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PubMed2001

Sensation seeking correlates of passive auditory P3 to a single stimulus.

A single auditory stimulus in a passive ignore condition elicits a P3 potential (passive P3) that shares similar morphology with the classical P3 (P300 or P3b) in the active auditory 'oddball' paradigm. Since the classical P3 is correlated with introversion, anxiety, or sensation seeking, it was hypothesized that the passive P3 is correlated with sensation seeking personality. Therefore, 39 healthy subjects aged from 15 to 57 years and free from depression, were asked to answer Zuckerman's sensation seeking scales (SSS), and undergo an auditory event-related potential procedure with a single stimulus. In all subjects, a clear passive P3 appeared at three midline electrodes that shared similar latency and amplitude to the classical P3. The SSS total and experience seeking subscale scores were positively correlated with N1 amplitude at Fz. In contrast, the SSS total and some subscale scores were negatively correlated with the passive P3 amplitudes at the three electrodes. The sensation seeking personality effects on the passive P3 might be via a cortical inhibition process during memory updating, which are considered to be involved in the classical P3.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Sensation of effort is altered in Huntington's disease.

In this study, we investigated sensation of effort in Huntington disease (HD). We tested the hypothesis that the basal ganglia are involved in processing effort sensation. The experimental paradigm consisted in a contralateral matching procedure where normal subjects (N=6) and HD patients (N=6) were required to lift a reference weight with their non-dominant index, and then compare the target-weight with variable weights lifted by the dominant index. Two kinds of sequences were administered: (1) increasing, where the first weight was lighter than the reference weight and progressively increased in 20g steps, (2) decreasing, where trials started with a heavier weight and progressively decreased. We calculated the discrimination threshold (DT) across sequences as the weight for which the subject's response changed sign. The difference between the higher and the lower threshold was defined as "uncertain area". We predicted that controls should overestimate the reference weight lifted by their non-dominant hand because the same effort produces more force when applied to stronger muscles. If the basal ganglia mediates sensation of effort, patients' capability to discriminate weights should be degraded. As expected, normal subjects overestimated the reference weight lifted by their non-dominant index and showed a restricted uncertain area, thus, indicating that were able to discriminate minimal differences in generated forces. By contrast, patients with HD underestimated the reference weight lifted by their non-dominant hand and showed a broad uncertain area, thus, demonstrating that they could detect only important differences in the matched efforts. These results suggest that effort sensation critically involves the basal ganglia. In normal conditions, in parallel with the efferent command of force, an efferent copy reflecting the magnitude of the voluntary motor command is transmitted to sensory centres. This signal and/or the integration of sensory feedback which generates what is experienced as the sense of effort, would be altered in HD.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Subjective sensation and objective neural discharges recorded from clinically nonvital and intact teeth.

The aim of this study was to compare subjective sensation with objective neural discharges recorded by microneurography. We examined human teeth that did not respond to pulp vitality testing, but that responded to cavity preparation for endodontic treatment (pathophysiological). Intact teeth and endodontically obturated teeth were used as controls. Pulpal blood flow in the clinical crown and histological examination were also used. Most teeth, both in normal and pathophysiological conditions, did not respond to all pulp vitality tests. Even when teeth in the pathophysiological group showed spike discharges evoked by pulp vitality tests or from spontaneous activity no sensation was elicited. These results confirmed the usefulness of microneurography for research on pulpal sensation and the significance of summation in the perception of sensation in chronically inflamed tooth pulp.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1999

Topical capsaicin in humans: parallel loss of epidermal nerve fibers and pain sensation.

Capsaicin applied topically to human skin produces itching, pricking and burning sensations due to excitation of nociceptors. With repeated application, these positive sensory responses are followed by a prolonged period of hypalgesia that is usually referred to as desensitization, or nociceptor inactivation. Consequently, capsaicin has been recommended as a treatment for a variety of painful syndromes. The precise mechanisms that account for nociceptor desensitization and hypalgesia are unclear. The present study was performed to determine if morphological changes of intracutaneous nerve fibers contribute to desensitization and hypalgesia. Capsaicin (0.075%) was applied topically to the volar forearm four times daily for 3 weeks. At various time intervals tactile, cold, mechanical and heat pain sensations were assessed in the treated and in contralateral untreated areas. Skin blisters and skin biopsies were collected and immunostained for protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 to assess the morphology of cutaneous nerves and to quantify the number of epidermal nerve fibers (ENFs). Capsaicin resulted in reduced sensitivity to all cutaneous stimuli, particularly to noxious heat and mechanical stimuli. This hypalgesia was accompanied by degeneration of epidermal nerve fibers as evidenced by loss of PGP 9.5 immunoreactivity. As early as 3 days following capsaicin application, there was a 74% decrease in the number of nerve fibers in blister specimens. After 3 weeks of capsaicin treatment, the reduction was 79% in blisters and 82% in biopsies. Discontinuation of capsaicin was followed by reinnervation of the epidermis over a 6-week period with a return of all sensations, except cold, to normal levels. We conclude that degeneration of epidermal nerve fibers contributes to the analgesia accredited to capsaicin. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that ENFs contribute to the painful sensations evoked by noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1996

Relationship between abnormal sensation in the throat and menopause.

Abnormal sensations in the throat (AST) are commonly encountered in general and otolaryngological practice, especially among middle aged women. These sensation may occur alone, or more often, in combination with the systemic symptoms, including those of menopause. We analyzed 26 Japanese women with a complaint of an abnormal sensation in the throat who were taking a synthetic sex hormone (Methermon-F). Multianalysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment using the quantitative scores of Kupperman's climacteric symptoms. The presence of the excessive perspiration and vertigo, insomnia, and the absence of fatigue were associated with clinical efficacy of the hormone, while the presence of hyposthenia and tingling sensation were associated with a poor response. Results suggested that the clinical efficacy of this hormone in treating middle-aged menopausal women with AST was related to the menopausal symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interpretive bias for benign sensations in panic disorder with agoraphobia.

The present study further examines the cognitive model of panic disorder by investigating two questions. The first is whether panic patients misinterpret bodily sensations which are symptoms of either nonanxious states or harmless events. The second is whether panic patients are able to provide benign subsequent explanations for bodily sensations which have initially been interpreted in an anxiety-related manner. Two groups of subjects were used, 15 panic disorder patients with agoraphobia and 15 controls, matched on verbal fluency, age and gender. Compared to controls, patients failed to identify overt explanations for bodily sensations which are due to nonanxious states or harmless events. Patients also misinterpreted bodily sensations in ambiguous scenarios by providing more anxiety-related initial interpretations than controls. Furthermore, compared to controls, patients provided significantly more anxiety-related initial interpretations which they were unable to subsequently reinterpret in a benign manner. These results provide support for the cognitive theory of panic disorder as authored by Clark and his colleagues.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2003

Mechanical sensation and pain thresholds in patients with chronic arthropathies.

This study measured mechanical sensation and pain thresholds in the cutaneous field overlying the knee joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA; N = 27) and osteoarthritis (OA; N = 28) patients, compared with age- and weight-matched normal control subjects (Norm; N = 27) by using graded von Frey monofilaments. A visual analog scale (VASpain), cutaneous joint temperature and circumference were measured for subjective ongoing pain and inflammation. Compared to Norm, RA and OA groups had (1) significantly higher VASpain scores, joint circumferences and (RA only) surface temperatures, (2) significantly increased average thresholds for innocuous mechanical sensation (0.014 +/- 0.003 vs 0.077 +/- 0.035 and 0.123 +/- 0.043 g, respectively) indicative of hypoesthesia and (3) significantly decreased pain thresholds, indicative of mechanical allodynia (446.683 +/- 0 vs 285.910 +/- 40.012 and 322.681 +/- 34.521 g for Norm vs RA and OA, respectively). Intrapatient joint temperature, circumference, and pain threshold were significantly correlated in RA. The highest scores in average mechanical sensation mapped to the same grid region as the lowest scores in average pain thresholds in RA and OA patients. The simultaneous hypoesthesia and allodynia, with paradoxical decrease in sensation and increased pain thresholds may reflect peripheral and central alterations in neuronal responsiveness to mechanical stimulation and suggests activation of a descending inhibitory system.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Causal attributions about common somatic sensations among frequent general practice attenders.

The causal attributions that people make about bodily symptoms or sensations are likely to influence their decisions whether or not to consult a doctor. Previous research has supported the model that people tend initially to look for external or environmental explanations for bodily sensations (normalizing attributions) and only if this process fails do they search for attributions internal to themselves (somatic or psychological attributions). This study tested two hypotheses about frequent general practice attenders: (1) compared with others, they are more likely to make somatic attributions and less likely to make normalizing ones; and (2) given a bodily symptom together with a somatic explanation, frequent attenders will have greater difficulty than others in finding reasons why the given (pathological) explanation is untrue. The frequent attenders' group had themselves initiated an average of 12 general practice visits in the 12 months before assessment, while a control group of infrequent attenders had not made appointments to see their general practitioner for an average of 24 months. The results provide partial support for the hypotheses. Frequent attenders generated significantly fewer normalizing explanations for a series of common bodily sensations than the comparison group, although the two groups did not differ in their somatic attributions. Given a common bodily sensation and an accompanying pathological explanation, the frequent attenders were less able than the control group to generate reasons why the given explanation might be untrue. Some associations were found between these measures and anxiety.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Sensory assessment of epidural block for Caesarean section: a systematic comparison of pinprick, cold and touch sensation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Comparisons between the profile of regional blocks are difficult to make because different methods of testing are used among the studies. The aims of this prospective study were to describe the profile of epidural block by using a scoring system to evaluate the density of the block as assessed by the loss to pinprick, cold and touch sensation; to evaluate the extent of differential block and to determine whether there is any relationship between these three modalities of testing. METHODS: We studied 85 parturients undergoing elective Caesarean delivery with epidural anaesthesia with pH adjusted lidocaine 2% with epinephrine 1:400,000 and sufentanil 10 microg. Assessment of sensory block was done in each dermatomal level bilaterally for loss to pinprick, cold and light touch sensation and the density of the block was evaluated on an ordinal scale every 5 min for 20 min and thereafter at 30 and 40 min. RESULTS: We observed a two dermatomes differential block between the complete loss of cold sensation being cephalad and the complete loss of both pinprick and light touch sensation being caudal. We established a significant correlation between the scores used to assess the density of the block in the three different modalities by considering the pinprick score as reference (Spearman's rank correlation is 0.94, P<0.001 for pinprick vs. cold, 0.97, P<0.001 for pinprick vs. light touch). CONCLUSIONS: By scoring the density of the block on an ordinal scale, knowing the level of the block to pinprick allows one to predict the level of the block to touch and vice versa.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Authoritarianism, inner/other directedness, and sensation seeking in firefighter/paramedics: their relationship with burnout.

INTRODUCTION: Burnout in firefighter/paramedics (FF/EMT-Ps) is widely believed to exist, but few empirical data support its existence, symptomatology, or intervention. Understanding the extent, nature, and cause of burnout is crucial to improving employee morale and performance. STUDY POPULATION: Ninety-one FF/EMT-Ps employed by Salt Lake County Fire Department. HYPOTHESES: Three specific hypotheses were tested: 1) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout will also score high on authoritarianism; 2) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on inner-directedness; and 3) FF/EMT-Ps who score high on burnout also will score high on sensation seeking. METHODS: In this descriptive study, FF/EMT-Ps completed four standardized instruments measuring authoritarianism, burnout, inner-directedness versus other-directedness, and sensation seeking. RESULTS: Firefighters who scored high on burnout also scored high on authoritarianism and on the sensation-seeking subscale of boredom. Burnout did not correlate with the overall sensation-seeking scale or with its other subscales (thrill, experience, and disinhibition), or inner-directedness versus other-directedness. CONCLUSION: A focus on control issues needs to be an integral part of programs for decreasing employee burnout among FF/EMT-Ps. Specific components of such programs should include stress management and counseling. In addition, management personnel need to be taught not only to assist direct-service staff, but also to recognize and deal with their own control issues as they affect job performance.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Parallel developmental trajectories of sensation seeking and regular substance use in adolescents.

This study applied piecewise latent growth modeling to longitudinal survey data from 2 different samples of adolescents (N=1,002 and N=1,206) to examine the hypothesis that development of sensation seeking in middle school would predict development of substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana) in middle school and high school. Results showed that sensation seeking had strong predictive value for both concurrent and distal marijuana and alcohol use in both samples; however, initial level of sensation seeking predicted initial level of cigarette use during high school in 1 sample only. White participants scored consistently higher on both initial level and rate of increase in sensation seeking than did participants of other ethnicities. Advantages of this methodology are discussed in the context of substance use research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

A prospective study of sensation seeking and alcohol use as predictors of sexual risk behaviors among men and women receiving sexually transmitted infection clinic services.

Sensation seeking, the propensity to seek optimal stimulation and engage in risk behaviors, correlates with alcohol expectancies, which are related to alcohol use in sexual situations, potentially increasing risks for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In the current prospective study of 313 male and 140 female STI clinic patients, path analyses showed that sensation seeking predicted unprotected intercourse 6 months later. Sensation seeking also predicted alcohol outcome expectancies, which predicted alcohol use in sexual contexts 6 months later, which in turn predicted unprotected sex. Tests for mediation showed that alcohol expectancies accounted for the association between sensation seeking and alcohol use in sexual contexts. These findings replicate previous research, with the prospective design confirming directional hypotheses and supporting causal conclusions.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Phantom sensations generated by thalamic microstimulation.

Many amputees have a sense of their missing 'phantom' limb. Amputation can alter the representation of the body's surface in the cerebral cortex and thalamus, but it is unclear how these changes relate to such phantom sensations. One possibility is that, in amputees who experience phantom sensations, the region of the thalamus that originally represented the missing limb remains functional and can give rise to phantom sensations even when some thalamic 'limb' neurons begin to respond to stimulation of other body regions. Here we use microelectrode recording and microstimulation during functional stereotactic mapping of the ventrocaudal thalamus in amputees to determine both the responses of the neurons to stimulation of the skin and the perceptual effects of electrical activation of these neurons. Thalamic mapping revealed an unusually large thalamic stump representation, consistent with the findings from animal experiments. We also found that thalamic stimulation in amputees with a phantom limb could evoke phantom sensations, including pain, even in regions containing neurons responsive to tactile stimulation of the stump. These findings support the hypothesis that the thalamic representation of the amputated limb remains functional in amputees with phantoms.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of epidural anesthesia on thermal sensation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Epidural anesthesia decreases the core temperatures triggering vasoconstriction and shivering, presumably by increasing apparent (as opposed to actual) lower-body temperature. We therefore tested the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia also increases the overall perception of warmth. METHODS: We studied 8 volunteers in a randomized, cross-over protocol separated by at least 48 hours. On one day, epidural anesthesia was induced to a T11 sensory level; the other day was a control without anesthesia. Core temperature and upper-body skin temperatures (33 degrees C) were kept constant throughout. Lower-body skin temperature was set in a random order to 31 degrees C, 32 degrees C, 33 degrees C, 34 degrees C, 35 degrees C, and 36 degrees C and maintained by circulating water and forced air. At each temperature, the volunteers rated their thermal sensation with a visual analog scale (0 = cold, 100 = hot). Core temperature was 36.8 +/- 0.1 degrees C on the control day and 36.7 +/- 0.1 degrees C on the epidural day. RESULTS: Scores for thermal sensation on the epidural day were near 47 mm at each lower-body skin temperature. On the control day, visual analog scores at a lower-body skin temperature of 31 degrees C were 16 +/- 10 mm and increased linearly to 61 +/- 6 mm at 36 degrees C. Control thermal sensation scores thus equaled those during epidural anesthesia when lower-body skin temperature was near 34 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS: Thermal sensation with and without epidural anesthesia was comparable at a lower-body temperature near 34 degrees C, which is a normal leg skin temperature. This suggests that autonomic and behavioral thermoregulatory consequences of epidural anesthesia differ-or that the current explanation for reduced vasoconstriction and shivering thresholds during epidural anesthesia is incorrect.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The anatomical and neurophysiological basis of the sensate free TRAM and DIEP flaps.

Recent developments in autogenous breast reconstruction using the rectus abdominis myocutaneous free flap include attempts to reinnervate the flap tissue. We have carried out anatomical studies to determine the nature of abdominal-wall cutaneous innervation, with particular emphasis on the harvesting of sensate flaps. Dissections were performed on four embalmed and 12 fresh human cadavers (32 sides). The lowest five intercostal nerve trunks were identified and traced to the lateral border of the rectus sheath. A detailed dissection of the intramuscular course of the nerves and associated vasculature was performed. The relationship of the nerves to the vascular perforators used for rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps was determined visually, and confirmed histologically. In contrast to previous studies, we show that nerves supplying cutaneous sensation can travel with both medial and lateral vascular perforators. In order to confirm clinically useful innervation, the abdominal flap skin of five patients undergoing TRAM flap reconstruction was stimulated electrically, and sensory recordings were made directly from the related intercostal nerve just prior to flap harvest. These studies represent, to our knowledge, the first clinical application of neurophysiological techniques to outline the perforator neurosomes of flaps based on the deep inferior epigastric vascular axis. We provide the first comprehensive study of abdominal-wall innervation with regard to sensate free-flap harvest. Our dissections show complex patterns of abdominal skin innervation that have not been previously described. The implications for sensate free TRAM and DIEP flap reconstructions, as well as the potential for more accurate inclusion of innervated flap skin, are discussed.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed2006

Aerobic energy cost and sensation responses during submaximal running exercise--positive effects of wearing compression tights.

This study aimed to examine the effects of wearing compression compared to classic elastic tights and conventional shorts (control trial) on oxygen cost and sensation responses during submaximal running exercise. In part I, aerobic energy cost was evaluated in six trained runners at 10, 12, 14, and 16 km x h(-1). In part II, the increase in energy cost over time (i. e., slow component expressed as difference in VO2 values between min 2 and end-exercise) was determined in six trained runners at a constant running pace corresponding to 80% of maximal VO2 for 15 min duration. All tests were performed on a 200-m indoor track with equivalent thermal stress conditions. VO2 was determined with a portable metabolic system (Cosmed K4b2, Rome, Italy) during all testing sessions. Runners were asked their ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and perceptions for clothing sweating, comfort, and whole thermal sensations following each trial. Results showed in part I a significant lower energy cost only at 12 km x h(-1) by wearing compression and elastic tights compared to conventional shorts. During part II, wearing compression tights decreased significantly VO2 slow component by 26 and 36% compared to elastic tights and conventional shorts, respectively. There were no differences in sweating and comfort sensations, RPE, and for whole thermal sensation between clothing conditions in parts I and II. Wearing compression tights during running exercise may enhance overall circulation and decrease muscle oscillation to promote a lower energy expenditure at a given prolonged submaximal speed.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fluoxetine-induced changes in tactile sensation and sexual functioning among clinically depressed women.

Sexual side effects resulting from serotonin specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) use may be mediated by a number of peripheral mechanisms, including alterations in tactile sensitivity. It was hypothesized that sexual difficulties resulting from SSRI use arise in part from an over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity of tactile sensation. Tactile sensitivity was examined on the index finger and lower lip in clinically depressed women at baseline (pre-medication), week 1, week 4, and week 8 of drug treatment (fluoxetine group n = 12, control n = 13). Analyses indicated that fluoxetine treatment resulted in decreased orgasm functioning. Fluoxetine-induced sexual changes were not mediated by tactile sensation. An independent association was found between sexual arousal functioning and finger sensation. Novel to this study, an independent association was found between sexual desire and finger sensation.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Progressive changes in cutaneous trigger zones for sensation referred to a phantom hand: a case report and review with implications for cortical reorganization.

The dominant model of cortical plasticity induced by peripheral denervation suggests that a physiologically-reorganized cortical area can acquire new perceptual meaning, including a change in the peripheral referral of sensation. An alternative view is that such an area may retain its former perceptual significance, even though it becomes responsive to new peripheral inputs. To examine evidence related to this issue, a clinical case is presented documenting the time course of changes in phantom limb sensation in a patient with accidental amputation of a hand. About 24 h after injury, a vivid phantom hand was present; tactile stimulation revealed cutaneous trigger zones on the arm, stimulation of which elicited sensation referred to specific fingers of the phantom. While the phantom hand percept remained fairly stable over time, the trigger zones expanded progressively in size during the next 1-8 weeks but had contracted and changed location considerably about one year later. At all times studied, the trigger zones were topographically related to specific fingers and other parts of the phantom hand. The implications of these and other recent clinical findings for cortical reorganization are discussed, and the following tentative conclusions are drawn. (1) A phantom percept is mediated by central neural networks which remain functionally intact after amputation. (2) Cutaneous trigger-zones mapped in humans correspond to novel receptive fields of cortical neurons mapped in animals following peripheral denervation. (3) Cortical reorganization induced by denervation does not produce a major change in perceptual meaning or peripheral reference. In the present case, stimulation of new trigger zones (receptive fields) on the patient's arm presumably activated a reorganized cortical hand area but evoked sensation still referred to the (now missing) hand. Hence, physiological cortical remapping is not necessarily accompanied by functional respecification.

Accidents, Occupational↗