Pub Date : 2022-08-29eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/8057854
Jie Liu, Jingyao Huang, Zhenjiang Zhang, Rui Zhang, Zhihao Zhang, Yongxin Liu, Baoyu Ma
Chronic pain is an enormous modern public health problem, with significant numbers of people debilitated by chronic pain from a variety of etiologies. Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) was discovered in 1977 as a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor. It is a five transmembrane domain protein, mainly localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Recent and increasing studies have found changes in TSPO and its ligands in various chronic pain models. Reversing their expressions has been shown to alleviate chronic pain in these models, illustrating the effects of TSPO and its ligands. Herein, we review recent evidence and the mechanisms of TSPO in the development of chronic pain associated with peripheral nerve injury, spinal cord injury, cancer, and inflammatory responses. The cumulative evidence indicates that TSPO-based therapy may become an alternative strategy for treating chronic pain.
{"title":"Translocator Protein 18 kDa (TSPO) as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Chronic Pain.","authors":"Jie Liu, Jingyao Huang, Zhenjiang Zhang, Rui Zhang, Zhihao Zhang, Yongxin Liu, Baoyu Ma","doi":"10.1155/2022/8057854","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8057854","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic pain is an enormous modern public health problem, with significant numbers of people debilitated by chronic pain from a variety of etiologies. Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) was discovered in 1977 as a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor. It is a five transmembrane domain protein, mainly localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane. Recent and increasing studies have found changes in TSPO and its ligands in various chronic pain models. Reversing their expressions has been shown to alleviate chronic pain in these models, illustrating the effects of TSPO and its ligands. Herein, we review recent evidence and the mechanisms of TSPO in the development of chronic pain associated with peripheral nerve injury, spinal cord injury, cancer, and inflammatory responses. The cumulative evidence indicates that TSPO-based therapy may become an alternative strategy for treating chronic pain.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9444456/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"33447845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-12eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/4416672
Xinglou Li, Meiling Luo, Yan Gong, Ning Xu, Congcong Huo, Hui Xie, Shouwei Yue, Zengyong Li, Yonghui Wang
Myofascial trigger point (MTrP), an iconic characteristic of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), can induce cerebral cortex changes including altered cortical excitability and connectivity. The corresponding characteristically reactive cortex is still ambiguous. Seventeen participants with latent MTrPs underwent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to collect cerebral oxygenation hemoglobin (Δ[oxy-Hb]) signals. The Δ[oxy-Hb] signals of the left/right prefrontal cortex (L/R PFC), left/right motor cortex (L/R MC), and left/right occipital lobe (L/R OL) of the subjects were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the resting state, nonmyofascial trigger point (NMTrP), state and MTrP state. The data investigated the latent MTrP-induced changes in brain activity and effective connectivity (EC) within the nonsensory cortex. The parameter wavelet amplitude (WA) was used to describe cortical activation, EC to show brain network connectivity, and main coupling direction (mCD) to exhibit the dominant connectivity direction in different frequency bands. An increasing trend of WA and a decreasing trend of EC values were observed in the PFC. The interregional mCD was primarily shifted from a unidirectional to bidirectional connection, especially from PFC to MC or OL, when responding to manual stimulation during the MTrP state compared with resting state and NMTrP state in the intervals III, IV, and V. This study demonstrates that the nonsensory cortex PFC, MC, and OL can participate in the cortical reactions induced by stimulation of a latent MTrP. Additionally, the PFC shows nonnegligible higher activation and weakened regulation than other brain regions. Thus, the PFC may be responsible for the central cortical regulation of a latent MTrP. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2100048433.
{"title":"Altered Brain Activity and Effective Connectivity within the Nonsensory Cortex during Stimulation of a Latent Myofascial Trigger Point.","authors":"Xinglou Li, Meiling Luo, Yan Gong, Ning Xu, Congcong Huo, Hui Xie, Shouwei Yue, Zengyong Li, Yonghui Wang","doi":"10.1155/2022/4416672","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4416672","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Myofascial trigger point (MTrP), an iconic characteristic of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), can induce cerebral cortex changes including altered cortical excitability and connectivity. The corresponding characteristically reactive cortex is still ambiguous. Seventeen participants with latent MTrPs underwent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to collect cerebral oxygenation hemoglobin (<i>Δ</i>[oxy-Hb]) signals. The <i>Δ</i>[oxy-Hb] signals of the left/right prefrontal cortex (L/R PFC), left/right motor cortex (L/R MC), and left/right occipital lobe (L/R OL) of the subjects were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the resting state, nonmyofascial trigger point (NMTrP), state and MTrP state. The data investigated the latent MTrP-induced changes in brain activity and effective connectivity (EC) within the nonsensory cortex. The parameter wavelet amplitude (WA) was used to describe cortical activation, EC to show brain network connectivity, and main coupling direction (mCD) to exhibit the dominant connectivity direction in different frequency bands. An increasing trend of WA and a decreasing trend of EC values were observed in the PFC. The interregional mCD was primarily shifted from a unidirectional to bidirectional connection, especially from PFC to MC or OL, when responding to manual stimulation during the MTrP state compared with resting state and NMTrP state in the intervals III, IV, and V. This study demonstrates that the nonsensory cortex PFC, MC, and OL can participate in the cortical reactions induced by stimulation of a latent MTrP. Additionally, the PFC shows nonnegligible higher activation and weakened regulation than other brain regions. Thus, the PFC may be responsible for the central cortical regulation of a latent MTrP. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2100048433.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9391196/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40716123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Objective: To explore the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the swallowing motor area of the cerebellum in patients with dysphagia after brainstem stroke.
Methods: A total of 36 patients with dysphagia after brainstem stroke were recruited and divided into 3 groups. Before stimulation, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to determine the swallowing dominant cerebellar hemisphere and the representation of the mylohyoid muscle. The three groups of patients received bilateral cerebellar sham stimulation, dominant cerebellar rTMS + contralateral sham stimulation, or bilateral cerebellar rTMS. The stimulus plan for each side was 10 Hz, 80% resting movement threshold (rMT), 250 pulses, 1 s per stimulus, and 9 s intervals. Sham rTMS was performed with the coil held at 90° to the scalp. The changes in the motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and the clinical swallowing function scales of the patients after stimulation were compared among the three groups.
Results: 34 patients were finally included for statistical analysis. The scores of penetration aspiration scale (PAS) and functional dysphagia scale (FDS) of the patients after 2 weeks of rTMS in the unilateral stimulation group and bilateral stimulation group were better than that in the sham stimulation group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The increase in the MEP amplitude of the cerebral hemisphere in the bilateral stimulation group was higher than that in the other two groups, and the increase in the MEP amplitude in the unilateral stimulation group was higher than that in sham stimulation group. There was no correlation between the improvement in patients' clinical swallowing function (PAS scores and FDS scores) and the increase in MEP amplitude in either the unilateral stimulation group or the bilateral stimulation group.
Conclusion: High-frequency rTMS in the cerebellum can improve swallowing function in PSD patients and increase the excitability of the representation of swallowing in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Compared with unilateral cerebellar rTMS, bilateral stimulation increased the excitability of the cerebral swallowing cortex more significantly, but there was no significant difference in clinical swallowing function.
{"title":"High-Frequency Cerebellar rTMS Improves the Swallowing Function of Patients with Dysphagia after Brainstem Stroke.","authors":"Ling-Hui Dong, Xiaona Pan, Yuyang Wang, Guangtao Bai, Chao Han, Qiang Wang, Pingping Meng","doi":"10.1155/2022/6259693","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6259693","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To explore the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the swallowing motor area of the cerebellum in patients with dysphagia after brainstem stroke.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 36 patients with dysphagia after brainstem stroke were recruited and divided into 3 groups. Before stimulation, single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to determine the swallowing dominant cerebellar hemisphere and the representation of the mylohyoid muscle. The three groups of patients received bilateral cerebellar sham stimulation, dominant cerebellar rTMS + contralateral sham stimulation, or bilateral cerebellar rTMS. The stimulus plan for each side was 10 Hz, 80% resting movement threshold (rMT), 250 pulses, 1 s per stimulus, and 9 s intervals. Sham rTMS was performed with the coil held at 90° to the scalp. The changes in the motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude and the clinical swallowing function scales of the patients after stimulation were compared among the three groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>34 patients were finally included for statistical analysis. The scores of penetration aspiration scale (PAS) and functional dysphagia scale (FDS) of the patients after 2 weeks of rTMS in the unilateral stimulation group and bilateral stimulation group were better than that in the sham stimulation group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The increase in the MEP amplitude of the cerebral hemisphere in the bilateral stimulation group was higher than that in the other two groups, and the increase in the MEP amplitude in the unilateral stimulation group was higher than that in sham stimulation group. There was no correlation between the improvement in patients' clinical swallowing function (PAS scores and FDS scores) and the increase in MEP amplitude in either the unilateral stimulation group or the bilateral stimulation group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>High-frequency rTMS in the cerebellum can improve swallowing function in PSD patients and increase the excitability of the representation of swallowing in the bilateral cerebral hemispheres. Compared with unilateral cerebellar rTMS, bilateral stimulation increased the excitability of the cerebral swallowing cortex more significantly, but there was no significant difference in clinical swallowing function.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9388260/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40716124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-30eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/7790730
Chunfang Wang, Yuanyuan Chen, Peiqing Song, Hongli Yu, Jingang Du, Ying Zhang, Changcheng Sun
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) provides a way to modulate the cortical activity and promote motor rehabilitation following stroke. However, evidence indicates that the response to tDCS is highly variable. This study was aimed at exploring rhythmic response of Electroencephalography (EEG) to three tDCS protocols in stroke subjects. We hypothesize that tDCS protocols may interact with stoke characteristics, and electrode placement may affect cortical activity which could be reflected by the EEG rhythm. 32 subjects with unilateral stroke were recruited to a single-blinded, randomized, and controlled crossover experiment. All of the subjects underwent four tDCS protocols (anodal (atDCS), cathodal (ctDCS), and bilateral tDCS (bi-tDCS) and sham) with an interval of at least 1 week. Resting-state EEG was acquired before and after the stimulation. We tested the change of EEG spectral power after tDCS and the difference of change among four protocols using the paired-sample t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance. Then, we investigated the clinical factors affecting the above changes using the linear and quadratic regression model. According to the results, EEG responded to atDCS and bi-tDCS protocols on alpha and beta rhythm and subjects with a left lesion had higher response than those with the right lesion. Besides that, the change of alpha and beta power after atDCS and of beta power after bi-tDCS showed association with clinical characteristics only in subjects with the left lesion. In conclusion, the study found varied EEG response with different protocols, lesion hemispheres, and other clinical characteristics supporting the individualized cortical oscillatory effect induced by tDCS.
{"title":"Varied Response of EEG Rhythm to Different tDCS Protocols and Lesion Hemispheres in Stroke Subjects with Upper Limb Dysfunction.","authors":"Chunfang Wang, Yuanyuan Chen, Peiqing Song, Hongli Yu, Jingang Du, Ying Zhang, Changcheng Sun","doi":"10.1155/2022/7790730","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7790730","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) provides a way to modulate the cortical activity and promote motor rehabilitation following stroke. However, evidence indicates that the response to tDCS is highly variable. This study was aimed at exploring rhythmic response of Electroencephalography (EEG) to three tDCS protocols in stroke subjects. We hypothesize that tDCS protocols may interact with stoke characteristics, and electrode placement may affect cortical activity which could be reflected by the EEG rhythm. 32 subjects with unilateral stroke were recruited to a single-blinded, randomized, and controlled crossover experiment. All of the subjects underwent four tDCS protocols (anodal (atDCS), cathodal (ctDCS), and bilateral tDCS (bi-tDCS) and sham) with an interval of at least 1 week. Resting-state EEG was acquired before and after the stimulation. We tested the change of EEG spectral power after tDCS and the difference of change among four protocols using the paired-sample <i>t</i>-test and repeated measures analysis of variance. Then, we investigated the clinical factors affecting the above changes using the linear and quadratic regression model. According to the results, EEG responded to atDCS and bi-tDCS protocols on alpha and beta rhythm and subjects with a left lesion had higher response than those with the right lesion. Besides that, the change of alpha and beta power after atDCS and of beta power after bi-tDCS showed association with clinical characteristics only in subjects with the left lesion. In conclusion, the study found varied EEG response with different protocols, lesion hemispheres, and other clinical characteristics supporting the individualized cortical oscillatory effect induced by tDCS.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9356883/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40704017","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-30eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/2036736
Xin Li, Tijiang Lu, Hong Yu, Jie Shen, Zhengquan Chen, Xiaoyan Yang, Zefan Huang, Yuqi Yang, Yufei Feng, Xuan Zhou, Qing Du
Neuropathic pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms are common complications reported by the traumatic brain injury (TBI) population. Although a growing body of research has indicated the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the management of neurological and psychiatric disorders, little evidence has been presented to support the effects of rTMS on neuropathic pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with TBI in all age groups. In addition, a better understanding of the potential factors that might influence the therapeutic effect of rTMS is necessary. The objective of this preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantify the effects of rTMS on physical and psychological symptoms in individuals with TBI. We systematically searched six databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of rTMS in TBI patients reporting pain and neuropsychiatric outcomes published until March 20, 2022. The mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was estimated separately for outcomes to understand the mean effect size. Twelve RCTs with 276 TBI patients were ultimately selected from 1605 records for systematic review, and 11 of the studies were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, five of the included studies showed a low risk of bias. The effects of rTMS on neuropathic pain were statistically significant (MD = -1.00, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.25, P = 0.009), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 76%). A significant advantage of 1 Hz rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in improving depression (MD = -6.52, 95% CI -11.58 to -1.46, P = 0.01) was shown, and a significant improvement was noted in the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire-13 (RPQ-13) scores of mild TBI patients after rTMS (MD = -5.87, 95% CI -10.63 to -1.11, P = 0.02). However, no significance was found in cognition measurement. No major adverse events related to rTMS were reported. Moderate evidence suggests that rTMS can effectively and safely improve neuropathic pain, while its effectiveness on depression, postconcussion symptoms, and cognition is limited. More trials with a larger number of participants are needed to draw firm conclusions. This trial is registered with PROSPERO (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021242364.
神经性疼痛和神经精神症状是创伤性脑损伤(TBI)人群中常见的并发症。尽管越来越多的研究表明重复性经颅磁刺激(rTMS)对神经和精神疾病的治疗有效,但几乎没有证据支持rTMS对所有年龄组TBI患者的神经性疼痛和神经精神症状的影响。此外,更好地了解可能影响rTMS治疗效果的潜在因素是必要的。这项预登记的系统评价和荟萃分析的目的是量化rTMS对TBI患者身体和心理症状的影响。我们系统地检索了6个数据库,检索了截至2022年3月20日发表的rTMS在报告疼痛和神经精神预后的TBI患者中的随机对照试验(rct)。分别估计结果的95%置信区间(ci)的平均差异(MD),以了解平均效应大小。最终从1605份记录中选择了12项随机对照试验,共276例TBI患者进行系统评价,其中11项研究纳入meta分析。总体而言,纳入的研究中有5项显示偏倚风险较低。rTMS对神经性疼痛的影响有统计学意义(MD = -1.00, 95% CI -1.76 ~ -0.25, P = 0.009),异质性高(I 2 = 76%)。1 Hz rTMS比右背外侧前额叶皮质(DLPFC)在改善抑郁方面有显著优势(MD = -6.52, 95% CI -11.58 ~ -1.46, P = 0.01),轻度TBI患者rTMS后Rivermead脑震荡后症状问卷-13 (RPQ-13)评分显著改善(MD = -5.87, 95% CI -10.63 ~ -1.11, P = 0.02)。然而,在认知测量中没有发现显著性。未发现与rTMS相关的重大不良事件。中度证据表明,rTMS可以有效、安全地改善神经性疼痛,但其对抑郁、脑震荡后症状和认知的效果有限。要得出确切的结论,还需要更多参与者参与的试验。该试验在普洛斯彼罗注册(普洛斯彼罗注册号:CRD42021242364)。
{"title":"Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Neuropathic Pain and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Traumatic Brain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Xin Li, Tijiang Lu, Hong Yu, Jie Shen, Zhengquan Chen, Xiaoyan Yang, Zefan Huang, Yuqi Yang, Yufei Feng, Xuan Zhou, Qing Du","doi":"10.1155/2022/2036736","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2036736","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuropathic pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms are common complications reported by the traumatic brain injury (TBI) population. Although a growing body of research has indicated the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for the management of neurological and psychiatric disorders, little evidence has been presented to support the effects of rTMS on neuropathic pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with TBI in all age groups. In addition, a better understanding of the potential factors that might influence the therapeutic effect of rTMS is necessary. The objective of this preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis was to quantify the effects of rTMS on physical and psychological symptoms in individuals with TBI. We systematically searched six databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of rTMS in TBI patients reporting pain and neuropsychiatric outcomes published until March 20, 2022. The mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was estimated separately for outcomes to understand the mean effect size. Twelve RCTs with 276 TBI patients were ultimately selected from 1605 records for systematic review, and 11 of the studies were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, five of the included studies showed a low risk of bias. The effects of rTMS on neuropathic pain were statistically significant (MD = -1.00, 95% CI -1.76 to -0.25, <i>P</i> = 0.009), with high heterogeneity (<i>I</i> <sup>2</sup> = 76%). A significant advantage of 1 Hz rTMS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in improving depression (MD = -6.52, 95% CI -11.58 to -1.46, <i>P</i> = 0.01) was shown, and a significant improvement was noted in the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire-13 (RPQ-13) scores of mild TBI patients after rTMS (MD = -5.87, 95% CI -10.63 to -1.11, <i>P</i> = 0.02). However, no significance was found in cognition measurement. No major adverse events related to rTMS were reported. Moderate evidence suggests that rTMS can effectively and safely improve neuropathic pain, while its effectiveness on depression, postconcussion symptoms, and cognition is limited. More trials with a larger number of participants are needed to draw firm conclusions. This trial is registered with PROSPERO (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021242364.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9357260/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40599107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-23eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/6472475
Bin Wang, Mo-Xian Chen, Shao-Chun Chen, Xiang-Jun Feng, Ye-Hui Liao, Yun-Xin Zhao, Jin-Shan Tie, Yao Liu, Li-Juan Ao
Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is a potential noninvasive method to alleviate allodynia by modulating the central nervous system. However, the underlying analgesic mechanisms remain unexplored. Here, we assessed how LIFU at the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) affects behavior response and central plasticity resulting from chronic constrictive injury (CCI). The safety of LIFU stimulation was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Fluoro-Jade C (FJC) staining. A 21-day ultrasound exposure therapy was conducted from day 91 after CCI surgery in mice. We assessed the 50% mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT50) using Von Frey filaments (VFFs). The expression levels of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), and tau were determined via western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining to evaluate the central plasticity in ACC. The regions of ACC were activated effectively and safely by LIFU stimulation, which significantly increased the number of c-fos-positive cells (P < 0.05) with no bleeding, coagulative necrosis, and neuronal loss. Under chronic neuropathic pain- (CNP-) induced allodynia, MWT50 decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and overexpression of MAP2, GAP43, and tau was also observed. After 3 weeks of treatment, significant increases in MWT50 were found in the CCI+LIFU group compared with the CCI group (P < 0.05). WB and IF staining both demonstrated a significant reduction in the expression levels of MAP2, GAP43, and tau (P < 0.05). LIFU treatment on ACC can effectively attenuate CNP-evoked mechanical sensitivity to pain and reverse aberrant central plasticity.
{"title":"Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Alleviates Chronic Neuropathic Pain-Induced Allodynia by Inhibiting Neuroplasticity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex.","authors":"Bin Wang, Mo-Xian Chen, Shao-Chun Chen, Xiang-Jun Feng, Ye-Hui Liao, Yun-Xin Zhao, Jin-Shan Tie, Yao Liu, Li-Juan Ao","doi":"10.1155/2022/6472475","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6472475","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is a potential noninvasive method to alleviate allodynia by modulating the central nervous system. However, the underlying analgesic mechanisms remain unexplored. Here, we assessed how LIFU at the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) affects behavior response and central plasticity resulting from chronic constrictive injury (CCI). The safety of LIFU stimulation was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Fluoro-Jade C (FJC) staining. A 21-day ultrasound exposure therapy was conducted from day 91 after CCI surgery in mice. We assessed the 50% mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT<sub>50</sub>) using Von Frey filaments (VFFs). The expression levels of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), and tau were determined via western blotting (WB) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining to evaluate the central plasticity in ACC. The regions of ACC were activated effectively and safely by LIFU stimulation, which significantly increased the number of c-fos-positive cells (<i>P</i> < 0.05) with no bleeding, coagulative necrosis, and neuronal loss. Under chronic neuropathic pain- (CNP-) induced allodynia, MWT<sub>50</sub> decreased significantly (<i>P</i> < 0.05), and overexpression of MAP2, GAP43, and tau was also observed. After 3 weeks of treatment, significant increases in MWT<sub>50</sub> were found in the CCI+LIFU group compared with the CCI group (<i>P</i> < 0.05). WB and IF staining both demonstrated a significant reduction in the expression levels of MAP2, GAP43, and tau (<i>P</i> < 0.05). LIFU treatment on ACC can effectively attenuate CNP-evoked mechanical sensitivity to pain and reverse aberrant central plasticity.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9338851/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40662767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-23eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/6771999
Dania Abuleil, Benjamin Thompson, Kristine Dalton
There is compelling evidence from animal models that physical exercise can enhance visual cortex neuroplasticity. In this narrative review, we explored whether exercise has the same effect in humans. We found that while some studies report evidence consistent with exercise-induced enhancement of human visual cortex neuroplasticity, others report no effect or even reduced neuroplasticity following exercise. Differences in study methodology may partially explain these varying results. Because the prospect of exercise increasing human visual cortex neuroplasticity has important implications for vision rehabilitation, additional research is required to resolve this discrepancy in the literature.
{"title":"Aerobic Exercise and Human Visual Cortex Neuroplasticity: A Narrative Review.","authors":"Dania Abuleil, Benjamin Thompson, Kristine Dalton","doi":"10.1155/2022/6771999","DOIUrl":"10.1155/2022/6771999","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is compelling evidence from animal models that physical exercise can enhance visual cortex neuroplasticity. In this narrative review, we explored whether exercise has the same effect in humans. We found that while some studies report evidence consistent with exercise-induced enhancement of human visual cortex neuroplasticity, others report no effect or even reduced neuroplasticity following exercise. Differences in study methodology may partially explain these varying results. Because the prospect of exercise increasing human visual cortex neuroplasticity has important implications for vision rehabilitation, additional research is required to resolve this discrepancy in the literature.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9338869/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40662768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-16eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/6197505
Lucia Mencarelli, Lucia Monti, Sara Romanella, Francesco Neri, Giacomo Koch, Ricardo Salvador, Giulio Ruffini, Giulia Sprugnoli, Simone Rossi, Emiliano Santarnecchi
Over the past few years, the possibility of modulating fast brain oscillatory activity in the gamma (γ) band through transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been discussed in the context of both cognitive enhancement and therapeutic scenarios. However, the effects of tACS targeting regions outside the motor cortex, as well as its spatial specificity, are still unclear. Here, we present a concurrent tACS-fMRI block design study to characterize the impact of 40 Hz tACS applied over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in healthy subjects. Results suggest an increase in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity in the targeted bilateral DLPFCs, as well as in surrounding brain areas affected by stimulation according to biophysical modeling, i.e., the premotor cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, off-target effects were also observed, primarily involving the visual cortices, with further effects on the supplementary motor areas (SMA), left subgenual cingulate, and right superior temporal gyrus. The specificity of 40 Hz tACS over bilateral DLPFC and the possibility for network-level effects should be considered in future studies, especially in the context of recently promoted gamma-induction therapeutic protocols for neurodegenerative disorders.
{"title":"Local and Distributed fMRI Changes Induced by 40 Hz Gamma tACS of the Bilateral Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Lucia Mencarelli, Lucia Monti, Sara Romanella, Francesco Neri, Giacomo Koch, Ricardo Salvador, Giulio Ruffini, Giulia Sprugnoli, Simone Rossi, Emiliano Santarnecchi","doi":"10.1155/2022/6197505","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6197505","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the past few years, the possibility of modulating fast brain oscillatory activity in the gamma (<i>γ</i>) band through transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) has been discussed in the context of both cognitive enhancement and therapeutic scenarios. However, the effects of tACS targeting regions outside the motor cortex, as well as its spatial specificity, are still unclear. Here, we present a concurrent tACS-fMRI block design study to characterize the impact of 40 Hz tACS applied over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in healthy subjects. Results suggest an increase in blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) activity in the targeted bilateral DLPFCs, as well as in surrounding brain areas affected by stimulation according to biophysical modeling, i.e., the premotor cortex and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, off-target effects were also observed, primarily involving the visual cortices, with further effects on the supplementary motor areas (SMA), left subgenual cingulate, and right superior temporal gyrus. The specificity of 40 Hz tACS over bilateral DLPFC and the possibility for network-level effects should be considered in future studies, especially in the context of recently promoted gamma-induction therapeutic protocols for neurodegenerative disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9308536/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40539114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-13eCollection Date: 2022-01-01DOI: 10.1155/2022/7536783
Zicai Liu, Dongling Xie, Xin Wen, Risheng Wang, Quan Yang, Huiyu Liu, Yuchun Shao, Tingting Liu
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of peripheral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis, to explore an ideal treatment scheme for idiopathic facial paralysis, and to provide evidence for clinical rehabilitation.
Methods: 65 patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy with the first onset were recruited and randomly divided into rTMS group and control group. Both groups received conventional treatment, rTMS group received additional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the affected side once a day, 5 times a week for 2 weeks. House-Brackmann (HB) grading scale, Sunnybrook facial grading system (SFGS), and modified Portmann scale (MPS) were used to assess facial nerve function before and after treatment, and the time for patients to return to normal facial nerve function and adverse reaction (AR) was also the main observation index.
Results: After a 2-week intervention, HB, SFGS, and MPS increased in both groups (P < 0.01); the improvement of HB, SFGS, and MPS in rTMS group was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.01). The effective improvement rate of the TMS group after 2 weeks was 90.0%, and that of the control group was 53.3%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a safe and effective noninvasive method for the treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis, which can significantly accelerate the recovery of facial nerve function and provide a new treatment idea for further improving the prognosis of patients with idiopathic facial paralysis.
{"title":"Peripheral Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation(rTMS) for Idiopathic Facial Nerve Palsy: A Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial.","authors":"Zicai Liu, Dongling Xie, Xin Wen, Risheng Wang, Quan Yang, Huiyu Liu, Yuchun Shao, Tingting Liu","doi":"10.1155/2022/7536783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/7536783","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of peripheral repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis, to explore an ideal treatment scheme for idiopathic facial paralysis, and to provide evidence for clinical rehabilitation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>65 patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy with the first onset were recruited and randomly divided into rTMS group and control group. Both groups received conventional treatment, rTMS group received additional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to the affected side once a day, 5 times a week for 2 weeks. House-Brackmann (HB) grading scale, Sunnybrook facial grading system (SFGS), and modified Portmann scale (MPS) were used to assess facial nerve function before and after treatment, and the time for patients to return to normal facial nerve function and adverse reaction (AR) was also the main observation index.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>After a 2-week intervention, HB, SFGS, and MPS increased in both groups (<i>P</i> < 0.01); the improvement of HB, SFGS, and MPS in rTMS group was significantly higher than that in control group (<i>P</i> < 0.01). The effective improvement rate of the TMS group after 2 weeks was 90.0%, and that of the control group was 53.3%, and the difference was statistically significant (<i>P</i> < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a safe and effective noninvasive method for the treatment of idiopathic facial paralysis, which can significantly accelerate the recovery of facial nerve function and provide a new treatment idea for further improving the prognosis of patients with idiopathic facial paralysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9300274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40622973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a chronic neurological disorder that is often resistant to antiepileptic drugs. The pathogenesis of TLE is extremely complicated and remains elusive. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying TLE is crucial for its diagnosis and treatment. In the present study, a lithium-pilocarpine-induced TLE model was employed to reveal the pathological changes of hippocampus in rats. Hippocampal samples were taken for proteomic analysis at 2 weeks after the onset of spontaneous seizure (a chronic stage of epileptogenesis). Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantization (iTRAQ) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique was applied for proteomic analysis of hippocampus. A total of 4173 proteins were identified from the hippocampi of epileptic rats and its control, of which 27 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were obtained with a fold change > 1.5 and P < 0.05. Bioinformatics analysis indicated 27 DEPs were mainly enriched in "regulation of synaptic plasticity and structure" and "calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity," which implicate synaptic remodeling may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of TLE. Consequently, the synaptic plasticity-related proteins and synaptic structure were investigated to verify it. It has been demonstrated that CaMKII-α, CaMKII-β, and GFAP were significant upregulated coincidently with proteomic analysis in the hippocampus of TLE rats. Moreover, the increased dendritic spines and hippocampal sclerosis further proved that synaptic plasticity involves in the development of TLE. The present study may help to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis and provide a basis for further studies on synaptic plasticity in TLE.
{"title":"Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Vital Role of Synaptic Plasticity in the Pathogenesis of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy.","authors":"Xu Qian, Ji-Qiang Ding, Xin Zhao, Xin-Wen Sheng, Zhao-Rui Wang, Qi-Xing Yang, Jing-Jun Zheng, Jia-Gui Zhong, Teng-Yue Zhang, Shu-Qiao He, Wei-Dong Ji, Wei Li, Mei Zhang","doi":"10.1155/2022/8511066","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/8511066","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a chronic neurological disorder that is often resistant to antiepileptic drugs. The pathogenesis of TLE is extremely complicated and remains elusive. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying TLE is crucial for its diagnosis and treatment. In the present study, a lithium-pilocarpine-induced TLE model was employed to reveal the pathological changes of hippocampus in rats. Hippocampal samples were taken for proteomic analysis at 2 weeks after the onset of spontaneous seizure (a chronic stage of epileptogenesis). Isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantization (iTRAQ) coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique was applied for proteomic analysis of hippocampus. A total of 4173 proteins were identified from the hippocampi of epileptic rats and its control, of which 27 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were obtained with a fold change > 1.5 and <i>P</i> < 0.05. Bioinformatics analysis indicated 27 DEPs were mainly enriched in \"regulation of synaptic plasticity and structure\" and \"calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity,\" which implicate synaptic remodeling may play a vital role in the pathogenesis of TLE. Consequently, the synaptic plasticity-related proteins and synaptic structure were investigated to verify it. It has been demonstrated that CaMKII-<i>α</i>, CaMKII-<i>β</i>, and GFAP were significant upregulated coincidently with proteomic analysis in the hippocampus of TLE rats. Moreover, the increased dendritic spines and hippocampal sclerosis further proved that synaptic plasticity involves in the development of TLE. The present study may help to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying epileptogenesis and provide a basis for further studies on synaptic plasticity in TLE.</p>","PeriodicalId":19122,"journal":{"name":"Neural Plasticity","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9293557/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"40609498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}