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Biomedical subjects

Jens D Rollnik

Publications and source records attributed to Jens D Rollnik.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Needle acupuncture in chronic poststroke leg spasticity.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether needle acupuncture may be useful in the reduction of leg spasticity in a chronic state. DESIGN: Single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Neurologic outpatient department of a medical school in Germany. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five patients (14 women) suffering from chronic poststroke leg spasticity with pes equinovarus deformity (Modified Ashworth Scale [MAS] score, >/=1), aged 38 to 77 years (mean +/- standard deviation, 58.5+/-10.4 y), were enrolled in the study. The mean time from stroke to inclusion in the study was approximately 5 years (mean, 65.4+/-48.3 mo; range, 7-180 mo). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomly assigned to placebo treatment (n=12) by using a specially designed placebo needling procedure, or verum treatment (n=13). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MAS score of the affected ankle, pain (visual analog scale), and walking speed. RESULTS: There was no demonstrated beneficial clinical effects from verum acupuncture. After 4 weeks of treatment, mean MAS score was 3.3+/-0.9 in the placebo group versus 3.3+/-1.1 in the verum group. The neurophysiologic measure of H-reflex indicated a significant increase of spinal motoneuron excitability after verum acupuncture (H-response/M-response ratio: placebo,.39+/-.19; verum,.68+/-.41; P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: This effect might be explained by afferent input of A delta and C fibers to the spinal motoneuron. The results from our study indicate that needle acupuncture may not be helpful to patients with chronic poststroke spasticity. However, there was neurophysiologic evidence for specific acupuncture effects on a spinal (segmental) level involving nociceptive reflex mechanisms.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed2004

Functional lesions and human action monitoring: combining repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and event-related brain potentials.

OBJECTIVE: Electrophysiological recordings of the error-related negativity (ERN) and functional imaging data point to an involvement of medial frontal cortex (including the anterior cingulate cortex, ACC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in the detection and correction of performance errors. Here, we studied this network by applying trains of rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) prior to the recording of the ERN. METHODS: Low-frequency (0.9 Hz) rTMS was applied to medial frontal or lateral frontal regions (different sessions) for 60 s immediately before each 3 min ERN recording in 11 healthy young subjects. The ERN was obtained by multichannel recordings in a typical Eriksen flanker task with instructions calling for immediate error correction in case a performance error was detected by the subject. Event-related potentials were quantified and statistically evaluated using standard methodology. RESULTS: Compared to a no-stimulation control condition, medial frontal stimulation led to a small but reliable decrease in the number of corrected errors as well as to an attenuation of the ERN and an increase of the subsequent error-positivity (Pe). No effect on these components was seen after lateral frontal stimulation. No reliable effects on the lateralized readiness potential were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Functional lesions by rTMS appear to interfere with the functions of the medial frontal cortex in error detection and correction.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Triple stimulation technique (TST) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: The authors studied amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients using triple stimulation technique (TST) to detect upper motor neuron (UMN) involvement. METHODS: Nineteen ALS patients (aged 45-72 years) were enrolled in the study. According to the El Escorial criteria, 6 diagnoses were suspected or possible, 6 probable, and 7 definite. Patients were examined clinically, with conventional (single-pulse) transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and with TST (on one side only). RESULTS: Among the whole group of patients, TST appeared to be more sensitive than conventional TMS techniques. In particular among suspected/possible ALS patients, TST area ratio was pathologic in 100%, while single-pulse TMS was abnormal only in 50% of cases. Overall, the use of TST area ratio was more sensitive than the analysis of TST amplitude ratio. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that TST might be more sensitive and useful in the diagnosis of subclinical UMN involvement than conventional TMS techniques, even if TST is performed on one side only.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Effects of acute alcohol withdrawal on memory performance in alcohol-dependent patients: a pilot study.

Studies on the neuropsychological performance in detoxified alcoholic patients often begin by acknowledging that there is a cognitive impairment to be found. Only little attention has been paid to date to the question as to how acute alcohol withdrawal might affect cognitive functions. Twenty-nine alcohol-dependent inpatients, nine in moderate alcohol withdrawal, treated with carbamazepine (group 1), 10 in mild alcohol withdrawal without pharmacological treatment (group 2), 10 in mild alcohol withdrawal with carbamazepine treatment (group 3) and 31 healthy subjects as controls (group 4) underwent repeated investigations using memory tests. The tests were performed on the first, third, seventh and fourteenth days of withdrawal. Immediate free recall of a word-list was impaired in the three patient groups in comparison with the control group on the 1st day. Thereafter no significant differences could be revealed between patients and controls. In a word-list recognition test the memory functions were not impaired in group 1 and group 2 in comparison with the control subjects. However, patients in group 3 showed impairment in this recognition test in comparison with the healthy subjects on the first and third days. The present study suggests that acute alcohol withdrawal impairs memory functions, especially free recall. This should be considered in treatment interventions in the early days of withdrawal.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Intracortical inhibition and facilitation in paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation: effect of conditioning stimulus intensity on sizes and latencies of motor evoked potentials.

The influence of the intensity of the conditioning stimulus on intracortical inhibition (ICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) was assessed in a study using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. Interstimulus intervals (ISIs) between conditioning and test stimuli were 3 msec and 13 msec. Latencies and areas of motor evoked potentials in response to the test stimulus were measured in the right extensor carpi radialis muscle. Motor evoked potential areas with ISIs of 3 msec and 13 msec showed a different dependence on the intensity of the conditioning stimulus. In contrast, the changes of motor evoked potential latencies were fairly similar with both ISIs. The findings point to a parallel action of ICI and ICF. Furthermore, the latencies seem to be a more sensitive indicator for ICF action than the size parameters of motor evoked potentials.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2003

Gender differences in coping with tension-type headaches.

OBJECTIVE: To study gender differences of coping with illness strategies in tension-type headaches. METHOD: We enrolled 89 subjects (50 women, 39 men) suffering from episodic (n = 37) and chronic (n = 52) tension-type headaches (TTH). Patients were required to answer a Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness (FQCI), a Von Zerssen Depression Scale (D-S), quality-of-life questionnaires, and a headache home diary (over 4 weeks). In addition, pressure pain thresholds (temporal muscles) and Total Tenderness Scores were obtained. RESULTS: While pain intensity, frequency and quality-of-life parameters were basically the same for female and male EPISODIC TTH sufferers, women scored significantly higher on the F3 subscale (distracting and encouraging) of the FQCI and tended to score higher on the F1 subscale (depressive). Among CHRONIC TTH patients, women reported the pain to be more intense (VAS), were more depressed (D-S), and scored lower on several quality-of-life scores. Female chronic TTH sufferers scored significantly lower on the F2 subscale (active coping) and tended to score higher on F5 (denying). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that pessimistic coping with illness strategies are more frequent in female episodic and chronic TTH sufferers. We would like to recommend special psychologic intervention in particular to female chronic TTH sufferers which would offer counseling in developing active coping skills.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Increased intracortical inhibition in middle-aged humans; a study using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Using single and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation we compared the cortical excitability in two different age groups of healthy subjects (mean+/-SD age: 28.5+/-5.2 vs. 56.1+/-4.9 years). Motor evoked potentials were recorded from right extensor and flexor carpi radialis muscles. The effect of paired-pulse stimulation was assessed by the ratio conditioned/unconditioned response area with interstimulus intervals of 3 and 13 ms to test for intracortical inhibition and facilitation, respectively. To test the influence of sensory input the experiments were conducted without and with vibration of the extensor carpi radialis muscle. The intracortical inhibition was significantly greater in older subjects; however, during muscle vibration this difference between the two groups vanished. The different effect of vibration favors compensatory mechanisms to be responsible for a different paired-pulse excitability in middle-aged subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Decrease of middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity after low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

OBJECTIVES: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been tried therapeutically in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Both, inhibition and activation of cortical areas may be achieved using different stimulation parameters. Using low-frequency rTMS (0.9 Hz), inhibition of cortical areas can be observed. METHODS: In the present study, 38 right-handed, healthy, normotensive subjects (aged 21-50 years, mean 30.2 years, SD=4.9; 17 women) were enrolled. Twenty-five participants received active rTMS (5 min of 0.9 Hz rTMS, stimulus intensity 90% of motor threshold) of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Sham stimulation (n=13 subjects) occurred in the same manner as active rTMS, except that the angle of the coil was at 45 degrees off the skull. Simultaneously, ipsilateral and contralateral maximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocity (and pulsatility index, PI) was monitored using transcranial Doppler sonography. RESULTS: In the group with active rTMS, maximal MCA flow velocity decreased from a baseline (before rTMS) of 101.6 cm/s (SD=26.0) to a mean of 92.6 cm/s (SD=23.7) immediately after rTMS, T=5.06, P<0.001. This equals a mean decrease of 9.0 cm/s (SD=8.3) or approximately 8.9% of baseline flow. Five and 10 min after rTMS, there was a return to baseline. PI significantly decreased 10 min after rTMS (mean difference -0.05, SD=0.05, T=2.29, P<0.05). In the contralateral MCA, maximal flow velocity tended to increase 10 min after rTMS (mean difference +7.4 cm/s, SD=17.5; T=-2.03, P=0.054). With sham rTMS, no significant changes occurred. CONCLUSIONS: The results from our study support the hypothesis that low-frequency rTMS may influence cerebral blood flow (CBF) over short periods of time, inducing a temporary decrease of maximal CBF in the ipsilateral MCA followed by an increase in the contralateral MCA.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Impaired sensorimotor integration in cervical dystonia: a study using transcranial magnetic stimulation and muscle vibration.

The authors studied the effects of sensorimotor integration (corticocortical inhibition and facilitation during muscle vibration [MV]) in dystonic patients. Eleven patients with cervical dystonia and 11 age-matched healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. They were examined using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and tonic proprioceptive input (MV). Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was done at interstimulus intervals of 3 msec (intracortical inhibition) and 13 msec, the intensity of the conditioning stimulus was 70% of the motor threshold, and the test stimulus was 120%. Motor evoked potentials were recorded from the vibrated extensor carpi radialis muscle and its antagonist, the flexor carpi radialis. Duration of MV trains (80 Hz; amplitude, 0.5 mm) was 4 seconds. The authors found differences between patients and healthy control subjects during MV only. Intracortical inhibition was pronounced significantly only in control subjects, whereas intracortical facilitation was significant in patients only (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the significant reduction of motor evoked potentials at 13-msec interstimulus intervals, which can be found in healthy subjects frequently, was observed in one dystonia patient only. The results of the current study suggest that sensorimotor integration is impaired in cervical dystonia, probably by an altered control of proprioceptive (vibratory) input.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Short-term cognitive improvement in schizophrenics treated with typical and atypical neuroleptics.

OBJECTIVE: Atypical neuroleptics seem to be more beneficial than typical ones with respect to long-term neuropsychological functioning. Thus, most studies focus on the long-term effects of neuroleptics. We were interested in whether atypical neuroleptic treatment is also superior to typical drugs over relatively short periods of time. METHODS: We studied 20 schizophrenic patients [10 males, mean age 35.5 years, mean Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score at entry 58.9] admitted to our hospital with acute psychotic exacerbation. Nine of them were treated with typical and 11 with atypical neuroleptics. In addition, 14 healthy drug-free subjects (6 males, mean age 31.2 years) were enrolled in the study and compared to the patients. As neuropsychological tools, a divided attention test, the Vienna reaction time test, the Benton visual retention test, digit span and a Multiple Choice Word Fluency Test (MWT-B) were used during the first week after admission, within the third week and before discharge (approximately 3 months). RESULTS: Patients scored significantly worse than healthy controls on nearly all tests (except Vienna reaction time). Clinical ratings [BPRS and Positive and Negative Symptom Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS)] improved markedly (p < 0.01), without a significant difference between typical and atypical medication. Clinical improvement (PANSS total score) correlated with less mistakes on the Benton test (r = 0.762, p = 0.017) and an improvement on the divided attention task (r = 0.705, p = 0.034). Neuropsychological functioning (explicit memory, p < 0.01; divided attention, p < 0.05) moderately improved for both groups under treatment but without a significant difference between atypical and typical antipsychotic drugs. CONCLUSIONS: Over short periods of time (3 months), neuropsychological disturbances in schizophrenia seem to be moderately responsive to both typical and atypical neuroleptics.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of chronic pain - a pilot study.

Invasive electrical stimulation of the motor cortex has been reported to be of therapeutic value in pain control. We were interested whether noninvasive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the primary motor cortex might also act beneficially. Twelve patients with therapy-resistant chronic pain syndromes (mean age 51.3 +/- 12.6, 6 males) were included in a pilot study. They were treated with rTMS of the corresponding motor cortex area for 20 min (20 Hz, 20 x 2 s trains, intensity 80% of motor threshold) and sham stimulation (sequence-controlled cross-over design). Some of the patients (6/6) had an analgesic effect, but for the whole group, the difference between active and sham stimulation did not reach a level of significance (active rTMS: mean VAS reduction -4.0 +/- 15.6%; sham rTMS: -2.3 +/- 8.8%). Further studies using different rTMS stimulation parameters (duration and frequency of rTMS) or stimulation sites (e.g. anterior cingulate gyrus) are strongly encouraged.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

EMG monitoring during functional non-surgical therapy of Achilles tendon rupture.

After surgical therapy of Achilles tendon rupture, neuromuscular changes may persist, even one year after surgery. We were interested whether these changes are also evident following a non-surgical functional therapy (Variostabil therapy boot/Adidas). Twenty-one patients with complete Achilles tendon rupture were enrolled in the study (mean age 38.5 years, range 24 to 60; 18 men, three women) and followed-up clinically and with surface EMG of the gastrocnemius muscles after four, eight, 12 weeks, and one year after rupture. EMG differences between the affected and non-affected side could only be observed at baseline and after four weeks following Achilles tendon rupture. The results from our study show that EMG changes are not found following non-surgical functional therapy.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed2000

Pressure pain threshold and needle acupuncture in chronic tension-type headache--a double-blind placebo-controlled study.

In order to examine the role of muscular mechanisms in chronic tension-type headache a study with needle acupuncture was performed. Needle acupuncture could be of therapeutic value because it has shown some positive effects in myofascial pain syndromes. We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 39 patients (mean age 49.0 years, SD=14.8) fulfilling the International Headache Society criteria for chronic tension-type headaches. Participants were randomly assigned to verum or placebo condition. Six weeks after end of treatment no significant differences between placebo and verum could be observed with respect to visual analogue scale and frequency of headache attacks. Nevertheless, pressure pain thresholds significantly increased for the verum group. The findings of our study support the hypothesis that peripheral mechanisms - such as increased muscle tenderness - only play a minor role in the pathogenesis of chronic tension-type headache.

Acupuncture Therapy↗
PubMed1996

The effect of ethnicity on prescriptions for patient-controlled analgesia for post-operative pain.

We studied if ethnicity influences patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for the treatment of post-operative pain. Using a retrospective record review, we examined data from all patients treated with PCA for post-operative pain from January to June 1993. We excluded patients who did not have surgery prior to the prescription of PCA or were not prescribed PCA in the immediate post-operative period. The sample consisted of 454 subjects. While there were no differences in the amount of narcotic self-administered, there were significant differences in the amount of narcotic prescribed among Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites (F--7,352, P < 0.01). The ethnic differences in prescribed analgesic persisted after controlling for age, gender, pre-operative use of narcotics, pain site, and insurance status. Patient's ethnicity has a greater impact on the amount of narcotic prescribed by the physician than on the amount of narcotic self-administered by the patient.

Adult↗