International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology
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Int J Psychophysiol · Aug 2013
ReviewEffects of continuous positive airway pressure on cognitition and neuroimaging data in sleep apnea.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with a broad range of neurocognitive difficulties. The current view is that the neurocognitive impairment in OSA is due to the adverse effects of sleep fragmentation and/or intermittent hypoxia. The overall picture of cognitive deficits in OSA is complex. ⋯ Neuroimaging studies performed during cognitive testing have provided insight into CPAP's effect on function of neuroanatomical circuits in the brain. Although neuroimaging can provide important insights into the structural and functional differences associated with OSA, one of the challenges is to interpret the findings in light of comorbid conditions that also cause neural injury. The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review of the publications on cognition and neuroimaging in OSA before and after CPAP treatment.
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Int J Psychophysiol · Oct 2011
ReviewClinical electrophysiologic assessments and mild traumatic brain injury: state-of-the-science and implications for clinical practice.
Conventional and quantitative electroencephalography (EEG and qEEG, respectively) may enhance clinical diagnosis and treatment planning provided to persons with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and postconcussive symptoms. Effective and appropriate use of EEG and qEEG in this context requires expert-level knowledge of these technologies, mTBI, and the differential diagnosis for postconcussive symptoms. A practical and brief review from the perspective of a clinician-scientist engaged principally in the care and study of persons with mTBI therefore may be of use and value to other clinicians and scientists interested in these matters. ⋯ The implications of this review on the applications of these electrophysiologic assessments to the clinical evaluation of persons with mTBI and postconcussive symptoms are then considered. Finally, suggestions are offered regarding the design of future studies using these technologies in this population. Although this review may be of interest and value to professionals engaged in clinical or research electrophysiology in their daily work, it is intended to serve more immediately the needs of clinicians less familiar with these types of clinical electrophysiologic assessments.
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Int J Psychophysiol · Oct 2011
ReviewDiffusion weighted imaging and neuropsychological correlates in adults with mild traumatic brain injury.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) is increasingly being used as a research tool in mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). This article reviews the concepts of diffusion tensor imaging, neuropsychological testing and results to date when applied to mTBI in adults. DTI is being used in conjunction with neuropsychological and electrophysiological measures to provide improved structural/functional correlations of mTBI. Future directions and applications of DTI in mTBI research are suggested.
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The concept of defense relates to the idea that organisms react physiologically to the presence of danger or threat in order to protect themselves from potential injury or death. This article reviews the literature on cardiac defense, a specific defense reaction that has a long tradition in psychophysiological research. ⋯ A critical analysis of these assumptions follows centered on evidence from a systematic research of the cardiac response to intense acoustic stimulation. Finally, an integrative model of cardiac defense is presented which emphasizes the dynamic nature of this defense reaction - characterized by a complex pattern of heart rate changes with accelerative and decelerative components, with sympathethic and parasympathetic influences, and with both attentional and motivational significance - providing a new framework in which the two opposite traditional approaches can be reconciled.
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Int J Psychophysiol · Apr 2007
ReviewA breakthrough in neuroscience needs a "Nebulous Cartesian System" Oscillations, quantum dynamics and chaos in the brain and vegetative system.
The Cartesian System is a fundamental conceptual and analytical framework related and interwoven with the concept and applications of Newtonian Dynamics. In order to analyze quantum processes physicist moved to a Probabilistic Cartesian System in which the causality principle became a probabilistic one. This means the trajectories of particles (obeying quantum rules) can be described only with the concept of cloudy wave packets. ⋯ Another metaphor to consider within the oscillatory approach of the NCS is the "string theory". We also emphasize that fundamental steps should be undertaken in order to create the own dynamical framework of the brain-body-mind incorporation; suggestions or metaphors from physics and mathematics are useful; however, the grammar of the brains intrinsic language must be understood with the help of a new biologically founded, adaptive-probabilistic Cartesian system. This new Cartesian System will undergo mutations and transcend to the philosophy of Henri Bergson in parallel to the Evolution theory of Charles Darwin to open gateways for approaching the brain-body-mind problem.