Polyelectrolyte hydrogels were synthesized from N,N-dimethylacrylamide, acrylamide, and itaconic acid with ammonium persulfate as a free-radical initiator in the presence of methylene(bis)acrylamide as a crosslinker. The swelling behavior of the ionic poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamideco-acrylamide) hydrogels was investigated in pure water, in KSCN solutions with pHs 4 and 9, and in water-acetone mixtures according to the itaconic acid content in the hydrogel. The pulsatile swelling behavior of these hydrogels was studied both in water-acetone and in pH 2-9 buffer solutions. Although the equilibrium swelling ratio of the hydrogels with low concentrations of itaconic acid was almost not affected by changes in the temperature, the equilibrium swelling ratio of the hydrogels with high concentrations of itaconic acid increased in the temperature range of 20-50 degrees C. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.