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Clinical Scenario: Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) typically complete balance training protocols to improve postural control and reduce recurrent injury risk. However, the presence of CAI persists after traditional balance training protocols suggesting that such programs may be missing elements that could be beneficial to patients. Visual occlusion modalities, such as stroboscopic goggles, may be able to augment balance training exercises to further enhance postural control gains in those with CAI. However, a cumulative review of the existing evidence has yet to be conducted. Focused Clinical Question: Does wearing stroboscopic goggles during balance training result in greater improvements to postural control than balance training alone in those with CAI? Summary of Key Findings: All 3 studies indicated that the stroboscopic goggles group had statistically significant improvements in either a measure of static or dynamic postural control relative to the standard balance training group. However, significant improvements were not consistent across all postural control outcomes assessed in the included studies. Clinical Bottom Line: Postural control may improve more in those with CAI when stroboscopic goggles were worn while completing balance training exercises relative to completing balance training exercises alone. Strength of Recommendation: Overall, consistent moderate- to high-quality evidence was present in the 3 studies, suggesting grade C evidence for the use of stroboscopic goggles during balance training in those with CAI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical Scenario: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a complex progressive synovial joint disease that results in impaired muscle function, including a considerable loss of maximal strength and power. Exercise therapies, such as sensorimotor or balance training and resistance training, are frequently used to improve muscle function, mobility, and quality of life, but their impact on maximal muscle strength in patients with KOA is not well understood. Focused Clinical Question: Does sensorimotor or balance training improve knee-extensor and knee-flexor maximal muscle strength compared with strength training or no intervention in patients with KOA? Summary of Key Findings: Results from 4 fair- to good-quality randomized controlled/clinical trials (level 1b) revealed inconsistent grade B evidence regarding the effect of sensorimotor or balance training to improve knee-extensor and knee-flexor maximal muscle strength in patients with KOA. Two studies, one good-quality study and one fair-quality study, showed significant strength improvements, and 2 good-quality studies demonstrated no significant strength enhancements. Clinical Bottom Line: Sensorimotor or balance training may be useful to improve maximal strength of quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups in patients with KOA; however, it seems that this depends on a training duration of at least 8 weeks and the use of unstable devices to induce destabilization of patients' balance, initiating neuromuscular adaptations. Strength of Recommendation: Due to inconsistent evidence (grade B), the true effect of sensorimotor or balance training to improve knee-extensor and knee-flexor maximal muscle strength in patients with KOA remains unclear and needs to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Proprioception is significantly affected by dysfunction of the basal ganglia, which play an important role in sensorimotor integration. Parkinson's disease (PD), which is characterized by progressive loss of the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, leads to a variety of motor and nonmotor symptoms throughout the course of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine trunk position sense and to investigate its relationship with spinal posture and spinal mobility in patients with PD. Methods: The study included 35 patients with PD and 35 age-matched control subjects. Trunk position sense was determined with "trunk reposition errors." A spinal mouse was used to assess spinal posture and spinal mobility. Results: According to the Hoehn–Yahr rating scale, the majority of the patients were in Stage 1 (68.6%). Trunk position sense was found to be significantly decreased in patients with PD compared with the control group (p <.001) but was not correlated with spinal posture and spinal mobility in patients with PD (p >.05). Conclusions: This study revealed that trunk position sense was impaired in PD from the early stages of the disease. However, neither spinal posture nor spinal mobility was associated with decreased trunk proprioception. Further research into these relationships in the late stages of PD is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesMethodsResultsConclusionThe aim of the study was to investigate fear of falling, kinesiophobia, and sensory processing in older adults with hypertension and normotension.Older adults, 62 with hypertension and 62 with normotension, aged 65–84 years were included in the study. The assessment of fear of falling was conducted using the Tinetti Falls Efficacy Scale, kinesiophobia was evaluated with the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale, and sensory processing skills were analyzed with the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile.Significant differences were found between the groups in terms of vestibular processing, visual processing and activity level, fear of falling and kinesiophobia (p < .05). No significant differences were found between the groups with respect to taste/smell, tactile, and auditory processing skills. The findings revealed that older adults with hypertension exhibited diminished vestibular and visual processing abilities, reduced activity levels, and heightened concerns about falling and a tendency to experience kinesiophobia. Fear of falling and kinesiophobia were found to increase with decreasing vestibular processing skills and activity levels in both groups (p < .05). Regression analysis revealed that age, kinesiophobia, vestibular processing, and activity levels were significant determinants of fear of falling (p < .05).It is recommended that older adults with hypertension be assessed in terms of sensory, functional, and mental health, with the objective of planning appropriate intervention approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite findings from translational and genetic studies in the event-related potential (ERP) literature, the validity and reliability of P50 suppression as a schizophrenia spectrum endophenotype has been questioned. Here, we aimed to examine sensory registration and gating measures derived from P50 and N100 amplitude, as well as N100 area—a novel approach proposed herein—in early psychosis versus health. Individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR; n = 77), first-episode psychosis (FE; n = 52), and healthy controls (HC; n = 65) were assessed in a paired-click auditory ERP paradigm. Eight CHR converted to psychosis (CHR C) and 39 did not (CHR-NC) by 24 months, while 30 CHR were lost to follow-. Group differences, test-retest reliability, and associations with neurocognitive function were assessed in nine ERP measures. Significant differences were observed in N100 S1 amplitude, S1 area, and area difference between HC and FE, as well as in N100 S1 area between HC and CHR, among the total population. Furthermore, significant differences were found in N100 S1 area between HC and CHR-NC (Cliff's delta, Δ = 0.32), as well as in N100 area difference between HC and CHR-C (Δ = 0.55). Both N100 S1 area and area difference demonstrated moderate to acceptable reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients: 0.61–0.78). Processing speed negatively correlated with both N100 S1 area and area difference, while executive function negatively correlated with N100 S1 area alone in CHR and FE. Among the ERP measures studied, N100 area measures may serve as a reliable biomarker of aberrant sensory processing and neurocognition in early psychosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postural control is an essential ability for functional independence modified by therapeutic approaches and morbidities secondary to breast cancer. The anchor system enables additional haptic perception of body position in front of the support base and can be used alone or in conjunction with sensorimotor training. What is the influence of the anchor system, through different manual contacts on the upper limb, on body sway in women affected and not affected by lymphedema secondary to breast cancer treatment? Cross-sectional study involving 60 women homogeneously distributed to the group affected by lymphedema (GAL), with a mean age of 62.53 (SD = 12.54) years and upper limb volume difference (ULVD = Ipsilateral – Contralateral) of 636.21 (SD = 387.94) cm3, and group not affected by lymphedema (GNAL), with a mean age of 57.24 (SD = 11.43) years and ULVD of −8.91 (SD = 121.72) cm3. Baropodometry was used to assess body sway, through the presence and absence of the visual sense, associated with different manual contacts of the anchor system designated absence, simulation of use, unilateral and bilateral contact. The Shapiro-Wilk and Student's T-tests with Bonferroni Post-Hoc were used in the statistical analysis (p ≤ 0.05). The GAL expressed non-significant values compared to the GNAL in the absence of visual sense and non-use of the anchor system. The unilateral contact of the anchor system on the preferred upper limb in the presence of the visual sense, and bilateral contact of the anchor system in the presence and absence of the visual sense promoted a significant reduction of body sway in both groups. In breast cancer survivors, the anchor system with bilateral contact effectively maintains postural control, regardless of the visual sense and the volume of the upper limb. • Therapeutic approaches to breast cancer induce the disturbance of postural control. • Regardless of lymphedema, anchor system haptic perception reduces body sway. • Bilateral contact of the anchor system reduces body sway regardless of visual sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether providing realistic auditory or somatosensory cues to spatial location would affect measures of vestibulo-ocular reflex gain in a rotary chair testing (RCT) context. Method: This was a fully within-subject design. Thirty young adults age 18-30 years (16 men, 14 women by self-identification) completed sinusoidal harmonic acceleration testing in a rotary chair under five different conditions, each at three rotational frequencies (0.01, 0.08, and 0.32 Hz). We recorded gain as the ratio of the amplitude of eye movement to chair movement using standard clinical procedures. The five conditions consisted of two without spatial information (silence, tasking via headphones) and three with either auditory (refrigerator sound, tasking via speaker) or somatosensory (fan) information. Two of the conditions also included mental tasking (tasking via headphones, tasking via speaker) and differed only in terms of the spatial localizability of the verbal instructions. We used linear mixed-effects modeling to compare pairs of conditions, specifically examining the effects of the availability of spatial cues in the environment. This study was preregistered on Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/2gqcf/). Results: Results showed significant effects of frequency in all conditions (p < .05), but the only pairs of conditions that were significantly different were those including tasking in one condition but not the other (e.g., tasking via headphones vs. silence). Post hoc equivalence testing showed that the lack of significance in the other comparisons could be confirmed as not meaningfully different. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the presence of externally localizable sensory information, whether auditory or somatosensory, does not affect measures of gain in RCT to any relevant degree. However, these findings also contribute to the increasing body of evidence suggesting that mental engagement ("tasking") does increase gain whether or not it is provided via localizable instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of pyramidal cells (PCs) in the mammalian cerebral cortex underscore their value as they play a crucial role in various brain functions, ranging from cognition, sensory processing, to motor output. PC morphology significantly influences brain connectivity and plays a critical role in maintaining normal brain function. Pathological alterations to PC morphology are thought to contribute to the aetiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. This review explores the relationship between abnormalities in PC morphology in key cortical areas and the clinical manifestations in schizophrenia and ASD. We focus largely on human postmortem studies and provide evidence that dendritic segment length, complexity and spine density are differentially affected in these disorders. These morphological alterations can lead to disruptions in cortical connectivity, potentially contributing to the cognitive and behavioural deficits observed in these disorders. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of investigating the functional and structural characteristics of PCs in these disorders to illuminate the underlying pathogenesis and stimulate further research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Somatosensory game interventions have been used to rehabilitate hospitalized older adults. However, their application in prefrail older adults in the community is poorly understood, hindering the development of effective intervention strategies and exercise diversification. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the experiences of prefrail Chinese older adults engaging in somatosensory gaming interventions and thus develop tailored intervention frameworks and support strategies. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 12 prefrail older adults who participated in a 12‐week sensory game intervention study from August to September 2022. The interviews were analyzed using Nvivo 11.0 software following Colaizzi's seven‐step analysis method. Results: Somatosensory game intervention experiences were classified into four main themes and 11 subthemes: health intervention effects (enhanced limb muscle strength, improved reaction capacity, alleviated negative emotions), positive experiences (enhanced self‐achievement, increased exercise motivation, elevated social engagement), negative experiences (frustration from unmet score expectations, initial discomfort), and intervention requirements (sustained interventions, technical support, personalized content). Conclusion: The findings have implications for somatosensory game interventions targeting prefrail older adults in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luxury consumption studies have largely focused on tangible products with less attention paid to experiential services. However, consumers are becoming increasingly interested in the luxury services. Taking a mental imagery perspective, this study delineates the role of sensory integration in luxury hotel experiences among Chinese with Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET). We engaged Chinese informants in a multi-sensory exploration of their experiences, soliciting abundant verbal and non-verbal data, and analyzed how experiences emerge from their multisensory processing of hotel offerings. Findings conceptualize experiential luxury consumption from a multisensory perspective and recommend how luxury hotels should better leverage their market potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The Head Shake Sensory Organization Test (HS-SOT) assesses postural stability while the head is moving and may also identify deficits in attention associated with the dual task conditions of moving the head at a specified speed while maintaining balance. Normative values for the HS-SOT have not been established in a healthy military population or other highly trained populations such as athletes. Establishing normative values in a military population will enable clinicians to compare the scores of patients with medical conditions that affect postural stability and sensory integration such as concussion or traumatic brain injury, vestibular dysfunction, or migraine to those of a healthy population to determine a need for intervention and for return to duty considerations. The purposes of this cross-sectional study were to establish normative values for the HS-SOT within the military population, to determine whether HS-SOT scores differed between men and women or among age groups, and to determine whether HS-SOT scores differed from scores on similar conditions of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). Materials and Methods Active duty service members (n  = 237, 54 female) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the National Capitol Region (Washington, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia) completed the SOT and HS-SOT on the NeuroCom® Balance Master™. Parametric and non-parametric comparisons were analyzed for the equilibrium scores for the SOT and HS-SOT conditions 2 (SOT-2, HS-SOT-2, respectively) and 5 (SOT-5, HS-SOT-5, respectively) and the equilibrium score ratios (ESRs) for HS-SOT-2 and HS-SOT-5 for the total sample, men and women, and age group categories (18–26 years, 27–35 years, and 36–45 years). Results There were no differences in HS-SOT-2 or HS-SOT-5 equilibrium ratio scores between men (0.99 ±.029 and 0.83 ±0.25, respectively) and women (1.00 ±0.03 and 0.81 ±0.21, respectively). There were no differences in the SOT-2 equilibrium scores (F = 2.29, P  = 0.10) or SOT-5 equilibrium scores (Kruskal-Wallis H = 3.26, P  = 0.20) among the different age groups. SOT-2 equilibrium scores were higher than the HS-SOT-2 equilibrium scores (Z = –4.10, P  < 0.001). SOT-5 equilibrium scores were also higher than HS-SOT-5 equilibrium scores (Z = –12.22, P  < 0.001), and the HS-SOT-2 and HS-SOT-5 equilibrium scores differed from each other (Z = –13.26, P  < 0.001). Conclusions This study established normative values for the HS-SOT in a military population. Equilibrium scores did not differ between men and women or among age groups, suggesting that these values can be used as reference points for most service members. Postural stability was found to be significantly challenged during head motion, indicating the HS-SOT is a valuable tool for identifying subtle impairments in postural stability. These findings have important implications for early detection and intervention in individuals with medical conditions affecting balance, particularly concussions or vestibular disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pupil size change is a widely adopted, sensitive indicator for sensory and cognitive processes. However, the interpretation of these changes is complicated by the influence of multiple low-level effects, such as brightness or contrast changes, posing challenges to applying pupillometry outside of extremely controlled settings. Building on and extending previous models, we here introduce Open Dynamic Pupil Size Modeling (Open-DPSM), an open-source toolkit to model pupil size changes to dynamically changing visual inputs using a convolution approach. Open-DPSM incorporates three key steps: (1) Modeling pupillary responses to both luminance and contrast changes; (2) Weighing of the distinct contributions of visual events across the visual field on pupil size change; and (3) Incorporating gaze-contingent visual event extraction and modeling. These steps improve the prediction of pupil size changes beyond the here-evaluated benchmarks. Open-DPSM provides Python functions, as well as a graphical user interface (GUI), enabling the extension of its applications to versatile scenarios and adaptations to individualized needs. By obtaining a predicted pupil trace using video and eye-tracking data, users can mitigate the effects of low-level features by subtracting the predicted trace or assess the efficacy of the low-level feature manipulations a priori by comparing estimated traces across conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to analyze the incremental effects of sensory integration therapy (SIT) plus neurodevelopmental therapy (NT) versus NT alone on the attention and motor skills in children with Down syndrome (DS). We randomly assigned into experimental (i.e. SIT + NT; n = 21) and control (i.e. NT alone; n = 21) groups. While NT was applied to both groups for six weeks, SIT was applied simultaneously to the experimental group for six weeks. Participants' motor functions (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Short form (BOT-2 SF)) and attention skills (Stroop TBAG (Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Association) Form) were evaluated before and after treatment (6 weeks later). Stroop TBAG and BOT-2 SF scores of the groups were similar at the baseline (p > 0.05). Significant improvement from baseline was observed in both BOT-2 SF, and Stroop TBAG results in both groups (p < 0.05). In addition, the improvement in both BOT-2 SF and Stroop TBAG results was found to be greater in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). There were clear advantages to adding SIT to NT alone when seeking to improve motor and attention skills in children with DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trunk control involves integration of sensorimotor information in the brain. Individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP) have impaired trunk control and show differences in brain structure and function in sensorimotor areas compared with healthy controls (HC). However, the relationship between brain structure and trunk control in this group is not well understood. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare seated trunk control and sensorimotor white matter (WM) structure in people with cLBP and HC and explore relationships between WM properties and trunk control in each group. Thirty-two people with cLBP and 35 HC were tested sitting on an unstable chair to isolate trunk control; performance was measured using the 95% confidence ellipse area (CEA95) of center-of-pressure tracing. A WM network between cortical sensorimotor regions of interest was derived using probabilistic tractography. WM microstructure and anatomical connectivity between cortical sensorimotor regions were assessed. A mixed-model ANOVA showed that people with cLBP had worse trunk control than HC (F = 12.96; p <.001; ηp2 =.091). There were no differences in WM microstructure or anatomical connectivity between groups (p = 0.564 to 0.940). In the cLBP group, WM microstructure was moderately correlated (|r| =.456 to.565; p ≤.009) with trunk control. Additionally, the cLBP group demonstrated stronger relationships between anatomical connectivity and trunk control (|r| =.377 to.618 p <.034) compared to the HC group. Unique to the cLBP group, WM connectivity between right somatosensory and left motor areas highlights the importance of interhemispheric information exchange for trunk control. Parietal areas associated with attention and spatial reference frames were also relevant to trunk control. These findings suggest that people with cLBP adopt a more cortically driven sensorimotor integration strategy for trunk control. Future research should replicate these findings and identify interventions to effectively modulate this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Despite significant advancements in understanding the biochemical, anatomical, and functional impacts of vestibular lesions, developing standardized and effective rehabilitation strategies for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies remains a challenge. Chronic vestibular disorders, characterized by permanent or recurrent imbalances and blurred vision or oscillopsia, present significant complexity in non-pharmacological management. The complex interaction between peripheral vestibular damage and its impact on the central nervous system (CNS) raises questions about neuroplasticity and vestibular compensation capacity. Although fundamental research has examined the consequences of lesions on the vestibular system, the effect of a chronic peripheral vestibular error signal (VES) on the CNS remains underexplored. The VES refers to the discrepancy between sensory expectations and perceptions of the vestibular system has been clarified through recent engineering studies. This deeper understanding of VES is crucial not only for vestibular physiology and pathology but also for designing effective measures and methods of vestibular rehabilitation, shedding light on the importance of compensation mechanisms and sensory integration. Methods: This retrospective study, targeting patients with chronic unilateral peripheral vestibulopathy unresponsive to standard treatments, sought to exclude any interference from pre-existing conditions. Participants were evaluated before and after a integrative vestibular exploratory and rehabilitation program through questionnaires, posturographic tests, and videonystagmography. Results: The results indicate significant improvements in postural stability and quality of life, demonstrating positive modulation of the CNS and an improvement of vestibular compensation. Discussion: Successful vestibular rehabilitation likely requires a multifaceted approach that incorporates the latest insights into neuroplasticity and sensory integration, tailored to the specific needs and clinical progression of each patient. Focusing on compensating for the VES and enhancing sensory-perceptual-motor integration, this approach aims not just to tailor interventions but also to reinforce coherence among the vestibular, visual, and neurological systems, thereby improving the quality of life for individuals with chronic vestibular disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present novel research on the cortical dynamics of atypical perceptual and emotional processing in people with symptoms of depersonalization–derealization disorder (DP-DR). We used electroencephalography (EEG)/event-related potentials (ERPs) to delineate the early perceptual mechanisms underlying emotional face recognition and mirror touch in adults with low and high levels of DP-DR symptoms (low-DP and high-DP groups). Face-sensitive visual N170 showed markedly less differentiation for emotional versus neutral face–voice stimuli in the high- than in the low-DP group. This effect was related to self-reported bodily symptoms like disembodiment. Emotional face–voice primes altered mirror touch at somatosensory cortical components P45 and P100 differently in the two groups. In the high-DP group, mirror touch occurred only when seeing touch after being confronted with angry face–voice primes. Mirror touch in the low-DP group, however, was unaffected by preceding emotions. Modulation of mirror touch following angry others was related to symptoms of self–other confusion. Results suggest that others' negative emotions affect somatosensory processes in those with an altered sense of bodily self. Our findings are in line with the idea that disconnecting from one's body and self (core symptom of DP-DR) may be a defence mechanism to protect from the threat of negative feelings, which may be exacerbated through self–other confusion. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theories of emotion ascribe a fundamental role to the processing of bodily signals (interoception) in emotional experience. Despite evidence consistent with this, current knowledge is limited by a focus on interoceptive accuracy and laboratory-based interoception measures. This experience-sampling study examines how state interoceptive attention and state emotional experience are related in everyday life, providing the first data to our knowledge examining: (1) within-subject fluctuations in interoceptive attention across domains, and (2) the relationship between trait and state interoception. Compared with rates of exteroceptive attention (auditory attention: engaged 83% of the time), interoceptive signals captured attention approximately 20% of the time, with substantial within- and between-person variability across domains. There were relationships between interoceptive attention and emotion in daily life (greater attention being associated with more negative valence and fatigue) that were specific to interoceptive attention (different patterns were observed with exteroceptive attention). State measures of interoceptive (but not exteroceptive) attention were correlated with the trait interoceptive attention, but not accuracy. Results underscore the relationship between interoceptive attention and emotion, providing new insights into interoceptive attention and the structure of interoceptive ability. Future research should examine the source(s) of within- and between-person variability in interoceptive and exteroceptive attention and its relationship with emotional experience. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across sensory systems, several stimulus collative characteristics, including intensity, novelty, complexity and perceived dangerousness, are known to elicit high levels of physiological and psychological arousal. It has become apparent that food rejections by both children and adults are frequently linked to such arousal-inducing characteristics. This paper examines how arousal and arousability are important elements in responding to stimuli generally, but specifically to foods, ultimately influencing food preferences and choices. It is clear that responses to sensory properties are subject not just to variations in perceptual sensitivity due to genetics or experience—as in the case of widely rejected qualities such as bitterness or pungency—but also to the arousal potential of those stimuli. Moreover, this is linked to various enduring aspects of personality, suggesting that the impact of arousal on food choices is merely one aspect of a more general sensory sensitivity. The impact of diet on various health outcomes underlines the importance of understanding the relationship of arousal to food choices. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sound serves as a potent medium for emotional well-being, with phenomena like the autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) showing a unique capacity for inducing relaxation and alleviating stress. This study aimed to understand how tingling sensations (and, for comparison, pleasant feelings) that such videos induce relate to acoustic features, using a broader range of ASMR videos as stimuli. The sound texture statistics and their timing predictive of tingling and pleasantness were identified through L1-regularized linear regression. Tingling was well-predicted (r = 0.52), predominantly by the envelope of frequencies near 5 kHz in the 1500 to 750 ms period before the response: stronger tingling was associated with a lower amplitude around the 5 kHz frequency range. This finding was further validated using an independent set of ASMR sounds. The prediction of pleasantness was more challenging (r = 0.26), requiring a longer effective time window, threefold that for tingling. These results enhance our understanding of how specific acoustic elements can induce tingling sensations, and how these elements differ from those that induce pleasant feelings. Our findings have potential applications in optimizing ASMR stimuli to improve quality of life and alleviate stress and anxiety, thus expanding the scope of ASMR stimulus production beyond traditional methods. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Misophonic experiences are common in the general population, and they may shed light on everyday emotional reactions to multi-modal stimuli. We performed an online study of a non-clinical sample to understand the extent to which adults who have misophonic reactions are generally reactive to a range of audio-visual emotion-inducing stimuli. We also hypothesized that musicality might be predictive of one's emotional reactions to these stimuli because music is an activity that involves strong connections between sensory processing and meaningful emotional experiences. Participants completed self-report scales of misophonia and musicality. They also watched videos meant to induce misophonia, autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and musical chills, and were asked to click a button whenever they had any emotional reaction to the video. They also rated the emotional valence and arousal of each video. Reactions to misophonia videos were predicted by reactions to ASMR and chills videos, which could indicate that the frequency with which individuals experience emotional responses varies similarly across both negative and positive emotional contexts. Musicality scores were not correlated with measures of misophonia. These findings could reflect a general phenotype of stronger emotional reactivity to meaningful sensory inputs. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is characterized by a tingling sensation with a feeling of relaxation and a state of flow. We explore the neural underpinnings and comorbidities of ASMR and related phenomena with altered sensory processing. These phenomena include sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), synaesthesia, Alice in Wonderland syndrome and misophonia. The objective of this article is to uncover the shared neural substrates and distinctive features of ASMR and its counterparts. ASMR, SPS and misophonia exhibit common activations in the brain regions associated with social cognition, emotion regulation and empathy. Nevertheless, ASMR responders display reduced connectivity in the salience network (SN), while individuals with SPS exhibit increased connectivity in the SN. Furthermore, ASMR induces relaxation and temporarily reduces symptoms of depression, in contrast to SPS and misophonia, which are linked to depression. These observations lead us to propose that ASMR is a distinct phenomenon owing to its attention dispatch mechanism and its connection with emotion regulation. We suggest that increased activations in the insula, along with reduction in connectivity within the salience and default mode networks in ASMR responders, may account for their experiences of relaxation and flow states. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breathing is a complex, vital function that can be modulated to influence physical and mental well-being. However, the role of cortical and subcortical brain regions in voluntary control of human respiration is underexplored. Here we investigated the influence of damage to human frontal, temporal or limbic regions on the sensation and regulation of breathing patterns. Participants performed a respiratory regulation task across regular and irregular frequencies ranging from 6 to 60 breaths per minute (bpm), with a counterbalanced hand motor control task. Interoceptive and affective states induced by each condition were assessed via questionnaire, and autonomic signals were indexed via skin conductance. Participants with focal lesions to the bilateral frontal lobe, right insula/basal ganglia and left medial temporal lobe showed reduced performance relative to individually matched healthy comparisons during the breathing and motor tasks. They also reported significantly higher anxiety during the 60 bpm regular and irregular breathing trials, with anxiety correlating with difficulty in rapid breathing specifically within this group. This study demonstrates that damage to frontal, temporal or limbic regions is associated with abnormal voluntary respiratory and motor regulation and tachypnoea-related anxiety, highlighting the role of the forebrain in affective and motor responses during breathing. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Touch is an essential form of non-verbal communication. While language and its neural basis are widely studied, tactile communication is less well understood. We used fMRI and multivariate pattern analyses in pairs of emotionally close adults to examine the neural basis of human-to-human tactile communication. In each pair, a participant was designated either as sender or as receiver. The sender was instructed to communicate specific messages by touching only the arm of the receiver, who was inside the scanner. The receiver then identified the message based on the touch expression alone. We designed two multivariate decoder algorithms—one based on the sender's intent (sender-decoder), and another based on the receiver's response (receiver-decoder). We identified several brain areas that significantly predicted behavioural accuracy of the receiver. Regarding our a priori region of interest, the receiver's primary somatosensory cortex (S1), both decoders were able to accurately differentiate the messages based on neural activity patterns here. The receiver-decoder, which relied on the receivers' interpretations of the touch expressions, outperformed the sender-decoder, which relied on the sender's intent. Our results identified a network of brain areas involved in human-to-human tactile communication and supported the notion of non-sensory factors being represented in S1. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All people (and some other animals) have aesthetic responses to sensory stimulation, responses of emotional pleasure or displeasure. These emotions vary from one person and culture to another, yet they share a common mechanism. To survive, an adaptive animal (as opposed to a tropic animal) needs to become comfortable with normality and to have slight abnormalities draw attention to themselves. Walking through a jungle you need to notice a tiger from a single stripe: if you must wait to see the whole animal, you are unlikely to survive. In Homo sapiens, the brain's adaptive neurochemistry does this naturally, partly because the brain's neuronal networks are structured to react efficiently to fractal structures, structures that shape much of nature. In addition, previous associations may turn a slight variation from normal into feelings of either pleasure or danger. The details of these responses—what is normal and what variations feel like—will depend upon an individual's experience, but the mechanism is the same, no matter whether a person is tasting a wine, seeing a face or landscape, or hearing a song. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional feelings are putatively ascribed to central representation of bodily states in the context of expectation and uncertainty in both internal state and external world. Neurodivergent people are more likely to experience co-occurring mental health challenges, although mechanistic insights underpinning this association are scarce. We therefore undertook a study to test whether imprecise processing of proprioceptive error signals may underlie the connection between neurodivergence and emotional dysregulation. In a cohort of people with complex chronic conditions, including chronic pain/fatigue, and complex trauma, and in a comparison group, we assessed presence of neurodivergence, variant connective tissue manifested through joint hypermobility, and emotional dysregulation. We present a data-informed conceptual model showing that variant connective tissue determines whether proprioceptive surprise is linked with emotional dysregulation in neurodivergent individuals. We suggest that future research in this area may have important clinical implications for the interaction of mental and physical wellbeing in neurodivergent people. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been reported that threatening and non-threatening visual stimuli can be distinguished based on the multi-voxel patterns of haemodynamic activity in the human ventral visual stream. Do these findings mean that there may be evolutionarily hardwired mechanisms within early perception, for the fast and automatic detection of threat, and maybe even for the generation of the subjective experience of fear? In this human neuroimaging study, we presented participants ('fear' group: N = 30; 'no fear' group: N = 30) with 2700 images of animals that could trigger subjective fear or not as a function of the individual's idiosyncratic 'fear profiles' (i.e. fear ratings of animals reported by a given participant). We provide evidence that the ventral visual stream may represent affectively neutral visual features that are statistically associated with fear ratings of participants, without representing the subjective experience of fear itself. More specifically, we show that patterns of haemodynamic activity predictive of a specific 'fear profile' can be observed in the ventral visual stream whether a participant reports being afraid of the stimuli or not. Further, we found that the multivariate information synchronization between ventral visual areas and prefrontal regions distinguished participants who reported being subjectively afraid of the stimuli from those who did not. Together, these findings support the view that the subjective experience of fear may depend on the relevant visual information triggering implicit metacognitive mechanisms in the prefrontal cortex. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several theories suggest that people differ significantly in their environmental sensitivity, defined as the capacity to perceive and process information about the environment. More sensitive people, who make up between 25% and 30% of the population, are not only more negatively affected by adverse experiences but also benefit disproportionately from positive ones, in line with differential susceptibility theory. Heightened emotional reactivity has been identified as one of the key markers of sensitivity. However, the current understanding of the relationship between sensitivity and the experience and processing of emotions remains limited. In the current paper we propose a new conceptual framework for the multiple ways in which environmental sensitivity may impact on different aspects of the experience and processing of emotions. This includes heightened perception of emotions, increased emotional reactivity, as well as the important role of emotion regulation for the well-being of highly sensitive people. In addition, we also consider rearing experiences in shaping sensitivity and emotion regulation. The reviewed empirical studies largely support the conceptual model but more research is needed to explore the dynamics between sensitivity and emotions further. Finally, we discuss several implications for well-being before making a case for the inclusion of individual differences in environmental sensitivity in affective science. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional experiences are driven, in part, by the way we process and integrate information from different sensory modalities. Understanding how perceptual and emotional systems interact to give rise to subjective feelings is an important, complex and challenging issue, requiring new approaches and integrative thinking that fuses the fundamentals of low-level sensory perception with higher-level cognitive and affective processes. The Theme Issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience' showcases fifteen theoretical, empirical, and review articles from experts working at the intersection of perception and emotion, encompassing multiple sensory systems (visual, auditory, tactile and interoceptive), clinical and non-clinical perspectives (e.g. affective disorders and hearing loss), contextual and social perspectives, and complex emotional experiences in special populations. Articles in Part 1 emphasize recent advances across fields in sensory and emotion science and give insights into future directions. Each article in Part 2 provides more detailed and specific methodological approaches or theoretical models, and focuses on basic mechanisms linking sensation to emotional experience. This article is part of the theme issue 'Sensing and feeling: an integrative approach to sensory processing and emotional experience'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibitory circuits in the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB) dynamically reformat olfactory information as it propagates from peripheral receptors to downstream cortex. To gain mechanistic insight into how specific OB interneuron types support this sensory processing, we examine unitary synaptic interactions between excitatory mitral and tufted cells (MTCs), the OB projection neurons, and a conserved population of anaxonic external plexiform layer interneurons (EPL-INs) using pair and quartet whole-cell recordings in acute mouse brain slices. Physiological, morphological, neurochemical, and synaptic analyses divide EPL-INs into distinct subtypes and reveal that parvalbumin-expressing fast-spiking EPL-INs (FSIs) perisomatically innervate MTCs with release-competent dendrites and synaptically detonate to mediate fast, short-latency recurrent and lateral inhibition. Sparse MTC synchronization supralinearly increases this high-fidelity inhibition, while sensory afferent activation combined with single-cell silencing reveals that individual FSIs account for a substantial fraction of total network-driven MTC lateral inhibition. OB output is thus powerfully shaped by detonation-driven high-fidelity perisomatic inhibition. Inhibitory circuits in the mammalian olfactory bulb shape information as it propagates from peripheral receptors to the downstream cortex. This study reveals that fast-spiking interneurons perisomatically inhibit projection neurons in the mammalian olfactory bulb via synaptic detonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective control of movement predominantly depends on the exchange and integration between sensory feedback received by our body and motor command. However, the precise mechanisms governing the adaptation of the motor system's response to altered somatosensory signals (i.e., discrepancies between an action performed and feedback received) following movement execution remain largely unclear. In order to address these questions, we developed a unique paradigm using virtual reality (VR) technology. This paradigm can induce spatial incongruence between the motor commands executed by a body district (i.e., moving the right hand) and the resulting somatosensory feedback received (i.e., feeling touch on the left ankle). We measured functional sensorimotor plasticity in 17 participants by assessing the effector's motor cortical excitability (right hand) before and after a 10‐min VR task. The results revealed a decrease in motor cortical excitability of the movement effector following exposure to a 10‐min conflict between the motor output and the somatosensory input, in comparison to the control condition where spatial congruence between the moved body part and the area of the body that received the feedback was maintained. This finding provides valuable insights into the functional plasticity resulting from spatial sensorimotor conflict arising from the discrepancy between the anticipated and received somatosensory feedback following movement execution. The cortical reorganization observed can be attributed to functional plasticity mechanisms within the sensorimotor cortex that are related to establishing a new connection between somatosensory input and motor output, guided by temporal binding and the Hebbian plasticity rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) tend to be overreactive in response to negative environmental stimuli. More is known about the positive relationship between SPS and quality of life (QoL); nevertheless, less is known regarding the roles of resilience and social determinants in this association. This research aimed to investigate the potential mediation effect of resilience and the moderation effect of social determinants on the relationship between SPS and QoL in a large sample of Chinese cancer patients. Methods: We used the most recent datasets from an ongoing project conducted in southwest China. A two-stage random sampling strategy with a probability proportionate to sample size (PPS) design was adopted. The associations between resilience, SPS, and QoL were evaluated using a linear regression model. Path analysis was adopted to examine the mediation of resilience. Results: Resilience was positively associated with quality of life, while increased sensory processing sensitivity was negatively associated with quality of life. The restricted cubic spline analysis revealed that as resilience increased, the coefficients of quality of life rapidly increased across all domains. Conversely, the coefficients for quality of life gradually decreased with the escalation of sensory processing sensitivity. Resilience was a significant mediator, accounting for 21.88% of the total SPS-QoL association. The mediation effect of resilience varied across ethnicity and sex. Conclusion: Sensory processing sensitivity was significantly associated with quality of life in cancer patients, and promoting resilience could mitigate this negative impact. However, the effect of resilience varies across sex and ethnicity. Therefore, targeted resilience promotion interventions, especially those integrating social characteristics, should be considered for implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article presents a case report of a three and half year-old boy with functional constipation and sensory hyperreactivity. The Integrated Sensory Toileting® approach was used to guide clinical reasoning and identify the sensory underlying factors that were impacting the child’s ability to acquire age-appropriate toileting habits and gastrointestinal health. The six months of treatment in occupational therapy and gastroenterology, as well as six months of follow-up are described. Improvements in sensory reactivity are documented using the Sensory Processing Measure-2 and the Toileting Habit Profile Questionnaire-Revised and corroborate with improvements in the child’s ability to participate in toileting routines and improved gastrointestinal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People differ in their responses to experiences with some showing a heightened Environmental Sensitivity (ES) for better and for worse. Highly sensitive people tend to get easily overwhelmed in adverse conditions but also to flourish in enriched environments. Yet, no studies have investigated whether people with a heightened ES may experience a positive outcome as well, in terms of Post-traumatic Growth (PTG), when a traumatic event occurs. This study provided a first empirical evidence regarding the relationship between ES and PTG on a general population of 2387 adults (age range: 18-88yy) surveyed online during the first Covid-19 lockdown. Correlations showed that ES was positively associated with PTG, though with a small effect size. Interaction effects from regression analyses provided evidence that the ES-PTG association was stronger when the individuals experienced anxiety to some extent, and not too much depression. To conclude, findings suggested highly sensitive people as not only more susceptible to adversities, but also more open to experience a growth when faced with challenging events. Identifying potential paths of growth in individuals who are more prone to negative feelings can have important implications for clinical practice as well as for theory by broadening our understanding of the concept of environmental sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Introduction Methods Results Discussion The state of solitude may be desirable and beneficial particularly for individuals who are highly sensitive and introverted.To test these predictions, we surveyed a nationally representative US sample of 301 adults and a sample of 99 undergraduates on their levels of sensory processing sensitivity and assessed introversion with the Big Five Inventory and the multifaceted STAR Introversion Scale. Participants then reported the frequency and duration of their volitional solitude, stress levels, and subjective well‐being across 10 consecutive days.Results revealed that Social Introversion and sensitivity significantly predicted higher motivations for solitude, both self‐determined and not. Thinking Introversion also predicted higher self‐determined solitude, but BFI introversion showed no relationship with either motivation. Social Introversion and sensitivity predicted higher frequency of solitude in daily life and longer duration of solitary episodes; BFI Introversion and Restrained Introversion showed the opposite pattern for both outcomes. Finally, stress was positively associated with daily solitude frequency, and in turn, solitude frequency was negatively associated with same‐day well‐being; there were no interaction effects with personality traits.These findings suggest that introversion, as measured by the STAR Introversion Scale, and sensitivity contribute significantly to solitary motivation; however, solitude appears to be sought after by people in times of stress regardless of their scores on these traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Interpretation The objective of this study was to investigate the activity and connectivity of cerebral and cerebellar cortices underlying the sensory trick (ST) effects in patients with cervical dystonia (CD), using electroencephalography (EEG).We recruited 15 CD patients who exhibited clinically effective ST and 15 healthy controls (HCs) who mimicked the ST maneuver. EEG signals and multiple‐channel electromyography (EMG) were recorded simultaneously during resting and acting stages. EEG source analysis and functional connectivity were performed. To account for the effects of sensory processing, we calculated relative power changes as the difference in power spectral density between resting and the maneuver execution.ST induced a decrease in low gamma (30–50 Hz) spectral power in the primary sensory and cerebellar cortices, which remained lower than in HCs during the maintenance period. Compared with HCs, patients exhibited consistently strengthened connectivity within the sensorimotor network during the maintenance period, particularly in the primary sensory‐sensorimotor cerebellum connection.The application of ST resulted in altered cortical excitability and functional connectivity regulated by gamma oscillation in CD patients, suggesting that this effect cannot be solely attributed to motor components. The cerebellum may play important roles in mediating the ST effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People can use their sense of hearing for discerning thermal properties, though they are for the most part unaware that they can do so. While people unequivocally claim that they cannot perceive the temperature of pouring water through the auditory properties of hearing it being poured, our research further strengthens the understanding that they can. This multimodal ability is implicitly acquired in humans, likely through perceptual learning over the lifetime of exposure to the differences in the physical attributes of pouring water. In this study, we explore people's perception of this intriguing cross modal correspondence, and investigate the psychophysical foundations of this complex ecological mapping by employing machine learning. Our results show that not only can the auditory properties of pouring water be classified by humans in practice, the physical characteristics underlying this phenomenon can also be classified by a pre-trained deep neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to make accurate and timely decisions, such as judging when it is safe to cross the road, is the foundation of adaptive behavior. While the computational and neural processes supporting simple decisions on isolated stimuli have been well characterized, decision-making in the real world often requires integration of discrete sensory events over time and space. Most previous experimental work on perceptual decision-making has focused on tasks that involve only a single, task-relevant source of sensory input. It remains unclear, therefore, how such integrative decisions are regulated computationally. Here we used psychophysics, electroencephalography, and computational modeling to understand how the human brain combines visual motion signals across space in the service of a single, integrated decision. To that purpose, we presented two random-dot kinematograms in the left and the right visual hemifields. Coherent motion signals were shown briefly and concurrently in each location, and healthy adult human participants of both sexes reported the average of the two motion signals. We directly tested competing predictions arising from influential serial and parallel accounts of visual processing. Using a biologically plausible model of motion filtering, we found evidence in favor of parallel integration as the fundamental computational mechanism regulating integrated perceptual decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simple act of viewing and grasping an object involves complex sensorimotor control mechanisms that have been shown to vary as a function of multiple object and other task features such as object size, shape, weight, and wrist orientation. However, these features have been mostly studied in isolation. In contrast, given the nonlinearity of motor control, its computations require multiple features to be incorporated concurrently. Therefore, the present study tested the hypothesis that grasp computations integrate multiple task features superadditively in particular when these features are relevant for the same action phase. We asked male and female human participants to reach-to-grasp objects of different shapes and sizes with different wrist orientations. Also, we delayed the movement onset using auditory signals to specify which effector to use. Using electroencephalography and representative dissimilarity analysis to map the time course of cortical activity, we found that grasp computations formed superadditive integrated representations of grasp features during different planning phases of grasping. Shape-by-size representations and size-by-orientation representations occurred before and after effector specification, respectively, and could not be explained by single-feature models. These observations are consistent with the brain performing different preparatory, phase-specific computations; visual object analysis to identify grasp points at abstract visual levels; and downstream sensorimotor preparatory computations for reach-to-grasp trajectories. Our results suggest the brain adheres to the needs of nonlinear motor control for integration. Furthermore, they show that examining the superadditive influence of integrated representations can serve as a novel lens to map the computations underlying sensorimotor control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention and crossmodal interactions are closely linked through a complex interplay at different stages of sensory processing. Within the context of motion perception, previous research revealed that attentional demands alter audiovisual interactions in the temporal domain. In the present study, we aimed to understand the neurophysiological correlates of these attentional modulations. We utilized an audiovisual motion paradigm that elicits auditory time interval effects on perceived visual speed. The audiovisual interactions in the temporal domain were quantified by changes in perceived visual speed across different auditory time intervals. We manipulated attentional demands in the visual field by having a secondary task on a stationary object (i.e., single‐ vs. dual‐task conditions). When the attentional demands were high (i.e., dual‐task condition), there was a significant decrease in the effects of auditory time interval on perceived visual speed, suggesting a reduction in audiovisual interactions. Moreover, we found significant differences in both early and late neural activities elicited by visual stimuli across task conditions (single vs. dual), reflecting an overall increase in attentional demands in the visual field. Consistent with the changes in perceived visual speed, the audiovisual interactions in neural signals declined in the late positive component range. Compared with the findings from previous studies using different paradigms, our findings support the view that attentional modulations of crossmodal interactions are not unitary and depend on task‐specific components. They also have important implications for motion processing and speed estimation in daily life situations where sensory relevance and attentional demands constantly change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite swallowing being a frequently performed daily function, it is highly complex. For a safe swallow to occur, muscles within the head, neck, and thorax need to contract in a concerted pattern, controlled by several swallowing centers at multiple levels of the central nervous system, including the midbrain, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum in addition to five cranial nerves. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, is caused by a long list of pathologic processes and diseases, which can interfere with various stages along the swallowing sensorimotor pathway. When present, dysphagia leads to increased mortality, morbidity, hospital length of stay, and reduced quality of life. Current dysphagia management approaches, such as altering the texture and consistency of foods and fluids and teaching patients rehabilitative exercises, have been broadly unchanged for many years and, in the case of texture modification, are of uncertain effectiveness. However, evidence is emerging in support of new medication-based and neuromodulatory treatment approaches. Regarding medication-based therapies, most research has focused on capsaicinoids, which studies have shown are able to improve swallowing in patients with post-stroke dysphagia. Separately, albeit convergently, in the field of neuromodulation, there is a growing and positive evidential base behind three non-invasive brain stimulation techniques: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS), and pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES). Should some or all of these emerging therapies fulfill their promise, dysphagia-related patient outcomes may be improved. This paper describes the current state of our understanding regarding new medication and neuromodulation-based neurogenic oropharyngeal dysphagia treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual recognition is largely realized through neurons in the ventral stream, though recently, studies have suggested that ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) is also important for visual processing. While it is hypothesized that sensory and cognitive processes are integrated in vlPFC neurons, it is not clear how this mechanism benefits vision, or even if vlPFC neurons have properties essential for computations in visual cortex implemented via recurrence. Here, we investigated if vlPFC neurons in two male monkeys had functions comparable to visual cortex, including receptive fields, image selectivity, and the capacity to synthesize highly activating stimuli using generative networks. We found a subset of vlPFC sites show all properties, suggesting subpopulations of vlPFC neurons encode statistics about the world. Further, these vlPFC sites may be anatomically clustered, consistent with fMRI-identified functional organization. Our findings suggest that stable visual encoding in vlPFC may be a necessary condition for local and brain-wide computations. Functional roles of primate ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) in visual processing are not fully understood. Here, authors show that some vlPFC neurons have receptive fields, image selectivity, and can synthesize stimuli using deep generative networks, indicating their role in visual encoding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive coding theory suggests the brain anticipates sensory information using prior knowledge. While this theory has been extensively researched within individual sensory modalities, evidence for predictive processing across sensory modalities is limited. Here, we examine how crossmodal knowledge is represented and learned in the brain, by identifying the hierarchical networks underlying crossmodal predictions when information of one sensory modality leads to a prediction in another modality. We record electroencephalogram (EEG) during a crossmodal audiovisual local-global oddball paradigm, in which the predictability of transitions between tones and images are manipulated at both the stimulus and sequence levels. To dissect the complex predictive signals in our EEG data, we employed a model-fitting approach to untangle neural interactions across modalities and hierarchies. The model-fitting result demonstrates that audiovisual integration occurs at both the levels of individual stimulus interactions and multi-stimulus sequences. Furthermore, we identify the spatio-spectro-temporal signatures of prediction-error signals across hierarchies and modalities, and reveal that auditory and visual prediction errors are rapidly redirected to the central-parietal electrodes during learning through alpha-band interactions. Our study suggests a crossmodal predictive coding mechanism where unimodal predictions are processed by distributed brain networks to form crossmodal knowledge. A generalized framework for predictive coding across modalities and hierarchies reveals how the brain represents and learns crossmodal knowledge in sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception and neural processing of sensory information are strongly influenced by prior expectations. The integration of prior and sensory information can manifest through distinct underlying mechanisms: focusing on unexpected input, denoted as prediction error (PE) processing, or amplifying anticipated information via sharpened representation. In this study, we employed computational modeling using deep neural networks combined with representational similarity analyses of fMRI data to investigate these two processes during face perception. Participants were cued to see face images, some generated by morphing two faces, leading to ambiguity in face identity. We show that expected faces were identified faster and perception of ambiguous faces was shifted towards priors. Multivariate analyses uncovered evidence for PE processing across and beyond the face-processing hierarchy from the occipital face area (OFA), via the fusiform face area, to the anterior temporal lobe, and suggest sharpened representations in the OFA. Our findings support the proposition that the brain represents faces grounded in prior expectations. Perception and neural processing of sensory information are influenced by prior expectations. Here the authors show investigate how prior expectations contribute to face processing in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Participation in daily life activities with both the personal and community meaning is an important component of health and well-being. Even though there are mounting reports on the challenges in various aspects of daily-life functioning among individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to date little research has been conducted on their comprehensive patterns of participation. The study aimed to describe objective and subjective participation dimensions in PTSD compared to healthy controls and investigate the association between personal and environmental factors and participation. Methods: Sixty-one individuals were enrolled in two groups: PTSD (N=31; age: M=34.3; women:77.4%) and healthy controls matched by age and gender. The PTSD group completed standard assessments for symptom severity, general cognition, executive function (EF), sensory processing, self-efficacy, functional capacity, and environmental properties. Both groups completed a participation questionnaire. Results: Individuals with PTSD participated with low intensity and diversity, more occupations were abandoned (-4.73

• Afferent stimulation elicited a greater corticospinal drive to lumbar multifidus muscles in CLBP in comparison to controls. • Afferent stimulation alone elicited a larger reduction in paravertebral muscles activity compared to controls. • These results suggest an alteration of sensorimotor integration in our sample of participants with chronic low back pain. Objective: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) impacts on spine movement. Altered sensorimotor integration can be involved. Afferents from the lumbo-pelvic area might be processed differently in CLBP and impact on descending motor control. This study aimed to determine whether afferents influence the corticomotor control of paravertebral muscles in CLBP. Fourteen individuals with CLBP (11 females) and 13 pain-free controls (8 females) were tested with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to measure the motor-evoked potential [MEP] amplitude of paravertebral muscles. Noxious and non-noxious electrical stimulation, and magnetic stimulation in the lumbo-sacral area were used as afferent stimuli and triggered 20 to 200 ms prior to TMS. EMG modulation elicited by afferent stimulation alone was measured to control net motoneuron excitability. MEP/EMG ratio was used as a measure of corticospinal excitability with control of net motoneuron excitability. MEP/EMG ratio was larger at 60, 80 and 100-ms intervals in CLBP compared to controls, and afferent stimulations alone reduced EMG amplitude greater in CLBP than controls at 100 ms. Our results suggest alteration in sensorimotor integration in CLBP highlighted by a greater facilitation of the descending corticospinal input to paravertebral muscles. Our results can help to optimise interventions by better targeting mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human standing balance relies on the continuous monitoring and integration of sensory signals to infer our body's motion and orientation within the environment. However, when sensory information is no longer contextually relevant to balancing the body (e.g., when sensory and motor signals are incongruent), sensory-evoked balance responses are rapidly suppressed, much earlier than any conscious perception of changes in balance control. Here, we used a robotic balance simulator to assess whether associatively learned postural responses are similarly modulated by sensorimotor incongruence and contextual relevance to postural control. Twenty-nine participants in three groups were classically conditioned to generate postural responses to whole-body perturbations when presented with an initially neutral sound cue. During catch and extinction trials, participants received only the auditory stimulus but in different sensorimotor states corresponding to their group: 1) during normal active balance, 2) while immobilized, and 3) throughout periods where the computer subtly removed active control over balance. In the balancing and immobilized states, conditioned responses were either evoked or suppressed, respectively, according to the (in)ability to control movement. Following the immobilized state, conditioned responses were renewed when balance was restored, indicating that conditioning was retained but only expressed when contextually relevant. In contrast, conditioned responses persisted in the computer-controlled state even though there was no causal relationship between motor and sensory signals. These findings suggest that mechanisms responsible for sensory-evoked and conditioned postural responses do not share a single, central contextual inference and assessment of their relevance to postural control, and may instead operate in parallel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue is prevalent amongst people with long COVID, but is poorly understood. The sensory attenuation framework proposes that impairments in sensory processing lead to heightened perception of effort, driving fatigue. This study aims to investigate the role of somatosensory processing impairments in long COVID fatigue and quantify how sensory processing relates to other prominent symptoms of long COVID including autonomic dysfunction, mood and illness beliefs in driving the experience of fatigue. We will recruit 44 individuals with long COVID fatigue and 44 individuals with neither long COVID nor fatigue (controls). Our primary objective is to compare baseline somatosensory processing between individuals with long COVID fatigue and controls. Additionally, we will explore the associations between somatosensory processing, fatigability and the level of fatigue induced by cognitive and physical exertion. Due to the complex nature of fatigue, we will also investigate how long COVID, state fatigue, perceived effort, mood, illness beliefs, autonomic symptoms and autonomic nervous system function interact to predict trait fatigue. This comprehensive investigation aims to elucidate how sensory processing and other prominent symptoms interact to impact the experience of fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research on the relationship between the taste, aroma and drinking utensils of beverages tends to focus on topics such as alcohol, sparkling beverages, juice, coffee, and hot chocolate. There is limited research focused on the interdependence between the perception of teacups and the tea taste. The literature has not yet found any research covering the impact of visual shape and the tactile sensation of teacups on the perception of tea flavor. Therefore, this study proposed six hypotheses related to the teacup shape and texture, teacup preference and taste and smell of tea. This study involved experimental design and questionnaire data collection, using a convenience sampling method to recruit 102 participants voluntarily. The research results are: (1) Age and gender have an impact on the taste and aroma perception of tea; (2) The width, height, rim thickness and smoothness of the teacup surface do have an impact on the perception of taste and fragrance of tea. (3) The preference of teacup played an intermediary effect between tea taste and the shape and texture of teacup. The implications of these findings on the perception of tea flavor are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kabuki Syndrome (KS) encompasses a spectrum of clinical manifestations, primarily attributed to pathogenic variants in the KMT2D gene. This study aims to elucidate novel features in KS patients with missense variants, contrasting their presentation with both literature-reported cases of patients with missense pathogenic variants as well as other KS patients with truncating pathogenic variants. Employing a survey questionnaire and clinical evaluations, we examined ten KS patients with missense variants, focusing on their dysmorphism characteristics, behavior and psychomotor development. We identified unique features in missense variant patients, including foot hyperesthesia, musicality, and sensory integration disorders. Notably, despite similarities in developmental trajectories, distinct phenotypic traits emerged in missense variant cases, suggesting a potential genotype-phenotype correlation. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of KS heterogeneity and underscore the importance of genotype-specific characterization for prognostic and therapeutic considerations. Further exploration of genotype-phenotype relationships promises to refine clinical management strategies and enhance patient outcomes in this complex syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]