Restorative neurology and neuroscience
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2013
Towards physiological ankle movements with the ActiGait implantable drop foot stimulator in chronic stroke.
Functional electrical stimulation represents an alternative to conventional and passive ankle foot orthosis (AFO) for the treatment of stroke-related drop foot. We evaluated the implantable 4-channel stimulator ActiGait, which selectively and directly stimulates the peroneal nerve. In addition, it bypasses the need for surface electrodes and cables. ⋯ The ActiGait system increased gait speed, walking endurance and the physiology of important ankle joint kinematics. This is most likely a result of ankle dorsiflexion by active peroneal stimulation during the swing phase of gait and optimized prepositioning (IA) of the foot at the beginning of stance phase. The ActiGait system represents a therapeutic option for the treatment of patients suffering drop foot due to a cerebrovascular insult.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2013
Modulatory effects of locomotor training on extensor spasticity in individuals with motor-incomplete spinal cord injury.
Sparse data exist about effects of locomotor training on spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). We investigated changes in spastic responses in individuals with motor-incomplete SCI (MISCI) associated with locomotor training and examined properties of a biomechanical measure of clonus severity, plantar flexor reflex threshold angle (PF RTA). ⋯ In persons with spastic paresis due to MISCI, locomotor training was associated with decreased spasticity as measured by decreased plantar flexor excitability, ankle clonus, and quadriceps spasm.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2013
Differential involvement of the left frontal and temporal regions in verb naming: a tDCS treatment study.
In aphasic patients, some studies have already emphasized the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during the treatment of noun retrieval deficits. To date, in the same population, there are have been no studies addressing tDCS effects in the recovery of verb retrieval deficits. In this study, we wanted to test the potential of tDCS to improve verb production in a group of aphasic patients. ⋯ These findings further confirm that tDCS represents a useful new therapeutic interventions for the rehabilitation of lexical deficits in aphasic patients.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2013
Plasticity of the contralateral motor cortex following focal traumatic brain injury in the rat.
Recovery is limited following traumatic brain injury (TBI) since injured axons regenerate poorly and replacement of lost cells is minimal. Behavioral improvements could instead be due to plasticity of uninjured brain regions. We hypothesized that plasticity of the uninjured hemisphere occurs contralateral to a focal TBI in the adult rat. Thus, we performed cortical mapping of the cortex contralateral to the TBI using intracortical microstimulation (ICMS). ⋯ Following focal TBI in the rat, our data suggest reorganization of cortical and/or subcortical regions in the uninjured hemisphere contralateral to a focal TBI leading to an altered responsiveness to ICMS. Although we cannot exclude that these changes are maladaptive, it is plausible that this plasticity process positively influences motor recovery after TBI.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2013
Rescue of injured motoneurones by grafted neuroectodermal stem cells: effect of the location of graft.
Avulsion of one or more ventral roots from the spinal cord leads to the death of the majority of affected motoneurons. In this study we investigated whether immortalized clonal neuroectodermal stem cells applied to the injured cord in various ways impart neuroprotection on motoneurons otherwise destined to die. ⋯ This study provides evidence that neuroectodermal stem cell transplantation into the reimplanted ventral root induces as successful regeneration of injured motoneurons as stem cells grafted into the spinal cord.