Restorative neurology and neuroscience
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Nov 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialThe effects of combined repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation on motor function in patients with stroke.
Both transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), when provided to stroke patients in combination with motor training, enhance therapeutic efficacy and motor function. However, the majority of previous studies have only examined a single treatment modality. ⋯ For the combination of bihemispheric rTMS and tDCS, simultaneous stimulation of cathodal tDCS and 10 Hz rTMS results in better motor performance in stroke patients than other combination methods. This result seemed to be related to effective modulation of interhemispheric imbalance of cortical excitability by dual-mode stimulation.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Nov 2016
ReviewThe role of physical exercise in cognitive recovery after traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.
There is a growing body of evidence revealing exercise-induced effects on brain structure and cognitive function across the lifespan. Animal models of traumatic brain injury also suggest exercise is capable of modulating not only the pathophysiological changes following trauma but also the associated cognitive deficits. ⋯ Evidence of an effect of physical exercise on cognitive recovery suggests further studies should explore this treatment option with greater methodological approaches. Recommendations to reduce risk of bias and methodological shortfalls are discussed and include stricter inclusion criteria to create homogenous groups and larger patient pools, more rigorous cognitive assessments and the study and reporting of additional and combined rehabilitation techniques.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Sep 2016
Subcortical encoding of speech cues in children with congenital blindness.
Congenital visual deprivation underlies neural plasticity in different brain areas, and provides an outstanding opportunity to study the neuroplastic capabilities of the brain. ⋯ Our results suggest that neuroplasticity resulting from congenital blindness can be measured subcortically and has a heightened effect on temporal, musical and speech processing abilities. The findings have been discussed based on models of plasticity and the influence of corticofugal modulation in synthesizing complex auditory stimuli.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) on affect, pain and attention in multiple sclerosis.
Pain and cognitive impairment are frequent symptoms in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Neglecting experimental pain and paying attention to demanding tasks is reported to decrease the pain intensity. Little is known about the interaction between chronic neuropathic pain and attention disorders in MS. Recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was used to modulate various cognitive and motor symptoms in MS. We aimed to study the effects of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS), a form of transcranial electric stimulation, over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on attention and neuropathic pain in MS patients. ⋯ This study suggests the role of tRNS in pain modulation, which could have been more evident with longer stimulation protocols.
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Restor. Neurol. Neurosci. · Jan 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialThe role of auditory feedback in music-supported stroke rehabilitation: A single-blinded randomised controlled intervention.
Learning to play musical instruments such as piano was previously shown to benefit post-stroke motor rehabilitation. Previous work hypothesised that the mechanism of this rehabilitation is that patients use auditory feedback to correct their movements and therefore show motor learning. We tested this hypothesis by manipulating the auditory feedback timing in a way that should disrupt such error-based learning. ⋯ Auditory feedback-based motor learning is not the beneficial mechanism of music-supported therapy. Immediate auditory feedback therapy may be suboptimal. Jittered delay may increase efficacy of the proposed therapy and allow patients to fully benefit from motivational factors of music training. Our study shows a novel way to test hypotheses concerning music training in a single-blinded way, which is an important improvement over existing unblinded tests of music interventions.