Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Reproducibility and influence of test modality order on thermal perception and thermal pain thresholds in quantitative sensory testing.
To evaluate the reproducibility of quantitative sensory testing (QST), performed with the method-of-limits (MLI) at different test intervals, by assessing the inter- and intra-individual variation of thermal cold (CT) and warm (WT) perception thresholds, and of thermal cold- (CPT) and heat pain (HPT) thresholds. ⋯ The findings show that QST with the MLI is a reliable tool for indirect evaluation of human small nerve fiber function.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Cutaneous perception thresholds of electrical stimulation methods: comparison of tDCS and tRNS.
Controlled blinded studies using transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) paradigms need a validated sham stimulation paradigm since an itching or tingling sensation on the skin surface under the electrode can be associated with current flow. ⋯ As tRNS has been shown to have similar aftereffects as anodal tDCS, this finding points to the application of tRNS as a possible alternative with a better blinding control.
-
Recent developments in transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) provide a powerful approach to establish the functional roles of neuronal oscillatory activities in the human brain. Here, we investigated whether tACS can reach and modulate the excitability of the visual cortex in a frequency-dependent manner. ⋯ Our present work provides further demonstration of the potential of tACS as a method to selectively modulate the excitability of the visual cortex.
-
To assess the temporal relationship between skin nerve denervation and regeneration (dermal and intra-epidermal fibres, IENF) and functional changes (CO(2) laser-evoked potentials, LEPs, and quantitative sensory tests, QST) after topical cutaneous application of capsaicin. ⋯ Assessing skin biopsies by PGP9.5 immunostaining alone may miss significant diagnostic and prognostic information regarding regenerating nerve fibres, if other approaches are neglected, e.g. LEPs or GAP-43 immunostaining.
-
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is used for focus localization in presurgical evaluation of patients with focal epilepsies. In this proof-of-concept study, general anesthesia with etomidate was used to improve effectiveness of MEG-recordings. ⋯ These results could facilitate larger studies on the usefulness and safety of general anesthesia with etomidate that record and localize epileptic activity in patients with focal epilepsy by MEG.