Models for nociception stimulation and memory effects in awake and aware healthy individuals Objective: This paper introduces a primer in the health care practice, namely a mathematical model and methodology for detecting and analysing nociceptor stimulation followed by related tissue memory effects. Methods: Noninvasive nociceptor stimulus protocol and prototype device for measuring bioimpedance is provided. Various time instants, sensor location, and stimulus train have been analysed. Results: The method and model indicate that nociceptor stimulation perceived as pain in awake healthy volunteers is noninvasively detected. The existence of a memory effect is proven from data. Sensor location had minimal effect on detection level, while daytoday variability was observed without being significant. Conclusion: Following the experimental study, the model enables a comprehensive management of chronic pain patients, and possibly other analgesia, or pain related regulatory loops. Significance: A device and methodology for noninvasive for detecting nociception stimulation have been developed. The proposed method and models have been validated on healthy volunteers.

A rapid, neural measure of implicit recognition memory using fast periodic visual stimulation Abstract   Fast periodic visual stimulation (FPVS) has recently emerged as a powerful new tool in cognitive neuroscience. Capable of measuring a range of cognitive functions in single subjects in just minutes of recording time, it has been adapted to measure visual, semantic and linguistic processing. We present a new adaptation of the FPVS approach to measure recognition memory via oldnew contrasts. Twenty one subjects (23 (xc2xb16) yrs, 7 males) completed an FPVSoddball paradigm that assessed their spontaneous ability to differentiate between rapidly presented images on the basis of a preFPVS encoding task, i.e. oddball stimuli were only defined by the subjectu0027s experimentally induced memory of them. A clear oddball detection response reflecting recognition memory was observed within one minute of EEG recording time, simply through the passive viewing of stimuli, i.e. subjects received no task instructions and provided no behavioural response. Performance on a subsequent behavioural recognition task showed high levels of recognition of the oddball stimuli. As such, the FPVS approach returned an objective, nonverbal measure of recognition memory in just one minute of recording time, free from the confounds of behavioural recognition tasks. This finding reinforces the adaptability of the FPVS approach for the examination of higherlevel cognition and provides a new method for the neural measurement of recognition memory.