Habituation of the galvanic skin response in adult males as a function of age.

Habituation of the galvanic skin response (GSR) to electric shock was studied in 28 male college students, 18-39 years old. A 60-Hz shock of 244.0-msec duration was presented every 1-3 min above the right ankle in a preprogrammed sequence. The GSR, measured as a change in palmar skin conductance to the shock, was examined over the first 17 shock trials. The habituation curve showed the typical large decrement over the first few trials followed by a smaller one over several more trials. The initial rate of habituation (percent decrement between shock trials 1 and 3) was shown to be age related even though none of the subjects would be considered old (18-39 years old). The younger the subject, the faster the initial habituation or, conversely, the older the subject the slower the rate (rs = -.50, N = 28, p less than 0.005). The asymptote did not vary with age. That such dramatic changes occur in the CNS of young males over a relatively few years is not unknown. PET studies of the caudate nucleus in normal males showed an exponential decrease in dopamine receptors with about half of the decrease occurring rapidly between the ages of 20 and 30 (Wagner, H.N., Jr. Diag. Imaging Nov.: 138-145; 1985). The usefulness of the GSR in detecting age effects in other kinds of learning, such as Pavlovian conditioning, is being explored, as well as its usefulness in detecting early learning/memory loss in aging and the dementias.

Use of the vapor permeable membrane for cutaneous ulcers: details of application and side effects.

Vapor permeable membranes (VPM) are commonly being used to treat cutaneous wounds where partial or full thickness skin is lost. Five years of experience with one particular VPM has taught a great deal concerning its proper use. Correct preparation of the treatment site to allow adhesion followed by application of the VPM with the right amount of tension and border are of paramount importance or aggravation rather than improvement of the cutaneous defect may occur. Initially, the membrane should be changed frequently, once or twice a day in heavily contaminated or necrotic wounds. Side effects are usually related to improper application, with resultant leaking of fluid and irritation of normal skin. Recent success has been achieved by weekly application of VPM in the office, removal at home after several days, and subsequent use of 10% benzoyl peroxide lotion until the next office visit. Extreme caution must be exercised if VPM is used to treat patients who are severely leukopenic or malnourished.

Treatment of bullous mastocytosis with disodium cromoglycate.

We describe two children with bullous mast cell disease. Both had been unresponsive to conventional therapy. Oral disodium cromoglycate in doses ranging from 60 to 200 mg per day produced dramatic improvement of the disease. Over the year of the study, no untoward reactions have been noted.

Moist wound healing under a vapor permeable membrane.

Ten ambulatory patients with unilateral and eight with bilateral ulcers of various etiologies were studied to determine the effects of keeping a wound bed moist under a water vapor and oxygen permeable membrane (VPM). In the bilateral group, VPM healing was compared with a debriding enzyme ointment and 10% benzoyl peroxide in the same patient. The faster healing rate with VPM was compared to the healing rate with control substances by the paired t test, with significance at less than 0.05 level. In the unilateral group two patients with ulcers to bone or joint capsule and one patient who had failed grafting healed without surgery. Two patients failed to heal with the VPM. All healing occurred in the face of gross bacterial contamination. Three patients treated with VPM developed cellulitis. Wound healing under a vapor permeable membrane occurs with an increase of the average healing rate by a factor of 2.6 when compared to control substances in ambulatory patients.