Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) may be proposed to patients with chronic lumbar pain refractory to conventional treatment. Aim of this study was to assess the importance of preoperatively treatment with TENS as a predictive value for later successful PNFS and impact of PNFS in follow-up of 12 months. ⋯ In this retrospective analysis, TENS has no predictive value in the selection of patients with low back pain for the PFNS treatment. PNFS is effective and safe to relieve significantly symptoms of chronic low back pain.
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Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) sufferers have rated chronic fatigue as the most important symptom needing improvement. Emerging data suggest that stimulation of the vagus nerve can modulate immunological responses. The gammaCore device (electroCore), developed to stimulate the cervical vagus nerve noninvasively, was used to assess the effects of vagus nerve activation on immune responses and clinical symptoms of pSS. ⋯ The vagus nerve may play a role in the regulation of fatigue and immune responses in pSS and nVNS may reduce clinical symptoms of fatigue and sleepiness. However, a sham-controlled follow-up study with a larger sample size is required to confirm the findings.
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Neuromuscular electrical stimulation has been widely used in patients with dysphagia. However, obtaining sufficient hyoid bone movement through surface electrodes seems difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate hyoid bone movement at rest through peripheral magnetic stimulation of the suprahyoid muscles in normal individuals. ⋯ Peripheral magnetic stimulation is noninvasive and easy to perform. It does not require skin preparation, facilitates sufficient hyoid bone movement, and causes minimum level of pain.
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To investigate whether peripheral electrical stimulation (PES) of back extensor muscles changes excitability of the corticospinal pathway of the stimulated muscle and synergist trunk muscles. ⋯ Results indicate that, unlike previous reports that show increased corticospinal excitability of limb muscles, PES of back muscles does not modify the corticospinal excitability. This difference in response of the motor pathway of back muscles to PES might be explained by the lesser importance of voluntary cortical drive to these muscles and the greater role of postural networks. Whether PES influences back muscle training remains unclear, yet the present results suggest that potential effects are unlikely to be explained by the effects of PES at corticospinal level with the parameters used in this study.
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Current perception threshold (CPT) measurement is a noninvasive, easy, and semi-objective method for determining sensory function using transcutaneous electrical stimulation. Previous studies have shown that CPT is determined by physical characteristics, such as sex, age, physical sites, and presence of neuropathy. Although the CPT reported in males is clearly higher than that in females, the reason for this difference remains unclear. This study investigates the cause of sex-based differences in CPT and suggests an adjustment method, which may suppress the sex difference in CPT. ⋯ We conclude that sensitivity for perceiving electrical stimulation can be influenced by the subjects' characteristics, such as body fat or body water percentages.