Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / PhD. theses submitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Glasgow. Edited version of thesis available, uncleared 3rd party copyright material removed. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

Thesis (Doctoral).--Université de Montpellier, 1908, no. 28.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, Centre for Neuroscience. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on November 8, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 78-80). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Stuart A. Binder-Macleod, Dept. of Physical Therapy. Includes bibliographical references.

Four studies were conducted to assess the use of electrical shock on several parameters of avian muscle that contribute to its ultimate quality. In the preliminary study, the effect of preslaughter electric stunning on the tenderness of broilers processed and handled in a standard commercial manner was assessed. The tenderness of cooked breast muscle samples was evaluated by Kramer single blade shear force values. This evaluation indicated that samples from the electrically stunned birds were significantly more tender than those from the no stun controls (p<0.01). The effects of varying the duration, frequency and voltage of a post-exsanguination stimulatory current on the development of rigor mortis and the postmortem glycolytic rate were investigated in Study One. The pH of muscle homogenates at various postmortem sampling times was used as an index of glycolysis whereas rigor development was monitored by the isometric tension technique. Postmortem glycolysis in Biceps femoris and Pectoral is major samples was accelerated by electrical stimulation, as was the time course of rigor development. Pectoral is major samples from treated carcasses required significantly less time to develop maximum tension than control samples (p<0.05). Although Biceps femoris samples from stimulated carcasses also exhibited decreases in the time required to achieve maximum tension when compared to controls, these differences were not significant. Pectoral is maj or samples from carcasses treated with 70V for 2 minutes at either 40 or 80 pulses/s developed significantly lower tension than control samples (p<0.05). No significant differences due to the voltage or total number of pulses were observed for either the time required to achieve maximum tension or the maximum tension developed. The influence of electrical stimulation on the development of rigor was further examined in Study Two. Rigor development again was monitored by the isometric tension technique and changes in metabolite contents for both muscle types were determined by enzymatic analytical techniques. Electrical stimulation reduced the time required by Biceps femoris and Pectoral is major samples to reach maximum tension but this decrease was only significant for the latter (p<0.05). The amount of isometric tension developed by both muscle types was similarly reduced by electrical stimulation. The initial glycogen and ATP contents of both muscles were reduced by electrical stimulation, as were their ATP contents at subsequent sampling periods. Several correlations between the parameters of isometric tension and metabolite contents were noted and regression equations were developed to express the significant relationships. No significant differences due to electrical stimulation in the rate of isometric tension release were observed, but Pectoralis major samples from stimulated carcasses released their developed tension more rapidly than their respective Biceps femoris samples. In the final study, Study Three, the effect of electrical stimulation on muscle proteolytic activity was assessed by two analytical methods for TCA soluble material. In addition, changes in protein extractability, dispersibility and hydrophobicity were followed in control and treated samples during storage for one day at 2°C. Electrical stimulation significantly reduced the time required to reach maximum tension (p<0.05) and decreased the maximum tension achieved for Pectoralis major and Biceps femoris muscle samples. Pectoralis major samples from treated carcasses again released their developed tension faster than their respective Biceps femoris samples. When the muscle samples were analysed for nonprotein nitrogen, neither measure indicated a significant treatment effect. In a similar manner, neither extractable protein, protein dispersibility nor protein hydrophobicity were affected by electrical stimulation. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

The present series of experiments was designed to assess the utility of a discrimination procedure for measuring the affective properties of rewarding brain-stimulation. If the rewarding and discriminative stimulus properties of electrical brain stimulation were related, they may share a common substrate and be affected similarly by the same pharmacological manipulations. In Experiment 1, a discrimination procedure was developed to measure the cue properties of EBS delivered to the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Rats with VTA electrodes were trained to obtain food pellets by making a discriminated operant response on one of two levers following pulses of high intensity stimulation, or on the alternate lever after low intensity pulses. Following training, the rats were given tests in which generalized responding to intermediate intensities was measured. These tests were repeated either with conditions kept constant, or with the absolute intensities of the cues delivered within a sesion increased or decreased relative to baseline. The tests with higher or lower intensity ranges were intended to mimic the conditions that might prevail if the perceived intensities of the EBS were modified by drugs. The results of this experiment indicated that generalization gradients remained stable across three tests with conditions kept constant. When higher or lower current ranges were delivered, the discriminated responses were appropriately biased towards one lever or the other, resulting in lateral shifts in the generalization gradients. These results verified that the discrimination procedure provided a stable measure of the EBS stimulus properties, and that this measure was sensitive to changes in the intensities of the cues. In Experiment 2, tests for EBS generalization and self-stimulation (ICSS) were given after injections of vehicle, d-amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg and 2.0 mg/kg) and haloperidol (.075 mg/kg and .10 mg/kg). The results indicated that these doses of amphetamine and haloperidol did not affect the EBS generalization. However, during ICSS sessions, 2.0 mg/kg amphetamine decreased threshold and increased rates for ICSS whereas .10 mg/kg haloperidol resulted in an increase in threshold. These results suggest a dissociation of the stimulus properties of EBS from the DA reward substrate. In Experiment 3, the rats were tested for generalization after injections of physostigmine (.25 mg/kg and .50 mg/kg), scopolamine (.10 mg/kg and .25 mg/kg) and vehicle. Only the high dose of physostigmine (.50 mg/kg) produced significant differences in responding in this experiment. After injection of this drug, lower intensity stimuli elicited responding on the lever appropriate for the high current intensity, indicating a possible augmentation of the stimulus property of a fixed intensity of brain stimulation. The results of this study indicate that the cue properties of VTA brain-stimulation are dissociable from EBS reward related to the activation of DA neurons. However, evidence is provided which suggests that cholinergic neurons may be involved in the mediation of the EBS cues. In as much as cholinergic neurons are also involved in the rewarding effects of VTA brain-stimulation, these results may indicate a relationship between the cue properties of VTA EBS and an acetylcholine reward system. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (MScMedSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Swallowing disorders are prevalent in many elderly individuals and are common amongst individuals suffering from neurological diseases. These individuals are affected from slight swallowing difficulty to total swallowing inability. In severe cases this may cause aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition and ultimately death. Swallowing disorders can be diagnosed and treated to increase quality of life. New treatment strategies to understand the pathophysiology and impaired swallowing response are needed. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is used as rehabilitation method in various disciplines. This method of rehabilitation of physiological dysfunction is used in treating swallowing disorders and has become a focus for current research. To understand the effect of electrical stimulation to the swallowing centre it is proposed to study its mechanism on normal swallowing musculature. The outcome of the effect that electrical stimulation has on healthy individuals may possibly be used to extrapolate to clinical settings and its benefit for modern dysphagia rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to report on the hyo-laryngeal movement pattern of young healthy, male and female, individuals and to measure the effect of a single neuromuscular electrical stimulation session on the hyo-laryngeal complex of 22 young healthy individuals. Lastly, the aim was to determine the detraining or lasting effect on the hyo-laryngeal swallowing complex of a single neuromuscular electrical stimulation session. The study reported on baseline hyo-laryngeal complex movement patterns by measuring the anterior movement and elevation of the hyo-laryngeal complex through the use of videofluoroscopy swallow study. Analysis of these measurements where done to report on the effect of electrical stimulation on the hyo-laryngeal complex movement pattern pre- and post- electrical stimulation. Significant changes were revealed with elevation of the hyo-laryngeal complex, however no significant effects could be found with anterior movement of the hyo-laryngeal complex pre- and post- electrical stimulation. It was found that elevation of the hyo-laryngeal complex lowered after a single electrical stimulation session. The hyo-laryngeal complex movement pattern remained similar between genders. Lastly it was found that a single electrical stimulation session showed significant reversibility towards baseline levels. This might be related to muscle fatigue and one would need to take into account muscle recovery for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sluk versteurings is algemeen onder bejaardes asook individue wat ly aan neurologiese siektes. Hierdie individue word geaffekteer deur matige sluk probleme tot totale sluk onvermoë. In ernstige gevalle kan dit aanleiding gee tot aspirasie longontsteking, dehidrasie, wanvoeding en selfs dood. Sluk versteurings kan gediagnoseer en behandel word om die kwaliteit van lewe te verbeter. Dit is daarom noodsaaklik om die patofisiologiese en verswakte sluk reaksie te verstaan om sodoende nuwe behandeling strategieë te ontwikkel. Neuromuskulêre elektriese stimulasie word gebruik as rehabilitasie tegniek in verskeie dissiplines. Hierdie metode van behandeling van fisiologiese disfunksie word ook gebruik in die behandeling van sluk afwykings en geniet tans baie navorsings aandag. Om die effek van elektriese stimulasie op die sluk sentrum te verstaan word dit dus voorgestel dat die meganisme op die normale sluk spierstelsel bestudeer word. Hierdie bevindinge kan dus moontlik toegepas word op persone met sluk afwykings en sodoende meer effektiewe rehabilitasie tegnieke bevorder. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die effek op die hyo-laringeale bewegings patroon van jong, gesonde, manlike en vroulike individue te bestudeer, asook om verslag te doen oor die uitwerking van 'n enkele neuromuskulêre elektriese stimulasie sessie op die hyo-laringeale kompleks van 22 jong, gesonde individue. Laastens was die doel van hierdie studie ook om die blywende effek van 'n enkele sessie neuromuskulêre elektriese stimulasie op die sluk sentrum te bepaal. Die studie het basislyn hyo-laringeale kompleks bewegings patrone gerapporteer deur die voorwaartse asook opwaartse beweging van die hyo-laringeale kompleks te meet deur gebruik te maak van videofluoroskopie sluk studies. Ontleding van hierdie metings is gedoen om die uitwerking van elektriese stimulasie op die hyo-laringeale kompleks bewegings patroon voor en na elektriese stimulasie te bepaal. Beduidende veranderinge is in die opwaartse beweging van die hyo-laringeale kompleks gevind, alhoewel geen veranderinge gevind is in die voorwaartse beweging van die hyo-laringeale kompleks voor en na elektriese stimulasie nie. Daar is vasgestel dat die opwaartse beweging van die hyo-laringeale kompleks verlaag het na 'n enkele elektriese stimulasie sessie. Verder het die hyo-laringeale kompleks bewegings patroon geen beduidende verskille tussen geslagte getoon nie. Laastens is bevind dat 'n enkele elektriese stimulasie sessie beduidende omkeerbaarheid terug na basislyn vlakke van beweging toon. Dit kan verband hou met die uitputting van die hyo-laringeale spiere as gevolg van die elektriese stimulasie en toekomstige navorsing sal dus uitputting, asook die tempo van herstel in ag moet neem.