Efficiency of biofeedback training of functional state regulation depending on individual psychophysiological characteristics

The psychophysiological characteristics of the subjects (emotional stability, autonomic lability, tension of autonomic regulation of cardiac activity, and EEG characteristics) were estimated. The efficiency of relaxation regulation training with the use of biofeedback (with the electrocutaneous impedance as a BF signal) was studied. Before and after BF training, an electrophysiological experiment was carried out, namely, a “relaxation test” without BF support. The test consisted of three situations: background, relaxation, and the state after coming out of relaxation. During the test, EEGs of different cortical areas (α bands) and autonomic indices were recorded. A short-term memory test was carried out with the purpose of controlling changes in the functional status. It has been shown that even a short training cycle of five sessions in most cases provided relaxation and improvement in self-regulation, accompanied by improvement of the mnestic activity. The effect of individual psychophysiological characteristics on the success of BF training has been established. A high autonomic lability, a high level of nonspecific cortex activity, as well as a dysfunction of the frontal-thalamic system, should be regarded as factors preventing effective self-regulation training.     

Method for noninvasive diagnosis of functional state disorders in operators with the smooth pursuit test

The article describes a videooculographic method to detect functional state disorders in operators in the target tracking test. The method is an improved version of the smooth pursuit test and can be used to detect and to estimate the effects of various adverse factors on operators in laboratory experiments. The method is noninvasive, allows a continuous data recording for a long period of time with the subject in comfortable conditions, and may employ various videooculographic devices (including portable and low-cost models). As an example, a series of experiments was performed to detect the negative effects of alcohol intoxication. A linear relationship was observed between changes in parameters of oculomotor reactions and changes in reaction time to the target stimulus.     

Fractal characteristics of the functional state of the brain in patients with anxious phobic disorders

The task of estimation of the functional state of the human brain during psychotherapeutic treatment of psychogenic pain in patients with anxious phobic disorders is examined. For solving the task the methods of spectral and multifractal analyses of EEG fragments are applied during the perception of psychogenic pain and its removal by the psychorelaxation technique. Contrary to power spectra singularity spectra allow to distinguish EEGs quanitatively in the examined functional states of the human brain. The pain suppression in patients with anxious phobic disorders during psychorelaxation is accompanied by changing the width of the singularity spectrum and approximation of this multifractal partameter to the value corresponding to a healthy subject.     

Fractal characteristics of the functional state of the brain in patients with anxiuos phobic disorders

The task of estimating the functional state of the CNS with the pain syndrome in patients with anxious phobic disorders is examined. For solving the task, the methods of spectral and multifractal analyses of EEG segments are applied during the perception of psychogenic pain and its removal by the psychorelaxation technique. It has been demonstrated that contrary to power spectra, singularity spectra allow distinguishing EEGs quantitatively in the examined functional states of the brain. Pain suppression in patients with anxious phobic disorders during psychorelaxation is accompanied by changing the width of the singularity spectrum and approximation of the multifractal parameter to the value corresponding to healthy subjects.     

Evaluation of the functional state of endosteal osteoblasts in chick embryos

The 3H-thymidine and 3H-proline autoradiography has been used to study the functional activity of endosteal osteoblasts in the femoral bone of chick embryos under normal conditions and with lead acetate intoxication (approximately 15 mcg per an egg). The obtained data show the suppression of proliferation and biosynthetic activity of osteoblasts confirmed by the reduction of 3H-thymidine and 3H-proline incorporations is osteoblasts and the rates of their transformation into osteocytes.     

Evaluation of the functional state of the biliary tract by dynamic echocholecystography

The state of the biliary system (BS) was estimated by the size of gallbladder on a series of its ultrasonic sections in dynamics after cholecystokinetic breakfast. Noninvasiveness, convenience, simplicity, high informativity and absence of the diagnostic ultrasound effect on the organism permit using dynamic echocholecystography (DECG) repeatedly and over a long period of time preventing appearance of any complications. Studies carried out by means of DECG proceeding from the analysis of echocholystogram plots and quantitative parameters of the motor activity cycle of the bile cyst made it possible to characterize in detail the state of basic functional elements of BS relative to the healthy organism. DECG is promising to be used for an organism with pathology of the digestive system.     

Monitoring the functional state of human operators by the parameters of the fundamental tone and spectrum of speech

The possibility of distant monitoring of the functional state of a human operator by speech signal parameters is considered. Examples of this monitoring in pilots during simulated and real flights are presented.     

Ontogenetic aspects of individual characteristics of functional brain asymmetry in the perception of emotions

Studies have been made on individual variations in perception of speech emotional information by 7-16-year children. Significant differences between subjects from various age groups were found concerning the correct recognition of emotions, the degree of brain asymmetry and domination type. The exactness of emotional recognition increases with age, while the degree of asymmetry becomes lower, the right hemisphere domination becoming more stable in processing of speech emotional information. With age, individual type of asymmetry turns to the specific one, reflecting asymmetry formation during evolution.     

Evaluation of the functional state of the hepatocyte monooxygenase system in rats with damaged innervation of the liver

Cytochrome P-450 content measured spectrophotometrically 14 and 25 days after bilateral subdiaphragmal vagotomy in hepatocyte microsomes of inbred male rats was considerably reduced. The rate of aminopyrine demethylation and oxygen consumption decreased, while the duration of hexenal-induced sleep was prolonged. Monoxygenase responsible for p-hydroxylation of aniline proved relatively resistant to vagotomy.     

The functional state of microcirculation and autonomic regulation in young subjects with different levels of subjectively experienced psychological stress

A comprehensive comparative analysis of hemodynamics, microcirculation (the method of laser Doppler flowmetry with an occlusion test and the optical tissue oxymetry), blood circulation neurohumoral regulation (analysis of heart rate variability, HRV) in apparently healthy young subjects with different levels of subjectively experienced emotional stress has been performed. Depending on the degree of everyday stress (acute and/or chronic), the character of the autonomic regulation of blood circulation, as well as the state of the microcirculation and its regulation substantially vary. Moderate stress is accompanied by coactivation of sympathetic-parasympathetic regulatory mechanisms with augmented HRV baroreflex regulation circuits, which compensates for hemodynamic changes and is not accompanied by hypotensive reactions. An increase in the activity of neurogenic and myogenic tones of microhemodynamics in the subjects with moderate stress, which determines a high probability of blood shunting in tested tissue and decrease in relative oxygen extraction, has been discovered. Moderate levels of stress are also associated with an increase in the latency of postocclusive vasoreactive hyperemia, which is considered to be an early sign of the endothelium-mediated dysfunction of microcirculation.     

Evaluation of the professional qualities of operators working with computer displays

The influence of spatio-temporal factors (spatial heterogeneity of distribution of the numbers sought for in the matrix of data, processes of learning and development of fatigue, periodic attention oscillations) of the character of solving the task of searching the numbers in a matrix of 176 three-figure numbers (16 lines, 11 columns) was studied in 39 operators. The possibility was shown to use the characteristics obtained for evaluation of professionally important abilities of an operator working at the display.