Article
Food Science & Technology
Elina Zakin, David M. Simpson
Summary: Task-specific focal dystonia is characterized by abnormal muscle contractions during specific tasks, such as writing or playing music. Treatment options are limited and often involve botulinum toxin injections. Studies show that a majority of patients experience improvement from toxin injections, but targeting specific muscles effectively remains a challenge for ongoing research.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anna Sadnicka, Tobias Wiestler, Katherine Butler, Eckart Altenmuller, Mark J. Edwards, Naveed Ejaz, Jorn Diedrichsen
Summary: Sadnicka et al. challenge the notion that task-specific dystonia stems from disrupted hand somatotopy in S1. Instead, they propose that task-specific dystonia is caused by a higher-order disturbance in skill encoding. Through functional MRI and multivariate pattern analysis, they found that finger representations in musicians with dystonia were intact, further supporting the alternative hypothesis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tatsunori Watanabe, Kiyoshi Yoshioka, Kojiro Matsushita, Shin Ishihara
Summary: This study found that athletes with movement disorders show increased sensorimotor cortical oscillatory response during movement initiation, with greater alpha-band event-related desynchronization (ERD) and post-movement event-related synchronization.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Friederike Borngraeber, Martina Hoffmann, Theresa Paulus, Johanna Junker, Tobias Bauemer, Eckart Altenmueller, Andrea A. Kuehn, Alexander Schmidt
Summary: The role of temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) in musician's dystonia (MD) is unclear. MD patients did not show significant differences in TDT compared to healthy musicians and non-musicians. TDT in MD patients was not influenced by musical activity, disease variables, or personality profiles.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Noreen Bukhari-Parlakturk, Michael W. Lutz, Hussein R. Al-Khalidi, Shakthi Unnithan, Joyce En-Hua Wang, Burton Scott, Pichet Termsarasab, Lawrence G. Appelbaum, Nicole Calakos
Summary: This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of automated measures in distinguishing subjects with writer's cramp from healthy volunteers. The results showed that measures of word legibility and peak accelerations had high sensitivity and specificity, and were suitable for rare disease studies. Additionally, kinematic measures showed high reliability across repeat visits, and both word legibility and peak accelerations measures were significantly correlated with clinical outcomes.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Olivia Samotus, Robert Chen, Mandar Jog
Summary: The study investigated the relationship between BoNT-A treatment, tremor amplitude, and modulation of intracortical excitability in early, tremor-dominant PD patients using pp-TMS. Findings suggest that tremor severity in early PD may be related to impaired intracortical inhibition and defective sensorimotor integration.
Article
Neurosciences
Jung E. Park, Pawan Mathew, Jonathan Sackett, Tianxia Wu, Monica Villegas, Mark Hallett
Summary: This study investigated the influence of the posterior parietal cortex on the ipsilateral ventral premotor cortex using TMS. The results showed that the inhibitory effect of the left posterior parietal cortex on the ipsilateral ventral premotor cortex is intact in both healthy subjects and WC patients at rest. Additionally, a facilitatory effect of the posterior parietal cortex on the primary motor cortex was found in both groups.
EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jana Schill, Kirsten E. Zeuner, Arne Knutzen, Inken Toedt, Kristina Simonyan, Karsten Witt
Summary: Research found that patients with writer's cramp recruited fewer regions in their neuronal network that were functionally more segregated, yet this did not impair the network's efficiency for information transfer. Hub analysis revealed alterations in communication patterns of key brain regions, suggesting compensatory rerouting within the patient network. Preliminary findings also indicated abnormal cerebellar connectivity in patients with simple writer's cramp, which was less prominent in those with complex writer's cramp.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neuroimaging
Inken Toedt, Alexander Baumann, Arne Knutzen, Oliver Granert, Elinor Tzvi, Julia Lindert, Stephan Wolff, Karsten Witt, Kirsten E. Zeuner
Summary: The study revealed abnormal connectivity in the sensory network of patients with Writer's Cramp (WC), particularly decreased connectivity between the insula and posterior putamen during a sensory task. However, connectivity involving primary sensory cortex, parietal cortex, and cerebellum was found to be normal. There were no significant differences in behavioral data between the two groups.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jackson Brougher, Camilo A. Sanchez, Umaymah S. Aziz, Kiree F. Gove, Catherine A. Thorn
Summary: The experiment showed that VNS can significantly increase the representation of task-relevant muscle movements in the motor map, while reducing task-irrelevant representations; VNS may increase the density of tyrosine hydroxylase fibers in intact motor cortices, but this effect is not dependent on DA depletion.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Miaozhen Huang, Esther A. R. Nibbeling, Tjerk J. Lagrand, Ivana A. Souza, Justus L. Groen, Maria A. Gandini, Fang-Xiong Zhang, Johannes H. T. M. Koelman, Noam Adir, Richard J. Sinke, Gerald W. Zamponi, Marina A. J. Tijssen, Dineke S. Verbeek
Summary: In this study, the genetic background of a large Dutch family with autosomal dominant inherited writer's cramp (WC) was investigated. Rare variants in the CACNA1H gene were identified, which may contribute to the pathology of WC. Structural and functional studies showed that these variants likely lead to gains of function, affecting neuronal excitability. Additional studies are needed to confirm the causal relationship between the identified variant and WC in the large Dutch family.
Article
Neurosciences
Alexandre Caux-Dedeystere, Etienne Allart, Pierre Morel, Alexandre Kreisler, Philippe Derambure, Herve Devanne
Summary: In patients with writer's cramp (WC), alterations in GABAergic inhibitory mechanisms result in longer duration of LICI and delayed LCD, affecting the activity of primary motor cortex inhibitory and excitatory circuits controlling hand muscles. This study highlights the impact of these changes on involuntary muscle contractions while writing and the potential therapeutic targets for WC.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Joseph W. Olson, Arie Nakhmani, Zachary T. Irwin, Lloyd J. Edwards, Christopher L. Gonzalez, Melissa H. Wade, Sarah D. Black, Mohammad Z. Awad, Daniel J. Kuhman, Christopher P. Hurt, Bart L. Guthrie, Harrison C. Walker
Summary: This study investigates the characteristics of dystonia in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and its relationship with brain electrophysiology. The results show significant differences in spectral power in the motor cortex and subcortical areas during repetitive limb movements, especially in PD patients with dystonia.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lingyu Zhang, Yanbing Hou, Junyu Lin, Jing Yang, Bei Cao, Qianqian Wei, Ruwei Ou, Huifang Shang
Summary: Limited studies have focused on non-motor symptoms in patients with Writer's cramp. This study found that patients with Writer's cramp had a high frequency of non-motor symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, and fatigue. These symptoms were negatively associated with health-related quality of life, particularly depression symptoms and fatigue.
PARKINSONISM & RELATED DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Ling Guo, Sravani Kondapavulur, Stefan M. Lemke, Seok Joon Won, Karunesh Ganguly
Summary: The study reveals the importance of consistent neural activity patterns across brain structures during recovery poststroke, and suggests that modulation of cross-area coordination can be a therapeutic target for enhancing motor function.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Luke C. Jenkins, Wei-Ju Chang, Valentina Buscemi, Matthew Liston, Patrick Skippen, Aidan G. Cashin, James H. McAuley, Siobhan M. Schabrun
Summary: This study found that low somatosensory cortex excitability during the acute stage of low back pain is a cause of chronic pain. Interventions targeting this mechanism may be relevant to preventing chronic pain.
Article
Neurosciences
Corey G. Wadsley, John Cirillo, Arne Nieuwenhuys, Winston D. Byblow
Summary: This study identified neural signatures of response preparation and inhibition during selective stopping of coupled and decoupled bimanual responses. Stopping was more selective for decoupled responses and supported by lateralized sensorimotor mu and beta power during response preparation. These findings provide valuable insights into the functional significance of decoupling for cognitive control in the form of selective stopping.
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Corey G. Wadsley, John Cirillo, Arne Nieuwenhuys, Winston D. Byblow
Summary: Response inhibition is crucial for terminating inappropriate preplanned or ongoing responses, with selective stopping being a complex form of this inhibition. The stopping interference effect, characterized by response delays on unstopped effectors, may result from both selective and nonselective response inhibition processes. This effect can be influenced by factors such as response conflict, task familiarity, and functional coupling.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ghufran Alhassani, Matthew B. Liston, Peter J. Clothier, Siobhan M. Schabrun
Summary: This study found that acute muscle pain does not affect interhemispheric inhibition between primary sensory cortices, but it does increase sensitivity to pressure pain in the unaffected limb.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Nahian S. Chowdhury, Wei-Ju Chang, Samantha K. Millard, Patrick Skippen, Katarzyna Bilska, David A. Seminowicz, Siobhan M. Schabrun
Summary: Experimental pain alters corticomotor excitability, with reductions observed in both short and long durations of pain. The magnitude of reduction in corticomotor excitability is associated with pain severity, with greater reductions seen in higher pain severity. In healthy individuals, the suppression of corticomotor excitability may serve as a short-term beneficial strategy but has long-term consequences.
Article
Anesthesiology
Luke C. Jenkins, Wei-Ju Chang, Valentina Buscemi, Matthew Liston, Peter Humburg, Michael Nicholas, Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Paul W. Hodges, James H. McAuley, Siobhan M. Schabrun
Summary: This study aims to identify neurobiological and psychological risk factors for the development of chronic low back pain. Factors such as medical history, age, and emotional state have a significant impact on the development of chronic low back pain. Neurobiological risk factors explain an additional 15% of the variance in pain intensity at 6 months.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Edel O'Hagan, Adrian C. Traeger, Siobhan M. Schabrun, Sean O'Neill, Benedict Martin Wand, Aidan Cashin, Christopher Michael Williams, Ian A. Harris, James H. McAuley
Summary: This study aims to increase people's confidence in becoming more active despite low back pain through social media. The study is an online randomized controlled trial that recruits participants over 18 years old and fluent in English. A social media-based public health campaign was developed to support recommendations for managing low back pain. The primary outcome will be measured using item 10 of the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire.
Article
Neurosciences
Kelly Ho, John Cirillo, April Ren, Winston D. Byblow
Summary: This study investigates the role of intracortical circuits in the primary motor cortex (M1) during motor skill acquisition. The findings suggest that the excitatory circuitries responsible for the generation of late short-interval intracortical facilitation (SICF) peaks are modulated in motor skill acquisition, while the early SICF peak, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), and corticomotor excitability are not affected by training.
EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Anesthesiology
Wei-Ju Chang, Luke C. C. Jenkins, Peter Humburg, Siobhan M. M. Schabrun
Summary: This study found that central sensitization is present in some patients with acute low back pain, but it is not related to pain or disability. There is no relationship between BDNF and central sensitization in acute low back pain. Variation in sensory measures during acute low back pain can be partially explained by BDNF genotype, sex, age, and psychological factors.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Corey G. Wadsley, John Cirillo, Arne Nieuwenhuys, Winston D. Byblow
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the role of interhemispheric primary motor cortex (M1-M1) influences during selective stopping with proactive cueing. The results showed that increased stopping uncertainty led to slower response times and reduced stopping interference. Proactive response inhibition was characterized by a slower rate of rise and faster cancel time in electromyographical bursts during stopping. There was a reduction in muscle excitability when the left hand was cued to stop, but there was no reinstatement of interhemispheric inhibition between the motor cortices.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Corey G. Wadsley, John Cirillo, Arne Nieuwenhuys, Winston D. Byblow
Summary: This study provides a freely available Selective Stopping Toolbox (SeleST) to investigate selective stopping using either anticipatory or stop-signal task variants. The results suggest that selective stopping can be successfully investigated with either anticipatory or stop-signal paradigms in SeleST. The anticipatory paradigm should be used when strict control of response times is desired, while the stop-signal paradigm should be used when it is desired to estimate stop-signal reaction time with the independent race model.
EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei-Ju Chang, Luke C. Jenkins, Peter Humburg, Valerie Wasinger, David M. Walton, Siobhan M. Schabrun
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the changes in pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules in patients with acute low back pain (LBP) and their association with long-term outcome. The results showed that the concentrations of systemic inflammatory molecules remained unchanged over a period of six months, regardless of recovery status. At three months, the unrecovered group had higher levels of IL-8 and IL-10 compared to the recovered group. Acute-stage psychological factors were not related to systemic inflammatory molecules. Further research is needed to understand the contribution of these molecules to long-term LBP outcome.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Benjamin Chong, Alan Wang, Cathy M. M. Stinear
Summary: Baseline scores and extent of impairment after stroke are important predictors of post-stroke outcomes. However, the validity of proportional recovery as a model has been questioned due to confounding factors and critiques. This article reviews the current understanding of proportional recovery, discusses potential confounds, and evaluates its usefulness in post-stroke recovery research.
NEUROREHABILITATION AND NEURAL REPAIR
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Ji-Hun Yoo, Benjamin Chong, Peter Alan Barber, Cathy Stinear, Alan Wang
Summary: This review examines the methodologies currently used in motor outcome prediction studies using atlas-based voxel neuroimaging features. The study found that there are various limitations in the current methods, such as a lack of detailed reporting on image acquisition and a lack of consensus on the use of a single sensorimotor atlas for prediction. Therefore, there is a need for further validation and improvement in neuroimaging feature development for motor outcome prediction.
NEUROREHABILITATION AND NEURAL REPAIR
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Afifa Safdar, Marie-Claire Smith, Winston D. Byblow, Cathy M. Stinear
Summary: This review assessed the application of rTMS protocols for improving upper limb motor performance after stroke. The majority of studies still follow the interhemispheric competition model and do not consider the bimodal balance recovery model. Future studies should select patients and apply rTMS protocols based on ipsilesional corticomotor function.
NEUROREHABILITATION AND NEURAL REPAIR
(2023)
