Biology of the neonate
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Biology of the neonate · Jan 1991
REM sleep determined using in utero penile tumescence in the human fetus at term.
To assess how REM/NREM periods can be linked to the determination of the REM/NREM sleep and/or awake state, we have investigated the relationship between the REM/NREM periods and penile tumescence in the human fetus. This study was made on 11 male fetuses from 36 to 41 weeks of gestation. Eye movement and penile tumescence were simultaneously examined with an observation window of 60 min, using two separate real-time ultrasound systems. ⋯ In all cases, the total duration of penile tumescence during the REM period against REM duration was greater than the duration of tumescence during the NREM period against NREM duration with statistical significance. This indicates that the fetal penile tumescence is strongly associated with REM period and the REM period containing penile tumescence in the human fetus can be considered equivalent to REM sleep in utero. In addition, the finding that there exists a part of the REM period lacking penile tumescence suggests the possible origin of the awake state, brought about by advances in fetal development at this stage of gestation.
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Biology of the neonate · Jan 1991
Quantitative analysis of neonatal intrapersonal synchrony between crying vocalization and arm movement.
Neonatal microrhythms and their intrapersonal synchrony between crying vocalization and arm movement were preliminarily researched using a newly developed quantitative analyzing methodology aimed at developing a neurological assessment index. Subjects were twelve 1- to 17-day-old full-term appropriate-for-date neonates. ⋯ It was found that at the beginning of the cry, movement preceded the cry, while there was no dominant action seen at the end of the cry. It is suggested that this methodology is important as a possible indicator of the integrity of early neural mechanisms.