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Sayed Ahmad AM, Skiadopoulos A, Knikou M. Interactions between arm and leg neuronal circuits following paired cervical and lumbosacral transspinal stimulation in healthy humans. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:2229-2239. [PMID: 39034329 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06891-y] [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] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Transspinal (or transcutaneous spinal cord) stimulation is a promising noninvasive method that may strengthen the intrinsic spinal neural connectivity in neurological disorders. In this study we assessed the effects of cervical transspinal stimulation on the amplitude of leg transspinal evoked potentials (TEPs), and the effects of lumbosacral transspinal stimulation on the amplitude of arm TEPs. Control TEPs were recorded following transspinal stimulation with one cathode electrode placed either on Cervical 3 (21.3 ± 1.7 mA) or Thoracic 10 (23.6 ± 16.5 mA) vertebrae levels. Associated anodes were placed bilaterally on clavicles or iliac crests. Cervical transspinal conditioning stimulation produced short latency inhibition of TEPs recorded from left soleus (ranging from - 6.11 to -3.87% of control TEP at C-T intervals of -50, -25, -20, -15, -10, 15 ms), right semitendinosus (ranging from - 11.1 to -4.55% of control TEP at C-T intervals of -20, -15, 15 ms), and right vastus lateralis (ranging from - 13.3 to -8.44% of control TEP at C-T intervals of -20 and - 15 ms) (p < 0.05). Lumbosacral transspinal conditioning stimulation produced no significant effects on arm TEPs. We conclude that in the resting state, cervical transspinal stimulation affects the net motor output of leg motoneurons under the experimental conditions used in this study. Further investigations are warranted to determine whether this protocol may reactivate local spinal circuitry after stroke or spinal cord injury and may have a significant effect in synchronization of upper and lower limb muscle synergies during rhythmic activities like locomotion or cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah M Sayed Ahmad
- Klab4Recovery Research Program (aka Knikou Lab), The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Blvd, 5N-207, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Andreas Skiadopoulos
- Klab4Recovery Research Program (aka Knikou Lab), The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Blvd, 5N-207, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Program (aka Knikou Lab), The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, 2800 Victory Blvd, 5N-207, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
- Biology PhD Program, CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Collaborative Neuroscience Program, College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd, 5N-207, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA.
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Yildiz N, Cecen S, Sancar N, Karacan I, Knikou M, Türker KS. Postsynaptic potentials of soleus motor neurons produced by transspinal stimulation: a human single-motor unit study. J Neurophysiol 2024; 131:1101-1111. [PMID: 38656134 PMCID: PMC11381115 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00077.2024] [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] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Transspinal (or transcutaneous spinal cord) stimulation is a noninvasive, cost-effective, easily applied method with great potential as a therapeutic modality for recovering somatic and nonsomatic functions in upper motor neuron disorders. However, how transspinal stimulation affects motor neuron depolarization is poorly understood, limiting the development of effective transspinal stimulation protocols for rehabilitation. In this study, we characterized the responses of soleus α motor neurons to single-pulse transspinal stimulation using single-motor unit (SMU) discharges as a proxy given the 1:1 discharge activation between the motor neuron and the motor unit. Peristimulus time histogram, peristimulus frequencygram, and surface electromyography (sEMG) were used to characterize the postsynaptic potentials of soleus motor neurons. Transspinal stimulation produced short-latency excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) followed by two distinct phases of inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) in most soleus motor neurons and only IPSPs in others. Transspinal stimulation generated double discharges at short interspike intervals in a few motor units. The short-latency EPSPs were likely mediated by muscle spindle group Ia and II afferents, and the IPSPs via excitation of group Ib afferents and recurrent collaterals of motor neurons leading to activation of diverse spinal inhibitory interneuronal circuits. Further studies are warranted to understand better how transspinal stimulation affects depolarization of α motor neurons over multiple spinal segments. This knowledge will be seminal for developing effective transspinal stimulation protocols in upper motor neuron lesions.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transspinal stimulation produces distinct actions on soleus motor neurons: an early short-latency excitation followed by two inhibitions or only inhibition and doublets. These results show how transspinal stimulation affects depolarization of soleus α motor neurons in healthy humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilgün Yildiz
- Faculty of Dentistry & Physiology, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Serpil Cecen
- Department of Physiology, Hamidiye Medical School, Health Science University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Nuray Sancar
- Faculty of Dentistry & Physiology, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ilhan Karacan
- Hamidiye Medical School, Physical Therapy Research and Education Hospital, Health Science University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, New York, United States
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, New York, United States
- PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of The City University of New York and College of Staten Island, New York, New York, United States
| | - Kemal S Türker
- Faculty of Dentistry & Physiology, Istanbul Gelisim University, Istanbul, Türkiye
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Nakagawa K, Kakehata G, Kaneko N, Masugi Y, Osu R, Iso S, Kanosue K, Nakazawa K. Reciprocal inhibition of the thigh muscles in humans: A study using transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation. Physiol Rep 2024; 12:e16039. [PMID: 38740563 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.16039] [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] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Evaluating reciprocal inhibition of the thigh muscles is important to investigate the neural circuits of locomotor behaviors. However, measurements of reciprocal inhibition of thigh muscles using spinal reflex, such as H-reflex, have never been systematically established owing to methodological limitations. The present study aimed to clarify the existence of reciprocal inhibition in the thigh muscles using transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS). Twenty able-bodied male individuals were enrolled. We evoked spinal reflex from the biceps femoris muscle (BF) by tSCS on the lumber posterior root. We examined whether the tSCS-evoked BF reflex was reciprocally inhibited by the following conditionings: (1) single-pulse electrical stimulation on the femoral nerve innervating the rectus femoris muscle (RF) at various inter-stimulus intervals in the resting condition; (2) voluntary contraction of the RF; and (3) vibration stimulus on the RF. The BF reflex was significantly inhibited when the conditioning electrical stimulation was delivered at 10 and 20 ms prior to tSCS, during voluntary contraction of the RF, and during vibration on the RF. These data suggested a piece of evidence of the existence of reciprocal inhibition from the RF to the BF muscle in humans and highlighted the utility of methods for evaluating reciprocal inhibition of the thigh muscles using tSCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kento Nakagawa
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Sports and Health Management, Faculty of Business and Information Sciences, Jobu University, Isesaki, Gunma, Japan
| | - Gaku Kakehata
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naotsugu Kaneko
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yohei Masugi
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Tokyo International University, Kawagoe, Saitama, Japan
| | - Rieko Osu
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
| | - Shigeo Iso
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Kanosue
- Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan
- Institute of Health and Sports Science and Medicine, Juntendo University, Inzai, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kimitaka Nakazawa
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Duguay M, Bonizzato M, Delivet-Mongrain H, Fortier-Lebel N, Martinez M. Uncovering and leveraging the return of voluntary motor programs after paralysis using a bi-cortical neuroprosthesis. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 228:102492. [PMID: 37414352 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Rehabilitative and neuroprosthetic approaches after spinal cord injury (SCI) aim to reestablish voluntary control of movement. Promoting recovery requires a mechanistic understanding of the return of volition over action, but the relationship between re-emerging cortical commands and the return of locomotion is not well established. We introduced a neuroprosthesis delivering targeted bi-cortical stimulation in a clinically relevant contusive SCI model. In healthy and SCI cats, we controlled hindlimb locomotor output by tuning stimulation timing, duration, amplitude, and site. In intact cats, we unveiled a large repertoire of motor programs. After SCI, the evoked hindlimb lifts were highly stereotyped, yet effective in modulating gait and alleviating bilateral foot drag. Results suggest that the neural substrate underpinning motor recovery had traded-off selectivity for efficacy. Longitudinal tests revealed that the return of locomotion after SCI was correlated with recovery of the descending drive, which advocates for rehabilitation interventions directed at the cortical target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maude Duguay
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marco Bonizzato
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Québec, Canada; Department of Electrical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Hugo Delivet-Mongrain
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Marina Martinez
- Département de Neurosciences and Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche sur le cerveau et l'apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Québec, Canada; CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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Marangolo P, Vasta S, Manfredini A, Caltagirone C. What Else Can Be Done by the Spinal Cord? A Review on the Effectiveness of Transpinal Direct Current Stimulation (tsDCS) in Stroke Recovery. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10173. [PMID: 37373323 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210173] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the spinal cord has traditionally been considered a bundle of long fibers connecting the brain to all parts of the body, the study of its role has long been limited to peripheral sensory and motor control. However, in recent years, new studies have challenged this view pointing to the spinal cord's involvement not only in the acquisition and maintenance of new motor skills but also in the modulation of motor and cognitive functions dependent on cortical motor regions. Indeed, several reports to date, which have combined neurophysiological techniques with transpinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS), have shown that tsDCS is effective in promoting local and cortical neuroplasticity changes in animals and humans through the activation of ascending corticospinal pathways that modulate the sensorimotor cortical networks. The aim of this paper is first to report the most prominent tsDCS studies on neuroplasticity and its influence at the cortical level. Then, a comprehensive review of tsDCS literature on motor improvement in animals and healthy subjects and on motor and cognitive recovery in post-stroke populations is presented. We believe that these findings might have an important impact in the future making tsDCS a potential suitable adjunctive approach for post-stroke recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Marangolo
- Department of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Vasta
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Manfredini
- Department of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
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Skiadopoulos A, Pulverenti TS, Knikou M. Physiological effects of cathodal electrode configuration for transspinal stimulation in humans. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:1663-1682. [PMID: 36416443 PMCID: PMC9762966 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00342.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transspinal stimulation modulates neuronal excitability and promotes recovery in upper motoneuron lesions. The recruitment input-output curves of transspinal evoked potentials (TEPs) recorded from knee and ankle muscles, and their susceptibility to spinal inhibition, were recorded when the position, size, and number of the cathode electrode were arranged in four settings or protocols (Ps). The four Ps were the following: 1) one rectangular electrode placed at midline (KNIKOU-LAB4Recovery or K-LAB4Recovery; P-KLAB), 2) one square electrode placed at midline (P-2), 3) two square electrodes 1 cm apart placed at midline (P-3), and 4) one square electrode placed on each paravertebral side (P-4). P-KLAB and P-3 required less current to reach TEP threshold or maximal amplitudes. A rightward shift in TEP recruitment curves was evident for P-4, whereas the slope was increased for P-2 and P-4 compared with P-KLAB and P-3. TEP depression upon single and paired transspinal stimuli was pronounced in ankle TEPs but was less prominent in knee TEPs. TEP depression induced by single transspinal stimuli at 1.0 Hz was similar for most TEPs across protocols, but TEP depression induced by paired transspinal stimuli was different between protocols and was replaced by facilitation at 100-ms interstimulus interval for P-4. Our results suggest that P-KLAB and P-3 are preferred based on excitability threshold of motoneurons. P-KLAB produced more TEP depression, thereby maximizing the engagement of spinal neuronal pathways. We recommend P-KLAB to study neurophysiological mechanisms underlying transspinal stimulation or when used as a neuromodulation method for recovery in neurological disorders.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transspinal stimulation with a rectangular cathode electrode (P-KLAB) requires less current to produce transspinal evoked potentials and maximizes spinal inhibition. We recommend P-KLAB for neurophysiological studies or when used as a neuromodulation method to enhance motor output and normalize muscle tone in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Skiadopoulos
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Timothy S Pulverenti
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, New York
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, New York
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York
- PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of The City University of New York and College of Staten Island, Staten Island, New York
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Pulverenti TS, Zaaya M, Grabowski E, Grabowski M, Knikou M. Brain and spinal cord paired stimulation coupled with locomotor training facilitates motor output in human spinal cord injury. Front Neurol 2022; 13:1000940. [PMID: 36313489 PMCID: PMC9612520 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.1000940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Combined interventions for neuromodulation leading to neurorecovery have gained great attention by researchers to resemble clinical rehabilitation approaches. In this randomized clinical trial, we established changes in the net output of motoneurons innervating multiple leg muscles during stepping when transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex was paired with transcutaneous spinal (transspinal) stimulation over the thoracolumbar region during locomotor training. TMS was delivered before (TMS-transspinal) or after (transspinal-TMS) transspinal stimulation during the stance phase of the less impaired leg. Ten individuals with chronic incomplete or complete SCI received at least 20 sessions of training. Each session consisted of 240 paired stimuli delivered over 10-min blocks for 1 h during robotic assisted step training on a motorized treadmill. Body weight support, leg guidance force and treadmill speed were adjusted based on each subject's ability to step without knee buckling or toe dragging. Most transspinal evoked potentials (TEPs) recorded before and after each intervention from ankle and knee muscles during assisted stepping were modulated in a phase-dependent pattern. Transspinal-TMS and locomotor training affected motor neuron output of knee and ankle muscles with ankle TEPs to be modulated in a phase-dependent manner. TMS-transspinal and locomotor training increased motor neuron output for knee but not for ankle muscles. Our results support that targeted brain and spinal cord stimulation alters responsiveness of neurons over multiple spinal segments in people with chronic SCI. Noninvasive stimulation of the brain and spinal cord along with locomotor training is a novel neuromodulation method that can become a promising modality for rehabilitation in humans after SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S. Pulverenti
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Morad Zaaya
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ewelina Grabowski
- PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of the City University of New York and College of Staten Island, New York, NY, United States
| | - Monika Grabowski
- PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of the City University of New York and College of Staten Island, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Program, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States,PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of the City University of New York and College of Staten Island, New York, NY, United States,Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Maria Knikou
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Adeel M, Lin BS, Chen HC, Lai CH, Liou JC, Wu CW, Chan WP, Peng CW. Motor Neuroplastic Effects of a Novel Paired Stimulation Technology in an Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury Animal Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23169447. [PMID: 36012710 PMCID: PMC9409074 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired stimulation of the brain and spinal cord can remodel the central nervous tissue circuitry in an animal model to induce motor neuroplasticity. The effects of simultaneous stimulation vary according to the extent and severity of spinal cord injury. Therefore, our study aimed to determine the significant effects on an incomplete SCI rat brain and spinal cord through 3 min and 20 min stimulations after 4 weeks of intervention. Thirty-three Sprague Dawley rats were classified into six groups: (1) normal, (2) sham, (3) iTBS/tsDCS, (4) iTBS/ts-iTBS, (5) rTMS/tsDCS, and (6) rTMS/ts-iTBS. Paired stimulation of the brain cortex and spinal cord thoracic (T10) level was applied simultaneously for 3−20 min. The motor evoked potential (MEP) and Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scores were recorded after every week of intervention for four weeks along with wheel training for 20 min. Three-minute stimulation with the iTBS/tsDCS intervention induced a significant (p < 0.050 *) increase in MEP after week 2 and week 4 treatments, while 3 min iTBS/ts-iTBS significantly improved MEP (p < 0.050 *) only after the week 3 intervention. The 20 min rTMS/ts-iTBS intervention showed a significant change only in post_5 min after week 4. The BBB score also changed significantly in all groups except for the 20 min rTMS/tsDCS intervention. iTBS/tsDCS and rTMS/ts-iTBS interventions induce neuroplasticity in an incomplete SCI animal model by significantly changing electrophysiological (MEP) and locomotion (BBB) outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Adeel
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- International Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237, Taiwan
| | - Bor-Shing Lin
- Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chou Chen
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City 235, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hung Lai
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Jian-Chiun Liou
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- International Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Wei Wu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Wing P. Chan
- Department of Radiology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Wei Peng
- School of Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- International Ph.D. Program in Biomedical Engineering, College of Biomedical Engineering, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- School of Gerontology and Long-Term Care, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Research Center of Biomedical Device, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan
- Correspondence: ; Tel./Fax: +886-2-2736-1661 (ext. 3070)
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Xing Y, Zhang Y, Li C, Luo L, Hua Y, Hu J, Bai Y. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Brain After Ischemic Stroke: Mechanisms from Animal Models. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2022; 43:1487-1497. [PMID: 35917043 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01264-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Stroke is a common cerebrovascular disease with high morbidity, mortality, and disability worldwide. Post-stroke dysfunction is related to the death of neurons and impairment of synaptic structure, which results from cerebral ischemic damage. Currently, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) techniques are available to provide clinically effective interventions and quantitative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. The development of TMS has been 40 years and a range of repetitive TMS (rTMS) protocols are now available to regulate neuronal plasticity in many neurological disorders, such as stroke, Parkinson disease, psychiatric disorders, Alzheimer disease, and so on. Basic studies in an animal model with ischemic stroke are significant for demonstrating potential mechanisms of neural restoration induced by rTMS. In this review, the mechanisms were summarized, involving synaptic plasticity, neural cell death, neurogenesis, immune response, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption in vitro and vivo experiments with ischemic stroke models. Those findings can contribute to the understanding of how rTMS modulated function recovery and the exploration of novel therapeutic targets. The mechanisms of rTMS in treating ischemic stroke from animal models. rTMS can prompt synaptic plasticity by increasing NMDAR, AMPAR and BDNF expression; rTMS can inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF and facilitate the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 by shifting astrocytic phenotypes from A1 to A2, and shifting microglial phenotypes from M1 to M2; rTMS facilitated the release of angiogenesis-related factors TGFβ and VEGF in A2 astrocytes, which can contribute to vasculogenesis and angiogenesis; rTMS can suppress apoptosis by increasing Bcl-2 expression and inhibiting Bax, caspase-3 expression; rTMS can also suppress pyroptosis by decreasing caspase-1, IL-1β, ASC, GSDMD and NLRP1 expression. rTMS, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation; NMDAR, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors; AMPAR: α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor; GSDMD: cleaved Caspase-1 cleaves Gasdermin D; CBF: cerebral blood flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xing
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yuqian Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Congqin Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Lu Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yan Hua
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Jian Hu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yulong Bai
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 12 Middle Wulumuqi Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, 200040, China.
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Brain and spinal cord paired stimulation coupled with locomotor training affects polysynaptic flexion reflex circuits in human spinal cord injury. Exp Brain Res 2022; 240:1687-1699. [PMID: 35513720 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-022-06375-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Neurorecovery from locomotor training is well established in human spinal cord injury (SCI). However, neurorecovery resulting from combined interventions has not been widely studied. In this randomized clinical trial, we established the tibialis anterior (TA) flexion reflex modulation pattern when transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex was paired with transcutaneous spinal cord (transspinal) stimulation over the thoracolumbar region during assisted step training. Single pulses of TMS were delivered either before (TMS-transspinal) or after (transspinal-TMS) transspinal stimulation during the stance phase of the less impaired leg. Eight individuals with chronic incomplete or complete SCI received at least 20 sessions of paired stimulation during assisted step training. Each session consisted of 240 paired stimuli delivered over 10-min blocks for 1 h during robotic-assisted step training with the Lokomat6 Pro®. Body weight support, leg guidance force and treadmill speed were adjusted based on each participant's ability to step without knee buckling or toe dragging. Both the early and late TA flexion reflex remained unaltered after TMS-transspinal and locomotor training. In contrast, the early and late TA flexion reflexes were significantly depressed during stepping after transspinal-TMS and locomotor training. Reflex changes occurred at similar slopes and intercepts before and after training. Our findings support that targeted brain and spinal cord stimulation coupled with locomotor training reorganizes the function of flexion reflex pathways, which are a part of locomotor networks, in humans with varying levels of sensorimotor function after SCI.Trial registration number NCT04624607; Registered on November 12, 2020.
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11
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Effects of paired stimulation with specific waveforms on cortical and spinal plasticity in subjects with a chronic spinal cord injury. J Formos Med Assoc 2022; 121:2044-2056. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2022.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
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Koelewijn AD, Audu M, del-Ama AJ, Colucci A, Font-Llagunes JM, Gogeascoechea A, Hnat SK, Makowski N, Moreno JC, Nandor M, Quinn R, Reichenbach M, Reyes RD, Sartori M, Soekadar S, Triolo RJ, Vermehren M, Wenger C, Yavuz US, Fey D, Beckerle P. Adaptation Strategies for Personalized Gait Neuroprosthetics. Front Neurorobot 2021; 15:750519. [PMID: 34975445 PMCID: PMC8716811 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2021.750519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Personalization of gait neuroprosthetics is paramount to ensure their efficacy for users, who experience severe limitations in mobility without an assistive device. Our goal is to develop assistive devices that collaborate with and are tailored to their users, while allowing them to use as much of their existing capabilities as possible. Currently, personalization of devices is challenging, and technological advances are required to achieve this goal. Therefore, this paper presents an overview of challenges and research directions regarding an interface with the peripheral nervous system, an interface with the central nervous system, and the requirements of interface computing architectures. The interface should be modular and adaptable, such that it can provide assistance where it is needed. Novel data processing technology should be developed to allow for real-time processing while accounting for signal variations in the human. Personalized biomechanical models and simulation techniques should be developed to predict assisted walking motions and interactions between the user and the device. Furthermore, the advantages of interfacing with both the brain and the spinal cord or the periphery should be further explored. Technological advances of interface computing architecture should focus on learning on the chip to achieve further personalization. Furthermore, energy consumption should be low to allow for longer use of the neuroprosthesis. In-memory processing combined with resistive random access memory is a promising technology for both. This paper discusses the aforementioned aspects to highlight new directions for future research in gait neuroprosthetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne D. Koelewijn
- Biomechanical Data Analysis and Creation (BIOMAC) Group, Machine Learning and Data Analytics Lab, Faculty of Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Musa Audu
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Antonio J. del-Ama
- Applied Mathematics, Materials Science and Technology and Electronic Technology Department, Rey Juan Carlos University, Mostoles, Spain
| | - Annalisa Colucci
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universita¨tsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Josep M. Font-Llagunes
- Biomechanical Engineering Lab, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Research Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Antonio Gogeascoechea
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Sandra K. Hnat
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Nathan Makowski
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Juan C. Moreno
- Neural Rehabilitation Group, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mark Nandor
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Roger Quinn
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Marc Reichenbach
- Chair of Computer Engineering, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Cottbus, Germany
- Chair for Computer Architecture, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ryan-David Reyes
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Massimo Sartori
- Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Surjo Soekadar
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universita¨tsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ronald J. Triolo
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Clevel and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Advanced Platform Technology Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Mareike Vermehren
- Clinical Neurotechnology Lab, Neuroscience Research Center (NWFZ), Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universita¨tsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Wenger
- IHP-Leibniz Institut Fuer Innovative Mikroelektronik, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany
| | - Utku S. Yavuz
- Biomedical Signals and Systems Group, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Dietmar Fey
- Chair for Computer Architecture, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Philipp Beckerle
- Chair of Autonomous Systems and Mechatronics, Department of Electrical Engineering, Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Wecht JR, Savage WM, Famodimu GO, Mendez GA, Levine JM, Maher MT, Weir JP, Wecht JM, Carmel JB, Wu YK, Harel NY. Posteroanterior Cervical Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation: Interactions with Cortical and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10225304. [PMID: 34830584 PMCID: PMC8623612 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10225304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) has demonstrated potential to beneficially modulate spinal cord motor and autonomic circuitry. We are interested in pairing cervical TSCS with other forms of nervous system stimulation to enhance synaptic plasticity in circuits serving hand function. We use a novel configuration for cervical TSCS in which the anode is placed anteriorly over ~C4–C5 and the cathode posteriorly over ~T2–T4. We measured the effects of single pulses of TSCS paired with single pulses of motor cortex or median nerve stimulation timed to arrive at the cervical spinal cord at varying intervals. In 13 participants with and 15 participants without chronic cervical spinal cord injury, we observed that subthreshold TSCS facilitates hand muscle responses to motor cortex stimulation, with a tendency toward greater facilitation when TSCS is timed to arrive at cervical synapses simultaneously or up to 10 milliseconds after cortical stimulus arrival. Single pulses of subthreshold TSCS had no effect on the amplitudes of median H-reflex responses or F-wave responses. These findings support a model in which TSCS paired with appropriately timed cortical stimulation has the potential to facilitate convergent transmission between descending motor circuits, segmental afferents, and spinal motor neurons serving the hand. Studies with larger numbers of participants and repetitively paired cortical and spinal stimulation are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn R. Wecht
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
| | - William M. Savage
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
| | - Grace O. Famodimu
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
| | - Gregory A. Mendez
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
| | - Jonah M. Levine
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
| | - Matthew T. Maher
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
| | - Joseph P. Weir
- Department of Health, Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA;
| | - Jill M. Wecht
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jason B. Carmel
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA;
| | - Yu-Kuang Wu
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Noam Y. Harel
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10468, USA; (J.R.W.); (W.M.S.); (G.O.F.); (G.A.M.); (J.M.L.); (M.T.M.); (J.M.W.); (Y.-K.W.)
- Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Correspondence:
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Kaneko N, Sasaki A, Masugi Y, Nakazawa K. The Effects of Paired Associative Stimulation with Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation on Corticospinal Excitability in Multiple Lower-limb Muscles. Neuroscience 2021; 476:45-59. [PMID: 34500017 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is a non-invasive method to modulate the excitability of the primary motor cortex (M1). PAS involves the combination of peripheral nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the primary motor cortex. However, for lower-limb muscles, PAS has only been applied to the few muscles innervated by peripheral nerves that can easily be stimulated. This study used transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) to the posterior root, stimulating the sensory nerves of multiple lower-limb muscles, and aimed to investigate the effect of PAS consisting of tSCS and TMS on corticospinal excitability. Twelve non-disabled men received 120 paired stimuli on two separate days in (1) an individual-ISI condition, using inter-stimulus intervals (ISIs) of paired stimuli individually calculated to send two signals to M1 with individually-adjusted ISI, and (2) a constant-ISI condition, using a constant ISI of 100 ms. Before and after PAS, corticospinal excitability was assessed in the lower-limb muscles. Facilitation of corticospinal excitability in the lower-leg and hamstring muscles was observed up to 30 min after PAS only in the individual-ISI condition (p < 0.05), although there was no significant difference between the individual-ISI and constant-ISI conditions. Additionally, our results revealed a difference in PAS-induced facilitation among lower-limb muscles, suggesting a spatial gradient of PAS-induced facilitation of corticospinal excitability, such that knee flexor muscles have a higher potential for plastic change than knee extensor muscles. These findings will foster a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying PAS-induced neuroplasticity, leading to better neurorehabilitation and motor learning strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naotsugu Kaneko
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute - University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Atsushi Sasaki
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yohei Masugi
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; School of Health Sciences, Tokyo International University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kimitaka Nakazawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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15
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Al'joboori Y, Hannah R, Lenham F, Borgas P, Kremers CJP, Bunday KL, Rothwell J, Duffell LD. The Immediate and Short-Term Effects of Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation on Corticospinal Excitability. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:749042. [PMID: 34744614 PMCID: PMC8566815 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.749042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Rehabilitative interventions involving electrical stimulation show promise for neuroplastic recovery in people living with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). However, the understanding of how stimulation interacts with descending and spinal excitability remain unclear. In this study we compared the immediate and short-term (within a few minutes) effects of pairing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) with transcutaneous Spinal Cord stimulation (tSCS) and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) on Corticospinal excitability in healthy subjects. Three separate experimental conditions were assessed. In Experiment I, paired associative stimulation (PAS) was applied, involving repeated pairing of single pulses of TMS and tSCS, either arriving simultaneously at the spinal motoneurones (PAS0ms) or slightly delayed (PAS5ms). Corticospinal and spinal excitability, and motor performance, were assessed before and after the PAS interventions in 24 subjects. Experiment II compared the immediate effects of tSCS and PNS on corticospinal excitability in 20 subjects. Experiment III compared the immediate effects of tSCS with tSCS delivered at the same stimulation amplitude but modulated with a carrier frequency (in the kHz range) on corticospinal excitability in 10 subjects. Electromyography (EMG) electrodes were placed over the Tibialis Anterior (TA) soleus (SOL) and vastus medialis (VM) muscles and stimulation electrodes (cathodes) were placed on the lumbar spine (tSCS) and lateral to the popliteal fossa (PNS). TMS over the primary motor cortex (M1) was paired with tSCS or PNS to produce Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) in the TA and SOL muscles. Simultaneous delivery of repetitive PAS (PAS0ms) increased corticospinal excitability and H-reflex amplitude at least 5 min after the intervention, and dorsiflexion force was increased in a force-matching task. When comparing effects on descending excitability between tSCS and PNS, a subsequent facilitation in MEPs was observed following tSCS at 30-50 ms which was not present following PNS. To a lesser extent this facilitatory effect was also observed with HF- tSCS at subthreshold currents. Here we have shown that repeated pairing of TMS and tSCS can increase corticospinal excitability when timed to arrive simultaneously at the alpha-motoneurone and can influence functional motor output. These results may be useful in optimizing stimulation parameters for neuroplasticity in people living with SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yazi Al'joboori
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ricci Hannah
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Lenham
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pia Borgas
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte J P Kremers
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen L Bunday
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Rothwell
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lynsey D Duffell
- Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Zhang Z, Lin BS, Peng CW, Chan WP, Lin BS, Lai CH. Design of a Novel Paired Associative Nerve Stimulation System and Treatment Strategy for Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: A Preliminary Study. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2021; 29:1341-1349. [PMID: 34242169 DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2021.3095842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Paired associative nerve stimulation (PANS) was proposed as a potential nerve rehabilitation treatment strategy. However, few relevant documents are available regarding the strategy, and only a few clinical studies have involved healthy people. To determine the feasibility of the neurorehabilitation treatment and to estimate the effect of PANS on nerve plasticity for individuals with incomplete spinal cord injury (iSCI), a design combining repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with trans-spinal electrical stimulation was developed for treating individuals with iSCI in this pilot case study. First, a novel PANS system with multiple stimulation modes was designed and verified with resistors and a metal coil as load. Then, the system was applied to three individuals with iSCI, and five types of paired associative stimulation was performed to confirm the feasibility of the system and determine the most effective treatment strategy. The preliminary result showed that 20-Hz rTMS combined with cathodal trans-spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) had the greatest effect on corticospinal excitability. Next, stimulations of 20-Hz rTMS (brain) and sham (spine) as well as sham (brain) and cathode tsDCS (spine) were administered to individuals with iSCI, and the results revealed that paired associative stimulation of brain and spine was more effective than only 20-Hz rTMS brain stimulation or cathodal tsDCS stimulation for corticospinal plasticity.
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Bonizzato M, Martinez M. An intracortical neuroprosthesis immediately alleviates walking deficits and improves recovery of leg control after spinal cord injury. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/586/eabb4422. [PMID: 33762436 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb4422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Most rehabilitation interventions after spinal cord injury (SCI) only target the sublesional spinal networks, peripheral nerves, and muscles. However, mammalian locomotion is not a mere act of rhythmic pattern generation. Recovery of cortical control is essential for voluntary movement and modulation of gait. We developed an intracortical neuroprosthetic intervention to SCI, with the goal to condition cortical locomotor control. Neurostimulation delivered in phase coherence with ongoing locomotion immediately alleviated primary SCI deficits, such as leg dragging, in rats with incomplete SCI. Cortical neurostimulation achieved high fidelity and markedly proportional online control of leg trajectories in both healthy and SCI rats. Long-term neuroprosthetic training lastingly improved cortical control of locomotion, whereas short training held transient improvements. We performed longitudinal awake cortical motor mapping, unveiling that recovery of cortico-spinal transmission tightly parallels return of locomotor function in rats. These results advocate directly targeting the motor cortex in clinical neuroprosthetic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Bonizzato
- Department of Neurosciences and Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux central (GRSNC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1N8, Canada.,CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec H4J 1C5, Canada
| | - Marina Martinez
- Department of Neurosciences and Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux central (GRSNC), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3T 1N8, Canada. .,CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, Québec H4J 1C5, Canada
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Ting WKC, Fadul FAR, Fecteau S, Ethier C. Neurostimulation for Stroke Rehabilitation. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:649459. [PMID: 34054410 PMCID: PMC8160247 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.649459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurological injuries such as strokes can lead to important loss in motor function. Thanks to neuronal plasticity, some of the lost functionality may be recovered over time. However, the recovery process is often slow and incomplete, despite the most effective conventional rehabilitation therapies. As we improve our understanding of the rules governing activity-dependent plasticity, neuromodulation interventions are being developed to harness neural plasticity to achieve faster and more complete recovery. Here, we review the principles underlying stimulation-driven plasticity as well as the most commonly used stimulation techniques and approaches. We argue that increased spatiotemporal precision is an important factor to improve the efficacy of neurostimulation and drive a more useful neuronal reorganization. Consequently, closed-loop systems and optogenetic stimulation hold theoretical promise as interventions to promote brain repair after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Windsor Kwan-Chun Ting
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche CERVO, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Faïza Abdou-Rahaman Fadul
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche CERVO, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Shirley Fecteau
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche CERVO, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
| | - Christian Ethier
- Département de Psychiatrie et de Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche CERVO, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
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Pulverenti TS, Zaaya M, Grabowski M, Grabowski E, Islam MA, Li J, Murray LM, Knikou M. Neurophysiological Changes After Paired Brain and Spinal Cord Stimulation Coupled With Locomotor Training in Human Spinal Cord Injury. Front Neurol 2021; 12:627975. [PMID: 34040572 PMCID: PMC8141587 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.627975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiological changes that involve activity-dependent neuroplasticity mechanisms via repeated stimulation and locomotor training are not commonly employed in research even though combination of interventions is a common clinical practice. In this randomized clinical trial, we established neurophysiological changes when transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex was paired with transcutaneous thoracolumbar spinal (transspinal) stimulation in human spinal cord injury (SCI) delivered during locomotor training. We hypothesized that TMS delivered before transspinal (TMS-transspinal) stimulation promotes functional reorganization of spinal networks during stepping. In this protocol, TMS-induced corticospinal volleys arrive at the spinal cord at a sufficient time to interact with transspinal stimulation induced depolarization of alpha motoneurons over multiple spinal segments. We further hypothesized that TMS delivered after transspinal (transspinal-TMS) stimulation induces less pronounced effects. In this protocol, transspinal stimulation is delivered at time that allows transspinal stimulation induced action potentials to arrive at the motor cortex and affect descending motor volleys at the site of their origin. Fourteen individuals with motor incomplete and complete SCI participated in at least 25 sessions. Both stimulation protocols were delivered during the stance phase of the less impaired leg. Each training session consisted of 240 paired stimuli delivered over 10-min blocks. In transspinal-TMS, the left soleus H-reflex increased during the stance-phase and the right soleus H-reflex decreased at mid-swing. In TMS-transspinal no significant changes were found. When soleus H-reflexes were grouped based on the TMS-targeted limb, transspinal-TMS and locomotor training promoted H-reflex depression at swing phase, while TMS-transspinal and locomotor training resulted in facilitation of the soleus H-reflex at stance phase of the step cycle. Furthermore, both transspinal-TMS and TMS-transspinal paired-associative stimulation (PAS) and locomotor training promoted a more physiological modulation of motor activity and thus depolarization of motoneurons during assisted stepping. Our findings support that targeted non-invasive stimulation of corticospinal and spinal neuronal pathways coupled with locomotor training produce neurophysiological changes beneficial to stepping in humans with varying deficits of sensorimotor function after SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Pulverenti
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Morad Zaaya
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Monika Grabowski
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ewelina Grabowski
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Md Anamul Islam
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jeffrey Li
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Lynda M Murray
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Ph.D. Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of the City University of New York and College of Staten Island, New York, NY, United States
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20
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Jara JS, Agger S, Hollis ER. Functional Electrical Stimulation and the Modulation of the Axon Regeneration Program. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:736. [PMID: 33015031 PMCID: PMC7462022 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural injury in mammals often leads to persistent functional deficits as spontaneous repair in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is often incomplete, while endogenous repair mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS) are negligible. Peripheral axotomy elicits growth-associated gene programs in sensory and motor neurons that can support reinnervation of peripheral targets given sufficient levels of debris clearance and proximity to nerve targets. In contrast, while damaged CNS circuitry can undergo a limited amount of sprouting and reorganization, this innate plasticity does not re-establish the original connectivity. The utility of novel CNS circuitry will depend on effective connectivity and appropriate training to strengthen these circuits. One method of enhancing novel circuit connectivity is through the use of electrical stimulation, which supports axon growth in both central and peripheral neurons. This review will focus on the effects of CNS and PNS electrical stimulation in activating axon growth-associated gene programs and supporting the recovery of motor and sensory circuits. Electrical stimulation-mediated neuroplasticity represents a therapeutically viable approach to support neural repair and recovery. Development of appropriate clinical strategies employing electrical stimulation will depend upon determining the underlying mechanisms of activity-dependent axon regeneration and the heterogeneity of neuronal subtype responses to stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sydney Agger
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY, United States
| | - Edmund R Hollis
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY, United States.,Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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21
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Islam MA, Zaaya M, Comiskey E, Demetrio J, O’Keefe A, Palazzo N, Pulverenti TS, Knikou M. Modulation of soleus H-reflex excitability following cervical transspinal conditioning stimulation in humans. Neurosci Lett 2020; 732:135052. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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22
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Foysal KMR, Baker SN. Induction of plasticity in the human motor system by motor imagery and transcranial magnetic stimulation. J Physiol 2020; 598:2385-2396. [PMID: 32266976 DOI: 10.1113/jp279794] [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] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Delivering transcranial magnetic brain stimulation over the motor cortex during motor imagination leads to enhanced motor output, which is selective for the muscles primarily involved in the imagined movement. This novel protocol may be useful to enhance function after damage to the motor system, such as after stroke. ABSTRACT Several paired stimulation paradigms are known to induce plasticity in the motor cortex, reflected by changes in the motor evoked potential (MEP) following the paired stimulation. Motor imagery (MI) is capable of activating the motor system and affecting cortical excitability. We hypothesized that it might be possible to use MI in conjunction with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to induce plasticity in the human motor system. TMS was delivered to the motor cortex of healthy human subjects, and baseline MEPs recorded from forearm flexor, forearm extensor and intrinsic hand muscles. Subjects were then asked to imagine either wrist flexion or extension movements during TMS delivery (n = 90 trials). Immediately after this intervention, MEP measurement was repeated. Control protocols tested the impact of imagination or TMS alone. Flexion imagination with TMS increased MEPs in flexors and an intrinsic hand muscle. Extensor imagination with TMS increased MEPs in extensor muscles only. The control paradigms did not produce significant changes. We conclude that delivering TMS during MI is capable of inducing plastic changes in the motor system. This new protocol may find utility to enhance functional rehabilitation after brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Riashad Foysal
- Institute of Neurosciences, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Stuart N Baker
- Institute of Neurosciences, Medical School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
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23
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Ling YT, Alam M, Zheng YP. Spinal Cord Injury: Lessons about Neuroplasticity from Paired Associative Stimulation. Neuroscientist 2019; 26:266-277. [DOI: 10.1177/1073858419895461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation method with rare cases of adverse effects for the patients with neurological injuries such as spinal cord injury (SCI). PAS is based on the principles of associative long-term potentiation and depression where the activation of presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons correlated in time is artificially induced. Statistically significant improvement in motor functions after applying PAS has been reported by several research groups. With further standardization of the technique, PAS could be an effective treatment for functional rehabilitation of SCI patients. In this review, we have summarized the methods and findings of PAS on SCI rehabilitation to facilitate the readers to understand the potentials and limitations of PAS for its future clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan To Ling
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Monzurul Alam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yong-Ping Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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24
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Pulverenti TS, Islam MA, Alsalman O, Murray LM, Harel NY, Knikou M. Transspinal stimulation decreases corticospinal excitability and alters the function of spinal locomotor networks. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:2331-2343. [PMID: 31577515 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00554.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion requires the continuous integration of descending motor commands and sensory inputs from the legs by spinal central pattern generator circuits. Modulation of spinal neural circuits by transspinal stimulation is well documented, but how transspinal stimulation affects corticospinal excitability during walking in humans remains elusive. We measured the motor evoked potentials (MEPs) at multiple phases of the step cycle conditioned with transspinal stimulation delivered at sub- and suprathreshold intensities of the spinally mediated transspinal evoked potential (TEP). Transspinal stimulation was delivered before or after transcranial magnetic stimulation during which summation between MEP and TEP responses in the surface EMG was absent or present. Relationships between MEP amplitude and background EMG activity, silent period duration, and phase-dependent EMG amplitude modulation during and after stimulation were also determined. Ankle flexor and extensor MEPs were depressed by suprathreshold transspinal stimulation when descending volleys were timed to interact with transspinal stimulation-induced motoneuron depolarization at the spinal cord. MEP depression coincided with decreased MEP gain, unaltered MEP threshold, and unaltered silent period duration. Locomotor EMG activity of bilateral knee and ankle muscles was significantly depressed during the step at which transspinal stimulation was delivered but fully recovered at the subsequent step. The results support a model in which MEP depression by transspinal stimulation occurs via subcortical or spinal mechanisms. Transspinal stimulation disrupts the locomotor output of flexor and extensor motoneurons initially, but the intact nervous system has the ability to rapidly overcome this pronounced locomotor adaptation. In conclusion, transspinal stimulation directly affects spinal locomotor centers in healthy humans.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Lumbar transspinal stimulation decreases ankle flexor and extensor motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during walking. The MEP depression coincides with decreased MEP gain, unaltered MEP threshold changes, and unaltered silent period duration. These findings indicate that MEP depression is subcortical or spinal in origin. Healthy subjects could rapidly overcome the pronounced depression of muscle activity during the step at which transspinal stimulation was delivered. Thus, transspinal stimulation directly affects the function of spinal locomotor networks in healthy humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S Pulverenti
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York
| | - Md Anamul Islam
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York
| | - Ola Alsalman
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York.,Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation at the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York
| | - Lynda M Murray
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York
| | - Noam Y Harel
- Bronx Veterans Medical Research Foundation at the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York.,Departments of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York.,PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of The City University of New York and College of Staten Island, New York, New York
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25
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Taccola G, Gad P, Culaclii S, Ichiyama RM, Liu W, Edgerton VR. Using EMG to deliver lumbar dynamic electrical stimulation to facilitate cortico-spinal excitability. Brain Stimul 2019; 13:20-34. [PMID: 31585723 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2019.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Potentiation of synaptic activity in spinal networks is reflected in the magnitude of modulation of motor responses evoked by spinal and cortical input. After spinal cord injury, motor evoked responses can be facilitated by pairing cortical and peripheral nerve stimuli. OBJECTIVE To facilitate synaptic potentiation of cortico-spinal input with epidural electrical stimulation, we designed a novel neuromodulation method called dynamic stimulation (DS), using patterns derived from hind limb EMG signal during stepping. METHODS DS was applied dorsally to the lumbar enlargement through a high-density epidural array composed of independent platinum-based micro-electrodes. RESULTS In fully anesthetized intact adult rats, at the interface array/spinal cord, the temporal and spatial features of DS neuromodulation affected the entire lumbosacral network, particularly the most rostral and caudal segments covered by the array. DS induced a transient (at least 1 min) increase in spinal cord excitability and, compared to tonic stimulation, generated a more robust potentiation of the motor output evoked by single pulses applied to the spinal cord. When sub-threshold pulses were selectively applied to a cortical motor area, EMG responses from the contralateral leg were facilitated by the delivery of DS to the lumbosacral cord. Finally, based on motor-evoked responses, DS was linked to a greater amplitude of motor output shortly after a calibrated spinal cord contusion. CONCLUSION Compared to traditional tonic waveforms, DS amplifies both spinal and cortico-spinal input aimed at spinal networks, thus significantly increasing the potential and accelerating the rate of functional recovery after a severe spinal lesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliano Taccola
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Neuroscience Department, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Bonomea 265, Trieste, Italy; School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Parag Gad
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Stanislav Culaclii
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | | | - Wentai Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA; The Centre for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, 2007, NSW, Australia; Institut Guttmann, Hospital de Neurorehabilitació, Institut Universitari Adscrit a La Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08916, Badalona, Spain.
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26
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Cho N, Squair JW, Bloch J, Courtine G. Neurorestorative interventions involving bioelectronic implants after spinal cord injury. Bioelectron Med 2019; 5:10. [PMID: 32232100 PMCID: PMC7098222 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-019-0027-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the absence of approved treatments to repair damage to the central nervous system, the role of neurosurgeons after spinal cord injury (SCI) often remains confined to spinal cord decompression and vertebral fracture stabilization. However, recent advances in bioelectronic medicine are changing this landscape. Multiple neuromodulation therapies that target circuits located in the brain, midbrain, or spinal cord have been able to improve motor and autonomic functions. The spectrum of implantable brain-computer interface technologies is also expanding at a fast pace, and all these neurotechnologies are being progressively embedded within rehabilitation programs in order to augment plasticity of spared circuits and residual projections with training. Here, we summarize the impending arrival of bioelectronic medicine in the field of SCI. We also discuss the new role of functional neurosurgeons in neurorestorative interventional medicine, a new discipline at the intersection of neurosurgery, neuro-engineering, and neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Newton Cho
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, 1202 Genève, Switzerland.,2Department of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada
| | - Jordan W Squair
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, 1202 Genève, Switzerland.,3Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,4MD/PhD Training Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Jocelyne Bloch
- 5Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.,6Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies, EPFL / CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Grégoire Courtine
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, 1202 Genève, Switzerland.,5Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.,6Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies, EPFL / CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
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27
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Courtine G, Sofroniew MV. Spinal cord repair: advances in biology and technology. Nat Med 2019; 25:898-908. [PMID: 31160817 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-019-0475-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) can face decades with permanent disabilities. Advances in clinical management have decreased morbidity and improved outcomes, but no randomized clinical trial has demonstrated the efficacy of a repair strategy for improving recovery from SCI. Here, we summarize recent advances in biological and engineering strategies to augment neuroplasticity and/or functional recovery in animal models of SCI that are pushing toward clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Courtine
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland. .,Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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28
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Murray LM, Knikou M. Repeated cathodal transspinal pulse and direct current stimulation modulate cortical and corticospinal excitability differently in healthy humans. Exp Brain Res 2019; 237:1841-1852. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-019-05559-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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29
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Murray LM, Knikou M. Transspinal stimulation increases motoneuron output of multiple segments in human spinal cord injury. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213696. [PMID: 30845251 PMCID: PMC6405126 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted neuromodulation strategies that strengthen neuronal activity are in great need for restoring sensorimotor function after chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we established changes in the motoneuron output of individuals with and without SCI after repeated noninvasive transspinal stimulation at rest over the thoracolumbar enlargement, the spinal location of leg motor circuits. Cases of motor incomplete and complete SCI were included to delineate potential differences when corticospinal motor drive is minimal. All 10 SCI and 10 healthy control subjects received daily monophasic transspinal stimuli of 1-ms duration at 0.2 Hz at right soleus transspinal evoked potential (TEP) subthreshold and suprathreshold intensities at rest. Before and two days after cessation of transspinal stimulation, we determined changes in TEP recruitment input-output curves, TEP amplitude at stimulation frequencies of 0.1, 0.125, 0.2, 0.33 and 1.0 Hz, and TEP postactivation depression upon transspinal paired stimuli at interstimulus intervals of 60, 100, 300, and 500 ms. TEPs were recorded at rest from bilateral ankle and knee flexor/extensor muscles. Repeated transspinal stimulation increased the motoneuron output over multiple segments. In control and complete SCI subjects, motoneuron output increased for knee muscles, while in motor incomplete SCI subjects motoneuron output increased for both ankle and knee muscles. In control subjects, TEPs homosynaptic and postactivation depression were present at baseline, and were potentiated for the distal ankle or knee flexor muscles. TEPs homosynaptic and postactivation depression at baseline depended on the completeness of the SCI, with minimal changes observed after transspinal stimulation. These results indicate that repeated transspinal stimulation increases spinal motoneuron responsiveness of ankle and knee muscles in the injured human spinal cord, and thus can promote motor recovery. This noninvasive neuromodulation method is a promising modality for promoting functional neuroplasticity after SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda M. Murray
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, United States of America
| | - Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, United States of America
- PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
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30
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Cortical and Subcortical Contributions to Neuroplasticity after Repetitive Transspinal Stimulation in Humans. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:4750768. [PMID: 30881443 PMCID: PMC6383395 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4750768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to establish cortical and subcortical contributions to neuroplasticity induced by noninvasive repetitive transspinal stimulation in human subjects free of any neurological disorder. To meet our objectives, before and after 40 minutes of transspinal stimulation we established changes in tibialis anterior (TA) motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in response to paired transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) consistent with I-wave periodicity. In order to establish to what extent similar actions are exerted at the spinal cord and motor axons, changes in soleus H-reflex and transspinal evoked potential (TEP) amplitude following transspinal and group Ia afferent conditioning stimulation, respectively, were established. After 40 min of transspinal stimulation, the TA MEP consecutive peaks of facilitation produced by paired TMS pulses were significantly decreased supporting for depression of I-waves. Additionally, the soleus H-reflex and ankle TEP depression following transspinal and group Ia afferent conditioning stimulation was potentiated at intervals when both responses interacted at the spinal cord and nerve axons. These findings support the notion that repetitive transspinal stimulation decreases corticocortical inputs onto corticospinal neurons and promotes a surround inhibition in the spinal cord and nerve axons. This novel method may be a suitable neuromodulation tool to alter excitability at cortical and subcortical levels in neurological disorders.
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31
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Knikou M, Murray LM. Neural interactions between transspinal evoked potentials and muscle spindle afferents in humans. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2018; 43:174-183. [PMID: 30352388 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to establish neural interactions between transspinal evoked potentials (TEPs) and muscle spindle group Ia afferents in healthy humans. Soleus H-reflexes were assessed following transspinal stimulation at conditioning-test (C-T) intervals that ranged from negative to positive 100 ms. TEPs were recorded from the right and left ankle/knee flexor and extensor muscles, and their amplitude was assessed following stimulation of soleus muscle spindle group Ia afferents at similar C-T intervals. Transspinal conditioning stimulation produced a short-latency, long-lasting soleus H-reflex depression. Excitation of muscle spindle group Ia afferents produced depression of ipsilateral ankle TEPs and medium-latency facilitation of the ipsilateral knee TEPs. At specific C-T intervals, the soleus H-reflex and ipsilateral ankle TEPs were summated based on their relative onset and duration. No changes were observed in the contralateral TEPs. These effects were exerted at both peripheral and spinal levels. Both transspinal and muscle spindle group Ia afferent stimulation produce long-lasting depression of the soleus H-reflex and TEPs, respectively. Transspinal stimulation may promote targeted neuromodulation and can be utilized in upper motoneuron lesions to normalize spinal reflex hyper-excitability and alter excitation thresholds of peripheral nerve axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Knikou
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, New York, NY 10314, USA; PhD Program in Biology and Collaborative Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of The City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA.
| | - Lynda M Murray
- Klab4Recovery Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, New York, NY 10314, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Czesnik
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Walter Paulus
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 37073, Göttingen, Germany
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33
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Spinal Excitability Changes after Transspinal and Transcortical Paired Associative Stimulation in Humans. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:6751810. [PMID: 29123926 PMCID: PMC5662837 DOI: 10.1155/2017/6751810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Paired associative stimulation (PAS) produces enduring neuroplasticity based on Hebbian associative plasticity. This study established the changes in spinal motoneuronal excitability by pairing transcortical and transspinal stimulation. Transcortical stimulation was delivered after (transspinal-transcortical PAS) or before (transcortical-transspinal PAS) transspinal stimulation. Before and after 40 minutes of each PAS protocol, spinal neural excitability was assessed based on the amplitude of the transspinal-evoked potentials (TEPs) recorded from ankle muscles of both legs at different stimulation intensities (recruitment input-output curve). Changes in TEPs amplitude in response to low-frequency stimulation and paired transspinal stimuli were also established before and after each PAS protocol. TEP recruitment input-output curves revealed a generalized depression of TEPs in most ankle muscles of both legs after both PAS protocols that coincided with an increased gain only after transcortical-transspinal PAS. Transcortical-transspinal PAS increased and transspinal-transcortical PAS decreased the low-frequency-dependent TEP depression, whereas neither PAS protocol affected the TEP depression observed upon paired transspinal stimuli. These findings support the notion that transspinal and transcortical PAS has the ability to alter concomitantly cortical and spinal synaptic activity. Transspinal and transcortical PAS may contribute to the development of rehabilitation strategies in people with bilateral increased motoneuronal excitability due to cortical or spinal lesions.
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34
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Murray LM, Knikou M. Remodeling Brain Activity by Repetitive Cervicothoracic Transspinal Stimulation after Human Spinal Cord Injury. Front Neurol 2017; 8:50. [PMID: 28265259 PMCID: PMC5316528 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Interventions that can produce targeted brain plasticity after human spinal cord injury (SCI) are needed for restoration of impaired movement in these patients. In this study, we tested the effects of repetitive cervicothoracic transspinal stimulation in one person with cervical motor incomplete SCI on cortical and corticospinal excitability, which were assessed via transcranial magnetic stimulation with paired and single pulses, respectively. We found that repetitive cervicothoracic transspinal stimulation potentiated intracortical facilitation in flexor and extensor wrist muscles, recovered intracortical inhibition in the more impaired wrist flexor muscle, increased corticospinal excitability bilaterally, and improved voluntary muscle strength. These effects may have been mediated by improvements in cortical integration of ascending sensory inputs and strengthening of corticospinal connections. Our novel therapeutic intervention opens new avenues for targeted brain neuromodulation protocols in individuals with cervical motor incomplete SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynda M Murray
- Motor Control and NeuroRecovery Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, New York, NY, USA; Departments of Neuroscience and Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Knikou
- Motor Control and NeuroRecovery Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, New York, NY, USA; Departments of Neuroscience and Biology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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