1
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Schirmer A, Lai O, McGlone F, Cham C, Lau D. Gentle Stroking Elicits Somatosensory ERP that Differentiates Between Hairy and Glabrous Skin. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:864-875. [PMID: 35277720 PMCID: PMC9433843 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we asked whether, similar to visual and auditory event-related potentials (ERPs), somatosensory ERPs reflect affect. Participants were stroked on hairy or glabrous skin at five stroking velocities (0.5, 1, 3, 10 and 20 cm/s). For stroking of hairy skin, pleasantness ratings related to velocity in an inverted u-shaped manner. ERPs showed a negativity at 400 ms following touch onset over somatosensory cortex contra-lateral to the stimulation site. This negativity, referred to as sN400, was larger for intermediate than for faster and slower velocities and positively predicted pleasantness ratings. For stroking of glabrous skin, pleasantness showed again an inverted u-shaped relation with velocity and, additionally, increased linearly with faster stroking. The sN400 revealed no quadratic effect and instead was larger for faster velocities. Its amplitude failed to significantly predict pleasantness. In sum, as was reported for other senses, a touch’s affective value modulates the somatosensory ERP. Notably, however, this ERP and associated subjective pleasantness dissociate between hairy and glabrous skin underscoring functional differences between the skin with which we typically receive touch and the skin with which we typically reach out to touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annett Schirmer
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
- The Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Oscar Lai
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Francis McGlone
- School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
- Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Clare Cham
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Darwin Lau
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong SAR
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2
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Understanding others through observed touch: neural correlates, developmental aspects, and psychopathology. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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3
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Grund M, Al E, Pabst M, Dabbagh A, Stephani T, Nierhaus T, Gaebler M, Villringer A. Respiration, Heartbeat, and Conscious Tactile Perception. J Neurosci 2022; 42:643-656. [PMID: 34853084 PMCID: PMC8805629 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0592-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that timing of sensory stimulation during the cardiac cycle interacts with perception. Given the natural coupling of respiration and cardiac activity, we investigated here their joint effects on tactile perception. Forty-one healthy female and male human participants reported conscious perception of finger near-threshold electrical pulses (33% null trials) and decision confidence while electrocardiography, respiratory activity, and finger photoplethysmography were recorded. Participants adapted their respiratory cycle to expected stimulus onsets to preferentially occur during late inspiration/early expiration. This closely matched heart rate variation (sinus arrhythmia) across the respiratory cycle such that most frequent stimulation onsets occurred during the period of highest heart rate probably indicating highest alertness and cortical excitability. Tactile detection rate was highest during the first quadrant after expiration onset. Interindividually, stronger respiratory phase-locking to the task was associated with higher detection rates. Regarding the cardiac cycle, we confirmed previous findings that tactile detection rate was higher during diastole than systole and newly specified its minimum at 250-300 ms after the R-peak corresponding to the pulse wave arrival in the finger. Expectation of stimulation induced a transient heart deceleration which was more pronounced for unconfident decision ratings. Interindividually, stronger poststimulus modulations of heart rate were linked to higher detection rates. In summary, we demonstrate how tuning to the respiratory cycle and integration of respiratory-cardiac signals are used to optimize performance of a tactile detection task.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mechanistic studies on perception and cognition tend to focus on the brain neglecting contributions of the body. Here, we investigated how respiration and heartbeat influence tactile perception: respiration phase-locking to expected stimulus onsets corresponds to highest heart rate (and presumably alertness/cortical excitability) and correlates with detection performance. Tactile detection varies across the heart cycle with a minimum when the pulse reaches the finger and a maximum in diastole. Taken together with our previous finding of unchanged early event-related potentials across the cardiac cycle, we conclude that these effects are not a peripheral physiological artifact but a result of cognitive processes that model our body's internal state, make predictions to guide behavior, and might also tune respiration to serve the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Grund
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Esra Al
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10099, Germany
- DFG Research Training Group 2386 Extrospection, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10099, Germany
| | - Marc Pabst
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Alice Dabbagh
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Pain Perception Group, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Tilman Stephani
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School NeuroCom, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Till Nierhaus
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Michael Gaebler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10099, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin 10099, Germany
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4
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Uemura JI, Hoshino A, Igarashi G, Matsui Y, Chishima M, Hoshiyama M. Pre-stimulus alpha oscillation and post-stimulus cortical activity differ in localization between consciously perceived and missed near-threshold somatosensory stimuli. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:5518-5530. [PMID: 34251060 PMCID: PMC8456933 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Conscious perception of a near‐threshold (NT) stimulus is characterized by the pre‐ and post‐stimulus brain state. However, the power of pre‐stimulus neural oscillations and strength of post‐stimulus cortical activity that lead to conscious perception have rarely been examined in individual cortical areas. This is because most previous electro‐ and magnetoencephalography (EEG and MEG, respectively) studies involved scalp‐ and sensor‐level analyses. Therefore, we recorded MEG during a continuous NT somatosensory stimulus detection task and applied the reconstructed source data in order to identify cortical areas where the post‐stimulus cortical activity and pre‐stimulus alpha oscillation predict the conscious perception of NT somatosensory stimuli. We found that the somatosensory hierarchical processing areas, prefrontal areas and cortical areas belonging to the default mode network showed stronger cortical activity for consciously perceived trials in the post‐stimulus period, but the cortical activity in primary somatosensory area (SI) is independent of conscious perception during the early stage of NT stimulus processing. In addition, we revealed that the pre‐stimulus alpha oscillation only in SI is predictive of conscious perception. These findings suggest that the bottom‐up stream of somatosensory information flow following SI and pre‐stimulus alpha activity fluctuation in SI as a top‐down modulation are crucial constituents of conscious perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ichi Uemura
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Aiko Hoshino
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Go Igarashi
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yusuke Matsui
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Makoto Chishima
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Minoru Hoshiyama
- Department of Integrated Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.,Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
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5
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Al E, Iliopoulos F, Nikulin VV, Villringer A. Heartbeat and somatosensory perception. Neuroimage 2021; 238:118247. [PMID: 34111514 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Our perception of the external world is influenced by internal bodily signals. For example, we recently showed that timing of stimulation along the cardiac cycle and spontaneous fluctuations of heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) amplitudes influence somatosensory perception and the associated neural processing (Al et al., 2020). While cardiac phase affected detection sensitivity and late components of the somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs), HEP amplitudes affected detection criterion and both early and late SEP components. In a new EEG study, we investigate whether these results are replicable in a modified paradigm, which includes two succeeding temporal intervals. In one of the intervals, subjects received a weak electrical finger stimulation and reported first whether they detected any stimulation and then allocated the stimulus to one of the two intervals. Our results confirm the previously reported cardiac cycle and prestimulus HEP effects on somatosensory perception and evoked potentials. In addition, we obtained two new findings. Source analyses in this and our original study show that the increased likelihood of conscious perception goes along with HEP fluctuations in parietal and posterior cingulate regions, known to play important roles in interoceptive processes. Furthermore, HEP amplitudes were shown to decrease when subjects engaged in the somatosensory task compared to a resting state condition. Our findings are consistent with the view that HEP amplitudes are a marker of interoceptive (versus exteroceptive) attention and provide a neural underpinning for this view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Al
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Fivos Iliopoulos
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vadim V Nikulin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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6
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Pyasik M, Ronga I, Burin D, Salatino A, Sarasso P, Garbarini F, Ricci R, Pia L. I'm a believer: Illusory self-generated touch elicits sensory attenuation and somatosensory evoked potentials similar to the real self-touch. Neuroimage 2021; 229:117727. [PMID: 33434613 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 12/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory attenuation (i.e., the phenomenon whereby self-produced sensations are perceived as less intense compared to externally occurring ones) is among the neurocognitive processes that help distinguishing ourselves from others. It is thought to be rooted in the motor system (e.g., related to motor intention and prediction), while the role of body awareness, which necessarily accompanies any voluntary movement, in this phenomenon is largely unknown. To fill this gap, here we compared the perceived intensity, somatosensory evoked potentials, and alpha-band desynchronization for self-generated, other-generated, and embodied-fake-hand-generated somatosensory stimuli. We showed that sensory attenuation triggered by the own hand and by the embodied fake hand had the same behavioral and neurophysiological signatures (reduced subjective intensity, reduced of N140 and P200 SEP components and post-stimulus alpha-band desynchronization). Therefore, signals subserving body ownership influenced attenuation of somatosensory stimuli, possibly in a postdictive manner. This indicates that body ownership is crucial for distinguishing the source of the perceived sensations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pyasik
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; NPSY-Lab.VR, Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
| | - Irene Ronga
- MANIBUS - Movement ANd body In Behavioral and physiological neUroScience research group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Dalila Burin
- IDAC - Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, SARC - Smart-Aging Research Center, Kawashima Laboratory, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Adriana Salatino
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Pietro Sarasso
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Garbarini
- MANIBUS - Movement ANd body In Behavioral and physiological neUroScience research group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ricci
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; NIT (Neuroscience Institute of Turin), 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Pia
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor and Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10123 Turin, Italy; NIT (Neuroscience Institute of Turin), 10123 Turin, Italy.
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7
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Iliopoulos F, Taskin B, Villringer A, Nierhaus T. Imperceptible Somatosensory Single Pulse and Pulse Train Stimulation Oppositely Modulate Mu Rhythm Activity and Perceptual Performance. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:6284-6295. [PMID: 32776096 PMCID: PMC7609940 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Subliminal stimulation alters conscious perception – a potential mechanism is the modulation of cortical background rhythms especially in the alpha range. Here, in the human somatosensory domain, we assessed effects of subthreshold (imperceptible) electrical finger nerve stimulation – either presented as single pulses or as brief (1 s) 7 Hz pulse trains—on mu-alpha rhythm and perceptual performance. In electroencephalography, subthreshold single pulses transiently (~150–350 ms poststimulus) increased mu activity (event-related synchronization), while, interestingly, subthreshold trains led to prolonged (>1 s) mu desynchronization. In psychophysics, detection of near-threshold target stimuli was consistently reduced when presented together with subthreshold trains (at three delays), whereas for targets paired with subthreshold single pulses detection remained unaffected (30 and 180 ms) or was even elevated (60 ms). Though both imperceptible, single pulses and pulse trains exerted opposite effects on neural signaling and perception. We suggest that the common neural basis is preferential activation of cortical inhibitory interneurons. While the inhibitory impact of a subthreshold single pulse (reflected by mu synchronization) is not psychophysically detectable—rather perception may be facilitated—repetition of the same subthreshold pulse shifts the excitation-inhibition balance toward an inhibitory cortical state (reflected by perceptual impediment) accompanied by mu desynchronization. These differential findings provide novel insights on the notion of alpha activity mediating functional inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fivos Iliopoulos
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-University Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School LIFE, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Birol Taskin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-University Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-University Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Nierhaus
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Education and Psychology, Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
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8
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Reduction of somatosensory functional connectivity by transcranial alternating current stimulation at endogenous mu-frequency. Neuroimage 2020; 221:117175. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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9
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Neural correlates of conscious tactile perception: An analysis of BOLD activation patterns and graph metrics. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117384. [PMID: 32950689 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Theories of human consciousness substantially vary in the proposed spatial extent of brain activity associated with conscious perception as well as in the assumed functional alterations within the involved brain regions. Here, we investigate which local and global changes in brain activity accompany conscious somatosensory perception following electrical finger nerve stimulation, and whether there are whole-brain functional network alterations by means of graph metrics. Thirty-eight healthy participants performed a somatosensory detection task and reported their decision confidence during fMRI. For conscious tactile perception in contrast to undetected near-threshold trials (misses), we observed increased BOLD activity in the precuneus, the intraparietal sulcus, the insula, the nucleus accumbens, the inferior frontal gyrus and the contralateral secondary somatosensory cortex. For misses compared to correct rejections, bilateral secondary somatosensory cortices, supplementary motor cortex and insula showed greater activations. The analysis of whole-brain functional network topology for hits, misses and correct rejections, did not result in any significant differences in modularity, participation, clustering or path length, which was supported by Bayes factor statistics. In conclusion, for conscious somatosensory perception, our results are consistent with an involvement of (probably) domain-general brain areas (precuneus, insula, inferior frontal gyrus) in addition to somatosensory regions; our data do not support the notion of specific changes in graph metrics associated with conscious experience. For the employed somatosensory submodality of fine electrical current stimulation, this speaks for a global broadcasting of sensory content across the brain without substantial reconfiguration of the whole-brain functional network resulting in an integrative conscious experience.
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10
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Keywan A, Dietrich H, Wuehr M. Subliminal Passive Motion Stimulation Improves Vestibular Perception. Neuroscience 2020; 441:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.05.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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11
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Forschack N, Nierhaus T, Müller MM, Villringer A. Dissociable neural correlates of stimulation intensity and detection in somatosensation. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116908. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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12
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Scholten M, Schoellmann A, Ramos-Murguialday A, López-Larraz E, Gharabaghi A, Weiss D. Transitions between repetitive tapping and upper limb freezing show impaired movement-related beta band modulation. Clin Neurophysiol 2020; 131:2499-2507. [PMID: 32684329 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2020.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/23/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Freezing phenomena in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) constitute an important unaddressed therapeutic need. Changes in cortical neurophysiological signatures may precede a single freezing episode and indicate the evolution of abnormal motor network processes. Here, we hypothesize that the movement-related power modulation in the beta-band observed during regular finger tapping, deteriorates in the transition period before upper limb freezing (ULF). METHODS We analyzed a 36-channel EEG of 13 patients with PD during self-paced repetitive tapping of the right index finger. In offline analysis, we compared the transition period immediately before ULF ('transition') with regular tapping regarding movement-related power modulation and interregional phase synchronization. RESULTS From time-frequency analyses, we observed that the tap cycle related beta-band power modulation over the left sensorimotor area was diminished in the transition period before ULF. Furthermore, increased beta-band power was observed in the transition period compared to regular tapping centered over the left centro-parietal and right frontal areas. Phase synchronization between the left fronto-parietal areas and the left sensorimotor area was elevated during transition compared to regular tapping. CONCLUSION Together, these results indicate that diminished beta band power modulation and increased phase synchronization precede ULF. SIGNIFICANCE We demonstrate that pathological cortical motor processing is present in the transition phase from regular tapping to an ULF episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlieke Scholten
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
| | - Anna Schoellmann
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ander Ramos-Murguialday
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; TECNALIA, Health Division, Neurotechnology Laboratory, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Eduardo López-Larraz
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Alireza Gharabaghi
- Division of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery, Center for Integrative Neuroscience, and Tuebingen NeuroCampus, University of Tuebingen, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Weiss
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (HIH), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany; German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
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13
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Al E, Iliopoulos F, Forschack N, Nierhaus T, Grund M, Motyka P, Gaebler M, Nikulin VV, Villringer A. Heart-brain interactions shape somatosensory perception and evoked potentials. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:10575-10584. [PMID: 32341167 PMCID: PMC7229654 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1915629117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though humans are mostly not aware of their heartbeats, several heartbeat-related effects have been reported to influence conscious perception. It is not clear whether these effects are distinct or related phenomena, or whether they are early sensory effects or late decisional processes. Combining electroencephalography and electrocardiography, along with signal detection theory analyses, we identify two distinct heartbeat-related influences on conscious perception differentially related to early vs. late somatosensory processing. First, an effect on early sensory processing was found for the heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP), a marker of cardiac interoception. The amplitude of the prestimulus HEP negatively correlated with localization and detection of somatosensory stimuli, reflecting a more conservative detection bias (criterion). Importantly, higher HEP amplitudes were followed by decreases in early (P50) as well as late (N140, P300) somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP) amplitudes. Second, stimulus timing along the cardiac cycle also affected perception. During systole, stimuli were detected and correctly localized less frequently, relating to a shift in perceptual sensitivity. This perceptual attenuation was accompanied by the suppression of only late SEP components (P300) and was stronger for individuals with a more stable heart rate. Both heart-related effects were independent of alpha oscillations' influence on somatosensory processing. We explain cardiac cycle timing effects in a predictive coding account and suggest that HEP-related effects might reflect spontaneous shifts between interoception and exteroception or modulations of general attentional resources. Thus, our results provide a general conceptual framework to explain how internal signals can be integrated into our conscious perception of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Al
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Fivos Iliopoulos
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Norman Forschack
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Leipzig, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Till Nierhaus
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Grund
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paweł Motyka
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, 00-927 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michael Gaebler
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - Vadim V Nikulin
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 101000 Moscow, Russia
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany
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14
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Nierhaus T, Vidaurre C, Sannelli C, Mueller K, Villringer A. Immediate brain plasticity after one hour of brain–computer interface (BCI). J Physiol 2019; 599:2435-2451. [DOI: 10.1113/jp278118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Till Nierhaus
- Department of Neurology Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
- Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit (NNU), Department of Education and Psychology Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Carmen Vidaurre
- Machine Learning Group EE & Computer Science Faculty TU‐Berlin Germany
- Department Statistics, Informatics and Mathematics Public University of Navarra Spain
| | - Claudia Sannelli
- Machine Learning Group EE & Computer Science Faculty TU‐Berlin Germany
| | - Klaus‐Robert Mueller
- Machine Learning Group EE & Computer Science Faculty TU‐Berlin Germany
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering Korea University Anam‐dong Seongbuk‐gu Seoul 02841 Korea
- Max Planck Institute for Informatics Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department of Neurology Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute at Berlin School of Mind and Brain Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt‐University Berlin Germany
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15
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Skouras S, Scharnowski F. The effects of psychiatric history and age on self-regulation of the default mode network. Neuroimage 2019; 198:150-159. [PMID: 31103786 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Real-time neurofeedback enables human subjects to learn to regulate their brain activity, effecting behavioral changes and improvements of psychiatric symptomatology. Neurofeedback up-regulation and down-regulation have been assumed to share common neural correlates. Neuropsychiatric pathology and aging incur suboptimal functioning of the default mode network. Despite the exponential increase in real-time neuroimaging studies, the effects of aging, pathology and the direction of regulation on neurofeedback performance remain largely unknown. Using real-time fMRI data shared through the Rockland Sample Real-Time Neurofeedback project (N = 136) and open-access analyses, we first modeled neurofeedback performance and learning in a group of subjects with psychiatric history (na = 74) and a healthy control group (nb = 62). Subsequently, we examined the relationship between up-regulation and down-regulation learning, the relationship between age and neurofeedback performance in each group and differences in neurofeedback performance between the two groups. For interpretative purposes, we also investigated functional connectomics prior to neurofeedback. Results show that in an initial session of default mode network neurofeedback with real-time fMRI, up-regulation and down-regulation learning scores are negatively correlated. This finding is related to resting state differences in the eigenvector centrality of the posterior cingulate cortex. Moreover, age correlates negatively with default mode network neurofeedback performance, only in absence of psychiatric history. Finally, adults with psychiatric history outperform healthy controls in default mode network up-regulation. Interestingly, the performance difference is related to no up-regulation learning in controls. This finding is supported by marginally higher default mode network centrality during resting state, in the presence of psychiatric history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavros Skouras
- Neuroimaging Unit, Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, 08005, Spain; Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, 08005, Spain.
| | - Frank Scharnowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, 8032, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zürich, University of Zürich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland; Zürich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland; Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010 Vienna, Austria
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16
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Nierhaus T, Chang Y, Liu B, Shi X, Yi M, Witt CM, Pach D. Somatosensory Stimulation With XNKQ Acupuncture Modulates Functional Connectivity of Motor Areas. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:147. [PMID: 30914909 PMCID: PMC6421982 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Xingnao Kaiqiao (XNKQ) acupuncture is an acupuncture technique used for stroke patients. In 24 healthy volunteers, we applied this complex acupuncture intervention, which consists of a manual needle-stimulation on five acupuncture points (DU26 unilaterally, PC6, and SP6 bilaterally). XNKQ was compared to three control conditions: (1) insertion of needles on the XNKQ acupuncture points without stimulation, (2) manual needle-stimulation on five nearby non-acupuncture points, and (3) insertion of needles on the non-acupuncture points without stimulation. In a within-subject design, we investigated functional connectivity changes in resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) by means of the data-driven eigenvector centrality (EC) approach. With a 2 × 2 factorial within-subjects design with two-factor stimulation (stimulation vs. non-stimulation) and location (acupuncture points vs. non-acupuncture points), we found decreased EC in the precuneus after needle-stimulation (stimulation<non-stimulation), whereas the factor location showed no statistically significant EC differences. XNKQ acupuncture compared with needle-stimulation on non-acupuncture points showed decreased EC primarily in subcortical structures such as the caudate nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, and red nucleus. Post-hoc seed-based analysis revealed that the decrease in EC was mainly driven by reduced temporal correlation to primary sensorimotor cortices. The comparison of XNKQ acupuncture with the other two (non-stimulation) interventions showed no significant differences in EC. Our findings support the importance of the stimulation component of the acupuncture intervention and hint toward the modulation of functional connectivity by XNKQ acupuncture, especially in areas involved in motor function. As a next step, similar mechanisms should be validated in stroke patients suffering from motor deficits. ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02453906
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Affiliation(s)
- Till Nierhaus
- Neurocomputation and Neuroimaging Unit, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Yinghui Chang
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.,Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bin Liu
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xuemin Shi
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Ming Yi
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Claudia M Witt
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany.,Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Pach
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health, Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin, Germany.,Institute for Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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17
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Seo NJ, Lakshminarayanan K, Lauer AW, Ramakrishnan V, Schmit BD, Hanlon CA, George MS, Bonilha L, Downey RJ, DeVries W, Nagy T. Use of imperceptible wrist vibration to modulate sensorimotor cortical activity. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:805-816. [PMID: 30607471 PMCID: PMC6613561 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-018-05465-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral sensory stimulation has been used as a method to stimulate the sensorimotor cortex, with applications in neurorehabilitation. To improve delivery modality and usability, a new stimulation method has been developed in which imperceptible random-frequency vibration is applied to the wrist concurrently during hand activity. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of this new sensory stimulation on the sensorimotor cortex. Healthy adults were studied. In a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) study, resting motor threshold, short-interval intracortical inhibition, and intracortical facilitation for the abductor pollicis brevis muscle were compared between vibration on vs. off, while subjects were at rest. In an electroencephalogram (EEG) study, alpha and beta power during rest and event-related desynchronization (ERD) for hand grip were compared between vibration on vs. off. Results showed that vibration decreased EEG power and decreased TMS short-interval intracortical inhibition (i.e., disinhibition) compared with no vibration at rest. Grip-related ERD was also greater during vibration, compared to no vibration. In conclusion, subthreshold random-frequency wrist vibration affected the release of intracortical inhibition and both resting and grip-related sensorimotor cortical activity. Such effects may have implications in rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Jin Seo
- Department of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, 151B Rutledge Ave., Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | - Kishor Lakshminarayanan
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53201, USA
| | - Abigail W Lauer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Viswanathan Ramakrishnan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Brian D Schmit
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Colleen A Hanlon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Mark S George
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Leonardo Bonilha
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Ryan J Downey
- Department of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, 151B Rutledge Ave., Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Will DeVries
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Tibor Nagy
- Department of Chemistry, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA
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18
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Seo NJ, Woodbury ML, Bonilha L, Ramakrishnan V, Kautz SA, Downey RJ, Dellenbach BHS, Lauer AW, Roark CM, Landers LE, Phillips SK, Vatinno AA. TheraBracelet Stimulation During Task-Practice Therapy to Improve Upper Extremity Function After Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study. Phys Ther 2019; 99:319-328. [PMID: 30690609 PMCID: PMC6383710 DOI: 10.1093/ptj/pzy143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral sensory stimulation has been used in conjunction with upper extremity movement therapy to increase therapy-induced motor gains in patients with stroke. The limitation is that existing sensory stimulation methods typically interfere with natural hand tasks and thus are administered prior to therapy, requiring patients' time commitment. To address this limitation, we developed TheraBracelet. This novel stimulation method provides subthreshold (ie, imperceptible) vibratory stimulation to the wrist and can be used during hand tasks/therapy without interfering with natural hand tasks. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the feasibility of using TheraBracelet during therapy to augment motor recovery after stroke. DESIGN The design was a triple-blinded pilot randomized controlled trial. METHODS Twelve chronic stroke survivors were assigned to the treatment or control group. All participants completed 2-hour task practice therapy sessions thrice weekly for 2 weeks. Both groups wore a small vibrator on the paretic wrist, which was turned on to provide TheraBracelet stimulation for the treatment group and turned off for the control group to provide sham stimulation. Outcome measures (Box and Block Test [BBT] and Wolf Motor Function Test [WMFT]) were obtained at baseline, 6 days after therapy, and at follow-up 19 days after therapy. RESULTS The intervention was feasible with no adverse events. The treatment group significantly improved their BBT scores after therapy and at follow-up compared with baseline, whereas the control group did not. For WMFT, the group × time interaction was short of achieving significance. Large effect sizes were obtained (BBT d = 1.43, WMFT d = 0.87). No indication of desensitization to TheraBracelet stimulation was observed. LIMITATIONS The limitation was a small sample size. CONCLUSIONS TheraBracelet could be a promising therapy adjuvant for upper extremity recovery after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na J Seo
- Division of Occupation Therapy, Department of Health Professions, Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, 151B Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29425 (USA)
| | - Michelle L Woodbury
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina
| | | | | | - Steven A Kautz
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Ryan J Downey
- Department of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Blair H S Dellenbach
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Abigail W Lauer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Caroline M Roark
- Division of Occupational Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Lauren E Landers
- Division of Occupational Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Sarah K Phillips
- Division of Occupational Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina
| | - Amanda A Vatinno
- College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina
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19
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Schirmer A, McGlone F. A touching Sight: EEG/ERP correlates for the vicarious processing of affectionate touch. Cortex 2018; 111:1-15. [PMID: 30419352 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Observers can simulate aspects of other people's tactile experiences. We asked whether they do so when faced with full-body social interactions, whether emerging representations go beyond basic sensorimotor mirroring, and whether they depend on processing goals and inclinations. In an EEG/ERP study, we presented line-drawn, dyadic interactions with and without affectionate touch. In an explicit and an implicit task, participants categorized images into touch versus no-touch and same versus opposite sex interactions, respectively. Modulations of central Rolandic rhythms implied that affectionate touch displays engaged sensorimotor mechanisms. Additionally, the late positive potential (LPP) being larger for images with as compared to without touch pointed to an involvement of higher order socio-affective mechanisms. Task and sex modulated touch perception. Sensorimotor responding, indexed by Rolandic rhythms, was fairly independent of the task but appeared less effortful in women than in men. Touch induced socio-affective responding, indexed by the LPP, declined from explicit to implicit processing in women and disappeared in men. In sum, this study provides first evidence that vicarious touch from full-body social interactions entails shared sensorimotor as well as socio-affective experiences. Yet, mental representations of touch at a socio-affective level are more likely when touch is goal relevant and observers are female. Together, these results outline the conditions under which touch in visual media may be usefully employed to socially engage observers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annett Schirmer
- Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Brain and Mind Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Center for Cognition and Brain Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
| | - Francis McGlone
- School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK; Institute of Psychology, Health & Society, University of Liverpool, UK
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20
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Hirvonen J, Monto S, Wang SH, Palva JM, Palva S. Dynamic large-scale network synchronization from perception to action. Netw Neurosci 2018; 2:442-463. [PMID: 30320293 PMCID: PMC6175692 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory-guided actions entail the processing of sensory information, generation of perceptual decisions, and the generation of appropriate actions. Neuronal activity underlying these processes is distributed into sensory, fronto-parietal, and motor brain areas, respectively. How the neuronal processing is coordinated across these brain areas to support functions from perception to action remains unknown. We investigated whether phase synchronization in large-scale networks coordinate these processes. We recorded human cortical activity with magnetoencephalography (MEG) during a task in which weak somatosensory stimuli remained unperceived or were perceived. We then assessed dynamic evolution of phase synchronization in large-scale networks from source-reconstructed MEG data by using advanced analysis approaches combined with graph theory. Here we show that perceiving and reporting of weak somatosensory stimuli is correlated with sustained strengthening of large-scale synchrony concurrently in delta/theta (3-7 Hz) and gamma (40-60 Hz) frequency bands. In a data-driven network localization, we found this synchronization to dynamically connect the task-relevant, that is, the fronto-parietal, sensory, and motor systems. The strength and temporal pattern of interareal synchronization were also correlated with the response times. These data thus show that key brain areas underlying perception, decision-making, and actions are transiently connected by large-scale dynamic phase synchronization in the delta/theta and gamma bands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonni Hirvonen
- Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Simo Monto
- Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sheng H Wang
- Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - J Matias Palva
- Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Satu Palva
- Helsinki Institute for Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
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21
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Antonenko D, Nierhaus T, Meinzer M, Prehn K, Thielscher A, Ittermann B, Flöel A. Age-dependent effects of brain stimulation on network centrality. Neuroimage 2018; 176:71-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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22
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Borsook D, Youssef AM, Barakat N, Sieberg CB, Elman I. Subliminal (latent) processing of pain and its evolution to conscious awareness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 88:1-15. [PMID: 29476771 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
By unconscious or covert processing of pain we refer to nascent interactions that affect the eventual deliverance of pain awareness. Thus, internal processes (viz., repeated nociceptive events, inflammatory kindling, reorganization of brain networks, genetic) or external processes (viz., environment, socioeconomic levels, modulation of epigenetic status) contribute to enhancing or inhibiting the presentation of pain awareness. Here we put forward the notion that for many patients, ongoing sub-conscious changes in brain function are significant players in the eventual manifestation of chronic pain. In this review, we provide clinical examples of nascent or what we term pre-pain processes and the neurobiological mechanisms of how these changes may contribute to pain, but also potential opportunities to define the process for early therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Borsook
- Center for Pain and the Brain, 9 Hope Avenue, Mailbox 26, Waltham, MA, 06524-9936, United States.
| | - Andrew M Youssef
- Center for Pain and the Brain, 9 Hope Avenue, Mailbox 26, Waltham, MA, 06524-9936, United States
| | - Nadia Barakat
- Center for Pain and the Brain, 9 Hope Avenue, Mailbox 26, Waltham, MA, 06524-9936, United States
| | - Christine B Sieberg
- Center for Pain and the Brain, 9 Hope Avenue, Mailbox 26, Waltham, MA, 06524-9936, United States
| | - Igor Elman
- Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4100 West Third Street Dayton, OH, 45428, United States
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23
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Bradley C, Bastuji H, Garcia-Larrea L. Evidence-based source modeling of nociceptive cortical responses: A direct comparison of scalp and intracranial activity in humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:6083-6095. [PMID: 28925006 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Source modeling of EEG traditionally relies on interplay between physiological hypotheses and mathematical estimates. We propose to optimize the process by using evidence gathered from brain imaging and intracortical recordings. METHODS We recorded laser-evoked potentials in 18 healthy participants, using high-density EEG. Brain sources were modeled during the first second poststimulus, constraining their initial position to regions where nociceptive-related activity has been ascertained by intracranial EEG. These comprised the two posterior operculo-insular regions, primary sensorimotor, posterior parietal, anterior cingulate/supplementary motor (ACC/SMA), bilateral frontal/anterior insular, and posterior cingulate (PCC) cortices. RESULTS The model yielded an average goodness of fit of 91% for individual and 95.8% for grand-average data. When compared with intracranial recordings from 27 human subjects, no significant difference in peak latencies was observed between modeled and intracranial data for 5 of the 6 assessable regions. Morphological match was excellent for operculo-insular, frontal, ACC/SMA and PCC regions (cross-correlation > 0.7) and fair for sensori-motor and posterior parietal cortex (c-c ∼ 0.5). CONCLUSIONS Multiple overlapping activities evoked by nociceptive input can be disentangled from high-density scalp EEG guided by intracranial data. Modeled sources accurately described the timing and morphology of most activities recorded with intracranial electrodes, including those coinciding with the emergence of stimulus awareness. Hum Brain Mapp 38:6083-6095, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Bradley
- NEUROPAIN lab, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Inserm U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Hélène Bastuji
- NEUROPAIN lab, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Inserm U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Luis Garcia-Larrea
- NEUROPAIN lab, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, Inserm U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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24
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Gundlach C, Müller MM, Nierhaus T, Villringer A, Sehm B. Modulation of Somatosensory Alpha Rhythm by Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation at Mu-Frequency. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:432. [PMID: 28890693 PMCID: PMC5575435 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is emerging as an interventional tool to modulate different functions of the brain, potentially by interacting with intrinsic ongoing neuronal oscillations. Functionally different intrinsic alpha oscillations are found throughout the cortex. Yet it remains unclear whether tACS is capable of specifically modulating the somatosensory mu-rhythm in amplitude. Objectives: We used tACS to modulate mu-alpha oscillations in amplitude. When compared to sham stimulation we expected a modulation of mu-alpha oscillations but not visual alpha oscillations by tACS. Methods: Individual mu-alpha frequencies were determined in 25 participants. Subsequently, blocks of tACS with individual mu-alpha frequency and sham stimulation were applied over primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded before and after either stimulation or sham. Modulations of mu-alpha and, for control, visual alpha amplitudes were then compared between tACS and sham. Results: Somatosensory mu-alpha oscillations decreased in amplitude after tACS was applied at participants' individual mu-alpha frequency. No changes in amplitude were observed for sham stimulation. Furthermore, visual alpha oscillations were not affected by tACS or sham, respectively. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the capability of tACS to specifically modulate the targeted somatosensory mu-rhythm when the tACS frequency is tuned to the individual endogenous rhythm and applied over somatosensory areas. Our results are in contrast to previously reported amplitude increases of visual alpha oscillations induced by tACS applied over visual cortex. Our results may point to a specific interaction between our stimulation protocol and the functional architecture of the somatosensory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Gundlach
- Department for Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of LeipzigLeipzig, Germany
| | | | - Till Nierhaus
- Department for Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience Berlin, Freie UniversitätBerlin, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Department for Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
- MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Humboldt University of BerlinBerlin, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of LeipzigLeipzig, Germany
| | - Bernhard Sehm
- Department for Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzig, Germany
- Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University of LeipzigLeipzig, Germany
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25
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Gonzalez-Castillo J, Bandettini PA. Task-based dynamic functional connectivity: Recent findings and open questions. Neuroimage 2017; 180:526-533. [PMID: 28780401 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The temporal evolution of functional connectivity (FC) within the confines of individual scans is nowadays often explored with functional neuroimaging. This is particularly true for resting-state; yet, FC-dynamics have also been investigated as subjects engage on numerous tasks. It is these research efforts that constitute the core of this survey. First, empirical observations on how FC differs between task and rest-independent of temporal scale-are reviewed, as they underscore how, despite overall preservation of network topography, the brain's FC does reconfigure in systematic ways to accommodate task demands. Next, reports on the relationships between instantaneous FC and perception/performance in subsequent trials are discussed. Similarly, research where different aspects of task-concurrent FC-dynamics are explored or utilized to predict ongoing mental states are also examined. The manuscript finishes with an incomplete list of challenges that hopefully fuels future work in this vibrant area of neuroscientific research. Overall, this review concludes that task-concurrent FC-dynamics, when properly characterized, are relevant to behavior, and that their translational value holds considerable promise.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter A Bandettini
- Section on Functional Imaging Methods, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA; Functional MRI Core, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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26
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Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations Shape the Processing of Perceptible as well as Imperceptible Somatosensory Stimuli during Selective Attention. J Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28630252 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2582-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention filters and weights sensory information according to behavioral demands. Stimulus-related neural responses are increased for the attended stimulus. Does alpha-band activity mediate this effect and is it restricted to conscious sensory events (suprathreshold), or does it also extend to unconscious stimuli (subthreshold)? To address these questions, we recorded EEG in healthy male and female volunteers undergoing subthreshold and suprathreshold somatosensory electrical stimulation to the left or right index finger. The task was to detect stimulation at the randomly alternated cued index finger. Under attention, amplitudes of somatosensory evoked potentials increased 50-60 ms after stimulation (P1) for both suprathreshold and subthreshold events. Prestimulus amplitude of peri-Rolandic alpha, that is mu, showed an inverse relationship to P1 amplitude during attention compared to when the finger was unattended. Interestingly, intermediate and high amplitudes of mu rhythm were associated with the highest P1 amplitudes during attention and smallest P1 during lack of attention, that is, these levels of alpha rhythm seemed to optimally support the behavioral goal ("detect" stimuli at the cued finger while ignoring the other finger). Our results show that attention enhances neural processing for both suprathreshold and subthreshold stimuli and they highlight a rather complex interaction between attention, Rolandic alpha activity, and their effects on stimulus processing.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Attention is crucial in prioritizing processing of relevant perceptible (suprathreshold) stimuli: it filters and weights sensory input. The present study investigates the controversially discussed question whether this attention effect extends to imperceptible (subthreshold) stimuli as well. We found noninvasive EEG signatures for attentional modulation of neural events following perceptible and imperceptible somatosensory stimulation in human participants. Specifically, stimulus processing for both kinds of stimulation, subthreshold and suprathreshold, is enhanced by attention. Interestingly, Rolandic alpha rhythm strength and its influence on stimulus processing are strikingly altered by attention most likely to optimally achieve the behavioral goal.
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Baumgarten TJ, Königs S, Schnitzler A, Lange J. Subliminal stimuli modulate somatosensory perception rhythmically and provide evidence for discrete perception. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43937. [PMID: 28276493 PMCID: PMC5343432 DOI: 10.1038/srep43937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being experienced as continuous, there is an ongoing debate if perception is an intrinsically discrete process, with incoming sensory information treated as a succession of single perceptual cycles. Here, we provide causal evidence that somatosensory perception is composed of discrete perceptual cycles. We used in humans an electrotactile temporal discrimination task preceded by a subliminal (i.e., below perceptual threshold) stimulus. Although not consciously perceived, subliminal stimuli are known to elicit neuronal activity in early sensory areas and modulate the phase of ongoing neuronal oscillations. We hypothesized that the subliminal stimulus indirectly, but systematically modulates the ongoing oscillatory phase in S1, thereby rhythmically shaping perception. The present results confirm that, without being consciously perceived, the subliminal stimulus critically influenced perception in the discrimination task. Importantly, perception was modulated
rhythmically, in cycles corresponding to the beta-band (13–18 Hz). This can be compellingly explained by a model of discrete perceptual cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Baumgarten
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Sara Königs
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Alfons Schnitzler
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Joachim Lange
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
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28
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Phasic Modulation of Human Somatosensory Perception by Transcranially Applied Oscillating Currents. Brain Stimul 2016; 9:712-719. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 04/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Huang CY, Chang GC, Tsai YY, Hwang IS. An Increase in Postural Load Facilitates an Anterior Shift of Processing Resources to Frontal Executive Function in a Postural-Suprapostural Task. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:420. [PMID: 27594830 PMCID: PMC4990564 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Increase in postural-demand resources does not necessarily degrade a concurrent motor task, according to the adaptive resource-sharing hypothesis of postural-suprapostural dual-tasking. This study investigated how brain networks are organized to optimize a suprapostural motor task when the postural load increases and shifts postural control into a less automatic process. Fourteen volunteers executed a designated force-matching task from a level surface (a relative automatic process in posture) and from a stabilometer board while maintaining balance at a target angle (a relatively controlled process in posture). Task performance of the postural and suprapostural tasks, synchronization likelihood (SL) of scalp EEG, and graph-theoretical metrics were assessed. Behavioral results showed that the accuracy and reaction time of force-matching from a stabilometer board were not affected, despite a significant increase in postural sway. However, force-matching in the stabilometer condition showed greater local and global efficiencies of the brain networks than force-matching in the level-surface condition. Force-matching from a stabilometer board was also associated with greater frontal cluster coefficients, greater mean SL of the frontal and sensorimotor areas, and smaller mean SL of the parietal-occipital cortex than force-matching from a level surface. The contrast of supra-threshold links in the upper alpha and beta bands between the two stance conditions validated load-induced facilitation of inter-regional connections between the frontal and sensorimotor areas, but that contrast also indicated connection suppression between the right frontal-temporal and the parietal-occipital areas for the stabilometer stance condition. In conclusion, an increase in stance difficulty alters the neurocognitive processes in executing a postural-suprapostural task. Suprapostural performance is not degraded by increase in postural load, due to (1) increased effectiveness of information transfer, (2) an anterior shift of processing resources toward frontal executive function, and (3) cortical dissociation of control hubs in the parietal-occipital cortex for neural economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Ya Huang
- School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan UniversityTaipei City, Taiwan; Physical Therapy Center, National Taiwan University HospitalTaipei, Taiwan
| | - Gwo-Ching Chang
- Department of Information Engineering, I-Shou University Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ying Tsai
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Tainan City, Taiwan
| | - Ing-Shiou Hwang
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan City, Taiwan; Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung UniversityTainan City, Taiwan
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30
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Rutiku R, Tulver K, Aru J, Bachmann T. Visual masking with frontally applied pre-stimulus TMS and its subject-specific neural correlates. Brain Res 2016; 1642:136-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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31
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Zeev-Wolf M, Goldstein A, Bonne O, Abramowitz EG. Hypnotically induced somatosensory alterations: Toward a neurophysiological understanding of hypnotic anaesthesia. Neuropsychologia 2016; 87:182-191. [PMID: 27212058 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Whereas numerous studies have investigated hypnotic analgesia, few have investigated hypnotic anaesthesia. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) we investigated and localized brain responses (event-related fields and oscillatory activity) during sensory processing under hypnotic anaesthesia. Nineteen right handed neurotypical individuals with moderate-to-high hypnotizability received 100 vibrotactile stimuli to right and left index fingers in a random sequence. Thereafter a hypnotic state was induced, in which anaesthetic suggestion was applied to the left hand only. Once anaesthetic suggestion was achieved, a second, identical, session of vibrotactile stimuli was commenced. We found greater brain activity in response to the stimuli delivered to the left (attenuated) hand before hypnotic anaesthesia, than under hypnotic anaesthesia, in both the beta and alpha bands. In the beta band, the reduction of activity under hypnotic anaesthesia was found around 214-413ms post-stimuli and was located mainly in the right insula. In the alpha band, it was found around 253-500ms post-stimuli and was located mainly in the left inferior frontal gyrus. In a second experiment, attention modulation per se was ruled out as the underlying cause of the effects found. These findings may suggest that the brain mechanism underlying hypnotic anaesthesia involves top-down somatosensory inhibition and, therefore, a reduction of somatosensory awareness. The result of this mechanism is a mental state in which individuals lose bodily sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maor Zeev-Wolf
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; The Academic College of Society and the Arts, Netanya, Israel.
| | - Abraham Goldstein
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel; Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Omer Bonne
- Hadassah Medical Center and Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
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Seo NJ, Lakshminarayanan K, Bonilha L, Lauer AW, Schmit BD. Effect of imperceptible vibratory noise applied to wrist skin on fingertip touch evoked potentials - an EEG study. Physiol Rep 2015; 3:3/11/e12624. [PMID: 26603457 PMCID: PMC4673650 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Random vibration applied to skin can change the sense of touch. Specifically, low amplitude white-noise vibration can improve fingertip touch perception. In fact, fingertip touch sensation can improve even when imperceptible random vibration is applied to other remote upper extremity areas such as wrist, dorsum of the hand, or forearm. As such, vibration can be used to manipulate sensory feedback and improve dexterity, particularly during neurological rehabilitation. Nonetheless, the neurological bases for remote vibration enhanced sensory feedback are yet poorly understood. This study examined how imperceptible random vibration applied to the wrist changes cortical activity for fingertip sensation. We measured somatosensory evoked potentials to assess peak-to-peak response to light touch of the index fingertip with applied wrist vibration versus without. We observed increased peak-to-peak somatosensory evoked potentials with wrist vibration, especially with increased amplitude of the later component for the somatosensory, motor, and premotor cortex with wrist vibration. These findings corroborate an enhanced cortical-level sensory response motivated by vibration. It is possible that the cortical modulation observed here is the result of the establishment of transient networks for improved perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Jin Seo
- Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Health Professions, Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Kishor Lakshminarayanan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Leonardo Bonilha
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Abigail W Lauer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Brian D Schmit
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Lakshminarayanan K, Lauer AW, Ramakrishnan V, Webster JG, Seo NJ. Application of vibration to wrist and hand skin affects fingertip tactile sensation. Physiol Rep 2015; 3:3/7/e12465. [PMID: 26177959 PMCID: PMC4552540 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.12465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A recent study showed that fingertip pads’ tactile sensation can improve by applying imperceptible white-noise vibration to the skin at the wrist or dorsum of the hand in stroke patients. This study further examined this behavior by investigating the effect of both imperceptible and perceptible white-noise vibration applied to different locations within the distal upper extremity on the fingertip pads’ tactile sensation in healthy adults. In 12 healthy adults, white-noise vibration was applied to one of four locations (dorsum hand by the second knuckle, thenar and hypothenar areas, and volar wrist) at one of four intensities (zero, 60%, 80%, and 120% of the sensory threshold for each vibration location), while the fingertip sensation, the smallest vibratory signal that could be perceived on the thumb and index fingertip pads, was assessed. Vibration intensities significantly affected the fingertip sensation (P < 0.01) in a similar manner for all four vibration locations. Specifically, vibration at 60% of the sensory threshold improved the thumb and index fingertip tactile sensation (P < 0.01), while vibration at 120% of the sensory threshold degraded the thumb and index fingertip tactile sensation (P < 0.01) and the 80% vibration did not significantly change the fingertip sensation (P > 0.01), all compared with the zero vibration condition. This effect with vibration intensity conforms to the stochastic resonance behavior. Nonspecificity to the vibration location suggests the white-noise vibration affects higher level neuronal processing for fingertip sensing. Further studies are needed to elucidate the neural pathways for distal upper extremity vibration to impact fingertip pad tactile sensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kishor Lakshminarayanan
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Abigail W Lauer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Caroline, USA
| | - Viswanathan Ramakrishnan
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Caroline, USA
| | - John G Webster
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Na Jin Seo
- Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Health Professions, Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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