On a Relation between the Flicker Value and the Vibration

Insuring fast and precise human operation is one of the engineering requirements in the developing civilization. Some man-machine system, when any operator is exposed himself to some kind of vibration, he may not perform his operation in good conditions. Then one of the interferring factors, there is a fatigue caused by vibration. In this study, subjects sit on the chair which was set on the vibration table, and were shaken vertically for some given times, then were measured whether the fatigue occured or not by flicker friction tester. Flicker patterns were analyzed according to each vibration-condition, then the authors knew that the fatigue was occured by vibration

Usefulness of the zung self-rating depression scale for schizophrenics

Objective:This study was performed to provide psychometric data concerning the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) when administered to schizophrenics. Methods:The subjects were 110 schizophrenic inpatients (50 females and 60males) who were diagnosed according to the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Results:1) Cronbach's alpha for the SDS was .81, and reached the acceptable range for internal consistency. 2) Test-retest reliability coefficient for the total SDS was comparatively high (Spearman's ρ=.87, p<.001, N=19), but those for SDS items revealed variability among items. 3) The mean total SDS score for the 15patients with depression was significantly different from the group of patients without depression. 4) None of the 20 items or total SDS was significantly correlated with extra-pyramidal symptoms. Conclusions:Overall, the findings demonstrate the usefulness of the SDS for schizophrenics. However, due to findings of mixed reliability, caution should be exercised when using the SDS for these patients

The relation between anxiety and depressive symptoms in normal subjects and patients with anxiety and/or mood disorders

Objective:We investigated the associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms in normal subjects and patients with mood and/or anxiety disorders, using the Japaneses version of Spielberger's STAI and the Zung SDS. Methods:The subjects for the present study were 60 normal subjects, 15 patients with anxiety disorders and, 12 patients with mood disorders meeting the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects. Results:1) Both the mean total state-anxiety (S-anxiety) and trait-anxiety (T-anxiety) scores were significantly higher in patients with anxiety disorders and mood disorders than in normal subjects. 2) The mean total SDS score was significantly higher in patients with anxiety disorders and mood disorders than in normal subjects. 3) In normal subjects, there were significant positive correlations between the total T- and S-anxiety scores and total SDS scores. 4) In patients with anxiety disorders, there were significant positive correlations between the total T- and S-anxiety scores and total SDS scores. 5) In patients with mood disorders, there were nonsignificant positive correlations between the total T- and S-anxiety scores and total SDS scores. Conclusion: Our results might provide support for the existence of common underlying mechanisms to anxiety and depression

A bci using megvision and multilayer neural network - Channel optimization and main lobe contribution analysis

金沢大学理工研究域　電子情報学系Multilayer neural networks (MLNN) and the FFT amplitude of brain waves have been applied to dasiaBrain Computer Interfacepsila (BCI). In this paper, a magnetoencephalograph (MEG) system, dasiaMEGvisionpsila developed by Yokogawa Corporation, is used to measure brain activities. MEGvision is a 160-channel whole-head MEG system. Channels are selected from 8 main regions, a frontal lobe, a temporal lobe, a parietal lobe and a occipital lobe, located in the left and the right sides of the brain. The 8 channels, located at the central point in the 8 lobes, are initially selected. Optimum channels are searched for in the same lobe as the initial channels in order to achieve high classification accuracy. Two subjects and four mental tasks, including relaxed situation, multiplication, playing sport and rotating an object, are used. The brain waves are measured 10 times for one subject and one mental task. Among them, 8 data sets are used for training the MLNN, and the remaining 2 data sets are used for testing. 5 kinds of combinations of 2 data sets are selected for testing. Rates of correct classification by using the initial channels are 82:5 ~ 90%. By optimizing the channels, the accuracy is improved up to 85:0 ~97:5%, which is very high accuracy. Furthermore, contributions of the brain waves in the 8 lobes are analyzed

Visual evoked potential and electroencephalogram of healthy females during the menstrual cycle

Flash visual evoked potential (VEP) and electroencephalogram (EEG) changes during the menstrual cycle were studied using healthy females having regular menstruation, with 21 at the follicular phase (FP) and 23 at the luteal phase (LP). The following results were obtained. (1)The waveforms of Group Mean VEPs of both groups had approximately similar triphasic contours, consisting of 16 components of P 1-N 8 up to 500 msec of latency. (2)Latencies tended to be longer in LP. (3)Interpeak amplitudes tended to be larger in LP, and one VEP interpeak amplitude (P 5-N 7) of long latency component was significantly larger at LP after eliminating the effect of body height by ANCOVA for 2 CH. (4)Quantitative analysis of EEGs between FP and LP resulted in a tendency for increased α, and decreased β power % at LP. Since estrogen increases the VEP amplitude, and decreases the VEP latency and the α activity of EEGs, the large VEP amplitude, the tendency for prolonged VEP latency, and the tendency for increased α power % at LP observed in this study indicate that the VEP amplitude at LP reflects the effect of estrogen, and that the VEP latency and EEGs at LP reflect the effect of progesterone

健常男性成人と健常女性成人における大脳誘発電位の相違

Sex differences in SEP (Somatosensory Evoked Potential) and EEG were studied with 90 healthy adult males (mean age=25.3±3.1 y.o.) and 96 adult females (mean age=21.6±2.7 y. o.). SEPs evoked by median nerve stimuli were recorded with 1000 msec of analysis time through the two derivations (bipolar: C3’→F3’ and monopolar : C3’→A1+2). The differences between the two group mean SEPs of each sex were studied. The differences in latencies and interpeak amplitudes of individual SEPs between sexes were tested statistically. The following results were obtained. 1. In the waveform of group mean SEP, there were differencies between N 3 and P 6, with P 4 (bipolar), and P 5, N 5 (monopolar) for females but not for males. The latencies of most of components were shorter, and interpeak amplitudes were larger in females than in males. 2. In the individual SEP most of latencies were significantly shorter and interpeak amplitudes were significantly larger in females than in males. 3. The significant sex differences in latencies and amplitudes of SEP components were verified even after excluding the influences of age and stature, by analysis of covariance. 4. In EEG, θ, β 1 and β 2 power % were larger, and δ and α 2 power % were smaller in fem ales than in males. The sex differences in SEP verified in this study might be attributed to larger corpus callosum and less differentiated lateralities of the brain in females than in males, and the differences in sex hormon between the two sexes

The effects of hyperventilation on the human SEP (Somatosensory Evoked Potential), VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) and AEP (Auditory Evoked Potential)

The effects of HV (hyperventilation) on the human SEP (Somatosensory Evoked Potential), VEP (Visual Evoked Potential) and AEP (Auditory Evoked Potential) were studied with healthy 64 male and 99 female subjects. SEP, VEP and AEP were recorded simultaneously, with 1024 msec of analysis time, together with EEG, before and after HV for 3 min. The following results were obtained. 1. After HV, interpeak amplitudes of SEP, VEP and of AEP almost increased significantly, and the latencies of components of VEP increased significantly in both male and female subjects. But the latencies of the components of SEP and AEP changed differently between males and females. From these results, it was considered that brain activities increased after HV, rebounding from inhibition during HV. And it is suggested that the influence of hypoxia occured during HV is prolonged in VEP than in SEP and AEP. Besides, it is considered that the recovery from the influence of HV is delayed in males than in females. 2. As for the recording of Evoked Potentials together with EEG, it is appropriate that Evoked Potentials are recorded before HV

Neither gynecomastia nor galactorrhea is a common side effect of neuroleptics in male patients

Gynecomastia is known to be a side effect of neuroleptics. The authors investigated the prevalence of gynecomastia and galactorrhea in a group of regularly neuroleptic-treated male patients. Methods : Gynecomastia was defined as a palpable, discrete button of firm subareolar tissue measuring at least 2 cm in diameter. The subjects were 100 male patients who were taking neuroleptic-treatment regularly. Each patient gave informed consent for the research involved in this study. Results : (1) Palpable gynecomastia was present in 2% of the patient group, but not at all in the normal group. (2) Galactorrhea was not present in either patient or normal group. (3) The mean level of the serum prolactin in the group of patients without gynecomastia was significantly higher than that in the normal group, but there was no significant difference in blood luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone (T), estradiol (E 2) or T/E2 ratio between the groups. (4) The mean level of the T/E2 ratio in the patients with gynecomastia was tended to be higher than that in the group of patients without gynecomastia. Conclusions : Overall, theseresults seem to indicate that (i) gynecomastia is not popular in the Japanese population, and (ii) in male patients, neither palpable gynecomastia nor galactorrhea is a common side effect of neuroleptics. To clarify the relation between gynecomastia and neuroleptic treatment, large prospective studies are required

The acute effects of antidepressants on the human VEP and EEG

The acute effects of clomipramine hydrochloride (CMI), tricyclic antidepressant, were studied and compared with those of mianserin hydrochloride (MSR), tetracyclic antidepressant, by visual evoked potential (VEP), with each 16 and 12 healthy male subjects, respectively. In the two experimental session on different days, CMI (0.5mg/kg) or MSR (0.3mg/kg) were orally administered for each subject. EEGs containing VEPs evoked by flash stimuli once every 5sec were derived from the two derivations (2ch : O1→ A1 + 2, 5ch : O1→Cz) and recorded into magnetic tape. Reproducing the tape, VEPs before and 120min after the administration of each drug, with 1024msec of analysis time, were obtained by averaging 100 responses, and EEGs were subjected to the frequency analysis. The changes of the waveform of group mean VEP were studied and compared between these drugs. Individual VEPs were subjected to the component analysis, and to the statistical assessment together with EEG. The following, statistically significant, results were obtained. 1. After the administration of CMI, both latencies and peak-to-peak amplitudes of VEP did not significantly change. In EEG, the power% of α1 frequency band increased. These findings indicate that few effect of CMI on the visual system. 2. After the administration of MSR, latencies of short latency components (P3 and N3) significantly increased and peak-to-peak amplitudes of short latency components (P3-N3 and N3-P4) significantly decreased in VEP. In EEG, the power% of δ and θ frequency band increased, and that of α2 and β2 decreased. These findings indicate the inhibitory effect of MSR mainly on the lateral geniculate body and the optic radiation in the visual system. 3. From these results, it was considered that CMI has less effect on depression with anxiety or irritability than MSR