The emerging field of non-invasive brain stimulation in Alzheimer's disease.

Treating cognitive impairment is a holy grail of modern clinical neuroscience. In the past few years, non-invasive brain stimulation is increasingly emerging as a therapeutic approach to ameliorate performance in patients with cognitive impairment and as an augmentation approach in persons whose cognitive performance is within normal limits. In patients with Alzheimer's disease, better understanding of brain connectivity and function has allowed for the development of different non-invasive brain stimulation protocols.

Breakdown of TMS evoked EEG signal propagation within the default mode network in Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The neural activity of the Default Mode Network (DMN) is disrupted in patients with In Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objectives: We used a novel multimodal approach to track neural signal propagation within the DMN in AD patients.

Methods: Twenty mild to moderate AD patients were recruited.

Reduced TMS-evoked EEG oscillatory activity in cortical motor regions in patients with post-COVID fatigue.

Objective: Persistent fatigue is a major symptom of the so-called 'long-COVID syndrome', but the pathophysiological processes that cause it remain unclear. We hypothesized that fatigue after COVID-19 would be associated with altered cortical activity in premotor and motor regions.

Methods: We used transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with EEG (TMS-EEG) to explore the neural oscillatory activity of the left primary motor area (l-M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) in a group of sixteen post-COVID patients complaining of lingering fatigue as compared to a sample of age-matched healthy controls.

Real-time cortical dynamics during motor inhibition.

The inhibition of action is a fundamental executive mechanism of human behaviour that involve a complex neural network. In spite of the progresses made so far, many questions regarding the brain dynamics occurring during action inhibition are still unsolved. Here, we used a novel approach optimized to investigate real-time effective brain dynamics, which combines transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with simultaneous electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings.

Cortico-cortical stimulation and robot-assisted therapy (CCS and RAT) for upper limb recovery after stroke: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Since birth, during the exploration of the environment to interact with objects, we exploit both the motor and sensory components of the upper limb (UL). This ability to integrate sensory and motor information is often compromised following a stroke. However, to date, rehabilitation protocols are focused primarily on recovery of motor function through physical therapies.

The Cerebellum and the Motor Cortex: Multiple Networks Controlling Multiple Aspects of Behavior.

The cerebellum and its thalamic projections to the primary motor cortex (M1) are well known to play an essential role in executing daily actions. Anatomic investigations in animals and postmortem humans have established the reciprocal connections between these regions; however, how these pathways can shape cortical activity in behavioral contexts and help promote recovery in neuropathological conditions remains not well understood. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive description of these pathways in animals and humans and discuss how novel noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) methods can be used to gain a deeper understanding of the cerebellar-M1 connections.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effects on the Neural Substrate of Conceptual Representations.

The aim of this study was to shed light on the neural substrate of conceptual representations starting from the construct of higher-order convergence zones and trying to evaluate the unitary or non-unitary nature of this construct. We used the 'Thematic and Taxonomic Semantic (TTS) task' to investigate (a) the neural substrate of stimuli belonging to biological and artifact categories, (b) the format of stimuli presentation, i.e.

TMS-EEG perturbation biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease patients classification.

The combination of TMS and EEG has the potential to capture relevant features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathophysiology. We used a machine learning framework to explore time-domain features characterizing AD patients compared to age-matched healthy controls (HC). More than 150 time-domain features including some related to local and distributed evoked activity were extracted from TMS-EEG data and fed into a Random Forest (RF) classifier using a leave-one-subject out validation approach.

TMS combined with EEG: Recommendations and open issues for data collection and analysis.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evokes neuronal activity in the targeted cortex and connected brain regions. The evoked brain response can be measured with electroencephalography (EEG). TMS combined with simultaneous EEG (TMS-EEG) is widely used for studying cortical reactivity and connectivity at high spatiotemporal resolution.

Revised Protein Sparing Diet in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Effective nutrition therapy is a pressing issue in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) management. As such, this research aimed to determine the performance of a revised dietary strategy built on the protein-sparing diet in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus with regard to obtaining a rapid and stable improvement in glucometabolic control, body weight, body composition, and energy metabolism when applying the strategy in just twenty-one days. The revised protein-sparing diet differs from the traditional protein-sparing modified fast (PSMF) because it does not include foods.

Simultaneous transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation boost gamma oscillations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Neural oscillations in the gamma frequency band have been identified as a fundament for synaptic plasticity dynamics and their alterations are central in various psychiatric and neurological conditions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and alternating electrical stimulation (tACS) may have a strong therapeutic potential by promoting gamma oscillations expression and plasticity. Here we applied intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS), an established TMS protocol known to induce LTP-like cortical plasticity, simultaneously with transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at either theta (θtACS) or gamma (γtACS) frequency on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).

Italian Ketogenic Mediterranean Diet in Overweight and Obese Patients with Prediabetes or Type 2 Diabetes.

Obesity is a multifactorial disease strongly associated with insulin resistance and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Correct nutrition represents a valid strategy to fight these dysmetabolic pathologies responsible for numerous diseases, including inflammatory and cardiovascular ones. Medical nutrition therapy, including a Mediterranean diet (MD) and a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLKCD), is the first-line treatment for prediabetes/diabetes and overweight/obesity.

The Effect of Coil Orientation on the Stimulation of the Pre-Supplementary Motor Area: A Combined TMS and EEG Study.

Studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have demonstrated the importance of direction and intensity of the applied current when the primary motor cortex (M1) is targeted. By varying these, it is possible to stimulate different subsets of neural elements, as demonstrated by modulation of motor evoked potentials (MEPs) and motor behaviour. The latter involves premotor areas as well, and among them, the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA) has recently received significant attention in the study of motor inhibition.

Precuneus magnetic stimulation for Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, sham-controlled trial.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is emerging as a non-invasive therapeutic strategy in the battle against Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease patients primarily show alterations of the default mode network for which the precuneus is a key node. Here, we hypothesized that targeting the precuneus with TMS represents a promising strategy to slow down cognitive and functional decline in Alzheimer's disease patients.

Regional Precuneus Cortical Hyperexcitability in Alzheimer's Disease Patients.

Objective: Neuronal excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance is a potential cause of neuronal network malfunctioning in Alzheimer's disease (AD), contributing to cognitive dysfunction. Here, we used a novel approach combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) to probe cortical excitability in different brain areas known to be directly involved in AD pathology.

Methods: We performed TMS-EEG recordings targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (l-DLPFC), the left posterior parietal cortex (l-PPC), and the precuneus (PC) in a large sample of patients with mild-to-moderate AD (n = 65) that were compared with a group of age-matched healthy controls (n = 21).

Preliminary study on the impact of EEG density on TMS-EEG classification in Alzheimer's disease.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation co-registered with electroencephalographic (TMS-EEG) has previously proven a helpful tool in the study of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this work, we investigate the use of TMS-evoked EEG responses to classify AD patients from healthy controls (HC). By using a dataset containing 17AD and 17HC, we extract various time domain features from individual TMS responses and average them over a low, medium and high density EEG electrode set.

Characterizing TMS-EEG perturbation indexes using signal energy: initial study on Alzheimer's Disease classification.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) combined with EEG recordings (TMS-EEG) has shown great potential in the study of the brain and in particular of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In this study, we propose an automatic method of determining the duration of TMS-induced perturbation of the EEG signal as a potential metric reflecting the brain's functional alterations. A preliminary study is conducted in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Decreased Frontal Gamma Activity in Alzheimer Disease Patients.

Objective: In Alzheimer disease (AD) animal models, synaptic dysfunction has recently been linked to a disorder of high-frequency neuronal activity. In patients, a clear relation between AD and oscillatory activity remains elusive. Here, we attempt to shed light on this relation by using a novel approach combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography (TMS-EEG) to probe oscillatory activity in specific hubs of the frontoparietal network in a sample of 60 mild-to-moderate AD patients.

Age-related Changes in Cortical Excitability Linked to Decreased Attentional and Inhibitory Control.

Understanding age-related changes in cortical excitability and their relation to cognitive functions will help to improve interventions based on non-invasive brain stimulation that aim to support cognitive function in older adults. Here, we investigate the relationship between cortical excitability, executive function, and underlying neural activity in samples of healthy young and older adults. These participants performed a Simon task during electroencephalogram (EEG) recording.

Isolated Amyloid-β Pathology Is Associated with Preserved Cortical Plasticity in APOE4 Alzheimer's Disease Patients.

Background: Long-term potentiation (LTP) like-cortical plasticity impairment and cholinergic neurotransmission deficits have been widely demonstrated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients.

Objective: In this study we aim to investigate the neurophysiological features underlying cognitive decline in AD patients according to the National Institute on Aging-Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) classification and APOE genotype.

Methods: 65 newly diagnosed AD patients were enrolled.

Feeling of Ownership over an Embodied Avatar's Hand Brings About Fast Changes of Fronto-Parietal Cortical Dynamics.

When we look at our body parts, we are immediately aware that they belong to us and we rarely doubt about the integrity, continuity, and sense of ownership of our body. Despite this certainty, immersive virtual reality (IVR) may lead to a strong feeling of embodiment over an artificial body part seen from a first-person perspective (1PP). Although such feeling of ownership (FO) has been described in different situations, it is not yet understood how this phenomenon is generated at neural level.

Transcranial Evoked Potentials Can Be Reliably Recorded with Active Electrodes.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are usually recorded with passive electrodes (PE). Active electrode (AE) systems have recently become widely available; compared to PE, they allow for easier electrode preparation and a higher-quality signal, due to the preamplification at the electrode stage, which reduces electrical line noise. The performance between the AE and PE can differ, especially with fast EEG voltage changes, which can easily occur with TMS-EEG; however, a systematic comparison in the TMS-EEG setting has not been made.

Evidence for interhemispheric imbalance in stroke patients as revealed by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation and electroencephalography.

Interhemispheric interactions in stroke patients are frequently characterized by abnormalities, in terms of balance and inhibition. Previous results showed an impressive variability, mostly given to the instability of motor-evoked potentials when evoked from the affected hemisphere. We aim to find reliable interhemispheric measures in stroke patients with a not-evocable motor-evoked potential from the affected hemisphere, by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography.