Sensory Pathways Research Articles

Copy Number Variation and Selection Signal: Exploring the Domestication History and Phenotype Differences Between Duroc and the Chinese Native Ningxiang Pigs

The Ningxiang pig, one of the well-known Chinese native pig breeds, has the advantages of tender meat, high intramuscular fat (IMF) content, and roughage tolerance, compared to the commercial lean pig breeds. The genetic basis for complex traits in Ningxiang pigs has been previously studied through other genetic markers, such as Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP), while the characteristics of copy number variation (CNV) and the selection signal have not been investigated yet. In this study, GGP 50 k genotyping data of 2242 Ningxiang pigs (NX) and 1137 Duroc pigs (Duroc) were involved in CNV atlas construction and selection signals identification. Annotations of genes and quantitative trait locus (QTLs) were performed on the target candidate regions, as follows: (1) 162 CNVs were detected in Ningxiang pigs, while 326 CNVs were detected in Duroc pigs, and there are 21 copy number variation regions (CNVRs) shared between them; (2) The CNVRs of Duroc are more abundant, with 192 CNVRs, accounting for 1.61% of the entire genome, while those of Ningxiang pigs only have 98 CNVRs, accounting for 0.49%; (3) The QTLs annotated on CNVs and selected regions of Ningxiang pigs were mainly associated with meat quality and fertility. In contrast, the Duroc QTLs’ notes relate primarily to the carcass and immunity, and explain why they have a higher slaughter rate and immunity; (4) There is a presence of high-frequency acquired CNVs, specifically in Ningxiang pigs, with 24 genes significantly enriched in the sensory receptor-related pathway in this region; (5) Based on the CNVs atlas, candidate genes such as 3 inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor, type 3 (ITPR3), forkhead box protein K2 (FOXK2), G-protein coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1), Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1), and other candidate genes related to fat deposition and differentiation were screened. In general, this study improved our knowledge about copy number variation and selection signal information of Ningxiang pigs, which can not only further explain the genetic differences between Chinese native and Western commercial pig breeds, but also provide new materials for the analysis of the genetic basis of complex traits.

Cry with the Promised Land: singing for nationalist and religious environmentalism amid Burma’s war

ABSTRACT As the planet’s ecological crisis deepens, what can music reveal about the shapes that environmentalism is taking across the world? This article shows that music is a sensory pathway into notions of nature and of saving nature in repressed and marginalised places. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork since 2010 in the war-torn Burma–China–India borderlands, I explore a dissident rock band’s pioneering environmentalist song. The song’s Kachin Jinghpaw language lyrics talk of ecological destruction through a worldwide trope—‘nature is crying’—but express more specifically a nationalist and religious environmentalism. The song calls on Christian Kachin people to rescue a God-given national homeland, amid the broader album’s call for ethnonational resistance against a ‘colonising’ military regime in Burma (Myanmar). I explore the song’s lyrics and karaoke music video—line-by-line and scene-by-scene—as a way to sense both the logic and feeling of environmentalism emerging amid war.

Control of nerve-mediated and urothelial ATP release by a protein kinase G-dependent pathway in the mouse bladder

Aim:ATP signalling is involved in urinary bladder motor and sensory pathways, including stimulation-mediated release from parasympathetic varicosities to detrusor muscle and from urothelial cells when mechanically stressed. Both modalities are present in humans and other mammals but are especially prominent in overactive bladder syndromes. There is therefore an unmet need to understand how to regulate such release. This study tested the hypothesis that the nitric oxide (NO•)/ soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)/ cyclic GMP/ protein kinase-G (PKG) pathway has a central role. Methods:In vitro nerve-mediated contractions and ATP/acetylcholine (ACh) release were measured from bladder wall strips, as was ATP release from urothelial cell suspensions subject to mechanical stresses. Enhanced spontaneous contractile activity was also measured in bladder wall preparations of spinal cord-injured mice. Interventions were designed to increase cellular cGMP levels (a cell-permeable cGMP analogue, a NO•donor, a phosphodiesterase inhibitor (PDEI), a sGC activator), or agents to reduce activity of pathway enzymes (sCG or PKG). Results:ATP-dependent contractions were reduced by the above interventions, as was ATP release; but ACh-dependent contractions and ACh release were unaffected. Spontaneous contractile activity was also reduced by the cGMP analogue and by a PDEI. ATP release from urothelial cell suspensions was also reduced by similar interventions. Conclusions:ATP release from efferent nerves and from urothelial cells were selectively reduced by upregulating the NO•/sGC/cGMP/PKG pathway. Translational aspects are discussed with respect to purinergic pathways and overactive bladder pathologies.

Ascending Vagal Sensory and Central Noradrenergic Pathways Modulate Retrieval of Passive Avoidance Memory in Male Rats.

Visceral feedback from the body is often subconscious, but plays an important role in guiding motivated behaviors. Vagal sensory neurons relay "gut feelings" to noradrenergic (NA) neurons in the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS), which in turn project to the anterior ventrolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vlBNST) and other hypothalamic-limbic forebrain regions. Prior work supports a role for these circuits in modulating memory consolidation and extinction, but a potential role in retrieval of conditioned avoidance remains untested. To examine this, adult male rats underwent passive avoidance conditioning. We then lesioned gut-sensing vagal afferents by injecting cholecystokinin-conjugated saporin toxin (CSAP) into the vagal nodose ganglia (Experiment 1), or lesioned NA inputs to the vlBNST by injecting saporin toxin conjugated to an antibody against dopamine-beta hydroxylase (DSAP) into the vlBNST (Experiment 2). When avoidance behavior was later assessed, rats with vagal CSAP lesions or NA DSAP lesions displayed significantly increased conditioned passive avoidance. These new findings support the view that gut vagal afferents and the cNTSNA-to-vlBNST circuit play a role in modulating the expression/retrieval of learned passive avoidance. Overall, our data suggest a dynamic modulatory role of vagal sensory feedback to the limbic forebrain in integrating interoceptive signals with contextual cues that elicit conditioned avoidance behavior.

Disentangling the spinal mechanisms of illusory heat and burning sensations in the thermal grill illusion.

The thermal grill illusion (TGI), a phenomenon in which the juxtaposition of innocuous warm and cold temperatures on the skin elicits a burning sensation, offers a unique perspective to how pain occurs in response to harmless stimuli. We investigated the role of the spinal cord in the generation of the TGI across 2 experiments (total n = 80). We applied heat and cold stimuli to dermatomes, areas of skin innervated by a single spinal nerve, that mapped onto adjacent or nonadjacent spinal segments. Enhanced warm and burning ratings during the TGI were observed when cold and warm stimuli were confined within the same dermatome. Furthermore, we found the spatial organisation of warm and cold stimuli within and across dermatomes affected TGI perception. Perceived warmth and burning intensity increased when the cold stimulus projected to the segment more caudal to the warm stimulus, whereas perceived cold during the TGI decreased compared with the opposite spatial arrangement. This suggests that the perception of TGI is enhanced when cold afferents are projected to spinal segments positioned caudally in relation to those receiving warm afferents. Our results indicate distinct interaction of sensory pathways based on the segmental arrangement of afferent fibres and are consistent with current interpretations of the spread and integration of thermosensory information along the spinal cord.

Chronic Widespread Pain

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE This article reviews the potential etiologies of chronic widespread pain syndromes and outlines a practical approach to the management of patients with these disorders. LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Recent updates to diagnostic criteria for primary chronic widespread pain syndromes have allowed for more effective diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is the most common presentation of chronic widespread pain, and the concept of nociplastic pain has been used to describe pain that is related to altered processing of pain sensory pathways. Research studies have provided a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the central augmentation that occurs in patients with nociplastic pain and fibromyalgia. ESSENTIAL POINTS Primary chronic widespread pain and fibromyalgia have established diagnostic criteria in which chronic pain involves multiple defined regions and occurs for longer than 3 months. Evaluation of chronic widespread pain should be directed by the clinical presentation. Neurologic disease can present with chronic widespread pain but is accompanied by associated signs and symptoms. Patients with chronic widespread pain benefit from effective communication that validates concerns, provides an understandable explanation of the presenting symptoms, and sets realistic expectations in outcomes using a comprehensive multimodal care plan.

Age-dependent deficits of auditory brainstem responses in juvenile Neurexin1α knockout rats.

Abnormal sensory processing is core to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Developing efficient therapies requires understanding the basic sensory pathways and identifying circuit abnormalities during early development. Auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) are well-established biomarkers for auditory processing on the brainstem level. Beyond their advantage of being easily applicable in clinics (given their non-invasive nature), ABRs have high reproducibility in rodents and translate well to humans (e.g. wave identity), despite species differences (e.g. wave features). We hypothesized that ABRs would reveal sensory abnormalities in neurodevelopmental models with construct validity, such as Neurexin1α knockout (Nrxn1α KO) rats during their development. In a previous study, adult Nrxn1α KO rats showed altered cortical auditory-evoked potentials and impaired prediction error to auditory stimuli (Janz in Transl Psychiat, 12:455, 2022 ). This study used ABR measurements to assess brainstem physiology during auditory processing in Nrxn1α KO rats and their wild-type littermates. Therefore, we followed the development trajectories of ABRs from the age of 3weeks to 12weeks longitudinally. We found that juvenile Nrxn1α KO rats (3weeks of age) show altered ABRs, which normalized during further development. This alteration was confined to increased latency in waves II, III, and IV of the ABRs, suggesting impaired auditory processing on the level of the superior olivary complex and inferior colliculus. In conclusion, our results suggest that early but transient deficits in the processing of auditory information on the level of the brainstem are present in Nrxn1α KO rats, which may contribute to later cortical auditory processing deficits observed in adulthood. Our study emphasizes the value of ABRs as a functional readout of auditory brainstem circuit function with potential value as a translational biomarker.

Scrambler therapy for treatment of poststroke pain

AbstractObjectiveStrokes involving sensory pathways can result in contralesional pain syndromes often refractory to pharmacologic interventions. Scrambler therapy (ST) is a noninvasive electroanalgesia device used to treat pain caused by peripheral neuropathy; however, data are scarce regarding its use in conditions secondary to central nervous system pathology. We evaluate the efficacy of ST to treat poststroke pain.MethodsTwenty patients with a history of prior stroke resulting in contralesional pain were randomized to receive ST or Sham as an adjunct to their stable medication regimen. Participants underwent 5 consecutive daily 40‐min sessions. The study was blinded to patient and assessor. Pain scores (0–10) were recorded at baseline, pre‐ and postsession, and 4 weeks after final treatment. Student's t‐tests compared differences in the mean change in pain score between groups immediately post‐treatment #5, and at 4‐weeks. The chi‐squared analysis compared the proportion of patients in each group with >50% pain reduction.ResultsParticipants randomized to ST had a mean change in pain score of −3.73 (SD 2.85) postintervention and −2.57 (SD 2.07) at 4 weeks, while the Sham group had a mean change in score of −0.94 (SD 1.36) and −0.25 (SD 0.84) (p between groups = 0.012, 0.004, respectively). Significantly more participants treated with ST reported a >50% reduction in pain immediately postintervention compared to Sham (70% vs. 10%, p = 0.006), but not at follow‐up (30% vs. 10%, p = ns).InterpretationST may effectively decrease poststroke pain compared to Sham. Larger studies are needed to evaluate confounders such as stroke location, time from stroke, and concomitant treatment with medications.

Fast frequency modulation is encoded according to the listener expectations in the human subcortical auditory pathway

Abstract Expectations aid and bias our perception. For instance, expected words are easier to recognise than unexpected words, particularly in noisy environments, and incorrect expectations can make us misunderstand our conversational partner. Expectations are combined with the output from the sensory pathways to form representations of auditory objects in the cerebral cortex. Previous literature has shown that expectations propagate further down to subcortical stations during the encoding of static pure tones. However, it is unclear whether expectations also drive the subcortical encoding of subtle dynamic elements of the acoustic signal that are not represented in the tonotopic axis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that subjective expectations drive the encoding of fast frequency modulation (FM) in the human subcortical auditory pathway. We used fMRI to measure neural responses in the human auditory midbrain (inferior colliculus) and thalamus (medial geniculate body). Participants listened to sequences of FM-sweeps for which they held different expectations based on the task instructions. We found robust evidence that the responses in auditory midbrain and thalamus encode the difference between the acoustic input and the subjective expectations of the listener. The results indicate that FM-sweeps are already encoded at the level of the human auditory midbrain and that encoding is mainly driven by subjective expectations. We conclude that the subcortical auditory pathway is integrated in the cortical network of predictive processing and that expectations are used to optimise the encoding of fast dynamic elements of the acoustic signal.

Mother-Offspring Bonding after Calving in Water Buffalo and Other Ruminants: Sensory Pathways and Neuroendocrine Aspects.

The cow-calf bonding is a process that must be developed within the first six hours after calving. Both the buffalo dam and the newborn calf receive a series of sensory cues during calving, including olfactory, tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. These inputs are processed in the brain to develop an exclusive bond where the dam provides selective care to the filial newborn. The limbic system, sensory cortices, and maternal-related hormones such as oxytocin mediate this process. Due to the complex integration of the maternal response towards the newborn, this paper aims to review the development of the cow-calf bonding process in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) via the olfactory, tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. It will also discuss the neuroendocrine factors motivating buffalo cows to care for the calf using examples in other ruminant species where dam-newborn bonding has been extensively studied.

Skeletal Muscle Involvement in Friedreich Ataxia.

Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder triggered by a deficit of the mitochondrial protein frataxin. At a cellular level, frataxin deficiency results in insufficient iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis and impaired mitochondrial function and adenosine triphosphate production. The main clinical manifestation is a progressive balance and coordination disorder which depends on the involvement of peripheral and central sensory pathways as well as of the cerebellum. Besides the neurological involvement, FRDA affects also the striated muscles. The most prominent manifestation is a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which also represents the major determinant of premature mortality. Moreover, FRDA displays skeletal muscle involvement, which contributes to the weakness and marked fatigue evident throughout the course of the disease. Herein, we review skeletal muscle findings in FRDA generated by functional imaging, histology, as well as multiomics techniques in both disease models and in patients. Altogether, these findings corroborate a disease phenotype in skeletal muscle and support the notion of progressive mitochondrial damage as a driver of disease progression in FRDA. Furthermore, we highlight the relevance of skeletal muscle investigations in the development of biomarkers for early-phase trials and future therapeutic strategies in FRDA.

Reduction of the acquisition time needed to obtain somatosensory evoked potentials by estimation of the required averaging sweep count by an algorithm.

Somatosensory evoked potentials are frequently acquired by stimulation of the median or tibial nerves (mSEPs and tSEPs) for intraoperative monitoring of sensory pathways. Due to their low amplitudes it is common practice to average 200 or more sweeps to discern the evoked potentials from the background EEG. The aim of this study was to investigate if an algorithm designed to determine the lowest sweep count needed to obtain reproducible evoked potentials in each patient significantly reduces the median necessary sweep count to under 200. 30 patients undergoing spinal surgery at the Department of Neurosurgery were included in the study. Beginning with a sweep count of 200 an algorithm was designed to determine the lowest sweep count that yielded reproducible evoked potentials in each patient. By this algorithm the minimal sweep count was determined in 15 patients for mSEPs and in 15 patients for tSEPs. The required sweep count was below 200 in 14 of 15 patients for mSEPs (93.3%) with a mean sweep count of 56 ± 51. For tSEPs the sweep count was below 200 in 11 of 15 patients (73.3%) with a mean sweep count of 106 ± 70 (mean ± SD). The calculated mean time to average the potentials could thereby be reduced from 48.8s to 13.7s for mSEPs and from 48.8s to 25.9s for tSEPs. The proposed algorithm allowed sweep count and acquisition time reduction in roughly 90% of all patients for mSEPs and in 70% of all patients for tSEPs.

Sensory Dysfunction, Microbial Infections, and Host Responses in Alzheimer's Disease.

Sensory functions of organs of the head and neck allow humans to interact with the environment and establish social bonds. With aging, smell, taste, vision, and hearing decline. Evidence suggests that accelerated impairment in sensory abilities can reflect a shift from healthy to pathological aging, including the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurological disorders. While the drivers of early sensory alteration in AD are not elucidated, insults such as trauma and infections can affect sensory function. Herein, we review the involvement of the major head and neck sensory systems in AD, with emphasis on microbes exploiting sensory pathways to enter the brain (the "gateway" hypothesis) and the potential feedback loop by which sensory function may be impacted by central nervous system infection. We emphasize detection of sensory changes as first-line surveillance in senior adults to identify and remove potential insults, like microbial infections, that could precipitate brain pathology.

Exploring the Impact of Visual and Aural Elements in Urban Parks on Human Behavior and Emotional Responses

As cities progress into high-quality developments, the demand for urban parks that enhance residents’ well-being and sustainability is increasing. Traditional visual-centric design methods no longer suffice. Given that vision and hearing are the primary sensory pathways through which people perceive their environment, exploring their relationship with landscape experiences offers a novel perspective for optimizing the audiovisual perception quality of urban parks. This study explores the relationship between visual and auditory elements and landscape experiences to optimize urban parks’ sensory quality. Using visual perception, soundscape perception, sound source perception, and behavioral vitality, this study evaluates the audiovisual perception quality of a representative wetland park in Chengdu’s ring ecological zone. By quantifying relationships between audiovisual characteristics, behavioral vitality, and emotional feedback, several emotional assessment models were constructed. The results show that lawns, pavements, and sound pressure levels significantly impact vitality. A sound pressure level of 77 dB has been identified as a critical threshold in emotional perception models. Consequently, distinct emotional prediction models can be employed to enhance landscape design across various sound pressure level zones. This research provides scientific evidence and flexible strategies for designing urban open spaces that improve landscape experiences based on multisensory perception.

Divergent sensory pathways of sneezing and coughing

Sneezing and coughing are primary symptoms of many respiratory viral infections and allergies. It is generally assumed that sneezing and coughing involve common sensory receptors and molecular neurotransmission mechanisms. Here, we show that the nasal mucosa is innervated by several discrete populations of sensory neurons, but only one population (MrgprC11+MrgprA3-) mediates sneezing responses to a multitude of nasal irritants, allergens, and viruses. Although this population also innervates the trachea, it does not mediate coughing, as revealed by our newly established cough model. Instead, a distinct sensory population (somatostatin [SST+]) mediates coughing but not sneezing, unraveling an unforeseen sensory difference between sneezing and coughing. At the circuit level, sneeze and cough signals are transmitted and modulated by divergent neuropathways. Together, our study reveals the difference in sensory receptors and neurotransmission/modulation mechanisms between sneezing and coughing, offering neuronal drug targets for symptom management in respiratory viral infections and allergies.

Enhancing human well-being through cognitive and affective pathways linking landscape sensation to cultural ecosystem services

ContextLandscape sensation is essential for the delivery of cultural ecosystem services (CESs), yet the pathways through which these services are delivered remain inadequately understood. Exploring how people obtain CESs from landscapes facilitates better understanding of the tradeoffs and synergies between ecosystem services and landscape sustainability.ObjectivesThis study aimed to elucidate the sensory pathways that links landscape attributes to CESs, focusing on the roles of cognitive and affective experiences.MethodsWe analyzed social media comments for the measurement scale of cognition. We employed partial least squares structural equation modeling to integrate sensation, cognition, affect, and satisfaction, using questionnaire data (n = 503).ResultsCognitive comprehensions and affective responses play a crucial role in interpreting CESs while sensory experiences do not directly determine people’s satisfaction with CESs. The effective pathways are achieved through the sole mediator of cognition or by serial mediators of cognition and affect. Of the two mediators, cognition has a more profound mediating effect than affect.ConclusionsBoth physical and biological components, such as landscape sensory attributes, as well as cognitive and affective responses, influence human-nature interactions. These components should be considered when promoting the sustainability of human-dominated landscapes.

Successful pain control with add-on methadone for refractory neuropathic pain due to radiation necrosis in pontine metastatic lesion: a case report

BackgroundCentral pain, characterized by neuropathic pain, can manifest due to injury to the superior spinothalamic tract. The brainstem includes sensory and motor pathways as well as nuclei of the cranial nerves, and therefore cancer metastasis in the region requires early intervention. Although stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is commonly employed for the treatment of brain metastasis, it poses risks of late complications like radiation necrosis (RN). RN exacerbates the progression of brain lesions within the irradiated area, and in the brainstem, it can damage multiple nerves, including the superior spinothalamic tract. Central neuropathic pain is often intractable and empirically managed with a combination of conventional drugs, such as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and anticonvulsants. However, their efficacy is often limited, leading to a decline in performance status (PS) and quality of life (QOL).Case presentationWe present the case of a 53-year-old man diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer, referred to our palliative care team for managing severe central pain resulting from SRS-related RN in the pons. Despite administration of opioids, including oxycodone and hydromorphone, and adjuvant analgesics, the patient continued to require frequent use of immediate-release opioids. The addition of methadone alone proved successful in achieving optimal pain control.ConclusionsProvided that RN in the brainstem can lead to intractable neuropathic pain, it is advisable to avoid SRS for brainstem metastasis when possible. Add-on methadone should be considered as a viable pain management medication for patients experiencing unresolved central pain.

Virtual reality-brain computer interface hand function enhancement rehabilitation system incorporating multi-sensory stimulation

Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease in which sudden interruption of blood supply to the brain or rupture of cerebral blood vessels cause damage to brain cells and consequently impair the patient's motor and cognitive abilities. A novel rehabilitation training model integrating brain-computer interface (BCI) and virtual reality (VR) not only promotes the functional activation of brain networks, but also provides immersive and interesting contextual feedback for patients. In this paper, we designed a hand rehabilitation training system integrating multi-sensory stimulation feedback, BCI and VR, which guides patients' motor imaginations through the tasks of the virtual scene, acquires patients' motor intentions, and then carries out human-computer interactions under the virtual scene. At the same time, haptic feedback is incorporated to further increase the patients' proprioceptive sensations, so as to realize the hand function rehabilitation training based on the multi-sensory stimulation feedback of vision, hearing, and haptic senses. In this study, we compared and analyzed the differences in power spectral density of different frequency bands within the EEG signal data before and after the incorporation of haptic feedback, and found that the motor brain area was significantly activated after the incorporation of haptic feedback, and the power spectral density of the motor brain area was significantly increased in the high gamma frequency band. The results of this study indicate that the rehabilitation training of patients with the VR-BCI hand function enhancement rehabilitation system incorporating multi-sensory stimulation can accelerate the two-way facilitation of sensory and motor conduction pathways, thus accelerating the rehabilitation process.

MULTIPLE DISTINCT TIMESCALES OF RAPID SENSORY ADAPATION IN THE THALAMOCORTICAL CIRCUIT.

Numerous studies have shown that neuronal representations in sensory pathways are far from static but are instead strongly shaped by the complex properties of the sensory inputs they receive. Adaptation dynamically shapes the neural signaling that underlies our perception of the world yet remains poorly understood. We investigated rapid adaptation across timescales from hundreds of milliseconds to seconds through simultaneous multi-electrode recordings from the ventro-posteromedial nucleus of the thalamus (VPm) and layer 4 of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in male and female anesthetized mice in response to controlled, persistent whisker stimulation. Observations in VPm and S1 reveal a degree of adaptation that progresses through the pathway. Signatures of two distinct timescales of rapid adaptation in the firing rates of both thalamic and cortical neuronal populations were revealed, also reflected in the synchrony of the thalamic population and in the thalamocortical synaptic efficacy that was measured in putatively monosynaptically connected thalamocortical pairs. Controlled optogenetic activation of VPm further demonstrated that the longer timescale adaptation observed in S1 is likely inherited from slow decreases in thalamic firing rate and synchrony. Despite the degraded sensory responses, adaptation resulted in a shift in coding strategy that favors theoretical discrimination over detection across the observed timescales of adaptation. Overall, although multiple mechanisms contribute to rapid adaptation at distinct timescales, they support a unifying framework on the role of adaptation in sensory processing.

Cognition in Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia 1 (SCA1) and 2 (SCA2): A Neurophysiological and Neuropsychological Approach.

Background/Objectives: Cognitive impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia patients has been reported since the early-disease stage. We aimed to assess cognitive differences in SCA1 and SCA2 patients. Methods: We performed neuropsychological (NPS) and neurophysiological (auditory event-related potentials, aERPs) assessments in 16 SCA1 and 18 SCA2 consecutive patients. Furthermore, clinical information (age at onset, disease duration, motor disability) was collected. Results: NPS tests yielded scores in the normal range in both groups but with lower scores in the Frontal Assessment Battery (p < 0.05) and Visual Analogue Test for Anosognosia for motor impairment (p < 0.05) in SCA1, and the Trail Making Test (p < 0.01), Raven's progressive matrices (p < 0.01), Stroop (p < 0.05), and emotion attribution tests (p < 0.05) in SCA2. aERPs showed lower N100 amplitude (p < 0.01) and prolonged N200 latency (p < 0.01) in SCA1 compared with SCA2. Clinically, SCA2 had more severe motor disability than SCA1 in the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia Scale. Conclusions: SCA2 showed more significant difficulties in attentional, visuospatial, and emotional function, and greater motor impairment. In contrast, SCA1 showed less cognitive flexibility/phasic ability, probably affected by a more severe degree of dysarthria. The same group revealed less neural activity during nonconscious attentional processing (N100-N200 data), suggesting greater involvement of sensory pathways in discriminating auditory stimuli. NFS did not correlate with NPS findings, implying an independent relationship. However, the specific role of the cerebellum and cerebellar symptoms in NPS test results deserves more focus.