Browsing by Subject "Interoception"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Increased Prevalence of Sensory Processing Issues in Pediatric Gastrointestinal Patient Population
    (Permanente Federation, 2022) Wood, Jessica K.; Garcia, Kara E.; Carey, Rebecca G.; Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine
    Background: Sensory processing dysfunction in children has been linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism, feeding disorders, and functional abdominal pain. However, little is known about sensory processing in the broader pediatric gastroenterology population. Objective: To characterize frequency and type of sensory processing dysfunction seen in pediatric gastroenterology compared to a general pediatric population. Methods: The Short Sensory Profile 2 was administered to the parents of children ranging 3–14 years, being seen in a pediatric gastrointestinal (GI) subspecialty clinic or general pediatric clinic. Short Sensory Profile 2 scores from age- and gender-matched groups were compared with nonparametric statistics. Results: Sensory processing dysfunction was increased in children seen in the GI clinic compared to children in the general pediatric clinic. Short Sensory Profile 2 quadrant analysis revealed greatest differences in avoiding, primarily in young females of the GI population. Conclusion: Children presenting to a pediatric GI clinic demonstrate greater sensory processing dysfunction compared to children in a general pediatric practice.
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    Skin sympathetic nerve activity in patients with chronic orthostatic intolerance
    (Elsevier, 2022) Lee, Andrew; Liu, Xiao; Rosenberg, Carine; Borle, Sanjana; Hwang, Daerin; Chen, Lan S.; Li, Xiaochun; Merz, Noel Bairey; Chen, C. Peng-Sheng; Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Medicine
    Background: Chronic orthostatic intolerance (OI) is characterized by the development of tachycardia and other symptoms when assuming an upright body position. Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA) bursts are specific symptomatic biomarkers in patients with chronic OI. Methods: We used an electrocardiogram monitor with a built-in triaxial accelerometer to simultaneously record SKNA and posture in ambulatory participants. Study 1 compared chronic OI (14 women and 2 men; mean age 35 ± 10 years) with reference control participants (14 women; mean age 31 ± 6 years). Study 2 included 17 participants with chronic OI (15 women and 2 men; mean age 39 ± 12 years) not yet treated with ivabradine, pyridostigmine, or β-blockers. Results: In study 1, there were 124 episodes (8 ± 4 per participant) of postural changes, with 11 episodes (8.9%) associated with symptoms. In comparison, 0 of 104 postural changes (7 ± 3 per participant) in controls were symptomatic (P = .0011). In participants with chronic OI, the SKNA bursts associated with symptoms had higher burst frequencies, longer burst durations, and larger mean burst areas than did bursts during asymptomatic periods. However, SKNA bursts and tachycardia were asymptomatic in controls. We analyzed 110 symptomatic episodes in study 2 (6 ± 5 per participant). Among them, 98 (89.1%) followed at least 1 SKNA burst. In comparison, only 41 (37.3%) had heart rate exceed 100 beats/min 1 minute before symptom onset (P < .0001). Conclusion: SKNA bursts are a highly specific, albeit insensitive, symptomatic biomarker for chronic OI.
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    The Use of Cognition by Amphibians Confronting Environmental Change: Examples from the Behavioral Ecology of Crawfish Frogs (Rana areolata)
    (MDPI, 2025-03-04) Lannoo, Michael J.; Stiles, Rochelle M.; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Amphibian conservation concerns frequently center on the idea of 'saving' them, with the underlying assumption they are the passive victims of anthropogenic environmental change. But this approach ignores the physiological, biochemical, and behavioral flexibility amphibians have employed since they first evolved ~365 million years ago. One overlooked advantage amphibians possess in the struggle for survival, and one humans might use in their efforts to conserve them, is their brains share the same blueprint as human brains, which allows them to acquire knowledge and understanding through experiences-in other words, amphibians have cognitive capabilities that assist them in their effort to survive. Here, we use four examples from our work on the behavioral ecology of Crawfish Frogs (Rana areolata) to form hypotheses about how cognition affects amphibian reaction to environmental and social change. The first two examples describe Crawfish Frog responses to seasonality and reproductive status, the third details their reaction to ecological disturbance, and the fourth describes how their response to the same stimulus changes with growth/age. In each example, we detail the neuronal circuitry thought to be involved and hypothesize the role of cognition. We propose that as one component of our fight to conserve amphibians, researchers should consider the full range of anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and behavioral features amphibians themselves employ in their defense, which are features responsible for their historical evolutionary success up until the Anthropocene. Further, we submit that acknowledging amphibians possess cognitive abilities can enrich interpretations of not only behavioral and ecological observations but also of neuroanatomical and neurophysiological results.