Publications by authors named "Aura Hurtado-Puerto"
Background: The cerebellum contributes to the precise timing of non-motor and motor functions, and cerebellum abnormalities have been implicated in psychosis pathophysiology. In this study, we explored the effects of cerebellar theta burst stimulation (TBS), an efficient transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol, on temporal discrimination and self-reported mood and psychotic symptoms.
Methods: We conducted a case-crossover study in which patients with psychosis (schizophrenias, schizoaffective disorders, or bipolar disorders with psychotic features) were assigned to three sessions of TBS to the cerebellar vermis: one session each of intermittent (iTBS), continuous (cTBS), and sham TBS.
Article Synopsis
- Alzheimer's disease (AD) is becoming more common as the population ages, and current treatments are not very effective, prompting studies into new options like transcranial photobiomodulation (t-PBM), which uses near-infrared light to enhance brain function.
- This research involves a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with participants suffering from amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and early AD, testing the effects of 24 t-PBM sessions over 8 weeks on cognition and safety.
- The study aims to determine if t-PBM can effectively improve cognitive functions by also exploring underlying brain mechanisms, making it a potentially affordable and practical treatment for individuals with early signs of AD.
Purpose: The cerebellum is an intricate neural structure that orchestrates various cognitive and behavioral functions. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in neuromodulation of the cerebellum with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for therapeutic and basic science applications. Theta burst stimulation (TBS) is an efficient and powerful TMS protocol that is able to induce longer-lasting effects with shorter stimulation times compared with traditional TMS.
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- The study investigates the risk of malignant transformation in oral lichen planus (OLP) by analyzing the expression levels of potential precancerous biomarkers: p16, Ki-67, Bub-3, and SOX4.
- Significant differences were found in p16 and Ki-67 positivity indices among OLP, oral dysplasia, and other conditions, indicating varying levels of malignancy risk.
- The findings point to the need for monitoring specific OLP lesions due to their intermediate malignant potential, especially highlighting the different behavior of SOX4 in oral dysplasia compared to OLP.
Objective: Chronic visceral pain (CVP) syndromes are persistently painful disorders with a remarkable lack of effective treatment options. This study aimed at evaluating the effects of different neuromodulation techniques in patients with CVP on cortical activity, through electreocephalography (EEG) and on pain perception, through clinical tests.
Design: A pilot crossover randomized controlled study.
Transcranial pulsed current stimulation (tPCS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are two noninvasive neuromodulatory brain stimulation techniques whose effects on human brain and behavior have been studied individually. In the present study we aimed to quantify the effects of tDCS and tPCS, individually and in combination, on cortical activity, sensitivity and pain-related assessments in healthy individuals in order to understand their neurophysiological mechanisms and potential applications in clinical populations. A total of 48 healthy individuals participated in this randomized double blind sham controlled study.
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