Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Alleviates Chronic Neuropathic Pain-Induced Allodynia by Inhibiting Neuroplasticity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex.

Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) is a potential noninvasive method to alleviate allodynia by modulating the central nervous system. However, the underlying analgesic mechanisms remain unexplored. Here, we assessed how LIFU at the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) affects behavior response and central plasticity resulting from chronic constrictive injury (CCI).

Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Alleviates Spasticity and Increases Expression of the Neuronal K-Cl Cotransporter in the L4-L5 Sections of Rats Following Spinal Cord Injury.

Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) has been shown to provide effective activation of the spinal cord neurocircuits. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of LIFU in order to alleviate spasticity following spinal cord injury (SCI) by activating the spinal neurocircuits and increasing the expression of the neuronal K-Cl cotransporter KCC. Adult male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (220-300 g) were randomly divided into a sham control group, a LIFU group, and a LIFU group.

Ultrasound Stimulation of Prefrontal Cortex Improves Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Depressive-Like Behaviors in Mice.

Increasing evidence indicates that inflammatory responses may influence brain neurochemical pathways, inducing depressive-like behaviors. Ultrasound stimulation (US) is a promising non-invasive treatment for neuropsychiatric diseases. We investigated whether US can suppress inflammation and improve depressive-like behaviors.

The top 50 most cited articles in carpal tunnel syndrome research: A bibliometrics study.

Background: Citation analysis was applied to identify the influential studies in the specific field. More and more literature related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) have been published in recent years. To our knowledge, no one has performed a citation analysis of CTS.

Exercise for Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review and Expert Consensus.

Neuropathic pain (NP), a severe and disruptive symptom following many diseases, normally restricts patients' physical functions and leads to anxiety and depression. As an economical and effective therapy, exercise may be helpful in NP management. However, few guidelines and reviews focused on exercise therapy for NP associated with specific diseases.

Effects of Noninvasive Low-Intensity Focus Ultrasound Neuromodulation on Spinal Cord Neurocircuits In Vivo.

Although neurocircuits can be activated by focused ultrasound stimulation, it is unclear whether this is also true for spinal cord neurocircuits. In this study, we used low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) to stimulate lumbar 4-lumbar 5 (L4-L5) segments of the spinal cord of normal Sprague Dawley rats with a clapper. The activation of the spinal cord neurocircuits enhanced soleus muscle contraction as measured by electromyography (EMG).

Early Detection and Reversal of Cell Apoptosis Induced by Focused Ultrasound-Mediated Blood-Brain Barrier Opening.

Focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles (MBs) has recently emerged as a potential approach to open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) for delivering drugs into the brain. However, appropriate approaches are still lacking to monitor the sublethal damage during FUS-mediated BBB opening , especially the early stage cell apoptotic events. Here, we developed a kind of nanoprobe-loaded MBs (AV-ICG-NPs@MBs) which can monitor the apoptotic cells that occur during FUS-mediated BBB opening through encapsulating the annexin V-targeted nanoprobes AV-ICG-NPs into the cavity of lipid-PLGA hybrid MBs.

LIFU Alleviates Neuropathic Pain by Improving the KCC Expression and Inhibiting the CaMKIV-KCC Pathway in the L4-L5 Section of the Spinal Cord.

Effective treatment remains lacking for neuropathic pain (NP), a type of intractable pain. Low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU), a noninvasive, cutting-edge neuromodulation technique, can effectively enhance inhibition of the central nervous system (CNS) and reduce neuronal excitability. We investigated the effect of LIFU on NP and on the expression of potassium chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC) in the spinal cords of rats with peripheral nerve injury (PNI) in the lumbar 4-lumbar 5 (L4-L5) section.

The effects of maternal SSRI exposure on the serotonin system, prefrontal protein expression and behavioral development in male and female offspring rats.

Fluoxetine (FLX), a commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is often used to treat depression during pregnancy. However, prenatal exposure to FLX has been associated with a series of neuropsychiatric illnesses. The use of a rodent model can provide a clear indication as to whether prenatal exposure to SSRIs, independent of maternal psychiatric disorders or genetic syndromes, can cause long-term behavioral abnormalities in offspring.

Altered Topological Properties of Grey Matter Structural Covariance Networks in Complete Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury Patients: A Graph Theoretical Network Analysis.

Purpose: This study is aimed at investigating brain structural changes and structural network properties in complete spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, as well as their relationship with clinical variables.

Materials And Methods: Structural MRI of brain was acquired in 24 complete thoracic SCI patients (38.50 ± 11.

Gnaq Protects PC12 Cells from Oxidative Damage by Activation of Nrf2 and Inhibition of NF-kB.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are continuously produced as byproducts of aerobic metabolism. Oxidative stress (OS) plays an important role in the occurrence of several neurodegenerative diseases as well as aging because of the accumulation of ROS. Gnaq is a member of G protein α subunits.

Interleukin-18 levels in the hippocampus and behavior of adult rat offspring exposed to prenatal restraint stress during early and late pregnancy.

Exposure to maternal stress during prenatal life is associated with an increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety, in offspring. It has also been increasingly observed that prenatal stress alters the phenotype of offspring via immunological mechanisms and that immunological dysfunction, such as elevated interleukin-18 levels, has been reported in cultures of microglia. Prenatal restraint stress (PRS) in rats permits direct experimental investigation of the link between prenatal stress and adverse outcomes.

Rational use of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

Autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) refer to a range of conditions characterized by impaired social and communication skills and repetitive behaviors caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences. Although the pathophysiology underlying ASD is still unclear, recent evidence suggests that immune dysregulation and neuroinflammation play a role in the etiology of ASD. In particular, there is direct evidence supporting a role for maternal immune activation during prenatal life in neurodevelopmental conditions.

Characterization of Axon Damage, Neurological Deficits, and Histopathology in Two Experimental Models of Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the most lethal forms of stroke. From the limited previous studies and our preliminary data, white matter is considered a key predictor of the outcome and potential target of recovery. The traditional ICH model induced by injection of autologous blood or bacterial collagenase into striatum (ST) demonstrated a spontaneous functional recovery within one or 2 months.

Quantitative gait analysis of long-term locomotion deficits in classical unilateral striatal intracerebral hemorrhage rat model.

Gait analysis is a systematic collection of quantitative information on bodily movements during locomotion. Gait analysis has been employed clinically in stroke patients for their rehabilitation planning. In animal studies, gait analysis has been employed for the assessment of their locomotive disturbances in ischemic stroke, spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease.