The Brain Stimulation Journal:
Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation Feed. This feed contains the latest published articles, both articles that have been published in an issue as well as articles that have been published as Articles in Press.
- God locked you in the room, but left a window open: A case report of spinal cord stimulation in locked-in syndromeLocked-in syndrome (LIS), caused by severe damage to the pons, is a serious neurological condition of movement deficiency, characterized by quadriplegia and aphonia. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS), the most common neuromodulation therapy, has recently been shown to restore walking in patients with spinal cord injury [1]. The possibility of SCS treatment in LIS is still unclear. We reported the first application of cervical SCS in a classic LIS patient with encouraging outcomes. ... read more1 week ago
- Transcranial direct current stimulation facilitates response inhibition through dynamic modulation of the fronto-basal ganglia networkResponse inhibition refers to the ability to stop an on-going action quickly when it is no longer appropriate. Previous studies showed that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied with the anode over the right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC), a critical node of the fronto-basal ganglia inhibitory network, improved response inhibition. However, the tDCS effects on brain activity and network connectivity underlying this behavioral improvement are not known. ... read more2 weeks ago
- Safety of transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation: A systematic review of the state of knowledge from both human and animal studiesLow-intensity transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation (TFUS) holds great promise as a highly focal technique for transcranial stimulation even for deep brain areas. Yet, knowledge about the safety of this novel technique is still limited. ... read more3 weeks ago
- MR imaging central thalamic deep brain stimulation restored autistic-like social deficits in the ratSocial deficit is a core symptom in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been proposed as a potential treatment for ASD, an ideal target nucleus is yet to be identified. DBS at the central thalamic nucleus (CTN) is known to alter corticostriatal and limbic circuits, and subsequently increase the exploratory motor behaviors, cognitive performance, and skill learning in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. ... read more1 month ago
- Stimulation over the cerebellum with a regular figure-of-eight coil induces reduced motor cortex inhibition in patients with progressive supranuclear palsyTo determine whether motor cortex inhibition by stimulation over the cerebellum with a figure-of eight coil (MISC8) may be reduced in patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). ... read more3 months ago
- Combining reward and M1 transcranial direct current stimulation enhances the retention of newly learnt sensorimotor mappingsReward-based feedback given during motor learning has been shown to improve the retention of the behaviour being acquired. Interestingly, applying transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during learning over the primary motor cortex (M1), an area associated with motor retention, also results in enhanced retention of the newly formed motor memories. However, it remains unknown whether combining these distinct interventions result in an additive benefit of motor retention. ... read more3 months ago
- No additive meta plasticity effects of accelerated iTBS with short inter-session intervalsMany studies have aimed to optimize repetitive transcranial magnetic (rTMS) protocols, focusing on shortening protocol length, increasing plasticity effect size, and decreasing variability. The Theta Burst protocols (TBS) for example require only minutes of application duration and reportedly induce less variable and longer lasting plasticity effects compared to classic rTMS protocols [1]. Intermittent TBS (iTBS) is a 3-min protocol, which has been shown to increase cortical excitability for up to 1-h post stimulation [1]. ... read more3 months ago
- Directional stimulation of subthalamic nucleus sweet spot predicts clinical efficacy: Proof of conceptDirectional deep brain stimulation (dDBS) of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson's disease (PD) increases the therapeutic window. However, empirical programming of the neurostimulator becomes more complex given the increasing number of stimulation parameters. A better understanding of dDBS is needed to improve therapy and help guide postoperative programming. ... read more3 months ago
- A fast and general method to empirically estimate the complexity of brain responses to transcranial and intracranial stimulationsThe Perturbational Complexity Index (PCI) was recently introduced to assess the capacity of thalamocortical circuits to engage in complex patterns of causal interactions. While showing high accuracy in detecting consciousness in brain-injured patients, PCI depends on elaborate experimental setups and offline processing, and has restricted applicability to other types of brain signals beyond transcranial magnetic stimulation and high-density EEG (TMS/hd-EEG) recordings. ... read more3 months ago
- Vagus nerve stimulation in refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus – A systematic reviewRefractory status epilepticus (RSE) is the persistence of status epilepticus despite second-line treatment. Super-refractory SE (SRSE) is characterized by ongoing status despite 48 h of anaesthetic treatment. Due to the high case fatality in RSE of 16–39%, off label treatments without strong evidence of efficacy in RSE are often administered. In single case-reports and small case series totalling 28 patients, acute implantation of VNS in RSE was associated with 76% and 26% success rate in generalized and focal RSE respectively. ... read more3 months ago
- The influence of endogenous estrogen on high-frequency prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulationThe use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as both therapeutic and experimental tools has grown enormously over the past decade. However, variability in response to rTMS is one challenge that remains to be solved. Estrogen can impact neural plasticity and may also affect plastic changes following rTMS. The present study investigated whether estrogen levels influence the neurophysiological effects of high-frequency (HF) rTMS in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). ... read more3 months ago
- Habenula deep brain stimulation for refractory bipolar disorderBipolar disorder (BD) is a mood disorder associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In many cases, BD can be managed with pharmacotherapy, psychological therapy, or electroconvulsive therapy [1]. For some afflicted patients, however, BD is a chronic and severely disabling condition that is resistant to the aforementioned treatments. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) offers a safe and effective neurosurgical treatment for otherwise refractory movement disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder [2,3]. ... read more3 months ago
- No trace of phase: Corticomotor excitability is not tuned by phase of pericentral mu-rhythmThe motor potentials evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the motor hand area (M1-HAND) show substantial inter-trial variability. Pericentral mu-rhythm oscillations, might contribute to inter-trial variability. Recent studies targeting mu-activity based on real-time electroencephalography (EEG) reported an influence of mu-power and mu-phase on the amplitude of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in a preselected group with strong pericentral mu-activity. Other studies that determined mu-power or mu-phase based on post-hoc trial sorting according in non-preselected individuals were largely negative. ... read more3 months ago
- Presenting ERIK, the TMS phantom: A novel device for training and testing operatorsA cornerstone of good research and clinical use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) involves the skill of correctly finding the motor hotspot (MH), and then accurately determining a resting motor threshold (rMT) [1]. Usually this skill is taught within a lab to new members, or to practitioners at courses. However, in many settings there may be limited opportunity to practice this skill. There is also no easily repeatable method for testing users, especially if they are working at a location remote from the examiner. ... read more3 months ago