RESUMO
Background and objectives: This case report investigates the application of intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation (iTBS) in aphasia rehabilitation following a right hemisphere stroke. Case presentation: A 52-year-old Chinese male with Broca's aphasia post-stroke was treated with iTBS. His progress was evaluated using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and behavioral assessments. Significant language function improvement was noted, with fNIRS showing increased activation in right hemisphere language-related cortical areas and altered functional connectivity patterns. Conclusion: The findings indicate that iTBS is effective in facilitating language recovery in right hemisphere stroke-induced aphasia, highlighting the importance of personalized neurorehabilitation strategies. Despite focusing on a single case, the study contributes to understanding neural plasticity mechanisms in right hemisphere stroke-induced aphasia.
RESUMO
Exposure to social stress and dysregulated serotonergic neurotransmission have both been implicated in the etiology of psychiatric disorders. However, the serotonergic circuit involved in stress vulnerability is still unknown. Here, we explored whether a serotonergic input from the dorsal raphe (DR) to ventral tegmental area (VTA) influences vulnerability to social stress. We identified a distinct, anatomically and functionally defined serotonergic subpopulation in the DR that projects to the VTA (5-HTDRâVTA neurons). Moreover, we found that susceptibility to social stress decreased the firing activity of 5-HTDRâVTA neurons. Importantly, the bidirectional manipulation of 5-HTDRâVTA neurons could modulate susceptibility to social stress. Our findings reveal that the activity of 5-HTDRâVTA neurons may be an essential factor in determining individual levels of susceptibility to social stress and suggest that targeting specific serotonergic circuits may aid the development of therapies for the treatment of stress-related disorders.