Acetylcholine (ACh) plays important roles in the modulation of activity and plasticity of primary sensory cortices, thus influencing sensory detection and integration. We examined this in urethane-anesthetized rats, comparing cholinergic modulation of short latency, large amplitude field postsynaptic potentials (fPSPs) in the visual cortex (V1) evoked by stimulation of the ipsilateral lateral g...

The process by which light touch in vertebrates is transformed into an electrical response in cutaneous mechanosensitive neurons is a largely unresolved question. To address this question we undertook a forward genetic screen in zebrafish (Danio rerio) to identify mutants exhibiting abnormal touch-evoked behaviors, despite the presence of sensory neurons and peripheral neurites. One family, sub...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) reduces the number of falls in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). It was hypothesized that enhanced sensory processing contributes to this PPN-mediated gait improvement. METHODS Four PD patients (and eight matched controls) with implanted bilateral PPN and subthalamic nucleus DBS electrodes were ass...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to establish whether stimulation of cardiac sensory receptors in different myocardial regions results in different distributions of cardiac pain. BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that adenosine provokes cardiac pain through stimulation of sensory receptors in the absence of myocardial ischemia. In this study adenosine was used to obtain a regiona...

Oxytocin, a hypothalamic nonapeptide, is linked to increased levels of social interaction, well-being and anti-stress effects. The effects of oxytocin that is released by sensory stimulation during different kinds of interactive behaviors are often underestimated or even forgotten. In fact, many of the positive effects caused during interaction, such a wellbeing, stress reduction and even healt...

Disorders of the nervous system can cause paraplegia, which prevents human mobility and decreases quality of life. A major therapeutic goal is to recover motor and sensory function in individuals who have sensory or motor impairments, due to an accident or illness, and to provide support for the performance of daily life activities. For this purpose, the authors developed a multi-functional sys...

BACKGROUND Acupuncture provides a means of peripheral stimulation for pain relief. However, the detailed neuronal mechanisms by which acupuncture relieves pain are still poorly understood and information regarding optimal treatment settings is still inadequate. Previous studies with a short burst of unilateral electroacupuncture (EA) in the Tendinomuscular Meridians (TMM) treatment model for pa...

Neurons on the rostra1 edge of the ventral surface of the right pleural ganglion were identified as elements of the circuit mediating the defensive tail withdrawal reflex of Aplysia. These neurons produced IPSPs in tail sensory neurons and were classified into two groups, RPI, and RPI,, according to their affinity for an antibody directed against FMRFamide. RPI, was not FMRFamide immunoreactive...