Head restraining is an experimental technique that firmly secures the animal's head to a fixation apparatus for the precise control and sensing of behaviors. However, procedural and surgical difficulties and limitations have been obstructing the use of the technique in neurophysiological and behavioral experiments. Here, we propose a novel design of the head-restraining apparatus which is easy to develop and convenient for practical use. Head restraining procedure can be completed by sliding the head mounter, which is molded by dental cement during implantation surgery, into the port, which serves as matching guide rails for the mounter, of the fixation bar. So neither skull-attached plates nor screws for fixation are needed. We performed intracranial self stimulation experiment in rats using the newly designed device. Rats were habituated to acclimatize the head-restraint environment and trained to discriminate two spatially distinguished cues using a customized push-pull lever as an operandum. Direct electrical stimulation into the medial forebrain bundle served as reward. We confirmed that head restraining was stable throughout experiments and rats were able to learn to manipulate the lever after successful habituation. Our experimental framework might help precise control or sensing of behavior under head fixed rats using direct electrical brain stimulation as a reward.
Animals ; Brain ; Conditioning, Operant ; Cues ; Dental Cements ; Electric Stimulation ; Fungi ; Head* ; Medial Forebrain Bundle ; Rats* ; Reward ; Self Stimulation*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of the daily living activity and motor evoked potential (MEP) in the subacute stroke patients. METHODS: Nineteen subjects with subacute ischaemic/hemorrhagic stroke developed in the last three months were enrolled, and MEP was measured with transcranial magnetic stimulation. Functional Independence Measure (FIM) score were evaluated in both groups before and 4 weeks after comprehensive rehabilitative management. According to the presence of MEP response in the affected hemisphere, subjects were divided into MEP positive and negative group. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, sex, and post-onset duration. Four weeks later, the change in total FIM and self-care score improved significantly in the MEP-positive group, when compared to the MEP-negative group (p<0.05). However, cognitive improvement had no relationship with MEP responsiveness. CONCLUSION: We concluded that initial measurement of MEP is a useful assessment tool in predicting functional outcome of subacute stroke patients.
Activities of Daily Living ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Self Care ; Stroke ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

PURPOSE: Of the various methods for evaluating erectile dysfunction, International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaires and penile color Doppler ultrasonography are commonly performed. In this study, the total IIEF scores and erectile function domain scores of the IIEF were compared with the etiology diagnosed from the indices of penile color Doppler ultrasonography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 54 patients, with erectile dysfunction, who underwent penile color Doppler ultrasonography and IIEF, were retrospectively examined. Various blood flow parameters, including the peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, mean flow rate and resistive index, were observed and recorded for about 30 minutes following an intracorporeal injection of alprostadil and self stimulation. According to the causes of the erectile dysfunction, as diagnosed with penile color Doppler ultrasonography, the total IIEF and erectile function domain scores of the IIEF were compared. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the total IIEF and IIEF scores of the erectile function domain between the causes of erectile dysfunction as diagnosed by the penile color Doppler ultrasonography. CONCLUSIONS: The IIEF scores did not statistically differentiate the specific etiologies of erectile dysfunction determined by penile color Doppler ultrasonography. Therefore, it is believed that the IIEF score alone cannot predict the etiologies of erectile dysfunction.
Alprostadil ; Erectile Dysfunction* ; Humans ; Male ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Retrospective Studies ; Self Stimulation ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors related to upper extremity functional improvement following inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in stroke patients. METHODS: Forty-one stroke patients received low-frequency rTMS over the contralesional hemisphere according to a standard protocol, in addition to conventional physical and occupational therapy. The rTMS-treated patients were divided into two groups according to their responsiveness to rTMS measured by the self-care score of the Korean version of Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI): responded group (n=19) and non-responded group (n=22). Forty-one age-matched stroke patients who had not received rTMS served as controls. Neurological, cognitive and functional assessments were performed before rTMS and 4 weeks after rTMS treatment. RESULTS: Among the rTMS-treated patients, the responded group was significantly younger than the non-responded group (51.6±10.5 years and 65.5±13.7 years, respectively; p=0.001). Four weeks after rTMS, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Brunnstrom recovery stage and upper extremity muscle power scores were significantly more improved in the responded group than in the control group. Besides the self-care score, the mobility score of the K-MBI was also more improved in the responded group than in the non-responded group or controls. CONCLUSION: Age is the most obvious factor determining upper extremity functional responsiveness to low-frequency rTMS in stroke patients.
Age Factors ; Humans ; National Institutes of Health (U.S.) ; Occupational Therapy ; Recovery of Function ; Self Care ; Stroke* ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation* ; Upper Extremity*

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a range of conditions including impairments in social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Pharmacological treatments can improve some symptoms of ASD, but the effect is limited and there is a huge unmet demand for successful interventions of ASD. Brain stimulation and modulation are emerging treatment options for ASD: electroconvulsive therapy for catatonia in ASD, vagal nerve stimulation for comorbid epilepsy and ASD, and deep brain stimulation for serious self-injurious behavior. Therapeutic tools are evolving to mechanism-driven treatment. Excitation/Inhibition (E/I) imbalance alters the brain mechanism of information processing and behavioral regulation. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can stabilize aberrant neuroplasticity by improving E/I balance. These brain stimulation and modulation methods are expected to be used for exploration of the pathophysiology and etiology of ASD and might facilitate the development of a mechanism-driven solution of core domains of ASD in the future.
Autistic Disorder* ; Automatic Data Processing ; Brain* ; Catatonia ; Child ; Autism Spectrum Disorder* ; Deep Brain Stimulation ; Electroconvulsive Therapy ; Epilepsy ; Interpersonal Relations ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Optogenetics ; Self-Injurious Behavior ; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ; Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Spinal cord stimulation has been applied for some patients with failed back surgery syndrome or neuropathic pain. Tests for the spinal cord stimulation can be performed under local or general anesthesia. However, if this is done during an operation with the patient under general anesthesia, it would be impossible to recognize whether an electrode induces paresthesia in the concordant painful area by the patient's self report. A 79-year-old female patient with failed back surgery syndrome had a spinal cord stimulator implanted under spinal anesthesia and the stimulation led to paresthesia on the most painful area of the patient. We report here on a case that surgical implantation of a spinal cord stimulator was successfully performed under spinal anesthesia.
Aged ; Anesthesia, General ; Anesthesia, Spinal ; Electrodes ; Failed Back Surgery Syndrome ; Female ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Neuralgia ; Paresthesia ; Self Report ; Spinal Cord ; Spinal Cord Stimulation

BACKGROUND: To assess the efficacy of functional electrical stimulation(FES) with multi-joints coordinate movement compared to electric muscular stimulation for mono-joint movement in enhancing the upper extremity motor and functional recovery of hemiplegic survivors. METHODS: Forty patients with hemiplegia were divided into two groups. The FES group received FES to produce hand grip, elbow flexion, elbow extension and hand release in sequence with voluntary movement. Control group received electrical stimulation to produce wrist extension without voluntary movement. All groups received for 20 minutes per session, twice a day, 5 days a week during 4 weeks and under the same occupational and physical therapies during 4 weeks. Outcomes were assessed in a blinded manner with the upper extremity component of the Fugl-Meyer Motor Assessment, the self-care component of the Modified Barthel Index(MBI), Upper extremity muscle strength, Wolf Motor Function Test(WMFT), spasticity, and Range of motion(ROM) of shoulder before and after treatment. RESULTS: There were significant improvements of the power at shoulder & elbow flexion, WMFT, Fugl-Meyer, hand grip, and MBI in both group(p<0.05). ROM of shoulder, the power of wrist extension, and pinch improved only at the FES group(p<0.05). The FES group had better effects at WMFT, Fugl-Meyer, hand grip, pinch, MBI, shoulder ROM, and spasticity after treatment(p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that FES and multi-joints coordinate movements are better than electric muscular stimulation for mono-joint movement to enhance the upper extremity functional recovery in hemiplegia.
Arm ; Elbow ; Electric Stimulation ; Hand ; Hand Strength ; Hemiplegia ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Muscle Strength ; Muscles ; Self Care ; Shoulder ; Upper Extremity ; Wolves ; Wrist

OBJECTIVES: Insomnia is significantly influenced by the pre-sleep arousal, self efficacy, sleep hygiene, depression and anxiety. The authors tried to explore how these factors are related with the clinical features of sleep. METHODS: Fifty three patients diagnosed as insomnia by DSM-IV criteria were studied. They filled up the pre-sleep arousal scale(PSAS), sleep efficacy scale(SES), sleep hygiene awareness and practice scale, BDI, and state and trait anxiety scales. RESULTS: 1) The mean values of sleep-related variables were as follows : Sleep latency,136.89 minutes ; frequences of awakening during a night, 2.28 ; minutes to get back to sleep, 42.70 ; total sleep time, 180.19 minutes ; duration of illness, 72.00 months. 2) The mean scores of scales were as follows : PSAS(cognitive), 22.40 ; PSAS (somatic), 17.32 ; SES, 20.16 ; sleep hygiene knowledge, 25.96 ; caffeine knowledge, 59.78 ; sleep hygiene practice, 42.12 ; BDI 18.2 ; state anxiety, 41.24 ; trait anxiety ; 44.50. 3) In the subjects with superimposed depression, the mean frequency of awakening during a night and the mean pre-sleep arousal scale score were higher than in those without depression. 4) Frequency of awakening were correlated positively with a PSAS(a tight tense feeling in your muscle) and sleep hygiene awareness. PSAS(cognitive) were correlated positively with a PSAS(somatic). BDI correlated positively with a PSAS item(a jittery, nervous feeling in your body)and a SES item(not allow a poor night's sleep to interfere with daily activities). Anxiety scales were correlated positively with sleep hygiene practice scale sleep and PSAS were correlated negatively with SES. CONCLUSIONS: The mean scores of PSAS, SES, sleep hygiene awareness and practice scale, BDI, state and trait anxiety scales of insomniacs were correlated either positively or negatively in insomnia patients. These factors seem to contribute to the development and maintenance of insomnia.
Anxiety* ; Arousal* ; Caffeine ; Depression* ; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ; Humans ; Hygiene* ; Self Efficacy* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Weights and Measures

This paper suggested a new method of spacial risk-trend trace (SRTT) to assess and monitor the spacial balance condition during paraplegic walking assisted by functional electrical stimulation (FES), which main component was a measurement system of upper limb support based on a standard walker. With the support data, the spacial positions of moving center of gravity could be located through the upper body mechanical model and, combining with the definition of walker rolling index, transmitted into SRTT to describe the balance conditions at different axial space. The experimental and clinical results demonstrated the new SRTT method was reliable and real-time. Its potential clinical usefulness in evaluating and monitoring FES-assisted paraplegic walking ability may provide the foundation to enact the relevant national rehabilitation criterions for effective FES usage.
Electric Stimulation Therapy ; instrumentation ; methods ; Humans ; Monitoring, Physiologic ; methods ; Paraplegia ; rehabilitation ; Postural Balance ; physiology ; Self-Help Devices ; Therapy, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Walking ; physiology

PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for erectile dysfunction (ED). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched six major English and Chinese databases included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing acupuncture alone or in combination for ED. Dichotomous data were presented as risk ratio (RR) and continuous data were presented as mean difference (MD) both with 95% confidence interval (CI). The Revman (v.5.3) was used for data analyses. Quality of evidence across studies was assessed by the online GRADEpro tool. RESULTS: We identified 22 RCTs, fourteen of them involving psychogenic ED. Most of the included RCTs had high or unclear risk of bias. There was no difference between electro-acupuncture and sham acupuncture with electrical stimulation on the rate of satisfaction and self-assessment (RR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.71–3.16; 1 trial). Acupuncture combined with tadalafil appeared to have better effect on increasing cure rate (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.00–1.71; 2 trials), and International Index of Erectile Function-5 scores (MD, 5.38; 95% CI, 4.46–6.29; 2 trials). When acupuncture plus herbal medicine compared with herbal medicine alone, the combination therapy showed significant better improvement in erectile function (RR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.31–2.15; 7 trials). Only two trials reported facial red and dizziness cases, and needle sticking and pruritus cases in acupuncture group. CONCLUSIONS: Low quality evidence shows beneficial effect of acupuncture as adjunctive treatment for people mainly with psychogenic ED. Safety of acupuncture was insufficiently reported. The findings should be confirmed in large, rigorously designed and well-reported trials.
Acupuncture ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bias (Epidemiology) ; Dizziness ; Electric Stimulation ; Erectile Dysfunction ; Herbal Medicine ; Humans ; Male ; Needles ; Odds Ratio ; Pruritus ; Self-Assessment ; Statistics as Topic ; Tadalafil