Sensory Activity Research Articles

The Behavioral Effects of Noncontingent Breaks from Task with Access to Sensory Activities during Pediatric Occupational Therapy Sessions

The Behavioral Effects of Noncontingent Breaks from Task with Access to Sensory Activities during Pediatric Occupational Therapy Sessions

CNSC-13. CROSSTALK BETWEEN SENSORY NEURONAL ACTIVITY AND TUMOR CELLS PROMOTES MALIGNANCY AND CANCER PAIN

Abstract BACKGROUND Nerve infiltration of solid tumors is associated with poor prognosis in multiple cancer types. Understanding the role of neuronal activity in cancer progression offers innovative approaches for treating malignancies and cancer-associated neurological issues such as pain. Pain perception is mediated by the activity of peripheral sensory neurons. Many cancer types induce pain, and sensory innervation could support tumor growth, raising the interesting hypothesis that cancer pain-associated neuronal activity promotes malignancies. Our study aims to test the hypothesis using malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) as the experimental platform. METHODS in vivo allograft models were established by implanting mouse MPNST cells into the sciatic nerves of male and female mice, followed by performing pain behavior assays (von Frey, Hargreaves, and conditioned place preference tests) and tumor growth measurements. Primary mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neuron cultures were prepared for calcium imaging and neuron-tumor co-culture experiments. RESULTS MPNST tumor-bearing mice exhibited hypersensitivity to noxious and non-noxious stimuli (evoked pain) and ongoing pain, compared to the sham controls. MPNST-conditioned media increased intracellular calcium concentration and ATF3 (indicator for nerve injury/stress) expression in primary sensory neuron culture, suggesting that MPNST tumor cell secretory factors may induce pain by triggering sensory neuron injury/stress responses that increase sensory neuron activity/sensitivity. Reciprocally, we found that stimulation of sensory neuron activity accelerates MPNST tumor growth. The conditioned media from stimulated sensory neurons increased tumor proliferation (EdU assay) in vitro, suggesting that sensory neuron activity-induced paracrine factors increase MPNST cell growth. CONCLUSIONS MPNST is a devastating cancer that grows within peripheral nerves which induce intractable pain. Our findings demonstrate a feedforward cycle where the cancer cells induce sensory neuron hypersensitivity/hyperactivity (pain) which in turn further accelerates tumor growth. Future studies will identify the molecular mechanisms underlying this crosstalk between MPNST and sensory neuron activity.

IDEOGRAPHIC MODELLING OF THE EMOTIONAL PICTURE OF THE WORLD IN ENGLISH PHRASEOLOGY

Emotion is a mental reflection in the form of a direct biased experience of the content of life phenomena and situations, caused by the relation of their objective properties to the needs of the subject. Emotions are essential components of life activity, a powerful means of activating the sensory and perceptual activity of the individual. In the theory of activity, they are defined as a reflection of the relationship between the result of an activity and its motive. If the activity is successful in terms of the motive, positive emotions (interest, satisfaction) arise, and if it is unsuccessful, negative emotions arise. Emotions arise only in connection with events or results of actions that are related to motives. The highest product of the development of human emotions is strong feelings for objects that meet one’s highest needs. A strong, absolutely dominant feeling is called passion. Events signalling possible changes in a person’s life, along with specific emotions, can cause changes in the general emotional background – mood. The attitude to the reflected phenomena as the main property of emotions is presented: 1) in their qualitative characteristics, which include: a) sign – positive, negative; b) modality – anger, contempt, embarrassment, guilt, interest, sadness, surprise, disgust, pleasure, fear, shame; 2) in the dynamics of the course of emotions themselves – duration, intensity, etc.; 3) in the dynamics of external expression of emotions – emotional expression – in facial expressions, speech, pantomime.

Process Axiology, Buddhism, Time, and Enduring Selves

Abstract This article explains that, why, and how process thinkers and Hartmanian axiologists affirm most, if not all, that Buddhism denies with respect to the positive goodness of ordinary conscious or aware lives, human and nonhuman. According to mainstream Buddhism, all the intrinsic, extrinsic, and systemic values of ordinary human existence are illusions, so we should avoid being involved with or attaching ourselves to any of them. By contrast, process thought and axiology affirm, cultivate, nurture, and encourage involvement with and attachment to all positive human values. Buddhism insists on the illusory nature of all intrinsic values (e.g., individual human selves, including ourselves), all extrinsic values (e.g., the everyday practical, useful, and sensory objects, processes, and activities of life), and all systemic values (e.g., all human thoughts, beliefs, and systems, except for the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path). Process thinkers and Hartmanian axiologists insist that such things are very real and should be taken with utmost seriousness. By “illusory,” Buddhists may mean nothing more than that all such things are temporal, fleeting, transient. For this reason, they claim, all attachment to or positive valuation of such things leads to suffering. I fully agree with the transience of all momentary actualities, but I react to and deal very differently with the positive values involved in such transience.

Willingness-to-taste in UK children aged 4-7 years was driven by contextual facilitation, not intervention, in a randomized controlled trial of sensory food education

Many children would benefit from a diet richer in vegetables and fruit. Reluctance to taste new foods is widely recognised as a barrier to healthy dietary variety in children. ‘Flavour School’ is a programme of ‘sensory food education’, aiming to increase children’s confidence and curiosity in exploring foods and flavours, especially vegetables and fruit. We report a pre-registered, cluster-randomised controlled trial to assess the outcomes of the Flavour School programme, in n=160 children aged 4-7 years from 5 UK schools in London and Leeds. Children either received the Flavour School programme (experimental group n=84) or no intervention (control group n=76), in a two-level design with children clustered within school classes. Data collection consisted of video recorded behavioural observation during a tasting activity designed to resemble a Flavour School activity, conducted before and after the intervention. Linear regression models were used to fit relationships between independent variables and outcomes; Willingness-to-taste, Enjoyment (positive/negative facial expression), and Expressiveness (change in facial expression). Most children engaged readily in the tasting activity at baseline. At follow-up children engaged with the tasting activity even more readily (on average biting one more food sample), with no significant effect of the intervention. We interpret these findings to indicate that intra-individual tasting behavior in children is context-dependent. Our results suggest that the context of sensory food education activities facilitates openness to tasting across the normal range of individual traits. However, we find no evidence that receiving sensory food education makes a reluctant taster into a less reluctant taster; no ‘curative’ effect of the intervention was observed. Rather, even usually fussy/reluctant children were often willing to have a go at tasting in the conducive context of an exploratory activity. Trial registrationISRCTN: 40249947 Date assigned 17/03/2020 Last edited 24/10/2022 Version 1.2 Trial Acronym OASES (Outcomes Assessment of Sensory Education in Schools)

Latent dynamics of primary sensory cortical population activity structured by fluctuations in the local field potential.

As emerging technologies enable measurement of precise details of the activity within microcircuits at ever-increasing scales, there is a growing need to identify the salient features and patterns within the neural populations that represent physiologically and behaviorally relevant aspects of the network. Accumulating evidence from recordings of large neural populations suggests that neural population activity frequently exhibits relatively low-dimensional structure, with a small number of variables explaining a substantial fraction of the structure of the activity. While such structure has been observed across the brain, it is not known how reduced-dimension representations of neural population activity relate to classical metrics of "brain state," typically described in terms of fluctuations in the local field potential (LFP), single-cell activity, and behavioral metrics. Hidden state models were fit to spontaneous spiking activity of populations of neurons, recorded in the whisker area of primary somatosensory cortex of awake mice. Classic measures of cortical state in S1, including the LFP and whisking activity, were compared to the dynamics of states inferred from spiking activity. A hidden Markov model fit the population spiking data well with a relatively small number of states, and putative inhibitory neurons played an outsize role in determining the latent state dynamics. Spiking states inferred from the model were more informative of the cortical state than a direct readout of the spiking activity of single neurons or of the population. Further, the spiking states predicted both the trial-by-trial variability in sensory responses and one aspect of behavior, whisking activity. Our results show how classical measurements of brain state relate to neural population spiking dynamics at the scale of the microcircuit and provide an approach for quantitative mapping of brain state dynamics across brain areas.

The Role of Experiential Learning in Transforming Music Appreciation Education and Pedagogical Practices

This study examines the role of experiential learning in transforming high school music appreciation education. Grounded in the experiential learning theories of John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Jean Piaget, the research explores how active and immersive approaches can enhance students' emotional and intellectual engagement with music. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study incorporates teacher interviews, student surveys, and a case study centered on a specific music lesson (Homesickness Melody). Results indicate that experiential learning fosters creativity, deeper emotional connections, and critical thinking skills, while addressing some of the limitations of traditional music teaching methods. However, challenges such as teacher readiness, resource availability, and student participation were identified as key barriers to implementation. The case study demonstrated the effectiveness of kinesthetic and sensory activities in enhancing students' appreciation of music. Overall, the findings suggest that experiential learning offers a promising pedagogical strategy for music education, promoting both aesthetic literacy and emotional engagement.

Effect of Early Intervention on Developmental Domains and Parent-Child Interaction Among Children With Developmental Delay: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The scope of early intervention (EI) programs, which mostly focus on motor skills, needs to be expanded. To examine the effects of an EI on developmental domains and parent-child interactions. Randomized controlled study. Children ages 24-36 mo with developmental delay (DD; intervention group, n = 30; control group, n = 40). Pediatric occupational therapy unit of Hacettepe University. The intervention group received an intervention that used the Goal Activity and Motor Enrichment (GAME) approach and a home program, whereas the control group received a home program only. Both groups received the same intervention dosage. Developmental domains were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition (Bayley III) and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ). Sensory processing was assessed with the Infant/Toddler Sensory Profile 2 (ITSP-2), social-emotional development with the ASQ:Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE), and parent-child interaction with the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO™). A compliance checklist was used to determine compliance with the home program. A significant between-groups difference was found on all Bayley III and PICCOLO subscales and on the Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Problem-Solving, and Social-Emotional domains of the ASQ and ASQ:SE in favor of the intervention group (p < .05). The intervention group showed more typification (normal sensory processing) in sensory quadrants and general processing. Both groups were 100% compliant with the home program. The GAME-based intervention for children with DD, including sensory and cognitive activities, is effective in improving developmental domains and parent-child interactions. Plain-Language Summary: The scope of early intervention programs mostly focuses on motor skills and needs to be expanded to include the essential roles of children's sensory and cognitive abilities. This study provides important insights into early interventions by occupational therapists and the impact on children with developmental delay and parent-child interactions. We found that the Goal Activity and Motor Enrichment (GAME) intervention for children with developmental delay, which includes sensory and cognitive activities, is effective in improving developmental domains and parent-child interactions.

Renal nerves in physiology, pathophysiology and interoception.

Sympathetic efferent renal nerves have key roles in the regulation of kidney function and blood pressure. Increased renal sympathetic nerve activity is thought to contribute to hypertension by promoting renal sodium retention, renin release and renal vasoconstriction. This hypothesis led to the development of catheter-based renal denervation (RDN) for the treatment of hypertension. Two RDN devices that ablate both efferent and afferent renal nerves received FDA approval for this indication in 2023. However, in animal models, selective ablation of afferent renal nerves resulted in comparable anti-hypertensive effects to ablation of efferent and afferent renal nerves and was associated with a reduction in sympathetic nerve activity. Selective afferent RDN also improved kidney function in a chronic kidney disease model. Notably, the beneficial effects of RDN extend beyond hypertension and chronic kidney disease to other clinical conditions that are associated with elevated sympathetic nerve activity, including heart failure and arrhythmia. These findings suggest that the kidney is an interoceptive organ, as increased renal sensory nerve activity modulates sympathetic activity to other organs. Future studies are needed to translate this knowledge into novel therapies for the treatment of hypertension and other cardiorenal diseases.

Interventions for ADHD and Intellectual Disabilities: A Case Study

The case study explores the therapeutic interventions and educational strategies used in managing RC, a boy diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Intellectual Disabilities (ID). RC, enrolled in Asha School, exhibited hyperactivity, impulsiveness, and difficulties in maintaining focus, complicating his learning and behaviour management. A multi-faceted approach incorporating behavioural therapy, sensory integration activities, and structured routines was implemented to address these concerns. After one year of intervention, RC demonstrated significant improvements in impulse control, focus, task engagement, and social interactions, underscoring the effectiveness of individualized therapeutic strategies for children with ADHD and ID.

The conductor model of consciousness, our neuromorphic twins, and the human-AI deal

AbstractCritics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) posit that artificial agents cannot achieve consciousness even in principle, because they lack certain necessary pre-conditions present in biological agents. Here we highlight arguments from a neuroscientific and neuromorphic engineering perspective as to why such a strict denial of consciousness in artificial agents is not compelling. Based on the construction of a co-evolving neuromorphic twin, we argue that the differences between a developing biological and artificial brain are not fundamental and are vanishing with progress in neuromorphic architecture designs mimicking the human blueprint. To characterise this blueprint, we propose the Conductor Model of Consciousness (CMoC) that builds on neuronal implementations of an external and internal world model, while gating and labelling information flows. An extended turing test lists functional and neuronal correlates of biological consciousness that are captured by the CMoC. These correlates provide the grounding for how biological or artificial agents learn to distinguish between sensory activity generated from outside or inside of the brain, how the perception of these activities can itself be learned, and how the information flow for learning an internal world model is orchestrated by a cortical meta-instance, which we call the conductor. Perception comes with the distinction of sensory and affective components, with the affective component linking to ethical questions that are inherent in our multidimensional model of consciousness. Recognizing the existence of a blueprint for a possible artificial consciousness encompasses functional, neuronal and ethical dimensions, begging the question: How should we behave towards agents that are akin to us in the inner workings of their brains? We sketch a human-AI deal, balancing the growing cognitive abilities of artificial agents, and the possibility to relieve them from suffering of negative affects, with a protection for the rights of humans.

Magnetogenetic stimulation inside MRI induces spontaneous and evoked changes in neural circuits activity in rats.

The ability to modulate specific neural circuits and simultaneously visualize and measure brain activity with MRI would greatly impact our understanding of brain function in health and disease. The combination of neurostimulation methods and functional MRI in animal models have already shown promise in elucidating fundamental mechanisms associated with brain activity. We developed an innovative magnetogenetics neurostimulation technology that can trigger neural activity through magnetic fields. Similar to other genetic-based neuromodulation methods, magnetogenetics offers cell-, area-, and temporal-specific control of neural activity. The magnetogenetic protein-Electromagnetic Perceptive Gene (EPG)-is activated by non-invasive magnetic fields, providing a unique way to target neural circuits by the MRI static and gradient fields while simultaneously measuring their effect on brain activity. EPG was expressed in rat's visual cortex and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation, resting-state functional connectivity (FC), and sensory activation was measured using a 7T MRI. The results demonstrate that EPG-expressing rats had significantly higher signal fluctuations in the visual areas and stronger FC in sensory areas consistent with known anatomical visuosensory and visuomotor connections. This new technology complements the existing neurostimulation toolbox and provides a means to study brain function in a minimally-invasive way which was not possible previously.

Pediatric Pain

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE This article reviews pain disorders encountered in pediatric neurology practice and provides current information regarding the assessment and treatment of pediatric chronic pain. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Data about pediatric pain management remain sparse, owing to a dearth of controlled trials and longitudinal studies in these patients. However, the field of pain management and understanding of central and peripheral pain processing has expanded to allow more effective treatment of a broad group of children and adolescents with pain associated with neurologic disease. Neuroimaging visualizes sensory and nonsensory systems, and genetic markers of sensitivity and disease may guide specific therapy. The concept of central sensitization in chronic pain disorders has supported the development of multidisciplinary paradigms for the comprehensive care of these patients. ESSENTIAL POINTS Pain involves sensory activation and central nervous system modulation in pediatric patients. Pediatric neurologists should be prepared to define, investigate, and treat pain disorders in this complex patient population. Appropriate interventions during childhood may attenuate or prevent chronic pain later in life. Current interventions include behavioral, physical, and pharmacologic approaches, as well as potential noninvasive tools for neuromodulation. Research is progressing in sensory measurement, neuroimaging, genetics, and neuroinflammation to guide future targeted therapies.

Assessment of Sleep Quality and Duration of Medical Students in Enugu State College of Medicine

Sleep is a physiological behaviour that occurs in all animal species forming about one – third of human life and is essential for survival. Prolonged sleep deprivation leads to severe physical impairment usually accompanied by cognitive loss and can even lead to death. Sleep is a naturally recurring state of mind and body, characterized by relatively inhibited sensory activity and reduced interactions with surroundings, altered consciousness, reduced muscle activity and inhibition of nearly all voluntary eye muscles. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the impact of various sleep duration among students and the effect on their academic performance. Using a simple random method of sampling, questionnaires were physically distributed among medicine and surgery students of ESUT College of medicine and 265 students participated. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) with a value of &lt;0.05 considered significant. From the analysis of the data retrieved from the questionnaire, it was observed that during a regular school week, majority of students (27.5%) obtained 6 hours of sleep, while the night prior to an examination, of students (27.9%) obtained 4 hours of sleep. Also, 68.7% of students believe that insufficient sleep has a negative impact on memory consolidation, while 31.3% believes otherwise. In conclusion from the results, the study suggests that students should be educated regarding good sleep hygiene practices as this has a positive effect on their academic performance. Keywords: Sleep Quality, Duration and Medical Students

Effects of I AM TAP Program on Executive Function of Children 3-5 years in Bangkok Metropolitan Region Residential Care Homes: A Quasi-experimental Study

Executive function is important to the success of an individual. Children who have a history of being abused mentally and physically before entering a residential care home may have executive function deficits. They often face fear, stress, and a lack of interpersonal interaction, which affects their executive function. This quasi-experimental study aimed to increase children’s executive function through the I AM TAP Program. This program integrates sensory and physical activities, including working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. Two residential care homes of young children aged 3-5 years in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Then, 36 children from each setting and 11 caregivers were selected according to the inclusion criteria. The experimental group received I AM TAP Program training twice weekly for 9 weeks, 20-30 minutes each session. The control group attended the routine activities provided in a residential care home. Executive function was assessed with the Mahidol University Executive Function-101 instrument. The data were analyzed using independent t-tests, paired t-tests, and covariance analysis. The results of this study, a testament to the effectiveness of the I AM TAP Program, revealed a significant increase in the mean scores of executive functions on 3 subscales in the experimental group. These scores not only improved from the pre-program levels but also surpassed those of the control group, as measured one week after program completion. This promising outcome suggests that the I AM TAP Program has the potential to enhance executive function in young children. Nurses can potentially apply this program to promote executive function, and caregivers can be equipped with information on how to support the children in the residential care home. However, it is crucial to conduct further testing with various groups of children in different settings before considering widespread implementation

Fast-spiking interneuron detonation drives high-fidelity inhibition in the olfactory bulb.

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

Localization of Piezo 1 and Piezo 2 in Lateral Line System and Inner Ear of Zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Piezo proteins have been identified as mechanosensitive ion channels involved in mechanotransduction. Several ion channel dysfunctions may be associated with diseases (including deafness and pain); thus, studying them is critical to understand their role in mechanosensitive disorders and to establish new therapeutic strategies. The current study investigated for the first time the expression patterns of Piezo proteins in zebrafish octavolateralis mechanosensory organs. Piezo 1 and 2 were immunoreactive in the sensory epithelia of the lateral line system and the inner ear. Piezo 1 (28.7 ± 1.55 cells) and Piezo 2 (28.8 ± 3.31 cells) immunopositive neuromast cells were identified based on their ultrastructural features, and their overlapping immunoreactivity to the s100p specific marker (28.6 ± 1.62 cells), as sensory cells. These findings are in favor of Piezo proteins' potential role in sensory cell activation, while their expression on mantle cells reflects their implication in the maintenance and regeneration of the neuromast during cell turnover. In the inner ear, Piezo proteins' colocalization with BDNF introduces their potential implication in neuronal plasticity and regenerative events, typical of zebrafish mechanosensory epithelia. Assessing these proteins in zebrafish could open up new scenarios for the roles of these important ionic membrane channels, for example in treating impairments of sensory systems.

Experience: A Comparative Analysis of Multivariate Time-Series Generative Models: A Case Study on Human Activity Data

Human activity recognition (HAR) is an active research field that has seen great success in recent years due to advances in sensory data collection methods and activity recognition systems. Deep artificial intelligence (AI) models have contributed to the success of HAR systems lately although still suffering from limitations such as data scarcity, the high costs of labelling data instances and datasets’ imbalance and bias. The temporal nature of human activity data, represented as time series data, impose an additional challenge to using AI models in HAR because most state-of-the-art models do not account for the time component of the data instances. These limitations have inspired the time-series research community to design generative models for sequential data but very little work has been done to evaluate the quality of such models. In this work, we conduct a comparative quality analysis of three generative models for time-series data, using a case study in which we aim to generate sensory human activity data from a seed public dataset. Additionally, we adapt and clearly explain four evaluation methods of synthetic time-series data from the literature and apply them to assess the quality of the synthetic activity data we generate. We show experimentally that high quality human activity data can be generated using deep generative models, and the synthetic data can thus be used in HAR systems to augment real activity data. We also demonstrate that the chosen evaluation methods effectively ensure that the generated data meets the essential quality benchmarks of realism, diversity, coherence and utility. Our findings suggest that using deep generative models to produce synthetic human activity data can potentially address challenges related to data scarcity, biases, and expensive labeling. This holds promise for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of HAR systems.

Using DeepLabCut-Live to probe state dependent neural circuits of behavior with closed-loop optogenetic stimulation.

Closed-loop behavior paradigms enable us to dissect the state-dependent neural circuits underlying behavior in real-time. However, studying context-dependent locomotor perturbations has been challenging due to limitations in molecular tools and techniques for real-time manipulation of spinal cord circuits. We developed a novel closed-loop optogenetic stimulation paradigm that utilizes DeepLabCut-Live pose estimation to manipulate primary sensory afferent activity at specific phases of the locomotor cycle in mice. A compact DeepLabCut model was trained to track hindlimb kinematics in real-time and integrated into the Bonsai visual programming framework. This allowed an LED to be triggered to photo-stimulate sensory neurons expressing channelrhodopsin at user-defined pose-based criteria, such as during the stance or swing phase. Optogenetic activation of nociceptive TRPV1 + sensory neurons during treadmill locomotion reliably evoked paw withdrawal responses. Photoactivation during stance generated a brief withdrawal, while stimulation during swing elicited a prolonged response likely engaging stumbling corrective reflexes. Comparison with Existing Methods: This new method allows for high spatiotemporal precision in manipulating spinal circuits based on the phase of the locomotor cycle. Unlike previous approaches, this closed-loop system can control for the state-dependent nature of sensorimotor responses during locomotion. Integrating DeepLabCut-Live with optogenetics provides a powerful new approach to dissect the context-dependent role of sensory feedback and spinal interneurons in modulating locomotion. This technique opens new avenues for uncovering the neural substrates of state-dependent behaviors and has broad applicability for studies of real-time closed-loop manipulation based on pose estimation. Highlights: Closed-loop system probes state-dependent behaviors at pose-modulated instancesBonsai integrates DeepLabCut models for real-time pose estimation during locomotion Phase-dependent TRPV1 + sensory afferent photostimulation elicits context-specific withdrawal responses.

A Comparative Analysis of Cold Brew Coffee Aroma Using the Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry-Mass Spectrometry Technique: Headspace-Solid-Phase Extraction and Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Methods for the Extraction of Sensory-Active Compounds.

Coffee, one of the most widely consumed commodities globally, embodies a sensory experience deeply rooted in social, cultural, and hedonic contexts. The cold brew (CB) method, characterized by cold extraction, is a refreshing and unique alternative to traditional coffee. Despite its growing popularity, CB lacks defined preparation parameters and comprehensive analysis of its aromatic composition. In this study, we aimed to obtain a representative extract of the volatile matrix of CB and characterize the aroma of sensory-active compounds using advanced techniques such as headspace-solid-phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) and headspace-solid-phase extraction (HS-SPE) for volatile compound extraction, followed by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass Spectrometry (GC-O-MS) for compound identification. Optimization of the HS-SPME parameters resulted in the identification of 36 compounds, whereas HS-SPE identified 28 compounds, which included both complementary and similar compounds. In HS-SPME, 15 compounds exhibited sensory activity with descriptors such as floral, caramel, sweet, and almond, whereas seven exhibited sensory activity with descriptors such as chocolate, floral, coffee, and caramel. This comprehensive approach to HS-SPME and HS-SPE aroma extraction with GC-O-MS offers an efficient methodology for characterizing the aroma profile of CB, paving the way for future research and quality standards for this innovative coffee beverage.