Resuscitation therapy for traumatic brain injuryinduced coma in rats:mechanisms of median nerve electrical stimulation

In this study, rats were put into traumatic brain injury-induced coma and treated with median nerve electrical stimulation. We explored the wake-promoting effect, and possible mechanisms, of median nerve electrical stimulation. Electrical stimulation upregulated the expression levels of orexin-A and its receptor OX1R in the rat prefrontal cortex. Orexin-A expression gradually in-creased with increasing stimulation, while OX1R expression reached a peak at 12 hours and then decreased. In addition, after the OX1R antagonist, SB334867, was injected into the brain of rats after traumatic brain injury, fewer rats were restored to consciousness, and orexin-A and OXIR expression in the prefrontal cortex was downregulated. Our ifndings indicate that median nerve electrical stimulation induced an up-regulation of orexin-A and OX1R expression in the pre-frontal cortex of traumatic brain injury-induced coma rats, which may be a potential mechanism involved in the wake-promoting effects of median nerve electrical stimulation.

An ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation regimen devised using finite element modeling promotes functional recovery after median nerve transection

Percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of an injured nerve can promote and accelerate peripheral nerve regeneration and improve function.When performing acupuncture and moxibustion,locating the injured nerve using ultrasound before percutaneous nerve stimulation can help prevent further injury to an already injured nerve.However,stimulation parameters have not been standardized.In this study,we constructed a multi-layer human forearm model using finite element modeling.Taking current density and activated function as optimization indicators,the optimal percutaneous nerve stimulation parameters were established.The optimal parameters were parallel placement located 3 cm apart with the injury site at the midpoint between the needles.To validate the efficacy of this regimen,we performed a randomized controlled trial in 23 patients with median nerve transection who underwent neurorrhaphy.Patients who received conventional rehabilitation combined with percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation experienced greater improvement in sensory function,motor function,and grip strength than those who received conventional rehabilitation combined with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.These findings suggest that the percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation regimen established in this study can improve global median nerve function in patients with median nerve transection.

A randomized trial comparing the Tennant Biomodulator to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and traditional Chinese acupuncture for the treatment of chronic pain in military service members

Background:The present investigation tested the efficacy of the Tennant Biomodulator,a novel pain management intervention that uses biofeedback-modulated electrical stimulation,to reduce chronic pain and its psychosocial sequelae in a sample of current and former military service members.The Tennant Biomodulator used on its most basic setting was compared to two commonly used,non-pharmacological pain treatments—traditional Chinese acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS)—in a comparative efficacy,randomized,open-label trial.Methods:Participants included 100 active duty and retired service men and women with chronic pain undergoing treatment at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas,USA,randomly assigned to receive six,weekly sessions of either Tennant Biomodulator treatment,traditional Chinese acupuncture,or TENS,in addition to usual care.Recruitment was conducted between May 2010 to September 2013.Outcome measures were collected at intake,before and after each treatment session,and at a 1-month follow-up.Intent-to-treat analyses were used throughout,with mixed models used to investigate main effects of group,time,and group×time interactions with consideration given to quadratic effects.Outcomes measured included ratings of chronic pain,pain-related functional disability,and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)and depression.Results:On average,regardless of their treatment group,participants exhibited a 16%reduction in pain measured by the Brooke Army Medical Center’s Clinic Pain Log[F(1,335)=55.7,P<0.0001]and an 11%reduction in pain-related disability measured by the Million Visual Analog Scale[MVAS:F(1,84)=28.3,P<0.0001]from baseline to the end of treatment,but no one treatment performed better than the other,and the reductions in pain and pain-related disability were largely lost by 1-month follow-up.Symptoms of PTSD and depression did not change significantly as a function of time or group.Conclusions:Findings build on previous work suggesting that traditional Chinese acupuncture and TENS can reduce pain and its functional sequelae without risks associated with pharmacological pain management.The Tennant Biomodulator used on its most basic setting performs as well as these other interventions.Based on the present findings,large,randomized controlled trials on the Tennant Biomodulator are indicated.Future work should test this device using its full range of settings for pain-related psychological health.Trial registration:Clincialtrials.gov(NCT01752010);registered December 14,2012.

Pulsed electrical stimulation protects neurons in the dorsal root and anterior horn of the spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury

Most studies on peripheral nerve injury have focused on repair at the site of injury, but very few have examined the effects of repair strategies on the more proximal neuronal cell bodies. In this study, an approximately 10-mm-long nerve segment from the ischial tuberosity in the rat was transected and its proximal and distal ends were inverted and sutured. The spinal cord was subjected to pulsed electrical stimulation at T10 and L3, at a current of 6.5 m A and a stimulation frequency of 15 Hz, 15 minutes per session, twice a day for 56 days. After pulsed electrical stimulation, the number of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion and anterior horn was increased in rats with sciatic nerve injury. The number of myelinated nerve fibers was increased in the sciatic nerve. The ultrastructure of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord was noticeably improved. Conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve was also increased. These results show that pulsed electrical stimulation protects sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia as well as motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury, and that it promotes the regeneration of peripheral nerve fibers.

Electrical stimulation of dog pudendal nerve regulates the excitatory pudendal-to-bladder reflex

Pudendal nerve plays an important role in urine storage and voiding.Our hypothesis is that a neuroprosthetic device placed in the pudendal nerve trunk can modulate bladder function after suprasacral spinal cord injury.We had confirmed the inhibitory pudendal-to-bladder reflex by stimulating either the branch or the trunk of the pudendal nerve.This study explored the excitatory pudendal-to-bladder reflex in beagle dogs,with intact or injured spinal cord,by electrical stimulation of the pudendal nerve trunk.The optimal stimulation frequency was approximately 15–25 Hz.This excitatory effect was dependent to some extent on the bladder volume.We conclude that stimulation of the pudendal nerve trunk is a promising method to modulate bladder function.

Real-time and wearable functional electrical stimulation system for volitional hand motor function control using the electromyography bridge method

Voluntary participation of hemiplegic patients is crucial for functional electrical stimulation therapy.A wearable functional electrical stimulation system has been proposed for real-time volitional hand motor function control using the electromyography bridge method.Through a series of novel design concepts,including the integration of a detecting circuit and an analog-to-digital converter,a miniaturized functional electrical stimulation circuit technique,a low-power super-regeneration chip for wireless receiving,and two wearable armbands,a prototype system has been established with reduced size,power,and overall cost.Based on wrist joint torque reproduction and classification experiments performed on six healthy subjects,the optimized surface electromyography thresholds and trained logistic regression classifier parameters were statistically chosen to establish wrist and hand motion control with high accuracy.Test results showed that wrist flexion/extension,hand grasp,and finger extension could be reproduced with high accuracy and low latency.This system can build a bridge of information transmission between healthy limbs and paralyzed limbs,effectively improve voluntary participation of hemiplegic patients,and elevate efficiency of rehabilitation training.

Non-invasive transcutaneous electrical stimulation in the treatment of overactive bladder

We reviewed the literature on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS)used as a therapy for overactive bladder(OAB)symptoms,with a particular focus on:stimulation site,stimuli parameters,neural structures thought to be targeted,and the clinical and urodynamic outcomes achieved.The majority of studies used sacral or tibial nerve stimulation.The literature suggests that,whilst TENS therapy may have neuromodulation effects,patient are unlikely to benefit to a significant extent from a single application of TENS and indeed clear benefits from acute studies have not been reported.In long-term studies there were differences in the descriptions of stimulation intensity,strategy of the therapy,and positioning of the electrodes,as well as in the various symptoms and pathology of the patients.Additionally,most studies were uncontrolled and hence did not evaluate the placebo effect.Little is known about the underlying mechanism by which these therapies work and therefore exactly which structures need to be stimulated,and with what parameters.There is promising evidence for the efficacy of a transcutaneous stimulation approach,but adequate standardisation of stimulation criteria and outcome measures will be necessary to define the best way to administer this therapy and document its efficacy.

Effect of low-frequency pulse percutaneous electric stimulation on peripheral nerve injuries at different sites

BACKGROUND： The postoperative recovery of nerve function in patients with peripheral nerve injury is always an important problem to solve after treatment. The electric stimulation induced electromagnetic field can nourish nerve, postpone muscular atrophy, and help the postoperative neuromuscular function. OBJECTIVE： To observe the effects of low-frequency pulse percutaneous electric stimulation on the functional recovery of postoperative patients with peripheral nerve injury, and quantitatively evaluate the results of electromyogram （EMG） examination before and after treatment. DESIGN ： A retrospective case analysis SETTING： The Sixth People＇s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University PARTICIPANTS： Nineteen postoperative inpatients with peripheral nerve injury were selected from the De- partment of Orthopaedics, the Sixth People＇s Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University from June 2005 to January 2006, including 13 males and 6 females aged 24-62 years with an average of 36 years old. There were 3 cases of brachial plexus nerve injury, 3 of median nerve injury, 7 of radial nerve injury, 3 of ul- nar nerve injury and 3 of common peroneal nerve injury, and all the patients received probing nerve fiber restoration. Their main preoperative manifestations were dennervation, pain in limbs, motor and sensory disturbances. All the 19 patients were informed with the therapeutic program and items for evaluation. METHODS： ① Low-frequency pulse percutaneous electric stimulation apparatus： The patients were given electric stimulation with the TERESA cantata instrument （TERESA-0, Shanghai Teresa Health Technology, Co., Ltd.）. The patients were stimulated with symmetric square waves of 1-111 Hz, and the intensity was 1.2-5.0 mA, and it was gradually adjusted according to the recovered conditions of neural regeneration following the principle that the intensity was strong enough and the patients felt no obvious upset. They were treated for 4- 24 weeks, 10-30 minutes for each time, 1-3 times a day, and 6 weeks as a course. ② EMG examination was applied to evaluate the recoveries of recruitment, motor conduction velocity （MCV） and sensory conduction velocity （SCV） before and after treatment. The patients were examined with the EMG apparatus （DIS- A2000C, Danmark） before and after the treatment of percutaneous electric stimulation. ③Standards for evaluating the effects included cured （complete recovery of motor functions, muscle strength of grade 5, no abnormality in EMG examination）, obviously effective [general recovery of motor function, muscle strength of grade 4, no or a few denervation potentials, motor conduction velocity （MCV） and sensory conduction velocity （SCV）], improved （partial recovery of motor function, muscle strength of grade 3, denervation potentials and reinneration potentials, slowed MCV and SCV, invalid （no obvious changes of motor function）. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： ① Ameliorated degree of the nerve function of the postoperative patients with peripheral nerve injury treated with percutaneous electric stimulation; ② Changes of EMG examination before and after treatment. RESULTS： All the 19 postoperative patients with peripheral nerve injury were involved in the analysis of results. ① Comparison of nerve function before and after treatment in 19 patients with peripheral nerve injury of different sites： For the patients with radial nerve injury （n=7）, the nerve functions all completely recovered after 8-week treatment, and the cured and obvious rate was 100% （7/7）; For the patients with brachial plexus nerve injury （n=3）, 1 case had no obvious improvement, and the cured and obvious rate was 67% （2/3）; For the patients with common peroneal nerve injury （n=3）, the extension of foot dorsum generally recovered in 1 case of nerve contusion after 4-week treatment, and the cured and obvious rate was 67% （2/3）; For the patients with median nerve injury （n=3）, muscle strength was obviously recovered, and the cured and obvious rate was 100% （3/3）; For the patients with ulnar nerve injury （n=3）, 1 case only had recovery of partial senses, and the cured and obvious rate was 67% （2/3）. Totally 9 cases were cured, 7 were obviously effective, 1 was improved, and only 2 were invalid. After 4 courses, the cured rate of damaged nerve function after four courses was 47% （9/19）, and effective rate was 89% （17/19）.② Comparison of EMG examination before and after treatment： Before and after percutaneous electric stimulation, he effective rates of recruitment, MCV and SCV were 89% （17/19）, 58% （11/19）, 47% （9/19） respectively, and there were extremely obvious differences （P〈 0.01）. CONCLUSION： ①Low-frequency pulse percutaneous electric stimulation can improve the nerve function of postoperative patients with peripheral nerve injury of different sites, especially that the injuries of radial nerve and median nerve recover more obviously. ②Percutaneous electric stimulation can ameliorate the indexes of EMG examination, especially the recruitment, in postoperative patients with peripheral nerve injury.

A Spiral History of the Development of Ways to Identify the Correct Position of the Injection Needle in Relation to the Peripheral Nerve: A Brief Historical Essay

The first way to identify the needle in relation to the peripheral nerve W. Halsted and R. Hall in 1884 performed the first regional blockade (using direct visualization). However, Vassily von Anrep was a few months earlier described the blockade of the peripheral nerve by anatomical landmarks. In 1912, the blockade of the brachial plexus was first performed using electrical stimulation, but this technique has been widely used only since 1962. The most popular way to identify the needle relative to the nerve at the moment remains US guidance. A promising direction may be optical coherence tomography. But this method is under development. In the last decade, a method for determining the pressure of a local anesthetic has been introduced into practice to determine the position of the needle relative to the nerve.

Non-invasive stimulation techniques to relieve abdominal/pelvic pain: Is more always better?

Chronic abdominal and pelvic pain is a common condition that has significant impact on quality of life,and causes billions of dollars in direct and indirect costs.Emerging data suggest that transcranial direct current stimulation(t DCS),alone or in combination with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS),could be a promising therapeutic avenue to reduce chronic pain.The encouraging results coming from these studies prompted us to try combining TENS and t DCS in 4 of our patients who suffered from chronic abdominal/pelvic pain and to compare the effect with 5other patients who received TENS alone.Pain intensity was assessed with a visual analog scale before,during and after the stimulation.We observed that there was a slight decrease in pain which was similar in both patient groups(TENS alone and TENS combined with t DCS).These observations suggest that combining TENS and t DCS in patients suffering from chronic pelvic and/or abdominal pain produces no additional benefit,compared to TENS alone.Future studies,looking at the effect of several/consecutive TENS and t DCS sessions should be conducted.

Delayed peripheral nerve repair: methods, including surgical ‘cross-bridging' to promote nerve regeneration

Despite the capacity of Schwann cells to support peripheral nerve regeneration, functional recovery after nerve injuries is frequently poor, especially for proximal injuries that require regenerating axons to grow over long distances to reinnervate distal targets. Nerve transfers, where small fascicles from an adjacent intact nerve are coapted to the nerve stump of a nearby denervated muscle, allow for functional return but at the expense of reduced numbers of innervating nerves. A 1-hour period of 20 Hz electrical nerve stimulation via electrodes proximal to an injury site accelerates axon outgrowth to hasten target reinnervation in rats and humans, even after delayed surgery. A novel strategy of enticing donor axons from an otherwise intact nerve to grow through small nerve grafts（cross-bridges） into a denervated nerve stump, promotes improved axon regeneration after delayed nerve repair. The efficacy of this technique has been demonstrated in a rat model and is now in clinical use in patients undergoing cross-face nerve grafting for facial paralysis. In conclusion, brief electrical stimulation, combined with the surgical technique of promoting the regeneration of some donor axons to ‘protect＇ chronically denervated Schwa nn cells, improves nerve regeneration and, in turn, functional outcomes in the management of peripheral nerve injuries.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Acupoints Relieves Labor Pain:A Non-randomized Controlled Study

Objective：To investigate the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation（TENS）on four specific acupuncture points Hegu（LI4）,Neiguan（PC6）,Danshu（BL19）and Weishu（BL21）for reducing pain in labor.Methods：A total of 160 voluntary nulliparous women who were willing to receive TENS for analgesia were assigned to the treatment group after cervical dilation of more than 2 cm.Another 145 matched nullipara were recruited as the control group.Visual analogue scale（VAS）was used to assess the pain before and 0.5 h after the application of TENS.Then,VAS was assessed every one hour until delivery.Percentage of VAS score decreased by〉25%was the primary outcome,the delivery mode and neonatal outcome were measured as secondary outcomes.Adverse reactions were also recorded during TENS.Results：The percentage of VAS score decreased by〉25%was 68.6%in the TENS treatment group.Maternal delivery mode and neonatal outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups.In addition,the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage in the TENS treatment group was less than the control group（P〈0.05）.There was no adverse reaction recorded with TENS on acupoints.Conclusion：As a novel and non-invasive approach,TENS on specific acupoints including Hegu（LI4）,Neiguan（PC6）,Danshu（BL19）and Weishu（BL21）was an effective method for analgesia in labor.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation through acupoints of Pucan (BL 61) and Shenmai (BL 62) on intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma： a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation （TENS） through acupoints on the intraocular pressure （lOP） in patients with glaucoma. METHODS： A single-blinded, randomized experimental design study was conducted. Patients from the North of Taipei Ophthalmology outpatient department diagnosed with intraocular hypertension were selected and were further enrolled if they met the research subject criteria. The patients who met all criteria, and who met no exclusion criteria became the participants. Participants were randomly assigned into the treated group, wherein the TENS electrodes （Qing Ming Medical Device Co., Ltd., New Taipei City, China） were applied with direct current （DC） on the acupoints Pucan （BL 61） and Shenmai （BL 62） for 20 min. The control group received no TENS electrode treatments. Measurements of lOP were taken four times using a pneumotonometer （Clinico Co., Ltd., New Taipei City, China）, before, immediately after, 30 min after, and 60 min after TENS electrode treatments. RESULTS： Eighty-two participants completed the experiment, lOP decreased more in the group treated with DC （P 〈 0.01） than in the control group.The lOPs were not affected by the age of the patients and their usage of medications. CONCLUSION： TENS of acupoints of Pucan （BL 61） and Shenmai （BL 62） could significantly reduce the lOP in patients with glaucoma.

Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation at acupoints on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus:a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE:To examine whether transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation at acupoints(Acu-TENS)improved the biochemical and physical indices of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).METHODS:Ninety subjects with T2DM were divided randomly into a control group(n = 30),aerobic exercise group(n- 30),or Acu-TENS group(n = 30).In addition to conventional diabetes drug treatment,patients in the Acu-TENS group received acupoint stimulation,the aerobic exercise group engaged in walking exercises,and the control group was given sham electrical stimulation.All groups were treated for 30 min for each session and five times a week for 2 months.The indices of glycosylated hemoglobin,2 h postprandial glucose,fasting serum insulin,triglyceride,total cholesterol,and body mass index were assessed at pre-treatment,post-treatment,and follow-up,which was 2 months after treatment.RESULTS:The indices of the control group were not changed(P > 0.05) at the three time points.At the pre-treatment measurement,there were significant differences(P > 0.05) in indices among the three groups.At post-treatment,each index of the two groups was lower than that of the control group(P < 0.05),and improved in comparison with the pre-treatment measurement(P < 0.05).In follow-up,each index of the aerobic exercise group and Acu-TENS group increased,but was still decreased compared with the pre-treatment value(P < 0.05),excluding body mass index.CONCLUSION:Acu-TENS could improve the state of patients with T2 DM and be used as a therapy in clinical application.

Effect of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on labor pain in nulliparous women:a randomized controlled trial

Objective To examine the effect of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(ACUTENS)on labor pain in nulliparous women.Methods This randomized clinical trial was conducted at Razi Hospital in Qazvin,Iran between January and July 2018.After the screening process,144 out of 184 pregnant women were selected by convenience sampling and assigned to an intervention group or a control group by the block randomization method.The intervention group received ACUTENS at Hegu(LI4),Shenmen(HT7),Sanyinjiao(SP6),and Neimadian(Extra)during various stages of delivery in addition to routine labor care at the delivery room.For the control group,the same routine labor care was performed alone.The severity of pain was assessed in the two groups using the visual analog scale(VAS).The data were analyzed using R software(ver.4.0.2)and repeated measurement analysis of variance.Results ACUTENS reduced the mean score of pain intensity in the first stage of labor in the intervention group more than that in the control group(P<0.001).Also,the mean scores of pain intensity in the second stage of labor,episiotomy,and one hour after delivery in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.001).Conclusion ACUTENS at Hegu(LI4),Shenmen(HT7),Sanyinjiao(SP6),and Neimadian(Extra)can decrease the intensity of labor pain in nulliparous women.It can be used as a non-pharmacological method for reducing pain in and after labor.

TRANSCUTANEOUS ELECTRICAL NERVE STIMULATION FOR TREATMENT OF SPINAL SPASTICITY

Thirty-two patients with spinally originated muscle spasticity were treated with a transcutaneous electrical nerve

Neural Firing Mechanism Underlying Two-Electrode Discrimination by 3D Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Computational Model

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) has been widely used for sensory feedback which is a key consideration of improving the performance of prosthetic hands. Two-electrode discriminability is the key to realize high-spatial-resolution TENS, but the neural firing mechanism is not clear yet. The goal of this research is to investigate the neural firing patterns under two-electrode stimulation and to reveal the potential mechanisms. A three-dimensional(3 D) model is established by incorporating Aβ fiber neuron clusters into a layered forearm structure. The diameters of the stimulating electrodes are selected as 5, 7, 9 and 12 mm, and the two-electrode discrimination distance(TEDD) is quantified. It is found that a distant TEDD is obtained for a relatively large electrode size, and 7 mm is suggested to be the optimal diameter of stimulating electrodes. The present study reveals the neural firing patterns under two-electrode stimulation by the 3 D TENS model. In order to discriminate individual electrodes under simultaneous stimulation, no crosstalk of activated Aβ fibers exists between two electrodes. This research can further guide the optimization of the electrode-array floorplan.

Overview of reported transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation effects on pain mediators

Literatures on pain intervention with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation(TEAS)were collected by searching the databases both in Chinese and English,and summarized to understand the research progress of TEAS effects on pain mediators in recent years.This will provide a more objective and scientific theoretical basis for clinical practice of TEAS to treat pain syndrome,thus promoting the clinical application of TEAS.Our literature analysis indicated that TEAS effectively regulated the release levels of various pain factors such as prostaglandin,5-hydroxytryptamine,interleukins,substance P and tumor necrosis factor-αto achieve the analgesic effects by affecting the conduction pathways.TEAS is a safe,non-invasive and effective treatment for pain syndrome.However,further research is necessary due to the lack of rigor of the current clinical trial design.

Efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation(TEAS)for menopausal insomnia and its effect on serum hormone levels

Objective:To explore the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation(TEAS)for menopausal insomnia.Methods:A total of 80 patients with menopausal insomnia were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group,with 40 cases in each group.The patients in the control group received conventional Western medication treatment,and the patients in the observation group received TEAS on the basis of conventional Western medication treatment.The treatment for both groups lasted for 4 weeks.Before and after treatment,Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI)and modified Kupperman scale were evaluated,and the serum levels of estradiol(E2)and follicular stimulating hormone(FSH)were measured.The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after treatment.Results:After treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05);in the control group,the improvement of PSQI score was significant(P<0.05),while the change of modified Kupperman score was insignificant(P>0.05);the PSQI and Kupperman scores in the observation group were significantly improved after treatment(both P<0.05),and there were significant differences between the observation group and the control group in PSQI and Kupperman scores(both P<0.05).After treatment,the serum E2 and FSH levels in the control group were not statistically different from those before treatment(both P>0.05);the serum E2 level was significantly increased(P<0.05),and the FSH level was decreased(P<0.05)in the observation group after treatment,and the between-group differences in serum levels of E2 and FSH were significant(both P<0.05).Conclusion:TEAS plus conventional Western medication in treating menopausal insomnia is effective,and can significantly improve the symptoms of insomnia and menopause,which may be related to the regulation of serum E2 and FSH levels.

Decoding brain responses to pixelized images in the primary visual cortex: implications for visual cortical prostheses

Visual cortical prostheses have the potential to restore partial vision. Still limited by the low-resolution visual percepts provided by visual cortical prostheses, implant wearers can currently only ＂see＂ pixelized images, and how to obtain the specific brain responses to different pixelized images in the primary visual cortex（the implant area） is still unknown. We conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment on normal human participants to investigate the brain activation patterns in response to 18 different pixelized images. There were 100 voxels in the brain activation pattern that were selected from the primary visual cortex, and voxel size was 4 mm × 4 mm × 4 mm. Multi-voxel pattern analysis was used to test if these 18 different brain activation patterns were specific. We chose a Linear Support Vector Machine（LSVM） as the classifier in this study. The results showed that the classification accuracies of different brain activation patterns were significantly above chance level, which suggests that the classifier can successfully distinguish the brain activation patterns. Our results suggest that the specific brain activation patterns to different pixelized images can be obtained in the primary visual cortex using a 4 mm × 4 mm × 4 mm voxel size and a 100-voxel pattern.