scholarly journals Affective Touch: The Enigmatic Spinal Pathway of the C-Tactile Afferent

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 263310552092507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew G Marshall ◽  
Francis P McGlone
Keyword(s):  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Spinothalamic Tract ◽  
Affective Touch ◽  
Lamina I ◽  
Perceptual Judgments ◽  
Spinal Pathway ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Unexpected Findings

C-tactile afferents are hypothesized to form a distinct peripheral channel that encodes the affective nature of touch. Prevailing views indicate they project, as with other unmyelinated afferents, in lamina I-spinothalamic pathways that relay homeostatically relevant information from the body toward cortical regions involved in interoceptive processing. However, in a recent study, we found that spinothalamic ablation in humans, while profoundly impairing the canonical spinothalamic modalities of pain, temperature, and itch, had no effect on benchmark psychophysical affective touch metrics. These novel findings appear to indicate that perceptual judgments about the affective nature of touch pleasantness do not depend on the integrity of the lamina I-spinothalamic tract. In this commentary, we further discuss the implications of these unexpected findings. Intuitively, they suggest that signaling of emotionally relevant C-tactile mediated touch occurs in an alternative ascending pathway. However, we also argue that the deficits seen following interruption of a putative C-tactile lamina I-spinothalamic relay might be barely perceptible—a feature that would underline the importance of the C-tactile afferent in neurodevelopment.

Importance of Oral Health in Pregnancy: A Mini-symposium

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 156-158
Author(s):  
Aditi Priyamvara ◽  
Amit K. Dey ◽  
Antara Bagchi ◽  
Raveena Kelkar ◽  
Rajaram Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Oral Cavity ◽  
Tooth Enamel ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Systemic Impact ◽  
Low Birth Weight Babies ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy ◽  
In Pregnancy

Background: It is known that hormonal imbalances during pregnancy make women more susceptible to dental problems. High levels of progesterone and estrogen during pregnancy, lead to an increased inflammatory response to dental plaque thus causing predisposing to gum diseases such as gingivitis. If untreated, gingivitis leads to chronic periodontitis which may manifest systemically in form of cardiovascular, endocrine or even respiratory disorders. Also, hyperacidity in the oral cavity due to gastric reflux and vomiting leads to decreased pH thus damaging the tooth enamel making the oral cavity more prone to tooth decay and tooth loss. Studies also show that periodontal disease can also lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as pre-term and low birth weight babies. Objectives: We sought to understand the role of oral health in pregnancy. Methods: We identified major articles of interest in the field of oral health in pregnancy and drafted a mini-symposium based on relevant information. Conclusion: Regular dental visits and cognizant efforts to sustain a healthy oral environment can help women in the prevention and treatment of dental issues during pregnancy. The paper highlights the common oral manifestations during pregnancy and their local and systemic impact on the body during pregnancy. Furthermore, it also emphasizes the importance of good oral health practices to counteract the oral complications and the significance of oral health awareness in pregnant women.

scholarly journals Shape Profile of Corpus Callosum As a Signature to Phenotype Different Dementia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandhya Mangalore ◽  
Shiva Shanker Reddy Mukku ◽  
Sriharish Vankayalapati ◽  
Palanimuthu Thangaraju Sivakumar ◽  
Mathew Varghese
Keyword(s):  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Frontotemporal Dementia ◽  
Corticobasal Degeneration ◽  
Lewy Body Dementia ◽  
Clinical History ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cortical Atrophy ◽  
Alzheimer Dementia ◽  
Geriatric Clinic ◽  
Cortical Regions

Abstract Background Phenotyping dementia is always a complex task for a clinician. There is a need for more practical biomarkers to aid clinicians. Objective The aim of the study is to investigate the shape profile of corpus callosum (CC) in different phenotypes of dementia. Materials and Methods Our study included patients who underwent neuroimaging in our facility as a part of clinical evaluation for dementia referred from Geriatric Clinic (2017–2018). We have analyzed the shape of CC and interpreted the finding using a seven-segment division. Results The sample included MPRAGE images of Alzheimer’ dementia (AD) (n = 24), posterior cortical atrophy- Alzheimer’ dementia (PCA-AD) (n = 7), behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (Bv-FTD) (n = 17), semantic variant frontotemporal dementia (Sv-FTD) (n = 11), progressive nonfluent aphasia (PNFA) (n = 4), Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) (n = 5), diffuse Lewy body dementia (n = 7), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) (n = 3), and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) (n = 3). We found in posterior dementias such as AD and PCA-AD that there was predominant atrophy of splenium of CC. In Bv-FTD, the genu and anterior half of the body of CC was atrophied, whereas in PNFA, PSP, PDD, and CBD there was atrophy of the body of CC giving a dumbbell like profile. Conclusion Our study findings were in agreement with the anatomical cortical regions involved in different phenotypes of dementia. Our preliminary study highlighted potential usefulness of CC in the clinical setting for phenotyping dementia in addition to clinical history and robust biomarkers.

fMRI–Adaptation Studies of Viewpoint Tuning in the Extrastriate and Fusiform Body Areas

2010 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 1467-1477 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Taylor ◽  
Alison J. Wiggett ◽  
Paul E. Downing
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Adaptation Effect ◽  
The Body ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Adaptation Studies ◽  
View Invariance ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Fmri Adaptation

People are easily able to perceive the human body across different viewpoints, but the neural mechanisms underpinning this ability are currently unclear. In three experiments, we used functional MRI (fMRI) adaptation to study the view-invariance of representations in two cortical regions that have previously been shown to be sensitive to visual depictions of the human body—the extrastriate and fusiform body areas (EBA and FBA). The BOLD response to sequentially presented pairs of bodies was treated as an index of view invariance. Specifically, we compared trials in which the bodies in each image held identical poses (seen from different views) to trials containing different poses. EBA and FBA adapted to identical views of the same pose, and both showed a progressive rebound from adaptation as a function of the angular difference between views, up to ∼30°. However, these adaptation effects were eliminated when the body stimuli were followed by a pattern mask. Delaying the mask onset increased the response (but not the adaptation effect) in EBA, leaving FBA unaffected. We interpret these masking effects as evidence that view-dependent fMRI adaptation is driven by later waves of neuronal responses in the regions of interest. Finally, in a whole brain analysis, we identified an anterior region of the left inferior temporal sulcus (l-aITS) that responded linearly to stimulus rotation, but showed no selectivity for bodies. Our results show that body-selective cortical areas exhibit a similar degree of view-invariance as other object selective areas—such as the lateral occipitotemporal area (LO) and posterior fusiform gyrus (pFs).

scholarly journals Hyperalagesia with loss of temperature sensation in one side of the body due to pinpoint infarction of contralateral spinothalamic tract

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 262-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Kashiwamura ◽  
Motoharu Kawai ◽  
Junichi Ogasawara ◽  
Michiaki Koga ◽  
Kiyoshi Negoro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Body ◽  
Spinothalamic Tract ◽  
Temperature Sensation

scholarly journals Mark of the Spirit: Body Marks as Icons of Spirituality among the Dangme in Ghana

2020 ◽  
pp. 25-35
Author(s):  
Alice Korkor Ebeheakey ◽  
Steve Kquofi ◽  
Eric Appau Asante ◽  
Charlotte Buerkie Nubuor
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Direct Contact ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
Traditional Religion ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Higher Power ◽  
The Will

In African traditional religion, priding oneself in the beliefs and practices of one’s culture is intensely essential. The driving force for this is mainly the need to satisfy the will of a higher power. Cultural practices, being a channel between the living, the dead and the spirits is one of the ways in which a group of people satisfy the will of these higher beings. Body marking, among the Dangme, forms a great deal of aspects of cultural practices which connotes spirituality. This study discusses the concept of spirituality as enshrined in the body marks of the Dangme people of Ghana. To obtain the relevant information needed, the qualitative approach to research has been adopted using interviews and observation as the main data collection tools. These give a rich and in-depth understanding of the body marks that are practiced for spiritual purposes among the Dangme. This paper is a collation of findings from studies conducted between February, 2012 and February, 2019. It is evident from the research that, marks for spiritual purposes seemed to be practiced irrespective of the clan individuals hail from. These marks are seen as methods (or modes) of maintaining direct contact and proving allegiance to the spirits that protect them as a people.

scholarly journals Neural networks supporting social evaluation of bodies based on body shape

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inez Greven ◽  
Paul Downing ◽  
Richard Ramsey
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Social Judgments ◽  
Social Evaluation ◽  
Fmri Experiment ◽  
Socially Relevant ◽  
Social Inferences

Body shape cues inferences regarding personality and health, but the neural processes underpinning such inferences remain poorly understood. Across two fMRI experiments, we test the extent to which neural networks associated with body perception and theory-of-mind (ToM) support social inferences based on body shape. Participants observed obese, muscular, and slim bodies that cued distinct social inferences as pilot experiments revealed. To investigate judgment intentionality, the first fMRI experiment required participants to detect repeat presentations of bodies, whereas in fMRI Experiment 2 participants intentionally formed an impression. Body and ToM networks were localized using independent functional localisers. Experiment 1 revealed no differential network engagement for muscular or obese compared to slim bodies. By contrast, in Experiment 2, compared to slim bodies, forming impressions of muscular bodies engaged the body-network more, whereas the ToM-network was engaged more when forming impressions of obese bodies. These results demonstrate that social judgments based on body shape do not rely on a single neural mechanism, but rather on multiple mechanisms that are separately sensitive to body fat and muscularity. Moreover, dissociable responses are only apparent when intentionally forming an impression. Thus, these experiments show how segregated networks operate to extract socially-relevant information cued by body shape.

Hysteria in Psychoanalysis – from Symptom to Discourse. (Hysterical and Psychoanalyst – a (non) love affair)

Diogenes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Motsinova-Brachkova ◽  
◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Difference ◽  
The Body ◽  
Main Issue ◽  
Love Affair ◽  
Lacanian Psychoanalysis ◽  
The Unconscious ◽  
Analytical Work ◽  
Psychoanalytic Approach ◽  
Unexpected Findings

Hysteria offers a particularly appropriate discourse for bringing out the unconscious, since its symptoms show how, through conversion, mental suffering manifests itself as bodily. Analytical work creates a transfer clinic and relies on a specific use of the word, which leads to unexpected findings. The development of the psychoanalytic approach today makes it clear that in order to understand hysteria, it must not be equated with femininity. The main issue of the hysterical subject is actually the issue of gender difference. Lacanian psychoanalysis introduces the idea of giving up the body in hysteria and associates the hysterical symptom with a lack of identification.

Individual Differences in Mental Imagery Modulate Effective Connectivity of Scene-Selective Regions During Resting State

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Giulia Tullo ◽  
Hannes Almgren ◽  
Frederik Van de Steen ◽  
Valentina Sulpizio ◽  
Daniele Marinazzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Effective Connectivity ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Intrinsic Activity ◽  
Inhibitory Influence ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Intrinsic Fluctuation

Abstract Successful navigation relies on the ability to identify, perceive, and correctly process the spatial structure of a scene. It is well known that visual mental imagery plays a crucial role in navigation. Indeed, cortical regions encoding navigationally relevant information are also active during mental imagery of navigational scenes. However, it remains unknown whether their intrinsic activity and connectivity reflect the individuals’ ability to imagine a scene. Here, we primarily investigated the intrinsic causal interactions among scene-selective brain regions such as Parahipoccampal Place Area (PPA), Retrosplenial Complex (RSC), and Occipital Place Area (OPA) using Dynamic Causal Modelling (DCM) for resting-state functional magnetic resonance (rs-fMRI) data. Second, we tested whether resting-state effective connectivity parameters among scene-selective regions could reflect individual differences in mental imagery in our sample, as assessed by the self-reported Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ). We found an inhibitory influence of occipito-medial on temporal regions, and an excitatory influence of more anterior on more medial and posterior brain regions. Moreover, we found that a key role in imagery is played by the connection strength from OPA to PPA, especially in the left hemisphere, since the influence of the signal between these scene-selective regions positively correlated with good mental imagery ability. Our investigation contributes to the understanding of the complexity of the causal interaction among brain regions involved in navigation and provides new insight in understanding how an essential ability, such as mental imagery, can be explained by the intrinsic fluctuation of brain signal.

Effects of systemic morphine on lamina I spinothalamic tract neurons in the cat

1994 ◽  
Vol 636 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.D. [Bud] Craig ◽  
L.P. Serrano
Keyword(s):  
Spinothalamic Tract ◽  
Lamina I

scholarly journals Performance Appraisal Decision and Cognitive Processing Model: A Case of Novice and Expert Raters in the Educational Organization

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rusli Ahmad ◽  
Azman Ismail ◽  
Mohamad Madi Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Cognitive Mapping ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The Body ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Appraisal System ◽  
New Perspective

This paper explores rater (novice and expert) understanding of the decision-making process in the performance appraisal system (PAS) by looking at the cognitive processing model (CPM). Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured cognitive mapping protocol involving 22 Malaysian public school administrators and were analysed using key word analysis. The decision explorer software was used to map the thinking activities involved in the rater decision-making process. The findings revealed that raters recognised the CPM steps in their performance appraisal practice. The study also identified the differences between individual novice and expert raters’ CPM in terms of concept and complexity, and also an attempt was made to compare the CPM practised by the raters with that suggested in the research framework. Every cognitive map by the raters has its own uniqueness and represents raters capability to process relevant information involved during the performance appraisal decision-making process. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a new perspective to understanding performance rating by looking at the steps involved in CPM. The research also offered some insights to policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and scholars in order to undertake further research and analysis using the steps in the CPM in a new issue, context, and environment.  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document