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Advances in Physiology Education Sep 2015Thermoregulation is the maintenance of a relatively constant core body temperature. Humans normally maintain a body temperature at 37°C, and maintenance of this... (Review)
Review
Thermoregulation is the maintenance of a relatively constant core body temperature. Humans normally maintain a body temperature at 37°C, and maintenance of this relatively high temperature is critical to human survival. This concept is so important that control of thermoregulation is often the principal example cited when teaching physiological homeostasis. A basic understanding of the processes underpinning temperature regulation is necessary for all undergraduate students studying biology and biology-related disciplines, and a thorough understanding is necessary for those students in clinical training. Our aim in this review is to broadly present the thermoregulatory process taking into account current advances in this area. First, we summarize the basic concepts of thermoregulation and subsequently assess the physiological responses to heat and cold stress, including vasodilation and vasoconstriction, sweating, nonshivering thermogenesis, piloerection, shivering, and altered behavior. Current research is presented concerning the body's detection of thermal challenge, peripheral and central thermoregulatory control mechanisms, including brown adipose tissue in adult humans and temperature transduction by the relatively recently discovered transient receptor potential channels. Finally, we present an updated understanding of the neuroanatomic circuitry supporting thermoregulation.
Topics: Adaptation, Physiological; Adult; Body Temperature; Body Temperature Regulation; Female; Fever; Humans; Hypothermia; Male; Sensitivity and Specificity; Shivering; Skin Temperature; Sweating; Thermoreceptors; Thermosensing
PubMed: 26330029
DOI: 10.1152/advan.00126.2014 -
European Heart Journal Nov 2015Music can powerfully evoke and modulate emotions and moods, along with changes in heart activity, blood pressure (BP), and breathing. Although there is great... (Review)
Review
Music can powerfully evoke and modulate emotions and moods, along with changes in heart activity, blood pressure (BP), and breathing. Although there is great heterogeneity in methods and quality among previous studies on effects of music on the heart, the following findings emerge from the literature: Heart rate (HR) and respiratory rate (RR) are higher in response to exciting music compared with tranquilizing music. During musical frissons (involving shivers and piloerection), both HR and RR increase. Moreover, HR and RR tend to increase in response to music compared with silence, and HR appears to decrease in response to unpleasant music compared with pleasant music. We found no studies that would provide evidence for entrainment of HR to musical beats. Corresponding to the increase in HR, listening to exciting music (compared with tranquilizing music) is associated with a reduction of heart rate variability (HRV), including reductions of both low-frequency and high-frequency power of the HRV. Recent findings also suggest effects of music-evoked emotions on regional activity of the heart, as reflected in electrocardiogram amplitude patterns. In patients with heart disease (similar to other patient groups), music can reduce pain and anxiety, associated with lower HR and lower BP. In general, effects of music on the heart are small, and there is great inhomogeneity among studies with regard to methods, findings, and quality. Therefore, there is urgent need for systematic high-quality research on the effects of music on the heart, and on the beneficial effects of music in clinical settings.
Topics: Anxiety; Depression; Emotions; Heart; Heart Diseases; Heart Rate; Humans; Music; Music Therapy; Pain; Respiratory Rate
PubMed: 26354957
DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv430 -
Cell Aug 2020Piloerection (goosebumps) requires concerted actions of the hair follicle, the arrector pili muscle (APM), and the sympathetic nerve, providing a model to study...
Piloerection (goosebumps) requires concerted actions of the hair follicle, the arrector pili muscle (APM), and the sympathetic nerve, providing a model to study interactions across epithelium, mesenchyme, and nerves. Here, we show that APMs and sympathetic nerves form a dual-component niche to modulate hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) activity. Sympathetic nerves form synapse-like structures with HFSCs and regulate HFSCs through norepinephrine, whereas APMs maintain sympathetic innervation to HFSCs. Without norepinephrine signaling, HFSCs enter deep quiescence by down-regulating the cell cycle and metabolism while up-regulating quiescence regulators Foxp1 and Fgf18. During development, HFSC progeny secretes Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) to direct the formation of this APM-sympathetic nerve niche, which in turn controls hair follicle regeneration in adults. Our results reveal a reciprocal interdependence between a regenerative tissue and its niche at different stages and demonstrate sympathetic nerves can modulate stem cells through synapse-like connections and neurotransmitters to couple tissue production with demands.
Topics: Accessory Nerve; Animals; Cell Cycle; Cold Temperature; Female; Fibroblast Growth Factors; Forkhead Transcription Factors; Gene Expression Profiling; Hair; Hair Follicle; Hedgehog Proteins; Humans; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Norepinephrine; Piloerection; RNA-Seq; Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-2; Repressor Proteins; Signal Transduction; Smoothened Receptor; Stem Cell Niche; Stem Cells; Sympathetic Nervous System; Synapses
PubMed: 32679029
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.06.031 -
Nature Materials Apr 2024Microactuators provide controllable driving forces for precise positioning, manipulation and operation at the microscale. Development of microactuators using active...
Microactuators provide controllable driving forces for precise positioning, manipulation and operation at the microscale. Development of microactuators using active materials is often hampered by their fabrication complexity and limited motion at small scales. Here we report light-fuelled artificial goosebumps to actuate passive microstructures, inspired by the natural reaction of hair bristling (piloerection) on biological skin. We use light-responsive liquid crystal elastomers as the responsive artificial skin to move three-dimensionally printed passive polymer microstructures. When exposed to a programmable femtosecond laser, the liquid crystal elastomer skin generates localized artificial goosebumps, resulting in precise actuation of the surrounding microstructures. Such microactuation can tilt micro-mirrors for the controlled manipulation of light reflection and disassemble capillary-force-induced self-assembled microstructures globally and locally. We demonstrate the potential application of the proposed microactuation system for information storage. This methodology provides precise, localized and controllable manipulation of microstructures, opening new possibilities for the development of programmable micromachines.
PubMed: 38336868
DOI: 10.1038/s41563-024-01810-6 -
Frontiers in Neuroscience 2017The present study is focused on a review of the current state of investigating music-evoked emotions experimentally, theoretically and with respect to their therapeutic... (Review)
Review
The present study is focused on a review of the current state of investigating music-evoked emotions experimentally, theoretically and with respect to their therapeutic potentials. After a concise historical overview and a schematic of the hearing mechanisms, experimental studies on music listeners and on music performers are discussed, starting with the presentation of characteristic musical stimuli and the basic features of tomographic imaging of emotional activation in the brain, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), which offer high spatial resolution in the millimeter range. The progress in correlating activation imaging in the brain to the psychological understanding of music-evoked emotion is demonstrated and some prospects for future research are outlined. Research in psychoneuroendocrinology and molecular markers is reviewed in the context of music-evoked emotions and the results indicate that the research in this area should be intensified. An assessment of studies involving measuring techniques with high temporal resolution down to the 10 ms range, as, e.g., electroencephalography (EEG), event-related brain potentials (ERP), magnetoencephalography (MEG), skin conductance response (SCR), finger temperature, and goose bump development (piloerection) can yield information on the dynamics and kinetics of emotion. Genetic investigations reviewed suggest the heredity transmission of a predilection for music. Theoretical approaches to musical emotion are directed to a unified model for experimental neurological evidence and aesthetic judgment. Finally, the reports on musical therapy are briefly outlined. The study concludes with an outlook on emerging technologies and future research fields.
PubMed: 29225563
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00600 -
International Journal of... Sep 2022This paper provides an accessible review of the biological and psychological evidence to guide new and experienced researchers in the study of emotional piloerection in... (Review)
Review
This paper provides an accessible review of the biological and psychological evidence to guide new and experienced researchers in the study of emotional piloerection in humans. A limited number of studies have attempted to examine the physiological and emotional correlates of piloerection in humans. However, no review has attempted to collate this evidence to guide the field as it moves forward. We first discuss the mechanisms and function of non-emotional and emotional piloerection in humans and animals. We discuss the biological foundations of piloerection as a means to understand the similarities and differences between emotional and non-emotional piloerection. We then present a systematic qualitative review (k = 24) in which we examine the physiological correlates of emotional piloerection. The analysis revealed that indices of sympathetic activation are abundant, suggesting emotional piloerection occurs with increased (phasic) skin conductance and heart rate. Measures of parasympathetic activation are lacking and no definite conclusions can be drawn. Additionally, several studies examined self-reported emotional correlates, and these correlates are discussed in light of several possible theoretical explanations for emotional piloerection. Finally, we provide an overview of the methodological possibilities available for the study of piloerection and we highlight some pressing questions researchers may wish to answer in future studies.
Topics: Animals; Emotions; Heart Rate; Humans; Piloerection
PubMed: 35764195
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.010 -
Stem Cells and Development Mar 2022Skin bears essential appendages and diverse cell types that function importantly in protection, thermoregulation, mechanosensation, piloerection, and social...
Skin bears essential appendages and diverse cell types that function importantly in protection, thermoregulation, mechanosensation, piloerection, and social communication. The hair follicle is a tiny skin appendage with intricate structure and has versatile functions in mammals. Hair follicles evolve stem cells that regenerate cyclically to produce hairs and to accommodate the rapidly changing environment. Sharing the same bulge niche with hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs), melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) undergo cyclic activation in synchrony with HFSCs, to pigment the hairs, which can protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation. Disorders of HFSCs or McSCs result in skin diseases such as hair loss, canities, vitiligo, and even melanoma, compromising senses of well-being and posing psychosocial distress to the affected individuals. The activation or quiescence of these stem cells is not only regulated by intrinsic factors within the follicle, but is also largely influenced by the extrinsic environmental factors, including the neighboring cells, systemic factors, and the external environment. Although great progress has been made to elucidate the intrinsic regulation of HFSCs or McSCs, understanding the environmental modulation of these stem cells can provide novel insight for the development of new therapeutic strategies for treating alopecia and skin pigmentation-related disorders.
Topics: Alopecia; Animals; Hair; Hair Follicle; Humans; Mammals; Melanocytes; Skin Pigmentation; Ultraviolet Rays
PubMed: 35285756
DOI: 10.1089/scd.2022.29011.wwu -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2023Matricellular proteins are secreted extracellular proteins that bear no primary structural functions but play crucial roles in tissue remodeling during development,... (Review)
Review
Matricellular proteins are secreted extracellular proteins that bear no primary structural functions but play crucial roles in tissue remodeling during development, homeostasis, and aging. Despite their low expression after birth, matricellular proteins within skin compartments support the structural function of many extracellular matrix proteins, such as collagens. In this review, we summarize the function of matricellular proteins in skin stem cell niches that influence stem cells' fate and self-renewal ability. In the epidermal stem cell niche, fibulin 7 promotes epidermal stem cells' heterogeneity and fitness into old age, and the transforming growth factor-β-induced protein ig-h3 (TGFBI)-enhances epidermal stem cell growth and wound healing. In the hair follicle stem cell niche, matricellular proteins such as periostin, tenascin C, SPARC, fibulin 1, CCN2, and R-Spondin 2 and 3 modulate stem cell activity during the hair cycle and may stabilize arrector pili muscle attachment to the hair follicle during piloerections (goosebumps). In skin wound healing, matricellular proteins are upregulated, and their functions have been examined in various gain-and-loss-of-function studies. However, much remains unknown concerning whether these proteins modulate skin stem cell behavior, plasticity, or cell-cell communications during wound healing and aging, leaving a new avenue for future studies.
Topics: Skin Aging; Skin; Epidermis; Homeostasis
PubMed: 37762584
DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814274 -
Clinical Autonomic Research : Official... Feb 2018To review infectious diseases that may cause autonomic dysfunction. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To review infectious diseases that may cause autonomic dysfunction.
METHODS
Review of published papers indexed in medline/embase.
RESULTS
Autonomic dysfunction has been reported in retrovirus (human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-lymphotropic virus), herpes viruses, flavivirus, enterovirus 71 and lyssavirus infections. Autonomic dysfunction is relatively common in HIV-infected patients and heart rate variability is reduced even in early stages of infection. Orthostatic hypotension, urinary dysfunction and hypohidrosis have been described in tropical spastic paraparesis patients. Varicella zoster reactivation from autonomic ganglia may be involved in visceral disease and chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Autonomic and peripheral nervous system dysfunction may happen in acute tick-borne encephalitis virus infections. Hydrophobia, hypersalivation, dyspnea, photophobia, and piloerection are frequently observed in human rabies. Autonomic dysfunction and vagal denervation is common in Chagas disease. Neuronal depopulation occurs mainly in chagasic heart disease and myenteric plexus, and megacolon, megaesophagus and cardiomyopathy are common complications in the chronic stage of Chagas disease. Parasympathetic autonomic dysfunction precedes left ventricle systolic dysfunction in Chagas disease. A high prevalence of subclinical autonomic neuropathy in leprosy patients has been reported, and autonomic nerve dysfunction may be an early manifestation of the disease. Autonomic dysfunction features in leprosy include anhidrosis, impaired sweating function, localised alopecia ,and reduced heart rate variability. Urinary retention and intestinal pseudo-obstruction have been described in Lyme disease. Diphtheritic polyneuropathy, tetanus and botulism are examples of bacterial infections releasing toxins that affect the autonomic nervous system.
CONCLUSIONS
Autonomic dysfunction may be responsible for additional morbidity in some infectious diseases.
Topics: Autonomic Nervous System Diseases; Communicable Diseases; Humans
PubMed: 28730326
DOI: 10.1007/s10286-017-0452-4 -
IEEE Transactions on Haptics 2024In this project, we create artificial piloerection using contactless electrostatics to induce tactile sensations in a contactless way. Firstly, we design various...
In this project, we create artificial piloerection using contactless electrostatics to induce tactile sensations in a contactless way. Firstly, we design various high-voltage generators and evaluate them in terms of their static charge, safety and frequency response with different electrodes as well as grounding strategies. Secondly, a psychophysics user study revealed which parts of the upper body are more sensitive to electrostatic piloerection and what adjectives are associated with them. Finally, we combine an electrostatic generator to produce artificial piloerection on the nape with a head-mounted display, this device provides an augmented virtual experience related to fear. We hope that work encourages designers to explore contactless piloerection for enhancing experiences such as music, short movies, video games, or exhibitions.
Topics: Humans; Touch Perception; Static Electricity; Equipment Design; Adult; Male; Female; Young Adult; Touch; Psychophysics; User-Computer Interface
PubMed: 37097797
DOI: 10.1109/TOH.2023.3269885