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TRAAK, TREK-1, and TREK-2 are mechanosensitive two-pore domain K+ (K2P) channels that contribute to action potential propagation, sensory transduction, and muscle contraction. While structural and functional studies have led to models that explain their mechanosensitivity, we lack a quantitative understanding of channel activation by membrane tension. Here, we define the tension response of mechanosensitive K2Ps using patch-clamp recording and imaging. All are low-threshold mechanosensitive channels (T10%/50% 0.6-2.7 / 4.4-6.4 mN/m) with distinct response profiles. TRAAK is most sensitive, TREK-1 intermediate, and TREK-2 least sensitive. TRAAK and TREK-1 are activated broadly over a range encompassing nearly all physiologically relevant tensions. TREK-2, in contrast, activates over a narrower range like mechanosensitive channels Piezo1, MscS, and MscL. We further show that low-frequency, low-intensity focused ultrasound increases membrane tension to activate TRAAK and MscS. This work provides insight into tension gating of mechanosensitive K2Ps relevant to understanding their physiological roles and potential applications for ultrasonic neuromodulation.

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Aim: Bladder sensation is critical for coordinating voluntary micturition to maintain healthy bladder function. Sensations are initiated by the activation of sensory afferents that innervate throughout the bladder wall. However, the physiological complexity that underlies the initiation of bladder sensory signaling in health and disease remains poorly understood. This review summarises the latest knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the generation of bladder sensation and identifies key areas for future research. Methods: Experts in bladder sensory signaling reviewed the literature on how the lower urinary tract contributes to bladder sensation and identified key research areas for discussion at the 10th International Consultation on Incontinence—Research Society. Results: The importance of bladder sensory signals in maintaining healthy bladder function is well established. However, better therapeutic management of bladder disorders with exaggerated bladder sensation, including overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) and interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is limited by a lack of knowledge in a number of key research areas including; the contribution of different nerves (pudendal, pelvic, hypogastric) to filling sensations in health and disease; the relative contribution of stretch sensitive (muscular) and stretch‐insensitive (mucosal) afferents to bladder sensation in health and disease; the direct and indirect contributions of the muscularis mucosae to bladder contraction and sensation; and the impact of manipulating urothelial release factors on bladder sensation. Conclusion: Disturbances in bladder sensory signaling can have severe consequences for bladder sensation and function including the development of OAB and IC/BPS. Advancing therapeutic treatments for OAB and IC/BPS requires a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the generation of bladder sensation, and key areas for future research have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding emotions and sensations from a neuroscientific context is essential for unravelling the complex mechanisms underlying human behaviour and cognition. Emotions are created by maintaining a positive or negative relationship of an individual towards the experiences and facts of reality. Sensations are the result of the influence of the material world on our senses or receptors. Recent advancements in neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) have provided unprecedented insights into the neural circuitry underlying emotions and sensations. Additionally the role of neurotransmitters, neural networks and brain regions are implicated in emotion regulation, sensory processing and their integration. Furthermore, there is impact of emotional and sensory dysregulation on various psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), highlighting potential avenues for therapeutic interventions. Overall, the importance of interdisciplinary research is in bridging the gap between neuroscience and psychology, paving the way for a deeper understanding of human emotions and sensations which is reflected in both simple experiences is emphasised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the existing literature, assessing transgender patients' quality of life after surgery, especially using standardized surveys, is rare. The nipple sensation regarding the operating technique has neither been studied in a prospective nor standardized way. For one year, we prospectively assessed transgender patients operated on for a gender-affirming chest surgery in our unit. Each patient answered the BREAST-Q© survey and the BODY-Q© chest module survey before and six months after the surgery. In addition, a measure of nipple sensation was performed using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments pre-and post-operatively to compare surgical techniques. Fifty-one patients (102 breasts) were included in our study. The average age was 23.1 years and the average BMI was 24.8 kg/m2. Twenty-one patients (45%) had double incision and free nipple graft mastectomy, 14 (27%) patients had double incision and inferior pedicle mastectomy, while the 14 (27%) other patients had a semi-circular technique. Our study shows an improvement in all the scores of the surveys after surgery (p < 0.0001). Patients with double incision and inferior pedicle mastectomies rated a significantly higher satisfaction with nipples (p = 0.013) and significantly better sexual well-being (p = 0.007) than other techniques. In addition, preservation of nipple sensation was shown in patients operated by semi-circular technique (p < 0.001) and inferior pedicle technique (p < 0.0001). Our prospective study confirms the significant improvement in the quality of life of transgender patients after chest gender-affirming surgery. Double incision with inferior pedicle seems to provide better satisfaction with nipples, higher sexual well-being, and preservation of nipple sensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study focused on the impact of mental fatigue induced by motor imagery on upper limb function, an area with limited research compared to lower limb performance. It aimed to explore how diaphragmatic breathing exercises influence these effects. Materials and Methods: This study included 30 participants, and Group 1 participated in 12 sessions of diaphragmatic breathing exercises under the supervision of a physiotherapist; Group 2 did not receive any intervention. For all the participants, mental fatigue was induced with motor imagery before and after the intervention, and evaluations were performed before and after mental fatigue. Upper extremity functions were evaluated using isometric elbow flexion strength, hand grip strength, upper extremity reaction time and endurance, finger reaction time, the nine-hole peg test, shoulder position sense, light touch-pressure threshold, and two-point discrimination. Results: The study results showed that after mental fatigue, there was a decrease in isometric elbow flexion strength, nondominant hand grip strength, and nondominant upper extremity endurance, and an increase in nondominant tactile sensation (p < 0.05). No changes were found in two-point discrimination, nine-hole peg test time, and position sense on either side (p > 0.05). The effect of mental fatigue on isometric elbow flexion strength and nondominant grip strength showed significant improvement following diaphragmatic breathing exercises (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study found that mental fatigue from motor imagery can impact elbow flexion, hand grip strength, upper extremity endurance, and tactile sensitivity. Breathing exercises may help improve strength parameters affected by mental fatigue. It is crucial to consider these effects on upper extremity functions in rehabilitation programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory features are common and impairing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but there are few observational sensory assessments that are valid across ages. We used the Sensory Processing 3-Dimensional (SP3-D) observed Assessment and parent-reported Inventory to examine sensory responsivity in 41 ASD and 33 typically-developing (TD) youth across 7-17 years. ASD youth had higher and more variable observed and reported sensory responsivity symptoms compared to TD, but the two measures were not correlated. Observed sensory over-responsivity (SOR) and sensory craving (SC) decreased with age in ASD, though SOR remained higher in ASD versus TD through adolescence. Results suggest that in ASD, the SP3-D Assessment can identify SOR through adolescence, and that there is value in integrating multiple sensory measures.

Introduction: The algorithm for reconstruction options for lower extremity soft-tissue defects depends on the location, size, and depth of the wound. Regional options include muscle, fasciocutaneous, perforator, supramalleolar, and sural flap. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the return time of postoperative sensory innervations in patients whose reconstruction was performed with a reverse flow sural flap in distal third lower extremity injuries. Materials and Methods: Patients with lower extremity injuries, treated between September 2018 and December 2021, were retrospectively evaluated in terms of sensory innervation of the sural flap at 1, 6, 12, and 18 months postoperatively. Heat, cold, pain, stereognosis, two-point discrimination, and superficial and deep sensory examinations were examined in stages. Results: A total of 12 patients were evaluated, 7 (58.3%) of whom were male and 5 (41.6%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 42.08 years. The mean follow-up period of the patients was 20 months. In the acute postoperative follow-up of the operated patients, infection was observed in three patients and venous congestion in one patient. Total flap loss was not observed in any patient. The superficial sensory test and the deep sensory test did not return until a mean of 6 months, and the stereognosis test did not return until 1 year, while the sensation of pain returned at an average of 18 months, and the heat, cold, and two-point discrimination tests did not return during follow-up in most patients. Conclusion: The reverse flow sural flap is a reconstruction option known to have rapid neurosensory recovery. The exact timing to minimize the risk of trauma that may occur in the flap area is an average of 18th month. Although larger studies are needed to support these results, studies to accelerate the sensory innervation of this flap are needed.

Everyday experience requires processing external signals from the world around us and internal information retrieved from memory. To do both, the brain must fluctuate between states that are optimized for external versus internal attention. Here, we focus on the hippocampus as a region that may serve at the interface between these forms of attention and ask how it switches between prioritizing sensory signals from the external world versus internal signals related to memories and thoughts. Pharmacological, computational, and animal studies have identified input from the cholinergic basal forebrain as important for biasing the hippocampus toward processing external information, whereas complementary research suggests the dorsal attention network (DAN) may aid in allocating attentional resources toward accessing internal information. We therefore tested the hypothesis that the basal forebrain and DAN drive the hippocampus toward external and internal attention, respectively. We used data from 29 human participants (17 female) who completed two attention tasks during fMRI. One task (memory-guided) required proportionally more internal attention, and proportionally less external attention, than the other (explicitly instructed). We discovered that background functional connectivity between the basal forebrain and hippocampus was stronger during the explicitly instructed versus memory-guided task. In contrast, DAN-hippocampus background connectivity was stronger during the memory-guided versus explicitly instructed task. Finally, the strength of DAN-hippocampus background connectivity was correlated with performance on the memory-guided but not explicitly instructed task. Together, these results provide evidence that the basal forebrain and DAN may modulate the hippocampus to switch between external and internal attention.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How does the brain balance the need to pay attention to internal thoughts and external sensations? We focused on the human hippocampus, a region that may serve at the interface between internal and external attention, and asked how its functional connectivity varies based on attentional states. The hippocampus was more strongly coupled with the cholinergic basal forebrain when attentional states were guided by the external world rather than retrieved memories. This pattern flipped for functional connectivity between the hippocampus and dorsal attention network, which was higher for attention tasks that were guided by memory rather than external cues. Together, these findings show that distinct networks in the brain may modulate the hippocampus to switch between external and internal attention.

Discriminating between temporal features in sensory stimuli is critical to complex behavior and decision-making. However, how sensory cortical circuit mechanisms contribute to discrimination between subsecond temporal components in sensory events is unclear. To elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of timing in primary visual cortex (V1), we recorded from V1 using two-photon calcium imaging in awake-behaving mice performing a go/no-go discrimination timing task, which was composed of patterns of subsecond audiovisual stimuli. In both conditions, activity during the early stimulus period was temporally coordinated with the preferred stimulus. However, while network activity increased in the preferred condition, network activity was increasingly suppressed in the nonpreferred condition over the stimulus period. Multiple levels of analyses suggest that discrimination between subsecond intervals that are contained in rhythmic patterns can be accomplished by local neural dynamics in V1.

Intrinsic optical signal imaging (IOSI) is a staple technique in modern neuroscience. Pioneered >30 years ago, IOSI allows macroscopic mapping of neuronal activity throughout the cortex. The technique has been used to study sensory processing and experience-dependent plasticity, and is often used as an adjunctive procedure to localize cortical areas for subsequent targeting by other imaging or physiology techniques. Despite the ubiquity of IOSI in neuroscience, there are few commercially available turn-key IOSI systems. As a result, investigators have typically resorted to building their own imaging systems. Over the years, simplified systems built either as dedicated rigs or incorporated into existing microscope platforms have been developed. Here we present a straightforward set of adaptations that can be applied to any standard upright microscope, using readily available, inexpensive, commercial parts for illumination, optics, and signal detection, that enables high-sensitivity IOSI. Using these adaptations, we are able to readily map sensory-evoked signals across the somatosensory and visual cortex, including single-whisker barrel cortical activity maps in mice. We show that these IOSI maps are highly reproducible across animals and can be used to study plasticity mechanisms in the somatosensory cortex. We also provide open-source applications to control illumination and analyze raw data to generate activity maps. We anticipate that these resources will be useful for neuroscience investigators looking to add IOSI capabilities to an existing microscope in the laboratory on a budget.

The fear-avoidance model is a well-established framework in the understanding of persistent pain. It proposes a dichotomous path: either the context is interpreted as safe; there is no fear reaction and, therefore, the individual engages in active (positive) coping; or the context is interpreted as threatening, leading to a self-reinforcing vicious circle of fear and (negative) avoidance. We propose an embodied interpretation of this phenomenon employing the joint framework of predictive coding and active inference. The key idea is that multisensory integration of exteroceptive, proprioceptive, and interoceptive sensory inputs can lead to dysfunctional experiences of threat in nonthreatening situations. Threat inference can promote fear responses, maladaptive strategies (i.e., avoidance) and self-provides evidence for threat in associated or future contexts, or both. Under this treatment, the prediction of nonrealized threat becomes self-evidencing and context-invariant, and hence self-perpetuating. Safety cues are unable to attenuate the interpretation of the negative context as the dominant inference of the context is threatful and gains more precision and becomes resistant over time. Our model provides an explanation for the emergence of a dysfunctional fear response in the clinical setting despite apparent safety based on modern concepts from theoretical (computational) neuroscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Learning encompasses lasting alterations in behavior stemming from experience. The sensory system receives and interprets information gathered from individual experiences, priming it for integration with other neuro-psychological facets of learning. The processes and modalities of learning, juxtaposed with sensory processing, may or may not exhibit interrelation akin to gears within a learning clock mechanism. The objective is to explore the potential correlation between the stages and styles of learning outlined by Kolb and the sensory processing patterns delineated in Dunn's model. Methods This correlational study involved undergraduate Occupational Therapy students from the Rehabilitation Faculty at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS) in Iran. In 2018, all students were invited to participate and were asked to complete two questionnaires: The Kolb Learning Styles Inventory and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile. Out of 83 distributed questionnaires, responses from 62 participants were included in the analysis. The collected data underwent descriptive and analytical statistical analyses using SPSS23 software. Results Findings revealed no significant correlation between Kolb's Learning Steps and Learning Styles and Dunn's Sensory Processing Patterns among Iranian Occupational Therapy students (p-value>0.05). However, there was a correlation between low registration and preferred learning steps among female students (p-value=0.003). Conclusion The findings suggest no correlation between learning steps and learning styles with sensory processing patterns overall. However, gender-based analysis indicates a potential correlation among participants exhibiting low registration sensory patterns.

Trauma is any overwhelming experience caused by exposure to a single or repeated life-threatening or distressing event(s) leaving imprints across mind, brain, and body and giving rise to many psychosomatic problems. The objective of this narrative review is to present the dream work method, Embodied Imagination (EI) developed by Jungian psychoanalyst, Robert Bosnak, as a method that can assist in alleviation of the effects of trauma. An overview of the fundamental components and theoretical underpinnings of the EI method are presented herein to demonstrate its suitability for trauma treatment. The neuroscientific findings, dream researches and principal ideas mentioned in the seminal work of Bessel van der Kolk, 'The Body Keeps the Score' forms the bedrock of this review. Relevant literature, both current and past is included to show support for EI, a psychotherapy modality which concentrates on dreams, imagination, physical sensations and emotions. This review calls attention to EI as a method that can facilitate the identification and integration of emotions and sensations, both interoceptive and exteroceptive, as well as the recognition of non-ego perspectives that exist beneath consciousness. The awareness and acknowledgment of new perspectives attained through EI bears significant implications for healing and alleviation of trauma. The implication even extends to the realm of brain plasticity wherein the new perspectives can activate new neural pathways facilitating transformations in emotions, associated thoughts, and memories. It is concluded that attending to dream images/memories through imagination can be efficacious in addressing the somatic and emotional effects of trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The communication of pain has been figured, in both the canonical work of Elaine Scarry and in biomedical discourse, as bringing pain up from bodily depths to a surface where it is visibly manifest to others. This study of acute physical pain in three popular American narrative texts and their film adaptations suggests that the oculocentrism of such accounts has elided the significant role of sound, both verbal and nonverbal, in the expression and witnessing of physical pain. Instances of what was classified in the nineteenth century as sensation literature, these three texts produce direct sensory effects. Scott Smith's The Ruins (2006) is a horror novel, William Goldman's Marathon Man (1974) a thriller, and Aron Ralston's Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2004) (film: 127 Hours) an adventure-survival memoir. Reading pain in each of three triple texts—book, film, and the screenplay transmitting pain from one to the other—opens up a new archive of pain texts that promise sensation rather than relief, offering a new perspective on the imaginative—and paradoxically ameliorative—creativity brought into being by the notorious recalcitrance of pain. This essay argues for attention to the protolinguistic pain language of groans and screams; for a poetics of "ouch." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The critique of pure sense data is a characteristic feature of contemporary philosophy, from Wittgenstein and Heidegger to Martha Nussbaum and Ernst Tugendhat. These authors variously call into question that the data of sensation should be taken as primordial. Other contemporary authors have responded to this general critique starting from considerations about the role of sensory states, often referred to as "qualia," in our experiential awareness. In this paper, I suggest that the philosophy of science of Ernst Mach is especially paradigmatic in that it displays in one same intellectual effort the presence of these two polarizing views in the philosophical discussion of the twentieth century. In Mach a radical biological and epistemic pragmatism coexists with the most extreme sensual elementism. I show that Mach is at the same time the proponent of a phenomenological lineage that Edmund Husserl, the father of phenomenology, is aware to take up and continue. What I propose is that Husserl's phenomenology emerges as true juncture between the extremes of sensualism and pragmatism by way of a recasting of the modern intentionalist conceptions of experience beyond any mentalist and realist paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sociology of personal life (SPL) has been largely untouched by sociology's ontological turn. A few scholars have attempted to retrofit SPL and new-materialist ideas, but these limited attempts have overlooked the potential for SPL to furnish its own definitive ontological contributions in dialogue with the wider turn. In response, I offer an SPL-centred ontology: the 'connective ontology' of facet methodology. Introduced in 2011, facet methodology was originally supported by 'connective ontology', briefly outlined in a preliminary text, but as facet methodology has gained popularity, connective ontology has not been explicitly discussed. I argue that, while never mentioned outright, Jennifer Mason's 2018 Affinities is about connective ontology and therefore offers an extensive, albeit tantalisingly implicit, ontological thesis, which I attempt to develop. In my interpretation, the world is made up of fluctuating layerings of vitally animated connection units. This connective ontology resonates with contemporary new-materialist sensibilities, but is from and of SPL. It also speaks to broader theoretical traditions, offering provocations for ontologically-minded, live, post-humanist, vitalist and biosocial sociologies, especially regarding longstanding critiques of apoliticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Art or at least what is called "eco art" or "environmental art" knows numerous ways in which to respond to environmental issues and become ecological. This article is not an analysis of art history, which would map the various tendencies or themes within eco art, but a philosophical study attempting to describe the most profound sense in which art literally is nature: according to French phenomenologist Henri Maldiney, art is a "flash of being" (éclair de l'être) or, more precisely, a flash or glimpse of sensually experienced nature. The article attempts to clarify this thesis thoroughly and then briefly traces the link between eco art and eco-phenomenology, a branch of environmental ethics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skin-grafted free gracilis muscle flaps are commonly used for lower extremity reconstruction. However, the loss of sensory function may lead to increased patient morbidity. This study prospectively analyzed the sensory and neuropathic pain outcomes of neurotized skin-grafted free gracilis muscle flaps used for the reconstruction of lower extremity defects. Patients undergoing lower extremity reconstructions between 2020 and 2022 with neurotized skin-grafted free gracilis muscle flaps were prospectively enrolled. Sensation was assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively using monofilaments, two-point discrimination, a vibration device, and cold and warm metal rods. Sensations were tested in the center and periphery of the flaps, as well as in the surrounding skin. The contralateral side served as the control. Patients completed the McGill pain questionnaire to evaluate patient-reported neuropathic pain. Ten patients were included. At 12 months postoperatively, monofilament values improved by 44.5% compared to that of the control site, two-point discrimination, cold detection, warmth detection, and vibration detection improved by 36.2%, 48%, 50%, and 88.2%, respectively, at the reconstructed site compared to those at the control site. All sensory tests were significantly better than 3 and 6 months values (p < 0.05), but remained significantly poorer than the control site (p < 0.05). Sensation in the central flap areas were similar to peripheral flap areas throughout the follow-up period (p > 0.05). The surrounding skin reached values similar to the control site at 12 months (p > 0.05). Moreover, 50% of patients reported neuropathic pain at 3 months postoperatively, 40% at 6 months, and 0% at 12 months (p < 0.05). Mechanical detection, vibration detection, temperature detection, and two-point discrimination significantly improved over time but without reaching normal sensory function at 12 months postoperatively. Neuropathic pain resolved at 12 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model is proposed for human-like information-gathering and -utilizing systems. This model uses sensory experience, and subsequent processed belief contents, to provide a notion of psychological time for these agents. This model shows how a narrative can be formed to provide concepts of a 'now', a 'past', a 'future', and perhaps even a 'flow' for psychological time. The proposal is that conscious, occurrent access at any moment to registers with different kinds of contents warrants beliefs about relations in time, while recognizing differences between interpretations of psychological time and time as understood in physical theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coping strategies were found to predict success in rehabilitation. Research is lacking in identifying the specific coping strategies used to adjust to sensory changes after stroke. This study utilized a qualitative descriptive method to understand how individuals handle sensory changes after stroke. Researchers developed open-ended questions with probes to facilitate semi-structured interviews. Thirteen stroke survivors younger than 75 years old who were 1–5 years past their stroke were recruited. Researchers used an inductive content analysis approach to analyze the data gathered from the interviews. Two themes were identified; Coping strategies and the Amount of therapy received targeting sensory changes. Results from this study can inform occupational therapists about what strategies stroke survivors use to cope with sensory changes so that similar strategies can be implemented in therapy. Rehabilitation in the early stages of recovery can help stroke survivors identify adaptive strategies to cope with sensory changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lay abstractResearch has found differences in responding to various sensory stimuli among autistic individuals, which are associated with social and adaptive skills. However, our understanding of sensory profiles in autism has been complicated due to the variable presentation of sensory symptoms. One way to better understand variability in sensory symptoms is to use advanced statistical approaches, such as latent profile analysis, that allow for the identification of more similar sensory classes in otherwise variable groups. We used the Short Sensory Profile to identify homogeneous classes of sensory reactivity in autistic children based on both severity and modality and examined whether sensory classes differed in terms of autism characteristics, adaptive skills, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Based on the pattern of both severity and modality, four sensory classes emerged and were named Moderate/Mixed (35.5%; probable-to-definite differences in all modalities except in movement sensitivity and low energy/weakness), Severe/Mixed (8.5%; definite sensory differences in all modalities except in low energy/weakness), Moderate/Broad (14.6%; probable-to-definite differences in all modalities), and Low/Mixed (41.1%; typical scores in most modalities with probable differences in taste/smell sensitivity, under-responsive/seeks sensation, and auditory filtering). The Severe/Mixed class exhibited greater problems in a variety of areas such as social, adaptive, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, whereas the Low/Mixed class showed overall fewer problems. This may provide insight for clinicians and researchers aiming to understand whether autistic children who exhibit distinct sensory patterns are more or less likely to also experience social, adaptive, and/or attention/behavior-related difficulties.

Gamification in education has received significant attention for its potential to enhance student engagement and motivation. However, challenges arise from the excessive use of reward-oriented game elements, which are assumed to have negative effects on learning outcomes in many cases. In contrast, while the literature argues immersion-based gamification holds great potential, there is little research on how such an approach affects learning experiences. The Sensation game element, for instance, might contribute to students' experiences by providing sensory queues, such as auditory feedback based on background music, to foster concentration, engagement, and immersive learning experiences. Nevertheless, past studies have not sufficiently investigated how the Sensation game element affects gamified learning experiences. Therefore, this paper implements the Sensation game element in two studies: Study 1 introduced background music during a reading activity, while Study 2 implemented multiple background music tracks aligned with different learning stages to drive students' experiences. Accordingly, we evaluated this game element through usability tests, based on high-fidelity prototypes of online learning environments, followed by semi-structured interviews that were analyzed through thematic analysis with the help of ChatGPT. Overall, we found that Sensation, particularly instrumental music, positively influenced concentration but requires careful design to maintain engagement. The findings highlight the importance of tailoring Sensation's implementation to consider individual preferences and contextual factors and the need for thoughtful selection and management of sensory queues to optimize learning environments effectively. Additionally, we provide evidence emphasizing the value of using tools like ChatGPT to optimize qualitative data analysis, although human oversight remains prominent to ensure robust research outcomes. Overall, this study contributes insights for designing personalized and effective gamified learning experiences based on the Sensation game element in enhancing learning experiences.

A central question in neuroscience is how sensory inputs are transformed into percepts. At this point, it is clear that this process is strongly influenced by prior knowledge of the sensory environment. Bayesian ideal observer models provide a useful link between data and theory that can help researchers evaluate how prior knowledge is represented and integrated with incoming sensory information. However, the statistical prior employed by a Bayesian observer cannot be measured directly, and must instead be inferred from behavioral measurements. Here, we review the general problem of inferring priors from psychophysical data, and the simple solution that follows from assuming a prior that is a Gaussian probability distribution. As our understanding of sensory processing advances, however, there is an increasing need for methods to flexibly recover the shape of Bayesian priors that are not well approximated by elementary functions. To address this issue, we describe a novel approach that applies to arbitrary prior shapes, which we parameterize using mixtures of Gaussian distributions. After incorporating a simple approximation, this method produces an analytical solution for psychophysical quantities that can be numerically optimized to recover the shapes of Bayesian priors. This approach offers advantages in flexibility, while still providing an analytical framework for many scenarios. We provide a MATLAB toolbox implementing key computations described herein.

BackgroundChronic pain and somatosensory impairment are common following a stroke. It is possible that an interaction exists between pain and somatosensory impairment and that a change in one may influence the other. We therefore investigated the presence of chronic pain and self-reported altered somatosensory ability in individuals with stroke, aiming to determine if chronic pain is more common in stroke survivors with somatosensory impairment than in those without.MethodsStroke survivors were invited to complete an online survey that included demographics, details of the stroke, presence of chronic pain, and any perceived changes in body sensations post-stroke.ResultsSurvivors of stroke (n = 489) completed the survey with 308 indicating that they experienced chronic pain and 368 reporting perceived changes in somatosensory function. Individuals with strokes who reported altered somatosensory ability were more likely to experience chronic pain than those who did not (OR = 1.697; 95% CI 1.585, 2.446). Further, this difference was observed for all categories of sensory function that were surveyed (detection of light touch, body position, discrimination of surfaces and temperature, and haptic object recognition).ConclusionsThe results point to a new characteristic of chronic pain in strokes, regardless of nature or region of the pain experienced, and raises the potential of somatosensory impairment being a rehabilitation target to improve pain-related outcomes for stroke survivors.

In mammalian research, it has been debated what can initiate an evolutionary tradeoff between different senses, and the phenomenon of sensory tradeoff in rodents, the most abundant mammalian clade, is not evident. The Nile rat (Arvicanthis niloticus), a murid rodent, recently adapted to a diurnal niche through an evolutionary acquisition of daylight vision with enhanced visual acuity. As such, this model provides an opportunity for a cross-species investigation where comparative morphological and multi-omic analyses of the Nile rat are made with its closely related nocturnal species, e.g. the mouse (Mus musculus) and the rat (Rattus norvegicus). Thus, morphological examinations were performed, and evolutionary reductions in relative sizes of turbinal bone surfaces, the cribriform plate, and the olfactory bulb were discovered in Nile rats. Subsequently, we compared multiple murid genomes, and profiled olfactory epithelium transcriptomes of mice and Nile rats at various ages with RNA sequencing. The results further demonstrate that, in comparison with mouse olfactory receptor (OR) genes, Nile rat OR genes have experienced less frequent gain, more frequent loss, and more frequent expression reduction during their evolution. Furthermore, functional degeneration of coding sequences in the Nile rat lineage was found in OR genes, yet not in other genes. Taken together, these results suggest that acquisition of improved vision in the Nile rat has been accompanied by degeneration of both olfaction-related anatomical structures and OR gene repertoires, consistent with the hypothesis of an olfaction-vision tradeoff initiated by the switch from a nocturnal to a diurnal lifestyle in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early studies identified sensory phenomena as an important facet of hair pulling and skin picking. Research in this area has grown in recent years; however, extant research on sensory abnormalities in BFRBs demonstrates limitations. The current study seeks to address gaps in the literature by examining differences in the experiences of sensory phenomena among patients with BFRBs as compared to healthy controls. Methods: Participants were 106 individuals, including 72 with BFRBs (32 hair pulling disorder [HPD], 31 skin picking disorder [SPD], 9 HPD with SPD) and 34 healthy controls, aged 11–65 years. All participants were assessed for psychiatric diagnosis via clinician-rated interviews and rated global hair pulling and skin picking severity. Participants also rated sensory phenomena using the Sensory Gating Inventory and Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile. Results: Results revealed that participants with BFRBs exhibited significantly (or trends towards significantly) higher scores across most sensory domains (i.e., Over-inclusion, Distractibility, Stress-Fatigue Vulnerability, Low Registration, Sensation Avoidance, and Sensation Sensitivity) than healthy controls. There were no significant differences between discrete BFRB groups across any sensory experience. There were positive, moderate associations between a clinician-rated measure of skin picking-related global severity and most sensory experiences. Conclusions: These findings suggest that sensory dysregulation does separate those with BFRBs from healthy controls. Implications for future research and treatment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sodium leak channel (NALCN) is widely expressed in the central nervous system and plays a pivotal role in regulating the resting membrane potential (RMP) by mediating the Na+ leak current. NALCN was first reported in 1999, and since then, increasing evidence has provided insights into the structure and functions of NALCN. As an essential component of neuronal background currents, NALCN has been shown to be involved in many important physiological functions, particularly in the respiratory rhythm, as NALCN mutant mice have a severely disrupted respiratory rhythm and die within 24 h of birth. Many patients with NALCN mutations also develop serious clinical syndromes, such as severe hypotonia, speech impairment, and cognitive delay. Recently, emerging studies have clarified the human NALCN structure and revealed additional properties and functions of NALCN. For instance, accumulating evidence highlights that the NALCN is involved in normal sensation and pain. Here, we review the current literature and summarize the role of the NALCN in sensation and pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present 11 short practical exercises complementing the lecture on sensation and perception. The exercises cover all the classic topics in the curriculum (vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) and work best in small groups of up to 10 students. They last between 5 and 45 min and range from short demonstrations on depth perception and sound source localization to more elaborate setups such as a double-blind taste test and an obstacle course with upside-down goggles. For each exercise, we provide a detailed description with theoretical background, materials, procedure, learning objectives, and our experiences from 10 semesters on what worked well and what not so much. We also present strategies for online delivery or suggest alternative exercises that can be implemented both in remote and in-person settings. Instructions for all exercises are available in German, English, and Spanish as open educational resources that can be reused, shared and modified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research aims to evaluate the frequency of déjà vu experience in medical students and its relationship with stress along with different prognostic factors that lead to déjà vu experience. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Foundation University Islamabad over 4 months from May 2023 to August 2023. The sample size (239) was calculated using open Epi software with a previous prevalence of 67%. Stratified random sampling was used to select students. Data was collected through a questionnaire containing demographic variables from a validated déjà vu inventory and stress tool. Analysis was done on a validated déjà vu inventory and perceived stress scale 10. SPSS 26 was used to assess the relationship between stress and the frequency of déjà vu using the chi-square test, with statistical significance at p<0.05. Results: 89.2% of the participants reported that they had experienced this sensation at least once in their life. The most popular ways this feeling happened were in a certain place or a certain situation. The association between stress and Déjà vu experiences was found to be significant(p-value 0.012) Conclusion: 89.2% of the participants reported that they had experienced Déjà vu sensation at least once. There was a significant association between stress among medical university students and Déjà vu experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pruritus was first described by the German physician Samuel Hafenreffer in 1660 as an unpleasant sensation that induces the desire to scratch; he did not describe it as a specific nosological entity, but as a symptom, a multifactorial phenomenon that includes sensory, emotional and cognitive components. Pruritus is a common symptom in the general population; it can be the manifestation of a cutaneous or systemic disease. This sensation can present acutely or chronically if it persists for more than six weeks. In 2003, Twycross et al. carried out the neurophysiopathological classification of pruritus according to its origin, such as pruritoceptive, neuropathic, neurogenic, psychogenic. Pruritus begins in the epidermis and dermal-epidermal junction where cells such as keratinocytes, fibroblasts, mast cells, macrophages, neutrophils and eosinophils, through scratching, friction or inflammation release pruritus mediators such as histamine, tryptase, cathepsins, gastrin-releasing peptide, opioids, substance P, leukotrienes, interleukins, and tumor necrosis factor. These mediators stimulate slow-conducting, unmyelinated, C-type fibers that may or may not be sensitive to histamine action, depending on the expression of H1 receptors. In this article we highlight the pathophysiological mechanisms of pruritus in skin and systemic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, lichen planus, uremic pruritus, herpes zoster, notalgia paresthetica and hepatobiliary disease, of interest to the dermatologist in exercise. The frequency of symptoms and the impact on quality of life make it necessary to find an appropriate treatment regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensory issues impact participation and are frequent in people with schizophrenia. To provide clinicians in Spain with reliable and valid tools to assess sensory integration in adult mental health, we analyzed the internal reliability and discriminant validity of Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP-Spain). Cross-sectional descriptive study that analyzed internal reliability (Cronbach's Alpha; n = 434 neurotypical) and discriminant validity (n = 18 schizophrenia; n = 54 neurotypical). Cronbach's Alpha for AASP categories ranged from 0.69 to 0.73. Individuals with schizophrenia had higher scores (more problems) than controls in the three categories. The AASP-Spain offers promising internal reliability and discriminant validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Çankaya University Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences is the property of Cankaya University Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Wilkie Collins's 1872 novel Poor Miss Finch, epilepsy is represented as an event which brings modifying effects through the kind of writing developed in Collins's earlier, more 'canonical' sensation fictions. Drawing on ideas explored in the medical literature of his day, especially the works of Edward Sieveking, Charles Radcliffe, and Russell Reynolds, Collins portrays epileptic disorder as a shock which establishes a new plot trajectory and allows for an examination of the apparent intersections between biology, identity, and different models of (biological) determinism. The argyria experienced by Oscar Dubourg in response to chemical treatment for epileptic seizures and the theft of his identity by his identical twin brother Nugent both literalise a perceived loss of character believed to be an effect of epilepsy. But in Oscar the neurological condition also allows for modifications in the development of new, heroic, and sympathetic depths of character. The theories of neurological compensation developed by John Hughlings Jackson inspired Poor Miss Finch to demonstrate how the calamitous and the sensational (embodied here in epileptic seizures) play a fundamental role in real life and that our constitutions have evolved to respond creatively and dynamically to such events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bozok University Journal of Faculty of Theology / Bozok Üniversitesi Ilahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Bozok University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present paper explores the potency of the spatio-topical system of Joe Sacco’s Footnotes in Gaza in (re)tracing the historical events that happened and still happen in the war zone of Gaza without being reductive to the importance of the testimonial culture that is based on listening to and engaging with the different recounts of the Gazan survivors from the 1956 Khan Younis and Rafah killings and the present horrible moments of destruction, dispersion and oppression. For this purpose, this paper embraces Thierry Groensteen’s concept of ‘spatio-topia’ that denotes the systematic distribution of the space on the graphic page in order to give the graphic aesthetic, the driving force of reading. Therefore, graphic spatio-topia configures the conceptual form of the story world that allows the reader to participate spatially and sensationally in Sacco’s journalistic investigations through its different tools like the panel and its frame with their spatio-topical parameters of the form, the seize and its site. The systematic operativity of the graphic spatio-topical elements of Footnotes in Gaza promotes a flexible and a meaningful flow of the graphic narrative and transports the reader to the graphic space where he develops a spatialized history and a dense web of sensations like belief and pain.

Art or at least what is called “eco art” or “environmental art” knows numerous ways in which to respond to environmental issues and become ecological. This article is not an analysis of art history, which would map the various tendencies or themes within eco art, but a philosophical study attempting to describe the most profound sense in which art literally is nature: according to French phenomenologist Henri Maldiney, art is a “flash of being” (éclair de l’ętre) or, more precisely, a flash or glimpse of sensually experienced nature. The article attempts to clarify this thesis thoroughly and then briefly traces the link between eco art and eco-phenomenology, a branch of environmental ethics.

Background: Sensory nerve coaptation has great potential to restore sensation after autologous breast reconstruction. However, blinded and randomized studies are lacking. We therefore present the preliminary results of our ongoing double-blinded randomized controlled trial that compares sensory recovery of innervated versus non-innervated DIEP flaps. Methods: Patients who underwent DIEP flap breast reconstruction between July 2019 and February 2022 were included and randomized. The anterior cutaneous branch of the second or third intercostal nerve was coapted. Pre- and postoperative sensory testing was performed with Semmes-Weinstein Monofilaments, Pressure Specified Sensory Device, and a thermostimulator, for tactile and temperature thresholds. Results: This interim analysis comprised 41 patients contributing 29 innervated and 38 non-innervated breasts. At 24 months of follow-up, the mean monofilament value of the flap skin was lower in innervated than in non-innervated flaps (4.48 vs. 5.20, p = 0.003). Touch thresholds were lower the center of the innervated flaps (47.8 vs. 71.2 g/mm2, p = 0.036), and heat pain was more often imperceptible in non-innervated flaps (42.1% vs. 10.3%, p = 0.004). No adverse events were associated with sensory nerve coaptation. Conclusions: These preliminary results indicate superior sensibility and recovery of protective sensation in innervated compared with non-innervated DIEP flaps. Although the results of the completed trial must be awaited to establish the full clinical impact, including highly anticipated quality of life outcomes, we encourage continuation of scientific and clinical efforts in this promising technique.

Voice therapy often emphasizes vibratory sensations in the front part of the vocal tract during phonation to improve vocal efficiency. It remains unclear what laryngeal and vocal tract adjustments are elicited in speakers by this emphasis on oral vibratory sensations. Using a three-dimensional phonation model, this study aims to identify laryngeal and epilaryngeal adjustments that might produce maximal oral vibratory sensations during phonation, as quantified by the oral sound pressure level (SPL), and thus are likely to be elicited in voice therapy at different semi-occluded vocal tract configurations. Results show that maximum oral SPL occurs at intermediate vocal fold adduction configurations characterized by a trade-off between glottal gap and vocal fold vertical thickness. Epilaryngeal tube narrowing further increases the oral SPL in an open vocal tract, but has little effect on oral SPL in semi-occluded vocal tracts. Laryngeal and epilaryngeal configurations producing the maximum oral SPL generally have lower peak vocal fold contact pressure when producing a target output SPL. These favorable configurations are more easily identified in open vocal tracts than semi-occluded vocal tracts. However, semi-occlusion increases both the mean and dynamic oral pressure, which may familiarize speakers with oral vibratory sensations and facilitate adoption of favorable laryngeal configurations.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of the preeminent types of peripheral neuropathies of the upper limb, where the median nerve is injured in the carpal tunnel, leading to a cascade of symptoms. CTS can cause pain, substantial motor function and sensory impairment, and a weakened ability to perform skilled work. Utilising the Neurodynamic Technique (NDT), a hands-on manual therapy approach can effectively address CTS. This technique focuses on manipulating neural tissues and the adjacent non-neural structures related to the nervous system, to alter pain physiology. The current narrative review aimed to ascertain the effectiveness of NDT in the management of CTS so that it can guide the practitioners in effectively managing and understanding CTS and also help in adding the literature to the existing evidence. The review evaluated outcome measures such as pain intensity, motor issues, physical function, and nerve conduction investigations. The review was done to demonstrate that NDT can offer significant therapeutic advantages and can serve as a practical approach to managing CTS.

Shared decision making is important to strengthen care for the individual patient, but requires that the problems can be identified, and that knowledge of good treatment exists. Communication skills are essential. Physiotherapy often unfolds in immediate and unpredictable interaction, where much is implicit, irrational, and vulnerable. This emphasizes sensuous attention and the common search for meaning. The article explores what physiotherapists can learn from artistic processes about communication skills that can strengthen the patient's opportunities to unfold and express themselves on their own terms. Theory of sensation, resonance, and ethics highlights the potential of aesthetic forms of knowledge to stimulate sensitivity to what is not directly accessible through rational concepts; the art of sensing, listening and understanding in mutual interaction that opens space. Such creative processes, in concrete interaction between actors, emphasize creative and democratic potentials in communication, relationship, and interaction. This competence can strengthen shared decision making in clinical physiotherapy, by daring to let oneself be controlled and to interact with the patient's expression in movements, tone, rhythm, and narrative, together with professional knowledge and practical skill competence. The patient's immediate co-creative contribution can then make the treatment feel significant and relevant, an invaluable efficient resource.

Sensualism is usually attributed to Condillac. Hobbes's treatise on Human nature (1650) shows, though, a century before Condillac's Traité des sensations (1754), the most characteristic marks of this philosophical current: the development of mental faculties and operations only through sensations so that all thought is some modification of sensation. Hobbes' treatise was translated into French by d'Holbach in 1772, providing a sort of Hobbesian revelation in Diderot. Even though the encyclopedist's theory of sensibility does not present clear traces of Hobbes' treatise, the latter contributes to a better understanding of it. With this in mind, I propose to read four chapters (I-III; VII) of Human nature from a Diderotian point of view. I intend to show that, on the one hand, Hobbes is a sensualist, and, on the other hand, his sensualism has a vitalist perspective thanks to a dual system of sensibility, whose centers (brain and heart) interact continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]