Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
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Joint immobilization has previously been shown to modulate corticospinal excitability. The present study investigated changes in the excitability of distinct fractions of the corticospinal pathway by means of conditioning the H-reflex with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary motor cortex (Hcond). This method allows assessment of transmission in fast (monosynaptic) and slow(er) (polysynaptic) corticospinal pathways. ⋯ It is particularly interesting that fast corticospinal projections were unaffected as these are involved in controlling many, if not most, movements in humans.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of anodal transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) applied over the primary motor (M1) or the primary somatosensory (S1) cortices on somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) following median nerve stimulation. ⋯ We demonstrated anodal tDCS applied over M1 or S1 can modulate somatosensory processing and components of SEFs, confirming the hypothesis for locally distinct generators of the P35m and P60m sources.
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Comment Letter
Elucidating the meaning of dipole variability in MEG/MSI.
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Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) describes a rare human autoimmune disorder of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Clinically, LEMS patients suffer from characteristic muscle weakness that is caused by the presence of antibodies directed against their voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). These channels are localized in the presynaptic membrane of their motor nerve terminals. ⋯ In approximately 50% of the patients, LEMS is reflected by a paraneoplastic manifestation and most commonly associated with a small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) whose cells also express VGCCs in their plasma membrane. Better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of LEMS has helped with the development of new diagnostic approaches and has led to targeted symptomatic and immunosuppressive therapy. For LEMS patients with an underlying malignancy, tumor therapy is the first choice to date.
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Non-invasive transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) induces changes in spinal cord function in humans. Nonetheless, the current density (J) spatial distributions generated by tsDCS are unknown. This work aimed to estimate the J distributions in the spinal cord during tsDCS. ⋯ This study is a first step in better understanding the mechanisms underlying tsDCS.