Search results for "STIMULATION"

2019

Gait and balance impairments are frequently considered as the most significant concerns among individuals suffering from neurological diseases. Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) has shown to be a promising neurorehabilitation intervention to improve gait recovery in patients following stroke or brain injury by potentially initiating neuroplastic changes. However, the neurophysiological processes underlying gait recovery through RAGT remain poorly understood. As non-invasive, portable neuroimaging techniques, electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) provide new insights regarding the neurophysiological processes occurring during RAGT by measuring diffe…

Inhibitory influences of vagal afferences on the oesophageal EMG peristaltic pattern

1987

AbstractThe influence of vagal afferents on the EMG peristaltic pattern was studied in pigeon oesophagus.Bilateral vagotomy did not abolish the primary peristalsis, but induced significant modifications of the peristaltic pattern parameters.Vagal afferent stimulation induced an inhibitory effect consisting of a temporary break or definitive block of the EMG peristaltic activity already in progress.Vagal afferent stimulation also induced a reduction of the spontaneous EMG activity and this effect was abolished either by glossopharyngeal bilateral section or ganglionic block.Likewise vagal afferent stimulation, the crop distension caused inhibitory effects on EMG peristaltic pattern. This eff…

Effects of Different Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Parameters on Quadriceps Neuromuscular Performance in Competitive Athletes

2017

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of six weeks of training with two different types of neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) currents on muscle performance in competitive athletes. METHODS: This controlled and randomized clinical trial included 20 athletes, equally divided into three groups: medium frequency current group with 500 μs (MF-500) (n=7), low frequency current group of with 500 μs (PC-500) (n=5) and control group (CG) (n=8). Each group had evaluated, before and after the intervention: the peak torque of knee (PT), muscle thickness and signs of electromyography (EMG) of the vastus lateralis (VL), and the sensory discomfort level (VAS). The training with NMES was performed 3 times…

Role of neurophysiology in the clinical practice of primary pediatric headaches

2007

The role of electrophysiological studies in pediatric headaches is controversial. In childhood headaches, neurophysiological examinations are of interest for potential clinical use because they are noninvasive and are scarcely influenced by environmental factors or drug use. Electrophysiological studies in childhood headache principally explored the role of electroencephalographic (EEG) evaluations in migraine, while less evidence has been reported about other neurophysiological techniques, such as evoked potentials, event-related potentials, and, less often, transcranial magnetic stimulation. In this brief review, we point out our attention to the aid of neurophysiological methods in the c…

Functional MRI and motor behavioral changes obtained with constraint-induced movement therapy in chronic stroke

2011

Background:  The clinical benefits of intensive stroke rehabilitation vary individually. We used multimodal functional imaging to assess the relationship of clinical gain and imaging changes in patients with chronic stroke whose voluntary motor control improved after constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT). Methods:  Eleven patients (37.6 ± 36.8 months from stroke) were studied by functional MRI (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and behavioral assessment of hand motor control (Wolf Motor Function Test) before and after 2 weeks of CIMT. Individual and group-level changes in imaging and behavioral parameters were investigated. Results:  Increase in fMRI activation in the sen…

Human antiphospholipid antibodies induce TNFα in monocytes via Toll-like receptor 8

2009

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is characterized by recurrent arterial and/or venous thromboses, pregnancy loss and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). One of the discussed mechanisms of this thrombotic activity in APS patients is attributed to TNFalpha secretion in monocytes after aPL stimulation. To investigate this mechanism in detail, we employed a monoclonal aPL and IgG fractions of APS patients for stimulation of human peripheral monocytes. Stimulation with this monoclonal aPL resulted in an increased expression and secretion of TNFalpha, caused by specific upregulation of TLR8 mRNA and protein expression levels. To confirm the specificity of this finding we could d…

Endothelin action on goat cerebral arteries.

1990

Abstract Cumulative application of endothelin-1 (human) markedly constricted goat isolated cerebral arteries in a concentration-dependent manner. Contractile responses were not affected by removal of endothelial cells. Removal of extracellular calcium or addition of the calcium channel blocker nicardipine (10−7 M) failed to abolish responses to endothelin. The results suggest that the endothelium-independent constriction of cerebral arteries produced by endothelin cannot be explained solely by voltage-dependent calcium channels. The contractile responses are likely to be mediated by stimulation of specific receptors for this peptide.

The Inhibitory Effects of Prednisone, 16-Methylen-Prednisolone, and Acth on Con-A Induced Lymphokines (Interferon-Y) as Measured by the Chemiluminesc…

1988

When lymphocytes are stimulated with mitogens or antigens they are enhanced via a cascade of lymphokines to produce interferon-y (IFN-y). IFN-y augments the H2O2 secretion of human monocytes which indirectly can be measured by chemiluminescence. We tested prednisone, 16-methylen-prednisolone and ACTH for their effect to inhibit the Con-A induced stimulation of the chemiluminescence-activity. All three hormones inhibited significantly the stimulation: prednisone up to 52.5% (concentration = 150 micrograms/ml, p = 0.000005), 16-methylen-prednisolone up to 22.5% (concentration = 2.5 micrograms/ml, p = 0.006) and ACTH up to 33% (concentration = 10 micrograms/ml, p = 0.0036).

Psychotropic Effect of Combined Estrogen-Vit B6 Treatment in Endogenously Depressed Females

1985

Estrogens are among the most commonly prescribed substances in females. Also endogenous estrogen levels change dramatically throughout life and this biological variable has been associated with several psychological signs like premenstrual tension syndrome and depression in older age. Along with clinical practice there is increasing evidence from neuropharmacology suggesting a psychotropic action of estrogens (review: Holsboer, 1982). The most prominent findings are: 1. Reduction of monoamine-oxidase (MAO)-activity by estrogens (McEwen et al., 1978); 2. Competitive inhibition of catechol-o-methyltransferase by 2-hydroxyestrogens, which are major metabolites of estrogens in the CNS (Breuer e…

Effect of Soluble Interleukin-6 Receptor on Interleukin-6 Synthesis in Human Skin Fibroblasts

1996

Abstract In this study the ability of soluble interleukin-6 receptor (sIL-6R) to stimulate interleukin-6 (IL-6) synthesis in human fibroblasts is described. It was found that sIL-6R, in combination with endogenous or exogenous IL-6, markedly upregulated IL-6 synthesis. These data suggest that increased IL-6 production after stimulation by either interleukin-1 or tumor necrosis factor-α would result in complex formation with sIL-6R, rapid uptake, and further synthesis of this cytokine. Furthermore, it would explain the decrease in sIL-6R plasma levels observed in patients suffering from sepsis.