ANKRD11 pathogenic variants and 16q24.3 microdeletions share an altered DNA methylation signature in patients with KBG syndrome.

Pathogenic variants in ANKRD11 or microdeletions at 16q24.3 are the cause of KBG syndrome (KBGS), a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, dental and skeletal anomalies, and characteristic facies. The ANKRD11 gene encodes the ankyrin repeat-containing protein 11A transcriptional regulator, which is expressed in the brain and implicated in neural development. Syndromic conditions caused by pathogenic variants in epigenetic regulatory genes show unique patterns of DNA methylation (DNAm) in peripheral blood, termed DNAm signatures. Given ANKRD11's role in chromatin modification, we tested whether pathogenic ANKRD11 variants underlying KBGS are associated with a DNAm signature. We profiled whole-blood DNAm in 21 individuals with ANKRD11 variants, 2 individuals with microdeletions at 16q24.3 and 28 typically developing individuals, using Illumina's Infinium EPIC array. We identified 95 differentially methylated CpG sites that distinguished individuals with KBGS and pathogenic variants in ANKRD11 (n = 14) from typically developing controls (n = 28). This DNAm signature was then validated in an independent cohort of seven individuals with KBGS and pathogenic ANKRD11 variants. We generated a machine learning model from the KBGS DNAm signature and classified the DNAm profiles of four individuals with variants of uncertain significance (VUS) in ANKRD11. We identified an intermediate classification score for an inherited missense variant transmitted from a clinically unaffected mother to her affected child. In conclusion, we show that the DNAm profiles of two individuals with 16q24.3 microdeletions were indistinguishable from the DNAm profiles of individuals with pathogenic variants in ANKRD11, and we demonstrate the diagnostic utility of the new KBGS signature by classifying the DNAm profiles of individuals with VUS in ANKRD11.

Unplanned transfer to acute care during inpatient geriatric rehabilitation: incidence, risk factors, and associated short-term outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Information is scarce on unplanned transfers from geriatric rehabilitation back to acute care despite their potential impact on patients' functional recovery. This study aimed 1) to determine the incidence rate and causes of unplanned transfers; 2) to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients with and without unplanned transfer. METHODS: Consecutive stays (n = 2375) in a tertiary geriatric rehabilitation unit were included. Unplanned transfers to acute care and their causes were analyzed from discharge summaries. Data on patients' socio-demographics, health, functional, and mental status; length of stay; discharge destination; and death, were extracted from the hospital database. Bi- and multi-variable analyses investigated the association between patients' characteristics and unplanned transfers. RESULTS: One in six (16.7%) rehabilitation stays was interrupted by a transfer, most often secondary to infections (19.3%), cardiac (16.8%), abdominal (12.7%), trauma (12.2%), and neurological problems (9.4%). Older patients (AdjORage≥85: 0.70; 95%CI: 0. 53-0.94, P = .016), and those admitted for gait disorders (AdjOR: 0.73; 95%CI: 0.53-0.99, P = .046) had lower odds of transfer to acute care. In contrast, men (AdjOR: 1.71; 95%CI: 1.29-2.26, P < .001), patients with more severe disease (AdjORCIRS: 1.05; 95%CI: 1.02-1.07, P < .001), functional impairment before (AdjOR: 1.69; 95%CI: 1.05-2.70, P = .029) and at rehabilitation admission (AdjOR: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.56- 2.76, P < .001) had higher odds of transfer. Transferred patients were significantly more likely to die than those without transfer (AdjOR 13.78; 95%CI: 6.46-29.42, P < .001) during their stay, but those surviving had similar functional performance and rate of home discharge at the end of the stay. CONCLUSION: A significant minority of patients experienced an unplanned transfer that potentially interfered with their rehabilitation and was associated with poorer outcomes. Men, patients with more severe disease and functional impairment appear at increased risk. Further studies should investigate whether interventions targeting these patients may prevent unplanned transfers and modify associated adverse outcomes.

A randomised trial of anti-GM-CSF otilimab in severe COVID-19 pneumonia (OSCAR).

BACKGROUND: Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and dysregulated myeloid cell responses are implicated in the pathophysiology and severity of COVID-19. METHODS: In this randomised, sequential, multicentre, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, adults aged 18-79 years (Part 1) or ≥70 years (Part 2) with severe COVID-19, respiratory failure and systemic inflammation (elevated C-reactive protein/ferritin) received a single intravenous infusion of otilimab 90 mg (human anti-GM-CSF monoclonal antibody) plus standard care (NCT04376684). The primary outcome was the proportion of patients alive and free of respiratory failure at Day 28. RESULTS: In Part 1 (n=806 randomised 1:1 otilimab:placebo), 71% of otilimab-treated patients were alive and free of respiratory failure at Day 28 versus 67% who received placebo; the model-adjusted difference of 5.3% was not statistically significant (95% CI -0.8-11.4%, p=0.09). A nominally significant model-adjusted difference of 19.1% (95% CI 5.2-33.1%, p=0.009) was observed in the predefined 70-79 years subgroup, but this was not confirmed in Part 2 (n=350 randomised) where the model-adjusted difference was 0.9% (95% CI -9.3-11.2%, p=0.86). Compared with placebo, otilimab resulted in lower serum concentrations of key inflammatory markers, including the putative pharmacodynamic biomarker CC chemokine ligand 17, indicative of GM-CSF pathway blockade. Adverse events were comparable between groups and consistent with severe COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients alive and free of respiratory failure at Day 28. However, despite the lack of clinical benefit, a reduction in inflammatory markers was observed with otilimab, in addition to an acceptable safety profile.

Extending AAV Packaging Cargo through Dual Co-Transduction: Efficient Protein Trans-Splicing at Low Vector Doses.

Adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors represent one of the leading platforms for gene delivery. Nevertheless, their small packaging capacity restricts their use for diseases requiring large-gene delivery. To overcome this, dual-AAV vector systems that rely on protein trans-splicing were developed, with the split-intein Npu DnaE among the most-used. However, the reconstitution efficiency of Npu DnaE is still insufficient, requiring higher vector doses. In this work, two split-inteins, Cfa and Gp41-1, with reportedly superior trans-splicing were evaluated in comparison with Npu DnaE by transient transfections and dual-AAV in vitro co-transductions. Both Cfa and Gp41-1 split-inteins enabled reconstitution rates that were over two-fold higher than Npu DnaE and 100% of protein reconstitution. The impact of different vector preparation qualities in split-intein performances was also evaluated in co-transduction assays. Higher-quality preparations increased split-inteins' performances by three-fold when compared to low-quality preparations (60-75% vs. 20-30% full particles, respectively). Low-quality vector preparations were observed to limit split-gene reconstitutions by inhibiting co-transduction. We show that combining superior split-inteins with higher-quality vector preparations allowed vector doses to be decreased while maintaining high trans-splicing rates. These results show the potential of more-efficient protein-trans-splicing strategies in dual-AAV vector co-transduction, allowing the extension of its use to the delivery of larger therapeutic genes.

Change in Incidence and Epidemiology of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in 2- to 9-Year-olds in Southwest England.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to characterize epidemiology, phenotype, and clinical outcome of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) diagnosed ages 2 to 9 years, and compare age groups 2 to 5 and 6 to 9 years. METHODS: A population-based retrospective cohort study of all <10-year-olds diagnosed with IBD between 2004 and 2017 in Southwest England was performed. Patients were divided into age groups at diagnosis. Demographics, investigations, and phenotype at diagnosis were collected. Treatments and outcomes were analysed at 1, 2, 5, and 10 years follow-up. Poisson regression was used for IBD incidence rate ratios; Wald test for variation by age group; parametric/nonparametric tests for phenotype. RESULTS: There were 666 new paediatric IBD (pIBD) patients ages ≤16 years, from which 136 were 2 to 9 (2-5 years: 32; 6-9 years: 104). Incidence of pIBD increased from 4 to 6 cases per 100,000 whereas in A1a group was stable around 2 cases per 100,000. Crohn Disease (CD) children were majority boys, 2- to 5-year-olds were more likely to have ileal sparing than 6 to 9-year group but had similar rates of surgery and anti-TNF therapy. Two- to 5-year-olds with ulcerative colitis were more likely to have surgery but rates for anti-TNF therapy were similar. Sixteen percent of 2- to 5-year-olds and 10% of 6- to 9-year-olds had IBD-unclassified. No significant differences in symptoms or time to diagnosis were found. CONCLUSIONS: Twenty percent of pIBD in Southwest England are 2 to 9 years old. pIBD incidence has increased but is stable in that group. In terms of phenotypic differences, ileal sparing in CD and pancolitis and surgery in UC, are more likely in 2- to 5-year-olds.

Beliefs and implementation of evidence-based practice among nurses in the nursing homes of a Swiss canton: An observational cross-sectional study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Examine beliefs about EBP and its level of implementation among nurses working in nursing homes in a bilingual canton of Switzerland and explore associations between these aspects and nurses' sociodemographic and professional characteristics. BACKGROUND: Although evidence-based practice (EBP) is recognised as an effective strategy for improving the quality and safety of care, little is known about its use in nursing homes. Nurses' beliefs about EBP and their implementation of it in Switzerland's nursing homes have never been explored. DESIGN: An observational cross-sectional study. METHODS: Beliefs about and implementation of EBP were evaluated using validated French- and German-language versions of the EBP Beliefs Scale and the EBP Implementation Scale, developed by Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (Melnyk, Fineout-Overholt, & Mays, 2008, Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 5, 208). The STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies was used in reporting this study. RESULTS: The participation rate was 40.6% (N = 194). Most participants stated that they had some knowledge of EBP and held favourable beliefs about it. Nevertheless, 37.1% of participants found the concept complicated and 36.1% found it time-consuming. Participants were more likely to implement stages in the EBP process linked to direct clinical practice rather than those which required scientific knowledge and skills. CONCLUSION: Most participants had favourable beliefs about EBP, but the level of implementation of EBP among nurses in their daily clinical practice was sub-optimal. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: A greater emphasis should be put on fostering the use of EBP among nurses working in nursing homes. This could be achieved via training and the development of individual, institutional and contextual strategies promoting the integration of EBP in clinical settings.

Monocytes and Macrophages in Cancer: Unsuspected Roles.

The behavior of cancer is undoubtedly affected by stroma. Macrophages belong to this microenvironment and their presence correlates with reduced survival in most cancers. After a tumor-induced "immunoediting", these monocytes/macrophages, originally the first line of defense against tumor cells, undergo a phenotypic switch and become tumor-supportive and immunosuppressive.The influence of these tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) on cancer is present in all traits of carcinogenesis. These cells participate in tumor initiation and growth, migration, vascularization, invasion and metastasis. Although metastasis is extremely clinically relevant, this step is always reliant on the angiogenic ability of tumors. Therefore, the formation of new blood vessels in tumors assumes particular importance as a limiting step for disease progression.Herein, the once unsuspected roles of macrophages in cancer will be discussed and their importance as a promising strategy to treat this group of diseases will be reminded.

Cervical trans-spinal direct current stimulation: a modelling-experimental approach.

BACKGROUND: Trans-spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) is a non-invasive technique with promising neuromodulatory effects on spinal cord (SC) circuitry. Computational studies are essential to guide effective tsDCS protocols for specific clinical applications. This study aims to combine modelling and experimental studies to determine the electrode montage that maximizes electric field (E-field) delivery during cervical tsDCS. METHODS: Current and E-field distributions in the cervical SC were predicted for four electrode montages in a human realistic model using computational methods. A double-blind crossover and randomized exploratory study was conducted using the montage that maximized E-field delivery. tsDCS was applied for 15 min in 10 healthy subjects (anodal, cathodal, sham, with polarity assigned to the cervical electrode), with a current intensity of 2.5 mA, resulting in a total current charge density delivery of 90 mC/cm2. Upper limb motor (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and sensory evoked potentials (MEP, SEP), M-waves, H-reflex and F-wave responses were analysed. Central and peripheral conduction times were determined using MEP. Repeated measures ANOVA and Friedman test were used for statistical analysis (significance level α = 0.05). RESULTS: All montages presented higher current density and E-field magnitudes in the cervical SC region between the electrodes. However, electrodes at C3 and T3 spinous processes (C3-T3) originated the highest E-field magnitude (0.50 V/m). Using C3-T3 montage we observed significant changes in N9 SEP latency (p = 0.006), but significance did not persist in pairwise comparisons (sham-anodal: p = 0.022; sham-cathodal: p = 0.619; anodal-cathodal: p = 0.018; α = 0.017, Bonferroni corrected). MEP latency and central motor conduction time (CMCT) modified significantly on stimulation (p = 0.007 and p = 0.015, respectively). In addition, pairwise comparisons confirmed significant differences between sham and cathodal conditions after Bonferroni correction for MEP latency (sham-anodal: p = 0.868; sham-cathodal: p = 0.011; anodal-cathodal: p = 0.023) and CMCT (sham-anodal: p = 0.929; sham-cathodal: p = 0.010; anodal-cathodal: p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: Computational models predicted higher E-field delivery in the cervical SC for the C3-T3 montage. Polarity-dependent effects in motor responses were reported using this montage consistent with spinal motor modulation. tsDCS experimental protocol designs should be guided by modelling studies to improve effectiveness.

Cysteine boosters the evolutionary adaptation to CoCl2 mimicked hypoxia conditions, favouring carboplatin resistance in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynaecologic malignancy and the most common cause of death from gynaecologic cancer, especially due to diagnosis at an advanced stage, when a cure is rare. As ovarian tumour grows, cancer cells are exposed to regions of hypoxia. Hypoxia is known to be partially responsible for tumour progression, metastasis and resistance to therapies. These suggest that hypoxia entails a selective pressure in which the adapted cells not only have a fitness increase under the selective environment, but also in non-selective adverse environments. In here, we used two different ovarian cancer cell lines - serous carcinoma (OVCAR3) and clear cell carcinoma (ES2) - in order to address the effect of cancer cells selection under normoxia and hypoxia mimicked by cobalt chloride on the evolutionary outcome of cancer cells. RESULTS: Our results showed that the adaptation to normoxia and CoCl2 mimicked hypoxia leads cells to display opposite strategies. Whereas cells adapted to CoCl2 mimicked hypoxia conditions tend to proliferate less but present increased survival in adverse environments, cells adapted to normoxia proliferate rapidly but at the cost of increased mortality in adverse environments. Moreover, results suggest that cysteine allows a quicker response and adaptation to hypoxic conditions that, in turn, are capable of driving chemoresistance. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that cysteine impacts the adaptation of cancer cells to a CoCl2 mimicked hypoxic environment thus contributing for hypoxia-drived platinum-based chemotherapeutic agents' resistance, allowing the selection of more aggressive phenotypes. These observations support a role of cysteine in cancer progression, recurrence and chemoresistance.

Metabolic cooperation between cancer and non-cancerous stromal cells is pivotal in cancer progression.

The way cancer cells adapt to microenvironment is crucial for the success of carcinogenesis, and metabolic fitness is essential for a cancer cell to survive and proliferate in a certain organ/tissue. The metabolic remodeling in a tumor niche is endured not only by cancer cells but also by non-cancerous cells that share the same microenvironment. For this reason, tumor cells and stromal cells constitute a complex network of signal and organic compound transfer that supports cellular viability and proliferation. The intensive dual-address cooperation of all components of a tumor sustains disease progression and metastasis. Herein, we will detail the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts, cancer-associated adipocytes, and inflammatory cells, mainly monocytes/macrophages (tumor-associated macrophages), in the remodeling and metabolic adaptation of tumors.

More than a hole: the holin lethal function may be required to fully sensitize bacteria to the lytic action of canonical endolysins.

Double-strand DNA bacteriophages employ the holin-endolysin dyad as core components of different strategies to lyse bacterial hosts. In the so-called canonical model the holin holes play an essential role in lysis as they provide a conduit for passage of the cytoplasm-accumulated endolysin to the cell wall (CW), where it degrades the peptidoglycan. It is considered that once synthesized canonical endolysins immediately acquire their fully active conformation, having thus the capacity to efficiently cleave the peptidoglycan if contact to the CW is allowed. We show here however that holin-mediated cell death may be required to fully sensitize cells to the lytic action of canonical endolysins, a role that is obviously masked by the key function of the holin in endolysin release. We demonstrate that in certain conditions Bacillus subtilis cells are capable of counteracting the activity of the phage SPP1 endolysin attacking the CW either from within or from without. This capacity is lost after holin action or in presence of agents that mimic its membrane-depolarizing role. We have observed a similar relationship between lytic activity and membrane proton motive force for a staphylococcal endolysin. The possible implications of these findings in the exploitation of endolysins as enzybiotics are discussed.

HNF1ß drives glutathione (GSH) synthesis underlying intrinsic carboplatin resistance of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC).

Chemoresistance to platinum-based antineoplastic agents is a consistent feature among ovarian carcinomas; however, whereas high-grade serous carcinoma (OSC) acquires resistance during chemotherapy, ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is intrinsically resistant. The main objective of this study was to explore, in vitro and in vivo, if hepatocyte nuclear factor 1ß (HNF1ß) and glutaminolysis contribute for the resistance of OCCC to carboplatin through the intrinsically increased GSH bioavailability. To disclose the role of HNF1ß, experiments were also performed in an OSC cell line, which does not express HNF1ß. Metabolic profiles, GSH quantification, HNF1ß, and γ-glutamylcysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) and modifier subunit (GCLM) expression, cell cycle, and death were assessed in ES2 cell line (OCCC) and OVCAR3 cell line (OSC); HNF1ß knockdown was performed in ES2 and murine model of subcutaneous and peritoneal OCCC tumors was established to test buthionine sulphoxamine (BSO), as a sensitizer to carboplatin. Glutaminolysis is activated in ES2 and OVCAR3, though ES2 exclusively synthesizes amino acids and GSH. ES2 cells are more resistant to carboplatin than OVCAR3 and the abrogation of GSH production by BSO sensitizes ES2 to carboplatin. HNF1ß regulates the expression of GCLC, but not GCLM, and consequently GSH production in ES2. In vivo, BSO prior to carboplatin reduces dramatically subcutaneous tumor size and GSH levels, as well as peritoneal dissemination. Our study discloses HNF1ß as the mediator of intrinsic OCCC chemoresistance and sheds a light to re-explore a cancer adjuvant therapeutic approach using BSO to overcome the lack of efficient therapy in OCCC.

Day and night surgery: is there any influence in the patient postoperative period of urgent colorectal intervention?

BACKGROUND: Medical activity performed outside regular work hours may increase risk for patients and professionals. There is few data with respect to urgent colorectal surgery. The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of daytime versus nighttime surgery on postoperative period of patients with acute colorectal disease. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in a sample of patients with acute colorectal disease who underwent urgent surgery at the General Surgery Unit of Braga Hospital, between January 2005 and March 2013. Patients were stratified by operative time of day into a daytime group (surgery between 8:00 and 20:59) and the nighttime group (21:00-7:59) and compared for clinical and surgical parameters. A questionnaire was distributed to surgeons, covering aspects related to the practice of urgent colorectal surgery and fatigue. RESULTS: A total of 330 patients were included, with 214 (64.8%) in the daytime group and 116 (35.2%) in the nighttime group. Colorectal cancer was the most frequent pathology. Waiting time (p < 0.001) and total length of hospital stay (p = 0.008) were significantly longer in the daytime group. There were no significant differences with respect to early or late complications. However, 100% of surgeons reported that they are less proficient during nighttime. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with acute colorectal disease subjected to urgent surgery, there was no significant association between nighttime surgery and the presence of postoperative medical and surgical morbidities. Patients who were subjected to daytime surgery had longer length of stay at the hospital.

Using AI-Based Technologies to Help Nurses Detect Behavioral Disorders: Narrative Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common among people with dementia and have multiple negative consequences. Artificial intelligence-based technologies (AITs) have the potential to help nurses in the early prodromal detection of BPSD. Despite significant recent interest in the topic and the increasing number of available appropriate devices, little information is available on using AITs to help nurses striving to detect BPSD early. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the number and characteristics of existing publications on introducing AITs to support nursing interventions to detect and manage BPSD early. METHODS: A literature review of publications in the PubMed database referring to AITs and dementia was conducted in September 2023. A detailed analysis sought to identify the characteristics of these publications. The results were reported using a narrative approach. RESULTS: A total of 25 publications from 14 countries were identified, with most describing prospective observational studies. We identified three categories of publications on using AITs and they are (1) predicting behaviors and the stages and progression of dementia, (2) screening and assessing clinical symptoms, and (3) managing dementia and BPSD. Most of the publications referred to managing dementia and BPSD. CONCLUSIONS: Despite growing interest, most AITs currently in use are designed to support psychosocial approaches to treating and caring for existing clinical signs of BPSD. AITs thus remain undertested and underused for the early and real-time detection of BPSD. They could, nevertheless, provide nurses with accurate, reliable systems for assessing, monitoring, planning, and supporting safe therapeutic interventions.

Preimplantation genetic testing: A narrative review.

Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is a diagnostic procedure that has become a powerful complement to assisted reproduction techniques. PGT has numerous indications, and there is a wide range of techniques that can be used, each with advantages and limitations that should be considered before choosing the more adequate one. In this article, it is reviewed the indications for PGT, biopsy and diagnostic technologies, along with their evolution, while also broaching new emerging methods.

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia in childhood: a bicycle handlebar injury.

A female patient in her middle childhood presented to the paediatric emergency room (ER) after a bicycle accident with an abdominal impact on the bicycle handlebar. On physical examination, a painful ecchymosis on the upper left quadrant was the only abnormal finding. Abdominal ultrasound showed no intra-abdominal lesions, and the patient was discharged home after 24 hours under monitoring. Nine days after the accident, she returned to the ER due to the emergence of an abdominal mass around the area of impact. Abdominal examination detected a tender non-fluctuating mass on the epigastric and left hypochondrium, and abdominal ultrasound revealed a muscle and aponeurosis disruption of the rectus muscle, with fat herniation and cytosteatonecrosis. A conservative approach was chosen, with ambulatory follow-up. One month after the accident, the patient was asymptomatic, no abdominal mass was palpable, and an abdominal CT showed a reduction of the muscle disruption and hernial content.

Therapeutic Importance of Exercise in Neuroplasticity in Adults with Neurological Pathology: Systematic Review.

Neuroplasticity is an essential mechanism by which the nervous system shapes and adapts according to functional requirements. Evidence suggests that physical exercise induces a cascade of cellular processes that favours brain plasticity. The Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin closely linked to neuroplasticity that can be increased due to exercise. To verify the effects of therapeutic exercise on neuroplasticity and/or peripheral BDNF levels in neurological conditions in adults, such as stroke, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases and mild cognitive impairment and address its clinical relevance in the treatment of neurological dysfunctions. A systematic review was carried using PUBMED, Web of Science and Scopus databases. Inclusion criteria were: randomized controlled trials or pilot studies; humans with age > 18 yrs with neurological condition; English language; score ≥ 6 in PEDro Scale (moderate to high quality). Reviews, meta-analyses and other articles that did not meet the criteria were excluded. The PRISMA methodology was applied for studies' selection. A total of 9 studies were selected for a systematic and comprehensive analysis. According to these studies, moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise (AE), increases the level of peripheral BDNF and positively influences functional gains in neurological conditions. Larger outcomes are observed in protocols with minimum session duration of 30 minutes, frequency of 3 times/week and intervention duration of 4 weeks. Current evidence shows that moderate to high intensity AE induces neuroplasticity in neurological patients, thus being a fundamental therapeutic strategy to include in interventions aiming to repair/delay neurological dysfunctions.

How does the electric field induced by tDCS influence motor-related connectivity? Model-guided perspectives.

Over the last decade, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been applied not only to modulate local cortical activation, but also to address communication between functionally-related brain areas. Stimulation protocols based on simple two-electrode placements are being replaced by multi-electrode montages to target intra- and inter-hemispheric neural networks using multichannel/high definition paradigms.Objective. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of electric field (EF) patterns originated by tDCS experiments addressing changes in functional brain connectivity.Methods. A previous selection of tDCS experimental studies aiming to modulate motor-related connectivity in health and disease was conducted. Simulations of the EF induced in the cortex were then performed for each protocol selected. The EF magnitude and orientation are determined and analysed in motor-related cortical regions for five different head models to account for inter-subject variability. Functional connectivity outcomes obtained are qualitatively analysed at the light of the simulated EF and protocol characteristics, such as electrode position, number and stimulation dosing.Main findings. The EF magnitude and orientation predicted by computational models can be related with the ability of tDCS to modulate brain functional connectivity. Regional differences in EF distributions across subjects can inform electrode placements more susceptible to inter-subject variability in terms of brain connectivity-related outcomes.Significance. Neuronal facilitation/inhibition induced by tDCS fields may indirectly influence intra and inter-hemispheric connectivity by modulating neural components of motor-related networks. Optimization of tDCS using computational models is essential for adequate dosing delivery in specific networks related to clinically relevant connectivity outcomes.

Novel approaches to motoneuron disease/ALS treatment using non-invasive brain and spinal stimulation: IFCN handbook chapter.

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have been exploited in motor neuron disease (MND) with multifold objectives: to support the diagnosis, to get insights in the pathophysiology of these disorders and, more recently, to slow down disease progression. In this review, we consider how neuromodulation can now be employed to treat MND, with specific attention to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common form with upper motoneuron (UMN) involvement, taking into account electrophysiological abnormalities revealed by human and animal studies that can be targeted by neuromodulation techniques. This review article encompasses repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation methods (including low-frequency, high-frequency, and pattern stimulation paradigms), transcranial direct current stimulation as well as experimental findings with the newer approach of trans-spinal direct current stimulation. We also survey and discuss the trials that have been performed, and future perspectives.

Direct coupled electrical stimulation towards improved osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells: a comparative study of different protocols.

Electrical stimulation (ES) has been described as a promising tool for bone tissue engineering, being known to promote vital cellular processes such as cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Despite the high variability of applied protocol parameters, direct coupled electric fields have been successfully applied to promote osteogenic and osteoinductive processes in vitro and in vivo. Our work aims to study the viability, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells when subjected to five different ES protocols. The protocols were specifically selected to understand the biological effects of different parts of the generated waveform for typical direct-coupled stimuli. In vitro culture studies evidenced variations in cell responses with different electric field magnitudes (numerically predicted) and exposure protocols, mainly regarding tissue mineralization (calcium contents) and osteogenic marker gene expression while maintaining high cell viability and regular morphology. Overall, our results highlight the importance of numerical guided experiments to optimize ES parameters towards improved in vitro osteogenesis protocols.