Neuromodulation : journal of the International Neuromodulation Society
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Occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) is widely used for headache syndromes including chronic migraine (CM) and chronic cluster headache (CCH). The paraesthesia associated with tonic stimulation can be bothersome and can limit therapy. It is now clear in spinal cord stimulation that paraesthesia-free waveforms can produce effective analgesia, but this has not been reported in ONS for CM or CCH. ⋯ Paraesthesia is not necessary for good quality analgesia in ONS. Larger studies will be required to determine whether the efficacies of the two stimulation modes differ. Burst ONS is imperceptible and therefore potentially amenable to robustly blinded clinical trials.
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Until now, the vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) treatment in epilepsy has consisted of two different modes: normal and magnet stimulation. A new vagus nerve stimulator model (106 AspireSR®, LivaNova, Houston, TX, USA) also allows automatic stimulation (AutoStim). The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of autostimulation on seizure frequencies together with energy consumption. ⋯ VNS with AutoStim achieves maintenance of prior-established seizure control with markedly less energy consumption and can also improve seizure control as compared to former stimulator model.
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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.