Vestibular rehabilitation using a virtual environment for driver safety

Driving is a necessity of life, and it requires multi-sensory input and processing. Often vestibular impaired patients suffer from dysfunctional sensory input that impairs their driving. Therefore, driver's attention, and egocentric navigation skills are investigated in this project through the use of a spaceball driving simulator. This thesis clarly demonstrates and specifies the steps of implementation of a driving simulator into the spaceball. Driver attention was tested through the use of computer and audio reflex time and was used to analyze the improvement in reaction time. Seat perturbation reflex time test was used to analyze the driver egomotion awareness on the simulator. The experimental results illustrate the improvement in the driving rehabilitation field of reaction time which leads to the conclusion that the visual-proprioceptive virtual driving simulator could provide treatment to the vestibular impaired patients.

Vestibular rehabilitation using a virtual environment for driver safety

Driving is a necessity of life, and it requires multi-sensory input and processing. Often vestibular impaired patients suffer from dysfunctional sensory input that impairs their driving. Therefore, driver's attention, and egocentric navigation skills are investigated in this project through the use of a spaceball driving simulator. This thesis clarly demonstrates and specifies the steps of implementation of a driving simulator into the spaceball. Driver attention was tested through the use of computer and audio reflex time and was used to analyze the improvement in reaction time. Seat perturbation reflex time test was used to analyze the driver egomotion awareness on the simulator. The experimental results illustrate the improvement in the driving rehabilitation field of reaction time which leads to the conclusion that the visual-proprioceptive virtual driving simulator could provide treatment to the vestibular impaired patients.

Teaching physiology to students of medical psychology faculty in medical university

The article discusses the features of teaching physiology to students medical universities specializing in "Medical Psychology". From a future doctor - a medical psychologist is needed solid theoretical training in one of the most difficult areas of medicine - neurology and psychiatry. It is with the second year, in physiology lessons, the development of theoretical material begins and the foundations of clinical thinking is necessary already in senior courses, on an internship for successful mastering of knowledge. Medical psychology studies the psychological aspects of a doctor's activities and patient behavior. He studies the mental manifestations of diseases, the role of the psyche in their emergence, course, treatment, as well as in strengthening human health. Relevance of scientific research. The links between psychology and medicine are so close that for psychologists working in this field, medical knowledge is absolutely essential. At the same time, doctors are increasingly aware of the need for psychological knowledge for successful medical work. So, medical psychology is an area of ​​scientific knowledge and an area practical work, which applies equally to medicine and psychology. When developing problemsmedical psychology combines the efforts of psychologists, physiologists and doctors. Relevance of medical psychology is determined by the basic position of medicine that the doctor should treat not the disease, but the patient. Conclusions. Special attention to the teachers of the department is paid to the development of practical skills for solving situational problems, the acquisition skills of checking reflex activity, measuring reflex time. Solving situational problems poses a problem for the future doctor, to teach the student to think clinically and at the same time gives excellent theoretical training.

SEVOFLURANE VERSUS PROPOFOL FOR INSERTION OF SUPRAGLOTTIC AIRWAY DEVICES – A COMPARATIVE STUDY.

Background:-A popular method of providing anaesthesia for insertion of SGA device is with the use of bolus intravenous propofol, however it is associated with adverse effects like hypotension, apnoea, and pain on injection. Sevoflurane is a halogenated volatile anaesthetic which satisfies the conditions required for SGA devices insertion without the side effects as seen with propofol. Objective: - To compare conditions for SGA insertion following anaesthesia with inhalation of sevoflurane or intravenous injection with propofol. Methods: - 128 Patients posted for routine surgeries under general anaesthesia taken as study subject and randomly divided into 2 groups of 64 each. After premedication, Group P received intravenous propofol (2mg/kg body weight) with 100% oxygen via the face mask. In group S, Magills circuit primed with Sevoflurane 8% in N2O 50% and O2 50 % (flow rate –8lit/min) for 30 seconds connected to the face mask. After Loss of eyelash reflex, SGA insertion was attempted. The time taken from induction of anaesthesia to loss of eyelash reflex, time taken from loss of eyelash reflex to successful SGA insertion and hemodynamic parameters at baseline, at induction and every min for 5 minutes after induction were recorded in both the groups. Data was analysed using student’s t-pair test and statistical significance set at P<0.05. Results Successful LMA insertion in first attempt was 100% in group P with excellent conditions while in group S it was 89.067% (57 patients) with excellent to satisfactory conditions. Mean arterial pressure was observed statistically significant between the groups (p=0.03) Conclusion: - Sevoflurane requires greater time for LMA insertion but with better haemodynamic stability. So, it can be used as an alternative.

Research on the Time of Visual Muscular Response in Divers During Diving

The paper presents a continuation of studies on the influence of increased ambient pressure on the eye-muscle reflex. Using the same methods, the research was carried out in real conditions, i.e. during dives in water. Dives were performed in classical equipment with air as a breathing mix at depths of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 m. It was found that statistically significant differences in the time of eye-muscle reflexes occur during the transition from 0 to 10, from 40 to 50 and 50 to 60 meters of overpressure. In the conclusions, it was found that the prolongation of reflex time is much greater than in hyperbaric chamber studies. As in previous studies, toxic effects of components of the breathing mixture, especially nitrogen, were considered the main cause.

Evaluation of proprioception in denervated and healthy wrist joints

We recruited 25 patients after complete wrist denervation and 60 healthy adults to investigate conscious and unconscious proprioception of the wrist. Ipsi- and contralateral joint-position sense, force sense, and wrist reflexes were measured. The latter were triggered by a trapdoor, recording electromyographic signals from the extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radialis, and flexor carpi ulnaris muscles. No significant differences were found for joint position sense, force sense, and wrist reflexes between both groups, except for reflex time of the flexor carpi ulnaris after denervation of the left wrist as compared with the left flexor carpi ulnaris in controls or in right operated wrists. At a mean follow-up of 32 months (range 8 to 133), we found no proprioceptive deficit of the conscious proprioceptive qualities of joint position sense, force sense, and the unconscious proprioceptive neuromuscular control of wrist reflex time for most muscles after complete wrist denervation. We conclude from this study that complete wrist denervation does not affect the proprioceptive senses of joint position, force sense, and reflex time of the wrist.

Evaluation of different central nervous system depressors combined with ketamine for anaesthesia in mice

The aim of this study was to compare some depressors of the central nervous system combined with ketamine in order to find an adequate scombination for anaesthesia in mice, coupled with a simple, easy to use and reliable method. Forty Swiss OF-1 mice (Mus musculus), 20 females and 20 males with a body weight from 35 to 45 g aged from 12 to 16 weeks, were used to evaluate one of the following central nervous system depressors (CNSD): acepromazine (5 mg/kg), diazepam (5 mg/kg), medetomidine (1 mg/kg), midazolam (5 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg) combined with the dissociative anaesthetic ketamine (100 mg/kg) by the intraperitoneal route. Different parameters were evaluated at regular intervals to assess the depth of anaesthesia (time of induction, time of loss and recovery of pedal withdrawal reflex, time of recovery from the anaesthesia), and respiratory and heart rate and oxygen saturation. Most of the assessment times and physiological parameters were exhibited earlier in females than in males but, in most cases, these differences were not significant. The diazepam combination resulted in death in half of the male group. Significant differences for the combination comparison were found for induction, pedal withdrawal reflex and recovery from anaesthesia, as well as for respiratory and heart rate and oxygen saturation. The best results for mice of both genders, i.e. induction, maintenance and recovery from anaesthesia were more stable with &alpha;₂-agonists than with other combinations (benzodiazepines or acepromazine), which did not reach a good anaesthetic level, that is, an adequate anaesthetic plane with an absence of the pedal withdrawal reflex and the maintenance of stable vital constants. &nbsp;