Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Cramp Training Induces a Long-Lasting Increase of the Cramp Threshold Frequency in Healthy Subjects.
A low cramp threshold frequency (CTF) is associated with an increased cramp susceptibility. Recent data indicate that the CTF can be substantially increased by a cramp training consisting of electrically induced muscle cramps (EIMCs). This study investigated if four cramp training sessions induce sustained effects on the CTF. ⋯ The applied cramp training induced a long-term CTF increase of 14 days.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Effects of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on the Frequency of Skeletal Muscle Cramps: A Prospective Controlled Clinical Trial.
We investigated if neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of calf muscles prevents spontaneous calf cramps. ⋯ The applied stimulation protocol seems to provide an effective prevention strategy in individuals affected by regular calf cramps.
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Primary data reported in scientific publications provide guidance for improving patient care, expanding indications, identifying research gaps, educating patients, justifying reimbursement, and gaining regulatory approval. Finding and analyzing pertinent publications among the huge volume noted in databases such as PUBMED, however, costs time and effort. This situation demands innovative ways to locate citations of (and the possibility of abstracting data from) papers reporting primary findings. ⋯ Most WIKISTIM entries are limited to citation information and links to published abstracts. As the number of completed datasheets and of stimulation target sections increase, the value of WIKISTIM will increase.
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To investigate the relationship between motor cortical plasticity, intracortical inhibition, and clinical response to pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with cervical dystonia (CD). ⋯ Our findings indicate that a high degree of preOP plasticity is associated with higher symptom severity, underlining the role of abnormal plasticity in the pathophysiology of dystonia. At the same time individual degree of plasticity may drive reestablishment of normal motor programs, leading to better clinical outcome with DBS. The latter suggests that individual PAS-response may indicate the susceptibility for neuromodulatory processes as an important factor for clinical DBS effects. It might therefore serve as a neurophysiological marker to predict outcome and guide patient selection.
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Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a safe and effective therapy for patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). It is used in patients who have exhausted conservative and first line therapeutic options. The selection of eligible candidates could predict a successful therapeutic outcome. Although many factors have been identified, psychological/psychiatric disturbances are neither well understood nor are routinely evaluated prior to implantation. ⋯ Psychological/psychiatric disturbance have possibly affected the treatment outcome and explantation of SNM in our patients despite a high success in resolution of the urinary symptoms. Addressing such disturbances when determining patient eligibility for SNM therapy could reduce the explantation rate after a successful therapeutic response, and is an interesting point of interest for future research into predictors of successful SNM implantation and therapy.