Neurophysiological Effects of Latent Trigger Point Dry Needling on Spinal Reflexes.

Deep dry needling (DDN) is a method to treat muscle trigger points (TrPs) often found in persons with neuromuscular pain and spasticity. Currently, its neurophysiological actions are not well established. Thus, to understand how DDN affects spinal cord physiology, we investigated the effects of TrP DDN on spinal reflexes.

Methods for automated delineation and assessment of EMG responses evoked by peripheral nerve stimulation in diagnostic and closed-loop therapeutic applications.

Surface electromyography measurements of the Hoffmann (H-) reflex are essential in a wide range of neuroscientific and clinical applications. One promising emerging therapeutic application is H-reflex operant conditioning, whereby a person is trained to modulate the H-reflex, with generalized beneficial effects on sensorimotor function in chronic neuromuscular disorders. Both traditional diagnostic and novel realtime therapeutic applications rely on accurate definitions of the H-reflex and M-wave temporal bounds, which currently depend on expert case-by-case judgment.

TheraBracelet Stimulation During Task-Practice Therapy to Improve Upper Extremity Function After Stroke: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study.

Background: Peripheral sensory stimulation has been used in conjunction with upper extremity movement therapy to increase therapy-induced motor gains in patients with stroke. The limitation is that existing sensory stimulation methods typically interfere with natural hand tasks and thus are administered prior to therapy, requiring patients' time commitment. To address this limitation, we developed TheraBracelet.

Safety and tolerability of transcranial direct current stimulation to stroke patients - A phase I current escalation study.

Background And Objective: A prior meta-analysis revealed that higher doses of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have a better post-stroke upper-extremity motor recovery. While this finding suggests that currents greater than the typically used 2 mA may be more efficacious, the safety and tolerability of higher currents have not been assessed in stroke patients. We aim to assess the safety and tolerability of single session of up to 4 mA in stroke patients.

Matching Task Difficulty to Patient Ability During Task Practice Improves Upper Extremity Motor Skill After Stroke: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

Objective: To test the feasibility of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment of the Upper Extremity "keyform," derived from Rasch analysis, as a method for systematically planning and progressing rehabilitation.

Design: Feasibility study, single group design.

Setting: University rehabilitation research laboratory.