Subjective Sensation Research Articles

Effects of Mucosal Decongestion on Nasal Aerodynamics: A Pilot Study.

Mucosal decongestion with nasal sprays is a common treatment for nasal airway obstruction. However, the impact of mucosal decongestion on nasal aerodynamics and the physiological mechanism of nasal airflow sensation are incompletely understood. The objective of this study is to compare nasal airflow patterns in nasal airway obstruction (NAO) patients with and without mucosal decongestion and nondecongested healthy subjects. Cross-sectional study of a convenience sample. Academic tertiary medical center. Forty-five subjects were studied (15 nondecongested healthy subjects, 15 nondecongested NAO patients, and 15 decongested NAO patients). Three-dimensional models of the nasal anatomy were created from computed tomography scans. Steady-state simulations of airflow and heat transfer were conducted at 15 L/min inhalation rate using computational fluid dynamics. In the narrow side of the nose, unilateral nasal resistance was similar in decongested NAO patients and nondecongested healthy subjects, but substantially higher in nondecongested NAO patients. The vertical airflow distribution within the nasal cavity (inferior vsmiddle vssuperior) was also similar in decongested NAO patients and nondecongested healthy subjects, but nondecongested NAO patients had substantially less middle airflow. Mucosal cooling, quantified by the surface area where heat flux exceeds 50 W/m2, was significantly higher in decongested NAO patients than in nondecongested NAO patients. This pilot study suggests that mucosal decongestion improves objective measures of nasal airflow, which is consistent with improved subjective sensation of nasal patency after decongestion.

Early Onset of Mycosis Fungoides

Introduction. Mycosis Fungoides (MF) is a primary epidermotropic T-cell lymphoma characterized by clonal proliferation of small and medium-sized T-lymphocytes with cerebriform nuclei. MF accounts for ≥ 50 % of all cutaneous lymphomas.The purpose of the study — description of a rare clinical observation of the debut of the development of Mycosis Fungoides in a patient in adolescence.Materials and methods. To verify the diagnosis, pathomorphological and immunohistochemical examination of a skin biopsy from the most infiltrated tumor-like lesion was used. The patient, born in 1978, turned to the clinic of Ural Research Institute of Dermatovenerology and Immunopathology with complaints of rashes on the skin of the trunk, accompanied by itching and soreness. Patient had been ill since the age of 16, when he first noticed the appearance of red spots on the skin of the chest without subjective sensations. In the last year he noted a significant deterioration of the disease: an increase in the number of spots, an increase in the intensity of itching, the appearance of tumor-like elements on the skin of the buttocks. In December 2022, he visited a dermatovenerologist and, in order to clarify the diagnosis, was sent to the Ural Research Institute of Dermatovenerology and Immunopathology.Discussion. The etiopathogenesis of the disease and the analysis of the few literature sources on the topic allows us to see the difficulty in early diagnosis and diagnosis in patients with early clinical manifestations of GM.Results. This clinical case demonstrates the possibility of the debut of GM in adolescence, the complexity of diagnosis in the early stages of development.Conclusion. The clinical case demonstrates the debut of GM in adolescence, emphasizes the need for clinical oncological alertness among dermatovenerologists.

Effects of nasal valve on subjective nasal patency and nasal resistance: a correlation study on numerical simulation of nasal airflow

Objective: To investigate the correlations between subjective nasal patency, nasal valve area size and aerodynamic parameters in normal nasal cavity by means of numerical simulation, and to explore the effect of nasal valve on nasal subjective sensation and nasal airflow regulation. Methods: A total of 52 healthy participants (31 males and 21 females) with the average age of 37.8 years, were recruited from the outpatient Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to the Medical College of Shanghai Jiao Tong University between January and August 2023. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores for unilateral nasal subjective sensation were obtained from all participants. Additionally, the aerodynamic characteristics of inspiratory airflow were simulated. A correlation matrix analysis was conducted to identify the correlation strength between these subjective and objective parameters. Results: VAS scores showed negative correlations with unilateral nasal valve cross-sectional area (r=-0.85, P<0.01) and unilateral intranasal airflow (r=-0.57, P<0.01), and was a positive correlation with unilateral nasal resistance (NR) at the front-end of inferior turbinate (r=0.61, P<0.01). The average cross-sectional area of unilateral nasal valve was (0.85±0.35) cm2. The cross-sectional area of unilateral nasal valve was negatively correlated with unilateral NR (r=-0.50, P<0.01), and positively correlated with unilateral nasal airflow (r=0.61, P<0.01). The NR at the nasal valve area accounted for (40.41±23.54)% of the total unilateral NR. Nearly half of the unilateral NR [(46.74±21.38)%] and air warming [(49.96±10.02)%] occurring before the front end of inferior turbinate were achieved. Conclusions: The nasal valve area plays a crucial role in influencing nasal NR, unilateral nasal airflow, and changes in nasal airflow temperature. Moreover, it is associated with subjective perception of nasal patency.

Common Drugs Causing Xerostomia

Saliva is need for maintaining a healthy mouth environment and general health.Many factors can affect the volume and compositions of saliva. Xerostoma which refers to a subjective sensation of dry mouth, is derived from the Greek words "xeros" (ξηρός), which means "dry," and "stoma" (στόμα), which means "mouth." Reduced salivary flow and altered salivary gland composition and function are the outcomes of xerostomia.Symptoms of xerstomia include dryness or a feeling of stickiness in your mouth. Saliva that seems thick and stringy, bad breath and having hard time chewing, speaking and swallowing. There are many different causes of xerostomia, which include medicine, aging, cancer therapy, nerve damage and tabaco and alcohol use. The most common drugs causing xerstomia anticholinergic drugs, antidepressant drugs, diuretics, calcium channel blocker and beta-blockers. Different mechanism of causing xerostomia cytotoxic drugs by direct damage to salivary gland, antidepressant drugs by their anticholinergic side effects, and diuretic by excreting more fluid and electrolytes.

Effect of public square dancing combined with serotonin reuptake inhibitors on persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) in middle-aged and older women.

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) is a functional vestibular disorder that causes chronic dizziness and limits daily activities. Although pharmacology, vestibular rehabilitation, and cognitive behavioral therapy have been proposed to have some efficacy, they have certain limitations. Some patients with PPPD report that public square dancing can effectively relieve the symptoms of dizziness and instability, and their mood improves. To evaluate the effects of combining public square dancing with serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs/SNRIs) on the subjective sensations of dizziness, balance enhancement, anxiety, and depressive symptom regulation in middle-aged and older women with PPPD. In this trial, 124 patients diagnosed with PPPD were enrolled. Among them, 64 patients were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG), where they received square dance training combined with serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The remaining 60 cases were randomly assigned to the control group (CG), where they received only serotonin reuptake inhibitors and did not participate in organized sports activities, allowing them freedom in their daily lives. Data from the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Active-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), and Vestibular Disorder Activities of Daily Living Scale (VADL) were collected and compared at the beginning, 3 months, and 6 months of the trial to evaluate the effect of public square dancing on middle-aged and older women with PPPD. There were no significant differences between the EG and CG before the trial. Compared with baseline measures, DHI, HADS, ABC, and VADL scores improved as the experiment progressed, and the improvements were more pronounced in the EG. Public square dancing combined with serotonin reuptake inhibitors has a positive impact on the subjective sensations of dizziness, balance enhancement, anxiety, and depressive symptom regulation in middle-aged and older women with PPPD.

Skin Heat Transfer and Thermal Sensation Coupling Model under Steady Stimulation

Thermal sensation prediction models can help to evaluate complex thermal environments and guide the environment conditioning strategy. However, most existing models are established basing on the thermal status of the entire human body or local body parts, failing to reflect thermal sensation generating mechanism or micro-scale (centimeter-scale) thermal sensation. This study put forward a new thermal sensation predicting approach by coupling the skin heat transfer and the thermoreceptor impulse signals. The micro-scale thermal sensitivity data under steady stimuli were applied to bridging the objective heat transfer model and the subjective sensation model. The model contains a one-dimensional skin heat transfer equation and three sensation-generating equations: the thermoreceptor impulse equation, the psychosensory intensity equation, and the thermal sensation equation. The dimension of the skin heat transfer equation was determined through a skin temperature diffusion experiment, and the coefficients of the static/dynamic impulse in the thermoreceptor impulse equation and the thermal sensation equation were obtained through polynomial fitting using thermal sensitivity data. The validated mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was 0.08 and 0.1 under cooling and heating stimuli, respectively. This new model can predict thermal sensation on the centimeter scale and be applied under different boundary conditions. In the future, the new model can be further developed by testing dynamic stimuli and other boundary conditions so that it can be applied to more complex thermal exposures.

Active noise control modeling for an electric bus driving position and its effect on sound quality

Current electric bus has become an important public transport for people in China, and its interior sound quality directly affects the driver’s physical and mental health for a long working time and the comprehensive performance of the vehicle. Therefore, it is an inevitable and urgent trend to research electric bus interior sound quality. Aiming at the problem of subjective uncomfortable auditory sensation caused by different speeds, the noise signals near the driver’s ears were collected under two constant speed conditions. On the basis of principle analysis of feed-forward adaptive control system, the primary and secondary path transfer functions were presented using Simulink module in MATLAB to construct three active noise control models for an electric bus based on least mean square (LMS), normalized LMS (NLMS) and filtered-x LMS (FxLMS). Numerical simulation results indicate that the established control models are convergent, and four acoustic parameters are effectively reduced after controls to achieve the effect of improving the sound quality.

Investigation of Thermal Comfort, Productivity and Lighting Conditions in Higher Education Buildings

Thermal comfort and lighting conditions are essential aspects of indoor environmental quality. They are considered to influence the productivity of room users. The paper presents the experimental test results of research conducted in the university educational building of Kielce University of Technology (Central Poland) using anonymous questionnaires and physical measurements of indoor air parameters with a high-precision microclimate meter. It covers the analysis of the subjective assessment of thermal sensations, acceptability and preference, as well as productivity, lighting and air quality in eleven rooms (both lecture rooms and classrooms). The study analyses the impact of the indoor environment (mostly air temperature and illuminance) on the subjective sensations of the respondents they expressed in the questionnaires. The experiments have enabled us to provide valuable insights into developing the proper indoor environmental conditions to maximise room users' comfort and productivity.

Influence of controlled environmental conditions in potential salivary ocular pain biomarkers for enhancing the assessment of ocular pain.

We endeavored to identify objective salivary biomarkers for pain, a subjective sensation with a biological basis, using molecules already described related to pain. The study aimed to analyze inter-individual differences and intersession variability in salivary potential ocular pain biomarkers on healthy subjects, in samples obtained under the influence of controlled environmental conditions. Thirty-four healthy subjects, 20 male, 14 female, median age 35.44 years (range 30-40) were exposed for 30 minutes under standard environmental conditions (T: 22°C, 50% relative humidity) in the Controlled Environmental Research Laboratory (CE-Lab, Vision R&D, Valladolid Spain) in two separate visits (V1, V2) at least 24 hours apart. Saliva was collected after the exposure in each of the visits, and cortisol, α-amylase (sAA), secretory IgA (sIgA), testosterone, and soluble fraction of TNFα receptor II (sTNFαRII) were analyzed by ELISA. Repeatability of inter-subject inter-session measurements was assayed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). There were no significant inter-session differences in testosterone (p = 0.2497), sTNFαRII (p = 0.6451) and sIgA (p = 0.9689) salivary levels. The reproducibility for salivary cortisol, sAA, testosterone, sTNFαRII and sIgA were 0.98 ng/ml, 20.58 U/ml, 21.07 μg/ml, 24.68 pg/ml and 0.19 pg/ml, respectively. Salivary cortisol, sAA, testosterone, sTNFαRII and sIgA yielded the following ICCs: 0.506, 0.569, 0.824, 0.870 and 0.4295, respectively; all these ICCs (except that for cortisol and sIgA) were found to be improved compared to those found previously by our group in a previous study in salivary samples obtained from healthy subjects under non-controlled environmental conditions; Cortisol´s ICC didn´t improve and was in both cases at the limit of acceptability. Environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity affect the reproducibility of measurement of some salivary molecules which have been proposed as potential pain biomarkers. The exposure of subjects to standard controlled environmental conditions before salivary sample obtention would improve the reproducibility of these molecule measures' as potential biomarkers of chronic ocular pain.

Nasal Patency Measurement: State of the Art of Acoustic Rhinometry.

Nasal obstruction is one of the main symptoms of different nasal pathologies. Many physiological and pathological conditions can produce nasal airflow impairment causing nasal obstruction and affecting patients' quality of life. There are different methods for the measurement of nasal obstruction, but in clinical practice the most common used are acoustic rhinometry, rhinomanometry, and peak nasal inspiratory flow. This review describes the fundamentals of acoustic rhinometry, its normal values, the different physiological and pathological conditions that can modify nasal patency, and the utility of this instrument for the measurement of nasal obstruction in clinical practice. Acoustic rhinometry is a simple test, so it is suitable for measurements in the pediatric population, i.e., for evaluating adenoid hypertrophy. Acoustic rhinometry normal values are available, unilaterally and bilaterally for pediatric and adult populations. Acoustic rhinometry has been demonstrated to be reproducible and even superior to rhinomanometry when measuring nasal modifications during challenges. It is possible to use acoustic rhinometry before and after nasal surgery. Measuring nasal cavities volume and cross-sectional area, acoustic rhinometry is particularly indicated in rhinosurgery, especially for the evaluation of spreader grafts. Brief considerations about the correlation between nasal symptoms, in particular the subjective sensation of nasal obstruction, and the acoustic rhinometry results as well as the correlation of acoustic rhinometry with other methods for the measurement of nasal obstruction are also reported. Objective and subjective evaluation of nasal obstruction gives different information that together optimizes the diagnosis and the treatment of rhinologic patients. Acoustic rhinometry alone or in combination of other instruments for the measurement of nasal obstruction or patency should be used regularly in every outpatient clinic that treats patients with nasal obstruction as there is an increasing need of evidence-based therapies.

Spinal Anaesthesia Success: An Observational Study Assessing Subjective Sensations During Spinal Anaesthetic Drug Injection

Introduction: Spinal Anaesthesia (SA) has stood as the most favoured and dependable technique in regional anaesthesia for the past century. However, despite its widespread use, there are instances of occasional SA failure. Currently, there is no straightforward, cost-effective, and easily administered real-time test-aside from the positive aspiration of Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)-that can reliably confirm the deposition of local anaesthetic in the subarachnoid space. Aim: To evaluate the predictive value of subjective sensations (warmth/tingling/numbness) during the administration of SA for enhancing success rates. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study preceeded the recruitment of 500 patients for this investigation. Following the confirmation of CSF aspiration upon injecting the SA drug, Bupivacaine, patients were queried about the sensations of warmth and/or tingling numbness in the lower limb, saddle part, and inner thighs. This assessment was conducted at 30 seconds and one minute after injection. Additionally, patients were asked to report any increase in the area and/or intensity of these sensations. The adequacy of SA was determined by achieving a sensory block upto the desired dermatome level and reaching a Bromage scale score of IV. Evaluations were performed at two minutes, five minutes, 10 minutes, and 15 minutes from the initiation of SA. Results: The population, predominantly ASA Class-I (60%) and II (40%), exhibited a median age of 45 years, with 54% being male. Intraoperative vital signs, including Heart Rate (HR), Systolic Blood Pressures (SBP), and Diastolic Blood Pressures (DBP), showed a consistent declining trend post-SA administration. Efficacy assessments revealed that Bromage Grade-IV was achieved in 99% of patients at 15 minutes. Notably, subjective sensations of warmth, tingling, and/or numbness proved to be robust predictors of successful SA, with a 218-fold increased likelihood. The diagnostic model demonstrated a high sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 85%, and a Positive Predictive Value (PPV) exceeding 99%. Conclusion: This study highlights the crucial role of warmth, tingling, and numbness as reliable indicators for successful SA, supported by a robust 97% success rate. Incorporating these patient-reported sensations in assessments provides a practical and accessible approach to improve the efficacy of SA procedures.

COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT FOR DENTAL HYPERESTHESIA

Hypersensitivity of hard dental tissues after whitening is one of the most common pathological conditions that create discomfort and have a negative impact on the functional state of the oral cavity. For treatment, 66 patients aged 30–40 years with at least 20–25 natural teeth with a preserved crown and without severe concomitant pathology were selected, with complaints of hyperesthesia of the teeth after professional whitening. Over the course of 6 months, using clinical methods and subjective sensations of patients, the severity of hyperesthesia after treatment with various desensitizers was compared . The high efficiency of Telio CS Desensitizer in the treatment and prevention of hyperesthesia of hard dental tissues was revealed.

Comparison of distance covered, physiological cost, and perceived exertion in four six-minute walk test protocols.

Objective: There is evidence that indicates that the Walked Distance (WD) in the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) would be sensitive to the type of track and encouragement. The aim of study was compared the impact of track type and verbal encouragement provided in the 6MWT on WD, physiological cost, perceived exertion, and gait efficiency in healthy young adults unfamiliar with the test. Method: WD, heart rate, subjective sensation of dyspnea (SSD), and fatigue (SSF) were measured in four 6MWT protocols: i) 30m linear track and protocolized encouragement (LT + PE), ii) 30m linear track and constant encouragement (LT + CE), iii) 81m elliptical track and protocolized encouragement (ET + PE), and iv) 81m elliptical track and constant encouragement (ET + CE). In addition, the Gait Efficiency Index (GIE) associated with physiological cost, dyspnea and fatigue was calculated and compared between the different protocols. Results: The WD was significantly higher in the ET + CE protocol. The percentage of the heart rate reserve used (%HRRu) at minute 6 was higher in the ET + CE protocol. The SSD and SSD had difference in startup time between the protocols. The GEI was higher in %HRRu, SSD, and SSF for the ET + CE protocol. Conclusion: The ET + CE protocol showed a significant increase in WD during the 6MWT in healthy young adults. Although it obtained the highest physiological cost, it did not present perceptual differences when entering cardiopulmonary assessment windows relevant to a more efficient test for the participant. It is advisable to discuss, based on the findings, the fundamental objective of the 6MWT and national and international recommendations to achieve a result as close as possible to the real maximal effort.

The use and effectiveness of the TRV Chair - a literature review.

&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Introduction:&lt;/b&gt; Vertigo is a subjective sensation of swaying, tilting, spinning, instability, or being off-balance [1]. The concept of vertigo is not a precise term due to the possibility of its being related to numerous variable, frequently co-occurring sensations as experienced by the patient. For this reason, diagnosing the origin of vertigo quite frequently poses a serious dilemma for physicians. Dizziness can be of peripheral or central origin. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common cause of peripheral vertigo and is currently considered to account for about 14-42% of all cases of vertigo, depending on the authors [2-4]. However, this figure may be underestimated due to frequent misdiagnoses.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Aim:&lt;/b&gt; The aim of this paper is to review the currently available international literature on the use of the TRV chair so as to assess its usefulness and effectiveness in the diagnostics and possibly subsequent treatment of BPPV and its components.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Materials and methods:&lt;/b&gt; Included in this literature review are peer-reviewed papers authored by various research teams as available in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; The TRV chair is helpful in precise diagnosis and subsequent treatment of BPPV subtypes (canalithiasis and cupulolithiasis) as well as in the evaluation of the number of affected canals, as shown in the papers analyzed in this review.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; The use of TRV in the context of diagnosis and therapy of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo presents with potential for the improvement of diagnostic results, management protocols, and patients' quality of lives.&lt;/br&gt.

Modified multilayer alloplasty of complicated inguinal hernias.

Aim. To enhance the treatment outcomes of complicated inguinal hernias (characterized by a high inguinal gap, a large hernia orifice, a weakened posterior wall of the inguinal canal, or recurrence) through the implementation of a developed technique involving multilayer alloplasty.Materials and Methods. Within the overall cohort of 396 patients who underwent inguinal hernia surgeries between 2019 and 2023, the prevalence of complicated hernias was investigated. The main study group comprised 28 patients with complicated inguinal hernias who underwent surgery following the proposed method utilizing a two-layer prosthesis.Results. Complicated inguinal hernias, necessitating additional reinforcement of the posterior wall of the inguinal canal, predominantly manifest in patients with a large hernia orifice size (W3 — 6.57 ± 1.25 %), a significant inguinal gap (13.13 ± 1.70 %), and a history of relapses (8.59 ± 1.41 %). An associated condition complicating hernioplasty and elevating the risk of recurrence (0.618) is obesity (61.76 ± 8.33 % in the recurrent hernia group). The application of the developed hernioplasty method shows no significant difference in terms of complication risk and subjective sensations compared to the Lichtenstein method. Notably, no hernia recurrences were observed with the utilization of the duplication plasty technique.Conclusion. The suggested duplication design of the prosthesis proves effective in providing ex- tensive reinforcement for the inguinal gap in cases of problematic hernias. It is easy to position and is associated with minimal discomfort, as reported by the subjective sensations of patients.

A new EEG neurofeedback training approach in sports: the effects function-specific instruction of Mu rhythm and visuomotor skill performance.

Achieving optimal visuomotor performance in precision sports relies on maintaining an optimal psychological state during motor preparation. To uncover the optimal psychological state, extensive EEG studies have established a link between the Mu rhythm (8-13 Hz at Cz) and cognitive resource allocation during visuomotor tasks (i.e., golf or shooting). In addition, the new approach in EEG neurofeedback training (NFT), called the function-specific instruction (FSI) approach, for sports involves providing function-directed verbal instructions to assist individuals to control specific EEG parameters and align them with targeted brain activity features. While this approach was initially hypothesized to aid individuals in attaining a particular mental state during NFT, the impact of EEG-NFT involving Mu rhythm on visuomotor performance, especially when contrasting the traditional instruction (TI) approach with the FSI approach, underscores the necessity for additional exploration. Hence, the objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the FSI approach on modulating Mu rhythm through EEG-NFT in the context of visuomotor performance. Thirty novice participants were recruited and divided into three groups: function-specific instruction (FSI, four females, six males; mean age = 27.00 ± 7.13), traditional instruction (TI, five females, five males; mean age = 27.00 ± 3.88), and sham control (SC, five females, five males; mean age = 27.80 ± 5.34). These groups engaged in a single-session EEG-NFT and performed golf putting tasks both before and after the EEG-NFT. The results showed that within the FSI group, single-session NFT with augmented Mu power led to a significant decrease in putting performance (p = 0.013). Furthermore, we noted a marginal significance indicating a slight increase in Mu power and a reduction in the subjective sensation of action control following EEG-NFT (p = 0.119). While there was a positive correlation between Mu power and mean radial error in golf putting performance (p = 0.043), it is important to interpret this relationship cautiously in the context of reduced accuracy in golf putting. The findings emphasize the necessity for extended investigation to attain a more profound comprehension of the nuanced significance of Mu power in visuomotor performance. The study highlights the potential effectiveness of the FSI approach in EEG-NFT and in enhancing visuomotor performance, but it also emphasizes the potential impact of skill level and attentional control, particularly in complex visuomotor tasks.

The Concept of Pain in Orthodontic Care

Pain is a subjective sensation that plays a crucial role in physiological illnesses. Orthodontic tooth movement frequently results in pain, serving as a major obstacle for individuals contemplating orthodontic treatment. Moreover, it is a key determinant leading to the cessation of treatment. This review aims to elucidate the notion of pain associated with orthodontic therapy. Nociception, a complex neurophysiological process, involves four component processes: transduction, transmission, modulation, and perception. During nociception, the central nervous system (cortex cerebri) senses the sensation of pain as powerful peripheral stimuli occur.

Examining the role of self-reported somatosensory sensations in body (dis)ownership: A scoping review and empirical study of patients with a disturbed sense of limb ownership

Patients with a disturbed sense of limb ownership (DSO) offer a unique window of insight into the multisensory processes contributing to the sense of body ownership. A limited amount of past research has examined the role of sensory deficits in DSO, and even less is known regarding the role of patient self-reported somatosensory sensations in the pathogenesis of DSO. To address this lack of knowledge we first conducted a systematic scoping review following PRISMA-SR guidelines, examining current research into somatosensory deficits and patient self-reported somatosensory sensations in patients with DSO. Eighty studies, including 277 DSO patients, were identified. The assessment of sensory deficits was generally limited in scope and quality, and deficits in tactile sensitivity and proprioception were most frequently found. The reporting of somatosensory sensations was even less frequent, with instances of paraesthesia (pins-and-needles), stiffness/rigidity, numbness and warmth, coldness and heaviness amongst the deficits recorded. In a second part of the study, we sought to directly address the lack of evidence concerning the impact of patient self-reported somatosensory sensations in DSO by measuring DSO and self-reported somatosensory sensations in a large (n = 121) sample of right-hemisphere stroke patients including N = 65 with DSO and N = 56 hemiplegic controls. Results show that feelings of coldness and stiffness modulate DSO symptoms. Sense of heaviness and numbness are more frequent in patients with DSO but do not have a clear impact on disownership symptomology. Although preliminary, these results suggest a role of subjective sensations about the felt body in the sense of limb ownership.

Meat- and plant-based products induced similar satiation which was not affected by multimodal augmentation

Little is known about how plant-based products influence satiation compared to corresponding meat-based products. As augmented reality (AR) intensifies sensory experiences, it was hypothesized to improve satiation. This study compared satiation between intake of meatballs and plant-based balls and plant-based balls intensified with AR for visual, olfactory, and haptic sensory properties. Intake order of the meatballs, plant-based balls, and augmented plant-based balls, eaten on separate days, was randomized. Satiation was measured from twenty-eight non-obese adults as ad libitum intake of the balls and extra snacks, and as subjective appetite sensations. Liking and wanting to eat the products were also investigated.There were no differences between the products in satiation. Before tasting the augmented plant-based balls were less liked than the meatballs (p = 0.002) or plant-based balls (p = 0.046), but after eating the first ball or eating the ad libitum number of balls the differences in liking disappeared. Wanting evaluations were similar for each product and decreased during eating (p < 0.001). A group of participants susceptible to AR was found (n = 11), described by decreased intake when augmentation was applied. Among the sub-group, wanting to eat the augmented balls was lower before tasting (p = 0.019) and after eating the first ball (p = 0.002) and appetite was less suppressed after eating the balls ad libitum (p = 0.01), when compared to non-susceptible participants.We conclude that meatballs and plant-based balls were equal in inducing satiation, and multisensory augmentation did not influence satiation. However, the augmentation decreased liking evaluations before tasting. Further studies are needed to explore differences between consumer groups in susceptibility to augmentation.

Changes in pain perception during pregnancy after one-time maximal physical exertion and an 8-week high-intensity interval training.

Background: Pain, a subjective sensation, poses a great challenge to the human body as a stressor. There is empirical evidence that moderate to intense physical activity increases pain tolerance and this may be critical during pregnancy for optimal pregnancy, fetal development, and delivery. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first study examining the changes in pain perception in pregnant women after a maximal progressive exercise test and after 8weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Methods: Thirty-five women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies between 13 and 28weeks of gestation participated in the study. The HIIT intervention was developed in accordance with the recommendations and available data on HIIT during pregnancy. The maximal progressive cardiopulmonary exercise test was performed on a cycle ergometer with an electronically controlled load. Pressure pain threshold and pressure pain tolerance were measured with an algometer. Results: We found significant effects of the maximal exercise test and high-intensity interval training, such that the pregnant women had higher pain tolerance after the maximal exercise test than before and after the high-intensity interval training than the baseline. Conclusion: Our results suggest that post-exercise analgesia may be important in pregnant women and that high-intensity interval training appears to be beneficial for pregnant women to improve their pain tolerance while being obstetrically safe. Increased pain tolerance before labor could lead to better management of pain during labor and in the postpartum and lactation periods. Increasing pregnant women's awareness of this issue can improve their wellbeing and provide more comfort during labor.