery workers may also be sensitized to other precious metals, such as palladium or rhodium, no instances of occupational asthma due to an isolated sensitization to palladium have been reported. A case is reported of occupational rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma in a previously healthy worker exposed to the fumes of an electroplating bath containing palladium.

Sensitization to triglycidylisocyanurate (TGIC) with cutaneous and respiratory manifestations.

The case is presented of a man with allergic contact dermatitis and occupational asthma due to triglycidylisocyanurate (TGIC), which is used as a hardener in thermosetting powder paint. The contact dermatitis was confirmed by patch testing (TGIC 0.5% and 5% in petrolatum), and the occupational asthma was confirmed by bronchial provocation testing: two challenges to an aerosol of lactose containing TGIC (0.

Micturitional disturbances are associated with impaired breathing control in multiple sclerosis.

Study Objectives: To investigate whether the localization of multiple sclerosis (MS), the duration of the disease, and the level of neurologic functioning in patients with MS predispose them to disturbed breathing control.

Design: Case-control study.

Setting: Outpatient pneumology department of a university hospital.

Exhaled nitric oxide correlates with airway hyperresponsiveness in steroid-naive patients with mild asthma.

Endogenously released nitric oxide (NO) has been detected in the exhaled air of humans. Exhaled NO (NOexh) levels have been significantly increased in patients with inflammatory airways disorders such as asthma, and NOexh has been suggested to be a usable marker of airway inflammation. In the present study, NOexh levels were measured both in steroid-treated and untreated subjects with mild asthma, and were correlated with the degree of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), measured as the dose of histamine that produced a 20% decrease in FEV1 (PC20histamine).

Respiratory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: a prospective analysis of 60 patients.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between pulmonary function, respiratory muscle function and neurological function in multiple sclerosis (MS). Sixty patients (27 males and 33 females) aged 27-75 yrs (mean +/- SD 48 +/- 12 yrs) were prospectively studied. The Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS; range 0-10) score was 6.

Montelukast causes prolonged, potent leukotriene D4-receptor antagonism in the airways of patients with asthma.

Montelukast, a new specific oral cysteinyl LT3-receptor antagonist was evaluated for its activity in attenuating inhaled leukotriene D4 (LTD4) bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma. In two double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover studies, patients with mild asthma (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] > or = 70%) were studied. In trial A, LTD4 challenge began 4 hours (peak plasma concentration) after a single dose of placebo or 5, 20, 100, and 250 mg montelukast.

Ventilatory effects of acetazolamide in cats during hypoxemia.

In normoxemic cats, acetazolamide (ACTZ) has been shown to cause a large rise in ventilation (VE) but a decrease in peripheral chemoreceptor activity. The relative contribution of the peripheral chemoreceptors to ventilation is higher during hypoxemia than during normoxemia. Therefore, what are the effects of ACTZ during steady-state hypoxemia? The aims of this study in anesthetized cats were 1) to study the effect of ACTZ (50 mg/kg iv) on mean hypoxemic [arterial PO2 (PaO2) approximately 6 kPa] ventilation and 2) to study the effect of ACTZ on the isocapnic hypoxic ventilatory response.

Diagnostic tests of hyperventilation syndrome.

In 90 patients referred to the pulmonary function laboratory for evaluation of hyperventilation syndrome (HVS) and in whom somatic causes of the complaints had been excluded, we investigated the degree of concordance between three widely applied diagnostic methods: 1) the standardized Nijmegen questionnaire on major daily complaints; 2) the reproduction of the same symptoms during the hyperventilation provocation test (HVPT); and 3) the responses of end-tidal CO2 fraction (FETCO2) during the HVPT. In 86% of the patients a concordance was found between Nijmegen questionnaire (i.e.

Evaluation of the clinical usefulness of capnography curves during a hyperventilation provocation test in the diagnosis of hyperventilation syndrome.

We evaluated the diagnostic usefulness of capnography curves during and following a hyperventilation provocation test (HVPT) in the hyperventilation syndrome (HVS). The diagnosis of HVS was based on the Nijmegen questionnaire and on the reproduction of symptoms during HVPT. Capnography curves of 40 HVS patients, 40 non-HVS patients with psycho-somatic complaints and 26 healthy controls were analyzed.

Effects of acetazolamide on medullary extracellular pH and PCO2 and on ventilation in peripherally chemodenervated cats.

The responses of ventilation and of medullary extracellular fluid (ECF) pH and PCO2, to an intravenous (i.v.) infusion of 50 mg/kg acetazolamide (an inhibitor of carbonic anhydrase), were measured in cats anaesthetized with chloralose and urethane, in which both bilateral vagotomy and carotid nerve section had been performed.

Ventilatory response to carbonic anhydrase inhibition in cats: effects of acetazolamide in intact vs peripherally chemodenervated animals.

Hyperventilation induced by red cell carbonic anhydrase inhibition (CAI) has been observed frequently; its mechanism, however, is still obscure. In the present study in anaesthetized cats, we have investigated the effect of 50 mg/kg acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, on ventilation. In order to determine the role of the peripheral chemoreceptors, we compared the response in peripherally chemodenervated and intact cats.

Mechanism of pulmonary function changes after surgical correction for funnel chest.

In 24 subjects with pectus excavatum we evaluated whether the previously detected unfavourable effects of corrective surgery on the ventilatory capacity were attributable to pulmonary or to chest wall factors. We found that 12.2 +/- 3.

Hypocapnic hyperventilation versus isocapnic hyperventilation with ambient air or with dry air in asthmatics.

The effects of three types of hyperventilation challenge tests (free hypocapnic, ambient air; controlled isocapnic, ambient air; controlled isocapnic, dry air), on FEV1 and on Raw were compared in 12 asymptomatic asthmatics. Controlled isocapnic hyperventilation of dry air as well as of ambient air caused bronchoconstriction lasting for more than 8 min, but the degree of bronchoconstriction was significantly greater with the former. Free hypocapnic hyperventilation of ambient air caused peak bronchoconstriction after 1 min, followed by a steady functional improvement; the values after 1 min were similar to those following isocapnic dry air hyperventilation, and values after 8 and 15 min were similar to those following isocapnic ambient air hyperventilation.

Pulmonary function in moderate neuromuscular disease without respiratory complaints.

Pulmonary function studies were carried out in 29 patients with moderate neuromuscular disease who had virtually no respiratory complaints. The earliest and most pronounced abnormalities were decreased transrespiratory pressures. Next a restrictive pulmonary defect with increased residual volume and a proportional decrease of maximal expiratory flows occurred, together with a decrease in static lung compliance.