Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A new non-invasive method for recording the electro-olfactogram using external electrodes.
The aim of this investigation was to explore the possibility of recording the electro-olfactogram (EOG) using external electrodes placed on the root of the nose on either side of the bridge and at the medial termination of the eyebrows. The EOG is considered to be the summated generator potential of olfactory receptor cells and therefore represents peripheral olfactory events. Recording of human EOG is technically difficult due to poor access to the olfactory mucosa and the nasal irritation is tolerated by few subjects. ⋯ This non-invasive method of recording the EOG will have benefits for the objective assessment of olfactory function.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Glutamate evoked neck and jaw muscle pain facilitate the human jaw stretch reflex.
Although pain and neuromuscular function are clearly linked in several clinical conditions manifested in the craniofacial and cervical regions, it is unclear if pain in these regions influences reflexly evoked activity in the jaw or neck muscles in humans. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of glutamate-evoked jaw or neck muscle pain on the jaw stretch reflex recorded in both jaw and neck muscles. ⋯ The changes in neuromuscular activity documented in this study may be involved in the clinical occurrence of altered muscle activity in the orofacial and cervical regions as a result of deep tissue trauma and pain.
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To examine the mechanisms of disuse-induced plasticity following long-term limb immobilization. ⋯ Different mechanisms may contribute to the reversible neuroplastic changes, which occur in response to long-term immobilization of the upper-limbs.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Simultaneous modulation of the exteroceptive suppression periods in the trapezius and temporalis muscles by experimental muscle pain.
To investigate whether the exteroceptive suppression (ES) periods in the trapezius and temporalis muscles could be simultaneously modulated by either experimental trapezius muscle pain or temporalis muscle pain. ⋯ The findings of the present study provide evidence for a bi-directional effects reflecting convergence of muscle afferents from the trigeminal and upper cervical neural systems in humans, which may partly underlie the manifestations of pain referral between these two areas.
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Case Reports
Ictal heart rate increase precedes EEG discharge in drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe seizures.
Heart rate (HR) changes, mainly tachycardia, are often observed during seizures originating from the temporal lobe. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of ictal HR changes in localizing both mesial and lateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in a group of 68 patients. The influence of the gender and the side of epilepsy on HR modulation was also evaluated. ⋯ Our findings show that ictal HR increase, preceding the onset of the EEG discharge, is associated with ictal EEG seizure pattern defining temporal lobe seizures originating from the mesial temporal lobe structures; this association suggests that the HR changes may be coupled to the functional impairment of neural circuits involved in sympathetic cardiovascular regulation, in the mesial temporal lobe structures. Further studies investigating the relationship between intracranial EEG monitoring and ECG recording are worthwhile, to confirm our results and to give further indications on the pathogenesis of ictal HR abnormalities.