Prior knowledge changes initial sensory processing in the human spinal cord.

Prior knowledge changes how the brain processes sensory input. Whether knowledge influences initial sensory processing upstream of the brain, in the spinal cord, is unknown. Studying electric potentials recorded invasively and noninvasively from the human spinal cord at millisecond resolution, we find that the cord generates electric potentials at 600 hertz that are modulated by prior knowledge about the time of sensory input, as early as 13 to 16 milliseconds after stimulation.

The P3 event-related potential increases when humans learn a strategy for motor adaptation.

Human motor learning involves cognitive strategies in addition to implicit adaptation. Differences in systems-level neurophysiology between strategy-based and implicit learning remain poorly understood. We asked how the P3 event-related potential, an electroencephalography signal known to increase during early motor learning, relates to strategy-based learning and implicit adaptation.

Imprecise perception of hand position during early motor adaptation.

Localizing one's body parts is important for movement control and motor learning. Recent studies have shown that the precision with which people localize their hand places constraints on motor adaptation. Although these studies have assumed that hand localization remains equally precise across learning, we show that precision decreases rapidly during early motor learning.

Rapid Compensation for Noisy Voluntary Movements in Adults with Primary Tic Disorders.

Background: It has been proposed that tics and premonitory urges in primary tic disorders (PTD), like Tourette syndrome, are a manifestation of sensorimotor noise. However, patients with tics show no obvious movement imprecision in everyday life. One reason could be that patients have strategies to compensate for noise that disrupts performance (ie, noise that is task-relevant).

Strategy-based motor learning decreases the post-movement β power.

Motor learning depends on the joint contribution of several processes including cognitive strategies aiming at goal achievement and prediction error-driven implicit adaptation. Understanding this functional interplay and its clinical implications requires insight into the individual learning processes, including at a neural level. Here, we set out to examine the impact of learning a cognitive strategy, over and above implicit adaptation, on the oscillatory post-movement β rebound (PMBR), which typically decreases in power following (visuo)motor perturbations.

Can moving in a redundant workspace accelerate motor adaptation?

Variability in behavior can be a manifestation of unwanted noise. However, variability can also reflect exploration and benefit learning. For example, it has been shown that interindividual differences in motor learning can be partly explained by differences in movement variability at baseline.

Discrepancy of the subjective perception of the nasal appearance between independent individuals and patients undergoing functional rhinoplasty (fRPL).

Purpose: Satisfaction with the nasal appearance is a crucial outcome parameter in functional rhinoplasty (fRPL). The visual analogue scale is a suitable instrument not only for the preoperative patient assessment, but also as a patient-reported outcome measure in fRPL. In this study, we analyzed whether a high discrepancy in the preoperative subjective perception of the nasal appearance between patients and other individuals predicts a lower level of satisfaction with the postoperative result and hence a worse outcome of fRPL.

Non-invasive recording of high-frequency signals from the human spinal cord.

Throughout the somatosensory system, neuronal ensembles generate high-frequency signals in the range of several hundred Hertz in response to sensory input. High-frequency signals have been related to neuronal spiking, and could thus help clarify the functional architecture of sensory processing. Recording high-frequency signals from subcortical regions, however, has been limited to clinical pathology whose treatment allows for invasive recordings.

Increased levels of S100A8/A9, IL-1ß and IL-18 as a novel biomarker for recurrent tonsillitis.

Background: Acute tonsillitis represents one of the most frequent reasons patients seek primary medical care and otorhinolaryngology consultation. Therefore, recurrent episodes of acute tonsillitis (RAT), also called chronic tonsillitis, exhaust a substantial amount of medical and financial resources. Diagnosis of tonsillitis depends on a physical examination, which therefore does not allow for a reliable differentiation between viral and bacterial infection.

A Psychophysical Window onto the Subjective Experience of Compulsion.

In this perspective, we follow the idea that an integration of cognitive models with sensorimotor theories of compulsion is required to understand the subjective experience of compulsive action. We argue that cognitive biases in obsessive-compulsive disorder may obscure an altered momentary, pre-reflective experience of sensorimotor control, whose detection thus requires an implicit experimental operationalization. We propose that a classic psychophysical test exists that provides this implicit operationalization, i.

Spatial Filtering of Electroencephalography Reduces Artifacts and Enhances Signals Related to Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS).

Objectives: How spinal cord stimulation (SCS) in its different modes suppresses pain is poorly understood. Mechanisms of action may reside locally in the spinal cord, but also involve a larger network including subcortical and cortical brain structures. Tonic, burst, and high-frequency modes of SCS can, in principle, entrain distinct temporal activity patterns in this network, but finally have to yield specific effects on pain suppression.

Anamnesis as a Prognostic Factor in Cochlear Implantation in Adults.

Introduction: This study aims to analyze possible preoperative factors taken from the medical history that may assist the otolaryngologist in counseling an adult patient before cochlear implantation (CI).

Objective: Analysis of preoperative factors taken during the initial patient presentation for a possible prognostic role in the auditory rehabilitation outcome.

Methods: A cohort of 232 (272 CI implantations) postlingually deafened adults was evaluated in this study.

IL-8 and IFN-γ as Preoperative Predictors of the Outcome of Tonsillectomy.

Objectives: Tonsillectomy (TE) and tonsillotomy (TO) due to recurrent episodes of acute tonsillitis (RAT) belong to the most frequent surgical procedures. However, an adequate objective marker predicting the outcome of TE/TO preoperatively is missing.

Methods: Patients with RAT who underwent TE/TO (n = 31) were included in this pilot study.

Error-Related Dynamics of Reaction Time and Frontal Midline Theta Activity in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) During a Subliminal Motor Priming Task.

Post-error slowing (PES) is an established performance monitoring readout. Several previous studies have found that PES is reduced in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We analyzed reaction time data, along with electroencephalography (EEG) data, from a response priming experiment in children and adolescents with ADHD ( = 28) and typically developing (TD) controls ( = 15) between 10 and 17 years of age.

Intact automatic motor inhibition in patients with tourette syndrome.

Background: Behavioral disinhibition has been proposed as a key mechanism in Tourette syndrome. Yet classic inhibition tasks have yielded inconsistent results, likely reflecting interference by strategies compensating for tic release.

Methods: We examined a core inhibitory function that is immune to such interference because it suppresses movements automatically.

Efficacy of Carboplatin/Paclitaxel-Based Radiochemotherapy in Locally Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck.

Background: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CTX) is commonly used concurrently with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The value of CTX regimens other than cisplatin for locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (LASCCHN) has not been well established. Here we compare the outcome of patients treated with different platinum-based chemotherapy regimens.

Intact automatic motor inhibition in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Hyperactivity and impulsivity are defining symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), next to inattention. Hyperactive and impulsive behavior in ADHD is often thought to result from a deficit in inhibitory motor control. However, testing for such a deficit is complicated by coexisting deficits in ADHD, specifically an impairment in maintaining task set, e.

Influence of the Subjective Body Image on the Outcome of Functional Rhinoplasty.

Improvement of nasal breathing is considered to be the major aspect of functional rhinoplasty (fRPL). Nevertheless, simultaneous aesthetic modifications can be required to achieve sufficient functional enhancement. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of the subjective perception of the nasal appearance on the outcome of fRPL.

Adaption and validation of the nasal obstruction symptom evaluation scale in German language (D-NOSE).

Background: Questionnaires have proven their worth in detecting changes in quality of life after medical interventions. The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale (NOSE) is a reliable and valid tool to identify restrictions of quality of life in patients with nasal problems. The aim of this prospective study was the validation of the German version of the NOSE scale (D-NOSE).

Development and Validation of a Brief Four-Component Questionnaire to Identify Patient's Motivation to Undergo Functional Rhinoplasty.

Outcome of functional rhinoplasty depends on different domains such as functional and aesthetic improvement. The aim of this study was to develop a brief and comprehensible questionnaire to identify patient motivation to undergo rhinoplasty and to measure the outcome of an intervention within a short time during outpatient consultation. Patients undergoing rhinoplasty were asked to complete the Rhinoplasty Outcome Evaluation (ROE) questionnaire, the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale, and the Utrecht Questionnaire for Outcome Assessment in Aesthetic Rhinoplasty (OAR) preoperatively, as well as one, three, and twelve months postoperatively.

Potential of the Novel PTA Score to Identify Patients with Peritonsillar Inflammation Profiting from Medical Treatment.

Peritonsillar inflammation is a common characteristic of both peritonsillar abscess (PTA) and peritonsillitis (PC). The aim of the present study was to apply the PTA score as an objective criterion to identify patients with peritonsillar inflammation (PI) who might profit from medical treatment. Hence, the recently developed PTA score was applied retrospectively on patients suffering from acute tonsillitis, peritonsillitis, and peritonsillar abscess.

Stromal collagen type VI associates with features of malignancy and predicts poor prognosis in salivary gland cancer.

Purpose: Collagen Type VI (COLVI) is an extracellular matrix protein that is upregulated in various solid tumours during tumour progression and has been shown to stimulate proliferation, suppress apoptosis and promote invasion and metastasis. It has also been described as a mediator of chemotherapy resistance and as a therapeutic target in preclinical cancer models. Here, we aimed to analyse the prognostic role of COLVI in salivary gland cancer (SGC).

[Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule - Review of literature].

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal vestibule is a rare entity. In consequence disagreement in etiology, staging system and therapy of primary tumor with or without adjuvant treatment of regional lymph nodes are apparent.

Methods: Pubmed-Recherche of relevant literature concerning: lymphatic drainage, metastases, incidence, risk factors (leather, nickel, nicotine, human papillomavirus, Staging system (UICC, AJCC, Wang's system), therapy of the primary tumor, regional lymph nodes and immunohistochemistry.