Temporal factors underlying thermal perception
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Cell and Developmental Biology
Abstract
Thermal sensation is crucial for homeostasis, guidance of behaviour, and emotion regulation. Thermal afferent pathways are also closely linked with nociceptive pathways, in both the spinal cord and the cortex. Thus, thermal sensations influence the body's system for detecting and defending itself against environmental threats. Despite the important roles of thermoception in all mammalian life, systematic studies of human thermal sensory systems are rare. This project will apply advanced methods for studying temperature perception to characterise the temporal factors underlying thermoception in humans, over and above established differences in the conduction velocities of the different afferent fibre classes. We will use similar methods to dissect the influences of temperature sensing on pain, by employing a sensory illusion in which mild warm and cool temperatures are combined to produce a sensation of burning pain (i.e., the "Thermal Grill Illusion"). Companion studies in mice will record from spinal and cortical neurons during exposure to thermal stimuli to look for neurophysiological signals associated with the temporal resolution thresholds obtained from our human participants.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB/M009513/1 | 01/10/2015 | 31/03/2024 | |||
| 2081511 | Studentship | BB/M009513/1 | 01/10/2018 | 31/03/2023 | Ivan Ezquerra Romano |
| BB/T008709/1 | 01/10/2020 | 30/09/2028 | |||
| 2081511 | Studentship | BB/T008709/1 | 01/10/2018 | 31/03/2023 | Ivan Ezquerra Romano |
| Description | In the early stages of the work supported by this award, we've developed a novel method to cool the skin down without tactile stimulation. Most studies on thermal perception use thermodes. These devices control the temperature of a metal bar. The metal bar is placed on the skin. Then, through the metal bar, the device delivers thermal stimulation to the skin. The main limitation of this method to study thermal sensation is that thermodes provide both thermal and mechanical input. The thermode changes of temperature, but it has to be placed on the skin with some mechanical force (pressure) to allow thermal transfer. Importantly, thermal and mechanical perception interact. For instance, touch modulates pain (painful thermal stimuli e.g. a burning laser). We experience this interaction outside the lab. When a body region hurts, we innately touch it. One of the reasons is that touch has an analgesic effect- touch inhibits pain. We think that touch also also inhibits non-painful cold sensation, but nobody has been able to study this interaction because delivering controllable, focal cold stimuli without touch is a technological challenge. We have developed such method and for the first time we are able to study interactions non-painful cold and tactile stimuli. We have preliminary evidence which suggest touch does inhibit cold sensation. However, the samples sizes are small given experimental work in humans has been extremely limited in the last 11 months. |
| Exploitation Route | The outcomes achieved so far will be used to further understand interactions between touch and cold sensation in humans when social restrictions are lifted. We have recently been in contact with a laboratory in Berlin. They perform rodent studies on thermal perception. They are interested in the methods. When travelling is allowed, I might visit them and explore the possibility of applying my novel method to study circuits supporting thermal perception in mice. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |