Impact of transcranial electrical stimulation on serum neurotrophic factors and language function in patients with speech disorders

BACKGROUND Speech disorders have a substantial impact on communication abilities and quality of life.Traditional treatments such as speech and psychological therapies frequently demonstrate limited effectiveness and patient compliance.Transcranial electrical stimulation(TES)has emerged as a promising non-invasive treatment to improve neurological functions.However,its effectiveness in enhancing language functions and serum neurofactor levels in individuals with speech disorders requires further investigation.AIM To investigate the impact of TES in conjunction with standard therapies on serum neurotrophic factor levels and language function in patients with speech disorders.METHODS In a controlled study spanning from March 2019 to November 2021,81 patients with speech disorders were divided into a control group(n=40)receiving standard speech stimulation and psychological intervention,and an observation group(n=41)receiving additional TES.The study assessed serum levels of ciliary neurotrophic factor(CNTF),glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor(GDNF),brainderived neurotrophic factor(BDNF),and nerve growth factor(NGF),as well as evaluations of motor function,language function,and development quotient scores.RESULTS After 3 wk of intervention,the observation group exhibited significantly higher serum levels of CNTF,GDNF,BDNF,and NGF compared to the control group.Moreover,improvements were noted in motor function,cognitive function,language skills,physical abilities,and overall development quotient scores.It is worth mentioning that the observation group also displayed superior perfor CONCLUSION This retrospective study concluded that TES combined with traditional speech and psychotherapy can effectively increase the levels of neurokines in the blood and enhance language function in patients with speech disorders.These results provide a promising avenue for integrating TES into standard treatment methods for speech disorders.

Rebuilding motor function of the spinal cord based on functional electrical stimulation

Rebuilding the damaged motor function caused by spinal cord injury is one of the most serious challenges in clinical neuroscience.The function of the neural pathway under the damaged sites can be rebuilt using functional electrical stimulation technology.In this study,the locations of motor function sites in the lumbosacral spinal cord were determined with functional electrical stimulation technology.A three-dimensional map of the lumbosacral spinal cord comprising the relationship between the motor function sites and the corresponding muscle was drawn.Based on the individual experimental parameters and normalized coordinates of the motor function sites,the motor function sites that control a certain muscle were calculated.Phasing pulse sequences were delivered to the determined motor function sites in the spinal cord and hip extension,hip flexion,ankle plantarflexion,and ankle dorsiflexion movements were successfully achieved.The results show that the map of the spinal cord motor function sites was valid.This map can provide guidance for the selection of electrical stimulation sites during the rebuilding of motor function after spinal cord injury.

Influence of spinal cord injury on core regions of motor function

Functional electrical stimulation is an effective way to rebuild hindlimb motor function after spinal cord injury.However,no site map exists to serve as a reference for implanting stimulator electrodes.In this study,rat models of thoracic spinal nerve 9 contusion were established by a heavy-impact method and rat models of T6/8/9 spinal cord injury were established by a transection method.Intraspinal microstimulation was performed to record motion types,site coordinates,and threshold currents induced by stimulation.After transection(complete injury),the core region of hip flexion migrated from the T13 to T12 vertebral segment,and the core region of hip extension migrated from the L1 to T13 vertebral segment.Migration was affected by post-transection time,but not transection segment.Moreover,the longer the post-transection time,the longer the distance of migration.This study provides a reference for spinal electrode implantation after spinal cord injury.This study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Nantong University,China(approval No.20190225-008)on February 26,2019.

Protective effect and mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 on H2O2 induced hippocampal neurons aging due to down-regulate NOX2 mediated NLRP1 inflammasome activation in vitro

OBJECTIVE To explore the protective effects and mechanisms of Ginsenoside Rg1(Rg1) on H_2O_2-induced hippocampal neurons aging in vitro.METHODS The primary culture hippo.campal neurons(7 d) were randomly placed into six groups:normal control group,H_2O_2(200 μM) treat.ment group,and H_2O_2+Rg1(1,5 and 10μM) groups.The neurons were with Rg1(1,5 and 10 μmol·L^(-1))for 6 h.H_2O_2(200 μmol · L-1) was added to the medium and incubate for 18 h.The Dihydroethidium(DHE) staining was performed for ROS production assessment.The LDH release and Hoechst 33258 were performed to examine the neuronal damage and apoptosis.The immunoblot was used to deter.mine the expression of β-Gal,NOX2,p22 phox,p47 phox,NLRP-1,ASC and Caspase-1 in hippocampal neurons.The ELISA was performed to detect the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 released in the supernatant in hippocampal neurons.RESULTS Rg1(5 and 10 μmol·L^(-1)) significantly reduced the ROS production,attenuated H_2O_2-induced neuronal damage and apoptosis(P<0.05,P<0.01).The immunoblot results showed that Rg1(5 and 10 μmol·L^(-1)) treatment significantly decreased the expression of β-Gal,NOX2,p22 phox,p47 phox,NLRP-1,ASC and Caspase-1 in hippocampal neurons(P<0.05,P<0.01).Additionally,Rg1(5 and 10 μmol·L^(-1)) treatment significantly decreased IL-1β and IL-18 release in the supernatant.CONCLUSION The protective effect of Rg1 in H_2O_2-induced hippocampal neurons aging may be due to inhibit NOX2-NLRP1 activation.

Computer aided diabetic retinopathy detection based on ophthalmic photography: a systematic review and Meta-analysis

AIM: To ensure the diagnostic value of computer aided techniques in diabetic retinopathy(DR) detection based on ophthalmic photography(OP). METHODS: PubM ed, EMBASE, Ei village, IEEE Xplore and Cochrane Library database were searched systematically for literatures about computer aided detection(CAD) in DR detection. The methodological quality of included studies was appraised by the Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies(QUADAS-2). Meta-Di Sc was utilized and a random effects model was plotted to summarize data from those included studies. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves were selected to estimate the overall test performance. Subgroup analysis was used to identify the efficiency of CAD in detecting DR, exudates(EXs), microaneurysms(MAs) as well as hemorrhages(HMs), and neovascularizations(NVs). Publication bias was analyzed using STATA. RESULTS: Fourteen articles were finally included in this Meta-analysis after literature review. Pooled sensitivity and specificity were 90%(95%CI, 85%-94%) and 90%(95%CI, 80%-96%) respectively for CAD in DR detection. With regard to CAD in EXs detecting, pooled sensitivity, specificity were 89%(95%CI, 88%-90%) and99%(95%CI, 99%-99%) respectively. In aspect of MAs and HMs detection, pooled sensitivity and specificity of CAD were 42%(95%CI, 41%-44%) and 93%(95%CI, 93%-93%) respectively. Besides, pooled sensitivity and specificity were 94%(95%CI, 89%-97%) and 87%(95%CI, 83%-90%) respectively for CAD in NVs detection. No potential publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: CAD demonstrates overall high diagnostic accuracy for detecting DR and pathological lesions based on OP. Further prospective clinical trials are needed to prove such effect.

Effect of auricular plaster for primary hypertension in older people:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Hypertension is a critical public health problem globally.Antihypertensive drugs can create an extra burden on hypertension patients'self-regulation leading to an imbalance of blood supply and demand.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of auricular plaster therapy combined with western medicine to treat primary hypertension in older people.AIM To carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis for the effect of auricular plaster in elderly hypertension patients.METHODS Multiple databases like PubMed,EMBASE,Cochrane Library,Chinese Biomedical Literature on Disc,China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wan Fang and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database were used to search for the relevant studies and full-text articles involved in the evaluation of auricular plaster combined with western medicine and western medicine alone for primary hypertension in older people.All included articles were quality assessed and the data analysis was conducted with the Review Manager(5.4).Forest plots,sensitivity analysis and funnel plots were also performed on the included articles.RESULTS In this analysis,fourteen(14)relevant studies were included.The Meta-analysis showed a significant difference in the effective ratio(OR=3.62;95%CI,2.46 to 5.33;P<0.00001),diastolic blood pressure change(5.68 mmHg;95%CI,3.49 to 7.87;P<0.00001),systolic blood pressure change(MD=8.78 mmHg;95%CI,5.04 to 12.53;P<0.00001)and symptom score(MD=3.20;95%CI,1.23 to 5.18;P=0.001)between auricular plaster combined with western medicine group and western medicine alone group.One bias was detected as selection bias and another two in reporting bias.Sensitivity analysis fulfilled the stability of the results.CONCLUSION Our study suggested that auricular plaster combined with western medicine improved primary hypertension better than western medicine alone.Limited by the quality of included studies,further studies should be performed to confirm our findings.

Yang xin shi tablet enhances adaptability to exercise training by relieving statin-induced skeletal muscle injury

To the Editor:Widely used statins lower the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.However,statin-associated skeletal muscle complaints hinder their clinical application to some extent.Yang xin shi tablet(YXST),a traditional Chinese medicine formula,can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients with cardiovascular diseases when combined with conventional drugs.However,the synergistic effects of YXST combined with a statin and the potential mechanisms remain unknown.Hence,exploring the effects and mechanisms of YXST in improving statin-induced muscle injury can be beneficial for the exercise rehabilitation and prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease.