The Future of Neurostimulation

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Computational Neuroscience and Neuroinformatics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2020) | Viewed by 15826

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Innovation and Pharmaceutical Strategy Division, Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), Rome 00187, Italy
Interests: neurostimulation; neurophysiology; remote patient monitoring; patient-reported outcomes; telediagnosis; translational medicine clinical trials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Neurostimulation has represented one of the most exciting fields of neuroscience for over two decades, demonstrating the capability of non-invasively deepening knowledge in a wide range of conditions. Indeed, the increasingly precise modulation of signal transduction at the neural level through external devices in both physiological and pathological settings has resulted on the one hand in the contribution of neurostimulation—whether magnetic or electrical—to improving our understanding of the mechanisms underlying, among others, neurodegeneration, hyperexcitability, altered states of consciousness, and sensorimotor control, in addition to the varying responses to medications. On the other hand, the refinement of health technologies has made it possible to more precisely tailor interventions according to the individual subject. Nonetheless, these achievements have been generally confined to the experimental setting in which neurostimulation is delivered, with little chance to keep track of the functionally induced changes over time, either within the originally stimulated circuit or across functionally related networks, that translate into the combination of the behavioral and morphological correlates of stimulation.

In this Special Issue we are soliciting works that illustrate the state-of-the-art of the most promising and powerful tools for the collection of real-world data, including wearable health technologies, portable devices or sensors, along with computational algorithms which overall contribute to fill the gap of knowledge of the long-term outcome of neurostimulation while providing an in-depth quantification of its effects in subjects’ daily environments. This will place neurostimulation within a more holistic frame, centered on patients in a novel multidisciplinary approach.

Dr. Giancarlo Zito
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Non-invasive neurostimulation
  • Telemedicine
  • Patient-reported outcomes
  • Real-world data
  • Wearable devices
  • Portable health technology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1856 KiB  
Article
Influence of Static Magnetic Field Stimulation on the Accuracy of Tachystoscopically Presented Line Bisection
by Hikari Kirimoto, Tatsunori Watanabe, Nami Kubo, Shota Date, Toru Sunagawa, Tatsuya Mima, Katsuya Ogata, Hisato Nakazono, Shozo Tobimatsu and Antonio Oliviero
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(12), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10121006 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2896
Abstract
Transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) has been known to reduce human cortical excitability. Here, we investigated whether tSMS would modulate visuo-spatial cognition in healthy humans. Subjects performed a visuo-spatial task requiring judgements about the symmetry of pre-bisected lines. Visual stimuli consisted of symmetrically [...] Read more.
Transcranial static magnetic stimulation (tSMS) has been known to reduce human cortical excitability. Here, we investigated whether tSMS would modulate visuo-spatial cognition in healthy humans. Subjects performed a visuo-spatial task requiring judgements about the symmetry of pre-bisected lines. Visual stimuli consisted of symmetrically or asymmetrically transected lines, tachystoscopically presented for 150 ms on a computer monitor. Task performance was examined before, immediately after, and 10 min after tSMS/sham stimulation of 20 min over the posterior parietal cortex (PPC: P4 from the international 10–20 system) or superior temporal gyrus (STG: C6). Nine out of 16 subjects misjudged pre-bisected lines by consistently underestimating the length of the right-side segment (judging lines to be exactly pre-bisected when the transector was located to the left of the midpoint, or judging the left-side segment to be longer when the transector was located at the midpoint). In these subjects showing a leftward bias, tSMS over the right STG reduced the magnitude of the leftward bias. This did not occur with tSMS over the right PPC or sham stimulation. In the remaining right-biased subjects, no intervention effect was observed with any stimulation. Our findings indicate that application of tSMS over the right STG modulates visuo-spatial cognition in healthy adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Neurostimulation)
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10 pages, 799 KiB  
Communication
Double-Blinded Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial Comparing Cognitive Side Effects of Standard Ultra-Brief Right Unilateral ECT to 0.5 A Low Amplitude Seizure Therapy (LAP-ST)
by Nagy A. Youssef, William V. McCall, Dheeraj Ravilla, Laryssa McCloud and Peter B. Rosenquist
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(12), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10120979 - 13 Dec 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2574
Abstract
Background: Concerns over cognitive side effects (CSE) of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) still limit its broader usage for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the CSE of Low Amplitude Seizure Therapy (LAP-ST) at 0.5 A compared to Ultra-brief [...] Read more.
Background: Concerns over cognitive side effects (CSE) of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) still limit its broader usage for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the CSE of Low Amplitude Seizure Therapy (LAP-ST) at 0.5 A compared to Ultra-brief Right Unilateral (UB-RUL) ECT using Time to Reorientation (TRO) as the main acute primary outcome, and (2) to compare effects on depressive symptoms between the two treatment groups. Methods: Participants were referred for ECT, consented for the study, and were randomized to a course of LAP-ST or standard UB-RUL ECT. TRO and depression were measured by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Results: Eleven patients consented. Of these, eight with a current major depressive episode (MDE) of unipolar or bipolar disorders were randomized. TRO was faster for the LAP-ST (mean = 6.8 min; SE = 4.9) than standard RUL ECT (mean = 15.5 min; SE = 6.5). Depression improved similarly in the two arms of the study from baseline (MADRS: LAP-ST = 41.0; SE = 2.0, RUL = 39.0; SE = 3.8) to endpoint (MADRS score: LAP-ST = 8.0; SE7.2, RUL = 9.5; SE = 3.8). Conclusions: This pilot, randomized and blinded clinical trial, suggests that the LAP-ST (at 0.5 A) has faster reorientation and possibly lower CSE compared to standard RUL-UB ECT. Caution is advised in interpreting these results due to the small sample size of this pilot study. Thus, future studies with similar design are warranted for replicating these findings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Neurostimulation)
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Review

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33 pages, 1767 KiB  
Review
The Modulation of Cognitive Performance with Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation: A Systematic Review of Frequency-Specific Effects
by Katharina Klink, Sven Paßmann, Florian H. Kasten and Jessica Peter
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(12), 932; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10120932 - 2 Dec 2020
Cited by 63 | Viewed by 9848
Abstract
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that allows the manipulation of intrinsic brain oscillations. Numerous studies have applied tACS in the laboratory to enhance cognitive performance. With this systematic review, we aim to provide an overview of frequency-specific [...] Read more.
Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that allows the manipulation of intrinsic brain oscillations. Numerous studies have applied tACS in the laboratory to enhance cognitive performance. With this systematic review, we aim to provide an overview of frequency-specific tACS effects on a range of cognitive functions in healthy adults. This may help to transfer stimulation protocols to real-world applications. We conducted a systematic literature search on PubMed and Cochrane databases and considered tACS studies in healthy adults (age > 18 years) that focused on cognitive performance. The search yielded n = 109 studies, of which n = 57 met the inclusion criteria. The results indicate that theta-tACS was beneficial for several cognitive functions, including working memory, executive functions, and declarative memory. Gamma-tACS enhanced performance in both auditory and visual perception but it did not change performance in tasks of executive functions. For attention, the results were less consistent but point to an improvement in performance with alpha- or gamma-tACS. We discuss these findings and point to important considerations that would precede a transfer to real-world applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Future of Neurostimulation)
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