Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Noninvasive Peripheral Stimulation for Neglect Syndrome Following Acquired Brain Injury.

Objective: Hemispatial neglect is a frequent condition usually following nondominant hemispheric brain injury. It strongly affects rehabilitation strategies and everyday life activities. It is associated with behavioral and cognitive disability with a strong impact on patient's life.

Jendrassik maneuver effect on spinal and brainstem reflexes.

The effect of Jendrassik Maneuver (JM) has been extensively studied on monosynaptic reflexes in numerous muscles below the level at which the maneuver was performed. Here we hypothesize that the effect of JM could be observed also on other reflexes, indicating a widespread influence of performing a motor act such as the JM. We examined polysynaptic reflexes caudal (i.

Technologies for Monitoring Lifestyle Habits Related to Brain Health: A Systematic Review.

Brain health refers to the preservation of brain integrity and function optimized for an individual's biological age. Several studies have demonstrated that our lifestyles habits impact our brain health and our cognitive and mental wellbeing. Monitoring such lifestyles is thus critical and mobile technologies are essential to enable such a goal.

Evidence of chronic stroke rehabilitation interventions in activities and participation outcomes: systematic review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disabilities worldwide. A great deal of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) address rehabilitation in chronic stroke, several of them with focus on activities and participation, considered critical outcomes of successful rehabilitation. Nevertheless, substantial heterogeneity might exist between studies, the reported associations may be causal, but they might also be flawed, as inherent study biases such as residual confounding and selective reporting of positive results may exaggerate the effect of interventions in chronic phase.

Traumatic Brain Injury Modifies the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Global and Cognitive Health: Results From the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative.

Physical activity has many health benefits for individuals with and without history of brain injury. Here, we evaluated in a large cohort study the impact of physical activity on global and cognitive health as measured by the PROMIS global health and NeuroQoL cognitive function questionnaires. A nested case control study assessed the influence of a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on the effects of physical activity since underlying pathophysiology and barriers to physical activity in individuals with TBI may mean the effects of physical activity on perceived health outcomes differ compared to the general population.

Subacute stroke physical rehabilitation evidence in activities of daily living outcomes: A systematic review of meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disabilities worldwide. One of the key disciplines in stroke rehabilitation is physical therapy which is primarily aimed at restoring and maintaining activities of daily living (ADL). Several meta-analyses have found different interventions improving functional capacity and reducing disability.

Brainstem reflex excitability after high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy and spinal cord injury subjects.

Background: The excitability of brainstem interneuronal circuits is partly under control from descending inputs. Since high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) modulates cortical output, we hypothesized that it will also modulate brainstem functions. Such modulation may be different in healthy subjects than in subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI), submitted to an altered integration of body afferent inputs.

Correction: Traumatic spinal cord injury due to human tower accident in Catalonia.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/s41394-018-0142-z.].

Which interventions are useful for managing muscle spasticity in individuals who sustained traumatic brain injury? - A Cochrane Review summary with commentary.

Background: Spasticity is a frequent symptom after traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To assess the effects of different interventions used for muscle spasticity after TBI.

Methods: To summarize a rehabilitation perspective "Cochrane Review" conducted by Synnot et al.

Traumatic spinal cord injury due to human tower accident in catolonia.

Study Design: Retrospective case series.

Objectives: The aim of this paper was to review the cases of SCI associated with human towers in the neurorehabilitation hospital Guttmann in Barcelona, clarify the mechanisms of these accidents and classify the injuries.

Settings And Methods: Data and history were retrospectively reviewed to detect SCI patients injured from human tower accidents admitted at the Guttmann Institute, Barcelona, in the period 1965-2017, from patient histories and interviews with patients and their relatives.

Rehabilitation of social cognition impairment after traumatic brain injury: A systematic review.

Introduction: Many studies have described the presence of difficulty processing and generating social behaviour in patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). These difficulties in social cognition (SC) deteriorate personal relationships in the family, at work, or in the community. However, therapeutic programmes aiming to improve SC continue to be an outstanding issue in clinical practice.

Robotic Arm Rehabilitation in Chronic Stroke Patients With Aphasia May Promote Speech and Language Recovery (but Effect Is Not Enhanced by Supplementary tDCS).

This study aimed to determine the extent to which robotic arm rehabilitation for chronic stroke may promote recovery of speech and language function in individuals with aphasia. We prospectively enrolled 17 individuals from a hemiparesis rehabilitation study pairing intensive robot assisted therapy with sham or active tDCS and evaluated their speech ( = 17) and language ( = 9) performance before and after a 12-week (36 session) treatment regimen. Performance changes were evaluated with paired -tests comparing pre- and post-test measures.

The Barcelona Brain Health Initiative: A Cohort Study to Define and Promote Determinants of Brain Health.

The Barcelona Brain Health Initiative (BBHI) is an ongoing prospective longitudinal study focused on identifying determinants of brain health. The main objectives are: (i) to characterize lifestyle, cognitive, behavioral and environmental markers related to a given individual's cognitive and mental functions in middle to old age, (ii) to assess the biological determinants predictive of maintenance of brain health, and (iii) to evaluate the impact of a controlled multi-dimensional lifestyle intervention on improving and maintaining brain health. The BBHI cohort consists of >4500 healthy participants aged 40-65 years followed through online questionnaires (Phase I) assessing participants' self-perceived health and lifestyle factors in seven different domains: overall health, physical exercise, cognitive activity, sleep, nutrition, social interactions, and life purpose.

GH deficiency in patients with spinal cord injury: efficacy/safety of GH replacement, a pilot study.

Objective Growth hormone (GH) was shown to stimulate proliferation, migration and survival of neural cells in animal models. GH deficiency (GHD) was reported following traumatic brain lesions; however, there are not available data in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate (1) the frequency of GHD in chronic SCI population; (2) the efficacy/safety of GH replacement in patients with SCI and suboptimal GH secretion.

Feasibility of Aerobic Exercise in the Subacute Phase of Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury: A Case Series.

Background And Purpose: Aerobic exercise is as important for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as for the general population; however, the approach to aerobic training may require some adaptation. The objective of the trial program was to examine the feasibility of introducing aerobic physical exercise programs into the subacute phase of multidisciplinary rehabilitation from moderate to severe TBI, which includes computerized cognitive training.

Case Description: Five individuals undergoing inpatient rehabilitation with moderate or severe TBIs who also have concomitant physical injuries.

Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging: A systematic review for an evaluation of dose.

Purpose Of Review: We systematically appraised randomized controlled trials proposing exercise to influence cognition in older adults to (1) assess the methodologic quality using Cochrane criteria; (2) describe various exercise dose measures and assess their relationship with improved cognitive performance; and (3) identify consistent patterns of reported effects on cognition.

Recent Findings: There was overall good methodologic quality in all 98 included studies. The assessment of the relationship between improved cognition and various measures of exercise dose (session duration, weekly minutes, frequency, total weeks, and total hours) revealed a significant correlation with total hours.

Meaning in life: resilience beyond reserve.

Background: The contribution of psychological factors to brain health and resilience remains poorly investigated. Furthermore, their possible interaction with 'classical' cognitive reserve (CR) estimates in predicting perceived mental health and cognitive status has not been specifically addressed.

Methods: We obtained data from 1081 adults responding to questionnaires on the three meaning in life (MiL) dimensions: purpose in life (PiL), sense of coherence (SoC), and engagement with life (EwL).

Analgesic effect of intrathecal baclofen bolus on neuropathic pain in spinal cord injury patients.

Background: GABA-ergic neurons are widely distributed throughout the central nervous system, including the spinal cord which is important for the transmission of pain impulses to the brain. Here we hypothesized that intrathecal baclofen (ITB) which is a GABA analogue might exert analgesic effects on neuropathic pain, which could be related to subtypes of pain in spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: SCI patients with a cervical or thoracic lesion and neuropathic pain were randomized to receive either a single ITB bolus or placebo.

Visual search in unilateral spatial neglect: The effects of distractors on a dynamic visual search task.

The objective of this study was to examine visual scanning performance in patients with Unilateral Spatial Neglect (USN) in a visual search task. Thirty-one right hemisphere stroke patients with USN were recruited. They performed a dynamic visual search task with two conditions, with and without distractors, while eye movements were monitored with an eye-tracker.

Non-invasive brain stimulation to promote motor and functional recovery following spinal cord injury.

We conducted a systematic review of studies using non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)) as a research and clinical tool aimed at improving motor and functional recovery or spasticity in patients following spinal cord injury (SCI) under the assumption that if the residual corticospinal circuits could be stimulated appropriately, the changes might be accompanied by functional recovery or an improvement in spasticity. This review summarizes the literature on the changes induced by NIBS in the motor and functional recovery and spasticity control of the upper and lower extremities following SCI.

Modulation of motor cortex excitability by paired peripheral and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Objective: Repetitive application of peripheral electrical stimuli paired with transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of M1 cortex at low frequency, known as paired associative stimulation (PAS), is an effective method to induce motor cortex plasticity in humans. Here we investigated the effects of repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) combined with low frequency rTMS ('magnetic-PAS') on intracortical and corticospinal excitability and whether those changes were widespread or circumscribed to the cortical area controlling the stimulated muscle.

Methods: Eleven healthy subjects underwent three 10min stimulation sessions: 10HzrPMS alone, applied in trains of 5 stimuli every 10s (60 trains) on the extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscle; rTMS alone at an intensity 120% of ECR threshold, applied over motor cortex of ECR and at a frequency of 0.

tDCS does not enhance the effects of robot-assisted gait training in patients with subacute stroke.

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which can modulate cortical excitability and combined with rehabilitation therapies may improve motor recovery after stroke.

Objective: Our aim was to study the feasibility of a 4-week robotic gait training protocol combined with tDCS, and to study tDCS to the leg versus hand motor cortex or sham to improve walking ability in patients after a subacute stroke.

Methods: Forty-nine subacute stroke patients underwent 20 daily sessions (5 days a week for 4 weeks) of robotic gait training combined with tDCS.