[Role of hormonal regulation and stress in the interaction of sleep and biorhythms in aging].

The present work describes bibliographic analysis of ontogenetic changes in hormonal regulation of sleep and circadian biorhythms. It is suggested that two-stage, age-related dynamics of such changes may be related to differential occurrence registered by us earlier, of maxima of morbidity and mortality caused by a number of disorders, in middle-age and in senile period. It is proposed to concentrate future efforts on elaboration of mathematical models of ontogenetic regulation, on the basis of systems biomedicine.

Physiological and functional consequences of caregiving for relatives with dementia.

BACKGROUND: Chronic stress negatively affects health and well-being. A growing population of informal dementia caregivers experience chronic stress associated with extraordinary demands of caring for a relative with dementia. This review summarizes physiological and functional changes due to chronic dementia caregiver stress. METHODS: A literature search for papers assessing effects of dementia caregiving was conducted focusing on publications evaluating differences between caregivers and non-caregivers in objective measures of health and cognition. RESULTS: The review identified 37 studies describing data from 4,145 participants including 749 dementia caregivers and 3,396 non-caregiver peers. Objective outcome measures affected in dementia caregivers included markers of dyscoagulation, inflammation, and cell aging as well as measures of immune function, sleep, and cognition. Though diverse in designs, samples, and study quality, the majority of the studies indicated increased vulnerability of dementia caregivers to detrimental changes in health and cognition. Demographic and personality characteristics moderating or mediating effects of chronic stress in caregivers were also reviewed. CONCLUSIONS: There is accumulating evidence that chronic dementia caregiver stress increases their vulnerability to disease and diminishes their ability to provide optimal care. Clinicians and society need to appreciate the extent of deleterious effects of chronic stress on dementia caregiver health.

[Contemporary legislation and importance of psychophysiologic examination in system of medical support for workers engaged into production with radiation and nuclear danger].

In accordance with contemporary legislation, the article covers materials on specification and approbation of concept model for psychophysiologic examination in medical establishments during medical examination of workers engaged into production with raidation and nuclear danger. The authors defined methodology, examination methods and designed an order of psychophysiologic examination. The psychophysiologic examination and purpose-oriented rehabilitation appeared efficient.

[Differential application of ophthalmostimulation for the prevention of dysadaptation problems in athletes].

The efficiency of single-pulse ophthalmostimulation (OPS) with the use of photodiodes emitting red, orange, green, and blue light was evaluated in 26 athletes. Results of the study indicate that OPS in the green-blue spectral range may be recommended as a preventive treatment for athletes of the normal- or low-energetic status in the state of activation reaction and disposed to sympatheticotony if they are at risk of developing dysadaptatiive disorders. Ophthalmostimulation by the red light is indicated for athletes of high-energetic status who exhibit training reaction and parasympathetic type of responsiveness.

[Effect of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH4-10) on information network of the cardiovascular systems].

The polyparametric description of adaptation syndromes in students using a uniform set of parameters of cardiovascular system and their relationships is presented. An analog of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH4-10) is shown to exert varying effects on the development of different adaptation syndromes. Adaptation syndromes characterized by moderately active physiological processes (as judged by EGG, rheovasogram, respiration rate) and lowered vascular tonus were associated with marked improvement of the health status.

[Hypobaric interval hypoxia as a tool for improving tolerance of harmful occupational factors].

The method of hypobaric interval hypoxia (HIH) has been developed and approved for application in aerospace, military, prophylactic and rehabilitative medicine. A course of H1H included 10 one-hour daily sessions of hypobaria and interval hypoxia simulating ascent to an altitude from 3 to 5 km a.s.l. Each session comprised a 7 minute exposure to hypoxia (breathing rarified air) alternating with a 3 minute exposure to hyperoxia (breathing oxygen) without a change of the altitude simulated in the low-pressure chamber. The first session included ascent to 3 km, in each of the following sessions (from 2nd to 4th) the altitude was successively increased by 500 m and reached 5 km in sessions 5-10. HIH was shown to be highly efficacious in improving the functional state of the organism and its resistance to unfavourable environmental conditions; also it can be used to correct changes of these parameters.

[Physiological and hygienic characteristic of high-precision manufacturing operations in microelectronics].

It was shown that workers performing high-precision manufacturing operations in microelectronic industry undergo severe visual, nervous and emotional stress combined with significant locomotor load, air deionization and deozonation, bacterial contamination, and UV deficit at their workplaces. These working conditions promote development of negative changes in the visual analyzer, nervous and emotional disorders, disturbances of systemic and regional hemodynamics. Also impaired is the functional state of the upper limb neuromuscular apparatus, central nervous and cardiovascular systems. The proposed certified complex of organizational, sanitary, hygienic, physiological, ergonomic, therapeutic and preventive measures has positive influence on the working capacity of employees in microelectronic industry.

[Effectiveness of new preventive means for maintaining the functional state of organism in air operators].

The study was designed to assess the psycho-physiological and immune status in 60 male aviation specialists aged 24-45 years given biologically active food additives "Intra" and "Adaptol" It was shown that regular consumption of these additives promoted mobilization of functional reserves of the organism, improved time-related activity of nervous processes, increased lability of the central part of the visual analyzer, and improved results of subjective assessment of postural equilibrium control. Results of the study indicate that food additives "Intra", "Adaptol" possess immunocorrective potential and may be used to restore functions of various organs and their systems in a human operator under extreme conditions.

[Stress-protective activity of the CH3CO-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-NH2 synthetic peptide (protektin)].

The CH3CO-Lys-Lys-Arg-Arg-NH2 peptide (the author has named it protectin) was synthesized, and its activity was studied during different stress actions. Protectin was found to normalize the content of corticosterone and adrenalin in adrenal glands and blood after its intranasal administration to rats one day before a cold or heat shock, or hypobaric hypoxia at doses of 1-10 microg/animal and after its intravenous administration just after acute hemorrhage at doses of 0.5-2 microg/animal. The intranasal administration of protectin at doses of 1-10 microg/rat one day before the heat or cold shock was also shown to prevent a change in the content of free histamine and the activity of diamine oxidase in myocardium, which was induced by the dramatic change in the activity of the enzyme after the temperature actions.

Roadblock to recovery: the surgical stress response.

Inadequately managed post-operative pain and the resulting surgical stress response (SSR) negatively affect patient outcomes. Critical care nurses need to understand that adequate pain management is critical to enabling patient recovery. A review of the physiology and pathophysiology of the SSR provides concrete evidence to substantiate the need for critical care nurses to prioritize nursing care that focuses on the prevention, early detection, and management of pain and the surgical stress response. Critical care nurses equipped with this evidence are capable of improving patient outcomes.

[Anesthetic service and the postoperative period in pregnant women with gestosis].

The paper analyzes the results of using in the anesthetic maintenance of pregnant females with gestosis the algorithm of preventing possible impairments in the development of the general adaptation syndrome in response to pregnancy and surgical labor. Calcium antagonists (eliminating dysfunction of secondary calcium messenger), ketonal, and tranexamic acid (which inhibiting a number of pain and inflammation mediators), and hydroxyethyl starch-130/04 solution (regenerating the endothelium) were administered to prevent the clinical manifestations of the intraabdominal compartment syndrome, ischemia-pefusion, and the second wave of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome in response to surgery. The differential use of the above agents at all stages of anesthetic maintenance in pregnant women with gestosis promoted the postoperative preservation of the most efficient eukinetic hemodynamics and physiological sympathicotonia and the elimination of water metabolic disturbances more early than in the control puerperas. A more physiological postoperative course in the study group puerperas called for much less pharmacotherapy, which created more favorable conditions for postoperative maternal-neonatal contact (feeding, etc.).

[Stress among public safety and security forces. Genetic and physiopathology]. / Lo stress nelle Forze dell'Ordine. Genetica e fisiopatologia.

Hans Selye used the word "stress" exactly 68 years ago, in hi paper "A syndrome produced by diverse nocuous agents", published in Nature. The syndrome termed as "stress" induces hormonal autonomic responses and, over time, these hormonal changes can lead to ulcers, high blood pressure, arteriosclercosis, arthritis, kidney disease and allergic reactions. The aim of this study is to analyse the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), the response of the body to external stimuli, and the current knowledge about biochemistry, physiology and stress genetics. The police forces work is a complex profession, particularly liable to stress disease, as the adverse occurrences of the social life add to the stressing events specifics of callings regarding public order keeping. The results of the present study suggests the advisability of instituting a preventive monitoring for these workers.

[Adamantane derivatives enhancing body's resistance to emergencies]. / Proizvodnye adamantana, povyshaiushchie ustoichivost' organizma k ékstremal'nym vozdeistviiam.

A total of 329 novel adamantane derivatives have been synthesized and pharmacologically studied. Among them, the compounds containing halogen-containing aromatic radicals in the second position show the most pronounced effect on animal resistance to the emergencies induced by its habitat and performance. N-(2-adamantyl)-N-(para-bromphenyl)amine (bromantane) possesses a low toxicity, a high ability to enhance the physical and operant working maintenance of animals, to accelerate its recovery in developed fatigue, in hyperthermia and hypoxia in particular. 2-(para-chlorobenzoylamine)adamantane (chlodantane) has the processes of a rapid-action adaptogenic agent by enhancing the resistance of animals to various physical and toxically chemical noxious agents. The two compounds have immunostimulating effects in secondary stress-induced immunodeficiencies whose mechanism of action is a membranous protective activity.

Constructive integration of learning theory and phenomenological approaches to biofeedback training.

Two major sources of theoretical development for biofeedback as an intervention paradigm are considered. An integration of cognitive learning theory approaches to the potential regulation of autonomic processes in an information-processing framework and the phenomenological information-processing approach of Kelly's personal construct theory suggest a new methodological paradigm for biofeedback as a tool of psychotherapeutic intervention, especially for the discipline of behavioral medicine. Biofeedback is reconstructed as a sequence of allocating attention to automatic cognitive processes until cognitive control has been mastered. This sequence is also seen as a circumspection-preemption-control cycle that Kelly (1955) suggested was essential to all problem solving. In light of Kelly's fundamental assumptions regarding the nature of constructs, it is suggested that controlled processing approaches to biofeedback require the biofeedback trainee to investigate both ends of psychophysiological dichotomies instead of demonstrative constructs of traditional biofeedback methodology. Other psychotherapeutic techniques are reviewed to validate this new theoretical approach. Finally, treatment within this paradigm is discussed as a recircumspection of relevant constructs that were routinized during the alarm reaction phase of Selye's general adaptation syndrome.