Review
Rehabilitation
Pasquale Balzan, Catherine Tattersall, Rebecca Palmer
Summary: Evidence for the use of non-invasive brain stimulation in treating dysarthria remains inconclusive. Reliable and replicable research trials are needed.
ANNALS OF PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Wesley Medeiros, Tayna Barros, Fabio V. Caixeta
Summary: Language production is a complex process involving coordinated muscle movements. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as TMS and tDCS are gaining interest for studying speech production and treating speech disorders.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Leonardo Bonilha, Chris Rorden, Rebecca Roth, Souvik Sen, Mark S. George, Julius Fridriksson
Summary: The study indicates that tDCS combined with speech therapy can enhance treatment effectiveness in individuals with Broca's aphasia, but does not show significant benefits for other types of aphasia.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
William L. Schuerman, Kirill Nourski, Ariane E. Rhone, Matthew A. Howard, Edward F. Chang, Matthew K. Leonard
Summary: Vagus nerve stimulation is increasingly used to treat various diseases and disorders, but the acute effects on human cortical neurophysiology are not fully understood. Research shows that VNS causes subtle changes in neural activity across broad cortical networks, which can vary significantly depending on stimulation parameters and modalities among individuals.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matteo Guidetti, Alessandro Bertini, Francesco Pirone, Gessica Sala, Paola Signorelli, Carlo Ferrarese, Alberto Priori, Tommaso Bocci
Summary: Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have shown potential in improving symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly cognitive and motor impairments in Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. However, their effect on disease progression is still unclear, although recent evidence suggests a possible neuroprotective role.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Hongqi Xiao, Yajing Meng, Shiyu Liu, Yuan Cao, Huan Sun, Gaoju Deng, Mei Wang, Yaozong Zheng, Changjian Qiu
Summary: This study investigated the role of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques in treating catatonia. The results showed that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) were effective in improving catatonia symptoms, with rTMS and tDCS providing sustained effects.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
G. Darmani, T. O. Bergmann, K. Butts Pauly, C. F. Caskey, L. de Lecea, A. Fomenko, E. Fouragnan, W. Legon, K. R. Murphy, T. Nandi, M. A. Phipps, G. Pinton, H. Ramezanpour, J. Sallet, S. N. Yaakub, S. S. Yoo, R. Chen
Summary: Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) has the potential to alter neural circuits non-invasively in both animals and humans. Unlike other non-invasive brain stimulation methods, TUS can focus on both cortical and deep brain targets with unprecedented spatial resolution. The neuromodulatory effects of TUS are derived from the interaction of ultrasound waves with neuronal membranes, resulting in changes in excitability and firing rate. After years of research, TUS is now being applied in human studies and can be assessed using non-invasive brain mapping techniques. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the principles, mechanisms, effects, and potential applications of TUS.
CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Elisa Tatti, Angela L. Phillips, Rachel Paciorek, Sara M. Romanella, Davide Dettore, Giorgio Di Lorenzo, Giulio Ruffini, Simone Rossi, Emiliano Santarnecchi
Summary: Mental health disorders and substance use disorders pose significant challenges to public health systems. Evidence-based psychotherapy is commonly used to address mental health issues, but treatment adherence, relapses, and practical barriers hinder psychological change. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have emerged as promising tools to directly target dysfunctional neural circuitry and promote lasting plastic changes. Combining psychotherapy with brain stimulation may personalize treatment and provide more direct control of neuronal changes.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Christine A. Conelea, Suma Jacob, A. David Redish, Ian S. Ramsay
Summary: The study advocates for a principled approach to combining cognitive behavioral therapy with non-invasive brain stimulation, aiming to improve the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders by synergistically activating neural circuits. Careful consideration of brain-state interactions and nuances related to cognitive behavioral therapy can increase the potential positive synergistic effects of these combinations.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Psychiatry
Cletus Cheyuo, Jurgen Germann, Kazuaki Yamamoto, Artur Vetkas, Aaron Loh, Can Sarica, Vanessa Milano, Ajmal Zemmar, Oliver Flouty, Irene E. Harmsen, Mojgan Hodaie, Suneil K. Kalia, David Tang-Wai, Andres M. Lozano
Summary: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) and non-invasive neuromodulation are being investigated for treating Alzheimer's Disease (AD). This study provides evidence that DBS may improve cognitive outcomes in older AD patients, while non-invasive neuromodulation may have a favorable effect in younger patients. Brain stimulation in AD may modulate specific brain networks, such as the default mode network, salience network, central executive network, and the Papez circuit.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Y. Hong, J. Wang, J. Li, Z. Xu, X. Yang, M. Bai, P. Gong, Y. Xie, X. Zhang, P. Xu, X. Chen, R. Li, X. Liu, G. Ruan, G. Xu
Summary: This study explores an alternative strategy of non-invasive brain delivery of nanoparticles and finds that this method can enhance the neural stimulation effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The use of Tat-SPIONs in combination with TMS shows significant improvement in stroke recovery in rats. Mechanistic studies suggest that the neural stimulation enhancement is mediated by neuroplasticity and magnetoelectric effect, primarily through the binding of Tat-SPIONs to neurons' plasma membranes. This research provides a technological platform for the medical applications of nanoparticles in remote brain stimulation for stroke and other neurological disorders.
MATERIALS TODAY CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Alberto Benussi, Giorgi Batsikadze, Carina Franca, Rubens G. Cury, Roderick P. P. W. M. Maas
Summary: This paper comprehensively reviews the clinical and neurophysiological effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and dentate nucleus deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with hereditary ataxias, as well as the underlying mechanisms at the cellular and network level and future research perspectives.
Review
Neurosciences
Wanting Guo, Yuchen He, Wenquan Zhang, Yiwei Sun, Junling Wang, Shuang Liu, Dong Ming
Summary: Neuromodulation technology has great potential in treating neuropsychiatric disorders, but challenges like invasiveness, energy consumption, and public acceptance need to be addressed. Temporally interfering electrical stimulation, using low-frequency envelope waveform, shows promise in targeting specific brain areas without invasive procedures. Recent studies have focused on investigating the stimulation qualities and application of this technique, aiming to provide reference for future research.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Amanda R. Arulpragasam, Mascha van 't Wout-Frank, Jennifer Barredo, Christiana R. Faucher, Benjamin D. Greenberg, Noah S. Philip
Summary: This article introduces a new emerging non-invasive neuromodulatory technology called low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU). LIFU has the potential to deliver non-invasive and reversible deep brain neuromodulation at millimeter precision through acoustic sonication. Its spatial precision and non-invasive nature make it different from current technologies. Studies have shown that LIFU can safely modulate human brain activity. The novelty of this technique underscores the need for foundational papers to introduce it to the community.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
D. Stoupis, T. Samaras
Summary: Using a genetic algorithm, the electrode combinations and injected current for deep brain stimulation were optimized. The results showed that optimization can achieve more accurate stimulation in the region of interest and reduce the electric field intensity in the surrounding brain areas.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Benedict D. Michael, Dean Walton, Erica Westenberg, David Garcia-Azorin, Bhagteshwar Singh, Arina A. Tamborska, M. Netravathi, Mashina Chomba, Greta K. Wood, Ava Easton, Omar K. Siddiqi, Thomas A. Jackson, Thomas A. Pollak, Timothy R. Nicholson, Shalini Nair, Gerome Breen, Kameshwar Prasad, Kiran T. Thakur, Sherry H. -Y. Chou, Erich Schmutzhard, Jennifer A. Frontera, Raimund Helbok, Alessandro Padovani, David K. Menon, Tom Solomon, Andrea S. Winkler
Summary: Encephalopathy is a common and challenging condition among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, which can have a negative impact on prognosis. This review provides practical guidance on the management of COVID-19 encephalopathy through consensus agreement of the Global COVID-19 Neuro Research Coalition, covering definition, epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical assessment, investigation, and both acute and long-term management.
JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marco Bolchini, Francesca Schiano di Cola, Giulia Ceccardi, Salvatore Caratozzolo, Paolo Liberini, Renata Rao, Alessandro Padovani
Summary: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of erenumab 140 mg in the treatment of migraine disability and intensity in patients with high-frequency episodic migraine. The results showed a significant and progressive improvement in migraine pain intensity and disability during re-treatment.
EUROPEAN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Enrico Premi, Juergen Dukart, Irene Mattioli, Ilenia Libri, Marta Pengo, Yasmine Gadola, Maria Cotelli, Rosa Manenti, Giuliano Binetti, Stefano Gazzina, Antonella Alberici, Mauro Magoni, Giacomo Koch, Roberto Gasparotti, Alessandro Padovani, Barbara Borroni
Summary: Primary progressive aphasias (PPAs) are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by language impairment and possible presence of other symptoms. In this study, researchers used the JuSpace toolbox to analyze the correlation between brain changes in PPA patients and various neurotransmitter systems. The results showed significant associations between voxel-based brain changes and the distribution of serotonin, dopamine, and glutamatergic pathways. Additionally, disease severity and behavioral symptoms were negatively correlated with specific neurotransmitter systems. This pilot study highlights the potential of JuSpace in assessing neurotransmitter deficits in neurodegenerative dementias and gaining insight into disease mechanisms and associated clinical features.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Andrea Morotti, Qi Li, Valentina Mazzoleni, Jawed Nawabi, Frieder Schlunk, Federico Mazzacane, Giorgio Busto, Elisa Scola, Laura Brancaleoni, Sebastiano Giacomozzi, Luigi Simonetti, Michele Laudisi, Anna Cavallini, Andrea Zini, Ilaria Casetta, Enrico Fainardi, Dar Dowlatshahi, Alessandro Padovani, Francesco Arba
Summary: This study found that non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) features are related to hematoma expansion (HE) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but the diagnostic accuracy is influenced by the time of examination. Early examination can better identify hypodensities and heterogeneous density in patients with HE, while late examination is more accurate in identifying irregular shape. These findings may improve the utilization of NCCT in future studies and clinical trials targeting HE.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE
(2023)
News Item
Clinical Neurology
Alessandro Padovani, Andrea Pilotto
Summary: A new study provides evidence for a link between COVID-19 and long-term neurological syndromes, emphasizing the need for further research and the development of strategies.
NATURE REVIEWS NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Francesca Miraglia, Chiara Pappalettera, Valeria Guglielmi, Alessia Cacciotti, Rosa Manenti, Elda Judica, Fabrizio Vecchio, Paolo Maria Rossini
Summary: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of HV test on the functional connectivity of MCI, a prodromal state of Alzheimer's disease. EEG recordings were taken from MCI subjects and age-matched healthy elderly individuals in different conditions. The results showed significant differences in brain network parameters, with the global efficiency values indicating a significant difference between the MCI group and the control group. This suggests that the combination of HV test and graph theory parameters can be a powerful tool for detecting possible cerebral dysfunction.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Silvia Paola Caminiti, Andrea Pilotto, Enrico Premi, Alice Galli, Elisabetta Ferrari, Stefano Gipponi, Elisabetta Cottini, Barbara Paghera, Daniela Perani, Alessandro Padovani
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes of local and long-distance dopaminergic networks in the DLB continuum. Brain SPECT was used to measure brain dopamine transporter (DAT) density, and the results showed that DLB patients had similar basal ganglia deficits as compared to the control group. However, DLB patients in the dementia stage exhibited more connectivity losses, while the prodromal group showed increased connectivity.
PARKINSONISM & RELATED DISORDERS
(2023)
Correction
Clinical Neurology
Francesca Conca, Valentina Esposito, Francesco Rundo, Davide Quaranta, Cristina Muscio, Rosa Manenti, Giulia Caruso, Ugo Lucca, Alessia Antonella Galbussera, Sonia Di Tella, Francesca Baglio, Federica L'Abbate, Elisa Canu, Valentina Catania, Massimo Filippi, Giulia Mattavelli, Barbara Poletti, Vincenzo Silani, Raffaele Lodi, Maddalena De Matteis, Michelangelo Stanzani Maserati, Andrea Arighi, Emanuela Rotondo, Antonio Tanzilli, Andrea Pace, Federica Garramone, Carlo Cavaliere, Matteo Pardini, Cristiano Rizzetto, Sandro Sorbi, Roberta Perri, Pietro Tiraboschi, Nicola Canessa, Maria Cotelli, Raffaele Ferri, Sandra Weintraub, Camillo Marra, Fabrizio Tagliavini, Eleonora Catricala, Stefano Francesco Cappa
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Lorenzo Nucci, Francesca Miraglia, Francesca Alu, Chiara Pappalettera, Elda Judica, Rosa Manenti, Paolo Maria Rossini, Fabrizio Vecchio
Summary: The aim of this study was to confirm the practice effect and the relationship between reaction time (RT) and education, as well as to explore the relationship between education and Imprinting Index. The results showed a reduction in RT over time, indicating improved performance due to the practice effect. There was a negative correlation between education and mean RT, indicating that higher education was associated with shorter RT. Additionally, education was positively correlated with Imprinting Index, suggesting that higher education increased the impact of previous stimuli on response choice.
LEARNING AND MOTIVATION
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Barbara Risi, Stefano Cotti Piccinelli, Stefano Gazzina, Beatrice Labella, Filomena Caria, Simona Damioli, Loris Poli, Alessandro Padovani, Massimiliano Filosto
Summary: The MUNIX technique can estimate the number and size of surviving motor units (MUs). Previous studies found correlations between MUNIX and several clinical measures in ALS patients, but its potential as a predictor of disease progression rate (DPR) has not been thoroughly evaluated. Our study aimed to investigate the ability of MUNIX to predict DPR at a six-month follow up. The results showed that MUNIX could predict DPR in ALS patients and could be used as a prognostic tool.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Maria Cotelli, Francesca Baglio, Rosa Manenti, Valeria Blasi, Daniela Galimberti, Elena Gobbi, Ilaria Pagnoni, Federica Rossetto, Emanuela Rotondo, Valentina Esposito, Roberto De Icco, Carla Giudice, Cristina Tassorelli, Eleonora Catricala, Giulia Perini, Cristina Alaimo, Elena Campana, Luisa Benussi, Roberta Ghidoni, Giuliano Binetti, Tiziana Carandini, Stefano Francesco Cappa
Summary: Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) is a syndrome caused by different neurodegenerative disorders that disrupt language functions. There is a lack of specialized care for PPA, with few specialists and dedicated services for diagnosis and continuing care. Current healthcare systems struggle to provide adequate and coordinated care for PPA patients and their families. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) have gained attention as personalized treatment options, and the MAINSTREAM trial aims to introduce and evaluate these therapeutic innovations coupled with language therapy in rehabilitation settings.
Article
Neurosciences
Beatrice Labella, Gaetana Lanzi, Stefano Cotti Piccinelli, Filomena Caria, Simona Damioli, Barbara Risi, Enrica Bertella, Loris Poli, Alessandro Padovani, Massimiliano Filosto
Summary: This article discusses a rare genetic disorder called Very long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency, caused by mutations in the ACADVL gene. A case study of a 17-year-old boy with exercise-induced muscle pain and fatigue, as well as other symptoms, is reported. Various tests confirmed the diagnosis of VLCAD deficiency, and early dietary treatment is crucial for minimizing muscle damage and slowing disease progression.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Alice Galli, Andrea Pilotto, Benedetta Chiarini, Marcello Giunta, Daniele Corbo, Clara Tirloni, Daniel Ferreira, Enrico Premi, Alessandro Lupini, Cinzia Zatti, Laura Bonanni, Pietro Tiraboschi, Roberto Gasparotti, Alessandro Padovani
Summary: This study found that prodromal DLB and full-blown dementia stages are characterized by reduced occipital and posterior-temporal volume and thickness. Occipital atrophy is more sensitive than insular atrophy in differentiating prodromal DLB and healthy controls. The structural damage in the frontotemporal area increases along with occipital atrophy from prodromal DLB to full-blown dementia.
ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING
(2023)
Article
Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging
Andrea Morotti, Giorgio Busto, Gregoire Boulouis, Elisa Scola, Alessandro Padovani, Ilaria Casetta, Enrico Fainardi
Summary: The combined analysis of non-contrast CT and CT perfusion markers improves the prediction of hematoma expansion and outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage.
EUROPEAN RADIOLOGY
(2023)
