Spike times encode stimulus values in many sensory systems, but it is generally unknown whether such temporal variations are decoded (i.e., whether they influence downstream networks that control behavior). In the present study, we directly address this decoding problem by quantifying both sensory encoding and decoding in the leech. By mechanically stimulating the leech body wall while recordin...

OBJECTIVE The implementation of leech therapy for surgical flaps is not always logistically easy or comfortable for patients or healthcare providers. We examine different methods of placing sutures in the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis, to make the implementation of leech therapy easier. METHODS Sixteen leeches were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group, a deep anchoring suture...

Animals continuously decide among different behaviors, but, even in invertebrates, the mechanisms underlying choice and decision are unknown. In this article, leech spontaneous behavior was tracked and quantified for up to 12 h. We obtained a statistical characterization, in space and time domains, of the decision processes underlying selection of behavior in the leech. We found that the spatia...

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured in cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the central nervous system of the leech. Intracellular AChE was assayed by pretreating intact ganglia with echothiophate to inhibit selectively extracellular enzyme. The concentration of intracellular AChE in cholinergic neurons was 3- to 24-fold higher than that in non-cholinergic cells. The propert...

introduction: foreign bodies in the upper airway are one of the most challenging otolaryngology emergencies and have various presentations depending on their physical properties and location. leeches are blood-sucking hermaphroditic worms that vary in color, length, and shape. they usually reside in fresh-water streams and lakes. when rural untreated water is drunk, leeches may localize in the ...

Background Although the depth of the counting chamber is an important factor influencing sperm counting, no research has yet been reported on the measurement and comparison of the depth of the chamber. We measured the exact depths of six kinds of sperm counting chambers and evaluated their accuracy. MaterialsAndMethods In this prospective study, the depths of six kinds of sperm counting chamber...

The distribution of the ribbon leech, NepMlopsis obscwra, was examined in the Central Lowland and Missouri Coteau regions of North Dakota. The leech was found in 12 of3S ponds sampled during a two-year period. Leeches were trapped with throated metal cans and burlap sacks baited with frozen fish parts. Leech ocamence was positively correlated with maximum depth, mean conductivity, and percent l...