The modulation effect of non-invasive brain stimulation on cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: To prevent and control dementia, many scholars have focused on the transition stage between normal ageing and dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which is a key interventional target for dementia. Studies have shown that non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is beneficial to improve cognitive function of MCI patients. However, whether NIBS is conducive to the protection of cognitive ability in MCI patients remains unknown due to limited evidence. The aim of the study was to systematically evaluate the modulation effect of NIBS on cognitive function (global cognitive ability and specific domains of cognition) in patients with MCI. RESULTS: A total of 11 RCTs comprising a total of 367 MCI participants. Meta-analysis showed that NIBS can significantly improve global cognition (n = 271, SMD = 0.94, 95% CI 0.47-1.41, p < 0.0001) and verbal fluency (n = 72, MD = 2.03, 95% CI 0.17-3.88, p = 0.03). However, there was no significant improvement in other domains of cognition. CONCLUSIONS: NIBS has a positive effect on improving global cognitive function and verbal fluency. At the same time, it has a small positive effect on improving executive function. However, these findings should be interpreted carefully due to the limitations of the study.

Modulatory effects of different exercise modalities on the functional connectivity of the periaqueductal grey and ventral tegmental area in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomised multimodal magnetic resonance imaging study.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is a prevalent disorder with unsatisfactory treatment options. Both physical and mindful exercises may be able to relieve its pain symptoms. We compared the modulatory effects of different exercise modalities on the periaqueductal grey (PAG) and ventral tegmental area (VTA), which play important roles in descending opioidergic pathways and reward/motivation systems in patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: We recruited and randomised 140 patients into Tai Chi, Baduanjin, stationary cycling, and health education control groups for 12 weeks. Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), functional and structural MRI, and blood biomarkers were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment. We used the PAG and VTA as seeds in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis. RESULTS: Compared with the control group: (i) all exercises significantly increased KOOS pain sub-scores (pain reduction) and serum programmed death 1 (PD-1) concentrations; (ii) all exercises decreased right PAG rsFC with the medial orbital prefrontal cortex, and the decreased rsFC was associated with improvements in knee pain; and (iii) grey matter volume in the medial orbital prefrontal cortex was significantly increased in all exercise groups. There was also significantly decreased rsFC between the left VTA and the medial orbital prefrontal cortex in the Tai Chi and Baduanjin groups. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise can simultaneously modulate the rsFC of the descending opioidergic pathway and reward/motivation system and blood inflammation markers. Elucidating the shared and unique mechanisms of different exercise modalities may facilitate the development of exercise-based interventions for chronic pain. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-IOR-16009308.

Effects of Tai Chi combined with tDCS on cognitive function in patients with MCI: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a critical stage of dementia. Previous reviews have suggested that physical exercise combined with non-invasive brain stimulation is more beneficial for improving cognitive function. However, no targeted studies have confirmed the effect of Tai Chi combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the improvement of cognitive function in patients with MCI. Thus, this randomized trial was conducted to assess the effect of Tai Chi combined with tDCS on the cognitive performance of patients with MCI. Methods: From April 2018 to February 2020, a randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted, involving 180 participants with MCI who were divided into four intervention groups: Tai Chi combined with tDCS (TCT), Tai Chi combined with sham tDCS (TCS), walking combined with tDCS (WAT), and walking combined with sham tDCS (WAS). All participants were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks for global cognitive function, memory, attention, and executive function. Results: At baseline, there were no significant differences in age, gender, education duration, body mass index, or the Baker Depression Inventory among the four groups (P ≥ 0.05). After 12 weeks of intervention, the TCT group showed greater improvements in MOCA scores, memory quotient scores, and digit-symbol coding task reaction time compared to the TCS, WAS, and WAT groups (P < 0.05). The TCT group also had a shorter Stroop test color reaction time compared to the WAS and WAT groups (P < 0.05), a higher increase in Auditory Verbal Learning Test-immediate recall than the TCS and WAT groups (P < 0.05), a shorter visual reaction time than the TCS group (P < 0.05), and a shorter sustained attention time compared to the WAT group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Tai Chi combined with tDCS effectively improves global cognitive performance, memory, execution function, and attention in patients with MCI. These findings suggest the potential clinical use of Tai Chi combined with tDCS as a physical exercise combined with a non-invasive brain stimulation intervention to improve cognitive function in older adults with MCI. Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR1800015629.

High-voltage long-duration pulsed radiofrequency attenuates neuropathic pain in CCI rats by inhibiting Cav2.2 in spinal dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglion.

Inclinicalpractice, high-voltage, long-duration pulsed radiofrequency (HL-PRF) is effective for several types of intractable neuropathic pain (NP), but the mechanisms have not been well explored. Cav2.2 channels could increase neuronal excitability and neurotransmission accompanying NP. This study investigated the relationship of the efficacy of HL-PRF on NP with the levels of Cav2.2 in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) and dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) of chronic constriction injury (CCI) in rats. Sham HL-PRF, GVIA (a specific Cav2.2 channel blocker), HL-PRF, or GVIA + HL-PRF was applied to CCI rats. The results showed: compared with the sham group, the PWT and PWL of CCI rats decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and Cav2.2 expression was elevated significantly in the SDH and DRGs (P < 0.05). Compared with the CCI group, both HL-PRF and ω-conotoxin GVIA treatment reversed the increased PWT and PWL (P < 0.05) and downregulated the overexpression of Cav2.2 in the SDH and DRGs (P < 0.05). Furthermore, PWT, PWL, and the expression of Cav2.2 in the SDH and DRGs were not significantly different among the 3 treatment groups. HL-PRF on L5 DRG reversed the hyperalgesia behavior of NP and reduced the levels of Cav2.2 in the ipsilateral SDH and DRGs in CCI rats. Moreover, the underlying mechanism may be related to the downregulation of CaV2.2 protein levels in both SDH and DRG.

Regulating Root Fungal Community Using Mortierella alpina for Fusarium oxysporum Resistance in Panax ginseng.

Plant-associated microbes play important roles in plant health and disease. Mortierella is often found in the plant rhizosphere, and its possible functions are not well known, especially in medical plants. Mortierella alpina isolated from ginseng soil was used to investigate its effects on plant disease. The promoting properties and interactions with rhizospheric microorganisms were investigated in a medium. Further, a pot experiment was conducted to explore its effects on ginseng root rot disease. Physicochemical properties, high-throughput sequencing, network co-occurrence, distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA), and correlation analysis were used to evaluate their effects on the root rot pathogen. The results showed that Mortierella alpina YW25 had a high indoleacetic acid production capacity, and the maximum yield was 141.37 mg/L at 4 days. The growth of M. alpina YW25 was inhibited by some probiotics (Bacillus, Streptomyces, Brevibacterium, Trichoderma, etc.) and potential pathogens (Cladosporium, Aspergillus, etc.), but it did not show sensitivity to the soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Pot experiments showed that M. alpina could significantly alleviate the diseases caused by F. oxysporum, and increased the available nitrogen and phosphorus content in rhizosphere soil. In addition, it enhanced the activities of soil sucrase and acid phosphatase. High-throughput results showed that the inoculation of M. alpina with F. oxysporum changed the microbial community structure of ginseng, stimulated the plant to recruit more plant growth-promoting bacteria, and constructed a more stable microbial network of ginseng root. In this study, we found and proved the potential of M. alpina as a biocontrol agent against F. oxysporum, providing a new idea for controlling soil-borne diseases of ginseng by regulating rhizosphere microorganisms.

Surgery for thoracic myelopathy caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum.

Between January 1996 and December 2003, our department treated 16 patients (10 men and 6 women; average age 57.5 years) by performing a laminectomy for thoracic myelopathy caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF). We followed up all patients for 36 to 86 months (mean follow-up time, 57.3 months). The mean (+/-standard deviation) Japanese Orthopaedic Association score increased from 5.0+/-1.4 points before the operation to 7.7+/-1.9 points at the last follow-up (p<0.01). The average values for pre-operative and post-operative kyphosis of the involved vertebrae were 5.8 degrees +/-4.1 degrees and 8.8 degrees +/-6.0 degrees , respectively; the mean increase in kyphosis was only 3.0 degrees +/-2.4 degrees . An intraoperative dural tear was the main complication and none of the patients developed severe neurological complications. We conclude that laminectomy was both effective and safe in the treatment of thoracic OLF, but it must be performed with great care because of frequent dural adhesions to the OLF. The increase in kyphosis after the laminectomy was minimal when most of the facet joints were left intact and when the patient followed a back extensor exercise program post-operatively.

The configuration of DMD and the maximum intensity projection method for improving contrast in DMD-based confocal microscope.

In this article, an operation strategy of digital micromirror device (DMD) and the maximum intensity projection (MIP) image processing method are proposed to improve the contrast of images in confocal microscopy. First, the configuration of DMD is demonstrated and the effect of scanning unit size on image performance is analyzed. Then, the image processing method MIP is applied. According to the MIP method, only the maximum intensity projection point of the same pixel is chosen from every image, and the maximum intensity projection point exactly corresponds to the positon where mirror is at "on" position during the scanning process in DMD-based confocal microscope system,. Thus, high contrast of images can be achieved by using MIP. Finally, experiments are conducted to verify imaging performance by changing the parameter of scanning unit size and applying a MIP image processing technique. The results show that DMD scanning unit size and MIP image processing techniques play important roles in improving image contrast. Smaller scanning unit size of DMD improves axial contrast but greatly decreases the signal to noise ratio, which thus leads to reduced image contrast. Larger scanning unit size produces a better signal to noise ratio, thus better image contrast. However, a large S will sacrifice the processing time. Therefore, DMD scanning unit size should be smaller on the premise that image contrast can be satisfied. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Effect of DMD scanning unit size setting on image contrast is analyzed and verified. The maximum intensity projection (MIP) is investigated to improve the image contrast. Experiments are conducted to verify the enhancement of the image contrast.