Browse by Audience
Adaptive interactions with the environment require optimal integration and segregation of sensory information. Yet, temporal misalignments in the presentation of visual and auditory stimuli may generate illusory phenomena such as the sound-induced flash illusion, in which a single flash paired with multiple auditory stimuli induces the perception of multiple illusory flashes. This phenomenon has been shown to be robust and resistant to feedback training. According to a Bayesian account, this is due to a statistically optimal combination of the signals operated by the nervous system. From this perspective, individual susceptibility to the illusion might be moulded through prolonged experience. For example, repeated exposure to the illusion and prolonged training sessions partially impact on the reported illusion. Therefore, extensive and immersive audio-visual experience, such as first-person shooter videogames, should sharpen individual capacity to correctly integrate multisensory information over time, leading to more veridical perception. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the temporal profile of the sound-induced illusion in a group of expert first-person shooter gamers and a non-players group. In line with the hypotheses, gamers experience significantly narrower windows of illusion (~87 ms) relative to non-players (~105 ms), leading to higher veridical reports in gamers (~68%) relative to non-players (~59%). Moreover, according to recent literature, we tested whether audio-visual intensive training in gamers could be related to the incidence of migraine, and found that its severity may be directly proportioned to the time spent on videogames. Overall, these results suggest that continued training within audio-visual environments such as first-person shooter videogames improves temporal discrimination and sensory integration. This finding may pave the way for future therapeutic strategies based on self-administered multisensory training. On the other hand, the impact of intensive training on visual-related stress disorders, such as migraine incidence, should be taken into account as a risk factor during therapeutic planning.
Learn More >The patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) is a treatment-response criterion developed to determine the clinical relevance of a treatment effect. Its estimates for some patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in non-specific chronic low back pain (cLBP) are lacking and the stability of PRO estimates between independent cLBP populations is unknown. We hypothesized that these PRO estimates will be stable.
Learn More >Raised extracellular potassium ion (K) concentration is associated with several disorders including migraine, stroke, neurotrauma and epilepsy. K spatial buffering is a well-known mechanism for extracellular K regulation/distribution. Astrocytic gap junction-mediated buffering is a controversial candidate for K spatial buffering. To further investigate the existence of a K spatial buffering and to assess the involvement of astrocytic gap junctional coupling in K redistribution, we hypothesized that neocortical K and concomitant spreading depolarization (SD)-like responses are controlled by powerful local K buffering mechanisms and that K buffering/redistribution occurs partially through gap junctional coupling. Herein, we show, in vivo, that a threshold amount of focally applied KCl is required to trigger local and/or distal K responses, accompanied by a SD-like response. This observation indicates the presence of powerful local K buffering which mediates a rapid return of extracellular K to the baseline. Application of gap junctional blockers, carbenoxolone and Gap27, partially modulated the amplitude and shape of the K response and noticeably decreased the velocity of the spreading K and SD-like responses. Opening of gap junctions by trimethylamine, slightly decreased the amplitude of the K response and markedly increased the velocity of redistribution of K and SD-like events. We conclude that spreading K responses reflect powerful local K buffering mechanisms which are partially modulated by gap junctional communication. Gap junctional coupling mainly affected the velocity of the K and SD-like responses.
Learn More >Postoperative opioid use can lead to chronic use and misuse. Few studies have examined effective approaches to taper postoperative opioid use while maintaining adequate analgesia.
Learn More >To study the characteristics of headache attributed to COVID-19 infection and predictors of its severity.
Learn More >The literature suggests patient characteristics and higher opioid doses and long-term duration are associated with problematic opioid behaviours but no one study has examined the role of all these factors simultaneously in a long-term prospective cohort study.
Learn More >Headache is a common symptom of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In this study, we aimed to characterize the phenotype of headache attributed to SARS-CoV-2 infection and to test the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) phenotypic criteria for migraine and tension-type headache.
Learn More >To define headache characteristics and evolution in relation to COVID-19 and its inflammatory response.
Learn More >