Brain Mechanisms Supporting the Modulation of Pain by Mindfulness Meditation

The subjective experience of one’s environment is constructed by interactions among sensory, cognitive, and affective processes. For centuries, meditation has been thought to influence such processes by enabling a nonevaluative representation of sensory events. To better understand how meditation influences the sensory experience, we used arterial spin labeling functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the neural mechanisms by which mindfulness meditation influences pain in healthy human participants. After 4 d of mindfulness meditation training, meditating in the presence of noxious stimulation significantly reduced pain unpleasantness by 57% and pain intensity ratings by 40% when compared to rest. A two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA was used to identify interactions between meditation and pain-related brain activation. Meditation reduced pain-related activation of the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify brain regions associated with individual differences in the magnitude of meditation-related pain reductions. Meditation-induced reductions in pain intensity ratings were associated with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and anterior insula, areas involved in the cognitive regulation of nociceptive processing. Reductions in pain unpleasantness ratings were associated with orbitofrontal cortex activation, an area implicated in reframing the contextual evaluation of sensory events. Moreover, reductions in pain unpleasantness also were associated with thalamic deactivation, which may reflect a limbic gating mechanism involved in modifying interactions between afferent input and executive-order brain areas. Together, these data indicate that meditation engages multiple brain mechanisms that alter the construction of the subjectively available pain experience from afferent information

On the constitution of certain thiazolidones

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Kansas, Chemistry, 1922. ; Includes bibliographical references

P\u3csup\u3e3\u3c/sup\u3e: Phylogenetic posterior prediction in RevBayes

© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution. Tests of absolute model fit are crucial in model-based inference because poorly structured models can lead to biased parameter estimates. In Bayesian inference, posterior predictive simulations can be used to test absolute model fit. However, such tests have not been commonly practiced in phylogenetic inference due to a lack of convenient and flexible software. Here, we describe our newly implemented tests of model fit using posterior predictive testing, based on both data- and inference-based test statistics, in the phylogenetics software RevBayes. This new implementation makes a large spectrum of models available for use through a user-friendly and flexible interface

Evidence against pain specificity in the dorsal posterior insula

The search for a pain centre in the brain has long eluded neuroscientists. Although many regions of the brain have been shown to respond to painful stimuli, all of these regions also respond to other types of salient stimuli. In a recent paper, Segerdahl et al. (Nature Neuroscience, 2015) claims that the dorsal posterior insula (dpIns) is a pain-specific region based on the observation that the magnitude of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) fluctuations in the dpIns correlated with the magnitude of evoked pain. However, such a conclusion is, simply, not justified by the experimental evidence provided. Here we discuss three major factors that seriously question this claim

Cowhage-Induced Itch as an Experimental Model for Pruritus. A Comparative Study with Histamine-Induced Itch

Histamine is the prototypical pruritogen used in experimental itch induction. However, in most chronic pruritic diseases, itch is not predominantly mediated by histamine. Cowhage-induced itch, on the other hand, seems more characteristic of itch occurring in chronic pruritic diseases.We tested the validity of cowhage as an itch-inducing agent by contrasting it with the classical itch inducer, histamine, in healthy subjects and atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. We also investigated whether there was a cumulative effect when both agents were combined.Fifteen healthy individuals and fifteen AD patients were recruited. Experimental itch induction was performed in eczema-free areas on the volar aspects of the forearm, using different itch inducers: histamine, cowhage and their combination thereof. Itch intensity was assessed continuously for 5.5 minutes after stimulus application using a computer-assisted visual analogue scale (COVAS).In both healthy and AD subjects, the mean and peak intensity of itch were higher after the application of cowhage compared to histamine, and were higher after the combined application of cowhage and histamine, compared to histamine alone (p<0.0001 in all cases). Itch intensity ratings were not significantly different between healthy and AD subjects for the same itch inducer used; however AD subjects exhibited a prolonged itch response in comparison to healthy subjects (p<0.001).Cowhage induced a more intense itch sensation compared to histamine. Cowhage was the dominant factor in itch perception when both pathways were stimulated in the same time. Cowhage-induced itch is a suitable model for the study of itch in AD and other chronic pruritic diseases, and it can serve as a new model for testing antipruritic drugs in humans

Adding value to Physics Education Technology simulations

The Physics Education Technology (PhET) group at the University of Colorado, Boulder has created more than 60 open source, research based simulations that cover concepts in basic physics to state of the art research. We have added value to some of the PhET simulations by tinkering with the source code. The modified simulations are easily embedded into collaborative learning environments and online assessment systems. We believe this will lead to enhanced student interaction and learning outcomes. Examples of how we use these simulations in two open source environments will be presented. The first is a MediaWiki (the software that runs Wikipedia) wiki installation and the second is an Online ASsessment and Integrated Study (OASIS) installation

Fatigue experienced by people with cerebral palsy : A systematic review of assessment tools and decision tree

Purpose To conduct a systematic review of self- and proxy-report fatigue assessment tools used in studies of people with cerebral palsy (CP) of all ages, and to develop a fatigue assessment tool decision tree for clinicians and researchers. Materials and methods Five electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane) were searched to September 2021 to identify studies assessing self-reported fatigue in people with CP of any age. The assessment tools utilised were extracted and two reviewers appraised the tool characteristics, clinical utility and psychometric properties. A decision tree for selecting fatigue assessment tools was constructed. Results Ten assessment tools were identified across thirty-nine studies, three of which are valid and reliable for assessing fatigue severity and impact in people with CP. A four-level fatigue assessment tool decision tree was constructed. No valid and reliable tool for assessing cognitive fatigue was identified; responsiveness has not been evaluated in any tool for people with CP. Conclusions Physical fatigue screening and assessment tools for people with CP are available and are presented in our decision tree, however their utility as outcome measures remains unclear. Cognitive fatigue is understudied and poorly understood, further work is required in this area. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION • Current measurement tools to screen and assess physical fatigue in people with cerebral palsy (CP) are valid and reliable and are presented in our 4-level decision tree to guide assessment tool selection. • The responsiveness of these measurement tools to screen and assess physical fatigue has not been evaluated, therefore their utility as outcome measures in people with CP is unclear. • Cognitive fatigue is understudied and poorly understood in people with CP. • Valid and reliable tools to assess cognitive fatigue in people with CP are not available