IEEE transactions on neural systems and rehabilitation engineering : a publication of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Dec 2020
Nerve Injury Decreases Hyperacute Resting-State Connectivity Between the Anterior Cingulate and Primary Somatosensory Cortex in Anesthetized Rats.
A better understanding of neural pain processing and of the development of pain over time, is critical to identify objective measures of pain and to evaluate the effect of pain alleviation therapies. One issue is, that the brain areas known to be related to pain processing are not exclusively responding to painful stimuli, and the neuronal activity is also influenced by other brain areas. Functional connectivity reflects synchrony or covariation of activation between groups of neurons. ⋯ The interaction was quantified as the calculated correlation and coherence. The results from the intervention group showed a decrease in correlation between ACC and SI activity, which was most pronounced in the hyperacute phase but a longer time frame may be required for plastic changes to occur. This indicated that both SI and ACC are involved in hyperacute pain processing.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Feb 2020
Constructing a Consciousness Meter Based on the Combination of Non-Linear Measurements and Genetic Algorithm-Based Support Vector Machine.
Constructing a framework to evaluate consciousness is an important issue in neuroscience research and clinical practice. However, there is still no systematic framework for quantifying altered consciousness along the dimensions of both level and content. This study builds a framework to differentiate the following states: coma, general anesthesia, minimally conscious state (MCS), and normal wakefulness. ⋯ Multi-dimensional measurements, especially the PE, SampEn, PLZC, and DFA, when combined with GA-SVM, are promising methods for constructing a framework to quantify consciousness.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Dec 2019
Intraoperative Responses May Predict Chronic Performance of Composite Flat Interface Nerve Electrodes on Human Femoral Nerves.
Peripheral nerve cuff electrodes (NCEs) in motor system neuroprostheses can generate strong muscle contractions and enhance surgical efficiency by accessing multiple muscles from a single proximal location. Predicting chronic performance of high contact density NCEs based on intraoperative observations would facilitate implantation at locations that maximize selective recruitment, immediate connection of optimal contacts to implanted pulse generators (IPGs) with limited output channels, and initiation of postoperative rehabilitation as soon as possible after surgery. However, the stability of NCE intraoperative recruitment to predict chronic performance has not been documented. ⋯ In both 8-contact C-FINEs, 3 contacts elicited hip flexion and 5 selectively generated knee extension, 3 of which activated independent motor unit populations each sufficient to support standing. Recruitment order stabilized in less than 3 weeks and did not change thereafter. While confirmation of these results will be required with future studies and implant locations, this suggests that remobilization and stimulated exercise may be initiated 3 weeks after surgery with little risk of altering performance.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Jul 2019
Randomized Controlled TrialEffects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Combined With Wrist Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation on Motor Recovery in Subacute Stroke Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Both transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and wrist robot-assisted training have demonstrated to be promising approaches for stroke rehabilitation. However, the effects of the combination of the two treatments in subacute stroke patients are not clear yet. To investigate the effectiveness of combining tDCS and wrist robot-assisted rehabilitation in subacute stroke patients in comparison with the wrist robotic training only, a single-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial was performed with 40 subacute stroke patients (25 ± 7 days from stroke onset time). ⋯ The combination of wrist robot-assisted training and tDCS did not show additional effects in comparison with wrist robot-assisted training only in subacute stroke patients. The negative results found in this paper are specific for the specific intervention. The timing of delivering the tDCS and the robot-assisted therapy has to be deeply investigated to enhance the effectiveness of the training.
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IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng · Jun 2018
Case ReportsTranscutaneous Electrical Spinal Stimulation Promotes Long-Term Recovery of Upper Extremity Function in Chronic Tetraplegia.
Upper extremity function is the highest priority of tetraplegics for improving quality of life. We aim to determine the therapeutic potential of transcutaneous electrical spinal cord stimulation for restoration of upper extremity function. We tested the hypothesis that cervical stimulation can facilitate neuroplasticity that results in long-lasting improvement in motor control. ⋯ Sensation recovered on trunk dermatomes, and overall neurologic level of injury improved from C3 to C4. Most notably, functional gains persisted for over 3 month follow-up without further treatment. These data suggest that noninvasive electrical stimulation of spinal networks can promote neuroplasticity and long-term recovery following SCI.