scholarly journals Thermal stimulation neurophysiology of pressure phosphenes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Kholmansky ◽  
Elena Konyukhova ◽  
Andrey Minakhin

AbstractSynesthesia of vision and somatosensory is based on physiology of interconnection of neurons in different nuclei of thalamus or areas of cerebral cortex. Work studied effect on the intensity of pressure phosphenes (PP) of various methods of heating eyes and hands, as well as manual influence on cervical spine. Along with subjective assessments of the PP intensity, EEG and ECG were used for chronometry of bioelectrical activity of brain and heart. From analysis of frequency and amplitude spectra of EEG, it was concluded that mechanism of PP generation is dominated by processes of redistribution and recombination of charges in retinal and LGB layers. Stimulation of PP by heating hands was associated with convergence of LGB neurons and neurons of thalamus nuclei, which are responsible for thermoreception and are adjacent to LGB. Enhancement of effect of PP stimulation by heating hands in water and in sauna was explained by resonant mechanism of heat transfer from heated water to water of physiological fluids of epidermis and water associated with proteins of ion channels of thermoreceptor membranes. It was suggested that breakdown of water clusters in physiological fluids of epidermis at temperature above 42 °C promotes to transformation of thermoreceptors into pain receptors.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Lavrov ◽  
Timur Latypov ◽  
Elvira Mukhametova ◽  
Brian Lundstrom ◽  
Paola Sandroni ◽  
...  

AbstractElectrical stimulation of the cerebral cortex (ESCC) has been used to treat intractable neuropathic pain for nearly two decades, however, no standardized approach for this technique has been developed. In order to optimize targeting and validate the effect of ESCC before placing the permanent grid, we introduced initial assessment with trial stimulation, using a temporary grid of subdural electrodes. In this retrospective study we evaluate the role of electrode location on cerebral cortex in control of neuropathic pain and the role of trial stimulation in target-optimization for ESCC. Location of the temporary grid electrodes and location of permanent electrodes were evaluated in correlation with the long-term efficacy of ESCC. The results of this study demonstrate that the long-term effect of subdural pre-motor cortex stimulation is at least the same or higher compare to effect of subdural motor or combined pre-motor and motor cortex stimulation. These results also demonstrate that the initial trial stimulation helps to optimize permanent electrode positions in relation to the optimal functional target that is critical in cases when brain shift is expected. Proposed methodology and novel results open a new direction for development of neuromodulation techniques to control chronic neuropathic pain.


1973 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Reddington ◽  
Richard Rodnight ◽  
Michael Williams

1. The effect of various agents on the turnover of protein-bound phosphorus in respiring slices of cerebral cortex was studied. 2. Confirming previous work turnover was increased by the application of electrical pulses for 10s to the tissue. 3. Turnover was also increased by exposure of the slices for 10min to noradrenaline (0.5mm), 5-hydroxytryptamine (1μm) and histamine (0.1mm). 4. When slices were stimulated by electrical pulses in the presence of histamine the increase in turnover was the sum of the responses given by each agent above, suggesting that different phosphorylating systems were involved. 5. Tetrodotoxin (0.5μm) blocked the increased turnover due to electrical pulses, but not that due to histamine. Tetrodotoxin also prevented the increase in tissue cyclic AMP content caused by the application of electrical pulses. 6. Phosphoprotein turnover was not affected by adenosine, despite the increase in tissue cyclic AMP content given by this agent. 7. Adenosine blocked the phosphoprotein response to histamine, but did not affect the response to electrical pulses. 8. The results are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that the stimulation of protein phosphorus turnover by electrical pulses is secondary to the release of cyclic AMP in the tissue.


1998 ◽  
Vol 26 (03n04) ◽  
pp. 265-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching-Liang Hsieh ◽  
Tsai-Chung Li ◽  
Chien-Yu Lin ◽  
Nou-Ying Tang ◽  
Qwang-Yuen Chang ◽  
...  

Although acupuncture has traditionally used the acupoints formula to treat diseases, the physiological mechanisms involved and the effectiveness of therapy remain unclear. This study investigated the physiological mechanism(s) and response to acupuncture stimulation using the acupoints formula. Scalp-recorded potentials P300 were evoked by auditory stimulation of non-target and target in 13 normal adult volunteers. Latencies and amplitudes were measured. Three assessments were performed in each subject over a period of at least one week. Each assessment was divided into a control period with no acupuncture stimulation, followed by an acupuncture period and then a post-acupuncture period. Acupuncture needles were inserted into the body as follows: 1) non-acupoint: acupuncture needles were inserted 2 cm lateral to both Zusanli acupoints; 2) acupoint: acupuncture needles were inserted into both Zusanli acupoints; 3) acupoints formula: acupuncture needles were inserted into both Zusanli and Shousanli acupoints. Our results showed that both acupoint and acupoints formula assessments resulted in a significant decrease of P300 amplitudes during the acupuncture and post-acupuncture periods. However, there was significant difference in P300 amplitudes in the non-acupoint assessment during these periods. P300 changes in latencies and amplitudes were not significantly different between the acupoint assessment and the acupoints formula assessment. We concluded that acupuncture stimulation of both Zusanli acupoints resulted in a decrease of P300 amplitudes, suggesting the involvement of the cerebral cortex in sensory interaction when simultaneous sensations of the two types are received. No similar changes were observed in the non-acupoint assessment, which have been suggested to be related to so-called acupoint specificity. Results obtained using the acupoints formula were not significantly different from those using acupoints alone. These findings suggested that neuropsychological effects from stimulation of Zusanli acupoints and Shousanli acupoints are different.


1991 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katsunobu Takenaka ◽  
Yasunori Kanaho ◽  
Koh-Ichi Nagata ◽  
Noboru Sakai ◽  
Hiromu Yamada ◽  
...  

As an approach to understanding the molecular basis of the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia, we examined qualitative and quantitative changes in pertussis toxin substrates, Gi1 and G0, in the membrane of rat cerebral cortex after decapitation. Within 1 min after decapitation, the extent of pertussis toxin-catalyzed [32P]ADP ribosylation of the G proteins in the cerebral cortex membrane was significantly decreased and the magnitude of the decrease became slightly larger upon further incubation of the decapitated brain. Addition of guanine nucleotides, GTP and GDP, or the purified βγ subunits of transducin to the membranes of control and ischemic cerebral cortex stimulated [32P]ADP ribosylation of the G proteins. The stimulation of [32P]ADP ribosylation in the control situation by guanine nucleotides was almost to the same extent as that in ischemia. However, the stimulation by transducin βγ subunits was different; the control stimulation was greater than that in ischemia. In immunoblots probed with antibodies against Gi1α G0α and Tβ, the immunoreactivity of the corresponding proteins in ischemia was similar to that in control, suggesting that the amounts of G proteins were not changed in ischemia. These results suggest that ischemia accelerates the dissociation of α–GDP–βγ to α–GDP and free βγ and causes the denaturation of the dissociated α–GDP, thereby decreasing [32P]ADP ribosylation.


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