Sustained and potent analgesia with negligible side effects enabled by adaptive individualized granular stimulation in rat brainstem.

To clarify if an adaptive current stimulation protocol, in which current amplitude is modulated during continuous stimulation, provides better efficacy than constant current stimulation protocol with respect to analgesia caused by individualized stimulation in rat periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) /dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN).Ultrathin microelectrodes adapted for recording (= 6) and stimulation (= 16) were implanted in rat primary somatosensory cortex and PAG/DRN, respectively. In each animal included (= 12), a subset of PAG/DRN microelectrodes (= 1-3 per animal) was selected that on simultaneous stimulation blocked nociceptive withdrawal reflexes in awake unrestrained animals without noticeable side effects.

Pathogenic in-Frame Variants in : Expanding the Genetic Landscape of Associated Disease.

Numerous mutations have been identified, of which, the majority are missense variants. Most mutations result in epileptic encephalopathy; however, some are associated with less severe phenotypes. Mouse models generated by knock-in of human missense mutations exhibit seizures and a range of behavioral abnormalities.

Microelectrode clusters enable therapeutic deep brain stimulation without noticeable side-effects in a rodent model of Parkinson's disease.

Background: Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, side effects often limit the usefulness of the treatment.

New Method: To mitigate this problem, we developed a novel cluster of ultrathin platinum-iridium microelectrodes (n = 16) embedded in a needle shaped gelatin vehicle.

3D microelectrode cluster and stimulation paradigm yield powerful analgesia without noticeable adverse effects.

The lack of satisfactory treatment for persistent pain profoundly impairs the quality of life for many patients. Stimulation of brainstem pain control systems can trigger powerful analgesia, but their complex network organization frequently prevents separation of analgesia from side effects. To overcome this long-standing challenge, we developed a biocompatible gelatin-embedded cluster of ultrathin microelectrodes that enables fine-tuned, high-definition three-dimensional stimulation in periaqueductal gray/dorsal raphe nucleus in awake rats.

Low risk patients with acute atrial fibrillation and elevated high-sensitivity troponin do not have increased incidence of pathological stress tests.

Many patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or atrial flutter (AFL) and rapid ventricular response (RVR) have elevated high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) values. Elevated hsTnT is an independent risk marker for cardiovascular events and mortality. The aim was to examine if AF/AFL patients with RVR and elevated hsTnT have an increased incidence of pathological cardiac stress tests, indicating need of further evaluation for coronary artery disease (CAD).