Thermal Gradient Ring Reveals Thermosensory Changes in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Mice

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) includes symptoms of thermosensory impairment, which are reported to involve changes in the expression or function, or both, of nociceptive TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels in rodents. In the present study, we did not find changes in the expression or function of TRPV1 or TRPA1 in DPN mice, although thermal hypoalgesia was observed in a murine model of DPN or TRPV1–/– mice with a plantar test, which specifically detects temperature avoidance. With a Thermal Gradient Ring in which mice can move freely in a temperature gradient, temperature preference can be analyzed, and we clearly discriminated the temperature-dependent phenotype between DPN and TRPV1–/– mice. Accordingly, we propose approaches with multiple behavioral methods to analyze the progression of DPN by response to thermal stimuli. Attention to both thermal avoidance and preference may provide insight into the symptoms of DPN.

Are nurses utilizing the non-pharmacological pain management techniques in surgical wards?

The non-pharmacological pain management therapies have a valuable effect in managing moderate to mild pain intensity, especially if demonstrated in the pre-operative phase. The study aimed to explore the nurses’ practice toward using non-pharmacological pain management techniques in surgical wards. In a cross-sectional research design, a convenient sample of 47 nurses in the surgical wards in Egyptian hospital (Third Level) participated in the study. Data gathered using modified Non-pharmacological Methods Questionnaire. Results of the study indicated that nurse’s perception regarding applying the cognitive-behavioral methods as a distraction and Positive reinforcement techniques were more common (68.1%,53.2%), whereas most of them used emotional support (93.6%) and preferred to demonstrate physical methods. Meanwhile, nurses addressed the barriers to apply nonpharmacological pain management as lack of time, patient unwillingness, and patients’ health beliefs. Nevertheless, nurses reported the non-pharmacological pain management is less expensive and has fewer side effects than medication and can demonstrated post-discharge. Nurses play a key role in applying effective and different non-pharmacological therapies in surgical wards. Thus, nurses should be encouraged to demonstrate the non-pharmacological pain management therapies with patients undergoing surgical procedures.

From Lab to Zoom: Adapting Training Study Methodologies to Remote Conditions

Training studies extend developmental research beyond single-session lab tasks by evaluating how particular experiences influence developmental changes over time. This methodology is highly interactive and typically requires experimenters to have easy, in-person access to large groups of children. When constraints were placed on in-person data collection due to the COVID-19 pandemic, administering this study format in the conventional manner became unfeasible. To implement this type of research under these new circumstances, we devised an alternative approach that enabled us to conduct a live, multi-session training study using a diverse array of activities through an online interface, a task necessitating creative problem solving, since most existing remote methodologies either rely on unsupervised methods or have been limited to single sessions and restricted to a limited number of tasks. The current paper describes the technological and practical adaptations implemented in our online training study of 118 4- and 5-year-old children from a geographically diverse sample. An experimenter interacted with the children once a week for 5 weeks over Zoom. The first and final sessions were dedicated to collecting baseline and post-test measures, while the intermediate 3 weeks were structured as a training designed to teach children specific spatial-cognitive and visuo-motor integration skills. The assessments and training contained image-filled spatial tasks that experimenters shared on their screen, a series of hands-on activities that children completed on their own device and on paper while following experimenters’ on-screen demonstrations, and tasks requiring verbal indicators from the parent about their child’s response. The remote nature of the study presented a unique set of benefits and limitations that has the potential to inform future virtual child research, as our study used remote behavioral methods to test spatial and visuo-motor integration skills that have typically only been assessed in lab settings. Results are discussed in relation to in-lab studies to establish the viability of testing these skills virtually. As our design entailed continual management of communication issues among researchers, parents, and child participants, strategies for streamlined researcher training, diverse online recruitment, and stimuli creation are also discussed.

EEG signal classification for drowsiness detection using wavelet transform and support vector machine

<span id="docs-internal-guid-ed628156-7fff-8934-2369-94f011b043ca"><span>There are several categories to detect and measure driver drowsiness such as physiological methods, subjective methods and behavioral methods. The most objective method for drowsiness detection is the physiological method. One of the physiological methods used is an electroencephalogram (EEG). In this research wavelet transform is used as a feature extraction and using support vector machine (SVM) as a classifier. We proposed an experiment of retrieval data which is designed by using modified-EAR and EEG signal. From the SVM training process, with the 5-fold cross validation, Quadratic kernel has the highest accuracy 84.5% then others. In testing Driving-2 process 7 respondents were detected as drowsiness class, and 3 respondents were detected as awake class. In the testing of Driving-3 process, 6 respondents were detected as drowsiness class, and 4 respondents were detected as awake class. </span></span>

Not Just a Bystander: The Emerging Role of Astrocytes and Research Tools in Studying Cognitive Dysfunctions in Schizophrenia

Cognitive dysfunction is one of the core symptoms in schizophrenia, and it is predictive of functional outcomes and therefore useful for treatment targets. Rather than improving cognitive deficits, currently available antipsychotics mainly focus on positive symptoms, targeting dopaminergic/serotoninergic neurons and receptors in the brain. Apart from investigating the neural mechanisms underlying schizophrenia, emerging evidence indicates the importance of glial cells in brain structure development and their involvement in cognitive functions. Although the etiopathology of astrocytes in schizophrenia remains unclear, accumulated evidence reveals that alterations in gene expression and astrocyte products have been reported in schizophrenic patients. To further investigate the role of astrocytes in schizophrenia, we highlighted recent progress in the investigation of the effect of astrocytes on abnormalities in glutamate transmission and impairments in the blood–brain barrier. Recent advances in animal models and behavioral methods were introduced to examine schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits and negative symptoms. We also highlighted several experimental tools that further elucidate the role of astrocytes. Instead of focusing on schizophrenia as a neuron-specific disorder, an additional astrocytic perspective provides novel and promising insight into its causal mechanisms and treatment. The involvement of astrocytes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and other brain disorders is worth further investigation.

Circadian Rhythms

Circadian rhythms are endogenous, near 24-hour oscillations that underlie nearly all facets of our health and behavior. The daily cycle of sleep and wake is the most conspicuous circadian-influenced behavior in humans. This chapter introduces the circadian rhythms in humans that give rise to our daily cycling of sleep and alertness, including their fundamental features and loci of origin. The interplay between circadian rhythms and sleep is discussed, including physiological and behavioral methods for the measurement of circadian rhythms. Finally, typical and atypical features of circadian rhythms in relation to health and aging are considered with particular reference to the impact of modern societal pressures.

Using Digital Technology for Cognitive Assessment and Enhancement in Older Adults

Digital technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in cognitive research and clinical applications for older adults. Innovations in web-based cognitive testing, digital tracking tools, and brain–computer interfaces show promise. Digital technology offers potentially safer, more effective, and less costly alternatives to pharmacological and behavioral methods. Computerized cognitive assessment and training show particular promise. However, a number of possible limitations must be kept in mind. This chapter outlines how digital technology shows promise for improving cognitive assessment and support of older adults while stressing caveats that researchers and clinicians should bear in mind. The chapter concludes with highlights of current challenges and practical guidelines for future research