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Advances in Neurostimulation: Techniques, Mechanisms, and Applications

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 March 2023) | Viewed by 10787

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
2. Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: pain; neuromodulation; cognitive modulation; cognitive neuroscience; EEG; fMRI
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Guest Editor
School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
Interests: non-invasive brain stimulation; pain; empathy for pain; neuronal oscillations

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Guest Editor
School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China
Interests: pain; TMS; neuroplasticity changes; EEG; TMS-EMG; TMS-EEG

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
2. Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Interests: neuromodulation; chronic pain; neuroimaging; biomedical signal processing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the past decades, multiple neuromodulation techniques, including invasive and noninvasive stimulations at the peripheral or central level, have been developed to enhance or suppress activity of the nervous system for the treatment of diseases. Particularly, noninvasive neuromodulation approaches have gained attention, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) applied at the central level, as well as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) applied at the peripheral level. Although these neuromodulation techniques have shown to be promising alternative treatments for  a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as pain, depression, addiction, and Alzheimer’s disease, their mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. Exploring neuromodulation effects with brain activity measures, such as electroencephalography (EEG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), can help us better understand the neurobiological mechanisms of these stimulation techniques.  Hence, the purpose of this Special Issue is to discuss matters associated with the effects of neuromodulation on treating neuropsychiatric disorders for clinical populations or reducing pain and improving emotions or cognitions for healthy populations, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The scope of the Issue is deliberately broad to encourage the coverage of a wide range of topics and perspectives related to the applications of neuromodulation approaches in healthy and clinical populations, including the effects of neuromodulation techniques (TENS, tVNS, tES, and TMS) on the behaviors or functions, as well as the effects on neural responses or plasticity, as measured by EEG, MEG, fMRI, PET, TMS-EMG, and TMS-EEG.

Prof. Dr. Li Hu
Dr. Weiwei Peng
Dr. Xianwei Che
Prof. Dr. Yiheng Tu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Neuromodulation
  • tES
  • TMS
  • TENS
  • tVNS
  • Non-invasive brain stimulation, Neural plasticity
  • Neuropsychiatric disorders
  • Depression
  • Pain
  • Cognition
  • Emotion

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 357 KiB  
Article
Distinct Predictors of Clinical Response after Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation between Bipolar and Unipolar Disorders
by Aurélie Lacroix, Aude Paquet, Mireille Okassa, Théodore Vinais, Marilyne Lannaud, Brigitte Plansont, Alexandre Buisson, Sandrine Guignandon, Dominique Malauzat, Murielle Girard and Benjamin Calvet
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(7), 5276; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20075276 - 27 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to be therapeutically effective for patients suffering from drug-resistant depression. The distinction between bipolar and unipolar disorders would be of great interests to better adapt their respective treatments. Methods: We aimed to identify the [...] Read more.
Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to be therapeutically effective for patients suffering from drug-resistant depression. The distinction between bipolar and unipolar disorders would be of great interests to better adapt their respective treatments. Methods: We aimed to identify the factors predicting clinical improvement at one month (M1) after the start of rTMS treatment for each diagnosis, which was preceded by a comparison of the patients’ clinical conditions. We used the data collected and the method employed in a previous publication on 291 patients. Results: Although the bipolar group had fewer responders, these patients seemed to better maintain their post-rTMS improvement on anxiety and perception of the severity of their illness than those in the unipolar group. For the bipolar group, young age coupled with low number of medications and high fatigue was shown to be the best combination for predicting improvement at M1. The duration of current depressive episode, which was previously demonstrated for whole group, combined with being attached was shown to favor clinical improvement among the patients in unipolar group. Conclusion: We were able to define a combination of specific factors related to each diagnosis for predicting the patients’ clinical response. This could be extremely useful to predict the efficacy of rTMS during routine clinical practice in neuromodulation services. Full article
13 pages, 2206 KiB  
Article
Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Facilitates Cortical Arousal and Alertness
by Yuxin Chen, Xuejing Lu and Li Hu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1402; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021402 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2618
Abstract
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising noninvasive technique with potential beneficial effects on human emotion and cognition, including cortical arousal and alertness. However, it remains unclear how taVNS could improve cortical arousal and alertness, which are crucial for consciousness and [...] Read more.
Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a promising noninvasive technique with potential beneficial effects on human emotion and cognition, including cortical arousal and alertness. However, it remains unclear how taVNS could improve cortical arousal and alertness, which are crucial for consciousness and daily task performance. Here, we aimed to estimate the modulatory effect of taVNS on cortical arousal and alertness and to reveal its underlying neural mechanisms. Sixty subjects were recruited and randomly assigned to either the taVNS group (receiving taVNS for 20 min) or the control group (receiving taVNS for 30 s). The effects of taVNS were evaluated behaviorally using a cue-target pattern task, and neurologically using a resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG). We found that taVNS facilitated the reaction time for the targets requiring right-hand responses and attenuated high-frequency alpha oscillations under the close-eye resting state. Importantly, taVNS-modulated alpha oscillations were positively correlated with the facilitated target detection performance, i.e., reduced reaction time. Furthermore, microstate analysis of the resting-state EEG when the eyes were closed illustrated that taVNS reduced the mean duration of microstate C, which has been proven to be associated with alertness. Altogether, this work provided novel evidence suggesting that taVNS could be an enhancer of both cortical arousal and alertness. Full article
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13 pages, 1656 KiB  
Article
Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Augmented with Motor Imagery and Upper-Limb Functional Training for Upper-Limb Stroke Rehabilitation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
by Faizan Zaffar Kashoo, Raid Saleem Al-Baradie, Msaad Alzahrani, Ahmad Alanazi, Md Dilshad Manzar, Anchit Gugnani, Mohammad Sidiq, Mohammad Abu Shaphe, Mohamed Sherif Sirajudeen, Mehrunnisha Ahmad, Bader Althumayri, Abdullah Aljandal, Ahmed Almansour, Shady Abdullah Alshewaier and Aksh Chahal
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15199; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215199 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3562
Abstract
Background: Combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with other therapies is reported to produce promising results in patients with stroke. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of combining tDCS with motor imagery (MI) and upper-limb functional training for upper-limb [...] Read more.
Background: Combining transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with other therapies is reported to produce promising results in patients with stroke. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of combining tDCS with motor imagery (MI) and upper-limb functional training for upper-limb rehabilitation among patients with chronic stroke. Methods: A single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial was conducted among 64 patients with chronic stroke. The control group received sham tDCS with MI, while the experimental group received real tDCS with MI. Both groups performed five different upper-limb functional training exercises coupled with tDCS for 30 min, five times per week for two weeks. Fugl-Meyer’s scale (FMA) and the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) were used to measure the outcome measures at baseline and after the completion of the 10th session. Results: Analysis of covariance showed significant improvements in the post-test mean scores for FMA (F (414.4) = 35.79, p < 0.001; η2 = 0.37) and ARAT (F (440.09) = 37.46, p < 0.001; η2 = 0.38) in the experimental group compared to the control group while controlling for baseline scores. Conclusions: Anodal tDCS stimulation over the affected primary motor cortex coupled with MI and upper-limb functional training reduces impairment and disability of the upper limbs among patients with chronic stroke. Full article
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Review

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9 pages, 326 KiB  
Review
Sacral Neuromodulation in Pregnant Women—A Case Report and Literature Review
by Jacek K. Szymański, Aneta Słabuszewska-Jóźwiak and Grzegorz Jakiel
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8340; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148340 - 8 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1778
Abstract
Millions of women around the world suffer from an overactive bladder and urinary retention. A significant number of them are of reproductive age. For 25 years, SNM has been an effective therapy for treatment-resistant hyperactive bladder and idiopathic urinary retention. The paper presents [...] Read more.
Millions of women around the world suffer from an overactive bladder and urinary retention. A significant number of them are of reproductive age. For 25 years, SNM has been an effective therapy for treatment-resistant hyperactive bladder and idiopathic urinary retention. The paper presents a case of a 35-year-old pregnant woman with an overactive bladder resistant to pharmacological treatment, who responded positively to sacral neuromodulation. The patient decided against deactivating the neuromodulator and, after an uneventful course of pregnancy, she gave birth by a caesarean section to a healthy female infant. The use of SNM in pregnant patients remains a constant clinical challenge. The current literature was reviewed, but published studies do not provide a clear answer. Further studies with a long follow-up period are necessary to determine more accurately the effects of SNM therapy on the fetus and the course of pregnancy. Currently, it is recommended to deactivate SNM during pregnancy. However, it seems that an individual approach to the patient with information on the risks and benefits of continuing or discontinuing therapy should be the current procedure. Full article
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