Restorative neurology and neuroscience
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2015
Randomized Controlled TrialCombined effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) on robot-assisted gait training in patients with chronic stroke: A pilot, double blind, randomized controlled trial.
Preliminary evidence has shown no additional effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on robotic gait training in chronic stroke, probably due to the neural organization of locomotion involving cortical and spinal control. Our aim was to compare the combined effects of tDCS and transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) on robotic gait training in chronic stroke. ⋯ Our preliminary findings support the hypothesis that anodal tDCS combined with cathodal tsDCS may be useful to improve the effects of robotic gait training in chronic stroke.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2015
Cerebellar direct current stimulation modulates pain perception in humans.
The cerebellum is involved in a wide number of integrative functions, but its role in pain experience and in the nociceptive information processing is poorly understood. In healthy volunteers we evaluated the effects of transcranial cerebellar direct current stimulation (tcDCS) by studying the changes in the perceptive threshold, pain intensity at given stimulation intensities (VAS:0-10) and laser evoked potentials (LEPs) variables (N1 and N2/P2 amplitudes and latencies). ⋯ tcDCS modulates pain perception and its cortical correlates. Since it is effective on both N1 and N2/P2 components, we speculate that the cerebellum engagement in pain processing modulates the activity of both somatosensory and cingulate cortices. Present findings prompt investigation of the cerebellar direct current polarization as a possible novel and safe therapeutic tool in chronic pain patients.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2015
Treatment with amnion-derived cellular cytokine solution (ACCS) induces persistent motor improvement and ameliorates neuroinflammation in a rat model of penetrating ballistic-like brain injury.
The present work compared the behavioral outcomes of ACCS therapy delivered either intravenously (i.v.) or intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) after penetrating ballistic-like brain injury (PBBI). Histological markers for neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration were employed to investigate the potential therapeutic mechanism of ACCS. ⋯ ACCS, as a treatment for TBI, showed promise with regard to functional (motor) recovery and demonstrated strong capability to modulate neuroinflammatory responses that may underline functional recovery. However, the majority of beneficial effects appear restricted to the i.c.v. route of ACCS delivery, which warrants future studies examining delivery routes (e.g. intranasal delivery) which are more clinically viable for the treatment of TBI.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2015
Can transcranial direct current stimulation be useful in differentiating unresponsive wakefulness syndrome from minimally conscious state patients?
Disorders of consciousness (DOC) diagnosis relies on the presence or absence of purposeful motor responsiveness, which characterizes the minimally conscious state (MCS) and the unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS), respectively. Functional neuroimaging studies have raised the question of possible residual conscious awareness also in clinically-defined UWS patients. The aim of our study was to identify electrophysiological parameters, by means of a transcranial magnetic stimulation approach, which might potentially express the presence of residual networks sustaining fragmentary behavioral patterns, even when no conscious behavior can be observed. ⋯ a-tDCS could be useful in identifying residual connectivity markers in clinically-defined UWS, who may lack of purposeful behavior as a result of a motor-output failure.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2015
Functional recovery after experimental spinal cord compression and whole body vibration therapy requires a balanced revascularization of the injured site.
Based on several positive effects of whole-body-vibration (WBV) therapy on recovery after SCI, we looked for correlations between functional (analysis of locomotion), electrophysiological (H-reflex) and morphological (density of functioning capillaries) measurements after SCI and WBV-treatment. ⋯ The results of this study provide for the first time evidence that intensive WBV-therapy leads to a significantly denser capillary network in the lesioned spinal cord. However, since this higher capillary density is not associated with improved functional recovery (possibly because it exceeded the balance necessary for functional improvements), optional treatments with lower intensity or less time of WBV-therapy should be tested.