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The high resolution frequency analyzer is used for the study of the vocal quality after partial laryngectomy. The post-operative plot after speech therapy is of good quality when respecting one vocal fold. On the contrary, the heard vocal sound does not correspond to the harmonics of the fundamental frequency but to intense noise from irregular vibrations of the residual laryngeal mucosa (ventricular folds, arytenoids). High resolution frequency analysis contributes to the follow-up of the partial laryngectomy.

Food allergy (AA) is involved in a third of subjects with perennial rhinitis (RPA). The majority of the patients are polysensitized. Isolated food allergy was only seen in 6 of 261 cases, which indicates an association of food allergy with other allergens, essentially pneumo-allergens. Immediate diagnosis of AA in RPA is difficult as it is essentially based on tests of elimination and re-introduction of the food, skin tests and RAST.

During the processes of growth and development of climbing Phaseolus vulgaris L. shoots, 3 parameters or variables of movement consisting of a horizontal component, a vertical component, and speed display ultradian rhythms. Generally, they have periods in the range of 80 to 110 min. Shoot elongation is reflected in the chronograms of the vertical component by an increasing trend in the pattern of the oscillations. Characteristics of the rhythmic movements of the shoot, such as circulating phase differences among cells, may provide a useful tool in exploring interactions between temporal and structural components of biological organization, synchronization, and communication.

We will present data from the comparison between four tests in mice of 10 1,4-benzodiazepines and one 1,5-benzodiazepine (clobazam). The tests used were: the "4 plates test" of anxiolytic activity; the electroshock test to determine the anticonvulsive effects; actimetry to predict the sedative effect on motricity; and traction test to predict the myorelaxant effect. The latter two tests have been suggested to be predictive of side-effects that damage psychomotor efficiency in human patients. A comparison of ED50s determined from the predictive tests of the therapeutic effect and those of the side-effects led to the calculation of ratios considered to be predictive of the safety margin. A classification according to this margin shows the advantages of the 1,5-benzodiazepine compared with the 1,4-benzodiazepines. Despite the caution needed in the extrapolation of the results from animals to humans, this work stresses the interesting place that the 1,5-benzodiazepine seem to hold as anticonvulsant in clinical practice.

Eleven benzodiazepines were evaluated in the staircase test in mice. The behavioural parameters measured were the number of steps climbed and the number of rears during a 3-min test. Climbing and to a lesser extent rears were enhanced at low doses, whereas both parameters, particularly rearing, were reduced at higher doses. The differential effects of the drugs on the two parameters were used to determine indices of anxiolytic efficacy for each drug where increases in climbing were taken to indicate the onset of anxiolytic activity and decreases in rearing the onset of sedative activity. The compounds could be ranked according to these indices in a manner which appears to reflect their therapeutic profile in man.

The purpose of this paper is to recall the neuroanatomical bases of the motrice laryngeal innervation and the consequences of a lesion at that level. On the other hand, the type of management and effective therapy our service uses in those cases of unilateral of bilateral vocal cord paralysis. The management is principally based on the E.M.G., the objective phonatory measurements including the spectral voice analysis. The unilateral paralysis is usually treated by the speech pathologist reeducation and, if necessary, GAX collagen injection in the vocal cord. The bilateral paralysis, generally in adduction, is cured in the most cases with a CO2 laser arytenoidectomy.

While recurrent nerve paralysis is a less frequent complication of thyroid surgery today thanks to the surgical techniques effected with identification of the recurrent nerve, it however is not a rare one (4 to 5%). It should systematically be sought by means of laryngoscopy both before and after operation. It is worth an objective assessment, quantitatively with measurement of the phonatory quotient and maximum phonatory time as well as qualitatively with analysis of vocal frequency. The often speech pathologist treatment is completed by injection of GAX collagen into the vocal fold by endoscopic approach under microscopic control. Of 35 cases of paralysis treated during the last three years, we have had three cases after thyroid surgery, i.e. less than 10%.