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Povidone iodine (PI), a skin antiseptic, is sometimes used internally but this procedure exposes to potentially lethal iodine absorption. Indeed, a 41-year-old woman, with no relevant medical history, developed a transient hypotension, anuric renal failure, hemolysis, coagulopathy and uterine infarction after intra-uterine injection of PI as a dye to check the fallopian tube patency (hydrotubation). Iodemia peaked at 6929 μg/dL (normal range 3.4-8.0 μg/dL), and decreased over the 9 days of renal replacement therapy. Extreme caution should be exercised when PI is in contact with a mucosa, the early recognition of iodine toxicity being of utmost importance to rapidly prompt renal replacement therapy. The main purpose of this report is to highlight the clinical features of PI absorption, whatever the route of administration.

We have developed a method to estimate foveal visual acuity (VA) through analysis of VEPs. It consists in determining the smallest check size in a pattern reversal that elicits a significant cortical response. The VEP is regarded as significant if the P 100 amplitude reaches a pre-established level in the signal to noise ratio. A valid criterion to determine normal VEP-VA emerges from the testing of 84 emmetropic and ametropic eyes: within our stimulation and recording conditions, a significant VEP response to the reversal of seven minutes checks corresponds to normal foveal acuity. This criterion has also proved pertinent to discriminate between normal VAs of 20/20 and decreased VAs (20/40 or less) with four other groups of subjects: 14 adult eyes whose VAs of 20/20 are decreased through Bangerter occlusives, 32 emmetropic and ametropic eyes belonging to five-years-olds children, 28 emmetropic and ametropic eyes of twelve-years-olds. In order to guarantee the validity of our results we carried out a double-blind study with ophthalmologists. The relevance of the method we suggest is related to that of the method which consists in extrapolating the regression line between VEP amplitudes and the pattern element sizes. At least we have aimed at establishing VEP norms for the maturation of VA. We have collected data from the following subjects: 5 infants tested monthly between 1 and 6 months, 31 infants ranging in age from 1 to 16 months, 10 five-year-old children, 13 twelve-year-olds, and 11 subjects aged 20. Within our stimulation and recording conditions a significant evoked response to the reversal of seven minute checks can be observed from 8 months onward. With an eight-month-old infant this response to the reversal of seven minute checks cannot be identified to the same response with an adult. There are two major differences: the latency of the major positive component is longer, and the structure of the evoked response consists of fewer components.

Moclobemide was compared with amitriptyline for antidepressant efficacy, safety and tolerance. Two studies were conducted, both over at least 4 weeks; in the first, 8 patients were given moclobemide in doses ranging from 300 to 328 mg, and 9 patients amitriptyline in doses of 75 to 96 mg; in the second, the numbers were 13 on moclobemide and 14 on amitriptyline, and the mean doses were 294-408 mg and 95-129 mg respectively. Both studies showed the 2 treatments to be equally effective, and there were no significant differences at any point. Moclobemide appeared slightly more effective and slightly better tolerated than amitriptyline, but the numbers were too small for any valid conclusion.

(1961). Action Differentielle d'Un Excitant Nerveux Central Mise En Evidence Par Une Technique De Conditionnement ←Operant→ Chez Le Chat. Archives Internationales de Physiologie et de Biochimie: Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 52-68.

(1968). Mise en evidence d'une «variation contingente negative» dans un etat de centration representative. Archives Internationales de Physiologie et de Biochimie: Vol. 76, No. 2, pp. 363-366.

The spontaneous activity of mesencephalic reticular neurons is recorded with microelectrodes in cats. It was found that units, of which spontaneous discharges succeed each other regularly, were in general not responsive to mechanical or electrical peripheral stimuli or visual and auditory stimuli. This relation was established by measuring the spike intervals in recorded samples of spontaneous activity and comparing the statistical distributions of interval values. The significant correlation between the estimation of regularity of firing and the relative responsiveness is further supported by the actual possibility to predict responsiveness or unresponsiveness by the observation of the patterns of spontaneous activity. Two interpretations are proposed and discussed, On the one hand, the existence of at least two classes of functionally or anatomically differing neurons would explain our results. But, on the other hand, it is pointed out that normal quantitative variations of neuronal excitability...

The presence of cones in potto's retina has been proved beyond doubt although they are very restricted in number (1 cone for 300 rods). Morphologically speaking there is no point in calling these cones “rudimentary” except for their slender outer segment. There are red sensitive elements in that retina at wavelengths beyond the spectral sensitivity of visual purple and it is tempting to assume that these elements are cones. The ERG evoked from these elements by red light differs from that in response to white and blue light. They dark-adapt faster than the receptors sensitive to blue and white flashes. However in some of their properties, for example fusion frequency, these cones behave like rods in other species. As these few cones seem to activate the bipolar cells nearly as effectively as the numerous rods, it is suggested that these cones may be responsible for day vision in the potto.

There is histological evidence for the presence of cones in potto's retina: about 1 cone for 300 rods. The ERG of the dark adapted animal resembles that of the night monkey. In the potto's retina some red sensitive elements respond to wavelenghts beyond those which affect visual purple. The ERG evoked by these long wavelenghts differs from that produced by white light, suggesting a duplex character of the retina. These red sensitive receptors dark adapt faster than the others. However their fusion frequency is low, if compared with that in other species with a duplex retina. Nevertheless in potto the critical fusion frequency is higher for red light than for blue light.

The succession of amplitudes constituting spontaneous electroencephalographic activity cannot be regarded as a strictly normal distribution. Spontaneous activity and the evoked response are not independent. The signal (evoked response)is, in some cases, non-stationary. The average visual-evoked response comprises several successive temporal fragments of which the stationary character varies. This variability of the average visual-evoked response argues in favour of the complexity of its genesis.

The author has treated with the double blind method 38 neurotic patients, hysterical or obsessionnal type, in a state of anxious depressive relapse. Some patients received oxazepam (3 X 15 mg per day), others received oxypertine (3X 10 mg per day); this chemotherapy was completed with supportive psychotherapy. Patients were examined at least once a week for one month. At the end of the treatment, results obtained with both drugs were found to be beneficial. Statistical analysis indicates a more both drugs were found to be beneficial. Statistical analysis indicates a more rapid action for oxypertine, which effects are more pronounced than those of the control medication after two weeks of treatment.

Various statistical discrimination indices reveal deflections regarded as significant before the 20th ms after stimulation (probably equivalent to Bickford responses or subcortical activity) and between the 20th and 23rd ms (early fractions of MVER). The independence of signal and noise is discussed. Considerations concerning the calculation of retinocortical time are developed.

The authors confirm the presence of very early deflection (before the 20th msec. after the flash). They probably have their origin under the cortex. The curves showing the attenuation of the spontaneous activity during the summation and those illustrating the evolution of the variancy of the early portions of the VER are comparable. By contrast, the stability of the curves related to later fractions state problems about the often pretented independancy of spontaneous and evoked activities.

In this paper, we are going to describe two methods of measuring the dissymmetry of the mean evoked visual potentials. We are going to define two indices of dissymmetry.

Cats were trained to respond on a multiple discriminative schedule, with milk as reinforcement. Two subjects did not immediately consume the reinforcer when they were injected with 6 mg of methylphenidate before the experiment. This observation could be repeated in one of the subjects under various conditions of reinforcement and various doses of the drug. Control experiments showed that under normal conditions the same cats never ignored the reinforcer. The modification induced by the drug in the relationship between behavior and the reinforcement is discussed in its bearing on the notion of reinforcer.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a transcranial chronographic and topographic study of cerebral potentials evoked by photic stimulation in humans. The characteristics of visually evoked potentials in humans—in particular, the variations of form, amplitude, latency, and location—as functions of the four groups of variables are studied in this chapter. Visually evoked potentials have been studied in 50 subjects in 100 experiments. In a study discussed in the chapter, the tube and the reflector of a stroboscope were directed at the eyes of the subject, at a distance of several centimeters, or at the inner surface of a white hemisphere, 1 meter in diameter, at the center of which the subject was placed. There are notable differences between the mean evoked potentials (PEMs) recorded from different occipital and parieto-occipital sites. In the initial response, the PEMs recorded from the midline were more complex in form than those recorded more laterally.