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Mora L, Committeri G, L'Abbate T, Cocchini G. Unlocking the potential of 'passive' modulation: How sensory stimulation shapes hand and face size. J Neuropsychol 2024. [PMID: 38877675 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Knowledge of the body size is intricately tied to multisensory integration processes that rely on the dynamic interplay of top-down and bottom-up mechanisms. Recent years have seen the development of passive sensory stimulation protocols aimed at investigating the modulation of various cognitive functions, primarily inducing perceptual learning and behaviour change without the need for extensive training. Given that reductions in sensory input have been associated with alterations in body size perception, it is reasonable to hypothesize that increasing sensory information through passive sensory stimulation could similarly influence the perception of the size of body parts. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the potential modulatory effects of passive sensory stimulation on the perception of hand and face size in a group of young adults. Passive sensory stimulation effectively modulated the size representation of the stimulated hand, supporting the notion that access to somatosensory and proprioceptive information is prioritised for the hands but may not extend to the face. Increased somatosensory input resulted in a reduction of distortion, providing evidence for bottom-up modulation of size representation. Passive sensory stimulation can induce subjective changes in body size perception without the need for extensive training. This paradigm holds promise as a potential alternative for modulating distorted size representation in individuals with body representational deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mora
- Psychology Department, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
| | - Giorgia Committeri
- Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University "G. d'Annunzio", Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Teresa L'Abbate
- Department of Psychology, International Telematic University Uninettuno, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianna Cocchini
- Psychology Department, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
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2
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Ahmed I, Mustafaoglu R, Erhan B. The effects of low-intensity resistance training with blood flow restriction versus traditional resistance exercise on lower extremity muscle strength and motor functionin ischemic stroke survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Top Stroke Rehabil 2024; 31:418-429. [PMID: 37724785 DOI: 10.1080/10749357.2023.2259170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blood flow restriction (BFR) training can temporarily reduce cortical GABA concentrations and increase the size of motor volleys to deafferented muscles, which can promote motor recovery in stroke survivors. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of low-intensity resistance training with BFR (LIRT-BFR) on lower extremity muscle strength, balance, functional mobility, walking capacity, gait speed, anxiety, and depression in stroke survivors and to compare the results with high-intensity resistance training (HIRT). METHOD It was a two-arm, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial in which 32 ischemic stroke participants were randomly allocated to LIRT-BFR or HIRT group. The LIRT-BFR group received low load resistance training (40% of 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM)) with BFR, whereas HIRT group received high load resistance training (80% of 1-RM). The 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT), five-time sit-to-stand test (5TSTST), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Barthel index were the primary outcome measures. The secondary outcome measures included gait speed (m/s), stride length (cm), cadence (steps/min), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression. RESULTS All the primary and secondary outcome measures were significantly improved in both groups (p < 0.05). The LIRT-BFR group showed a slightly greater, but non-significant, improvement as compared to the HIRT group in terms of mean change observed in 6-MWT (81 m vs 62 m), 5TSTST (-5.27 vs -4.81), gait speed (0.19 vs 0.12), stride length (18 vs 13), and cadence (8 vs 6). No adverse event was reported. CONCLUSION LIRT-BFR produced a significant improvement in muscle strength, balance, walking capacity, and anxiety and depression in ischemic stroke patients, and the improvement are comparable to HIRT. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05281679.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishtiaq Ahmed
- Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Institute of Graduate Studies, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkiye
- Pain in Motion International Research Group, Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rustem Mustafaoglu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa, Istanbul, Turkiye
| | - Belgin Erhan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkiye
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3
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Rowe G, Allahham A, Edgar DW, Rurak BK, Fear MW, Wood FM, Vallence AM. Functional Brain Changes Following Burn Injury: A Narrative Review. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2024; 38:62-72. [PMID: 38044625 PMCID: PMC10798013 DOI: 10.1177/15459683231215331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Burn injuries cause significant motor and sensory dysfunctions that can negatively impact burn survivors' quality of life. The underlying mechanisms of these burn-induced dysfunctions have primarily been associated with damage to the peripheral neural architecture, however, evidence points to a systemic influence of burn injury. Central nervous system (CNS) reorganizations due to inflammation, afferent dysfunction, and pain could contribute to persistent motor and sensory dysfunction in burn survivors. Recent evidence shows that the capacity for neuroplasticity is associated with self-reported functional recovery in burn survivors. OBJECTIVE This review first outlines motor and sensory dysfunctions following burn injury and critically examines recent literature investigating the mechanisms mediating CNS reorganization following burn injury. The review then provides recommendations for future research and interventions targeting the CNS such as non-invasive brain stimulation to improve functional recovery. CONCLUSIONS Directing focus to the CNS following burn injury, alongside the development of non-invasive methods to induce functionally beneficial neuroplasticity in the CNS, could advance treatments and transform clinical practice to improve quality of life in burn survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Rowe
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Amira Allahham
- Burn Injury Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Dale W. Edgar
- Fiona Wood Foundation, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Burn Service of Western Australia, Fiona Stanley Hospital, MNH (B) Main Hospital, Level 4, Burns Unit, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Institute for Health Research, The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA, Australia
| | - Brittany K. Rurak
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Mark W. Fear
- Burn Injury Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Fiona Wood Foundation, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Fiona M. Wood
- Burn Injury Research Unit, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
- Fiona Wood Foundation, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Burn Service of Western Australia, Fiona Stanley Hospital, MNH (B) Main Hospital, Level 4, Burns Unit, Murdoch, WA, Australia
| | - Ann-Maree Vallence
- School of Psychology, College of Health and Education, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Centre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
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4
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Alonso-Calviño E, Fernández-López E, Zaforas M, Rosa JM, Aguilar J. Increased excitability and reduced GABAergic levels in somatosensory cortex under chronic spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2023; 369:114504. [PMID: 37591355 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
The complete or partial damage of ascending somatosensory pathways produced by a spinal cord injury triggers changes in the somatosensory cortex consisting in a functional expansion of activity from intact cortical regions towards deafferented ones, a process known as cortical reorganization. However, it is still unclear whether cortical reorganization depends on the severity of the spinal cord damage or if a spinal cord injury always leads to a similar cortical reorganization process in the somatosensory cortex. To answer these open questions in the field, we obtained longitudinal somatosensory evoked responses from bilateral hindlimb and forelimb cortex from animals with chronic full-transection or contusive spinal cord injury at thoracic level (T9-T10) to induce sensory deprivation of hindlimb cortex while preserving intact the forelimb cortex. Electrophysiological recordings from the four locations were obtained before lesion and weekly for up to 4 weeks. Our results show that cortical reorganization depends on the type of spinal cord injury, which tends to be more bilateral in full transection while is more unilateral in the model of contusive spinal cord injury. Moreover, in full transection of spinal cord, the deafferented and intact cortex exhibited similar increments of somatosensory evoked responses in both models of spinal cord injury - a feature observed in about 80% of subjects. The other 20% were unaffected by the injury indicating that cortical reorganization does not undergo in all subjects. In addition, we demonstrated an increased probability of triggered up-states in animals with spinal cord injury. This data indicates increased cortical excitability that could be proposed as a new feature of cortical reorganization. Finally, decreased levels of GABA marker GAD67 across cortical layers were only found in those animals with increased somatosensory evoked responses, but not in the unaffected population. In conclusion, cortical reorganization depends on the types of spinal cord injuries, and suggest that the phenomenon is strongly determined by cortical circuits. Moreover, changes in GABAergic transmission at the deprived cortex may be considered one of the mechanisms underlying the process of cortical reorganization and increased excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Alonso-Calviño
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Toledo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), Toledo, Spain
| | - Elena Fernández-López
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Toledo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), Toledo, Spain
| | - Marta Zaforas
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Toledo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), Toledo, Spain
| | - Juliana M Rosa
- Neuronal Circuits and Behaviour Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Toledo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), Toledo, Spain
| | - Juan Aguilar
- Experimental Neurophysiology Group, Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, SESCAM, Toledo, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Castilla-La Mancha (IDISCAM), Toledo, Spain.
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Swanson CW, Fling BW. Links between Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology with Turning Performance in People with Multiple Sclerosis. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:7629. [PMID: 37688084 PMCID: PMC10490793 DOI: 10.3390/s23177629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis is accompanied by decreased mobility and various adaptations affecting neural structure and function. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to understand how motor cortex thickness and corticospinal excitation and inhibition contribute to turning performance in healthy controls and people with multiple sclerosis. In total, 49 participants (23 controls, 26 multiple sclerosis) were included in the final analysis of this study. All participants were instructed to complete a series of turns while wearing wireless inertial sensors. Motor cortex gray matter thickness was measured via magnetic resonance imaging. Corticospinal excitation and inhibition were assessed via transcranial magnetic stimulation and electromyography place on the tibialis anterior muscles bilaterally. People with multiple sclerosis demonstrated reduced turning performance for a variety of turning variables. Further, we observed significant cortical thinning of the motor cortex in the multiple sclerosis group. People with multiple sclerosis demonstrated no significant reductions in excitatory neurotransmission, whereas a reduction in inhibitory activity was observed. Significant correlations were primarily observed in the multiple sclerosis group, demonstrating lateralization to the left hemisphere. The results showed that both cortical thickness and inhibitory activity were associated with turning performance in people with multiple sclerosis and may indicate that people with multiple sclerosis rely on different neural resources to perform dynamic movements typically associated with fall risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton W. Swanson
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA;
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Brett W. Fling
- Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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Torres FDF, Ramalho BL, Rodrigues MR, Schmaedeke AC, Moraes VH, Reilly KT, Carvalho RDP, Vargas CD. Plasticity of face-hand sensorimotor circuits after a traumatic brachial plexus injury. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1221777. [PMID: 37609451 PMCID: PMC10440702 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1221777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Interactions between the somatosensory and motor cortices are of fundamental importance for motor control. Although physically distant, face and hand representations are side by side in the sensorimotor cortex and interact functionally. Traumatic brachial plexus injury (TBPI) interferes with upper limb sensorimotor function, causes bilateral cortical reorganization, and is associated with chronic pain. Thus, TBPI may affect sensorimotor interactions between face and hand representations. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate changes in hand-hand and face-hand sensorimotor integration in TBPI patients using an afferent inhibition (AI) paradigm. Method The experimental design consisted of electrical stimulation (ES) applied to the hand or face followed by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to the primary motor cortex to activate a hand muscle representation. In the AI paradigm, the motor evoked potential (MEP) in a target muscle is significantly reduced when preceded by an ES at short-latency (SAI) or long-latency (LAI) interstimulus intervals. We tested 18 healthy adults (control group, CG), evaluated on the dominant upper limb, and nine TBPI patients, evaluated on the injured or the uninjured limb. A detailed clinical evaluation complemented the physiological investigation. Results Although hand-hand SAI was present in both the CG and the TBPI groups, hand-hand LAI was present in the CG only. Moreover, less AI was observed in TBPI patients than the CG both for face-hand SAI and LAI. Conclusion Our results indicate that sensorimotor integration involving both hand and face sensorimotor representations is affected by TBPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda de Figueiredo Torres
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Movement, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bia Lima Ramalho
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Movement, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelle Ribeiro Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Movement, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Schmaedeke
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Movement, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Victor Hugo Moraes
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Movement, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karen T. Reilly
- Trajectoires Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Lyon, France
- University UCBL Lyon 1, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Raquel de Paula Carvalho
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Child Development and Motricity, Department of Human Movement Science, Institute of Health and Society, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, Brazil
| | - Claudia D. Vargas
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Movement, Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neurology Deolindo Couto, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Turrini S, Fiori F, Chiappini E, Lucero B, Santarnecchi E, Avenanti A. Cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) over premotor-motor areas affects local circuitries in the human motor cortex via Hebbian plasticity. Neuroimage 2023; 271:120027. [PMID: 36925088 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies have shown that cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) can strengthen connectivity between the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and the primary motor cortex (M1) by modulating convergent input over M1 via Hebbian spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP). However, whether ccPAS locally affects M1 activity remains unclear. We tested 60 right-handed young healthy humans in two studies, using a combination of dual coil TMS and ccPAS over the left PMv and M1 to probe and manipulate PMv-to-M1 connectivity, and single- and paired-pulse TMS to assess neural activity within M1. We provide convergent evidence that ccPAS, relying on repeated activations of excitatory PMv-to-M1 connections, acts locally over M1. During ccPAS, motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by paired PMv-M1 stimulation gradually increased. Following ccPAS, the threshold for inducing MEPs of different amplitudes decreased, and the input-output curve (IO) slope increased, highlighting increased M1 corticospinal excitability. Moreover, ccPAS reduced the magnitude of short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), reflecting suppression of GABA-ergic interneuronal mechanisms within M1, without affecting intracortical facilitation (ICF). These changes were specific to ccPAS Hebbian strengthening of PMv-to-M1 connectivity, as no modulations were observed when reversing the order of the PMv-M1 stimulation during a control ccPAS protocol. These findings expand prior ccPAS research that focused on the malleability of cortico-cortical connectivity at the network-level, and highlight local changes in the area of convergent activation (i.e., M1) during plasticity induction. These findings provide new mechanistic insights into the physiological basis of ccPAS that are relevant for protocol optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Turrini
- Centro studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari", Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Cesena Campus, Cesena 47521, Italy; Precision Neuroscience & Neuromodulation Program, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States.
| | - Francesca Fiori
- Centro studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari", Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Cesena Campus, Cesena 47521, Italy; NeXT: Neurophysiology and Neuro-Engineering of Human-Technology Interaction Research Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome 00128, Italy
| | - Emilio Chiappini
- Centro studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari", Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Cesena Campus, Cesena 47521, Italy; Institut für Klinische und Gesundheitspsychologie, Universität Wien, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Boris Lucero
- Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas (CINPSI Neurocog), Universidad Católica Del Maule, Talca 346000, Chile
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Precision Neuroscience & Neuromodulation Program, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital & Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - Alessio Avenanti
- Centro studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Dipartimento di Psicologia "Renzo Canestrari", Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Cesena Campus, Cesena 47521, Italy; Centro de Investigación en Neuropsicología y Neurociencias Cognitivas (CINPSI Neurocog), Universidad Católica Del Maule, Talca 346000, Chile.
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8
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Lea-Carnall CA, El-Deredy W, Stagg CJ, Williams SR, Trujillo-Barreto NJ. A mean-field model of glutamate and GABA synaptic dynamics for functional MRS. Neuroimage 2023; 266:119813. [PMID: 36528313 PMCID: PMC7614487 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS) have enabled the quantification of activity-dependent changes in neurotransmitter concentrations in vivo. However, the physiological basis of the large changes in GABA and glutamate observed by fMRS (>10%) over short time scales of less than a minute remain unclear as such changes cannot be accounted for by known synthesis or degradation metabolic pathways. Instead, it has been hypothesized that fMRS detects shifts in neurotransmitter concentrations as they cycle from presynaptic vesicles, where they are largely invisible, to extracellular and cytosolic pools, where they are detectable. The present paper uses a computational modelling approach to demonstrate the viability of this hypothesis. A new mean-field model of the neural mechanisms generating the fMRS signal in a cortical voxel is derived. The proposed macroscopic mean-field model is based on a microscopic description of the neurotransmitter dynamics at the level of the synapse. Specifically, GABA and glutamate are assumed to cycle between three metabolic pools: packaged in the vesicles; active in the synaptic cleft; and undergoing recycling and repackaging in the astrocytic or neuronal cytosol. Computational simulations from the model are used to generate predicted changes in GABA and glutamate concentrations in response to different types of stimuli including pain, vision, and electric current stimulation. The predicted changes in the extracellular and cytosolic pools corresponded to those reported in empirical fMRS data. Furthermore, the model predicts a selective control mechanism of the GABA/glutamate relationship, whereby inhibitory stimulation reduces both neurotransmitters, whereas excitatory stimulation increases glutamate and decreases GABA. The proposed model bridges between neural dynamics and fMRS and provides a mechanistic account for the activity-dependent changes in the glutamate and GABA fMRS signals. Lastly, these results indicate that echo-time may be an important timing parameter that can be leveraged to maximise fMRS experimental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A Lea-Carnall
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, UK.
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile; Valencian Graduate School and Research Network of Artificial Intelligence.; Department of Electronic Engineering, School of Engineering, Universitat de Val..ncia, Spain..
| | - Charlotte J Stagg
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; MRC Brain Network Dynamics Unit, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stephen R Williams
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Nelson J Trujillo-Barreto
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, UK
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Wang L, Li X, Zheng W, Chen X, Chen Q, Hu Y, Cao L, Ren J, Qin W, Lu J, Chen N. Motor imagery evokes strengthened activation in sensorimotor areas and its effective connectivity related to cognitive regions in patients with complete spinal cord injury. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2049-2060. [PMID: 35994188 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00675-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the alterations of brain activation and effective connectivity during motor imagery (MI) in complete spinal cord injury (CSCI) patients and to reveal a potential mechanism of MI in motor rehabilitation of CSCI patients. Fifteen CSCI patients and twenty healthy controls underwent the MI task-related fMRI scan, and the motor execution (ME) task only for healthy controls. The brain activation patterns of the two groups during MI, and CSCI patients during the MI task and healthy controls during the ME task were compared. Then the significantly changed brain activation areas in CSCI patients during the MI task were used as regions of interest for effective connectivity analysis, using a voxel-wise granger causality analysis (GCA) method. Compared with healthy controls, increased activations in left primary sensorimotor cortex and bilateral cerebellar lobules IV-VI were detected in CSCI patients during the MI task, and the activation level of these areas even equaled that of healthy controls during the ME task. Furthermore, GCA revealed decreased effective connectivity from sensorimotor related areas (primary sensorimotor cortex and cerebellar lobules IV-VI) to cognitive related areas (prefrontal cortex, precuneus, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus) in CSCI patients. Our findings demonstrated that motor related brain areas can be functionally preserved and activated through MI after CSCI, it maybe the potential mechanism of MI in the motor rehabilitation of CSCI patients. In addition, Sensorimotor related brain regions have less influence on the cognitive related regions in CSCI patients during MI (The trial registration number: ChiCTR2000032793).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain Informatics, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xuejing Li
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.,Department of Radiology, China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, 100068, China
| | - Weimin Zheng
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain Informatics, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain Informatics, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qian Chen
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Yongsheng Hu
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jian Ren
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Jie Lu
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain Informatics, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Nan Chen
- Department of Radiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China. .,Beijing Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Brain Informatics, Beijing, 100053, China.
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10
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Kothari SF, Blicher JU, Dagsdottir LK, Kothari M, Kumar A, Sengupta K, Buchholtz PE, Ashkanian M, Svensson P. Facilitatory Effect of Intermittent Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Perceptual Distortion of the Face. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:1051-1059. [PMID: 35041936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Orofacial pain patients often report that the painful facial area is "swollen" without clinical signs - known as perceptual distortion (PD). The neuromodulatory effect of facilitatory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on PD in healthy individuals was investigated, to provide further support that the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) is involved in facial PD. Participants were allocated to active (n = 26) or sham (n = 26) rTMS group in this case-control study. PD was induced experimentally by injecting local anesthesia (LA) in the right infraorbital region. PD was measured at baseline, 6 min after LA, immediately, 20 and 40 min after rTMS. Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) as active rTMS and sham rTMS was applied to the face representation area of SI at 10 min after LA. The magnitude of PD was compared between the groups. The magnitude of PD significantly increased immediately after iTBS compared with sham rTMS (P = .009). The PD was significantly higher immediately after iTBS compared to 6 min after LA (P = .004) in the active rTMS group, but not in the sham rTMS group (P = .054). iTBS applied to a somatotopic-relevant cortical region appears to facilitate facial PD further supporting the involvement of SI in the processing of one´s own face and PD. PERSPECTIVE: This study provides information on neural substrate responsible for processing of perceptual distortion of the face which is speculated to contribute to the chronification of orofacial pain. The findings of this study may aid in mechanism-based management of the condition in orofacial pain disorders and possibly other chronic pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simple Futarmal Kothari
- Section for Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON); Hammel Neurorehabilitation Center and University Research Clinic, Aarhus University, Hammel, Denmark.
| | - Jakob U Blicher
- CFIN, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lilja K Dagsdottir
- Section for Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON)
| | - Mohit Kothari
- Hammel Neurorehabilitation Center and University Research Clinic, Aarhus University, Hammel, Denmark; JSS Dental College and Hospital, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, Mysore, India
| | - Abhishek Kumar
- Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON); Department of Dental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Kaushik Sengupta
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Larix A/S, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Poul E Buchholtz
- Department for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Mahmoud Ashkanian
- Department for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Svensson
- Section for Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Scandinavian Center for Orofacial Neurosciences (SCON); Department of Orofacial Pain and Jaw Function, Faculty of Odontology, Malmӧ University, Malmӧ, Sweden
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11
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Zhang L, Wang L, Xia H, Tan Y, Li C, Fang C. Connectomic mapping of brain-spinal cord neural networks: future directions in assessing spinal cord injury at rest. Neurosci Res 2021; 176:9-17. [PMID: 34699861 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Following spinal cord injury (SCI), the central nervous system undergoes significant reconstruction. The dynamic change in the interaction of the brain-spinal cord axis as well as in structure-function relations plays a vital role in the determination of neurological functions, which might have important clinical implications for the treatment and its efficacy evaluation of patients with SCI. Brain connectomes based on neuroimaging data is a relatively new field of research that maps the brain's large-scale structural and functional networks at rest. Importantly, increasing evidence shows that such resting-state signals can also be seen in the spinal cord. In the present review, we focus on the reconstruction of multi-level neural circuits after SCI. We also describe how the connectome concept could further our understanding of neuroplasticity after SCI. We propose that mapping the cortical-subcortical-spinal cord networks can provide novel insights into the pathologies of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijian Zhang
- Postdoctoral Research Station of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Glioma in Hebei Province, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China
| | - Luxuan Wang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China
| | - Hechun Xia
- Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Ningxia Medical University, China
| | - Yanli Tan
- Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Glioma in Hebei Province, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China.
| | - Chunhui Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China.
| | - Chuan Fang
- Postdoctoral Research Station of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China; Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Glioma in Hebei Province, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Hebei University, China.
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12
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All-or-none disconnection of pyramidal inputs onto parvalbumin-positive interneurons gates ocular dominance plasticity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2105388118. [PMID: 34508001 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2105388118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Disinhibition is an obligatory initial step in the remodeling of cortical circuits by sensory experience. Our investigation on disinhibitory mechanisms in the classical model of ocular dominance plasticity uncovered an unexpected form of experience-dependent circuit plasticity. In the layer 2/3 of mouse visual cortex, monocular deprivation triggers a complete, "all-or-none," elimination of connections from pyramidal cells onto nearby parvalbumin-positive interneurons (Pyr→PV). This binary form of circuit plasticity is unique, as it is transient, local, and discrete. It lasts only 1 d, and it does not manifest as widespread changes in synaptic strength; rather, only about half of local connections are lost, and the remaining ones are not affected in strength. Mechanistically, the deprivation-induced loss of Pyr→PV is contingent on a reduction of the protein neuropentraxin2. Functionally, the loss of Pyr→PV is absolutely necessary for ocular dominance plasticity, a canonical model of deprivation-induced model of cortical remodeling. We surmise, therefore, that this all-or-none loss of local Pyr→PV circuitry gates experience-dependent cortical plasticity.
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13
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Zoupi L, Booker SA, Eigel D, Werner C, Kind PC, Spires-Jones TL, Newland B, Williams AC. Selective vulnerability of inhibitory networks in multiple sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 141:415-429. [PMID: 33449171 PMCID: PMC7882577 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02258-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
In multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, neurodegeneration is detected early in the disease course and is associated with the long-term disability of patients. Neurodegeneration is linked to both inflammation and demyelination, but its exact cause remains unknown. This gap in knowledge contributes to the current lack of treatments for the neurodegenerative phase of MS. Here we ask if neurodegeneration in MS affects specific neuronal components and if it is the result of demyelination. Neuropathological examination of secondary progressive MS motor cortices revealed a selective vulnerability of inhibitory interneurons in MS. The generation of a rodent model of focal subpial cortical demyelination reproduces this selective neurodegeneration providing a new preclinical model for the study of neuroprotective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lida Zoupi
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Sam A Booker
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Patrick Wild Centre for Autism Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Dimitri Eigel
- Leibniz-Institut Für Polymerforschung Dresden E.V, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carsten Werner
- Leibniz-Institut Für Polymerforschung Dresden E.V, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter C Kind
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- Patrick Wild Centre for Autism Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Ben Newland
- Leibniz-Institut Für Polymerforschung Dresden E.V, Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden, Hohe Straße 6, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK
| | - Anna C Williams
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.
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14
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Nicolini C, Fahnestock M, Gibala MJ, Nelson AJ. Understanding the Neurophysiological and Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Neuroplasticity in Cortical and Descending Motor Pathways: Where Do We Stand? Neuroscience 2020; 457:259-282. [PMID: 33359477 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Exercise is a promising, cost-effective intervention to augment successful aging and neurorehabilitation. Decline of gray and white matter accompanies physiological aging and contributes to motor deficits in older adults. Exercise is believed to reduce atrophy within the motor system and induce neuroplasticity which, in turn, helps preserve motor function during aging and promote re-learning of motor skills, for example after stroke. To fully exploit the benefits of exercise, it is crucial to gain a greater understanding of the neurophysiological and molecular mechanisms underlying exercise-induced brain changes that prime neuroplasticity and thus contribute to postponing, slowing, and ameliorating age- and disease-related impairments in motor function. This knowledge will allow us to develop more effective, personalized exercise protocols that meet individual needs, thereby increasing the utility of exercise strategies in clinical and non-clinical settings. Here, we review findings from studies that investigated neurophysiological and molecular changes associated with acute or long-term exercise in healthy, young adults and in healthy, postmenopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Nicolini
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Margaret Fahnestock
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Martin J Gibala
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Aimee J Nelson
- Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
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15
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Koo KI, Hwang CH. Five-day rehabilitation of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty using an end-effector gait robot as a neuromodulation blending tool for deafferentation, weight offloading and stereotyped movement: Interim analysis. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241117. [PMID: 33326434 PMCID: PMC7743990 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Deafferentation and weight offloading can increase brain and spinal motor neuron excitability, respectively. End-effector gait robots (EEGRs) can blend these effects with stereotyped movement-induced neuroplasticity. The authors aimed to evaluate the usefulness of EEGRs as a postoperative neuro-muscular rehabilitation tool. This prospective randomized controlled trial included patients who had undergone unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: one using a 200-step rehabilitation program in an EEGR or the other using a walker on a floor (WF) three times a day for five weekdays. The two groups were compared by electrophysiological and biomechanical methods. Since there were no more enrollments due to funding issues, interim analysis was performed. Twelve patients were assigned to the EEGR group and eight patients were assigned to the WF group. Although the muscle volume of the quadriceps and hamstring did not differ between the two groups, the normalized peak torque of the operated knee flexors (11.28 ± 16.04 Nm/kg) was improved in the EEGR group compared to that of the operated knee flexors in the WF group (4.25 ± 14.26 Nm/kg) (p = 0.04). The normalized compound motor action potentials of the vastus medialis (VM) and biceps femoris (BF) were improved in the EEGR group (p < 0.05). However, the normalized real-time peak amplitude and total, mean area under the curve of VM were decreased during rehabilitation in the EEGR group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found between operated and non-operated knees in the EEGR group. Five-day EEGR-assisted rehabilitation induced strengthening in the knee flexors and the muscular reactivation of the BF and VM after TKA, while reducing the real-time use of the VM. This observation may suggest the feasibility of this technique: EEGR modulated the neuronal system of the patients rather than training their muscles. However, because the study was underpowered, all of the findings should be interpreted with the utmost caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyo-In Koo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Ho Hwang
- Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Chungnam National University Sejong Hospital, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Sejong, Republic of Korea
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16
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Lea-Carnall CA, Williams SR, Sanaei-Nezhad F, Trujillo-Barreto NJ, Montemurro MA, El-Deredy W, Parkes LM. GABA Modulates Frequency-Dependent Plasticity in Humans. iScience 2020; 23:101657. [PMID: 33163932 PMCID: PMC7599432 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequency-dependent reorganization of the primary somatosensory cortex, together with perceptual changes, arises following repetitive sensory stimulation. Here, we investigate the role of GABA in this process. We co-stimulated two finger tips and measured GABA and Glx using magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy at the beginning and end of the stimulation. Participants performed a perceptual learning task before and after stimulation. There were 2 sessions with stimulation frequency either at or above the resonance frequency of the primary somatosensory cortex (23 and 39 Hz, respectively). Perceptual learning occurred following above resonance stimulation only, while GABA reduced during this condition. Lower levels of early GABA were associated with greater perceptual learning. One possible mechanism underlying this finding is that cortical disinhibition “unmasks” lateral connections within the cortex to permit adaptation to the sensory environment. These results provide evidence in humans for a frequency-dependent inhibitory mechanism underlying learning and suggest a mechanism-based approach for optimizing neurostimulation frequency. In the context of repetitive sensory stimulation, GABA release is frequency dependent Stimulating above the resonance frequency of the somatosensory cortex reduces GABA Perceptual learning is associated with a reduction in GABA Early GABA reduction opens a window for plasticity and learning
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline A. Lea-Carnall
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
- Corresponding author
| | - Stephen R. Williams
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Faezeh Sanaei-Nezhad
- Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Science, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Nelson J. Trujillo-Barreto
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Marcelo A. Montemurro
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
| | - Wael El-Deredy
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería en Salud, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Corresponding author
| | - Laura M. Parkes
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
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17
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Cywiak C, Ashbaugh RC, Metto AC, Udpa L, Qian C, Gilad AA, Reimers M, Zhong M, Pelled G. Non-invasive neuromodulation using rTMS and the electromagnetic-perceptive gene (EPG) facilitates plasticity after nerve injury. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:1774-1783. [PMID: 33068795 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Twenty million Americans suffer from peripheral nerve injury. These patients often develop chronic pain and sensory dysfunctions. In the past decade, neuroimaging studies showed that these changes are associated with altered cortical excitation-inhibition balance and maladaptive plasticity. We tested if neuromodulation of the deprived sensory cortex could restore the cortical balance, and whether it would be effective in alleviating sensory complications. OBJECTIVE We tested if non-invasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) which induces neuronal excitability, and cell-specific magnetic activation via the Electromagnetic-perceptive gene (EPG) which is a novel gene that was identified and cloned from glass catfish and demonstrated to evoke neural responses when magnetically stimulated, can restore cortical excitability. METHODS A rat model of forepaw denervation was used. rTMS was delivered every other day for 30 days, starting at the acute or at the chronic post-injury phase. A minimally-invasive neuromodulation via EPG was performed every day for 30 days starting at the chronic phase. A battery of behavioral tests was performed in the days and weeks following limb denervation in EPG-treated rats, and behavioral tests, fMRI and immunochemistry were performed in rTMS-treated rats. RESULTS The results demonstrate that neuromodulation significantly improved long-term mobility, decreased anxiety and enhanced neuroplasticity. The results identify that both acute and delayed rTMS intervention facilitated rehabilitation. Moreover, the results implicate EPG as an effective cell-specific neuromodulation approach. CONCLUSION Together, these results reinforce the growing amount of evidence from human and animal studies that are establishing neuromodulation as an effective strategy to promote plasticity and rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Cywiak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Ryan C Ashbaugh
- The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Abigael C Metto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Lalita Udpa
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Chunqi Qian
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Assaf A Gilad
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Mark Reimers
- The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Physiology and Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Ming Zhong
- The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Galit Pelled
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; The Institute of Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA; Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
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18
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Latchoumane CFV, Barany DA, Karumbaiah L, Singh T. Neurostimulation and Reach-to-Grasp Function Recovery Following Acquired Brain Injury: Insight From Pre-clinical Rodent Models and Human Applications. Front Neurol 2020; 11:835. [PMID: 32849253 PMCID: PMC7396659 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Reach-to-grasp is an evolutionarily conserved motor function that is adversely impacted following stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation, are promising tools that could enhance functional recovery of reach-to-grasp post-brain injury. Though the rodent literature provides a causal understanding of post-injury recovery mechanisms, it has had a limited impact on NIBS protocols in human research. The high degree of homology in reach-to-grasp circuitry between humans and rodents further implies that the application of NIBS to brain injury could be better informed by findings from pre-clinical rodent models and neurorehabilitation research. Here, we provide an overview of the advantages and limitations of using rodent models to advance our current understanding of human reach-to-grasp function, cortical circuitry, and reorganization. We propose that a cross-species comparison of reach-to-grasp recovery could provide a mechanistic framework for clinically efficacious NIBS treatments that could elicit better functional outcomes for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles-Francois V. Latchoumane
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Deborah A. Barany
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Lohitash Karumbaiah
- Department of Animal and Dairy Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Tarkeshwar Singh
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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19
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Nordmark PF, Johansson RS. Disinhibition of Human Primary Somatosensory Cortex After Median Nerve Transection and Reinnervation. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:166. [PMID: 32499687 PMCID: PMC7242759 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite state-of-the-art surgical and postoperative treatment, median nerve transection causes lasting impaired hand function due to limitations in the nerve’s reinnervation ability. The defective innervation and thus controllability of the affected hand can shape the brain’s control of manual behaviors. Earlier studies of changes in the processing of tactile stimuli have focused mainly on stimulation of the reinnervated hand and lack sufficient control over the brain’s use of the tactile input in perceptual terms. Here we used fMRI to measure brain activity (BOLD-signal) in 11 people with median nerve injury and healthy controls (N = 11) when performing demanding tactile tasks using the tip of either the index or little finger of either hand. For the nerve-injured group, the left median nerve had been traumatically transected in the distal forearm and surgically repaired on average 8 years before the study. The hand representation of their contralesional (right) primary somatosensory cortex (S1) showed greater activity compared to controls when the left reinnervated index finger was used, but also when the left-hand little finger and the fingers of the right hand innervated by uninjured nerves were used. We argue that the overall increase in activity reflects a general disinhibition of contralesional S1 consistent with an augmented functional reorganizational plasticity being an ongoing feature of chronic recovery from nerve injury. Also, the nerve-injured showed increased activity within three prefrontal cortical areas implicated in higher-level behavioral processing (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, left ventrolateral prefrontal and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), suggesting that processes supporting decision-making and response-selection were computationally more demanding due to the compromised tactile sensibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per F Nordmark
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Physiology Section, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Section for Hand and Plastic Surgery, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Roland S Johansson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Physiology Section, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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20
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Effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on altered perception of One's own face. Brain Stimul 2020; 13:554-561. [PMID: 32289676 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2020.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 12/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic orofacial pain (COP) patients often perceive the painful face area as "swollen" without clinical signs; such self-reported illusions of the face are termed perceptual distortion (PD). The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PD remain elusive. OBJECTIVE To test the neuromodulatory effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on PD in healthy individuals, to gain insight into the cortical mechanisms underlying PD. METHODS PD was induced experimentally by injections of local anesthetic (LA) around the infraorbital nerve and measured as perceived size changes of the affected area. Participants were randomly allocated to inhibitory rTMS (n = 26) or sham rTMS (n = 26) group. The participants rated PD at baseline, 6 min after LA, immediately, 20 and 40 min after rTMS. The rTMS (inhibitory and sham) was applied to face (lip) representation area of primary somatosensory cortex (SI) as an intervention at 10 min after the LA, when the magnitude of PD is large. As inhibitory rTMS, continuous theta-burst stimulation paradigm (50 Hz) for 40s was employed to inhibit cortical activity. RESULTS We demonstrated a significant decrease in the magnitude of PD immediately and 20 min after the application of inhibitory rTMS compared with sham rTMS (P < 0.006). In two control experiments, we also showed that peripheral muscle stimulation and stimulation of a cortical region other than the lip representation area had no effect on the magnitude of the PD. CONCLUSIONS Inhibitory rTMS applied to a somatotopical-relevant cortical region modulates PD of the face in healthy individuals and could potentially have therapeutic implications for COP patients.
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21
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DeSouza DD, Stimpson KH, Baltusis L, Sacchet MD, Gu M, Hurd R, Wu H, Yeomans DC, Willliams N, Spiegel D. Association between Anterior Cingulate Neurochemical Concentration and Individual Differences in Hypnotizability. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:3644-3654. [PMID: 32108220 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypnosis is the oldest form of Western psychotherapy and a powerful evidence-based treatment for numerous disorders. Hypnotizability is variable between individuals; however, it is a stable trait throughout adulthood, suggesting that neurophysiological factors may underlie hypnotic responsiveness. One brain region of particular interest in functional neuroimaging studies of hypnotizability is the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, we examined the relationships between the neurochemicals, GABA, and glutamate, in the ACC and hypnotizability in healthy individuals. Participants underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session, whereby T1-weighted anatomical and MEGA-PRESS spectroscopy scans were acquired. Voxel placement over the ACC was guided by a quantitative meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of hypnosis. Hypnotizability was assessed using the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP), and self-report questionnaires to assess absorption (TAS), dissociation (DES), and negative affect were completed. ACC GABA concentration was positively associated with HIP scores such that the higher the GABA concentration, the more hypnotizable an individual. An exploratory analysis of questionnaire subscales revealed a negative relationship between glutamate and the absorption and imaginative involvement subscale of the DES. These results provide a putative neurobiological basis for individual differences in hypnotizability and can inform our understanding of treatment response to this growing psychotherapeutic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle D DeSouza
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Katy H Stimpson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Laima Baltusis
- Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Matthew D Sacchet
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont MA, USA
| | - Meng Gu
- Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Ralph Hurd
- Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Hua Wu
- Center for Cognitive and Neurobiological Imaging, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - David C Yeomans
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Nolan Willliams
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - David Spiegel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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22
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Halder P, Kambi N, Chand P, Jain N. Altered Expression of Reorganized Inputs as They Ascend From the Cuneate Nucleus to Cortical Area 3b in Monkeys With Long-Term Spinal Cord Injuries. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:3922-3938. [PMID: 29045569 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic deafferentations in adult mammals result in reorganization of the brain. Lesions of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord at cervical levels in monkeys result in expansion of the intact chin inputs into the deafferented hand representation in area 3b, second somatosensory (S2) and parietal ventral (PV) areas of the somatosensory cortex, ventroposterior lateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus, and cuneate nucleus of the brainstem. Here, we describe the extent and nature of reorganization of the cuneate and gracile nuclei of adult macaque monkeys with chronic unilateral lesions of the dorsal columns, and compare it with the reorganization of area 3b in the same monkeys. In both, area 3b and the cuneate nucleus chin inputs expand to reactivate the deafferented neurons. However, unlike area 3b, neurons in the cuneate nucleus also acquire receptive fields on the shoulder, neck, and occiput. A comparison with the previously published results shows that reorganization in the cuneate nucleus is similar to that in VPL. Thus, the emergent topography following deafferentations by spinal cord injuries undergoes transformation as the reorganized inputs ascend from subcortical nuclei to area 3b. The results help us understand mechanisms of the brain plasticity following spinal cord injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Niranjan Kambi
- National Brain Research Centre, N.H. 8, Manesar, Haryana, India
| | - Prem Chand
- National Brain Research Centre, N.H. 8, Manesar, Haryana, India
| | - Neeraj Jain
- National Brain Research Centre, N.H. 8, Manesar, Haryana, India
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23
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Hwang CH. Immediate muscle strengthening by an end-effector type gait robot with reduced real-time use of leg muscles: A case series and review of literature. World J Clin Cases 2019; 7:2976-2985. [PMID: 31624745 PMCID: PMC6795730 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i19.2976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND De-afferentation or non-weight bearing induces rapid cortical and spinal α-motor neuron excitability. Author supposed that an end-effector type gait robot (EEGR) could provide patients with a training condition that was specific enough to activate rapid cortical/spinal neuroplasticity, leading to immediate muscle strengthening. The electromyographic and biomechanical comparisons were conducted.
AIM To compare the electromyographic activities of the thigh and shank muscles and isometric peak torque (PT) before and after walking training on a floor or in the end-effector gait robot.
METHODS Twelve outpatients without ambulatory dysfunction were recruited. Order of two interventions (5-min training on a floor at a comfortable pace or training in an EEGR with non-weight bearing on their feet and 100% guidance force at 2.1 km/h) were randomly chosen. Isometric PT, maximal ratio of torque development, amplitude of compound motor action potential (CMAP), and area under the curve (AUC) were evaluated before and 10 min after both interventions.
RESULTS The degree of PT improvement of the dominant knee flexors was larger in the EEGR than on the floor (9.6 ± 22.4 Nm/BW, P < 0.01). The EEGR-trained patients had greater PT improvement of the dominant knee extensors than those who trained on the floor (4.5 ± 28.1 Nm/BW, P < 0.01). However, all electromyographic activities of the thigh and shank muscles (peak CMAP, mean and peak AUC) were significantly lower for the use of the EEGR than walking on the floor.
CONCLUSION Immediate strengthening of the knee flexors and extensors was induced after the 5-min EEGR training, despite reduced muscular use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang Ho Hwang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan 44033, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, University of Ulsan, Ulsan 44610, South Korea
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24
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Kjeldsen SS, Næss-Schmidt ET, Hansen GM, Nielsen JF, Stubbs PW. Neuromuscular effects of dorsiflexor training with and without blood flow restriction. Heliyon 2019; 5:e02341. [PMID: 31467996 PMCID: PMC6710534 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) has been proposed for elderly and clinical populations with weakness. Before being used in these populations it is important to understand the neurological effects of, and subject perceptions to, BFRT. Seventeen healthy subjects were recruited and performed 2 experimental sessions, BFRT and training without blood flow restriction (TR-only), on separate days. Four sets of concentric/eccentric dorsiflexion contractions against theraband resistance were performed. Surface electromyography of the tibialis anterior was recorded during exercise and for the electrophysiological measures. At baseline, immediately-post, 10-min-post and 20-min-post exercise, motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), paired-pulse TMS with interstimulus intervals of 2-ms (SICI) and 15-ms (ICF), and the M-max amplitude were recorded in the resting TA. Following training, subjects provided a numerical rating of the levels of pain, discomfort, fatigue, focus and difficulty during training. Muscle activation was higher in the last 20 contractions during BFRT compared to TR. There was no difference (time × condition interaction) between BFRT and TR for single-pulse MEP, SICI, ICF or M-max amplitude. There was a significant main effect of timepoint for single-pulse MEP and M-max amplitudes with both significantly reduced for 20-min-post exercise. No reductions were observed for SICI and ICF amplitudes. Taken together, BFRT and TR-only were only different during exercise and both regimes induced similar significant reductions in M-Max and MEP-amplitude post-training. Due to the lack of changes in SICI and ICF, it is unlikely that changes occurred in cortical sites related to these pathways. The increased surface electromyography activity in the last 20 contractions, indicate that the training regimes are different and that BFRT possibly induces more fatigue than TR. As such, BFRT could be used as an adjunct to conventional training. However, as subjects perceived BFRT as more painful, difficult and uncomfortable than TR-only, people should be selected carefully to undertake BFRT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Svanborg Kjeldsen
- Research Department, Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Center, Aarhus University, Hammel, Denmark
| | | | - Gunhild Mo Hansen
- Research Department, Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Center, Aarhus University, Hammel, Denmark
| | - Jørgen Feldbæk Nielsen
- Research Department, Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Center, Aarhus University, Hammel, Denmark
| | - Peter William Stubbs
- Research Department, Hammel Neurorehabilitation and Research Center, Aarhus University, Hammel, Denmark.,University of Technology Sydney, Graduate School of Health, Discipline of Physiotherapy, Sydney, Australia
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25
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Whitsel BL, Vierck CJ, Waters RS, Tommerdahl M, Favorov OV. Contributions of Nociresponsive Area 3a to Normal and Abnormal Somatosensory Perception. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2019; 20:405-419. [PMID: 30227224 PMCID: PMC6420406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Traditionally, cytoarchitectonic area 3a of primary somatosensory cortex (SI) has been regarded as a proprioceptive relay to motor cortex. However, neuronal spike-train recordings and optical intrinsic signal imaging, obtained from nonhuman sensorimotor cortex, show that neuronal activity in some of the cortical columns in area 3a can be readily triggered by a C-nociceptor afferent drive. These findings indicate that area 3a is a critical link in cerebral cortical encoding of secondary/slow pain. Also, area 3a contributes to abnormal pain processing in the presence of activity-dependent reversal of gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor-mediated inhibition. Accordingly, abnormal processing within area 3a may contribute mechanistically to generation of clinical pain conditions. PERSPECTIVE: Optical imaging and neurophysiological mapping of area 3a of SI has revealed substantial driving from unmyelinated cutaneous nociceptors, complementing input to areas 3b and 1 of SI from myelinated nociceptors and non-nociceptors. These and related findings force a reconsideration of mechanisms for SI processing of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barry L Whitsel
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Charles J Vierck
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Robert S Waters
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Mark Tommerdahl
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Oleg V Favorov
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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26
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Delayed treatment of α5 GABAA receptor inverse agonist improves functional recovery by enhancing neurogenesis after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rat MCAO model. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2287. [PMID: 30783142 PMCID: PMC6381084 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38750-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of effective therapeutics and treatment strategy to promote recovery after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury necessitates further understandings of the complex pathophysiology of ischemic stroke. Given that α5-GABAAR inhibition has been shown to be involved in functional recovery after stroke, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of treatment timing of α5 GABAAR inhibition on post-middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) functional recovery. To this end, we examined the effects of L655,708 (α5 GABAAR inverse agonist) treatment at 3 or 7 days post-ischemia on apoptosis and neurogenesis in the peri-infarct region, brain infarction size, as well as modified neurological severity score (mNSS) and rotarod test time in rats. Consistent with previous reports, we found that when the treatment of L655,708 was initiated at post-MCAO day 3, it did not alter the functional recovery in rats. However, when the treatment of L655,708 was initiated at post-MCAO day 7, it demonstrated beneficial effects on functional recovery in rats. Interestingly, this phenomenon was not associated with altered brain infarction size nor with changes in brain cell apoptosis. However, we found that delayed treatment of L655,708 at post-MCAO day 7 significantly increased neurogenesis in peri-infarct zone in rats. These results suggested that removing α5 GABAAR-mediated tonic inhibition after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury may be an effective therapeutic strategy for promoting functional recovery from stroke.
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27
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Frangou P, Emir UE, Karlaftis VM, Nettekoven C, Hinson EL, Larcombe S, Bridge H, Stagg CJ, Kourtzi Z. Learning to optimize perceptual decisions through suppressive interactions in the human brain. Nat Commun 2019; 10:474. [PMID: 30692533 PMCID: PMC6349878 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-08313-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Translating noisy sensory signals to perceptual decisions is critical for successful interactions in complex environments. Learning is known to improve perceptual judgments by filtering external noise and task-irrelevant information. Yet, little is known about the brain mechanisms that mediate learning-dependent suppression. Here, we employ ultra-high field magnetic resonance spectroscopy of GABA to test whether suppressive processing in decision-related and visual areas facilitates perceptual judgments during training. We demonstrate that parietal GABA relates to suppression of task-irrelevant information, while learning-dependent changes in visual GABA relate to enhanced performance in target detection and feature discrimination tasks. Combining GABA measurements with functional brain connectivity demonstrates that training on a target detection task involves local connectivity and disinhibition of visual cortex, while training on a feature discrimination task involves inter-cortical interactions that relate to suppressive visual processing. Our findings provide evidence that learning optimizes perceptual decisions through suppressive interactions in decision-related networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polytimi Frangou
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Uzay E Emir
- Purdue University School of Health Sciences, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | - Caroline Nettekoven
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Emily L Hinson
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Stephanie Larcombe
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Holly Bridge
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Charlotte J Stagg
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Zoe Kourtzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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28
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Thompson AK, Cote RH, Sniffen JM, Brangaccio JA. Operant conditioning of the tibialis anterior motor evoked potential in people with and without chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2745-2760. [PMID: 30207863 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00362.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of corticospinal pathways is important in movement control, and its plasticity is essential for motor skill learning and re-learning after central nervous system (CNS) injuries. Therefore, enhancing the corticospinal function may improve motor function recovery after CNS injuries. Operant conditioning of stimulus-induced muscle responses (e.g., reflexes) is known to induce the targeted plasticity in a targeted pathway. Thus, an operant conditioning protocol to target the corticospinal pathways may be able to enhance the corticospinal function. To test this possibility, we investigated whether operant conditioning of the tibialis anterior (TA) motor evoked potential (MEP) to transcranial magnetic stimulation can enhance corticospinal excitability in people with and without chronic incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). The protocol consisted of 6 baseline and 24 up-conditioning/control sessions over 10 wk. In all sessions, TA MEPs were elicited at 10% above active MEP threshold while the sitting participant provided a fixed preset level of TA background electromyographic activity. During baseline sessions, MEPs were simply measured. During conditioning trials of the conditioning sessions, the participant was encouraged to increase MEP and was given immediate feedback indicating whether MEP size was above a criterion. In 5/8 participants without SCI and 9/10 with SCI, over 24 up-conditioning sessions, MEP size increased significantly to ~150% of the baseline value, whereas the silent period (SP) duration decreased by ~20%. In a control group of participants without SCI, neither MEP nor SP changed. These results indicate that MEP up-conditioning can facilitate corticospinal excitation, which is essential for enhancing motor function recovery after SCI. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We investigated whether operant conditioning of the motor evoked potential (MEP) to transcranial magnetic stimulation can systematically increase corticospinal excitability for the ankle dorsiflexor tibialis anterior (TA) in people with and without chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. We found that up-conditioning can increase the TA MEP while reducing the accompanying silent period (SP) duration. These findings suggest that MEP up-conditioning produces the facilitation of corticospinal excitation as targeted, whereas it suppresses inhibitory mechanisms reflected in SP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiko K Thompson
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Rachel H Cote
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina , Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Janice M Sniffen
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Technology and Management, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York
| | - Jodi A Brangaccio
- Helen Hayes Hospital, New York State Department of Health, West Haverstraw, New York
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29
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Cooperative hand movements: effect of a reduced afference on the neural coupling mechanism. Neuroreport 2018; 29:650-654. [PMID: 29557852 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of unilateral reduction of afferent input on the 'neural coupling' mechanism during cooperative hand movements. This 'neural coupling' is reflected in the task-specific appearance of contralateral reflex responses in forearm muscles to unilateral arm nerve stimulation. Sensory input from the right hand was reduced by ischemic nerve block at the right wrist. Ipsilateral and contralateral reflex responses elicited by stimulation of the ulnar nerve either at the left or the right wrist proximal to the nerve block were recorded in forearm extensors during the performance of cooperative hand movements. During ischemia of the right hand, a significant difference was found in the magnitude of the contralateral responses, that is, contralateral reflex responses in the right arm were significantly higher compared with the left arm (P=0.04). Ipsilateral reflex responses were not affected by ischemic nerve block. The reduced afference from the ischemic hand during cooperative hand movements is assumed to weaken the activity in ipsilateral pathways involved in the neural coupling mechanism. Consequently, a shift in the interhemispheric balance might lead to the relative increase and decrease in the contralateral responses to left and right nerve stimulation, respectively. The study provides novel information on the involvement of ipsilateral hemispheres in the performance of cooperative hand movements.
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30
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Humanes-Valera D, Foffani G, Alonso-Calviño E, Fernández-López E, Aguilar J. Dual Cortical Plasticity After Spinal Cord Injury. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:2926-2940. [PMID: 27226441 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During cortical development, plasticity reflects the dynamic equilibrium between increasing and decreasing functional connectivity subserved by synaptic sprouting and pruning. After adult cortical deafferentation, plasticity seems to be dominated by increased functional connectivity, leading to the classical expansive reorganization from the intact to the deafferented cortex. In contrast, here we show a striking "decrease" in the fast cortical responses to high-intensity forepaw stimulation 1-3 months after complete thoracic spinal cord transection, as evident in both local field potentials and intracellular in vivo recordings. Importantly, this decrease in fast cortical responses co-exists with an "increase" in cortical activation over slower post-stimulus timescales, as measured by an increased forepaw-to-hindpaw propagation of stimulus-triggered cortical up-states, as well as by the enhanced slow sustained depolarization evoked by high-frequency forepaw stimuli in the deafferented hindpaw cortex. This coincidence of diminished fast cortical responses and enhanced slow cortical activation offers a dual perspective of adult cortical plasticity after spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desire Humanes-Valera
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain.,Department of Systems Neuroscience, Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, D-44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Guglielmo Foffani
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain.,CINAC, HM Puerta del Sur, Hospitales de Madrid, Móstoles, and CEU-San Pablo University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Alonso-Calviño
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Elena Fernández-López
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Juan Aguilar
- Hospital Nacional de Parapléjicos, Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha, 45071 Toledo, Spain
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31
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Chalavi S, Pauwels L, Heise KF, Zivari Adab H, Maes C, Puts NAJ, Edden RAE, Swinnen SP. The neurochemical basis of the contextual interference effect. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 66:85-96. [PMID: 29549874 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Efficient practice organization maximizes learning outcome. Although randomization of practice as compared to blocked practice damages training performance, it boosts retention performance, an effect called contextual interference. Motor learning modulates the GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) system within the sensorimotor cortex (SM); however, it is unclear whether different practice regimes differentially modulate this system and whether this is impacted by aging. Young and older participants were trained on 3 variations of a visuomotor task over 3 days, following either blocked or random practice schedule and retested 6 days later. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, SM and occipital cortex GABA+ levels were measured before and after training during the first and last training days. We found that (1) behavioral data confirmed the contextual interference effects, (2) within-day occipital cortex GABA+ levels decreased in random and increased in blocked group. This effect was more pronounced in older adults; and (3) baseline SM GABA+ levels predicted initial performance. These findings indicate a differential modulation of GABA levels across practice groups that is amplified by aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sima Chalavi
- KU Leuven, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lisa Pauwels
- KU Leuven, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kirstin-Friederike Heise
- KU Leuven, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hamed Zivari Adab
- KU Leuven, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Celine Maes
- KU Leuven, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicolaas A J Puts
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N Wolfe St., Park 367C, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Maryland, USA
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N Wolfe St., Park 367C, Baltimore, MD, USA; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- KU Leuven, Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, Group Biomedical Sciences, Leuven, Belgium; Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience & Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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32
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Schmidt-Wilcke T, Fuchs E, Funke K, Vlachos A, Müller-Dahlhaus F, Puts NAJ, Harris RE, Edden RAE. GABA-from Inhibition to Cognition: Emerging Concepts. Neuroscientist 2017; 24:501-515. [PMID: 29283020 DOI: 10.1177/1073858417734530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neural functioning and plasticity can be studied on different levels of organization and complexity ranging from the molecular and synaptic level to neural circuitry of whole brain networks. Across neuroscience different methods are being applied to better understand the role of various neurotransmitter systems in the evolution of perception and cognition. GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult mammalian brain and, depending on the brain region, up to 25% of the total number of cortical neurons are GABAergic interneurons. At the one end of the spectrum, GABAergic neurons have been accurately described with regard to cell morphological, molecular, and electrophysiological properties; at the other end researchers try to link GABA concentrations in specific brain regions to human behavior using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. One of the main challenges of modern neuroscience currently is to integrate knowledge from highly specialized subfields at distinct biological scales into a coherent picture that bridges the gap between molecules and behavior. In the current review, recent findings from different fields of GABA research are summarized delineating a potential strategy to develop a more holistic picture of the function and role of GABA.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Schmidt-Wilcke
- 1 Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,2 Mauritius Therapieklinik Meerbusch, Meerbusch, Germany
| | - E Fuchs
- 3 Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - K Funke
- 4 Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty of Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - A Vlachos
- 5 Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - F Müller-Dahlhaus
- 6 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.,7 Department of Neurology and Stroke, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - N A J Puts
- 8 Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,9 F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - R E Harris
- 10 Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - R A E Edden
- 8 Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,9 F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Changes in Brain Resting-state Functional Connectivity Associated with Peripheral Nerve Block: A Pilot Study. Anesthesiology 2017; 125:368-77. [PMID: 27272674 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000001198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limited information exists on the effects of temporary functional deafferentation (TFD) on brain activity after peripheral nerve block (PNB) in healthy humans. Increasingly, resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) is being used to study brain activity and organization. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that TFD through PNB will influence changes in RSFC plasticity in central sensorimotor functional brain networks in healthy human participants. METHODS The authors achieved TFD using a supraclavicular PNB model with 10 healthy human participants undergoing functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging before PNB, during active PNB, and during PNB recovery. RSFC differences among study conditions were determined by multiple-comparison-corrected (false discovery rate-corrected P value less than 0.05) random-effects, between-condition, and seed-to-voxel analyses using the left and right manual motor regions. RESULTS The results of this pilot study demonstrated disruption of interhemispheric left-to-right manual motor region RSFC (e.g., mean Fisher-transformed z [effect size] at pre-PNB 1.05 vs. 0.55 during PNB) but preservation of intrahemispheric RSFC of these regions during PNB. Additionally, there was increased RSFC between the left motor region of interest (PNB-affected area) and bilateral higher order visual cortex regions after clinical PNB resolution (e.g., Fisher z between left motor region of interest and right and left lingual gyrus regions during PNB, -0.1 and -0.6 vs. 0.22 and 0.18 after PNB resolution, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This pilot study provides evidence that PNB has features consistent with other models of deafferentation, making it a potentially useful approach to investigate brain plasticity. The findings provide insight into RSFC of sensorimotor functional brain networks during PNB and PNB recovery and support modulation of the sensory-motor integration feedback loop as a mechanism for explaining the behavioral correlates of peripherally induced TFD through PNB.
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Effects of 4 weeks of low-load unilateral resistance training, with and without blood flow restriction, on strength, thickness, V wave, and H reflex of the soleus muscle in men. Eur J Appl Physiol 2017; 117:1339-1347. [PMID: 28451748 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-017-3622-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To test the effects of 4 weeks of unilateral low-load resistance training (LLRT), with and without blood flow restriction (BFR), on maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), muscle thickness, volitional wave (V wave), and Hoffmann reflex (H reflex) of the soleus muscle. METHODS Twenty-two males were randomly distributed into three groups: a control group (CTR; n = 8); a low-load blood flow restriction resistance training group (BFR-LLRT; n = 7), who were an inflatable cuff to occlude blood flow; and a low-load resistance training group without blood flow restriction (LLRT; n = 7). The training consisted of four sets of unilateral isometric LLRT (25% of MVC) three times a week over 4 weeks. RESULTS MVC increased 33% (P < 0.001) and 22% (P < 0.01) in the trained leg of both BFR-LLRT and LLRT groups, respectively. The soleus thickness increased 9.5% (P < 0.001) and 6.5% (P < 0.01) in the trained leg of both BFR-LLRT and LLRT groups, respectively. However, neither MVC nor thickness changed in either of the legs tested in the CTR group (MVC -1 and -5%, and muscle thickness 1.9 and 1.2%, for the control and trained leg, respectively). Moreover, V wave and H reflex did not change significantly in all the groups studied (Vwave/M wave ratio -7.9 and -2.6%, and H max/M max ratio -3.8 and -4%, for the control and trained leg, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Collectively, the present data suggest that in spite of the changes occurring in soleus strength and thickness, 4 weeks of low-load resistance training, with or without BFR, does not cause any change in neural drive or motoneuronal excitability.
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Wijtenburg SA, West J, Korenic SA, Kuhney F, Gaston FE, Chen H, Roberts M, Kochunov P, Hong LE, Rowland LM. Glutamatergic metabolites are associated with visual plasticity in humans. Neurosci Lett 2017; 644:30-36. [PMID: 28189743 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a basic cellular mechanism underlying learning and memory. LTP-like plasticity in the visual cortex can be induced by high frequency visual stimulation in rodents and humans. Since glutamate plays a fundamental role in LTP, this study investigated if visual cortical glutamate and glutamine levels, measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), relate to visual plasticity in humans. Since plasticity requires a delicate excitation and inhibition balance, GABA was also explored. Eighteen healthy participants completed MRS and a visual fMRI paradigm. Results revealed enhanced fMRI activations after high frequency visual stimulation, suggesting visual plasticity occurred. Higher activations were associated with higher resting glutamine levels after family wise error-correction. Exploratory analyses revealed that higher resting glutamate and GABA levels were associated with visual plasticity, suggesting there may be a critical excitation-inhibition balance necessary for experience dependent plasticity. This is the first empirical evidence that resting glutamine levels and potentially glutamate and GABA levels are associated with visual plasticity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Andrea Wijtenburg
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA.
| | - Jeffrey West
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Stephanie A Korenic
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Franchesca Kuhney
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Frank E Gaston
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Hongji Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Meredith Roberts
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA; Department of Physics, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
| | - L Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA
| | - Laura M Rowland
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, MD 21228, USA; Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 601 N. Caroline Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
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Corticospinal excitability changes following blood flow restriction training of the tibialis anterior: a preliminary study. Heliyon 2017; 3:e00217. [PMID: 28127587 PMCID: PMC5241574 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2016.e00217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM To examine the neural excitability of projections to the tibialis anterior (TA) following blood flow restriction training (BFRT). This is the first study to examine the TA following BFRT. METHODS Ten subjects performed each experiment. Experiment one consisted of BFRT at 130 mmHg (BFRT-low). Experiment two consisted of BFRT at 200 mmHg (BFRT-high), training (TR-only) and blood flow restriction at 200 mmHg (BFR-only) performed on separate days. Blood flow restriction was applied to the thigh and training consisted of rapid dorsiflexion contractions against gravity every 10 s for 15-min. The motor evoked potential (MEP) peak-to-peak amplitudes were recorded pre-intervention and 1-, 10-, 20- and 30-min post-intervention and expressed relative to the maximal peak-to-peak M-wave at each time-point. RESULTS Experiment one revealed no difference in MEP amplitudes for BFRT-low over time (P = 0.09). Experiment two revealed a significant effect of time (P < 0.001), with 1-min post-intervention MEP amplitudes significantly facilitated compared to pre-intervention, but no effect of intervention (P = 0.79) or intervention*time interaction (P = 0.25). Post-hoc power calculations were performed for the intervention*time interaction. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Corticospinal excitability of projections to the TA did not change following BFRT-low and corticospinal excitability changes between BFRT-high, BFR-only and TR-only interventions were not different over time. In experiment two, there was a significant main effect of time 1-min post-intervention which was mainly due to the BFRT-high intervention. Post-hoc power calculations revealed that 15 subjects were required for a significant interaction effect 80% of the time however, as the changes in corticospinal excitability were not prolonged, a new dataset of ≥ 15 subjects was not acquired.
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Opsommer E, Zwissig C, Korogod N, Weiss T. Effectiveness of temporary deafferentation of the arm on somatosensory and motor functions following stroke: a systematic review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 14:226-257. [PMID: 28009677 DOI: 10.11124/jbisrir-2016-003231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND After stroke, regaining functional use of the upper limb can be challenging. Temporary deafferentation (TD) is a novel approach used in neurorehabilitation to voluntarily reduce the somatosensory input in a body part by temporary anesthesia; which has been shown to improve sensorimotor functions in the affected limb. OBJECTIVES The primary objective of this systematic review was to present the best available evidence related to the effects of TD of the affected arm on the recovery of motor function and activity of the upper limb (arm and hand) following stroke. Further, this review aimed to assess the effects of TD on sensory function, activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life following stroke, the acceptability and safety of the intervention as well as adverse events. INCLUSION CRITERIA TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS Adult patients (18 years and older) with a clinical diagnosis of stroke, either hemorrhagic or ischemic. TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS Reports of rehabilitation that included the use of a pneumatic tourniquet, regional anesthesia or nerve block to achieve TD of an arm, or the use of TD as a stand-alone intervention. OUTCOMES Primary outcomes were motor function and activity of the upper limb using assessment scales, motor tests and global motor functions.Secondary outcomes included measures of sensory function, ADL, impact of stroke and quality of life and pain.Additional outcomes were neurophysiological changes as studied with functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography and/or transcranial magnetic stimulation.Acceptability and safety of the intervention as well as adverse events were also included. TYPES OF STUDIES We included any experimental and epidemiological studies. There were no randomized controlled trials. We included non-randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, before and after studies and case-control studies. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched for both published and unpublished studies in major databases and all reference lists of relevant articles in English, German or French languages. We included studies published from January 1980 to October 2015. DATA EXTRACTION Data were extracted from included studies using a standardized data extraction tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. DATA SYNTHESIS There was heterogeneity in the types of intervention and outcome measures, therefore statistical pooling of the findings was not appropriate. As such, the studies were grouped according to type of outcome where possible. Findings are presented in a narrative form. RESULTS Eight studies met the eligibility criteria. All outcome parameters related to the primary outcome (motor function and activity of the more affected upper extremity) showed an improvement during or after TD. The sensory functions significantly improved during or after TD when measured either by the grating orienting task or the grating orientation accuracy, and slightly improved when measured using the von Frey hair testing during TD. CONCLUSION There is evidence supporting the use of TD of the upper extremity in adults after stroke. Temporary deafferentation can be recommended (Grade B).
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuelle Opsommer
- 1School of Health Sciences (HESAV), University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Lausanne, Switzerland 2Biological and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
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Effects of theta burst stimulation on referred phantom sensations in patients with spinal cord injury. Neuroreport 2016; 27:209-12. [DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Nantes JC, Zhong J, Holmes SA, Whatley B, Narayanan S, Lapierre Y, Arnold DL, Koski L. Intracortical inhibition abnormality during the remission phase of multiple sclerosis is related to upper limb dexterity and lesions. Clin Neurophysiol 2016; 127:1503-1511. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Short- (SICI) and long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI) are involved in the control of movement and movement initiation. Alterations to the two circuits can result in direct alterations to the physiology of the muscles and can be used to explain the physiological changes to individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). OBJECTIVE To probe changes in GABAergic function by characterizing the recruitment curves of SICI and LICI interval intracortical inhibition in an upper limb muscle in chronic SCI participants with injury between C3 and C7. METHODS Recruitment curves were elicited with conditioning stimulus intensities determined as a percentage of active motor threshold (AMT) (SICI, 60% to 110% AMT; LICI, 90% to 130% AMT) and recorded from the flexor carpi radialis muscle during an isometric contraction equal to 15% to 20% of maximum voluntary contraction. RESULTS AMT was greater and motor-evoked potential sizes were lower in SCI compared with uninjured controls. SICI magnitude was not different between groups, although the range of conditioning stimulus intensities to evoke SICI was unique to each group. LICI was reduced in the control group during active contraction and remained present in SCI. DISCUSSION LICI was increased in the actively contracted flexor carpi radialis muscle in individuals with SCI compared with age-matched controls. These findings indicate that GABAB function mediating LICI is different in SCI versus controls. CONCLUSIONS Increased LICI in SCI may be attributed to the medication baclofen or to changes in the neural mechanisms controlling contraction-related modulation of the LICI circuit.
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Heba S, Puts NAJ, Kalisch T, Glaubitz B, Haag LM, Lenz M, Dinse HR, Edden RAE, Tegenthoff M, Schmidt-Wilcke T. Local GABA Concentration Predicts Perceptual Improvements After Repetitive Sensory Stimulation in Humans. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:1295-301. [PMID: 26637451 PMCID: PMC4737612 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning mechanisms are based on synaptic plasticity processes. Numerous studies on synaptic plasticity suggest that the regulation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a central role maintaining the delicate balance of inhibition and excitation. However, in humans, a link between learning outcome and GABA levels has not been shown so far. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy of GABA prior to and after repetitive tactile stimulation, we show here that baseline GABA+ levels predict changes in perceptual outcome. Although no net changes in GABA+ are observed, the GABA+ concentration prior to intervention explains almost 60% of the variance in learning outcome. Our data suggest that behavioral effects can be predicted by baseline GABA+ levels, which provide new insights into the role of inhibitory mechanisms during perceptual learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Heba
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Nicolaas A J Puts
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287-0006, USA F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tobias Kalisch
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany Institute for Neuroinformatics, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Benjamin Glaubitz
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Lauren M Haag
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Melanie Lenz
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Hubert R Dinse
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany Institute for Neuroinformatics, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287-0006, USA F.M. Kirby Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Martin Tegenthoff
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
| | - Tobias Schmidt-Wilcke
- Department of Neurology, BG University Hospital Bergmannsheil, 44789 Bochum, Germany
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Cawley N, Solanky BS, Muhlert N, Tur C, Edden RAE, Wheeler-Kingshott CAM, Miller DH, Thompson AJ, Ciccarelli O. Reduced gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration is associated with physical disability in progressive multiple sclerosis. Brain 2015; 138:2584-95. [PMID: 26304151 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegeneration is thought to be the major cause of ongoing, irreversible disability in progressive stages of multiple sclerosis. Gamma-aminobutyric acid is the principle inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. The aims of this study were to investigate if gamma-aminobutyric acid levels (i) are abnormal in patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis compared with healthy controls; and (ii) correlate with physical and cognitive performance in this patient population. Thirty patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and 17 healthy control subjects underwent single-voxel MEGA-PRESS (MEscher-GArwood Point RESolved Spectroscopy) magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T, to quantify gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the prefrontal cortex, right hippocampus and left sensorimotor cortex. All subjects were assessed clinically and underwent a cognitive assessment. Multiple linear regression models were used to compare differences in gamma-aminobutyric acid concentrations between patients and controls adjusting for age, gender and tissue fractions within each spectroscopic voxel. Regression was used to examine the relationships between the cognitive function and physical disability scores specific for these regions with gamma-aminobuytric acid levels, adjusting for age, gender, and total N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamine-glutamate complex levels. When compared with controls, patients performed significantly worse on all motor and sensory tests, and were cognitively impaired in processing speed and verbal memory. Patients had significantly lower gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the hippocampus (adjusted difference = -0.403 mM, 95% confidence intervals -0.792, -0.014, P = 0.043) and sensorimotor cortex (adjusted difference = -0.385 mM, 95% confidence intervals -0.667, -0.104, P = 0.009) compared with controls. In patients, reduced motor function in the right upper and lower limb was associated with lower gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration in the sensorimotor cortex. Specifically for each unit decrease in gamma-aminobutyric acid levels (in mM), there was a predicted -10.86 (95% confidence intervals -16.786 to -4.482) decrease in grip strength (kg force) (P < 0.001) and -8.74 (95% confidence intervals -13.943 to -3.015) decrease in muscle strength (P < 0.006). This study suggests that reduced gamma-aminobutyric acid levels reflect pathological abnormalities that may play a role in determining physical disability. These abnormalities may include decreases in the pre- and postsynaptic components of gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission and in the density of inhibitory neurons. Additionally, the reduced gamma-aminobutyric acid concentration may contribute to the neurodegenerative process, resulting in increased firing of axons, with consequent increased energy demands, which may lead to neuroaxonal degeneration and loss of the compensatory mechanisms that maintain motor function. This study supports the idea that modulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission may be an important target for neuroprotection in multiple sclerosis.See De Stefano and Giorgio (doi:10.1093/brain/awv213) for a scientific commentary on this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niamh Cawley
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Bhavana S Solanky
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Nils Muhlert
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK 2 School of Psychology and Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK 3 School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Carmen Tur
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Richard A E Edden
- 4 Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 5 FM Kirby Centre for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Claudia A M Wheeler-Kingshott
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK 6 Brain Connectivity Centre, C. Mondino National Neurological Institute, Pavia, Italy
| | - David H Miller
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK 7 National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), London, UK
| | - Alan J Thompson
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK 7 National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), London, UK
| | - Olga Ciccarelli
- 1 NMR Research Unit, Queen Square Multiple Sclerosis Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK 7 National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) University College London Hospitals (UCLH) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), London, UK
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Kotan S, Kojima S, Miyaguchi S, Sugawara K, Onishi H. Depression of corticomotor excitability after muscle fatigue induced by electrical stimulation and voluntary contraction. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:363. [PMID: 26150781 PMCID: PMC4472998 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we examined the effect of muscle fatigue induced by tetanic electrical stimulation (ES) and submaximal isometric contraction on corticomotor excitability. Experiments were performed in a cross-over design. Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) were elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Corticomotor excitability was recorded before and after thumb opposition muscle fatigue tasks, in which 10% of the maximal tension intensity was induced by tetanic ES or voluntary contraction (VC). The participants were 10 healthy individuals who performed each task for 10 min. Surface electrodes placed over the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle recorded MEPs. F- and M-waves were elicited from APB by supramaximal ES of the median nerve. After the tetanic ES- and VC tasks, MEP amplitudes were significantly lower than before the task. However, F- and M-wave amplitudes remained unchanged. These findings suggest that corticospinal excitability is reduced by muscle fatigue as a result of intracortical inhibitory mechanisms. Our results also suggest that corticomotor excitability is reduced by muscle fatigue caused by both VC and tetanic ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Kotan
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata, Japan
| | - Sho Kojima
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata, Japan
| | - Shota Miyaguchi
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Sugawara
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata, Japan
| | - Hideaki Onishi
- Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare Niigata, Japan
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Cherry-Allen KM, Gidday JM, Lee JM, Hershey T, Lang CE. Remote limb ischemic conditioning enhances motor learning in healthy humans. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:3708-19. [PMID: 25867743 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01028.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Brief bouts of sublethal ischemia have been shown to protect exposed tissue (ischemic conditioning) and tissues at remote sites (remote ischemic conditioning) against subsequent ischemic challenges. Given that the mechanisms of this protective phenomenon are multifactorial and epigenetic, we postulated that remote limb ischemic conditioning (RLIC) might enhance mechanisms responsible for neural plasticity, and thereby facilitate learning. Specifically, we hypothesized that conditioning of the nervous system with RLIC, achieved through brief repetitive limb ischemia prior to training, would facilitate the neurophysiological processes of learning, thus making training more effective and more long-lasting. Eighteen healthy adults participated in this study; nine were randomly allocated to RLIC and nine to sham conditioning. All subjects underwent seven consecutive weekday sessions and 2-wk and 4-wk follow-up sessions. We found that RLIC resulted in significantly greater motor learning and longer retention of motor performance gains in healthy adults. Changes in motor performance do not appear to be due to a generalized increase in muscle activation or muscle strength and were not associated with changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration. Of note, RLIC did not enhance cognitive learning on a hippocampus-dependent task. While future research is needed to establish optimal conditioning and training parameters, this inexpensive, clinically feasible paradigm might ultimately be implemented to enhance motor learning in individuals undergoing neuromuscular rehabilitation for brain injury and other pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra M Cherry-Allen
- Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jeff M Gidday
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jin-Moo Lee
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tamara Hershey
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and
| | - Catherine E Lang
- Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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Goldsworthy MR, Pitcher JB, Ridding MC. Spaced Noninvasive Brain Stimulation. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2014; 29:714-21. [DOI: 10.1177/1545968314562649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity is critical for learning, memory, and recovery of lost function following neurological damage. Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques can induce neuroplastic changes in the human cortex that are behaviorally relevant, raising the exciting possibility that these techniques might be therapeutically beneficial for neurorehabilitation following brain injury. However, the short duration and instability of induced effects currently limits their usefulness. To date, trials investigating the therapeutic value of neuroplasticity-inducing NIBS have used either single or multiple treatment sessions, typically repeated once-daily for 1 to 2 weeks. Although multiple stimulation sessions are presumed to have cumulative effects on neuroplasticity induction, there is little direct scientific evidence to support this “once-daily” approach. In animal models, the repeated application of stimulation protocols spaced using relatively short intervals (typically of the order of minutes) induces long-lasting and stable changes in synaptic efficacy. Likewise, learning through spaced repetition facilitates the establishment of long-term memory. In both cases, the spacing interval is critical in determining the outcome. Emerging evidence in healthy human populations suggests that the within-session spacing of NIBS protocols may be an effective approach for significantly prolonging the duration of induced neuroplastic changes. Similar to findings in the animal and learning literature, the interval at which spaced NIBS is applied seems to be a critical factor influencing the neuroplastic response. In this Point of View article, we propose that to truly exploit the therapeutic opportunities provided by NIBS, future clinical trials should consider the optimal spacing interval for repeated applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell R. Goldsworthy
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Julia B. Pitcher
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael C. Ridding
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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Sampaio-Baptista C, Filippini N, Stagg CJ, Near J, Scholz J, Johansen-Berg H. Changes in functional connectivity and GABA levels with long-term motor learning. Neuroimage 2014; 106:15-20. [PMID: 25463472 PMCID: PMC4405007 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 11/14/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning novel motor skills alters local inhibitory circuits within primary motor cortex (M1) (Floyer-Lea et al., 2006) and changes long-range functional connectivity (Albert et al., 2009). Whether such effects occur with long-term training is less well established. In addition, the relationship between learning-related changes in functional connectivity and local inhibition, and their modulation by practice, has not previously been tested. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to assess functional connectivity and MR spectroscopy to quantify GABA in primary motor cortex (M1) before and after a 6 week regime of juggling practice. Participants practiced for either 30 min (high intensity group) or 15 min (low intensity group) per day. We hypothesized that different training regimes would be reflected in distinct changes in brain connectivity and local inhibition, and that correlations would be found between learning-induced changes in GABA and functional connectivity. Performance improved significantly with practice in both groups and we found no evidence for differences in performance outcomes between the low intensity and high intensity groups. Despite the absence of behavioral differences, we found distinct patterns of brain change in the two groups: the low intensity group showed increases in functional connectivity in the motor network and decreases in GABA, whereas the high intensity group showed decreases in functional connectivity and no significant change in GABA. Changes in functional connectivity correlated with performance outcome. Learning-related changes in functional connectivity correlated with changes in GABA. The results suggest that different training regimes are associated with distinct patterns of brain change, even when performance outcomes are comparable between practice schedules. Our results further indicate that learning-related changes in resting-state network strength in part reflect GABAergic plastic processes. Long-term learning modulated functional connectivity. Changes in functional connectivity correlated with performance outcome. Long-term learning decreased GABA levels. Learning-related changes in functional connectivity correlated with changes in GABA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra Sampaio-Baptista
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Nicola Filippini
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Charlotte J Stagg
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jamie Near
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Jan Scholz
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Heidi Johansen-Berg
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
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47
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Stagg CJ, Bachtiar V, Johansen-Berg H. What are we measuring with GABA Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy? Commun Integr Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.4161/cib.16213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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48
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Inui N, Masumoto J. Perceptual changes of interaction between hand and object in an experimental phantom hand. J Mot Behav 2014; 47:81-8. [PMID: 25272048 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2014.950627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The authors examined whether the wrist and elbow were perceived as flexed when a stick was fixed to the hand while the joints were extended during anesthesia. Ten healthy participants lay on their back on a bed with their eyes closed, and a stick was fixed to their right hand. Surprisingly, while the perceived position of the wrist and elbow moved toward flexion from 10 to 40 min after the ischemic block, the stick fixed to the hand was also perceived as having moved toward flexion from 10 to 20 min after the block. Such coupling the change in the perceived stick position with the change in body image suggests a new type of hand-object illusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuyuki Inui
- a Laboratory of Human Motor Control, Naruto University of Education , Japan
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49
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Cash RFH, Murakami T, Chen R, Thickbroom GW, Ziemann U. Augmenting Plasticity Induction in Human Motor Cortex by Disinhibition Stimulation. Cereb Cortex 2014; 26:58-69. [PMID: 25100853 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellular studies showed that disinhibition, evoked pharmacologically or by a suitably timed priming stimulus, can augment long-term plasticity (LTP) induction. We demonstrated previously that transcranial magnetic stimulation evokes a period of presumably GABA(B)ergic late cortical disinhibition (LCD) in human primary motor cortex (M1). Here, we hypothesized that, in keeping with cellular studies, LCD can augment LTP-like plasticity in humans. In Experiment 1, patterned repetitive TMS was applied to left M1, consisting of 6 trains (intertrain interval, 8 s) of 4 doublets (interpulse interval equal to individual peak I-wave facilitation, 1.3-1.5 ms) spaced by the individual peak LCD (interdoublet interval (IDI), 200-250 ms). This intervention (total of 48 pulses applied over ∼45 s) increased motor-evoked potential amplitude, a marker of corticospinal excitability, in a right hand muscle by 147% ± 4%. Control experiments showed that IDIs shorter or longer than LCD did not result in LTP-like plasticity. Experiment 2 indicated topographic specificity to the M1 hand region stimulated by TMS and duration of the LTP-like plasticity of 60 min. In conclusion, GABA(B)ergic LCD offers a powerful new approach for augmenting LTP-like plasticity induction in human cortex. We refer to this protocol as disinhibition stimulation (DIS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin F H Cash
- Australian Neuro-Muscular Research Institute and Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia Department of Neurology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Takenobu Murakami
- Department of Neurology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany Department of Neurology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Robert Chen
- Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gary W Thickbroom
- Australian Neuro-Muscular Research Institute and Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Ulf Ziemann
- Department of Neurology, Goethe-University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany Department of Neurology and Stroke, and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany
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50
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Bachtiar V, Stagg CJ. The role of inhibition in human motor cortical plasticity. Neuroscience 2014; 278:93-104. [PMID: 25090923 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.07.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Over recent years evidence from animal studies strongly suggests that a decrease in local inhibitory signaling is necessary for synaptic plasticity to occur. However, the role of GABAergic modulation in human motor plasticity is less well understood. Here, we summarize the techniques available to quantify GABA in humans, before reviewing the existing evidence for the role of inhibitory signaling in human motor plasticity. We discuss a number of important outstanding questions that remain before the role of GABAergic modulation in long-term plasticity in humans, such as that underpinning recovery after stroke, can be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Bachtiar
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - C J Stagg
- Oxford Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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