Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
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Comparative Study
Is hemifacial spasm a phenomenon of the central nervous system? --The role of desflurane on the lateral spread response.
A signature EMG feature of hemifacial spasm (HFS) is the lateral spread response (LSR). Desflurane is a common anesthetic with potent effects on synaptic transmission. We tested the hypothesis that the LSR is mediated by corticobulbar components by comparing the LSR during total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or TIVA plus desflurane during microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery. ⋯ This study demonstrates that facial nerve vascular compression and plastic changes within the CNS are part of the pathophysiology of HFS.
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Comparative Study
Stimulation intensities of transcranial direct current stimulation have to be adjusted in children and adolescents.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor cortex excitability in healthy children and adolescents. ⋯ Thus, the stimulation protocols of the tDCS have to be optimized according to age by planning studies in pediatric population.
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Comparative Study
Experimental pain has a greater effect on single motor unit discharge during force-control than position-control tasks.
When matching target force during pain, single motor unit (SMU) discharge is modified in a manner thought to redistribute load in painful tissue. This adaptation might not be appropriate when maintaining joint posture against an external load. We compared changes in SMU discharge rate of knee extensor muscles in a force-control and a position-control task during pain. ⋯ Simplistic theories of pain adaptation of movement during voluntary efforts cannot be extrapolated to more postural functions. This has implications for understanding movement changes that may underpin persistence/recurrence of pain and the management of musculoskeletal pain.
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To investigate whether the latent neural correlates of incentive processing differ between problem gamblers (PGs) and healthy controls (HCs). ⋯ The finding that PGs are hyposensitive to reward and punishment provides valuable insight into the nature of deficit in this disorder, and provides a foundation for future research and clinical interventions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Movement observation-induced modulation of pain perception and motor cortex excitability.
The observation of movements increases primary motor cortex (M1) excitability. This exploratory study examined the effects of movement observation on pressure pain threshold (PPT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-indexed corticospinal excitability bilaterally. ⋯ These exploratory findings support the notion that M1 is a robust modulator of pain-related neural networks. This effect might be mediated through modulation of the GABAergic system and appears to differ from what is observed in chronic pain.