The antimeasles immunity in infants in the 1st year of life

The serological survey of 138 infants aged 8 months and 138 mothers having had protective titers of specific antibodies to measles during pregnancy was made. The study revealed that passively transferred antibodies to measles circulated in infants for a longer time and were detected more frequently under the conditions of breast feeding by mothers having had measles (up to 93.7% of infants). In artificially fed infants, born of mothers having had no measles, but previously vaccinated against this infection, antibodies to measles were detected in rather rare cases (only in 7.3%). In infants, artificially fed, but born of mothers having had measles, the level of antibodies to measles was practically unchanged (81.6%).     

Transplacental measles immunity in infants in the 1st year of life]

A total of 187 parturients (66 with a history of measles and 121 immunized with live measles vaccine, or LMV, in childhood) and their 187 newborn infants, as well as 195 children aged up to 1 year, were examined. Antimeasles antibodies in blood sera were detected in the hemagglutination inhibition test. In all mothers with a history of measles and in their newborn infants antimeasles antibodies in different titers were detected. In mothers, formerly immunized with LMV, antimeasles antibodies were absent in 5.8% and in their newborn infants, in 6.6% of the examinees. Among children aged up to 1 year, born of formerly immunized mothers, more rapid disappearance of passive antimeasles immunity was observed. In cases of contact with measles, the serological examinations of all children born of mothers immunized with LMV should be carried out in order to protect seronegative children by passive or active immunization.     

Arterial oxygen saturation and breathing movements during the first year of life.

Sixteen healthy term infants underwent 12 hour tape recordings of arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2)(Nellcor N100 in beat to beat mode) and breathing movements at around 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months of age. Six of these infants had an additional recording at around their first birthday. Recordings were analysed throughout for pauses in breathing movements of greater than or equal to 4 s (apnoeic pauses), episodes in which SaO2 fell to 80% (desaturations), and (only during regular breathing) baseline SaO2. In the 16 infants studied at 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months, the median frequency of both apnoeic pauses (5.6, 5.7, and 6.1/h, respectively) and desaturations (0.7, 0.4 and 0.5/h, respectively) showed little change. The majority of desaturations followed an apnoeic pause (median 73.2, 86.2 and 93.8% of desaturations). The median proportion of apnoeic pauses followed by a desaturation did not change significantly (9.0, 7.5 and 9.1%), despite an increase in the proportion of apnoeic pauses of greater than or equal to 8 s in duration from 2.0% at 6 weeks to 5.3% at 3 months (P less than 0.01). Baseline SaO2 was 97.3% or higher in all recordings. Median baseline SaO2 increased from 99.6 to 99.9% between 6 weeks and 3 months (P less than 0.02) and remained unchanged thereafter. In the subgroup of infants studied also at one year of age, again no significant differences were found with increasing age in the frequency of either apnoeic pauses or desaturations. The data show that in healthy subjects no major changes occur between 6 weeks and 1 year of life in apnoeic pause frequency or arterial oxygenation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Plasma levels of DSIP in infants in the first year of life and SIDS risk.

In searching for abnormalities related to the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP), a regulatory peptide with sleep promoting actions, was investigated in the first year of life in four groups of children: (1) preterm infants (n = 28), (2) infants with a high mean apnea duration evaluated polysomnographically (n = 26), (3) healthy full-term infants (n = 37) and (4) siblings of SIDS-victims (n = 26). DSIP was radioimmunoassayed in plasma. Half of the infants were also investigated polygraphically during sleep. The ratio between quiet sleep and active sleep was determined. There was no age dependence of the plasma level of DSIP in the first year of life but there was an increase in the ratio of quiet/active sleep depending of maturity. The level of DSIP in healthy full-term infants was significantly higher (P less than 0.05) (median: 1885 pmol/l, interquartile range: 757 pmol/l) than in preterms (1595; 385) and in infants with a high mean apnea duration (1542; 373). There was no significant difference in DSIP concentrations between healthy full-term infants and SIDS-siblings (1605; 271).     

Sensory processing in the vestibular nuclei during active head movements

Many secondary vestibular neurons are sensitive to head on trunk rotation during reflex-induced and voluntary head movements. During passive whole body rotation the interaction of head on trunk signals related to the vestibulo-collic reflex with vestibular signals increases the rotational gain of many secondary vestibular neurons, including many that project to the spinal cord. In some units, the sensitivity to head on trunk and vestibular input is matched and the resulting interaction produces an output that is related to the trunk velocity in space. In other units the head on trunk inputs are stronger and the resulting interaction produces an output that is larger during the reflex. During voluntary head movements, inputs related to head on trunk movement combine destructively with vestibular signals, and often cancel the sensory reafferent consequences of self-generated movements. Cancellation of sensory vestibular signals was observed in all of the antidromically identified secondary vestibulospinal units, even though many of these units were not significantly affected by reflexive head on trunk movements. The results imply that the inputs to vestibular neurons related to head on trunk rotation during reflexive and voluntary movements arise from different sources. We suggest that the relative strength of reflexive head on trunk input to different vestibular neurons might reflect the different functional roles they have in controlling the posture of the neck and body.     

Brain CT diagnosis in infants of the first year of life who have congenital heart diseases

Computed tomography (CT) was used to study the brain in 73 infants of the first year of life who had different congenital heart diseases (CHD). CT was performed on a HiSpeed CT/i spiral computer tomograph (the firm "CE") and a C-150 XP electronic radiation tomograph (the firm "Imatron"). The capacities of the technique in the diagnosis of brain lesion were explored in CHD infants of the first year of life. The studies indicated that the commonest abnormalities in CHD infants of this age were hydrocephalus frequently concurrent with congenital malformations, as well as diffuse and focal changes in the brain.     

A control model of human tongue movements in speech

Tongue movements during speech production have been investigated by means of a simple yet realistic biomechanical model, based on a finite elements modeling of soft tissues, in the framework of the equilibrium point hypothesis (-model) of motor control. In particular, the model has been applied to the estimation of the “central” control commands issued to the muscles, for a data set of mid-sagittal digitized tracings of vocal tract shape, r ecorded by means of low-intensity X-ray cineradiographies during speech. In spite of the highly non-linear mapping between the shape of the oral cavity and its acoustic consequences, the organization of control commands preserves the peculiar spatial organization of vowel phonemes in acoustic space. A factor analysis of control commands, which have been decomposed into independent or “orthogonal” muscle groups, has shown that, in spite of the great mobility of the tongue and the highly complex arrangement of tongue muscles, its movements can be explained in terms of the activation of a small number of independent muscle groups, each corresponding to an elementary or “primitive” movement. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the tongue is controlled by a small number of independent “articulators”, for which a precise biomechanical substrate is provided. The influence of the effect of jaw and hyoid movements on tongue equilibrium has also bee n evaluated, suggesting that the bony structures cannot be considered as a moving frame of reference, but, indeed, there may be a substantial interaction between them and the tongue, that may only be accounted for by a “global” model. The reported results also define a simple control model for the tongue and, in analogy with similar modelling studies, they suggest that, because of the peculiar geometrical arrangement of tongue muscles, the central nervous system (CNS) may not need a de tailed representation of tongue mechanics but rather may make use of a relatively small number of muscle synergies, that are invariant over the whole space of tongue configurations. Received: 27 August 1996 / Accepted in revised form: 25 February 1997     

Cortical control of tongue protrusion and lateral movements in the cat

Based on area P lesion experiments, we hypothesized that tongue protrusion adapted for licking might be regulated by the lateral wall of the presylvian sulcus (bilateral areas P) of the cerebral cortex (Hiraba H, Sato T, Nakakawa K, Ueda K. . Cortical control of appropriate tongue protrusion during licking in cats—Increase in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of the contralateral area P and in tongue protrusion after the unilateral area P lesion. Somatosens Mot Res 26:82–89). We propose that the right and left lingual muscles are dominated by the right and left hypoglossal nucleus, respectively, and that right and left pyramidal cells projecting to the right and left hypoglossal nucleus, respectively, exist in unilateral area P. These cells project via an inhibitory interneuron relay to the lateral branches toward the left or right pyramidal cells in contralateral area P. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the existence of inhibitory interneurons using injections of a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist (muscimol), a GABA antagonist (bicuculline), and kainic acid into unilateral area P, followed by examination of tongue protrusion and lateral movements during trained licking and changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) values in the contralateral area P. We found disordered protrusion toward both sides and a marked decrease in rCBF values in the contralateral area P after bicuculline injection. We also found abnormal tongue protrusion toward the front and a marked increase in rCBF values after muscimol and kainic acid injections. These results suggest that cortical networks between the bilateral areas P are relayed by inhibitory interneurons.     

Discrimination of the mother tongue by newborn infants

4-day-old infants from French-speaking families were examined for their ability to discriminate French from Russian sentences. The infants gave evidence of discrimination as well as preference for French.     

Sensory feedback in the control of mouthpart movements in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria

ABSTRACT. When imposed movements were applied to one or both mandibles of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria , the other mouthparts moved in synchrony with the mandibles. This occurred in the presence or absence of food, and when the mandibles were driven at a higher or lower frequency than that seen during normal feeding. Electromyogram recordings from the mandibular closer muscles revealed bursts of activity at the same frequency as the imposed movement. This activity occurred during mandibular closing. Burst length was a function of driving wavelength. At low driving frequencies (less than 0.5 Hz), smaller bursts were seen prior to the longer closing burst; a series of similar small bursts was seen when the mandibles were held in the open position. When one mandible was driven, closer muscle activity was largely confined to that side. In the presence of food, however, activity was seen in both closer muscles. A possible mechanism for this is described. After destruction of the campaniform sensilla on the ventral surface of the mandibles, the bursts of activity in the mandibular closers, seen when the mandibles were held open, were replaced by continuous activity. This suggests that the function of these sensilla is to inhibit motor output to the closer muscles when the tension becomes high. When feeding on relatively incompressible food the closer muscle burst length increased, although chewing frequency did not alter. This effect was also produced by loading the mandibles artificially. A model for the feedback control of this behaviour is proposed.     

Antibiotic therapy of Salmonella infection in infants during the first year of life and methods if its correction]

The efficacy of antibiotic therapy of salmonellosis was studied and functional activity of peripheral blood leukocytes from electron microscopic data was estimated in 200 infants. It was shown that the use of antibiotics in combination with immunostimulants such as leukocyte mass, lysozyme and prodigiozan in complex therapy of salmonellosis in infants had a favourable effect on both the time course of the clinical signs and the functional state of the neutrophil leukocytes. The duration of the treatment decreased by 6.14 +/- 0.34 days and repeated isolation of the pathogen from the host appeared to be less frequent.     

Immunochemotherapy of infants in the first year of life with intestinal infections due to opportunistic gram-negative aerobic bacteria]

The clinical and microbiological observations of 50 babies of the 1st year of age with intestinal infections due to opportunistic organisms were made. The babies were treated with antibacterial drugs and an immunoglobulin preparation. It was shown that the combined use of antibacterial and immunological preparations in the treatment of the babies with the intestinal infections caused by opportunistic organisms provided their earlier clinical recovery and lowered the unfavourable effect of the antibacterial drugs on the intestinal microflora.