Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Neuronavigated vs. conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation method for virtual lesioning on the Broca's area.
This study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) using a neuronavigational TMS system (nTMS) to the Broca's area would elicit greater virtual aphasia than rTMS using the conventional TMS method (cTMS). ⋯ nTMS leads to more robust neuromodulation of Broca's area, resulting in delayed verbal reaction time as well as more accurate targeting of the intended stimulation location, demonstrating superiority of nTMS over cTMS for therapeutic use of rTMS in neurorehabilitation.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A feasibility study to investigate the effect of functional electrical stimulation and physiotherapy exercise on the quality of gait of people with multiple sclerosis.
To examine the effect of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) for dropped foot and hip instability in combination with physiotherapy core stability exercises. ⋯ The intervention was feasible. FES for dropped foot may improve mobility and quality of life and may reduce falls. Adding gluteal stimulation further improved gait quality. Adding physiotherapy may have enhanced the effect of FES, but FES had the dominant effect.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Patient-perceived differences between constant current and constant voltage spinal cord stimulation systems.
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) systems employ implantable pulse generators that use either a constant current (CC) or a constant voltage (CV) power source. CC power sources adjust voltage in response to resistance (impedance) to ensure that consistent current is delivered to the patient. CV power sources do not adjust voltage in response to impedance; therefore, current delivered to the patient will vary in response to changes in impedance. Both systems produce paresthesia and have been shown to treat chronic pain; however, it has been suggested that patients prefer CC stimulation over CV stimulation. ⋯ The results from this study indicate that patients preferred and experienced greater satisfaction and pain relief with the CC system during an SCS trial period. Differences between the two systems following long-term use has yet to be compared. However, the benefits of the CC system seen with short-term use should be considered when selecting an SCS system.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Neuromodulation of emotion using functional electrical stimulation applied to facial muscles.
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common condition for which available pharmaceutical treatments are not always effective and can have side-effects. Therefore, alternative and/or complementary MDD treatments are needed. Research on facial expressions has shown that facial movements can induce the corresponding emotions, particularly when specific attention is paid to voluntarily activating muscles that are typically only activated involuntarily while expressing emotions. We hypothesized that functional electrical stimulation (FES) applied to facial muscles may enhance this effect due to its ability to modulate central nervous system plasticity. Thus, applying FES to the facial muscles associated with smiling (including the "Duchenne marker") may increase the activity of subcortical nuclei related to positive emotions and counteract symptoms of depression. ⋯ These results suggest that modulating emotion using FES may be possible, but is difficult to target accurately. Further work is warranted to explore FES applications to MDD.