Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation Relieves Chronic Neuropathic Pain Along With a Decrease in Cortical γ Power.

Background: Stimulation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is an ideal neuromodulative intervention, providing pain relief in localized chronic pain conditions because γ-band oscillations reflect the intensity of ongoing chronic pain in patients affected.

Objective: We aimed to observe the role of cortical γ-band power associated with the relief of chronic neuropathic pain through DRG stimulation (DRGS).

Materials And Methods: We examined nine patients (two women, mean age 56.

Non-invasive recording of high-frequency signals from the human spinal cord.

Throughout the somatosensory system, neuronal ensembles generate high-frequency signals in the range of several hundred Hertz in response to sensory input. High-frequency signals have been related to neuronal spiking, and could thus help clarify the functional architecture of sensory processing. Recording high-frequency signals from subcortical regions, however, has been limited to clinical pathology whose treatment allows for invasive recordings.

Laser-evoked potentials recover gradually when using dorsal root ganglion stimulation, and this influences nociceptive pathways in neuropathic pain patients.

Objective: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) is able to relieve chronic neuropathic pain. There seems evidence that DRGS might achieve this by gradually influencing pain pathways. We used laser-evoked potentials (LEP) to verify our hypothesis that the recovery of the LEP may reflect DRGS-induced changes within the nociceptive system.

Brain Computer Interfaces for Assisted Communication in Paralysis and Quality of Life.

The rapid evolution of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology and the exponential growth of BCI literature during the past 20 years is a consequence of increasing computational power and the achievements of statistical learning theory and machine learning since the 1960s. Despite this rapid scientific progress, the range of successful clinical and societal applications remained limited, with some notable exceptions in the rehabilitation of chronic stroke and first steps towards BCI-based assisted verbal communication in paralysis. In this contribution, we focus on the effects of noninvasive and invasive BCI-based verbal communication on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the locked-in state (LIS) and the completely locked-in state (CLIS).

Neurophysiological Effects of Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation (DRGS) in Pain Processing at the Cortical Level.

Objectives: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) has been used successfully against localized neuropathic pain. Nevertheless, the effects of DRGS on pain processing, particularly at the cortical level, remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated whether positive responses to DRGS treatment would alter patients' laser-evoked potentials (LEP).

Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation (DRGS) for the Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Single-Center Study with Long-Term Prospective Results in 62 Cases.

Background: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) treats discrete, localized areas of neuropathic pain. But there are no long-term results available so far.

Objectives: We studied the long-term outcome of DRGS used in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.

Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation Used for the Treatment of Chronic Neuropathic Pain in the Groin: A Single-Center Study With Long-Term Prospective Results in 34 Cases.

Objective: Chronic neuropathic pain in the groin is a severe condition and difficult to treat. Dorsal root ganglion stimulation (DRGS) covers discrete painful areas precisely with its stimulation power in comparison to spinal cord stimulation (SCS). It was our hypothesis that DRGS provides a long-term relief of chronic groin pain over a period of more than three years.

tACS Phase Locking of Frontal Midline Theta Oscillations Disrupts Working Memory Performance.

Background: Frontal midline theta (FMT) oscillations (4-8 Hz) are strongly related to cognitive and executive control during mental tasks such as memory processing, arithmetic problem solving or sustained attention. While maintenance of temporal order information during a working memory (WM) task was recently linked to FMT phase, a positive correlation between FMT power, WM demand and WM performance was shown. However, the relationship between these measures is not well understood, and it is unknown whether purposeful FMT phase manipulation during a WM task impacts FMT power and WM performance.

Mapping entrained brain oscillations during transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive and well-tolerated form of electric brain stimulation, can influence perception, memory, as well as motor and cognitive function. While the exact underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are unknown, the effects of tACS are mainly attributed to frequency-specific entrainment of endogenous brain oscillations in brain areas close to the stimulation electrodes, and modulation of spike timing dependent plasticity reflected in gamma band oscillatory responses. tACS-related electromagnetic stimulator artifacts, however, impede investigation of these neurophysiological mechanisms.

A computational model of neuro-glio-vascular loop interactions.

We present a computational, biophysical model of neuron-astrocyte-vessel interaction. Unlike other cells, neurons convey "hunger" signals to the vascular network via an intervening layer of glial cells (astrocytes); vessels dilate and release glucose which fuels neuronal firing. Existing computational models focus on only parts of this loop (neuron→astrocyte→vessel→neuron), whereas the proposed model describes the entire loop.