Copies of author's previously published articles inserted. Bibliography: leaves I-LXIV. Assesses the diagnostic and prognostic value of early electroencephalography (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potential studies in cortical and non-cortical ischaemic stroke. Both conventional and topographic/quantitative studies were performed. A parallel study was carried out on healthy volunteers to provide an effective control. Equipment and quantitative EEG (qEEG) variability was also assessed.

Distinct brain regions process innocuous vibration and cutaneous heat pain. The role of these areas in the perception of pain is still a matter of debate; and the role of these areas in the mediation of memory of somatosensory stimuli is uncertain and has not been studied with brain imaging in healthy human volunteers. All experiments described here, involved an experimental design, which included a delayed-discrimination paradigm and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In manuscript #1, we aimed at unraveling the cerebral correlates of attention and spatial localization of innocuous vibrotactile stimuli applied to the right volar surface of the forearm. In this study, we report that increased degrees of attention to the vibrotactile stimuli were associated with heightened levels of activation in several brain areas. In manuscript #2, we investigated the short-term memory for sensory aspects (intensity and location) of cutaneous heat pain delivered to two areas (thenar and hypothenar eminences) of the palm of the right hand. In this experiment, the memory and control trials were presented in blocks, whereby the subjects could predict what trials were going to follow. This study revealed that the presentation of painful stimuli evoked activation in different brain regions than those activated during the online maintenance (interstimulus interval or ISI) of the intensity and spatial features of those stimuli; a process, which I will refer to short-term memory. In manuscript #3, we investigated again short-term memory for sensory aspects of heat pain (as in manuscript #2), but in this case, the memory and control trials were presented in a randomized order. In this study, we found that the perception and short-term memory of pain were processed by a comparable network of areas. The predictability of the memory and control trials may have contributed to these findings. / La vibration inoffensive ainsi que la chaleur douloureuse cutanée sont traitées pardifférentes régions du cerveau. Le rôle de ces régions dans la perception de la douleurest controversé; et le rôle de ces régions dans la mémoire des stimuli somatosensorielsest incertain et n'a jamais encore été étudié en imagerie cérébrale chez des sujetshumains sains. Le design expérimental de toutes les études décrites ici comprenait unparadigme de 'delayed-discrimination' et l'imagerie par résonance magnétiquefonctionnelle (IRMf). L'étude #1 visait à élucider les corrélats cérébraux de l'attention etde la localisation spatiale des stimuli vibrotactiles inoffensifs présentés à la faceantérieure de l'avant-bras droit. Dans cette étude, nous avons trouvé que des degrésélevés d'attention portée aux stimuli vibrotactiles étaient associés à des niveaux accrusd'activation dans plusieurs zones du cerveau. Dans l'étude #2, nous avons enquêté surla mémoire à court-terme des caractéristiques sensorielles (intensité et emplacement)de la chaleur douloureuse cutanée présentée à deux endroits (éminences thénar ethypothénar) de la paume de la main droite. Dans cette étude, les essais mémoire etcontrôle étaient présentés en bloc, ou de sorte que les participants pouvaient prévoir dequel type serait le prochain essai. Cette étude a révélé que la présentation des stimulidouloureux a évoqué une activation de différentes régions cérébrales que celles quiétaient activées lors de la rétention de l'intensité et de l'emplacement des stimulationsdurant l'intervalle inter-stimuli (liS); un processus que je qualifierai de mémoire à courtterme.Dans l'étude #3, nous avons également enquêté sur la 'mémoire à court-termedes aspects sensoriels de la chaleur douloureuse (tout comme dans l'étude #2), maisdans ce cas, les essais mémoire et contrôle étaient présentés de façon aléatoire. Danscette étude, nous avons trouvé que la perception de la douleur ainsi que la mémoire àcourt-terme de la douleur étaient traitées par un réseau de régions semblable. Laprévisibilité des essais mémoire et contrôle peut avoir contribué à ce résultat.

Copies of author's previously published articles inserted. / Bibliography: leaves I-LXIV. / xxxviii, 239 [77], Lxiv leaves : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Assesses the diagnostic and prognostic value of early electroencephalography (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potential studies in cortical and non-cortical ischaemic stroke. Both conventional and topographic/quantitative studies were performed. A parallel study was carried out on healthy volunteers to provide an effective control. Equipment and quantitative EEG (qEEG) variability was also assessed. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Medicine, 1998?

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Medicine, 1998? / Copies of author's previously published articles inserted. Includes bibliographical references (leaves I-LXIV).

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Στην παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία γίνεται μια προσπάθεια αντικειμενοποίησης και μοντελοποίησης του μετεγχειρητικού πόνου συνεπεία προγραμματισμένων ορθοπαιδικών επεμβάσεων στην άρθρωση του γόνατος με την βοήθεια εργαλείων μηχανικής μάθησης. Σκοπός της εν λόγω μοντελοποίησης είναι η δημιουργία ενός ευφυούς συστήματος αξιολόγησης και εκτίμησης του μετεγχειρητικού πόνου και η εξέταση της υπόθεσης του κατά πόσο η χρήση ως παραμέτρου μιας αντικειμενικής τιμής όπως αυτή που προέρχεται από την καταγραφή των σωματοαισθητικών προκλητών δυναμικών μπορεί να επηρεάσει την ακρίβεια του συστήματος μας. Συγκεκριμένα χρησιμοποιήθηκαν παράμετροι από το ιστορικό του ασθενούς, τα σωματομετρικά του χαρακτηριστικά, τα δεδομένα του χειρουργείου και της αναλγησίας που δόθηκε σε αυτό, η αυτοαξιολόγηση του ίδιου του ασθενούς μέσω της κλίμακας αυτοαξιολόγησης του πόνου NRS και τέλος αυτό που διαφοροποιεί την παρούσα διπλωματική είναι η προσπάθεια συσχέτισης μιας αντικειμενικής παραμέτρου που τα τελευταία χρόνια έχει συσχετιστεί με τον πόνο, αυτή των σωματοαισθητικών προκλητών δυναμικών. / In this paper we made an attempt of objectification and modeling of postoperative pain as a result of planned orthopedic surgery in the knee joint with the help of machine learning tools. The purpose of this modeling is to create an intelligent system evaluation and assessment of postoperative pain and the case is whether the use as an objective parameter value as derived from the recording of somatosensory evoked potentials may affect the accuracy of the system our. Specific parameters used by the patient's history, the anthropometric characteristics, data of surgery and analgesia given to this, self-evaluation of the patient using the scale of self-assessment of pain NRS and finally what differentiates this thesis is the attempt correlation of an objective parameter in recent years has been associated with pain, that of somatosensory evoked potentials.

Performance of efficient and precise motor output requires proper planning of movement parameters as well as integration of sensory feedback. Peripheral sensory information is projected not only to parietal somatosensory areas but also to cortical motor areas, particularly the supplementary motor area (SMA). These afferent sensory pathways to the frontal cortices are likely involved in the integration of sensory information for assistance in motor program planning and execution. It is not well understood how and where sensory information from the limb contralateral to motor output is modulated, but the SMA is a potential cortical source as it is active both before and during motor output and is particularly involved in movements that require coordination and bilateral upper-limb selection and use. A promising physiological index of sensory inflow to the SMA is the frontal N30 component of the median nerve (MN) somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP), which is generated in the SMA. The SMA has strong connections with ipsilateral areas 2, 5 and secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) as well as ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1). As such, the SMA proves a fruitful candidate to assess how sensory information is modulated across the upper-limbs during the various stages of motor output. This thesis inquires into how somatosensory information is modulated in both the SMA and primary somatosensory cortical areas (S1) during the planning and execution of a motor output contralateral to sensory input across the upper-limbs, and further, how and what effect ipsilateral primary motor cortex (iM1) has upon modulation of sensory inputs to the SMA.

Performance of efficient and precise motor output requires proper planning of movement parameters as well as integration of sensory feedback. Peripheral sensory information is projected not only to parietal somatosensory areas but also to cortical motor areas, particularly the supplementary motor area (SMA). These afferent sensory pathways to the frontal cortices are likely involved in the integration of sensory information for assistance in motor program planning and execution. It is not well understood how and where sensory information from the limb contralateral to motor output is modulated, but the SMA is a potential cortical source as it is active both before and during motor output and is particularly involved in movements that require coordination and bilateral upper-limb selection and use. A promising physiological index of sensory inflow to the SMA is the frontal N30 component of the median nerve (MN) somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP), which is generated in the SMA. The SMA has strong connections with ipsilateral areas 2, 5 and secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) as well as ipsilateral primary motor cortex (M1). As such, the SMA proves a fruitful candidate to assess how sensory information is modulated across the upper-limbs during the various stages of motor output. This thesis inquires into how somatosensory information is modulated in both the SMA and primary somatosensory cortical areas (S1) during the planning and execution of a motor output contralateral to sensory input across the upper-limbs, and further, how and what effect ipsilateral primary motor cortex (iM1) has upon modulation of sensory inputs to the SMA.

Based on contemporary theoretical knowledge in this prospective study we outline the relationship between a chosen surgical approach (anterior or posterior approach) as it relates to the localization of spinal cord lesion (anterior or posterior spinal pathways) assessed by the use of evoked potentials (SEP, MEP) and the effect of this approach on the postoperative state of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Furthermore we evaluate clinical outcome of these patients according to several aspects of their MRI and X-ray findings. The study, from 2006 to 2010, comprised 65 patients with clinical signs of cervical myelopathy. These patients had been indicated for surgery, which subsequently was performed by using either the front (anterior - a) or back (posterior - p) approach. The patients were assessed using Nurick and mJOA scores before surgery, then at 12 months, and finally 24 months after surgery. In addition, they were preoperatively examined with a battery of evoked potentials (EP) - somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and motor evoked potential (MEP) tests. Based on EP, principal spinal cord disability was determined: A - anterior (maximum changes in MEP), P - posterior - maximum change in SEP). The entire group was, on the basis of EP partitioning and the surgical approach used, divided...