Xenomelia: a new right parietal lobe syndrome

ABSTRACT Background Damage to the right parietal lobe has long been associated with various disorders of body image. The authors have recently suggested that an unusual behavioural condition in which otherwise rational individuals desire the amputation of a healthy limb might also arise from right parietal dysfunction. Methods Four subjects who desired the amputation of healthy legs (two right, one left and one, at first, bilateral and then left only) were recruited and underwent magnetoencephalography (MEG) scans during tactile stimulation of sites above and below the desired amputation line. Regions of interest (ROIs) in each hemisphere (superior parietal lobule (SPL), inferior parietal lobule, S1, M1, insula, premotor cortex and precuneus) were defined using FreeSurfer software

Vestibular Nerve Stimulation as a Potential New Therapeutic Modality for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

There is a substantial body of evidence, from disparate sources, that vestibular stimulation, particularly of the otolith organs, can modulate metabolism and thus energy homeostasis. We have previously suggested that repeated otolith stimulation could be used to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here we present double-blind pilot data from 30 Indian patients with T2DM who were randomized 1:1 to active and sham stimulation. All subjects received standard dietary advice. The 15 active patients used an electrical vestibular nerve stimulation device at up to 1mA, for about five hours a week over a three-month period. This technique has previously been shown to specifically activate the otolith organs. The mean HbA1c of the active group fell from 7.22% to 5.03% over the trial. Conversely, the mean HbA1c of the control group went from 7.75% to 7.36%. The marked fall in the HbA1c of the active group was greater than would be expected on the basis of weight loss alone. Given the relatively small number of participants and striking effect observed replication of these data is necessary

Apotemnophilia - the Neurological Basis of a 'Psychological' Disorder

The question of how the human brain combines disparate sensory inputs to construct a unified body image is of longstanding interest^1,2,3^ . We approached this subject by studying the unusual medical condition of apotemnophilia, in which otherwise mentally normal individuals express the strong and persistent desire for the amputation of a specific healthy limb^4,5,6^ . Here we show using functional brain imaging - magnetoencephalography (MEG) - that the condition is characterised by an absence of activity in the right superior parietal lobule (SPL) when the affected limb is touched. When this discovery is combined with our earlier finding of a simultaneous increase in skin conductance response (SCR) on touching the affected limb^7^ , which reflects increased sympathetic nervous system activity relating to the limb^8^ , we conclude that what has been regarded as a purely psychological condition, actually has a neurological basis and is caused by a failure to represent one or more limbs in the right SPL. This has the bizarre consequence that although sufferers can feel the affected limb being touched, it does not actually integrate into their body image - a mismatch that results in a desire for the affected limb to be amputated

Impacts of recent climate change on terrestrial flora and fauna: some emerging Australian examples

The effects of anthropogenic climate change on biodiversity are well known for some high-profile Australian marine systems, including coral bleaching and kelp forest devastation. Less well-published are the impacts of climate change being observed in terrestrial ecosystems, although ecological models have predicted substantial changes are likely. Detecting and attributing terrestrial changes to anthropogenic factors is difficult due to the ecological importance of extreme conditions, the noisy nature of short-term data collected with limited resources, and complexities introduced by biotic interactions. Here, we provide a suite of case studies that have considered possible impacts of anthropogenic climate change on Australian terrestrial systems. Our intention is to provide a diverse collection of stories illustrating how Australian flora and fauna are likely responding to direct and indirect effects of anthropogenic climate change. We aim to raise awareness rather than be comprehensive. We include case studies covering canopy dieback in forests, compositional shifts in vegetation, positive feedbacks between climate, vegetation and disturbance regimes, local extinctions in plants, size changes in birds, phenological shifts in reproduction and shifting biotic interactions that threaten communities and endangered species. Some of these changes are direct and clear cut, others are indirect and less clearly connected to climate change; however, all are important in providing insights into the future state of terrestrial ecosystems. We also highlight some of the management issues relevant to conserving terrestrial communities and ecosystems in the face of anthropogenic climate change