术中直接皮层电刺激判断大脑功能区在胶质瘤切除术中的应用

目的:试用术中直接电刺激判断大脑功能区的位置和范围的方法,以求术中最大程度切除肿瘤,减少神经系统损伤。方法:对唤醒麻醉下手术切除优势半球语言区胶质瘤患者26例以及邻近或累及脑运动功能区胶质瘤患者26例,在术中直接行皮层刺激,判断功能区的位置和肿瘤的关系。结果:患者在唤醒麻醉下,利用直接皮质电刺激可以准确定位初级运动皮质区和语言功能区,术后患者Karnofsky生活状态(KPS)评分结果较术前提高。结论:在唤醒麻醉下,可检测到患者的运动和语言的脑功能区,并可判断与肿瘤位置的关系。术中采用直接皮质电刺激可定位脑重要功能区,能最大限度地切除病变,最大限度地保护脑功能区。     

重复电刺激前肢神经引起成年大鼠运动皮层的可塑性改变

为了了解成年大鼠运动皮层的功能可塑性，利用皮层内微刺激方法测定ＭＩ代表区并观察重复电刺激前肢神经对ＭＩ代表区的影响。实验组大鼠（９例）持续１．２－２小时的前肢神经电刺激导致前肢运动区与面部触须运动区边界向ＶＩ方向，移动２６３．３±９０．９μｍ并同时伴有运动阈值的改变；ＦＬ内ＭＴ降低５．０±１３．３μＡ，而在ＶＩ内ＭＴ升高９．６±１１．６μＡ对照组大鼠间隔１．５－２小时的两次测定结果，ＦＬ－ＶＩ边界     

经硬脑膜电刺激对视皮层神经活动影响的仿真研究

经硬脑膜对视皮层电刺激为视觉功能修复提供了一种新的技术思路.前期的仿真工作利用激活函数定性研究了经硬脑膜电刺激对视皮层的作用效果,本研究在原有模型基础上引入神经无模型,定量研究不同刺激波形及参数对电极作用范围的影响.该方法将已建立的神经元模型耦合到视皮层区域有限元模型中,利用傅里叶-有限元方法分别计算双脉冲、指数脉冲和正弦波刺激下视皮层区域模型内的场电位,将电位加载到神经元模型上,观察神经元是否发生兴奋,以神经元区域兴奋个数判定电极的作用范围.仿真结果表明,该方法能较好的表达刺激的响应范围:不同刺激波形及参数引起的神经元区域兴奋数量不同,且解剖结构会影响刺激效果.所得结果对实验具有一定指导意义.     

超声刺激对大鼠前额叶皮层ECoG的调控

超声刺激具有神经调控功能,探讨其对前额叶皮层的神经调控作用及机制.超声刺激经颅施加到麻醉状态下大鼠(n=15)的前额叶皮层(刺激持续20 min),并于刺激前、刺激中和超声刺激后分别记录前额叶皮层的皮层电位(ECoG).ECoG的特征参数分别为总功率谱密度(PSD)、4个频段(δ:0.5～4 Hz,θ:4～8 Hz,α...     

电生理监测技术联合解剖定位在脑运动区手术中的应用

目的探讨电生理监测技术联合解剖定位在脑运动区手术中的应用。方法在Pubmed和中国知网数据库,以电生理监测技术、解剖定位和脑运动区手术为关键词,查阅1997年5月—2013年12月关于电生理监测技术与脑运动区解剖定位在脑运动区手术中应用的相关文献,进行分析总结。结果解剖定位包括功能MR和影像导航。电生理监测脑功能定位技术包括体感诱发电位位相倒置技术、经颅电刺激运动诱发电位、皮层电刺激运动区定位、皮层电刺激语言区定位、皮质下电刺激定位运动通路。解剖定位和电生理监测技术在脑运动区手术中各有利弊,目前趋势是联合应用。结论在脑运动区手术中,应用电生理监测联合解剖定位可提高脑运动区解剖定位的精确度,达到最大限度切除肿瘤、保留神经功能的作用。     

基于快速节律性运动的皮层脑电分析

节律运动是人们生活中一种基本的运动形式,与单次运动相区别,快速节律运动在脑电中有特殊的表现形式.本文以两位植入皮层电极的癫痫病人作为受试,在1Hz与2Hz听觉节拍器提示下进行手指节律运动,同时记录皮层脑电数据.对脑电数据的能量和相关性进行离线分析,结果显示节律运动中运动感觉皮层脑电的能量在特定频段上呈下降趋势,相干性呈上升趋势,且运动相关能量与相干性在不同的运动速度下具有明显的统计性差异.对不同功能区之间相干性的分析表明辅助运动区可能是与运动速度有关的皮层功能区.     

听觉神经通路在磁声耦合刺激调控运动皮层中的作用

经颅磁声耦合刺激(TMAS)技术可以无创地实现包括深部脑区在内的全脑区毫米量级的精准电刺激.现有的实验研究结果已初步证实,TMAS是同时包含耦合电场与声场的复合物理刺激.最新的研究结果表明,听觉神经通路是聚焦超声调节皮层神经活动的必要条件.首次采用听觉通路被破坏的耳聋模型小鼠进行在体TMAS及TUS的对比刺激,分析听觉...     

定位定量电刺激治疗坐骨神经损伤1例

周围神经损伤包括自发性和外伤性两种,临床上促进神经功能修复、避免失神经肌肉萎缩、恢复肢体运动和感觉功能一直是国内外学者研究的热点。目前常见治疗方法有手术、物理、化学等疗法,其中电刺激疗法应用最为广泛,有高、中、低频电刺激,刺激方法有经皮式、植入式、术中超强电刺激等方法,经皮式刺激避免了体内埋置电极的烦琐操作和需再次手术取出针电极造成的创伤,具有方便、无痛和适应证广泛等特点,最容易为患者接受。     

脑深部电刺激治疗帕金森病定位方式的研究进展

自1947年以来,帕金森病（PD）的治疗迎来了微创手术时代,脑深部电刺激(DBS)治疗晚期PD逐渐被认可和应用。随着科学技术水平的不断提高与进步,临床医师对DBS核团定位精准度的要求越来越高。DBS核团定位方式主要包括解剖层面和生理层面,分别对应影像学定位方式和微电极信号定位方式。近80年间,DBS的精准度不断提高,已成为治疗晚期PD的有效方法。本文就DBS定位的发展及定位操作的原理进行综述。     

电刺激促进大鼠脊髓钝挫伤后运动功能恢复

目的探究神经电刺激对大鼠脊髓顿挫伤(SCC)后的干预效果并探讨相应机制。方法将大鼠分为:假手术组、对照组和实验组。用Allen’s法复制大鼠T9脊髓钝挫伤模型。实验组用神经电刺激干预。定期观察大鼠后肢运动功能恢复情况;用免疫组织化学染色技术以及蛋白质印记技术检测神经生长因子和巢蛋白的表达。结果脊髓损伤后,大鼠的运动功能迅速下降。随着时间的推移,实验组大鼠运动功能评分逐渐升高,第7天较对照组明显上调(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,实验组神经生长因子和巢蛋白表达明显上调(P<0.05)。结论电刺激可能创造有利于神经元存活和可塑性的微环境,有利于大鼠后肢运动功能的恢复。     

Transcranial direct current stimulation modulates motor responses evoked by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Introduction

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive techniques able to induce changes in corticospinal excitability. In this study, we combined rTMS and tDCS to understand possible interactions between the two techniques, and investigate whether they are polarity dependent.

Materials and methods

Eleven healthy subjects participated in the study. Each patient underwent both anodal and cathodal conditioning tDCS in two separate sessions; brief 5 Hz-rTMS trains were delivered over the primary motor cortex at an intensity of 120% the resting motor threshold (RMT) before tDCS (T0), immediately after (T1) and 10 min after current offset (T2). We then analysed changes induced by cathodal and anodal tDCS on TMS variables.

Results

Our results showed that in both anodal and cathodal sessions, the motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude increased significantly in size before stimulation (T0). Conversely, after anodal tDCS, the MEP facilitation measured at T1 and T2 was absent, whereas after cathodal tDCS it was preserved.

Conclusions

Our findings provide new direct neurophysiological evidence that tDCS influences primary motor cortex excitability.     

Slow-oscillatory transcranial direct current stimulation can induce bidirectional shifts in motor cortical excitability in awake humans

Constant transcranial direct stimulation (c-tDCS) of the primary motor hand area (M1_HAND) can induce bidirectional shifts in motor cortical excitability depending on the polarity of tDCS. Recently, anodal slow oscillation stimulation at a frequency of 0.75 Hz has been shown to augment intrinsic slow oscillations during sleep and theta oscillations during wakefulness. To embed this new type of stimulation into the existing tDCS literature, we aimed to characterize the after effects of slowly oscillating stimulation (so-tDCS) on M1_HAND excitability and to compare them to those of c-tDCS. Here we show that so-tDCS at 0.8 Hz can also induce lasting changes in corticospinal excitability during wakefulness. Experiment 1. In 10 healthy awake individuals, we applied c-tDCS or so-tDCS to left M1_HAND on separate days. Each tDCS protocol lasted for 10 min. Measurements of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) confirmed previous work showing that anodal c-tDCS at an intensity of 0.75 mA (maximal current density 0.0625 mA/cm2) enhanced corticospinal excitability, while cathodal c-tDCS at 0.75 mA reduced it. The polarity-specific shifts in excitability persisted for at least 20 min after c-tDCS. Using a peak current intensity of 0.75 mA, neither anodal nor cathodal so-tDCS had consistent effects on corticospinal excitability. Experiment 2. In a separate group of ten individuals, peak current intensity of so-tDCS was raised to 1.5 mA (maximal current density 0.125 mA/cm2) to match the total amount of current applied with so-tDCS to the amount of current that had been applied with c-tDCS at 0.75 mA in Experiment 1. At peak intensity of 1.5 mA, anodal and cathodal so-tDCS produced bidirectional changes in corticospinal excitability comparable to the after effects that had been observed after c-tDCS at 0.75 mA in Experiment 1. The results show that so-tDCS can induce bidirectional shifts in corticospinal excitability in a similar fashion as c-tDCS if the total amount of applied current during the tDCS session is matched.     

Electrical and magnetic repetitive transcranial stimulation of the primary motor cortex in healthy subjects

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) delivered in short trains at 5 Hz frequency and suprathreshold intensity over the primary motor cortex (M1) in healthy subjects facilitates the motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude by increasing cortical excitability through mechanisms resembling short-term synaptic plasticity. In this study, to investigate whether rTES acts through similar mechanisms we compared the effects of rTMS and repetitive transcranial electrical stimulation (rTES) (10 stimuli-trains, 5 Hz frequency, suprathreshold intensity) delivered over the M1 on the MEP amplitude. Four healthy subjects were studied in two separate sessions in a relaxed condition. rTMS and anodal rTES were delivered in trains to the left M1 over the motor area for evoking a MEP in the right first dorsal interosseous muscle. Changes in MEP size and latency during the course of the rTMS and rTES trains were compared. The possible effects of muscle activation on MEP amplitude were evaluated, and the possible effects of cutaneous trigeminal fibre activation on corticospinal excitability were excluded in a control experiment testing the MEP amplitude before and after supraorbital nerve repetitive electrical stimulation. Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that rTES and rTMS trains elicited similar amplitude first MEPs and a similar magnitude MEP amplitude facilitation during the trains. rTES elicited a first MEP with a shorter latency than rTMS, without significant changes during the course of the train of stimuli. The MEP elicited by single-pulse TES delivered during muscle contraction had a smaller amplitude than the last MEP in the rTES trains. Repetitive supraorbital nerve stimulation left the conditioned MEP unchanged. Our results suggest that 5 Hz-rTES delivered in short trains increases cortical excitability and does so by acting on the excitatory interneurones probably through mechanisms similar to those underlying the rTMS-induced MEP facilitation.     

Primary motor cortex activation by transcranial direct current stimulation in the human brain

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modulate motor cortex excitability in the human brain. We attempted to demonstrate the cortical stimulation effect of tDCS on the primary motor cortex (M1) using functional MRI (fMRI). An fMRI study was performed for 11 right-handed healthy subjects at 1.5 T. Anodal tDCS was applied to the scalp over the central knob of the M1 in the left hemisphere. A constant current with an intensity of 1.0 mA was applied. The total fMRI paradigm consisted of three sessions with a 5-min resting period between each session. Each session consisted of five successive phases (resting-tDCS-tDCS-tDCS-tDCS), and each of the phases was performed for 21s. Our findings revealed that no cortical activation was detected in any of the stimulation phases except the fourth tDCS phase. In the result of group analysis for the fourth tDCS phase, the average map indicated that the central knob of the left primary motor cortex was activated. In addition, there were activations on the left supplementary motor cortex and the right posterior parietal cortex. We demonstrated that tDCS has a direct stimulation effect on the underlying cortex. It seems that tDCS is a useful modality for stimulating a target cortical region.     

Influence of the supplementary motor area on primary motor cortex excitability during movements triggered by neutral or emotionally unpleasant visual cues

The stronger anatomo-functional connections of the supplementary motor area (SMA), as compared with premotor area (PM), with regions of the limbic system, suggest that SMA could play a role in the control of movements triggered by visual stimuli with emotional content. We addressed this issue by analysing the modifications of the excitability of the primary motor area (M1) in a group of seven healthy subjects, studied with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), after conditioning TMS of SMA, during emotional and non-emotional visually cued movements. Conditioning TMS of the PM or of contralateral primary motor cortex (cM1) were tested as control conditions. Single-pulse TMS over the left M1 was randomly intermingled with paired TMS, in which a conditioning stimulation of the left SMA, left PM or right M1 preceded test stimulation over the left M1. The subjects carried out movements in response to computerised visual cues (neutral pictures and pictures with negative emotional content). The amplitudes of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) recorded from the right first dorsal interosseous muscle after paired TMS were measured and compared with those obtained after single-pulse TMS of the left M1 under the various experimental conditions. Conditioning TMS of the SMA in the paired-pulse paradigm selectively enhanced MEP amplitudes in the visual-emotional triggered movement condition, compared with single-pulse TMS of M1 alone or with paired TMS during presentation of neutral visual cues. On the other hand, conditioning TMS of the PM or cM1 did not differentially influence MEP amplitudes under visual-emotional triggered movement conditions. This pattern of effects was related to the intensity of the conditioning TMS over the SMA, being most evident with intensities ranging from 110% to 80% of motor threshold. These results suggest that the SMA in humans could interface the limbic and the motor systems in the transformation of emotional experiences into motor actions. Electronic Publication     

Modification of the human motor cortex by associative stimulation

Manipulation of afferent input is capable of inducing reorganisation of the motor cortex. For example, following 1 h of paired electrical stimulation to the motor point of two hand muscles (associative stimulation) the excitability of the corticospinal projection to the stimulated muscles is increased. Here we investigated the mechanisms responsible for such change using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Cortical excitability changes were investigated by measuring motor evoked potentials (MEPs), intracortical inhibition (ICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF), and short-interval intracortical facilitation (SICF). Following 1 h of associative stimulation MEP amplitudes in the stimulated muscles significantly increased. Additionally, there was a significant increase in ICF and of SICF at interstimulus intervals in the range of 2.3–3.3 ms. There was no significant change in ICI. These findings confirm previous observations that a 1-h period of associative stimulation can increase the excitability of the cortical projection to stimulated muscles. Additionally, these results suggest that the observed modifications of excitability are due to changes in intracortical excitatory circuits.     

Manipulation of phosphene thresholds by transcranial direct current stimulation in man

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modulate the excitability of the human motor cortex, as revealed by the amplitude of the motor-evoked potentials (MEP). The aim of our study has been to produce localized changes of cerebral excitability of the visual cortex in the intact human by weak anodal and cathodal stimulation. For quantification of current-induced excitability changes, we measured phosphene threshold (PT) using short trains of 5-Hz transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) pulses in nine healthy subjects before, immediately after, 10 min, and 20 min after the end of tDCS. PTs are suggested as representative values of visual cortex excitability changes. Reduced PT was detected immediately and 10 min after the end of anodal stimulation, while cathodal stimulation resulted in an opposite effect. Our results show that tDCS elicits a transient, reversible excitability alteration of the visual cortex, thus representing a promising tool for neuroplasticity research. Electronic Publication     

Suppression of the motor cortex by magnetic stimulation of the cerebellum

Conditioning magnetic stimulation of the cerebellum suppresses the motor cortex 5-8 ms later, probably through activation of cerebellar Purkinje cells, which inhibit the dentatothalamocortical pathway. To further characterize this pathway, we examined several factors that may modulate its excitability. We tested the effects of different test motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes, voluntary activation of the target muscle, and arm extension that required activation of proximal arm muscles while maintaining relaxation of hand muscles. Surface electromyography was recorded from the right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. A double-cone coil centered 3 cm lateral to the inion was used for right cerebellar stimulation. The stimulus intensity was set at 5% below the threshold for activation of the corticospinal tract. A figure-of-eight coil was used for left motor cortex stimulation. Interstimulus intervals (ISIs) between 3 and 15 ms were studied. Small test MEPs of about 0.5 mV were markedly inhibited at ISIs of 5-8 ms, but there was much less inhibition for test MEPs of about 2 mV. There was no significant MEP suppression during voluntary activation of the FDI muscle or during right arm extension. Left arm extension did not affect inhibition. Our findings indicate that cerebellar stimulation has a much stronger effect on motor cortex neurons activated near threshold intensities than those activated at higher intensities. Activation of contralateral but not ipsilateral proximal arm muscles during arm extension reduced the excitability of the cerebellothalamocortical projections to the hand area of the motor cortex.     

Modulation of intracortical facilitatory circuits of the human primary motor cortex by digital nerve stimulation

We investigated the effect of electrical digit stimulation on two different intracortical facilitatory phenomena. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimuli (TMS) with different conditioning stimulus (CS) intensities were applied over the primary motor cortex (M1). Electromyographic (EMG) recordings were made from the relaxed right abductor digiti minimi muscle (ADM). The effect of preceding sensory stimulation applied to the ipsilateral digit V on the conditioning magnetic stimulus was examined. Changing the CS intensity affected the influence of peripheral electrical stimulation on motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes evoked by paired pulse TMS. Inhibition induced by ipsilateral digit stimulation was strongest with the lowest CS intensity if MEP amplitudes were evoked by a subthreshold CS followed by a suprathreshold test stimulus (TS) at an interstimulus interval (ISI) of 10 ms. In contrast, inhibition induced by digit stimulation in a paired-pulse paradigm with a suprathreshold first and a subthreshold second stimulus at ISI of 1.5 ms was strongest with the highest CS intensity. These findings suggest that appropriately timed peripheral electrical stimuli differentially modulate facilitatory interactions in the primary motor cortex. They further support the hypothesis that intracortical facilitation (ICF) and short-interval intracortical facilitation (SICF) are evoked through different mechanisms. An erratum to this article can be found at