2
|
Preservation of functional descending input to paralyzed upper extremity muscles in motor complete cervical spinal cord injury. Clin Neurophysiol 2023; 150:56-68. [PMID: 37004296 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2023.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Spinal cord injury (SCI) is classified as complete or incomplete depending on the extent of sensorimotor preservation below the injury level. However, individuals with complete SCIs can voluntarily activate paralyzed lower limb muscles alone or by engaging non-paralyzed muscles during neurophysiological assessments, indicating presence of residual pathways across the injury. However, similar phenomena have not been explored for the upper extremity (UE) muscles following cervical SCIs. METHODS Eighteen individuals with motor complete cervical SCI (AIS A or B) and five age-matched non-injured (NI) individuals performed various UE events against manual resistance during functional neurophysiological assessment (FNPA), and electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from UE muscles. RESULTS Our findings demonstrated i) voluntary activation of clinically paralyzed muscles as evident from EMG readouts, ii) increased activity in these muscles during events engaging muscles above the injury level, iii) reduced spectral properties of paralyzed muscles in SCI compared to NI participants. CONCLUSIONS Functional EMG activity in clinically paralyzed muscles indicate presence of residual pathways across the injury establishing supralesional control over the sublesional neural circuitry. SIGNIFICANCE The findings may help explain the neurophysiological basis for UE recovery and can be exploited in designing rehabilitation techniques to facilitate UE recovery following cervical SCIs.
Collapse
|
3
|
Cosentino G, Maiorano E, Todisco M, Prunetti P, Antoniazzi E, Tammam G, Quartesan I, Lettieri S, De Icco R, Corsico AG, Benazzo M, Pisani A, Tassorelli C, Alfonsi E. Electrophysiological evidence of subclinical trigeminal dysfunction in patients with COVID-19 and smell impairment: A pilot study. Front Neurol 2022; 13:981888. [PMID: 36313508 PMCID: PMC9615421 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.981888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Smell and taste disturbances are among the most frequent neurological symptoms in patients with COVID-19. A concomitant impairment of the trigeminal nerve has been suggested in subjects with olfactory dysfunction, although it has not been confirmed with objective measurement techniques. In this study, we explored the trigeminal function and its correlations with clinical features in COVID-19 patients with impaired smell perception using electrophysiological testing. Methods We enrolled 16 consecutive patients with mild COVID-19 and smell impairment and 14 healthy controls (HCs). Olfactory and gustatory symptoms were assessed with self-reported questionnaires. Electrophysiological evaluation of the masseter inhibitory reflex (MIR) and blink reflex (BR) was carried out to test the trigeminal function and its connections within the brainstem. Results Masseter inhibitory reflex (MIR) analysis revealed higher latency of ipsilateral and contralateral early silent period in patients when compared with HCs. No significant differences between groups were detected as regards the duration of the early and late silent period. However, several patients showed a prolonged duration of the early silent period. BR evaluation disclosed only an increased amplitude of early components in patients. Conclusions Patients with COVID-19 and smell impairment show a subclinical trigeminal nerve impairment. Trigeminal alterations mainly involve the oligosynaptic pathway, as a result of either direct viral damage or secondary neuroinflammation of the peripheral trigeminal fibers, whereas the polysynaptic ponto-medullary circuits seem to be spared. The prolonged duration of the early silent period and the increased amplitude of early BR response might reflect a compensatory upregulation of the trigeminal function as a consequence of the olfactory dysfunction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Cosentino
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Translational Neurophysiology Research Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
- *Correspondence: Giuseppe Cosentino
| | - Eugenia Maiorano
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Todisco
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Translational Neurophysiology Research Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Prunetti
- Translational Neurophysiology Research Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Elisa Antoniazzi
- Translational Neurophysiology Research Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giulia Tammam
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Quartesan
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Sara Lettieri
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberto De Icco
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Angelo Guido Corsico
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Pneumology Unit, IRCCS San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Benazzo
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Movement Disorders Research Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Tassorelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Headache Science and Neurorehabilitation Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Enrico Alfonsi
- Translational Neurophysiology Research Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang J, Wang M, Wei B, Shi J, Yu T. Research Progress in the Study of Startle Reflex to Disease States. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:427-435. [PMID: 35237036 PMCID: PMC8884703 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s351667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The startle reflex is considered a primitive physiological reflex, a defense response that occurs in the organism when the body feels sudden danger and uneasiness, characterized by habituation and sensitization effects, and studies on the startle reflex often deal with pre-pulse inhibition (PPI) and sensorimotor gating. Under physiological conditions, the startle reflex is stable at a certain level, and when the organism is in a pathological state, such as stroke, spinal cord injury, schizophrenia, and other diseases, the reflex undergoes a series of changes, making it closely related to the progress of disease. This paper summarizes the startle reflex in physiological and pathological states by reviewing the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China Biology Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodical, Wanfang Data, and identifies and analyzes the startle reflex and excessive startle reaction disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Zhang
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300380, People's Republic of China.,National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, 300380, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Wang
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300380, People's Republic of China
| | - Baoyu Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiangwei Shi
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300380, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Yu
- First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 300380, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|