Sensory sensitivity after acquired brain injury: A systematic review

Patients with acquired brain injury frequently report experiencing sensory stimuli as abnormally under- (sensory hyposensitivity) or overwhelming (sensory hypersensitivity). Although they can negatively impact daily functioning, these symptoms are poorly understood. To provide an overview of the current evidence on atypical sensory sensitivity after acquired brain injury, we conducted a systematic literature review. The primary aim of the review was to investigate the behavioural and neural mechanisms that are associated with self-reported sensory sensitivity. Studies were included when they studied sensory sensitivity in acquired brain injury populations, and excluded when they were not written in English, consisted of non-empirical research, did not study human subjects, studied pain, related sensory sensitivity to peripheral injury or studied patients with a neurodegenerative disorder, meningitis, encephalitis or a brain tumour. The Web of Science, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for appropriate studies. A qualitative synthesis of the results of the 81 studies that were included suggests that abnormal sensory thresholds and a reduced information processing speed are candidate behavioural mechanisms of atypical subjective sensory sensitivity after acquired brain injury. Furthermore, there was evidence for an association between subjective sensory sensitivity and structural grey or white matter abnormalities, and to functional abnormalities in sensory cortices. However, further research is needed to explore the causation of atypical sensory sensitivity. In addition, there is a need for the development of adequate diagnostic tools. This can significantly advance the quantity and quality of research on the prevalence, aetiology, prognosis and treatment of these symptoms.     

Premonitory urges are associated with decreased grey matter thickness within the insula and sensorimotor cortex in young people with Tourette syndrome

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by vocal and motor tics and is associated with cortical–striatal–thalamic–cortical circuit (CSTC) dysfunction and hyperexcitability of cortical limbic and motor regions, which are thought to lead to the occurrence of tics. Importantly, individuals with TS often report that their tics are preceded by ‘premonitory sensory phenomena’ (PSP) that are described as uncomfortable cognitive or bodily sensations that precede the execution of a tic, and are experienced as a strong urge for motor discharge. While the precise role played by PSP in the occurrence of tics is controversial, PSP are nonetheless of considerable theoretical and clinical importance in TS, not least because they form the core component in many of the behavioural therapies that are currently used in the treatment of tic disorders. In this study, we investigated the brain structure correlates of PSP. Specifically, we conducted a whole‐brain analysis of cortical (grey matter) thickness in 29 children and young adults with TS and investigated the association between grey matter thickness and PSP. We demonstrate for the first time that PSP are inversely associated with grey matter thickness measurements within the insula and sensorimotor cortex. We also demonstrate that grey matter thickness is significantly reduced in these areas in individuals with TS relative to a closely age‐ and gender‐matched group of typically developing individuals and that PSP ratings are significantly correlated with tic severity.     

VISUAL SCREENING: AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD FOR REDUCING STEREOTYPIC BEHAVIORS

Visual screening, a mildly aversive response suppression procedure, was evaluated across two studies for its effectiveness in reducing topographically similar and dissimilar stereotypic behaviors of four developmentally disabled children. In the first study, a multiple baseline design across subjects and behaviors was used to assess the effectiveness of the procedure as a treatment for reducing the visual and auditory self-stimulatory responses of two 9-yr-old mentally retarded and behaviorally disturbed children. A multiple baseline design across subjects was used in the second study to evaluate the effectiveness of visual screening as a treatment for reducing stereotypic fabric pulling and self-mutilative ear bending, respectively, of two 13-yr-old mentally retarded, autisticlike adolescents. Long-term follow-up data for both studies were reported. The results suggested that visual screening was an easily administered, effective, and exceptionally durable treatment procedure for controlling a variety of stereotypic behaviors commonly associated with the developmentally disabled.     

Canonical/redundancy factoring analysis

The interrelationships between two sets of measurements made on the same subjects can be studied by canonical correlation. Originally developed by Hotelling [1936], the canonical correlation is the maximum correlation betweenlinear functions (canonical factors) of the two sets of variables. An alternative statistic to investigate the interrelationships between two sets of variables is the redundancy measure, developed by Stewart and Love [1968]. Van Den Wollenberg [1977] has developed a method of extracting factors which maximize redundancy, as opposed to canonical correlation.A component method is presented which maximizes user specified convex combinations of canonical correlation and the two nonsymmetric redundancy measures presented by Stewart and Love. Monte Carlo work comparing canonical correlation analysis, redundancy analysis, and various canonical/redundancy factoring analyses on the Van Den Wollenberg data is presented. An empirical example is also provided.Wayne S. DeSarbo is a Member of Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories in the Mathematics and Statistics Research Group at Murray Hill, N.J. I wish to express my appreciation to J. Kettenring, J. Kruskal, C. Mallows, and R. Gnanadesikan for their valuable technical assistance and/or for comments on an earlier draft of this paper. I also wish to thank the editor and reviewers of this paper for their insightful remarks.     

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AS TREATMENT FOR STEREOTYPIC HAND MOUTHING: SENSORY EXTINCTION OR PUNISHMENT EFFECTS?

We examined the effects of noncontingent and contingent protective equipment as treatment for self-injurious hand mouthing exhibited by 2 individuals with profound mental retardation. Results of a functional analysis assessment revealed that neither subject's self-injury was maintained by social reinforcement: One subject's self-injury was cyclical in nature; the other's occurred during all assessment conditions but most frequently when left alone. In the noncontingent-equipment condition, oven mitts were placed on the individual's hands at the beginning of a session and remained on throughout. In the contingent-equipment condition, the mitts were briefly placed on the individual's hands following occurrences of hand mouthing. For 1 subject, noncontingent mitts produced a large decrease in the rate of hand mouthing and contingent mitts produced similar results following a return to baseline. Hand mouthing was also reduced in the 2nd subject, but this individual was exposed only to the contingent-equipment condition (i.e., there was no prior history with the noncontingent-equipment condition). These results suggest either a punishment or a time-out interpretation rather than an extinction interpretation to account for the behavior-reducing effects of contingent protective equipment on self-injury.     

振动触觉频率信息的工作记忆容量及存储机制

工作记忆可以同时保存多个信息并且容量有限, 这一内在机制是工作记忆研究的重点问题。视觉和言语等研究领域都发现工作记忆能够存储多个信息单元, 但对振动触觉工作记忆是否能存储多个频率信息目前尚无相关研究。由于振动触觉频率刺激和视觉刺激具有不同的神经编码机制, 以及振动频率信息是通过躯体感觉产生的模拟的、单维的、参数化信息, 振动触觉工作记忆容量及其加工存储机制的研究也必不可少。首先, 本项目将采用新的实验范式, 探究不同的刺激呈现方式以及不同反应报告方式下, 振动触觉工作记忆的容量及其认知机制。其次, 本项目也将同时运用功能磁共振成像(fMRI)技术, 来阐述振动触觉工作记忆加工存储的神经机制。探究基于触觉频率信息的参数工作记忆容量及其神经机制是完善工作记忆模型的重要补充, 将有助于提高我们对工作记忆系统的理解, 并为视觉、听觉、触觉多模态感知觉信息的跨通道研究奠定基础。     

Efficacy of the Wilbarger Therapressure Program™ to Modulate Arousal in Women with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study Using Salivary Cortisol and Behavioral Measures

This pilot study assesses the efficacy of using the Wilbarger Therapressure Program? to modulate the arousal and influence the sensory symptoms seen in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder. Salivary cortisol and behavioral measures were used in this single subject design study of four women with post-traumatic stress disorder. Significant positive changes were seen in three of the four the women. The exception was one woman whose post-traumatic stress disorder resulted from blast injuries.     

Sensory Modulation for People with Anxiety in a Community Mental Health Setting

Anxiety is a common mental health issue involving cognitive and physiological hypersensitivity to threat. It negatively affects occupational participation. Sensory modulation intervention aims to use calming sensory input to manage the hypersensitivity and physiological arousal associated with anxiety. The empirical evidence for using sensory interventions for anxiety, however, is limited. This mixed methods single subject case design explored the effectiveness of a 6-week sensory modulation intervention for reducing anxiety and improving occupational participation. Results showed significant reduction in anxiety and improved participation, providing further evidence that sensory modulation is an effective approach for the self-management of anxiety.     

Functional analysis and treatment of hair twirling in a young child.

A young child participated in a functional analysis and treatment of hair twirling, a frequently occurring precursor to hair pulling. The functional analysis showed that hair twirling occurred mostly when the child was alone at bedtime. Noncontingent application of mittens decreased hair twirling to near‐zero levels in two settings (home and day care).     

A Metaphilosophical Analysis of the Core Idea of Deflationism

In this paper, I give a metaphilosophical analysis of the core idea of deflationism by discussing some basic conceptual and methodological issues involved in the debate between deflationism and substantivism. In so doing, I argue for three positive points. First, the crux of the dispute between deflationism and substantivism is whether or not truth is substantive in its metaphysical nature and in its explanatory role in philosophical enterprises, rather than whether or not a minimal approach regarding conceptual resources is taken to explain truth; a minimal approach itself is philosophically innocent. Second, there is no intrinsic connection between the core idea of deflationism and the Tarski-style equivalence thesis, which is often identified as implying or supporting the former. Third, there are some unbridged fundamental gaps between the core idea of deflationism and various redundancy theses; these redundancy theses cannot be identified as the former, nor can they be used to justify the former on their own.