The effects of cognitive, physical, and somatosensory rehabilitation after right temporo-parietal tumor resection on cognitive, motor, somatosensory, and electrophysiological parameters: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: This report examines the effects of a multimodal rehabilitation program which includes cognitive, physical, and somatosensory rehabilitation after right temporo-parietal tumor resection on cognitive, motor, somatosensory, and electrophysiological parameters. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 22-year-old patient presented with sensory loss in the dominant left hand and reduced writing ability after right temporo-parietal lobe resection. Cognitive, motor, and sensory evaluations were carried out pre and post-treatment. The patient's spontaneous electroencephalo-gram (EEG) and an EEG during application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) (TENS EEG) were recorded. As a reference for the patient's electrophysiological values, EEGs of 4 healthy individuals were also taken. Over a period of 1 year, the patient received multimodal rehabilitation which includes cognitive, physical, and somato-sensory rehabilitation on 2 days each week. OUTCOMES: An improvement of the patient's cognitive capacities, motor strength, superficial, deep and cortical sensations was achieved. After rehabilitation, an increase in parietal and occipital alpha activity as well as in frontal and parietal beta activity was seen both in spontaneous EEG and in TENS EEG. With increasing TENS intensity, alpha and beta power increased as well. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a multimodal rehabilitation program may improve cognitive, sensory, and motor effects after resection due to tumor surgery.

What electrophysiology tells us about Alzheimer's disease: a window into the synchronization and connectivity of brain neurons.

Electrophysiology provides a real-time readout of neural functions and network capability in different brain states, on temporal (fractions of milliseconds) and spatial (micro, meso, and macro) scales unmet by other methodologies. However, current international guidelines do not endorse the use of electroencephalographic (EEG)/magnetoencephalographic (MEG) biomarkers in clinical trials performed in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), despite a surge in recent validated evidence. This position paper of the ISTAART Electrophysiology Professional Interest Area endorses consolidated and translational electrophysiological techniques applied to both experimental animal models of AD and patients, to probe the effects of AD neuropathology (i.e., brain amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration) on neurophysiological mechanisms underpinning neural excitation/inhibition and neurotransmission as well as brain network dynamics, synchronization, and functional connectivity, reflecting thalamocortical and corticocortical residual capacity. Converging evidence shows relationships between abnormalities in EEG/MEG markers and cognitive deficits in groups of AD patients at different disease stages. The supporting evidence for the application of electrophysiology in AD clinical research as well as drug discovery pathways warrants an international initiative to include the use of EEG/MEG biomarkers in the main multicentric projects planned in AD patients, to produce conclusive findings challenging the present regulatory requirements and guidelines for AD studies.