Effect of a single session of sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback training on the putting performance of professional golfers.

Sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) activity has been associated with automaticity and flow in motor execution. Studies have revealed that neurofeedback training (NFT) of the SMR can improve sports performance; however, few studies have adequately explored the effects of a single session of such NFT or examined the possible mechanisms underlying these effects on sports performance. This study recruited 44 professional golfers to address these gaps in the literature. A crossover design was employed to determine the order of the participation in the NFT and no-training control conditions. The participants were asked to perform 60 10-foot putts while electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded before and after the tasks. In pre-and post-tests, visual analog scales were used to assess the psychological states associated with SMR activities including the levels of attention engagement, conscious motor control, and physical relaxation. The results revealed that a single NFT session effectively increased SMR power and improved putting performance compared with the control condition. The subjective assessments also revealed that the participants reported lower attention engagement, less conscious control of the motor details and were more relaxed in the putting task, suggesting that SMR NFT promoted effortless and quiescent mental states during motor preparation for a putting task. This study aligns with theoretical hypotheses and extends current knowledge by revealing that a single session of SMR NFT can effectively enhance SMR power and improve putting performance in professional golfers. It also provides preliminary evidence of the possible underlying mechanisms that drive the effect of SMR NFT on putting performances.

[Acupuncture combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-stroke depression: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the curative effect of Shugan Tiaoshen (soothing liver and regulating mind) acupuncture combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD), and to explore its mechanism. METHODS: Ninety patients of PSD were randomly divided into an acupuncture+rTMS combination group (30 cases), a rTMS combination group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a western medication group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off). The western medication group was treated with escitalopram oxalate tablets, 10 mg orally each time, once a day; on the basis of the treatment in the western medication group, the rTMS combination group was additionally given rTMS, and the frequency was 20 Hz, 20 min each time, once a day, 5 times a week; on the basis of the treatment in the rTMS combination group, the acupuncture+rTMS combination group was additionally treated with Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Yintang (GV 24+), Shenting (GV 24), etc. for 40 min each time, once a day, weekly 5 times, and each group was treated for 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of Hamilton depression scale-17 (HAMD-17), Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were observed, and serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were detected in each group. RESULTS: After treatment, the HAMD-17 scores in the three groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01), and the PSQI scores in the acupuncture+rTMS combination group and the rTMS combination group were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01); the above indexes in the acupuncture+rTMS combination group and the rTMS combination group were lower than those in the western medication group (P<0.05), and the PSQI score in the acupuncture+rTMS combination group was lower than that in the rTMS combination group (P<0.05). After treatment, the MoCA scores and serum BDNF levels in the acupuncture+rTMS combination group and the rTMS combination group were higher than those before treatment (P<0.01), and the serum 5-HT levels in the three groups were higher than those before treatment (P<0.01); and the above indexes in the acupuncture+rTMS combination group and the rTMS combination group were higher than those in the western medication group (P<0.05), and which in the acupuncture+rTMS combination group were higher than those in the rTMS combination group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: On the basis of western medication escitalopram oxalate, the addition of Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with rTMS therapy can effectively improve cognitive function and sleep quality in patients with PSD, and the effect is better than that of western medication alone or rTMS combined with western medication. Its mechanism of action may be related to the increase of peripheral serum 5-HT and BDNF levels.

[Could Huatuo Jiaji (EX-B 2) Acupoint Be Assigned to the Governor Vessel ?]

The meridian tropism of acupoints is an important academic way to recognize and deal with the relationship between acupoints and meridians in acupuncture medicine. The Huatuo Jiaji (EX-B 2) (Jiaji for short) acupoint family consisting of 34 points has long been considered to be an important extra-acupoint since the ancient times of China and is widely employed in clinical practice through continuous development in Chinese past generations. The present paper introduces 1) historical origin and development of EX-B 2, and 2) intercorrelation among the EX-B 2, spine and the Governor Vessel in anatomical positions. On the basis of these, we also discuss the possibility of that EX-B 2 is assigned to the Governor Vessel, its academic significance including common features and actions in physiological and pathological aspects and clinical significance in diagnosis and treatment of disorders.

Evaluation methods for the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

With the widespread clinical application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it has become an essential part of combination therapy for patients with breast cancer. However, a rapid, accurate, and effective approach for assessing the therapeutic efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is unavailable. Routine physical examinations cannot provide effective clinical evaluation. Although imaging techniques play an important role in evaluating the therapeutic effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, this is limited because it only detects morphologic changes. Blood oxygen detection for breast diseases is an emerging diagnostic technique that has distinctive merit in assessing the efficacy of chemotherapy. Biologic markers are becoming more important in assessing the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer. This review summarizes the principles and the current applied practice of these approaches to evaluate the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with breast cancer.