Key result
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation at high current intensities elicited significantly greater bilateral sensorimotor network and prefrontal cortex activation compared to voluntary wrist extension.
Why the study?
Does increasing neuromuscular electrical stimulation current intensity alter cortical sensorimotor network activation compared to voluntary movements in healthy subjects?
Does increasing neuromuscular electrical stimulation current intensity alter cortical sensorimotor network activation compared to voluntary movements in healthy subjects?
High-intensity neuromuscular electrical stimulation induces greater bilateral sensorimotor network activation than voluntary movement, likely due to increased pain processing and sensorimotor integration.
Hypothesis-generating in healthy volunteers; extends sensorimotor mapping but leaves clinical translation open pending patient data.
Neuroimaging studies have shown neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES)-evoked movements activate regions of the cortical sensorimotor network, including the primary sensorimotor cortex (SMC), premotor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), and secondary somatosensory area (S2), as well as regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) known to be involved in pain processing. The aim of this study, on nine healthy subjects, was to compare the cortical network activation profile and pain ratings during NMES of the right forearm wrist extensor muscles at increasing current intensities up to and slightly over the individual maximal tolerated intensity (MTI), and with reference to voluntary (VOL) wrist extension movements. By exploiting the capability of the multi-channel time domain functional near-infrared spectroscopy technique to relate depth information to the photon time-of-flight, the cortical and superficial oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated (HHb) hemoglobin concentrations were estimated. The O2Hb and HHb maps obtained using the General Linear Model (NIRS-SPM) analysis method, showed that the VOL and NMES-evoked movements significantly increased activation (i.e., increase in O2Hb and corresponding decrease in HHb) in the cortical layer of the contralateral sensorimotor network (SMC, PMC/SMA, and S2). However, the level and area of contralateral sensorimotor network (including PFC) activation was significantly greater for NMES than VOL. Furthermore, there was greater bilateral sensorimotor network activation with the high NMES current intensities which corresponded with increased pain ratings. In conclusion, our findings suggest that greater bilateral sensorimotor network activation profile with high NMES current intensities could be in part attributable to increased attentional/pain processing and to increased bilateral sensorimotor integration in these cortical regions.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Muthalib et al. (2015) studied Healthy subjects (n=9). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) vs. Voluntary (VOL) wrist extension movements was evaluated on Cortical sensorimotor network activation (O2Hb and HHb concentration changes). Neuromuscular electrical stimulation at high current intensities elicited significantly greater bilateral sensorimotor network and prefrontal cortex activation compared to voluntary wrist extension.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: