Neurosonographic Abnormality; Periventricular Echodensities and Intraventricular Hemorrhage: Usefulness in Predicting Neurodevelopmental Outcome in Very-Low-Birth-Weight, Preterm Infants

Serial neurosonographic examinations are routinely performed at frequent intervals during nursery course of all preterm infants of very low-birth-weight who are admitted to the intensive care nursery of Presbyterian Medical Center from November 1, 1990 to July 30, 1992. After discharge, the following survivors who had received periodic, serial scanning by meas of cranial ultrasonography were longitudinally observed in an interdisciplinary neurodevelopmental follow-up program to a mean corrected age of 13 months. Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed by means of Vojta's postural reaction and other neurological examinations. The results are as follows: 1) The incidence of PV-IVH in the study was 79%. 2) According to Papile's grading system of PV-IVH, gradel was 20%, gradell was 46%, gradelll was 19%, and grade IV was 13%. 3) The risk factors associated with PV-IVH were birth weight, gestational age, apgar score, ventilator care, RDS, and sepsis. 4) The mortality of PV-IVH was 20% for gradel, 19% for gradell, 44% for gradelll, and 67% for grade lV. 5) According to relationship between PV-IVH and neurodevelopmental outcome, in two of the four subjects with grade lll PV-IVH, moderate/severe CCD was developed. 6) According to relationship between PVE with cysts and nuerodevelopmental outcome, moderate/severe PVE with periventricular cysts larger than 3mm in diameter was associated with development of severe CCD.

Effect of peripheral nerve stimulation on the dorsal horn cell activity in cats with cutaneous inflammation

There are some reports showing that an experience of long-enduring pain causes a change in the pain transmission system, suggesting a plastic nature of the nociceptive system. However, most of the studies concerning the analgesic effect of peripheral nerve stimulation dealt with normal animal or human subjects. So, the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of peripheral nerve stimulation on the dorsal horn cell activity using a tonic pain model, which was made by producing a cutaneous inflammation. The main results are summarized as follows. 1) The evoked activity by electrical or natural stimulation as well as spontaneous activity was enhanced, and the receptive field size was also expanded by the inflammation. 2) Peripheral nerve conditioning stimulation reduced the C-response of the dorsal horn cell in the normal and inflamed group, and the degree of inhibition between the two groups showed no significant difference. 3) Inhibition of the C-response of the dorsal horn cells by peripheral conditioning stimulation was completely reversed by naloxone in the inflamed group whereas there was a partial block in the normal group.