Elastic acupuncture needle: a set of one-piece elastic double-blind placebo acupuncture. / Elasticé’ˆå ·ï¼šä¸€å¥—ä¸€ä½“å¼å¯å¼¹ç¼©åŒç›²å®‰æ °é’ˆ.

The Elastic acupuncture needle, a set of clinical device used in randomized controlled trials of acupuncture is developed, which may potentially obtain the double-blind placebo control. This kind of acupuncture device consists of a real needle and a sham one (placebo needle) with a identical appearance. Either of the needle is composed of an integrated cap-type handle and needle body, and a sterile double-sided adhesive pad is designed on the bottom for fixation. A spring with miniature low profile is built in sham needle. During operation, the real needle can be normally inserted, while the sham one be retracted because of the elasticity generated by the pressure on the skin, but deqi can still be felt by patients whenever the force difference between the skin and the spring reaches a certain balance. The rubber pad designed in this acupuncture needle can simulate the "resistance" felt by operators during needle insertion so that the double blinding is actualized in terms of the appearance and sensations.

Research progress on mechanism of acupuncture in treating functional constipation. / é’ˆåˆºæ²»ç–—åŠŸèƒ½æ€§ä¾¿ç§˜çš„æœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

Acupuncture treatment for functional constipation (FC) is characterized by precise efficacy, rapid onset of action in the early stages, long-term stable effects, and overall regulation. This paper reviews recent literatures on acupuncture treatment for FC, indicating that acupuncture acts from multiple perspectives and pathways, including promoting intestinal motility, regulating intestinal microbiota, modulating the brain-gut axis, alleviating intestinal inflammation, and improving rectal hyposensitivity. Future research could delve into the mechanical sensation conduction mechanisms of acupuncture in improving rectal hyposensitivity, identify key intestinal microbiota genera and metabolic characteristics regulated by acupuncture, explore the network relationships among different mechanisms, and clarify the differential mechanisms of various acupuncture treatment protocols to optimize clinical therapy and enhance the clinical efficacy of acupuncture for FC.

Immune and metabolic challenges induce changes in pain sensation and related pathways in the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamic molecular processes participate in the regulation of the neuro-immune-endocrine system, including hormone, metabolite, chemokine circulation, and corresponding physiological and behavioral responses. RNA-sequencing profiles were analyzed to understand the effect of juvenile immune and metabolic distress 100 days after virally elicited maternal immune activation during gestation in pigs. Over 1,300 genes exhibited significant additive or interacting effects of gestational immune activation, juvenile distress, and sex. One-third of these genes presented multiple effects, emphasizing the complex interplay of these factors. Key functional categories enriched among affected genes included sensory perception of pain, steroidogenesis, prolactin, neuropeptide, and inflammatory signaling. These categories underscore the intricate relationship between gestational immune activation during gestation, distress, and the response of hypothalamic pathways to insults. These effects were sex-dependent for many genes, such as Prdm12, Oprd1, Isg20, Prl, Oxt, and Vip. The prevalence of differentially expressed genes annotated to proinflammatory and cell cycle processes suggests potential implications for synaptic plasticity and neuronal survival. The gene profiles affected by immune activation, distress, and sex pointed to the action of transcription factors SHOX2, STAT1, and REST. These findings underscore the importance of considering sex and postnatal challenges when studying causes of neurodevelopmental disorders and highlight the complexity of the "two-hit" hypothesis in understanding their etiology. Our study furthers the understanding of the intricate molecular responses in the hypothalamus to gestational immune activation and subsequent distress, shedding light on the sex-specific effects and the potential long-lasting consequences on pain perception, neuroendocrine regulation, and inflammatory processes.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The interaction of infection during gestation and insults later in life influences the molecular mechanisms in the hypothalamus that participate in pain sensation. The response of the hypothalamic transcriptome varies between sexes and can also affect synapses and immune signals. The findings from this study assist in the identification of agonists or antagonists that can guide pretranslational studies to ameliorate the effects of gestational insults interacting with postnatal challenges on physiological or behavioral disorders.

Properties of imagined experience across visual, auditory, and other sensory modalities.

Little is known about the perceptual characteristics of mental images nor how they vary across sensory modalities. We conducted an exhaustive survey into how mental images are experienced across modalities, mainly targeting visual and auditory imagery of a single stimulus, the letter "O", to facilitate direct comparisons. We investigated temporal properties of mental images (e.g. onset latency, duration), spatial properties (e.g. apparent location), effort (e.g. ease, spontaneity, control), movement requirements (e.g. eye movements), real-imagined interactions (e.g. inner speech while reading), beliefs about imagery norms and terminologies, as well as respondent confidence. Participants also reported on the five traditional senses and their prominence during thinking, imagining, and dreaming. Overall, visual and auditory experiences dominated mental events, although auditory mental images were superior to visual mental images on almost every metric tested except regarding spatial properties. Our findings suggest that modality-specific differences in mental imagery may parallel those of other sensory neural processes.

"The mere imagination scares me"-evidence for fear responses during mental imagery of pain-associated interoceptive sensations in adolescents with chronic pain.

ABSTRACT: According to the bio-informational theory of emotion by Lang, mental imagery of fearful stimuli activates physiological and behavioural response systems, even in the absence of sensory input. We investigated whether instructed mental imagery of pain-associated (not painful) interoceptive sensations entails a threat value and elicits increased startle response, skin conductance level (SCL), and heart rate (HR) indicative of defensive mobilization in adolescents with chronic pain. Additionally, self-reported measures (fear, fear of pain, desire to avoid) were assessed. Adolescents (11-18 years) with chronic headache (CH, n = 46) or chronic abdominal pain (CAP, n = 29) and a control group (n = 28) were asked to imagine individualized pain-associated, neutral and standardized fear scripts. During pain-associated compared with neutral imagery, both pain groups showed higher mean HR, with CH also showing higher HR reactivity, while HR acceleration was not observed within control group. In contrast, during pain-associated compared with neutral imagery, startle response magnitude and SCL remained unchanged in all groups. Additionally, overall levels in self-reports were higher during pain-associated compared with neutral imagery, but significantly more pronounced in the pain groups compared with the control group. Results suggest that the mere imagination of pain-associated sensations elicits specific autonomic fear responses accompanied by increased self-reported fear in adolescents with chronic pain. The specific modulation of heart rate shed new light on our understanding of multimodal fear responses in adolescents with chronic pain and may help to refine paradigms to decrease fear of interoceptive sensations in chronic pain.

The effect of a mindfulness-based body scan exercise on food intake during TV watching.

In some studies mindfulness is associated with reduced food consumption, but the underlying mechanisms are less well researched. One potential mechanism is that mindfulness increases attention toward feelings of fullness. Additionally, experimental research on mindfulness and food intake has primarily been conducted in constrained laboratory settings, where it may be easier for participants to notice their internal bodily signals, as opposed to the real world where individuals are often engaged in other activities while eating. The effect of mindfulness on food intake while participants are distracted remains unexplored. This study therefore aimed to examine whether a mindfulness-based body scan exercise reduced food consumption within a distracted environment by increasing attention toward feelings of fullness. Participants (n = 137) listened to a 10-minute body scan meditation, or a 10-minute visualisation (control) meditation. They were then given a bowl of crisps to consume while watching a 10-minute TV show segment. Participants also completed measures assessing proposed mediators, including state mindfulness, attention to bodily sensations and eating automaticity. The body scan manipulation increased state mindfulness but had no direct effect on the other mediators or on food intake (intervention M = 34.79g, SD = 24.06; control M = 33.16g, SD = 23.88). State mindfulness was positively correlated with attention to bodily sensations while eating. Lower eating automaticity and greater reliance on decreased food appeal and physical satisfaction to stop eating were found to be associated with lower food intake. Contrary to previous studies, we found no evidence that a mindfulness body scan reduces food consumption when participants are distracted. Future research should examine the specific conditions under and mechanisms by which mindfulness may influence food consumption.

The pulvinar as a hub of visual processing and cortical integration.

The pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus is a crucial component of the visual system and plays significant roles in sensory processing and cognitive integration. The pulvinar's extensive connectivity with cortical regions allows for bidirectional communication, contributing to the integration of sensory information across the visual hierarchy. Recent findings underscore the pulvinar's involvement in attentional modulation, feature binding, and predictive coding. In this review, we highlight recent advances in clarifying the pulvinar's circuitry and function. We discuss the contributions of the pulvinar to signal modulation across the global cortical network and place these findings within theoretical frameworks of cortical processing, particularly the global neuronal workspace (GNW) theory and predictive coding.

Graded brain fMRI response to somatic and visual acupuncture stimulation.

Increased stimulation can enhance acupuncture clinical response; however, the impact of acupuncture stimulation as "dosage" has rarely been studied. Furthermore, acupuncture can include both somatic and visual components. We assessed both somatic and visual acupuncture dosage effects on sensory ratings and brain response. Twenty-four healthy participants received somatic (needle inserted, manually stimulated) and visual (needle video, no manual stimulation) acupuncture over the leg at three different dosage levels (control, low-dose, and high-dose) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants reported the perceived deqi sensation for each acupuncture dose level. Blood-oxygen-level dependent imaging data were analyzed by general linear model and multivariate pattern analysis. For both somatic and visual acupuncture, reported deqi sensation increased with increased dosage of acupuncture stimulation. Brain fMRI analysis demonstrated that higher dosage of somatic acupuncture produced greater brain responses in sensorimotor processing areas, including anterior and posterior insula and secondary somatosensory cortex. For visual acupuncture, higher dosage of stimulation produced greater brain responses in visual-processing areas, including the middle temporal visual areas (V5/MT+) and occipital cortex. Psychophysical and psychophysiological responses to both somatic and visual acupuncture were graded in response to higher doses. Our findings suggest that acupuncture response may be enhanced by the dosage of needling-specific and nonspecific components, represented by different neural mechanisms.

Effect of respiratory muscle training on load sensations in people with chronic tetraplegia: a secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial. OBJECTIVES: Our primary study showed that increasing inspiratory muscle strength with training in people with chronic (>1 year) tetraplegia corresponded with reduced sensations of breathlessness when inspiration was loaded. This study investigated whether respiratory muscle training also affected the respiratory sensations for load detection and magnitude perception. SETTING: Independent research institute in Sydney, Australia. METHODS: Thirty-two adults with chronic tetraplegia participated in a 6-week, supervised training protocol. The active group trained the inspiratory muscles through progressive threshold loading. The sham group performed the same protocol with a fixed threshold load (3.6 cmH2O). Primary measures were load detection threshold and perceived magnitudes of six suprathreshold loads reported using the modified Borg scale. RESULTS: Maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax) increased by 32% (95% CI, 18-45) in the active group with no change in the sham group (p =  0.51). The training intervention did not affect detection thresholds in the active (p =  0.24) or sham (p =  0.77) group, with similar overall decreases in Borg rating of 0.83 (95% CI, 0.49-1.17) in active and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.32-1.12) in sham group. Increased inspiratory muscle strength reduced slope magnitude between Borg rating and peak inspiratory pressure (p =  0.003), but not when pressure was divided by PImax to reflect contraction intensity (p =  0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Training reduces the sensitivity of load sensations for a given change in pressure but not for a given change in contraction intensity.

[Organoleptic evaluation of a diabetes-specific oral nutritional supplement with extra virgin olive oil in patients at nutritional risk and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Double-blind, randomized, crossover and multicenter clinical trial (DIACARE)]. / Evaluación sensorial de un suplemento nutricional oral específico para diabetes con aceite de oliva virgen extra en pacientes en riesgo nutricional y diabetes mellitus tipo 2: ensayo clínico doble ciego, aleatorizado, cruzado y multicéntrico (DIACARE.

Introduction: Introduction: oral nutritional supplements specific for diabetes (DSF) usually have a composition that favors their palatability and simultaneous glycemic and metabolic control. Objetive: to compare the sensory acceptability of a DSF with respect to a standard oral nutritional supplement (STF) in patients at risk of malnutrition with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method: randomized, double-blind, crossover, multicenter, controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Odor, taste and perceived texture of a DSF and a STD were evaluated using a scale of 1 to 4. Results: twenty-nine patients were recruited and 58 organoleptic evaluations of the supplements were registered. A better evaluation of DSF was observed with respect to STD, although no statistically significant differences were reached: odor, 0.04 (CI 95 %) -0.49 to 0.56 (p = 0.092); taste, 0.14 (CI 95 %), -0.35 to 0.63 (p = 0.561); texture, 0.14 (CI 95 %), -0.43 to 0.72 (p = 0.619). No differences were found when analyzed by order of randomization, sex, degree of malnutrition, greater or lesser degree of complexity, greater or lesser time of evolution of diabetes, or by being older or younger. Conclusions: the specific nutritional supplement for diabetic patients formulated with extra virgin olive oil, EPA and DHA, a specific mixture of carbohydrates, and fiber, presented an adequate sensory acceptance by malnourished patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Introducción: Introducción: las fórmulas nutricionales específicas para diabetes (FED) suelen presentar una composición que favorece simultáneamente su palatabilidad y el control glucémico y metabólico. Objetivo: comparar la aceptación sensorial de un FED respecto a un suplemento nutricional oral estándar (FE) en pacientes en riesgo de desnutrición con diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Método: ensayo clínico, aleatorizado, doble ciego, cruzado, multicéntrico y controlado. Se evaluó, a través de una escala del 1 al 4, el olor, el sabor y la textura percibida de un FED y de un FE. Resultados: se reclutaron a 29 pacientes y 58 evaluaciones sensoriales de los suplementos. Se observó una mejor valoración de la FED respecto a la FE, aunque no se alcanzaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas: olor, 0,04 (IC 95 %), de -0,49 a 0,56 (p = 0,092); sabor, 0,14 (IC 95 %), de -0,35 a 0,63 (p = 0,561); textura, 0,14, (IC 95 %), de -0,43 a 0,72 (p = 0,619). No se encontraron diferencias cuando se analizaron por orden de aleatorización, sexo, grado de desnutrición, mayor o menor grado de complejidad, mayor o menor tiempo de evolución de la diabetes, ni por ser más o menos mayores. Conclusiones: el suplemento nutricional específico para paciente con diabetes, formulado con aceite de oliva virgen extra, EPA y DHA, una mezcla específica en hidratos de carbono, fibra soluble e insoluble, presentó una adecuada aceptación sensorial del paciente desnutrido con diabetes mellitus tipo 2.

Health Benefits, Antioxidant Activity, and Sensory Attributes of Selected Cold-Pressed Oils.

The consumption of cold-pressed oils (CPOs) has continuously increased due to their health-promoting compounds, such as polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), tocopherols, sterols, and polyphenols. This study focused on the estimation and comparison of the physicochemical properties and sensory quality of six CPOs: linseed oil (CPLO), pumpkin oil (CPPO), milk thistle oil (CPMTO), rapeseed oil (CPRO), camelina oil (CPCO), and sunflower oil (CPSO), which are the most popular in the Polish market. These oils were analysed for their fatty acid composition (FAC), their tocopherol, sterol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), water, and volatile matter (WVM) contents, as well as their antioxidant activity (AA) and oxidative stability parameters. Moreover, quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) was performed to obtain detailed information on the sensory profiles and quantitative data on the CPOs' attributes that affected consumer acceptability and purchase intent. All of the analysed CPOs were rich in PUFA (27.94-68.42%). They were characterised by the different total amounts of health-beneficial compounds, such as tocopherols (TTC = 44.04-76.98 mg/100 g), sterols (TSC = 300-684 mg/100 g), and polyphenols (TPC = 2.93-8.32 mg GA/100 g). Additionally, their AA was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) methods, with results ranging between 185.36-396.63, 958.59-1638.58, and 61.93-119.21 µmol TE/100 g, respectively. However, the deterioration parameters of CPOs, such as peroxide values (PV = 0.24-4.61 meq O2/kg), p-anisidine values (pAnV = 0.39-4.77), acid values (AV = 0.31-2.82 mg KOH/g), and impurity amounts (Σ4PAHs = 1.16-8.76 µg/kg and WVM = 0.020-0.090%), did not exceed the level recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The obtained results indicated that all of the investigated CPOs are valuable sources of health-promoting bioactive compounds.

Referred sensations in the orofacial region are associated with a decreased descending pain inhibition and modulated by remote noxious stimuli and local anesthesia.

ABSTRACT: Referred sensation (RS) as a specific clinical phenomenon has been known for a long time, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The aims of this study were to assess if (1) healthy individuals who experienced RS had a less active endogenous pain system when compared with those who did not; (2) activation of descending pain inhibition mechanisms can modulate RS parameters; and finally, (3) a transient decrease in peripheral afferent input because of a local anesthetic (LA) block in the masseter muscle can modulate RS parameters. To assess these, 50 healthy participants were assessed in 3 different sessions. In the first session, conditioned pain modulation (CPM) as well as mechanical sensitivity and RS at the masseter muscle were assessed. In the same session, participants who experienced RS had their mechanical sensitivity and RS assessed again while undergoing a CPM protocol. In the second and third sessions, participants had their mechanical sensitivity and RS assessed before and after receiving an injection of 2 mL of LA and isotonic saline into the masseter muscle. The main findings of this study were (1) participants who experienced RS during standardized palpation exhibited increased mechanical sensitivity ( P < 0.05, Tukey post hoc test) and decreased CPM ( P < 0.05, Tukey post hoc test) when compared with those who did not; RS incidence ( P < 0.05, Cochran Q test), frequency ( P < 0.05; Friedman test), intensity ( P < 0.05, Tukey post hoc test), and area ( P < 0.05, Tukey post hoc test) were all significantly reduced when assessed (2) during a painful conditioning stimulus and (3) after LA block. These novel findings highlight that RS in the orofacial region are strongly modified by both peripheral and central nervous system factors.

[Effect of meridian sinew releasing technique on moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in patients with knee osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of meridian sinew releasing technique on moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: A total of 60 patients with KOA were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 30 cases each group. In the observation group, on the basis of the meridian sinew releasing technique, moxibustion sensation exploration method was applied at Dubi (ST 35) area on the affected side. In the control group, moxibustion sensation exploration method was applied at Dubi (ST 35) area on the affected side. The meridian sinew releasing technique was performed for 20 min each time, the moxibustion sensation exploration method was performed for 60 min each time, once a day for 3 days. The excitation rate, latency, duration time and intensity value of moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion were recorded on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of exploration in the two groups. RESULTS: The excitation rate on the 3rd day of exploration and total excitation rate in the observation group were higher than the control group (P<0.05). On the 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of exploration, the latency of moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in the observation group was shorter than the control group (P<0.05), the duration time was longer than the control group (P<0.05), and the intensity value was higher than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Meridian sinew releasing technique could improve the excitation rate of moxibustion sensation of heat-sensitive moxibustion in patients with KOA, shorten the latency, prolong the duration time, and improve the intensity value.

Disinhibition of Mesolimbic Dopamine Circuit by the Lateral Hypothalamus Regulates Pain Sensation.

Our recent study demonstrated the critical role of the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) circuit and its brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) signaling in mediating neuropathic pain. The present study aims to investigate the functional role of GABAergic inputs from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA; LHGABA→VTA) in regulating the mesolimbic DA circuit and its BDNF signaling underlying physiological and pathologic pain. We demonstrated that optogenetic manipulation of the LHGABA→VTA projection bidirectionally regulated pain sensation in naive male mice. Optogenetic inhibition of this projection generated an analgesic effect in mice with pathologic pain induced by chronic constrictive injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and persistent inflammatory pain by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Trans-synaptic viral tracing revealed a monosynaptic connection between LH GABAergic neurons and VTA GABAergic neurons. Functionally, in vivo calcium/neurotransmitter imaging showed an increased DA neuronal activity, decreased GABAergic neuronal activity in the VTA, and increased dopamine release in the NAc, in response to optogenetic activation of the LHGABA→VTA projection. Furthermore, repeated activation of the LHGABA→VTA projection was sufficient to increase the expression of mesolimbic BDNF protein, an effect seen in mice with neuropathic pain. Inhibition of this circuit induced a decrease in mesolimbic BDNF expression in CCI mice. Interestingly, the pain behaviors induced by activation of the LHGABA→VTA projection could be prevented by pretreatment with intra-NAc administration of ANA-12, a TrkB receptor antagonist. These results demonstrated that LHGABA→VTA projection regulated pain sensation by targeting local GABAergic interneurons to disinhibit the mesolimbic DA circuit and regulating accumbal BDNF release.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system and its brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) signaling have been implicated in pain regulation, however, underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The lateral hypothalamus (LH) sends different afferent fibers into and strongly influences the function of mesolimbic DA system. Here, utilizing cell type- and projection-specific viral tracing, optogenetics, in vivo calcium and neurotransmitter imaging, our current study identified the LHGABA→VTA projection as a novel neural circuit for pain regulation, possibly by targeting the VTA GABA-ergic neurons to disinhibit mesolimbic pathway-specific DA release and BDNF signaling. This study provides a better understanding of the role of the LH and mesolimbic DA system in physiological and pathological pain.

Sensory gating functions of the auditory thalamus: Adaptation and modulations through noise-exposure and high-frequency stimulation in rats.

The medial geniculate body (MGB) of the thalamus is an obligatory relay for auditory processing. A breakdown of adaptive filtering and sensory gating at this level may lead to multiple auditory dysfunctions, while high-frequency stimulation (HFS) of the MGB might mitigate aberrant sensory gating. To further investigate the sensory gating functions of the MGB, this study (i) recorded electrophysiological evoked potentials in response to continuous auditory stimulation, and (ii) assessed the effect of MGB HFS on these responses in noise-exposed and control animals. Pure-tone sequences were presented to assess differential sensory gating functions associated with stimulus pitch, grouping (pairing), and temporal regularity. Evoked potentials were recorded from the MGB and acquired before and after HFS (100 Hz). All animals (unexposed and noise-exposed, pre- and post-HFS) showed gating for pitch and grouping. Unexposed animals also showed gating for temporal regularity not found in noise-exposed animals. Moreover, only noise-exposed animals showed restoration comparable to the typical EP amplitude suppression following MGB HFS. The current findings confirm adaptive thalamic sensory gating based on different sound characteristics and provide evidence that temporal regularity affects MGB auditory signaling.

Comparative studies of fermented coffee fruits post-treatments on chemical and sensory properties of roasted beans in Yunnan, China.

In this study, medium roasted coffee with four different fermented coffee fruits post-treatments (dry, wet, semi-dry and hot air dry) was used as the material. Chemical profile and sensorial analysis were used to comprehensively analyze the effects of post-treatments on coffee flavor characteristics from multiple dimensions. A total of 31 water-soluble chemical components and 39 volatile compounds were identified in roasted coffee, and distinct post-treatments based on chemical orientation make coffee highly differentiated. In addition, the principal component analysis (PCA) of the chemical composition integrated data set showed that the first two principal components could explain 54.9% of the sample variability. All four post-treatments can be classified as "specialty coffees" according to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) protocol, with various organoleptic characteristics and flavor attributes. As a result, the fermented coffee fruits post-treatment method further determines the quality characteristics of coffee, thus meeting the needs of different niche markets.

Neural signatures of memory gain through active exploration in an oculomotor-auditory learning task.

Active engagement improves learning and memory, and self- versus externally generated stimuli are processed differently: perceptual intensity and neural responses are attenuated. Whether the attenuation is linked to memory formation remains unclear. This study investigates whether active oculomotor control over auditory stimuli-controlling for movement and stimulus predictability-benefits associative learning, and studies the underlying neural mechanisms. Using EEG and eye tracking we explored the impact of control during learning on the processing and memory recall of arbitrary oculomotor-auditory associations. Participants (N = 23) learned associations through active exploration or passive observation, using a gaze-controlled interface to generate sounds. Our results show faster learning progress in the active condition. ERPs time-locked to the onset of sound stimuli showed that learning progress was linked to an attenuation of the P3a component. The detection of matching movement-sound pairs triggered a target-matching P3b. There was no general modulation of ERPs through active learning. However, we found continuous variation in the strength of the memory benefit across participants: some benefited more strongly from active control during learning than others. This was paralleled in the strength of the N1 attenuation effect for self-generated stimuli, which was correlated with memory gain in active learning. Our results show that control helps learning and memory and modulates sensory responses. Individual differences during sensory processing predict the strength of the memory benefit. Taken together, these results help to disentangle the effects of agency, unspecific motor-based neuromodulation, and predictability on ERP components and establish a link between self-generation effects and active learning memory gain.

[Evaluation of the organoleptic characteristics of an oral nutritional supplement designed specifically for the cancer patient]. / Evaluación de las características organolépticas de un suplemento nutricional oral diseñado específicamente para el paciente oncológico.

Introduction: Introduction: oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are nutritional therapies used to treat malnutrition in cancer patients, therefore, innovation in these treatments, from nutrients to sensory quality, is essential to ensure their consumption. Objectives: to evaluate the organoleptic characteristic of different prototypes of oral nutritional supplements specifically designed for cancer patients. Method: cross-sectional, randomized, double-blind pilot clinical study in patients with any type of cancer, with or without oncological treatment, who tasted five ONS prototypes with different flavors (brownie, tropical, pineapple, tomato and ham) and different sensory qualities in order to evaluate their organoleptic characteristics (color, smell, taste, residual taste, texture and density) through a specific questionnaire. Results: thirty patients aged 67.5 ± 11.2 years and body mass index (BMI) of 22.3 ± 3.52 kg/m2 were evaluated. The most prevalent tumors were head and neck (30 %), pancreas (20 %) and colon (17 %); 65 % of the patients had lost ≥ 10 % of their body weight in six months. The best rated supplements by the cancer population were those with brownie flavor (23.67 ± 3.91 points) and tropical (20.33 ± 3.37 points), while the least valued were tomato (16.33 ± 5.44 points) and ham flavor (13.97 ± 4.64 points). Conclusions: cancer patients value the organoleptic characteristics of ONS with sweet flavors, such as brownie, and fruity flavors, such as tropical, much more positively. Less appreciated by these patients are those with a salty taste, such as ham and tomato flavor.

Introducción: Introducción: los suplementos nutricionales orales (SNO) son una de las terapias nutricionales más utilizadas para tratar la desnutrición en los pacientes oncológicos. Por ello, es de gran importancia contar con la innovación en estos tratamientos, desde los nutrientes hasta la calidad sensorial, para asegurar su consumo. Objetivos: evaluar las características organolépticas de diferentes prototipos de SNO diseñados específicamente para pacientes oncológicos. Métodos: estudio clínico piloto transversal, aleatorizado, cruzado y doble ciego en pacientes con cualquier tipo de cáncer, con o sin tratamiento oncológico, a los que se les realizó una cata de cinco prototipos de SNO con distintos sabores (brownie, tropical, piña, tomate y jamón) y distintas cualidades sensoriales para evaluar sus características organolépticas (color, olor, sabor, gusto residual, textura y densidad) a través de un cuestionario específico. Resultados: treinta pacientes de 67,5 ± 11,2 años y con un índice de masa corporal (IMC) de 22,3 ± 3,52 kg/m2 fueron evaluados. Los tumores más prevalentes fueron cabeza y cuello (30 %), páncreas (20 %) y colorrectal (17 %). El 65 % de los pacientes había perdido ≥ 10 % del peso corporal en seis meses. Los SNO mejor valorados fueron los sabores brownie (23,67 ± 3,91 puntos) y tropical (20,33 ± 3,37 puntos) mientras que los menos valorados fueron los SNO con sabor tomate (16,33 ± 5,44 puntos) y jamón (13,97 ± 4,64 puntos). Conclusión: los pacientes oncológicos valoran de forma mucho más positiva las características organolépticas de los SNO con sabores dulces, como el brownie, y los sabores afrutados, como el tropical. Menos apreciados por este colectivo son aquellos con un sabor salado, como el sabor jamón y tomate.

Cognitive Structure of Origami Imagery.

While previous studies found that origami, when used for cognitive training and education, can improve spatial ability, the underlying mechanisms of this change, presumably associated with the origami folding process, remain unclear. In the present study, we focused on origami imagery in which participants imagined the process of folding paper to create a work of art; and we examined the cognitive factors involved in the imagery process and their association with mental transformations and the extent to which visual imagery was vivid. We identified four specific relevant cognitive factors in origami imagery: (a) controllability of origami transformations, (b) visual imagery of shapes, (c) hand sensations, and (d) visual imagery of colors. We associated the first two of these with non-rigid transformations: the controllability of origami transformations and the visual imagery of shapes. Moreover, vividness of visual imagery was related to all four cognitive factors. We propose this cognitive model of origami as one that considers the key relationships between origami imagery, mental transformations, and vividness of visual imagery.

Healthcare Monitoring Using Low-Cost Sensors to Supplement and Replace Human Sensation: Does It Have Potential to Increase Independent Living and Prevent Disease?

Continuous monitoring of health status has the potential to enhance the quality of life and life expectancy of people suffering from chronic illness and of the elderly. However, such systems can only come into widespread use if the cost of manufacturing is low. Advancements in material science and engineering technology have led to a significant decrease in the expense of developing healthcare monitoring devices. This review aims to investigate the progress of the use of low-cost sensors in healthcare monitoring and discusses the challenges faced when accomplishing continuous and real-time monitoring tasks. The major findings include (1) only a small number of publications (N = 50) have addressed the issue of healthcare monitoring applications using low-cost sensors over the past two decades; (2) the top three algorithms used to process sensor data include SA (Statistical Analysis, 30%), SVM (Support Vector Machine, 18%), and KNN (K-Nearest Neighbour, 12%); and (3) wireless communication techniques (Zigbee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and RF) serve as the major data transmission tools (77%) followed by cable connection (13%) and SD card data storage (10%). Due to the small fraction (N = 50) of low-cost sensor-based studies among thousands of published articles about healthcare monitoring, this review not only summarises the progress of related research but calls for researchers to devote more effort to the consideration of cost reduction as well as the size of these components.