consumer neuroscience Archives - Page 2 of 2

Understanding Stimulation Hardware

Physiology studies often involve the recording of responses from subjects who are reacting to a particular sensory input being presented, otherwise known as stimulation. The presented stimuli can take several forms, and are tightly controlled in lab environments for the comfort and safety of the subject. Different types of human and animal stimulation consist of:

Electrical
Haptic (touch)
Thermal (temperature)
Olfactory (scent)
Auditory (sound)
Visual (light, such as a strobe)

The following is an introduction to some stimulation hardware commonly used in the research market:

Stimulator Modules such as the BIOPAC STM100C is one of the building blocks for many types of stimulation protocols and create a variety of pulse and waveform outputs for nerve conduction, evoked response, audio stimulus-response, and somatosensory response studies. The STM100C interfaces with the BIOPAC MP150 or MP160 data acquisition system and a wide range of devices such as headphones, LEDs, piezo transducer for audio alarms, or haptic transducers. The device also provides technician control of the stimulus level, and works in concert with the AcqKnowledge software Stimulation setup window.

Stimulus Isolation Adapters: These adapters are added to the STM100C module and multiply the output of the STM100C by 5 or 10x to provide the desired range for nerve conduction, muscle twitch, or other studies requiring a stronger stimulus than what the STM100C can generate on its own.

The STM200 is a standalone device that interfaces with the Analog Outputs on the front panel of the Universal Interface (UIM100C) or High Level Transducer Interface (HLT100C) modules. This is a very powerful stimulator, capable of outputting up to 1 amp. It can be used for human and animal applications, including isolated tissue bath preparations.

Linear Isolated Stimulator: The STMISOLA Linear Isolated Stimulator is the most advanced and powerful stimulator offered by BIOPAC. This type of unit can handle almost any application and far exceeds most typical hardware devices in terms of flexibility and control. Typically, stimulators can only generate simple unipolar or bipolar pulses. The STMISOLA, however, can output unipolar or bipolar arbitrary waves such as pulse (single or train), square, sine, triangle, exponentially decaying, modulated envelopes, and fully user-specified types. STMISOLA can be used for Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS. These are forms of electrical stimulation to effect neuro-modulation in the brain.

Stroboscope: The TSD122 Stroboscope resembles a handheld flashlight and is used for visual evoked response applications and for synchronizing triggers. The unit has a range from zero to a maximum of 12,000 flashes per minute.

Haptic Stimulator: The TSD190 Haptic Stimulator incorporates an internal electromagnetically actuated plunger which can be used to mechanically stimulate a 1.5 mm diameter area of skin surface; both plunger force and travel can be infinitely adjusted between zero and a specified maximum value. This type of stimulator connects directly to the STM100C Stimulator Module and is used for tactile or somatosensory studies.

Thermal Stimulator: The STMTHERM* Thermal Stimulator is used for applying 5-second hot or cold temperature pulses to a 4 cm x 4 cm skin area. AcqKnowledge software controls the actual output from the MP160 data acquisition unit and the stimulator hardware multiplies the signal to achieve the desired voltage or current levels.

Auditory Stimulator: The OUT101 Tubephone is used to deliver aural stimulus in the form of clicks or tones for auditory evoked responses studies such as auditory brainstem response (ABR) and resembles a tube, which is worn in the ear. It connects directly to the STM100C Stimulator Module.

We hope the above thumbnail sketch serves as an introduction to various stimulator hardware and common stimulation protocols. Please visit the above linked content for more in-depth information.

We also invite you to view our free webinar, Stimulation Techniques for Researchers, available on-demand.

*STMTHERM Thermal Stimulator will be available soon! Stay tuned.

BIOPAC offers a wide array of wired and wireless equipment that can be used in your research. To find more information on solutions for recording and analyzing signals such as ECG, heart rate, respiration and more using any platforms mentioned in this blog post, you can visit the individual application pages on the BIOPAC website.

The Face of Facial Expression Analysis

Say you’re in a situation where it behooves you to keep a poker face. At an auto dealership negotiating a price on the new car of your dreams, or sitting across from your boss trying to make a case for a promotion. Your heart is pounding, sweat is forming in the crevasses of your palms, yet you need to keep yourself in check and not betray your excitement or apprehension. How skilled are we at masking emotions really? Emotions affect everyone in daily life, and play a key role in non-verbal communication. They are essential to understanding human behavior. A growing area of research is geared toward classifying and analyzing human emotions for a variety of studies, and methods for acquiring this data have become increasingly reliable and sophisticated. How do these studies work, and how is something as amorphous as the smallest twitch of a facial expression accurately recorded?

Facial “emotion reading” software such as FaceReader can detect minute variations in facial expressions by analyzing key points on the face (over 500) and has been “trained” with more than 10,000 manually annotated images to enhance facial modeling accuracy. Using this vast classification library, the input is distilled into six basic or universal emotions, (happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, disgusted, or neutral.) Facial expression data is non-invasively gathered in real-time via a still or video camera, so no electrodes or leads are necessary.

But these refinements are more than skin deep. Additional tools for further quantifying facial expression data are commonly available. “Action Units” is the term used to describe individual or group facial muscle activity. The FaceReader Action Units add-on module allows automatic analysis of a selection of 20 common Action Units (such as raising of cheeks, wrinkling of nose, dimpling, and lip tightening) to measure affective attitudes (such as interest, boredom, and confusion).

Facial expressions can be visualized as bar graphs, in a pie chart, and as a continuous signal. Using FaceReader integrated with AcqKnowledge software and the MP160 System extends the functionality. Not only is the data automatically synchronized with other signals (ECG, fEMG, EDA, etc.,) but the recorded facial video can be monitored in the FaceReader display for real-time feedback.

Perhaps with a bit of practice, you can pull off that promotion and be able to afford that new car without tipping your hand!

For more information about FaceReader Software, watch the free On-Demand Webinar, “Using Facial Expressions to Understand Behavior” with BIOPAC CEO Frazer Findlay.

Holiday Happiness: Gratitude or Gifts?

Studies investigated the anxiety of gift-giving, the effects of social support in stressful situations, and what impact meditation has on heart rate, ECG, and blood pressure.

December has arrived, and for many the holidays bring a rush to check items off of a long shopping list for parents, siblings, friends, in-laws, and many more. Often we struggle to find that “perfect” gift, but are the physical goods we exchange the true source of the warmth and happiness that characterizes the season?

An article by Nomura investigated anxiety induced by gift-giving. To test this, EDA data was recorded with a BIOPAC data acquisition system and STP100 while participants responded to stimuli. The participants visualized a specific relative while being presented with potential gift options, and were asked how likely they were to purchase the potential gift for that relative. The data found that people who self-reported thinking of in-laws were the most stressed, while those who reported thinking of children or same-gender friends were least stressed.

A psychosomatic study by Inagaki and Eisenberger found that mental and physical well-being benefit from forms of social support. They tested this by administering mild shocks with the BIOPAC STMISOLA to male patients who held the hand of a female partner lying in an fMRI. The results suggest that this support (hand-holding) provided possible stress-reduction for both the male and female participants.

Another article on nonverbal communication and well being by Shaltout, et al. tested the effects of meditation and the subsequent ECG, blood pressure, and heart rate effects. The BIOPAC ambulatory BioHarness and NIBP Blood Pressure System gathered data while participants underwent several mediation episodes, during which they were instructed to focus on loving kindness towards a subject. The results found that participants had decreased heart rate.

Research suggests direct, loving interactions with those who are close to us have many stress-reducing benefits. So when you are shopping for gifts, remember that spending time is more important than spending money. To read more studies about love and stress reduction, visit the BIOPAC publication page.

BIOPAC offers a variety of equipment that can be used in studies similar to the ones presented. To find more information on solutions for recording and analyzing signals such as EEG, EMG, respiration, and EDA using the MP160/MP150, MP36, and other platforms, you can visit the individual application pages on the BIOPAC website.

BIOPAC Systems, Inc. provides life science researchers and educators with data acquisition and analysis systems that inspire people and enable greater discovery about life. Visit us at www.biopac.com.

The Physiology of Consumer Buying Habits

On “Black Friday” in the US, shoppers will come out in search of great deals, and researchers can measure the many physiological factors that motivate shoppers other than deals and price cuts.

Black Friday is one of the most exciting days for consumers in the United States. With the holidays right around the corner, significant deals and price cuts incentivize people to do bulk gift shopping. But is price the only factor influencing shoppers to dedicate hours waiting in line for a product?

In a neurophysiology study by Alexander et al., researchers found that participants who received a coupon while shopping online had a significant increase in oxytocin and a decrease in cortisol. A BIOPAC research system was used to gather ECG, respiration, and skin conductance data while the participants browsed a commerce website.

Another article by Ha-Brookshire and Bhaduri measured ECG response to stimuli that tested consumers’ perceived trust of businesses. The BIOPAC MP36R was used to record participants’ heart rates while they read negative reviews of an apparel business. The results found lower heart rate and less trust were correlated with the less favorable comments.

Conversely, a consumer research study by Langner et al. found that consumers’ love of brands is similar to their love of friends. Signals measured included EDA, EMG, ECG, and BPV, and were recorded by BIOPAC MP160/MP150 hardware to measure arousal levels while participants viewed different brand and interpersonal stimuli.

BIOPAC offers a variety of equipment that can be used in studies similar to the ones presented. To find more information on solutions for recording and analyzing signals such as EEG, EMG, respiration, skin conductance using the MP160/MP150, MP36, and other platforms, you can visit the individual application pages on the BIOPAC website. If you are interested in reading other related studies, visit the publications page on the BIOPAC website.