Review
Clinical Neurology
Sophie M. D. D. Fitzsimmons, Ysbrand D. van der Werf, A. Dilene van Campen, Martijn Arns, Alexander T. Sack, Adriaan W. Hoogendoorn, Odile A. van den Heuvel
Summary: This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and ranked the relative efficacy of different stimulation protocols. The results showed that rTMS is effective for OCD compared to sham stimulation. Different stimulation protocols, such as low frequency right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) stimulation, high frequency bilateral dlPFC stimulation, and low frequency pre-supplementary motor area (preSMA) stimulation, were all found to be efficacious. However, further studies are needed to explore the relative merits of these protocols.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jian Wang, Guanmin Hua, Shibin Wang, Guangquan Guo, Dongming Quan, Siyu Yao, Huirong Zheng
Summary: This study found that low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms by modulating glutamatergic levels in the bilateral striatum of patients with OCD. The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) score significantly decreased in the rTMS treatment group compared with the control group. Glutamate (Glu) and glutamate and glutamine complexes (Glx) in the bilateral striatum increased significantly with the improvement of OCD, and were positively correlated with compulsion after the treatment.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Guowei Luo, Shibin Wang, Siyu Yao, Dongming Quan, Guangquan Guo, Junling Gao, Huirong Zheng
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in alleviating symptoms and affecting neurometabolites in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC) of OCD patients. The results showed that patients who underwent rTMS treatment displayed lower scores in symptoms of OCD and depression after four weeks, and there were changes in glutamate levels in the pACC. Therefore, rTMS treatment is an effective therapy for OCD, with effects on neurometabolites.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Michele Di Ponzio, Nikos Makris, Carlotta Tenerini, Eleonora Grassi, Samuele Ragone, Stefano Pallanti
Summary: This study used rTMS at 15 Hz to stimulate the left DLPFC, targeting the reward system, in patients with trichotillomania, hoarding disorder, and skin picking disorder. The results showed a reduction in symptom severity and depression symptoms at the end of the treatment, with improvements maintained only in younger patients at the 1-month follow-up. The discussion suggests that OCRDs may be behavioral addictions and implicates the reward system in the mechanisms of these disorders.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Gong-Jun Ji, Wen Xie, Tingting Yang, Qianqian Wu, Pengjiao Sui, Tongjian Bai, Lu Chen, Lu Chen, Xingui Chen, Yi Dong, Anzhen Wang, Dandan Li, Jinying Yang, Bensheng Qiu, Fengqiong Yu, Lei Zhang, Yudan Luo, Kai Wang, Chunyan Zhu
Summary: This study investigated the neural mechanism of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Results showed that personalized magnetic stimulation on preSMA can help alleviate symptoms by decreasing the connectivity strength of the target network. The improvement in symptoms in the real group was better than the sham group, and this improvement could be predicted by the connectivity pattern before treatment.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Eric A. Storch, Aron Tendler, Sophie C. Schneider, Andrew G. Guzick, Valerie La Buissonniere-Ariza, Wayne K. Goodman
Summary: Findings suggest that older participants and those with lower OCD severity and disability respond faster to both dTMS and sham stimulation. dTMS of the dorsal mPFC/ACC appeared to have larger benefits for individuals with greater OCD severity, whereas the difference between treatment arms was minimal in those with lower severity.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hannelore L. N. Tandt, Nele van de Velde, Sara De Witte, Kurt Audenaert, Chris Baeken, Gilbert M. D. Lemmens
Summary: This study found that LF rTMS targeting the dmPFC may improve OCD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant OCD patients, and it is a safe and well-tolerated treatment.
EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Ana Maia, Silvia Almeida, Goncalo Cotovio, Daniel Rodrigues da Silva, Francisco Faro Viana, Jaime Gracio, Albino J. Oliveira-Maia
Summary: This article describes a model for training TMS technicians in symptom provocation, developed at a clinical center in Lisbon, Portugal. The model includes theoretical and practical sessions on clinical communication and symptom provocation techniques, as well as regular supervision meetings during treatment. The training program is practical, short, and allows for easy implementation and transition to clinical practice.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Rebecca B. Price, Fabio Ferrarelli, Colleen Hanlon, Claire M. Gillan, Tae Kim, Greg J. Siegle, Meredith L. Wallace, Marlee Renard, Rachel Kaskie, Michelle Degutis, Anna Wears, Vanessa Brown, Manivel Rengasamy, Susanne E. Ahmari
Summary: Compulsive behaviors are linked to orbitofrontal cortex function. The study shows that intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) leads to increased functional connectivity between the orbitofrontal cortex and other regions compared to continuous TBS (cTBS).
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Weiwei Liu, Hua Shao, Jing Liao, Dalu Yang, Maoliang Ma, Jianli Yang
Summary: The study investigated whether regulating right orbitofrontal cortex activity through cTBS could impact OCD symptoms. However, after two weeks of treatment, there were no significant differences in Y-BOCS scores or other outcome measures between the active and sham groups. While depressive symptoms improved in the active group, this improvement was not sustained at 6 weeks.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Abel Thamby, Karthik Seshachala, Lavanya Sharma, Vani Holebasavanahalli Thimmashetty, Srinivas Balachander, Venkataram Shivakumar, Nandita Hazari, Harleen Chhabra, Shyam Sundar Arumugham, T. S. Jaisoorya, K. Mohanavelu, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian, Y. C. Janardhan Reddy, Janardhanan C. Narayanaswamy
Summary: The study indicates that transcranial direct current stimulation may have beneficial effects on some patients with treatment-resistant OCD, with approximately 28% of patients showing at least partial response after 10-20 sessions of treatment.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Ghazal Jahanbakhsh, Seyed Alireza Haji Seyed Javadi, Mahnaz Majidi, Marzieh Khademi, Ramin Karimi
Summary: This study evaluated the effectiveness of using low-frequency rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as an adjunctive treatment for OCD patients refractory to treatment. The results showed that after 15 sessions, adjunctive low-frequency rTMS significantly reduced the Y-BOCS scores and the reduction was durable even after three to six months. Additionally, using antipsychotic agents along with serotonergic agents as adjuvant therapy may predict a better response to adjunctive rTMS.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Daniel Rodrigues da Silva, Ana Maia, Goncalo Cotovio, Jose Oliveira, Albino J. Oliveira-Maia, J. Bernardo Barahona-Correa
Summary: This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies to compare motor cortical excitability measures in patients with OCD and control volunteers. It suggests an inhibitory deficit of motor cortex excitability in patients with OCD, particularly in the cortical silent period linked to GABAB receptor activity. However, there is no evidence of changes in resting motor threshold after treatment with repetitive TMS.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Eman M. Khedr, Khaled Elbeh, Mostafa Saber, Zeinab Abdelrady, Ahmed Abdelwarith
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over different brain regions for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The results showed that both active treatment groups outperformed the sham group in improving OCD symptoms. Patients with shorter illness duration, lower baseline scores, and fewer comorbidities responded better to the treatment.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jiayue Cheng, Puyu Li, Yingying Tang, Chen Zhang, Liangjun Lin, Jian Gao, Zhen Wang
Summary: The study showed that high-definition tDCS treatment in OCD patients can significantly improve symptoms, and the treatment can lead to improvements in GABAB receptor function.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Christoph Wiest, Francesca Morgante, Flavie Torrecillos, Alek Pogosyan, Shenghong He, Fahd Baig, Ilaria Bertaina, Michael G. Hart, Mark J. Edwards, Erlick A. Pereira, Huiling Tan
Summary: This study explores the effects of subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation on Parkinson's disease and dystonia, and finds that stimulation-induced spectral changes are present in both conditions. These findings suggest that STN stimulation can be used for other disorders with excessive oscillatory peaks.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Belen Gonzalez-Herrero, Francesca Morgante, Javier Pagonabarraga, Biba Stanton, Mark J. Edwards
Summary: Recent observations suggest a high co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in people with functional neurological disorder (FND), but little systematic data is available on their relationship. This study aimed to assess the self-reported autistic traits and prevalence of ASD in individuals with FND and their first-degree relatives. The findings showed that 8% of respondents with FND had a previous diagnosis of ASD and 24% reported a first-degree relative with ASD. Moreover, 69% of respondents exhibited clinically significant ASD and 21% displayed autistic traits. Further research is needed to explore the prevalence and impact of ASD in individuals with FND.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Belen Gonzalez-Herrero, Ilaria Antonella Di Vico, Erlick Pereira, Mark Edwards, Francesca Morgante
Summary: Tremor is a symptom of dystonia and can be treated with oral medications, botulinum neurotoxin, or brain surgery. This study evaluated the outcome of different treatments for upper limb dystonic tremors and found that botulinum neurotoxin and surgery had better efficacy compared to oral medications, which had higher side effects and dropout rates. Further research is needed for better patient selection.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Sanaz Pournajaf, Giovanni Morone, Sofia Straudi, Michela Goffredo, Maria Rosaria Leo, Rocco Salvatore Calabro, Giorgio Felzani, Stefano Paolucci, Serena Filoni, Andrea Santamato, Marco Franceschini
Summary: This study aims to investigate the clinical effects of an exoskeleton robotic system for upper limb rehabilitation compared with conventional therapy in people with subacute stroke. It also aims to identify patient characteristics that can predict better recovery after robotic-assisted therapy and whether it could elicit greater brain stimulation. A total of 84 subacute stroke patients will be randomly allocated to either the control group or experimental group, and the outcomes will be recorded at different time points.
Review
Neurosciences
Salvatore Facciorusso, Stefania Spina, Rajiv Reebye, Andrea Turolla, Rocco Salvatore Calabro, Pietro Fiore, Andrea Santamato
Summary: This study conducted a bibliometric analysis on sensor-based rehabilitation research in neurological diseases, revealing the current research landscape and influential authors, institutions, journals, and research areas. The findings showed a gradual increase in research activity from 2002 to 2022, with the United States being the most active country, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology having the highest number of publications among institutions, and Sensors journal publishing the most papers. Key themes included rehabilitation, stroke, and recovery, with research clusters focusing on machine learning, specific neurological conditions, and sensor-based rehabilitation technologies.
Article
Neurosciences
Rosaria De Luca, Mirjam Bonanno, Angela Marra, Carmela Rifici, Patrizia Pollicino, Angelo Caminiti, Milva Veronica Castorina, Andrea Santamato, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: Executive dysfunction is a common and disabling cognitive impairment following traumatic brain injury (TBI), affecting reasoning, planning, attention, awareness, and behavior. This study investigated the effects of non-immersive virtual reality-based training on executive abilities and mood in TBI patients. The results showed significant improvements in cognitive and executive functioning, as well as mood, in the virtual reality training group compared to the conventional training group.
Review
Neurosciences
Giuseppe La Rosa, Marianna Avola, Tiziana Di Gregorio, Rocco Salvatore Calabro, Maria Pia Onesta
Summary: Gait recovery is a fundamental goal for patients with spinal cord injury to improve their autonomy and quality of life. Robotics and other innovative approaches have shown promise in improving motor, balance, and gait function in these patients. A systematic review of the literature over the past 10 years found weak evidence that robotic rehabilitation may lead to better outcomes in gait independence compared to conventional methods. External stimulation and intermittent hypoxia also showed potential in improving gait parameters. Further research is needed to explore the role of innovative technologies in improving gait and balance in patients with spinal cord injury.
Article
Neurosciences
Maria Grazia Maggio, Mirjam Bonanno, Alfredo Manuli, Maria Pia Onesta, Rosaria De Luca, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of semi-immersive virtual reality cognitive training on global functional recovery in patients with spinal cord injury. The findings showed that compared to traditional therapy, training using semi-immersive VR significantly improved patients' cognitive functioning, mood, and overall quality of life, especially in physical perception.
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Edoardo Monfrini, Alessio Di Fonzo, Francesca Morgante
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Clinical Neurology
Belen Gonzalez-Herrero, Francesca Morgante
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Lilla Bonanno, Antonio Cannuli, Loris Pignolo, Silvia Marino, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabro, Antonio Cerasa
Summary: Robotic rehabilitation is an advanced treatment for stroke patients, and this review aims to assess the neurofunctional correlates of cutting-edge robotic therapies in enhancing motor recovery. The review suggests that neural plasticity within specific areas of the brain is more sensitive to compensation strategies in motor recovery, despite the heterogeneity in robotic devices and clinical status. However, more research is needed to understand the neurobiological differences between robotic and traditional rehabilitation approaches.
BIOENGINEERING-BASEL
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rosaria De Luca, Mirjam Bonanno, Elisabetta Morini, Angela Marra, Francesca Antonia Arcadi, Angelo Quartarone, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: This study investigated the sexual dysfunction in female patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and its correlation with psycho-endocrinological factors. The results showed a high frequency of sexual dysfunction in PD patients, including reduced sexual desire and altered sexual hormone levels. The study emphasizes the importance of better understanding and addressing sexual function in female PD patients to improve their quality of life.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rosaria De Luca, Patrizia Pollicino, Carmela Rifici, Natale Mondo, Stefania Iorio, Angela Cassaniti, Donatella Ferrara, Angelo Caminiti, Fausto Fama, Mirjam Bonanno, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: The study aimed to investigate the effects of a human immersion model (HIM) on the psychological well-being of caregivers of patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) during the Omicron wave in Italy. Fifteen ABI patients and their caregivers, who attended the intensive neurorehabilitation unit from January to March 2022, were subjected to the HIM. Significant improvements were observed in caregivers' anxiety scores (SAS), burden and stress (ZBI-22), and emotive intelligence (TEIQue-SF) after the HIM. These findings suggest that the HIM may be beneficial in promoting the psycho-emotional well-being of ABI caregivers, especially during critical periods such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
CLINICS AND PRACTICE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Mirjam Bonanno, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: Robot-aided motion analysis (R-AMA) has the potential to provide more accurate registration and monitoring of patients' motion parameters compared to clinical scales. It can also be used to build machine learning algorithms for better motor outcomes. However, the clinical acceptance of robotic assessment tools is limited due to their reliability and validity compared to standardized scales.
Article
Rehabilitation
Loredana Raciti, Roberto Pizzurro, Flavia Occhipinti, Alfredo Manuli, Francesco Corallo, Rocco Salvatore Calabro
Summary: This case study explores the effects of intensive robotic gait training with Lokomat-Pro and telemedicine psychotherapy on mobility and quality of life in a patient with central pontine myelinolysis (CPM). The study found that these innovative technologies significantly improved functional motor outcomes and quality of life in patients with severe motor impairment due to chronic CPM.
DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION-ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Youling Bai, Jianguo Qu, Dan Li, Huazhan Yin
Summary: This study used resting-state functional connectivity analysis to investigate the neural pathways between internet addiction tendency and sleep quality, and found a positive correlation between internet addiction tendency and the strength of functional connectivity within the default-mode network. Furthermore, internet addiction tendency mediated the relationship between these functional couplings and sleep quality.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Jie Zhang, Xiyan Li, Shiwei Liu, Can Xu, Zhijie Zhang
Summary: In this study, electroencephalogram data was analyzed to compare the resting network activation between heavy media multitaskers (HMM) and light media multitaskers (LMM). The results showed that HMM had weaker activation in the attention network, but enhanced activation in the salience network. They also had an enhanced visual network and may feel less comfortable during resting-state periods. This suggests that chronic media multitasking leads to a bottom-up or stimulus-driven allocation of attention for HMM, while LMM use a top-down approach.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2024)
