Sample records for noxious cold sensation

  1. Selective blockade of TRPA1 channel attenuates pathological pain without altering noxious cold sensation or body temperature regulation.

    PubMed

    Chen, Jun; Joshi, Shailen K; DiDomenico, Stanley; Perner, Richard J; Mikusa, Joe P; Gauvin, Donna M; Segreti, Jason A; Han, Ping; Zhang, Xu-Feng; Niforatos, Wende; Bianchi, Bruce R; Baker, Scott J; Zhong, Chengmin; Simler, Gricelda H; McDonald, Heath A; Schmidt, Robert G; McGaraughty, Steve P; Chu, Katharine L; Faltynek, Connie R; Kort, Michael E; Reilly, Regina M; Kym, Philip R

    2011-05-01

    Despite the increasing interest in TRPA1 channel as a pain target, its role in cold sensation and body temperature regulation is not clear; the efficacy and particularly side effects resulting from channel blockade remain poorly understood. Here we use a potent, selective, and bioavailable antagonist to address these issues. A-967079 potently blocks human (IC(50): 51 nmol/L, electrophysiology, 67 nmol/L, Ca(2+) assay) and rat TRPA1 (IC(50): 101 nmol/L, electrophysiology, 289 nmol/L, Ca(2+) assay). It is >1000-fold selective over other TRP channels, and is >150-fold selective over 75 other ion channels, enzymes, and G-protein-coupled receptors. Oral dosing of A-967079 produces robust drug exposure in rodents, and exhibits analgesic efficacy in allyl isothiocyanate-induced nocifensive response and osteoarthritic pain in rats (ED(50): 23.2 mg/kg, p.o.). A-967079 attenuates cold allodynia produced by nerve injury but does not alter noxious cold sensation in naive animals, suggesting distinct roles of TRPA1 in physiological and pathological states. Unlike TRPV1 antagonists, A-967079 does not alter body temperature. It also does not produce locomotor or cardiovascular side effects. Collectively, these data provide novel insights into TRPA1 function and suggest that the selective TRPA1 blockade may present a viable strategy for alleviating pain without untoward side effects. Copyright © 2011 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. [Effects of noxious coldness and non-noxious warmth on the magnitude of cerebral cortex activation during intraoral stimulation with water].

    PubMed

    Xiuwen, Yang; Hongchen, Liu; Ke, Li; Zhen, Jin; Gang, Liu

    2014-12-01

    We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the effects of noxious coldness and non-noxious warmth on the magnitude of cerebral cortex activation during intraoral stimulation with water. Six male and female subjects were subjected to whole-brain fMRI during the phasic delivery of non-noxious hot (23 °C) and no- xious cold (4 °C) water intraoral stimulation. A block-design blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI scan covering the entire brain was also carried out. The activated cortical areas were as follows: left pre-/post-central gyrus, insula/operculum, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), orbital frontal cortex (OFC), midbrain red nucleus, and thalamus. The activated cortical areas under cold condition were as follows: left occipital lobe, premotor cortex/Brodmann area (BA) 6, right motor language area BA44, lingual gyrus, parietal lobule (BA7, 40), and primary somatosensory cortex S I. Comparisons of the regional cerebral blood flow response magnitude were made among stereotactically concordant brain regions that showed significant responses under the two conditions of this study. Compared with non-noxious warmth, more regions were activated in noxious coldness, and the magnitude of activation in areas produced after non-noxious warm stimulation significantly increased. However, ACC only significantly increased the magnitude of activation under noxious coldness stimulation. Results suggested that a similar network of regions was activated common to the perception of pain and no-pain produced by either non-noxious warmth or noxious coldness stimulation. Non-noxious warmth also activated more brain regions and significantly increased the response magnitude of cerebral-cortex activation compared with noxious coldness. Noxious coldness stimulation further significantly increased the magnitude of activation in ACC areas compared with noxious warmth.

  3. Behavioral and Functional Assays for Investigating Mechanisms of Noxious Cold Detection and Multimodal Sensory Processing in Drosophila Larvae

    PubMed Central

    Patel, Atit A.; Cox, Daniel N.

    2017-01-01

    To investigate cellular, molecular and behavioral mechanisms of noxious cold detection, we developed cold plate behavioral assays and quantitative means for evaluating the predominant noxious cold-evoked contraction behavior. To characterize neural activity in response to noxious cold, we implemented a GCaMP6-based calcium imaging assay enabling in vivo studies of intracellular calcium dynamics in intact Drosophila larvae. We identified Drosophila class III multidendritic (md) sensory neurons as multimodal sensors of innocuous mechanical and noxious cold stimuli and to dissect the mechanistic bases of multimodal sensory processing we developed two independent functional assays. First, we developed an optogenetic dose response assay to assess whether levels of neural activation contributes to the multimodal aspects of cold sensitive sensory neurons. Second, we utilized CaMPARI, a photo-switchable calcium integrator that stably converts fluorescence from green to red in presence of high intracellular calcium and photo-converting light, to assess in vivo functional differences in neural activation levels between innocuous mechanical and noxious cold stimuli. These novel assays enable investigations of behavioral and functional roles of peripheral sensory neurons and multimodal sensory processing in Drosophila larvae. PMID:28835907

  4. Can sensation of cold hands predict Raynaud's phenomenon or paraesthesia?

    PubMed

    Carlsson, D; Wahlström, J; Burström, L; Hagberg, M; Lundström, R; Pettersson, H; Nilsson, T

    2018-05-10

    Raynaud's phenomenon and neurosensory symptoms are common after hand-arm vibration exposure. Knowledge of early signs of vibration injuries is needed. To investigate the risk of developing Raynaud's phenomenon and paraesthesia in relation to sensation of cold hands in a cohort of male employees at an engineering plant. We followed a cohort of male manual and office workers at an engineering plant in Sweden for 21 years. At baseline (1987 and 1992) and each follow-up (1992, 1997, 2002, 2008), we assessed sensation of cold, Raynaud's phenomenon and paraesthesia in the hands using questionnaires and measured vibration exposure. We calculated risk estimates with univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses and adjusted for vibration exposure and tobacco usage. There were 241 study participants. During the study period, 21 individuals developed Raynaud's phenomenon and 43 developed paraesthesia. When adjusting the risk of developing Raynaud's phenomenon for vibration exposure and tobacco use, the odds ratios were between 6.0 and 6.3 (95% CI 2.2-17.0). We observed no increased risk for paraesthesia in relation to a sensation of cold hands. A sensation of cold hands was a risk factor for Raynaud's phenomenon. At the individual level, reporting a sensation of cold hands did not appear to be useful information to predict future development of Raynaud's phenomenon given a weak to moderate predictive value. For paraesthesia, the sensation of cold was not a risk factor and there was no predictive value at the individual level.

  5. Body temperature and cold sensation during and following exercise under temperate room conditions in cold-sensitive young trained females.

    PubMed

    Fujii, Naoto; Aoki-Murakami, Erii; Tsuji, Bun; Kenny, Glen P; Nagashima, Kei; Kondo, Narihiko; Nishiyasu, Takeshi

    2017-11-01

    We evaluated cold sensation at rest and in response to exercise-induced changes in core and skin temperatures in cold-sensitive exercise trained females. Fifty-eight trained young females were screened by a questionnaire, selecting cold-sensitive (Cold-sensitive, n  = 7) and non-cold-sensitive (Control, n  = 7) individuals. Participants rested in a room at 29.5°C for ~100 min after which ambient temperature was reduced to 23.5°C where they remained resting for 60 min. Participants then performed 30-min of moderate intensity cycling (50% peak oxygen uptake) followed by a 60-min recovery. Core and mean skin temperatures and cold sensation over the whole-body and extremities (fingers and toes) were assessed throughout. Resting core temperature was lower in the Cold-sensitive relative to Control group (36.4 ± 0.3 vs. 36.7 ± 0.2°C). Core temperature increased to similar levels at end-exercise (~37.2°C) and gradually returned to near preexercise rest levels at the end of recovery (>36.6°C). Whole-body cold sensation was greater in the Cold-sensitive relative to Control group during resting at a room temperature of 23.5°C only without a difference in mean skin temperature between groups. In contrast, cold sensation of the extremities was greater in the Cold-sensitive group prior to, during and following exercise albeit this was not paralleled by differences in mean extremity skin temperature. We show that young trained females who are sensitive to cold exhibit augmented whole-body cold sensation during rest under temperate ambient conditions. However, this response is diminished during and following exercise. In contrast, cold sensation of extremities is augmented during resting that persists during and following exercise. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

  6. Neonatal capsaicin treatment in rats affects TRPV1-related noxious heat sensation and circadian body temperature rhythm.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Keun-Yeong; Seong, Jinsil

    2014-06-15

    The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a cation channel that serves as a polymodal detector of noxious stimuli such as capsaicin. Therefore, capsaicin treatment has been used to investigate the physiological function of TRPV1. Here, we report physiological changes induced by treating neonatal rats with capsaicin. Capsaicin (50mg/kg) (cap-treated) or vehicle (vehicle-treated) was systemically administered to newborn SD rat pups within 48 h after birth. TRPV1 expression, intake volume of capsaicin water, and noxious heat sensation were measured 6 weeks after capsaicin treatment. Circadian body temperature and locomotion were recorded by biotelemetry. Expression of Per1, Per2, Bmal1 and Hsf1 (clock genes) was also investigated. Neonatal capsaicin treatment not only decreased TRPV1 expression but also induced desensitization to noxious heat stimuli. Circadian body temperature of cap-treated rats increased significantly compared with that of vehicle-treated rats. Additionally, the amplitude of the circadian body temperature was reversed in cap-treated rats. Expression of the hypothalamic Hsf1 and liver Per2 clock genes followed a similar trend. Therefore, we suggest that these findings will be useful in studying various physiological mechanisms related to TRPV1. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. TRPA1 Contributes to Cold Hypersensitivity

    PubMed Central

    Camino, Donato del; Murphy, Sarah; Heiry, Melissa; Barrett, Lee B.; Earley, Taryn J.; Cook, Colby A.; Petrus, Matt J.; Zhao, Michael; D'Amours, Marc; Deering, Nate; Brenner, Gary J.; Costigan, Michael; Hayward, Neil J.; Chong, Jayhong A.; Fanger, Christopher M.; Woolf, Clifford J.; Patapoutian, Ardem; Moran, Magdalene M.

    2010-01-01

    TRPA1 is a non-selective cation channel expressed by nociceptors. While it is widely accepted that TRPA1 serves as a broad irritancy receptor for a variety of reactive chemicals, its role in cold sensation remains controversial. Here, we demonstrate that mild cooling markedly increases agonist-evoked rat TRPA1 currents. In the absence of an agonist, even noxious cold only increases current amplitude slightly. These results suggest that TRPA1 is a key mediator of cold hypersensitivity in pathological conditions where reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory activators of the channel are present, but likely plays a comparatively minor role in acute cold sensation. Supporting this, cold hypersensitivity can be induced in wild-type but not Trpa1-/- mice by subcutaneous administration of a TRPA1 agonist. Furthermore, the selective TRPA1 antagonist HC-030031 reduces cold hypersensitivity in rodent models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. PMID:21068322

  8. Machine-learned analysis of quantitative sensory testing responses to noxious cold stimulation in healthy subjects.

    PubMed

    Weyer-Menkhoff, I; Thrun, M C; Lötsch, J

    2018-05-01

    Pain in response to noxious cold has a complex molecular background probably involving several types of sensors. A recent observation has been the multimodal distribution of human cold pain thresholds. This study aimed at analysing reproducibility and stability of this observation and further exploration of data patterns supporting a complex background. Pain thresholds to noxious cold stimuli (range 32-0 °C, tonic: temperature decrease -1 °C/s, phasic: temperature decrease -8 °C/s) were acquired in 148 healthy volunteers. The probability density distribution was analysed using machine-learning derived methods implemented as Gaussian mixture modeling (GMM), emergent self-organizing maps and self-organizing swarms of data agents. The probability density function of pain responses was trimodal (mean thresholds at 25.9, 18.4 and 8.0 °C for tonic and 24.5, 18.1 and 7.5 °C for phasic stimuli). Subjects' association with Gaussian modes was consistent between both types of stimuli (weighted Cohen's κ = 0.91). Patterns emerging in self-organizing neuronal maps and swarms could be associated with different trends towards decreasing cold pain sensitivity in different Gaussian modes. On self-organizing maps, the third Gaussian mode emerged as particularly distinct. Thresholds at, roughly, 25 and 18 °C agree with known working temperatures of TRPM8 and TRPA1 ion channels, respectively, and hint at relative local dominance of either channel in respective subjects. Data patterns suggest involvement of further distinct mechanisms in cold pain perception at lower temperatures. Findings support data science approaches to identify biologically plausible hints at complex molecular mechanisms underlying human pain phenotypes. Sensitivity to pain is heterogeneous. Data-driven computational research approaches allow the identification of subgroups of subjects with a distinct pattern of sensitivity to cold stimuli. The subgroups are reproducible with different types of

  9. The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Cold Sensation

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Of somatosensory modalities, cold is one of the more ambiguous percepts, evoking the pleasant sensation of cooling, the stinging bite of cold pain, and welcome relief from chronic pain. Moreover, unlike the precipitous thermal thresholds for heat activation of thermosensitive afferent neurons, thresholds for cold fibers are across a range of cool to cold temperatures that spans over 30 °C. Until recently, how cold produces this myriad of biological effects has been poorly studied, yet new advances in our understanding of cold mechanisms may portend a better understanding of sensory perception as well as provide novel therapeutic approaches. Chief among these was the identification of a number of ion channels that either serve as the initial detectors of cold as a stimulus in the peripheral nervous system, or are part of rather sophisticated differential expression patterns of channels that conduct electrical signals, thereby endowing select neurons with properties that are amenable to electrical signaling in the cold. This review highlights the current understanding of the channels involved in cold transduction as well as presents a hypothetical model to account for the broad range of cold thermal thresholds and distinct functions of cold fibers in perception, pain, and analgesia. PMID:23421674

  10. Ionic mechanisms of spinal neuronal cold hypersensitivity in ciguatera.

    PubMed

    Patel, Ryan; Brice, Nicola L; Lewis, Richard J; Dickenson, Anthony H

    2015-12-01

    Cold hypersensitivity is evident in a range of neuropathies and can evoke sensations of paradoxical burning cold pain. Ciguatoxin poisoning is known to induce a pain syndrome caused by consumption of contaminated tropical fish that can persist for months and include pruritus and cold allodynia; at present no suitable treatment is available. This study examined, for the first time, the neural substrates and molecular components of Pacific ciguatoxin-2-induced cold hypersensitivity. Electrophysiological recordings of dorsal horn lamina V/VI wide dynamic range neurones were made in non-sentient rats. Subcutaneous injection of 10 nm ciguatoxin-2 into the receptive field increased neuronal responses to innocuous and noxious cooling. In addition, neuronal responses to low-threshold but not noxious punctate mechanical stimuli were also elevated. The resultant cold hypersensitivity was not reversed by 6-({2-[2-fluoro-6-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-methylpropyl}carbamoyl)pyridine-3-carboxylic acid, an antagonist of transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8). Both mechanical and cold hypersensitivity were completely prevented by co-injection with the Nav 1.8 antagonist A803467, whereas the transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) antagonist A967079 only prevented hypersensitivity to innocuous cooling and partially prevented hypersensitivity to noxious cooling. In naive rats, neither innocuous nor noxious cold-evoked neuronal responses were inhibited by antagonists of Nav 1.8, TRPA1 or TRPM8 alone. Ciguatoxins may confer cold sensitivity to a subpopulation of cold-insensitive Nav 1.8/TRPA1-positive primary afferents, which could underlie the cold allodynia reported in ciguatera. These data expand the understanding of central spinal cold sensitivity under normal conditions and the role of these ion channels in this translational rat model of ciguatoxin-induced hypersensitivity. © 2015 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of

  11. Clinical assessment of the warming sensation accompanying flavor 316282 in a cold and cough syrup containing paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and guaifenesin

    PubMed Central

    Monnet, Joëlle

    2014-01-01

    Objective: The primary objective was to assess the warming sensation caused by flavor 316282 in a cold and cough product in the target population. Methods: A single-cohort, single-treatment arm, open-label study. Subjects received one 30-mL dose of syrup containing flavor 316282, paracetamol, phenylephrine hydrochloride, and guaifenesin and recorded onset and disappearance of any warming sensation in the mouth/throat. Subjects’ assessment of strength and appeal of the sensation, taste, texture, and acceptability of the product as a cold and cough remedy was investigated using questionnaires. Results: A total of 51 subjects were included; 47 (92.1%) experienced a warming sensation. The median duration of the warming sensation was 100 s (95% confidence interval = 82 s, 112 s). The majority of subjects rated the syrup as excellent, good, or fair for treatment of cough and cold symptoms (96.1%), taste (80.4%), and texture (98.0%). There were no safety concerns, and the syrup was well tolerated. Most subjects liked the warming sensation. Conclusions: Flavor 316282 in a cold and cough syrup is associated with a warming sensation. The syrup is well tolerated, safe, and palatable. PMID:26770699

  12. Effect of local cooling on sweating rate and cold sensation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crawshaw, L. I.; Nadel, E. R.; Stolwijk, J. A. J.; Stamford, B. A.

    1975-01-01

    Subjects resting in a 39 C environment were stimulated in different skin regions with a water-cooled thermode. Results indicate that cooling different body regions produces generally equivalent decreases in sweating rate and increases in cold sensation, with the forehead showing a much greater sensitivity per unit area and temperature decrease than other areas. The high thermal sensitivity of the face may have evolved when it was the thinnest-furred area of the body; today's clothing habits have reestablished the importance of the face in the regulation of body temperature.

  13. TMC-1 mediates alkaline sensation in C. elegans through nociceptive neurons

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Xiang; Li, Guang; Liu, Jie; Liu, Jianfeng; Xu, X.Z. Shawn

    2016-01-01

    Noxious pH triggers pungent taste and nocifensive behavior. While the mechanisms underlying acidic pH sensation has been extensively characterized, little is known about how animals sense alkaline pH in the environment. TMC genes encode a family of evolutionarily conserved membrane proteins, whose functions are largely unknown. Here, we characterize C. elegans TMC-1 which was suggested to form a Na+-sensitive channel mediating salt chemosensation. Interestingly, we find that TMC-1 is required for worms to avoid noxious alkaline environment. Alkaline pH evokes an inward current in nociceptive neurons, which is primarily mediated by TMC-1 and to a lesser extent by the TRP channel OSM-9. However, unlike OSM-9 which is sensitive to both acidic and alkaline pH, TMC-1 is only required for alkali-activated current, revealing a specificity for alkaline sensation. Ectopic expression of TMC-1 confers alkaline sensitivity to alkali-insensitive cells. Our results identify an unexpected role for TMCs in alkaline sensation and nociception. PMID:27321925

  14. Acute heat-evoked temperature sensation is impaired but not abolished in mice lacking TRPV1 and TRPV3 channels.

    PubMed

    Marics, Irène; Malapert, Pascale; Reynders, Ana; Gaillard, Stéphane; Moqrich, Aziz

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of heat-sensitive Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid ion channels (ThermoTRPVs) greatly advanced our molecular understanding of acute and injury-evoked heat temperature sensation. ThermoTRPV channels are activated by partially overlapping temperatures ranging from warm to supra-threshold noxious heat. TRPV1 is activated by noxious heat temperature whereas TRPV3 can be activated by warm as well as noxious heat temperatures. Loss-of-function studies in single TRPV1 and TRPV3 knock-out mice have shown that heat temperature sensation is not completely abolished suggesting functional redundancies among these two channels and highlighting the need of a detailed analysis of TRPV1::TRPV3 double knock-out mice (V1V3dKO) which is hampered by the close proximity of the loci expressing the two channels. Here we describe the generation of a novel mouse model in which trpv1 and trpv3 genes have been inactivated using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. In these mice, using classical thermosensory tests such hot plate, tail flick and the thermotaxis gradient paradigms, we confirm that TRPV1 is the master channel for sensing noxious heat temperatures and identify a cooperative role of TRPV1 and TRPV3 for sensing a well-defined window of acute moderate heat temperature. Using the dynamic hot plate assay, we unravel an intriguing and unexpected pronounced escape behavior in TRPV1 knock-out mice that was attenuated in the V1V3dKO. Together, and in agreement with the temperature activation overlap between TRPV1 and TRPV3 channels, our data provide in vivo evidence of a cooperative role between skin-derived TRPV3 and primary sensory neurons-enriched TRPV1 in modulation of moderate and noxious heat temperature sensation and suggest that other mechanisms are required for heat temperature sensation.

  15. Acute Heat-Evoked Temperature Sensation Is Impaired but Not Abolished in Mice Lacking TRPV1 and TRPV3 Channels

    PubMed Central

    Reynders, Ana; Gaillard, Stéphane; Moqrich, Aziz

    2014-01-01

    The discovery of heat-sensitive Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid ion channels (ThermoTRPVs) greatly advanced our molecular understanding of acute and injury-evoked heat temperature sensation. ThermoTRPV channels are activated by partially overlapping temperatures ranging from warm to supra-threshold noxious heat. TRPV1 is activated by noxious heat temperature whereas TRPV3 can be activated by warm as well as noxious heat temperatures. Loss-of-function studies in single TRPV1 and TRPV3 knock-out mice have shown that heat temperature sensation is not completely abolished suggesting functional redundancies among these two channels and highlighting the need of a detailed analysis of TRPV1::TRPV3 double knock-out mice (V1V3dKO) which is hampered by the close proximity of the loci expressing the two channels. Here we describe the generation of a novel mouse model in which trpv1 and trpv3 genes have been inactivated using bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells. In these mice, using classical thermosensory tests such hot plate, tail flick and the thermotaxis gradient paradigms, we confirm that TRPV1 is the master channel for sensing noxious heat temperatures and identify a cooperative role of TRPV1 and TRPV3 for sensing a well-defined window of acute moderate heat temperature. Using the dynamic hot plate assay, we unravel an intriguing and unexpected pronounced escape behavior in TRPV1 knock-out mice that was attenuated in the V1V3dKO. Together, and in agreement with the temperature activation overlap between TRPV1 and TRPV3 channels, our data provide in vivo evidence of a cooperative role between skin-derived TRPV3 and primary sensory neurons-enriched TRPV1 in modulation of moderate and noxious heat temperature sensation and suggest that other mechanisms are required for heat temperature sensation. PMID:24925072

  16. Noxious heat and scratching decrease histamine-induced itch and skin blood flow.

    PubMed

    Yosipovitch, Gil; Fast, Katharine; Bernhard, Jeffrey D

    2005-12-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the effect of thermal stimuli or distal scratching on skin blood flow and histamine-induced itch in healthy volunteers. Twenty-one healthy volunteers participated in the study. Baseline measurements of skin blood flow were obtained on the flexor aspect of the forearm. These measurements were compared with skin blood flow after various stimuli: heating the skin, cooling the skin, noxious cold 2 degrees C, noxious heat 49 degrees C, and scratching via a brush with controlled pressure. Afterwards histamine iontophoresis was performed and skin blood flow and itch intensity were measured immediately after the above-mentioned stimuli. Scratching reduced mean histamine-induced skin blood flow and itch intensity. Noxious heat pain increased basal skin blood flow but reduced histamine-induced maximal skin blood flow and itch intensity. Cold pain and cooling reduced itch intensity, but neither affected histamine-induced skin blood flow. Sub-noxious warming the skin did not affect the skin blood flow or itch intensity. These findings suggest that heat pain and scratching may inhibit itch through a neurogenic mechanism that also affects skin blood flow.

  17. Brain mediators of the effects of noxious heat on pain

    PubMed Central

    Atlas, Lauren Y.; Lindquist, Martin A.; Bolger, Niall; Wager, Tor D.

    2014-01-01

    Recent human neuroimaging studies have investigated the neural correlates of either noxious stimulus intensity or reported pain. While useful, analyzing brain relationships with stimulus intensity and behavior separately does not address how sensation and pain are linked in the central nervous system. In this paper, we used multi-level mediation analysis to identify brain mediators of pain—regions whose trial-by-trial responses to heat explained variability in the relationship between noxious stimulus intensity (across four levels) and pain. This approach has the potential to identify multiple circuits with complementary roles in pain genesis. Brain mediators of noxious heat effects on pain included targets of ascending nociceptive pathways (anterior cingulate, insula, SII, and medial thalamus) and also prefrontal and subcortical regions not associated with nociceptive pathways per se. Cluster analysis revealed that mediators were grouped into several distinct functional networks, including: a) somatosensory, paralimbic, and striatal-cerebellar networks that increased with stimulus intensity; and b) two networks co-localized with ‘default mode’ regions in which stimulus intensity-related decreases mediated increased pain. We also identified ‘thermosensory’ regions that responded to increasing noxious heat but did not predict pain reports. Finally, several regions did not respond to noxious input, but their activity predicted pain; these included ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, cerebellar regions, and supplementary motor cortices. These regions likely underlie both nociceptive and non-nociceptive processes that contribute to pain, such as attention and decision-making processes. Overall, these results elucidate how multiple distinct brain systems jointly contribute to the central generation of pain. PMID:24845572

  18. Assessment of Responsiveness to Everyday Non-Noxious Stimuli in Pain-Free Migraineurs With Versus Without Aura.

    PubMed

    Granovsky, Yelena; Shor, Merav; Shifrin, Alla; Sprecher, Elliot; Yarnitsky, David; Bar-Shalita, Tami

    2018-03-27

    Migraineurs with aura (MWA) express higher interictal response to non-noxious and noxious experimental sensory stimuli compared with migraineurs without aura (MWoA), but whether these differences also prevail in response to everyday non-noxious stimuli is not yet explored. This is a cross-sectional study testing 53 female migraineurs (30 MWA; 23 MWoA) who underwent a wide battery of noxious psychophysical testing at a pain-free phase, and completed a Sensory Responsiveness Questionnaire and pain-related psychological questionnaires. The MWA group showed higher questionnaire-based sensory over-responsiveness (P = .030), higher magnitude of pain temporal summation (P = .031) as well as higher monthly attack frequency (P = .027) compared with the MWoA group. Overall, 45% of migraineurs described abnormal sensory (hyper- or hypo-) responsiveness; its incidence was higher among MWA (19 of 30, 63%) versus MWoA (6 of 23, 27%, P = .012), with an odds ratio of 3.58 for MWA. Sensory responsiveness scores were positively correlated with attack frequency (r = .361, P = .008) and temporal summation magnitude (r = .390, P = .004), both regardless of migraine type. MWA express higher everyday sensory responsiveness than MWoA, in line with higher response to experimental noxious stimuli. Abnormal scores of sensory responsiveness characterize people with sensory modulation dysfunction, suggesting possible underlying mechanisms overlap, and possibly high incidence of both clinical entities. This article presents findings distinguishing MWA, showing enhanced pain amplification, monthly attack frequency, and over-responsiveness to everyday sensations, compared with MWoA. Further, migraine is characterized by a high incidence of abnormal responsiveness to everyday sensation, specifically sensory over-responsiveness, that was also found related to pain. Copyright © 2018 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Effects of cold temperatures on the excitability of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons that are not for cold-sensing

    PubMed Central

    Kanda, Hirosato; Gu, Jianguo G.

    2016-01-01

    Except a small population of primary afferent neurons for sensing cold to generate the sensations of innocuous and noxious cold, it is generally believed that cold temperatures suppress the excitability of other primary afferent neurons that are not for cold-sensing. These not-for-cold-sensing neurons include the majority of non-nociceptive and nociceptive afferent neurons. In the present study we have found that not-for-cold-sensing neurons of rat trigeminal ganglia (TG) change their excitability in several ways at cooling temperatures. In nearly 70% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, the cooling temperature of 15°C increases their membrane excitability. We regard these neurons as cold-active neurons. For the remaining 30% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, the cooling temperature of 15°C either has no effect (regarded as cold-ineffective neurons) or suppress (regarded as cold-suppressive neurons) their membrane excitability. For cold-active neurons, the cold temperature of 15°C increases their excitability as is evidenced by the increases in action potential (AP) firing numbers and/or reduction of AP rheobase when these neurons are depolarized electrically. The cold temperature of 15°C significantly inhibits M-currents and increases membrane input resistance of cold-active neurons. Retigabine, an M-current activator, abolishes the effect of cold temperatures on AP firing but not the effect of cold temperature on AP rheobase levels. The inhibition of M-currents and the increases of membrane input resistance are likely two mechanisms by which cooling temperatures increase the excitability of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons. PMID:26709732

  20. Pain sensation during cold stimulation of the teeth: differential reflection of A delta and C fibre activity?

    PubMed

    Mengel, M K; Stiefenhofer, A E; Jyväsjärvi, E; Kniffki, K D

    1993-11-01

    Cold stimuli of varying intensities were randomly applied to upper middle incisors of 12 healthy young subjects for a mean duration of 2 min by individually adapted thermodes the temperatures of which ranged from +30 degrees C to -30 degrees C. The subjects were asked to rate the magnitude of their pain sensations during application of the stimuli by means of a linear potentiometer according to a category scale. After each stimulus, they were asked to describe the quality of their pain sensations. Cold stimulation of the teeth evoked pain sensations were reproducible that in subsequent trials and could be graded according to stimulation intensity. Below certain individually different threshold thermode temperatures the onset of a stimulus was followed, after a short latency (1.6 +/- 1 sec), by a sharp and shooting pain sensation which immediately decreased after reaching its maximum value while the stimulus was still present. The mean maxima of the pain intensities were correlated to the thermode temperature. In general, this first pain component was followed by a second one (latency: 29.9 +/- 6.3 sec) with a lower threshold temperature, less of an increase in rate and lower magnitude. This was described as a dull, burning pain which was difficult to localize. The human pain ratings are compared to recordings of intradental nerve fibres in the cat and, under the assumption that the response behaviour of human pulpal nerve fibres is comparable to that of the cat, we hypothesize that the first pain component is evoked by intradental A delta fibres exhibiting their typical phasic response behaviour and firing during the initial steep temperature decrease. After some seconds, intradental temperature reached values sufficient to evoke C-fibre activity associated with the second pain component.

  1. Brain mediators of the effects of noxious heat on pain.

    PubMed

    Atlas, Lauren Y; Lindquist, Martin A; Bolger, Niall; Wager, Tor D

    2014-08-01

    Recent human neuroimaging studies have investigated the neural correlates of either noxious stimulus intensity or reported pain. Although useful, analyzing brain relationships with stimulus intensity and behavior separately does not address how sensation and pain are linked in the central nervous system. In this study, we used multi-level mediation analysis to identify brain mediators of pain--regions in which trial-by-trial responses to heat explained variability in the relationship between noxious stimulus intensity (across 4 levels) and pain. This approach has the potential to identify multiple circuits with complementary roles in pain genesis. Brain mediators of noxious heat effects on pain included targets of ascending nociceptive pathways (anterior cingulate, insula, SII, and medial thalamus) and also prefrontal and subcortical regions not associated with nociceptive pathways per se. Cluster analysis revealed that mediators were grouped into several distinct functional networks, including the following: somatosensory, paralimbic, and striatal-cerebellar networks that increased with stimulus intensity; and 2 networks co-localized with "default mode" regions in which stimulus intensity-related decreases mediated increased pain. We also identified "thermosensory" regions that responded to increasing noxious heat but did not predict pain reports. Finally, several regions did not respond to noxious input, but their activity predicted pain; these included ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, cerebellar regions, and supplementary motor cortices. These regions likely underlie both nociceptive and non-nociceptive processes that contribute to pain, such as attention and decision-making processes. Overall, these results elucidate how multiple distinct brain systems jointly contribute to the central generation of pain. Copyright © 2014 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Effects of cold temperatures on the excitability of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons that are not for cold sensing.

    PubMed

    Kanda, Hirosato; Gu, Jianguo G

    2017-05-01

    Aside from a small population of primary afferent neurons for sensing cold, which generate sensations of innocuous and noxious cold, it is generally believed that cold temperatures suppress the excitability of primary afferent neurons not responsible for cold sensing. These not-for-cold-sensing neurons include the majority of non-nociceptive and nociceptive afferent neurons. In this study we have found that the not-for-cold-sensing neurons of rat trigeminal ganglia (TG) change their excitability in several ways at cooling temperatures. In nearly 70% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, a cooling temperature of 15°C increases their membrane excitability. We regard these neurons as cold-active neurons. For the remaining 30% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, the cooling temperature of 15°C either has no effect (cold-ineffective neurons) or suppress their membrane excitability (cold-suppressive neurons). For cold-active neurons, the cold temperature of 15°C increases their excitability as is evidenced by increases in action potential (AP) firing numbers and/or the reduction in AP rheobase when these neurons are depolarized electrically. The cold temperature of 15°C significantly inhibits M-currents and increases membrane input resistance of cold-active neurons. Retigabine, an M-current activator, abolishes the effect of cold temperatures on AP firing, but not the effect of cold temperature on AP rheobase levels. The inhibition of M-currents and the increases of membrane input resistance are likely two mechanisms by which cooling temperatures increase the excitability of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons. This article is part of the special article series "Pain". © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  3. Regional differences in temperature sensation and thermal comfort in humans.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Mayumi; Yoda, Tamae; Crawshaw, Larry I; Yasuhara, Saki; Saito, Yasuyo; Kasuga, Momoko; Nagashima, Kei; Kanosue, Kazuyuki

    2008-12-01

    Sensations evoked by thermal stimulation (temperature-related sensations) can be divided into two categories, "temperature sensation" and "thermal comfort." Although several studies have investigated regional differences in temperature sensation, less is known about the sensitivity differences in thermal comfort for the various body regions. In the present study, we examined regional differences in temperature-related sensations with special attention to thermal comfort. Healthy male subjects sitting in an environment of mild heat or cold were locally cooled or warmed with water-perfused stimulators. Areas stimulated were the face, chest, abdomen, and thigh. Temperature sensation and thermal comfort of the stimulated areas were reported by the subjects, as was whole body thermal comfort. During mild heat exposure, facial cooling was most comfortable and facial warming was most uncomfortable. On the other hand, during mild cold exposure, neither warming nor cooling of the face had a major effect. The chest and abdomen had characteristics opposite to those of the face. Local warming of the chest and abdomen did produce a strong comfort sensation during whole body cold exposure. The thermal comfort seen in this study suggests that if given the chance, humans would preferentially cool the head in the heat, and they would maintain the warmth of the trunk areas in the cold. The qualitative differences seen in thermal comfort for the various areas cannot be explained solely by the density or properties of the peripheral thermal receptors and thus must reflect processing mechanisms in the central nervous system.

  4. TRPs in Pain Sensation

    PubMed Central

    Jardín, Isaac; López, José J.; Diez, Raquel; Sánchez-Collado, José; Cantonero, Carlos; Albarrán, Letizia; Woodard, Geoffrey E.; Redondo, Pedro C.; Salido, Ginés M.; Smani, Tarik; Rosado, Juan A.

    2017-01-01

    According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) pain is characterized as an “unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage”. The TRP super-family, compressing up to 28 isoforms in mammals, mediates a myriad of physiological and pathophysiological processes, pain among them. TRP channel might be constituted by similar or different TRP subunits, which will result in the formation of homomeric or heteromeric channels with distinct properties and functions. In this review we will discuss about the function of TRPs in pain, focusing on TRP channles that participate in the transduction of noxious sensation, especially TRPV1 and TRPA1, their expression in nociceptors and their sensitivity to a large number of physical and chemical stimuli. PMID:28649203

  5. Influence of skin cold sensation threshold in the occurrence of dental sensitivity during dental bleaching: a placebo controlled clinical trial.

    PubMed

    Rahal, Vanessa; Gallinari, Marjorie de Oliveira; Barbosa, Juliana Stuginski; Martins-Junior, Reynaldo Leite; Santos, Paulo Henrique Dos; Cintra, Luciano Tavares Angelo; Briso, André Luiz Fraga

    2018-01-18

    This study verified the occurrence of dental sensitivity in patients submitted to a 35% hydrogen peroxide based product (Whiteness HP Maxx 35% - FGM), skin cold sensation threshold (SCST) and its influence on dental sensitivity. Sixty volunteers were divided into 4 groups (n = 15), according to SCST (low: GI and GIII, and high: GII and IV) and bleaching treatment (hydrogen peroxide: GI and GII, and placebo: GIII and GIV). SCST was determined in the inner forearm for 6 different times using a neurosensory analyzer, the TSA II (Medoc Advanced Medical Systems, Ramat Yishai, Northern District, Israel). Dental sensitivity measurements were performed 10 different times using a thermal stimulus and an intraoral device attached to TSA II, positioned in the buccal surface of the upper right central incisor. Spontaneous dental sensitivity was also determined using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Data were submitted to Student's t-test and Pearson's Correlation Test (α=0.05). SCST remained the same during bleaching treatment. Distinct responses of dental sensitivity were found in patients with low and high SCST during the first and third bleaching session (p≤0.05). The teeth submitted to the bleaching treatment became more sensitive to cold than those treated with placebo. Moreover, data obtained with TSA and VAS presented moderate correlation. Bleaching treatment increased dental sensitivity and skin cold sensation threshold might represent a determining factor in this occurrence, since low and high SCST patients had different responses to the thermal stimulus in the teeth.

  6. Keratinocytes mediate innocuous and noxious touch via ATP-P2X4 signaling

    PubMed Central

    Moehring, Francie; Cowie, Ashley M; Menzel, Anthony D; Weyer, Andy D; Grzybowski, Michael; Arzua, Thiago; Geurts, Aron M; Palygin, Oleg

    2018-01-01

    The first point of our body’s contact with tactile stimuli (innocuous and noxious) is the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin that is largely composed of keratinocytes. Here, we sought to define the role that keratinocytes play in touch sensation in vivo and ex vivo. We show that optogenetic inhibition of keratinocytes decreases behavioral and cellular mechanosensitivity. These processes are inherently mediated by ATP signaling, as demonstrated by complementary cutaneous ATP release and degradation experiments. Specific deletion of P2X4 receptors in sensory neurons markedly decreases behavioral and primary afferent mechanical sensitivity, thus positioning keratinocyte-released ATP to sensory neuron P2X4 signaling as a critical component of baseline mammalian tactile sensation. These experiments lay a vital foundation for subsequent studies into the dysfunctional signaling that occurs in cutaneous pain and itch disorders, and ultimately, the development of novel topical therapeutics for these conditions. PMID:29336303

  7. Serum C-reactive protein levels predict regional brain responses to noxious cold stimulation of the hand in chronic whiplash associated disorders.

    PubMed

    Sterling, Michele; Head, Jessica; Cabot, Peter J; Farrell, Michael

    2016-04-01

    Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) are a costly health burden. The condition is characterised by sensory disturbances such as widespread hyperalgesia likely indicative of central hyperexcitability. Recently elevated levels of pro-inflammatory biomarkers have also found in acute and chronic WAD. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and pain processing in people with persistent whiplash associated disorders (WAD). Twenty one participants with chronic whiplash (>3 months) were recruited. Venous blood samples were collected and assays performed for C-reactive protein (CRP) and TNF-α. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast images of the brain were acquired with a Siemens 1.5T MRI scanner during repeated 24s stimulus blocks of innocuous or painful stimuli (thumbnail pressure and cold stimulation of dorsum of hand) separated by 36s inter-stimulus intervals. Stimulus intensities used during scanning were at the level of participants' thresholds for moderate pain. Parameter estimates representing BOLD signal increases during painful events from each participant were tested for associations with inflammatory biomarkers. Clinically relevant levels of CRP and TNF-α were found in 33% and 38% of participants. Levels of CRP showed a positive correlation with levels of cold pain activation in brain regions including the anterior insula, posterior parietal cortex, caudate and thalamus (p corrected <0.05). Levels of TNF-α were not related to activation levels during either noxious pressure or cold. Pressure pain activations also did not show a relationship with CRP levels. Shared variance between inflammation and increased levels of regional pain-related activation in people with persistent whiplash symptoms is apparent for cold, but not pressure stimuli. The results highlight cold pain processing as an important aspect of whiplash chronicity, although the implications of this modality-specific effect are

  8. Physiological Acceptance Criteria for Cold Weather Clothing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-04-01

    subjective feelings of thermal comfort and temperature sensation were examined. Under many conditions that Navy cold weather clothing items are worn, it...is not practical to expect that the optimal level of thermal comfort can be obtained. Allowing for a moderate level of cold sensation and thermal

  9. Thermal sensation during mild hyperthermia is modulated by acute postural change in humans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Takeda, Ryosuke; Imai, Daiki; Suzuki, Akina; Ota, Akemi; Naghavi, Nooshin; Yamashina, Yoshihiro; Hirasawa, Yoshikazu; Yokoyama, Hisayo; Miyagawa, Toshiaki; Okazaki, Kazunobu

    2016-12-01

    Thermal sensation represents the primary stimulus for behavioral and autonomic thermoregulation. We assessed whether the sensation of skin and core temperatures for the driving force of behavioral thermoregulation was modified by postural change from the supine (Sup) to sitting (Sit) during mild hyperthermia. Seventeen healthy young men underwent measurements of noticeable increase and decrease (±0.1 °C/s) of skin temperature (thresholds of warm and cold sensation on the skin, 6.25 cm2 of area) at the forearm and chest and of the whole-body warm sensation in the Sup and Sit during normothermia (NT; esophageal temperature (Tes), ˜36.6 °C) and mild hyperthermia (HT; Tes, ˜37.2 °C; lower legs immersion in 42 °C of water). The threshold for cold sensation on the skin at chest was lower during HT than NT in the Sit ( P < 0.05) but not in Sup, and at the forearm was lower during HT than NT in the Sup and further in Sit (both, P < 0.05), with interactive effects of temperature (NT vs. HT) × posture (Sup vs. Sit) (chest, P = 0.08; forearm, P < 0.05). The threshold for warm sensation on the skin at both sites remained unchanged with changes in body posture or temperature. The whole-body warm sensation was higher during HT than NT in both postures and higher in the Sit than Sup during both NT and HT (all, P < 0.05). Thus, thermal sensation during mild hyperthermia is modulated by postural change from supine to sitting to sense lesser cold on the skin and more whole-body warmth.

  10. Thermal sensation during mild hyperthermia is modulated by acute postural change in humans.

    PubMed

    Takeda, Ryosuke; Imai, Daiki; Suzuki, Akina; Ota, Akemi; Naghavi, Nooshin; Yamashina, Yoshihiro; Hirasawa, Yoshikazu; Yokoyama, Hisayo; Miyagawa, Toshiaki; Okazaki, Kazunobu

    2016-12-01

    Thermal sensation represents the primary stimulus for behavioral and autonomic thermoregulation. We assessed whether the sensation of skin and core temperatures for the driving force of behavioral thermoregulation was modified by postural change from the supine (Sup) to sitting (Sit) during mild hyperthermia. Seventeen healthy young men underwent measurements of noticeable increase and decrease (±0.1 °C/s) of skin temperature (thresholds of warm and cold sensation on the skin, 6.25 cm 2 of area) at the forearm and chest and of the whole-body warm sensation in the Sup and Sit during normothermia (NT; esophageal temperature (T es ), ∼36.6 °C) and mild hyperthermia (HT; T es , ∼37.2 °C; lower legs immersion in 42 °C of water). The threshold for cold sensation on the skin at chest was lower during HT than NT in the Sit (P < 0.05) but not in Sup, and at the forearm was lower during HT than NT in the Sup and further in Sit (both, P < 0.05), with interactive effects of temperature (NT vs. HT) × posture (Sup vs. Sit) (chest, P = 0.08; forearm, P < 0.05). The threshold for warm sensation on the skin at both sites remained unchanged with changes in body posture or temperature. The whole-body warm sensation was higher during HT than NT in both postures and higher in the Sit than Sup during both NT and HT (all, P < 0.05). Thus, thermal sensation during mild hyperthermia is modulated by postural change from supine to sitting to sense lesser cold on the skin and more whole-body warmth.

  11. Innocuous cooling can produce nociceptive sensations that are inhibited during dynamic mechanical contact.

    PubMed

    Green, Barry G; Pope, Jennifer V

    2003-02-01

    In a previous study of the heat grill illusion, sensations of burning and stinging were sometimes reported when the skin was cooled by as little as 2 degrees C. Informal tests subsequently indicated that these nociceptive sensations were experienced if cooling occurred when the stimulating thermode rested on the skin, but not when the thermode was cooled and then touched to the skin. In experiment 1 subjects judged the intensity of thermal (cold/warm) and nociceptive (burning/stinging) sensations when the volar surface of the forearm was cooled to 25 degrees C (1) via a static thermode (Static condition), or (2) via a cold thermode touched to the skin (Dynamic condition). The total area of stimulation was varied from 2.6 to 10.4 cm(2) to determine if the occurrence of nociceptive sensations depended upon stimulus size. Burning/stinging was rated 10.3 times stronger in the Static condition than in the Dynamic condition, and this difference did not vary significantly with stimulus size. In experiment 2, thermal and nociceptive sensations were measured during cooling to just 31 degrees, 29 degrees or 27 degrees C, and data were obtained on the frequency at which different sensation qualities were experienced. Stinging was the most frequently reported nociceptive quality in the Static condition, and stinging and burning were both markedly reduced in the Dynamic condition. In experiment 3 we tested the possibility that dynamic contact might have inhibited burning and stinging not because of mechanical contact per se, but rather because dynamic contact caused higher rates of cooling. However, varying cooling rate over a tenfold range (-0.5 degrees to -5.0 degrees /s) had no appreciable effect on the frequency of stinging and burning. Overall, the data show that mild cooling can produce nociceptive sensations that are suppressed under conditions of dynamic mechanical contact. The latter observation suggests that cold is perceived differently during active contact with

  12. Finger cold-induced vasodilation of older Korean female divers, haenyeo: effects of chronic cold exposure and aging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Joo-Young; Park, Joonhee; Koh, Eunsook; Cha, Seongwon

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the local cold tolerance of older Korean female divers, haenyeo ( N = 22) in terms of cold acclimatization and ageing. As control groups, older non-diving females ( N = 25) and young females from a rural area ( N = 15) and an urban area ( N = 51) participated in this study. To evaluate local cold tolerance, finger cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) during finger immersion of 4 °C water was examined. As a result, older haenyeos showed greater minimum finger temperature and recovery finger temperature than older non-diving females ( P < 0.05), but similar responses in onset time, peak time, maximum finger temperature, frequency of CIVD, heart rate, blood pressure, and thermal and pain sensations as those of older non-diving females. Another novel finding was that young urban females showed more vulnerable responses to local cold in CIVD variables and subjective sensations when compared to older females, whereas young rural females had the most excellent cold tolerance in terms of maximum temperature and frequency of CIVD among the four groups ( P < 0.05). The present results imply that older haenyeos still retain cold acclimatized features on the periphery even though they changed their cotton diving suits to wet suits in the early 1980s. However, cardiovascular responses and subjective sensations to cold reflect aging effects. In addition, we suggest that young people who have been adapted to highly insulated clothing and indoor heating systems in winter should be distinguished from young people who were exposed to less modern conveniences when compared to the aged in terms of cold tolerance.

  13. Finger cold-induced vasodilation of older Korean female divers, haenyeo: effects of chronic cold exposure and aging.

    PubMed

    Lee, Joo-Young; Park, Joonhee; Koh, Eunsook; Cha, Seongwon

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the local cold tolerance of older Korean female divers, haenyeo (N = 22) in terms of cold acclimatization and ageing. As control groups, older non-diving females (N = 25) and young females from a rural area (N = 15) and an urban area (N = 51) participated in this study. To evaluate local cold tolerance, finger cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) during finger immersion of 4 °C water was examined. As a result, older haenyeos showed greater minimum finger temperature and recovery finger temperature than older non-diving females (P < 0.05), but similar responses in onset time, peak time, maximum finger temperature, frequency of CIVD, heart rate, blood pressure, and thermal and pain sensations as those of older non-diving females. Another novel finding was that young urban females showed more vulnerable responses to local cold in CIVD variables and subjective sensations when compared to older females, whereas young rural females had the most excellent cold tolerance in terms of maximum temperature and frequency of CIVD among the four groups (P < 0.05). The present results imply that older haenyeos still retain cold acclimatized features on the periphery even though they changed their cotton diving suits to wet suits in the early 1980s. However, cardiovascular responses and subjective sensations to cold reflect aging effects. In addition, we suggest that young people who have been adapted to highly insulated clothing and indoor heating systems in winter should be distinguished from young people who were exposed to less modern conveniences when compared to the aged in terms of cold tolerance.

  14. Cardiovascular and Thermal Strain during Manual Work in Cold Weather

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-05-01

    subjective thermal sensation (on a scale ranging from unbearably cold to very hot) and thermal comfort (ranging from comfortable to extremely uncomfortable...both thermal sensation and thermal comfort ratings at 1 and at 30 min. There was no significant difference in Thermal Comfort (TC) between the two...overview of the subjective thermal ratings pre and post repeated cold exposure is shown in Table 2. During the acclimation days, thermal comfort was

  15. Guidelines for management of noxious weeds at Hanford

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roos, R.C.; Malady, M.B.

    1995-10-27

    Integrated Pest Management Services is responsible for management and control of noxious weeds on the Hanford Site. Weed species and populations are prioritized and objective defined, according to potential site and regional impact. Population controls are implemented according to priority. An integrated approach is planned for noxious weed control in which several management options are considered and implemented separately or in coordination to best meet management objectives. Noxious weeds are inventories and monitored to provide information for planning and program review.

  16. 7 CFR 360.305 - Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.305 Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled. When a permit for the movement of a noxious weed is...

  17. 7 CFR 360.300 - Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.300 Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds. No person may move a Federal noxious weed into or...

  18. 7 CFR 360.305 - Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.305 Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled. When a permit for the movement of a noxious weed is...

  19. 7 CFR 360.300 - Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.300 Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds. No person may move a Federal noxious weed into or...

  20. 7 CFR 360.300 - Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.300 Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds. No person may move a Federal noxious weed into or...

  1. 7 CFR 360.300 - Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.300 Notice of restrictions on movement of noxious weeds. No person may move a Federal noxious weed into or...

  2. 7 CFR 360.305 - Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.305 Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled. When a permit for the movement of a noxious weed is...

  3. 7 CFR 360.305 - Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled... AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.305 Disposal of noxious weeds when permits are canceled. When a permit for the movement of a noxious weed is...

  4. Female thermal sensitivity to hot and cold during rest and exercise.

    PubMed

    Gerrett, Nicola; Ouzzahra, Yacine; Redortier, Bernard; Voelcker, Thomas; Havenith, George

    2015-12-01

    Regional differences in thermal sensation to a hot or cold stimulus are often limited to male participants, in a rested state and cover minimal locations. Therefore, magnitude sensation to both a hot and cold stimulus were investigated during rest and exercise in 8 females (age: 20.4 ± 1.4 years, mass: 61.7 ± 4.0 kg, height: 166.9 ± 5.4 cm, VO2max: 36.8 ± 4.5 ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)). Using a repeated measures cross over design, participants rested in a stable environment (22.3 ± 0.9°C, 37.7 ± 5.5% RH) whilst a thermal probe (25 cm(2)), set at either 40°C or 20°C, was applied in a balanced order to 29 locations across the body. Participants reported their thermal sensation after 10s of application. Following this, participants cycled at 50% VO2max for 20 min and then 30% VO2max whilst the sensitivity test was repeated. Females experienced significantly stronger magnitude sensations to the cold than the hot stimulus (5.5 ± 1.7 and 4.3 ± 1.3, p<0.05, respectively). A significant effect of location was found during the cold stimulation (p<0.05). Thermal sensation was greatest at the head then the torso and declined towards the extremities. No significant effect of location was found in response to the hot stimulation and the pattern across the body was more homogenous. In comparison to rest, exercise caused a significant overall reduction in thermal sensation (5.2 ± 1.5 and 4.6 ± 1.7, respectively, p<0.05). Body maps were produced for both stimuli during rest and exercise, which highlight sensitive areas across the body. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus improves temperature sensation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Maruo, Tomoyuki; Saitoh, Youichi; Hosomi, Koichi; Kishima, Haruhiko; Shimokawa, Toshio; Hirata, Masayuki; Goto, Tetsu; Morris, Shayne; Harada, Yu; Yanagisawa, Takufumi; Aly, Mohamed M; Yoshimine, Toshiki

    2011-04-01

    Patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) reportedly show deficits in sensory processing in addition to motor symptoms. However, little is known about the effects of bilateral deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN-DBS) on temperature sensation as measured by quantitative sensory testing (QST). This study was designed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of STN-DBS on temperature sensation and pain in PD patients. We conducted a QST study comparing the effects of STN-DBS on cold sense thresholds (CSTs) and warm sense thresholds (WSTs) as well as on cold-induced and heat-induced pain thresholds (CPT and HPT) in 17 PD patients and 14 healthy control subjects. The CSTs and WSTs of patients were significantly smaller during the DBS-on mode when compared with the DBS-off mode (P<.001), whereas the CSTs and WSTs of patients in the DBS-off mode were significantly greater than those of healthy control subjects (P<.02). The CPTs and HPTs in PD patients were significantly larger on the more affected side than on the less affected side (P<.02). Because elevations in thermal sense and pain thresholds of QST are reportedly almost compatible with decreases in sensation, our findings confirm that temperature sensations may be disturbed in PD patients when compared with healthy persons and that STN-DBS can be used to improve temperature sensation in these patients. The mechanisms underlying our findings are not well understood, but improvement in temperature sensation appears to be a sign of modulation of disease-related brain network abnormalities. Copyright © 2010 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Prevalence of cold-related complaints, symptoms and injuries in the general population: the FINRISK 2002 cold substudy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raatikka, Veli-Pekka; Rytkönen, Mika; Näyhä, Simo; Hassi, Juhani

    2007-05-01

    The prevalence of cold-related complaints and symptoms in the general population has remained unknown. As part of the nationwide FINRISK 2002 health survey performed in Finland, 8,723 people aged 25 64 years filled in a questionnaire asking about the number of hours spent weekly in cold air, their sensations during cold exposure, cold-related complaints, symptoms of diseases, and degradation of performance. Cold thermal sensations at +5°C to -5°C were reported by 35% of men and 46% of women. Almost all subjects reported at least some cold-related complaints, most commonly musculoskeletal pain (men 30%, women 27%), followed by respiratory (25% / 29%), white finger (15% / 18%) and episodic peripheral circulation symptoms (12% / 15%). Decreased mental or physical performance in cold was reported by 75% of men and 70% of women, most commonly impairing manual dexterity and tactile sense. With declining temperature, the first symptom to emerge was pain in the elbow or the forearm (at -3°C), followed by increased excretion of mucus from the lungs (-5°C), while most other symptoms appeared only at lower temperatures of -15°C to -20°C. Most symptoms showed little or no association with the weekly duration of exposure, with the exception of cold-induced pain at most sites. Although, in general, Finns are well adapted to the cold climate, the high prevalence of cold-related complaints poses a challenge to the health care system in terms of decreased performance and the possibility that such symptoms predict more serious health effects, such as increased mortality.

  7. Topical hindpaw application of L-menthol decreases responsiveness to heat with biphasic effects on cold sensitivity of rat lumbar dorsal horn neurons

    PubMed Central

    Klein, Amanda H.; Sawyer, Carolyn M.; Takechi, Kenichi; Davoodi, Auva; Ivanov, Margaret A.; Carstens, Mirela Iodi; Carstens, E

    2012-01-01

    Menthol is used in pharmaceutical applications because of its desired cooling and analgesic properties. The neural mechanism by which topical application of menthol decreases heat pain is not fully understood. We investigated the effects of topical menthol application on lumbar dorsal horn wide dynamic range and nociceptive-specific neuronal responses to noxious heat and cooling of glaborous hindpaw cutaneous receptive fields. Menthol increased thresholds for responses to noxious heat in a concentration-dependent manner. Menthol had a biphasic effect on cold-evoked responses, reducing the threshold (to warmer temperatures) at a low (1%) concentration and increasing threshold and reducing response magnitude at high (10, 40%) concentrations. Menthol had little effect on responses to innocuous or noxious mechanical stimuli, ruling out a local anesthetic action. Application of 40% menthol to the contralateral hindpaw tended to reduce responses to cooling and noxious heat, suggesting a weak heterosegmental inhibitory effect. These results indicate that menthol has an analgesic effect on heat sensitivity of nociceptive dorsal horn neurons, as well as biphasic effects on cold sensitivity, consistent with previous behavioral observations. PMID:22687951

  8. Differences in reported linguistic thermal sensation between Bangla and Japanese speakers.

    PubMed

    Khatun, Aklima; Hasib, Md Abdul; Nagano, Hisaho; Taimura, Akihiro

    2017-06-05

    Thermal sensation is a fundamental variable used to determine thermal comfort and is most frequently evaluated through the use of subjective reports in the field of environmental physiology. However, there has been little study of the relationship between the semantics of the words used to describe thermal sensation and the climatic background. The present study investigates the linguistic differences in thermal reports from native speakers of Bangla and Japanese. A total of 1141 university students (932 in Bangladesh and 209 in Japan) responded to a questionnaire survey consisting of 20 questions. Group differences between Bangladeshi and Japanese respondents were then tested with a chi-square test in a crosstab analysis using SPSS (version 21). For the Bangla-speaking respondents, the closest feeling of thermal comfort was "neutral" (66.6%) followed by "slightly cool" (10.2%), "slightly cold" (6.0%), "slightly hot" (4.1%), and "cold" (3.8%). For the Japanese respondents, the closest feeling of thermal comfort was "cool" (38.3%) followed by "slightly cool" (20.4%), "neutral" (14.6%), "slightly warm" (13.1%), and "warm" (10.7%). Of the Bangladeshi respondents, 37.7% reported that they were sensitive to cold weather and 18.1% reported that they were sensitive to hot weather. Of the Japanese respondents, 20.6% reported that they were sensitive to cold weather and 29.2% reported that they were sensitive to hot weather. Of the Bangladeshi respondents, 51.4% chose "higher than 29 °C" as hot weather and 38.7% of the Japanese respondents chose "higher than 32 °C" as hot weather. In the case of cold weather, 43.1% of the Bangladeshi respondents selected "lower than 15 °C" as cold weather and 53.4% of the Japanese respondents selected "lower than 10 °C" as cold weather. Most of the Bangla-speaking respondents chose "neutral" as the most comfortable temperature, and most of the Japanese respondents chose "cool." Most of the Bangladeshi respondents reported that they

  9. The economic cost of noxious weeds on Montana grazing lands

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We distributed a 16-question survey concerning noxious weed abundances, impacts and management to livestock producers grazing on privately-owned or leased grazing lands in Montana. The noxious weeds most commonly reported as being present on respondents’ grazing units were Canada thistle (64% of gra...

  10. 7 CFR 360.302 - Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... noxious weeds. 360.302 Section 360.302 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.302 Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds. Upon the receipt of an application made in...

  11. 7 CFR 360.302 - Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... noxious weeds. 360.302 Section 360.302 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.302 Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds. Upon the receipt of an application made in...

  12. 7 CFR 360.302 - Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... noxious weeds. 360.302 Section 360.302 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.302 Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds. Upon the receipt of an application made in...

  13. 7 CFR 360.302 - Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... noxious weeds. 360.302 Section 360.302 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.302 Consideration of applications for permits to move noxious weeds. Upon the receipt of an application made in...

  14. Human whole body cold adaptation.

    PubMed

    Daanen, Hein A M; Van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter D

    2016-01-01

    Reviews on whole body human cold adaptation generally do not distinguish between population studies and dedicated acclimation studies, leading to confusing results. Population studies show that indigenous black Africans have reduced shivering thermogenesis in the cold and poor cold induced vasodilation in fingers and toes compared to Caucasians and Inuit. About 40,000 y after humans left Africa, natives in cold terrestrial areas seems to have developed not only behavioral adaptations, but also physiological adaptations to cold. Dedicated studies show that repeated whole body exposure of individual volunteers, mainly Caucasians, to severe cold results in reduced cold sensation but no major physiological changes. Repeated cold water immersion seems to slightly reduce metabolic heat production, while repeated exposure to milder cold conditions shows some increase in metabolic heat production, in particular non-shivering thermogenesis. In conclusion, human cold adaptation in the form of increased metabolism and insulation seems to have occurred during recent evolution in populations, but cannot be developed during a lifetime in cold conditions as encountered in temperate and arctic regions. Therefore, we mainly depend on our behavioral skills to live in and survive the cold.

  15. Human whole body cold adaptation

    PubMed Central

    Daanen, Hein A.M.; Van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter D.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT Reviews on whole body human cold adaptation generally do not distinguish between population studies and dedicated acclimation studies, leading to confusing results. Population studies show that indigenous black Africans have reduced shivering thermogenesis in the cold and poor cold induced vasodilation in fingers and toes compared to Caucasians and Inuit. About 40,000 y after humans left Africa, natives in cold terrestrial areas seems to have developed not only behavioral adaptations, but also physiological adaptations to cold. Dedicated studies show that repeated whole body exposure of individual volunteers, mainly Caucasians, to severe cold results in reduced cold sensation but no major physiological changes. Repeated cold water immersion seems to slightly reduce metabolic heat production, while repeated exposure to milder cold conditions shows some increase in metabolic heat production, in particular non-shivering thermogenesis. In conclusion, human cold adaptation in the form of increased metabolism and insulation seems to have occurred during recent evolution in populations, but cannot be developed during a lifetime in cold conditions as encountered in temperate and arctic regions. Therefore, we mainly depend on our behavioral skills to live in and survive the cold. PMID:27227100

  16. Not in whose backyard? Minority population concentrations and noxious facility sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nieves, L.A.

    1992-04-01

    The NIMBY (not in may backyard) syndrome has become the nemesis of facility siting efforts in the USA. Given people`s reluctance to live near noxious facilities, in whose backyard are such facilities located? This study employs US county-level data to examine relative concentrations of minorities living near noxious facilities. Facility types analyzed include electric generating plants, manufacturing plants, Superfund sites, and radioactive waste disposal sites. While this study does not address which cam first, the minority population concentration or the noxious facilities, it documents their current degree of association.

  17. Not in whose backyard Minority population concentrations and noxious facility sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nieves, L.A.

    1992-01-01

    The NIMBY (not in may backyard) syndrome has become the nemesis of facility siting efforts in the USA. Given people's reluctance to live near noxious facilities, in whose backyard are such facilities located This study employs US county-level data to examine relative concentrations of minorities living near noxious facilities. Facility types analyzed include electric generating plants, manufacturing plants, Superfund sites, and radioactive waste disposal sites. While this study does not address which cam first, the minority population concentration or the noxious facilities, it documents their current degree of association.

  18. 7 CFR 360.301 - Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... move noxious weeds. 360.301 Section 360.301 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.301 Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds. (a) Permit to import...

  19. 7 CFR 360.301 - Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... move noxious weeds. 360.301 Section 360.301 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.301 Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds. (a) Permit to import...

  20. 7 CFR 360.301 - Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... move noxious weeds. 360.301 Section 360.301 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.301 Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds. (a) Permit to import...

  1. 7 CFR 360.301 - Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... move noxious weeds. 360.301 Section 360.301 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.301 Information required for applications for permits to move noxious weeds. (a) Permit to import...

  2. Step-down vs. step-up noxious stimulation: differential effects on pain perception and patterns of brain activation.

    PubMed

    Choi, J C; Kim, J; Kang, E; Choi, J-H; Park, W Y; Choi, Y-S; Cha, J; Han, C; Park, S K; Kim, M H; Lee, G H; Do, H-J; Jung, S W; Lee, J-M

    2016-01-01

    We hypothesize that pain and brain responses are affected by changes in the presentation sequence of noxious stimuli that are, overall, identical in intensity and duration. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, 21 participants experienced three patterns of noxious stimulation: Up-type (step-up noxious stimulation, 15 s), Down-type (step-down noxious stimulation, 15 s), and Down-up-type (decreasing and increasing pattern of noxious stimulation, 15 s). The total intensity and duration of the three noxious stimulation patterns were identical, but the stimulation sequences were different. Pain and unpleasantness ratings in the Down- and Down-up-type noxious stimulations were lower than in the Up-type noxious stimulation. The left prefrontal cortex [(PFC, BA (Brodmann area) 10, (-45, 50, 1)] was more highly activated in the Down- and Down-up-type noxious stimulations than in the Up-type noxious stimulation. The S1, S2, insula, bilateral PFC (BA 46), and midcingulate cortex were more highly activated in the Up-type noxious stimulation than in the Down-type noxious stimulation. PFC BA 10 was located at an inferior level compared to the bilateral PFC BA 46 (Z axis = 1 for BA 10, compared to 22 and 25 for the right and left BA 46, respectively). When cortisol level was increased, the left hippocampal cortex, along with the left parahippocampal cortex, was greatly activated for the Up-type noxious stimulation. When pain cannot be avoided in clinical practice, noxious stimuli should be applied to patients in a step-down pattern that delivers the most intense pain first and the least intense pain last. © 2015 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Should We Use Colours as Symbolic Representations of Hot and Cold?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carvalho, Paulo Simeao; Sampaio e Sousa, Adriano

    2006-01-01

    People usually talk about "hot and cold" colours without really thinking of the impact these definitions may have on scientific understanding. These colours are associated with the human sensations of hot and cold, and this idea is consistent with commonsense and daily experience. Interacting with students, we detect conceptual conflicts when they…

  4. 7 CFR 360.501 - Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed...) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.501 Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists. A person may petition the Administrator to remove a...

  5. Clues to understanding cold sensation: Thermodynamics and electrophysiological analysis of the cold receptor TRPM8

    PubMed Central

    Brauchi, Sebastian; Orio, Patricio; Latorre, Ramon

    2004-01-01

    The cold and menthol receptor, TRPM8, also designated CMR1, is a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) family of excitatory ion channels. TRPM8 is a channel activated by cold temperatures, voltage, and menthol. In this study, we characterize the cold- and voltage-induced activation of TRPM8 channel in an attempt to identify the temperature- and voltage-dependent components involved in channel activation. Under equilibrium conditions, decreasing temperature has two effects. (i) It shifts the normalized conductance vs. voltage curves toward the left, along the voltage axis. This effect indicates that the degree of order is higher when the channel is in the open configuration. (ii) It increases the maximum channel open probability, suggesting that temperature affects both voltage-dependent and -independent pathways. In the temperature range between 18°C and 25°C, large changes in enthalpy (ΔH = -112 kcal/mol) and entropy (ΔS = -384 cal/mol K) accompany the activation process. The Q10 calculated in the same temperature range is 24. This thermodynamic analysis strongly suggests that the process of opening involves large conformational changes of the channel-forming protein. Therefore, the highly temperature-dependent transition between open and closed configurations is possible because enthalpy and entropy are both large and compensate each other. Our data also demonstrate that temperature and voltage interact allosterically to enhance channel opening. PMID:15492228

  6. Lung function after cold-water dives with a standard scuba regulator or full-face-mask during wintertime.

    PubMed

    Uhlig, Florian; Muth, Claus-Martin; Tetzlaff, Kay; Koch, Andreas; Leberle, Richard; Georgieff, Michael; Winkler, Bernd E

    2014-06-01

    Full-face-masks (FFM) prevent the diver's face from cold and can support nasal breathing underwater. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the use of FFMs on lung function and wellbeing. Twenty-one, healthy, non-asthmatic divers performed two cold-water dives (4⁰C, 25 min, 10 metres' depth) - one with a FFM and the other with a standard scuba regulator (SSR). Spirometry was performed before and after each dive and well-being and cold sensation were assessed after the dives. Significant decreases in forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) and midexpiratory flow at 75% of FVC (MEF₇₅) occurred after both FFM and SSR dives. Changes in FVC and FEV₁ did not differ significantly between FFM and SSR dives. However, the mid-expiratory flows measured at 50% and 25% of FVC (MEF₅₀ and MEF₂₅) were significantly lower 10 minutes after the FFM dive compared to 10 minutes after the SSR dive. The wellbeing and cold sensation of the divers were significantly improved with FFM dives compared to SSR dives. Cold-water dives during wintertime can be associated with airway narrowing. During cold-water dives, the use of a FFM appears to reduce the cold sensation and enhance the well-being of the divers. However, a FFM does not appear to prevent airway narrowing in healthy, non-asthmatic subjects.

  7. 7 CFR 360.300 - General prohibitions and restrictions on the movement of noxious weeds; permits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... of noxious weeds; permits. 360.300 Section 360.300 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.300 General prohibitions and restrictions on the movement of noxious weeds; permits. (a) No...

  8. Noxious Weeds in the US and Canada

    Science.gov Websites

    projects • Comments Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture Noxious weeds in supported by the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Principal investigators: Dr. Kerri Skinner, University

  9. Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) Induces Hypothermia During Acute Cold Stress.

    PubMed

    Foster, Josh; Mauger, Alexis R; Govus, Andrew; Hewson, David; Taylor, Lee

    2017-11-01

    Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter drug used to treat pain and fever, but it has also been shown to reduce core temperature (T c ) in the absence of fever. However, this side effect is not well examined in humans, and it is unknown if the hypothermic response to acetaminophen is exacerbated with cold exposure. To address this question, we mapped the thermoregulatory responses to acetaminophen and placebo administration during exposure to acute cold (10 °C) and thermal neutrality (25 °C). Nine healthy Caucasian males (aged 20-24 years) participated in the experiment. In a double-blind, randomised, repeated measures design, participants were passively exposed to a thermo-neutral or cold environment for 120 min, with administration of 20 mg/kg lean body mass acetaminophen or a placebo 5 min prior to exposure. T c , skin temperature (T sk ), heart rate, and thermal sensation were measured every 10 min, and mean arterial pressure was recorded every 30 min. Data were analysed using linear mixed effects models. Differences in thermal sensation were analysed using a cumulative link mixed model. Acetaminophen had no effect on T c in a thermo-neutral environment, but significantly reduced T c during cold exposure, compared with a placebo. T c was lower in the acetaminophen compared with the placebo condition at each 10-min interval from 80 to 120 min into the trial (all p < 0.05). On average, T c decreased by 0.42 ± 0.13 °C from baseline after 120 min of cold exposure (range 0.16-0.57 °C), whereas there was no change in the placebo group (0.01 ± 0.1 °C). T sk , heart rate, thermal sensation, and mean arterial pressure were not different between conditions (p > 0.05). This preliminary trial suggests that acetaminophen-induced hypothermia is exacerbated during cold stress. Larger scale trials seem warranted to determine if acetaminophen administration is associated with an increased risk of accidental hypothermia, particularly in vulnerable

  10. Nociceptive sensations evoked from 'spots' in the skin by mild cooling and heating.

    PubMed

    Green, Barry G; Roman, Carolyn; Schoen, Kate; Collins, Hannah

    2008-03-01

    It was recently found that nociceptive sensations (stinging, pricking, or burning) can be evoked by cooling or heating the skin to innocuous temperatures (e.g., 29 and 37 degrees C). Here, we show that this low-threshold thermal nociception (LTN) can be traced to sensitive 'spots' in the skin equivalent to classically defined warm spots and cold spots. Because earlier work had shown that LTN is inhibited by simply touching a thermode to the skin, a spatial search procedure was devised that minimized tactile stimulation by sliding small thermodes (16 and 1mm(2)) set to 28 or 36 degrees C slowly across the lubricated skin of the forearm. The procedure uncovered three types of temperature-sensitive sites (thermal, bimodal, and nociceptive) that contained one or more thermal, nociceptive, or (rarely) bimodal spots. Repeated testing indicated that bimodal and nociceptive sites were less stable over time than thermal sites, and that mechanical contact differentially inhibited nociceptive sensations. Intensity ratings collected over a range of temperatures showed that LTN increased monotonically on heat-sensitive sites but not on cold-sensitive sites. These results provide psychophysical evidence that stimulation from primary afferent fibers with thresholds in the range of warm fibers and cold fibers is relayed to the pain pathway. However, the labile nature of LTN implies that these low-threshold nociceptive inputs are subject to inhibitory controls. The implications of these findings for the roles of putative temperature receptors and nociceptors in innocuous thermoreception and thermal pain are discussed.

  11. 7 CFR 201.52 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... the bulk examined for noxious-weed seeds need not be noted: 1/2-gram purity working sample, 16 or more seeds; 1-gram purity working sample, 23 or more seeds; 2-gram purity working sample or larger, 30 or...

  12. [Mechanism of pain sensation].

    PubMed

    Gyulaházi, Judit

    2009-11-15

    Pain, as subjective content of consciousness, is an essential attention-calling sign that helps to survive. Pain relieve is obligatory for every physician, thus, its individual appearance can make the analgesia difficult to carry out. The improving neuroimaging techniques allow understanding the development of pain sensation. Through the 24 articles on the PubMed found with keywords 'pain' and 'neuroimaging', we review here the parts of the pain neuron matrix, their tasks and the assumed mechanism of the acute pain sensation. The mechanism of the individual pain sensation is illustrated by the view of the modular function of the medial part of the pain matrix. Experimental results of empathic pain suggest that pain sensation may occur without real damage of the tissues, as well. The pain network plays main role in chronic pain.

  13. Heat strain in cold.

    PubMed

    Rintamäki, Hannu; Rissanen, Sirkka

    2006-07-01

    In spite of increased environmental cold stress, heat strain is possible also in a cold environment. The body heat balance depends on three factors: environmental thermal conditions, metabolic heat production and thermal insulation of clothing and other protective garments. As physical exercise may increase metabolic heat production from rest values by ten times or even more, the required thermal insulation of clothing may vary accordingly. However, in most outdoor work, and often in indoor cold work, too, the thermal insulation of clothing is impractical, difficult or impossible to adjust according to the changes in physical activity. This is especially true with whole body covering garments like chemical protective clothing. As a result of this imbalance, heat strain may develop. In cold all the signs of heat strain (core temperature above 38 degrees C, warm or hot thermal sensations, increased cutaneous circulation and sweating) may not be present at the same time. Heat strain in cold may be whole body heat strain or related only to torso or core temperature. Together with heat strain in torso or body core, there can be at the same time even cold strain in peripheral parts and/or superficial layers of the body. In cold environment both the preservation of insulation and facilitation of heat loss are important. Development of clothing design is still needed to allow easy adjustments of thermal insulation.

  14. Cold, Ice, and Snow Safety (For Parents)

    MedlinePlus

    ... the chilled body parts in warm (not hot) water — 104-108°F (40-42°C) — until they are able to feel sensation again. Frostbite occurs mostly on fingers, toes, ears, noses, and cheeks. The area becomes very cold and turns white or yellowish gray. If you notice frostbite, take your child immediately ...

  15. 77 FR 3729 - Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Plant Pest, Noxious...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ... Collection; Plant Pest, Noxious Weed, and Garbage Regulations AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection... with plant pest, noxious weed, and garbage regulations. DATES: We will consider all comments that we... pest, noxious weed, and garbage regulations, contact Dr. Shirley Wager- Pag[eacute], Chief, Pest Permit...

  16. A TRPA1-dependent mechanism for the pungent sensation of weak acids

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yuanyuan Y.; Chang, Rui B.; Allgood, Sallie D.; Silver, Wayne L.

    2011-01-01

    Acetic acid produces an irritating sensation that can be attributed to activation of nociceptors within the trigeminal ganglion that innervate the nasal or oral cavities. These sensory neurons sense a diverse array of noxious agents in the environment, allowing animals to actively avoid tissue damage. Although receptor mechanisms have been identified for many noxious chemicals, the mechanisms by which animals detect weak acids, such as acetic acid, are less well understood. Weak acids are only partially dissociated at neutral pH and, as such, some can cross the cell membrane, acidifying the cell cytosol. The nociceptor ion channel TRPA1 is activated by CO2, through gating of the channel by intracellular protons, making it a candidate to more generally mediate sensory responses to weak acids. To test this possibility, we measured responses to weak acids from heterologously expressed TRPA1 channels and trigeminal neurons with patch clamp recording and Ca2+ microfluorometry. Our results show that heterologously expressed TRPA1 currents can be induced by a series of weak organic acids, including acetic, propionic, formic, and lactic acid, but not by strong acids. Notably, the degree of channel activation was predicted by the degree of intracellular acidification produced by each acid, suggesting that intracellular protons are the proximate stimulus that gates the channel. Responses to weak acids produced a Ca2+-independent inactivation that precluded further activation by weak acids or reactive chemicals, whereas preactivation by reactive electrophiles sensitized TRPA1 channels to weak acids. Importantly, responses of trigeminal neurons to weak acids were highly overrepresented in the subpopulation of TRPA1-expressing neurons and were severely reduced in neurons from TRPA1 knockout mice. We conclude that TRPA1 is a general sensor for weak acids that produce intracellular acidification and suggest that it functions within the pain pathway to mediate sensitivity to

  17. A leptin-regulated circuit controls glucose mobilization during noxious stimuli.

    PubMed

    Flak, Jonathan N; Arble, Deanna; Pan, Warren; Patterson, Christa; Lanigan, Thomas; Goforth, Paulette B; Sacksner, Jamie; Joosten, Maja; Morgan, Donald A; Allison, Margaret B; Hayes, John; Feldman, Eva; Seeley, Randy J; Olson, David P; Rahmouni, Kamal; Myers, Martin G

    2017-08-01

    Adipocytes secrete the hormone leptin to signal the sufficiency of energy stores. Reductions in circulating leptin concentrations reflect a negative energy balance, which augments sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation in response to metabolically demanding emergencies. This process ensures adequate glucose mobilization despite low energy stores. We report that leptin receptor-expressing neurons (LepRb neurons) in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), the largest population of LepRb neurons in the brain stem, mediate this process. Application of noxious stimuli, which often signal the need to mobilize glucose to support an appropriate response, activated PAG LepRb neurons, which project to and activate parabrachial nucleus (PBN) neurons that control SNS activation and glucose mobilization. Furthermore, activating PAG LepRb neurons increased SNS activity and blood glucose concentrations, while ablating LepRb in PAG neurons augmented glucose mobilization in response to noxious stimuli. Thus, decreased leptin action on PAG LepRb neurons augments the autonomic response to noxious stimuli, ensuring sufficient glucose mobilization during periods of acute demand in the face of diminished energy stores.

  18. Astrocytic Ca2+ responses in the spinal dorsal horn by noxious stimuli to the skin.

    PubMed

    Yoshihara, Kohei; Matsuda, Tsuyoshi; Kohro, Yuta; Tozaki-Saitoh, Hidetoshi; Inoue, Kazuhide; Tsuda, Makoto

    2018-05-03

    The role of astrocytes in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) for sensory information processing under normal conditions is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether SDH astrocytes respond to noxious and innocuous stimuli to the skin of normal mice using in vivo two-photon Ca 2+ imaging under anesthesia. We found that noxious stimulation evoked by intraplantar formalin injection provoked an elevation in intracellular Ca 2+ levels in SDH astrocytes. By contrast, neither instantaneous noxious pinching nor innocuous stimuli (cooling or brushing) to the hindpaw elicited astrocytic Ca 2+ responses. Thus, SDH astrocytes could respond preferentially to a strong and/or sustained noxious stimulus. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Suppression of bulboreticular unit responses to noxious stimuli by analgesic mesencephalic stimulation.

    PubMed

    Morrow, T J; Casey, K L

    1983-01-01

    The responses of 302 neurons in the medial medullary reticular formation (MRF) to a variety of noxious and innocuous somatic stimuli were studied in anesthetized and awake rats. In addition, the effects of analgesic electrical stimulation in the mesencephalon (MES) on unit responses were examined. Tail shock was the most effective stimulus, exciting more than 80% of all units recorded. This stimulus was considered separately during data analysis, since it could not be classified as noxious or innocuous. Noxious somatic stimuli (including pinch, firm pressure, pin prick, and radiant heating of the tail above 45 degrees C were especially effective in eliciting discharge in a significant fraction of all cells in both awake (123/205) and anesthetized (45/97) animals. Nociceptive neurons could be classified as nociceptive specific (NS) or wide dynamic range (WDR) depending on their responses to all somatic stimuli tested. Nociceptive neurons showed no preferential anatomical distribution. Most neurons, including those responsive to noxious inputs, exhibited large, often bilateral receptive fields which frequently covered the tail, one or more limbs, and extensive areas of the body or head. Electrical stimulation within or adjacent to the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray matter depressed the spontaneous and evoked discharge of MRF neurons in both acute and chronic preparations. This inhibition showed a significant preference (p less than 0.001, chi-square statistic) for units that were excited by somatic and especially noxious stimuli. No units were facilitated by MES stimulation. In the awake rat, unit suppression closely followed the time course and level of MES-induced analgesia. Excitability data from the acute experiments suggest that this response inhibition may be the result of a direct action on MRF neurons. Anesthesia severely depressed the spontaneous discharge of MRF neurons as well as the activity evoked by innocuous somatic stimulation. Our data suggest

  20. 7 CFR 361.6 - Noxious weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Noxious weed seeds. 361.6 Section 361.6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE... measured from the base of the rachilla. (3) Seeds of legumes (Fabaceae) with the seed coats entirely...

  1. 7 CFR 201.16 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.16 Section 201.16 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Labeling Agricultural Seeds §...

  2. 7 CFR 201.52 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.52 Section 201.52 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the...

  3. 7 CFR 201.52 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.52 Section 201.52 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the...

  4. 7 CFR 201.52 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.52 Section 201.52 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the...

  5. 7 CFR 201.16 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.16 Section 201.16 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Labeling Agricultural Seeds §...

  6. 7 CFR 201.16 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.16 Section 201.16 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Labeling Agricultural Seeds §...

  7. 7 CFR 201.16 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.16 Section 201.16 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Labeling Agricultural Seeds §...

  8. 7 CFR 201.52 - Noxious-weed seeds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds. 201.52 Section 201.52 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS Purity Analysis in the...

  9. Acupuncture sensation during ultrasound guided acupuncture needling

    PubMed Central

    Park, Jongbae J.; Akazawa, Margeaux; Ahn, Jaeki; Beckman-Harned, Selena; Lin, Feng-Chang; Lee, Kwangjae; Fine, Jason; Davis, Robert T; Langevin, Helene

    2014-01-01

    Background Although acupuncture sensation (also known as de qi) is a cornerstone of traditional acupuncture therapy, most research has accepted the traditional method of defining acupuncture sensation only through subjective patient reports rather than on any quantifiable physiological basis. Purpose To preliminarily investigate the frequency of key sensations experienced while needling to specific, quantifiable tissue levels (TLs) guided by ultrasound (US) imaging. Methods Five participants received needling at two acupuncture points and two control points at four TLs. US scans were used to determine when each TL was reached. Each volunteer completed 32 sets of modified Southampton Needle Sensation Questionnaires. Part one of the study tested sensations experienced at each TL and part two compared the effect of oscillation alone versus oscillation + rotation. Results In all volunteers, the frequency of pricking, sharp sensations was significantly greater in shallower TLs than deeper (p=0.007); the frequency of sensations described as deep, dull and heavy, as spreading, and as electric shocks was significantly greater in deeper TLs than shallower (p=0.002). Sensations experienced did not significantly differ between real and control points within each of three TLs (p>0.05) except TL 4 (p=0.006). The introduction of needle rotation significantly increased deep, dull, heavy sensations, but not pricking and sharp sensations; within each level, the spectrum of sensation experienced during both oscillation + rotation and oscillation alone did not significantly differ between acupuncture and control points. Conclusion The preliminary study indicates a strong connection between acupuncture sensation and both tissue depth and needle rotation. Furthermore, the new methodology has been proven feasible. A further study with an objective measurement is warranted. PMID:21642648

  10. 7 CFR 360.303 - Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; conditions specified in permit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... noxious weed; conditions specified in permit. 360.303 Section 360.303 Agriculture Regulations of the... NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.303 Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed... noxious weed. If the application is approved, the Administrator will issue the permit including any...

  11. 7 CFR 360.303 - Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; conditions specified in permit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... noxious weed; conditions specified in permit. 360.303 Section 360.303 Agriculture Regulations of the... NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.303 Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed... noxious weed. If the application is approved, the Administrator will issue the permit including any...

  12. 7 CFR 360.303 - Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; conditions specified in permit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... noxious weed; conditions specified in permit. 360.303 Section 360.303 Agriculture Regulations of the... NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.303 Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed... noxious weed. If the application is approved, the Administrator will issue the permit including any...

  13. 7 CFR 360.303 - Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; conditions specified in permit.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... noxious weed; conditions specified in permit. 360.303 Section 360.303 Agriculture Regulations of the... NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.303 Approval of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed... noxious weed. If the application is approved, the Administrator will issue the permit including any...

  14. Repeated noxious stimulation of the skin enhances cutaneous pain perception of migraine patients in-between attacks: clinical evidence for continuous sub-threshold increase in membrane excitability of central trigeminovascular neurons.

    PubMed

    Weissman-Fogel, Irit; Sprecher, Elliot; Granovsky, Yelena; Yarnitsky, David

    2003-08-01

    Recent clinical studies showed that acute migraine attacks are accompanied by increased periorbital and bodily skin sensitivity to touch, heat and cold. Parallel pre-clinical studies showed that the underlying mechanism is sensitization of primary nociceptors and central trigeminovascular neurons. The present study investigates the sensory state of neuronal pathways that mediate skin pain sensation in migraine patients in between attacks. The assessments of sensory perception included (a) mechanical and thermal pain thresholds of the periorbital area, electrical pain threshold of forearm skin, (b) pain scores to phasic supra-threshold stimuli in the same modalities and areas as above, and (c) temporal summation of pain induced by applying noxious tonic heat pain and brief trains of noxious mechanical and electrical pulses to the above skin areas. Thirty-four pain-free migraine patients and 28 age- and gender-matched controls were studied. Patients did not differ from controls in their pain thresholds for heat (44+/-2.6 vs. 44.6+/-1.9 degrees C), and electrical (4.8+/-1.6 vs. 4.3+/-1.6 mA) stimulation, and in their pain scores for supra-threshold phasic stimuli for all modalities. They did, however, differ in their pain threshold for mechanical stimulation, just by one von Frey filament (P=0.01) and in their pain scores of the temporal summation tests. Increased summation of pain was found in migraineurs for repeated mechanical stimuli (delta visual analog scale (VAS) +2.32+/-0.73 in patients vs. +0.16+/-0.83 in controls, P=0.05) and repeated electrical stimuli (delta VAS +3.83+/-1.91 vs -3.79+/-2.31, P=0.01). Increased summation corresponded with more severe clinical parameters of migraine and tended to depend on interval since last migraine attack. The absence of clinically or overt laboratory expressed allodynia suggests that pain pathways are not sensitized in the pain-free migraine patients. Nevertheless, the increased temporal summation, and the slight

  15. 36 CFR 222.8 - Cooperation in control of estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. 222.8 Section... unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. (a) Insofar as it involves... application and enforcement of all laws and regulations relating to livestock diseases, sanitation and noxious...

  16. 36 CFR 222.8 - Cooperation in control of estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. 222.8 Section... unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. (a) Insofar as it involves... application and enforcement of all laws and regulations relating to livestock diseases, sanitation and noxious...

  17. 36 CFR 222.8 - Cooperation in control of estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. 222.8 Section... unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. (a) Insofar as it involves... application and enforcement of all laws and regulations relating to livestock diseases, sanitation and noxious...

  18. 36 CFR 222.8 - Cooperation in control of estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. 222.8 Section... unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. (a) Insofar as it involves... application and enforcement of all laws and regulations relating to livestock diseases, sanitation and noxious...

  19. 36 CFR 222.8 - Cooperation in control of estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... estray or unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. 222.8 Section... unbranded livestock, animal diseases, noxious farm weeds, and use of pesticides. (a) Insofar as it involves... application and enforcement of all laws and regulations relating to livestock diseases, sanitation and noxious...

  20. Oral sensations and secretions.

    PubMed

    Running, Cordelia A

    2018-04-10

    Sensations experienced in the mouth influence food choices, both immediately and in the long term. Such sensations are themselves influenced by experience with flavors, the chemical environment of the mouth, genetics of receptors for flavors, and individual behavior in the chewing of food. Gustation, the sense of taste, yields information about nutrients, influences palatability, and feeds into the human body's preparation to receive those nutrients. Olfaction, the sense of smell, contributes enormously to defining and identifying food flavors (and is experienced even after placing food inside the mouth). Another vital component of food flavor is texture, which contributes to palatability, especially if a food's texture violates a person's expectations. Next, chemesthesis is the sense of chemically induced irritancy and temperature, for example spiciness and stinging. All of these sensations are potentially modified by saliva, the chemical and physical media of the mouth. As a person experiences the culmination of these oral sensations, modified through an individual's own unique saliva, the flavors in turn influence both what and how a person eats. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. 7 CFR 360.501 - Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists. 360.501 Section 360.501 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.501...

  2. 7 CFR 360.501 - Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists. 360.501 Section 360.501 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.501...

  3. 7 CFR 360.501 - Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Petitions to remove a taxon from the noxious weed lists. 360.501 Section 360.501 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.501...

  4. Cool colors: color-induced nasal thermal sensations.

    PubMed

    Michael, George A; Rolhion, Pauline

    2008-05-09

    We asked subjects to sniff a bottle containing distilled water and to say whether they felt a cooling or warming sensation in the nasal cavity. Odorless food coloring was added to three of these bottles so as to obtain one yellow, one green, one red and one colorless solution. Subjects were presented with each bottle four times under free viewing conditions or while blindfolded, and each nostril was tested separately. Although no thermal stimulus was present, subjects reported thermal sensations, but only under free viewing conditions. The nature of these sensations depended on the color of the solution, with green inducing cooling and red warming sensations. It also depended on which nostril was tested, with warming sensations evidenced only when the left nostril was tested, and cooling sensations only when the right nostril was tested. It is the first time color has been reported to induce nasal thermal sensations in the absence of thermal stimuli. These results are therefore entirely new. Furthermore, they suggest that thermosensory processing and judgment may depend on lateralized processes in the human brain.

  5. 7 CFR 360.304 - Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. 360.304 Section 360.304 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.304 Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. (a) The Administrator may deny an...

  6. 7 CFR 360.304 - Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. 360.304 Section 360.304 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.304 Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. (a) The Administrator may deny an...

  7. 7 CFR 360.304 - Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. 360.304 Section 360.304 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.304 Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. (a) The Administrator may deny an...

  8. Dalmatian toadflax, an invasive exotic noxious weed, threatens Flagstaff pennyroyal community following prescribed fire

    Treesearch

    Barbara Goodrich Phillips; Debra Crisp

    2001-01-01

    Many noxious weed infestations are initiated or increased by soil disturbance. With the recent emphasis on reintroduction of fire into natural ecosystems there has been increased interest in the effects of noxious weeds following fires. This paper discusses the effects of fire on Flagstaff pennyroyal, a Forest Service Region 3 sensitive plant, and the subsequent...

  9. Toward a medical anthropology of sensations: definitions and research agenda.

    PubMed

    Hinton, Devon E; Howes, David; Kirmayer, Laurence J

    2008-06-01

    In this article, we outline the importance of a medical anthropology of sensations for theories of psychopathology and psychological healing. We define what is meant by ;sensation' (differentiating monomodal and polymodal sensations) and describe some of the mechanisms that generate and amplify sensations. We propose the heuristic use of the concepts of sensation schemas, sensation interpretants, and sensation scripts. We argue against the naive assumption that sensation experience is the same across cultures. Finally, we consider how healing may occur through 'sensation semiosis.'

  10. Peptidergic CGRPα primary sensory neurons encode heat and itch and tonically suppress sensitivity to cold

    PubMed Central

    McCoy, Eric S.; Taylor-Blake, Bonnie; Street, Sarah E.; Pribisko, Alaine L.; Zheng, Jihong; Zylka, Mark J.

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a classic molecular marker of peptidergic primary somatosensory neurons. Despite years of research, it is unknown if these neurons are required to sense pain or other sensory stimuli. Here, we found that genetic ablation of CGRPα-expressing sensory neurons reduced sensitivity to noxious heat, capsaicin and itch (histamine and chloroquine) and impaired thermoregulation but did not impair mechanosensation or β-alanine itch—stimuli associated with nonpeptidergic sensory neurons. Unexpectedly, ablation enhanced behavioral responses to cold stimuli and cold mimetics without altering peripheral nerve responses to cooling. Mechanistically, ablation reduced tonic and evoked activity in postsynaptic spinal neurons associated with TRPV1/heat, while profoundly increasing tonic and evoked activity in spinal neurons associated with TRPM8/cold. Our data reveal that CGRPα sensory neurons encode heat and itch and tonically cross-inhibit cold-responsive spinal neurons. Disruption of this crosstalk unmasks cold hypersensitivity, with mechanistic implications for neuropathic pain and temperature perception. PMID:23523592

  11. Neuropeptide Y receptor-expressing dorsal horn neurons: role in nocifensive reflex and operant responses to aversive cold after CFA inflammation.

    PubMed

    Lemons, L L; Wiley, R G

    2012-08-02

    The spinal Neuropeptide Y (NPY) system is a potential target for development of new pain therapeutics. NPY and two of its receptors (Y1 and Y2) are found in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord, a key area of nociceptive gating and modulation. Lumbar intrathecal injection of (NPY) is antinociceptive, reducing hyper-reflexia to thermal and mechanical stimulation, particularly after nerve injury and inflammation. We have also shown that intrathecal injection of the targeted cytotoxin, Neuropeptide Y-sap (NPY-sap), is also antinociceptive, reducing nocifensive reflex responses to noxious heat and formalin. In the present study, we sought to determine the role of dorsal horn Y1R-expressing neurons in pain by destroying them with NPY-sap and testing the rats on three operant tasks. Lumbar intrathecal NPY-sap (1) reduced Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced hyper-reflexia on the 10°C cold plate, (2) reduced cold aversion on the thermal preference and escape tasks, (3) was analgesic to noxious heat on the escape task, (4) reduced the CFA-induced allodynia to cold temperatures experienced on the thermal preference, feeding interference, and escape tasks, and (5) did not inhibit or interfere with morphine analgesia. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Cold habituation does not improve manual dexterity during rest and exercise in 5 °C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muller, Matthew D.; Seo, Yongsuk; Kim, Chul-Ho; Ryan, Edward J.; Pollock, Brandon S.; Burns, Keith J.; Glickman, Ellen L.

    2014-04-01

    When exposed to a cold environment, a barehanded person experiences pain, cold sensation, and reduced manual dexterity. Both acute (e.g. exercise) and chronic (e.g. cold acclimatization or habituation) processes might lessen these negative effects. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of cold habituation on physiology, perception, and manual dexterity during rest, exercise, and recovery in 5 °C. Six cold weather athletes (CWA) and eight non habituated men (NON) volunteered to participate in a repeated measures cross-over design. The protocol was conducted in 5 °C and was 90 min of resting cold exposure, 30 min of cycle ergometry exercise (50 % VO2 peak), and 60 min of seated recovery. Core and finger skin temperature, metabolic rate, Purdue Pegboard dexterity performance, hand pain, thermal sensation, and mood were quantified. Exercise-induced finger rewarming (EIFRW) was calculated for each hand. During 90 min of resting exposure to 5 °C, the CWA had a smaller reduction in finger temperature, a lower metabolic rate, less hand pain, and less negative mood. Despite this cold habituation, dexterity performance was not different between groups. In response to cycle ergometry, EIFRW was greater in CWA (~12 versus 7 °C) and occurred at lower core temperatures (37.02 versus 37.31 °C) relative to NON but dexterity was not greater during post-exercise recovery. The current data indicate that cold habituated men (i.e., CWA) do not perform better on the Purdue Pegboard during acute cold exposure. Furthermore, despite augmented EIFRW in CWA, dexterity during post-exercise recovery was similar between groups.

  13. Ion channel profile of TRPM8 cold receptors reveals a novel role of TASK-3 potassium channels in thermosensation

    PubMed Central

    Morenilla-Palao, Cruz; Luis, Enoch; Fernández-Peña, Carlos; Quintero, Eva; Weaver, Janelle L.; Bayliss, Douglas A.; Viana, Félix

    2017-01-01

    Summary Animals sense cold ambient temperatures through the activation of peripheral thermoreceptors that express TRPM8, a cold- and menthol-activated ion channel. These receptors can discriminate a very wide range of temperatures from innocuous to noxious. The molecular mechanism responsible for the variable sensitivity of individual cold receptors to temperature is unclear. To address this question, we performed a detailed ion channel expression analysis of cold sensitive neurons, combining BAC transgenesis with a molecular profiling approach in FACS purified TRPM8 neurons. We found that TASK-3 leak potassium channels are highly enriched in a subpopulation of these sensory neurons. The thermal threshold of TRPM8 cold neurons is decreased during TASK-3 blockade and in mice lacking TASK-3 and, most importantly, these mice display hypersensitivity to cold. Our results demonstrate a novel role of TASK-3 channels in thermosensation, showing that a channel-based combinatorial strategy in TRPM8 cold thermoreceptors leads to molecular specialization and functional diversity. PMID:25199828

  14. Bladder sensation measures and overactive bladder.

    PubMed

    Rapp, David E; Neil, Nancy J; Govier, Fred E; Kobashi, Kathleen C

    2009-09-01

    We performed a prospective multicomponent study to determine whether subjective and objective bladder sensation instruments may provide data on sensory dysfunction in patients with overactive bladder. We evaluated 70 prospectively enrolled patients with urodynamics and questionnaires on validated urgency (Urgency Perception Score), general overactive bladder (Urogenital Distress Inventory) and quality of life (Incontinence Impact Questionnaire). We first sought a correlation between sensory specific (Urgency Perception Score) and quality of life questionnaire scores. We then assessed a correlation between sensory questionnaire scores and urodynamic variables, exploring the hypothesis that certain urodynamic parameters may be bladder sensation measures. We evaluated 2 urodynamic derivatives (first sensation ratio and bladder urgency velocity) to increase sensory finding discrimination. We noted a moderate correlation between the Urgency Perception Score (0.56) and the Urogenital Distress Inventory (0.74) vs the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (each p <0.01). A weak negative correlation was seen between Urgency Perception Score and bladder capacity (-0.25, p <0.05). No correlation was noted for the other urodynamics parameters. First sensation ratio and bladder urgency velocity statistically significantly correlated with the Urgency Perception Score despite the lesser or absent correlation associated with the individual components of these derivatives. Bladder sensation questionnaires may be valuable to identify patients with sensory dysfunction and provide additional data not obtained in generalized symptom questionnaires. Urodynamic variables correlated with bladder sensation questionnaire scores and may be an objective method to assess sensory dysfunction.

  15. Non-invasive characterization of real-time bladder sensation using accelerated hydration and a novel sensation meter: An initial experience.

    PubMed

    Nagle, Anna S; Speich, John E; De Wachter, Stefan G; Ghamarian, Peter P; Le, David M; Colhoun, Andrew F; Ratz, Paul H; Barbee, Robert W; Klausner, Adam P

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this investigation was to develop a non-invasive, objective, and unprompted method to characterize real-time bladder sensation. Volunteers with and without overactive bladder (OAB) were prospectively enrolled in a preliminary accelerated hydration study. Participants drank 2L Gatorade-G2® and recorded real-time sensation (0-100% scale) and standardized verbal sensory thresholds using a novel, touch-screen "sensation meter." 3D bladder ultrasound images were recorded throughout fillings for a subset of participants. Sensation data were recorded for two consecutive complete fill-void cycles. Data from 14 normal and 12 OAB participants were obtained (ICIq-OAB-5a = 0 vs. ≥3). Filling duration decreased in fill2 compared to fill1, but volume did not significantly change. In normals, adjacent verbal sensory thresholds (within fill) showed no overlap, and identical thresholds (between fill) were similar, demonstrating effective differentiation between degrees of %bladder capacity. In OAB, within-fill overlaps and between-fill differences were identified. Real-time %capacity-sensation curves left shifted from fill1 to fill2 in normals, consistent with expected viscoelastic behavior, but unexpectedly right shifted in OAB. 3D ultrasound volume data showed that fill rates started slowly and ramped up with variable end points. This study establishes a non-invasive means to evaluate real-time bladder sensation using a two-fill accelerated hydration protocol and a sensation meter. Verbal thresholds were inconsistent in OAB, and the right shift in OAB %capacity-sensation curve suggests potential biomechanical and/or sensitization changes. This methodology could be used to gain valuable information on different forms of OAB in a completely non-invasive way. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Diffuse noxious inhibitory control. Reappraisal by pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials following CO2 laser stimulation.

    PubMed

    Kakigi, R

    1994-09-01

    The effects of DNIC (diffuse noxious inhibitory control) in humans were evaluated by means of pain SEPs (somatosensory evoked potentials) and pain visual analogue scale (VAS) following CO2 laser stimulation applied to the left knee while conditioning stimuli (non-noxious and noxious thermal stimuli) applied to the right hand. Pain SEPs were recorded from scalp electrodes following laser stimulation applied to the left knee during various conditions as follows: (1) control (without any interference), (2) non-noxious (dipping the right hand in water at 41 degrees C for 3 min), (3) noxious (dipping the right hand in water at 46 degrees C for 3 min), and (4) after-effect (3-6 min after taking the hand from the water at 46 degrees C). The present pain SEPs findings confirmed the presence of DNIC in humans, and indicates: (1) degree of pain relief was significantly correlated with changes in pain SEPs, particularly a marked decrease in amplitude, and a decrease in VAS; (2) DNIC was more effective on the second pain than the first pain; (3) the effect of DNIC gradually increased over time, but it rapidly disappeared after the conditioning stimuli ceased; and (4) DNIC was not due merely to changes of attention. I propose that the site responsible for DNIC is the brainstem or the spinal cord rather than the cerebral hemisphere.

  17. Reduced local field potential power in the medial prefrontal cortex by noxious stimuli.

    PubMed

    Li, Ai-Ling; Yang, Xiaofei; Chiao, Jung-Chih; Peng, Yuan Bo

    2016-10-01

    Nociceptive signals produced by noxious stimuli at the periphery reach the brain through ascending pathways. These signals are processed by various brain areas and lead to activity changes in those areas. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is involved in higher cognitive functions and emotional processing. It receives projections from brain areas involved in nociception. In this study, we investigated how nociceptive input from the periphery changes the local field potential (LFP) activity in the mPFC. Three different types of noxious stimuli were applied to the hind paw contralateral to the LFP recording site. They were transcutaneous electrical stimulations, mechanical stimuli and a chemical stimulus (formalin injection). High intensity transcutaneous stimulations (10V to 50V) and noxious mechanical stimulus (pinch) significantly reduced the LFP power during the stimulating period (p<0.05), but not the low intensity subcutaneous stimulations (0.1V to 5V) and other innocuous mechanical stimuli (brush and pressure). More frequency bands were inhibited with increased intensity of transcutaneous electrical stimulation, and almost all frequency bands were inhibited by stimulations at or higher than 30v. Pinch significantly reduced the power for beta band and formalin injection significantly reduced the power of alpha and beta band. Our data demonstrated the noxious stimuli-induced reduction of LFP power in the mPFC, which indicates the active processing of nociceptive information by the mPFC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Sex differences in sensation-seeking: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Cross, Catharine P; Cyrenne, De-Laine M; Brown, Gillian R

    2013-01-01

    Men score higher than women on measures of sensation-seeking, defined as a willingness to engage in novel or intense activities. This sex difference has been explained in terms of evolved psychological mechanisms or culturally transmitted social norms. We investigated whether sex differences in sensation-seeking have changed over recent years by conducting a meta-analysis of studies using Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, version V (SSS-V). We found that sex differences in total SSS-V scores have remained stable across years, as have sex differences in Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility. In contrast, the sex difference in Thrill and Adventure Seeking has declined, possibly due to changes in social norms or out-dated questions on this sub-scale. Our results support the view that men and women differ in their propensity to report sensation-seeking characteristics, while behavioural manifestations of sensation-seeking vary over time. Sex differences in sensation-seeking could reflect genetically influenced predispositions interacting with socially transmitted information.

  19. Trajectories of Sensation Seeking Among Puerto Rican Children and Youth.

    PubMed

    Martins, Silvia S; Wall, Melanie M; Eisenberg, Ruth; Blanco, Carlos; Santaella, Julian; Ramos-Olazagasti, Maria; Canino, Glorisa; Bird, Hector R; Brown, Qiana; Duarte, Cristiane S

    2015-12-01

    To document the natural course of sensation seeking from childhood to adolescence, characterize distinct sensation seeking trajectories, and examine how these trajectories vary according to selected predictors. Data were obtained from the Boricua Youth Study, a longitudinal study of 2,491 children and adolescents of Puerto Rican background (3 assessments from 2000 to 2004). First, age-specific sensation seeking levels were characterized, and then age-adjusted residuals were analyzed using growth mixture models. On average, sensation seeking was stable in childhood (ages 5-10 years) and increased during adolescence (ages 11-17 years). Mean scores of sensation seeking were higher in the South Bronx versus Puerto Rico and among males versus females. Four classes of sensation seeking trajectories were observed: most study participants had age-expected sensation seeking trajectories following the average for their age ("normative," 43.8%); others (37.2%) remained consistently lower than the expected average for their age ("low" sensation seeking); some (12.0%) had an "accelerated" sensation seeking trajectory, increasing at a faster rate than expected; and a minority (7.0%) had a decreasing sensation seeking trajectory that started high but decreased, reaching scores slightly higher than the age-average sensation seeking scores ("stabilizers"). Site (South Bronx versus Puerto Rico) and gender were predictors of membership in a specific class of sensation seeking trajectory. It is important to take a developmental approach when examining sensation seeking and to consider gender and the social environment when trying to understand how sensation seeking evolves during childhood and adolescence. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Non-invasive characterization of real-time bladder sensation using accelerated hydration and a novel sensation meter: An initial experience

    PubMed Central

    Nagle, Anna S.; Speich, John E.; De Wachter, Stefan G.; Ghamarian, Peter P.; Le, David M.; Colhoun, Andrew F.; Ratz, Paul H.; Barbee, Robert W.; Klausner, Adam P.

    2016-01-01

    AIMS The purpose of this investigation was to develop a non-invasive, objective, and unprompted method to characterize real-time bladder sensation. METHODS Volunteers with and without overactive bladder (OAB) were prospectively enrolled in a preliminary accelerated hydration study. Participants drank 2L Gatorade-G2® and recorded real-time sensation (0–100% scale) and standardized verbal sensory thresholds using a novel, touch-screen “sensation meter.” 3D bladder ultrasound images were recorded throughout fillings for a subset of participants. Sensation data were recorded for two consecutive complete fill-void cycles. RESULTS Data from 14 normal and 12 OAB participants were obtained (ICIq-OAB-5a = 0 vs. ≥3). Filling duration decreased in fill2 compared to fill1, but volume did not significantly change. In normals, adjacent verbal sensory thresholds (within fill) showed no overlap, and identical thresholds (between fill) were similar, demonstrating effective differentiation between degrees of %bladder capacity. In OAB, within-fill overlaps and between-fill differences were identified. Real-time %capacity-sensation curves left shifted from fill1 to fill2 in normals, consistent with expected viscoelastic behavior, but unexpectedly right shifted in OAB. 3D ultrasound volume data showed that fill rates started slowly and ramped up with variable end points. CONCLUSIONS This study establishes a non-invasive means to evaluate real-time bladder sensation using a two-fill accelerated hydration protocol and a sensation meter. Verbal thresholds were inconsistent in OAB, and the right shift in OAB %capacity–sensation curve suggests potential biomechanical and/or sensitization changes. This methodology could be used to gain valuable information on different forms of OAB in a completely non-invasive way. PMID:27654469

  1. Visceral sensation and irritable bowel syndrome; with special reference to comparison with functional abdominal pain syndrome.

    PubMed

    Nozu, Tsukasa; Okumura, Toshikatsu

    2011-04-01

    Stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity may play an important role in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but not in functional abdominal pain syndrome (FAPS). We examined rectal sensation in those patients. Experiment 1: Rectal thresholds of pain (PT) and maximum tolerance were assessed by barostat with ramp distention before and after repetitive rectal painful distention (RRD). Experiment 2, PT was measured in basal state and after intravenous CRF (100 µg) or vehicle, together with or without RRD. Experiment 3: Three phasic distentions at physiological range were randomly loaded. The subjects were asked to mark the visual analogue scale (VAS) in reference to subjective intensity of sensation. Experiment 1: Majority of IBS patients showed rectal hypersensitivity before RRD in contrast to FAPS. All IBS patients developed hypersensitivity after RRD, however, none of the FAPS patients did. RRD significantly reduced both thresholds in IBS (n=7) but did not change in controls (n=14) and FAPS (n=6). Experiment 2: PT was not modified by RRD in placebo group (n=6), while it was significantly reduced in CRF-treated group (n=5). On the other hand, CRF (n=5) or vehicle (n=5) without RRD did not alter PT. Experiment 3: The VAS ratings were increased in IBS (n=7) but significantly decreased in FAPS (n=6) as compared to controls (n=14). RRD-induced rectal hypersensitivity seems to be reliable marker for IBS, and CRF may contribute to this response. FAPS patients may have hyposensitivity to non-noxious physiological distention, suggesting FAPS has different pathogenesis from IBS. © 2011 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  2. Noxious stimulation in children receiving general anaesthesia evokes an increase in delta frequency brain activity.

    PubMed

    Hartley, Caroline; Poorun, Ravi; Goksan, Sezgi; Worley, Alan; Boyd, Stewart; Rogers, Richard; Ali, Tariq; Slater, Rebeccah

    2014-11-01

    More than 235,000 children/year in the UK receive general anaesthesia, but it is unknown whether nociceptive stimuli alter cortical brain activity in anaesthetised children. Time-locked electroencephalogram (EEG) responses to experimental tactile stimuli, experimental noxious stimuli, and clinically required cannulation were examined in 51 children (ages 1-12 years) under sevoflurane monoanaesthesia. Based on a pilot study (n=12), we hypothesised that noxious stimulation in children receiving sevoflurane monoanaesthesia would evoke an increase in delta activity. This was tested in an independent sample of children (n=39), where a subset (n=11) had topical local anaesthetic applied prior to stimulation. A novel method of time-locking the stimuli to the EEG recording was developed using an event detection interface and high-speed camera. Clinical cannulation evoked a significant increase (34.2 ± 8.3%) in delta activity (P=0.042), without concomitant changes in heart rate or reflex withdrawal, which was not observed when local anaesthetic was applied (P=0.30). Experimental tactile (P=0.012) and noxious (P=0.0099) stimulation also evoked significant increases in delta activity, but the magnitude of the response was graded with stimulus intensity, with the greatest increase evoked by cannulation. We demonstrate that experimental and clinically essential noxious procedures, undertaken in anaesthetised children, alter the pattern of EEG activity, that this response can be inhibited by local anaesthetic, and that this measure is more sensitive than other physiological indicators of nociception. This technique provides the possibility that sensitivity to noxious stimuli during anaesthesia could be investigated in other clinical populations. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Noxious stimulation in children receiving general anaesthesia evokes an increase in delta frequency brain activity

    PubMed Central

    Hartley, Caroline; Poorun, Ravi; Goksan, Sezgi; Worley, Alan; Boyd, Stewart; Rogers, Richard; Ali, Tariq; Slater, Rebeccah

    2014-01-01

    More than 235,000 children/year in the UK receive general anaesthesia, but it is unknown whether nociceptive stimuli alter cortical brain activity in anaesthetised children. Time-locked electroencephalogram (EEG) responses to experimental tactile stimuli, experimental noxious stimuli, and clinically required cannulation were examined in 51 children (ages 1–12 years) under sevoflurane monoanaesthesia. Based on a pilot study (n = 12), we hypothesised that noxious stimulation in children receiving sevoflurane monoanaesthesia would evoke an increase in delta activity. This was tested in an independent sample of children (n = 39), where a subset (n = 11) had topical local anaesthetic applied prior to stimulation. A novel method of time-locking the stimuli to the EEG recording was developed using an event detection interface and high-speed camera. Clinical cannulation evoked a significant increase (34.2 ± 8.3%) in delta activity (P = 0.042), without concomitant changes in heart rate or reflex withdrawal, which was not observed when local anaesthetic was applied (P = 0.30). Experimental tactile (P = 0.012) and noxious (P = 0.0099) stimulation also evoked significant increases in delta activity, but the magnitude of the response was graded with stimulus intensity, with the greatest increase evoked by cannulation. We demonstrate that experimental and clinically essential noxious procedures, undertaken in anaesthetised children, alter the pattern of EEG activity, that this response can be inhibited by local anaesthetic, and that this measure is more sensitive than other physiological indicators of nociception. This technique provides the possibility that sensitivity to noxious stimuli during anaesthesia could be investigated in other clinical populations. PMID:25218826

  4. Secondary hyperalgesia phenotypes exhibit differences in brain activation during noxious stimulation.

    PubMed

    Asghar, Mohammad Sohail; Pereira, Manuel Pedro; Werner, Mads Utke; Mårtensson, Johan; Larsson, Henrik B W; Dahl, Jørgen Berg

    2015-01-01

    Noxious stimulation of the skin with either chemical, electrical or heat stimuli leads to the development of primary hyperalgesia at the site of injury, and to secondary hyperalgesia in normal skin surrounding the injury. Secondary hyperalgesia is inducible in most individuals and is attributed to central neuronal sensitization. Some individuals develop large areas of secondary hyperalgesia (high-sensitization responders), while others develop small areas (low-sensitization responders). The magnitude of each area is reproducible within individuals, and can be regarded as a phenotypic characteristic. To study differences in the propensity to develop central sensitization we examined differences in brain activity and anatomy according to individual phenotypical expression of secondary hyperalgesia by magnetic resonance imaging. Forty healthy volunteers received a first-degree burn-injury (47 °C, 7 min, 9 cm(2)) on the non-dominant lower-leg. Areas of secondary hyperalgesia were assessed 100 min after the injury. We measured neuronal activation by recording blood-oxygen-level-dependent-signals (BOLD-signals) during mechanical noxious stimulation before burn injury and in both primary and secondary hyperalgesia areas after burn-injury. In addition, T1-weighted images were used to measure differences in gray-matter density in cortical and subcortical regions of the brain. We found significant differences in neuronal activity between high- and low-sensitization responders at baseline (before application of the burn-injury) (p < 0.05). After the burn-injury, we found significant differences between responders during noxious stimulation of both primary (p < 0.01) and secondary hyperalgesia (p ≤ 0.04) skin areas. A decreased volume of the right (p = 0.001) and left caudate nucleus (p = 0.01) was detected in high-sensitization responders in comparison to low-sensitization responders. These findings suggest that brain-structure and neuronal activation to noxious

  5. Oral health sensations associated with illicit drug abuse.

    PubMed

    McGrath, C; Chan, B

    2005-02-12

    To investigate oral health sensations (short term oral health effects) associated with illicit drug abuse. In addition, to identify variations in oral health sensations produced by different illicit drugs. Young adults in a drug rehabilitation programme in Hong Kong, China. Self-completed questionnaire about their previous pattern of drug abuse and oral health sensations experienced (recalled). All (119) subjects were poly-drug abusers (abused one or more illicit drugs in the past). Amphetamine-based drugs such as methamphetamine ('speed') and methylenedioxymethamphetine ('ecstasy') were commonly abused. A wide range of oral health sensations were reported on recall of their abuse of illicit drugs; most frequently dry mouth (95%, 113). Types of illicit drugs abused were associated with oral health sensations reported (P < 0.001). 'Ecstasy' abusers more frequently reported chewing (P < 0.001), grinding (P < 0.001), and TMJ tenderness (P < 0.001) compared to non-'ecstasy' abusers. Illicit drug abuse produces many oral health sensations. Types of drugs abused were associated with oral sensations produced. and behavioural effects that may manifest as depression, anxiety, memory loss and various neuropsychotic disorders.(8),(9) In some cases drug abuse can result in death by various means: malignant hyperthermia, internal bleeding, fatal overdosing and through allergic reactions.(10),(11) Likewise, there have been reports on the long term clinical effects of illicit drug abused on oral health.

  6. Relationships between skin temperature and temporal summation of heat and cold pain.

    PubMed

    Mauderli, Andre P; Vierck, Charles J; Cannon, Richard L; Rodrigues, Anthony; Shen, Chiayi

    2003-07-01

    Temporal summation of heat pain during repetitive stimulation is dependent on C nociceptor activation of central N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor mechanisms. Moderate temporal summation is produced by sequential triangular ramps of stimulation that control skin temperature between heat pulses but do not elicit distinct first and second pain sensations. Dramatic summation of second pain is produced by repeated contact of the skin with a preheated thermode, but skin temperature between taps is not controlled by this procedure. Therefore relationships between recordings of skin temperature and psychophysical ratings of heat pain were evaluated during series of repeated skin contacts. Surface and subcutaneous recordings of skin temperatures revealed efficient thermoregulatory compensation for heat stimulation at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) ranging from 2 to 8 s. Temporal summation of heat pain was strongly influenced by the ISIs and cannot be explained by small increases in skin temperature between taps or by heat storage throughout a stimulus series. Repetitive brief contact with a precooled thermode was utilized to evaluate whether temporal summation of cold pain occurs, and if so, whether it is influenced by skin temperature. Surface and subcutaneous recordings of skin temperature revealed a sluggish thermoregulatory compensation for repetitive cold stimulation. In contrast to heat stimulation, skin temperature did not recover between cold stimuli throughout ISIs of 3-8 s. Psychophysically, repetitive cold stimulation produced an aching pain sensation that progressed gradually and radiated beyond the site of stimulation. The magnitude of aching pain was well related to skin temperature and thus appeared to be established primarily by peripheral factors.

  7. TFOS DEWS II pain and sensation report

    PubMed Central

    Belmonte, Carlos; Nichols, Jason J.; Cox, Stephanie M.; Brock, James A.; Begley, Carolyn G.; Bereiter, David A.; Dartt, Darlene A.; Galor, Anat; Hamrah, Pedram; Ivanusic, Jason J.; Jacobs, Deborah S.; McNamara, Nancy A.; Rosenblatt, Mark I.; Stapleton, Fiona; Wolffsohn, James S.

    2017-01-01

    Pain associated to mechanical and chemical irritation of the eye surface is mediated by trigeminal ganglia mechano- and polymodal nociceptor neurons while cold thermoreceptors detect wetness and reflexly maintain basal tear production and blinking rate. These neurons project into two regions of the trigeminal brain stem nuclear complex: ViVc, activated by changes in the moisture of the ocular surface and VcC1, mediating sensory-discriminative aspects of ocular pain and reflex blinking. ViVc ocular neurons project to brain regions that control lacrimation and spontaneous blinking and to the sensory thalamus. Secretion of the main lacrimal gland is regulated dominantly by autonomic parasympathetic nerves, reflexly activated by eye surface sensory nerves. These also evoke goblet cell secretion through unidentified efferent fibers. Neural pathways involved in the regulation of Meibonian gland secretion or mucins release have not been identified. In dry eye disease, reduced tear secretion leads to inflammation and peripheral nerve damage. Inflammation causes sensitization of polymodal and mechano-nociceptor nerve endings and an abnormal increase in cold thermoreceptor activity, altogether evoking dryness sensations and pain. Long-term inflammation and nerve injury alter gene expression of ion channels and receptors at terminals and cell bodies of trigeminal ganglion and brainstem neurons, changing their excitability, connectivity and impulse firing. Perpetuation of molecular, structural and functional disturbances in ocular sensory pathways ultimately leads to dysestesias and neuropathic pain referred to the eye surface. Pain can be assessed with a variety of questionaires while the status of corneal nerves is evaluated with esthesiometry and with in vivo confocal microscopy. PMID:28736339

  8. 7 CFR 201.65 - Noxious-weed seeds in interstate commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in interstate commerce. 201.65 Section 201.65 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  9. 7 CFR 201.65 - Noxious weed seeds in interstate commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Noxious weed seeds in interstate commerce. 201.65 Section 201.65 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  10. 7 CFR 201.65 - Noxious-weed seeds in interstate commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in interstate commerce. 201.65 Section 201.65 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  11. 7 CFR 201.65 - Noxious-weed seeds in interstate commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in interstate commerce. 201.65 Section 201.65 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  12. 7 CFR 201.65 - Noxious weed seeds in interstate commerce.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Noxious weed seeds in interstate commerce. 201.65 Section 201.65 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  13. How should bladder sensation be measured? ICI-RS 2011.

    PubMed

    De Wachter, S; Smith, Philip P; Smith, P; Tannenbaum, C; Van Koeveringe, G; Drake, M; Wyndaele, J J; Chapple, C

    2012-03-01

    Disturbed bladder sensations, or in broader terms, sensory dysfunctions are increasingly recognized as key elements in the origin and manifestation of symptom syndromes of urinary dysfunction. Adequate assessment of bladder sensation is crucial to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology and treatment of urinary dysfunction. This manuscript summarizes the discussions of a think tank on "How to measure bladder sensation" held at the ICI-RS meeting in 2011. Based upon literature reviews on bladder sensation presented at the think tank in the ICI-RS meeting, discussions evolved which were summarized in the ICI-RS report. Different physicians/researchers further elaborated on this report, which is presented in this manuscript. Bladder sensations are not merely the result of bladder distension. Other factors inside the bladder or bladder wall: central processing and/or cognitive manipulation may play an important role. Current methods to measure sensations such as urodynamics, voiding diaries, forced diuresis, electrical stimulation and brain imaging are likely sub-optimal as they only consider part of these factors in isolation. Different methods to measure bladder sensations have been described and are used in clinical practice. Current methods only address part of the parameters responsible for the generation and perception of urinary sensations. Further focused research is required, and several recommendations are provided. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Thermally activated TRP channels: molecular sensors for temperature detection.

    PubMed

    Castillo, Karen; Diaz-Franulic, Ignacio; Canan, Jonathan; Gonzalez-Nilo, Fernando; Latorre, Ramon

    2018-01-24

    Temperature sensing is one of the oldest capabilities of living organisms, and is essential for sustaining life, because failure to avoid extreme noxious temperatures can result in tissue damage or death. A subset of members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel family is finely tuned to detect temperatures ranging from extreme cold to noxious heat, giving rise to thermoTRP channels. Structural and functional experiments have shown that thermoTRP channels are allosteric proteins, containing different domains that sense changes in temperature, among other stimuli, triggering pore opening. Although temperature-dependence is well characterized in thermoTRP channels, the molecular nature of temperature-sensing elements remains unknown. Importantly, thermoTRP channels are involved in pain sensation, related to pathological conditions. Here, we provide an overview of thermoTRP channel activation. We also discuss the structural and functional evidence supporting the existence of an intrinsic temperature sensor in this class of channels, and we explore the basic thermodynamic principles for channel activation. Finally, we give a view of their role in painful pathophysiological conditions.

  15. Loss of urinary voiding sensation due to herpes zoster.

    PubMed

    Hiraga, Akiyuki; Nagumo, Kiyomi; Sakakibara, Ryuji; Kojima, Shigeyuki; Fujinawa, Naoto; Hashimoto, Tasuku

    2003-01-01

    A case of sacral herpes zoster infection in a 56-year-old man with the complication of loss of urinary voiding sensation is presented. He had typical herpes zoster eruption on the left S2 dermatome, hypalgesia of the S1-S4 dermatomes, and absence of urinary voiding sensation. There was no other urinary symptom at the first medical examination. Urinary complications associated with herpes zoster are uncommon, but two types, acute cystitis and acute retention, have been recognized. No cases of loss of urinary voiding sensation due to herpes zoster have been reported. In this case, hypalgesia of the sacral dermatomes was mild compared to the marked loss of urethral sensation. This inconsistency is explained by the hypothesis that the number of urethral fibers is very small as compared to that of cutaneous fibers, therefore, urethral sensation would be more severely disturbed than cutaneous sensation. Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  16. Are online poker problem gamblers sensation seekers?

    PubMed

    Bonnaire, Céline; Barrault, Servane

    2018-06-01

    The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between sensation seeking and online poker gambling in a community sample of adult online poker players, when controlling for age, gender, anxiety and depression. In total, 288 online poker gamblers were recruited. Sociodemographic data, gambling behavior (CPGI), sensation seeking (SSS), depression and anxiety (HADS) were evaluated. Problem online poker gamblers have higher sensation seeking scores (total, thrill and adventure, disinhibition and boredom susceptibility subscores) and depression scores than non-problem online poker gamblers. Being male, with total sensation seeking, disinhibition and depression scores are factors associated with online poker problem gambling. These findings are interesting in terms of harm reduction. For example, because disinhibition could lead to increased time and money spent, protective behavioral strategies like setting time and monetary limits should be encouraged in poker online gamblers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. The use of language to express thermal sensation suggests heat acclimatization by Indonesian people

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tochihara, Yutaka; Lee, Joo-Young; Wakabayashi, Hitoshi; Wijayanto, Titis; Bakri, Ilham; Parsons, Ken

    2012-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore whether there is evidence of heat acclimatization in the words used to express thermal sensation. A total of 458 urban Japanese and 601 Indonesians participated in a questionnaire. In addition, in a preliminary survey, 39 native English speakers in the UK participated. Our results showed that (1) for Indonesians, the closest thermal descriptor of a feeling of thermal comfort was `cool' (75%) followed by `slightly cool' (7%), `slightly cold' (5%) and `cold' (5%), while Japanese responses were distributed uniformly among descriptors `cool', `slightly cool', `neither', `slightly warm', and `warm'; (2) the closest thermal descriptors of a feeling of discomfort for Indonesians were less affected by individual thermal susceptibility (vulnerability) than those for Japanese; (3) in the cases where `cool' and `slightly cold' were imagined in the mind, the descriptors were cognized as a thermal comfortable feeling by 97% and 57% of Indonesians, respectively; (4) the most frequently voted choice endorsing hot weather was `higher than 32°C' for Indonesians and `higher than 29°C' for Japanese respondents; for cold weather, `lower than 15°C' for Japanese and `lower than 20°C' for Indonesians. In summary, the descriptor `cool' in Indonesians connotes a thermally comfortable feeling, but the inter-zone between hot and cold weather that was judged in the mind showed a upward shift when compared to that of Japanese. It is suggested that linguistic heat acclimatization exists on a cognitive level for Indonesians and is preserved in the words of thermal descriptors.

  18. The Absence of Sensory Axon Bifurcation Affects Nociception and Termination Fields of Afferents in the Spinal Cord

    PubMed Central

    Tröster, Philip; Haseleu, Julia; Petersen, Jonas; Drees, Oliver; Schmidtko, Achim; Schwaller, Frederick; Lewin, Gary R.; Ter-Avetisyan, Gohar; Winter, York; Peters, Stefanie; Feil, Susanne; Feil, Robert; Rathjen, Fritz G.; Schmidt, Hannes

    2018-01-01

    A cGMP signaling cascade composed of C-type natriuretic peptide, the guanylyl cyclase receptor Npr2 and cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI) controls the bifurcation of sensory axons upon entering the spinal cord during embryonic development. However, the impact of axon bifurcation on sensory processing in adulthood remains poorly understood. To investigate the functional consequences of impaired axon bifurcation during adult stages we generated conditional mouse mutants of Npr2 and cGKI (Npr2fl/fl;Wnt1Cre and cGKIKO/fl;Wnt1Cre) that lack sensory axon bifurcation in the absence of additional phenotypes observed in the global knockout mice. Cholera toxin labeling in digits of the hind paw demonstrated an altered shape of sensory neuron termination fields in the spinal cord of conditional Npr2 mouse mutants. Behavioral testing of both sexes indicated that noxious heat sensation and nociception induced by chemical irritants are impaired in the mutants, whereas responses to cold sensation, mechanical stimulation, and motor coordination are not affected. Recordings from C-fiber nociceptors in the hind limb skin showed that Npr2 function was not required to maintain normal heat sensitivity of peripheral nociceptors. Thus, the altered behavioral responses to noxious heat found in Npr2fl/fl;Wnt1Cre mice is not due to an impaired C-fiber function. Overall, these data point to a critical role of axonal bifurcation for the processing of pain induced by heat or chemical stimuli. PMID:29472841

  19. Message sensation and cognition values: factors of competition or integration?

    PubMed

    Xu, Jie

    2015-01-01

    Using the Activation Model of Information Exposure and Elaboration Likelihood Model as theoretical frameworks, this study explored the effects of message sensation value (MSV) and message cognition value (MCV) of antismoking public service announcements (PSAs) on ad processing and evaluation among young adults, and the difference between high sensation seekers and low sensation seekers in their perceptions and responses toward ads with different levels of sensation and cognition value. A 2 (MSV: high vs. low) × 2 (MCV: high vs. low) × 2 (need for sensation: high vs. low) mixed experimental design was conducted. Two physiological measures including skin conductance and heart rate were examined. Findings of this study show that MSV was not a distraction but a facilitator of message persuasiveness. These findings contribute to the activation model. In addition, need for sensation moderated the interaction effect of MSV and MCV on ad processing. Low sensation seekers were more likely to experience the interaction between MSV and MCV than high sensation seekers. Several observations related to the findings and implications for antismoking message designs are elaborated. Limitations and directions for future research are also outlined.

  20. On the nature of bladder sensation: the concept of sensory modulation.

    PubMed

    De Wachter, S G; Heeringa, R; van Koeveringe, G A; Gillespie, J I

    2011-09-01

    Going to the toilet is an essential everyday event. Normally, we do not give much thought to the sensations and factors that trigger voiding behavior: we just go. For many people, this apparently simple task is complicated and dominates their life. They have strong sensations and sudden desires to void, often resulting in incontinence. It is therefore important that we understand the origins for this functional change and identify means to alleviate it. Literature survey. A considerable body of work has focused on this problem and ideas and concepts on the nature of bladder sensations are embedded in the literature. In this paper we argue the necessity to return to first principles and a re-examination of the problem. We explore the use of focus groups to identify relevant bladder sensation and what triggers 'bladder' behavior. We argue that there are differences in what can be described as 'introspective bladder sensations' and the sensations reported immediately before a void, 'void sensations'. Finally, we propose an alternative model describing how peripheral information generating 'introspective sensations' and 'void sensations' might be different but interrelated sensations. By exploring such ideas and identifying such complexity it is our intention to stimulate debate and generate further research in the field in order to understand better the physiology of bladder sensation and the pathology of increased urge, frequency and incontinence. Review of the literature on bladder sensation and the established ideas suggests that we might be missing something and the problem of normal and increased sensation and of urgency may be much more complex. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  1. Voluntary water intake during and following moderate exercise in the cold.

    PubMed

    Mears, Stephen A; Shirreffs, Susan M

    2014-02-01

    Exercising in cold environments results in water losses, yet examination of resultant voluntary water intake has focused on warm conditions. The purpose of the study was to assess voluntary water intake during and following exercise in a cold compared with a warm environment. Ten healthy males (22 ± 2 years, 67.8 ± 7.0 kg, 1.77 ± 0.06 m, VO₂peak 60.5 ± 8.9 ml·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) completed two trials (7-8 days). In each trial subjects sat for 30 min before cycling at 70% VO₂peak (162 ± 27W) for 60 min in 25.0 ± 0.1 °C, 50.8 ± 1.5% relative humidity (RH; warm) or 0.4 ± 1.0 °C, 68.8 ± 7.5% RH (cold). Subjects then sat for 120 min at 22.2 ± 1.2 °C, 50.5 ± 8.0% RH. Ad libitum drinking was allowed during the exercise and recovery periods. Urine volume, body mass, serum osmolality, and sensations of thirst were measured at baseline, postexercise and after 60 and 120 min of the recovery period. Sweat loss was greater in the warm trial (0.96 ± 0.18 l v 0.48 ± 0.15 l; p < .0001) but body mass losses over the trials were similar (1.15 ± 0.34% (cold) v 1.03 ± 0.26% (warm)). More water was consumed throughout the duration of the warm trial (0.81 ± 0.42 l v 0.50 ± 0.49 l; p = .001). Cumulative urine output was greater in the cold trial (0.81 ± 0.46 v 0.54 ± 0.31 l; p = .036). Postexercise serum osmolality was higher compared with baseline in the cold (292 ± 2 v 287 ± 3 mOsm.kg⁻¹, p < .0001) and warm trials (288 ± 5 v 285 ± 4 mOsm·kg⁻¹; p = .048). Thirst sensations were similar between trials (p > .05). Ad libitum water intake adjusted so that similar body mass losses occurred in both trials. In the cold there appeared to a blunted thirst response.

  2. Premature infants display increased noxious-evoked neuronal activity in the brain compared to healthy age-matched term-born infants.

    PubMed

    Slater, Rebeccah; Fabrizi, Lorenzo; Worley, Alan; Meek, Judith; Boyd, Stewart; Fitzgerald, Maria

    2010-08-15

    This study demonstrates that infants who are born prematurely and who have experienced at least 40days of intensive or special care have increased brain neuronal responses to noxious stimuli compared to healthy newborns at the same postmenstrual age. We have measured evoked potentials generated by noxious clinically-essential heel lances in infants born at term (8 infants; born 37-40weeks) and in infants born prematurely (7 infants; born 24-32weeks) who had reached the same postmenstrual age (mean age at time of heel lance 39.2+/-1.2weeks). These noxious-evoked potentials are clearly distinguishable from shorter latency potentials evoked by non-noxious tactile sensory stimulation. While the shorter latency touch potentials are not dependent on the age of the infant at birth, the noxious-evoked potentials are significantly larger in prematurely-born infants. This enhancement is not associated with specific brain lesions but reflects a functional change in pain processing in the brain that is likely to underlie previously reported changes in pain sensitivity in older ex-preterm children. Our ability to quantify and measure experience-dependent changes in infant cortical pain processing will allow us to develop a more rational approach to pain management in neonatal intensive care. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. 7 CFR 360.304 - Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 5 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Denial of an application for a permit to move a noxious weed; cancelation of a permit to move a noxious weed. 360.304 Section 360.304 Agriculture..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOXIOUS WEED REGULATIONS § 360.304 Denial of an application for a permit to move a...

  4. Characterization of urge to cough and cough symptoms associated with the common cold: results of a US internet survey.

    PubMed

    Eccles, Ron; Dicpinigaitis, Peter; Turner, Ronald B; Druce, Howard M; Adeleke, Maryann; Mann, Ashley L

    2016-06-01

    Our knowledge of cough physiology is limited despite years of study. Even less is known about the sensation of urge to cough. Given that limited clinical data are available about urge to cough and cough attributes during a common cold, we sought to gain insights into experiences and perceptions related to these symptoms. An internet survey consisting of 51 questions was fielded in the United States. Eligible survey participants included men and women aged 18 years and older who had suffered from a cold with cough within the three months preceding the survey. Participants who confirmed suffering from recurrent cough, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, or gastrointestinal reflux were excluded. Of 19,530 initial respondents, 8011 had a cold in the past three months. Of these, 6484 (81%) had experienced cough symptoms; 2708 respondents with cough due to cold and no exclusionary condition made up the analysis sample. Most respondents (62%) reported that cough developed one to two days after the onset of cold symptoms, and 45% felt that cough worsened their other cold symptoms. In 69% of respondents, cough outlasted other cold symptoms. Urge to cough was reported by 98% of respondents, and among these respondents, 64% described it as uncontrollable and 65% rated severity as moderate. More than half of respondents (57%) considered the sensation of urge to cough and the act of coughing as equally bothersome. Although urge to cough and inability to control cough were the most bothersome aspects of cough due to cold, few (<20%) respondents asked healthcare providers for treatment recommendations. Symptoms of urge to cough and cough are common and have a significant impact on cold sufferers. Understanding attributes of these symptoms may provide insights for effective management and the development of novel treatment strategies.

  5. Differential induction of c-Fos and phosphorylated ERK by a noxious stimulus after peripheral nerve injury.

    PubMed

    Tabata, Mitsuyasu; Terayama, Ryuji; Maruhama, Kotaro; Iida, Seiji; Sugimoto, Tomosada

    2018-03-01

    In this study, we compared induction of c-Fos and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) in the spinal dorsal horn after peripheral nerve injury. We examined the spinal dorsal horn for noxious heat-induced c-Fos and p-ERK protein-like immunoreactive (c-Fos- and p-ERK-IR) neuron profiles after tibial nerve injury. The effect of administration of a MEK 1/2 inhibitor (PD98059) on noxious heat-induced c-Fos expression was also examined after tibial nerve injury. A large number of c-Fos- and p-ERK-IR neuron profiles were induced by noxious heat stimulation to the hindpaw in sham-operated animals. A marked reduction in the number of c-Fos- and p-ERK-IR neuron profiles was observed in the medial 1/3 (tibial territory) of the dorsal horn at 3 and 7 days after nerve injury. Although c-Fos-IR neuron profiles had reappeared by 14 days after injury, the number of p-ERK-IR neuron profiles remained decreased in the tibial territory of the superficial dorsal horn. Double immunofluorescence labeling for c-Fos and p-ERK induced by noxious heat stimulation to the hindpaw at different time points revealed that a large number of c-Fos-IR, but not p-ERK-IR, neuron profiles were distributed in the tibial territory after injury. Although administration of a MEK 1/2 inhibitor to the spinal cord suppressed noxious heat-induced c-Fos expression in the peroneal territory, this treatment did not alter c-Fos induction in the tibial territory after nerve injury. ERK phosphorylation may be involved in c-Fos induction in normal nociceptive responses, but not in exaggerated c-Fos induction after nerve injury.

  6. Cat's medullary reticulospinal and subnucleus reticularis dorsalis noxious neurons form a coupled neural circuit through collaterals of descending axons

    PubMed Central

    Leiras, Roberto; Martín-Cora, Francisco; Velo, Patricia; Liste, Tania

    2015-01-01

    Animals and human beings sense and react to real/potential dangerous stimuli. However, the supraspinal mechanisms relating noxious sensing and nocifensive behavior are mostly unknown. The collateralization and spatial organization of interrelated neurons are important determinants of coordinated network function. Here we electrophysiologically studied medial medullary reticulospinal neurons (mMRF-RSNs) antidromically identified from the cervical cord of anesthetized cats and found that 1) more than 40% (79/183) of the sampled mMRF-RSNs emitted bifurcating axons running within the dorsolateral (DLF) and ventromedial (VMF) ipsilateral fascicles; 2) more than 50% (78/151) of the tested mMRF-RSNs with axons running in the VMF collateralized to the subnucleus reticularis dorsalis (SRD) that also sent ipsilateral descending fibers bifurcating within the DLF and the VMF. This percentage of mMRF collateralization to the SRD increased to more than 81% (53/65) when considering the subpopulation of mMRF-RSNs responsive to noxiously heating the skin; 3) reciprocal monosynaptic excitatory relationships were electrophysiologically demonstrated between noxious sensitive mMRF-RSNs and SRD cells; and 4) injection of the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin evidenced mMRF to SRD and SRD to mMRF projections contacting the soma and proximal dendrites. The data demonstrated a SRD-mMRF network interconnected mainly through collaterals of descending axons running within the VMF, with the subset of noxious sensitive cells forming a reverberating circuit probably amplifying mutual outputs simultaneously regulating motor activity and spinal noxious afferent input. The results provide evidence that noxious stimulation positively engages a reticular SRD-mMRF-SRD network involved in pain-sensory-to-motor transformation and modulation. PMID:26581870

  7. Effect of wind speed on human thermal sensation and thermal comfort

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, Yuhan

    2018-06-01

    In this experiment, a method of questionnaire survey was adopted. By changing the air flow rate under the indoor and outdoor natural conditions, the subjective Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV) and the Thermal Comfort Vote (TCV) were recorded. The draft sensation can reduce the thermal sensation, but the draft sensation can cause discomfort, and the thermal comfort in a windy environment is lower than in a windless environment. When the temperature rises or the level of human metabolism increases, the person feels heat, the demand for draft sensation increases, and the uncomfortable feeling caused by the draft sensation may be reduced. Increasing the air flow within a certain range can be used to compensate for the increase in temperature.

  8. Caffeinated Alcohol, Sensation Seeking, and Injury Risk

    PubMed Central

    McCoy, Thomas P.; Egan, Kathleen L.; Goldin, Shoshanna; Rhodes, Scott D.; Wolfson, Mark

    2013-01-01

    Background College students who consume caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CaffAlc) are at increased injury risk. This study examines the extent to which a sensation-seeking personality accounts for the relationship between consumption of CaffAlc and negative outcomes. Methods A Web-based survey was administered to stratified random samples of 4907 college students from eight North Carolina universities in Fall 2009. Sensation seeking was assessed using the Brief Sensation-Seeking Scale (BSSS) (α=0.81). Data were analyzed using linear and logistic regression. Results 3390 students (71.2%) reported past 30-day drinking, of whom 786 (23.2%) consumed CaffAlc. CaffAlc past 30-day drinkers had higher BSSS scores (3.8 vs. 3.4; p<0.001), compared to non-CaffAlc drinkers. Consumption of CaffAlc was associated with more frequent binge drinking (p<0.001) and drunken days in a typical week (p<0.001), even after adjusting for the BSSS score. CaffAlc students were more likely to be taken advantage of sexually (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.70, p=0.012), drive under the influence of alcohol (AOR=2.00, p<0.001), and ride with a driver under the influence of alcohol (AOR=1.87, p<0.001). Injury requiring medical treatment was more prevalent among CaffAlc students with higher BSSS-8 scores (interaction p=0.024), even after adjustment for drinking levels and student characteristics. Conclusions Sensation seeking does not fully account for the increase in risky drinking among college students who consume CaffAlc, nor does it moderate the relationship between CaffAlc and drinking behaviors. Sensation seeking moderates the risk of alcohol-associated injury requiring medical treatment among college students who consume CaffAlc. Those with strong sensation-seeking dispositions are at the highest risk of alcohol-associated injury requiring medical treatment. PMID:24761275

  9. Frequent Extreme Cold Exposure and Brown Fat and Cold-Induced Thermogenesis: A Study in a Monozygotic Twin

    PubMed Central

    Vosselman, Maarten J.; Vijgen, Guy H. E. J.; Kingma, Boris R. M.; Brans, Boudewijn; van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter D.

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Mild cold acclimation is known to increase brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity and cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT) in humans. We here tested the effect of a lifestyle with frequent exposure to extreme cold on BAT and CIT in a Dutch man known as ‘the Iceman’, who has multiple world records in withstanding extreme cold challenges. Furthermore, his monozygotic twin brother who has a ‘normal’ sedentary lifestyle without extreme cold exposures was measured. Methods The Iceman (subject A) and his brother (subject B) were studied during mild cold (13°C) and thermoneutral conditions (31°C). Measurements included BAT activity and respiratory muscle activity by [18F]FDG-PET/CT imaging and energy expenditure through indirect calorimetry. In addition, body temperatures, cardiovascular parameters, skin perfusion, and thermal sensation and comfort were measured. Finally, we determined polymorphisms for uncoupling protein-1 and β3-adrenergic receptor. Results Subjects had comparable BAT activity (A: 1144 SUVtotal and B: 1325 SUVtotal), within the range previously observed in young adult men. They were genotyped with the polymorphism for uncoupling protein-1 (G/G). CIT was relatively high (A: 40.1% and B: 41.9%), but unlike during our previous cold exposure tests in young adult men, here both subjects practiced a g-Tummo like breathing technique, which involves vigorous respiratory muscle activity. This was confirmed by high [18F]FDG-uptake in respiratory muscle. Conclusion No significant differences were found between the two subjects, indicating that a lifestyle with frequent exposures to extreme cold does not seem to affect BAT activity and CIT. In both subjects, BAT was not higher compared to earlier observations, whereas CIT was very high, suggesting that g-Tummo like breathing during cold exposure may cause additional heat production by vigorous isometric respiratory muscle contraction. The results must be interpreted with caution given the low

  10. Estimation of Thermal Sensation Based on Wrist Skin Temperatures.

    PubMed

    Sim, Soo Young; Koh, Myung Jun; Joo, Kwang Min; Noh, Seungwoo; Park, Sangyun; Kim, Youn Ho; Park, Kwang Suk

    2016-03-23

    Thermal comfort is an essential environmental factor related to quality of life and work effectiveness. We assessed the feasibility of wrist skin temperature monitoring for estimating subjective thermal sensation. We invented a wrist band that simultaneously monitors skin temperatures from the wrist (i.e., the radial artery and ulnar artery regions, and upper wrist) and the fingertip. Skin temperatures from eight healthy subjects were acquired while thermal sensation varied. To develop a thermal sensation estimation model, the mean skin temperature, temperature gradient, time differential of the temperatures, and average power of frequency band were calculated. A thermal sensation estimation model using temperatures of the fingertip and wrist showed the highest accuracy (mean root mean square error [RMSE]: 1.26 ± 0.31). An estimation model based on the three wrist skin temperatures showed a slightly better result to the model that used a single fingertip skin temperature (mean RMSE: 1.39 ± 0.18). When a personalized thermal sensation estimation model based on three wrist skin temperatures was used, the mean RMSE was 1.06 ± 0.29, and the correlation coefficient was 0.89. Thermal sensation estimation technology based on wrist skin temperatures, and combined with wearable devices may facilitate intelligent control of one's thermal environment.

  11. Estimation of Thermal Sensation Based on Wrist Skin Temperatures

    PubMed Central

    Sim, Soo Young; Koh, Myung Jun; Joo, Kwang Min; Noh, Seungwoo; Park, Sangyun; Kim, Youn Ho; Park, Kwang Suk

    2016-01-01

    Thermal comfort is an essential environmental factor related to quality of life and work effectiveness. We assessed the feasibility of wrist skin temperature monitoring for estimating subjective thermal sensation. We invented a wrist band that simultaneously monitors skin temperatures from the wrist (i.e., the radial artery and ulnar artery regions, and upper wrist) and the fingertip. Skin temperatures from eight healthy subjects were acquired while thermal sensation varied. To develop a thermal sensation estimation model, the mean skin temperature, temperature gradient, time differential of the temperatures, and average power of frequency band were calculated. A thermal sensation estimation model using temperatures of the fingertip and wrist showed the highest accuracy (mean root mean square error [RMSE]: 1.26 ± 0.31). An estimation model based on the three wrist skin temperatures showed a slightly better result to the model that used a single fingertip skin temperature (mean RMSE: 1.39 ± 0.18). When a personalized thermal sensation estimation model based on three wrist skin temperatures was used, the mean RMSE was 1.06 ± 0.29, and the correlation coefficient was 0.89. Thermal sensation estimation technology based on wrist skin temperatures, and combined with wearable devices may facilitate intelligent control of one’s thermal environment. PMID:27023538

  12. Authoritative Parenting and Sensation Seeking as Predictors of Adolescent Cigarette and Marijuana Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephenson, Michael T.; Helme, Donald W.

    2006-01-01

    Adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies often seek out thrill seeking experiences to satisfy their need for stimulation and sensation. In many cases, sensation-seeking adolescents fulfill their need for stimulation and sensation by using illicit substances. However, not all high sensation seekers use drugs, although the factors that…

  13. Towards a wearable sensor system for continuous occupational cold stress assessment

    PubMed Central

    AUSTAD, Hanne; WIGGEN, Øystein; FÆREVIK, Hilde; SEEBERG, Trine M.

    2018-01-01

    This study investigated the usefulness of continuous sensor data for improving occupational cold stress assessment. Eleven volunteer male subjects completed a 90–120-min protocol in cold environments, consisting of rest, moderate and hard work. Biomedical data were measured using a smart jacket with integrated temperature, humidity and activity sensors, in addition to a custom-made sensor belt worn around the chest. Other relevant sensor data were measured using commercially available sensors. The study aimed to improve decision support for workers in cold climates, by taking advantage of the information provided by data from the rapidly growing market of wearable sensors. Important findings were that the subjective thermal sensation did not correspond to the measured absolute skin temperature and that large differences were observed in both metabolic energy production and skin temperatures under identical exposure conditions. Temperature, humidity, activity and heart rate were found to be relevant parameters for cold stress assessment, and the locations of the sensors in the prototype jacket were adequate. The study reveals the need for cold stress assessment and indicates that a generalised approached is not sufficient to assess the stress on an individual level. PMID:29353859

  14. Motion sickness history, food neophobia, and sensation seeking.

    PubMed

    Alley, Thomas R; Willet, Kathleen A; Muth, Eric R

    2006-06-01

    Motion sickness is believed to be caused by conflicting sensory signals, a situation that mimics the effects of ingesting certain toxins. Thus, one might suspect that individuals who have experienced a relatively high frequency of motion sickness may be particularly vigilant about avoiding anything that produces nausea, induding potentially nauseating toxins. Consequently, they may be more resistant to trying new foods, i.e., be more food neophobic, since unfamiliar foods can have unexpected adverse effects due to toxins or allergens. Likewise, many highly stimulating experiences can trigger motion sickness, so individuals who are more susceptible may be more prone to avoid such experiences, i.e., be less sensation seeking. Finally, it was expected that food neophobia would be more frequent in individuals low on sensation seeking tendencies. Self-reported motion sickness history in 308 adults (M= 18.8 yr.; SD = 1.6) was correlated with scores on the Arnett Inventory of Sensation Seeking and the Food Neophobia Scale. As predicted, greater history of motion sickness was associated with lower Sensation Seeking scores. Food Neophobia was not correlated with motion sickness history but, as expected, was negatively correlated (r = -.42) with scores on Sensation Seeking. Further research is recommended that measures actual sensitivity to motion sickness.

  15. Where is hidden the ghost in phantom sensations?

    PubMed Central

    Buonocore, Michelangelo

    2015-01-01

    The term phantom sensations (PS) refers to sensations in a missing body part. They are almost universal in amputees and can be both painful and not painful. Although PS have been frequently described in limb amputees, they can also occur in other clinical conditions and several pathophysiological interpretations have been proposed, with a predominance of theories based on a central origin. Actually, different mechanisms are able to create a phantom sensation. After an amputation, PS are frequently generated by the genesis of ectopic action potentials in the interrupted nerve fibers but the PS generator can also be more proximal. Sometimes PS are not created by the stimulation of somatosensory fibers with a missing territory, but they can be the result of central sensitization or neuroplastic changes that allow for the convergence of impulses coming from different body parts (referred sensations), one of which is missing. In conclusion, PS can be generated by both neuropathic and non-neuropathic mechanisms developed in the amputated body part or in other parts of the nervous system. Since these mechanisms are not pathognomonic of amputation there are no hidden ghosts to look for in phantom sensations. The only interpretative rule is just to follow the pathophysiological principles. PMID:26244147

  16. Traces: making sense of urodynamics testing--Part 8: Evaluating sensations of bladder filling.

    PubMed

    Gray, Mikel

    2011-01-01

    The "Traces" series discusses how the urodynamic clinician generates usable data from a filling cystometrogram (CMG). Part 8 focuses on the question, "What are the sensations of bladder filling?" Recent research suggests that sensations of bladder filling wax and wane from consciousness in healthy persons free of bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms. Because of its invasive and atypical nature when compared to daily life, multichannel urodynamics testing cannot reproduce the numerous and complex variables that influence bladder sensation in the healthy individual, making the evaluation of sensations of bladder filling a particularly challenging component of the filling CMG. Routine assessment of bladder sensations focuses on identification of three landmarks--first sensation of bladder filling, first desire to void, and a strong desire to void. A fourth sensation, bladder fullness or a compelling desire to void, is recommended. In addition to assessing these sensations, the urodynamic clinician must assess sensations indicating associated disease or disorders affecting lower urinary tract function, including urgency, pain, and atypical sensations. This assessment should be completed in the context of the results of one or more validated instruments used to measure bladder sensations.

  17. 75 FR 23151 - Noxious Weeds; Old World Climbing Fern and Maidenhair Creeper

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-03

    .... APHIS-2008-0097] Noxious Weeds; Old World Climbing Fern and Maidenhair Creeper AGENCY: Animal and Plant... adding Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum (Cavanilles) R. Brown) and maidenhair creeper... amended the regulations by adding Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum (Cavanilles) R. Brown...

  18. Corticomotor excitability during a noxious stimulus before and after exercise in women with fibromyalgia.

    PubMed

    Hoeger Bement, Marie K; Weyer, Andy D; Yoon, Tejin; Hunter, Sandra K

    2014-02-01

    The purposes of this study were to assess corticomotor excitability in people with fibromyalgia during a noxious stimulus before and after fatiguing exercise and examine associations with pain perception. Fifteen women with fibromyalgia completed three sessions: one familiarization and two experimental. The experimental sessions were randomized and involved measurement of pain perception and motor evoked potentials before and after (1) quiet rest and (2) isometric contraction of the elbow flexor muscles. Motor evoked potential amplitude of brachioradialis muscle was measured following transcranial magnetic stimulation delivered before, during, and after a noxious mechanical stimulus. After quiet rest, there was no change in pain perception. After the submaximal contraction, there was considerable variability in the pain response. Based on the changes in the experimental pain, subjects were divided into three groups (increase, decrease, and no change in pain). There was an interaction between pain response and the pain-induced change in motor evoked potentials. Those individuals who had an increase in motor evoked potentials during the pain test had an increase in pain after exercise. Thus, women with fibromyalgia were classified based on their pain response to exercise, and this response was associated with the change in corticomotor excitability during the application of a noxious stimulus.

  19. The Effects of Noxious Subliminal Suggestion upon Smoking Attitudes and Behavior.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dutto, Franklin N.; Galli, Nicholas

    The efforts of smoking cessation programs have met with various degrees of success and fresh approaches to the problem are needed. An innovative technique that interrupts the psychogenic drives of smokers was employed to determine the effect of noxious subliminal suggestion on smoking attitudes and behavior. Adult smokers (N=60) were shown…

  20. Sensation seekers as a healthcare marketing metasegment.

    PubMed

    Self, Donald R; Findley, Carolyn Sara

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses "sensation seekers" as a market segment for communication and prevention programs for various lifestyle and/or risk-related health problem areas such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, suicide attempts, and sexually transmitted diseases. Although sensation seekers tend to be creative, artistic individuals, they are also prone to various negative health behaviors and many population-based prevention programs have over-looked these individuals as an important target. Various inputs to sensation-seeking causation are explored, including biological/chemical, psychological, and the impact of external characteristics. Using a combination for regulatory focus and risk homeostasis, propositions are provided for improving the effectiveness of the communications. Recommendations for prevention efforts focusing on reaching this subculture using television, along with other electronic media are proposed, including recommendations for message construction and presentation venues.

  1. Sensation seeking and visual selective attention in adults with HIV/AIDS.

    PubMed

    Hardy, David J; Castellon, Steven A; Hinkin, Charles H; Levine, Andrew J; Lam, Mona N

    2008-11-01

    The association between sensation seeking and visual selective attention was examined in 31 adults with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Sensation seeking was measured with Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale Form V (SSS-V). Selective attention was assessed with a perceptual span task, where a target letter-character must be identified in a quickly presented array of nontarget letter-characters. As predicted, sensation seeking was strongly associated (R(2) = .229) with perceptual span performance in the array size 12 condition, where selective attention demands were greatest, but not in the easier conditions. The Disinhibition, Boredom Susceptibility, and Experience Seeking subscales of the SSS-V were associated with span performance. It is argued that personality factors such as sensation seeking may play a significant role in selective attention and related cognitive abilities in HIV positive adults. Furthermore, sensation seeking differences might explain certain inconsistencies in the HIV neuropsychology literature.

  2. Opiates Modulate Noxious Chemical Nociception through a Complex Monoaminergic/Peptidergic Cascade

    PubMed Central

    Mills, Holly; Ortega, Amanda; Law, Wenjing; Hapiak, Vera; Summers, Philip; Clark, Tobias

    2016-01-01

    The ability to detect noxious stimuli, process the nociceptive signal, and elicit an appropriate behavioral response is essential for survival. In Caenorhabditis elegans, opioid receptor agonists, such as morphine, mimic serotonin, and suppress the overall withdrawal from noxious stimuli through a pathway requiring the opioid-like receptor, NPR-17. This serotonin- or morphine-dependent modulation can be rescued in npr-17-null animals by the expression of npr-17 or a human κ opioid receptor in the two ASI sensory neurons, with ASI opioid signaling selectively inhibiting ASI neuropeptide release. Serotonergic modulation requires peptides encoded by both nlp-3 and nlp-24, and either nlp-3 or nlp-24 overexpression mimics morphine and suppresses withdrawal. Peptides encoded by nlp-3 act differentially, with only NLP-3.3 mimicking morphine, whereas other nlp-3 peptides antagonize NLP-3.3 modulation. Together, these results demonstrate that opiates modulate nociception in Caenorhabditis elegans through a complex monoaminergic/peptidergic cascade, and suggest that this model may be useful for dissecting opiate signaling in mammals. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Opiates are used extensively to treat chronic pain. In Caenorhabditis elegans, opioid receptor agonists suppress the overall withdrawal from noxious chemical stimuli through a pathway requiring an opioid-like receptor and two distinct neuropeptide-encoding genes, with individual peptides from the same gene functioning antagonistically to modulate nociception. Endogenous opioid signaling functions as part of a complex, monoaminergic/peptidergic signaling cascade and appears to selectively inhibit neuropeptide release, mediated by a α-adrenergic-like receptor, from two sensory neurons. Importantly, receptor null animals can be rescued by the expression of the human κ opioid receptor, and injection of human opioid receptor ligands mimics exogenous opiates, highlighting the utility of this model for dissecting opiate

  3. Modulation of Reward-Related Neural Activation on Sensation Seeking across Development

    PubMed Central

    Hawes, Samuel W.; Chahal, Rajpreet; Hallquist, Michael N.; Paulsen, David J.; Geier, Charles F.; Luna, Beatriz

    2017-01-01

    Sensation seeking is a personality construct associated with an increased propensity for engaging in risk-taking. Associations with deleterious outcomes ranging from mental health impairments to increased mortality rates highlight important public health concerns related to this construct. Although some have suggested that increased neural responsivity to reward within the ventral striatum (e.g., nucleus accumbens) may drive sensation seeking behaviors, few studies have examined the neural mechanisms associated with stable individual differences in sensation seeking across development. To address this issue, the current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the association between neural responding to reward and stable patterns of sensation seeking across a three-year follow-up period among healthy adolescents and young adults (N = 139). Results indicated that during early adolescence (~ages 10–12), increased reactivity to reward within the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) was associated with lower levels of sensation seeking across a three-year follow-up. In middle adolescence (~ages 12–16), there was no evidence of a relationship between NAcc reactivity and sensation seeking. However, during the transition from late adolescence into adulthood (~ages 17–25), heightened reward-related reactivity in the NAcc was linked to increased sensation seeking. Findings suggest that the neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in trait-like levels of sensation seeking change from early to late adolescence. PMID:27956207

  4. Flavoured cigarettes, sensation seeking and adolescents' perceptions of cigarette brands.

    PubMed

    Manning, K C; Kelly, K J; Comello, M L

    2009-12-01

    This study examined the interactive effects of cigarette package flavour descriptors and sensation seeking on adolescents' brand perceptions. High school students (n = 253) were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions and sequentially exposed to cigarette package illustrations for three different brands. In the flavour descriptor condition, the packages included a description of the cigarettes as "cherry", while in the traditional descriptor condition the cigarette brands were described with common phrases found on tobacco packages such as "domestic blend." Following exposure to each package participants' hedonic beliefs, brand attitudes and trial intentions were assessed. Sensation seeking was also measured, and participants were categorised as lower or higher sensation seekers. Across hedonic belief, brand attitude and trial intention measures, there were interactions between package descriptor condition and sensation seeking. These interactions revealed that among high (but not low) sensation seekers, exposure to cigarette packages including sweet flavour descriptors led to more favourable brand impressions than did exposure to packages with traditional descriptors. Among high sensation seeking youths, the appeal of cigarette brands is enhanced through the use of flavours and associated descriptions on product packaging.

  5. Neighborhood Moderation of Sensation Seeking Effects on Adolescent Substance Use Initiation.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Michaeline; Chassin, Laurie; Gonzales, Nancy A

    2017-09-01

    Adolescent substance use carries a considerable public health burden, and early initiation into use is especially problematic. Research has shown that trait sensation seeking increases risk for substance use initiation, but less is known about contextual factors that can potentially unmask this risk. This study utilized a diverse longitudinal subsample of youth (N = 454) from a larger study of familial alcoholism (53.1% female, 61% non-Hispanic Caucasian, 27.8% Hispanic, 11.2% other ethnicity). Study questions examined sensation seeking in early adolescence (mean age = 12.16) and its relations with later substance use initiation (mean age = 15.69), and tested whether neighborhood disadvantage moderated sensation seeking's effects on initiation of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use. Neighborhood disadvantage significantly moderated the relation between sensation seeking and all three forms of substance use. For the most part, sensation seeking effects were weakened as neighborhood disadvantage increased, with the most advantaged neighborhoods exhibiting the strongest link between sensation seeking and substance use initiation. These results highlight the importance of focusing on relatively advantaged areas as potentially risky environments for the sensation seeking pathway to substance use.

  6. Hedgehog pathway blockade with the cancer drug LDE225 disrupts taste organs and taste sensation.

    PubMed

    Kumari, Archana; Ermilov, Alexandre N; Allen, Benjamin L; Bradley, Robert M; Dlugosz, Andrzej A; Mistretta, Charlotte M

    2015-02-01

    Taste sensation on the anterior tongue requires chorda tympani nerve function and connections with continuously renewing taste receptor cells. However, it is unclear which signaling pathways regulate the receptor cells to maintain chorda tympani sensation. Hedgehog (HH) signaling controls cell proliferation and differentiation in numerous tissues and is active in taste papillae and taste buds. In contrast, uncontrolled HH signaling drives tumorigenesis, including the common skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. Systemic HH pathway inhibitors (HPIs) lead to basal cell carcinoma regression, but these drugs cause severe taste disturbances. We tested the hypothesis that taste disruption by HPIs reflects a direct requirement for HH signaling in maintaining taste organs and gustatory sensation. In mice treated with the HPI LDE225 up to 28 days, HH-responding cells were lost in fungiform papilla epithelium, and papillae acquired a conical apex. Taste buds were either absent or severely reduced in size in more than 90% of aberrant papillae. Taste bud remnants expressed the taste cell marker keratin 8, and papillae retained expression of nerve markers, neurofilament and P2X3. Chorda tympani nerve responses to taste stimuli were markedly reduced or absent in LDE225-treated mice. Responses to touch were retained, however, whereas cold responses were retained after 16 days of treatment but lost after 28 days. These data identify a critical, modality-specific requirement for HH signaling in maintaining taste papillae, taste buds and neurophysiological taste function, supporting the proposition that taste disturbances in HPI-treated patients are an on-target response to HH pathway blockade in taste organs. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

  7. Authoritative parenting and sensation seeking as predictors of adolescent cigarette and marijuana use.

    PubMed

    Stephenson, Michael T; Helme, Donald W

    2006-01-01

    Adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies often seek out thrill seeking experiences to satisfy their need for stimulation and sensation. In many cases, sensation-seeking adolescents fulfill their need for stimulation and sensation by using illicit substances. However, not all high sensation seekers use drugs, although the factors that prevent or buffer sensation seeking remain unexplored. This study fills this gap in extant research by examining the role of authoritative parenting as a protective factor that prevents or buffers cigarette and marijuana use by adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies. Data from 1461 adolescents attending 6th through 8th grades in central Colorado were gathered during a semester-long classroom-based intervention to prevent the onset or further use of cigarettes. Results indicate that authoritative parenting moderated the effect of sensation seeking on adolescent marijuana attitudes, intentions, and peer influence but not behaviors. Further, authoritative parenting was a stronger influence than sensation seeking on cigarette-related outcomes with just the opposite effect observed for marijuana-related outcomes.

  8. Thermographic Evaluation of the Hands of Pig Slaughterhouse Workers Exposed to Cold Temperatures.

    PubMed

    Tirloni, Adriana Seára; Reis, Diogo Cunha Dos; Ramos, Eliane; Moro, Antônio Renato Pereira

    2017-07-26

    Brazil was rated the fourth leading producer and exporter of pork meat in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperature of the hands of pig slaughterhouse workers and its relation to the thermal sensation of the hands and the use of a cutting tool. The study included 106 workers in a pig slaughterhouse. An infrared camera FlirThermaCAM E320 (Flir Systems, Wilsonville, OR, USA) was used to collect the images of the dorsal and palmar surfaces of both hands. A numerical scale was used to obtain the thermal sensation. Chi-square test, Pearson correlation and Student's t test or Wilcoxon were used ( p ≤ 0.05). The majority of workers felt cold in the hands (66%) and workers who used the knife felt the coldest. There was an association between the thermal sensation and the use of knife ( p = 0.001). Workers who used the tool showed correlation between the thermal sensation and the temperatures of the left fingers, with a difference between the temperatures of the right and left hands of those who used the knife ( p ≤ 0.05). The hands (left) that manipulated the products presented the lowest temperatures. Findings indicate that employers of pig slaughterhouses should provide gloves with adequate thermal insulation to preserve the health of workers' hands.

  9. Thermographic Evaluation of the Hands of Pig Slaughterhouse Workers Exposed to Cold Temperatures

    PubMed Central

    Ramos, Eliane

    2017-01-01

    Brazil was rated the fourth leading producer and exporter of pork meat in the world. The aim of this study was to evaluate the temperature of the hands of pig slaughterhouse workers and its relation to the thermal sensation of the hands and the use of a cutting tool. The study included 106 workers in a pig slaughterhouse. An infrared camera FlirThermaCAM E320 (Flir Systems, Wilsonville, OR, USA) was used to collect the images of the dorsal and palmar surfaces of both hands. A numerical scale was used to obtain the thermal sensation. Chi-square test, Pearson correlation and Student’s t test or Wilcoxon were used (p ≤ 0.05). The majority of workers felt cold in the hands (66%) and workers who used the knife felt the coldest. There was an association between the thermal sensation and the use of knife (p = 0.001). Workers who used the tool showed correlation between the thermal sensation and the temperatures of the left fingers, with a difference between the temperatures of the right and left hands of those who used the knife (p ≤ 0.05). The hands (left) that manipulated the products presented the lowest temperatures. Findings indicate that employers of pig slaughterhouses should provide gloves with adequate thermal insulation to preserve the health of workers’ hands. PMID:28933764

  10. The Neural Mechanisms of Re-Experiencing Mental Fatigue Sensation: A Magnetoencephalography Study

    PubMed Central

    Ishii, Akira; Karasuyama, Takuma; Kikuchi, Taiki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Emi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2015-01-01

    There have been several studies which have tried to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation; however fatigue sensation has multiple aspects. We hypothesized that past experience related to fatigue sensation is an important factor which contributes to future formation of fatigue sensation through the transfer to memories that are located within specific brain structures. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation related to memory. In the present study, we investigated the neural activity caused by re-experiencing the fatigue sensation that had been experienced during a fatigue-inducing session. Thirteen healthy volunteers participated in fatigue and non-fatigue experiments in a crossover fashion. In the fatigue experiment, they performed a 2-back test session for 40 min to induce fatigue sensation, a rest session for 15 min to recover from fatigue, and a magnetoencephalography (MEG) session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body with fatigue that they had experienced in the 2-back test session. In the non-fatigue experiment, the participants performed a free session for 15 min, a rest session for 15 min, and an MEG session in which they were asked to re-experience the state of their body without fatigue that they had experienced in the free session. Spatial filtering analyses of oscillatory brain activity showed that the delta band power in the left Brodmann’s area (BA) 39, alpha band power in the right pulvinar nucleus and the left BA 40, and beta band power in the left BA 40 were lower when they re-experienced the fatigue sensation than when they re-experienced the fatigue-free sensation, indicating that these brain regions are related to re-experiencing the fatigue sensation. Our findings may help clarify the neural mechanisms underlying fatigue sensation. PMID:25826300

  11. Opponency of astringent and fat sensations.

    PubMed

    des Gachons, Catherine Peyrot; Mura, Emi; Speziale, Camille; Favreau, Charlotte J; Dubreuil, Guillaume F; Breslin, Paul A S

    2012-10-09

    In most cultures, people ingest a variety of astringent foods and beverages during meals, but the reasons for this practice are unclear. Many popular beliefs and heuristics, such as high tannin wines should be balanced with fatty foods, for example 'red wine with red meat', suggest that astringents such as pickles, sorbets, wines, and teas 'cleanse' the palate while eating. Oral astringents elicit 'dry, rough' sensations [1], in part, by breaking down mucinous lubricating proteins in saliva [2,3]. The introduction of oral lubricants, including fats, partially diminishes strong astringent sensations [4,5]. Thus, it appears that astringency and fattiness can oppose each other perceptually on an oral rheological spectrum. Most teas, wines, and 'palate cleansers', however, are only mildly astringent and an explanation of how they could oppose the fattiness of meals is lacking. Here, we demonstrate that weakly astringent stimuli can elicit strong sensations after repeated sampling. Astringency builds with exposures [6] to an asymptotic level determined by the structure and concentration of the compound. We also establish that multiple sips of a mild astringent solution, similar to a wine or tea, decrease oral fat sensations elicited by fatty food consumption when astringent and fatty stimuli alternate, mimicking the patterning that occurs during a real meal. Consequently, we reveal a principle underlying the international practice of 'palate cleansing'. Repeatedly alternating samples of astringent beverages with fatty foods yielded ratings of fattiness and astringency that were lower than if rinsing with water or if presented alone without alternation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparison of sensation-related voiding patterns between continent and incontinent women: a study with a 3-day sensation-related bladder diary (SR-BD).

    PubMed

    Naoemova, Irina; De Wachter, Stefan; Wyndaele, Jean-Jacques

    2008-01-01

    To describe and compare voiding patterns on a 3-day sensation-related bladder diary (SR-BD) in women with urinary incontinence (UI) and healthy volunteers. A total of 251 women (224 incontinent patients and 27 healthy volunteers) who recorded a 3-day SR-BD and underwent standard cystometry participated in the study. Parameters from the 3-day SR-BD were compared between incontinent patients and healthy volunteers. Compared to continent women, all groups of incontinent women noted a significantly higher 24 hr voiding frequency, a greater voiding frequency per liter diuresis, a smaller mean voided volume for different degrees of bladder sensation with more voids made with higher intensity of desire to void. The smallest mean voided volumes for different degrees of desire to void and the highest voiding frequency per liter diuresis were observed in the urge incontinence group. There were different sensation-related voiding patterns on the 3-day SR-BD from incontinent women and healthy volunteers. All incontinence groups had increased bladder sensation compared to healthy volunteers. The most severe increase of bladder sensation was observed in the patients with urgency incontinence. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  13. 7 CFR 201.17 - Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia. 201.17 Section 201.17 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  14. 7 CFR 201.17 - Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia. 201.17 Section 201.17 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  15. 7 CFR 201.17 - Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia. 201.17 Section 201.17 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  16. 7 CFR 201.17 - Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia. 201.17 Section 201.17 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  17. 7 CFR 201.17 - Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Noxious-weed seeds in the District of Columbia. 201.17 Section 201.17 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) FEDERAL SEED ACT FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS...

  18. Effects of propofol anesthesia on the processing of noxious stimuli in the spinal cord and the brain.

    PubMed

    Lichtner, Gregor; Auksztulewicz, Ryszard; Kirilina, Evgeniya; Velten, Helena; Mavrodis, Dionysios; Scheel, Michael; Blankenburg, Felix; von Dincklage, Falk

    2018-05-15

    Drug-induced unconsciousness is an essential component of general anesthesia, commonly attributed to attenuation of higher-order processing of external stimuli and a resulting loss of information integration capabilities of the brain. In this study, we investigated how the hypnotic drug propofol at doses comparable to those in clinical practice influences the processing of somatosensory stimuli in the spinal cord and in primary and higher-order cortices. Using nociceptive reflexes, somatosensory evoked potentials and functional magnet resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that propofol abolishes the processing of innocuous and moderate noxious stimuli at low to medium concentration levels, but that intense noxious stimuli evoked spinal and cerebral responses even during deep propofol anesthesia that caused profound electroencephalogram (EEG) burst suppression. While nociceptive reflexes and somatosensory potentials were affected only in a minor way by further increasing doses of propofol after the loss of consciousness, fMRI showed that increasing propofol concentration abolished processing of intense noxious stimuli in the insula and secondary somatosensory cortex and vastly increased processing in the frontal cortex. As the fMRI functional connectivity showed congruent changes with increasing doses of propofol - namely the temporal brain areas decreasing their connectivity with the bilateral pre-/postcentral gyri and the supplementary motor area, while connectivity of the latter with frontal areas is increased - we conclude that the changes in processing of noxious stimuli during propofol anesthesia might be related to changes in functional connectivity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Thoughts and sensations, twin galaxies of the inner space: The propensity to mind-wander relates to spontaneous sensations arising on the hands.

    PubMed

    Michael, George A; Tapiero, Isabelle; Gálvez-García, Germán; Jacquot, Laurence

    2017-10-01

    Sensations and thoughts have been described as potentially related to self-awareness. We therefore asked whether sensations that arise in the absence of external triggers, i.e., spontaneous sensations (SPS), which were shown to relate to interoception and perception of the self, vary as a function of the individual propensity to generate spontaneous thoughts, i.e., mind-wandering. The Mind Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) was used as a specific tool to assess the frequency and propensity to mind-wander several weeks before completing an SPS task. Correlational analyses between the MWQ score and SPS showed that greater propensity to mind-wander coincided with widespread perception of SPS, while lesser propensity to mind-wander coincided with more spatially restricted perception of SPS. The results are interpreted in light of the role of spontaneous thoughts and sensations in self-awareness. The potential psychological processes and the way they might regulate the relation between mind-wandering and the perception of SPS are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Phantom sensations in people with complete spinal cord lesions: a grounded theory perspective.

    PubMed

    Drysdale, Daren G; Shem, Kazuko; Walbom, Agnes; Miner, Maureen D; Maclachlan, Malcolm

    2009-01-01

    Phantom sensations are somatic phenomena arising from denervated parts of the body. There is very little research, and much diagnostic confusion, regarding such experiences in people with spinal cord injuries. In the case of 'complete' spinal cord lesions, phantom experiences may challenge, and indeed, contradict, the understanding that both clinicians and patients have of such injuries. This paper seeks to provide a better understanding of such 'phantom' sensations in spinal cord injury. We used grounded theory methods to explore 'phantom' sensations as experienced by individuals with complete (ASIA A) spinal lesions. Eight people with complete lesions, who were selected through theoretical sampling, participated in a semi-structured interview. Emergent themes included injury context, sensations experienced, the meaning of sensations, body connectivity, attitude and communication about sensations. Our results provide an enhanced understanding of the embodied experience of phantom sensations, and important insights regarding self-construction and rehabilitative processes in people with spinal cord injury who experience such anomalous sensations.

  1. Role of interoceptive accuracy in topographical changes in emotion-induced bodily sensations

    PubMed Central

    Jung, Won-Mo; Ryu, Yeonhee; Lee, Ye-Seul; Wallraven, Christian; Chae, Younbyoung

    2017-01-01

    The emotion-associated bodily sensation map is composed of a specific topographical distribution of bodily sensations to categorical emotions. The present study investigated whether or not interoceptive accuracy was associated with topographical changes in this map following emotion-induced bodily sensations. This study included 31 participants who observed short video clips containing emotional stimuli and then reported their sensations on the body map. Interoceptive accuracy was evaluated with a heartbeat detection task and the spatial patterns of bodily sensations to specific emotions, including anger, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, and neutral, were visualized using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) analyses. Distinct patterns of bodily sensations were identified for different emotional states. In addition, positive correlations were found between the magnitude of sensation in emotion-specific regions and interoceptive accuracy across individuals. A greater degree of interoceptive accuracy was associated with more specific topographical changes after emotional stimuli. These results suggest that the awareness of one’s internal bodily states might play a crucial role as a required messenger of sensory information during the affective process. PMID:28877218

  2. Sensation Seeking as Risk Factor for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts in Adolescence

    PubMed Central

    Ortin, Ana; Lake, Alison M.; Kleinman, Marjorie; Gould, Madelyn S.

    2012-01-01

    Background High sensation seeking in adolescence is associated with engagement in risk-taking behaviors, especially substance use. Although depressed adolescents are prone to increased risk-taking, and suicidal behavior can be considered within the spectrum of risk-taking behaviors, the relationships between sensation seeking, depression, and suicidal behavior have not been explored. Methods A self-report questionnaire assessing sensation seeking, depression, substance use problems, and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was completed by 9th- through 12th-grade students (n=2189) in six New York State high-schools from 2002 through 2004. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine main and interaction effects between sensation seeking and the four clinical variables. Results High sensation seeking was positively associated with depressive symptoms and substance use problems. The main effects of sensation seeking on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts remained significant after controlling for depression and substance use. The association between sensation seeking and suicide attempts was moderated by substance use problems. Limitations The schools were suburban and predominantly white, limiting the generalizability of the results. Other mental disorders with potential implications for sensation seeking and for suicidal behavior, such as bipolar disorders, were not assessed. Conclusions The finding that sensation seeking makes an independent contribution to the risk of suicidal ideation and attempts is consistent with findings in literature on novelty seeking and impulsivity. The associations between sensation seeking, depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior may be compatible with the presence of an underlying temperamental dysregulation. Screening for sensation seeking may contribute to the reduction of adolescent suicide risk. PMID:22921521

  3. Effects of noxious stimuli on the electroencephalogram of anaesthetised chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus).

    PubMed

    McIlhone, Amanda E; Beausoleil, Ngaio J; Kells, Nikki J; Mellor, David J; Johnson, Craig B

    2018-01-01

    The reliable assessment and management of avian pain is important in the context of animal welfare. Overtly expressed signs of pain vary substantially between and within species, strains and individuals, limiting the use of behaviour in pain studies. Similarly, physiological indices of pain can also vary and may be confounded by influence from non-painful stimuli. In mammals, changes in the frequency spectrum of the electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded under light anaesthesia (the minimal anaesthesia model; MAM) have been shown to reliably indicate cerebral responses to noxious stimuli in a range of species. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the MAM can be applied to the study of nociception in birds. Ten chickens were lightly anaesthetised with halothane and their EEG recorded using surface electrodes during the application of supramaximal mechanical, thermal and electrical noxious stimuli. Spectral analysis revealed no EEG responses to any of these stimuli. Given that birds possess the neural apparatus to detect and process pain, and that the applied noxious stimuli elicit behavioural signs of pain in conscious chickens, this lack of response probably relates to methodological limitations. Anatomical differences between the avian and mammalian brains, along with a paucity of knowledge regarding specific sites of pain processing in the avian brain, could mean that EEG recorded from the head surface is insensitive to changes in neural activity in the pain processing regions of the avian brain. Future investigations should examine alternative electrode placement sites, based on avian homologues of the mammalian brain regions involved in pain processing.

  4. Effects of noxious stimuli on the electroencephalogram of anaesthetised chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus)

    PubMed Central

    McIlhone, Amanda E.; Beausoleil, Ngaio J.; Mellor, David J.; Johnson, Craig B.

    2018-01-01

    The reliable assessment and management of avian pain is important in the context of animal welfare. Overtly expressed signs of pain vary substantially between and within species, strains and individuals, limiting the use of behaviour in pain studies. Similarly, physiological indices of pain can also vary and may be confounded by influence from non-painful stimuli. In mammals, changes in the frequency spectrum of the electroencephalogram (EEG) recorded under light anaesthesia (the minimal anaesthesia model; MAM) have been shown to reliably indicate cerebral responses to noxious stimuli in a range of species. The aim of the current study was to determine whether the MAM can be applied to the study of nociception in birds. Ten chickens were lightly anaesthetised with halothane and their EEG recorded using surface electrodes during the application of supramaximal mechanical, thermal and electrical noxious stimuli. Spectral analysis revealed no EEG responses to any of these stimuli. Given that birds possess the neural apparatus to detect and process pain, and that the applied noxious stimuli elicit behavioural signs of pain in conscious chickens, this lack of response probably relates to methodological limitations. Anatomical differences between the avian and mammalian brains, along with a paucity of knowledge regarding specific sites of pain processing in the avian brain, could mean that EEG recorded from the head surface is insensitive to changes in neural activity in the pain processing regions of the avian brain. Future investigations should examine alternative electrode placement sites, based on avian homologues of the mammalian brain regions involved in pain processing. PMID:29698446

  5. Influence of pyridostigmine bromide on human thermoregulation during cold-water immersion

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cadarette, B.S.; Prusaczyk, W.K.; Sawka, M.N.

    1991-03-11

    This study examined the effects of an oral 30 mg dose of pyridostigmine bromide (PYR) on thermoregulatory and physiological responses during cold stress. Six men were immersed in chilled stirred water for up to 180 minutes; once 2 hours following ingestion of PYR and once 2 hours following ingestion of a placebo (CON). With PYR, mean ({plus minus} SD) red blood cell cholinesterase inhibition was 33 ({plus minus}12)% at 110 minutes post-ingestion. Cholinesterase inhibition was negatively related to lean body mass. Abdominal discomfort caused termination in 3 of 6 PYR experiments ({bar X} immersion time = 117 min) but inmore » no CON experiments ({bar X} immersion time = 142 min, p > 0.05). During immersion, metabolic rate increased significantly over pre-immersion levels, and increased with duration of immersion, but did not differ between conditions. PYR had no significant effect on rectal temperature, mean body temperature, thermal sensation, heart rate, or plasma cortisol concentration. It was concluded that a 30 mg dose of PYR does not increase susceptibility to hypothermia in humans immersed in cold-water; however, in combination with cold-stress, PYR may result in marked abdominal cramping and limit cold tolerance.« less

  6. Perceived physiological and orgasmic sensations at ejaculation in spinal cord injured men.

    PubMed

    Courtois, Frédérique; Charvier, Kathleen; Leriche, Albert; Vézina, Jean-Guy; Côté, Isabelle; Raymond, Denis; Jacquemin, Géraldine; Fournier, Christine; Bélanger, Marc

    2008-10-01

    With the advances in penile vibrator stimulation (PVS), most spinal cord injured (SCI) men can self-ejaculate. Oral midodrine may further increase ejaculation success, while maintaining autonomy. Since most SCI men attempt ejaculation for sexual rather than reproductive purposes, self-ejaculation should be emphasized and sensations explored. Explore (i) self-ejaculation success rate in SCI men; (ii) vascular parameters indicative of autonomic dysreflexia (AD) during sexual stimulation and ejaculation; and (iii) sensations associated with ejaculation. Ejaculation was assessed on 81 SCI men with complete ASIA A (49%) and incomplete B to D lesions (51%), subdivided into tetraplegics (C2-T2), paraplegics sensitive to AD (T3-T6), paraplegics not sensitive to AD (T7-T10), paraplegics with lesions to the emission pathway (T11-L2), and paraplegics with lesions interrupting the emission-ejaculation pathways (L3-below). Natural stimulation was attempted first followed, if negative, by PVS followed, if again negative, by PVS combined with oral midodrine (5-25 mg). Ejaculation success, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and perceived physiological and orgasmic sensations. Overall 91% reached ejaculation, 30% with natural stimulation, 49% with PVS and 12% with midodrine plus PVS. Midodrine salvaged up to 27% depending upon the lesion. Physiological and orgasmic sensations were perceived significantly more at ejaculation than sexual stimulation. Tetraplegics did not differ from paraplegics sensitive to AD on perceived cardiovascular and muscular sensations, but perceived significantly more autonomic sensations, and generally more physiological sensations than lower lesions unsensitive to AD. Most SCI men can self-ejaculate and perceive physiological and orgasmic sensations. The climactic experience of ejaculation seems related to AD, few sensations being reported when AD is not reached, pleasurable climactic sensations being reported when mild to moderate AD is reached, and

  7. Estimation of thermal sensation during varied air temperature conditions.

    PubMed

    Katsuura, T; Tabuchi, R; Iwanaga, K; Harada, H; Kikuchi, Y

    1998-03-01

    Seven male students were exposed to four varied air temperature environments: hot (37 degrees C) to neutral (27 degrees C) (HN), neutral to hot (NH), cool (17 degrees C) to neutral (CN), and neutral to cool (NC). The air temperature was maintained at the first condition for 20 min, then was changed to the second condition after 15 min and was held there for 20 min. Each subject wore a T-shirt, briefs, trunks, and socks. Each sat on a chair and was continuously evaluated for thermal sensation, thermal comfort, and air velocity sensation. Some physiological and thermal parameters were also measured every 5 s during the experiment. The correlation between thermal sensation and skin temperature at 15 sites was found to be poor. The subjects felt much warmer during the rising phase of the air temperature (CN, NH) than during the descending phase (HN, NC) at a given mean skin temperature. However, thermal sensation at the same heat flux or at the same value of the difference between skin and air temperature (delta(Tsk - Ta)) was not so different among the four experimental conditions, and the correlation between thermal sensation and heat flux or delta(Tsk - Ta) was fairly good. The multiple regression equation of the thermal sensation (TS) on 15 sites of skin temperature (Tsk; degrees C) was calculated and the coefficient of determination (R*2) was found to be 0.656. Higher coefficients of determination were found in the equations of thermal sensation for the heat flux (H; kcal.m-2.h-1) at the right and left thighs of the subjects and on delta(Tsk - Ta) (degrees C) at 4 sites. They were as follows: TS = 2.04 - 0.016 Hright - 0.036 Hleft; R*2 = 0.717, TS = 1.649 + 0.013 delta(Tsk - Ta)UpperArm - 0.036 delta(Tsk - Ta)Chest - 0.223 delta(Tsk - Ta)Thigh-0.083 delta(Tsk - Ta)LowerLeg; R*2 = 0.752, respectively.

  8. The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    PubMed Central

    Sierevelt, Inger N.; van der Heijden, Bas C. J. M.; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G.; Frings-Dresen, Monique H. W.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the cumulative effect of a routine (hot-to-) cold shower on sickness, quality of life and work productivity. Methods Between January and March 2015, 3018 participants between 18 and 65 years without severe comorbidity and no routine experience of cold showering were randomized (1:1:1:1) to a (hot-to-) cold shower for 30, 60, 90 seconds or a control group during 30 consecutive days followed by 60 days of showering cold at their own discretion for the intervention groups. The primary outcome was illness days and related sickness absence from work. Secondary outcomes were quality of life, work productivity, anxiety, thermal sensation and adverse reactions. Results 79% of participants in the interventions groups completed the 30 consecutive days protocol. A negative binomial regression model showed a 29% reduction in sickness absence for (hot-to-) cold shower regimen compared to the control group (incident rate ratio: 0.71, P = 0.003). For illness days there was no significant group effect. No related serious advents events were reported. Conclusion A routine (hot-to-) cold shower resulted in a statistical reduction of self-reported sickness absence but not illness days in adults without severe comorbidity. Trial Registration Netherlands National Trial Register NTR5183 PMID:27631616

  9. Race, ethnicity, and noxious facilities: Environmental racism re- examined

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nieves, A.L.; Nieves, L.A.

    1992-10-01

    The charge has been made that hazardous facilities tend to be located in proximity to minority populations. This study uses a facility density measure for three categories of noxious facilities to examine the relationship between facilities and minority population concentrations. County-level data are used in a correlation analysis for African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians in the four major regions of the US. Even controlling for income and housing value, and limiting the data set to urban areas, consistent patterns of moderate to strong association of facility densities with minority population percentages are found.

  10. Thermal responses from repeated exposures to severe cold with intermittent warmer temperatures.

    PubMed

    Ozaki, H; Enomoto-Koshimizu, H; Tochihara, Y; Nakamura, K

    1998-09-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate physiological reaction and manual performance during exposure to warm (30 degrees C) and cool (10 degrees C) environments after exposure to very low temperatures (-25 degrees C). Furthermore, this experiment was conducted to study whether it is desirable to remove cold-protective jackets in warmer rooms after severe cold exposure. Eight male students remained in an extremely cold room for 20 min, after which they transferred into either the warm room or the cool room for 20 min. This pattern was repeated three times, and the total cold exposure time was 60 min. In the warm and cool rooms, the subjects either removed their cold-protective jackets (Condition A), or wore them continuously (Condition B). Rectal temperature, skin temperatures, manual performance, blood pressure, thermal, comfort and pain sensations were measured during the experiment. The effects of severe cold on almost all measurements in the cool (10 degrees C) environment were greater than those in the warm (30 degrees C) environment under both clothing conditions. The effects of severe cold on all measurements under Condition A except rectal temperature and toe skin temperature were significantly greater than those under Condition B in the cool environment but, not at all differences between Condition A and Condition B in the warm environments were significant. It was recognized that to remove cold-protective jackets in the cool room (10 degrees C) after severe cold exposure promoted the effects of severe cold. When rewarming in the warm resting room (30 degrees C), the physiological and psychological responses and manual performance were not influenced by the presence or absence of cold-protective clothing. These results suggest that it is necessary for workers to make sure to rewarm in the warm room outside of the cold storage and continue to wear cold-protective clothing in the cool room.

  11. Sensational Stars with Autism

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simmons, Karen; Miller, Lucy Jane

    2008-01-01

    Sensory processing refers to the way the brain takes incoming sensory messages, converts them into meaningful messages, then makes a response. If the responses are disorganized or inappropriate given the sensory input, sensory processing disorder (SPD) may co-exist with autism. If a child has an occasional atypical response to sensation, he or she…

  12. An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale for Children.

    PubMed

    Dekkers, Tycho J; van Bergen, Naomi R J; Jansen, Brenda R J

    2018-05-17

    Sensation seeking is a trait that predicts a wide range of real-life risk behavior, such as substance abuse and gambling problems. Sensation seeking is often assessed with the Sensation Seeking Scale. Several adaptations of this questionnaire have been made, for example, to abbreviate it and to make it suitable for children. However, studies on sensation seeking in children are scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate sensation seeking in children (N = 158, M age = 11.4 years). The Brief Sensation Seeking Scale for Children (BSSS-C) was translated into Dutch and psychometric properties were examined. Internal consistency was high, and the factor structure showed close resemblance with previous research. Test-retest and split-half reliabilities were acceptable, as was convergent validity with self-reported symptoms of psychopathology (attention problems and aggressive behavior). Construct validity was adequate, with more sensation seeking in boys than in girls. No effects of age were found. To sum up, sensation seeking can be measured in children in a valid and reliable way. The correlation of sensation seeking with high-risk behaviors emphasizes the importance of assessment early in development.

  13. Investigation of pajama properties on skin under mild cold conditions: the interaction between skin and clothing.

    PubMed

    Yao, Lei; Gohel, Mayur D I; Li, Yi; Chung, Waiyee J

    2011-07-01

    Clothing is considered the second skin of the human body. The aim of this study was to determine clothing-wearer interaction on skin physiology under mild cold conditions. Skin physiological parameters, subjective sensory response, stress level, and physical properties of clothing fabric from two longitude parallel-designed wear trials were studied. The wear trials involved four kinds of pajamas made from cotton or polyester material that had hydrophilic or hydrophobic treatment, conducted for three weeks under mild cold conditions. Statistical tools, factor analysis, hierarchical linear regression, and logistic regression were applied to analyze the strong predictors of skin physiological parameters, stress level, and sensory response. A framework was established to illustrate clothing-wearer interactions with clothing fabric properties, skin physiology, stress level, and sensory response under mild cold conditions. Fabric has various effects on the human body under mild cold conditions. A fabric's properties influence skin physiology, sensation, and psychological response. © 2011 The International Society of Dermatology.

  14. Different Types of Sensation Seeking: A Person-Oriented Approach in Sensation-Seeking Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suranyi, Zsuzsanna; Hitchcock, David B.; Hittner, James B.; Vargha, Andras; Urban, Robert

    2013-01-01

    Previous research on sensation seeking (SS) was dominated by a variable-oriented approach indicating that SS level has a linear relation with a host of problem behaviors. Our aim was to provide a person-oriented methodology--a probabilistic clustering--that enables examination of both inter- and intra-individual differences in not only the level,…

  15. Magneto-encephalographic measurement of neural activity during period of vertigo induced by cold caloric stimulation.

    PubMed

    Kandori, Akihiko; Oe, Hiroshi; Miyashita, Kotaro; Ohira, Shinji; Naritomi, Hiroaki; Chiba, Yoshihide; Ogata, Kuniomi; Murakami, Masahiro; Miyashita, Tsuyoshi; Tsukada, Keiji

    2003-07-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate neural activity during period of vertiginous sensation, induced by caloric stimulation. After caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS) by cold water of five volunteers (n=5, age: 30+/-10), auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs) during the subsequent period of vertiginous sensations were measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG). Current-arrow maps (CAMs) were produced to estimate the spatial current distribution of the AEF responses, and a rotation value (dI(rot)) was calculated from the CAM. The worth of the dI(rot) values as indicators of vertigo was evaluated by comparing them with earlier reported values for elderly control (n=11, age: 67+/-5) and chronic dizziness (CD) (n=27, age: 68+/-8) groups (obtained from AEF responses with no the CVS). Although all volunteers felt vertigo during the AEF measurements, the AEF waveforms and CAM pattern only showed slight changes. While the dI(rot) values (1.43+/-0.73) just after CVS were not significantly different from those (1.59+/-0.46) for the elderly controls, they were significantly different from those (3.54+/-1.34) for the CD patients. These findings suggest that (i) the new parameter (dI(rot)) is more sensitively indicates dizziness (non-rotatory sensation) than vertigo (ii) the auditory cortical region may play an important role in body-balance perception of floating sensations.

  16. Strychnine-sensitive modulation is selective for non-noxious somatosensory input in the spinal cord of the rat.

    PubMed

    Sherman, S E; Loomis, C W

    1996-08-01

    Touch-evoked allodynia, an important symptom of clinical neural injury pain, can be modelled acutely and reversibly in the urethane-anesthetized rat using intrathecal (i.t.) strychnine (STR). Allodynia, after i.t. STR (40 micrograms), is manifest as a significant enhancement of cardiovascular and motor responses evoked by normally innocuous brushing of the hair (hair deflection), as compared to responses evoked by either hair deflection after i.t. saline (SAL), or to i.t. STR (40 micrograms) with no tactile stimulus. The present study investigated: (1) the pharmacology of afferent neural inputs involved in STR-dependent allodynia using neonatal capsaicin and the non-NMDA receptor antagonist 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo[f]quinoxaline (NBQX); and (2) the effect of i.t. STR on responses evoked by peripheral noxious stimulation. Neonatal capsaicin (25 mg/kg, s.c., post-natal day (PND) 1, and 50 mg/kg, s.c., PND 2, 3, 4, 11, 25, 55 and 85) significantly attenuated the responses evoked by noxious mechanical, thermal or chemical stimuli, but had no effect on STR-dependent allodynia. All hair deflection-evoked, STR-dependent responses were dose-dependently inhibited by i.t. NBQX. The ED50 values and 95% confidence intervals were 10.4 micrograms (5.5-19.6) for the motor withdrawal response, 14.4 micrograms (8.6-24.0) for changes in MAP and 12.2 micrograms (6.8-21.8) for changes in HR. Cortical EEG synchrony was unchanged by i.t. NBQX confirming its spinal locus of action. Intrathecal STR neither reduced nor enhanced the responses elicited by noxious stimuli in capsaicin- or vehicle-pretreated rats. These results indicate that STR-dependent allodynia is initiated by primary afferents not normally involved in nociception (possibly A beta-fibers), and that STR-sensitive modulation in the spinal cord is selective for non-noxious sensory input. The sensitivity of STR-dependent allodynia to non-NMDA receptor antagonists, and the failure of i.t. STR to produce

  17. Correlation Factors Describing Primary and Spatial Sensations of Sound Fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    ANDO, Y.

    2002-11-01

    The theory of subjective preference of the sound field in a concert hall is established based on the model of human auditory-brain system. The model consists of the autocorrelation function (ACF) mechanism and the interaural crosscorrelation function (IACF) mechanism for signals arriving at two ear entrances, and the specialization of human cerebral hemispheres. This theory can be developed to describe primary sensations such as pitch or missing fundamental, loudness, timbre and, in addition, duration sensation which is introduced here as a fourth. These four primary sensations may be formulated by the temporal factors extracted from the ACF associated with the left hemisphere and, spatial sensations such as localization in the horizontal plane, apparent source width and subjective diffuseness are described by the spatial factors extracted from the IACF associated with the right hemisphere. Any important subjective responses of sound fields may be described by both temporal and spatial factors.

  18. Relationship between foot sensation and standing balance in patients with multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Citaker, Seyit; Gunduz, Arzu Guclu; Guclu, Meral Bosnak; Nazliel, Bijen; Irkec, Ceyla; Kaya, Defne

    2011-06-01

    The aims of the present study were to investigate the relationship between the foot sensations and standing balance in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and find out the sensation, which best predicts balance. Twenty-seven patients with MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale 1-3.5) and 10 healthy volunteers were included. Threshold of light touch-pressure, duration of vibration, and distance of two-point discrimination of the foot sole were assessed. Duration of static one-leg standing balance was measured. Light touch-pressure, vibration, two-point discrimination sensations of the foot sole, and duration of one-leg standing balance were decreased in patients with MS compared with controls (p<0.05). Sensation of the foot sole was related with duration of one-leg standing balance in patients with MS. In the multiple regression analysis conducted in the 27 MS patients, 47.6% of the variance in the duration of one-leg standing balance was explained by two-point discrimination sensation of the heel (R(2)=0.359, p=0.001) and vibration sensation of the first metatarsal head (R(2)=0.118, p=0.029). As the cutaneous receptors sensitivity decreases in the foot sole the standing balance impairs in patients with MS. Two-point discrimination sensation of the heel and vibration sensation of the first metatarsal head region are the best predictors of the static standing balance in patients with MS. Other factors which could be possible to predict balance and effects of sensorial training of foot on balance should be investigated. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Sensation seeking and the use and selection of media materials.

    PubMed

    Hall, Alice

    2005-08-01

    175 individuals recruited from urban universities (n=82) and the surrounding community (120 women, 55 men; 82 18- to 25-yr.-olds, 26 26- to 34-yr.-olds, 44 35- to 50-yr.-olds, 23 50 yr. old or over) completed a sensation seeking scale and measures of the frequency with which they used specific media and selected specific television programming, film, and music genres. Regression analyses showed Sensation Seeking to be associated positively with Movie Theatre Attendance and with the Selection of Urban Music Genres. Sensation Seeking was also associated negatively with Selection of Light Film Genres.

  20. Water Sensation During Passive Propulsion for Expert and Nonexpert Swimmers.

    PubMed

    Kusanagi, Kenta; Sato, Daisuke; Hashimoto, Yasuhiro; Yamada, Norimasa

    2017-06-01

    This study determined whether expert swimmers, compared with nonexperts, have superior movement perception and physical sensations of propulsion in water. Expert (national level competitors, n = 10) and nonexpert (able to swim 50 m in > 3 styles, n = 10) swimmers estimated distance traveled in water with their eyes closed. Both groups indicated their subjective physical sensations in the water. For each of two trials, two-dimensional coordinates were obtained from video recordings using the two-dimensional direct linear transformation method for calculating changes in speed. The mean absolute error of the difference between the actual and estimated distance traveled in the water was significantly lower for expert swimmers (0.90 ± 0.71 meters) compared with nonexpert swimmers (3.85 ± 0.84 m). Expert swimmers described the sensation of propulsion in water in cutaneous terms as the "sense of flow" and sensation of "skin resistance." Therefore, expert swimmers appear to have a superior sense of distance during their movement in the water compared with that of nonexpert swimmers. In addition, expert swimmers may have a better perception of movement in water. We propose that expert swimmers integrate sensations and proprioceptive senses, enabling them to better perceive and estimate distance moved through water.

  1. Early Detection Rapid Response Program Targets New Noxious Weed Species in Washington State

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Andreas, Jennifer E.; Halpern, Alison D.; DesCamp, Wendy C.; Miller, Timothy W.

    2015-01-01

    Early detection, rapid response is a critical component of invasive plant management. It can be challenging, however, to detect new invaders before they become established if landowners cannot identify species of concern. In order to increase awareness, eye-catching postcards were developed in Washington State as part of a noxious weed educational…

  2. Multicenter trial of the proficiency of smart quantitative sensation tests.

    PubMed

    Dyck, Peter J; Argyros, Barbara; Russell, James W; Gahnstrom, Linde E; Nalepa, Susan; Albers, James W; Lodermeier, Karen A; Zafft, Andrew J; Dyck, P James B; Klein, Christopher J; Litchy, William J; Davies, Jenny L; Carter, Rickey E; Melton, L Joseph

    2014-05-01

    We assessed proficiency (accuracy and intra- and intertest reproducibility) of smart quantitative sensation tests (smart QSTs) in subjects without and with diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSPN). Technologists from 3 medical centers using different but identical QSTs independently assessed 6 modalities of sensation of the foot (or leg) twice in patients without (n = 6) and with (n = 6) DSPN using smart computer assisted QSTs. Low rates of test abnormalities were observed in health and high rates in DSPN. Very high intraclass correlations were obtained between continuous measures of QSTs and neuropathy signs, symptoms, or nerve conductions (NCs). No significant intra- or intertest differences were observed. These results provide proof of concept that smart QSTs provide accurate assessment of sensation loss without intra- or intertest differences useful for multicenter trials. Smart technology makes possible efficient testing of body surface area sensation loss in symmetric length-dependent sensorimotor polyneuropathies. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Sensation seeking and risky driving: a review and synthesis of the literature.

    PubMed

    Jonah, B A

    1997-09-01

    The relationship between sensation seeking and risky behaviour has been observed since the 1970s. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, road safety researchers have examined the relationship between sensation seeking and risky driving (e.g. driving while impaired, speeding, following too closely), as well as its consequences (e.g. collisions, violations). There is also growing evidence that sensation seeking may also moderate the manner in which drivers respond to other factors such as alcohol impairment and perceived risk. This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature on sensation seeking as a direct influencer of risky driving and its consequences and as a moderator of the influence of other factors. The vast majority of the 40 studies reviewed showed positive relationships between sensation seeking (SS) and risky driving, with correlations in the 0.30-0.40 range, depending on gender and the measure of risky driving and SS employed. Of those studies that have looked at the subscales of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale, Thrill and Adventure Seeking appears to have the strongest relationship to risky driving. The biological bases of SS is discussed as are the implications for collision prevention measures.

  4. Effects of reference analgesics and psychoactive drugs on the noxious heat threshold of mice measured by an increasing-temperature water bath.

    PubMed

    Boros, Melinda; Benkó, Rita; Bölcskei, Kata; Szolcsányi, János; Barthó, Loránd; Pethő, Gábor

    2013-12-01

    The study aimed at validating an increasing-temperature water bath suitable for determining the noxious heat threshold for use in mice. The noxious heat threshold was determined by immersing the tail of the gently held awake mouse into a water container whose temperature was near-linearly increased at a rate of 24°C/min. until the animal withdrew its tail, that is, heating attained the noxious threshold. The effects of standard analgesic, neuroleptic and anxiolytic drugs were investigated in a parallel way on both the noxious heat threshold and the psychomotor activity assessed by the open field test. Morphine, diclofenac and metamizol (dipyrone) elevated the heat threshold of mice with minimum effective doses of 6, 30 and 1000 mg/kg i.p., respectively. These doses of morphine and diclofenac failed to induce any remarkable effect on psychomotor activity in the open field test while that of metamizol exerted a profound inhibition. The anxiolytic diazepam and the neuroleptic droperidol at doses evoking a mild and moderate, respectively, psychomotor inhibition failed to alter the heat threshold. Combination of a subliminal dose of morphine (regarding both antinociceptive and psychomotor inhibitory action) with diclofenac, metamizol, diazepam or droperidol at doses also subliminal regarding the thermal antinociceptive effect elevated the noxious heat threshold without major additional effects in the open field test. It is concluded that the increasing-temperature water bath is suitable for studying the thermal antinociceptive effects of morphine and diclofenac as well as the morphine-sparing action of diclofenac, metamizol, droperidol and diazepam. Behavioural testing is recommended when testing analgesics. © 2013 Nordic Pharmacological Society. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Noxious heat threshold temperature and pronociceptive effects of allyl isothiocyanate (mustard oil) in TRPV1 or TRPA1 gene-deleted mice.

    PubMed

    Tékus, Valéria; Horváth, Ádám; Hajna, Zsófia; Borbély, Éva; Bölcskei, Kata; Boros, Melinda; Pintér, Erika; Helyes, Zsuzsanna; Pethő, Gábor; Szolcsányi, János

    2016-06-01

    To investigate the roles of TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels in baseline and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC)-evoked nociceptive responses by comparing wild-type and gene-deficient mice. In contrast to conventional methods of thermonociception measuring reflex latencies, we used our novel methods to determine the noxious heat threshold. It was revealed that the heat threshold of the tail measured by an increasing-temperature water bath is significantly higher in TRPV1(-/-), but not TRPA1(-/-), mice compared to respective wild-types. There was no difference between the noxious heat thresholds of the hind paw as measured by an increasing-temperature hot plate in TRPV1(-/-), TRPA1(-/-) and the corresponding wild-type mice. The withdrawal latency of the tail from 0°C water was prolonged in TRPA1(-/-), but not TRPV1(-/-), mice compared to respective wild-types. In wild-type animals, dipping the tail or paw into 1% AITC induced an 8-14°C drop of the noxious heat threshold (heat allodynia) of both the tail and paw, and 40-50% drop of the mechanonociceptive threshold (mechanical allodynia) of the paw measured by dynamic plantar esthesiometry. These AITC-evoked responses were diminished in TRPV1(-/-), but not TRPA1(-/-), mice. Tail withdrawal latency to 1% AITC was significantly prolonged in both gene-deleted strains. Different heat sensors determine the noxious heat threshold in distinct areas: a pivotal role for TRPV1 on the tail is contrasted with no involvement of either TRPV1 or TRPA1 on the hind paw. Noxious heat threshold measurement appears appropriate for preclinical screening of TRP channel ligands as novel analgesics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Attachment, Social Value Orientation, Sensation Seeking, and Bullying in Early Adolescence.

    PubMed

    Innamorati, Marco; Parolin, Laura; Tagini, Angela; Santona, Alessandra; Bosco, Andrea; De Carli, Pietro; Palmisano, Giovanni L; Pergola, Filippo; Sarracino, Diego

    2018-01-01

    In this study, bullying is examined in light of the "prosocial security hypothesis"- i.e., the hypothesis that insecure attachment, with temperamental dispositions such as sensation seeking, may foster individualistic, competitive value orientations and problem behaviors. A group of 375 Italian students (53% female; Mean age = 12.58, SD = 1.08) completed anonymous questionnaires regarding attachment security, social values, sensation seeking, and bullying behaviors. Path analysis showed that attachment to mother was negatively associated with bullying of others, both directly and through the mediating role of conservative socially oriented values, while attachment to father was directly associated with victimization. Sensation seeking predicted bullying of others and victimization both directly and through the mediating role of conservative socially oriented values. Adolescents' gender affected how attachment moderated the relationship between sensation seeking and problem behavior.

  7. R-rated movie viewing, growth in sensation seeking and alcohol initiation: reciprocal and moderation effects.

    PubMed

    Stoolmiller, Mike; Gerrard, Meg; Sargent, James D; Worth, Keilah A; Gibbons, Frederick X

    2010-03-01

    The current study employed parallel process and discrete time hazard regressions to examine the interplay among exposure to R-rated movies, sensation seeking, and initiation of alcohol use in a national U.S. sample (N = 6255) of adolescents, ages 10-14, who were followed over four waves spanning 2 years. There was a short-term reciprocal relation between watching R-rated movies and sensation seeking, but over the 2-year observation period, exposure to R-rated movies was associated with increases in sensation seeking and not vice versa. Sensation seeking also moderated the effect of watching R-rated movies on initiation of alcohol consumption such that exposure was associated with greater increases in initiation of alcohol use among low sensation than among high sensation seeking adolescents. The study provides empirical evidence of an environmental media effect on sensation seeking, and important new information about the relations among sensation seeking, media exposure, and adolescent alcohol use.

  8. R-rated Movie Viewing, Growth in Sensation Seeking and Alcohol Initiation: Reciprocal and Moderation Effects

    PubMed Central

    Stoolmiller, Mike; Gerrard, Meg; Worth, Keilah A.; Gibbons, Frederick X.

    2010-01-01

    The current study employed parallel process and discrete time hazard regressions to examine the interplay among exposure to R-rated movies, sensation seeking, and initiation of alcohol use in a national U.S. sample (N=6255) of adolescents, ages 10–14, who were followed over four waves spanning 2 years. There was a short-term reciprocal relation between watching R-rated movies and sensation seeking, but over the 2-year observation period, exposure to R-rated movies was associated with increases in sensation seeking and not vice versa. Sensation seeking also moderated the effect of watching R-rated movies on initiation of alcohol consumption such that exposure was associated with greater increases in initiation of alcohol use among low sensation than among high sensation seeking adolescents. The study provides empirical evidence of an environmental media effect on sensation seeking, and important new information about the relations among sensation seeking, media exposure, and adolescent alcohol use. PMID:19655251

  9. Acute Noxious Stimulation Modifies Morphine Effect in Serotonergic but not Dopaminergic Midbrain Areas

    PubMed Central

    Bajic, Dusica; Commons, Kathryn G.

    2010-01-01

    It is poorly understood if and how pain may modify the effect of opioids on neural systems that contribute to reward and addictive behavior. We hypothesized that the activation of ascending dopaminergic and serotonergic nuclei by morphine is modified by the presence of noxious stimulation. Immunohistochemical double-labeling technique with Fos was used to examine if an intraplantar formalin injection, an acute noxious input, changed the effect of morphine on dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR). Four groups of rats were analyzed: (1) CONTROL injected with normal saline subcutaneously, (2) rats treated with FORMALIN into the hind paw 30 minutes after normal saline injection, (3) rats injected with MORPHINE sulfate subcutaneously, and (4) rats treated with formalin into the hind paw 30 minutes after morphine injection (MORPHINE/FORMALIN). Following morphine injection, there was an increase in the number of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA with Fos immunolabeling. However, noxious stimulation did not detectably change morphine's effect on Fos expression in VTA dopamine neurons. In contrast, the number of serotonergic neurons containing Fos was increased in the morphine/formalin group compared to all other groups and this effect was topographically selective for the dorsal area of the DR at mid rostro-caudal levels. Therefore, morphine's activation of the VTA, which is associated with motivated behavior and reward seeking, appears similar in the context of pain. However, activation of the ascending serotonin system, which influences mood and has the capacity to modify reward pathways, appears different. In addition, these findings reveal interactions between nociceptive signaling and opioids that contrasts with the notion that opioids simply block access of nociceptive signaling to supraspinal structures. PMID:20026253

  10. Sensation Seeking and Internet Activities, Music Preference, and Personal Relationships among College Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisskirch, Robert S.; Murphy, Laurel C.

    Individuals vary in their need for excitement, involving a personality trait known as sensation seeking (SS). Previous research has found that a preference for rock music and participation in more self-disclosing behaviors are characteristic of high sensation seekers. This study examines if college student sensation seeking relates to the…

  11. The link between sensation seeking and aggression: a meta-analytic review.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

    2011-01-01

    Substantial empirical evidence supports low resting heart rate (HR) as the best replicated psychophysiological correlate of aggression [Ortiz and Raine, 2004]; however, researchers continue to debate the explanatory mechanisms of the phenomenon. Sensation seeking has been proposed as a possible outcome of low resting HR that may lead to aggressive tendencies but findings have been inconsistent in terms of showing a relationship between sensation seeking and aggression. A meta-analysis was conducted on 43 independent effect sizes, from studies with a total of 32,217 participants, to test the hypothesis that sensation seeking would be positively related to aggression across studies. A significant overall effect size was found (d = .1935, P<.001), supporting the hypothesis. Moderator analyses revealed that the relationship differed based on participant and methodological characteristics, such as participant age and the nature of the aggression measurement; however, these conclusions are limited by the uneven number of studies in many of the moderator classes. Overall, the findings provide support for higher levels of aggression in high sensation seekers and have theoretical implications for arousal theory. Further research on the links between arousal, sensation seeking and aggression can inform clinicians about potential interventions. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  12. Attachment, Social Value Orientation, Sensation Seeking, and Bullying in Early Adolescence

    PubMed Central

    Innamorati, Marco; Parolin, Laura; Tagini, Angela; Santona, Alessandra; Bosco, Andrea; De Carli, Pietro; Palmisano, Giovanni L.; Pergola, Filippo; Sarracino, Diego

    2018-01-01

    In this study, bullying is examined in light of the “prosocial security hypothesis”— i.e., the hypothesis that insecure attachment, with temperamental dispositions such as sensation seeking, may foster individualistic, competitive value orientations and problem behaviors. A group of 375 Italian students (53% female; Mean age = 12.58, SD = 1.08) completed anonymous questionnaires regarding attachment security, social values, sensation seeking, and bullying behaviors. Path analysis showed that attachment to mother was negatively associated with bullying of others, both directly and through the mediating role of conservative socially oriented values, while attachment to father was directly associated with victimization. Sensation seeking predicted bullying of others and victimization both directly and through the mediating role of conservative socially oriented values. Adolescents’ gender affected how attachment moderated the relationship between sensation seeking and problem behavior. PMID:29535668

  13. Fear appeals and attitude change: effects of a threat's noxiousness, probability of occurrence, and the efficacy of coping responses.

    PubMed

    Rogers, R W; Mewborn, C R

    1976-07-01

    Three factorial experiments examined the persuasive effects of the noxiousness of threatened event, its probability of occurrence, and the efficacy of recommended protective measures. A total of 176 students participated in separate studies on the topics of cigarette smoking, driving safety, and venereal disease. The results disclosed that increments in the efficacy variable increased intentions to adopt the efficacy variable increased intentions to adopt the recommended practices. Interaction effects revealed that when the preventive practices were effective, increments in the noxiousness and probability variables facilitated attitude change; however, when the coping responses were the preventive practices were effective, increments in the noxiousness and probability either had no effect or a deleterious effect, respectively. These interaction effects were discussed in terms of a defensive avoidance hypothesis, the crucial component of which was an inability to ward off the danger. Furthermore, the effect of the emotion of fear upon intentions was found to be mediated by the cognitive appraisal of severity of the threat. Finally, similarities with and extensions of previous studies were reviewed.

  14. The concept of peripheral modulation of bladder sensation

    PubMed Central

    Eastham, Jane E; Gillespie, James I

    2013-01-01

    It is recognized that, as the bladder fills, there is a corresponding increase in sensation. This awareness of the volume in the bladder is then used in a complex decision making process to determine if there is a need to void. It is also part of everyday experience that, when the bladder is full and sensations strong, these sensations can be suppressed and the desire to void postponed. The obvious explanation for such altered perceptions is that they occur centrally. However, this may not be the only mechanism. There are data to suggest that descending neural influences and local factors might regulate the sensitivity of the systems within the bladder wall generating afferent activity. Specifically, evidence is accumulating to suggest that the motor-sensory system within the bladder wall is influenced in this way. The motor-sensory system, first described over 100 years ago, appears to be a key component in the afferent outflow, the afferent “noise,” generated within the bladder wall. However, the presence and possible importance of this complex system in the generation of bladder sensation has been overlooked in recent years. As the bladder fills the motor activity increases, driven by cholinergic inputs and modulated, possibly, by sympathetic inputs. In this way information on bladder volume can be transmitted to the CNS. It can be argued that the ability to alter the sensitivity of the mechanisms generating the motor component of this motor-sensory system represents a possible indirect way to influence afferent activity and so the perception of bladder volume centrally. Furthermore, it is emerging that the apparent modulation of sensation by drugs to alleviate the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB), the anti-cholinergics and the new generation of drugs the β3 sympathomimetics, may be the result of their ability to modulate the motor component of the motor sensory system. The possibility of controlling sensation, physiologically and pharmacologically, by

  15. The precedence effect for lateralization at low sensation levels.

    PubMed

    Goverts, S T; Houtgast, T; van Beek, H H

    2000-10-01

    Using dichotic signals presented by headphone, stimulus onset dominance (the precedence effect) for lateralization at low sensation levels was investigated for five normal hearing subjects. Stimuli were based on 2400-Hz low pass filtered 5-ms noise bursts. We used the paradigm, as described by Aoki and Houtgast (Hear. Res., 59 (1992) 25-30) and Houtgast and Aoki (Hear. Res., 72 (1994) 29-36), in which the stimulus is divided into a leading and a lagging part with opposite lateralization cues (i.e. an interaural time delay of 0.2 ms). The occurrence of onset dominance was investigated by measuring lateral perception of the stimulus, with fixed equal duration of leading and lagging part, while decreasing absolute signal level or adding a filtered white noise with the signal level set at 65 dBA. The dominance of the leading part was quantified by measuring the perceived lateral position of the stimulus as a function of the relative duration of the leading (and thus the lagging) part. This was done at about 45 dB SL without masking noise and also at a signal-to-noise ratio resulting in a sensation level of 10 dB. The occurrence and strength of the precedence effect was found to depend on sensation level, which was decreased either by lowering the signal level or by adding noise. With the present paradigm, besides a decreased lateralization accuracy, a decrease in the precedence effect was found for sensation levels below about 30-40 dB. In daily-life conditions, with a sensation level in noise of typically 10 dB, the onset dominance was still manifest, albeit degraded to some extent.

  16. Physiological changes in female genital sensation during sexual stimulation.

    PubMed

    Gruenwald, Ilan; Lowenstein, Lior; Gartman, Irena; Vardi, Yoram

    2007-03-01

    A normal sexual response in the female depends on the integrity of afferent sensory input from the genital region. So far genital sensation has been investigated only during a non-excitatory state, and the sensory physiological changes, which occur during the sexual cycle in this region, are still obscured. To investigate the sensory status of the female genital region during sexual arousal and orgasm. Genital sensory thresholds measured by Quantitative Sensory Testing (vibratory and thermal) were compared in a non-excitatory vs. excitatory state in normal sexually functioning females. Eleven healthy female volunteers were recruited and attended three separate visits. During each session only one anatomical site, either clitoris or vagina was tested for either vibratory or thermal stimuli. A psychophysical method of limits was employed for threshold determination of warm or vibratory stimuli. In each session, all women were tested at baseline, immediately after arousal, after orgasm and three more measurements - 5, 10, and 20 minutes during the recovery state. A significant decrease in clitoral vibratory sensation threshold was observed between the baseline and the arousal phases (P = 0.003). Comparison of vibratory sensation between baseline and following orgasm at the clitoral and vaginal region showed a significant difference (P < 0.001) for both regions. These changes were not significant for thermal threshold sensation at the clitoral region (P = 0.6). This is the first time that genital sensation has been measured during the excitatory phase of the female sexual cycle. This normative data may serve as a baseline for further investigations of the sensory input of the genital organs during intercourse in pathological states.

  17. Dopamine modulates risk-taking as a function of baseline sensation-seeking trait.

    PubMed

    Norbury, Agnes; Manohar, Sanjay; Rogers, Robert D; Husain, Masud

    2013-08-07

    Trait sensation-seeking, defined as a need for varied, complex, and intense sensations, represents a relatively underexplored hedonic drive in human behavioral neuroscience research. It is related to increased risk for a range of behaviors including substance use, gambling, and risky sexual practice. Individual differences in self-reported sensation-seeking have been linked to brain dopamine function, particularly at D2-like receptors, but so far no causal evidence exists for a role of dopamine in sensation-seeking behavior in humans. Here, we investigated the effects of the selective D2/D3 agonist cabergoline on performance of a probabilistic risky choice task in healthy humans using a sensitive within-subject, placebo-controlled design. Cabergoline significantly influenced the way participants combined different explicit signals regarding probability and loss when choosing between response options associated with uncertain outcomes. Importantly, these effects were strongly dependent on baseline sensation-seeking score. Overall, cabergoline increased sensitivity of choice to information about probability of winning; while decreasing discrimination according to magnitude of potential losses associated with different options. The largest effects of the drug were observed in participants with lower sensation-seeking scores. These findings provide evidence that risk-taking behavior in humans can be directly manipulated by a dopaminergic drug, but that the effectiveness of such a manipulation depends on baseline differences in sensation-seeking trait. This emphasizes the importance of considering individual differences when investigating manipulation of risky decision-making, and may have relevance for the development of pharmacotherapies for disorders involving excessive risk-taking in humans, such as pathological gambling.

  18. Sensation seeking and alcohol use by college students: examining multiple pathways of effects.

    PubMed

    Yanovitzky, Itzhak

    2006-01-01

    This study tests the proposition that peer influence mediates the effect of sensation seeking, a personality trait, on alcohol use among college students. Cross-sectional data to test this proposition were collected from a representative sample of college students at a large public northeastern university (N = 427). Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that, as hypothesized, sensation seeking influenced personal alcohol use both directly and indirectly, through its impact on students' frequency of association with alcohol-using peers and the size of their drinking norm misperception. The findings suggest that interventions that seek to limit the frequency in which high sensation seekers associate with peers whose alcohol use is extreme or, alternatively, seek to facilitate social interactions of high sensation seekers with normative peers, may supplement efforts to influence sensation seekers' alcohol and other drug use through tailored mass media advertisements.

  19. Genetically Influenced Change in Sensation Seeking Drives the Rise of Delinquent Behavior during Adolescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harden, K. Paige; Quinn, Patrick D.; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M.

    2012-01-01

    Sensation seeking is associated with an increased propensity for delinquency, and emerging research on personality change suggests that mean levels of sensation seeking increase substantially from childhood to adolescence. The current study tested whether individual differences in the rate of change of sensation seeking predicted within-person…

  20. The noxious effects of electroimmobilization in adult Holstein cows: a pilot study.

    PubMed Central

    Pascoe, P J; McDonell, W N

    1986-01-01

    Ten adult Holstein cows were used in an experiment to determine whether the induction of electroimmobilization was a noxious event. The cows were halter trained and accustomed to being led into a set of stocks. The time taken for the cattle to walk the last ten metres into the stocks was recorded. The heart rate of the cow was recorded for a three minute period prior to a ten second exposure to a high pitched sound (the conditioning stimulus). Measurements were collected for three repetitions and then the cows were assigned to two groups of five. One group was immobilized for 30 seconds using a commercial electroimmobilizer, the other group was not treated. This procedure was repeated ten times over a period of eight days. The cows were then exposed to the conditioning stimulus and their response observed. The treated group took significantly (P less than 0.05) longer to get into the stocks and the regression slopes for heart rate were significantly different from the control group. The treated cows responded to the conditioning stimulus at five and nine months after the end of the conditioning period. Adult Holstein cows regarded electroimmobilization as a noxious event and were very strongly conditioned to this stimulus. PMID:3756681

  1. Mass Media Strategies Targeting High Sensation Seekers: What Works and Why

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephenson, Michael T.

    2003-01-01

    Objectives: To examine strategies for using the mass media effectively in drug prevention campaigns targeting high sensation seekers. Methods: Both experimental lab and field studies were used to develop a comprehensive audience segmentation strategy targeting high sensation seekers. Results: A 4-pronged targeting strategy employed in an…

  2. Variants in the dopamine-4-receptor gene promoter are not associated with sensation seeking in skiers.

    PubMed

    Thomson, Cynthia J; Rajala, Amelia K; Carlson, Scott R; Rupert, Jim L

    2014-01-01

    Sensation seeking is a personality trait that has been associated with disinhibited behaviours including substance use and gambling, but also with high-risk sport practices including skydiving, paragliding, and downhill skiing. Twin studies have shown that sensation seeking is moderately heritable, and candidate genes encoding components involved in dopaminergic transmission have been investigated as contributing to this type of behaviour. To determine whether variants in the regulatory regions of the dopamine-4-receptor gene (DRD4) influenced sport-specific sensation seeking, we analyzed five polymorphisms (-1106T/C, -906T/C, -809G/A, -291C/T, 120-bp duplication) in the promoter region of the gene in a cohort of skiers and snowboarders (n = 599) that represented a broad range of sensation seeking behaviours. We grouped subjects by genotype at each of the five loci and compared impulsive sensation seeking and domain-specific (skiing) sensation seeking between groups. There were no significant associations between genotype(s) and general or domain-specific sensation seeking in the skiers and snowboarders, suggesting that while DRD4 has previously been implicated in sensation seeking, the promoter variants investigated in this study do not contribute to sensation seeking in this athlete population.

  3. A Multicenter Trial of the Proficiency of Smart Quantitative Sensation Tests

    PubMed Central

    Dyck, Peter J.; Argyros, Barbara; Russell, James W.; Gahnstrom, Linde E.; Nalepa, Susan; Albers, James W.; Lodermeier, Karen A.; Zafft, Andrew J.; Dyck, P. James B.; Klein, Christopher J.; Litchy, William J.; Davies, Jenny L.; Carter, Rickey E.; Melton, L. Joseph

    2014-01-01

    Introduction We assessed proficiency (accuracy and intra- and inter-test reproducibility) of smart quantitative sensation tests (smart QSTs) in subjects without and with diabetic polyneuropathy (DSPN). Methods Technologists from 3 medical centers using different but identical QSTs assessed independently 6 modalities of sensation of foot (or leg) twice in patients without (n = 6) and with (n = 6) DSPN using smart computer assisted QSTs. Results Low rates of test abnormalities were observed in health and high rates in DSPN. Very high intra-class correlations were obtained between continuous measures of QSTs and neuropathy signs, symptoms, or nerve conductions (NCs). No significant intra- or inter-test differences were observed. Discussion These results provide proof of concept that smart QSTs provide accurate assessment of sensation loss without intra- or inter-test differences useful for multicenter trials. Smart technology makes possible efficient testing of body surface area sensation loss in symmetric length-dependent sensorimotor polyneuropathies. PMID:23929701

  4. Sensation Seeking and Narrative Transportation: High Sensation Seeking Children's Interest in Reading outside of School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jensen, Jakob; Imboden, Kristen; Ivic, Rebecca

    2011-01-01

    High sensation seekers (HSS) prefer messages that allow them to maintain an optimal level of arousal (i.e., highly arousing messages). Transportation theory suggests that narrative immersion in a story may moderate reader arousal, and thus HSS message selection. To test this idea, a survey was administered to 120 fourth and fifth graders. In…

  5. Structure of the cold- and menthol-sensing ion channel TRPM8.

    PubMed

    Yin, Ying; Wu, Mengyu; Zubcevic, Lejla; Borschel, William F; Lander, Gabriel C; Lee, Seok-Yong

    2018-01-12

    Transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) cation channels are polymodal sensors that are involved in a variety of physiological processes. Within the TRPM family, member 8 (TRPM8) is the primary cold and menthol sensor in humans. We determined the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the full-length TRPM8 from the collared flycatcher at an overall resolution of ~4.1 ångstroms. Our TRPM8 structure reveals a three-layered architecture. The amino-terminal domain with a fold distinct among known TRP structures, together with the carboxyl-terminal region, forms a large two-layered cytosolic ring that extensively interacts with the transmembrane channel layer. The structure suggests that the menthol-binding site is located within the voltage-sensor-like domain and thus provides a structural glimpse of the design principle of the molecular transducer for cold and menthol sensation. Copyright © 2018 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works.

  6. Influence of de qi on the immediate analgesic effect of SP6 acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation: a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Min-Yi; Zhang, Peng; Li, Jing; Wang, Lin-Peng; Zhou, Wei; Wang, Yan-Xia; She, Yan-Fen; Ma, Liang-Xiao; Wang, Pei; Hu, Ni-Juan; Lin, Chi; Hu, Shang-Qin; Wu, Gui-Wen; Wang, Ya-Feng; Sun, Jun-Jun; Jiang, Si-Zhu; Zhu, Jiang

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this multicentre randomised controlled trial was to investigate the contribution of de qi to the immediate analgesic effect of acupuncture in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and the specific traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis cold and dampness stagnation . Eighty-eight patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation were randomly assigned to de qi (n=43) or no de qi (n=45) groups and underwent 30 min of SP6 acupuncture. The de qi group received deep needling at SP6 with manipulation using thick needles; the no de qi group received shallow needling with no manipulation using thin needles. In both groups the pain scores and actual de qi sensation were evaluated using a visual analogue scale for pain (VAS-P) and the acupuncture de qi clinical assessment scale (ADCAS), respectively. Both groups showed reductions in VAS-P, with no signficant differences between groups. ADCAS scores showed 43/43 and 25/45 patients in de qi and no de qi groups, respectively, actually experienced de qi sensation. Independent of original group allocation, VAS-P reductions associated with actual de qi (n=68) were greater than those without (28.4±18.19 mm vs 14.6±12.28 mm, p=0.008). This study showed no significant difference in VAS-P scores in patients with primary dysmenorrhoea and cold and dampness stagnation immediately after SP6 acupuncture designed to induce or avoid de qi sensation. Both treatments significantly reduced VAS-P relative to baseline. Irrespective of group allocation, patients experiencing actual de qi sensation demonstrated larger reductions in pain score relative to those without, suggesting greater analgesic effects. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR-TRC-13003086); Results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  7. Physiological and psychological correlates of attention-related body sensations (tingling and warmth).

    PubMed

    Tihanyi, B T; Köteles, F

    2017-09-01

    Body sensations play an essential role in the subjective evaluation of our physical health, illness, and healing. They are impacted by peripheral somatic and external processes, but they are also heavily modulated by mental processes, e.g., attention, motor control, and emotion. Body sensations, such as tingling, numbness, pulse, and warmth, can emerge due to simply focusing attention on a body part. It is however an open question, if these sensations are connected with actual peripheral changes or happen "only in the mind." Here, we first tested whether the intensity of such attention-related body sensations is related to autonomic and somatomotor physiological processes and to psychological traits. In this study, attention-related body sensations were not significantly connected to changes in physiology, except warmth sensation, which was linked to decrease in muscle tension. Overall intensity of tingling significantly correlated with body awareness and tendentiously with body-mind practice. This strengthened the hypothesis that attention-related body sensations are more the result of top-down functions, and the connection with peripheral processes is weak. Here, we suggested a novel protocol to examine the effect of manipulating attention on body sensations, which together with our results and discussion can inspire future researches.

  8. Electro-cutaneous stimulation on the palm elicits referred sensations on intact but not on amputated digits

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Alonzo, M.; Engels, L. F.; Controzzi, M.; Cipriani, C.

    2018-02-01

    Objective. Grasping and manipulation control critically depends on tactile feedback. Without this feedback, the ability for fine control of a prosthesis is limited in upper limb amputees. Early studies have shown that non-invasive electro-cutaneous stimulation (ES) can induce referred sensations that are spread to a wider and/or more distant area, with respect to the electrodes. Building on this, we sought to exploit this effect to provide somatotopically matched sensory feedback to people with partial hand (digital) amputations. Approach. For the first time, this work investigated the possibility of inducing referred sensations in the digits by activating the palmar nerves. Specifically, we electrically stimulated 18 sites on the palm of non-amputees to evaluate the effects of sites and stimulation parameters on modality, magnitude, and location of the evoked sensations. We performed similar tests with partial hand amputees by testing those sites that had most consistently elicited referred sensations in non-amputees. Main results. We demonstrated referred sensations in non-amputees from all stimulation sites in one form or another. Specifically, the stimulation of 16 of the 18 sites gave rise to reliable referred sensations. Amputees experienced referred sensations to unimpaired digits, just like non-amputees, but we were unable to evoke referred sensations in their missing digits: none of them reported sensations that extended beyond the tip of the stump. Significance. The possibility of eliciting referred sensations on the digits may be exploited in haptic systems for providing touch sensations without obstructing the fingertips or their movements. The study also suggests that the phenomenon of referred sensations through ES may not be exploited for partial hand prostheses, and it invites researchers to explore alternative approaches. Finally, the results seem to confirm previous studies suggesting that the stumps in partial hand amputees partially acquire the

  9. Person × Environment Interactions on Adolescent Delinquency: Sensation Seeking, Peer Deviance and Parental Monitoring

    PubMed Central

    Mann, Frank D.; Kretsch, Natalie; Tackett, Jennifer L.; Harden, K. Paige; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M.

    2015-01-01

    Sensation seeking is a personality trait that is robustly correlated with delinquent behavior in adolescence. The current study tested specific contextual factors hypothesized to facilitate, exacerbate or attenuate this risk factor for adolescent delinquency. Individual differences in sensation seeking, peer deviance, parental monitoring and self-reported delinquent behavior were assessed in a sample of 470 adolescents. Peer deviance partially mediated the effects of sensation seeking and parental monitoring on adolescent delinquency. We also found evidence for a three-way interaction between sensation seeking, peer deviance and parental monitoring, such that the highest rates of delinquency occurred from the concurrence of high sensation seeking, high peer deviance, and low levels of parental monitoring. Results highlight the importance of considering peer- and family-level processes when evaluating personality risk and problematic adolescent behavior. PMID:25908885

  10. Person × Environment Interactions on Adolescent Delinquency: Sensation Seeking, Peer Deviance and Parental Monitoring.

    PubMed

    Mann, Frank D; Kretsch, Natalie; Tackett, Jennifer L; Harden, K Paige; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M

    2015-04-01

    Sensation seeking is a personality trait that is robustly correlated with delinquent behavior in adolescence. The current study tested specific contextual factors hypothesized to facilitate, exacerbate or attenuate this risk factor for adolescent delinquency. Individual differences in sensation seeking, peer deviance, parental monitoring and self-reported delinquent behavior were assessed in a sample of 470 adolescents. Peer deviance partially mediated the effects of sensation seeking and parental monitoring on adolescent delinquency. We also found evidence for a three-way interaction between sensation seeking, peer deviance and parental monitoring, such that the highest rates of delinquency occurred from the concurrence of high sensation seeking, high peer deviance, and low levels of parental monitoring. Results highlight the importance of considering peer- and family-level processes when evaluating personality risk and problematic adolescent behavior.

  11. Impaired diffuse noxious inhibitory controls in specific alternation of rhythm in temperature-stressed rats.

    PubMed

    Itomi, Yasuo; Tsukimi, Yasuhiro; Kawamura, Toru

    2016-08-05

    Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain. A hypofunction in descending pain inhibitory systems is considered to be involved in the chronic pain of fibromyalgia. We examined functional changes in descending pain inhibitory systems in rats with specific alternation of rhythm in temperature (SART) stress, by measuring the strength of diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC). Hindpaw withdrawal thresholds to mechanical von Frey filament or fiber-specific electrical stimuli by the Neurometer system were used to measure the pain response. To induce DNIC, capsaicin was injected into the intraplantar of the forepaw. SART-stressed rats were established by exposure to repeated cold stress for 4 days. In the control rats, heterotopic intraplantar capsaicin injection increased withdrawal threshold, indicative of analgesia by DNIC. The strength of DNIC was reduced by naloxone (μ-opioid receptor antagonist, intraperitoneally and intracerebroventricularly), yohimbine (α2-adrenoceptor antagonist, intrathecally), and WAY-100635 (5-HT1A receptor antagonist, intrathecally) in the von Frey test. In SART-stressed rats, capsaicin injection did not increase withdrawal threshold in the von Frey test, indicating deficits in DNIC. In the Neurometer test, deficient DNIC in SART-stressed rats were observed only for Aδ- and C-fibers, but not Aβ-fibers stimulation. Analgesic effect of intracerebroventricular morphine was markedly reduced in SART-stressed rats compared with the control rats. Taken together, in SART-stressed rats, capsaicin-induced DNIC were deficient, and a hypofunction of opioid-mediated central pain modulation system may cause the DNIC deficit. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Variants in the Dopamine-4-Receptor Gene Promoter Are Not Associated with Sensation Seeking in Skiers

    PubMed Central

    Thomson, Cynthia J.; Rajala, Amelia K.; Carlson, Scott R.; Rupert, Jim L.

    2014-01-01

    Sensation seeking is a personality trait that has been associated with disinhibited behaviours including substance use and gambling, but also with high-risk sport practices including skydiving, paragliding, and downhill skiing. Twin studies have shown that sensation seeking is moderately heritable, and candidate genes encoding components involved in dopaminergic transmission have been investigated as contributing to this type of behaviour. To determine whether variants in the regulatory regions of the dopamine-4-receptor gene (DRD4) influenced sport-specific sensation seeking, we analyzed five polymorphisms (−1106T/C, −906T/C, −809G/A, −291C/T, 120-bp duplication) in the promoter region of the gene in a cohort of skiers and snowboarders (n = 599) that represented a broad range of sensation seeking behaviours. We grouped subjects by genotype at each of the five loci and compared impulsive sensation seeking and domain-specific (skiing) sensation seeking between groups. There were no significant associations between genotype(s) and general or domain-specific sensation seeking in the skiers and snowboarders, suggesting that while DRD4 has previously been implicated in sensation seeking, the promoter variants investigated in this study do not contribute to sensation seeking in this athlete population. PMID:24691022

  13. Effect of acute acoustic stress on anorectal function sensation in healthy human.

    PubMed

    Gonlachanvit, S; Rhee, J; Sun, W M; Chey, W D

    2005-04-01

    Little is known about the effects of acute acoustic stress on anorectal function. To determine the effects of acute acoustic stress on anorectal function and sensation in healthy volunteers. Ten healthy volunteers (7 M, 3 F, mean age 34 +/- 3 years) underwent anorectal manometry, testing of rectal compliance and sensation using a barostat with and without acute noise stress on separate days. Rectal perception was assessed using an ascending method of limits protocol and a 5-point Likert scale. Arousal and anxiety status were evaluated using a visual analogue scale. Acoustic stress significantly increased anxiety score (P < 0.05). Rectal compliance was significantly decreased with acoustic stress compared with control P (P < 0.000001). In addition, less intraballoon volume was needed to induce the sensation of severe urgency with acoustic stress (P < 0.05). Acoustic stress had no effect on hemodynamic parameters, anal sphincter pressure, threshold for first sensation, sensation of stool, or pain. Acute acoustic stimulation increased anxiety scores, decreased rectal compliance, and enhanced perception of severe urgency to balloon distention but did not affect anal sphincter pressure in healthy volunteers. These results may offer insight into the pathogenesis of stress-in-induced diarrhoea and faecal urgency.

  14. Sensations of gas and pain and their relationship with compliance during distension in human colon.

    PubMed

    Iturrino, J; Camilleri, M; Busciglio, I; Burton, D; Zinsmeister, A R

    2012-07-01

    Colonic mechanosensory afferents 'in parallel' to circular muscle activate prevertebral ganglion reflexes; 'in series', afferents convey visceral sensation to the central nervous system; and pain receptors are activated with muscle distension. Our aim was to analyze the relationships of gas and pain sensations during graded distensions, and the association of sensations with colonic compliance in conscious humans. The data were acquired in a prior study performed on 60 healthy volunteers (aged 18-75 years) under baseline conditions. Colonic compliance was measured in response to 4 mmHg stepwise balloon distensions to estimate pressure at half-maximum volume (Pr(50%)). Sensation ratings for gas and pain were averaged over distensions at 16, 24, 30 and 36 mmHg above baseline operating pressure. Associations between mean gas and pain ratings, and colonic compliance were assessed with Pearson correlations. Gas and pain sensations were significantly correlated at all levels of distension (all P < 0.001). Significant inverse correlations between Pr(50%) and sensations of gas and pain were observed, suggesting that lower compliance was associated with lower sensations. Up to 25% of the variance in sensation may be attributed to colonic compliance. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that, if circumferential colonic receptors are stimulated by distension to mediate gas and pain in humans, they are, at least partly, arranged 'in parallel' to the muscle layer. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. The neural effects of positively and negatively re-experiencing mental fatigue sensation: a magnetoencephalography study.

    PubMed

    Ishii, Akira; Ishizuka, Takuya; Muta, Yuki; Tanaka, Masaaki; Yamano, Emi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2018-06-01

    Fatigue sensation is an essential biological alarm that urges us to take rest to avoid disrupting homeostasis and thus plays an important role in maintaining well-being. However, there are situations in which the anticipation of unpleasant fatigue sensation undesirably reduces motivation for activity. The aim of this study was to examine whether thinking positively about the fatigue sensation would increase motivation to accomplish the workload. Fourteen healthy male volunteers participated in this study and performed a two-back test for 30 min to induce mental fatigue sensation. After their subjective level of fatigue had recovered to the baseline level, they re-experienced the fatigue sensation experienced in the two-back test positively, negatively, and without any modification (i.e., re-experienced the fatigue sensation as it was). The level of motivation to perform another two-back test they felt during the re-experiencing was assessed. The neural activity related to the re-experiencing was recorded using magnetoencephalography. The level of the motivation to perform another two-back test was increased by positively re-experiencing the fatigue sensation. The increase in delta band power in Brodmann area 7 was positively associated with the increase in motivation. These results show that positive thinking about fatigue sensation can enhance motivation and suggest that this enhanced motivation may have some effects on visual attention system.

  16. "The Chinatown Foray" as Sensational Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Springgay, Stephanie

    2011-01-01

    Thinking through affective theories by Alfred North Whitehead, Giles Deleuze, and Brian Massumi, this paper proposes an understanding of pedagogy that is sensational. To consider affective theories and their implications for educational research, I engage with a relational artwork, "The Chinatown Foray," by Toronto-based artist Diane…

  17. Cough & Cold Medicine Abuse

    MedlinePlus

    ... people take too much DXM, they might have hallucinations and "out-of-body" sensations. DXM also depresses ... heart function. Taking a lot of DXM causes hallucinations and out-of-body sensations similar to the ...

  18. Saccadic Eye Movement Improves Plantar Sensation and Postural Balance in Elderly Women.

    PubMed

    Bae, Youngsook

    2016-06-01

    Vision, proprioception and plantar sensation contribute to the control of postural balance (PB). Reduced plantar sensation alters postural response and is at an increased risk of fall, and eye movements reduce the postural sway. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the improvement of plantar sensation and PB after saccadic eye movement (SEM) and pursuit eye movement (PEM) in community-dwelling elderly women. Participants (104 females; 75.11 ± 6.25 years) were randomly allocated into the SEM group (n = 52) and PEM groups (n = 52). The SEM group performed eye fixation and SEM for 5 minutes, and the PEM group performed eye fixation and PEM for 5 minutes. The plantar sensation was measured according to the plantar surface area of the feet in contact with the floor surface before and after the intervention. Before and after SEM and PEM with the eyes open and closed, PB was measured as the area (mm(2)), length (cm), and velocity (cm/s) of the fluctuation of the center of pressure (COP). The plantar sensation of both feet improved in both groups (p < 0.01). Significant decreases in the area, length, and velocity of the COP were observed in the eye open and close in both groups (p < 0.01). The length and velocity of the COP significantly decreased in the SEM group compared to the PEM group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SEM and PEM are effective interventions for improving plantar sensation and PB in elderly women, with greater PB improvement after SEM.

  19. The neurologic effects of noxious marine creatures.

    PubMed

    Southcott, R V

    1975-01-01

    The concept of the sea as a source of noxious agents is perhaps not a familiar one to clinical neurologists, judging by the lack of reference to these agents in standard textbooks. Chemical, physiologic, and pharmacologic laboratories are increasingly investigating the properties of marine toxins, finding in them compounds with interesting and novel structures or unusual physiologic effects. Such substances are seen as possible agents for biologic and, more particularly, physiologic research, and as possible sources of new pharmaceuticals. These include hormone-like substances and antiviral or antitumor agents. Despite these specialized developments, which are in large measure a consequence of the technological advances of the present century, the clinician is at times directly concerned with the effects of marine toxic substances. For example, in Japan, puffer fish or tetrodotoxic poisoning is one of the major causes of deaths from food poisoning. Another marine toxin that has caused many explosive outbreaks of food poisoning. with many deaths in various parts of the world, comes from clams or mussels. This toxin, saxitoxin, is produced by species of marine protozoa including Gonyaulax, and is concentrated in filter-feeding molluscs. These two examples were of significant interest in medicine long before the technologic developments of the twentieth century. In the last few decades, entirely new problems of marine intoxication have arisen as a result of marine pollution from the disposal of industrial wastes in the sea. The most striking example of a man-made marine intoxication has been the outbreak of Minamata disease. In Minamata, Japan, the disposal of mercury-contaminated industrial wastes from a plastics factory into an enclosed bay, followed by human consumption of the contaminated fishes, crabs, or shellfish, led to many instances of acute cerebral degeneration. With the increasing exploration of the sea for both pleasure and economic exploitation, which

  20. How sudden is a compelling desire to void? An observational cystometric study on the suddenness of this sensation.

    PubMed

    De Wachter, Stefan; Wyndaele, Jean-Jacques

    2008-04-01

    To evaluate whether a compelling desire to void (CDV) is always perceived suddenly, or whether it can result from the gradual build-up of bladder-filling sensations. The pattern of filling sensations was evaluated during standard cystometric bladder filling in 75 patients who complained of urgency and showed detrusor overactivity during cystometry. Cystometric filling ended when a CDV was reported. The 'warning volume' is defined as the difference in volume between the first perception of filling and the volume at CDV. Different patterns of bladder-filling sensations were reported. A CDV occurred suddenly, without a preceding sensation in 13% of the patients, whereas 66% reported at least two normal preceding filling sensations before a CDV. The bladder volume at the CDV was significantly smaller in patients that reported no or just one preceding sensation compared with those that reported the normal pattern of two or three sensations (P < 0.005). The bladder volume at which the first filling perception was reported was not different regardless of whether it was described as a first sensation of filling, a first desire or a CDV (P = 0.42). The warning volumes were not different between patients with one or no standardized filling sensations (P = 0.7), but they were significantly smaller than in patients with two or three filling sensations (P = 0.85). A CDV can occur suddenly if normal filling sensation is disturbed, but also gradually if normal filling sensation is preserved. In cases of disturbed filling sensation, the volume at CDV and the warning volume are significantly lower.

  1. Validation of a Self-Report Questionnaire Assessing the Bodily and Physiological Sensations of Orgasm.

    PubMed

    Dubray, Samantha; Gérard, Marina; Beaulieu-Prévost, Dominic; Courtois, Frédérique

    2017-02-01

    Despite a plethora of research on sexual functioning during the past decades, the field is still lacking standardized measurements specifically characterizing orgasm. Although several validated tools are available to assess sexual function in healthy and clinical populations, items on orgasm are limited to frequency or dichotomous responses. A neurophysiologic model of orgasm developed from previous research in able-bodied and spinally injured populations offers a promising framework for the construction of a new questionnaire. To develop and validate a brief self-report measurement of orgasm by the assessment of bodily and physiologic sensations perceived during climax by able-bodied individuals. Although the currently available tool focuses on the phenomenological sensations associated with climax, the goal of this questionnaire was to capture the more specific genital and extragenital sensations associated with orgasm. The current Bodily Sensations of Orgasm questionnaire and the Orgasm Rating Scale. Data from previous research conducted on individuals with spinal cord injury and the available empirical literature provided a pool of 45 items organized into four categories, which were reviewed by an expert panel. Upon review, a 28-item questionnaire was created and administered to a community sample of 227 participants, including men and women, 18 to 73 years old. Exploratory factor analyses supported the four-factor model, in which orgasm is comprised of extragenital sensations, genital sensations and spasms, nociceptive sensations, and sweating responses. Overall, a high degree of internal consistency was found for the final 22-item questionnaire (Cronbach α = 0.87), with individual reliability coefficients showing moderate to high internal consistency (r = 0.65-0.79) for each dimension. Overall temporal stability of the measurement was acceptable (r = 0.74). Using the Orgasm Rating Scale, satisfying convergent validity was confirmed, thereby indicating

  2. The cellular code for mammalian thermosensation.

    PubMed

    Pogorzala, Leah A; Mishra, Santosh K; Hoon, Mark A

    2013-03-27

    Mammalian somatosenory neurons respond to thermal stimuli and allow animals to reliably discriminate hot from cold and to select their preferred environments. Previously, we generated mice that are completely insensitive to temperatures from noxious cold to painful heat (-5 to 55°C) by ablating several different classes of nociceptor early in development. In the present study, we have adopted a selective ablation strategy in adult mice to study this phenotype and have demonstrated that separate populations of molecularly defined neurons respond to hot and cold. TRPV1-expressing neurons are responsible for all behavioral responses to temperatures between 40 and 50°C, whereas TRPM8 neurons are required for cold aversion. We also show that more extreme cold and heat activate additional populations of nociceptors, including cells expressing Mrgprd. Therefore, although eliminating Mrgprd neurons alone does not affect behavioral responses to temperature, when combined with ablation of TRPV1 or TRPM8 cells, it significantly decreases responses to extreme heat and cold, respectively. Ablation of TRPM8 neurons distorts responses to preferred temperatures, suggesting that the pleasant thermal sensation of warmth may in fact just reflect reduced aversive input from TRPM8 and TRPV1 neurons. As predicted by this hypothesis, mice lacking both classes of thermosensor exhibited neither aversive nor attractive responses to temperatures between 10 and 50°C. Our results provide a simple cellular basis for mammalian thermosensation whereby two molecularly defined classes of sensory neurons detect and encode both attractive and aversive cues.

  3. Cognitive Appraisals Affect Both Embodiment of Thermal Sensation and Its Mapping to Thermal Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Keeling, Trevor P.; Roesch, Etienne B.; Clements-Croome, Derek

    2016-01-01

    The physical environment leads to a thermal sensation that is perceived and appraised by occupants. The present study focuses on the relationship between sensation and evaluation. We asked 166 people to recall a thermal event from their recent past. They were then asked how they evaluated this experience in terms of 10 different emotions (frustrated, resigned, dislike, indifferent, angry, anxious, liking, joyful, regretful, proud). We tested whether four psychological factors (appraisal dimensions) could be used to predict the ensuing emotions, as well as comfort, acceptability, and sensation. The four dimensions were: the Conduciveness of the event, who/what caused the event (Causality), who had control (Agency), and whether the event was expected (Expectations). These dimensions, except for Expectations, were good predictors of the reported emotions. Expectations, however, predicted the reported thermal sensation, its acceptability, and ensuing comfort. The more expected an event was, the more uncomfortable a person felt, and the less likely they reported a neutral thermal sensation. Together, these results support an embodied view of how subjective appraisals affect thermal experience. Overall, we show that appraisal dimensions mediate occupants' evaluation of their thermal sensation, which suggests an additional method for understanding psychological adaption. PMID:27445877

  4. Kant and the magnitude of sensation: a neglected prologue to modern psychophysics.

    PubMed

    Baumann, Christian

    2008-01-01

    Quantitative relations between the sensations and the stimuli that produce them are the domain of psychophysics, a branch of natural science not yet known at the time of Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). But Kant's philosophical doctrines of perception imply that sensations can be quantified. Accordingly, he proposed not only to consider the magnitude of both sensations and stimuli but also to work out an appropriate mathematics that would relate these magnitudes to each other. This part of Kant's work received almost no attention up to the present time although it contains some essential elements of modern psychophysics.

  5. Assessing multiple dimensions of urgency sensation: The University of South Australia Urinary Sensation Assessment (USA2 ).

    PubMed

    Das, Rebekah; Buckley, Jonathan; Williams, Marie

    2017-03-01

    To develop and assess structure, test-retest reliability, and discriminative validity of a self-report questionnaire (University of South Australia Urinary Sensation Assessment: USA 2 ) to assess multiple dimensions of urgency sensation. The USA 2 was designed and tested over two prospective, observational studies (2013-2014). Participants were English speaking Australians aged 50 or more with and without overactive bladder (OAB; determined by OAB awareness tool), recruited via health and recreation centers. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis determined USA 2 structure and subscales. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis reassessed structure; Mann-Whitney U-tests determined discriminative validity (OAB vs. non-OAB for subscale and total scores) with Cohen's d effect sizes. Thirty-three individuals completed the USA 2 twice; intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Wilcoxon signed rank tests assessed test-retest reliability. Questionnaires were returned by 189 eligible participants in Study 1 and 211 in Study 2. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three subscales: "urgency," "affective," "fullness." Confirmatory factor analysis supported these subscales. Subscale and total scores were significantly different between groups with and without OAB (P < 0.001). Cohen's d effect sizes (95%CI) were total score 1.8 (0.5-3.1), "urgency" subscale 1.8 (1.3-2.3), "affective" 1.7 (0.95-2.4), and "fullness" 0.75 (0.42-1.09). Total and subscales scores demonstrated test-retest reliability; ICCs (95%CIs) of 0.95 (0.9-0.98), 0.96 (0.92-0.98), 0.94 (0.88-0.97), and 0.78 (0.56-0.89). The USA 2 assesses multiple dimensions of urgency sensation, is reliable over a 2-week period, and discriminates between older adults with and without OAB. Further validation is required in conditions other than overactive bladder. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:667-672, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Effects of two kinds of underwear on thermophysiological responses and clothing microclimate during 30 min walking and 60 min recovery in the cold.

    PubMed

    Ha, M; Tokura, H; Tanaka, Y; Holmér, I

    1996-01-01

    Thermophysiological responses and clothing microclimate under the influences of different underwear materials were compared during walking and recovery in the cold. Two kinds of underwear were used: two layers of cotton underwear with two-piece long-sleeved shirt and long-legged trousers (C), two layers of polypropylene underwear with two-piece long-sleeved shirt and long-legged trousers (P). In addition, the subject put on a two-piece ski suit of 100% polyester including 100% polyester padding. Seven adult females served as subjects in this study. The test was done in a climatic chamber at an ambient air temperature of 2 degrees C, a relative humidity of 65% and an air velocity of 0.14 m.s-1. The subject walked on a motor-driven treadmill with a 6 km/h speed for 30 min followed by 60 min recovery. Rectal temperature, skin temperatures, clothing microclimate (temperature, humidity), metabolic heat production and heart rate were measured. Furthermore, subjective ratings on thermal sensation, sweating/shivering sensation, clothing wettedness sensation and skin wettedness sensation for whole body were asked. The major findings are summarized as follows: 1) Mean skin temperature was not significantly different during walking, but it was significantly higher in P than in C during the recovery. 2) The absolute humidity of innermost layer and outermost layer were not significantly different during walking, but it was significantly higher in P than in C during the recovery. 3) Clothing microclimate temperature of innermost was not significantly different during the first half of walking, but it was significantly higher in C than in P during the second half of walking and significantly lower in C than in P during the recovery. Clothing microclimate temperature of outermost was not significantly different during walking, but it was significantly higher in P than in C during the recovery. 4) Metabolic heat production for the last 10 min during recovery tended to be higher in

  7. Human thermal sensation and comfort in a non-uniform environment with personalized heating.

    PubMed

    Deng, Qihong; Wang, Runhuai; Li, Yuguo; Miao, Yufeng; Zhao, Jinping

    2017-02-01

    Thermal comfort in traditionally uniform environment is apparent and can be improved by increasing energy expenses. To save energy, non-uniform environment implemented by personalized conditioning system attracts considerable attention, but human response in such environment is unclear. To investigate regional- and whole-body thermal sensation and comfort in a cool environment with personalized heating. In total 36 subjects (17 males and 19 females) including children, adults and the elderly, were involved in our experiment. Each subject was first asked to sit on a seat in an 18°C chamber (uniform environment) for 40min and then sit on a heating seat in a 16°C chamber (non-uniform environment) for another 40min after 10min break. Subjects' regional- and whole-body thermal sensation and comfort were surveyed by questionnaire and their skin temperatures were measured by wireless sensors. We statistically analyzed subjects' thermal sensation and comfort and their skin temperatures in different age and gender groups and compared them between the uniform and non-uniform environments. Overall thermal sensation and comfort votes were respectively neutral and just comfortable in 16°C chamber with personalized heating, which were significantly higher than those in 18°C chamber without heating (p<0.01). The effect of personalized heating on improving thermal sensation and comfort was consistent in subjects of different age and gender. However, adults and the females were more sensitive to the effect of personalized heating and felt cooler and less comfort than children/elderly and the males respectively. Variations of the regional thermal sensation/comfort across human body were consistent with those of skin temperature. Personalized heating significantly improved human thermal sensation and comfort in non-uniform cooler environment, probably due to the fact that it increased skin temperature. However, the link between thermal sensation/comfort and variations of skin

  8. Sensations of Gas and Pain and their Relationship to Compliance during Distension in Human Colon

    PubMed Central

    Iturrino, Johanna; Camilleri, Michael; Busciglio, Irene; Burton, Duane; Zinsmeister, Alan R.

    2012-01-01

    Background Colonic mechanosensory afferents “in parallel” to circular muscle activate prevertebral ganglion reflexes; “in series” afferents convey visceral sensation to the central nervous system; and pain receptors are activated with muscle distension. Our aim was to analyze the relationships of gas and pain sensations during graded distensions and the association of sensations with colonic compliance in conscious humans. Methods The data were acquired in a prior study performed in 60 healthy volunteers (aged 18–75 y) under baseline conditions... Colonic compliance was measured in response to 4mmHg stepwise balloon distensions to estimate pressure at half-maximum volume (Pr50%). Sensation ratings for gas and pain were averaged over distensions at 16, 24, 30 and 36mmHg above baseline operating pressure. Associations between mean gas and pain ratings, and colonic compliance were assessed with Pearson correlations. Key Results Gas and pain sensations were significantly correlated at all levels of distension (all p<0.001). Significant inverse correlations between Pr50% and sensations of gas and pain were observed, suggesting that lower compliance was associated with lower sensations. Up to 25% of the variance in sensation may be attributed to colonic compliance. Conclusions and Inferences These data are consistent with the hypothesis that, if circumferential colonic receptors are stimulated by distension to mediate gas and pain in humans, they are, at least partly, arranged “in parallel” to the muscle layer. PMID:22393902

  9. Peripheral noxious stimulation reduces withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli after spinal cord injury: Role of tumor necrosis factor alpha and apoptosis

    PubMed Central

    Woller, Sarah A.; Huie, J. Russell; Hartman, John J.; Hook, Michelle A.; Miranda, Rajesh C.; Huang, Yung-Jen; Ferguson, Adam R.; Grau, James W.

    2014-01-01

    We previously showed that peripheral noxious input after spinal cord injury (SCI) inhibits beneficial spinal plasticity and impairs recovery of locomotor and bladder functions. These observations suggest that noxious input may similarly affect the development and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain, an important consequence of SCI. In adult rats with a moderate contusion SCI, we investigated the effect of noxious tail stimulation, administered one day after SCI, on mechanical withdrawal responses to von Frey stimuli from 1 to 28 days, post-treatment. In addition, because the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is implicated in numerous injury-induced processes including pain hypersensitivity, we assessed the temporal and spatial expression of TNFα, TNF receptors, and several downstream signaling targets after stimulation. Our results showed that unlike sham surgery or SCI only, nociceptive stimulation following SCI induced mechanical sensitivity by 24 hours. These behavioral changes were accompanied by increased expression of TNFα. Cellular assessments of downstream targets of TNFα revealed that nociceptive stimulation increased the expression of caspase 8 and the active subunit (12 kDa) of caspase 3 at a time point consistent with the onset of mechanical allodynia, indicative of active apoptosis. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis revealed distinct morphological signs of apoptosis in neurons and microglia at 24 hours post-stimulation. Interestingly, expression of the inflammatory mediator NFκB was unaltered by nociceptive stimulation. These results suggest that noxious input caudal to the level of SCI can increase the onset and expression of behavioral responses indicative of pain, potentially involving TNFα signaling. PMID:25180012

  10. Physiologic and Perceptual Responses to Cold-Shower Cooling After Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia.

    PubMed

    Butts, Cory L; McDermott, Brendon P; Buening, Brian J; Bonacci, Jeffrey A; Ganio, Matthew S; Adams, J D; Tucker, Matthew A; Kavouras, Stavros A

    2016-03-01

    Exercise conducted in hot, humid environments increases the risk for exertional heat stroke (EHS). The current recommended treatment of EHS is cold-water immersion; however, limitations may require the use of alternative resources such as a cold shower (CS) or dousing with a hose to cool EHS patients. To investigate the cooling effectiveness of a CS after exercise-induced hyperthermia. Randomized, crossover controlled study. Environmental chamber (temperature = 33.4°C ± 2.1°C; relative humidity = 27.1% ± 1.4%). Seventeen participants (10 male, 7 female; height = 1.75 ± 0.07 m, body mass = 70.4 ± 8.7 kg, body surface area = 1.85 ± 0.13 m(2), age range = 19-35 years) volunteered. On 2 occasions, participants completed matched-intensity volitional exercise on an ergometer or treadmill to elevate rectal temperature to ≥39°C or until participant fatigue prevented continuation (reaching at least 38.5°C). They were then either treated with a CS (20.8°C ± 0.80°C) or seated in the chamber (control [CON] condition) for 15 minutes. Rectal temperature, calculated cooling rate, heart rate, and perceptual measures (thermal sensation and perceived muscle pain). The rectal temperature (P = .98), heart rate (P = .85), thermal sensation (P = .69), and muscle pain (P = .31) were not different during exercise for the CS and CON trials (P > .05). Overall, the cooling rate was faster during CS (0.07°C/min ± 0.03°C/min) than during CON (0.04°C/min ± 0.03°C/min; t16 = 2.77, P = .01). Heart-rate changes were greater during CS (45 ± 20 beats per minute) compared with CON (27 ± 10 beats per minute; t16 = 3.32, P = .004). Thermal sensation was reduced to a greater extent with CS than with CON (F3,45 = 41.12, P < .001). Although the CS facilitated cooling rates faster than no treatment, clinicians should continue to advocate for accepted cooling modalities and use CS only if no other validated means of cooling are available.

  11. Chromogranin A and cortisol at intraoperative repeated noxious stimuli: Surgical stress in a dog model

    PubMed Central

    Hagman, Ragnvi; Stridsberg, Mats

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: Biomarkers representing sympathetic tone and the surgical stress response are measured to objectively evaluate surgical techniques and anaesthetic protocols. If a part of the intraoperative procedure is repeated on the contralateral organ, one animal may potentially serve as its own control and, if so, may minimize the problem of individual differences of the stress response to anaesthesia and surgery. This study aimed to investigate the use of chromogranin A for measurement of the intraoperative sympathetic tone. Additional aims were to investigate chromogranin A and cortisol as indicators of the intraoperative surgical stress response caused by repeated noxious stimuli in dogs subjected to ovariohysterectomy and thereby to investigate the possibility of one dog serving as its own control. Methods: Experiments were carried out on 10 dogs subjected to ovariohysterectomy. Perioperative blood samples (0–6) were collected after premedication, immediately before induction of anaesthesia (0), after induction of anaesthesia and before incision (1), before (2) and after (3) removal of the first ovary, after a 15-min pause before removal of the second ovary (4), after removal of the second ovary (5) and after closing the abdomen (6). Plasma chromogranin A and cortisol were analysed. Results: Plasma chromogranin A did not change. Plasma cortisol concentration did not change between before anaesthesia and opening of the abdomen. Plasma cortisol increased at removal of the first ovary. Cortisol did not change at removal of the second ovary but remained increased compared to initial sample. Conclusion: The results suggest chromogranin A is a poor indicator of intraoperative sympathetic tone during elective surgery in dogs. Cortisol measurement was useful for assessment of intraoperative noxious stimuli. However, at these test conditions, neither plasma chromogranin A nor plasma cortisol was useful for assessment of repeated intraoperative noxious stimuli where

  12. Cold Temperature Encoding by Cutaneous TRPA1 and TRPM8-Carrying Fibers in the Mouse

    PubMed Central

    Winter, Zoltan; Gruschwitz, Philipp; Eger, Stephanie; Touska, Filip; Zimmermann, Katharina

    2017-01-01

    Previous research identified TRPM8 and TRPA1 cold transducers with separate functions, one being functional in the non-noxious range and the second one being a nociceptive transducer. TRPM8-deficient mice present overt deficits in the detection of environmental cool, but not a lack of cold avoidance and TRPA1-deficient mice show clear deficits in some cold nocifensive assays. The extent of TRPA1's contribution to cold sensing in vivo is still unclear, because mice lacking both TRPM8 and TRPA1 (DKO) were described with unchanged cold avoidance from TRPM8−/− based on a two-temperature-choice assay and by c-fos measurement. The present study was designed to differentiate how much TRPM8 alone and combined TRPA1 and TRPM8 contribute to cold sensing. We analyzed behavior in the thermal ring track assay adjusted between 30 and 5°C and found a large reduction in cold avoidance of the double knockout mice as compared to the TRPM8-deficient mice. We also revisited skin-nerve recordings from saphenous-nerve skin preparations with regard to nociceptors and thermoreceptors. We compared the frequency and characteristics of the cold responses of TRPM8-expressing and TRPM8-negative C-fiber nociceptors in C57BL/6J mice with nociceptors of TRPM8-deficient and DKO mice and found that TRPM8 enables nociceptors to encode cold temperatures with higher firing rates and larger responses with sustained, static component. In TRPM8−/−, C-fiber cold nociceptors were markedly reduced and appeared further reduced in DKO. Nevertheless, the remaining cold responses in both knockout strains were similar in their characteristics and they were indifferent from the TRPM8-negative cold responses found in C57BL/6J mice. TRPM8 had a comparably essential role for encoding cold in thermoreceptors and lack of TRPM8 reduced response magnitude, peak and mean firing rates and the incidence of thermoreceptors. The encoding deficits were similar in the DKO strain. Our data illustrate that lack of TRPA1

  13. Visual sensations induced by Cherenkov radiation

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McNulty, P.J.; Pease, V.P.; Bond, V.P.

    1975-08-01

    Pulses of relativistic singly charged particles entering the eyeball induce a variety of visual phenomena by means of Cerenkov radiation generated during their passage through the vitreous. These phenomena are similar in appearance to many of the visual sensations experienced by Apollo astronauts exposed to the cosmic rays in deep space. (auth)

  14. Modeling thermal sensation in a Mediterranean climate—a comparison of linear and ordinal models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pantavou, Katerina; Lykoudis, Spyridon

    2014-08-01

    A simple thermo-physiological model of outdoor thermal sensation adjusted with psychological factors is developed aiming to predict thermal sensation in Mediterranean climates. Microclimatic measurements simultaneously with interviews on personal and psychological conditions were carried out in a square, a street canyon and a coastal location of the greater urban area of Athens, Greece. Multiple linear and ordinal regression were applied in order to estimate thermal sensation making allowance for all the recorded parameters or specific, empirically selected, subsets producing so-called extensive and empirical models, respectively. Meteorological, thermo-physiological and overall models - considering psychological factors as well - were developed. Predictions were improved when personal and psychological factors were taken into account as compared to meteorological models. The model based on ordinal regression reproduced extreme values of thermal sensation vote more adequately than the linear regression one, while the empirical model produced satisfactory results in relation to the extensive model. The effects of adaptation and expectation on thermal sensation vote were introduced in the models by means of the exposure time, season and preference related to air temperature and irradiation. The assessment of thermal sensation could be a useful criterion in decision making regarding public health, outdoor spaces planning and tourism.

  15. Sensation of smell and taste during intravenous injection of iodinated contrast media in CT examinations.

    PubMed

    Yamaguchi, Naoto; Fukushima, Yasuhiro; Yamaguchi, Aiko; Nagasawa, Naoki; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Suto, Takayuki; Tsushima, Yoshito

    2017-01-01

    To assess the incidence and types of sensation of smell and taste during i.v. injection of five kinds of contrast media (CM) in CT examinations. 735 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) between 14 March 2016 and 5 April 2016 were enrolled. Medical staff asked patients whether they felt heat sensation and sensation of smell and taste during i.v. injection of CM (one of the following: iopromide, iomeprol, iopamidol, iohexol and ioversol) after their CE-CT. If the patients stated having felt the sensation of smell or taste, they were also asked what kind of smell or taste they sensed. Next, 30 ml of each CM was poured into high-purity pet cups for radiological technologists to smell directly. Radiological technologists were asked whether or not each CM had any smell. The sensations of smell and taste incidence for iopromide were 24.3% and 18.9%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those for other CM (p < 0.05). The highest incidence of the sensation of smell was medicine-ish, and the most frequently noted taste was bitterness. All radiological technologists could directly smell only iopromide, which has an ether group on a side chain and fewer hydroxyl groups. Iopromide showed a higher incidence of sensation of smell and taste than other CM. Advances in knowledge: This was the first investigation of sensation of smell and taste during i.v. injection of CM, and a specific CM showed a higher incidence, which is suspected to be due to its chemical structure.

  16. Sensation of smell and taste during intravenous injection of iodinated contrast media in CT examinations

    PubMed Central

    Yamaguchi, Naoto; Yamaguchi, Aiko; Nagasawa, Naoki; Taketomi-Takahashi, Ayako; Suto, Takayuki; Tsushima, Yoshito

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To assess the incidence and types of sensation of smell and taste during i.v. injection of five kinds of contrast media (CM) in CT examinations. Methods: 735 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT (CE-CT) between 14 March 2016 and 5 April 2016 were enrolled. Medical staff asked patients whether they felt heat sensation and sensation of smell and taste during i.v. injection of CM (one of the following: iopromide, iomeprol, iopamidol, iohexol and ioversol) after their CE-CT. If the patients stated having felt the sensation of smell or taste, they were also asked what kind of smell or taste they sensed. Next, 30 ml of each CM was poured into high-purity pet cups for radiological technologists to smell directly. Radiological technologists were asked whether or not each CM had any smell. Results: The sensations of smell and taste incidence for iopromide were 24.3% and 18.9%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those for other CM (p < 0.05). The highest incidence of the sensation of smell was medicine-ish, and the most frequently noted taste was bitterness. All radiological technologists could directly smell only iopromide, which has an ether group on a side chain and fewer hydroxyl groups. Conclusion: Iopromide showed a higher incidence of sensation of smell and taste than other CM. Advances in knowledge: This was the first investigation of sensation of smell and taste during i.v. injection of CM, and a specific CM showed a higher incidence, which is suspected to be due to its chemical structure. PMID:27805431

  17. Descriptors of sensation confirm the multidimensional nature of desire to void.

    PubMed

    Das, Rebekah; Buckley, Jonathan D; Williams, Marie T

    2015-02-01

    To collect and categorize descriptors of "desire to void" sensation, determine the reliability of descriptor categories and assess whether descriptor categories discriminate between people with and without symptoms of overactive bladder. This observational, repeated measures study involved 64 Australian volunteers (47 female), aged 50 years or more, with and without symptoms of overactive bladder. Descriptors of desire to void sensation were derived from a structured interview (conducted on two occasions, 1 week apart). Descriptors were recorded verbatim and categorized in a three-stage process. Overactive bladder status was determined by the Overactive Bladder Awareness Tool and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score. McNemar's test assessed the reliability of descriptors volunteered between two occasions and Partial Least Squares Regression determined whether language categories discriminated according to overactive bladder status. Post hoc Chi squared analysis and relative risk calculation determined the size and direction of overactive bladder prediction. Thirteen language categories (Urgency, Fullness, Pressure, Tickle/tingle, Pain/ache, Heavy, Normal, Intense, Sudden, Annoying, Uncomfortable, Anxiety, and Unique somatic) encapsulated 344 descriptors of sensation. Descriptor categories were stable between two interviews. The categories "Urgency" and "Fullness" predicted overactive bladder status. Participants who volunteered "Urgency" descriptors were twice as likely to have overactive bladder and participants who volunteered "Fullness" descriptors were almost three times as likely not to have overactive bladder. The sensation of desire to void is reliably described over sessions separated by a week, the language used reflects multiple dimensions of sensation, and can predict overactive bladder status. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Sensation-Seeking and Impulsivity as Predictors of Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Pérez Fuentes, María Del Carmen; Molero Jurado, Maria del Mar; Carrión Martínez, José J.; Mercader Rubio, Isabel; Gázquez, José J.

    2016-01-01

    In adolescence, such matters as substance use and impulsiveness may give rise to problematic behavior repertoires. This study was therefore done to analyze the predictive value of sensation-seeking and impulsiveness dimensions related to the functions of aggression (reactive/proactive) and types of expression (physical/relational). A total of 822 high school students in Almeria (Spain) aged 13–18, were administered the Sensation-Seeking Scale, the State Impulsiveness Scale and Peer Conflict Scale. The results show the existence of a positive correlation of the majority of factors analyzed, both in impulsiveness and sensation-seeking, with respect to the different types of aggression. Furthermore, aggressive behavior is explained by the combination of a sensation-seeking factor (Disinhibition) and two impulsiveness factors (Gratification and Automatism). This study shows the need to analyze aggression as a multidimensional construct. PMID:27729883

  19. Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls and nerve injury: restoring an imbalance between descending monoamine inhibitions and facilitations.

    PubMed

    Bannister, Kirsty; Patel, Ryan; Goncalves, Leonor; Townson, Louisa; Dickenson, Anthony H

    2015-09-01

    Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNICs) utilize descending inhibitory controls through poorly understood brain stem pathways. The human counterpart, conditioned pain modulation, is reduced in patients with neuropathy aligned with animal data showing a loss of descending inhibitory noradrenaline controls together with a gain of 5-HT3 receptor-mediated facilitations after neuropathy. We investigated the pharmacological basis of DNIC and whether it can be restored after neuropathy. Deep dorsal horn neurons were activated by von Frey filaments applied to the hind paw, and DNIC was induced by a pinch applied to the ear in isoflurane-anaesthetized animals. Spinal nerve ligation was the model of neuropathy. Diffuse noxious inhibitory control was present in control rats but abolished after neuropathy. α2 adrenoceptor mechanisms underlie DNIC because the antagonists, yohimbine and atipamezole, markedly attenuated this descending inhibition. We restored DNIC in spinal nerve ligated animals by blocking 5-HT3 descending facilitations with the antagonist ondansetron or by enhancing norepinephrine modulation through the use of reboxetine (a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, NRI) or tapentadol (μ-opioid receptor agonist and NRI). Additionally, ondansetron enhanced DNIC in normal animals. Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls are reduced after peripheral nerve injury illustrating the central impact of neuropathy, leading to an imbalance in descending excitations and inhibitions. Underlying noradrenergic mechanisms explain the relationship between conditioned pain modulation and the use of tapentadol and duloxetine (a serotonin, NRI) in patients. We suggest that pharmacological strategies through manipulation of the monoamine system could be used to enhance DNIC in patients by blocking descending facilitations with ondansetron or enhancing norepinephrine inhibitions, so possibly reducing chronic pain.

  20. Cold-induced vasodilation comparison between Bangladeshi and Japanese natives.

    PubMed

    Khatun, Aklima; Ashikaga, Sakura; Nagano, Hisaho; Hasib, Md Abdul; Taimura, Akihiro

    2016-05-03

    The human thermoregulation system responds to changes in environmental temperature, so humans can self-adapt to a wide range of climates. People from tropical and temperate areas have different cold tolerance. This study compared the tolerance of Bangladeshi (tropical) and Japanese (temperate) people to local cold exposure on cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD). Eight Bangladeshi males (now residing in Japan) and 14 Japanese males (residing in Japan) participated in this study. All are sedentary, regular university students. The Bangladeshi subject's duration of stay in Japan was 2.50 ± 2.52 years. The subject's left hand middle finger was immersed in 5 °C water for 20 min to assess their CIVD response (the experiment was conducted in an artificial climate chamber controlled at 25 °C with 50% RH). Compared with the Bangladeshi (BD) group, the Japanese (JP) group displayed some differences. There were significant differences between the BD and JP groups in temperature before immersion (TBI), which were 33.04 ± 1.98 and 34.62 ± 0.94 °C, and time of temperature rise (TTR), which were 5.35 ± 0.82 and 3.72 ± 0.68 min, respectively. There was also a significant difference in the time of sensation rise (TSR) of 8.69 ± 6.49 and 3.26 ± 0.97 min between the BD and JP groups, respectively (P < 0.05). Moreover, the JP group showed a quick TTR after finishing immersion. The Japanese group (temperate) has a higher tolerance to local cold exposure than the Bangladeshi group (tropical) evaluated by the CIVD test.

  1. Noxious inhibition of temporal summation is impaired in chronic tension-type headache.

    PubMed

    Cathcart, Stuart; Winefield, Anthony H; Lushington, Kurt; Rolan, Paul

    2010-03-01

    To examine effects of stress on noxious inhibition and temporal summation (TS) in tension-type headache. Stress is the most commonly reported trigger of a chronic tension-type headache (CTH) episode; however, the mechanisms underlying this are unclear. Stress affects pain processing throughout the central nervous system, including, potentially, mechanisms of TS and diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC), both of which may be abnormal in CTH sufferers (CTH-S). No studies have examined TS of pressure pain or DNIC of TS in CTH-S to date. Similarly, effects of stress on TS or DNIC of TS have not been reported in healthy subjects or CTH-S to date. The present study measured TS and DNIC of TS in CTH-S and healthy controls (CNT) exposed to an hour-long stressful mental task, and in CTH-S exposed to an hour-long neutral condition. TS was elicited at finger and shoulder via 10 pulses from a pressure algometer, applied before and during stimulation from an occlusion cuff at painful intensity. Algometer pain ratings increased more in the CTH compared with the CNT group, and were inhibited during occlusion cuff more in the CNT compared with CTH groups. Task effects on TS or DNIC were not significant. The results indicate increased TS to pressure pain and impaired DNIC of TS in CTH-S. Stress does not appear to aggravate abnormal TS or DNIC mechanisms in CTH-S.

  2. Do patients with OAB experience bladder sensations in the same way as healthy volunteers? A focus group investigation.

    PubMed

    Heeringa, R; van Koeveringe, G A; Winkens, B; van Kerrebroeck, P E V; de Wachter, S G G

    2012-04-01

    To describe the terminology and pattern of bladder sensations experienced during non-invasive rapid bladder filling in a controlled setting in patients with OAB and to compare these results with a previous study conducted in healthy volunteers. Three groups of patients with OAB, in total 10 patients, participated in three consecutive focus group sessions. Before each session a strict water loading protocol was given. During the first two sessions, participants described how they experienced their bladder sensations in daily life and during a non-invasive bladder filling with constant focus on their bladder. The third session focused on verifying the interpretation of the data gathered and describing the pattern of sensations. Patients describe their bladder sensations as a pressure or a tingling sensation and the pattern can be described by terms ranging from no sensation to an absolute need to void. The absolute need to void may develop suddenly or more slowly progressive. The mean development of bladder sensation is significantly different between patients and healthy volunteers as well as their average diuresis. Patients with OAB describe their bladder sensations as a pressure or a tingling sensation. There appear to be two types of urgency: a sudden absolute need to void and a slowly developing absolute need to void. Furthermore bladder sensation develops significantly different in volunteers than in OAB patients. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Effect of cold conditions on manual performance while wearing petroleum industry protective clothing.

    PubMed

    Wiggen, Øystein Nordrum; Heen, Sigri; Færevik, Hilde; Reinertsen, Randi Eidsmo

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate manual performance and thermal responses during low work intensity in persons wearing standard protective clothing in the petroleum industry when they were exposed to a range of temperatures (5, -5, -15 and -25℃) that are relevant to environmental conditions for petroleum industry personnel in northern regions. Twelve men participated in the study. Protective clothing was adjusted for the given cold exposure according to current practices. The subjects performed manual tests five times under each environmental condition. The manual performance test battery consisted of four different tests: tactile sensation (Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments), finger dexterity (Purdue Pegboard), hand dexterity (Complete Minnesota dexterity test) and grip strength (grip dynamometer). We found that exposure to -5℃ or colder lowered skin and body temperatures and reduced manual performance during low work intensity. In conclusion the current protective clothing at a given cold exposure is not adequate to maintain manual performance and thermal balance for petroleum workers in the high north.

  4. Association of Smoking Onset With R-Rated Movie Restrictions and Adolescent Sensation Seeking

    PubMed Central

    Sargent, James D.; Stoolmiller, Mike; Scholte, Ron H. J.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.; Tanski, Susanne E.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examined how often US youths reported having complete parental restrictions on watching R-rated movies. In addition, we assessed the relationship between parental R-rated movie restrictions and adolescents' sensation seeking and how this interplay is related to smoking onset. METHODS: Data from a 4-wave longitudinal study of 6522 adolescents (10–14 years of age) who were recruited through a random-digit-dial telephone survey were used. At baseline, subjects were nationally representative of the US population. Subjects were monitored for 2 years and queried about their smoking status, their sensation-seeking propensity, and how often they were allowed to watch R-rated movies. A cross-lagged model combined with survival analysis was used to assess the relationships between parental R-rated movie restrictions, sensation-seeking propensity, and risk for smoking onset. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated that 32% of the US adolescents reported being completely restricted from watching R-rated movies by their parents. Model findings revealed that adolescents' sensation seeking was related to greater risk for smoking onset not only directly but also indirectly through their parents becoming more permissive of R-rated movie viewing. Parental R-rated movie restrictions were found to decrease the risk of smoking onset directly and indirectly by changing children's sensation seeking. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that, beyond direct influences, the relationship between adolescents' sensation seeking and parental R-rated movie restrictions in explaining smoking onset is bidirectional in nature. Finally, these findings highlight the relevance of motivating and supporting parents in limiting access to R-rated movies. PMID:21135004

  5. Medication Effects on Periurethral Sensation and Urethral Sphincter Activity

    PubMed Central

    Greer, W. Jerod; Gleason, Jonathan L.; Kenton, Kimberly; Szychowski, Jeff M.; Goode, Patricia S; Richter, Holly E

    2014-01-01

    Aim To characterize urethral neuromuscular function before and 2 weeks after medication therapy. Methods Premenopausal women without lower urinary tract symptoms were randomly allocated to one of six medications for 2 weeks (pseudoephedrine ER 120mg, imipramine 25mg, cyclobenzaprine 10mg, tamsulosin 0.4mg, solifenacin 5mg or placebo). At baseline and after medication, participants underwent testing: quantitative concentric needle EMG (CNE) of the urethral sphincter using automated Multi-Motor Unit Action Potential (MUP) software; current perception threshold (CPT) testing to measure periurethral sensation; and standard urodynamic pressure flow studies (PFS). Nonparametric tests were used to compare pre-post differences. Results 56 women had baseline testing; 48 (85.7%) completed follow-up CNE, and 49 (87.5%) completed follow-up CPT and PFS testing. Demographics showed no significant differences among medication groups with respect to age (mean 34.3 ± 10.1), BMI (mean 31.8 ± 7.5), parity (median 1, range 0–7), or race (14% Caucasian, 80% African American). PFS parameters were not significantly different within medication groups. No significant pre-post changes in CNE values were noted; however, trends in amplitudes were in a direction consistent with the expected physiologic effect of the medications. With CPT testing, a trend toward increased urethral sensation at the 5 Hz stimulation level, was observed following treatment with pseudoephedrine (0.15 to 0.09 mA at 5Hz; P=0.03). Conclusion In women without LUTS, pseudoephedrine improved urethral sensation, but not urethral neuromuscular function on CNE or pressure flow studies. Imipramine, cyclobenzaprine, tamsulosin, solifenacin, and placebo did not change urethral sensation or neuromuscular function. PMID:25185603

  6. Relationship between impulsive sensation seeking traits, smoking, alcohol and caffeine intake, and Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Evans, A H; Lawrence, A D; Potts, J; MacGregor, L; Katzenschlager, R; Shaw, K; Zijlmans, J; Lees, A J

    2006-03-01

    An inverse relation exists between smoking and coffee intake and Parkinson's disease (PD). The present study explored whether this is explained by low sensation seeking, a personality trait believed to characterise PD. A total of 106 non-demented patients with PD and 106 age and sex matched healthy controls completed a short version of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS), the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Trait Anxiety Inventory. Data were collected on past and current cigarette smoking, and participants also completed food frequency questionnaires to estimate current caffeine and alcohol intake. Patients with PD had lower sensation seeking and higher depression and anxiety scores. They were also less likely to have ever smoked, and had lower caffeine and alcohol intakes. Analysis of the data using conditional logistic regression suggested that the inverse association of PD risk with sensation seeking was independent of smoking, and caffeine and alcohol intake. Moreover, low sensation seeking explained some of the apparent effect of caffeine and alcohol intake on PD. However, the effect of smoking was weakened only slightly when SSS was included in the regression model. This study raises the possibility that there is a neurobiological link between low sensation seeking traits--which might underlie the parkinsonian personality--and the hypothetical protective effect of cigarette smoking and caffeine consumption on PD.

  7. Objective measurement of bladder sensation: use of a new patient-activated device and response to neuromodulation.

    PubMed

    Craggs, Michael D

    2005-09-01

    Detrusor overactivity is the primary objective focus of most investigations into the diagnosis and management of patients with urgency incontinence. Patients with an overactive bladder are characteristically troubled by subjective sensations of bladder fullness and urinary urgency, and frequently void at low bladder volumes attained before noticeable detrusor overactivity occurs. Bladder sensations are therefore crucial to understanding voiding patterns and symptoms, but little progress has been made in objectively describing the range of these sensations, and adequate information is lacking about their response to neuromodulation. Towards this end, a keypad 'urge score' device was designed to measure sensations during bladder filling. This patient-activated device gathers information about patient perceptions of bladder filling and the successive stages of increasing bladder sensation, without prompting or intervention by the investigator. The accuracy of the 'urge keypad' during filling cystometrography was validated in patients with urgency incontinence, and compared with data abstracted from patient voiding diaries. The device provides reliable and repeatable measures of different bladder sensations, with excellent, statistically significant consistency between bladder volumes and corresponding levels of sensation. Subsequently, it was shown that the sensation of urgency can be suppressed by neuromodulation in most patients tested; this suppression occurs with improvements in bladder capacity and voided volumes. It is therefore suggested that urodynamics with concurrent sensory evaluation may offer a more useful assessment tool for selecting those patients for therapies such as neuromodulation who present predominantly with the symptom of urgency.

  8. The conversion from sensation to symptom: the case of catarrh, a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Cathcart, Russell A; Wilson, Janet A; May, Carl

    2012-03-01

    There is significant variation in symptom tolerance before seeking healthcare advice and it has recently been postulated that there may be a similar variation in the degree to which individuals tolerate deviations in physiological body sensations before considering them symptoms. This study looked to explore this transition from sensation to symptom more closely using the clinical entity of chronic catarrh - a frequently presenting problem which represents a putative alteration of a physiological process. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. 19 adult patients presenting with chronic catarrh, persistent throat clearing or post-nasal drip. Secondary care institute in North of England. Subjects' accounts revealed three changes in perception of nasopharyngeal mucus that triggered the transition from sensation to symptom: an apparent change in viscosity, quantity, or constancy. Such changes were invariably deemed to have a consequence (threat to wellbeing, social impact, or source of frustration) and invariably drew a response from the sufferer to limit these consequences. Symptoms representing an aberration of normal body sensations likely develop over time in a series of recognizable phases. Discriminatory markers appear to exist which delineate those body sensations accepted and those considered symptoms. These are discussed with the use of a novel symptom evolution pathway diagram.

  9. Relationship between touch sensation of the affected hand and performance of valued activities in individuals with chronic stroke.

    PubMed

    Hill, Valerie A; Fisher, Thomas; Schmid, Arlene A; Crabtree, Jeffrey; Page, Stephen J

    2014-01-01

    To investigate the association between touch sensation of the affected hand and performance and satisfaction with performance of valued activities in individuals with chronic stroke. Using a cross-sectional study design, this study correlated factors related to hand sensation and activity performance in individuals with chronic stroke. The Touch Test Evaluators and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were used. Correlations were used to determine the relationships between touch sensation of the affected hand and individuals' performance and satisfaction with performance of valued activities. There was a good to excellent relationship between sensation and performance and satisfaction with performance of valued activities for individuals with intact touch sensation of the affected hand who scored higher on the COPM. There was little to no relationship between touch sensation of the affected hand and performance of valued activities for individuals with impaired sensation. This is the first study to relate touch sensation of the affected hand and performance and satisfaction with performance of valued activities in individuals with stroke. The findings suggest that rehabilitation therapists need to continue to address sensory function in evaluation and intervention as it relates to performance in valued activities. This study serves as a foundation for future research in sensation and performance of valued activities in individuals with chronic stroke.

  10. Sensation seeking and smoking behaviors among adolescents in the Republic of Korea.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Heejin; Park, Sunhee

    2015-06-01

    This study aimed to explore the relationship between the four components of sensation seeking (i.e., disinhibition, thrill and adventure seeking, experience seeking, and boredom susceptibility) and three types of smoking behavior (i.e., non-smoking, experimental smoking, and current smoking) among high school students in the Republic of Korea. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed using two models. In Model 1, the four subscales of sensation seeking were used as covariates, and in Model 2, other control factors (i.e., characteristics related to demographics, individuals, family, school, and friends) were added to Model 1 in order to adjust for their effects. In Model 1, the impact of disinhibition on experimental smoking and current smoking was statistically significant. In Model 2, the influence of disinhibition on both of these smoking behaviors remained statistically significant after controlling for all the other covariates. Also, the effect of thrill and adventure seeking on experimental smoking was statistically significant. The two statistically significant subscales of sensation seeking were positively associated with the risk of smoking behaviors. According to extant literature and current research, sensation seeking, particularly disinhibition, is strongly associated with smoking among youth. Therefore, sensation seeking should be measured among adolescents to identify those who are at greater risk of smoking and to develop more effective intervention strategies in order to curb the smoking epidemic among youth. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Fear versus humor: the impact of sensation seeking on physiological, cognitive, and emotional responses to antialcohol abuse messages.

    PubMed

    Lee, Moon J; Shin, Mija

    2011-01-01

    This study investigates the differences in physiological, cognitive, and emotional responses to existing emotional antialcohol abuse advertisements (fear vs. humor appeal) between high and low sensation seekers. A 2 (Message Type) x 2 (Sensation-Seeking Tendency) x 4 (Message Repetition) mixed-model experiment with repeated measures was conducted with 71 college students. The results, based on self-reports, indicated that fear messages generated more interest and perceived danger of excessive drinking regardless of sensation-seeking tendency, whereas humorous messages were rated as more likeable than fear messages, and the difference was bigger among low sensation seekers than among high sensation seekers. One interesting finding was that for both fear and humor appeals, low sensation seekers showed greater emotional responses (greater corrugators activities and greater zygomatic activities) than high sensation seekers overall. The implications of the current study as well as suggestions for future study were discussed.

  12. A thermal sensation prediction tool for use by the profession

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fountain, M.E.; Huizenga, C.

    1997-12-31

    As part of a recent ASHRAE research project (781-RP), a thermal sensation prediction tool has been developed. This paper introduces the tool, describes the component thermal sensation models, and presents examples of how the tool can be used in practice. Since the main end product of the HVAC industry is the comfort of occupants indoors, tools for predicting occupant thermal response can be an important asset to designers of indoor climate control systems. The software tool presented in this paper incorporates several existing models for predicting occupant comfort.

  13. A field guide for forest indicator plants, sensitive plants, and noxious weeds of the Shoshone National Forest, Wyoming

    Treesearch

    Kent E. Houston; Walter J. Hartung; Carol J. Hartung

    2001-01-01

    This field guide was designed for people with minimal botanical training. It is an identification aid to plant species that have ecological indicator value, are on sensitive species lists, or are considered noxious weeds. It contains illustrations and simplified taxonomic descriptions.

  14. Sexual Sensation Seeking: A Validated Scale for Spanish Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual People.

    PubMed

    Gil-Llario, María Dolores; Morell-Mengual, Vicente; Giménez-García, Cristina; Salmerón-Sánchez, Pedro; Ballester-Arnal, Rafael

    2018-06-07

    Sexual Sensation Seeking has been identified as a main predictor of unsafe sex that particularly affects LGB people. This study adapts and validates the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale to Spanish LGB people. For this purpose, we tested the factor structure in 1237 people, ranged from 17 to 60 years old, 880 self-defined as homosexuals and 357 as bisexuals. The results support the appropriateness of this scale for Spanish LGB people and determine two factors, explaining the 49.91% of variance: "physical sensations attraction" and "sexual experiences". Our findings reveal optimal levels of internal consistency in the total scale (α = 0.81) and each factor (α = 0.84 and α = 0.71). Additional analyses have demonstrated convergent validity for this scale. Important implications of the validated Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale in Spanish LGB people are discussed, in order to early detection and preventive interventions for HIV and other sexual health problems.

  15. Effect of exercise on food consumption and appetite sensations in subjects with diabetes.

    PubMed

    Dubé, Marie-Christine; Tremblay, Angelo; Lavoie, Carole; John Weisnagel, S

    2013-12-01

    Evaluate appetite sensations following 60-min moderate intensity exercise and to predict energy intake in adults with diabetes. Visual analogue scales measured appetite sensations before and after a fixed test meal. Fasting appetite sensations, 1h post-prandial area under the curve (AUC) and the satiety quotient predicted energy intake. Two measures of energy intake were recorded: (1) following an ad libitum test lunch and (2) a 3-day self-report dietary record. Appetite sensations were assessed in a control condition (rest, C) and when two exercise sessions were performed: one associated with a free (F) blood glucose decrease and one with limited blood glucose decreases i.e. maintained (M) above 4 mmol/l by dextrose infusion. 16 generally well-controlled (HbA1c: 7.0 ± 0.6%) subjects (12 with type 1 diabetes, 4 with type 2 diabetes) ate 1020 ± 519, 1170 ± 282 and 1020 ± 304 kcal (NS between conditions nor diabetes type) during the buffet meal following the C, F and M conditions, respectively. Exercise induced a mean blood glucose decrease of 3.7 ± 0.6 and 3.1 ± 0.6 mmol/l for the F and M conditions, respectively. The greater the blood glucose decrease, the greater the appetite sensations of hunger and prospective food consumption measured fasting and before the test meal (all p<0.05) in the whole group. One-hour post-prandial AUC for hunger and desire to eat represented the strongest predictors of ad libitum test lunch energy intake (p<0.05), especially in type 1 diabetes. These results suggest that appetite sensations are predictors of spontaneous energy intake in both diabetes type. Moderate intensity exercise for 60 min induced a positive effect by lowering blood glucose which was associated with appetite sensations. These results support the glucostatic theory of food intake control which protects against exercised-induced blood glucose declines. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The role of tone sensation and musical stimuli in early experimental psychology.

    PubMed

    Klempe, Sven Hroar

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the role of music in early experimental psychology is examined. Initially, the research of Wilhelm Wundt is considered, as tone sensation and musical elements appear as dominant factors in much of his work. It is hypothesized that this approach was motivated by an understanding of psychology that dates back to Christian Wolff 's focus on sensation in his empirical psychology of 1732. Wolff, however, had built his systematization of psychology on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, who combined perception with mathematics,and referred to music as the area in which sensation is united with numerical exactitude. Immanuel Kant refused to accept empirical psychology as a science, whereas Johann Friedrich Herbart reintroduced the scientific basis of empirical psychology by, among other things, referring to music.

  17. Effects of 24 hours of tobacco withdrawal and subsequent tobacco smoking among low and high sensation seekers.

    PubMed

    Lee, Dustin C; Perkins, Kenneth A; Zimmerman, Eli; Robbins, Glenn; Kelly, Thomas H

    2011-10-01

    Previous studies have indicated that high sensation seekers are more sensitive to the reinforcing effects of nicotine, initiate smoking at an earlier age, and smoke greater amounts of cigarettes. This study examined the influence of sensation-seeking status on tobacco smoking following deprivation in regular tobacco users. Twenty healthy tobacco-smoking volunteers with low or high impulsive sensation-seeking subscale scores completed 2 consecutive test days per week for 3 consecutive weeks. Each week, a range of self-report, performance, and cardiovascular assessments were completed during ad libitum smoking on Day 1 and before and after the paced smoking of a tobacco cigarette containing 0.05, 0.6, or 0.9 mg of nicotine following 24 hr of tobacco deprivation on Day 2. In addition, self-administration behavior was analyzed during a 2-hr free access period after the initial tobacco administration. In high sensation seekers, tobacco smoking independent of nicotine yield ameliorated deprivation effects, whereas amelioration of deprivation effects was dependent on nicotine yield among low sensation seekers. However, this effect was limited to a small subset of measures. Subsequent cigarette self-administration increased in a nicotine-dependent manner for high sensation seekers only. Compared with low sensation seekers, high sensation seekers were more sensitive to the withdrawal relieving effects of nonnicotine components of smoking following 24 hr of deprivation on selective measures and more sensitive to nicotine yield during subsequent tobacco self-administration. These results are consistent with studies suggesting that factors driving tobacco dependence may vary as a function of sensation-seeking status.

  18. Effects of 24 Hours of Tobacco Withdrawal and Subsequent Tobacco Smoking Among Low and High Sensation Seekers

    PubMed Central

    Perkins, Kenneth A.; Zimmerman, Eli; Robbins, Glenn; Kelly, Thomas H.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: Previous studies have indicated that high sensation seekers are more sensitive to the reinforcing effects of nicotine, initiate smoking at an earlier age, and smoke greater amounts of cigarettes. This study examined the influence of sensation-seeking status on tobacco smoking following deprivation in regular tobacco users. Methods: Twenty healthy tobacco-smoking volunteers with low or high impulsive sensation-seeking subscale scores completed 2 consecutive test days per week for 3 consecutive weeks. Each week, a range of self-report, performance, and cardiovascular assessments were completed during ad libitum smoking on Day 1 and before and after the paced smoking of a tobacco cigarette containing 0.05, 0.6, or 0.9 mg of nicotine following 24 hr of tobacco deprivation on Day 2. In addition, self-administration behavior was analyzed during a 2-hr free access period after the initial tobacco administration. Results: In high sensation seekers, tobacco smoking independent of nicotine yield ameliorated deprivation effects, whereas amelioration of deprivation effects was dependent on nicotine yield among low sensation seekers. However, this effect was limited to a small subset of measures. Subsequent cigarette self-administration increased in a nicotine-dependent manner for high sensation seekers only. Conclusions: Compared with low sensation seekers, high sensation seekers were more sensitive to the withdrawal relieving effects of nonnicotine components of smoking following 24 hr of deprivation on selective measures and more sensitive to nicotine yield during subsequent tobacco self-administration. These results are consistent with studies suggesting that factors driving tobacco dependence may vary as a function of sensation-seeking status. PMID:21690318

  19. Friends, porn, and punk: sensation seeking in personal relationships, internet activities, and music preference among college students.

    PubMed

    Weisskirch, Robert S; Murphy, Laurel C

    2004-01-01

    One hundred thirty-eight college students completed a questionnaire assessing level of sensation seeking, number of close and casual friends, Internet usage, liking certain styles of music, and genre of music listened to most often. It was found that the number of casual and close friends was positively associated with sensation seeking. Individuals who reported using the Internet to get sex-oriented material, download or play music, play games, and chat/instant message with friends in the previous 24 hours had higher levels of sensation seeking. Liking punk, heavy metal, and reggae music were related to higher levels of sensation seeking. Higher sensation seeking was also associated with spending more time listening to punk music.

  20. Influence of Nutrition Claims on Appetite Sensations according to Sex, Weight Status, and Restrained Eating

    PubMed Central

    Doucet, Éric; Pomerleau, Sonia

    2016-01-01

    Nutrition claims may help people to adopt healthier eating habits, but little is known about the potential cognitive effects of such claims on appetite sensations. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of nutrition claims and individual factors on perceived appetite sensations. According to a three (“healthy” versus “diet” (i.e., satiating) versus “hedonic”) by two (restrained or not restrained) by two (normal-weight or overweight/obese) by two (men versus women) factorial design, 164 males and 188 females aged 18–65 were invited to taste an oatmeal-raisin snack in a blinded and ad libitum context. Visual analog scales (150 mm) were used to evaluate appetite sensations before and over 1 h after consumption period. BMI and Restraint Scale were used to categorize participants according to their weight and restraint status. No main condition effect was observed for any of the four appetite sensations. However, subgroups analysis revealed significant differences among specific subgroups. A main effect of sex was also observed for all appetite sensations with men reporting higher levels of desire to eat, hunger and prospective food consumption, and lower levels of fullness than women. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual characteristics in interaction when studying appetite sensations. PMID:27725885

  1. Remote vibrotactile noise improves light touch sensation in stroke survivors’ fingertips via stochastic resonance

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background and purpose Stroke rehabilitation does not often integrate both sensory and motor recovery. While subthreshold noise was shown to enhance sensory signal detection at the site of noise application, having a noise-generating device at the fingertip to enhance fingertip sensation and potentially enhance dexterity for stroke survivors is impractical, since the device would interfere with object manipulation. This study determined if remote application of subthreshold vibrotactile noise (away from the fingertips) improves fingertip tactile sensation with potential to enhance dexterity for stroke survivors. Methods Index finger and thumb pad sensation was measured for ten stroke survivors with fingertip sensory deficit using the Semmes-Weinstein Monofilament and Two-Point Discrimination Tests. Sensation scores were measured with noise applied at one of three intensities (40%, 60%, 80% of the sensory threshold) to one of four locations of the paretic upper extremity (dorsal hand proximal to the index finger knuckle, dorsal hand proximal to the thumb knuckle, dorsal wrist, volar wrist) in a random order, as well as without noise at beginning (Pre) and end (Post) of the testing session. Results Vibrotactile noise of all intensities and locations instantaneously and significantly improved Monofilament scores of the index fingertip and thumb tip (p < .01). No significant effect of the noise was seen for the Two-Point Discrimination Test scores. Conclusions Remote application of subthreshold (imperceptible) vibrotactile noise at the wrist and dorsal hand instantaneously improved stroke survivors’ light touch sensation, independent of noise location and intensity. Vibrotactile noise at the wrist and dorsal hand may have enhanced the fingertips’ light touch sensation via stochastic resonance and interneuronal connections. While long-term benefits of noise in stroke patients warrants further investigation, this result demonstrates potential that a wearable

  2. Premeditation moderates the relation between sensation seeking and risky substance use among young adults.

    PubMed

    McCabe, Connor J; Louie, Kristine A; King, Kevin M

    2015-09-01

    Young adulthood is a peak period for externalizing behaviors such as substance abuse and antisocial conduct. Evidence from developmental neuroscience suggests that externalizing conduct within this time period may be associated with a "developmental asymmetry" characterized by an early peak in sensation seeking combined with a relatively immature impulse control system. Trait measures of impulsivity-sensation seeking and premeditation-are psychological manifestations of these respective systems, and multiple prior studies suggest that high sensation seeking and low premeditation independently confer risk for distinct forms of externalizing behaviors. The goal of the present study was to test this developmental asymmetry hypothesis, examining whether trait premeditation moderates the effect of sensation seeking on substance use and problems, aggression, and rule-breaking behavior. Using a cross-sectional sample of college-enrolled adults (n = 491), we applied zero-inflated modeling strategies to examine the likelihood and level of risky externalizing behaviors. Results indicated that lower premeditation enhanced the effect of higher sensation seeking on higher levels of positive and negative alcohol consequences, more frequent drug use, and more problematic drug use, but was unrelated to individual differences in antisocial behaviors. Our findings indicate that the developmental asymmetry between sensation seeking and a lack of premeditation is a risk factor for individual differences in problematic substance use among young adults, and may be less applicable for antisocial behaviors among high functioning individuals. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Phantom Sensations, Supernumerary Phantom Limbs and Apotemnophilia: Three Body Representation Disorders.

    PubMed

    Tatu, Laurent; Bogousslavsky, Julien

    2018-01-01

    Body representation disorders continue to be mysterious and involve the anatomical substrate that underlies the mental representation of the body. These disorders sit on the boundaries of neurological and psychiatric diseases. We present the main characteristics of 3 examples of body representation disorders: phantom sensations, supernumerary phantom limb, and apotemnophilia. The dysfunction of anatomical circuits that regulate body representation can sometimes have paradoxical features. In the case of phantom sensations, the patient feels the painful subjective sensation of the existence of the lost part of the body after amputation, surgery or trauma. In case of apotemnophilia, now named body integrity identity disorder, the subject wishes for the disappearance of the existing and normal limb, which can occasionally lead to self-amputation. More rarely, a brain-damaged patient with 4 existing limbs can report the existence of a supernumerary phantom limb. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  4. [Distorted cognition of bodily sensations in subtypes of social anxiety].

    PubMed

    Kanai, Yoshihiro; Sasaki, Shoko; Iwanaga, Makoto; Seiwa, Hidetoshi

    2010-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between subtypes of social anxiety and distorted cognition of bodily sensations. The package of questionnaires including the Social Phobia Scale (SPS) and the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) was administered to 582 undergraduate students. To identify subtypes of social anxiety, cluster analysis was conducted using scores of the SPS and SIAS. Five clusters were identified and labeled as follows: Generalized type characterized by intense anxiety in most social situations, Non-anxious type characterized by low anxiety levels in social situations, Averaged type whose anxiety levels are averaged, Interaction anxiety type who feels anxiety mainly in social interaction situations, and Performance anxiety type who feels anxiety mainly in performance situations. Results of an ANOVA indicated that individuals with interaction type fear the negative evaluation from others regarding their bodily sensations whereas individuals with performance type overestimate the visibility of their bodily sensations to others. Differences in salient aspects of cognitive distortion among social anxiety subtypes may show necessity to select intervention techniques in consideration of subtypes.

  5. Pulse Width Affects Scalp Sensation of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

    PubMed

    Peterchev, Angel V; Luber, Bruce; Westin, Gregory G; Lisanby, Sarah H

    Scalp sensation and pain comprise the most common side effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which can reduce tolerability and complicate experimental blinding. We explored whether changing the width of single TMS pulses affects the quality and tolerability of the resultant somatic sensation. Using a controllable pulse parameter TMS device with a figure-8 coil, single monophasic magnetic pulses inducing electric field with initial phase width of 30, 60, and 120 µs were delivered in 23 healthy volunteers. Resting motor threshold of the right first dorsal interosseus was determined for each pulse width, as reported previously. Subsequently, pulses were delivered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at each of the three pulse widths at two amplitudes (100% and 120% of the pulse-width-specific motor threshold), with 20 repetitions per condition delivered in random order. After each pulse, subjects rated 0-to-10 visual analog scales for Discomfort, Sharpness, and Strength of the sensation. Briefer TMS pulses with amplitude normalized to the motor threshold were perceived as slightly more uncomfortable than longer pulses (with an average 0.89 point increase on the Discomfort scale for pulse width of 30 µs compared to 120 µs). The sensation of the briefer pulses was felt to be substantially sharper (2.95 points increase for 30 µs compared to 120 µs pulse width), but not stronger than longer pulses. As expected, higher amplitude pulses increased the perceived discomfort and strength, and, to a lesser degree the perceived sharpness. Our findings contradict a previously published hypothesis that briefer TMS pulses are more tolerable. We discovered that the opposite is true, which merits further study as a means of enhancing tolerability in the context of repetitive TMS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Pulse width affects scalp sensation of transcranial magnetic stimulation

    PubMed Central

    Peterchev, Angel V.; Luber, Bruce; Westin, Gregory G.; Lisanby, Sarah H.

    2016-01-01

    Background Scalp sensation and pain comprise the most common side effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which can reduce tolerability and complicate experimental blinding. Objective We explored whether changing the width of single TMS pulses affects the quality and tolerability of the resultant somatic sensation. Methods Using a controllable pulse parameter TMS device with a figure-8 coil, single monophasic magnetic pulses inducing electric field with initial phase width of 30, 60, and 120 µs were delivered in 23 healthy volunteers. Resting motor threshold of the right first dorsal interosseus was determined for each pulse width, as reported previously. Subsequently, pulses were delivered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex at each of the three pulse widths at two amplitudes (100% and 120% of the pulse-width-specific motor threshold), with 20 repetitions per condition delivered in random order. After each pulse, subjects rated 0-to-10 visual analog scales for Discomfort, Sharpness, and Strength of the sensation. Results Briefer TMS pulses with amplitude normalized to the motor threshold were perceived as slightly more uncomfortable than longer pulses (with an average 0.89 points increase on the Discomfort scale for pulse width of 30 µs compared to 120 µs). The sensation of the briefer pulses was felt to be substantially sharper (2.95 point increase for 30 µs compared to 120 µs pulse width), but not stronger than longer pulses. As expected, higher amplitude pulses increased the perceived discomfort and strength, and, to a lesser degree the perceived sharpness. Conclusions Our findings contradict a previously published hypothesis that briefer TMS pulses are more tolerable. We discovered that the opposite is true, which merits further study as a means of enhancing tolerability in the context of repetitive TMS. PMID:28029593

  7. An investigation into the inhibitory function of serotonin in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls in the neuropathic rat.

    PubMed

    Bannister, K; Lockwood, S; Goncalves, L; Patel, R; Dickenson, A H

    2017-04-01

    Following neuropathy α2-adrenoceptor-mediated diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC), whereby a noxious conditioning stimulus inhibits the activity of spinal wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons, are abolished, and spinal 5-HT7 receptor densities are increased. Here, we manipulate spinal 5-HT content in spinal nerve ligated (SNL) animals and investigate which 5-HT receptor mediated actions predominate. Using in vivo electrophysiology we recorded WDR neuronal responses to von frey filaments applied to the hind paw before, and concurrent to, a noxious ear pinch (the conditioning stimulus) in isoflurane-anaesthetised rats. The expression of DNIC was quantified as a reduction in WDR neuronal firing in the presence of conditioning stimulus and was investigated in SNL rats following spinal application of (1) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) citalopram or fluoxetine, or dual application of (2) SSRI plus 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB269970, or (3) SSRI plus α2 adrenoceptor antagonist atipamezole. DNIC were revealed in SNL animals following spinal application of SSRI, but this effect was abolished upon joint application of SSRI plus SB269970 or atipamezole. We propose that in SNL animals the inhibitory actions (quantified as the presence of DNIC) of excess spinal 5-HT (presumed present following application of SSRI) were mediated via 5-HT7 receptors. The anti-nociception depends upon an underlying tonic noradrenergic inhibitory tone via the α2-adrenoceptor. Following neuropathy enhanced spinal serotonin availability switches the predominant spinal 5-HT receptor-mediated actions but also alters noradrenergic signalling. We highlight the therapeutic complexity of SSRIs and monoamine modulators for the treatment of neuropathic pain. © 2016 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

  8. Dimensions of sensation assessed in urinary urgency: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Das, Rebekah; Buckley, Jonathan; Williams, Marie

    2013-10-01

    Urinary urgency is an adverse sensory experience. Confirmation of the multidimensional nature of other adverse sensory experiences such as pain and dyspnea has improved the understanding of neurophysiological and perceptual mechanisms leading to innovations in assessment and treatment. It has been suggested that the sensation of urgency may include multiple dimensions such as intensity, suddenness and unpleasantness. In this systematic review we determine which dimensions of sensation have been assessed by instruments used to measure urinary urgency. A systematic search was undertaken of MEDLINE, Embase, AMED, CINAHL, Ageline, Web of Science, InformIT Health and Scopus databases to identify studies that included assessments of urinary urge or urgency. Articles were included in the analysis if they were primary studies that described the method used to measure urge/urgency in adults and published in English in peer reviewed publications since January 1, 2000. Articles were excluded from study if urgency was measured only in conjunction with other symptoms (eg frequency or incontinence) or if there was no English version of the instrument. Secondary analyses and systematic reviews were retained to hand search references for additional primary studies. Data were extracted for the instruments used to measure urge/urgency. For each instrument the items specific to urinary urgency were reviewed using a prospectively developed categorization process for the sensory dimension and the measurement metric. Items used to assess urinary urgency were collated in a matrix (sensory dimensions vs assessment metric). The most frequently used dimensions, metrics and combinations were descriptively analyzed. After removal of duplicate articles 1,048 full text articles were screened and 411 were excluded, leaving 637 eligible articles from which data were extracted. A total of 216 instruments were identified which were 1 of 6 types, namely 1) wider symptom questionnaires, 2) urgency

  9. c-Fos and pERK, which is a better marker for neuronal activation and central sensitization after noxious stimulation and tissue injury?

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Yong-Jing; Ji, Ru-Rong

    2009-01-01

    c-Fos, the protein of the protooncogene c-fos, has been extensively used as a marker for the activation of nociceptive neurons in the spinal cord for more than twenty years since Hunt et al. first reported that peripheral noxious stimulation to a hind paw of rats leads to a marked induction of c-Fos in superficial and deep dorsal horn neurons in 1987. In 1999, Ji et al. reported that phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) is specifically induced by noxious stimulation in superficial dorsal horn neurons. Accumulating evidence indicates that pERK induction or ERK activation in dorsal horn neurons is essential for the development of central sensitization, increased sensitivity of dorsal horn neurons that is responsible for the generation of persistent pain. Further, molecular mechanisms underlying ERK-mediated central sensitization have been revealed. In contrast, direct evidence for c-Fos-mediated central sensitization is not sufficient. After a noxious stimulus (e.g., capsaicin injection) or tissue injury, c-Fos begins to be induced after 30-60 minutes, whereas pERK can be induced within a minute, which can correlate well with the development of pain hypersensitivity. While c-Fos is often induced in the nuclei of neurons, pERK can be induced in different subcellular structures of neurons such as nuclei, cytoplasma, axons, and dendrites. pERK can even be induced in spinal cord microglia and astrocytes after nerve injury. In summary, both c-Fos and pERK can be used as markers for neuronal activation following noxious stimulation and tissue injury, but pERK is much more dynamic and appears to be a better marker for central sensitization. PMID:19898681

  10. Circadian typology and sensation seeking in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Muro, Anna; Gomà-i-Freixanet, Montserrat; Adan, Ana

    2012-12-01

    The relationship of circadian typology with personality has been largely studied in adults, but there are few studies exploring such relationship in adolescents. Adolescence has been associated with a greater tendency to eveningness preference, sleeping problems, poorer academic achievement, earlier substance use, or risky behaviors, and it is suggested that this association might be mediated by personality factors. Given the relevance of identifying the behavioral outcomes of young evening types to detect and prevent health problems, the present study aimed to explore, for the first time, the relationship between sensation seeking and circadian typology in an adolescent sample of 688 students (51.45% boys) from 12 to 16 yrs old. They answered the Spanish versions of the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC) and the Junior Sensation Seeking Scale (J-SSS), which includes four subscales measuring Thrill and Adventure Seeking, Experience Seeking, Disinhibition, and Boredom Susceptibility. Analyses showed that boys obtained significantly higher scores than girls on J-SSS total score and all subscales except Boredom Susceptibility, whereas evening-type adolescents of both sexes scored significantly higher than neither types and than morning types on J-SSS total score. These results indicate that evening-type adolescents show a greater desire for varied, new, complex, and intense sensations, and they are ready for experiencing more risks than morning types. The implications of this study suggest the need of being aware of individual differences in the SS trait in evening-type adolescents, as well as taking into account the wide variety of behaviors associated with it, either prosocial or antisocial, to design better preventive health and academic programs.

  11. Inverted-U-shaped correlation between dopamine receptor availability in striatum and sensation seeking

    PubMed Central

    Gjedde, Albert; Kumakura, Yoshitaka; Cumming, Paul; Linnet, Jakob; Møller, Arne

    2010-01-01

    Sensation seeking is a core personality trait that declines with age in both men and women, as do also both density and availability of the dopamine D2/3 receptors in striatum and cortical regions. In contrast, novelty seeking at a given age relates inversely to dopamine receptor availability. The simplest explanation of these findings is an inverted-U-shaped correlation between ratings of sensation seeking on the Zuckerman scale and dopamine D2/3 receptor availability. To test the claim of an inverted-U-shaped relation between ratings of the sensation-seeking personality and measures of dopamine receptor availability, we used PET to record [11C]raclopride binding in striatum of 18 healthy men. Here we report that an inverted-U shape significantly matched the receptor availability as a function of the Zuckerman score, with maximum binding potentials observed in the midrange of the scale. The inverted-U shape is consistent with a negative correlation between sensation seeking and the reactivity (“gain”) of dopaminergic neurotransmission to dopamine. The correlation reflects Zuckerman scores that are linearly linked to dopamine receptor densities in the striatum but nonlinearly linked to dopamine concentrations. Higher dopamine occupancy and dopamine concentrations explain the motivation that drives afflicted individuals to seek sensations, in agreement with reduced protection against addictive behavior that is characteristic of individuals with low binding potentials. PMID:20133675

  12. Does Pre-Cooling With Whole-Body Immersion Affect Thermal Sensation or Perceived Exertion?: A Critically-Appraised Topic.

    PubMed

    Wohlfert, Timothy M; Miller, Kevin C

    2018-02-21

    Clinical Scenario: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a potentially deadly heat illness and poses a significant health risk to athletes; EHS survival rates are near 100% if properly recognized and treated. 1 Whole body cold water immersion (CWI) is the most effective method of lowering body core temperature. 2 Precooling (PC) with CWI before exercise may prevent severe hyperthermia and/or EHS by increasing the body's overall heat-storage capacity. 3 However, PC may also alter athletes' perception of how hot they feel or how hard they are exercising. Consequently, they may be unable to accurately perceive their body core temperature or how hard they are working which may predispose them to severe hyperthermia or EHS. Does PC with whole-body CWI affect thermal sensation (TS) or rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise in the heat? In four studies, 4-7 RPE during exercise ranged from 12 ± 2 to 20 ± 3 with no clinically meaningful differences between PC and control trials. Thermal sensation scores ranged from 2 ± 1 to 8 ± 0.5 in control trials and from 2 ± 1 to 7.5 ± 0.5 during PC trials. Clinical Bottom Line: Precooling did not cause clinically-meaningful differences in RPE or TS during exercise. It is unlikely PC would predispose athletes to EHS by altering perceptions of exercise intensity or body core temperature. Strength of Recommendation: None of the reviewed studies 4-7 (all level 2 studies with PEDro scores ≥5) suggest PC with CWI influences RPE or TS in exercising males.

  13. Upper thoracic respiratory interneurons integrate noxious somatic and visceral information in rats.

    PubMed

    Qin, Chao; Chandler, Margaret J; Foreman, Robert D; Farber, Jay P

    2002-11-01

    The aim of this study was to determine if thoracic respiratory interneurons (TRINs) might receive peripheral noxious somatic and visceral inputs. Extracellular potentials of 78 respiration-related T(3) neurons, whose activity was driven by central respiratory output, were recorded from the intermediate zone in pentobarbital anesthetized, paralyzed, and ventilated male rats. These neurons were identified as interneurons by their locations and by the absence of antidromic activation from the cervical sympathetic trunk and cerebellum. Thoracic esophageal distension (ED) was produced by water inflation of a latex balloon (0.1-0.5 ml, 20 s). A catheter was placed in the pericardial sac to administer 0.2 ml bradykinin (10(-5) M) for noxious cardiac stimulation. Of 78 TRINs examined for ED, activity of 24 TRINs increased and activity of 8 TRINs decreased. Intrapericardial bradykinin increased activity in 26/65 TRINs tested and decreased activity in 5 TRINs. Seventy-four TRINs were tested for effects of brush, pressure, and pinch of the chest and upper back areas. No TRINs responded to brushing hair. Low-threshold responses to pressure were observed in 27 TRINs. Fourteen TRINs were wide dynamic range and 4 TRINs had high-threshold responses. Peripheral stimuli affected all types of TRINs, including inspiratory, expiratory, and biphasic neurons. Simultaneous phrenic recordings showed that effects of various somatic and visceral stimuli on TRINs were independent of central respiratory drive. Various somatovisceral and viscerovisceral patterns of input were observed in TRINs. The results suggested that TRINs participate in intraspinal processing and integration of nociceptive information from somatic fields and visceral organs.

  14. Validation of standard ASTM F2732 and comparison with ISO 11079 with respect to comfort temperature ratings for cold protective clothing.

    PubMed

    Gao, Chuansi; Lin, Li-Yen; Halder, Amitava; Kuklane, Kalev; Holmér, Ingvar

    2015-01-01

    American standard ASTM F2732 estimates the lowest environmental temperature for thermal comfort for cold weather protective clothing. International standard ISO 11079 serves the same purpose but expresses cold stress in terms of required clothing insulation for a given cold climate. The objective of this study was to validate and compare the temperature ratings using human subject tests at two levels of metabolic rates (2 and 4 MET corresponding to 116.4 and 232.8 W/m(2)). Nine young and healthy male subjects participated in the cold exposure at 3.4 and -30.6 °C. The results showed that both standards predict similar temperature ratings for an intrinsic clothing insulation of 1.89 clo and for 2 MET activity. The predicted temperature rating for 2 MET activity is consistent with test subjects' thermophysiological responses, perceived thermal sensation and thermal comfort. For 4 MET activity, however, the whole body responses were on the cold side, particularly the responses of the extremities. ASTM F2732 is also limited due to its omission and simplification of three climatic variables (air velocity, radiant temperature and relative humidity) and exposure time in the cold which are of practical importance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

  15. The Association between Sensation Seeking and Well-Being among College-Attending Emerging Adults

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ravert, Russell D.; Kim, Su Yeong; Schwartz, Seth J.; Weisskirch, Robert S.; Zamboanga, Byron L.; Ham, Lindsay S.; Donnellan, M. Brent; Bersamin, Melina M.

    2013-01-01

    Sensation seeking is a known risk factor for unsafe and reckless behavior among college students, but its association with well-being is unknown. Given that exploration plays an important psychosocial role during the transition to adulthood, we examined the possibility that sensation seeking is also associated with psychological well-being. In a…

  16. Habituation of Premonitory Sensations during Exposure and Response Prevention Treatment in Tourette's Syndrome

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Verdellen, Cara W. J.; Hoogduin, Cees A. L.; Kato, Bernet S.; Keijsers, Ger P. J.; Cath, Danielle C.; Hoijtink, Herbert B.

    2008-01-01

    Exposure to premonitory sensations and response prevention of tics (ER) has been shown to be a promising new treatment for Tourette's syndrome (TS). The present study tested the hypothesis that habituation to unpleasant premonitory sensations associated with the tic is an underlying mechanism of change in ER. Patients rated the severity of…

  17. Sensation Seeking as a Moderator of Gain- and Loss-Framed HIV-Test Promotion Message Effects.

    PubMed

    Hull, Shawnika J; Hong, Yangsun

    2016-01-01

    This study used an experiment (N = 504) to test whether the fit between sensation-seeking disposition and frame enhances the persuasiveness of gain- and loss-framed HIV test promotion messages. Gain- and loss-framed messages may be consistent with low and high sensation seekers' disposition with respect to risk behavior. We hypothesized that a loss-framed message would be more persuasive for high sensation seekers and that a gain-framed message should be more effective for low sensation seekers. We also expected elaboration to mediate the interaction. Results demonstrated the hypothesized interaction. When the message frame fit with the viewer's way of thinking, the persuasive power of the message was enhanced. The mediation hypothesis was not supported. Practical implications for targeting and message design are discussed.

  18. Impulsivity, Sensation-Seeking and Part-Time Job Status in Relation to Substance Use and Gambling in Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Leeman, Robert F.; Hoff, Rani A.; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra; Patock-Peckham, Julie A.; Potenza, Marc N.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose Although impulsivity, sensation-seeking and part-time employment have each been linked to risky behaviors in adolescents, their inter-relationships are less well understood. We examined data from adolescents to assess the following predictions: 1) sensation-seeking would relate closely to substance use and gambling; 2) impulsivity would relate closely to alcohol, drug and gambling problems; and 3) these relationships would be particularly strong amongst those holding part-time jobs. Method High-school students (N = 3106) were surveyed and provided data on impulsivity, sensation-seeking and part-time job status. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships with gambling, substance use (i.e., alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana) and related problems. Results Both impulsivity and sensation-seeking related significantly to substance use and impulsivity to gambling. Impulsivity had stronger associations with drug and gambling problems than sensation-seeking. Students with paid part-time jobs were more likely to drink alcohol, binge drink and use marijuana. Sensation-seeking had a particularly strong relationship to heavy cigarette smoking among students with part-time jobs. Conversely, there was little relationship between part-time job status and smoking among low sensation-seekers. Conclusions These findings further support the relevance of sensation-seeking, impulsivity and part-time job status to risky behaviors among adolescents. Sensation-seeking and impulsivity had unique relationships to risky behaviors, in accordance with theory and prior evidence. Impulsive adolescents may be in particular need for interventions to reduce drug use and gambling. While part-time jobs can be beneficial, parents and caregivers should be mindful of potential negative ramifications of paid work outside the home. PMID:24268362

  19. What do you feel if I apply transcranial electric stimulation? Safety, sensations and secondary induced effects.

    PubMed

    Fertonani, Anna; Ferrari, Clarissa; Miniussi, Carlo

    2015-11-01

    The goals of this work are to report data regarding a large number of stimulation sessions and to use model analyses to explain the similarities or differences in the sensations induced by different parameters of tES application. We analysed sensation data relative to 693 different tES sessions. In particular, we studied the effects on sensations induced by different types of current, categories of polarity and frequency, different timing, levels of current density and intensity, different electrode sizes and different electrode locations (areas). The application of random or fixed alternating current stimulation (i.e., tRNS and tACS) over the scalp induced less sensation compared with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), regardless of the application parameters. Moreover, anodal tDCS induced more annoyance in comparison to other tES. Additionally, larger electrodes induced stronger sensations compared with smaller electrodes, and higher intensities were more strongly perceived. Timing of stimulation, montage and current density did not influence sensations perception. The analyses demonstrated that the induced sensations could be clustered on the basis of the type of somatosensory system activated. Finally and most important no adverse events were reported. Induced sensations are modulated by electrode size and intensity and mainly pertain to the cutaneous receptor activity of the somatosensory system. Moreover, the procedure currently used to perform placebo stimulation may not be totally effective when compared with anodal tDCS. The reported observations enrich the literature regarding the safety aspects of tES, confirming that it is a painless and safe technique. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. A Double-Blind Study on Acupuncture Sensations with Japanese Style of Acupuncture: Comparison between Penetrating and Placebo Needles.

    PubMed

    Nishiwaki, Masako; Takayama, Miho; Yajima, Hiroyoshi; Nasu, Morihiro; Park, Joel; Kong, Jian; Takakura, Nobuari

    2018-01-01

    To investigate the acupuncture sensations elicited by the Japanese style of acupuncture, penetrating acupuncture and skin-touch placebo needles were randomly administered at various insertion depths (5 and 10 mm for the penetrating needles and 1 and 2 mm for the placebo needles) at LI4 to 50 healthy subjects. Among the 12 acupuncture sensations in the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (MASS), "heaviness" was the strongest and most frequently reported sensation with the 10 mm needles, but not with the 5 mm needles. There were no significant differences in number of sensations elicited, MASS index, range of spreading, and intensity of needle pain for 5 mm penetration versus 1 mm skin press and 10 mm penetration versus 2 mm skin press. The MASS index with 2 mm skin-touch needles was significantly larger than that with 1 mm skin-touch and 5 mm penetrating needles. The factor structures in the 12 acupuncture sensations between penetrating and skin-touch needles were different. The acupuncture sensations obtained in this study under satisfactorily performed double-blind (practitioner-patient) conditions suggest that a slight difference in insertion depth and skin press causes significant differences in quantity and quality of acupuncture sensations.

  1. Baseline heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression in young adult women: a two-sample examination.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Laura C; Scarpa, Angela

    2013-01-01

    Although substantial literature discusses sensation seeking as playing a role in the relationship between baseline heart rate and aggression, few published studies have tested the relationships among these variables. Furthermore, most prior studies have focused on risk factors of aggression in men and have largely ignored this issue in women. Two samples (n = 104; n = 99) of young adult women completed measures of resting heart rate, sensation seeking, and aggression. Across the two samples of females there was no evidence for the relationships of baseline heart rate with sensation seeking or with aggression that has been consistently shown in males. Boredom susceptibility and disinhibition subscales of sensation seeking were consistently significantly correlated with aggression. The lack of significance and the small effect sizes indicate that other mechanisms are also at work in affecting aggression in young adult women. Finally, it is important to consider the type of sensation seeking in relation to aggression, as only boredom susceptibility and disinhibition were consistently replicated across samples. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Determination of sensation threshold from small pulse trains of 2.01μm laser light

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dugan, Daniel C.; Johnson, Thomas E.

    2009-02-01

    The determination of sensation thresholds has applications ranging from uses in the medical community such as neural pathway mapping and for the diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy, to potential uses in determining safety standards. This study sought to determine the sensation threshold, and the distribution of sensation probabilities, for pulse trains ranging from two 10 ms pulses to nine 10 ms pulses from 2.01 μm laser light incident on a human forearm and chest. Threshold was defined as the energy density that would elicit sensation 50% of the time (ED50). A method of levels approach was used in conjunction with a monovariate binary response model to determine the ED50. We determined the ED50 and also a distribution of threshold probabilities. Threshold was found to be largely dependant on total energy deposited for smaller pulse trains, and thus independent of the number of pulses. Total energy becomes less important as the number of pulses increases however, and a decrease in threshold was measured for a nine pulse train as compared to one through four pulse trains. Thus we have demonstrated that this method is a useful and easy way for determining sensation thresholds from a 2.01 μm laser for possible clinical use. We have also demonstrated that lower power lasers when pulsed can elicit sensation at comparable levels to higher power single pulse lasers.

  3. Sensation seeking, peer deviance, and genetic influences on adolescent delinquency: Evidence for person-environment correlation and interaction.

    PubMed

    Mann, Frank D; Patterson, Megan W; Grotzinger, Andrew D; Kretsch, Natalie; Tackett, Jennifer L; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M; Harden, K Paige

    2016-07-01

    Both sensation seeking and affiliation with deviant peer groups are risk factors for delinquency in adolescence. In this study, we use a sample of adolescent twins (n = 549), 13 to 20 years old (M age = 15.8 years), in order to test the interactive effects of peer deviance and sensation seeking on delinquency in a genetically informative design. Consistent with a socialization effect, affiliation with deviant peers was associated with higher delinquency even after controlling for selection effects using a co-twin-control comparison. At the same time, there was evidence for person-environment correlation; adolescents with genetic dispositions toward higher sensation seeking were more likely to report having deviant peer groups. Genetic influences on sensation seeking substantially overlapped with genetic influences on adolescent delinquency. Finally, the environmentally mediated effect of peer deviance on adolescent delinquency was moderated by individual differences in sensation seeking. Adolescents reporting high levels of sensation seeking were more susceptible to deviant peers, a Person × Environment interaction. These results are consistent with both selection and socialization processes in adolescent peer relationships, and they highlight the role of sensation seeking as an intermediary phenotype for genetic risk for delinquency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  4. Physiologic and Perceptual Responses to Cold-Shower Cooling After Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia

    PubMed Central

    Butts, Cory L.; McDermott, Brendon P.; Buening, Brian J.; Bonacci, Jeffrey A.; Ganio, Matthew S.; Adams, J. D.; Tucker, Matthew A.; Kavouras, Stavros A.

    2016-01-01

    Context:  Exercise conducted in hot, humid environments increases the risk for exertional heat stroke (EHS). The current recommended treatment of EHS is cold-water immersion; however, limitations may require the use of alternative resources such as a cold shower (CS) or dousing with a hose to cool EHS patients. Objective:  To investigate the cooling effectiveness of a CS after exercise-induced hyperthermia. Design:  Randomized, crossover controlled study. Setting:  Environmental chamber (temperature = 33.4°C ± 2.1°C; relative humidity = 27.1% ± 1.4%). Patients or Other Participants:  Seventeen participants (10 male, 7 female; height = 1.75 ± 0.07 m, body mass = 70.4 ± 8.7 kg, body surface area = 1.85 ± 0.13 m2, age range = 19–35 years) volunteered. Intervention(s):  On 2 occasions, participants completed matched-intensity volitional exercise on an ergometer or treadmill to elevate rectal temperature to ≥39°C or until participant fatigue prevented continuation (reaching at least 38.5°C). They were then either treated with a CS (20.8°C ± 0.80°C) or seated in the chamber (control [CON] condition) for 15 minutes. Main Outcome Measure(s):  Rectal temperature, calculated cooling rate, heart rate, and perceptual measures (thermal sensation and perceived muscle pain). Results:  The rectal temperature (P = .98), heart rate (P = .85), thermal sensation (P = .69), and muscle pain (P = .31) were not different during exercise for the CS and CON trials (P > .05). Overall, the cooling rate was faster during CS (0.07°C/min ± 0.03°C/min) than during CON (0.04°C/min ± 0.03°C/min; t16 = 2.77, P = .01). Heart-rate changes were greater during CS (45 ± 20 beats per minute) compared with CON (27 ± 10 beats per minute; t16 = 3.32, P = .004). Thermal sensation was reduced to a greater extent with CS than with CON (F3,45 = 41.12, P < .001). Conclusions:  Although the CS facilitated cooling rates faster than no treatment, clinicians should continue

  5. Multiparameter behavioral profiling reveals distinct thermal response regimes in Caenorhabditis elegans

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Responding to noxious stimuli by invoking an appropriate escape response is critical for survival of an organism. The sensations of small and large changes in temperature in most organisms have been studied separately in the context of thermotaxis and nociception, respectively. Here we use the nematode C. elegans to address the neurogenetic basis of responses to thermal stimuli over a broad range of intensities. Results C. elegans responds to aversive temperature by eliciting a stereotypical behavioral sequence. Upon sensation of the noxious stimulus, it moves backwards, turns and resumes forward movement in a new direction. In order to study the response of C. elegans to a broad range of noxious thermal stimuli, we developed a novel assay that allows simultaneous characterization of multiple aspects of escape behavior elicited by thermal pulses of increasing amplitudes. We exposed the laboratory strain N2, as well as 47 strains with defects in various aspects of nervous system function, to thermal pulses ranging from ΔT = 0.4°C to 9.1°C and recorded the resulting behavioral profiles. Conclusions Through analysis of the multidimensional behavioral profiles, we found that the combinations of molecules shaping avoidance responses to a given thermal pulse are unique. At different intensities of aversive thermal stimuli, these distinct combinations of molecules converge onto qualitatively similar stereotyped behavioral sequences. PMID:23114012

  6. Perceived message sensation value (PMSV) and the dimensions and validation of a PMSV scale.

    PubMed

    Palmgreen, Philip; Stephenson, Michael T; Everett, Maureen W; Baseheart, John R; Francies, Regina

    2002-01-01

    Sensation seeking has been linked to drug abuse and risky behaviors, and is positively associated with preferences for messages high in sensation value (i.e., perceived to be highly novel, arousing, dramatic, or intense). This suggests the utility of valid and reliable measures of perceived message sensation value (PMSV) in research on information processing, persuasion, and reducing risk-related behaviors. Dimensions and construct validity of a 17-item PMSV scale were examined via 2 studies: 1 of 368 high school students' reactions to televised antimarijuana public service announcements (PSAs) and one of 444 college students' responses to televised anticocaine PSAs. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated 3-dimensional solutions for the PMSV scale were nearly identical for high sensation seeking (HSS) and low sensation seeking (LSS) respondents in Study 1 and HSS respondents in Study 2. Total scale alphas were .87 for Study 1 and .93 for Study 2. The PMSV scale and its dimensions (Emotional Arousal, Dramatic Impact, Novelty) were positively correlated with affective response measures in both studies for HSS and LSS. Study 1 also examined cognitive, narrative, and sensory PSA processing, which were found to be positively associated with total PMSV and the Arousal and Dramatic Impact dimensions of PSMV for both HSS and LSS.

  7. Impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time job status in relation to substance use and gambling in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Leeman, Robert F; Hoff, Rani A; Krishnan-Sarin, Suchitra; Patock-Peckham, Julie A; Potenza, Marc N

    2014-04-01

    Although impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time employment have each been linked to risky behaviors in adolescents, their inter-relationships are less well-understood. We examined data from adolescents to assess the following predictions: (1) sensation-seeking would relate closely to substance use and gambling; (2) impulsivity would relate closely to alcohol, drug, and gambling problems; and (3) these relationships would be particularly strong among those holding part-time jobs. High-school students (N = 3,106) were surveyed to provide data on impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time job status. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships with gambling, substance use (i.e., alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana) and related problems. Both impulsivity and sensation-seeking related significantly to substance use and impulsivity to gambling. Impulsivity had stronger associations with drug and gambling problems than sensation-seeking did. Students with paid part-time jobs were more likely to drink alcohol, binge drink, and use marijuana. Sensation-seeking had a particularly strong relationship to heavy cigarette smoking among students with part-time jobs. Conversely, there was little relationship between part-time job status and smoking among low sensation-seekers. These findings further support the relevance of sensation-seeking, impulsivity, and part-time job status to risky behaviors among adolescents. Sensation-seeking and impulsivity had unique relationships to risky behaviors, in accordance with theory and prior evidence. Impulsive adolescents may be in particular need for interventions to reduce drug use and gambling. Although part-time jobs can be beneficial, parents and caregivers should be mindful of potential negative ramifications of paid work outside the home. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Hot and Cold Smells: Odor-Temperature Associations across Cultures

    PubMed Central

    Wnuk, Ewelina; de Valk, Josje M.; Huisman, John L. A.; Majid, Asifa

    2017-01-01

    It is often assumed odors are associated with hot and cold temperature, since odor processing may trigger thermal sensations, such as coolness in the case of mint. It is unknown, however, whether people make consistent temperature associations for a variety of everyday odors, and, if so, what determines them. Previous work investigating the bases of cross-modal associations suggests a number of possibilities, including universal forces (e.g., perception), as well as culture-specific forces (e.g., language and cultural beliefs). In this study, we examined odor-temperature associations in three cultures—Maniq (N = 11), Thai (N = 24), and Dutch (N = 24)—who differ with respect to their cultural preoccupation with odors, their odor lexicons, and their beliefs about the relationship of odors (and odor objects) to temperature. Participants matched 15 odors to temperature by touching cups filled with hot or cold water, and described the odors in their native language. The results showed no consistent associations among the Maniq, and only a handful of consistent associations between odor and temperature among the Thai and Dutch. The consistent associations differed across the two groups, arguing against their universality. Further analysis revealed cross-modal associations could not be explained by language, but could be the result of cultural beliefs. PMID:28848482

  9. 76 FR 43706 - Final Supplementary Rules To Require the Use of Certified Noxious-Weed-Free Forage and Straw on...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-21

    ... to use certified noxious-weed-free forage and straw. Restoration, rehabilitation, and stabilization... domestic ungulates, weaken rehabilitation and landscape restoration efforts, increase soil erosion and... consistent with and supportive of the statewide Conservation Plan for the Greater Sage- Grouse in Idaho...

  10. The interactive effects of affect lability, negative urgency, and sensation seeking on young adult problematic drinking.

    PubMed

    Karyadi, Kenny; Coskunpinar, Ayca; Dir, Allyson L; Cyders, Melissa A

    2013-01-01

    Prior studies have suggested that affect lability might reduce the risk for problematic drinking among sensation seekers by compensating for their deficiencies in emotional reactivity and among individuals high on negative urgency by disrupting stable negative emotions. Due to the high prevalence of college drinking, this study examined whether affect lability interacted with sensation seeking and negative urgency to influence college student problematic drinking. 414 college drinkers (mean age: 20, 77% female, and 74% Caucasian) from a US Midwestern University completed self-administered questionnaires online. Consistent with our hypotheses, our results indicated that the effects of sensation seeking and negative urgency on problematic drinking weakened at higher levels of affect lability. These findings emphasize the importance of considering specific emotional contexts in understanding how negative urgency and sensation seeking create risk for problematic drinking among college students. These findings might also help us better understand how to reduce problematic drinking among sensation seekers and individuals high on negative urgency.

  11. The Interactive Effects of Affect Lability, Negative Urgency, and Sensation Seeking on Young Adult Problematic Drinking

    PubMed Central

    Karyadi, Kenny; Coskunpinar, Ayca; Dir, Allyson L.; Cyders, Melissa A.

    2013-01-01

    Prior studies have suggested that affect lability might reduce the risk for problematic drinking among sensation seekers by compensating for their deficiencies in emotional reactivity and among individuals high on negative urgency by disrupting stable negative emotions. Due to the high prevalence of college drinking, this study examined whether affect lability interacted with sensation seeking and negative urgency to influence college student problematic drinking. 414 college drinkers (mean age: 20, 77% female, and 74% Caucasian) from a US Midwestern University completed self-administered questionnaires online. Consistent with our hypotheses, our results indicated that the effects of sensation seeking and negative urgency on problematic drinking weakened at higher levels of affect lability. These findings emphasize the importance of considering specific emotional contexts in understanding how negative urgency and sensation seeking create risk for problematic drinking among college students. These findings might also help us better understand how to reduce problematic drinking among sensation seekers and individuals high on negative urgency. PMID:24826366

  12. Sensation seeking, self-esteem, and unprotected sex in college students.

    PubMed

    Gullette, Donna L; Lyons, Margaret A

    2006-01-01

    This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships of sexual sensation seeking, self-esteem, and self-efficacy in condom use, stages of change, and alcohol consumption to HIV risk-taking behaviors among college students. A total of 159 students completed an online survey in 2004. Instruments included the Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale, College Alcohol Problems Scale, Condom Use Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. High sensation seekers had higher self-esteem, more self-efficacy in condom usage, fewer problems associated with alcohol consumption, and belonged to Greek organizations (F [1,158] = 12.54; p < .0005). Women who were high sensation seekers perceived more advantages (F [1, 116] = 1.67; p = .05) than disadvantages (F [1, 116] = 2.01; p = .01) to using condoms. Men consumed significantly more alcohol and had more social problems related to alcohol use than women (F [1, 158] = 5.04; p < .03). Students in Greek organizations had significantly more positive attitudes (X(2) [1] = 4.55; p < .03) and more respect for themselves (X(2) [1] = 11.22; p < .0008) than other students and were more likely to be tested for HIV (X(2) [1] = 3.85; p < .05). Students with low self-esteem consumed more alcohol, had more sexual partners, and had more HIV risk-taking behaviors than other students. Even though students were reported to be efficacious in condom usage, they used them inconsistently with their sexual partners and were in the earlier stages of change. Interventions are needed in the community to help sexually active individuals take responsibility for their sexual health and to increase the awareness of the need to be tested for HIV.

  13. Assessing Decreased Sensation and Increased Sensory Phenomena in Diabetic Polyneuropathies

    PubMed Central

    Herrmann, David N.; Staff, Nathan P.; Dyck, P. James B.

    2013-01-01

    Loss of sensation and increased sensory phenomena are major expressions of varieties of diabetic polyneuropathies needing improved assessments for clinical and research purposes. We provide a neurobiological explanation for the apparent paradox between decreased sensation and increased sensory phenomena. Strongly endorsed is the use of the 10-g monofilaments for screening of feet to detect sensation loss, with the goal of improving diabetic management and prevention of foot ulcers and neurogenic arthropathy. We describe improved methods to assess for the kind, severity, and distribution of both large- and small-fiber sensory loss and which approaches and techniques may be useful for conducting therapeutic trials. The abnormality of attributes of nerve conduction may be used to validate the dysfunction of large sensory fibers. The abnormality of epidermal nerve fibers/1 mm may be used as a surrogate measure of small-fiber sensory loss but appear not to correlate closely with severity of pain. Increased sensory phenomena are recognized by the characteristic words patients use to describe them and by the severity and persistence of these symptoms. Tests of tactile and thermal hyperalgesia are additional markers of neural hyperactivity that are useful for diagnosis and disease management. PMID:24158999

  14. Sensation Seeking and Adolescent Alcohol Use: Exploring the Mediating Role of Unstructured Socializing With Peers.

    PubMed

    Sznitman, Sharon; Engel-Yeger, Batya

    2017-05-01

    Researchers have theorized that adolescents high in sensation seeking are particularly sensitive to positive reinforcement and the rewarding outcomes of alcohol use, and thus that the personality vulnerability is a direct causal risk factor for alcohol use. In contrast, the routine activity perspective theorizes that part of the effect of sensation seeking on alcohol use goes through the propensity that sensation seekers have towards unstructured socializing with peers. The study tests a model with indirect and direct paths from sensation seeking and participation in unstructured peer socialization to adolescent alcohol use. Cross-sectional data were collected from 360 students in a state-secular Jewish high school (10th to 12th grade) in the center region of Israel. The sample was equally divided between boys (51.9%) and girls (48.1%), respondents' age ranged from 15 to 17 years (mean = 16.02 ± 0.85). Structural equation modeling was used to test the direct and indirect paths. While sensation seeking had a significant direct path to adolescent alcohol use, part of the association was mediated by unstructured socializing with peers. The mediated paths were similar for boys and girls alike. Sensation seeking is primarily biologically determined and prevention efforts are unlikely to modify this personality vulnerability. The results of this study suggest that a promising prevention avenue is to modify extracurricular participation patterns of vulnerable adolescents. © The Author 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

  15. Internal sensations as a source of fear: exploring a link between hypoxia and flight phobia.

    PubMed

    Vanden Bogaerde, Anouk; De Raedt, Rudi

    2013-01-01

    Although flight phobia is very common in the general population, knowledge of the underlying mechanisms is limited. The aim of the current study is to determine whether hypoxia is selectively associated with flight anxiety. We wanted to explore levels of oxygen saturation (SpO2) and the associated subjective somatic sensations in flight phobics and controls. The data collected in this study were obtained from 103 participants: 54 had flight phobia, 49 were controls. SpO2 as well as a subjective report of somatic sensations and anxiety were measured during short haul flights, both at ground level and at cruising altitude. Results indicated that both flight phobics and controls showed a comparable clinical significant decrease in SpO2 from sea level to cruising altitude. Next, at ground level the flight phobic group reported more somatic sensations, most likely due to the elevated levels of anxiety at that point. However, at cruising altitude the flight phobic group still reported more somatic sensations while the level of anxiety was no longer significantly different from controls. This finding points to altered symptom perception in flight phobia and stresses the importance of somatic sensations in this particular phobia.

  16. Noxious lingual stimulation influences the excitability of the face primary motor cerebral cortex (face MI) in the rat.

    PubMed

    Adachi, K; Murray, G M; Lee, J-C; Sessle, B J

    2008-09-01

    The mechanisms whereby orofacial pain affects motor function are poorly understood. The aims were to determine whether 1) lingual algesic chemical stimulation affected face primary motor cerebral cortex (face MI) excitability defined by intracortical microstimulation (ICMS); and 2) any such effects were limited to the motor efferent MI zones driving muscles in the vicinity of the noxious stimulus. Ketamine-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley male rats were implanted with electromyographic (EMG) electrodes into anterior digastric, masseter, and genioglossus muscles. In 38 rats, three microelectrodes were located in left face MI at ICMS-defined sites for evoking digastric and/or genioglossus responses. ICMS thresholds for evoking EMG activity from each site were determined every 15 min for 1 h, then the right anterior tongue was infused (20 microl, 120 microl/h) with glutamate (1.0 M, n = 18) or isotonic saline (n = 7). Subsequently, ICMS thresholds were determined every 15 min for 4 h. In intact control rats (n = 13), ICMS thresholds were recorded over 5 h. Only left and right genioglossus ICMS thresholds were significantly increased (< or =350%) in the glutamate infusion group compared with intact and isotonic saline groups (P < 0.05). These dramatic effects of glutamate on ICMS-evoked genioglossus activity contrast with its weak effects only on right genioglossus activity evoked from the internal capsule or hypoglossal nucleus. This is the first documentation that intraoral noxious stimulation results in prolonged neuroplastic changes manifested as a decrease in face MI excitability. These changes appear to occur predominantly in those parts of face MI that provide motor output to the orofacial region receiving the noxious stimulation.

  17. Personality correlates of caffeine dependence: the role of sensation seeking, impulsivity, and risk taking.

    PubMed

    Jones, Heather A; Lejuez, C W

    2005-08-01

    The consumption of caffeine has become a growing concern, partially because of the withdrawal properties of the drug. The current study examined personality correlates of caffeine consumption and dependence in 60 university students. Self-report and behavioral measures of sensation seeking, impulsivity, and risk taking were administered to 2 groups, identified as caffeine dependent-high consuming or caffeine nondependent-low consuming. Scores on self-report measures of sensation seeking and impulsivity were related to group status, and only sensation seeking evidenced a significant relationship with group status when both variables were considered in a regression analysis. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

  18. Cold injury to a diver's hand after a 90-min dive in 6 degrees C water.

    PubMed

    Laden, Gerard D M; Purdy, Gerard; O'Rielly, Gerard

    2007-05-01

    We present here a case of non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) in a sport scuba diver. There are similarities between the presenting symptoms of NFCI and decompression sickness, e.g., pain and/or altered sensation in an extremity, often reported as numbness. In both conditions patients have been known to describe their lower limbs or feet as feeling woolly. Both conditions are the result of environmental exposure. Additionally, there are no good (high sensitivity and specificity) diagnostic tests for either condition. Diagnosis is made based on patient history, clinical presentation, and examination. NFCI is most frequently seen in military personnel, explorers, and the homeless. When affecting the feet of soldiers it is often referred to as "trench foot." Historically, NFCI has been and continues to be of critical importance in infantry warfare in cold and wet environments. A high priority should be given to prevention of NFCI during military operational planning. With the advent of so-called "technical diving" characterized by going deeper for longer (often in cold water) and adventure tourism, this extremely painful condition is likely to increase in prevalence. NFCI is treated symptomatically.

  19. Human cold stress of strong local-wind "Hijikawa-arashi" in Japan, based on the UTCI index and thermo-physiological responses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ohashi, Yukitaka; Katsuta, Takumi; Tani, Haruka; Okabayashi, Taiki; Miyahara, Satoshi; Miyashita, Ryoji

    2018-03-01

    We investigated the cold stress caused by a strong local wind called "Hijikawa-arashi," through in situ vital measurements and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). This wind is a very interesting winter phenomenon, localized in an area within 1 km of the seashore in Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture in Japan. When a strong Hijikawa-arashi (HA) occurred at 14-15 m s-1, the UTCI decreased to - 30 °C along the bridge where commuting residents are the most exposed to strong and cold winds. On the bridge, most participants in our experiment felt "very cold" or "extremely cold." The UTCI of HA can be predicted from a multiple regression equation using wind speed and air temperature. The cold HA wind is also harmful to human thermo-physiological responses. It leads to higher blood pressure and increased heart rate, both of which act as cardiovascular stress triggers. Increases of 6-10 mmHg and 3-6 bpm for every 10 °C reduction in UTCI were seen on all observational days, including HA and non-HA days. In fact, the participants' body skin temperatures decreased by approximately 1.2 to 1.7 °C for every 10 °C reduction in UTCI. Thus, the UTCI variation due to the HA outbreak corresponded well with the cold sensation and thermo-physiological responses in humans. This result suggests that daily UTCI monitoring enables the prediction of thermo-physiological responses to the HA cold stress.

  20. The Effects of Sensation Seeking, Physical Attractiveness of Stimuli, and Exposure Frequency on Liking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horai, Joann

    1976-01-01

    Males (N=54) and 46 females who scored high or low on a sensation seeking scale were exposed to slides of physically attractive or unattractive person stimuli. High sensation seekers both liked and expected to recognize the physically attractive persons in the future more than the physically unattractive persons. (Author)

  1. Noxious mechanical heterotopic stimulation induces inhibition of the spinal dorsal horn neuronal network: analysis of spinal somatosensory-evoked potentials.

    PubMed

    Meléndez-Gallardo, J; Eblen-Zajjur, A

    2016-09-01

    Most of the endogenous pain modulation (EPM) involves the spinal dorsal horn (SDH). EPM including diffuse noxious inhibitory controls have been extensively described in oligoneuronal electrophysiological recordings but less attention had been paid to responses of the SDH neuronal population to heterotopic noxious stimulation (HNS). Spinal somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP) offer the possibility to evaluate the neuronal network behavior, reflecting the incoming afferent volleys along the entry root, SDH interneuron activities and the primary afferent depolarization. SEP from de lumbar cord dorsum were evaluated during mechanical heterotopic noxious stimuli. Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 12) were Laminectomized (T10-L3). The sural nerve of the left hind paw was electrically stimulated (5 mA, 0.5 ms, 0.05 Hz) to induce lumbar SEP. The HNS (mechanic clamp) was applied sequentially to the tail, right hind paw, right forepaw, muzzle and left forepaw during sural stimulation. N wave amplitude decreases (-16.6 %) compared to control conditions when HNS was applied to all areas of stimulation. This effect was more intense for muzzle stimulation (-23.5 %). N wave duration also decreased by -23.6 %. HNS did not change neither the amplitude nor the duration of the P wave but dramatically increases the dispersion of these two parameters. The results of the present study strongly suggest that a HNS applied to different parts of the body is able to reduce the integrated electrical response of the SDH, suggesting that not only wide dynamic range neurons but many others in the SDH are modulated by the EPM.

  2. Effect of friction on vibrotactile sensation of normal and dehydrated skin.

    PubMed

    Chen, S; Ge, S; Tang, W; Zhang, J

    2016-02-01

    Vibrotactile sensation mediated is highly dependent on surface mechanical and frictional properties. Dehydration of skin could change these properties. To investigate the relationship between friction and vibrotactile sensation of normal and dehydrated skin. Vibrations were firstly measured during surface exploration using a biomimetic sensor. Piglet skin was used as human skin model to study frictional properties for both normal and dehydrated skin using an atomic force microscope on nanoscale and a pin-on-disk tribometer on macroscale. Effect of vibrational frequency on friction and vibrotactile perception was also observed on nano and macro scale for normal and dehydrated skin. The result indicated that dehydrated skin was less sensitive than normal skin. The coefficient of friction of dehydrated skin is smaller than that of normal skin on both nano and macro scale. The coefficient of friction increases as increasing scanning frequencies. There is a positive correlation between coefficient of friction and vibrotactile sensation on nanoscale and macroscale. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. PTSD and Sensation Seeking Tendency to Risk Behavior as Protective or Risk Factor

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-01

    5] Jensen M. The relationship of the sensation seeking personality motive to burnout , injury and job satisfaction among fire fighters [master...7] Palmer R, Spaid W. Authoritarianism, inner/other directedness, and sensation seeking in firefighter/paramedics: their relationship with burnout ...Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1995; 52: 1048-1060. [15] Wilson J, Smith K, Johnson S. A comparative analysis of post-traumatic stress syndrome among

  4. Sensation seeking and impulsive traits as personality endophenotypes for antisocial behavior: Evidence from two independent samples

    PubMed Central

    Mann, Frank D.; Engelhardt, Laura; Briley, Daniel A.; Grotzinger, Andrew D.; Patterson, Megan W.; Tackett, Jennifer L.; Strathan, Dixie B.; Heath, Andrew; Lynskey, Michael; Slutske, Wendy; Martin, Nicholas G.; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M.; Harden, K. Paige

    2017-01-01

    Sensation seeking and impulsivity are personality traits that are correlated with risk for antisocial behavior (ASB). This paper uses two independent samples of twins to (a) test the extent to which sensation seeking and impulsivity statistically mediate genetic influence on ASB, and (b) compare this to genetic influences accounted for by other personality traits. In Sample 1, delinquent behavior, as well as impulsivity, sensation seeking and Big Five personality traits, were measured in adolescent twins from the Texas Twin Project. In Sample 2, adult twins from the Australian Twin Registry responded to questionnaires that assessed individual differences in Eysenck's and Cloninger's personality dimensions, and a structured telephone interview that asked participants to retrospectively report DSM-defined symptoms of conduct disorder. Bivariate quantitative genetic models were used to identify genetic overlap between personality traits and ASB. Across both samples, novelty/sensation seeking and impulsive traits accounted for larger portions of genetic variance in ASB than other personality traits. We discuss whether sensation seeking and impulsive personality are causal endophenotypes for ASB, or merely index genetic liability for ASB. PMID:28824215

  5. Moment of Inertia: Psychophysical Study of an Overlooked Sensation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Science, 1979

    1979-01-01

    This article describes the distribution of mass in a hand-held object as a fundamental but unrecognized contributor to the sensation one receives from the object. Experiments producing fractions for human sensitivity are given. (SA)

  6. The nucleus raphe magnus OFF-cells are involved in diffuse noxious inhibitory controls.

    PubMed

    Chebbi, R; Boyer, N; Monconduit, L; Artola, A; Luccarini, P; Dallel, R

    2014-06-01

    Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) are very powerful long-lasting descending inhibitory controls which are pivotal in modulating the activity of spinal and trigeminal nociceptive neurons. DNIC are subserved by a loop involving supraspinal structures such as the lateral parabrachial nucleus and the subnucleus reticularis dorsalis. Surprisingly, though, whether the nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), another supraspinal area which is long known to be important in pain modulation, is involved in DNIC is still a matter of discussion. Here, we reassessed the role of the NRM neurons in DNIC by electrophysiologically recording from wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in the trigeminal subnucleus oralis and pharmacologically manipulating the NRM OFF- and ON-cells. In control conditions, C-fiber-evoked responses in trigeminal WDR neurons are inhibited by a conditioning noxious heat stimulation applied to the hindpaw. We show that inactivating the NRM by microinjecting the GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol, both facilitates C-fiber-evoked responses of trigeminal WDR neurons and strongly attenuates their inhibition by heat applied to the hindpaw. Interestingly, selective blockade of ON-cells by microinjecting the broad-spectrum excitatory amino acid antagonist, kynurenate, into the NRM neither affects C-fiber-evoked responses nor attenuates DNIC of trigeminal WDR neurons. These results indicate that the NRM tonically inhibits trigeminal nociceptive inputs and is involved in the neuronal network underlying DNIC. Moreover, within NRM, OFF-cells might be more specifically involved in both the tonic and phasic descending inhibitory controls of trigeminal nociception. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Pruritic and Nociceptive Sensations and Dysesthesias From a Spicule of Cowhage

    PubMed Central

    LaMotte, R. H.; Shimada, S. G.; Green, B. G.; Zelterman, D.

    2009-01-01

    Although the trichomes (spicules) of a pod of cowhage (Mucuna pruriens) are known to evoke a histamine-independent itch that is mediated by a cysteine protease, little is known of the itch and accompanying nociceptive sensations evoked by a single spicule and the enhanced itch and pain that can occur in the surrounding skin. The tip of a single spicule applied to the forearm of 45 subjects typically evoked 1) itch accompanied by nociceptive sensations (NS) of pricking/stinging and, to a lesser extent, burning, and 2) one or more areas of cutaneous dysesthesia characterized by hyperknesis (enhanced itch to pricking) with or without alloknesis (itch to stroking) and/or hyperalgesia (enhanced pricking pain). Itch could occur in the absence of NS or one or more dysesthesias but very rarely the reverse. The peak magnitude of sensation was positively correlated for itch and NS and increased (exhibited spatial summation) as the number of spicules was increased within a spatial extent of 6 cm but not 1 cm. The areas of dysesthesia did not exhibit spatial summation. We conclude that itch evoked by a punctate chemical stimulus can co-exist with NS and cutaneous dysesthesias as may occur in clinical pruritus. However, cowhage itch was not always accompanied by NS or dysesthesia nor was a momentary change in itch necessarily accompanied by a similar change in NS or vice versa. Thus there may be separate neural coding mechanisms for itch, nociceptive sensations, and each type of dysesthesia. PMID:19144738

  8. Perceived harmfulness predicts nonmedical use of prescription drugs among college students: Interactions with sensation-seeking

    PubMed Central

    Arria, Amelia M.; Caldeira, Kimberly M.; Vincent, Kathryn B.; O'Grady, Kevin E.; Wish, Eric D.

    2008-01-01

    This study describes the level of perceived harmfulness of nonmedical prescription stimulant and analgesic use in a sample of college students, and examines the prospective relationship between perceived harmfulness and subsequent nonmedical use. In addition, we explore whether the association between perceived harmfulness and nonmedical use varies by level of sensation-seeking. Personal interviews, including questions on sensation-seeking and drug use, were conducted with 1,253 first-year college students. Participants were then followed-up twice at six-month intervals. Perceived harmfulness of nonmedical use of prescription drugs was assessed at six months via a web-based survey. At the 12-month follow-up interview, drug use was again assessed. Students who never had the opportunity to use prescription drugs nonmedically were excluded from all analyses. Results revealed that one in four students perceived a great risk of harm from occasional nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (25.2%) and analgesics (27.8%). As expected, low perceived harmfulness and high sensation-seeking were independently associated with increased risk of nonmedical use, holding constant demographic characteristics. The protective effect of high perceived harmfulness could be seen at all levels of sensation-seeking with one important exception: among high sensation-seekers, perceived harmfulness was not related to nonmedical use of prescription analgesics. Perceived harmfulness appears to distinguish nonmedical users from non-users, given the opportunity to use. Increasing perceived harmfulness may be a viable prevention strategy for most students, but alternative approaches might need to be developed that are tailored to high sensation-seekers. PMID:18633709

  9. In vivo release of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material from the cervicotrigeminal area in the rat. Effects of electrical and noxious stimulations of the muzzle.

    PubMed

    Pohl, M; Collin, E; Bourgoin, S; Clot, A M; Hamon, M; Cesselin, F; Le Bars, D

    1992-10-01

    The continuous perfusion with an artificial cerebrospinal fluid of the cervicotrigeminal area of the spinal cord in halothane-anaesthetized rats allowed the collection of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material with the same immunological and chromatographic characteristics as authentic rat alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide. The spinal release of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material could be significantly increased by the local application of 60 mM K+ (approximately +100%), high-intensity percutaneous electrical stimulation (approximately +200%) and noxious heat (by immersion in water at 52 degrees C; approximately +150%) applied to the muzzle. By contrast, noxious mechanical (pinches) and chemical (subcutaneous formalin injection) stimulations and deep cooling (by immersion in water at 0 degrees C) of the muzzle did not alter the spinal release of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material. In addition, low-intensity electrical stimulation, recruiting only the A alpha/beta primary afferent fibres, significantly reduced (approximately -30%) the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material from the cervicotrigeminal area. These data suggest that among the various types of natural noxious stimuli, noxious heat may selectively excite calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing A delta and C primary afferent fibres projecting within the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and that activation of A alpha/beta fibres reduces spontaneous calcitonin gene-related peptide-like material release possibly through an inhibitory presynaptic control of calcitonin gene-related peptide-containing A delta/C fibres.

  10. Curiosity Killed the Cocktail? Curiosity, Sensation Seeking, and Alcohol-related Problems in College Women

    PubMed Central

    Lindgren, Kristen P.; Mullins, Peter M.; Neighbors, Clayton; Blayney, Jessica A.

    2010-01-01

    Curiosity, composed of two factors: exploration and absorption, has been previously associated with life satisfaction, life meaningfulness, and enhanced positive affect. It also shares some overlap with sensation seeking, which has been linked to alcohol use and other addictive behaviors. The present research explored the association between curiosity and college women’s problematic drinking in the context of sensation seeking. Participants (79 women) completed questionnaires measuring curiosity, sensation seeking, alcohol consumption, and consequences related to alcohol consumption. A zero-inflated negative binomial model indicated that curiosity and sensation seeking accounted for unique variance in alcohol-related problems after controlling for drinking. The curiosity factors had opposing relationships to alcohol-related problems: higher scores on absorption were associated with more alcohol related problems whereas higher scores on exploration were associated with fewer alcohol related problems. Should findings be replicated, the curiosity factors may represent additional prevention and intervention targets. Future directions for research about curiosity and drinking and for the inclusion of positive psychology constructs in addictive behaviors research are discussed. PMID:20080358

  11. Sensation seeking, augmenting-reducing, and absolute auditory threshold: a strength-of-the-nervous-system perspective.

    PubMed

    Goldman, D; Kohn, P M; Hunt, R W

    1983-08-01

    The following measures were obtained from 42 student volunteers: the General and the Disinhibition subscales of the Sensation Seeking Scale (Form IV), the Reducer-Augmenter Scale, and the Absolute Auditory Threshold. General sensation seeking correlated significantly with the Reducer-Augmenter Scale, r(40) = .59, p less than .001, and the Absolute Auditory Threshold, r(40) = .45, p less than .005. Both results proved general across sex. These findings, that high-sensation seekers tend to be reducers and to lack sensitivity to weak stimulation, were interpreted as supporting strength-of-the-nervous-system theory more than the formulation of Zuckerman and his associates.

  12. Milder form of heat-related symptoms and thermal sensation: a study in a Mediterranean climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pantavou, Katerina G.; Lykoudis, Spyridon P.; Nikolopoulos, Georgios K.

    2016-06-01

    Mild heat-related health effects and their potential association with meteorological and personal parameters in relation to subjective and objective thermal sensation were investigated. Micrometeorological measurements and questionnaire surveys were conducted in an urban Mediterranean environment during a warm, cool, and a transitional season. The participants were asked to indicate their thermal sensation based on a seven-point scale and report whether they were experiencing any of the following symptoms: headache, dizziness, breathing difficulties, and exhaustion. Two thermal indices, Actual Sensation Vote (ASV) and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), were estimated in order to obtain an objective measure of individuals' thermal sensation. Binary logistic regression was applied to identify risk parameters while cluster analysis was used to determine thresholds of air temperature, ASV and UTCI related to health effects. Exhaustion was the most frequent symptom reported by the interviewees. Females and smokers were more likely to report heat-related symptoms than males and nonsmokers. Based on cluster analysis, 35 °C could be a cutoff point for the manifestation of heat-related symptoms during summer. The threshold for ASV was 0.85 corresponding to "warm" thermal sensation and for UTCI was about 30.85 °C corresponding to "moderate heat stress" according to the Mediterranean assessment scale.

  13. Fluid mechanics in dentinal microtubules provides mechanistic insights into the difference between hot and cold dental pain.

    PubMed

    Lin, Min; Luo, Zheng Yuan; Bai, Bo Feng; Xu, Feng; Lu, Tian Jian

    2011-03-23

    Dental thermal pain is a significant health problem in daily life and dentistry. There is a long-standing question regarding the phenomenon that cold stimulation evokes sharper and more shooting pain sensations than hot stimulation. This phenomenon, however, outlives the well-known hydrodynamic theory used to explain dental thermal pain mechanism. Here, we present a mathematical model based on the hypothesis that hot or cold stimulation-induced different directions of dentinal fluid flow and the corresponding odontoblast movements in dentinal microtubules contribute to different dental pain responses. We coupled a computational fluid dynamics model, describing the fluid mechanics in dentinal microtubules, with a modified Hodgkin-Huxley model, describing the discharge behavior of intradental neuron. The simulated results agreed well with existing experimental measurements. We thence demonstrated theoretically that intradental mechano-sensitive nociceptors are not "equally sensitive" to inward (into the pulp) and outward (away from the pulp) fluid flows, providing mechanistic insights into the difference between hot and cold dental pain. The model developed here could enable better diagnosis in endodontics which requires an understanding of pulpal histology, neurology and physiology, as well as their dynamic response to the thermal stimulation used in dental practices.

  14. Fluid Mechanics in Dentinal Microtubules Provides Mechanistic Insights into the Difference between Hot and Cold Dental Pain

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Min; Luo, Zheng Yuan; Bai, Bo Feng; Xu, Feng; Lu, Tian Jian

    2011-01-01

    Dental thermal pain is a significant health problem in daily life and dentistry. There is a long-standing question regarding the phenomenon that cold stimulation evokes sharper and more shooting pain sensations than hot stimulation. This phenomenon, however, outlives the well-known hydrodynamic theory used to explain dental thermal pain mechanism. Here, we present a mathematical model based on the hypothesis that hot or cold stimulation-induced different directions of dentinal fluid flow and the corresponding odontoblast movements in dentinal microtubules contribute to different dental pain responses. We coupled a computational fluid dynamics model, describing the fluid mechanics in dentinal microtubules, with a modified Hodgkin-Huxley model, describing the discharge behavior of intradental neuron. The simulated results agreed well with existing experimental measurements. We thence demonstrated theoretically that intradental mechano-sensitive nociceptors are not “equally sensitive” to inward (into the pulp) and outward (away from the pulp) fluid flows, providing mechanistic insights into the difference between hot and cold dental pain. The model developed here could enable better diagnosis in endodontics which requires an understanding of pulpal histology, neurology and physiology, as well as their dynamic response to the thermal stimulation used in dental practices. PMID:21448459

  15. The Association of Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity to Driving while under the Influence of Alcohol

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curran, Matthew F.; Fuertes, Jairo N.; Alfonso, Vincent C.; Hennessy, James J.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the association between sensation seeking, impulsivity, and drunk driving. Results showed significant differences in sensation seeking and impulsivity among 160 individuals convicted of impaired or intoxicated driving and individuals who had never been arrested for driving while under the influence/driving while intoxicated…

  16. Sensation-seeking predicts initiation of daily smoking behavior among American Indian high school students

    PubMed Central

    Spillane, Nichea S.; Muller, Clemma J.; Noonan, Carolyn; Goins, R. Turner; Mitchell, Christina M.; Manson, Spero

    2013-01-01

    Purpose American Indian (AI) youth have a high risk of smoking initiation. Sensation-seeking, defined as the tendency to seek novel and thrilling experiences, has been associated with smoking initiation in other groups but has never been examined in AI youth. Methods Data were from the Voices of Indian Teens Project (VOICES), a longitudinal study of AI youth from seven high schools in four AI communities in the western United States. Participants completed annual surveys in school over a three-year period. Our sample comprised 764 students who were non-smokers at baseline. Smoking initiation was defined as endorsement of daily smoking after baseline. We used binary logistic regression to evaluate the association of baseline sensation-seeking with odds of daily smoking initiation, stratified by gender Results Participants were 353 males and 411 females aged 13 to 21 years at baseline. After adjusting for covariates, baseline sensation-seeking correlated with smoking initiation differently in males and females. Sensation-seeking did not predict daily smoking in males. Among females, however, higher sensation-seeking scores at baseline predicted daily smoking in both the unadjusted (odds ratio = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1 – 1.8; p = 0.005) and covariate-adjusted (odds ratio = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.0 – 1.6; p = 0.04) models Conclusion Gender-specific prevention programs may be warranted in addressing different risk-factor profiles in this high-risk population PMID:22958862

  17. Transmission and Reproduction of Force Sensation by Bilateral Control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katsura, Seiichiro; Ohnishi, Kouhei

    Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) which thinks a great deal of patient’s quality of life (QOL) has attracted attention during about ten years. In this paper, it aims at development of the technology for transmitting force sensation required in medical treatment especially through surgical instruments, such as forceps. In bilateral control, it is a problem how master and slave robots realize the law of action and reaction to the environment. Mechanism of contact with environment and bilateral controller based on stiffness are shown. Master arm in contact with human and slave arm in contact with environment are given compliance, and stable contact with environment can be realized. The proposed method is applied to 3-link master-slave manipulators. As a result, transmission and reproduction of force sensation can be realized. The experimental results show viability of the proposed method.

  18. Sensation of presence and cybersickness in applications of virtual reality for advanced rehabilitation.

    PubMed

    Kiryu, Tohru; So, Richard H Y

    2007-09-25

    Around three years ago, in the special issue on augmented and virtual reality in rehabilitation, the topics of simulator sickness was briefly discussed in relation to vestibular rehabilitation. Simulator sickness with virtual reality applications have also been referred to as visually induced motion sickness or cybersickness. Recently, study on cybersickness has been reported in entertainment, training, game, and medical environment in several journals. Virtual stimuli can enlarge sensation of presence, but they sometimes also evoke unpleasant sensation. In order to safely apply augmented and virtual reality for long-term rehabilitation treatment, sensation of presence and cybersickness should be appropriately controlled. This issue presents the results of five studies conducted to evaluate visually-induced effects and speculate influences of virtual rehabilitation. In particular, the influence of visual and vestibular stimuli on cardiovascular responses are reported in terms of academic contribution.

  19. Sensation of presence and cybersickness in applications of virtual reality for advanced rehabilitation

    PubMed Central

    Kiryu, Tohru; So, Richard HY

    2007-01-01

    Around three years ago, in the special issue on augmented and virtual reality in rehabilitation, the topics of simulator sickness was briefly discussed in relation to vestibular rehabilitation. Simulator sickness with virtual reality applications have also been referred to as visually induced motion sickness or cybersickness. Recently, study on cybersickness has been reported in entertainment, training, game, and medical environment in several journals. Virtual stimuli can enlarge sensation of presence, but they sometimes also evoke unpleasant sensation. In order to safely apply augmented and virtual reality for long-term rehabilitation treatment, sensation of presence and cybersickness should be appropriately controlled. This issue presents the results of five studies conducted to evaluate visually-induced effects and speculate influences of virtual rehabilitation. In particular, the influence of visual and vestibular stimuli on cardiovascular responses are reported in terms of academic contribution. PMID:17894857

  20. Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 antagonists block the noxious effects of toxic industrial isocyanates and tear gases.

    PubMed

    Bessac, Bret F; Sivula, Michael; von Hehn, Christian A; Caceres, Ana I; Escalera, Jasmine; Jordt, Sven-Eric

    2009-04-01

    The release of methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, India, caused the worst industrial accident in history. Exposures to industrial isocyanates induce lacrimation, pain, airway irritation, and edema. Similar responses are elicited by chemicals used as tear gases. Despite frequent exposures, the biological targets of isocyanates and tear gases in vivo have not been identified, precluding the development of effective countermeasures. We use Ca(2+) imaging and electrophysiology to show that the noxious effects of isocyanates and those of all major tear gas agents are caused by activation of Ca(2+) influx and membrane currents in mustard oil-sensitive sensory neurons. These responses are mediated by transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), an ion channel serving as a detector for reactive chemicals. In mice, genetic ablation or pharmacological inhibition of TRPA1 dramatically reduces isocyanate- and tear gas-induced nocifensive behavior after both ocular and cutaneous exposures. We conclude that isocyanates and tear gas agents target the same neuronal receptor, TRPA1. Treatment with TRPA1 antagonists may prevent and alleviate chemical irritation of the eyes, skin, and airways and reduce the adverse health effects of exposures to a wide range of toxic noxious chemicals.

  1. Sex differences in the developmental trajectories of impulse control and sensation-seeking from early adolescence to early adulthood.

    PubMed

    Shulman, Elizabeth P; Harden, K Paige; Chein, Jason M; Steinberg, Laurence

    2015-01-01

    It has been proposed that high rates of risk-taking in adolescence are partly attributable to patterns of neurobiological development that promote an increase in sensation-seeking tendencies at a time when impulse control is still developing. It is not known, however, whether this pattern is the same for males and females. The present study investigates sex differences in the developmental trajectories of self-reported impulse control and sensation-seeking between the ages of 10 and 25 using longitudinal data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 Child and Young Adult Survey (N = 8,270; 49% female; 33% Black, 22% Hispanic, 45% Non-Black, Non-Hispanic). Prior work has found that, consistent with the dual-systems model of adolescent neurobiological development, sensation-seeking rises and falls across this age span, whereas impulse control increases into the 20s. In the present study, we find that this same general pattern holds for both males and females, but with some key differences. As expected, males exhibit higher levels of sensation-seeking and lower levels of impulse control than females. Differences also emerged in the shapes of the developmental trajectories. Females reach peak levels of sensation-seeking earlier than males (consistent with the idea that sensation-seeking is linked to pubertal development) and decline in sensation-seeking more rapidly thereafter. Also, males increase in impulse control more gradually than females. Consequently, sex differences in both impulse control and sensation-seeking increase with age. The findings suggest that the window of heightened vulnerability to risk-taking during adolescence may be greater in magnitude and more protracted for males than for females.

  2. Sensation Seeking and Online Gaming Addiction in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Positive Affective Associations and Impulsivity

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Jianping; Zhen, Shuangju; Yu, Chengfu; Zhang, Qiuyan; Zhang, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Based on the Dual Systems Model (Somerville et al., 2010; Steinberg, 2010a) and the biosocial-affect model (Romer and Hennessy, 2007) of adolescent sensation seeking and problem behaviors, the present study examined how (affective associations with online games as a mediator) and when (impulsivity as a moderator) did sensation seeking influence online gaming addiction in adolescence. A total of 375 Chinese male adolescents (mean age = 16.02 years, SD = 0.85) from southern China completed anonymous questionnaires regarding sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games, impulsivity, and online gaming addiction. Our findings revealed that sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games and impulsivity were each significantly and positively associated with online gaming addiction in adolescents. Positive affective associations mediated the relationship between sensation seeking and online gaming addiction. Further, impulsivity moderated the relationship between positive affective associations and online gaming addiction, such that the association between positive affective association and online gaming addiction was stronger for high than for low impulsivity adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of integrating the biosocial-affect model and the Dual Systems Model to understand how and when sensation seeking impacts adolescent online gaming addiction. PMID:28529494

  3. Sensation Seeking and Online Gaming Addiction in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Model of Positive Affective Associations and Impulsivity.

    PubMed

    Hu, Jianping; Zhen, Shuangju; Yu, Chengfu; Zhang, Qiuyan; Zhang, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Based on the Dual Systems Model (Somerville et al., 2010; Steinberg, 2010a) and the biosocial-affect model (Romer and Hennessy, 2007) of adolescent sensation seeking and problem behaviors, the present study examined how (affective associations with online games as a mediator) and when (impulsivity as a moderator) did sensation seeking influence online gaming addiction in adolescence. A total of 375 Chinese male adolescents (mean age = 16.02 years, SD = 0.85) from southern China completed anonymous questionnaires regarding sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games, impulsivity, and online gaming addiction. Our findings revealed that sensation seeking, positive affective associations with online games and impulsivity were each significantly and positively associated with online gaming addiction in adolescents. Positive affective associations mediated the relationship between sensation seeking and online gaming addiction. Further, impulsivity moderated the relationship between positive affective associations and online gaming addiction, such that the association between positive affective association and online gaming addiction was stronger for high than for low impulsivity adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of integrating the biosocial-affect model and the Dual Systems Model to understand how and when sensation seeking impacts adolescent online gaming addiction.

  4. Human cold stress of strong local-wind "Hijikawa-arashi" in Japan, based on the UTCI index and thermo-physiological responses.

    PubMed

    Ohashi, Yukitaka; Katsuta, Takumi; Tani, Haruka; Okabayashi, Taiki; Miyahara, Satoshi; Miyashita, Ryoji

    2018-03-30

    We investigated the cold stress caused by a strong local wind called "Hijikawa-arashi," through in situ vital measurements and the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). This wind is a very interesting winter phenomenon, localized in an area within 1 km of the seashore in Ozu City, Ehime Prefecture in Japan. When a strong Hijikawa-arashi (HA) occurred at 14-15 m s -1 , the UTCI decreased to - 30 °C along the bridge where commuting residents are the most exposed to strong and cold winds. On the bridge, most participants in our experiment felt "very cold" or "extremely cold." The UTCI of HA can be predicted from a multiple regression equation using wind speed and air temperature. The cold HA wind is also harmful to human thermo-physiological responses. It leads to higher blood pressure and increased heart rate, both of which act as cardiovascular stress triggers. Increases of 6-10 mmHg and 3-6 bpm for every 10 °C reduction in UTCI were seen on all observational days, including HA and non-HA days. In fact, the participants' body skin temperatures decreased by approximately 1.2 to 1.7 °C for every 10 °C reduction in UTCI. Thus, the UTCI variation due to the HA outbreak corresponded well with the cold sensation and thermo-physiological responses in humans. This result suggests that daily UTCI monitoring enables the prediction of thermo-physiological responses to the HA cold stress.

  5. The Association between Sensation Seeking and E-cigarette Use in Texas Young Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Case, Kathleen; Loukas, Alexandra; Harrell, Melissa; Wilkinson, Anna; Springer, Andrew; Pérez, Adriana; Creamer, MeLisa; Perry, Cheryl L.

    2017-01-01

    Objective To examine the associations between sensation seeking and ever and current e-cigarette use in Texas young adults (18–29 years old). Current cigarette use was examined as a potential effect modifier of the associations. Participants Participants included college students enrolled in four-year and two-year colleges in four metropolitan areas in Texas (n=5,418) who completed the survey between November 2014 and February 2015. Methods This cross-sectional study utilized mixed effects logistic regression to determine the associations between mean sensation seeking scores and ever and current e-cigarette use after controlling for covariates. Results After controlling for covariates, significant associations between sensation seeking and both ever and current e-cigarette use were observed, however, these associations were significant for non-current smokers only (AOR=1.55, 95% CI=1.39, 1.73; AOR=1.82, 95% CI=1.54, 2.15, respectively). Conclusions Sensation seeking is an important factor in identifying college students who may be at increased risk for e-cigarette use behaviors. Keywords: Electronic cigarettes, sensation seeking, current cigarette use PMID:28095126

  6. Sensation Seeking and Impulsivity: Combined Associations with Risky Sexual Behavior in a Large Sample of Young Adults

    PubMed Central

    Charnigo, Richard; Noar, Seth M.; Garnett, Christopher; Crosby, Richard; Palmgreen, Philip; Zimmerman, Rick S.

    2015-01-01

    Although prior studies have shown that sensation seeking and impulsive decision-making are related to sexual risk-taking, it is still unclear whether these personality traits operate independently or synergistically. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the joint contribution of these personality traits to HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) risk behaviors using data from a large sample of sexually active young adults (N = 2,386). Regression modeling indicated that both sensation seeking and impulsive decision-making were consistently associated with sexual risk behaviors across 11 risk-related outcomes. Results further indicated that sensation seeking and impulsive decision-making operated synergistically with respect to the outcome variables of sex acts using drugs, acts with a partner using alcohol, and acts with a partner using drugs. In contrast to this, sensation seeking and impulsive decision-making operated independently with respect to the other sexual risk outcomes. Theoretical implications, as well as implications for HIV/STD prevention among high sensation seekers and impulsive decision-makers, are discussed. PMID:22456443

  7. The effects of Vibro-medical insole on vibrotactile sensation in diabetic patients with mild-to-moderate peripheral neuropathy.

    PubMed

    Bagherzadeh Cham, Masumeh; Mohseni-Bandpei, Mohammad Ali; Bahramizadeh, Mahmood; Kalbasi, Saeed; Biglarian, Akbar

    2018-06-01

    Peripheral sensory neuropathy seems to be the main risk factor for diabetic foot ulceration. Previous studies demonstrated that stochastic resonance can improve the vibrotactile sensation of diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Vibro-medical insole on pressure and vibration sensation in diabetic patients with mild-to-moderate peripheral neuropathy. A total of 20 patients with mild-to-moderate diabetic neuropathy were included in the pre-test and post-test clinical trial study. Vibro-medical insole consists of medical insole and vibratory system. Medical insole was made independently for each participant and vibratory system was inserted in it. Pressure and vibration sensation were evaluated before and after 30-min walking with Vibro-medical insole. Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments and tuning fork were used to evaluate pressure and vibration sensation, respectively. Pressure sensation showed significantly improvement using Vibro-medical insole at the heel, first and fifth metatarsophalangeal heads, and hallux of both feet in all participants (p < 0.001). Vibration sensation also improved at the big toe of both feet with 256 Hz tuning fork (p < 0.05) but no statistically significant effect was found with 128 Hz tuning fork (p > 0.05). Vibro-medical insole significantly improved pressure and vibration sensation of the foot in diabetic patients with mild-to-moderate peripheral neuropathy. The results suggest that Vibro-medical insole can be used for daily living activities to overcome sensory loss in diabetic neuropathy patients.

  8. Regulation of body temperature and nociception induced by non-noxious stress in rat.

    PubMed

    Vidal, C; Suaudeau, C; Jacob, J

    1984-04-09

    The effects of 3 different non-noxious stressors on body temperature (Tb) were investigated in the rat: (1) loose restraint in cylinders, (2) removal of the rats from cylinders, exposure to a novel environment and replacement in cylinders, a stressor called here 'novelty', and (3) gentle holding of the rats by the nape of the neck. Loose restraint and 'novelty' produced hyperthermia. On the contrary, holding induced hypothermia. Hypophysectomy (HX) reduced basal Tb, abolished restraint hyperthermia and reduced both 'novelty' hyperthermia and holding hypothermia. Dexamethasone ( DEXA ) had no effect upon either restraint or novelty hyperthermia but reduced the hypothermia. Naloxone (Nx) produced a slight fall in basal Tb accounting for its reduction of restraint and 'novelty' hyperthermias ; it did not affect holding hypothermia. The inhibitory effects of HX suggest a participation of the pituitary in the hyperthermias ; the neurointermediate lobe would be involved as the hyperthermias were not affected by DEXA , which is known to block the stress-induced release of pituitary secretions from the anterior lobe but not from the neurointermediate lobe. In contrast, substances from the anterior lobe might participate in hypothermia due to holding since it is reduced by HX and DEXA . As to the effects of Nx, endogenous opioids would not be significantly involved in the thermic effects of the stressors used in this study; they might play, if any, only a minor role in the regulation of basal Tb. These results are compared with those previously obtained on nociception using the same non-noxious stressors. It emerges that, depending on the stressor, different types of association between thermoregulation and nociception may occur, i.e. hyperthermia with analgesia, hyperthermia with hyperalgesia and hypothermia with hyperalgesia.

  9. Relationships Between Dimensions of Anxiety and Sensation Seeking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burkhart, Barry R.; And Others

    1978-01-01

    Undergraduates (130 males, 112 females) completed the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) and the S-R Inventory of General Trait Anxiousness (S-R GTA). The intercorrelations among the five scales from the SSS and the four scales from the S-R GTA were computed and compared. Findings were consistent with rational and theoretical notions. (Author)

  10. Risk-taking behaviour and criminal offending: an investigation of sensation seeking and the Eysenck personality questionnaire.

    PubMed

    Knust, Sonja; Stewart, Anna L

    2002-10-01

    This study investigated relationships between hostility, Zuckerman's sensation seeking, and Eysenck and Eysenck's personality scales within a prison population, to explore whether they could be conceptualized in terms of two socialized and unsocialized sensation seeking factors. Participants included 79 incarcerated adult male offenders (age range = 18-62). Findings support the distinction between socialized and unsocialized sensation seeking and suggest that these factors represent more overarching personality factors. Psychoticism was a clear marker of the more broad impulsive, unsocialized sensation seeking factor, rather than representing a supertrait in its own right. This factor was also represented by lie, disinhibition, and boredom susceptibility scales. Findings relating to hostility also supported such a reformulation, as unsocialized scales did cluster together to predict the unsocialized hostility factor, whereas unsocialized scales did not. The results demonstrate the need for a theoretical reformulation of the two given theories of personality.

  11. Reliability of the "Ten Test" for assessment of discriminative sensation in hand trauma.

    PubMed

    Berger, Michael J; Regan, William R; Seal, Alex; Bristol, Sean G

    2016-10-01

    "Ten Test" (TT) is a bedside measure of discriminative sensation, whereby the magnitude of abnormal sensation to moving light touch is normalized to an area of normal sensation on an 11-point Likert scale (0-10). The purposes of this study were to determine reliability parameters of the TT in a cohort of patients presenting to a hand trauma clinic with subjectively altered sensation post-injury and to compare the reliability of TT to that of the Weinstein Enhanced Sensory Test (WEST). Study participants (n = 29, mean age = 37 ± 12) comprised patients presenting to an outpatient hand trauma clinic with recent hand trauma and self reported abnormal sensation. Participants underwent TT and WEST by two separate raters on the same day. Interrater reliability, response stability and responsiveness of each test were determined by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC: 2, 1), standard error of measurement (SEM) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and minimal detectable difference score, with 95% CI (MDD95), respectively. The TT displayed excellent interrater reliability (ICC = 0.95, 95% CI 0.89-0.97) compared to good reliability for WEST (ICC = 0.78, 95% CI 0.58-0.89). The range of true scores expected with 95% confidence based on the SEM (i.e. response stability), was ±1.1 for TT and ±1.1 for WEST. MDD95 scores reflecting test responsiveness were 1.5 and 1.6 for TT and WEST, respectively. The TT displayed excellent reliability parameters in this patient population. Reliability parameters were stronger for TT compared to WEST. These results provide support for the use of TT as a component of the sensory exam in hand trauma. Copyright © 2016 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Explaining variability in sodium intake through oral sensory phenotype, salt sensation and liking

    PubMed Central

    Hayes, John E.; Sullivan, Bridget S.; Duffy, Valerie B.

    2010-01-01

    Our sodium-rich food supply compels investigation of how variation in salt sensation influences liking and intake of high-sodium foods. While supertasters (those with heightened propylthiouracil (PROP) bitterness or taste papillae number) report greater saltiness from concentrated salt solutions, the non-taster/supertaster effect on sodium intake is unclear. We assessed taster effects on salt sensation, liking and intake among 87 healthy adults (45 men). PROP bitterness showed stronger associations with perceived saltiness in foods than did papillae number. Supertasters reported: greater saltiness in chips/pretzels and broth at levels comparable to regular-sodium products; greater sensory and/or liking changes to growing sodium concentration in cheeses (where sodium ions mask bitterness) and broths; and less frequently salting foods. PROP effects were attenuated in women. Compared with men, women reported more saltiness from high-sodium foods and greater liking for broth at salt levels comparable to regular-sodium products. Across men and women, Structural Equation Models showed PROP and papillae number independently explained variability in consuming high-sodium foods by impacting salt sensation and/or liking. PROP supertasters reported greater changes in sensation when more salt was added to broth, which then associated with greater changes in broth liking, and finally with more frequent high-sodium food intake. Greater papillae number was associated with less frequent high-sodium food intake via reduced liking for high-fat/high-sodium foods. In summary, variation in sensations from salt was associated with differences in hedonic responses to high-sodium foods and thus sodium intake. Despite adding less salt, PROP supertasters consumed more sodium through food, as salt was more important to preference, both for its salty taste and masking of bitterness. PMID:20380843

  13. Effects of morphine on respiratory load detection, load magnitude perception and tactile sensation in obstructive sleep apnea.

    PubMed

    Tomazini Martins, Rodrigo; Carberry, Jayne C; Gandevia, Simon C; Butler, Jane E; Eckert, Danny J

    2018-04-26

    Pharyngeal and respiratory sensation is impaired in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Opioids may further diminish respiratory sensation. Thus, protective pharyngeal neuromuscular and arousal responses to airway occlusion that rely on respiratory sensation could be impaired with opioids to worsen OSA severity. However, little is known about the effects of opioids on upper airway and respiratory sensation in people with OSA. This study was designed to determine the effects of 40mg of MS-Contin on tactile sensation, respiratory load detection and respiratory magnitude perception in people with OSA during wakefulness. A double-blind, randomized, cross-over design (1 week wash-out) was used. 21 men with untreated OSA (apnea/hypopnea index=26{plus minus}17events/h) recruited from a larger clinical study completed the protocol. Tactile sensation using von Frey filaments on the back of the hand, internal mucosa of the cheek, uvula and posterior pharyngeal wall were not different between placebo and morphine (e.g. posterior wall=0.16[0.16,0.4]vs. 0.4[0.14,1.8]g, p=0.261). Similarly, compared to placebo, morphine did not alter respiratory load detection thresholds (nadir mask pressure detected=-2.05[-3.37,-1.55] vs. -2.19[-3.36,-1.41]cmH 2 O, p=0.767), or respiratory load magnitude perception (mean Borg scores during a 5 resistive load [range: 5-126cmH 2 O/L/s] protocol=4.5{plus minus}1.6 vs. 4.2{plus minus}1.2, p=0.347) but did reduce minute ventilation during quiet breathing (11.4{plus minus}3.3 vs. 10.7{plus minus}2.6L/min, p<0.01). These findings indicate that 40mg of MS-Contin does not systematically impair tactile or respiratory sensation in men with mild to moderate, untreated, OSA. This suggests that altered respiratory sensation to acute mechanical stimuli is not likely to be a mechanism that contributes to worsening of OSA with a moderate dose of morphine.

  14. Slump Test: Effect of Contralateral Knee Extension on Response Sensations in Asymptomatic Subjects and Cadaver Study.

    PubMed

    Shacklock, Michael; Yee, Brian; Van Hoof, Tom; Foley, Russ; Boddie, Keith; Lacey, Erin; Poley, J Bryan; Rade, Marinko; Kankaanpää, Markku; Kröger, Heikki; Airaksinen, Olavi

    2016-02-01

    Part 1: A randomized, single-blind study on the effect of contralateral knee extension on sensations produced by the slump test (ST) in asymptomatic subjects. Part 2: A cadaver study simulating the nerve root behavior of part 1. Part 1: Test if contralateral knee extension consistently reduces normal stretch sensations with the ST.Part 2: Ascertain in cadavers an explanation for the results. In asymptomatic subjects, contralateral knee extension reduces stretch sensations with the ST. In sciatica patients, contralateral SLR also can temporarily reduce sciatica. We studied this methodically in asymptomatic subjects before considering a clinical population. Part 1: Sixty-one asymptomatic subjects were tested in control (ST), sham, or intervention (contralateral ST) groups and their sensation response intensity compared.Part 2: Caudal tension was applied to the L5 nerve root of 3 cadavers and tension behavior of the contralateral neural tissue recorded visually. Part 1: Reduction of stretch sensations occurred in the intervention group but not in control and sham groups (P ≤ 0.001).Part 2: Tension in the contralateral lumbar nerve roots and dura reduced in a manner consistent with the responses in the intervention (contralateral ST) group. Part 1: In asymptomatic subjects, normal thigh stretch sensations with the ST reduced consistently with the contralateral ST, showing that this is normal and may now be compared with patients with sciatica.Part 2: Contralateral reduction in lumbar neural tension with unilateral application of tension-producing movements also occurred in cadavers, supporting the proposed explanatory hypothesis.

  15. The location of pain and urgency sensations during cystometry.

    PubMed

    Veit-Rubin, Nikolaus; Cartwright, Rufus; Esmail, Alisha; Digesu, G Alessandro; Fernando, Ruwan; Khullar, Vikram

    2017-03-01

    The relationship between bladder pain and urinary urgency sensations is poorly understood. We analyzed the relationship between locations and intensities of urgency and pain sensations felt during filling cystometry. Participants completed the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) to indicate presence of bladder pain or urgency. During cystometry, participants scored the intensity of urgency and pain, both in the suprapubic and the urethral region, on a VAS scale of 0-10 at a baseline, at first desire, normal desire, strong desire to void, and at maximum cystometric capacity during filling. We allocated the participants to six groups; those reporting urgency or not, pain or not, both symptoms and neither. Friedman's Test was used to ascertain if all scores increased significantly, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to demonstrate the difference between scores, and agreement for findings during cystometry was tested with Mann-Whitney U. A total of 68 women participated; 38 participants reported pain, 57 reported urgency, and 33 reported both symptoms. Pain and urgency scores significantly increased during cystometry (P < 0.0001). For participants reporting pain, suprapubic pain was rated significantly higher than urethral pain. Participants reporting both symptoms, felt more urgency than pain, and again pain more suprapubically than urethrally. Participants reporting only urgency scored suprapubic and urethral urgency similarly at all desires. Pain and urgency are well differentiated sensations and are felt at different locations although pain is seemingly easier localized. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:620-625, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Season of Birth and Dopamine Receptor Gene Associations with Impulsivity, Sensation Seeking and Reproductive Behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Eisenberg, Dan T. A.; Campbell, Benjamin; MacKillop, James; Lum, J. Koji; Wilson, David S.

    2007-01-01

    Background Season of birth (SOB) has been associated with many physiological and psychological traits including novelty seeking and sensation seeking. Similar traits have been associated with genetic polymorphisms in the dopamine system. SOB and dopamine receptor genetic polymorphisms may independently and interactively influence similar behaviors through their common effects on the dopaminergic system. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on a sample of 195 subjects, we examined whether SOB was associated with impulsivity, sensation seeking and reproductive behaviors. Additionally we examined potential interactions of dopamine receptor genes with SOB for the same set of traits. Phenotypes were evaluated using the Sociosexual Orientation Inventory, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, the Eysenck Impulsivity Questionnaire, the Sensation Seeking Scale, and the Delay Discounting Task. Subjects were also asked about their age at first sex as well as their desired age at the birth of their first child. The dopamine gene polymorphisms examined were Dopamine Receptor D2 (DRD2) TaqI A and D4 (DRD4) 48 bp VNTR. Primary analyses included factorial gender×SOB ANOVAs or binary logistic regression models for each dependent trait. Secondary analysis extended the factorial models by also including DRD2 and DRD4 genotypes as independent variables. Winter-born males were more sensation seeking than non-winter born males. In factorial models including both genotype and season of birth as variables, two previously unobserved effects were discovered: (1) a SOB×DRD4 interaction effect on venturesomeness and (2) a DRD2×DRD4 interaction effect on sensation seeking. Conclusion These results are consistent with past findings that SOB is related to sensation seeking. Additionally, these results provide tentative support for the hypothesis that SOB modifies the behavioral expression of dopaminergic genetic polymorphism. These findings suggest that SOB should be included in future studies of

  17. [The correlations between corneal sensation, tear meniscus volume, and tear film osmolarity after femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Luyan; Sun, Xiyu; Yu, Ye; Xiong, Yan; Cui, Yuxin; Wang, Qinmei; Hu, Liang

    2016-01-01

    To investigate the correlations between corneal sensation, tear meniscus volume, and tear film osmolarity after femtosecond laser-assisted LASIK (FS-LASIK) surgery. In this prospective clinical study, 31 patients undergoing FS-LASIK for myopia were recruited. The upper and lower tear meniscus volumes (UTMV and LTMV) were measured by customized anterior segment optical coherence tomography, tear film osmolarity was measured by a TearLab Osmolarity test device, central corneal sensation was measured by a Cochet-Bonner esthesiometer preoperatively, at 1 week, 1 and 3 months postoperatively. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate whether the tear film osmolarity, tear meniscus volume, and corneal sensation were changed after surgery. The correlations between these variables were analyzed by the Pearson correlation analysis. The tear film osmolarity was (310.03 ± 16.48) mOsms/L preoperatively, (323.51 ± 15.92) mOsms/L at 1 week, (319.93 ± 14.27) mOsms/L at 1 month, and (314.97±12.91) mOsms/L at 3 months. The UTMV was (0.42±0.15), (0.25± 0.09), (0.30±0.11), and (0.35±0.09) μL, respectively; the LTMV was (0.60±0.21),(0.37±0.08), (0.44± 0.14), and (0.52±0.17) μL, respectively. The tear film osmolarity was significantly higher at 1 week and 1 month postoperatively compared with the baseline (P=0.001, 0.004), and reduced to the preoperative level at 3 months (P=0.573). The UTMV, LTMV, and corneal sensation values presented significant decreases at all postoperative time points (all P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis showed the postoperative UTMV had a weak relationship with corneal sensation at 1 week after surgery (r=0.356,P=0.005). There were significant correlations between the preoperative LTMV and corneal sensation at 1 week, 1 and 3 months (respectively, r=0.422, 0.366, 0.352;P=0.001, 0.004, 0.006). No significant correlations were found between the tear film osmolarity, tear meniscus volume, and corneal sensation after surgery

  18. Pitch sensation involves stochastic resonance

    PubMed Central

    Martignoli, Stefan; Gomez, Florian; Stoop, Ruedi

    2013-01-01

    Pitch is a complex hearing phenomenon that results from elicited and self-generated cochlear vibrations. Read-off vibrational information is relayed higher up the auditory pathway, where it is then condensed into pitch sensation. How this can adequately be described in terms of physics has largely remained an open question. We have developed a peripheral hearing system (in hardware and software) that reproduces with great accuracy all salient pitch features known from biophysical and psychoacoustic experiments. At the level of the auditory nerve, the system exploits stochastic resonance to achieve this performance, which may explain the large amount of noise observed in the working auditory nerve. PMID:24045830

  19. The Response of Human Thermal Sensation and Its Prediction to Temperature Step-Change (Cool-Neutral-Cool)

    PubMed Central

    Du, Xiuyuan; Li, Baizhan; Liu, Hong; Yang, Dong; Yu, Wei; Liao, Jianke; Huang, Zhichao; Xia, Kechao

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on studies of the effect of temperature step-change (between a cool and a neutral environment) on human thermal sensation and skin temperature. Experiments with three temperature conditions were carried out in a climate chamber during the period in winter. Twelve subjects participated in the experiments simulating moving inside and outside of rooms or cabins with air conditioning. Skin temperatures and thermal sensation were recorded. Results showed overshoot and asymmetry of TSV due to the step-change. Skin temperature changed immediately when subjects entered a new environment. When moving into a neutral environment from cool, dynamic thermal sensation was in the thermal comfort zone and overshoot was not obvious. Air-conditioning in a transitional area should be considered to limit temperature difference to not more than 5°C to decrease the unacceptability of temperature step-change. The linear relationship between thermal sensation and skin temperature or gradient of skin temperature does not apply in a step-change environment. There is a significant linear correlation between TSV and Qloss in the transient environment. Heat loss from the human skin surface can be used to predict dynamic thermal sensation instead of the heat transfer of the whole human body. PMID:25136808

  20. Multiple Literacies Theory: Discourse, Sensation, Resonance and Becoming

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masny, Diana

    2012-01-01

    This thematic issue on education and the politics of becoming focuses on how a Multiple Literacies Theory (MLT) plugs into practice in education. MLT does this by creating an assemblage between discourse, text, resonance and sensations. What does this produce? Becoming AND how one might live are the product of an assemblage (May, 2005; Semetsky,…

  1. N-hexane neuropathy with vertigo and cold allodynia in a silk screen printer: A case study.

    PubMed

    Pradhan, Sunil; Tandon, Ruchika

    2015-01-01

    N-hexane neuropathy is an occupational disease caused by exposure to n-hexane, which is used as a solvent in silk screen printing. Here, we describe a 35-year-old man, a silk screen printer by profession, who presented with dizziness, distal swelling of both lower limbs for 10 months and tingling and burning sensation in both feet for 9.5 months along with cold allodynia. The patient had normal results of a motor and sensory system examination, apart from an impaired temperature sense. Nerve conduction tests showed a conduction block in bilateral common peroneal nerves and absence of conduction in bilateral sural nerves. These symptoms resolved when further exposure to n-hexane was ceased but cold allodynia remained. Thus, cold allodynia and impaired temperature sense can be a manifestation of n-hexane neuropathy. Hence, abnormalities on nerve conduction studies can be detected in n-hexane neuropathy patients, even before clinical examination detects any such abnormalities. In the case of the patients presenting with sensory motor neuropathy, history of occupational exposure to n-hexane becomes important, as the sooner the disease is detected, the better the chances of recovery. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  2. Associations Between Message Features and Subjective Evaluations of the Sensation Value of Antidrug Public Service Announcements.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morgan, Susan E.; Palmgreen, Philip; Stephenson, Michael T.; Hoyle, Rick H.; Lorch, Elizabeth P.

    2003-01-01

    Identifies message design features that show the greatest promise for developing message high in sensation value for anti-drug campaigns and other interventions aimed at sensation-seeking risky behaviors. Investigates certain features of drug prevention Public Service Announcements (PSAs) associated with viewers' subjective responses to them.…

  3. Physiologic and biochemical measurements and response to noxious stimulation at various concentrations of MS-222 in koi (Cyprinus carpio).

    PubMed

    Stockman, Jonathan; Weber, Ernest Scott P; Kass, Philip H; Pascoe, Peter J; Paul-Murphy, Joanne

    2013-01-01

    To evaluate the physiological effect and response to noxious stimulation at five concentrations of MS-222 in koi (Cyprinus carpio). Prospective experimental study. Twenty-one healthy adult unknown sex koi fish weighing mean 450±SD 120 g. Each fish was exposed to five different concentrations of MS-222 (50, 70, 110, 150 and 190 mg L(-1) ) in a random sequence during the same anaesthetic event. For each concentration of MS-222, vital functions such as heart rate (HR) (via Doppler) and opercular rate (OpR) were recorded after a standardized induction period. Response to two noxious stimuli in the form of haemostat clamp pressure applied on the tail and the lip was evaluated, and blood was drawn to measure biochemical and blood gas values. Decrease in response to noxious stimulation with an increase of MS-222 concentration both for the lip (p=0.0027) and the tail (p<0.0001) stimulus was observed. Biochemical values were unaffected by the concentration of MS-222 with the exception of lactate concentration which was weakly correlated with the duration of anaesthesia (r=0.31, p<0.001) and the number of times the fish was clamped or bled prior to sampling (r=0.23, p<0.001). Opercular rate decreased with the increase in anaesthetic concentration, and HR was not affected. Our results indicated a decrease in response to stimulus and a decrease in OpR that were associated with increased concentrations of MS-222. This may assist in establishing anaesthetic protocols using MS-222 in fish and supports the use of supramaximal pressure stimuli to teleost fish under variable MS-222 concentrations as a model for future studies. © 2012 The Authors. Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia. © 2012 Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists and the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists.

  4. The spino-bulbar-cerebellar pathway: Activation of neurons projecting to the lateral reticular nucleus in the rat in response to noxious mechanical stimuli.

    PubMed

    Huma, Zilli; Ireland, Kirsty; Maxwell, David J

    2015-03-30

    It is now well established that the cerebellum receives input from nociceptors which may serve to adjust motor programmes in response to pain and injury. In this study, we investigated the possibility that spinoreticular neurons (SRT) which project to a pre-cerebellar nucleus, the lateral reticular nucleus (LRt), respond to noxious mechanical stimulation. Seven adult male rats received stereotaxic injections of the b subunit of cholera toxin in the LRt. Following a 5 day interval, animals were anesthetised with urethane and a noxious mechanical stimulus was applied to the right hind paw. Animals were fixed by perfusion 5min following application of the stimulus. Retrogradely labelled SRT neurons of the lumbar spinal cord were examined for immunoreactivity for phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and the neurokinin-1 (NK-1) receptor. Approximately 15% of SRT cells in deep laminae (IV-VII and X) expressed pERK ipsilateral to the site of the stimulus. Around 60% of SRT cells with the NK-1 receptor expressed pERK but 5% of pERK expressing cells were negatively labelled for NK-1. It is concluded that a significant proportion of SRT cells projecting to the LRt respond to noxious mechanical stimuli and that one of the functions of this pathway may be to provide the cerebellum with nociceptive information. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The impulsivity and sensation-seeking mediators of the psychological consequences of pathological gambling in adolescence.

    PubMed

    Estevez, Ana; Herrero-Fernández, David; Sarabia, Izaskun; Jauregui, Paula

    2015-03-01

    Pathological gambling has severe consequences for adolescents and their families and friends. Despite its high prevalence, pathological gambling in adolescents has been insufficiently studied. Sensation seeking and impulsivity are two variables that are related to the appearance and maintenance of pathological gambling. However, few studies have determined the role these variables play in the development of the dysfunctional symptomatology of gambling behavior in adolescents and young adults. The aims of this study were to analyze the consequences of gambling in young adults and adolescents, and to evaluate the roles of sensation seeking and impulsivity in the appearance of dysfunctional symptomatology. The sample consisted of 1,241 young adults and adolescents recruited from scholar centers and free-time groups, as well as 71 subjects from associations that assist pathological gamblers. Pathological gambling, impulsive behavior, dysfunctional symptomatology and sensation seeking were assessed. The results confirmed that young adults and adolescents who gamble pathologically have more dysfunctional symptomatology related to anxiety, depression, hostility, obsessive-compulsive behavior and somatization, as well as sensation seeking, impulsivity and addictive behavior. Moreover, the results showed that sensation seeking did not mediate the appearance of dysfunctional symptomatology and that impulsivity partially mediated the appearance of anxiety, phobic anxiety, depression and psychosis and perfectly mediated somatization, obsessive-compulsive behavior, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoid ideation and hostility. These results have consequences for the development of treatment and prevention programs for adolescent pathological gambling.

  6. Characterizing convective cold pools: Characterizing Convective Cold Pools

    DOE PAGES

    Drager, Aryeh J.; van den Heever, Susan C.

    2017-05-09

    Cold pools produced by convective storms play an important role in Earth's climate system. However, a common framework does not exist for objectively identifying convective cold pools in observations and models. The present study investigates convective cold pools within a simulation of tropical continental convection that uses a cloud-resolving model with a coupled land-surface model. Multiple variables are assessed for their potential in identifying convective cold pool boundaries, and a novel technique is developed and tested for identifying and tracking cold pools in numerical model simulations. This algorithm is based on surface rainfall rates and radial gradients in the densitymore » potential temperature field. The algorithm successfully identifies near-surface cold pool boundaries and is able to distinguish between connected cold pools. Once cold pools have been identified and tracked, composites of cold pool evolution are then constructed, and average cold pool properties are investigated. Wet patches are found to develop within the centers of cold pools where the ground has been soaked with rainwater. These wet patches help to maintain cool surface temperatures and reduce cold pool dissipation, which has implications for the development of subsequent convection.« less

  7. Characterizing convective cold pools: Characterizing Convective Cold Pools

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Drager, Aryeh J.; van den Heever, Susan C.

    Cold pools produced by convective storms play an important role in Earth's climate system. However, a common framework does not exist for objectively identifying convective cold pools in observations and models. The present study investigates convective cold pools within a simulation of tropical continental convection that uses a cloud-resolving model with a coupled land-surface model. Multiple variables are assessed for their potential in identifying convective cold pool boundaries, and a novel technique is developed and tested for identifying and tracking cold pools in numerical model simulations. This algorithm is based on surface rainfall rates and radial gradients in the densitymore » potential temperature field. The algorithm successfully identifies near-surface cold pool boundaries and is able to distinguish between connected cold pools. Once cold pools have been identified and tracked, composites of cold pool evolution are then constructed, and average cold pool properties are investigated. Wet patches are found to develop within the centers of cold pools where the ground has been soaked with rainwater. These wet patches help to maintain cool surface temperatures and reduce cold pool dissipation, which has implications for the development of subsequent convection.« less

  8. Dizziness and Balance Problems in Kids: Spinning Sensations and Unsteadiness

    MedlinePlus

    ... Print this issue Dizziness and Balance Problems in Kids Spinning Sensations and Unsteadiness En español Send us ... comments Most people feel dizzy now and then. Kids, like adults, may occasionally feel lightheaded or unsteady. ...

  9. Who does Red Bull give wings to? Sensation seeking moderates sensitivity to subliminal advertisement.

    PubMed

    Bustin, Gaëlle M; Jones, Daniel N; Hansenne, Michel; Quoidbach, Jordi

    2015-01-01

    This study assessed whether subliminal priming of a brand name of a drink can affect people's choices for the primed brand, and whether this effect is moderated by personality traits. Participants with different levels of sensation seeking were presented subliminally with the words Red Bull or Lde Ublr. Results revealed that being exposed to Red Bull lead on average to small increases in participants' preferences for the primed brand. However, this effect was twice as strong for participants high in sensation seeking and did not occur for participants low in sensation seeking. Going beyond previous research showing that situational factors (e.g., thirst, fatigue…) can increase people's sensitivity to subliminal advertisement, our results suggest that some dispositional factors could have the same potentiating effect. These findings highlight the necessity of taking personality into account in non-conscious persuasion research.

  10. Who does Red Bull give wings to? Sensation seeking moderates sensitivity to subliminal advertisement

    PubMed Central

    Bustin, Gaëlle M.; Jones, Daniel N.; Hansenne, Michel; Quoidbach, Jordi

    2015-01-01

    This study assessed whether subliminal priming of a brand name of a drink can affect people’s choices for the primed brand, and whether this effect is moderated by personality traits. Participants with different levels of sensation seeking were presented subliminally with the words Red Bull or Lde Ublr. Results revealed that being exposed to Red Bull lead on average to small increases in participants’ preferences for the primed brand. However, this effect was twice as strong for participants high in sensation seeking and did not occur for participants low in sensation seeking. Going beyond previous research showing that situational factors (e.g., thirst, fatigue…) can increase people’s sensitivity to subliminal advertisement, our results suggest that some dispositional factors could have the same potentiating effect. These findings highlight the necessity of taking personality into account in non-conscious persuasion research. PMID:26150795

  11. Physiological responses and manual performance in humans following repeated exposure to severe cold at night.

    PubMed

    Ozaki, H; Nagai, Y; Tochihara, Y

    2001-04-01

    We evaluated human physiological responses and the performance of manual tasks during exposure to severe cold (-25 degrees C) at night (0300-0500 hours) and in the afternoon (1500-1700 hours). Thirteen male students wearing standard cold protective clothing occupied a severely cold room (-25 degrees C) for 20 min, and were then transferred to a cool room (10 degrees C) for 20 min. This pattern of exposure was repeated three times, for a total time of exposure to extreme cold of 60 min. The experiments were started either at 1500 hours or 0300 hours and measurements of rectal temperature, skin temperature, blood pressure, performance in a counting task, hand tremor, and subjective responses were made in each condition. At the end of the experiment at night the mean decrease in rectal temperature [0.68 (SEM 0.04) degree C] was significantly greater than that at the end of the experiment in the afternoon [0.55 (SEM 0.08) degree C, P < 0.01]. After the second cold exposure at night the mean increase in diastolic blood pressure [90 (SEM 2.0) mmHg] was significantly greater than that at the end of the second cold exposure in the afternoon [82 (SEM 2.8) mmHg, P < 0.01]. At the end of the second cold exposure at night, mean finger skin temperature [11.8 (SEM 0.8) degrees C] was significantly higher than that at the comparable time in the afternoon [9.0 (SEM 0.7) degrees C, P < 0.01]. Similarly for the toe, mean skin temperature at the start of the second cold exposure at night [25.6 (SEM 1.5) degrees C] was significantly higher than in the afternoon [20.1 (SEM 0.8) degrees C, P < 0.01]. The increased skin temperatures in the periphery resulted in increased heat loss. Since peripheral skin temperatures were highest at night, the subjects noted diminished sensations of thermal cold and pain at that time. Manual dexterity at the end of the first cold exposure at night [mean 83.7 (SEM 3.6) times.min-1] had decreased significantly more than at the end of the first cold exposure

  12. Responses of dorsal spinal cord blood flow to noxious mechanical stimulation of the skin in anesthetized rats.

    PubMed

    Toda, Hiroko; Maruyama, Hitoshi; Budgell, Brian; Kurosawa, Mieko

    2008-08-01

    In urethane-anesthetized, artificially ventilated rats, alterations in dorsal spinal cord blood flow (SCBF) at the L4-6 level were measured with laser Doppler flowmetry in response to noxious mechanical cutaneous stimulation (pinching) of either a forepaw or a hindpaw. The stimulation was delivered ipsilaterally or contralaterally to the site of blood flow measurement. Pinching of the forepaw or the hindpaw on either side increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) to the same degree. However, the SCBF response to pinching of the ipsilateral hindpaw was significantly greater than that to other stimulations. These responses were not influenced by denervation of the baroreceptors. The responses of SCBF to pinching of the ipsilateral hindpaw persisted both after treatment with phenoxybenzamine and after spinalization at the C1-2 level, whereas the responses to pinching at other sites disappeared. The responses of MAP to stimulation at all four sites became negligible after treatment with phenoxybenzamine and after spinalization at the C1-2 level. These results indicate that noxious mechanical stimulation of the skin produces increases in SCBF via two mechanisms: one is via an elevation of systemic arterial pressure; the other is via a localized spinal mechanism evoked by ipsilateral, segmental inputs.

  13. How reliable and valid is the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-4) for youth of various racial/ethnic groups?

    PubMed

    Vallone, Donna; Allen, Jane A; Clayton, Richard R; Xiao, Haijun

    2007-10-01

    To assess the reliability and validity of the Brief Sensation Seeking Scale BSSS-4 by race/ethnicity. Six waves of nationally representative, cross-sectional, Legacy Media Tracking Survey (LMTS) data. Analyses are based on a sample size of 24 328 individuals. Response rates for the individual survey administrations range from 60% to 30%. Data were collected by telephone, from April 2001 to January 2004. Youth, aged 12-17 years, who completed the LMTS. Sensation seeking was measured using the four-item scale, BSSS-4, published by Stephenson et al. in 2003. A series of items from the LMTS was used to measure youth intention to smoke and smoking behavior. Mean sensation seeking scores increased as the risk for established smoking increased. African American youth who are open to smoking or have experimented with cigarettes had lower mean sensation seeking scores than their white and Hispanic counterparts. Coefficient alpha and average corrected item-total correlations suggest that the BSSS-4 is a less reliable measure of sensation seeking for African American youth compared to white and Hispanic youth. The BSSS-4 is a useful tool for identifying youth at risk for smoking; however, it is less reliable and valid for African American youth compared with other youth. Future research should investigate whether other existing sensation seeking scales are equally reliable and valid across race/ethnicity, and whether an alternative scale could or should be developed that would measure sensation seeking more effectively among African American youth.

  14. Order-picking in deep cold--physiological responses of younger and older females. Part 2: body core temperature and skin surface temperature.

    PubMed

    Baldus, Sandra; Kluth, Karsten; Strasser, Helmut

    2012-01-01

    So far, it was unclear to what extent working in deep cold-storage depots has an influence on female order-pickers body core temperature and skin surface temperature considering different age groups. Physiological effects of order-picking in a chill room (+3°C) and cold store (-24°C) were examined on 30 female subjects (Ss), classified in two age groups (20- to 35- year-olds and 40- to 65-year-olds). The body core temperature was taken every 15 min at the tympanum and the skin surface temperature was recorded continuously at seven different positions. Working in the chill room induced a decrease of the body core temperature up to 0.5K in comparison to the value at the outset for both age groups which could be compensated by all Ss during the breaks. Working in the cold store caused a decline up to 1.1K for the younger Ss and 1.3K for the older Ss. A complete warming-up during the breaks was often not possible. Regarding the skin surface temperature, working in the chill room can be considered as unproblematic, whereas significantly lower temperatures at nose, fingers and toes, associated with substantial negative subjective sensations, were recorded while working in the cold store.

  15. Barostat testing of rectal sensation and compliance in humans: comparison of results across two centres and overall reproducibility.

    PubMed

    Cremonini, F; Houghton, L A; Camilleri, M; Ferber, I; Fell, C; Cox, V; Castillo, E J; Alpers, D H; Dewit, O E; Gray, E; Lea, R; Zinsmeister, A R; Whorwell, P J

    2005-12-01

    We assessed reproducibility of measurements of rectal compliance and sensation in health in studies conducted at two centres. We estimated samples size necessary to show clinically meaningful changes in future studies. We performed rectal barostat tests three times (day 1, day 1 after 4 h and 14-17 days later) in 34 healthy participants. We measured compliance and pressure thresholds for first sensation, urgency, discomfort and pain using ascending method of limits and symptom ratings for gas, urgency, discomfort and pain during four phasic distensions (12, 24, 36 and 48 mmHg) in random order. Results obtained at the two centres differed minimally. Reproducibility of sensory end points varies with type of sensation, pressure level and method of distension. Pressure threshold for pain and sensory ratings for non-painful sensations at 36 and 48 mmHg distension were most reproducible in the two centres. Sample size calculations suggested that crossover design is preferable in therapeutic trials: for each dose of medication tested, a sample of 21 should be sufficient to demonstrate 30% changes in all sensory thresholds and almost all sensory ratings. We conclude that reproducibility varies with sensation type, pressure level and distension method, but in a two-centre study, differences in observed results of sensation are minimal and pressure threshold for pain and sensory ratings at 36-48 mmHg of distension are reproducible.

  16. Too little, too late or too much, too early? Differential hemodynamics of response inhibition in high and low sensation seekers

    PubMed Central

    Collins, Heather R.; Corbly, Christine R.; Liu, Xun; Kelly, Thomas H.; Lynam, Donald; Joseph, Jane E.

    2012-01-01

    High sensation seeking is associated with strong approach behaviors and weak avoidance responses. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to further characterize the neurobiological underpinnings of this behavioral profile using a Go/No-go task. Analysis of brain activation associated with response inhibition (No-go) versus response initiation and execution (Go) revealed the commonly reported right lateral prefrontal, insula, cingulate, and supplementary motor area network. However, right lateral activation was associated with greater No-go than Go responses only in low sensation seekers. High sensation seekers showed no differential activation in these regions but a more pronounced Go compared to No-go response in several other regions that are involved in salience detection (insula), motor initiation (anterior cingulate) and attention (inferior parietal cortex). Temporal analysis of the hemodynamic response for Go and No-go conditions revealed that the stronger response to Go than No-go trials in high sensation seekers occurred in in the earliest time window in the right middle frontal gyrus, right mid-cingulate and right precuneus. In contrast, the greater No-go than Go response in low sensation seekers occurred in the later time window in these same regions. These findings indicate that high sensation seekers more strongly attend to or process Go trials and show delayed or minimal inhibitory responses on No-go trials in regions that low sensation seekers use for response inhibition. Failure to engage such regions for response inhibition may underlie some of the risky and impulsive behaviors observed in high sensation seekers. PMID:22902769

  17. [Influence of sociodemographic variables on coping styles, social stress, and sexual sensation seeking in adolescents].

    PubMed

    de la Paz Bermúdez, María; Teva, Inmaculada; Buela-Casal, Gualberto

    2009-05-01

    The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of gender, age, and type of high school (public/private) on coping styles solve the problem coping style, reference to others coping style and non-productive coping, social stress, and sexual sensation seeking in adolescents. A total of 4.456 adolescents participated. The following measures were used: Adolescent Coping Scale, Sexual Sensation Seeking Scale, and the Social Stress subscale of the Behavior Assessment System for Children. This is a cross-sectional study that used a stratified random sampling considering Spanish regions and type of high school (public/private) to select participants. The sample is representative of the national level at a 95.5% confidence interval. Results showed that males had higher scores in sexual sensation seeking and social stress compared to females. Female adolescents scored higher in reference to others coping style and non-productive coping. Compared to adolescents of public high schools, adolescents who attended to private high schools scored higher in solve the problem coping style and reference to others coping style. Associations among sexual sensation seeking, coping styles, social stress, and health risk behaviors in adolescents are discussed.

  18. Fatigue sensation induced by the sounds associated with mental fatigue and its related neural activities: revealed by magnetoencephalography.

    PubMed

    Ishii, Akira; Tanaka, Masaaki; Iwamae, Masayoshi; Kim, Chongsoo; Yamano, Emi; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

    2013-06-13

    It has been proposed that an inappropriately conditioned fatigue sensation could be one cause of chronic fatigue. Although classical conditioning of the fatigue sensation has been reported in rats, there have been no reports in humans. Our aim was to examine whether classical conditioning of the mental fatigue sensation can take place in humans and to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Ten and 9 healthy volunteers participated in a conditioning and a control experiment, respectively. In the conditioning experiment, we used metronome sounds as conditioned stimuli and two-back task trials as unconditioned stimuli to cause fatigue sensation. Participants underwent MEG measurement while listening to the metronome sounds for 6 min. Thereafter, fatigue-inducing mental task trials (two-back task trials), which are demanding working-memory task trials, were performed for 60 min; metronome sounds were started 30 min after the start of the task trials (conditioning session). The next day, neural activities while listening to the metronome for 6 min were measured. Levels of fatigue sensation were also assessed using a visual analogue scale. In the control experiment, participants listened to the metronome on the first and second days, but they did not perform conditioning session. MEG was not recorded in the control experiment. The level of fatigue sensation caused by listening to the metronome on the second day was significantly higher relative to that on the first day only when participants performed the conditioning session on the first day. Equivalent current dipoles (ECDs) in the insular cortex, with mean latencies of approximately 190 ms, were observed in six of eight participants after the conditioning session, although ECDs were not identified in any participant before the conditioning session. We demonstrated that the metronome sounds can cause mental fatigue sensation as a result of repeated pairings of the sounds

  19. Fatigue sensation induced by the sounds associated with mental fatigue and its related neural activities: revealed by magnetoencephalography

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background It has been proposed that an inappropriately conditioned fatigue sensation could be one cause of chronic fatigue. Although classical conditioning of the fatigue sensation has been reported in rats, there have been no reports in humans. Our aim was to examine whether classical conditioning of the mental fatigue sensation can take place in humans and to clarify the neural mechanisms of fatigue sensation using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Methods Ten and 9 healthy volunteers participated in a conditioning and a control experiment, respectively. In the conditioning experiment, we used metronome sounds as conditioned stimuli and two-back task trials as unconditioned stimuli to cause fatigue sensation. Participants underwent MEG measurement while listening to the metronome sounds for 6 min. Thereafter, fatigue-inducing mental task trials (two-back task trials), which are demanding working-memory task trials, were performed for 60 min; metronome sounds were started 30 min after the start of the task trials (conditioning session). The next day, neural activities while listening to the metronome for 6 min were measured. Levels of fatigue sensation were also assessed using a visual analogue scale. In the control experiment, participants listened to the metronome on the first and second days, but they did not perform conditioning session. MEG was not recorded in the control experiment. Results The level of fatigue sensation caused by listening to the metronome on the second day was significantly higher relative to that on the first day only when participants performed the conditioning session on the first day. Equivalent current dipoles (ECDs) in the insular cortex, with mean latencies of approximately 190 ms, were observed in six of eight participants after the conditioning session, although ECDs were not identified in any participant before the conditioning session. Conclusions We demonstrated that the metronome sounds can cause mental fatigue sensation as a

  20. Personality Influences Career Choice: Sensation Seeking in Professional Musicians

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vuust, Peter; Gebauer, Line; Hansen, Niels Chr.; Jorgensen, Stine Ramsgaard; Moller, Arne; Linnet, Jakob

    2010-01-01

    Despite the obvious importance of deciding which career to pursue, little is known about the influence of personality on career choice. Here we investigated the relation between sensation seeking, a supposedly innate personality trait, and career choice in classical and "rhythmic" students at the academies of music in Denmark. We…

  1. Development of a Sensation-Seeking Scale for Preadolescent Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bjorck-Akesson, Eva

    This study of motivational differences in the school situation and the development of a sensation-seeking scale of preadolescent children rests upon an interactive psycho-biological theory formulated by Farley (1981). Stimulation-seeking and arousal in relation to instructional features are central concepts. As a point of departure for the…

  2. Sensation Seeking and Targeting of Televised Anti-Drug PSAs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donohew, Lewis; And Others

    A study was conducted to determine how to reach out in an effective manner via televised public service announcements (PSAs) to particular at-risk audiences to motivate participation in drug abuse prevention programs. The subjects (207 young adults in Fayette County, Kentucky) responded to the M. Zuckerman sensation-seeking questionnaire. They…

  3. Targeting adolescent risk-taking behaviors: the contributions of egocentrism and sensation-seeking.

    PubMed

    Greene, K; Krcmar, M; Walters, L H; Rubin, D L; Jerold; Hale, L

    2000-08-01

    Tremendous resources are spent each year developing programs and messages targeting adolescent risk behavior. Adolescents are often reasonably well educated about methods for health promotion such as preventing HIV infection, yet they fail to act accordingly. One widely used individual difference variable, sensation-seeking, has been incorporated in health message design to some extent, but it fails to take development into account. Research on adolescent egocentrism suggests adolescents experience personal fable which can lead to an exaggerated sense of invulnerability. The present study sampled adolescents and college students to examine relative contributions of egocentrism and sensation-seeking to risk-taking behavior. Results indicate a latent factor labeled risk-seeking (primarily indicated by disinhibition and risk-taking personality, and to a lesser degree by invulnerability, experience-seeking, boredom susceptibility, and thrill and adventure-seeking) indeed predicted a latent factor labeled delinquent behavior (primarily indicated by alcohol consumption and delinquency, and to a lesser degree by drug use, drinking and driving, and risky driving). Other results indicate consistently high personal fable combined with high sensation-seeking explained most risk-taking behavior. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Copyright 2000 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

  4. Individual differences in drug abuse vulnerability: d-amphetamine and sensation-seeking status.

    PubMed

    Kelly, Thomas H; Robbins, Glenn; Martin, Catherine A; Fillmore, Mark T; Lane, Scott D; Harrington, Nancy G; Rush, Craig R

    2006-11-01

    While the personality dimensions of novelty seeking and sensation seeking are associated with drug abuse vulnerability, the mechanisms associated with this vulnerability remain obscure. This study examined the behavioral effects of d-amphetamine in healthy volunteers scoring in the upper and lower quartiles based on age- and gender-adjusted population norms on the impulsive Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ). Participants completed 7-day outpatient studies examining the subjective, performance, and cardiovascular effects of d-amphetamine (0, 7.5, and 15 mg/70 kg, p.o.) under double-blind conditions according to a randomized block design. Performance tasks included behavioral measures of impulsivity, including attention, inhibition, and risk-taking behavior. No differences in baseline performance or d-amphetamine effects on measures of attention, inhibition, and risk-taking behavior were observed. High impulsive sensation seekers reported greater increases on several subjective report measures associated with drug abuse potential, including visual analog scales feel drug, like drug, and high. Healthy adults scoring in the top quartile on the population of the impulsive SSS of the ZKPQ may be vulnerable to the abuse potential of d-amphetamine.

  5. Laser-induced thermoelastic effects can evoke tactile sensations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jun, Jae-Hoon; Park, Jong-Rak; Kim, Sung-Phil; Min Bae, Young; Park, Jang-Yeon; Kim, Hyung-Sik; Choi, Seungmoon; Jung, Sung Jun; Hwa Park, Seung; Yeom, Dong-Il; Jung, Gu-In; Kim, Ji-Sun; Chung, Soon-Cheol

    2015-06-01

    Humans process a plethora of sensory information that is provided by various entities in the surrounding environment. Among the five major senses, technology for touch, haptics, is relatively young and has relatively limited applications largely due to its need for physical contact. In this article, we suggest a new way for non-contact haptic stimulation that uses laser, which has potential advantages such as mid-air stimulation, high spatial precision, and long working distance. We demonstrate such tactile stimulation can be enabled by laser-induced thermoelastic effects by means of physical and perceptual studies, as well as simulations. In the physical study, the mechanical effect of laser on a human skin sample is detected using low-power radiation in accordance with safety guidelines. Limited increases (< ~2.5 °C) in temperature at the surface of the skin, examined by both thermal camera and the Monte Carlo simulation, indicate that laser does not evoke heat-induced nociceptive sensation. In the human EEG study, brain responses to both mechanical and laser stimulation are consistent, along with subjective reports of the non-nociceptive sensation of laser stimuli.

  6. Laser-induced thermoelastic effects can evoke tactile sensations.

    PubMed

    Jun, Jae-Hoon; Park, Jong-Rak; Kim, Sung-Phil; Min Bae, Young; Park, Jang-Yeon; Kim, Hyung-Sik; Choi, Seungmoon; Jung, Sung Jun; Hwa Park, Seung; Yeom, Dong-Il; Jung, Gu-In; Kim, Ji-Sun; Chung, Soon-Cheol

    2015-06-05

    Humans process a plethora of sensory information that is provided by various entities in the surrounding environment. Among the five major senses, technology for touch, haptics, is relatively young and has relatively limited applications largely due to its need for physical contact. In this article, we suggest a new way for non-contact haptic stimulation that uses laser, which has potential advantages such as mid-air stimulation, high spatial precision, and long working distance. We demonstrate such tactile stimulation can be enabled by laser-induced thermoelastic effects by means of physical and perceptual studies, as well as simulations. In the physical study, the mechanical effect of laser on a human skin sample is detected using low-power radiation in accordance with safety guidelines. Limited increases (< ~2.5 °C) in temperature at the surface of the skin, examined by both thermal camera and the Monte Carlo simulation, indicate that laser does not evoke heat-induced nociceptive sensation. In the human EEG study, brain responses to both mechanical and laser stimulation are consistent, along with subjective reports of the non-nociceptive sensation of laser stimuli.

  7. Changes in negative urgency, positive urgency, and sensation seeking across adolescence

    PubMed Central

    Littlefield, Andrew K.; Stevens, Angela K.; Ellingson, Jarrod M.; King, Kevin M.; Jackson, Kristina M.

    2016-01-01

    The development and potential co-development of traits related to impulsivity and sensation seeking across adolescence has garnered substantial attention within the extant literature. Some prior research suggests that facets show distinct patterns of change across adolescence and that intraindividual changes in these traits may be unrelated. However, the extant literature is somewhat hampered by measurement issues and inconsistent findings. Using an accelerated longitudinal design in a sample of adolescents (n = 1018; ages 11–16), changes in negative urgency, positive urgency, and sensation seeking were examined. The three facets showed similar trajectories across time (i.e., increasing during early adolescence before leveling off). Across all facets, there was strong evidence of correlated change, suggesting these traits are, developmentally, strongly related phenomena. PMID:26949280

  8. Changes in negative urgency, positive urgency, and sensation seeking across adolescence.

    PubMed

    Littlefield, Andrew K; Stevens, Angela K; Ellingson, Jarrod M; King, Kevin M; Jackson, Kristina M

    2016-02-01

    The development and potential co-development of traits related to impulsivity and sensation seeking across adolescence has garnered substantial attention within the extant literature. Some prior research suggests that facets show distinct patterns of change across adolescence and that intraindividual changes in these traits may be unrelated. However, the extant literature is somewhat hampered by measurement issues and inconsistent findings. Using an accelerated longitudinal design in a sample of adolescents ( n = 1018; ages 11-16), changes in negative urgency, positive urgency, and sensation seeking were examined. The three facets showed similar trajectories across time (i.e., increasing during early adolescence before leveling off). Across all facets, there was strong evidence of correlated change, suggesting these traits are, developmentally, strongly related phenomena.

  9. Generalization of Fear to Respiratory Sensations.

    PubMed

    Schroijen, Mathias; Pappens, Meike; Schruers, Koen; Van den Bergh, Omer; Vervliet, Bram; Van Diest, Ilse

    2015-09-01

    Interoceptive fear conditioning (IFC), fear generalization and a lack of safety learning have all been hypothesized to play a role in the pathogenesis of panic disorder, but have never been examined in a single paradigm. The present study aims to investigate whether healthy participants (N=43) can learn both fear and safety to an interoceptive sensation, and whether such learning generalizes to other, similar sensations. Two intensities of inspiratory breathing impairment (induced by two pressure threshold loads of 6 and 25 cm H2O) served as interoceptive conditional stimuli (CSs) in a differential conditioning paradigm. An inspiratory occlusion was used as the unconditioned stimulus (US). Generalization was tested 24h after conditioning, using four generalization stimuli with intensities in-between CS+ and CS- (GSs: 8-10.5-14-18.5 cm H2O). Measures included US-expectancy, startle blink EMG responses, electrodermal activity and respiration. Perceptual discrimination of interoceptive CSs and GSs was explored with a discrimination task prior to acquisition and after generalization. Results indicate that differential fear learning was established for US-expectancy ratings. The group with a low intensity CS+ and a high intensity CS- showed the typical pattern of differential fear responding and a similarity-based generalization gradient. In contrast, the high intensity CS+ and low intensity CS- group showed impaired differential learning and complete generalization of fear. Our findings suggest that interoceptive fear learning and generalization are modulated by stimulus intensity and that the occurrence of discriminatory learning is closely related to fear generalization. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Self-esteem, propensity for sensation seeking, and risk behaviour among adults with tattoos and piercings

    PubMed Central

    Hong, Bo-Kyung; Lee, Hyo Young

    2017-01-01

    Background: In recent years, increasing numbers of adults and adolescents have opted to undergo tattoo and piercing procedures. Studies among adolescents with tattoo and piercing have usually explored the relationship between one factor and the decision to have tattoos and/or piercings. The aim of this study was to determine relationships between body cosmetic procedures and selfesteem, propensity for sensation seeking, and risk behaviours among adults. Materials and Methods: The subjects were divided into two groups, i.e., those with (n=429) and those without tattoos/piercings (n=237), and self-esteem, propensity for sensation seeking, and risk behaviour were compared between the two groups using self-report questionnaires. To analyse differences in self-esteem and the propensity for sensation seeking, general characteristics were statistically adjusted. In addition, general characteristics, self-esteem, and propensity for sensation seeking were statistically adjusted to determine differences in the propensity for risk behaviour between the two groups. Results: Significant differences were observed in age, marital status, income level, occupation, values or sensitivity to fashion, and educational level between the group with and that without tattoos/ piercings. There was no significant difference in self-esteem, whereas there were significant differences in the propensity for sensation seeking and risk behaviour between the two groups. Conclusions: Continuous attention to, and interest in, the increased incidence of tattooing and piercing are necessary, especially in terms of public interventions for health education and health promotion, as these forms of self-adornment are associated with behaviours that pose a risk to health. Significance for public health The age range and occupations of people who undergo tattoo procedures have diversified with their increasing popularity as cosmetic procedures. This study investigated general characteristics of adults with

  11. Force Rendering and its Evaluation of a Friction-Based Walking Sensation Display for a Seated User.

    PubMed

    Kato, Ginga; Kuroda, Yoshihiro; Kiyokawa, Kiyoshi; Takemura, Haruo

    2018-04-01

    Most existing locomotion devices that represent the sensation of walking target a user who is actually performing a walking motion. Here, we attempted to represent the walking sensation, especially a kinesthetic sensation and advancing feeling (the sense of moving forward) while the user remains seated. To represent the walking sensation using a relatively simple device, we focused on the force rendering and its evaluation of the longitudinal friction force applied on the sole during walking. Based on the measurement of the friction force applied on the sole during actual walking, we developed a novel friction force display that can present the friction force without the influence of body weight. Using performance evaluation testing, we found that the proposed method can stably and rapidly display friction force. Also, we developed a virtual reality (VR) walk-through system that is able to present the friction force through the proposed device according to the avatar's walking motion in a virtual world. By evaluating the realism, we found that the proposed device can represent a more realistic advancing feeling than vibration feedback.

  12. How Haptic Size Sensations Improve Distance Perception

    PubMed Central

    Battaglia, Peter W.; Kersten, Daniel; Schrater, Paul R.

    2011-01-01

    Determining distances to objects is one of the most ubiquitous perceptual tasks in everyday life. Nevertheless, it is challenging because the information from a single image confounds object size and distance. Though our brains frequently judge distances accurately, the underlying computations employed by the brain are not well understood. Our work illuminates these computions by formulating a family of probabilistic models that encompass a variety of distinct hypotheses about distance and size perception. We compare these models' predictions to a set of human distance judgments in an interception experiment and use Bayesian analysis tools to quantitatively select the best hypothesis on the basis of its explanatory power and robustness over experimental data. The central question is: whether, and how, human distance perception incorporates size cues to improve accuracy. Our conclusions are: 1) humans incorporate haptic object size sensations for distance perception, 2) the incorporation of haptic sensations is suboptimal given their reliability, 3) humans use environmentally accurate size and distance priors, 4) distance judgments are produced by perceptual “posterior sampling”. In addition, we compared our model's estimated sensory and motor noise parameters with previously reported measurements in the perceptual literature and found good correspondence between them. Taken together, these results represent a major step forward in establishing the computational underpinnings of human distance perception and the role of size information. PMID:21738457

  13. Comparison of subjective symptoms and cold prevention measures in winter between traffic control workers and construction workers in Japan.

    PubMed

    Inaba, Ryoichi; Kurokawa, Junichi; Mirbod, Seyed Mohammad

    2009-07-01

    trousers, underpants, warm socks, shoe warmer and muffler in the traffic control workers were significantly higher than the construction workers. The subjective symptoms in winter complained most frequently were shoulder stiffness (51.0%), finger cold sensation (50.0%) and neck stiffness (48.0%) in the traffic control workers, and were easy to get fatigued (49.0%), lumbago (48.3%) and finger cold sensation (47.7%) in the construction workers. On the basis of the results obtained, it is clearly shown that the two groups are at the risk of disorders due to their working environment. Therefore, these workers are needed to undergo occupational health programs for prevention of cold exposure disorders. Applications of preventive countermeasures for both groups are discussed.

  14. Subjective sensation on sleep, fatigue, and thermal comfort in winter shelter-analogue settings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maeda, Kazuki; Mochizuki, Yosuke; Tsuzuki, Kazuyo; Nabeshima, Yuki

    2017-10-01

    We aimed to examine sleep in shelter-analogue settings in winter to determine the subjective sensation and environmental conditions in evacuation shelters. Twelve young healthy students took part in the sleep study of two nights for seven hours from Midnight to 7 AM in the gymnasium. One night the subject used a pair of futons and on the other the subject used the emergency supplies of four blankets and a set of portable partitions. During the night, air temperature, humidity and air velocity were measured in the area around the sleeping subjects. Sleep parameters measured by actigraphy, skin temperature, microclimate temperature, rectal temperature, and the heart rates of the subjects were continuously measured and recorded during the sleeping period. The subjects completed questionnaires regarding their thermal comfort and subjective sleep before and after the sleep. The subjects felt more coldness on their head and peripheral parts of the body using the emergency blankets than the futon during the sleep. Moreover, fatigue was felt more on the lower back and lower extremities from using emergency blankets than the futon after sleep. However, the sleep efficiency index and subjective sleep evaluation by OSA questionnaire did not reveal any good correlationship. The emergency supplies should be examined for their suitability to provide comfortable and healthy sleep in the shelter-analogue settings.

  15. Reliability of temporal summation and diffuse noxious inhibitory control

    PubMed Central

    Cathcart, Stuart; Winefield, Anthony H; Rolan, Paul; Lushington, Kurt

    2009-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The test-retest reliability of temporal summation (TS) and diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) has not been reported to date. Establishing such reliability would support the possibility of future experimental studies examining factors affecting TS and DNIC. Similarly, the use of manual algometry to induce TS, or an occlusion cuff to induce DNIC of TS to mechanical stimuli, has not been reported to date. Such devices may offer a simpler method than current techniques for inducing TS and DNIC, affording assessment at more anatomical locations and in more varied research settings. METHOD: The present study assessed the test-retest reliability of TS and DNIC using the above techniques. Sex differences on these measures were also investigated. RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA indicated successful induction of TS and DNIC, with no significant differences across test-retest occasions. Sex effects were not significant for any measure or interaction. Intraclass correlations indicated high test-retest reliability for all measures; however, there was large interindividual variation between test and retest measurements. CONCLUSION: The present results indicate acceptable within-session test-retest reliability of TS and DNIC. The results support the possibility of future experimental studies examining factors affecting TS and DNIC. PMID:20011713

  16. Relationships among circadian typology, psychological symptoms, and sensation seeking.

    PubMed

    Prat, Gemma; Adan, Ana

    2013-08-01

    Recently, attention has been focused on the relationship among circadian typology, psychiatric symptoms, and personality traits. This study analyzes the influence of circadian typology on psychological distress, and the sensation-seeking personality trait. Five hundred seventeen college students (173 males), aged 17 to 30, answered the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), the General Health Questionnaire 28-item version (GHQ-28), and the Sensation Seeking Scale-V (SSS-V). The evening-type subjects in our sample scored higher than the neither- and morning- type in the GHQ-28 total score, as well as in the four subscales that composed it (Psychosomatic Symptoms, Anxiety and Insomnia, Social Dysfunction, and Severe Depression) (p<0.02 in all cases). The evening-type subjects also had a larger proportion of psychiatric cases than the other two circadian typologies (p<0.0001 in all cases). Moreover, the evening-type subjects obtained higher scores in the SSS-V total score and in the subscales of Disinhibition and Boredom Susceptibility (p<0.001 in all cases). A positive correlation was observed between the GHQ-28 and the SSS-V total scores in the total sample, but only for the evening-type group (r=0.217; p<0.027). In the evening group, several relations were also found between the subscales of the GHQ-28 and the subscales of the SSS-V (r>0.206; p<0.036). All these data point to a relationship between evening-type subjects and the level of psychological distress and the sensation-seeking personality trait. They also suggest that eveningness could be related to developing psychological distress and personality traits that could, in turn, be related to developing other problems, such as drug consumption.

  17. The relationship between bioclimatic thermal stress and subjective thermal sensation in pedestrian spaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pearlmutter, David; Jiao, Dixin; Garb, Yaakov

    2014-12-01

    Outdoor thermal comfort has important implications for urban planning and energy consumption in the built environment. To better understand the relation of subjective thermal experience to bioclimatic thermal stress in such contexts, this study compares micrometeorological and perceptual data from urban spaces in the hot-arid Negev region of Israel. Pedestrians reported on their thermal sensation in these spaces, whereas radiation and convection-related data were used to compute the Index of Thermal Stress (ITS) and physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The former is a straightforward characterization of energy exchanges between the human body and its surroundings, without any conversion to an "equivalent temperature." Although the relation of ITS to subjective thermal sensation has been analyzed in the past under controlled indoor conditions, this paper offers the first analysis of this relation in an outdoor setting. ITS alone can account for nearly 60 % of the variance in pedestrians' thermal sensation under outdoor conditions, somewhat more than PET. A series of regressions with individual contextual variables and ITS identified those factors which accounted for additional variance in thermal sensation, whereas multivariate analyses indicated the considerable predictive power ( R-square = 0.74) of models including multiple contextual variables in addition to ITS. Our findings indicate that pedestrians experiencing variable outdoor conditions have a greater tolerance for incremental changes in thermal stress than has been shown previously under controlled indoor conditions, with a tapering of responses at high values of ITS. However, the thresholds of ITS corresponding to thermal "neutrality" and thermal "acceptability" are quite consistent regardless of context.

  18. The relationship between bioclimatic thermal stress and subjective thermal sensation in pedestrian spaces.

    PubMed

    Pearlmutter, David; Jiao, Dixin; Garb, Yaakov

    2014-12-01

    Outdoor thermal comfort has important implications for urban planning and energy consumption in the built environment. To better understand the relation of subjective thermal experience to bioclimatic thermal stress in such contexts, this study compares micrometeorological and perceptual data from urban spaces in the hot-arid Negev region of Israel. Pedestrians reported on their thermal sensation in these spaces, whereas radiation and convection-related data were used to compute the Index of Thermal Stress (ITS) and physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The former is a straightforward characterization of energy exchanges between the human body and its surroundings, without any conversion to an "equivalent temperature." Although the relation of ITS to subjective thermal sensation has been analyzed in the past under controlled indoor conditions, this paper offers the first analysis of this relation in an outdoor setting. ITS alone can account for nearly 60 % of the variance in pedestrians' thermal sensation under outdoor conditions, somewhat more than PET. A series of regressions with individual contextual variables and ITS identified those factors which accounted for additional variance in thermal sensation, whereas multivariate analyses indicated the considerable predictive power (R-square = 0.74) of models including multiple contextual variables in addition to ITS. Our findings indicate that pedestrians experiencing variable outdoor conditions have a greater tolerance for incremental changes in thermal stress than has been shown previously under controlled indoor conditions, with a tapering of responses at high values of ITS. However, the thresholds of ITS corresponding to thermal "neutrality" and thermal "acceptability" are quite consistent regardless of context.

  19. Motivations and sensation seeking characteristics of recreational storm chasers

    Treesearch

    Shuangyu Xu; Sonja Wilhelm Stanis; Carla Barbieri; Jiawen Chen

    2012-01-01

    Little is known about recreational storm chasing, a type of risk recreation that has increased in popularity since the 1990s. This study was conducted to understand factors associated with participation in recreational storm chasing in the United States. Particularly, this study assessed the motivations and sensation seeking attributes of recreational storm chasers, as...

  20. [Studies on the health standard for room temperature in cold regions].

    PubMed

    Meng, Z L

    1990-03-01

    The microclimate of 205 rooms of single storey houses in four new rural residential districts in coastal and inland Shandong was monitored and studied the blood circulation of the finger, skin temperature, sweating function and other physiological indexes among 2,401 peasants. We interrogated their personal sensation to cold and warmth. The count was done by the application of thermal equilibrium index (TEI), predicted 4-hour Sweat Rate (P4SR) and the uncomfortable index. The standard room temperature is recommended as follows. In rural area in winter the appropriate room temperature is 14-16 degrees C, the comfortable room temperature is 16-20 degrees C, the lowest room temperature must not be below 14 degrees C. In summer the appropriate room temperature is 25-28 degrees C, the comfortable room temperature is 26-27 degrees C, the highest temperature must not be above 28 degrees C.

  1. [The effects of attention to body sensations and muscular relaxation on mood and decentering].

    PubMed

    Shirouzu, Tae; Koshikawa, Fusako

    2011-06-01

    Mechanisms of Dohsa-hou (a holistic psycho-rehabilitation method) were investigated by comparing the effects of attention to body sensation and muscular relaxation. Participants were randomly divided into the following three groups. The Dohsa + Attention (D + A) group practiced Dohsa-hou by focusing attention on somatic sensations. The Dohsa (D) group practiced Dohsa without focusing attention. The control group did not practice Dohsa. All the participants were assessed using the Decentering Scale, the Self-Acceptance Scale, and the Depression and Anxiety Mood Scale before and after the intervention. The results indicated that both the D + A and D groups had increased self-acceptance and decreased anxiety scores. However, in comparison to the control group, the decentering score increased in the D + A group (p < .05), whereas the Depression score decreased in the D group (p < .05). These findings suggest that attention to body sensations is effective in increasing decentering, whereas muscular relaxation is effective in decreasing depressed mood.

  2. Hot colors: the nature and specificity of color-induced nasal thermal sensations.

    PubMed

    Michael, George A; Galich, Hélène; Relland, Solveig; Prud'hon, Sabine

    2010-03-05

    The nature of the recently discovered color-induced nasal thermal sensations was investigated in four Experiments. Subjects were required to fixate a bottle containing a red or green solution presented centrally (Exp1 and Exp4) or laterally (Exp2) and to sniff another bottle, always the same one, but which they were not allowed to see, containing 10 ml of a colorless, odorless and trigeminal-free solution. Each nostril was tested separately, and subjects were asked whether the sniffed solution induced warming or cooling sensations (plus an ambient sensation in Exp4) in the nasal cavity. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 confirmed the warming/left nostril-cooling/right nostril dissociation, suggesting the existence of different lateralized processes for thermal processing. However, Experiment 2 failed to demonstrate dominance of warming responses when subjects' eyes were directed to the left or cooling responses when they were directed to the right. Nor did gaze direction interact with the tested nostril. This suggests that the color-induced thermal sensations are specifically related to the nasal trigeminal system, rather than a general process related to general hemispheric activity. When the exposed bottles were colorless (Exp3), no lateralized patterns were observed, suggesting, in combination with the results of Experiments 1 and 2, that both color cues and nasal stimulations are necessary for lateralized patterns to arise. Rendering the temperature judgment even more difficult (Exp4), made the lateralized patterns shift towards the associated (i.e., ambient) responses. The results are discussed in a general framework which considers that, even in the absence of real thermal stimulus, preparing to process thermal stimuli in the nasal cavity may activate the underlying lateralized neural mechanisms, and that those mechanisms are reflected in the responses. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Sensations of skin infestation linked to abnormal frontolimbic brain reactivity and differences in self-representation.

    PubMed

    Eccles, J A; Garfinkel, S N; Harrison, N A; Ward, J; Taylor, R E; Bewley, A P; Critchley, H D

    2015-10-01

    Some patients experience skin sensations of infestation and contamination that are elusive to proximate dermatological explanation. We undertook a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the brain to demonstrate, for the first time, that central processing of infestation-relevant stimuli is altered in patients with such abnormal skin sensations. We show differences in neural activity within amygdala, insula, middle temporal lobe and frontal cortices. Patients also demonstrated altered measures of self-representation, with poorer sensitivity to internal bodily (interoceptive) signals and greater susceptibility to take on an illusion of body ownership: the rubber hand illusion. Together, these findings highlight a potential model for the maintenance of abnormal skin sensations, encompassing heightened threat processing within amygdala, increased salience of skin representations within insula and compromised prefrontal capacity for self-regulation and appraisal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Cold Stress

    MedlinePlus

    ... Publications and Products Programs Contact NIOSH NIOSH COLD STRESS Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share Compartir Workers who ... cold environments may be at risk of cold stress. Extreme cold weather is a dangerous situation that ...

  5. Centralization of Noxious Stimulus-induced Analgesia (NSIA) is Related to Activity at Inhibitory Synapses in the Spinal Cord

    PubMed Central

    Tambeli, Claudia H.; Levine, Jon D.; Gear, Robert W.

    2009-01-01

    The duration of noxious stimulus-induced antinociception (NSIA) has been shown to outlast the pain stimulus that elicited it, however, the mechanism that determines the duration of analgesia is unknown. We evaluated the role of spinal excitatory and inhibitory receptors (NMDA, mGluR-5, mu-opioid, GABA-A, and GABA-B), previously implicated in NSIA initiation, in its maintenance. As in our previous studies, the supraspinal trigeminal jaw-opening reflex (JOR) in the rat was used for nociceptive testing because of its remoteness from the region of drug application, the lumbar spinal cord. NSIA was reversed by antagonists for two inhibitory receptors (GABA-B and mu-opioid) but not by antagonists for either of the two excitatory receptors (NMDA and mGluR-5), indicating that NSIA is maintained by ongoing activity at inhibitory synapses in the spinal cord. Furthermore, spinal administration of the GABA-B agonist baclofen mimicked NSIA in that it could be blocked by prior injection of the mu-opioid receptor antagonist H-D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2 (CTAP) in nucleus accumbens. CTAP also blocked baclofen antinociception when administered in the spinal cord. We conclude that analgesia induced by noxious stimulation is maintained by activity in spinal inhibitory receptors. PMID:19375225

  6. Hypothermic general cold adaptation induced by local cold acclimation.

    PubMed

    Savourey, G; Barnavol, B; Caravel, J P; Feuerstein, C; Bittel, J H

    1996-01-01

    To study relationships between local cold adaptation of the lower limbs and general cold adaptation, eight subjects were submitted both to a cold foot test (CFT, 5 degrees C water immersion, 5 min) and to a whole-body standard cold air test (SCAT, 1 degree C, 2 h, nude at rest) before and after a local cold acclimation (LCA) of the lower limbs effected by repeated cold water immersions. The LCA induced a local cold adaptation confirmed by higher skin temperatures of the lower limbs during CFT and a hypothermic insulative general cold adaptation (decreased rectal temperature and mean skin temperature P < 0.05) without a change either in metabolic heat production or in lower limb skin temperatures during SCAT after LCA. It was concluded that local cold adaptation was related to the habituation process confirmed by decreased plasma concentrations of noradrenaline (NA) during LCA (P < 0.05). However, the hypothermic insulative general cold adaptation was unrelated either to local cold adaptation or to the habituation process, because an increased NA during SCAT after LCA (P < 0.05) was observed but was rather related to a "T3 polar syndrome" occurring during LCA.

  7. Sensate anterolateral thigh perforator flap for ischiatic sores reconstruction in meningomyelocele patients.

    PubMed

    Santanelli Di Pompeo, Fabio; Longo, Benedetto; Pagnoni, Marco; Laporta, Rosaria

    2015-05-01

    Recidivating pressure sores are a frequent complication in meningomyelocele patients because of their limitation in motility and their scarce ability to monitor the pressure applied on insensate areas while seated. We report the utilization of the sensate pedicled anterolateral thigh perforator flap for reconstruction of ischiatic sores in meningomyelocele patients. Between May 2011 and September 2013, five patients underwent transfer of a sensate pedicled anterolateral thigh flap, by an intermuscular passageway through the upper thigh, to reach the ischial defect. Flap was properly harvested from the thigh after assessment of the lateral cutaneous femoral nerve sensitive area with the Pressure-Specified Sensory Device. In all cases the flap reached the ischial defect harmlessly, healing was uneventful with no immediate nor late complications. Each patient showed persistence of sensitivity at the reconstructed area and no recurrent ischiatic sore was observed at mean follow-up of 26.4 months. The sensate pedicled anterolateral thigh flap is a valuable solution for coverage of recurrent ischial sores in meningomyelocele patients, in which pressure consciousness is fundamental. The intermuscular passageway allows to reduce the distance between flap's vascular pedicle origin and the ischial defect, hence to use the more reliable skin from the middle third of the anterolateral thigh. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. Using Virtual Reality to Distract Overweight Children from Bodily Sensations During Exercise.

    PubMed

    Baños, Rosa M; Escobar, Patricia; Cebolla, Ausias; Guixeres, Jaime; Alvarez Pitti, Julio; Lisón, Juan Francisco; Botella, Cristina

    2016-02-01

    This study analyzes the potential of virtual reality (VR) to enhance attentional distraction in overweight children as they experience bodily sensations during exercise. It has been suggested that one reason why obese children stop exercising is the perception of bodily sensations. In a counterbalanced design, a total of 109 children (33 overweight, 10-15 years old) were asked to walk twice for 6 minutes on a treadmill under one of two conditions: (a) traditional condition (TC)-focusing their attention on their physical feelings and sensations or (b) distraction condition (DC)-focusing their attention on a virtual environment. Attentional focus during exercise, bad-good feeling states (pre- and postexperimental), perceived exertion (3 minutes and post), heart rate, and enjoyment were assessed. Results indicated that overweight children focused on internal information under the TC, but they significantly shifted their attention to regard the external environment in the DC. This attentional distraction effect of VR was more intense in overweight than in normal-weight children. No differences between groups were found when examining changes in feeling states and perceived exertion. VR increased enjoyment during exercise, and children preferred exercise using virtual environments. VR is useful to promote distraction and may help overweight and obese children to enjoy exercise.

  9. ALIENATION, SENSATION SEEKING AND MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRE PROFILE IN MEN BEING TREATED FOR ALCOHOL AND/OR OPIOID DEPENDENCE

    PubMed Central

    Mattoo, Surendra K.; Varma, Vijoy K.; Singh, Ram Avatar; Khurana, Hitesh; Kaur, Rajinder; Sharma, Suresh K.

    2001-01-01

    Two hundred and thirty men, being treated for ICD-10 diagnosed dependence on alcohol, opioids or both, were studied 2-4 weeks after the last use of alcohol or opioids. Alienation Scale, Sensation Seeking Scale and Muliphasic Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), and selected sociodemographic and family history data were studied. All three groups showed high alienation (more in opioid cases), high sensation seeking (more in alcohol cases, more for boredom susceptibility), and a disturbed MPQ profile. The dual dependence group was similar to opioid group for age, but closer to alcohol group in terms of personality profile. Only alcohol cases showed a significantly positive correlation between alienation and sensation seeking- in terms of total scale, and boredom susceptibility and disinhibition subscales only. Thus, substance specificity was not reflected prominently in the inter-relationships between alienation, sensation seeking and MPQ scores, and sociodemographic variables. PMID:21407879

  10. Friends, Porn, and Punk: Sensation Seeking in Personal Relationships, Internet Activities, and Music Preference among College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisskirch, Robert S.; Murphy, Laurel C.

    2004-01-01

    One hundred thirty-eight college students completed a questionnaire assessing level of sensation seeking, number of close and casual friends, Internet usage, liking certain styles of music, and genre of music listened to most often. It was found that the number of casual and close friends was positively associated with sensation seeking.…

  11. Moderating Effect of Personality Type on the Relation between Sensation Seeking and Illegal Substance Use in Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roth, Marcus; Liebe, Nico

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the moderating effect of big-five based personality types on the relation between sensation seeking and three adolescent marijuana use outcomes (lifetime use, current use, attraction to marijuana use). 1,236 German adolescents, aged 14 to 16 years, participated in the current study. The results show that sensation seeking is…

  12. Biased Intensity Judgements of Visceral Sensations After Learning to Fear Visceral Stimuli: A Drift Diffusion Approach.

    PubMed

    Zaman, Jonas; Madden, Victoria J; Iven, Julie; Wiech, Katja; Weltens, Nathalie; Ly, Huynh Giao; Vlaeyen, Johan W S; Van Oudenhove, Lukas; Van Diest, Ilse

    2017-10-01

    A growing body of research has identified fear of visceral sensations as a potential mechanism in the development and maintenance of visceral pain disorders. However, the extent to which such learned fear affects visceroception remains unclear. To address this question, we used a differential fear conditioning paradigm with nonpainful esophageal balloon distensions of 2 different intensities as conditioning stimuli (CSs). The experiment comprised of preacquisition, acquisition, and postacquisition phases during which participants categorized the CSs with respect to their intensity. The CS+ was always followed by a painful electrical stimulus (unconditioned stimulus) during the acquisition phase and in 60% of the trials during postacquisition. The second stimulus (CS-) was never associated with pain. Analyses of galvanic skin and startle eyeblink responses as physiological markers of successful conditioning showed increased fear responses to the CS+ compared with the CS-, but only in the group with the low-intensity stimulus as CS+. Computational modeling of response times and response accuracies revealed that differential fear learning affected perceptual decision-making about the intensities of visceral sensations such that sensations were more likely to be categorized as more intense. These results suggest that associative learning might indeed contribute to visceral hypersensitivity in functional gastrointestinal disorders. This study shows that associative fear learning biases intensity judgements of visceral sensations toward perceiving such sensations as more intense. Learning-induced alterations in visceroception might therefore contribute to the development or maintenance of visceral pain. Copyright © 2017 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. What you feel is what you see: inverse dynamics estimation underlies the resistive sensation of a delayed cursor.

    PubMed

    Takamuku, Shinya; Gomi, Hiroaki

    2015-07-22

    How our central nervous system (CNS) learns and exploits relationships between force and motion is a fundamental issue in computational neuroscience. While several lines of evidence have suggested that the CNS predicts motion states and signals from motor commands for control and perception (forward dynamics), it remains controversial whether it also performs the 'inverse' computation, i.e. the estimation of force from motion (inverse dynamics). Here, we show that the resistive sensation we experience while moving a delayed cursor, perceived purely from the change in visual motion, provides evidence of the inverse computation. To clearly specify the computational process underlying the sensation, we systematically varied the visual feedback and examined its effect on the strength of the sensation. In contrast to the prevailing theory that sensory prediction errors modulate our perception, the sensation did not correlate with errors in cursor motion due to the delay. Instead, it correlated with the amount of exposure to the forward acceleration of the cursor. This indicates that the delayed cursor is interpreted as a mechanical load, and the sensation represents its visually implied reaction force. Namely, the CNS automatically computes inverse dynamics, using visually detected motions, to monitor the dynamic forces involved in our actions. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  14. What you feel is what you see: inverse dynamics estimation underlies the resistive sensation of a delayed cursor

    PubMed Central

    Takamuku, Shinya; Gomi, Hiroaki

    2015-01-01

    How our central nervous system (CNS) learns and exploits relationships between force and motion is a fundamental issue in computational neuroscience. While several lines of evidence have suggested that the CNS predicts motion states and signals from motor commands for control and perception (forward dynamics), it remains controversial whether it also performs the ‘inverse’ computation, i.e. the estimation of force from motion (inverse dynamics). Here, we show that the resistive sensation we experience while moving a delayed cursor, perceived purely from the change in visual motion, provides evidence of the inverse computation. To clearly specify the computational process underlying the sensation, we systematically varied the visual feedback and examined its effect on the strength of the sensation. In contrast to the prevailing theory that sensory prediction errors modulate our perception, the sensation did not correlate with errors in cursor motion due to the delay. Instead, it correlated with the amount of exposure to the forward acceleration of the cursor. This indicates that the delayed cursor is interpreted as a mechanical load, and the sensation represents its visually implied reaction force. Namely, the CNS automatically computes inverse dynamics, using visually detected motions, to monitor the dynamic forces involved in our actions. PMID:26156766

  15. Race, region and risk: An examination of minority proximity to noxious facilities

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nieves, A.L.; Nieves, L.A.

    1996-04-01

    The past decade has given rise to terms like environmental racism, eco-racism, and environmental inequities to characterize a disproportional distribution of environmental disamenities among minority communities. Much of the literature supports the contention that racial and ethnic minorities and low-income groups bear a disproportionate burden of risk from hazardous activities and substances in the environment. This study expands the scope of prior studies by employing county-level data for the entire nation and including a broad range of facility types associated with environmental disamenities. In addition, it addresses the issue of the distribution of noxious facilities among white and non-white populationsmore » in an attempt to determine the relative exposure to risk among different racial and ethnic groups. In addition, the authors also explore the relative importance of nonurban versus urban residence.« less

  16. Characterization of the "deqi" response in acupuncture.

    PubMed

    Hui, Kathleen K S; Nixon, Erika E; Vangel, Mark G; Liu, Jing; Marina, Ovidiu; Napadow, Vitaly; Hodge, Steven M; Rosen, Bruce R; Makris, Nikos; Kennedy, David N

    2007-10-31

    Acupuncture stimulation elicits deqi, a composite of unique sensations that is essential for clinical efficacy according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). There is lack of adequate experimental data to indicate what sensations comprise deqi, their prevalence and intensity, their relationship to acupoints, how they compare with conventional somatosensory or noxious response. The objective of this study is to provide scientific evidence on these issues and to characterize the nature of the deqi phenomenon in terms of the prevalence of sensations as well as the uniqueness of the sensations underlying the deqi experience. Manual acupuncture was performed at LI4, ST36 and LV3 on the extremities in randomized order during fMRI in 42 acupuncture naïve healthy adult volunteers. Non-invasive tactile stimulation was delivered to the acupoints by gentle tapping with a von Frey monofilament prior to acupuncture to serve as a sensory control. At the end of each procedure, the subject was asked if each of the sensations listed in a questionnaire or any other sensations occurred during stimulation, and if present to rate its intensity on a numerical scale of 1-10. Statistical analysis including paired t-test, analysis of variance, Spearman's correlation and Fisher's exact test were performed to compare responses between acupuncture and sensory stimulation. The deqi response was elicited in 71% of the acupuncture procedures compared with 24% for tactile stimulation when thresholded at a minimum total score of 3 for all the sensations. The frequency and intensity of individual sensations were significantly higher in acupuncture. Among the sensations typically associated with deqi, aching, soreness and pressure were most common, followed by tingling, numbness, dull pain, heaviness, warmth, fullness and coolness. Sharp pain of brief duration that occurred in occasional subjects was regarded as inadvertent noxious stimulation. The most significant differences in the deqi

  17. Is Sensation Seeking a correlate of excessive behaviors and behavioral addictions? A detailed examination of patients with Gambling Disorder and Internet Addiction.

    PubMed

    Müller, K W; Dreier, M; Beutel, M E; Wölfling, K

    2016-08-30

    Sensation Seeking has repeatedly been related to substance use. Also, its role as a correlate of Gambling Disorder has been discussed although research has led to heterogeneous results. Likewise, first studies on Internet Addiction have indicated increased Sensation Seeking, to some extent contradicting clinical impression of patients suffering from internet addiction. We assessed Sensation Seeking in a clinical sample of n=251 patients with Gambling Disorder, n=243 patients with internet addiction, n=103 clients with excessive but not addictive internet use, and n=142 healthy controls. The clinical groups were further sub-divided according to the preferred type of addictive behavior (slot-machine gambling vs. high arousal gambling activities and internet gaming disorder vs. other internet-related addictive behaviors). Decreased scores in some subscales of Sensation Seeking were found among male patients compared to healthy controls with no differences between patients with Gambling Disorder and Internet Addiction. The type of preferred gambling or online activity was not related to differences in Sensation Seeking. Previous findings indicating only small associations between Sensation Seeking and Gambling Disorder were confirmed. Regarding Internet Addiction our results contradict findings from non-clinical samples. Sensation Seeking might be relevant in initiating contact to the health care system. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Internal validity of inter-digital web pinching as a model for perceptual diffuse noxious inhibitory controls-induced hypoalgesia in healthy humans.

    PubMed

    Streff, Anouk; Michaux, Gilles; Anton, Fernand

    2011-01-01

    Hot and ice-water immersions are commonly used for heterotopic noxious counter-stimulation (HNCS) in investigations on endogenous pain modulation. However, coincident sympathetic thermoregulatory activity does not allow to differentiate between perceptual hypoalgesia related to baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) or diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC). The present study analysed the internal validity of another supposedly less confounded tonic pain model (inter-digital web pinching; IWP) regarding its potential as DNIC trigger. We performed a randomized controlled study in 24 healthy gender-matched drug-free volunteers aged 21-54 (median 25) years. The study protocol comprised the assessment of mechanical and thermal perceptual wind-up before and after an IWP (15N) or hot water immersion trial (HIT; 47.5°C) of 2 min duration. Wind-up was induced either by 10 repetitive (1Hz) contact heat (max. 49°C; 5×5 mm thermode) or ballistic impact stimuli (0.5g at 9 m/s) on the phalanges of the non-dominant hand. Cardiovascular activity, pain experience and corrugator muscle activity were continuously monitored. Although both HNCS forms produced a similar pain experience (45% of scale), a more pronounced cardiovascular activity was observable for the HIT (P<0.01). This indicates a higher baroreceptor activity and stronger contamination of painful water immersion by BRS-related hypoalgesia. Regardless of pain modality, wind-up was significantly reduced by HNCS, although this was stronger for painful water immersion than for noxious pinching (P<0.01). The HNCS types allow a differentiation between BRS-related and DNIC-like hypoalgesia. IWP proved its validity for DNIC induction, being practically non-confounded by BRS. Copyright © 2010 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Sensation-seeking and differentially arousing television commercials.

    PubMed

    Leone, C; D'Arienzo, J

    2000-12-01

    The authors predicted (a) that disinhibited consumers would react more favorably to advertising that was high in arousal and (b) that inhibited consumers would react more favorably to advertising that was low in arousal. They tested these predictions by having U.S. college students evaluate both the commercial and the product being marketed in 1 of 2 beer commercials. The prospective buyers then completed a measure of dispositional sensation-seeking tendencies. Although the participants who differed in disinhibition reacted differently to the 2 commercials, the nature of their responses was more complex than predicted.

  20. Hypersensitivity to Cold Stimuli in Symptomatic Contact Lens Wearers

    PubMed Central

    Situ, Ping; Simpson, Trefford; Begley, Carolyn

    2016-01-01

    Purpose To examine the cooling thresholds and the estimated sensation magnitude at stimulus detection in controls and symptomatic and asymptomatic contact lens (CL) wearers, in order to determine whether detection thresholds depend on the presence of symptoms of dryness and discomfort. Methods 49 adapted CL wearers and 15 non-lens wearing controls had room temperature pneumatic thresholds measured using a custom Belmonte esthesiometer, during Visits 1 and 2 (Baseline CL), Visit 3 (2 weeks no CL wear) and Visit 4 (2 weeks after resuming CL wear). CL wearers were subdivided into symptomatic and asymptomatic groups based on comfortable wearing time (CWT) and CLDEQ-8 score (<8 hours CWT and ≥14 CLDEQ-8 stratified the symptom groups). Detection thresholds were estimated using an ascending method of limits and each threshold was the average of the three first-reported flow rates. The magnitude of intensity, coolness, irritation and pain at detection of the stimulus were estimated using a 1-100 scale (1 very mild, 100 very strong). Results In all measurement conditions, the symptomatic CL wearers were the most sensitive, the asymptomatic CL wearers were the least sensitive and the control group was between the two CL wearing groups (group factor p < 0.001, post hoc asymptomatic vs. symptomatic group, all p’s < 0.015). Similar patterns were found for the estimated magnitude of intensity and irritation (group effect p=0.027 and 0.006 for intensity and irritation, respectively) but not for cooling (p>0.05) at detection threshold. Conclusions Symptomatic CL wearers have higher cold detection sensitivity and report greater intensity and irritation sensation at stimulus detection than the asymptomatic wearers. Room temperature pneumatic esthesiometry may help to better understand the process of sensory adaptation to CL wear. PMID:27046090

  1. Transient sensations of impending loss of consciousness: the "blip" syndrome.

    PubMed Central

    Lance, J W

    1996-01-01

    Momentary sensations of impending loss of consciousness may occur, particularly when a person is relaxed, without any obvious cardiac, cerebral vascular, or epileptic basis. These episodes may be a quasiepileptic phenomenon such as déjà vu and night starts and seem to have a benign prognosis. PMID:8774412

  2. Basal μ-opioid receptor availability in the amygdala predicts the inhibition of pain-related brain activity during heterotopic noxious counter-stimulation.

    PubMed

    Piché, Mathieu; Watanabe, Nobuhiro; Sakata, Muneyuki; Oda, Keiichi; Toyohara, Jun; Ishii, Kenji; Ishiwata, Kiichi; Hotta, Harumi

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the magnitude of anti-nociceptive effects induced by heterotopic noxious counter-stimulation (HNCS) and the basal μ-opioid receptor availability in the amygdala. In 8 healthy volunteers (4 females and 4 males), transcutaneous electrical stimulation was applied to the right sural nerve to produce the nociceptive flexion reflex (RIII-reflex), moderate pain, and scalp somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). Immersion of the left hand in cold water for 20min was used as HNCS. In a separate session, basal μ-opioid receptor availability was measured using positron emission tomography with the radiotracer [(11)C]carfentanil. HNCS produced a reduction of the P260 amplitude (p<0.05), a late component of SEP that reflects activity in the anterior cingulate cortex. This reduction was associated with higher basal μ-opioid receptor availability in the amygdala on the right (R(2)=0.55, p=0.03) with a similar trend on the left (R(2)=0.24, p=0.22). Besides, HNCS did not induce significant changes in pain and RIII-reflex amplitude (p>0.05). These results suggest that activation of μ-opioid receptors in the amygdala may contribute to the anti-nociceptive effects of HNCS. The lack of RIII-reflex modulation further suggests that μ-opioid receptor activation in the amygdala contributes to decrease pain-related brain activity through a cerebral mechanism independent of descending modulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd and the Japan Neuroscience Society. All rights reserved.

  3. Umami compounds enhance the intensity of retronasal sensation of aromas from model chicken soups.

    PubMed

    Nishimura, Toshihide; Goto, Shingo; Miura, Kyo; Takakura, Yukiko; Egusa, Ai S; Wakabayashi, Hidehiko

    2016-04-01

    We examined the influence of taste compounds on retronasal aroma sensation using a model chicken soup. The aroma intensity of a reconstituted flavour solution from which glutamic acid (Glu), inosine 5'-monophosphate (IMP), or phosphate was omitted was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that of the model soup. The aroma intensity of 0.4% NaCl solution containing the aroma chicken model (ACM) with added Glu and IMP was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of 0.4% NaCl solution containing only ACM. The quantitative analyses showed that adding monosodium glutamate (MSG) to aqueous aroma solution containing only ACM enhanced the intensity of retronasal aroma sensation by 2.5-folds with increasing MSG concentration from 0% to 0.3%. Sensation intensity using an umami solution with added MSG and IMP was significantly higher than that with only MSG when the MSG concentration was 0.05%, 0.075%, or 0.1%. However, it plateaued when MSG concentration was beyond 0.3%. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Self-Rated Health in Healthy Adults and Susceptibility to the Common Cold.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Sheldon; Janicki-Deverts, Denise; Doyle, William J

    2015-01-01

    To explore the association of self-rated health (SRH) with host resistance to illness after exposure to a common cold virus and identify mechanisms linking SRH to future health status. We analyzed archival data from 360 healthy adults (mean [standard deviation] age = 33.07 [10.69] years, 45.6% women). Each person completed validated questionnaires that assessed SRH (excellent, very good, good, fair, poor), socioemotional factors, and health practices and was subsequently exposed to a common cold virus and monitored for 5 days for clinical illness (infection and objective signs of illness). Poorer SRH was associated in a graded fashion with greater susceptibility to developing clinical illness (good/fair versus excellent: odds ratio = 3.21, 95% confidence interval = 1.47-6.99; very good versus excellent: odds ratio = 2.60, 95% confidence interval = 1.27-5.32), independent of age, sex, race, prechallenge immunity (specific antibody), body mass, season, education, and income. Greater illness risk was not attributable to infection, but to increased likelihood of developing objective signs of illness once infected. Poorer SRH also correlated with poorer health practices, increased stress, lower positive emotions, and other socioemotional factors. However, none of these (alone or together) accounted for the association between SRH and host resistance. Additional data (separate study) indicated that history of having colds was unrelated to susceptibility and hence also did not account for the SRH link with immunocompetence. Poorer SRH is associated with poorer immunocompetence, possibly reflecting sensitivity to sensations associated with premorbid immune dysfunction. In turn, poorer immune function may be a major contributing mechanism linking SRH to future health.

  5. Thermal sensations and comfort investigations in transient conditions in tropical office.

    PubMed

    Dahlan, Nur Dalilah; Gital, Yakubu Yau

    2016-05-01

    The study was done to identify affective and sensory responses observed as a result of hysteresis effects in transient thermal conditions consisting of warm-neutral and neutral - warm performed in a quasi-experiment setting. Air-conditioned building interiors in hot-humid areas have resulted in thermal discomfort and health risks for people moving into and out of buildings. Reports have shown that the instantaneous change in air temperature can cause abrupt thermoregulation responses. Thermal sensation vote (TSV) and thermal comfort vote (TCV) assessments as a consequence of moving through spaces with distinct thermal conditions were conducted in an existing single-story office in a hot-humid microclimate, maintained at an air temperature 24 °C (± 0.5), relative humidity 51% (± 7), air velocity 0.5 m/s (± 0.5), and mean radiant temperature (MRT) 26.6 °C (± 1.2). The measured office is connected to a veranda that showed the following semi-outdoor temperatures: air temperature 35 °C (± 2.1), relative humidity 43% (± 7), air velocity 0.4 m/s (± 0.4), and MRT 36.4 °C (± 2.9). Subjective assessments from 36 college-aged participants consisting of thermal sensations, preferences and comfort votes were correlated against a steady state predicted mean vote (PMV) model. Local skin temperatures on the forehead and dorsal left hand were included to observe physiological responses due to thermal transition. TSV for veranda-office transition showed that no significant means difference with TSV office-veranda transition were found. However, TCV collected from warm-neutral (-0.24, ± 1.2) and neutral-warm (-0.72, ± 1.3) conditions revealed statistically significant mean differences (p < 0.05). Sensory and affective responses as a consequence of thermal transition after travel from warm-neutral-warm conditions did not replicate the hysteresis effects of brief, slightly cool, thermal sensations found in previous laboratory experiments. These findings also indicate that

  6. Some Chinese folk prescriptions for wind-cold type common cold.

    PubMed

    Hai-Long, Zhai; Shimin, Chen; Yalan, Lu

    2015-07-01

    Although self-limiting, the common cold (gǎn mào) is highly prevalent. There are no effective antivirals to cure the common cold and few effective measures to prevent it, However, for thousands years, Chinese people have treated the common cold with natural herbs, According to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory ( zhōng yī lǐ lùn), the common cold is considered as an exterior syndrome, which can be further divided into the wind-cold type ( fēng hán xíng), the wind-heat type ( fēng rè xíng), and the summer heat dampness type ( shǔ rè xíng). Since the most common type of common cold caught in winter and spring is the wind-cold type, the article introduced some Chinese folk prescriptions for the wind-cold type common cold with normal and weak physique, respectively. For thousands of years, Chinese folk prescriptions for the common cold, as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM; bǔ chōng yǔ tì dài yī xué), have been proven to be effective, convenient, cheap, and most importantly, safe. The Chinese folk prescriptions ( zhōng guó mín jiān chǔ fāng) for the wind-cold type common cold are quite suitable for general practitioners or patients with the wind-cold type common cold, to treat the disease. Of course, their pharmacological features and mechanisms of action need to be further studied.

  7. Maternal experiences of embodied emotional sensations during breast feeding: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

    PubMed

    Watkinson, Marcelina; Murray, Craig; Simpson, Jane

    2016-05-01

    the purpose of this study was to explore mothers׳ experiences of embodied emotional sensations during breast feeding and to understand the meaning and consequences that such experiences may have on mothers' sense of self and the relationships they form with their children. a qualitative design was applied to this study as it was judged as the most appropriate approach to this novel field of enquiry. the study was conducted in United Kingdom using a sample of mothers drawn from five different countries from Europe, America and Australia. the sample consisted of 11 mothers who reported experiencing or having experienced negative embodied emotional sensations associated with breast feeding in the past five years. semi-structured interviews were conducted with the mothers and interviews were transcribed to enable the process of data analysis. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA; Smith et al., 2009a, 2009b) was chosen as a method of data analysis, enabling in depth understanding and interpretation of the meaning of mothers' experiences. IPA was chosen due to its idiographic commitment and particular interest in sense-making, phenomenology and hermeneutics. three themes were generated reflecting the multifaceted nature of breast feeding experiences (i) 'Breast feeding: An unexpected trigger of intense embodied emotional sensations incongruent with view of self', (ii) 'Fulfilling maternal expectations and maintaining closeness with the child', (iii) 'Making sense of embodied emotional sensations essential to acceptance and coping'. breast feeding has the potential to trigger a range of conflicting cognitions and emotions in mothers that may impact on how mothers view themselves and relate to their children. increasing awareness about emotional breast feeding experiences and recognising the multifaceted, individual nature of difficulties around breast feeding enables professionals to offer mothers person-centred care and avoid making clinical decisions and

  8. Remote Effects of Electromagnetic Millimeter Waves on Experimentally Induced Cold Pain: A Double-Blinded Crossover Investigation in Healthy Volunteers.

    PubMed

    Partyla, Tomasz; Hacker, Henriette; Edinger, Hardy; Leutzow, Bianca; Lange, Joern; Usichenko, Taras

    2017-03-01

    The hypoalgesic effect of electromagnetic millimeter waves (MW) is well studied in animal model; however, the results of human research are controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various frequency ranges of MW on hypoalgesia using the cold pressor test (CPT). Experimental pain was induced using standardized CPT protocols in 20 healthy male volunteers. The skin of the lower part of sternum was exposed to MW with a frequency of 42.25 GHz (active generator); MW within 50-75 GHz frequency range (noise generator); or an inactive MW device (placebo generator) in a random crossover double-blinded manner. Pain threshold, measured using the CPT, was the primary outcome. Other CPT parameters, heart rate, blood pressure, incidence of subjective sensations (paresthesia) during exposure, as well as quality of volunteers' blinding were also recorded. The end points of the condition with exposure to 42.25 GHz, were compared with baseline; exposure to noise 50-75 GHz; and placebo generators. Pain threshold increased during exposure to the 42.25 GHz generator when compared with baseline: median difference (MD), 1.97 seconds (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35-3.73) and noise generator: MD, 1.27 seconds (95% CI, 0.05-2.33) but not compared with the placebo generator. Time to onset of cold and increasing pain sensations as well as diastolic blood pressure increased under the exposure to the 42.25 GHz generator when compared with baseline and noise generator. Other outcome measures were comparable among the study conditions. We were able to partially confirm the previously suggested hypoalgesic effects of low-intensity electromagnetic MW. However, the effect was indistinguishable from the placebo condition in our investigation.

  9. Sensation seeking amongst healthy volunteers participating in phase I clinical trials.

    PubMed Central

    Farré, M; Lamas, X; Camí, J

    1995-01-01

    1. Phase I clinical trials are usually carried out in healthy volunteers. In addition to economic gain, factors that may influence willingness to participate include scientific interest, curiosity and choice for risky activities. 2. We assessed the relationship between personality variables and volunteering for clinical pharmacology research. Two personality questionnaires, the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS, form V) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), were administered to 48 male healthy university students who volunteered to participate in a phase I clinical trial and to 43 male university students who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials. General norm data were also used for the comparison of results. 3. When healthy volunteers were compared with unwilling subjects, significant differences were found in thrill-and-adventure seeking (7.9 vs 6.7, P = 0.0034), experience seeking (6.4 vs 5.2, P = 0.0012), disinhibition (6.2 vs 4.3, P < 0.0001), boredom susceptibility (3.9 vs 2.8, P = 0.0073), total sensation seeking trait (24.3 vs 19.0, P < 0.0001), extraversion (15.1 vs 13.3, P = 0.0490), and psychoticism (4.4 vs 3.5, P = 0.0086). When healthy volunteers were compared with general norm data similar statistically significant differences were found in all these scales, except for boredom susceptibility and psychoticism. 4. The personality profile of healthy volunteers was characterized by a higher sensation seeking trait and extraversion as compared with individuals who were not willing to participate in phase I clinical trials and general norm data. PMID:7640147

  10. The visceromotor responses to colorectal distension and skin pinch are inhibited by simultaneous jejunal distension.

    PubMed

    Shafton, Anthony D; Furness, John B; Ferens, Dorota; Bogeski, Goce; Koh, Shir Lin; Lean, Nicholas P; Kitchener, Peter D

    2006-07-01

    Noxious stimuli that are applied to different somatic sites interact; often one stimulus diminishes the sensation elicited from another site. By contrast, inhibitory interactions between visceral stimuli are not well documented. We investigated the interaction between the effects of noxious distension of the colorectum and noxious stimuli applied to the jejunum, in the rat. Colorectal distension elicited a visceromotor reflex, which was quantified using electromyographic (EMG) recordings from the external oblique muscle of the upper abdomen. The same motor units were activated when a strong pinch was applied to the flank skin. Distension of the jejunum did not provoke an EMG response at this site, but when it was applied during colorectal distension it blocked the EMG response. Jejunal distension also inhibited the response to noxious skin pinch. The inhibition of the visceromotor response to colorectal distension was prevented by local application of tetrodotoxin to the jejunum, and was markedly reduced when nicardipine was infused into the local jejunal circulation. Chronic sub-diaphragmatic vagotomy had no effect on the colorectal distension-induced EMG activity or its inhibition by jejunal distension. The nicotinic antagonist hexamethonium suppressed phasic contractile activity in the jejunum, had only a small effect on the inhibition of visceromotor response by jejunal distension. It is concluded that signals that arise from skin pinch and colorectal distension converge in the central nervous system with pathways that are activated by jejunal spinal afferents; the jejunal signals strongly inhibit the abdominal motor activity evoked by noxious stimuli.

  11. Projecting sensations to external objects: evidence from skin conductance response.

    PubMed

    Armel, K Carrie; Ramachandran, V S

    2003-07-22

    Subjects perceived touch sensations as arising from a table (or a rubber hand) when both the table (or the rubber hand) and their own real hand were repeatedly tapped and stroked in synchrony with the real hand hidden from view. If the table or rubber hand was then 'injured', subjects displayed a strong skin conductance response (SCR) even though nothing was done to the real hand. Sensations could even be projected to anatomically impossible locations. The illusion was much less vivid, as indicated by subjective reports and SCR, if the real hand was simultaneously visible during stroking, or if the real hand was hidden but touched asynchronously. The fact that the illusion could be significantly diminished when the real hand was simultaneously visible suggests that the illusion and associated SCRs were due to perceptual assimilation of the table (or rubber hand) into one's body image rather than associative conditioning. These experiments demonstrate the malleability of body image and the brain's remarkable capacity for detecting statistical correlations in the sensory input.

  12. Projecting sensations to external objects: evidence from skin conductance response.

    PubMed Central

    Armel, K Carrie; Ramachandran, V S

    2003-01-01

    Subjects perceived touch sensations as arising from a table (or a rubber hand) when both the table (or the rubber hand) and their own real hand were repeatedly tapped and stroked in synchrony with the real hand hidden from view. If the table or rubber hand was then 'injured', subjects displayed a strong skin conductance response (SCR) even though nothing was done to the real hand. Sensations could even be projected to anatomically impossible locations. The illusion was much less vivid, as indicated by subjective reports and SCR, if the real hand was simultaneously visible during stroking, or if the real hand was hidden but touched asynchronously. The fact that the illusion could be significantly diminished when the real hand was simultaneously visible suggests that the illusion and associated SCRs were due to perceptual assimilation of the table (or rubber hand) into one's body image rather than associative conditioning. These experiments demonstrate the malleability of body image and the brain's remarkable capacity for detecting statistical correlations in the sensory input. PMID:12965016

  13. Outdoor comfort study in Rio de Janeiro: site-related context effects on reported thermal sensation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krüger, E.; Drach, P.; Broede, P.

    2017-03-01

    Aimed at climate-responsive urban design for tropical areas, the paper attempts to answer the question whether the site-related context affects in some way the perceptual assessment of the microclimate by users of outdoor spaces. Our hypothesis was that visual cues resulting from urban design are important components of the outdoor thermal perception. Monitoring was carried out alongside the administration of standard comfort questionnaires throughout summer periods in 2012-2015 in pedestrian areas of downtown Rio de Janeiro (22° 54 10 S, 43° 12 27 W), Brazil. Campaigns took place at different points, pre-defined in respect of urban geometry attributes. For the measurements, a Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station was employed to which a gray globe thermometer was attached. Two thermal indices were used for assessing the overall meteorological conditions and comfort levels in the outdoor locations: physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and universal thermal climate index (UTCI). Our results suggest that thermal sensation in Rio depends to a large extent on the thermal environment as described by air temperature, PET, or UTCI, and that urban geometry (expressed by the sky-view factor (SVF)) may modify this relationship with increased building density associated to warmer sensation votes under moderate heat stress conditions. This relationship however reverses under strong heat stress with warmer sensations in less obstructed locations, and disappears completely under still higher heat stress, where meteorological conditions, and not the site's SVF, will drive thermal sensation.

  14. Color of hot soup modulates postprandial satiety, thermal sensation, and body temperature in young women.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Maki; Kimura, Rie; Kido, Yasue; Inoue, Tomoko; Moritani, Toshio; Nagai, Narumi

    2017-07-01

    The color of food is known to modulate not only consumers' motivation to eat, but also thermal perception. Here we investigated whether the colors of hot soup can influence thermal sensations and body temperature, in addition to the food acceptability and appetite. Twelve young female participants consumed commercial white potage soup, modified to yellow or blue by adding food dyes, at 9 a.m. on 3 separated days. During the test, visual impression (willingness to eat, palatability, comfort, warmth, and anxiety) and thermal sensations were self-reported using visual analog scales. Core (intra-aural) and peripheral (toe) temperatures were continuously recorded 10 min before and 60 min after ingestion. Blue soup significantly decreased willingness to eat, palatability, comfort, and warmth ratings, and significantly increased anxiety feelings compared to the white and yellow soups. After ingestion, the blue soup showed significantly smaller satiety ratings and the tendency of lower thermal sensation scores of the whole body compared to the white and yellow soups. Moreover, a significantly greater increase in toe temperature was found with the yellow soup than the white or blue soup. In conclusion, this study provides new evidence that the colors of hot food may modulate postprandial satiety, thermal sensations and peripheral temperature. Such effects of color may be useful for dietary strategies for individuals who need to control their appetite. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Outdoor comfort study in Rio de Janeiro: site-related context effects on reported thermal sensation.

    PubMed

    Krüger, E; Drach, P; Broede, P

    2017-03-01

    Aimed at climate-responsive urban design for tropical areas, the paper attempts to answer the question whether the site-related context affects in some way the perceptual assessment of the microclimate by users of outdoor spaces. Our hypothesis was that visual cues resulting from urban design are important components of the outdoor thermal perception. Monitoring was carried out alongside the administration of standard comfort questionnaires throughout summer periods in 2012-2015 in pedestrian areas of downtown Rio de Janeiro (22° 54 10 S, 43° 12 27 W), Brazil. Campaigns took place at different points, pre-defined in respect of urban geometry attributes. For the measurements, a Davis Vantage Pro2 weather station was employed to which a gray globe thermometer was attached. Two thermal indices were used for assessing the overall meteorological conditions and comfort levels in the outdoor locations: physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and universal thermal climate index (UTCI). Our results suggest that thermal sensation in Rio depends to a large extent on the thermal environment as described by air temperature, PET, or UTCI, and that urban geometry (expressed by the sky-view factor (SVF)) may modify this relationship with increased building density associated to warmer sensation votes under moderate heat stress conditions. This relationship however reverses under strong heat stress with warmer sensations in less obstructed locations, and disappears completely under still higher heat stress, where meteorological conditions, and not the site's SVF, will drive thermal sensation.

  16. Detection of Optogenetic Stimulation in Somatosensory Cortex by Non-Human Primates - Towards Artificial Tactile Sensation

    PubMed Central

    Brush, Benjamin; Borton, David; Wagner, Fabien; Agha, Naubahar; Sheinberg, David L.; Nurmikko, Arto V.

    2014-01-01

    Neuroprosthesis research aims to enable communication between the brain and external assistive devices while restoring lost functionality such as occurs from stroke, spinal cord injury or neurodegenerative diseases. In future closed-loop sensorimotor prostheses, one approach is to use neuromodulation as direct stimulus to the brain to compensate for a lost sensory function and help the brain to integrate relevant information for commanding external devices via, e.g. movement intention. Current neuromodulation techniques rely mainly of electrical stimulation. Here we focus specifically on the question of eliciting a biomimetically relevant sense of touch by direct stimulus of the somatosensory cortex by introducing optogenetic techniques as an alternative to electrical stimulation. We demonstrate that light activated opsins can be introduced to target neurons in the somatosensory cortex of non-human primates and be optically activated to create a reliably detected sensation which the animal learns to interpret as a tactile sensation localized within the hand. The accomplishment highlighted here shows how optical stimulation of a relatively small group of mostly excitatory somatosensory neurons in the nonhuman primate brain is sufficient for eliciting a useful sensation from data acquired by simultaneous electrophysiology and from behavioral metrics. In this first report to date on optically neuromodulated behavior in the somatosensory cortex of nonhuman primates we do not yet dissect the details of the sensation the animals exerience or contrast it to those evoked by electrical stimulation, issues of considerable future interest. PMID:25541938

  17. Time-Dependent Effects of Acute Exercise on University Students’ Cognitive Performance in Temperate and Cold Environments

    PubMed Central

    Ji, Ling-Yu; Li, Xiao-Ling; Liu, Yang; Sun, Xiu-Wen; Wang, Hui-Fen; Chen, Long; Gao, Liang

    2017-01-01

    Background: Few studies have examined the acute exercise-induced changes in cognitive performance in different thermal environments and the time course effects. Objective: Investigate the time-dependent effects of acute exercise on university students’ processing speed, working memory and cognitive flexibility in temperate and cold environments. Method: Twenty male university students (age 23.5 ± 2.0 years) with moderate physical activity level participated in a repeated-measures within-subjects design. Processing speed, working memory and cognitive flexibility were assessed using CogState test battery at baseline (BASE), followed by a 45-min rest (REST), immediately after (EX) and 30 min after (POST-EX) 30-min moderate-intensity treadmill running in both temperate (TEMP; 25°C) and cold (COLD; 10°C) environments. Mean skin temperature (MST) and thermal sensation (TS) were also recorded. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed to analyze each variable. Spearman’s rho was used to identify the correlations between MST, TS and cognitive performance. Results: Reaction time (RT) of processing speed and working memory decreased immediately after exercise in both conditions (processing speed: p = 0.003; working memory: p = 0.007). The facilitating effects on processing speed disappeared within 30 min after exercise in TEMP (p = 0.163) and COLD (p = 0.667), while improvements on working memory remained 30 min after exercise in TEMP (p = 0.047), but not in COLD (p = 0.663). Though RT of cognitive flexibility reduced in both conditions (p = 0.003), no significance was found between EX and REST (p = 0.135). Increased MST and TS were significantly associated with reductions in processing speed RT (MST: r = -0.341, p < 0.001; TS: r = -0.262, p = 0.001) and working memory RT (MST: r = -0.282, p < 0.001; TS: r = -0.2229, p = 0.005), and improvements in working memory accuracy (MST: r = 0.249, p = 0.002; TS: r = 0.255, p = 0.001). Conclusion: The results demonstrate

  18. Anterior vaginal introitoplasty for an acquired sensation of wide vagina: a case report and new surgical intervention.

    PubMed

    Ostrzenski, Adam

    2014-01-01

    A vaginal introital defect case and its symptomatology have never been published before. The objective of this presentation was to describe symptoms associated with an acquired sensation of wide vagina and to present a new surgical treatment for anterior vaginal introital defects. A 42-year-old, Caucasian woman, G4P4013, presented with a sensation of wide vagina at the vaginal opening and a history of colpoperineoplasty, without mesh, for the same condition 4 years prior. Clinical evaluation documented anterior vaginal introital defects and the absence of vaginal site-specific defects. Reconstruction of a vaginal introital defect was completed without complications. Surgical resolution of symptoms and signs of this condition were noted. Anterior vaginal introitoplasty can assist in the management of an acquired sensation of wide vagina.

  19. [Quantification of the gnostic sensitivity via measurement of the vibration threshold and of finger tip sensation].

    PubMed

    Oosterhuis, H J; Bouwsma, C; van Halsema, B; Hollander, R A; Kros, C J; Tombroek, I

    1992-10-03

    Quantification of vibration perception and fingertip sensation in routine neurological examination. Neurological Clinic, University Hospital, Groningen, the Netherlands. Prospective, controlled investigation. Vibration perception and fingertip sensation were quantified in a large group of normal control persons of various ages and in neurological patients and compared with the usual sensory tests at routine neurological examination. The vibration perception limit was measured with a biothesiometer without accelerometer, the fingertip sensation with a device for two-point discrimination slightly modified according to Renfrew ('Renfrew meter'). Concordance of the tests was studied by calculating kappa values. The normal values of both sensory qualities had a log-normal distribution and increased with age. The values obtained with the Renfrew meter correlated well with those of the two-point discrimination and stereognosis but were systematically higher than those indicated by Renfrew. Both methods appear useful at routine neurological examination if certain measuring precautions are taken.

  20. Cold-induced vasodilation during single digit immersion in 0°C and 8°C water in men and women.

    PubMed

    Tyler, Christopher James; Reeve, Tom; Cheung, Stephen S

    2015-01-01

    The present study compared the thermal responses of the finger to 0 and 8°C water immersion, two commonly used temperatures for cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) research. On two separate and counterbalanced occasions 15 male and 15 female participants immersed their index finger in 20°C water for 5 min followed by either 0 or 8°C water for 30 min. Skin temperature, cardiovascular and perceptual data were recorded. Secondary analyses were performed between sexes and comparing 0.5, 1 and 4°C CIVD amplitude thresholds. With a 0.5°C threshold, CIVD waves were more prevalent in 8°C (2 (1-3) than in 0°C (1.5 (0-3)), but the amplitude was lower (4.0 ± 2.3 v 9.2 ± 4.0°C). Mean, minimum and maximum finger temperatures were lower in 0°C during the 30 min immersion, and CIVD onset and peak time occurred later in 0°C. Thermal sensation was lower and pain sensation was higher in 0°C. There were no differences between males and females in any of the physiological or CIVD data with the exception of SBP, which was higher in males. Females reported feeling higher thermal sensations in 8°C and lower pain sensations in 0°C and 8°C compared to males. Fewer CIVD responses were observed when using a 4°C (1 (0-3)) threshold to quantify a CIVD wave compared to using a 1°C (2 (0-3)) or 0.5°C (2 (0-3)) amplitude. In conclusion, both 0 and 8 °C can elicit CIVD but 8°C may be more suitable when looking to optimise the number of CIVD waves while minimising participant discomfort. The CIVD response to water immersion does not appear to be influenced by sex. Researchers should consider the amplitude threshold that was used to determine a CIVD wave when interpreting previous data.

  1. The Influence of Sensation-Seeking and Parental and Peer Influences in Early Adolescence on Risk Involvement through Middle Adolescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Bo; Deveaux, Lynette; Lunn, Sonja; Dinaj-Koci, Veronica; Li, Xiaoming; Stanton, Bonita

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the relationships between youth and parental sensation-seeking, peer influence, parental monitoring and youth risk involvement in adolescence using structural equation modeling. Beginning in Grade 6, longitudinal data were collected from 543 students over 3 years. Youth sensation-seeking in Grade 6 contributed to risk…

  2. Phantom rectal sensations following abdominoperineal excision of the rectum (APER) and vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (VRAM) flap perineal reconstruction.

    PubMed

    Gould, Charlotte R; Branagan, Graham

    2016-11-01

    Phantom rectum is the sensation of an intact and/or functioning rectum, despite excision at surgery. Abdominoperineal excision of the rectum (APER) may be complemented by reconstructive operations and recently it was reported that patients undergoing APER and vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (VRAM) flap reconstruction are more prone to develop phantom sensations at an earlier timeframe and have more persistent symptoms than those who do not have perineal repairs. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of phantom rectal sensations in a cohort of these patients. Patients who underwent APER and VRAM flap reconstruction for anorectal carcinomas were identified from May 2008 to July 2012. Patients completed a questionnaire evaluating their experience of rectal symptoms post-surgery. Thirty-four of 47 eligible patients were enrolled in the study. PR sensations were experienced by 50 % of patients, the majority of which (65 %) were present for >1 year. The commonest sensation reported was the feeling of faeces in a normal rectum (24 %). Disturbances in quality of life were apparent in 44 %; notably, sleep was affected, patients expressed increased feelings of stress/sadness, heightened levels of anxiety and limitation of daily activities as consequences of PR symptoms. Few patients sought medical advice. Fifty percent of patients experience PR sensations post-surgery, comparable with reported data for patients who have undergone APER alone. The addition of VRAM reconstruction does not significantly alter the prevalence of PR symptoms. This paper provides further evidence that phantom rectum occurs frequently and thus all patients undergoing excision of the rectum should be counselled appropriately.

  3. Sexual sensation seeking, transactional sex, and rural African American cocaine users

    PubMed Central

    Gullette, Donna; Booth, Brenda M.; Wright, Patricia B.; Montgomery, Brooke E. E.; Stewart, Katharine E.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore correlates of sexual sensation seeking (SSS) in a sample of rural African American cocaine users. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 251 participants from two impoverished rural counties in eastern Arkansas. Consistent with previous investigations, SSS scores were associated with being younger, being male, having more sexual partners, and having more unprotected sexual encounters in the previous 30 days. Multiple regression revealed SSS was correlated with number of oral sex acts, transactional sex (exchanging sex for food, shelter, drugs, money, or other commodities), and Addiction Severity Index (ASI) drug composite. SSS continues to demonstrate a strong association with sexual risk behaviors in diverse populations, including vulnerable groups like this community. Interventions to reduce unsafe sexual behaviors among high-risk groups, including drug users and individuals who engage in transactional sex, should incorporate approaches that include high sensation seekers' needs for novelty and variety. PMID:24070647

  4. Neuronal hyperexcitability in the ventral posterior thalamus of neuropathic rats: modality selective effects of pregabalin

    PubMed Central

    Dickenson, Anthony H.

    2016-01-01

    Neuropathic pain represents a substantial clinical challenge; understanding the underlying neural mechanisms and back-translation of therapeutics could aid targeting of treatments more effectively. The ventral posterior thalamus (VP) is the major termination site for the spinothalamic tract and relays nociceptive activity to the somatosensory cortex; however, under neuropathic conditions, it is unclear how hyperexcitability of spinal neurons converges onto thalamic relays. This study aimed to identify neural substrates of hypersensitivity and the influence of pregabalin on central processing. In vivo electrophysiology was performed to record from VP wide dynamic range (WDR) and nociceptive-specific (NS) neurons in anesthetized spinal nerve-ligated (SNL), sham-operated, and naive rats. In neuropathic rats, WDR neurons had elevated evoked responses to low- and high-intensity punctate mechanical stimuli, dynamic brushing, and innocuous and noxious cooling, but less so to heat stimulation, of the receptive field. NS neurons in SNL rats also displayed increased responses to noxious punctate mechanical stimulation, dynamic brushing, noxious cooling, and noxious heat. Additionally, WDR, but not NS, neurons in SNL rats exhibited substantially higher rates of spontaneous firing, which may correlate with ongoing pain. The ratio of WDR-to-NS neurons was comparable between SNL and naive/sham groups, suggesting relatively few NS neurons gain sensitivity to low-intensity stimuli leading to a “WDR phenotype.” After neuropathy was induced, the proportion of cold-sensitive WDR and NS neurons increased, supporting the suggestion that changes in frequency-dependent firing and population coding underlie cold hypersensitivity. In SNL rats, pregabalin inhibited mechanical and heat responses but not cold-evoked or elevated spontaneous activity. PMID:27098028

  5. Neuronal hyperexcitability in the ventral posterior thalamus of neuropathic rats: modality selective effects of pregabalin.

    PubMed

    Patel, Ryan; Dickenson, Anthony H

    2016-07-01

    Neuropathic pain represents a substantial clinical challenge; understanding the underlying neural mechanisms and back-translation of therapeutics could aid targeting of treatments more effectively. The ventral posterior thalamus (VP) is the major termination site for the spinothalamic tract and relays nociceptive activity to the somatosensory cortex; however, under neuropathic conditions, it is unclear how hyperexcitability of spinal neurons converges onto thalamic relays. This study aimed to identify neural substrates of hypersensitivity and the influence of pregabalin on central processing. In vivo electrophysiology was performed to record from VP wide dynamic range (WDR) and nociceptive-specific (NS) neurons in anesthetized spinal nerve-ligated (SNL), sham-operated, and naive rats. In neuropathic rats, WDR neurons had elevated evoked responses to low- and high-intensity punctate mechanical stimuli, dynamic brushing, and innocuous and noxious cooling, but less so to heat stimulation, of the receptive field. NS neurons in SNL rats also displayed increased responses to noxious punctate mechanical stimulation, dynamic brushing, noxious cooling, and noxious heat. Additionally, WDR, but not NS, neurons in SNL rats exhibited substantially higher rates of spontaneous firing, which may correlate with ongoing pain. The ratio of WDR-to-NS neurons was comparable between SNL and naive/sham groups, suggesting relatively few NS neurons gain sensitivity to low-intensity stimuli leading to a "WDR phenotype." After neuropathy was induced, the proportion of cold-sensitive WDR and NS neurons increased, supporting the suggestion that changes in frequency-dependent firing and population coding underlie cold hypersensitivity. In SNL rats, pregabalin inhibited mechanical and heat responses but not cold-evoked or elevated spontaneous activity. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  6. Experimental hypervigilance changes the intensity/unpleasantness ratio of pressure sensations: evidence for the generalized hypervigilance hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Hollins, Mark; Walters, Sloan

    2016-06-01

    Patients with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia often demonstrate hypervigilance-undue alertness for unpleasant or threatening bodily sensations-as well as enhancement of these sensations. The generalized hypervigilance hypothesis (GHH) of Rollman and colleagues asserts that hypervigilance leads to this perceptual amplification. However, cause-and-effect relationships are difficult to establish in studies using a quasi-experimental design. In the present study, we sought to address this issue by attempting to induce hypervigilance experimentally, in one of two groups to which young, healthy adults had been randomly assigned. Those in the experimental group wrote about the flu and practiced counting their own blinks, breaths, and heartbeats; those in the control group wrote about a neutral topic and counted innocuous lights and sounds. Next, both groups rated the intensity and unpleasantness of pressure sensations (ranging from mild to painful) caused by a series of applications of a weighted rod to the forearm. The intensity/unpleasantness ratio of these ratings was significantly greater in the experimental group, suggesting that induced hypervigilance had caused perceptual amplification that generalized to pressure sensations, which had not been part of the experimental manipulation. Psychometric measures of anxiety and catastrophizing were equivalent in the two groups, indicating that the experimental manipulation operated via attentional rather than emotional changes. The results support the GHH.

  7. The effect of time of day on cold water ingestion by high-level swimmers in a tropical climate.

    PubMed

    Hue, Olivier; Monjo, Roland; Lazzaro, Marc; Baillot, Michelle; Hellard, Philippe; Marlin, Laurent; Jean-Etienne, A

    2013-07-01

    The authors tested the effect of cold water ingestion during high-intensity training in the morning vs the evening on both core temperature (TC) and thermal perceptions of internationally ranked long-distance swimmers during a training period in a tropical climate. Nine internationally ranked long-distance swimmers (5 men and 4 women) performed 4 randomized training sessions (2 in the evening and 2 in the morning) with 2 randomized beverages with different temperatures for 3 consecutive days. After a standardized warm-up of 1000 m, the subjects performed a standardized training session that consisted of 10 x 100 m (start every 1'20″) at a fixed velocity. The swimmers were then followed for the next 3000 m of the training schedule. Heart rate (HR) was continuously monitored during the 10 x 100 m, whereas TC, thermal comfort, and thermal sensation (TS) were measured before and after each 1000-m session. Before and after each 1000 m, the swimmers were asked to drink 190 mL of neutral (26.5 ± 2.5°C) or cold (1.3 ± 0.3°C) water packaged in standardized bottles. Results demonstrated that cold water ingestion induced a significant effect on TC, with a pronounced decrease in the evening, resulting in significantly lower mean TC and lower mean delta TC in evening cold (EC) than in evening neutral (EN), concomitant with significantly lower TS in EC than in EN and a significant effect on exercise HR. Moreover, although TC increased significantly with time in MN, MC, and EN, TC was stabilized during exercise in EC. To conclude, we demonstrate that a cold beverage had a significant effect on TC, TS, and HR during training in high-level swimmers in a tropical climate, especially during evening training.

  8. The mediating role of social skills and sensation seeking in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and school adjustment in adolescents.

    PubMed

    Nikooyeh, Elika; Zarani, Fariba; Fathabadi, Jalil

    2017-08-01

    Drawing upon a sample of 400 female high school students in Tehran, Iran, the present study examines the mediating role of social skills and sensation seeking in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and school adjustment in adolescent girls. Statistical analysis revealed positive correlations between trait emotional intelligence and school adjustment; trait emotional intelligence and social skills; and social skills and school adjustment. The study also revealed a negative correlation between trait emotional intelligence and sensation seeking, as well as sensation seeking and school adjustment. In addition, the data provided a good fit to the hypothesized model of the mediating role of social skills and sensation seeking in the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and school adjustment. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Relationships Between Future Orientation, Impulsive Sensation Seeking, and Risk Behavior Among Adjudicated Adolescents

    PubMed Central

    Robbins, Reuben N.; Bryan, Angela

    2005-01-01

    Because of high levels of risk behavior, adjudicated adolescents are at high risk for negative health outcomes such as nicotine and drug addiction and sexually transmitted diseases. The goal of this article is to examine relationships between future orientation and impulsive-sensation-seeking personality constructs to risk behaviors among 300 adjudicated adolescents. Significant relationships between impulsive sensation seeking and future orientation were found for several risk behaviors. Individuals with more positive future orientation were less likely to use marijuana, hard drugs, alcohol during sex, had fewer alcohol problems, had lower levels of alcohol frequency and quantity of use, and perceived greater risks associated with such behaviors. Higher impulsivity reliably predicted alcohol problems, alcohol use, condom use, and cigarette smoking. PMID:16429605

  10. Experimental study of the influence of anticipated control on human thermal sensation and thermal comfort.

    PubMed

    Zhou, X; Ouyang, Q; Zhu, Y; Feng, C; Zhang, X

    2014-04-01

    To investigate whether occupants' anticipated control of their thermal environment can influence their thermal comfort and to explain why the acceptable temperature range in naturally ventilated environments is greater than that in air-conditioned environments, a series of experiments were conducted in a climate chamber in which the thermal environment remained the same but the psychological environment varied. The results of the experiments show that the ability to control the environment can improve occupants' thermal sensation and thermal comfort. Specifically, occupants' anticipated control decreased their thermal sensation vote (TSV) by 0.4-0.5 and improved their thermal comfort vote (TCV) by 0.3-0.4 in neutral-warm environment. This improvement was due exclusively to psychological factors. In addition, having to pay the cost of cooling had no significant influence on the occupants' thermal sensation and thermal comfort in this experiment. Thus, having the ability to control the thermal environment can improve occupants' comfort even if there is a monetary cost involved. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. The Enantioselectivity of Odor Sensation: Some Examples for Undergraduate Chemistry Courses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kraft, Philip; Mannschreck, Albrecht

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses seven chiral odorants that demonstrate the enantioselectivity of odor sensation: carvone, Celery Ketone, camphor, Florhydral, 3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, muscone, and methyl jasmonate. After a general introduction of the odorant-receptor interaction and the combinatorial code of olfaction, the olfactory properties of the…

  12. Risk Recognition and Sensation Seeking in Revictimization and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Volkert, Jana; Randjbar, Sarah; Moritz, Steffen; Jelinek, Lena

    2013-01-01

    Impaired risk recognition has been suggested to be associated with the risk for revictimization and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Moreover, risk behavior has been linked to high sensation seeking, which may also increase the probability of revictimization. A newly designed behavioral experiment with five audiotaped risk…

  13. Sensory Afferents Use Different Coding Strategies for Heat and Cold.

    PubMed

    Wang, Feng; Bélanger, Erik; Côté, Sylvain L; Desrosiers, Patrick; Prescott, Steven A; Côté, Daniel C; De Koninck, Yves

    2018-05-15

    Primary afferents transduce environmental stimuli into electrical activity that is transmitted centrally to be decoded into corresponding sensations. However, it remains unknown how afferent populations encode different somatosensory inputs. To address this, we performed two-photon Ca 2+ imaging from thousands of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in anesthetized mice while applying mechanical and thermal stimuli to hind paws. We found that approximately half of all neurons are polymodal and that heat and cold are encoded very differently. As temperature increases, more heating-sensitive neurons are activated, and most individual neurons respond more strongly, consistent with graded coding at population and single-neuron levels, respectively. In contrast, most cooling-sensitive neurons respond in an ungraded fashion, inconsistent with graded coding and suggesting combinatorial coding, based on which neurons are co-activated. Although individual neurons may respond to multiple stimuli, our results show that different stimuli activate distinct combinations of diversely tuned neurons, enabling rich population-level coding. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. High resolution skin-like sensor capable of sensing and visualizing various sensations and three dimensional shape.

    PubMed

    Xu, Tianbai; Wang, Wenbo; Bian, Xiaolei; Wang, Xiaoxue; Wang, Xiaozhi; Luo, J K; Dong, Shurong

    2015-08-13

    Human skin contains multiple receptors, and is able to sense various stimuli such as temperature, pressure, force, corrosion etc, and to feel pains and the shape of objects. The development of skin-like sensors capable of sensing these stimuli is of great importance for various applications such as robots, touch detection, temperature monitoring, strain gauges etc. Great efforts have been made to develop high performance skin-like sensors, but they are far from perfect and much inferior to human skin as most of them can only sense one stimulus with focus on pressure (strain) or temperature, and are unable to visualize sensations and shape of objects. Here we report a skin-like sensor which imitates real skin with multiple receptors, and a new concept of pain sensation. The sensor with very high resolution not only has multiple sensations for touch, pressure, temperature, but also is able to sense various pains and reproduce the three dimensional shape of an object in contact.

  15. Cold plate

    DOEpatents

    Marroquin, Christopher M.; O'Connell, Kevin M.; Schultz, Mark D.; Tian, Shurong

    2018-02-13

    A cold plate, an electronic assembly including a cold plate, and a method for forming a cold plate are provided. The cold plate includes an interface plate and an opposing plate that form a plenum. The cold plate includes a plurality of active areas arranged for alignment over respective heat generating portions of an electronic assembly, and non-active areas between the active areas. A cooling fluid flows through the plenum. The plenum, at the non-active areas, has a reduced width and/or reduced height relative to the plenum at the active areas. The reduced width and/or height of the plenum, and exterior dimensions of cold plate, at the non-active areas allow the non-active areas to flex to accommodate surface variations of the electronics assembly. The reduced width and/or height non-active areas can be specifically shaped to fit between physical features of the electronics assembly.

  16. Presence seeking and sensation seeking as motives for international travel.

    PubMed

    Fontaine, G

    1994-12-01

    Although independent research has identified presence seeking and sensation seeking as important motives for a variety of activities, there is sufficient conceptual overlap to suggest the concepts describe in part the same motive or are related. The possible relationship was examined in motives of students for international travel. Nonsignificant correlations suggest that, at least for this activity, they are differentiable.

  17. [Addiction and personality traits: sensation seeking, anhedonia, impulsivity].

    PubMed

    Sarramon, C; Verdoux, H; Schmitt, L; Bourgeois, M

    1999-01-01

    This study presents the evaluation of three dimensional traits of personality (Sensation Seeking, Anhedonia, Impulsivity) among 65 patients admitted in a psychiatric ward, with or without addictive behaviors. Our objective is to establish that these personality traits are commun to all addictive behaviors and to test the hypothesis that high scores on the three scales are linked to a greater probability of presenting with addictive behaviors. The two most frequent types of addiction were alcoholism and drug abuse. The subjects presenting with one or several addictive behaviors had higher average scores on the three scales. Our results printed in the same direction for the subjects having shown an addictive behavior in their past history. The risk to present with an addictive behavior increased with the total scores of these self-report questionnaires. There was a significant relationship between 3 sub-dimensions on the Sensation Seeking Scale and addictive behavior. Each time sub-scores of boredom susceptibility, disinhibition and thrill and adventure rise by one, the risk to present with an addictive behavior is multiplied by 1.4 for the first two and by 1.3 for the third one. Subjects with high scores on the anhedonia and impulsivity scales respectively show a risk multiplied by 1.6 and 3.3 of developing an addictive behavior. These results of this transverse study confirm the link between addiction behavior and these three personality traits.

  18. Flammable and noxious gas sensing using a microtripolar electrode sensor with diameter and chirality sorted single-walled carbon nanotubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Shengbing; Duan, Zhe min; Zhang, Yong

    2013-08-01

    We report on the utilization of densely packed (˜10 SWCNTs µm-1), well-aligned arrays of single-chirality single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as an effective thin-film for integration into a gas sensor with a microtripolar electrode, based on field ionization by dielectrophoretic assembly from a monodisperse SWCNTs solution obtained by polymer-mediated sorting. The sensor is characterized as a field ionization electrode with sorted SWCNTs acting as both the sensing material and transducer gas concentrated directly into an electrical signal, an extractor serving to improve electric field uniformity and a collector electrode completing the current path. The gas sensing properties toward flammable and noxious gases, such as CO and H2, were investigated at room temperature. Besides the high sensitivity, the as-fabricated sensor exhibited attractive behaviors in terms of both the detection limit and a fast response, suggesting that our sensor could be used to partly circumvent the low sensing selectivity, long recovery time or irreversibility and allow for a preferential identification of the selected flammable and noxious analytes. Interestingly, the excellent sensing behaviors of the sensors based on the field ionization effect derive directly from the combined effects of the high-quality, low defect SWCNTs arrays, which leads to a small device-to-device variation in the properties and the optimization of electrode fabrication, highlighting the sensor as an appealing candidate in view of nanotube electronics.

  19. ConceFT for Time-Varying Heart Rate Variability Analysis as a Measure of Noxious Stimulation During General Anesthesia.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yu-Ting; Wu, Hau-Tieng

    2017-01-01

    Heart rate variability (HRV) offers a noninvasive way to peek into the physiological status of the human body. When this physiological status is dynamic, traditional HRV indices calculated from power spectrum do not resolve the dynamic situation due to the issue of nonstationarity. Clinical anesthesia is a typically dynamic situation that calls for time-varying HRV analysis. Concentration of frequency and time (ConceFT) is a nonlinear time-frequency (TF) analysis generalizing the multitaper technique and the synchrosqueezing transform. The result is a sharp TF representation capturing the dynamics inside HRV. Companion indices of the commonly applied HRV indices, including time-varying low-frequency power (tvLF), time-varying high-frequency power, and time-varying low-high ratio, are considered as measures of noxious stimulation. To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed indices, we apply these indices to study two different types of noxious stimulation, the endotracheal intubation and surgical skin incision, under general anesthesia. The performance was compared with traditional HRV indices, the heart rate reading, and indices from electroencephalography. The results indicate that the tvLF index performs best and outperforms not only the traditional HRV index, but also the commonly used heart rate reading. With the help of ConceFT, the proposed HRV indices are potential to provide a better quantification of the dynamic change of the autonomic nerve system. Our proposed scheme of time-varying HRV analysis could contribute to the clinical assessment of analgesia under general anesthesia.

  20. Thermal sensation and climate: a comparison of UTCI and PET thresholds in different climates.

    PubMed

    Pantavou, Katerina; Lykoudis, Spyridon; Nikolopoulou, Marialena; Tsiros, Ioannis X

    2018-06-07

    The influence of physiological acclimatization and psychological adaptation on thermal perception is well documented and has revealed the importance of thermal experience and expectation in the evaluation of environmental stimuli. Seasonal patterns of thermal perception have been studied, and calibrated thermal indices' scales have been proposed to obtain meaningful interpretations of thermal sensation indices in different climate regions. The current work attempts to quantify the contribution of climate to the long-term thermal adaptation by examining the relationship between climate normal annual air temperature (1971-2000) and such climate-calibrated thermal indices' assessment scales. The thermal sensation ranges of two thermal indices, the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature Index (PET), were calibrated for three warm temperate climate contexts (Cfa, Cfb, Csa), against the subjective evaluation of the thermal environment indicated by interviewees during field surveys conducted at seven European cities: Athens (GR), Thessaloniki (GR), Milan (IT), Fribourg (CH), Kassel (DE), Cambridge (UK), and Sheffield (UK), under the same research protocol. Then, calibrated scales for other climate contexts were added from the literature, and the relationship between the respective scales' thresholds and climate normal annual air temperature was examined. To maintain the maximum possible comparability, three methods were applied for the calibration, namely linear, ordinal, and probit regression. The results indicated that the calibrated UTCI and PET thresholds increase with the climate normal annual air temperature of the survey city. To investigate further climates, we also included in the analysis results of previous studies presenting only thresholds for neutral thermal sensation. The average increase of the respective thresholds in the case of neutral thermal sensation was about 0.6 °C for each 1 °C increase of the

  1. Thermal sensation and climate: a comparison of UTCI and PET thresholds in different climates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pantavou, Katerina; Lykoudis, Spyridon; Nikolopoulou, Marialena; Tsiros, Ioannis X.

    2018-06-01

    The influence of physiological acclimatization and psychological adaptation on thermal perception is well documented and has revealed the importance of thermal experience and expectation in the evaluation of environmental stimuli. Seasonal patterns of thermal perception have been studied, and calibrated thermal indices' scales have been proposed to obtain meaningful interpretations of thermal sensation indices in different climate regions. The current work attempts to quantify the contribution of climate to the long-term thermal adaptation by examining the relationship between climate normal annual air temperature (1971-2000) and such climate-calibrated thermal indices' assessment scales. The thermal sensation ranges of two thermal indices, the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and the Physiological Equivalent Temperature Index (PET), were calibrated for three warm temperate climate contexts (Cfa, Cfb, Csa), against the subjective evaluation of the thermal environment indicated by interviewees during field surveys conducted at seven European cities: Athens (GR), Thessaloniki (GR), Milan (IT), Fribourg (CH), Kassel (DE), Cambridge (UK), and Sheffield (UK), under the same research protocol. Then, calibrated scales for other climate contexts were added from the literature, and the relationship between the respective scales' thresholds and climate normal annual air temperature was examined. To maintain the maximum possible comparability, three methods were applied for the calibration, namely linear, ordinal, and probit regression. The results indicated that the calibrated UTCI and PET thresholds increase with the climate normal annual air temperature of the survey city. To investigate further climates, we also included in the analysis results of previous studies presenting only thresholds for neutral thermal sensation. The average increase of the respective thresholds in the case of neutral thermal sensation was about 0.6 °C for each 1 °C increase of the normal

  2. Cooperative interaction among the various regulatory sites within the NMDA receptor-channel complex in modulating the evoked responses to noxious thermal stimuli of spinal dorsal horn neurons in the cat.

    PubMed

    Song, X J; Zhao, Z Q

    1998-05-01

    Interactions among antagonists acting at different regulatory sites within the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-channel complex on the evoked responses to noxious thermal stimuli of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in spinal dorsal horn were studied on 21 adult anesthetized and spinalized cats. The responses of nociceptive spinal dorsal horn neurons to noxious heating (45-55 degrees C) of the glabrous skin of the unilateral hind paw were reduced markedly by iontophoretically applied antagonists. The specific recognition site antagonist, DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovaleratic acid (APV), the strychnine-insensitive glycine site antagonist 7-chlorokynurenic acid (7CKA), the polyamine site antagonist ifenprodil (IFEN), and the phencyclidine (PCP) site antagonists ketamine (KET) and MK-801 (40-100 nA) significantly reduced (t-tests, P < 0.01) the noxious thermal stimulus-evoked responses in about 70% of the neurons by (mean +/- SE) 54.1 +/- 5.8% (n = 19), 80.8 +/- 4.7% (n = 16), 51.1 +/- 6.4% (n = 10), 77 +/- 4.9% (n = 16) and 81.2 +/- 8.1% (n = 5), respectively. APV and IFEN were less effective in blocking noxious thermal stimuli-evoked responses than 7CKA, KET and MK-801 (ANOVA, P < 0.05). The responses were completely inhibited in some neurons. After co-administration of the antagonists, APV + 7CKA, APV + IFEN, 7CKA + IFEN, APV + KET and APV + MK-801, all at the subthreshold ejection current, the responses were reduced markedly in 13 of 16, 7 of 10, 5 of 10, 3 of 6 and 3 of 5 neurons, respectively. The present study suggests that blockage of any component of the NMDA receptor-channel complex antagonizes the NMDA receptor-mediated response, and that there are the cooperative interactions among the various regulatory sites within the NMDA receptor-channel complex in the transmission or modulation of spinal nociceptive thermal information.

  3. [Cold-induced urticaria].

    PubMed

    Delorme, N; Drouet, M; Thibaudeau, A; Verret, J L

    2002-09-01

    Cold urticaria is characterized by the development of urticaria, usually superficial and/or angioedematous reaction after cold contact. It was found predominantly in young women. The diagnosis is based on the history and ice cube test. Patients with a negative ice cube test may have represented systemic cold urticaria (atypical acquired cold urticaria) induced by general body cooling. The pathogenesis is poorly understood. Cold urticaria can be classified into acquired and familial disorders, with an autosomal dominant inheritance. Idiopathic cold urticaria is most common type but the research of a cryopathy is necessary. Therapy is often difficult. It is essential that the patient be warned of the dangers of swimming in cold water because systemic hypotension can occur. H1 antihistamines can be used for treatment of cold urticaria but the clinical responses are highly variable. The combination with an H2 antagonists is more effective. Doxepin may be useful in the treatment. Leukotriene receptor antagonists may be a novel, promising drug entity. In patients who do not respond to previous treatments, induction of cold tolerance may be tried.

  4. Identification of the visceral pain pathway activated by noxious colorectal distension in mice.

    PubMed

    Kyloh, Melinda; Nicholas, Sarah; Zagorodnyuk, Vladimir P; Brookes, Simon J; Spencer, Nick J

    2011-01-01

    In patients with irritable bowel syndrome, visceral pain is evoked more readily following distension of the colorectum. However, the identity of extrinsic afferent nerve pathway that detects and transmits visceral pain from the colorectum to the spinal cord is unclear. In this study, we identified which extrinsic nerve pathway(s) underlies nociception from the colorectum to the spinal cord of rodents. Electromyogram recordings were made from the transverse oblique abdominal muscles in anesthetized wild type (C57BL/6) mice and acute noxious intraluminal distension stimuli (100-120 mmHg) were applied to the terminal 15 mm of colorectum to activate visceromotor responses (VMRs). Lesioning the lumbar colonic nerves in vivo had no detectable effect on the VMRs evoked by colorectal distension. Also, lesions applied to the right or left hypogastric nerves failed to reduce VMRs. However, lesions applied to both left and right branches of the rectal nerves abolished VMRs, regardless of whether the lumbar colonic or hypogastric nerves were severed. Electrical stimulation applied to either the lumbar colonic or hypogastric nerves in vivo, failed to elicit a VMR. In contrast, electrical stimulation (2-5 Hz, 0.4 ms, 60 V) applied to the rectum reliably elicited VMRs, which were abolished by selective lesioning of the rectal nerves. DiI retrograde labeling from the colorectum (injection sites 9-15 mm from the anus, measured in unstretched preparations) labeled sensory neurons primarily in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the lumbosacral region of the spinal cord (L6-S1). In contrast, injection of DiI into the mid to proximal colon (injection sites 30-75 mm from the anus, measured in unstretched preparations) labeled sensory neurons in DRG primarily of the lower thoracic level (T6-L2) of the spinal cord. The visceral pain pathway activated by acute noxious distension of the terminal 15 mm of mouse colorectum is transmitted predominantly, if not solely, through rectal

  5. Characteristics of attention-related body sensations. Temporal stability and associations with measures of body focus, affect, sustained attention, and heart rate variability.

    PubMed

    Tihanyi, Benedek T; Ferentzi, Eszter; Köteles, Ferenc

    2017-09-01

    This study investigated the temporal stability and correlates of attention-related body sensations that emerge without external stimulation during rest and due to focused attention on a body part. To assess attention-related body sensations, participants were asked to focus on a freely chosen body area with closed eyes, and had to report whether the sensation of that area had changed. Self-report questionnaires were used to assess various aspects of body focus (body awareness, body responsiveness, somatosensory amplification, subjective somatic symptoms), and positive and negative affectivity. Previous experiences in body-mind therapies were also measured. PEBL Continuous Performance Test was used to assess sustained attention. Heart rate variability scores were based on a 3-minute long resting heart rate measurement. Fifty-eight university students (22.3 ± 3.95 years; 34 females) participated in the study. The stability of attention-related body sensations was measured 8 weeks later on a randomly chosen sub-group (n = 28). Attention-related body sensations showed a mediocre temporal stability (r ρ  = 0.47, p = 0.012). People reporting attention-related body sensations showed significantly higher body awareness, somatosensory amplification, and resting heart rate; and marginally higher somatic symptoms. No relation was found with body-mind practice, body responsiveness, positive and negative affect, the vagal component of heart rate variability, and performance in the sustained attention task. Attention-related sensations are relatively stable over time. They are connected to some, but not to all of the aspects of body focus. Further studies are needed to elaborate the influencing stable and situational factors.

  6. Frequency steps and compositions determine properties of nee- dling sensation during electroacupuncture.

    PubMed

    Xuan, Chen; Xiaoran, Ye; Suying, Ge; Zhifang, Yao; Xiaoqing, Huang

    2015-04-01

    To investigate the relationship of electro-parameters and the electroacupuncture sensation (EAS), which is thought to be an important factor for optimal treatment. The frequency steps and compositions of three frequently used electrical stimulations were set when the switch of the electroacupuncture apparatus was turned to the second or third grade of the dense-disperse frequency wave (DD2 and DD3, respectively) or the second grade of the continuous wave (C2). Three groups of patients according to the three electroacupuncture stimulations were divided again into three sub-groups according to the stimulated acupoints: the face acupoint Quanliao (SI 18), the upper-limb acupoint Quchi (LI 11) and the back acupoint Dachangshu (BL 25). The EAS values were measured every 5 min during 30 min electroacupuncture treatments using a visual analogue scale. The frequency compositions of the three electroacupuncture stimulations were 3.3 and 33 Hz, 12.5 and 66.7 Hz, and 3.3 and 3.3 Hz; each frequency step was 30, 54 and 0 Hz, respectively. In each sub-group of the C2 group, the EAS values from 10 to 30 min were significantly weaker than at 0 min. The sensation fluctuations in the DD2 and DD3 groups were different during the 30 min. The greater the frequency step of the electroacupuncture stimulation, the longer the needling sensation lasted. The electroacupuncture stimulations of the DD3 group were unsuitable for the facial acupoint because of its painful and uncomfortable EAS, but more suitable for the back acupoint.

  7. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of polyethylene glycol effects on fasting and postprandial rectal sensitivity and symptoms in hypersensitive constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

    PubMed

    Awad, R A; Camacho, S

    2010-11-01

    To assess the effect of polyethylene glycol 3350 (PEG) on fasting and postprandial (PP) perception of rectal distension and symptoms in hypersensitive constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-C). Forty-two patients meeting Rome II criteria for IBS-C and with a pain threshold of < 32 mmHg were included in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients received either oral PEG, 3.45 g t.i.d. orally for 30 days or placebo. Rectal sensitivity was assessed before and after treatment with a barostat using the ascending method of limits, during basal and PP periods. No changes in fasting and PP rectal tone and thresholds for first sensation, gas sensation, urge to defecate, and pain was observed with PEG in relation to placebo. In both groups, pressure at which patients crossed the thresholds for noxious (PEG: from 28 ± 8.8 to 22 ± 6.9 mmHg) and non noxious (PEG: from 16 ± 4.9 to 12 ± 3.6 mmHg) stimuli decreased compared with pretreatment values. PEG improved consistency of faeces and showed a trend to diminish blood in faeces. PEG and placebo increased bowel movements per week (P < 0.001), and relieved symptoms without significant side-effects. Both PEG 3350 and placebo were clinically useful in patients with IBS-C, an effect that cannot be explained by changes in rectal tone and sensation. The results support the concept that visceral sensitivity is not stable and has a heterogeneous response to drugs, and suggest the existence of a post healing hypersensitivity state. © 2010 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2010 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  8. Histological Correlates of Penile Sexual Sensation: Does Circumcision Make a Difference?

    PubMed Central

    Cox, Guy; Krieger, John N; Morris, Brian J

    2015-01-01

    Introduction The question of whether removal of sensory receptors in the prepuce by circumcision affects sensitivity and/or sexual pleasure is often debated. Aims To examine histological correlates relevant to penile sensitivity and sexual pleasure. Methods Systematic review of the scientific literature on penile structures that might affect sensitivity and sexual sensation. Articles were included if they contained original data on human male penile histology or anatomy. Individual articles, including reference lists, were evaluated. They were then considered in relation to physiological data from articles retrieved by a previous systematic review. Results We retrieved 41 publications on penile structure. Considered in the light of 12 reporting physiological measurements, our evaluation finds that sexual response is unlikely to involve Meissner’s corpuscles, whose density in the prepuce diminishes at the time of life when male sexual activity is increasing. Free nerve endings also show no correlation with sexual response. Because tactile sensitivity of the glans decreases with sexual arousal, it is unrelated to sexual sensation. Thermal sensitivity seems part of the reward mechanism of intercourse. Vibrational sensitivity is not related to circumcision status. Observations that penile sexual sensation is higher post circumcision are consistent with greater access of genital corpuscles to sexual stimuli after removal of the prepuce. This is based on the distribution of these corpuscles (which are located in the glans) and, in uncircumcised men, the position of the retracted prepuce during intercourse, rather than any change in the number of genital corpuscles. The scientific literature suggests that any sexual effect of circumcised men may depend solely on exposure of the glans and not on the absence of the prepuce. Conclusion Based on histological findings and correlates of sexual function, loss of the prepuce by circumcision would appear to have no adverse

  9. Restoring tactile and erogenous penile sensation in low-spinal-lesion patients: procedural and technical aspects following 43 TOMAX nerve transfer procedures.

    PubMed

    Overgoor, Max L E; de Jong, Tom P V M; Kon, Moshe

    2014-08-01

    The "TOMAX" (TO MAX-imize sensation, sexuality, and quality of life) procedure restores genital sensation in men with low spinal lesions, improving sexual health, as shown previously. It connects the dorsal nerve of the penis to the intact ipsilateral ilioinguinal nerve, unilaterally or bilaterally. This study reports on the technical aspects based on 43 TOMAX nerve transfers. In 40 patients with no penile but intact groin sensation, 43 nerve transfers were performed. Data on patient selection, surgical history, anatomy of the ilioinguinal nerve and dorsal nerve of the penis, unilateral or bilateral surgery, surgical technique, complications, and patient information were collected prospectively. Regardless of origin, all patients with no penile but good groin sensation are eligible for the procedure, provided the ilioinguinal nerve is not damaged because of former inguinal surgery or absent because of anatomical variations. Selection of a unilateral or bilateral procedure depends on the presence or absence of reflex erections and bulbocavernosus reflex. Preliminary experience with the first three bilateral cases shows that it is technically feasible, with encouraging results. The surgical technique has evolved (described in detail, including video) to enhance outcome and reduce complications. Patients are better informed, resulting in realistic expectations. This article synthesizes the procedural and technical experience of 43 TOMAX nerve transfers. Anyone skilled in peripheral nerve surgery and microsurgery can adopt this concept and further develop it. The TOMAX procedure can then be used to restore erogenous penile sensation and improve the quality of sexual health in patients with absent penile but good groin sensation.

  10. Cold urticaria. Dissociation of cold-evoked histamine release and urticara following cold challenge.

    PubMed

    Keahey, T M; Greaves, M W

    1980-02-01

    Nine patients with acquired cold urticaria were studied to assess the effects of beta-adrenergic agents, xanthines, and corticosteroids on cold-evoked histamine release from skin in vivo. The patients, in all of whom an immediate urticarial response developed after cooling of the forearm, demonstrated release of histamine into the venous blood draining that forearm. Following treatment with aminophylline and albuterol in combination or prednisone alone, suppression of histamine release occurred in all but one patient. In some patients, this was accompanied by a subjective diminution in pruritus or buring, but there was no significant improvement in the ensuing edema or erythema. In one patient, total suppression of histamine release was achieved without any effect on whealing and erythema in response to cold challenge. Our results suggest that histamine is not central to the pathogenesis of vascular changes in acquired cold urticaria.

  11. A cross-species translational pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic evaluation of core body temperature reduction by the TRPM8 blocker PF-05105679.

    PubMed

    Gosset, James R; Beaumont, Kevin; Matsuura, Tomomi; Winchester, Wendy; Attkins, Neil; Glatt, Sophie; Lightbown, Ian; Ulrich, Kristina; Roberts, Sonia; Harris, Jolie; Mesic, Emir; van Steeg, Tamara; Hijdra, Diana; van der Graaf, Piet H

    2017-11-15

    PF-05105679 is a moderately potent TRPM8 blocker which has been evaluated for the treatment of cold pain sensitivity. The TRPM8 channel is responsible for the sensation of cold environmental temperatures and has been implicated in regulation of core body temperature. Consequently, blockade of TRPM8 has been suggested to result in lowering of core body temperature. As part of the progression to human studies, the effect of PF-05105679 on core body temperature has been investigated in animals. Safety pharmacology studies showed that PF-05105679 reduced core body temperature in a manner that was inversely related to body weight of the species tested (greater exposure to PF-05105679 was required to lower temperature by 1°C in higher species). Based on an allometric (body weight) relationship, it was hypothesized that PF-05105679 would not lower core body temperature in humans at exposures that could exhibit pharmacological effects on cold pain sensation. On administration to humans, PF-05105679 was indeed effective at reversing the cold pain sensation associated with the cold pressor test in the absence of effects on core body temperature. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Use of the Herb Gymnema sylvestre to Illustrate the Principles of Gustatory Sensation: An Undergraduate Neuroscience Laboratory Exercise.

    PubMed

    Schroeder, Joseph A; Flannery-Schroeder, Ellen

    2005-01-01

    The Indian herb Gymnema sylvestre has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for 2000 years, most recently for the treatment of diabetes. Loose leaf Gymnema sylvestre can be prepared as a tea and will impair the ability to taste sugar by blocking sweet receptors on the tongue. This report describes a laboratory exercise easily applied to an undergraduate neuroscience course that can be used to illustrate the principles of gustatory sensation. Combined with a preceding lecture on the primary taste sensations, students experience and appreciate how the primary tastes are combined to produce overall taste. In addition, the exercises outlined here expand upon previously published demonstrations employing Gymnema sylvestre to include illustrations of the different sensory transduction mechanisms associated with each of the four or five primary taste modalities. Students compare their qualitative primary taste experiences to salt, sugar, aspartame, chocolate, and sweet-sour candy prior to and following exposure to Gymnema sylvestre. The herb's impairment of sweet sensation is profound and dramatically alters the perception of sweetness in sugar, chocolate, and candy without altering the perception of the other primary tastes. The exercise has an indelible effect on students because the herb's intense effect compels students to rely on their unique personal experiences to highlight the principles of gustatory sensation.

  13. Use of the Herb Gymnema sylvestre to Illustrate the Principles of Gustatory Sensation: An Undergraduate Neuroscience Laboratory Exercise

    PubMed Central

    Schroeder, Joseph A.; Flannery-Schroeder, Ellen

    2005-01-01

    The Indian herb Gymnema sylvestre has been used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for 2000 years, most recently for the treatment of diabetes. Loose leaf Gymnema sylvestre can be prepared as a tea and will impair the ability to taste sugar by blocking sweet receptors on the tongue. This report describes a laboratory exercise easily applied to an undergraduate neuroscience course that can be used to illustrate the principles of gustatory sensation. Combined with a preceding lecture on the primary taste sensations, students experience and appreciate how the primary tastes are combined to produce overall taste. In addition, the exercises outlined here expand upon previously published demonstrations employing Gymnema sylvestre to include illustrations of the different sensory transduction mechanisms associated with each of the four or five primary taste modalities. Students compare their qualitative primary taste experiences to salt, sugar, aspartame, chocolate, and sweet-sour candy prior to and following exposure to Gymnema sylvestre. The herb’s impairment of sweet sensation is profound and dramatically alters the perception of sweetness in sugar, chocolate, and candy without altering the perception of the other primary tastes. The exercise has an indelible effect on students because the herb’s intense effect compels students to rely on their unique personal experiences to highlight the principles of gustatory sensation. PMID:23493970

  14. Seasonal differences in thermal sensation in the outdoor urban environment of Mediterranean climates - the example of Athens, Greece

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tseliou, Areti; Tsiros, Ioannis X.; Nikolopoulou, Marialena

    2017-07-01

    Outdoor urban areas are very important for cities and microclimate is a critical parameter in the design process, contributing to thermal comfort which is important for urban developments. The research presented in this paper is part of extensive field surveys conducted in Athens aimed at investigating people's thermal sensation in a Mediterranean city. Based on 2313 questionnaires and microclimatic data the current work focuses on the relative frequencies of people's evaluation of the thermal along with the sun and wind sensations between two seasons trying to identify the seasonal differences in thermal sensation. The impact of basic meteorological factors on thermal discomfort with respect to season are also examined, as well as the use of the outdoor environment. Results show that psychological adaptation is an important contributing factor influencing perception of the thermal environment between seasons. In addition, the thermal sensation votes during the cool months show that individuals are satisfied to a great extend with the thermal environment whereas the combination of high air temperature, strong solar radiation and weak wind lead to thermal discomfort during summertime. As far as the appropriate urban design in the Mediterranean climate is concerned, priority should be given to the warm months of the year.

  15. Effects of two kinds of underwear on metabolic heat production during 60 min recovery after 30 min severe exercise in the cold.

    PubMed

    Ha, M; Tokura, H; Gotoh, J; Holmér, I

    1998-09-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the thermophysiological significance of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of underwear materials under the influences of profuse sweating produced during severe exercise in the cold. Two kinds of underwear were used: two layers of cotton underwear with two-piece long-sleeved shirt and full-trousers (C), and two layers of polypropylene underwear with two-piece long-sleeved shirt and full-trousers (P). In addition, the subject put on a two-piece ski suit of 100% polyester including 100% polyester padding. Eight adult females volunteered as subjects in this study. The test was performed in a climatic chamber at an ambient air temperature of 2 degrees C and an air velocity of 0.26 m.s-1. The subject exercised on a cycle ergometer at an intensity of 65% maximal oxygen uptake for 30 min and followed by 60 min recovery. The major findings are summarized as follows: 1) The fall of rectal temperature tended to be greater in P during the recovery. 2) The absolute humidity of innermost layer and middle layer was significantly higher in C than in P during the recovery, but the absolute humidity of middle layer and outermost layer was significantly higher in P than in C during the exercise. 3) Clothing microclimate temperature of innermost at back was significantly higher in C during the exercise and recovery. 4) Metabolic heat production for last 30 min during recovery was significantly higher in P. 5) The degree of skin wettedness sensation and sweating sensation for whole body was significantly higher in P during the exercise. It was concluded that the slower evaporation behavior by absorbing of underwear material in the clothing system has a beneficial influence on thermophysiological responses during severe exercise and its recovery in the cold, although the differences were very small.

  16. Blockade of Opioid Receptors in the Medullary Reticularis Nucleus Dorsalis, but not the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla, Prevents Analgesia Produced by Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control in Rats With Muscle Inflammation

    PubMed Central

    de Resende, Marcos A.; Silva, Luis Felipe S.; Sato, Karina; Arendt-Nielsen, Lars; Sluka, Kathleen A.

    2014-01-01

    Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Controls (DNIC) involves application of a noxious stimulus outside the testing site to produce analgesia. In human subjects with a variety of chronic pain conditions, DNIC is less effective; however, in animal studies, DNIC is more effective after tissue injury. While opioids are involved in DNIC analgesia, the pathways involved in this opioid-induced analgesia are not clear. The aim of the present study was to test the effectiveness of DNIC in inflammatory muscle pain, and to study which brainstem sites mediate DNIC- analgesia. Rats were injected with 3% carrageenan into their gastrocnemius muscle and responses to cutaneous and muscle stimuli were assessed before and after inflammation, and before and after DNIC induced by noxious heat applied to the tail (45°C and 47°C). Naloxone was administered systemically, into rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), or bilaterally into the medullary reticularis nucleus dorsalis (MdD) prior to the DNIC-conditioning stimuli. DNIC produced a similar analgesic effect in both acute and the chronic phases of inflammation reducing both cutaneous and muscle sensitivity in a dose-dependent manner. Naloxone systemically or microinjected into the MdD prevented DNIC-analgesia, while naloxone into the RVM had no effect on DNIC analgesia. Thus, DNIC analgesia involves activation of opioid receptors in the MdD. PMID:21330219

  17. A study on the contribution of body vibrations to the vibratory sensation induced by high-level, complex low-frequency noise.

    PubMed

    Takahashi, Yukio

    2011-01-01

    To investigate the contribution of body vibrations to the vibratory sensation induced by high-level, complex low-frequency noise, we conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, eight male subjects were exposed to seven types of low-frequency noise stimuli: two pure tones [a 31.5-Hz, 100-dB(SPL) tone and a 50-Hz, 100-dB(SPL) tone] and five complex noises composed of the pure tones. For the complex noise stimuli, the sound pressure level of one tonal component was 100 dB(SPL) and that of another one was either 90, 95, or 100 dB(SPL). Vibration induced on the body surface was measured at five locations, and the correlation with the subjective rating of the vibratory sensation at each site of measurement was examined. In Experiment 2, the correlation between the body surface vibration and the vibratory sensation was similarly examined using seven types of noise stimuli composed of a 25-Hz tone and a 50-Hz tone. In both the experiments, we found that at the chest and the abdomen, the rating of the vibratory sensation was in close correlation with the vibration acceleration level (VAL) of the body surface vibration measured at each corresponding location. This was consistent with our previous results and suggested that at the trunk of the body (the chest and the abdomen), the mechanoreception of body vibrations plays an important role in the experience of the vibratory sensation in persons exposed to high-level low-frequency noise. At the head, however, no close correlation was found between the rating of the vibratory sensation and the VAL of body surface vibration. This suggested that at the head, the perceptual mechanisms of vibration induced by high-level low-frequency noise were different from those in the trunk of the body.

  18. Global transcriptional profiling of a cold-tolerant rice variety under moderate cold stress reveals different cold stress response mechanisms.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Junliang; Zhang, Shaohong; Yang, Tifeng; Zeng, Zichong; Huang, Zhanghui; Liu, Qing; Wang, Xiaofei; Leach, Jan; Leung, Hei; Liu, Bin

    2015-07-01

    Gene expression profiling under severe cold stress (4°C) has been conducted in plants including rice. However, rice seedlings are frequently exposed to milder cold stresses under natural environments. To understand the responses of rice to milder cold stress, a moderately low temperature (8°C) was used for cold treatment prior to genome-wide profiling of gene expression in a cold-tolerant japonica variety, Lijiangxintuanheigu (LTH). A total of 5557 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found at four time points during moderate cold stress. Both the DEGs and differentially expressed transcription factor genes were clustered into two groups based on their expression, suggesting a two-phase response to cold stress and a determinative role of transcription factors in the regulation of stress response. The induction of OsDREB2A under cold stress is reported for the first time in this study. Among the anti-oxidant enzyme genes, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were upregulated, suggesting that the glutathione system may serve as the main reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger in LTH. Changes in expression of genes in signal transduction pathways for auxin, abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) imply their involvement in cold stress responses. The induction of ABA response genes and detection of enriched cis-elements in DEGs suggest that ABA signaling pathway plays a dominant role in the cold stress response. Our results suggest that rice responses to cold stress vary with the specific temperature imposed and the rice genotype. © 2014 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

  19. The cold driver: Cold stress while driving results in dangerous behavior.

    PubMed

    Morris, Drew M; Pilcher, June J

    2016-10-01

    Cool vehicle cabin temperatures can induce short-term non-hypothermic cold stress. The current study created a cold condition to examine the impact of cold stress on driving behavior. Forty-four participants drove a high-fidelity driving simulator during a thermal neutral or local torso cooled condition. Participants performed additional tasks to assess attention, psychomotor vigilance, and manual dexterity. Skin temperature was significantly lower in the cold condition while internal temperature was unaffected. Participants who had higher subjective ratings of cold followed lead vehicles closer and started to brake later. Participants in the cold condition followed the lead car 22% (0.82s) closer and started braking 20% (2.35s) later when approaching a stop sign during the car-following task. No change in attention, psychomotor vigilance, or dexterity was observed. The current results suggest that cold environmental conditions can contribute to dangerous driving behaviors. Measures of cold perception were also shown to predict changes in driving behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Cold-hearted or cool-headed: physical coldness promotes utilitarian moral judgment

    PubMed Central

    Nakamura, Hiroko; Ito, Yuichi; Honma, Yoshiko; Mori, Takuya; Kawaguchi, Jun

    2014-01-01

    In the current study, we examine the effect of physical coldness on personal moral dilemma judgment. Previous studies have indicated that utilitarian moral judgment—sacrificing a few people to achieve the greater good for others—was facilitated when: (1) participants suppressed an initial emotional response and deliberately thought about the utility of outcomes; (2) participants had a high-level construal mindset and focused on abstract goals (e.g., save many); or (3) there was a decreasing emotional response to sacrificing a few. In two experiments, we exposed participants to extreme cold or typical room temperature and then asked them to make personal moral dilemma judgments. The results of Experiment 1 indicated that coldness prompted utilitarian judgment, but the effect of coldness was independent from deliberate thought or abstract high-level construal mindset. As Experiment 2 revealed, coldness facilitated utilitarian judgment via reduced empathic feelings. Therefore, physical coldness did not affect the “cool-headed” deliberate process or the abstract high-level construal mindset. Rather, coldness biased people toward being “cold-hearted,” reduced empathetic concern, and facilitated utilitarian moral judgments. PMID:25324800

  1. Determinants of endogenous analgesia magnitude in a diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) paradigm: do conditioning stimulus painfulness, gender and personality variables matter?

    PubMed

    Granot, Michal; Weissman-Fogel, Irit; Crispel, Yonathan; Pud, Dorit; Granovsky, Yelena; Sprecher, Elliot; Yarnitsky, David

    2008-05-01

    Descending modulation of pain can be demonstrated psychophysically by dual pain stimulation. This study evaluates in 31 healthy subjects the association between parameters of the conditioning stimulus, gender and personality, and the endogenous analgesia (EA) extent assessed by diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) paradigm. Contact heat pain was applied as the test stimulus to the non-dominant forearm, with stimulation temperature at a psychophysical intensity score of 60 on a 0-100 numerical pain scale. The conditioning stimulus was a 60s immersion of the dominant hand in cold (12, 15, 18 degrees C), hot (44 and 46.5 degrees C), or skin temperature (33 degrees C) water. The test stimulus was repeated on the non-dominant hand during the last 30s of the conditioning immersion. EA extent was calculated as the difference between pain scores of the two test stimuli. State and trait anxiety and pain catastrophizing scores were assessed prior to stimulation. EA was induced only for the pain-generating conditioning stimuli at 46.5 degrees C (p=0.011) and 12 degrees C (p=0.003). EA was independent of conditioning pain modality, or personality, but a significant gender effect was found, with greater EA response in males. Importantly, pain scores of the conditioning stimuli were not correlated with EA extent. The latter is based on both our study population, and on additional 82 patients, who participated in another study, in which EA was induced by immersion at 46.5 degrees C. DNIC testing, thus, seems to be relatively independent of the stimulation conditions, making it an easy to apply tool, suitable for wide range applications in pain psychophysics.

  2. Single Unit Recordings of Cells Responsive to Visual, Somatic, Acoustic, and Noxious Stimuli in the Superior Colliculus of the Golden Hamster.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1978-08-01

    Acoustic, and Noxious Stimuli Thesis in the Superior Colliculus of the Golden 6. PERFORMING OG. REPORT NUMBER Hamster -. _ // 7. AUTHOR( a ) S. CONTRACT...OR GRANT NUMBER(s) James P. Dixon I - "JV 9. PERF 7 MING ORGANIZATION NAME A D10. PROGRAM ELEMENT, PROJECT, TASK AFIT Student at: Virginia...studied in the superior colliculus of the golden hamster. A laminar organiza- tion was observed with cells in the superficial layers responding exclusively

  3. Neurological Assessment Using a Quantitative Sensory Test in Patients with Chronic Unilateral Orofacial Pain.

    PubMed

    Salame, Talal H; Blinkhorn, Antony; Karami, Zahra

    2018-01-01

    Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) has been used in clinical and experimental settings to establish sensory assessment for different types of pains, and may be a useful tool for the assessment of orofacial pain, but this premise needs to be tested. The aim of the study was to evaluate responses to thermal stimuli between painful and non-painful facial sites in subjects with orofacial pain using QST. A total of 60 participants (5o females: 28-83 years; 10 males: 44-81 years) with unilateral orofacial pain were recruited from the Orofacial Pain Clinic at the Pain Management and Research Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Australia. The study followed the methods of limits of the German Research Network testing four modalities of thermal thresholds, the Warm Sensation, the Cold Sensation, the Heat Pain and the Cold Pain using a TSA-II Neurosensory Analyser. The results were compared to the results from the unaffected side of the same patient on the same area and a single t test statistical analysis was performed, where a p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. The Mean Difference for Cold Sensation between the pain side and the non-pain side was 0.48 °C ± 1.5 (t= 2.466, p=0.017), 0.68 °C ± 2.04 for Warm Sensation (t= -2.573, p= 0.013), 2.56 °C ± 2.74 for Cold Pain (t= 7.238, p<0.001) and -1.21 °C ± 2.59 for Hot Pain (t= -3.639, p=0.001). The study showed that QST methods using thermal stimuli could be used to evaluate sensory dysfunction in orofacial pain patients using the specific parameters of cool and warm sensation, and cold and hot pain.

  4. Hypnosis and Encounter Group Volunteers: A Validation Study of the Sensation-Seeking Scale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanton, H. E.

    1976-01-01

    Individual differences in optimal level of stimulation as operationalized by the Sensation Seeking Scale significantly differentiated volunteers for hypnosis and encounter groups from non-volunteers. This confirmed predictions and extended the findings of previous work regarding encounter group volunteers. (NG)

  5. Sensing the heat with TRPM3.

    PubMed

    Vriens, Joris; Voets, Thomas

    2018-05-01

    Heat sensation, the ability to detect warm and noxious temperatures, is an ancient and indispensable sensory process. Noxious temperatures can have detrimental effects on the physiology and integrity of cells, and therefore, the detection of environmental hot temperatures is absolutely crucial for survival. Temperature-sensitive ion channels, which conduct ions in a highly temperature-dependent manner, have been put forward as molecular thermometers expressed at the endings of sensory neurons. In particular, several temperature-sensitive members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of ion channels have been identified, and a multitude of in vivo studies have shown that the capsaicin-sensitive TRPV1 channel plays a key role as a noxious heat sensor. However, Trpv1-deficient mice display a residual heat sensitivity suggesting the existence of additional heat sensor(s). In this chapter, we provide evidence for the role of the non-selective calcium-permeable TRPM3 ion channel as an additional heat sensor that acts independently of TRPV1, and give an update of the modulation of this channel by various molecular mechanisms. Finally, we compare antagonists of TRPM3 to specific blockers of TRPV1 as potential analgesic drugs to treat pathological pain.

  6. Evaluation of satiety sensations and food intake after different preloads.

    PubMed

    Porrini, M; Crovetti, R; Testolin, G; Silva, S

    1995-08-01

    The reproducibility of three questions, related to fullness, satiety and desire to eat, rated on an unmarked triangle was verified. In four sessions 12 volunteers ate pasta with tomato sauce (520 kcal) and were asked to rate the sensations felt. There was no difference in rating scores of the replications so the proposed questionnaire provides a stable measure of sensations related to satiety. Subsequently three satiety conditions were studied. Two foods, one rich in carbohydrate, pasta (baked macaroni) and the other in protein, polpette (meatballs), were used as loads at two calorie levels and as preload before an "ad libitum" meal. All the three questions proved useful in discriminating between the different satiety conditions. The food intake underlines the specificity of satiety: subjects, after eating a preload which previously had satiated them, ate other foods in different amounts depending on the kind of preload eaten. Food intake was significantly higher after the pasta preload, furthermore "fullness" and "satiety" ratings were significantly highest after the meatball preload, suggesting that in our experimental conditions, meatballs were more satiating than pasta. In conclusion, this study highlights the validity of using several quite different questions to study hunger and satiety, together with the actual food intake.

  7. Safety, Efficiency, and Outcomes of Perineoplasty: Treatment of the Sensation of a Wide Vagina.

    PubMed

    Ulubay, Mustafa; Keskin, Ugur; Fidan, Ulas; Ozturk, Mustafa; Bodur, Serkan; Yılmaz, Ali; Kinci, Mehmet Ferdi; Yenen, Mufit Cemal

    2016-01-01

    Background. The sensation of a wide vagina is a common problem for women after childbirth. As its etiology is unknown, there is no uniform management strategy. We hypothesized that, rather than vaginal laxity, the cause was level 3 pelvic support deficiency. Methods. This retrospective study compared preoperative and postoperative genital hiatus length, perineal length, and total vaginal length in patients treated with perineoplasty for the sensation of a wide vagina. A telephone survey was used to determine postoperative patient and male partner satisfaction rates. Results. Mean age of patients was 48 (26-68) years; mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.3 (17.6-33.2); and mean parity was 2.5 (2-5). Preoperative and postoperative genital hiatus, perineal length, and total vaginal length were 4.62 and 3.18 (p < 0.01), 3.06 and 4.04 (p < 0.01), and 9.43 and 9.43 (p = 0.882), respectively. At the 6-month follow-up, the success rate of the perineoplasty procedure was 87.9%; according to a visual analog scale, partner satisfaction rate was 92.6%. Ten percent (n = 4) of patients said they experienced dyspareunia during sexual intercourse at the introitus of the vagina. Conclusion. With low dyspareunia rates, low complication rates, high patient satisfaction, and satisfactory anatomical success, perineoplasty can be considered successful for treatment of the sensation of a wide vagina.

  8. Acute corneal epithelial debridement unmasks the corneal stromal nerve responses to ocular stimulation in rats: implications for abnormal sensations of the eye.

    PubMed

    Hirata, Harumitsu; Mizerska, Kamila; Dallacasagrande, Valentina; Guaiquil, Victor H; Rosenblatt, Mark I

    2017-05-01

    It is widely accepted that the mechanisms for transducing sensory information reside in the nerve terminals. Occasionally, however, studies have appeared demonstrating that similar mechanisms may exist in the axon to which these terminals are connected. We examined this issue in the cornea, where nerve terminals in the epithelial cell layers are easily accessible for debridement, leaving the underlying stromal (axonal) nerves undisturbed. In isoflurane-anesthetized rats, we recorded extracellularly from single trigeminal ganglion neurons innervating the cornea that are excited by ocular dryness and cooling: low-threshold (<2°C cooling) and high-threshold (>2°C) cold-sensitive plus dry-sensitive neurons playing possible roles in tearing and ocular pain. We found that the responses in both types of neurons to dryness, wetness, and menthol stimuli were effectively abolished by the debridement, indicating that their transduction mechanisms lie in the nerve terminals. However, some responses to the cold, heat, and hyperosmolar stimuli in low-threshold cold-sensitive plus dry-sensitive neurons still remained. Surprisingly, the responses to heat in approximately half of the neurons were augmented after the debridement. We were also able to evoke these residual responses and follow the trajectory of the stromal nerves, which we subsequently confirmed histologically. The residual responses always disappeared when the stromal nerves were cut at the limbus, suggesting that the additional transduction mechanisms for these sensory modalities originated most likely in stromal nerves. The functional significance of these residual and enhanced responses from stromal nerves may be related to the abnormal sensations observed in ocular disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In addition to the traditional view that the sensory transduction mechanisms exist in the nerve terminals, we report here that the proximal axons (stromal nerves in the cornea from which these nerve terminals originate) may

  9. Acute corneal epithelial debridement unmasks the corneal stromal nerve responses to ocular stimulation in rats: implications for abnormal sensations of the eye

    PubMed Central

    Mizerska, Kamila; Dallacasagrande, Valentina; Guaiquil, Victor H.; Rosenblatt, Mark I.

    2017-01-01

    It is widely accepted that the mechanisms for transducing sensory information reside in the nerve terminals. Occasionally, however, studies have appeared demonstrating that similar mechanisms may exist in the axon to which these terminals are connected. We examined this issue in the cornea, where nerve terminals in the epithelial cell layers are easily accessible for debridement, leaving the underlying stromal (axonal) nerves undisturbed. In isoflurane-anesthetized rats, we recorded extracellularly from single trigeminal ganglion neurons innervating the cornea that are excited by ocular dryness and cooling: low-threshold (<2°C cooling) and high-threshold (>2°C) cold-sensitive plus dry-sensitive neurons playing possible roles in tearing and ocular pain. We found that the responses in both types of neurons to dryness, wetness, and menthol stimuli were effectively abolished by the debridement, indicating that their transduction mechanisms lie in the nerve terminals. However, some responses to the cold, heat, and hyperosmolar stimuli in low-threshold cold-sensitive plus dry-sensitive neurons still remained. Surprisingly, the responses to heat in approximately half of the neurons were augmented after the debridement. We were also able to evoke these residual responses and follow the trajectory of the stromal nerves, which we subsequently confirmed histologically. The residual responses always disappeared when the stromal nerves were cut at the limbus, suggesting that the additional transduction mechanisms for these sensory modalities originated most likely in stromal nerves. The functional significance of these residual and enhanced responses from stromal nerves may be related to the abnormal sensations observed in ocular disease. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In addition to the traditional view that the sensory transduction mechanisms exist in the nerve terminals, we report here that the proximal axons (stromal nerves in the cornea from which these nerve terminals originate) may

  10. Sensation-Focused Intensive Treatment for Panic Disorder with Moderate to Severe Agoraphobia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morissette, Sandra Baker; Spiegel, David A.; Heinrichs, Nina

    2005-01-01

    The current article presents a detailed description of an intensive treatment program for panic disorder with moderate to severe levels of agoraphobia (PDA), called Sensation-Focused Intensive Treatment (SFIT). Although the efficacy of traditional CBT treatment programs has been well established for the treatment of PDA, patients with moderate to…

  11. Perceived message sensation value and psychological reactance: a test of the dominant thought disruption hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Quick, Brian L

    2013-01-01

    The present study tests to see whether perceived message sensation value reduces psychological reactance within the context of anti-marijuana ads for television. After controlling for sensation seeking, biological sex, and marijuana use, the results indicate that message novelty is negatively associated with a freedom threat, whereas dramatic impact and emotional arousal were not associated with the antecedent to reactance. Results support the use of novel messages in future ads while at the same time offer an explanation to the challenges involved in creating effective anti-marijuana ads. Overall, the results provide partial support for the dominant thought disruption hypothesis and are discussed with an emphasis on the theoretical and practical implications for health communication researchers and practitioners.

  12. Sensation seeking and executive deficits in relation to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency among university students: Value of ecologically based measures.

    PubMed

    Meil, William M; LaPorte, David J; Mills, John A; Sesti, Ann; Collins, Sunshine M; Stiver, Alyssa G

    2016-11-01

    The development of substance use and addiction has been linked to impaired executive function which relies on systems that converge in the prefrontal cortex. This study examined several measures of executive function as predictors of college student alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency and abuse. College students (N=321) were administered the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) test battery, the Sensation Seeking Scale V (SSSV), the Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale (FrSBe), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Alcohol use frequency was predicted by sensation seeking and FrSBe Disinhibition scores, but the latter only emerged as a unique predictor for binge drinking frequency. Sex and Disinhibition, Apathy and Executive Function FrSBe subscales predicted the frequency of tobacco use. FrSBe scores uniquely predicted tobacco use among daily users. Marijuana use frequency was predicted by sensation seeking, sex, perceived stress, and FrSBe Disinhibition scores, but only sensation seeking predicted daily use after controlling for other variables. FrSBe Disinhibition scores reached levels considered to be clinically significant for frequent binge drinkers and daily marijuana users. Sensation seeking emerged as the predominate predictor of the early stages of alcohol and tobacco related problems. These results suggest ecologically based self-report measures of frontal lobe function and sensation seeking are significant predictors of use frequency among college students and the extent of frontal dysfunction may be clinically significant among some heavy users. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Polymorphisms in TRPV1 and TAS2Rs associate with sensations from sampled ethanol.

    PubMed

    Allen, Alissa L; McGeary, John E; Hayes, John E

    2014-10-01

    Genetic variation in chemosensory genes can explain variability in individual's perception of and preference for many foods and beverages. To gain insight into variable preference and intake of alcoholic beverages, we explored individual variability in the responses to sampled ethanol (EtOH). In humans, EtOH elicits sweet, bitter, and burning sensations. Here, we explore the relationship between variation in EtOH sensations and polymorphisms in genes encoding bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) and a polymodal nociceptor (TRPV1). Caucasian participants (n = 93) were genotyped for 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TRPV1, 3 SNPs in TAS2R38, and 1 SNP in TAS2R13. Participants rated sampled EtOH on a generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale. Two stimuli were presented: a 16% EtOH whole-mouth sip-and-spit solution with a single time-point rating of overall intensity and a cotton swab saturated with 50% EtOH on the circumvallate papillae (CV) with ratings of multiple qualities over 3 minutes. Area-under-the-curve (AUC) was calculated for the time-intensity data. The EtOH whole-mouth solution had overall intensity ratings near "very strong." Burning/stinging had the highest mean AUC values, followed by bitterness and sweetness. Whole-mouth intensity ratings were significantly associated with burning/stinging and bitterness AUC values on the CV. Three TRPV1 SNPs (rs224547, rs4780521, rs161364) were associated with EtOH sensations on the CV, with 2 (rs224547 and rs4780521) exhibiting strong linkage disequilibrium. Additionally, the TAS2R38 SNPs rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939 formed a haplotype, and were associated with bitterness on the CV. Last, overall intensity for whole-mouth EtOH associated with the TAS2R13 SNP rs1015443. These data suggest genetic variation in TRPV1 and TAS2Rs influence sensations from sampled EtOH and may potentially influence how individuals initially respond to alcoholic beverages. Copyright © 2014 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

  14. Polymorphisms in TRPV1 and TAS2Rs associate with sensations from sampled ethanol

    PubMed Central

    Allen, Alissa L.; McGeary, John E.; Hayes, John E.

    2014-01-01

    Background Genetic variation in chemosensory genes can explain variability in individual’s perception of and preference for many foods and beverages. To gain insight into variable preference and intake of alcoholic beverages, we explored individual variability in the responses to sampled ethanol. In humans, ethanol elicits sweet, bitter and burning sensations. Here, we explore the relationship between variation in ethanol sensations and polymorphisms in genes encoding bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) and a polymodal nociceptor (TRPV1). Methods Caucasian participants (n=93) were genotyped for 16 SNPs in TRPV1, 3 SNPs in TAS2R38 and 1 SNP in TAS2R13. Participants rated sampled ethanol on a generalized Labeled Magnitude Scale. Two stimuli were presented: a 16% ethanol whole mouth sip-and-spit solution with a single time-point rating of overall intensity, and a cotton swab saturated with 50% ethanol on the circumvallate papillae (CV) with repeated ratings made over 3 minutes. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated for the time-intensity data. Results The ethanol whole mouth solution had overall intensity ratings near ‘very strong’. Burning/stinging had the highest mean AUC values, followed by bitterness and sweetness. Whole mouth intensity ratings were significantly associated with burning/stinging and bitterness AUC values on the CV. Three TRPV1 SNPs (rs224547, rs4780521, rs161364) were associated with ethanol sensations on the CV, with two (rs224547 and rs4780521) exhibiting strong linkage disequilibrium. Additionally, the TAS2R38 SNPs rs713598, rs1726866, and rs10246939 formed a haplotype, and were associated with bitterness on the CV. Lastly, overall intensity for whole mouth ethanol associated with the TAS2R13 SNP rs1015443. Conclusions These data suggest genetic variations in TRPV1 and TAS2Rs influence sensations from sampled ethanol and may potentially influence how individuals initially respond to alcoholic beverages. PMID:25257701

  15. The race to the nociceptor: mechanical versus temperature effects in thermal pain of dental neurons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Min; Liu, Fusheng; Liu, Shaobao; Ji, Changchun; Li, Ang; Lu, Tian Jian; Xu, Feng

    2017-04-01

    The sensing of hot and cold stimuli by dental neurons differs in several fundamental ways. These sensations have been characterized quantitatively through the measured time course of neural discharge signals that result from hot or cold stimuli applied to the teeth of animal models. Although various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the underlying mechanism, the ability to test competing hypotheses against experimental recorded data using biophysical models has been hindered by limitations in our understanding of the specific ion channels involved in nociception of dental neurons. Here we apply recent advances in established biophysical models to test the competing hypotheses. We show that a sharp shooting pain sensation experienced shortly following cold stimulation cannot be attributed to the activation of thermosensitive ion channels, thereby falsifying the so-called neuronal hypothesis, which states that rapidly transduced sensations of coldness are related to thermosensitive ion channels. Our results support a central role of mechanosensitive ion channels and the associated hydrodynamic hypothesis. In addition to the hydrodynamic hypothesis, we also demonstrate that the long time delay of dental neuron responses after hot stimulation could be attributed to the neuronal hypothesis—that a relatively long time is required for the temperature around nociceptors to reach some threshold. The results are useful as a model of how multiphysical phenomena can be combined to provide mechanistic insight into different mechanisms underlying pain sensations.

  16. Cold symptoms (image)

    MedlinePlus

    Colds are caused by a virus and can occur year-round. The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and ... symptoms include sore throat, cough, and headache. A cold usually lasts about 7 days, with perhaps a ...

  17. Physiological and Psychological Responses during Exercise and Recovery in a Cold Environment Is Gender-Related Rather Than Fabric-Related

    PubMed Central

    Cernych, Margarita; Baranauskiene, Neringa; Eimantas, Nerijus; Kamandulis, Sigitas; Daniuseviciute, Laura; Brazaitis, Marius

    2017-01-01

    We evaluated gender-specific effects of two types of undergarments on exercise-induced physiological and psychological stress and subsequent recovery in cold conditions for male and female participants. Ten healthy men and eleven healthy women (25.0 ± 1.5 versus 23.4 ± 1.2 years old, respectively) completed the experimental session twice with two different types of undergarments: polyester or merino wool leggings and long-sleeve tops; specifically, merino fabric had greater thermal resistance and water absorbency, and less water vapor as well as air permeability than polyester. Experimental sessions involved performing 1 h of exercise on a cycle ergometer at 8°C ambient temperature and 55% relative humidity, holding at 70–80 revolutions per minute and 60% of each participant’s predetermined maximal power output (assessed by maximal oxygen uptake test), followed by 1 h recovery in the same environment. Every 5 min during exercise and every 10 min during recovery, rectal temperature, heart rate, subjective ratings for thermal, shivering/sweating and clothing wetness sensations, and clothing next-to-skin and outer side surface temperature and humidity on the chest, back and thigh were recorded. All participants experienced high physiological stress (assessed by physiological strain index) during exercise. No significant gender differences were found in core temperature or heart rate changes during exercise, but women cooled down faster during recovery. Next-to-skin humidity was similar between genders and different garment sets during exercise and recovery, but such temperatures at the chest during exercise and at the thigh during exercise and recovery were lower in women with both sets of garments. Subjective thermal sensations were similar in all cases. In the last 20 min of cycling, women started to feel wetter than men (P < 0.05) for both garment sets. Shivering was reported as stronger in women in the last 10 min of recovery. Most of the changes in the

  18. Odors and Sensations of Humidity and Dryness in Relation to Sick Building Syndrome and Home Environment in Chongqing, China

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Juan; Li, Baizhan; Yang, Qin; Yu, Wei; Wang, Han; Norback, Dan; Sundell, Jan

    2013-01-01

    The prevalence of perceptions of odors and sensations of air humidity and sick building syndrome symptoms in domestic environments were studied using responses to a questionnaire on the home environment. Parents of 4530 1–8 year old children from randomly selected kindergartens in Chongqing, China participated. Stuffy odor, unpleasant odor, pungent odor, mold odor, tobacco smoke odor, humid air and dry air in the last three month (weekly or sometimes) was reported by 31.4%, 26.5%, 16.1%, 10.6%, 33.0%, 32.1% and 37.2% of the parents, respectively. The prevalence of parents’ SBS symptoms (weekly or sometimes) were: 78.7% for general symptoms, 74.3% for mucosal symptoms and 47.5% for skin symptoms. Multi-nominal regression analyses for associations between odors/sensations of air humidity and SBS symptoms showed that the odds ratio for “weekly” SBS symptoms were consistently higher than for “sometimes” SBS symptoms. Living near a main road or highway, redecoration, and new furniture were risk factors for perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air. Dampness related problems (mold spots, damp stains, water damage and condensation) were all risk factors for perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air, as was the presence of cockroaches, rats, and mosquitoes/flies, use of mosquito-repellent incense and incense. Protective factors included cleaning the child’s bedroom every day and frequently exposing bedding to sunshine. In conclusion, adults’ perceptions of odors and sensations of humid air and dry air are related to factors of the home environment and SBS symptoms are related to odor perceptions. PMID:23991107

  19. Dynamic sensory description of Rioja Alavesa red wines made by different winemaking practices by using Temporal Dominance of Sensations.

    PubMed

    Etaio, Iñaki; Meillon, Sophie; Pérez-Elortondo, Francisco J; Schlich, Pascal

    2016-08-01

    Although sensory description of wines in scientific literature is very large, there is an evident lack of studies describing wines from a dynamic approach. The objective of this study was to describe the evolution of the sensations perceived in red wines from Rioja Alavesa by using Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) and also to compare wines made with the two winemaking procedures used in Rioja Alavesa: carbonic maceration (CM) and destemming (DS). Ten sensory attributes were evaluated in eight wines (four CM and four DS wines) in triplicate by a panel of 16 trained assessors. Red/black berry and woody aromas were dominant firstly, whereas heat, astringent, bitter and pungent sensations were dominant later. CM wines showed higher dominance for woody, spicy, pungent and acid sensations and lower dominance for red/black berry aroma and astringency than DS wines. This study is the first to describe Rioja wines from a dynamic approach and it also provides information about the dynamic sensory differences between wines made by CM or by DS. In this sense, this work shows the usefulness of TDS to describe and differentiate wines and to provide additional information to the conventional static descriptive analysis. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  20. Coping with Cold Sores

    MedlinePlus

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Cold Sores KidsHealth / For Kids / Cold Sores What's in ... sore." What's that? Adam wondered. What Is a Cold Sore? Cold sores are small blisters that is ...