Brain plasticity, including anatomical changes and functional reorganization, is the physiological basis of functional recovery after spinal cord injury(SCI). The correlation between brain anatomical changes and funct...Brain plasticity, including anatomical changes and functional reorganization, is the physiological basis of functional recovery after spinal cord injury(SCI). The correlation between brain anatomical changes and functional reorganization after SCI is unclear. This study aimed to explore whether alterations of cortical structure and network function are concomitant in sensorimotor areas after incomplete SCI. Eighteen patients with incomplete SCI(mean age 40.94 ± 14.10 years old; male:female, 7:11) and 18 healthy subjects(37.33 ± 11.79 years old; male:female, 7:11) were studied by resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Gray matter volume(GMV) and functional connectivity were used to evaluate cortical structure and network function, respectively. There was no significant alteration of GMV in sensorimotor areas in patients with incomplete SCI compared with healthy subjects. Intra-hemispheric functional connectivity between left primary somatosensory cortex(BA1) and left primary motor cortex(BA4), and left BA1 and left somatosensory association cortex(BA5) was decreased, as well as inter-hemispheric functional connectivity between left BA1 and right BA4, left BA1 and right BA5, and left BA4 and right BA5 in patients with SCI. Functional connectivity between both BA4 areas was also decreased. The decreased functional connectivity between the left BA1 and the right BA4 positively correlated with American Spinal Injury Association sensory score in SCI patients. The results indicate that alterations of cortical anatomical structure and network functional connectivity in sensorimotor areas were non-concomitant in patients with incomplete SCI, indicating the network functional changes in sensorimotor areas may not be dependent on anatomic structure. The strength of functional connectivity within sensorimotor areas could serve as a potential imaging biomarker for assessment and prediction of sensory function in patients with incomplete SCI. This trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number: Chi CTR-ROC-17013566).展开更多
Virtual reality is a new technology that simulates a three-dimensional virtual world on a computer and enables the generation of visual, audio, and haptic feedback for the full immersion of users. Users can interact w...Virtual reality is a new technology that simulates a three-dimensional virtual world on a computer and enables the generation of visual, audio, and haptic feedback for the full immersion of users. Users can interact with and observe objects in three-dimensional visual space without limitation. At present, virtual reality training has been widely used in rehabilitation therapy for balance dysfunction. This paper summarizes related articles and other articles suggesting that virtual reality training can improve balance dysfunction in patients after neurological diseases. When patients perform virtual reality training, the prefrontal, parietal cortical areas and other motor cortical networks are activated. These activations may be involved in the reconstruction of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Growing evidence from clinical studies reveals that virtual reality training improves the neurological function of patients with spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and other neurological impairments. These findings suggest that virtual reality training can activate the cerebral cortex and improve the spatial orientation capacity of patients, thus facilitating the cortex to control balance and increase motion function.展开更多
We performed functional MRI examinations in six right-handed healthy subjects.During functional MRI scanning,transcranial direct current stimulation was delivered with the anode over the right primary sensorimotor cor...We performed functional MRI examinations in six right-handed healthy subjects.During functional MRI scanning,transcranial direct current stimulation was delivered with the anode over the right primary sensorimotor cortex and the cathode over the left primary sensorimotor cortex using dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.This was compared to a cathode over the left supraorbital area using conventional single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. Voxel counts and blood oxygenation level-dependent signal intensities in the right primary sensorimotor cortex regions were estimated and compared between the two transcranial direct current stimulation conditions.Our results showed that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation induced greater cortical activities than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.These findings suggest that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation may provide more effective cortical stimulation than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.展开更多
目的采用低频振幅(amplitude of low frequency fluctuation,ALFF)与功能连接(functional connectivity,FC)相结合的方法,研究原发性甲状腺功能亢进患者静息状态下脑功能改变。材料与方法 12名未经治疗的甲亢患者为病例组,12名自愿接受...目的采用低频振幅(amplitude of low frequency fluctuation,ALFF)与功能连接(functional connectivity,FC)相结合的方法,研究原发性甲状腺功能亢进患者静息状态下脑功能改变。材料与方法 12名未经治疗的甲亢患者为病例组,12名自愿接受扫描的健康人(年龄、性别无显著性差异)为对照组。采集所有被试静息态f MRI数据,采用REST及DPARSF软件分析原始数据,得出全脑ALFF,利用双样本t检验的方法比较病例组和对照组ALFF的变化,并以两组间ALFF值有显著性差异的脑区为感兴趣区(regions of interest,ROI)校正后行FC分析。结果与对照组相比,甲亢患者在双侧尾状核及双侧丘脑ALFF值降低(P<0.001)。以上脑区的ALFF值均未发现与T3、T4有显著相关性(P>0.05)。FC分析显示,左侧丘脑与双侧感觉运动区(包括中央前回、中央后回)FC增强(P<0.001);右侧丘脑与右侧中央前回及中央后回连接增强(P<0.001)。结论甲亢患者双侧丘脑的局部活动及其与大脑感觉运动网络的FC模式存在异常,增强的FC可能与代谢损伤所导致运动机能受损而使甲状腺功能异常患者有更强的功能需求有关。展开更多
基金supported by a grant from Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program,No.2014081266,20131089382the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.61171002,60372023
文摘Brain plasticity, including anatomical changes and functional reorganization, is the physiological basis of functional recovery after spinal cord injury(SCI). The correlation between brain anatomical changes and functional reorganization after SCI is unclear. This study aimed to explore whether alterations of cortical structure and network function are concomitant in sensorimotor areas after incomplete SCI. Eighteen patients with incomplete SCI(mean age 40.94 ± 14.10 years old; male:female, 7:11) and 18 healthy subjects(37.33 ± 11.79 years old; male:female, 7:11) were studied by resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Gray matter volume(GMV) and functional connectivity were used to evaluate cortical structure and network function, respectively. There was no significant alteration of GMV in sensorimotor areas in patients with incomplete SCI compared with healthy subjects. Intra-hemispheric functional connectivity between left primary somatosensory cortex(BA1) and left primary motor cortex(BA4), and left BA1 and left somatosensory association cortex(BA5) was decreased, as well as inter-hemispheric functional connectivity between left BA1 and right BA4, left BA1 and right BA5, and left BA4 and right BA5 in patients with SCI. Functional connectivity between both BA4 areas was also decreased. The decreased functional connectivity between the left BA1 and the right BA4 positively correlated with American Spinal Injury Association sensory score in SCI patients. The results indicate that alterations of cortical anatomical structure and network functional connectivity in sensorimotor areas were non-concomitant in patients with incomplete SCI, indicating the network functional changes in sensorimotor areas may not be dependent on anatomic structure. The strength of functional connectivity within sensorimotor areas could serve as a potential imaging biomarker for assessment and prediction of sensory function in patients with incomplete SCI. This trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry(registration number: Chi CTR-ROC-17013566).
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30973165 and 81372108Guangdong Province College Students Innovative Research Projects in 2013
文摘Virtual reality is a new technology that simulates a three-dimensional virtual world on a computer and enables the generation of visual, audio, and haptic feedback for the full immersion of users. Users can interact with and observe objects in three-dimensional visual space without limitation. At present, virtual reality training has been widely used in rehabilitation therapy for balance dysfunction. This paper summarizes related articles and other articles suggesting that virtual reality training can improve balance dysfunction in patients after neurological diseases. When patients perform virtual reality training, the prefrontal, parietal cortical areas and other motor cortical networks are activated. These activations may be involved in the reconstruction of neurons in the cerebral cortex. Growing evidence from clinical studies reveals that virtual reality training improves the neurological function of patients with spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy and other neurological impairments. These findings suggest that virtual reality training can activate the cerebral cortex and improve the spatial orientation capacity of patients, thus facilitating the cortex to control balance and increase motion function.
基金supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government,No.2009-0064682
文摘We performed functional MRI examinations in six right-handed healthy subjects.During functional MRI scanning,transcranial direct current stimulation was delivered with the anode over the right primary sensorimotor cortex and the cathode over the left primary sensorimotor cortex using dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.This was compared to a cathode over the left supraorbital area using conventional single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation. Voxel counts and blood oxygenation level-dependent signal intensities in the right primary sensorimotor cortex regions were estimated and compared between the two transcranial direct current stimulation conditions.Our results showed that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation induced greater cortical activities than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.These findings suggest that dual-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation may provide more effective cortical stimulation than single-hemispheric transcranial direct current stimulation.
文摘目的采用低频振幅(amplitude of low frequency fluctuation,ALFF)与功能连接(functional connectivity,FC)相结合的方法,研究原发性甲状腺功能亢进患者静息状态下脑功能改变。材料与方法 12名未经治疗的甲亢患者为病例组,12名自愿接受扫描的健康人(年龄、性别无显著性差异)为对照组。采集所有被试静息态f MRI数据,采用REST及DPARSF软件分析原始数据,得出全脑ALFF,利用双样本t检验的方法比较病例组和对照组ALFF的变化,并以两组间ALFF值有显著性差异的脑区为感兴趣区(regions of interest,ROI)校正后行FC分析。结果与对照组相比,甲亢患者在双侧尾状核及双侧丘脑ALFF值降低(P<0.001)。以上脑区的ALFF值均未发现与T3、T4有显著相关性(P>0.05)。FC分析显示,左侧丘脑与双侧感觉运动区(包括中央前回、中央后回)FC增强(P<0.001);右侧丘脑与右侧中央前回及中央后回连接增强(P<0.001)。结论甲亢患者双侧丘脑的局部活动及其与大脑感觉运动网络的FC模式存在异常,增强的FC可能与代谢损伤所导致运动机能受损而使甲状腺功能异常患者有更强的功能需求有关。
