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.
- Transcranial focused ultrasound, pulsed at 40 Hz, activates microglia acutely and reduces Aβ load, chronically, as demonstrated in vivoIaccarino et al [1] exposed one hour of light flickering at 40 Hz to awake 5XFAD Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) mouse models, generating action potentials at 40 Hz, activating ∼54% of microglia to colocalize with Aβ plaque, acutely, and clearing ∼ 50% of Aβ plaque after seven days, but only in the visual cortex. ... read more5 days ago
- Transient Aphasia Induced by Intermittent Theta Burst StimulationTheta burst stimulation (TBS) is a novel form of transcranial magnetic stimulation that rapidly alters synaptic plasticity (1). During TBS, short bursts of high-frequency (typically 50 Hz) stimulation are repeated at 5 Hz (200 ms interval). When TBS is delivered in trains separated by rest periods (intermittent; iTBS) it has shown long-term potentiation-like effects on cortical neurons. In the last several years, numerous reports have indicated that repeated applications of iTBS have efficacy to reduce symptoms of major depressive disorder (2). ... read more2 weeks ago
- Tract-based analysis of target engagement by subcallosal cingulate deep brain stimulation for treatment resistant depressionDeep brain stimulation (DBS) of subcallosal cingulate cortex (SCC) is a promising investigational therapy for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, outcomes vary, likely due to suboptimal DBS placement. Ideal placement is proposed to stimulate 4 SCC white matter bundles; however, no quantitative data have linked activation of these target tracts to response. ... read more3 weeks ago
- Target specific effects of direct current stimulation in schizo-obsessive disorder: A case reportTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a type of non-invasive brain stimulation technique that is explored as an add-on treatment for the alleviation of symptoms across the diverse symptom domains in neuropsychiatric disorders. In psychiatry, data is emerging on the effects of tDCS as an add-on treatment in schizophrenia as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). But despite high prevalence, the effectiveness of tDCS in co-morbid schizophrenia and OCD is lacking. This case report for the first time examines the clinical utility with target-specific effects of the add-on tDCS in a patient diagnosed with schizo-obsessive disorder. ... read more4 weeks ago
- TMS Brain Mapping of the Pharyngeal Cortical Representation in Healthy SubjectsBrain mapping is fundamental to understanding brain organization and function. However, a major drawback to the traditional Brodmann parcellation technique is the reliance on the use of postmortem specimens. It has therefore historically been difficult to make any comparison regarding functional data from different regions or hemispheres within the same individual. Moreover, this method has been significant limited by subjective boundaries and classification criteria and therefore suffer from reproducibility issues. ... read more1 month ago
- Feasibility, safety and efficacy of transauricular vagus nerve stimulation in a cohort of patients with disorders of consciousnessDisorders of consciousness (DOC) are one of many neurological diseases for which there is still no curative treatment. The majority of therapeutic options performed in these patients have focused on accelerating clinical recovery through pharmacological interventions, environmental stimulation or, more recently, using neuromodulatory brain stimulation techniques, among others [1]. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), has recently been used in neurorehabilitation based on its effects on cortical plasticity [2]. ... read more4 months ago
- The unusual case of dental pain with sham repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation: A benign idiosyncrasy or diagnostic opportunity?Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a promising treatment for major depressive disorder [1]. Recently, we investigated 10 sessions of high-frequency rTMS applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in chronic stroke survivors with depression (randomised controlled trial; ACTRN12619001303134; institutional ethics approval 200697). Stimulation was delivered at 110% resting motor threshold at 10 Hz for a total of 3000 pulses. Here we report the experience of a 51-year-old male with mild upper-limb impairment (Fugl-Meyer 49/66; structural imaging Fig. 1), who experienced anatomically confined stimulus-evoked dental pain in response to sham stimulation. ... read more4 months ago
- Structural correlates of emotional response to electrical stimulation of the amygdala in subjects with PTSDThe basolateral amygdala (BLA) forms a triad with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus (HPC) to process incoming stimuli and orchestrate emotional responses [1]. In post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a dysfunction in this triad is characterized by a deficit of mPFC inhibition of the BLA [2]. As a result, metabolic hyperactivity of the BLA characterize symptomatic episodes in PTSD patients [3]. We are using deep brain stimulation (DBS) in PTSD subjects to modulate the activity of the BLA and promote fear extinction [4]. ... read more4 months ago
- Brain Stimulation’s expanding impact – Now immediately free to download by anyone, anywhere and at anytimeThe brain stimulation revolution continues to grow and even accelerate. Business models around academic publishing are also changing. Beginning Jan 1, 2020, Brain Stimulation content will become fully open access. The author argues that this change will likely expand the overall impact of the journal, without compromising editorial quality. However there are some concerns to consider with this transition to full open access. This editorial looks back on the history of brain stimulation academic publishing and summarizes the reasons for this optimistic view of the open access future. ... read more5 months ago