Sound Stimulation Research Articles

Association between nasal septal deviation and tinnitus: Insights from a 9-year nationwide cohort study.

Tinnitus is a condition where sound is perceived in the ear or head when no external sound stimulation is present. To date, no study has explored the correlation between nasal septal deviation (SD) and tinnitus using large-scale real-world data. This study hypothesized a potential relationship between tinnitus and SD, which we investigated using a 9-year large-scale cohort study. Nationwide cohort observational study. The SD group was selected from 1 million individuals randomly extracted from the National Health Insurance Service database. The non-SD group was obtained through propensity score matching considering several variables. The primary endpoint was tinnitus diagnosis. The study (SD) group included 10,790 individuals, and the non-SD group (control group) included 21,580 individuals. The overall hazard ratio (HR) for tinnitus in the SD group was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.62-1.89). In the subgroup analysis, the HR was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.68-0.79) for tinnitus in the male group, 1.12 (95% CI: 1.04-1.21) in the group with high economic status, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.75-0.89) in the group living in metropolitan areas, and 0.45 (95% CI: 0.42-0.49) in the younger age group (<50 years). In the SD group, the HR for tinnitus after septoplasty significantly decreased to 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.90). From long-term follow-up, the prevalence of tinnitus was 1.74 times higher in the SD group compared with the control group. This phenomenon significantly decreased after septoplasty.

Reduced auditory perception and brain response with quiet TMS coil

BackgroundElectromagnetic forces in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coils generate a loud clicking sound that produces confounding auditory activation and is potentially hazardous to hearing. To reduce this noise while maintaining stimulation efficiency similar to conventional TMS coils, we previously developed a quiet TMS double containment coil (qTMS-DCC). ObjectiveTo compare the stimulation strength, perceived loudness, and EEG response between qTMS-DCC and a commercial TMS coil. MethodsNine healthy volunteers participated in a within-subject study design. The resting motor thresholds (RMTs) for qTMS-DCC and MagVenture Cool-B65 were measured. Psychoacoustic titration matched the Cool-B65 loudness to qTMS-DCC pulsed at 80, 100, and 120 % RMT. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded for both coils. The psychoacoustic titration and ERPs were acquired with the coils both on and 6 cm off the scalp, the latter isolating the effects of airborne auditory stimulation from body sound and electromagnetic stimulation. The ERP comparisons focused on a centro-frontal region that encompassed peak responses in the global signal while stimulating the primary motor cortex. ResultsRMT did not differ significantly between the coils, with or without the EEG cap on the head. qTMS-DCC was perceived to be substantially quieter than Cool-B65. For example, qTMS-DCC at 100 % coil-specific RMT sounded like Cool-B65 at 34 % RMT. The general ERP waveform and topography were similar between the two coils, as were early-latency components, indicating comparable electromagnetic brain stimulation in the on-scalp condition. qTMS- DCC had a significantly smaller P180 component in both on-scalp and off-scalp conditions, supporting reduced auditory activation. ConclusionsThe stimulation efficiency of qTMS-DCC matched Cool-B65 while having substantially lower perceived loudness and auditory-evoked potentials.

Sonic restoration: acoustic stimulation enhances plant growth-promoting fungi activity.

Ecosystem restoration interventions often utilize visible elements to restore an ecosystem (e.g. replanting native plant communities and reintroducing lost species). However, using acoustic stimulation to help restore ecosystems and promote plant growth has received little attention. Our study aimed to assess the effect of acoustic stimulation on the growth rate and sporulation of the plant growth-promoting fungus Trichoderma harzianum Rifai, 1969. We played a monotone acoustic stimulus (80 dB sound pressure level (SPL) at a peak frequency of 8 kHz and a bandwidth at -10 dB from the peak of 6819 Hz-parameters determined via review and pilot research) over 5 days to T. harzianum to assess whether acoustic stimulation affected the growth rate and sporulation of this fungus (control samples received only ambient sound stimulation less than 30 dB). We show that the acoustic stimulation treatments resulted in increased fungal biomass and enhanced T. harzianum conidia (spore) activity compared to controls. These results indicate that acoustic stimulation influences plant growth-promoting fungal growth and potentially facilitates their functioning (e.g. stimulating sporulation). The mechanism responsible for this phenomenon may be fungal mechanoreceptor stimulation and/or potentially a piezoelectric effect; however, further research is required to confirm this hypothesis. Our novel study highlights the potential of acoustic stimulation to alter important fungal attributes, which could, with further development, be harnessed to aid ecosystem restoration and sustainable agriculture.

An acoustic bellows-type round window transducer for middle-ear implants

BackgroundThis study describes the development of output devices for round window middle-ear. To overcome the problems of output devices that apply sound pressure directly to the round window, an acoustic bellows-type round window transducer was implemented by combining a small bellows, acoustic tube, and balanced armature driver. MethodsThe output characteristics of the proposed acoustic bellows-type round window transducer were confirmed through bench tests and distortion measurements. To compare the vibration transmission characteristics of the proposed transducer with those of sound pressure stimulation devices, an experiment was performed using four human temporal bones. FindingsThe average output magnitude of the acoustic bellows-type round window transducer was equivalent to sound pressure levels of 92, 96, and 108 dB for frequency ranges of <1, 1–2, and > 2 kHz, respectively. The results showed that the proposed transducer delivered vibration consistently without reducing the sound pressure level due to leakage, unlike the sound pressure stimulation device. InterpretationTherefore, the acoustic bellows-type round window transducer is a more stable and suitable output device for round window middle-ear implants than a sound pressure stimulation device. It is expected to overcome the limitations of sound pressure stimulation devices and to contribute to new technical solutions in the field of round window middle-ear implants development.

Effects of monaural sound stimulation on subjective visual vertical.

Sound stimulation can influence electrophysiological vestibular reflexes. However, the effects of sound stimulation on space perception remain unknown. To know the effects of monaural sound stimulation on subjective visual vertical (SVV). We measured SVV with and without monaural sound stimulation (105 dB, 500 Hz short tone burst presented at 4.7 Hz) in 50 healthy volunteers (aged 20-77 [mean = 42.7] years). The mean SVV was deviated 0.139° to the left by right monaural sound stimulation and 0.123° to the right by left monaural sound stimulation. SVV changes due to right and left ear stimulations were significantly different (p = 0.019). Sound stimulation resulted in a significant change in SVV on the left side (p = 0.014) in participants aged 50 or younger (mean = 35.6 years) (n = 37). This study is the first to show the possibility that the monaural sound input deviates the SVV toward the opposite side and is more pronounced for left-ear input. The vestibular-evoked myogenic potential responses may be involved in the mechanism of the contralateral SVV deviation due to sound input.

Concurrent abnormalities in galvanic cervical and ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials as a predictive marker for prolonged dizziness in vestibular neuritis

Background Despite the growing use of cervical (cVEMP) and ocular (oVEMP) VEMP tests, their effectiveness in predicting chronic dizziness in vestibular neuritis (VN) patients remains unclear. Our research examines the link between long-lasting dizziness and inner ear assessments, encompassing VEMPs induced by air-conducted sound (ACS), bone-conducted vibration (BCV), and galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS). Objectives This study explores prognostic markers by examining the relationship between the persistence of dizziness symptoms and various inner ear test findings in VN patients. Material and methods A retrospective cohort of 60 unilateral VN patients underwent comprehensive audiovestibular tests, including pure tone audiometry, cVEMP and oVEMP induced by ACS, BCV, GVS, and caloric tests. Patient subgroups were established based on dizziness duration: short-term (<3 months) and long-term (≥3 months). Results No substantial correlation existed between the dizziness duration and the outcomes of any particular single inner ear test. However, patients exhibiting concurrent abnormal GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP were more likely to experience prolonged dizziness, indicating more extensive vestibular system involvement. Conclusions Concurrent abnormalities in GVS-cVEMP and GVS-oVEMP may indicate a higher chance of long-term dizziness in VN. Significance This study identifies concurrent abnormalities in GVS-cVEMP and GVS-VEMP as a potential prognostic marker for prolonged dizziness in VN.

Synthesis of non-peripheral phthalocyanine sensitizers and investigation of the effect of ultrasound-light stimulus synergy on singlet oxygen production

The high singlet oxygen production capacity and other unique properties of phthalocyanines allow these compounds to be widely used as sensitizers in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) in the treatment of cancer. Sono-photodynamic therapy (SPDT), which uses a combination of light and sound stimulation together and has a very high therapeutic effect compared to PDT, is an increasingly important new method for cancer treatment. Published studies on the application of non-peripherally phthalocyanines in SPDT are limited in the literature. With this in mind, in this study, the synthesis and characterization of novel non-peripherally tetra-substituted (4-tert-butylbenzyl)oxy) metal-free (2), Mg(II) (3), Zn(II) (4), and In(III)CI (5) phthalocyanines and their potential as a sono-photosensitizer in SPDT applications as well as PDT applications were determined. Comparative photochemical and sono-photochemical studies showed that the singlet oxygen quantum yields of the synthesised phthalocyanine compounds were calculated as 0.027, 0.22, 0.29 and 0.32 for 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively, by photochemical studies using only light irradiation, while these values increased to 0.11, 0.28, 0.58 and 0.64 for 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively, by sono-photochemical studies after the synergistic effect of light and ultrasound. These results showed that the combined use of ultrasound waves and light as a stimulation method exhibited a more effective therapeutic effect compared to light stimulation alone. According to the singlet oxygen efficiency, it was shown that the presence of a metal ion on the phthalocyanine ring increased the singlet oxygen production in both methods.

Climbing Fiber Activation Induced by Footshock in the Cerebellar Vermis Lobule IV/V of Freely Moving Mice.

Parallel fibers (PFs) in the cerebellar cortex are involved in a series of coordinated responses in the fear conditioning paradigm induced by footshock. However, whether footshock can activate cerebellar climbing fibers (CFs) remains unclear. In this study, we recorded calcium (Ca2+) activity in CFs by optical fiber photometry in the cerebellar vermis lobule IV/V of freely moving mice with footshock stimulation. We found that the activation of CFs in the lobule IV/V was highly correlated with footshock stimulation but not with the sound stimulation used as a control. This result suggests that afferent information from CFs might be associated with the motor initiation of fear-related behaviors or fear emotion itself. Thus, our results suggest that a characteristic CF signal in the cerebellar cortex might be related to fear processing or footshock-related behaviors (such as startle responses or pain sensation).

Myogenic artifacts masquerade as neuroplasticity in the auditory frequency-following response.

The frequency-following response (FFR) is an evoked potential that provides a neural index of complex sound encoding in the brain. FFRs have been widely used to characterize speech and music processing, experience-dependent neuroplasticity (e.g., learning and musicianship), and biomarkers for hearing and language-based disorders that distort receptive communication abilities. It is widely assumed that FFRs stem from a mixture of phase-locked neurogenic activity from the brainstem and cortical structures along the hearing neuraxis. In this study, we challenge this prevailing view by demonstrating that upwards of ~50% of the FFR can originate from an unexpected myogenic source: contamination from the postauricular muscle (PAM) vestigial startle reflex. We measured PAM, transient auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), and sustained frequency-following response (FFR) potentials reflecting myogenic (PAM) and neurogenic (ABR/FFR) responses in young, normal-hearing listeners with varying degrees of musical training. We first establish that PAM artifact is present in all ears, varies with electrode proximity to the muscle, and can be experimentally manipulated by directing listeners' eye gaze toward the ear of sound stimulation. We then show this muscular noise easily confounds auditory FFRs, spuriously amplifying responses 3-4-fold with tandem PAM contraction and even explaining putative FFR enhancements observed in highly skilled musicians. Our findings expose a new and unrecognized myogenic source to the FFR that drives its large inter-subject variability and cast doubt on whether changes in the response typically attributed to neuroplasticity/pathology are solely of brain origin.

Reduced Auditory Perception and Brain Response with Quiet TMS Coil.

Electromagnetic forces in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coils generate a loud clicking sound that produces confounding auditory activation and is potentially hazardous to hearing. To reduce this noise while maintaining stimulation efficiency similar to conventional TMS coils, we previously developed a quiet TMS double containment coil (qTMS-DCC). To compare the stimulation strength, perceived loudness, and EEG response between qTMS-DCC and a commercial TMS coil. Nine healthy volunteers participated in a within-subject study design. The resting motor thresholds (RMTs) for qTMS-DCC and MagVenture Cool-B65 were measured. Psychoacoustic titration matched the Cool-B65 loudness to qTMS-DCC pulsed at 80, 100, and 120% RMT. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded for both coils. The psychoacoustic titration and ERPs were acquired with the coils both on and 6 cm off the scalp, the latter isolating the effects of airborne auditory stimulation from body sound and electromagnetic stimulation. The ERP comparisons focused on a centro-frontal region that encompassed peak responses in the global signal. RMT did not differ significantly between the coils, with or without the EEG cap on the head. qTMS-DCC was perceived to be substantially quieter than Cool-B65. For example, qTMS-DCC at 100% coil-specific RMT sounded like Cool-B65 at 34% RMT. The general ERP waveform and topography were similar between the two coils, as were early-latency components, indicating comparable electromagnetic brain stimulation in the on-scalp condition. qTMS-DCC had a significantly smaller P180 component in both on-scalp and off-scalp conditions, supporting reduced auditory activation. The stimulation efficiency of qTMS-DCC matched Cool-B65, while having substantially lower perceived loudness and auditory-evoked potentials. qTMS coil is subjectively and objectively quieter than conventional Cool-B65 coilqTMS coil at 100% motor threshold was as loud as Cool-B65 at 34% motor thresholdAttenuated coil noise reduced auditory N100 and P180 evoked response componentsqTMS coil enables reduction of auditory activation without masking.

The Prevalence of Insomnia Among Patients With Chronic Tinnitus in the General Population of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Tinnitus is a perception of sound without external sound stimulation. Subjective tinnitus is the most common type and is unrelated to external sounds. It is a symptom, not an illness, and is often linked to various psychological factors like anxiety and depression. Insomnia is a personal sense of difficulty falling asleep and issues with sleep initiation, length, consolidation, or quality while having ample chance to sleep, which impairs one's ability to function during the day. Sleep problems are prevalent in individuals with chronic tinnitus. We aimed to assess insomnia prevalence in chronic tinnitus patients in Saudi Arabia. Our study, an online cross-sectional survey, included 434 Saudi participants with chronic insomnia, utilizing a Google Forms questionnaire (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States). A total of 434 participants responded to the online survey. The most represented age group was 18-25 years, and 319 (73.5%) of the respondents were female. Approximately one-third (34.6%, n=150) were from the southern region. In the sample, 184 (42.4%) participants had bilateral tinnitus, and 105 (24.2%) had had tinnitus for over two years. Around 62.7% of the participants suffered from insomnia due to tinnitus. In terms of sleep quality, 174 (40.1%) participants took over 40 minutes to fall asleep, 85 (19.5%) were often afraid to sleep due to disturbed sleep, and 63 (14.5%) frequently used sleep pills. Our study of over 400 Saudi chronic tinnitus patients revealedthat a large percentage of tinnitus patients have insomnia, influenced by geographic region and tinnitus duration. Our findings offer valuable insights, emphasizing the necessity for additional research to inform interventions aimed at enhancing the quality of life of individuals with chronic tinnitus.

Effects of Sound Interventions on the Mental Stress Response in Adults: Protocol for a Scoping Review.

Sound therapy methods have seen a surge in popularity, with a predominant focus on music among all types of sound stimulation. There is substantial evidence documenting the integrative impact of music therapy on psycho-emotional and physiological outcomes, rendering it beneficial for addressing stress-related conditions such as pain syndromes, depression, and anxiety. Despite these advancements, the therapeutic aspects of sound, as well as the mechanisms underlying its efficacy, remain incompletely understood. Existing research on music as a holistic cultural phenomenon often overlooks crucial aspects of sound therapy mechanisms, particularly those related to speech acoustics or the so-called "music of speech." This study aims to provide an overview of empirical research on sound interventions to elucidate the mechanism underlying their positive effects. Specifically, we will focus on identifying therapeutic factors and mechanisms of change associated with sound interventions. Our analysis will compare the most prevalent types of sound interventions reported in clinical studies and experiments. Moreover, we will explore the therapeutic effects of sound beyond music, encompassing natural human speech and intermediate forms such as traditional poetry performances. This review adheres to the methodological guidance of the Joanna Briggs Institute and follows the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist for reporting review studies, which is adapted from the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Our search strategy encompasses PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO or EBSCOhost, covering literature from 1990 to the present. Among the different study types, randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, laboratory experiments, and field experiments were included. Data collection began in October 2022. We found a total of 2027 items. Our initial search uncovered an asymmetry in the distribution of studies, with a larger number focused on music therapy compared with those exploring prosody in spoken interventions such as guided meditation or hypnosis. We extracted and selected papers using Rayyan software (Rayyan) and identified 41 eligible papers after title and abstract screening. The completion of the scoping review is anticipated by October 2024, with key steps comprising the analysis of findings by May 2024, drafting and revising the study by July 2024, and submitting the paper for publication in October 2024. In the next step, we will conduct a quality evaluation of the papers and then chart and group the therapeutic factors extracted from them. This process aims to unveil conceptual gaps in existing studies. Gray literature sources, such as Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, nonindexed conferences, and reference list searches of retrieved studies, will be added to our search strategy to increase the number of relevant papers that we cover. DERR1-10.2196/54030.

Efficacy of 100 hz sound stimulation on saccular dysfunction in meniere’s disease

Background Although various medical remedies have been attempted to alleviate the symptoms of Meniere’s disease (MD), the risk–benefit ratios of these various treatments remain debatable. Objective We investigated the efficacy of sound stimulation of 100 Hz for treating vestibular dysfunction in patients with Meniere’s disease (MD). Materials and methods Patients with definitive MD with intractable vestibular symptoms and endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the inner ear were evaluated. The experimental group received sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz for 5 min, and the control group received sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 250 Hz for 5 min. Cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs) were measured before and after each sound stimulation, and the results of the clinical tests were compared between the two patient groups. Results Significant increases in cVEMP amplitudes were observed after sound stimulation of 100 Hz in ears with vestibular endolymphatic hydrops, although no such improvement was observed in the control group. Conclusion Sound stimulation of 75 dB at a frequency of 100 Hz leads to improvement in cVEMP amplitude in patients with definitive MD. Adequate sound stimulation might be a new method for treating vestibular dysfunction associated with MD.

Changes in temporal lobe activation during a sound stimulation task in patients with sensorineural tinnitus: a multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy study

BackgroundThe subjective sign of a serious pandemic in human work and life is mathematical neural tinnitus. fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy) is a new non-invasive brain imaging technology for studying the neurological activity of the human cerebral cortex. It is based on neural coupling effects. This research uses the fNIRS approach to detect differences in the neurological activity of the cerebral skin in the sound stimulation mission in order to better discriminate between the sensational neurological tinnitus.MethodsIn the fNIRS brain imaging method, 14 sensorineural tinnitus sufferers and 14 healthy controls listened to varied noise and quiet for fNIRS data collection. Linear fitting was employed in MATLAB to eliminate slow drifts during preprocessing and event-related design analysis. The false discovery rate (FDR) procedure was applied in IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 to control the false positive rate in multiple comparison analyses.ResultsWhen the ill group and the healthy control group were stimulated by pink noise, there was a significant difference in blood oxygen concentration (P < 0.05), and the healthy control group exhibited a high activation, according to the fNIRS measurement data. The blood oxygen concentration level in the patient group was dramatically enhanced after one month of acupuncture therapy under the identical stimulation task settings, and it was favorably connected with the levels of THI and TEQ scales.ConclusionsUsing sensorineural tinnitus illness as an example, fNIRS technology has the potential to disclose future pathological study on subjective diseases throughout time. Other clinical disorders involving the temporal lobe and adjacent brain areas may also be examined, in addition to tinnitus-related brain alterations.

Music and Emotions in Non-Human Animals from Biological and Comparative Perspectives.

The effects of sound stimulation as a sensorial environmental enrichment for captive animals have been studied. When appropriately implemented for farm animals, it can improve welfare, health, and productivity. Furthermore, there are indications that music can induce positive emotions in non-human animals, similar to humans. Emotion is a functional state of the organism involving both physiological processes, mediated by neuroendocrine regulation, and changes in behavior, affecting various aspects, including contextual perception and welfare. As there is very limited information on non-human animals, the objective of this review is to highlight what is known about these processes from human biological and comparative perspectives and stimulate future research on using music to improve animal welfare.

Assessment of Human Fetuses Undergoing Acute Pain: Validation of the Fetal-7 Scale

Improvements in fetal ultrasound have allowed for the diagnosis and treatment of fetal diseases in the uterus, often through surgery. However, little attention has been drawn to the assessment of fetal pain. To address this gap, a fetal pain scoring system, known as the Fetal-7 scale, was developed. The present study is a full validation of the Fetal-7 scale. The validation involved 2 steps: 1) 4 fetuses with the indication of surgery were evaluated in 3 conditions perioperatively: acute pain, rest, and under loud sound stimulation. Facial expressions were assessed by 30 raters using screenshots from 4D high-definition ultrasound films; 2) assessment of sensitivity and specificity of the Fetal-7 scale in 54 healthy fetuses and 2 fetuses undergoing acute pain after preoperative anesthetic intramuscular injection. There was high internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha (α) of .99. Intrarater reliability of the Fetal-7 scale (test-retest) calculated by intraclass correlation coefficient was .95, and inter-rater reliability was .99. The scale accurately differentiated between healthy fetuses at rest and those experiencing acute pain (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 94.4%). The Fetal-7 scale is a valid tool for assessing acute pain-related behavior in third-trimester fetuses and may be of value in guiding analgesic procedures efficacy in these patients. Further research is warranted to explore the presence of postoperative pain in fetuses and its effects after birth. PerspectiveRecordings with 3-dimensional ultrasound of human fetuses undergoing preoperative anesthetic injections revealed complex facial expressions during acute pain, similar to those collected in newborns. This study presented the validation process and cut-off value of the Fetal-7 scale, paving the way for the study of pain before birth in humans.

A Comparative Study of Architecture and Quality of Sleep among Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy Patients and Healthy Individuals Attending Tertiary Care Hospital in Central India

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Background and Objective: Primary sleep disorders are common in patients with epilepsy. Seizures, epileptiform discharges, and antiepileptic drugs alter the sleep architecture of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME). We evaluated sleep architecture and its quality in these patients.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with JME (11 men and 19 women with mean age of 21.10 ± 4.55 years) and 30 healthy controls underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG). Sleep quality and daytime sleepiness were assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), respectively.&#x0D; Results: Myoclonus and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) were present in all patients with JME, while absence seizures were in 13.3%. Sleep deprivation was the most frequent precipitating factor for seizures (56.6%) followed by fatigue, sound, and photic stimulation. Patients with JME reported a statistically significant drop in sleep efficiency (P&lt;0.001) with prolonged sleep onset latency (P&lt;0.001). There was prolongation in the N1 stage of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (P=0.002), and reduction in the N2 stage of NREM (P&lt;0.001) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (P&lt;0.001). The median PSQI score was higher in patients with JME, suggesting poor sleep quality (P&lt;0.001), and the daytime sleepiness was not different as indicated by the similar median ESS score (P=0.033).&#x0D; Conclusion: Our results suggest a significant alteration in the sleep architecture of patients with JME with reduced sleep efficiency and poor sleep quality. The possible role of the disease itself is suggested for these alterations as a simi- lar trend was also observed in drug naïve patients.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Research Note: Effects of environmental sound stimulus on behavioral responses, cortisol levels, and horizontal immunity of transferred pullets

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of prolonged exposure to varying levels of music or noise on the behavioral, physiological, and immune responses of pullets following their transfer to an egg-laying facility. A total of 240 one-day-old Hy-Line Brown pullets were randomly assigned to five groups: 0 dB sound stimulation, low-decibel music (65-75 dB), high-decibel music (85-95 dB), low-decibel noise (65-75 dB), and high-decibel noise (85-95 dB) stimuli. Pullets received music or noise stimuli 10 h per d from 1-day-old to 16-wk-old and were then transferred to the egg-laying facility. The results indicated that feeding and drinking behaviors significantly decreased (P < 0.05), whereas feather pecking, aggression, and preening behaviors significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the pullets after transfer. Pullets also had higher serum cortisol (COR) levels (P < 0.05), whereas immunoglobulin Y (IgY), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (INF-γ), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels significantly increased (P < 0.05). Low-decibel sound stimuli increased aggressive behavior and decreased pecking behavior (P < 0.05). High-decibel sound stimuli decreased feather pecking, cage pecking, aggression, and sham dustbathing behaviors (P < 0.05). In addition, a low-decibel sound stimulus decreased the serum COR content, and increased the serum IL-6 level in the transferred pullets. A high-decibel sound stimulus also induced shorter tonic immobility (TI) durations in pullets on d 7 after transport stress. Meanwhile, high-decibel sound stimulus decreased the serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels of pullets. In conclusion, the transfer has detrimental effects on the pullets. Long-term sound stimulation effectively mitigated the negative impact of transportation stress on pullets. Among them, the high-decibel sound stimulus showed more promise in relieving transport stress.

Ultrasound examination of the gonads of the african clary catfish in industrial aquaculture

The article is devoted to ultrasound examination of the gonads of the African clary catfish. Data on the state of the reproductive system of fish are the basis for the formation of a high-quality breeding stock. In mature fish, the state of the gonads is an informative indicator and reflects the general physiological state of the body. The object of the study was the African clarias catfish (Clarias gariepinus). A group of 10 individuals, including 5 males and 5 females, was selected for the work. The gonads were examined using the Mindray DP-50 ultrasound machine. A linear ultrasonic sensor was used to assess the gonads of the African clary catfish. The study was conducted in winter 2023. The aim of the work was an ultrasound assessment of the condition, the stage of maturity of the gonads and their variability in females and males of the African clary catfish. A study of the gonads of females, which by age and weight belong to the category of sexually mature, revealed in them the signs inherent in the gonads of the IV stage of maturity. This is typical for fish in aquaculture conditions. Ultrasound diagnostics showed that the gonads of the IV completed stage of maturity, in the upper part isoechoic, are filled with hyperechoic inclusions of high density in the form of oocytes. In the lower medial part there are hypoechoic areas with low density along the entire length of the gonads. The results of ultrasound examination of the testicles of male clary catfish showed that they are of the IV stage of maturity, enclosed in a hyperechoic shell along the entire length. Both testes have a uniform hyperechogenic fine-grained structure of high density. The lobes of both testes are not the same, clearly visualized, increased density. The results of the research allow us to conclude that ultrasound diagnostics of the sex and the study of the gonads of fish can be carried out on an ongoing basis, as it is not only painless, but also a highly informative procedure. For fish species that have lost their ability to reproduce in aquaculture conditions, determining the maturity stage of gonads using ultrasound will allow for scientifically sound hormonal stimulation and fertilization.

Ambient sound stimulation tunes axonal conduction velocity by regulating radial growth of myelin on an individual, axon-by-axon basis

Adaptive myelination is the emerging concept of tuning axonal conduction velocity to the activity within specific neural circuits over time. Sound processing circuits exhibit structural and functional specifications to process signals with microsecond precision: a time scale that is amenable to adjustment in length and thickness of myelin. Increasing activity of auditory axons by introducing sound-evoked responses during postnatal development enhances myelin thickness, while sensory deprivation prevents such radial growth during development. When deprivation occurs during adulthood, myelin thickness was reduced. However, it is unclear whether sensory stimulation adjusts myelination in a global fashion (whole fiber bundles) or whether such adaptation occurs at the level of individual fibers. Using temporary monaural deprivation in mice provided an internal control for a) differentially tracing structural changes in active and deprived fibers and b) for monitoring neural activity in response to acoustic stimulation of the control and the deprived ear within the same animal. The data show that sound-evoked activity increased the number of myelin layers around individual active axons, even when located in mixed bundles of active and deprived fibers. Thicker myelination correlated with faster axonal conduction velocity and caused shorter auditory brainstem response wave VI-I delays, providing a physiologically relevant readout. The lack of global compensation emphasizes the importance of balanced sensory experience in both ears throughout the lifespan of an individual.