Dataset Information

Influence of Alternate Hot and Cold Thermal Stimulation in Cortical Excitability in Healthy Adults: An fMRI Study.

ABSTRACT: Stroke rehabilitation using alternate hot and cold thermal stimulation (altTS) has been reported to improve motor function in hemiplegia; however, the influence of brain excitability induced by altTS remains unclear. This study examined cortical activation induced by altTS in healthy adults, focusing on motor-related areas. This involved a repeated crossover experimental design with two temperature settings (innocuous altTS with alternate heat-pain and cold-pain thermal and noxious altTS with alternate heat and cold thermal) testing both arms (left side and right side). Thirty-one healthy, right-handed participants received four episodes of altTS on four separate days. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed both before and after each intervention to determine whether altTS intervention affects cortical excitability, while participants performed a finger-tapping task during scanning. The findings revealed greater response intensity of cortical excitability in participants who received noxious altTS in the primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, and somatosensory cortex than in those who received innocuous altTS. Moreover, there was more motor-related excitability in the contra-lateral brain when heat was applied to the dominant arm, and more sensory-associated excitability in the contra-lateral brain when heat was applied to the nondominant arm. The findings highlight the effect of heat on cortical excitability and provide insights into the application of altTS in stroke rehabilitation.

SUBMITTER: Chen SC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7019540 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Influence of Alternate Hot and Cold Thermal Stimulation in Cortical Excitability in Healthy Adults: An fMRI Study.

Chen Sharon Chia-Ju SC Lin Jau-Hong JH Hsu Jui-Sheng JS Shih Chiu-Ming CM Lai Jui-Jen JJ Hsu Miao-Ju MJ

Journal of clinical medicine 20191219 1

Stroke rehabilitation using alternate hot and cold thermal stimulation (altTS) has been reported to improve motor function in hemiplegia; however, the influence of brain excitability induced by altTS remains unclear. This study examined cortical activation induced by altTS in healthy adults, focusing on motor-related areas. This involved a repeated crossover experimental design with two temperature settings (innocuous altTS with alternate heat-pain and cold-pain therm ...[more]

PMID: 31861675

Similar Datasets

Project description:BACKGROUND:Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has the potential to induce motor cortical plasticity in humans. It is well known that motor cortical plasticity plays an essential role in motor learning and recovery in patients with stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. However, it remains unclear how cognitive function influences motor cortical plasticity induced by tDCS. The present study aimed to investigate whether anodal tDCS combined with attention to a target muscle could enhance motor cortical plasticity and improve motor learning in healthy individuals. METHODS:Thirty-three healthy volunteers were assigned to two experiments. In experiment 1, there were three interventional conditions: 1) anodal tDCS was applied while participants paid attention to the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle, 2) anodal tDCS was applied while participants paid attention to the sound, and 3) anodal tDCS was applied without the participants paying attention to the FDI muscle or the sound. Anodal tDCS (2 mA, 10 min) was applied over the primary motor cortex (M1). Changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs), short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), and intracortical facilitation (ICF) were assessed before and immediately after (0 min), and then 10 min, 30 min, and 60 min after each intervention. In experiment 2, we investigated whether the combination of anodal tDCS and attention to the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle could facilitate the learning of a ballistic thumb movement. RESULTS:Anodal tDCS increased cortical excitability in all conditions immediately after the stimulation. Significant increases in MEPs and significant decreases in SICI were observed for at least 60 min after anodal tDCS, but only when participants paid attention to the FDI muscle. In contrast, no significant changes in ICF were observed in any condition. In experiment 2, the combination of tDCS and attention to the APB muscle significantly enhanced the acquisition of a ballistic thumb movement. The higher performance was still observed 7 days after the stimulation. CONCLUSIONS:This study shows that anodal tDCS over M1 in conjunction with attention to the target muscle enhances motor cortex plasticity and improves motor learning in healthy adults. These findings suggest that a combination of attention and tDCS may be an effective strategy to promote rehabilitation training in patients with stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Retrospectively registered (UMIN000036848).

Dataset Information

Influence of Alternate Hot and Cold Thermal Stimulation in Cortical Excitability in Healthy Adults: An fMRI Study.

Publications

Influence of Alternate Hot and Cold Thermal Stimulation in Cortical Excitability in Healthy Adults: An <i>f</i>MRI Study.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets