Environmental risk factors associated with West Nile virus clinical disease in Florida horses.

The objective of this study was to examine the extrinsic risk factors of West Nile virus (WNV) clinical disease in Florida horses as established from confirmed and negative horses tested within the state from 2001 to 2003. An Arboviral Case Information Form (ACF) was submitted by a referring veterinarian at the time of testing to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on every horse suspected of a viral encephalitis in Florida. A follow-up survey that focused on arbovirus prevention and farm ecology was created and mailed to the owner of each tested horse. Data from the follow-up survey indicated peak WNV prevalence in the late summer months in Florida. Quarter horses were the most commonly affected breed. The WNV vaccine was highly protective and natural water on the property also had a protective association. Factors that increased the risk of WNV to horses were the use of fans and a stable construction of solid wood or cement. Some risk indicators were dead birds on the property and other ill animals on the property. Data from this retrospective study have helped identify factors associated with WNV transmission in equines in Florida. Horses that have not been vaccinated and show clinical signs of arboviral infection from June to November should be tested for WNV. Horses that have been vaccinated and show clinical signs should be tested when the vaccination was administered within 1 month or greater than 6 months prior to the onset of clinical symptoms associated with WN infection.

Selective contracting program too high a price to pay for cost savings.

An economist finds that compromised negotiation postures, payment disparities and potentially escalated government buying power may be too high a price to pay for cost reductions achieved through a "competitive" system.

A matching-to-sample feedback technique for training self-control of tinnitus.

Thirty individuals with subjective tinnitus aurium of a variety of types and severity were treated with a matching-to-sample feedback procedure. Following initial evaluation measures, the participants' experienced tinnitus sounds were reproduced audiometrically on all characteristics and were presented to them in the noninvolved ear or in both ears when the tinnitus was binaural. This experimental sound was then reduced in 5 decibel (dB) steps within sessions, and participants had the task of concentrating on reducing the loudness of their tinnitus until a match was achieved between it and the experimental sound at each new dB level. Results showed an overall highly significant difference in dB levels from baseline to final training session. Nearly all participants demonstrated a marked reduction in tinnitus loudness, with 84% reducing it by 10 dB to 62 dB and several eliminating it completely. Individual and pathological variables played no role in training or outcome. Our approach appears to have major advantages over other tinnitus treatment strategies in that it provides direct, significant relief and gives the patient the psychological benefit of gaining control over the problem.

A cross-modality approach for treatment of chronic pain: a preliminary report.

Three subjects, presenting a variety of chronic pain problems, were treated with a cross-modality feedback technique. Their presenting pain intensity was matched to a pure tone auditory stimulus decibel level and in each session this stimulus was progressively reduced in loudness, with the subjects having the task of reducing their pain to match each new, lower decibel levels. Audiometric measures, responses to pain assessment scales, self-reports, reports from hospital staff, and reductions in pain medications all demonstrated marked pain reduction in all cases. Follow-up assessments revealed that the improvements were maintained long after treatment had been discontinued.

Learned self-control of tinnitus through a matching-to-sample feedback technique: a clinical investigation.

Two cases are reported in which subjective tinnitus aurium was treated with a matching-to-sample procedure. Following baseline evaluations, the subjects' experienced tinnitus was reproduced audiometrically in terms of loudness, frequency, and quality. This was presented to them in the noninvolved ear and was gradually reduced within sessions. The subjects were required to concentrate on reducing their tinnitus until an equal match had been achieved between it and the stimulus sound at each new decibel level. Both subjects gained control over their tinnitus and were able to reduce it markedly from baseline levels. This procedure is viewed as an advance over other techniques not only in that it significantly reduces the tinnitus but in the fact that it is done through the subject's own control, providing psychological benefit as well.

Recognition of matching tasks and stimulus novelty as a function of unilateral brain damage.

A 96-trial tachistoscope recognition task was given to 15 left-hemisphere-damaged, 12 right-hemisphere-damaged, and 30 non-brain-damaged subjects. Procedure called for a first stimulus presented for 250 msec, a 1-sec. pause, and a second stimulus for 250 msec. The stimuli were 12 animal drawings used in repeated series according to a random schedule. Six animals were familiar and six were novel. For half of the trials, the two pictures were of different animals. Size and position of the animal picture were controlled. Both reaction time and accuracy were independently scored. Judgments of same and different appear to function as if they are governed by different processes. For the control group, measures of same and different judgments do not correlate highly despite high internal consistency of subtests. Recognition of same becomes impaired with brain damage, but more so if the damage is rightsided. Recognition of different judgments shows considerably less sensitivity to the effects of unilateral brain damage.

The effect of unilateral brain damage on the appearance of question-induced CLEM reactions.

Three groups of subjects--34 non brain damaged, 15 left hemisphere damaged patients, and 15 right hemisphere damaged patients--were administered 40 questions facing the questioner while eye-movement following each question was recorded. 20 of the questions required subjects to indicate how many letters were in a given word. 20 questions tested their visuospatial capacity. The control group revealed a marked tendency to look to the left visual field regardless of the content of the question. The tendency to left-look or right-look, however, was not found to be related to education, age, length of hospitalization, the score on the "letters in a word" test, or the score on the visuospatial test. The left hemisphere damaged group performed remarkably like the control in that they too looked more to the left visual field than to the right. The right hemisphere damaged group, however, did not show a significant difference between left looking and right looking in response to both questionnaires. The findings were discussed in relation to the previous work of Kinsbourne (1972), and Gur, Gur and Harris (1975).

Verbal discrimination learning as a function of brain damage, aging, and institutionalization.

The relationship between young non-brain-damaged nonpatients, elderly non-brain-damaged patients and elderly brain-damaged patients and the acquisition and extinction of verbal discrimination conditioned responses were investigated in this study. Four groups of 10 Ss each were used: one group of elderly brain-damaged patients with no speech impairment; one group of elderly non-brain-damaged patients; and one group of young nonpatient Ss used as a comparison group. The three elderly, brain-damaged and non-brain-damaged groups were unable to make a simple verbal discrimination, while the younger nonpatient group had a nearly perfect record of discrimination responses. No significant differences were obtained between the three elderly patient groups.

Psychological factors and clinical observations in acupuncture analgesia and pain abatement.

The present study attempted to (a) replicate findings on acupuncture reported in the Chinese literature; (b) investigate the effects of acupuncture in achieving analgesia and pain abatement; and (c) isolate the relevant psychological and/or physiological variables involved. Fifty volunteer men and women between 18 and 30 years of age were administered the acupuncture phase of this study for induction of analgesia and relief of pain in the oral cavity. A comparable group of 30 additional Ss were included in the study for comparison with the acupuncture group on several objective psychological measures. Forty of the acupuncture Ss were classified as totally successful. No significant differences between the acupuncture group and the comparable control group were obtained on the objective psychological measures, including measures of personality, suggestibility, anxiety, and attitudes. The results appear to indicate that psychological factors are minimally involved in obtaining analgesia and pain abatement with acupuncture techniques. Several interesting clinical observations were noted during the acupuncture procedure, including absence of discernable signs of analgesia, consistency of results, contralateral analgesic effect related to the location of acupuncture needles, etc. These results were discussed in terms of the possible role of physiological and psychological factors in acupuncture. Possible areas of future research were also discussed.