The University of Tasmania balloon-borne large area X-ray telescope was flown from Alice Springs on 20 November 1978. A number of known X-ray sources were observed and a transient increase believed to be a gamma ray burst was detected.

Most of the recent advances in X-ray astronomy have resulted from satellite observations in the low energy (< 20 keV) range. The Einstein X-ray Observatory in particular has been responsible for a dramatic increase in our knowledge of the X-ray sky, in that all major classes of astronomical objects have been detected.

The initial flight of the University of Tasmania balloon-borne X-ray telescope was made from Parkes on Dec. 2, 1976. During the flight, enhanced X-ray emission was observed from the directions of 3U0900-40 (Vela XR-1), GX301-2 and the Galactic Centre. In this paper we report on the performance of the payload during the 11 hour flight and describe the preliminary results thus far obtained.

The binary X-ray source GX 1 + 4 was observed during a balloon flight in 1986, November. The source was in a relatively high intensity state. Time analysis of the data shows that the pulsation period was 111.8 ± 1.0 s indicating that one or more episodes of spin-down occurred between 1980 and 1986. Folded pulse profiles are very broad with an indication of a notch at the peak. Evidence has been found for a correlation between hard X-ray intensity and phase of the proposed 304 day orbital period. The time averaged intensity since 1980 is an order of magnitude lower than during the 1970’s. A survey of the post 1980 data shows that several reversals of the period derivative have occurred. Spin-up at the rates typical of the 1970’s has been followed by a dramatic spin-down episode with dP/dt>2.4 × 10−7 s/s.

Twenty-six consecutive admissions to an accident and emergency unit with minor head injury were examined. This was defined as a head injury warranting brief in-patient overnight stay but with a post-traumatic amnesia of less than 12 hours. Each patient had a neurological examination, a post-traumatic symptom check list completed, EEG power spectra analysis and auditory brain stem-evoked potential recordings, and a four-choice reaction-time measurement. These assessments were repeated six weeks later. Six months after the head injury a symptom check list was completed and four-choice reaction time measured again. Post-traumatic symptoms are persistent in half of all patients at six weeks and six months follow-up. The EEG power spectra showed a significant change in theta power between the first recording and the second one at six weeks, with relative reduction being noted. Approximately half of all the patients had significant delays in brain stem conduction time at day 0. There was a trend towards a decrease in brain stem conduction time at six weeks, though in almost half the brain stem conduction time still remained abnormal at six weeks. Head-injured patients had prolonged choice reaction times at day 0 with serial improvement between then and six months, though the values at six weeks were still significantly longer than healthy controls. It is suggested that these findings reflect both cortical and brain stem damage following minor head injury, the brain stem damage being more persistent. There appear to be three patterns of recovery, half recovering within six weeks, a minority persisting over six months with persisting brain stem dysfunction and less than a third showing an exacerbation of symptoms with no evidence of brain stem dysfunction, the exacerbation being possibly a consequence of psychological and social factors.

The alpha attenuation response (AAR) and its habituation rate during the course of 60 serially presented paired flash stimuli was measured in a small but homogeneous group of male identical and fraternal twins, all within the age range 19 to 40 years. Comparison of the intraclass correlation coefficients for each of the recorded AAR parameters between the two twin series and a constructed series of genetically unrelated individuals indicated that individual differences in the variables measured were significantly influenced by heredity. The findings are discussed in relation to previously reported studies of the genetic aspects of the normal spontaneous EEG.

Two samples of Special Hospital patients who had posterior temporal slow wave foci were selected and matched for age, sex, and duration of stay with patients from the same hospital who had normal EEG records. A high prevalence of between 20 and 31% was found. No significant differences were found between the index and control groups with regard to a number of developmental, forensic, psychiatric, behavioural, and psychometric variables. A striking feature was the high average age of almost 30 years of the posterior temporal slow wave patients. This finding suggests that the current maturation defect hypothesis in relation to cerebral function in psychopaths requires revision. The possible role of early social and environmental factors in the genesis of these EEG anomalies is discussed.

On the basis of information abstracted from case histories, 41 patients who had experienced epileptic seizures thought to be due either to treatment with psychiatric drugs or to withdrawal from sedative drugs were compared with a control group of patients. Those who had experienced seizures were more commonly first born and had a history of post-natal brain damage. During the week preceding the seizure there had been a marked increase in drug prescribing. The implications for drug management are discussed.

A series of elderly patients with dementia of Alzheimer type (AD), multi-infarct dementia (MID) and functional (non-organic) psychiatric illness (major depressive disorder) were selected according to DSM-III-R criteria and received: a battery of cognitive tests, EEG and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) using 99mTc HMPAO. The EEG and SPECT scans were examined independently of the clinical data. The former were divided into two abnormal categories, those showing AD type change and vascular change respectively, and a normal group. The SPECT scans were classified as follows: a SPECT rCBF pattern showing bilateral temporoparietal perfusion deficits (AD type); those showing single focal perfusion deficits or multiple areas of low perfusion in the cerebral cortex suggestive of ischaemic change (vascular type SPECT picture); a mixed AD/MID pattern; and those with normal scan findings. There were significant associations between clinical diagnosis, EEG rating and SPECT rCBF pattern, approximately three-quarters of AD and MID patients having the predicted EEG and scan changes. Normal EEG recordings were more common in the MID patients. The two tests agreed in about two-thirds of cases, with no consistent pattern apparent in the cases with divergent findings. Each test misclassified a minority of dementia patients, but in only one patient were both investigations normal. Almost half of the so called ‘functionally ill’ patients had abnormal rCBF changes, showing mainly vascular changes while one-fifth had abnormal EEGs.

This report is concerned with a simple statistical model of the way the brain may function, suggested by the analysis of intelligence test results in two groups of children. The model describes the statistical behaviour of an ideal array of elements, representing the brain, during tests of cognitive ability. Predictions from the model indicate that comparison of the EEC recording taken from groups of children who were good or poor readers would show amplitude differences. These were found between the groups when the eyes were open but not when the eyes were closed–a result explained by the model.

A comparison was made of the mental state of patients with chronic epilepsy and matched controls with locomotor disorders, using a reliable psychiatric interview technique. The symptom profiles of the two groups were similar. The profiles of temporal lobe and other epileptics were also similar. Epileptic patients with a high current psychiatric morbidity were characterized by a raised incidence of previous neurotic illness and raised neuroticism scores on the Eysenck Personality Inventory.

Prescriptions for psychotropic drugs for in-patients in the Dundee Psychiatric Service were studied for three five-month periods in 1991, 1992 and 1993 using computer data and drug sheets. Information about Journal advertising and advice to doctors was obtained for the same period. A possible effect of Journal advertising was detected in the first year but there was no further Increase in the second year in the total of prescriptions. Information is presented of a similar survey in 1975 and 1976. A high proportion of prescriptions was for formulary drugs and doctors rated the British National Formulary as the strongest influence on their prescribing.

The prescription sheets for all patients in a mental handicap hospital on one day in 1972 and on the same date in 1982 were examined to identify trends in anticonvulsant medication over a 10-year period. There was a reduction in size of the hospital population associated with fewer very young and milder handicapped persons. Prescription of anticonvulsants fell slightly during the decade under study with a dramatic fall in the use of phenobarbitone, and a parallel increase in the prescription of carbamazepine. Other changes included the use of sodium valproate in a significant minority of patients and the occasional use of clonazepam in 1982, while phenytoin remained a first-rank anticonvulsant throughout the period under review. The proportions of patients on polytherapy did not change over the 10-year period, though the contribution of phenobarbitone to the combined drug regimes was significantly reduced.

Four channels of EEG (T4-T6, P4-02, T3-T5, P3-01) were recorded from several groups of control subjects and schizophrenia patients on analogue tape. They were later digitized and analysed by computer; power spectra were computed for 30 second epochs of EEG per channel; eyes closed, eyes open. No difference between normal controls and neurotic in-patients was apparent. An acute schizophrenic group had less alpha power, this change being confined largely to the temporal areas. A chronic outpatient sample showed less alpha and beta power, while chronic long-stay schizophrenic patients had an excess of delta power. The changes in both chronic patient groups were diffuse rather than local.

Using a classical click/flash paradigm, the CNV was recorded from the following three groups of subjects at Broadmoor Hospital: (1) 14 ‘psychopathic’ patients selected by use of the 4/9 MMPI profile and confirmed by independent clinical diagnosis; (2) 15 ‘non psychopathic’ patients, all psychotic and mainly schizophrenic; (3) 14 healthy staff control subjects. All three groups were matched for age and sex; the two patients groups were also matched for length of stay. Two series of 32 paired stimuli were used, separated by an interval of 30 minutes. The mean CNV voltage was significantly lower in the ‘non-psychopathic’ patients. The amplitude of the ‘psychopath's' CNV response did not differ significantly from that of the staff controls, but the response variability between the first and second series of trials was much greater in the ‘psychopathic’ patients than in the other two subject groups. The ‘psychopathic’ subjects tended to show more rapid initial development of the CNV.

A sample of borstal boys was selected (56). All had an assessment of mental state and ratings of sociopathy and aggressiveness performed, using structured interview techniques. A group of RAMC apprentices matched for age, sex and social class, was also examined (56). Eight-channel bipolar scalp EEG recordings were taken, 4 channels (T4–T6, P4–O2, T3–T5, P3–O1) being recorded on analogue tape. The tape-recorded signals were filtered off line through a low pass filter, multiplexed and digitized on to magnetic tape. Power spectral analysis was carried out on this data, using the University of London CDC 60 600 computer. Three 30-second epochs were analysed: eyes closed, eyes open, and eyes closed. No significant EEG differences were found between the borstal boys and the control sample. Neither visual inspection nor power spectral analysis revealed any EEG differences between the borstal boys and controls. Correlation coefficients between the power at each frequency from all four channels, the violence and sociopathy ratings and the time spent in institutional care in months for each boy were computed. These showed that violence contributes not more than 1 per cent and sociopathy not more than 5 per cent to the variance of the EEG power. Duration of stay in the institution accounted for as much as 20 per cent of the variance of the EEG power with significant correlations at 7 Hz (positive) and 11 Hz (negative). Duration of stay is thus a variable that must be controlled for during the investigation of subjects in penal institutions and long-stay hospitals.