Showing papers by "University of Texas Medical Branch published in 1979"

The Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test. A practical scale to assess cognition after head injury.

Abstract: The Galveston Orientation and Amnesia Test (GOAT) was developed to evaluate cognition serially during the subacute stage of recovery from closed head injury. This practical scale measures orientation to person, place, and time, and memory for events preceding and following the injury. The distribution of test scores in 50 patients who had recovered from a mild closed head injury was used to define the range of variation in performance and to analyze the effects of demographic factors. In a validity study of 52 closed head-injured patients, the duration of impaired GOAT scores was strongly related to the acute neurosurgical ratings of eye opening, motor responding, and verbal responding on the Glasgow Coma Scale. Duration of post-traumatic amnesia, as defined by the persistence of defective GOAT scores, was longer in patients with computed tomographic evidence of diffuse or bilateral brain injury as compared to cases with focal unilateral lesions. Serial GOAT scores were also predictive of long term level of recovery. Review of the brief cognitive test literature disclosed that several techniques have adequate validity data substantiating their use in the detection of dementia in geriatric, psychiatric, and medical populations. Recommendations for the clinical application of the various brief cognitive tests are discussed.

Differential thalamic relationships of sensory-motor and parietal cortical fields in monkeys.

Abstract: The thalamic connectivity of areas 3b, 1 and 2 of the first somatic sensory cortex (SI) and of the adjacent areas 4, 3a and 5 has been studied in monkeys with anterograde and retrograde labeling techniques. Anteroposterior sectors of the SI cortex are represented in the thalamic ventrobasal complex by curved lamellae of thalamocortical relay cells extending through the dorso-ventral and anteroposterior dimensions of the ventrobasal complex. Within such a lamella there are clustered aggregations of cells each projecting to a punctate zone of SI. Such cortical zones are less than 1 mm in circumference and are interpreted as comparable to the “columns” of electrophysiological studies. Each clustered aggregation in the ventrobasal complex is of limited mediolateral and dorsoventral extent but extends through much of the anteroposterior dimension of the ventrobasal complex. Punctate zones lying adjacent to one another in the mediolateral dimension of the SI cortex are connected with aggregations of cells lying in adjacent lamellae of the ventrobasal complex. Punctate zones lying anterior or posterior to one another in the anteroposterior dimension of SI are connected with aggregations of cells lying ventral or dorsal to one another in a lamella of the ventrobasal complex. Sectors of SI extending from posterior to anterior across areas 2 and 1 and others extending from posterior to anterior across area 3b, are each represented systematically across the full dorsal to ventral dimension of the ventrobasal complex. This implies at least two separate representations of the body surface: one in areas 2 and 1, and another in area 3b. Within a lamella of the ventrobasal complex, aggregations of cells projecting to areas 2 and 1 are mingled with those projecting to area 3b. Measurements of the sizes of retrogradely labeled cells in brains in which areas 2 and 1 or area 3b were separately injected showed no distinction between cells projecting to the three areas on the basis of size. Experiments combining retrograde cell degeneration due to ablation of area 3b with retrograde labeling after injection of areas 1 and 2 indicated little possibility of collateral projections to the three areas from the same cell. No part of SI, as defined by the most liberal anatomical criteria, is connected with any thalamic nucleus outside the confines of the ventrobasal complex (the caudal division of the ventroposterolateral nucleus and the large-celled part of the ventroposteromedial nucleus) or of the intralaminar complex. Area 3a, as traditionally defined, has connectional relationships that strongly suggest it is a part of the motor cortex, area 4. However, short latency Group I evoked potentials could be elicited from a small part of area 3a lacking layer V giant cells and lying adjacent to area 3b. This part receives its thalamic input from the ventrobasal complex. The data indicate that area 4 is connected with the oral division of the ventroposterolateral nucleus and with the caudal nucleus of the ventral lateral complex. These cellular groupings, however, are only artificially separated and appear to form part of the same thalamic relay nucleus. Experiments on area 5 not only suggest that the posterior boundary of SI should be placed further posterior than is customary, but also suggest that area 5 can be divided into an anterior field related to the anterior nucleus of the pulvinar and a posterior field related to the lateral posterior nucleus.

Long-term neuropsychological outcome of closed head injury

Abstract: Long-term recovery from severe closed head injury was investigated in predominantly young adults whose Glasgow Coma score was 8 or less at the time of admission. Of the 27 patients studied (median follow-up interval of 1 year), 10 attained a good recovery, 12 were moderately disabled, and five were severely disabled. In contrast to previous studies suggesting that intellectual ability after severe closed head injury eventually recovers to a normal level, our findings showed that residual intellectual level, memory storage and retrieval, linguistic deficit, and personal social adjustment corresponded to overall outcome. All severely disabled patients and several moderately disabled patients exhibited unequivocal cognitive and emotional sequelae after long follow-up intervals. Analysis of persistent neuropsychological deficit in relation to neurological indices of acute injury severity demonstrated the prognostic significance of oculovestibular deficit.

The cells of origin of the primate spinothalamic tract.

Abstract: Spinothalamic tract cells in the lumbar, sacral and caudal segments of the primate spinal cord were labelled by the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injected into the thalamus. The laminar distribution of stained spinothalamic cells in the lumbosacral enlargement differed according to whether the HRP was injected into the lateral or the medial thalamus. Lateral injections labelled cells in most laminae, but the largest numbers of cells were in laminae I and V. The highest concentrations of cells labelled from the medial thalamus were in laminae VI-VIII. Ninety percent or more of the stained spinothalamic cells in the lumbosacral enlargement were contralateral to the injection site. In the conus medullaris stained spinothalamic cells were most numerous in laminae I, V and VI following lateral thalamic injections of HRP. Many of the cells of the conus were in Stilling's nucleus. Twenty-three percent of the cells in the conus were ipsilateral to the injection site in the lateral thalamus. Only a few cells in the conus were labelled by medial thalamic injections. The total number of spinothalamic cells from L5 caudally was estimated to be at least 1,200-2,500. An injection of HRP into the midbrain resulted in a laminar distribution of labelled cells much like that produced by a lateral thalamic injection. The types of spinothalamic tract cells and the sizes of their somata were determined for different laminae. The cells types resemble those already described from Golgi and other studies of the spinal cord gray matter. The spinothalamic tract cells in lamina I included Waldeyer cells and numerous small fusiform, pyriform or triangular cells. Those in lamina II included limitrophe and central cells. Spinothalamic cells in lamina III were central cells. Most of the labelled cells in laminae IV-X were polygonal, although there were also flattened cells in these layers. The smallest spinothalamic cells were in laminae I-III, while the largest were in laminae V and VII-IX. Spinothalamic cells in the conus medullaris included cells like those in the lumbosacral enlargement, but also a special cell type in Stilling's nucleus. Some cells in the conus had dendrites that crossed the midline. Spinothalamic axons could sometimes be traced to the ventral white commissure within one or a few sections. In longitudinal sections, most labelled axons were in the ventral part of the lateral funiculus on the side of the injection, although a few were in the ventral funiculus or on the contralateral side. The axons were widely dispersed, and a few were located adjacent to the pia-glial membrane.

The lung as a filter for microbubbles

Abstract: A new ultrasonic Doppler device has been used noninvasively over the femoral artery of anesthetized dogs to prove that it can detect carefully calibrated microbubbles of 14--189 micrometers diam when these are infused directly into the aorta. The same evaluated technique has then been employed to detect any bubbles escaping into the arterial system when gas was infused into the venous system either as microbubbles or as a bolus. Results from 18 dogs showed that, under normal conditions, the lungs are a superb filter for bubbles and that any cutoff diameter is less than 22 micrometers. However, bubbles escaped entrapment when the lungs were severely overloaded with gas (20 ml) or were pretreated with a pulmonary vasodilator (aminophylline). The dog preparation and arterial Doppler device appear to be ideal for future studies to determine what other factors might compromise the capability of the lungs to filter microbubbles. Physiological parameters showed dramatic changes when bubbles were detected as escaping into the arterial system by comparison with their effect when retained within the lungs. Changes in respiration profile indicated that they may offer a useful index of the degree of venous embolization and, hence, a warning of impending overload leading to arterial embolization.

Histamine-releasing activity (HRA). I. Production by mitogen- or antigen-stimulated human mononuclear cells

Abstract: Supernatants from 1- to 2-day cultures of human mononuclear cells induced the release of histamine from basophils Generation of this histamine-releasing activity (HRA) was stimulated by addition of concanavalin A to the cell cultures Mononuclear cells were also cultured with SKSD and Candida albicans antigens Stimulation of HRA production by these antigens was correlated with positive delayed skin reactions Serial dilutions of supernatants assayed for HRA provided a semiquantitative determination of the level of HRA in mitogen- or antigen-stimulated samples Antigen increased HRA production when added during the first or second day of culture Generation of HRA probably requires active protein synthesis, since puromycin was inhibitory, and since preformed HRA could not be recovered from lysed cells HRA was detected in supernatants after 4 hr, and the effects of antigen stimulation were apparent after 8 hr of culture Replacement of supernatants with fresh culture medium allowed continued synthesis of substantial quantities of HRA during the second day of culture A linear correlation was observed between the amount of HRA produced and the mononuclear cell concentration Our findings provide evidence for the interaction of lymphocytes and basophils via a soluble mediator

Commissural columns in the sensory-motor cortex of monkeys.

Abstract: Callosally projecting cells and the terminal ramifications of their axons were identified in the monkey sensory-motor cortex by retrograde and anterograde labeling techniques, often by double labeling cells and axons in the same animal. Bundles of callosal fibers terminate in small column-like zones 0.5-1 mm wide in the motor cortex (area 4) and in the first (SI) and second (SII) somatic sensory areas. Such columns are aligned in register to form elongated strips extending mediolaterally in the long axes of the pre- and postcentral gyri. Significant portions of area 4, SI and SII, in regions corresponding to the representations of the hand and foot, are not callosally connected. The cells of origin of callosal fibers in SI are largely confined to layer IIIB and form columns and strips corresponding to the above. In connected zones of SI, the callosal connection is reciprocal and precisely point-to point. This and the laminar distribution of the terminal ramifications of callosal fibers (to layers I-IV) suggest that callosal fibers may arise from the terminate upon exactly homotopic, column-like groups of layer IIIB pyramidal cells. Commissurally projecting cells and their terminal ramifications are not limited to particular architectonic fields or particular parts of fields in SI. All architectonic fields of SI project heterotopically to the contralateral SII.

Effects of physostigmine and lecithin on memory in Alzheimer disease

Abstract: Because there is evidence that central cholinergic mechanisms are depleted in dementia, we studied the effects of central cholinergic augmentation on the memory of 5 patients with Alzheimer disease. Patients received placebo, lecithin, physostigmine, or lecithin plus physostigmine in a double-blind study using titrated doses of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine. Memory was evaluated with alternate forms of the selective reminding procedure. Compared with lecithin alone, the combination of physostigmine and lecithin consistently enhanced memory storage and retrieval; physostigmine without lecithin produced no memory facilitation. The strategy of combining a cholinergic agonist and precursor holds promise, although a larger clinical trial is needed.

Responses of primate spinothalamic neurons to graded and to repeated noxious heat stimuli

Abstract: 1. The responses of primate spinothalamic tract cells innervating the glabrous skin of the foot to noxious thermal stimuli have been examined. 2. Of the 41 cells studied, 98% responded to noxious thermal stimuli. Heating the cutaneous receptive field with a series of stimuli from 35 to 43, 47, and 50 degrees C produced a graded increase in discharge rate. The responses were characterized by an onset, which occurred after the temperature change had either slowed or stopped, an acceleration in the discharge up to a peak, and then an adaptation to a new base-line level. The time constants of adaptation were faster than those reported for C polymodal nociceptors. 3. No systematic differences were found in the responses to noxious thermal stimuli of cells with wide dynamic range receptive fields and of cells with narrow dynamic range, high-threshold receptive fields. There were also no differences in the responses of cells located in the marginal zone and of cells located in the neck of the dorsal horn. 4. The relationship between peak frequency and final skin temperature with a 30 s stimulus duration can best be described by a power function with an exponent of 2.1. An increase in the stimulus duration to 120 s resulted in an increase in the exponent of the power function to 3.2. 5. Repetition of the series of 30-s heat stimuli resulted in an increase in peak frequency, total impulse count, and background activity. Repetition of stimuli having a duration of 120 s produced an increase in the peak frequency at 43 and 45 degrees C, a smaller increase at 47 degrees C, and a decrease at 50 degrees C. Background activity was increased by the lower temperature stimuli, but was decreased following higher temperature stimuli. 6. In six additional cells, the skin was heated with three consecutive presentations at each temperature level (43, 45, 47, and 50 degrees C) for 30 s. No change was observed in the peak frequencies of the responses to successive stimuli of the same intensity. However, the exponent of the power function relating the average peak frequency for the six cells to changes in skin temperature was 3.9. This exponent was larger than that seen when two series of graded heat stimuli of 120 s duration were used, indicating more sensitization despite the fact the total time of exposure to noxious heat was less. 7. A role for both high-threshold and wide dynamic range spinothalamic cells in transmitting nociceptive information to the diencephalon is postulated.

A preganglionic autonomic nucleus in the dorsal gray commissure of the lumbar spinal cord of the rat

Abstract: The distribution in the spinal cord of the rat of preganglionic neurons sending fibers into the hypogastric nerve was determined with the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Labeled cells were present in the intermediate gray matter of spinal segments L1-L2. The majority (81%) of HRP-filled cells formed a continuous column along the midline in the dorsal gray commissure. This cell column was termed the dorsal commissural nucleus (DCN). The remainder of HRP-labeled cells were present bilaterally in the middle and lateral regions of the intermediate gray; the majority of the latter cells were located along the lateral border of the intermediate gray. The present finding of a midline preganglionic autonomic cell column in the spinal cord of a mammal is contrary to previous reports, in which sympathetic preganglionic neurons have been localized primarily in the lateral intermediate gray. The DCN may be species-specific and related to the system of short adrenergic neurons present in the pelvis.

Excitation of primate spinothalamic neurons by cutaneous C-fiber volleys

Abstract: 1. The responses of spinothalamic tract cells in the lumbosacral spinal cords of anesthetized monkeys were examined following electrical stimulation of the sural nerve or the application of noxious...

Circadian clock in culture: N-acetyltransferase activity of chick pineal glands oscillates in vitro.

Abstract: N-Acetyltransferase activity was measured in organ-cultured chick pineal glands A circadian rhythm of enzyme activity persisted in cultured glands for up to 4 days The phase of the rhythm in vitro closely approximates its phase in vivo These observations demonstrate that the pineal gland of chicks contains (or is) a self-sustained circadian oscillator

Sodium current in single heart muscle cells

Abstract: A COMPLETE description of the sodium current, INa, in heart muscle has not been obtained despite the practical importance of such information as a rational basis for the therapy of arrhythmias. INa has been examined under voltage clamp using micropipette1 or sucrose gap methods2, but the adequacy of spatial control of voltage has been questioned and temporal resolution of the early kinetics has been unsatifactory and results therefore inconclusive3. These problems reflect the fact that heart muscle is a syncytium with restricted extracellular compartments. One of the more favourable preparations is rabbit Purkinje fibres4 and Colatsky and Tsien5 have recently performed voltage clamp studies on them with the two micro-pipettes technique. They have demonstrated the feasibility of this approach when proper precautions are taken5. Quite a different approach has been taken by other investigators such as Mehdi and Sachs6 and Powell et al.7–9, who have dispersed individual heart muscle cells and examined them with micropipette techniques. In this way the complex geometry is greatly simplified although the enzymes used in dispersion may pose another set of problems. We have followed this second approach and have isolated individual heart muscle cells from adult rats with a modified version of the dispersion method reported by Powell and Twist9. To perform electrophysiological studies we have sucked single cells into a suction pipette and used a technique which allows voltage clamp and internal perfusion10. INa has been isolated by suppression of other cardiac currents and its kinetics separated from the capacitative current transient. The success of the present approach indicates its potential usefulness in cardiac electrophysiology.

Structure of rat aortic baroreceptors and their relationship to connective tissue.

Abstract: The ultrastructure of fibres and sensory terminals of the aortic nerve innervating the aorta between the left common carotid and left subclavian arteries was investigated in the rat. This is the region from which most baroreceptor responses are recorded electrophysiologically. The fibres of the aortic nerve enter the adventitia and separate into bundles generally containing one myelinated fibre and four or five unmyelinated fibres of various sizes. The bundles pursue a roughly helical course through the adventitia; when they are close to the aortic media, the myelinated fibre loses its myelin sheath. A complex sensory terminal region is formed, as both the unmyelinated and ‘premyelinated’ axons become irregularly varicose. The concentration of mitochondria becomes very dense and cytoplasmic deposits of glycogen are observed. Both unmyelinated and premyelinated axons branch, and the unmyelinated axons wind irregularly around the premyelinated axon. The latter may have several loops and small holes. The terminal regions of both types of axon contain clusters of clear 40 nm vesicles. Part of the surface of each terminal region is ensheathed by Schwann cells, but the rest of the axolemma is directly exposed to extracellular connective tissue. There are often several layers of basal lamina around the sensory terminals and parts of the axolemma and Schwann cell membranes are attached to it by fine fibrillar material. The basal laminae are also attached to fibroblasts, fibroblast-like perineurial cells and elastic laminae, and the whole cellular and extracellular system appears to be tightly bound together. No differences between baroreceptors of spontaneously hypertensive and normal rats were found.

Papillary-cystic neoplasm of the pancreas

Abstract: A case of an unusual pancreatic lumor with a characteristic papillary cystic microscopic morphology is presented. Review of lour previously reported similar cases suggests a distinct clinical picture of a large abdominal mass occurring in a young person which apparently, after resection, doe

Tics and Tourette syndrome.

Abstract: The frequency of accompanying neurologic signs and positive family histories lends support to the idea of an organic cause for these common neuropsychiatric disorders. Spontaneous remission is common, and tics seldom persist beyond adolescence, but drug therapy may be indicated in severe cases. Emotional problems in patients and their families may represent the most difficult aspect of management.

Histamine-releasing activity (HRA). II. Interaction with basophils and physicochemical characterization.

Abstract: HRA had an apparent m.w. of 10,000 to 15,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion chromatography. HRA was relatively resistant to the effects of elevated temperature but was destroyed by trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. The effect of trypsin was prevented by soybean trypsin inhibitor. Nucleases and neuraminidase had no effect on HRA.

Branching of sensory axons in the dorsal root and evidence for the absence of dorsal root efferent fibers

Abstract: The present study demonstrates that there are more dorsal root axons than dorsal root ganglion cells in the L6-S1 dorsal roots of the rat. The excess fibers do not come from aberrant dorsal root ganglion cells and our control procedures indicate that there are no extraneous fibers in these dorsal roots. Accordingly many dorsal root axons must branch in the dorsal root.

Bromocriptine inhibits norepinephrine release.

Abstract: Bromocriptine is a dopamine agonist that induces postural hypotension and can be used as an antihypertensive. The drug inhibits release of norepinephrine (NE) from an isolated artery by stimulating presynaptic receptors. In normotensive subjects it lowers both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of NE by 50% and lowers blood pressure moderately in standing subjects and slightly in recumbent subjects. Through central and peripheral mechanisms, bromocriptine inhibits sympathetic nervous discharge of NE.

Psychoendocrinology of the menstrual cycle: I. Enjoyment of daily activities and moods.

Abstract: Thirty-three women participated in a study of the relationship between moods and enjoyment of activities during the menstrual cycle. All subjects had normal cycles and were screened for psychological health. None were taking oral contraceptives. Each subject filled out daily the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and the Social--Sexual Activities Log (SAAL). They also completed the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (MDQ) once a month. The SSAL was developed as part of this research in order to provide a means of assessing subjective enjoyment of daily activities. SSAL items were developed from semistructural individual interviews and assessed behavior across eight different categories. Results suggest that the SSAL is a reliable self-report instrument. Although there were no changes in either moods or enjoyment of activities as a function of cycle phase with either the POMS or the SSAL, scores on the MDQ showed the usual cycle-related differences. These findings raise questions concerning the validity of retrospective methods in general, and of the MDQ in particular, as techniques for assessment of personal distress during the menstrual cycle. Equally important, the results suggest that when changes in psychological states are assessed concurrently during the menstrual cycle, the fluctuations observed in a healthy population are minimal.

Cortical, Tectal and Medullary Descending Pathways to the Cervical Spinal Cord

Abstract: Publisher Summary Retrograde horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique provides that care is taken to avoid damage to descending fibers of passage, small injections of HRP, confined to part of a single segment or to a few adjacent spinal segments, can be used to determine fairly precisely, the somatotopic organization of the cells of origin of descending spinal pathways. This chapter employs this approach, supplemented by anterograde autoradiographic tracing techniques and electrophysiological studies to determine the origins and terminations of descending pathways to the upper cervical spinal cord, their somatotopic pattern, and other features of their organization. It describes a corticospinal projection from a heretofore poorly understood region of the medial, parietal association cortex termed the supplementary sensory region. Among the subcortical systems the chapter describes the crossed descending spinal projection from the superior colliculus and the topographic organization of the cells of origin of this pathway in relation to the visual and somesthetic maps of the tectum. The somatotopic organization and spinal terminations of a previously unrecognized reticulospinal system originating in the caudal medulla are also described.

Cells of origin of long descending propriospinal fibers connecting the spinal enlargements in cat and monkey determined by horseradish peroxidase and electrophysiological techniques

Abstract: The cells of origin of the long descending propriospinal tract (LDPT) in the cervical enlargement were studied in cat and monkey by using the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Their distribution was confirmed electrophysiologically in cat by recording their antidromic action potentials. In cats and monkeys unilateral injections of HRP were made into the gray matter of the lumbosacral enlargement, but there was some spread to the contralateral side. In cats labeled somas were found in greatest numbers in lamina VIII and medial lamina VII, bilaterally. Labeled cells also were found bilaterally in laminae I, IV–VI, and X, but few were in IV and VI. Those in lamina V were usually in the lateral part of the lamina near the reticulated region. The cross-sectional areas of 20 neurons from each of laminae I and V–VIII were measured. Cells in lamina I were smallest and the largest were in VII and VIII. In cats with the spinal cord hemisected between the injection site and the cervical enlargement containing the somas, the bilaterality of the LDPT neurons in laminae VII and VIII was confirmed anatomically and physiologically. Contralaterally projecting neurons in laminae VIII and medial VII constituted a majority of LDPT cells in those laminae. The LDPT neurons in the dorsal horn appeared to project mainly ipsilaterally, but the number of labeled dorsal horn cells in these preparations was small. The distribution of antidromically localized cells of the LDPT was found to be in good agreement with the anatomical results. Their conduction velocity was 59 ± 22 m/s (mean ± s. d., n = 245). Histograms of the conduction velocity by laminae are given. In monkey the distribution of labeled somas was similar to that in the cat, except that the concentration of labeled somas in the ventral horn was more medially and dorsally located. Labeled somas were found bilaterally in laminae I, IV – VIII, and X, but more appeared to be ipsilateral to the side of the injection, especially in the dorsal horn. The bilaterality of the LDPT in the monkey was not tested with hemisections of the spinal cord. Neurons of the LDPT are ideally situated for conveying sensory information from the forelimb for eliciting reflexes in the hindlimb, as has been observed after stimulating afferents in the forelimb, and for coordinating, in general, motor functions between the two pairs of limbs.

Mutagenic cholesterol preparations.

Abstract: Naturally air-aged commercial samples of USP or reagent-grade cholesterol contain components which are mutagenic towards Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1537, TA1538 and TA98 These mutagenic components are associated with the polar cholesterol autoxidation products, but identity of the mutagenic components has not been achieved Pure crystalline nonmutagenic cholestrol free from autoxidation products becomes mutagenic towards these strains upon heating at 70 degrees in air or following exposure to 60 Co gamma-radiation

Psychoendocrinology of the menstrual cycle: II. The relationship between enjoyment of activities, moods, and reproductive hormones.

Abstract: Fourteen women served as subjects in a study of the relationships between emotional states, enjoyment of activities, and reproductive hormones. Each subject was psychologically and physically healthy, had a documented history of normal and regular menstrual cycles, was not taking oral contraceptives, and was involved in an ongoing heterosexual relationship. Each woman participated for at least two complete menstrual cycles. The Profile of Mood States and the Social-Sexual Activities Log were filled out daily; other questionnaires were completed less frequently. Blood was drawn between 3 and 5 times/week and was analyzed, using radioimmunoassay methods, from plasma levels of estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone. Twenty-seven of the twenty-eight cycles appeared to be normal and ovulatory, according to accepted endocrinological criteria. Results showed that in this sample of healthy women there was no relationship between mood states or enjoyment of activities and phase of the menstrual cycle, and no relationship between these psychological states and absolute levels of the reproductive hormones estradiol and progesterone.