Multiple Sensory Stimuli Research Articles

Making a difference? A comparison between multi‐sensory and regular storytelling for persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

Multi-sensory storytelling (MSST) was developed to include persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities in storytelling culture. In order to increase the listeners' attention, MSST stories are individualised and use multiple sensory stimuli to support the verbal text. In order to determine the value of MSST, this study compared listeners' attention under two conditions: (1) being read MSST books and (2) being read regular stories. A non-randomised control study was executed in which the intervention group read MSST books (n = 45) and a comparison group (n = 31) read regular books. Books were read 10 times during a 5-week period. The 1st, 5th and 10th storytelling sessions were recorded on video in both groups, and the percentage of attention directed to the book and/or stimuli and to the storyteller was scored by a trained and independent rater. Two repeated measure analyses (with the storytelling condition as a between-subject factor and the three measurements as factor) were performed to determine the difference between the groups in terms of attention directed to the book/stimuli (first analysis) and storyteller (second analysis). A further analysis established whether the level of attention changed between the reading sessions and whether there was an interaction effect between the repetition of the book and the storytelling condition. The attention directed to the book and/or the stimuli was significantly higher in the MSST group than in the comparison group. No significant difference between the two groups was found in the attention directed to the storyteller. For MSST stories, most attention was observed during the fifth reading session, while for regular stories, the fifth session gained least attentiveness from the listener. The persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities paid more attention to the book and/or stimuli in the MSST condition compared with the regular story telling group. Being more attentive towards the book and stimuli might give persons with PIMD the opportunity to apprehend the story and to be included in storytelling culture.

Hundgestützte multisensorische Therapie bei einer Patientin mit „persistierendem vegetativen Zustand“ – ein Fallbericht

There is evidence that animal-assisted therapy can have beneficial effects in patients with cognitive disorders. In the present case study, the influence of animal-assisted therapy was to be investigated in a patient with most severe cerebral lesions. A 27 year old patient with a persistent vegetative state since 5 years after severe traumatic brain injury received long term treatment by 54 sessions of animal-assisted therapy. During the course of the therapeutic interventions, the patient showed more and more signs of vegetative, emotional and motor reactions. The latter were increasingly target-bound and at last allowed a simple type of non-verbal communication. The present case indicates that animal-assisted therapy can be a reasonable option to treat patients with most severe cerebral lesions. Furthermore, the results illustrate that the usual diagnostic classification such as "persistent vegetative state" based on a neurological investigation alone may be questionable. Possible reasons for the impact of animal-assisted therapy are complex and comprise e.g. multiple sensory stimuli.

17β-estradiol modifies TRPV1 mRNA expression in DRG neurons

While it has been demonstrated that women experience greater cancer pain and pain severity than men, the potential role of estrogen in regulating nociception particularly as it relates to tumor pain remains unclear. Current data indicate that estrogens act directly on the nervous system to affect the severity of pain, but the mechanisms underlying this effect are unclear. A major nociceptive mechanism associated with the development of cancer pain is activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) channel. TRPV1 is a Ca2+-permeable ionotropic receptor activated by multiple sensory stimuli including heat, acid, and protons. Antagonism of the TRPV1 channel attenuates nociception in a mouse bone cancer pain model. Both estrogen (ER) and TRPV1 receptors are known to be expressed on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, whose axons transmit pain from the periphery to the spinal cord. This raises the question of whether estrogen can alter TRPV1 receptor expression or function particularly in pain states like cancer pain. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of estrogen on pain sensitivity and TRPV1 expression in the DRG of male and female C3H mice in a mouse model of bone cancer pain. One goal was to determine whether estrogen modulates nociceptive receptors in the DRG in a manner consistent with its effects on pain sensitivity. This study demonstrated that exposure to 17β-estradiol in gonadectomized males (ORCH+E), but the lack of this same hormone in gonadectomized females (OVX), significantly reduced the mRNA levels of TRPV1 in lumbosacral DRG neurons and this correlated with a reduction in tumor-induced nociception. Our results suggest that modulation of 17β-estradiol causes a down regulation in TRPV1 expression in DRG neurons, which may be associated with a reduction in fibrosarcoma-induced mechanical allodynia in both male female mice.

Damage to posterior parietal cortex impairs two forms of relational learning.

The posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is a component of a major cortico-hippocampal circuit that is involved in relational learning, yet the specific contribution of PPC to hippocampal-dependent learning is unresolved. To address this, two experiments were carried out to test the effects of PPC damage on tasks that involve forming associations between multiple sensory stimuli. In Experiment 1, sham or electrolytic lesions of the PPC were made before rats were tested on a three-phase sensory preconditioning task. During the first phase, half of the training trials consisted of pairings of an auditory stimulus followed by a light. During the other trials, a second auditory stimulus was presented alone. In the next phase of training, the same light was paired with food, but no auditory stimuli were presented. During the final phase of the procedure both auditory stimuli were presented in the absence of reinforcement during a single test session. As is typically observed during the test session, control rats exhibited greater conditioned responding to the auditory cue that was previously paired with light compared to the unpaired cue. In contrast, PPC-lesioned rats responded equally to both auditory cues. In Experiment 2, PPC-lesioned and control rats were trained in a compound feature negative discrimination task consisting of reinforced presentations of a tone-alone and non-reinforced simultaneous presentations of a light-tone compound stimulus. Control rats but not rats with damage to the PPC successfully learned the discrimination. Collectively, these results support the idea that the PPC contributes to relational learning involving multimodal sensory stimuli, perhaps by regulating the attentional processing of conditioned stimuli.

Involvement of retrosplenial cortex in forming associations between multiple sensory stimuli.

The retrosplenial cortex (RSP) is highly interconnected with medial temporal lobe structures, yet relatively little is known about its specific contributions to learning and memory. One possibility is that RSP is involved in forming associations between multiple sensory stimuli. Indeed, damage to RSP disrupts learning about spatial or contextual cues and also impairs learning about co-occurring conditioned stimuli (CSs). Two experiments were conducted to test this notion more rigorously. In Experiment 1, rats were trained in a serial feature negative discrimination task consisting of reinforced presentations of a tone alone and nonreinforced serial presentations of a light followed by the tone. Thus, in contrast to prior studies, this paradigm involved serial presentation of conditioned stimuli (CS), rather than simultaneous presentation. Rats with damage to RSP failed to acquire the discrimination, indicating that RSP is required for forming associations between sensory stimuli regardless of whether they occur serially or simultaneously. In Experiment 2, a sensory preconditioning task was used to determine if RSP was necessary for forming associations between stimuli even in the absence of reinforcement. During the first phase of this procedure, one auditory stimulus was paired with a light while a second auditory stimulus was presented alone. In the next phase of training, the same light was paired with food. During the final phase of the procedure both auditory stimuli were presented alone during a single session. Control, but not RSP-lesioned rats, exhibited more food cup behavior following presentation of the auditory cue that was previously paired with light compared with the unpaired auditory stimulus, indicating that a stimulus-stimulus association was formed during the first phase of training. These results support the idea that RSP has a fundamental role in forming associations between environmental stimuli.

How do neurons work together? Lessons from auditory cortex

Recordings of single neurons have yielded great insights into the way acoustic stimuli are represented in auditory cortex. However, any one neuron functions as part of a population whose combined activity underlies cortical information processing. Here we review some results obtained by recording simultaneously from auditory cortical populations and individual morphologically identified neurons, in urethane-anesthetized and unanesthetized passively listening rats. Auditory cortical populations produced structured activity patterns both in response to acoustic stimuli, and spontaneously without sensory input. Population spike time patterns were broadly conserved across multiple sensory stimuli and spontaneous events, exhibiting a generally conserved sequential organization lasting approximately 100 ms. Both spontaneous and evoked events exhibited sparse, spatially localized activity in layer 2/3 pyramidal cells, and densely distributed activity in larger layer 5 pyramidal cells and putative interneurons. Laminar propagation differed however, with spontaneous activity spreading upward from deep layers and slowly across columns, but sensory responses initiating in presumptive thalamorecipient layers, spreading rapidly across columns. In both unanesthetized and urethanized rats, global activity fluctuated between “desynchronized” state characterized by low amplitude, high-frequency local field potentials and a “synchronized” state of larger, lower-frequency waves. Computational studies suggested that responses could be predicted by a simple dynamical system model fitted to the spontaneous activity immediately preceding stimulus presentation. Fitting this model to the data yielded a nonlinear self-exciting system model in synchronized states and an approximately linear system in desynchronized states. We comment on the significance of these results for auditory cortical processing of acoustic and non-acoustic information.

Engaging Auditory Modalities through the Use of Music in Information Literacy Instruction

The human body is composed of multiple sensory modalities, and each of them engages a different part of the brain when stimulated. A common assumption of learning theory is that individuals prefer some sensory paths over others for learning, hence the distinction between kinesthetic, verbal, visual, and aural learners. (1) Multiple intelligences and learning style theory suggest that teachers engage the widest variety of learners in the classroom by offering differentiated instruction using multiple sensory cues. Research also suggests that all learners benefit from multiple sensory stimuli in learning regardless of their learning preferences because the brain operates at its best in complex environments. We know the brain is designed to process many inputs at once--in fact, it actually prefers it so much, a slower linear pace actually reduces understanding. (2) Thus a differentiated learning environment that activates multiple sensory paths not only accommodates the particular learning preferences of individuals, it also enhances learning for everyone. Aural learners prefer learning through hearing. They are particularly receptive to auditory stimuli that involve tone, rhythm, and pitch. Recommendations for providing aural stimuli in the classroom often have been confined to using music as a memorization device (singing the alphabet, for example) or playing background music to enhance the general learning environment. This article will suggest more meaningful ways to use music to teach information literacy (IL) skills and demonstrate that incorporating music is an excellent means for adding interest, variability, and inquiry learning into IL instruction. EXTENDING CLASSROOM LEARNING WITH MUSIC Because of the constraints on information professionals' access to learners, IL instruction often occurs in brief, standalone sessions, sometimes called one-shots in the literature. (3) The one-shot instructional session is a convenient format conducive to the thinly stretched schedules of professors, librarians, and students; however, it has several drawbacks. Incorporating music into IL instruction may ameliorate some of those drawbacks by providing a creative and efficient means for stimulating an additional sensory path to engage the brain in The first drawback of the one-shot session is time. The traditional fifty to seventy-five minutes allotted for instruction is hardly conducive to achieving complex IL learning outcomes. Kenny calls the one-shot a trailer for the full-length feature ... the ultimate goal for a one-shot ... session is to have students actively engage with the librarians and library resources to provide a glimpse into the many ways the library supports student learning. (4) Librarians often find their teaching methods constrained by time and struggle to address IL beyond the skills-building level of training. A common cultural construct, such as music, is useful in providing starting points for analogy and metaphor building, which increases conceptual While neither the instructor nor the students may have formally studied music, human beings are inherently musical. Studies have shown that rhythmic intelligence is the first of the intelligences to develop: The rhythm of the maternal heart beat and other external sounds, such as music, penetrate the womb and stimulate fetal response. (5) By the age of one, children of all cultural backgrounds engage in spontaneous singing (prior even to attaining language), and by age five they are already familiar with musical patterns and recognize when unexpected musical events occur. (6) Most students, even international students, have grown up surrounded by examples of Western music, from Happy Birthday to the international reach of pop music to the near-ubiquitous Christmas carols. By making connections to music, a subject with which students are already familiar, librarians help students extend their knowledge base more expediently. …

Spontaneous Events Outline the Realm of Possible Sensory Responses in Neocortical Populations

Neocortical assemblies produce complex activity patterns both in response to sensory stimuli and spontaneously without sensory input. To investigate the structure of these patterns, we recorded from populations of 40-100 neurons in auditory and somatosensory cortices of anesthetized and awake rats using silicon microelectrodes. Population spike time patterns were broadly conserved across multiple sensory stimuli and spontaneous events. Although individual neurons showed timing variations between stimuli, these were not sufficient to disturb a generally conserved sequential organization observed at the population level, lasting for approximately 100 ms with spiking reliability decaying progressively after event onset. Preserved constraints were also seen in population firing rate vectors, with vectors evoked by individual stimuli occupying subspaces of a larger but still constrained space outlined by the set of spontaneous events. These results suggest that population spike patterns are drawn from a limited "vocabulary," sampled widely by spontaneous events but more narrowly by sensory responses.

Fast Visuomotor Processing of Redundant Targets: The Role of the Right Temporo-Parietal Junction

Parallel processing of multiple sensory stimuli is critical for efficient, successful interaction with the environment. An experimental approach to studying parallel processing in sensorimotor integration is to examine reaction times to multiple copies of the same stimulus. Reaction times to bilateral copies of light flashes are faster than to single, unilateral light flashes. These faster responses may be due to ‘statistical facilitation’ between independent processing streams engaged by the two copies of the light flash. On some trials, however, reaction times are faster than predicted by statistical facilitation. This indicates that a neural ‘coactivation’ of the two processing streams must have occurred. Here we use fMRI to investigate the neural locus of this coactivation. Subjects responded manually to the detection of unilateral light flashes presented to the left or right visual hemifield, and to the detection of bilateral light flashes. We compared the bilateral trials where subjects' reaction times exceeded the limit predicted by statistical facilitation to bilateral trials that did not exceed the limit. Activity in the right temporo-parietal junction was higher in those bilateral trials that showed coactivation than in those that did not. These results suggest the neural coactivation observed in visuomotor integration occurs at a cognitive rather than sensory or motor stage of processing.

Pain TRP‐ed up by PARs

Studies of proteolytic enzymes (proteinases) like thrombin and trypsin have long been the province of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal physiologists: thrombin as the key regulator of the coagulation cascade and trypsin and other pancreatic enzymes as the means for breaking down proteins in the small intestine. Conforming to a long-standing pattern of ‘where GI physiologists tread, neuroscientists inevitably follow’, the identification of proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) on peripheral and central neurones has generated increasing interest in how they may function in the nervous system (Noorbakhsh et al. 2003; Ossovskaya & Bunnett, 2004). PARs are a four-membered family of G-protein coupled receptors (PAR1–4) whose activation by serine proteinases occurs by enzymatic cleavage at N-terminal serines to expose a ‘tethered ligand’ that binds residues in its own second extracellular domain to initiate signal transduction (Ossovskaya & Bunnett, 2004). PAR-2 has become the current favourite as a promising target in anti-inflammatory/chronic pain drug discovery programmes because it is expressed in sensory nociceptive neurones, its activation releases peptides (SP/CGRP) from afferent nerve endings in the dorsal horn and results in both thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia, and it can be activated by tryptase, which is secreted by mast cells onto adjacent neurones under inflammatory conditions or neuronal damage (Noorbakhsh et al. 2003; Ossovskaya & Bunnett, 2004). Because it is the only PAR not activated by thrombin, selective blockade of this receptor could be therapeutically useful in pain management without antithrombotic side-effects. How does PAR-2 signalling lead to thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia? A global network of research groups, headed by Nigel Bunnett, have presented a set of tour de force studies showing that PAR-2 activates multiple second messenger pathways to sensitize TRPV1 and TRPV4 receptors on nociceptive neurones and this, in turn, releases nociceptive peptides (SP and CGRP) onto centrally projecting nociceptors that can account for TRPV1-dependent thermal and TRPV4-dependent mechanical hyperalgesia (Amadesi et al. 2006; Grant et al. 2007). TRPV1 and TRPV4 receptors are calcium-permeable cationic ion channels activated by multiple sensory stimuli; of relevance here is that TRPV1 can be gated by noxious heat (> 42°C) and capsaicin, and TRPV4 by warm temperature (> 27°C), hypotonicity and shear stress (Nilius et al. 2004). Amadesi et al. (2006) found that PAR-2 colocalized with protein kinase (PK) Ce, and PKA in a subset of TRPV1-containing dorsal root neurones, that PAR-2 agonists activated these pathways, increased TRPV1-mediated calcium influx and whole-cell currents and caused thermal hyperalgesia in mice. Moreover, inhibition of PKCe and PKA prevented the PAR-2 sensitization of TRPV1 calcium transients and currents as well as PAR-2-induced thermal hyperalgesia in mice. Grant et al. (2007) found that PAR-2 also colocalized with TRPV4, SP and CGRP in dorsal root ganglia, that PAR-2 agonists enhanced TRPV4-induced calcium transients and whole-cell currents and that inhibition of phospholipase Cβ, PKA, PKC and PKD prevented the PAR-2-induced sensitization of TRPV4-induced responses. They also found that activation of TRPV4 stimulated the release of SP and CGRP from dorsal horn neurones and this release was potentiated by PAR-2 activation, similar to their previously demonstrated PAR-2 enhancement of TRPV1 release of SP and CGRP (Amadesi et al. 2004). Intraplantar injection of PAR-2 agonists caused mechanical hyperalgesia as well as sensitized pain responses to TRPV4 activation in wild-type but not in TRPV4-deleted mice. These findings provided the basis for a model outlined by Grant et al. (2007) to account for protease-induced mechanical hyperalgesia, a model that can also apply to protease-induced thermal hyperalgesia. Proteases are released in response to inflammatory stimuli where they can activate PAR-2 on nociceptive afferent nerve endings in peripheral tissue. PAR-2 couples to activation of multiple second messenger kinases (PKA, PKC, PKD) in these nerve endings to sensitize TRPV1 and TRPV4 receptors. Sensitized TRPV1 receptors now respond to non-noxious temperature while sensitized TRPV4 receptors show enhanced response to mechanical stimuli; in both cases their increased gating results in increased release of SP and CGRP from dorsal horn terminals with consequent increased transmission centrally. In terms of pathological pain states, prevention of TRPV1 and TRPV4 receptor sensitization is a more attractive therapeutic aim than inhibition of TRPV receptors per se. In this regard, it is of interest to compare results from a recent study by Alessandri-Haber et al. (2006) who found similar mechanisms of TRPV4-dependent sensitization and mechanical hyperalgesia in response to a cocktail of inflammatory mediators (bradykinin, SP, 5-HT, histamine and prostaglandin), none of which alone was sufficient to engage TRPV4-dependent hyperalgesia. PAR-2 antagonists may well pack more punch against neuropathic or inflammatory pain.

The Cold and Menthol Receptor TRPM8 Contains a Functionally Important Double Cysteine Motif

We have investigated the glycosylation, disulfide bonding, and subunit structure of mouse TRPM8. To do this, amino-terminal c-myc or hemagglutinin epitope-tagged proteins were incorporated and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. These modifications had no obvious effects on channel function in intracellular calcium imaging assays upon application of agonists, icilin or menthol, and cold temperatures. Unmodified TRPM8 migrates with an apparent mass of 129 kDa and can be glycosylated in Chinese hamster ovary cells to give glycoproteins with apparent masses of 136 and 147 kDa. We identified two potential N-linked glycosylation sites in TRPM8 (Asn-821 and Asn-934) and mutated them to show that only the site in the putative pore region at position 934 is modified and that glycosylation of this site is not absolutely necessary for cell surface expression or responsiveness to icilin, menthol, and cool temperatures. Enzymatic cleavage of the carbohydrate chains indicated that they are complex carbohydrate. The glycosylation site is flanked in the pore by two cysteine residues that we mutated, to prove that they are involved in a conserved double cysteine motif, which is essential for channel function. Mutation of either of these cysteines abolishes function and forces the formation of a non-functional complex of the size of a homodimer. The double cysteine mutant is also non-functional. Finally, we showed in Perfluoro-octanoic acid-polyacrylamide gels that TRPM8 can form a tetramer (in addition to dimer and trimer forms), consistent with current thinking that functional TRP ion channels are tetrameric.

Enabling a continuum of virtual environment experiences

We define a virtual environment as a set of surroundings that appear to a user through computer-generated sensory stimuli. The level of immersion-or sense of being in another world-that a user experiences within a VE relates to how much stimuli the computer delivers to the user. Thus, one can classify VEs along a virtuality continuum, which ranges from the real world to an entirely computer-generated environment. We present a technology that allows seamless transitions between levels of immersion in VEs. Milgram and Kishino (1994) first proposed the concept of a virtuality continuum in the context of visual displays. The concept of a virtuality continuum extends to multimodal VEs, which combine multiple sensory stimuli, including 3D sound and haptic capability, leading to a multidimensional virtuality continuum. Emerging applications will benefit from multiple levels of immersion, requiring innovative multimodal technologies and the ability to traverse the multidimensional virtuality continuum.

The effect of tactile and visual sensory inputs on phantom limb awareness.

Multiple sensory stimuli contribute to the conscious awareness of the body. It is well known that limb amputation can result in abnormal body awareness, but the manner in which the CNS constructs and updates a body schema after injury is largely unknown. The purpose of the present study was to systematically evaluate the effects of sensory inputs on phantom limb awareness (PLA) shortly after unilateral upper extremity amputation. The location, quality and intensity of spontaneous and tactile-evoked phantom sensations and awareness were assessed in 13 amputees who were referred sequentially for their initial post-operative rehabilitation. Subjects were tested in three visual conditions: (i) with their eyes open; (ii) with their eyes closed; and (iii) while they viewed their intact hand in a mirror, which created an illusion of their amputated hand (i.e. mirror visual illusion). The mirror illusion was also used to test the effect of combined visual and movement-related stimuli during active voluntary movement. Spontaneous PLA was reported by 12 of the 13 amputees and was not affected by normal visual inputs. Tactile stimulation of the residual limb or face evoked dual percepts in six amputees; i.e. these amputees perceived these touch stimuli as if they were being applied both to the stimulus site and also to a location on the missing limb. This mislocalization phenomenon was most prevalent in the eyes-closed condition. Thus, normal vision can strongly override the phantom component of touch-evoked dual percepts. In eight cases, the visual illusion of the missing limb transiently enhanced the spontaneous conscious awareness of the phantom limb. However, the visual illusion did not change the capacity of a tactile stimulus to induce dual percepts. These findings demonstrate that (i) phantom awareness of an amputated body part is common within the 14 months after traumatic upper extremity amputation, (ii) evoked dual percepts are less common than spontaneous PLA, (iii) visual, tactile and sensorimotor systems contribute to PLA, (iv) subtle changes in congruence of sensory information affects both evoked dual percepts and spontaneous PLA, however, (v) sensorimotor information pertaining to the state of the motor system can strongly influence spontaneous PLA, whereas the visual system can predominantly influence evoked PLA.

Impairments in negative patterning, but not simple discrimination learning, in rats with 192 IgG-saporin lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis.

Rats with 192 IgG-saporin lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) and sham-operated rats were trained in either a simple discrimination paradigm assessing simple association learning or a negative patterning paradigm assessing configural association learning. In the simple discrimination task, rats were reinforced for responding to a light but were not reinforced for responding to a tone. In the negative patterning discrimination task, rats were reinforced for responding to either a light or a tone presented alone but were not reinforced for responding to both stimuli presented simultaneously. Simple discrimination learning was not affected, whereas acquisition of negative patterning was impaired by NBM lesions. Impaired configural association learning may reflect a loss in the ability of rats with NBM lesions to attend to multiple sensory stimuli or to cope with conflicting response strategies.

Extended analysis and treatment of self‐injurious behavior

AbstractIn experiment 1, an extended functional analysis of self‐injury was conducted with a 21‐year‐old male diagnosed with autism and profound mental retardation. The multielement phase yielded undifferentiated results. Subsequent blocking of conditions plus the addition of a component allowing access to multiple sensory stimuli suggested that self‐injury was unrelated to programmed positive or negative reinforcement contingencies. The behavior appeared to be automatically reinforced; its occurrence decreased when access to alternative sensory stimuli was provided. Experiment 2 evaluated a treatment condition in which response‐independent access to these sensory stimuli was provided within the participant's everyday environment. Baseline and treatment frequencies of self‐injury were compared in a combined, multiple‐baseline‐across‐settings and ABAB design. The level of self‐injury decreased substantially during treatment. These results support the use of extended analog analyses of aberrant behavior in instances in which undifferentiated responding occurs in the initial analogue analysis. Additionally, a procedure is described for generalizing the intervention derived from the experimental analysis into the participant's everyday environment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Communication goes multimodal.

Communication depends on the simultaneous receipt of multiple sensory stimuli. The Perspective by Partan and Marler in this week9s issue postulates a new classification system for multimodal sensory signals. Combinations of sensory signals are classified according to the behavioral responses they elicit.

Integration of multiple sensory modalities in cat cortex.

The results of this study show that the different receptive fields of multisensory neurons in the cortex of the cat anterior ectosylvian sulcus (AES) were in spatial register, and it is this register that determined the manner in which these neurons integrated multiple sensory stimuli. The functional properties of multisensory neurons in AES cortex bore fundamental similarities to those in other cortical and subcortical structures. These constancies in the principles of multisensory integration are likely to provide a basis for spatial coherence in information processing throughout the nervous system.

OVERTREATMENT DERMATITIS IN DERMATITIS VENENATA DUE TO PLANTS

Acute cutaneous symptoms can cause a psychic upset to the same degree as that observed when other organs of the body become ill, perhaps even more so, because the skin is an organ of special sense and gives rise to multiple sensory stimuli. A person at an outing may win all the prizes, but that night he can be pacing the floor, so mentally harassed that he calls out for relief from symptoms of dermatitis due to plants. The itching and burning can so torment him that he is not responsible for his actions. Patients thus afflicted will apply remedy after remedy, blindly groping for relief. In view of this panic-like state which may seize persons with acute cutaneous symptoms, it is their privilege that remedies for the skin in the family medicine chest and purchased by them be reasonably safe. Evidence will be presented that many of these remedies