Multisensory Stimulation Research Articles

Virtual Reality in Engineering Education

The idea of virtual reality (VR) has gained widespread acceptance in modern society. Although most people still see it as a new form of entertainment, in fact, this kind of digital technology will play an important role in the future of education, especially engineering education. It can provide students with more intuitive and visual multi-sensory stimulation. By allowing access to virtual spaces for learning activities, students can be better guided for deep learning and interest cultivation, and their cognitive and application processes can be accelerated. Therefore, it is of great significance to apply this technology to engineering education courses. This research paper reviews what virtual reality is and the application of virtual reality in engineering education, and analyzes the benefits brought by the application of virtual reality in engineering education. Virtual reality technology represents a positive vision in which it will be the most promising assistive technology for engineering education in the near future.

Nurses’ Role in Strengthening Sensory Inputs of Preemies in NICU

Infants born prematurely are deprived of the prenatal sensory stimulation necessary for their proper development and the harsh environment in neonatal intensive care unit NICU severely impacts their growth. This paper aims to strengthen the mother-newborn interaction to promote healthy growth and development by implementing evidenced-based sensory care in NICU and thus reducing the newborn mortality rate. This paper is focused on the initiation of positive sensory inputs for the preemies in the NICU based on evidence-based care to promote in-utero experience to the preterm newborn. The main sensory inputs include Octopus therapy therapeutic positioning and nesting and multisensory stimulation including auditory tactile vestibular and visual stimulations. The research studies have shown the benefits of sensory stimulation of preterm newborns in NICU in terms of growth of the child neuromotor development physiological stability improvement in sleep and improved mother-newborn interaction promoting adjustment of the newborn to the extrauterine life. Nurses play a very important role in initiating this sensory stimulation for the preemies admitted to NICU with maternal participation in care.

Multisensory stimulation as a non-pharmacological intervention for neonates undergoing painful procedures: A scoping review.

The aim of this review is to identify available evidence on MSS practices as a pain-relieving intervention among neonates undergoing a repetitive painful procedure. Searches were performed in the following databases: PubMed/ MEDLINE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, and the physiotherapy evidence database (PEDro). A total of eight studies were identified, among them; studies related to MSS in relieving neonatal procedural pain were conducted only in three countries only. Data collected from the identified studies were extracted by two independent reviewers, and were synthesized quantitatively, and qualitatively. Eight studies involving six hundred and eighty-six neonates in three countries were identified in the search. Among them, six were randomized controlled trials, and two were observational studies. The study results highlighted that implementation of MSS as a non-pharmacological pain-relieving intervention follows a similar protocol among the reviewed articles, but varies by who administers MSS (Physiotherapists/ Nurses/Mothers) in neonates undergoing repetitive painful procedures. Standardized MSS protocol should be followed globally along with its implementation for reducing procedural pain among neonates and also to promote good clinical practice in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) settings. Future research could determine the effects of standardized MSS protocol either with or without other non-pharmacological interventions among neonates undergoing painful procedures.

A Study of Sunaryo’s Wot Batu through Art Criticism

The Indonesian modern art scene in the 1940s, which related to many ideologies, also influenced the art of Indonesian artist Sunaryo (1943). One of his recent works, Wot Batu, is a work of land art consisting of sequential installations made with stones lying in a landscape in Bandung. Wot Batu means ‘stone bridge’ in old Javanese. This study aimed to discover Sunaryo’s artistic qualities in Wot Batu in order to trace Sunaryo’s perspective of spirituality and his background as a modern Indonesian artist. This research used Feldmann’s art criticism approach. The interpretation and judgment process in this work was obtained by connecting a formal analysis of the artwork to Sunaryo’s background as an artist. The research findings confirm that Sunaryo presents his own perspective on spirituality in this work through the use of stones as the main material and other natural elements. He made use of various aspects, such as combining and assembling stones, multisensory stimulation of the visitor, the site and the movement of the visitor inside it, support his concept. This study revealed that Sunaryo’s perspective on spirituality not merely concerns the relationship between humans and a greater power, but also humans as a part of nature, balance, the perpetuity of the universe, and the experience of nothingness and serenity.

Effectiveness of treatments for people living with severe dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled clinical trials.

Dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative syndrome that has no cure. Although a significant proportion of people with dementia progress into the severe stages of the disease, evidence on the clinical effectiveness of treatments for people with severe dementia remains limited. To systematically review the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for people living with severe dementia and assess the quality of the evidence. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and online clinical trial registers up to January 2022, for Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT) in people living with severe dementia. Quality and risk of bias were assessed independently by two authors. A total of 30 trials met our inclusion criteria of which 14 evaluated the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments, and 16 evaluated a non-pharmacological intervention. Pharmacological treatments: Meta-analyses indicated that pharmacological treatments (donepezil: 10mg, 5mg; galantamine: 24mg; memantine: 10mg) are associated with better outcomes compared to placebo for: severity of symptoms (standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.37, 95% CI 0.26-0.48; 4 studies; moderate-certainty evidence), activities of daily living (SMD 0.15, 95% CI 0.04-0.26; 5 studies; moderate-certainty evidence), and clinical impression of change (Relative Risk (RR) 1.34, 95% CI 1.14-1.57; 4 studies; low-certainty evidence). Pharmacological treatments were also more likely to reduce mortality compared to placebo (RR 0.60, 95% CI 0.40-0.89; 6 studies; low-certainty evidence). Non-pharmacological treatments: Five trials were included in the meta-analyses of non-pharmacological interventions (multi-sensory stimulation, needs assessment, and activities-based interventions); results showed that non-pharmacological interventions may reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia compared to usual care (SMD -0.33, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.06; low certainty evidence). There is moderate-certainty evidence that pharmacological treatments may decrease disease severity and improve function for people with severe dementia. Non-pharmacological treatments are probably effective in reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms but the quality of evidence remains low. There is an urgent need for high-quality evidence for other outcomes and for developing service-user informed interventions for this under-served group.

Experiences of caregivers of community-dwelling older persons with moderate to advanced dementia in adapting the Namaste Care program: a qualitative descriptive study

BackgroundGlobally many older persons with dementia are living at home to maintain independence within the community. As older persons with dementia transition from early to moderate or advanced stages of dementia they require more support from family members and friends to complete their daily activities. Family and friend caregivers, however, often report a lack of preparation for their caregiving role. There are few psychosocial programs that can be delivered by caregivers of community-dwelling older persons with moderate to advanced dementia. Namaste Care is a psychosocial intervention, predominantly used in long-term care, to improve the quality of life of persons with advanced dementia. Namaste Care provides multisensory stimulation for persons with dementia through meaningful activities such as music, massage, aromatherapy, and nutrition. There have been limited attempts at adapting Namaste Care for use by caregivers in the community.There is a need to involve caregivers in adapting programs and understanding their experiences in research involvement so that strategies can be put in place for a positive experience. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of caregivers who participated in workshop sessions to adapt Namaste Care for community-dwelling older persons with moderate to advanced dementia.MethodsA qualitative descriptive design was used. Six caregivers residing in Ontario, Canada attended virtual workshop sessions (i.e., by phone or videoconference) that were guided by the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Patient Engagement Framework. Caregivers completed individual post-workshop interviews. Experiential thematic analysis was used to analyze interviews and post-interview researcher notes.ResultsKey findings were that caregivers had a positive experience in adapting Namaste Care by learning how to improve their caregiving skills and being supported to engage in research through multiple facilitators such as flexible scheduling and an inclusive and respectful environment. Having designated time for discussions between caregivers was perceived as important to forming partnerships within the group to support co-creation of knowledge.ConclusionFindings support the need to improve caregiver research engagement processes by ensuring that caregivers can benefit through learning opportunities and discussions and empowering caregivers to value their contributions in adapting interventions.

Using an Accessible Room Multisensory Stimulation Environment to Reduce Dementia Associated Behaviors

<strong>Objectives:</strong> To reveal whether an accessible open floorplan Multisensory Stimulation Environment (MSSE) room design has a positive impact as a nonpharmacologic intervention for episodes of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in older adults living in a Memory Care Assisted Living (MCAL) facility as well as reducing the need for direct care supervision. <strong>Methods:</strong> Retrospective pre/post cohort design of 24 residents living in a Midwest MCAL facility in the United States with a diagnosis of dementia and over 65 years of age, analyzed by secondary medical chart review for 12 months to assess impact of an accessible open floorplan MSSE room design. The pre/post design analyzed secondary data over two periods of time; 6 months prior to the MSSE installation and 6 months following the MSSE installation. <strong>Results:</strong> Following the installation of an open floorplan MSSE, the number of observed BPSD episodes changed from 367 (17%) pre-test to 298 (10%) post-test over a 12-month time period. The Comparison of Proportions test determined that the difference in the proportion of BPSD episodes documented was statistically significant with clinical implications. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> The accessible open floorplan MSSE room design, located within a single-site MCAL facility, utilized as a nonpharmacological intervention for BPSD, was found in this explorative study to be effective and potentially clinically meaningful in improving behavioral episodes for older adults diagnosed with dementia in MCAL settings.

The enfacement illusion in autism spectrum disorder: How interpersonal multisensory stimulation influences facial recognition of the self.

At its most basic level, the sense of self is built upon awareness of one's body and the face holds special significance as the individual's most important and distinctive physical feature. Multimodal sensory integration is pivotal to experiencing one's own body as a coherent visual "self" representation is formed and maintained by matching felt and observed sensorimotor experiences in the mirror. While difficulties in individual facial identity recognition and in both self-referential cognition and empathy are frequently reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), studying the effect of multimodal sensory stimulation in this population is of relevant interest. The present study investigates for the first time the specific effect on Interpersonal Multisensory Stimulation (IMS) on face self-recognition in a sample of 30 adults with (n = 15) and without (n = 15) ASD, matched on age and sex. The results demonstrate atypical self-face recognition and absence of IMS effects (enfacement illusion) in adults with ASD compared to controls, indicating that multisensory integration failed in updating cognitive representations of one's own face among persons with this disorder. The results are discussed in the light of other findings indicating alterations in body enfacement illusion and automatic imitation in ASD as well as in the context of the theories of procedural perception and multisensory integration alterations.

Is this my foot? Experimentally induced disownership in individuals with body integrity dysphoria.

In body integrity dysphoria (BID), otherwise healthy individuals feel like a part of their physical body does not belong to them despite normal sensorimotor functioning. Theoretical and empirical evidence suggested aweakened integration of the affected body part into higher-order multisensory cortical body networks. Here, we used a multisensory stimulation paradigm in mixed reality to modulate and investigate multisensory processing underlying body (dis)ownership in individuals with BID of the lower limb. In 20 participants with BID, delay perception and body ownership were measured after introducing delays between the visual and tactile information of viewed stroking applied to affected and unaffected body parts. Unlike predicted, delay perception did not differ between the two body parts. However, specifically for the affected limb, ownership was lower and more strongly modulated by delay. These findings might be following the idea of a stronger dependency on online bottom up sensory signals in BID.

EVIDENCES ON EFFECTIVENESS OF NON-PHARMACOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT OF PROCEDURAL PAIN AMONG CHILDREN.

Background -Evidence as “the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values”. Evidence Based practice in nursing is a process of locating, appraising, and applying the best evidence from the nursing and medical literature to improve the quality of clinical nursing practice. Research ndings, knowledge from basic science, clinical knowledge, and expert opinion are all considered "evidence"; however, practices based on research ndings are more likely to result in the desired patient outcomes across various settings and geographic locations. Method (Searching strategies ) -Online articles and databases like PubMed ,CINHAL ,Medline ,Cochrane , Google Scholar Area of search -Evidences on Effectiveness of Non –pharmacological management of procedural pain among children .Various non –pharmacological Methods of pain management like non-nutritive sucking ,music ,swaddling ,positioning ,olfactory ,multi-sensorial stimulation ,maternal touch ,acupuncture, skin-to-skin contact”, “sucrose”, “massage “and “breastfeeding during nursing procedures like venepuncture ,immunization and other therapeutic procedure on children . Evidence hierarchy: levels of evidence on this area will be Systematic Review, Single RCT ,Single Non-Randomized Trial (quasi –experimental) ,Single prospective /cohort study ,Single case –control study ,Single cross –sectional study ,Single indepth Qualitative study , Expert opinion, case reports, etc. There are various research st Result – udies that shows that pain among children of various age group during procedure can be reduced or managed effectively by use of non-pharmacological methods only. After getting various level of evidence on non –pharmacological management of procedur Conclusion – al pain among children nurses in various setting of children care like NICU, PICU and paediatric ward can use the evidences and technique in providing effective care.

Avatar embodiment in VR: Are there individual susceptibilities to visuo-tactile or cardio-visual stimulations?

Virtual reality has obvious potential to help humans developing/recovering brain functions, which operates through modulation of multisensory inputs. Some interventions using VR rely on the need to embody a virtual avatar, which stimulates cognitive-motor adaptations. Recent research has shown that embodiment can be facilitated by synchronizing natural sensory inputs with their visual redundancy on the avatar, e.g., the user’s heartbeat flashing around its avatar (cardio-visual stimulation) or the user’s body being physically stroked while the avatar is touched in synchronized conditions (visuo-tactile stimulation). While different full-body illusions have proven obvious interest in health and disease, it is unknown to date whether individual susceptibilities to illusion are equivalent with respect to cardio-visual or visuo-tactile stimulations. In fact, a number of factors like interoception, vestibular processing, a pronounced visual dependence, a specific cognitive ability for mental rotations, or user traits and habits like empathy and video games practice may interfere with the multifaceted construct of bodily self-consciousness, the conscious experience of owning a body in space from which the world is perceived. Here, we evaluated a number of dispositions in twenty-nine young and healthy participants submitted alternatively to cardio-visual and visuo-tactile stimulations to induce full-body illusions. Three components of bodily self-consciousness consensually identified in recent research, namely self-location, perspective taking and self-identification were quantified by self-reported feeling (questionnaires), and specific VR tasks used before and after multisensory stimulations. VR tasks allowed measuring self-location in reference to a virtual ball rolling toward the participant, perspective taking through visuomotor response times when mentally rotating an avatar suddenly presented at different angles, and self-identification through heart rate dynamics in response to a threatening stimulus applied to the (embodied) avatar. Full-body illusion was evidenced by self-reported quotations of self-identification to the avatar reaching scores in agreement with the literature, lower reaction times when taking the perspective of the avatar and a marked drop in heart rate showing obvious freezing reaction changes when the user saw the avatar being pierced by a spear. Changes in bodily self-consciousness components are not significantly dependent on the type of multisensory stimulation (visuo-tactile or cardio-visual). A principal component analysis demonstrated the lack of covariation between those components, pointing to the relative independence of self-location, perspective taking and self-identification measurements. Moreover, none of these components showed significant covariations with any of the individual dispositions. These results support the hypothesis that cardio-visual and visuo-tactile stimulations affect the main components of bodily self-consciousness in an extent that, in average, is mostly independent of individual perceptive-cognitive profiles, at least in healthy young people. Although this is an important observation at group level, which indicates a similar probability of inducing embodiment with either cardio-visual or visuo-tactile stimulations in VR, these results do not discard the fact that some individuals might have higher susceptibility to specific sensory inputs, which would represent a target to adapt efficient VR stimulations.

Multisensory stimulation to promote feeding and psychomotor development in preterm infants: A systematic review.

Sensory stimulation is an intervention that, through peripheral stimuli, can facilitate brain organization, due to neuronal plasticity and cortical reorganization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the evidence about the effects of a multisensory stimulation program, applied on preterm infants, compared to any intervention or standard care, to improve feeding behaviour, and psychomotor development. The data sources included Medline (pubmed, EBSCO), Scopus and Web Of Science. The studies were randomized clinical trials published between 2015 and 2021 that analyzed multisensory stimulation interventions in preterm infants born less than 37 weeks of pregnancy. Nine articles were identified, involving 545 preterm infants between 25 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. The studies applied different combinations of sensory stimulation. These interventions were related to a better time to achieve full oral feeding and higher consumption of human milk at discharge, better psychomotor development and visual function. All studies scored 6 or higher on the PEDro scale meaning good quality. Multisensory stimulation in preterm infants may improve feeding, psychomotor development, and visual function.

Effects of 40 Hz multisensory stimulation on trauma-induced anxiety-like behavior in rats

To investigate the effects of 40 Hz acousto-optical stimulation on anxiety like symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with emphasis on the possible molecular mechanism stimulation. Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: Control group, PTSD group and PTSD+40 Hz group,ten rats in each group. The SPS&S model was established in the rats of the PTSD group and PTSD+40 Hz group and, then PTSD+40 Hz group rats were stimulated with 40 Hz acousto-optical stimulation for 7 days. The behavior of anxiety was tested by elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT). The expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB), synapsinⅠand postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in the rat prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIP) were detected by Western blot. The mRNA transcription level of BDNF genes in the PFC and HIP was verified by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and the distribution of BDNF in the PFC and HIP was determined by immunofluorescence. Compared with the Control group, in the OFT the total distance and the time spending in the center, and in the EPM the total distance were decreased significantly (P＜0.05), the number of entering into the open arm as a percentage of the total number of entering in two arms was decreased,and the expression levels of BDNF, TrkB, PSD95, Synapsin I protein in HIP and PFC, and the mRNA expression level of BDNF were reduced significantly (P＜0.01), the immunofluorescence expression of BDNF was reduced in CA1, DG and PFC in the PTSD group rats; Compared with the PTSD group, the total distance and the time spending in the center in OFT (P＜0.05), the total distance and the number of entering into the open arm as a percentage of the total number were increased significantly (P＜0.05), the protein expression levels of BDNF, TrkB, PSD95, SynapsinⅠin the PFC and HIP, the mRNA expression level of BDNF were increased significantly (P＜0.05), and the immunofluorescence expression of BDNF was increased significantly in CA1, DG and PFC in the PTSD+40 Hz group rats. 40 Hz acousto-optical stimulation improves the formation of anxiety-like symptoms in rats with PTSD, which may be related to the synaptic plasticity influenced by BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway.

Non-pharmacological Intervention for Wandering Behavior in Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Purpose: The present study aimed to explore the types of non-pharmacological interventions and evaluate their effectiveness in reducing wandering behavior in patientis with dementia.Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline. Searching eight databases (Cochrane, Ovid-MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed, PsycInfo, RISS, KISS, and KMBASE) yielded 899 related studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of these studies, using Revised Cochrane risk of bias for randomized trials (ROB) 2.0 and Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomised Study (ROBANS) 2.0, based on this study design. The Algase Wandering Scale related to wandering behavior reported the standardized mean differences and their 95% confidence intervals.Results: A total of seven studies, consisting of four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and three quasi-experimental studies, met the inclusion criteria. Among non-pharmacological interventions, aromatherapy was the most common. However, therapeutic contact, therapeutic companion robot, tailored activity program, combining physical activity, memory recall, music therapy, and multisensory stimulation were also performed in one study, respectively. In a meta-analysis (RevMan 5.4), non-pharmacological interventions reduced wandering behavior in patients with dementia and mild to moderate functional impairments (p=.003).Conclusion: The result of this meta-analysis suggests that non-pharmacological interventions are generally associated with reduced wandering behavior among patients with dementia and mild-moderate functional impairment. However, it is necessary to develop a more detailed non-pharmacological intervention for patients with dementia and wandering behavior according to their disease stage and characteristics.

An analytical method to separate modality-specific and nonspecific sensory components of event-related potentials.

Several models have been developed to analyse cortical activity in response to salient events constituted by multiple sensory modalities. In particular, additive models compare event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to stimuli from two or more concomitant sensory modalities with the ERPs evoked by unimodal stimuli, in order to study sensory interactions. In this approach, components that are not specific to a sensory modality are commonly disregarded, although they likely carry information about stimulus expectation and evaluation, attentional orientation and other cognitive processes. In this study, we present an analytical method to assess the contribution of modality-specific and nonspecific components to the ERP. We developed an experimental setup that recorded ERPs in response to four stimulus types (visual, auditory, and two somatosensory modalities to test for stimulus specificity) in three different conditions (unimodal, bimodal and trimodal stimulation) and recorded the saliency of these stimuli relative to the sensory background. Stimuli were delivered in pairs, in order to study the effects of habituation. To this end, spatiotemporal features (peak amplitudes and latencies at different scalp locations) were analysed using linear mixed models. Results showed that saliency relative to the sensory background increased with the number of concomitant stimuli. We also observed that the spatiotemporal features of modality-specific components derived from this method likely reflect the amount and type of sensory input. Furthermore, the nonspecific component reflected habituation occurring for the second stimulus in the pair. In conclusion, this method provides an alternative to study neural mechanisms of responses to multisensory stimulation.

시각을 포함한 치매환자용 스마트 다감각 시나리오 및 시스템 개발

This study creates a smart multi-sensory ward in which dementia patients can receive multi-sensory stimulation in daily life and automatically grasp the patient’s condition to increase the convenience of elderly patients. In the process of establishing a smart multi-sensory system, previous studies that stimulate each sensation, tools that can stimulate sensation, machine learning tools that can grasp the patient’s condition, and IoT sensors were investigated. Lighting equipment set similar to the spectrum of daylight was used as a visual stimulus element. ‘Pium’ and ‘Moodo’, smart diffuser devices were used as an olfactory element, and a speaker connected with Raspberry Pi as an auditory element. As factors to determine the patient’s condition, a ‘Teachable Machine’ that detects the patient’s posture through machine learning and a ZigBee communication type IoT sensor were used. After writing a multi-sensory scenario, a smart multi-sensory system was built using Amazon Alexa and Node-RED programs. Unlike conventional multi-sensory therapy that had to be moved to a fixed treatment room at a fixed time, this study created a smart multi-sensory ward that could be treated even in the patient’s daily life without time and space limitations.

Enhanced vection in older adults: Evidence for age-related effects in multisensory vection experiences.

The illusion of self-motion (vection) is a multisensory phenomenon elicited by visual, auditory, tactile, or other sensory cues. Aging is often associated with changes in sensory acuity, visual motion perception, and multisensory integration, processes which may influence vection perception. However, age-related differences in vection have received little study to date. Thus, the objective of the present study was to investigate age-related differences in vection during multisensory stimulation. Nineteen younger adults and 19 older adults were exposed to rotating visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli (separately or in combination) at a speed of 45°/s inside a VR laboratory inducing circular vection. The size of the field-of-view (FOV) was large (240°), medium (75°), small (30°), or contained no visuals. Vection intensity and duration were reported verbally after each trial. Overall, older adults experienced significantly stronger and longer vection compared to younger adults. Additionally, there were main effects of FOV and sensory cues, such that larger FOVs and the presence of auditory and tactile stimulation increased vection ratings for both age groups. These findings support the idea that vection is a multisensory experience that can be elicited by visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli and demonstrates these effects for the first time in older adults.

Multisensory Stimulation Improves Cognition and Behavior in Adult Male Rats Born to LT4-treated Thyroidectomized Dams.

Gestational hypothyroidism can impair development, cognition, and mood. Here, we tested whether multisensory stimulation (MS) improves the phenotype of rats born to surgically thyroidectomized (Tx) dams suboptimally treated with LT4. 8-week-old female Tx Wistar rats were kept on daily LT4 (0.7 µg/100 g body weight) dosed by gavage (serum TSH and T4 levels indicated moderate hypothyroidism) and 3 weeks later placed for breeding. MS of the litter started at age 60 days and lasted for 8 weeks. It consisted of twice per week of physical, cognitive, sensorial, and food stimuli. The offspring were assessed before and after MS for standardized tests of locomotor activity, cognition, and mood. Gestational hypothyroidism resulted in reduced litter size and increased offspring mortality. The pups exhibited delayed physical development, impairment of short- and long-term memory, and anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors. Nonetheless, ambulatory activity, social memory, and social preference were not affected by gestational hypothyroidism. MS restored short-term memory and anxiety while improving depressive like-behaviors. MS did not improve long-term memory. MS also did not modify the performance of control litter born to intact dams. We conclude that cognition and mood impairments caused by moderate gestational hypothyroidism were reversed or minimized in rats through MS. Further studies should define the molecular mechanisms involved.

Stimulation-related modifications of evolving functional brain networks in unresponsive wakefulness

Recent advances in neurophysiological brain network analysis have demonstrated novel potential for diagnosis and prognosis of disorders of consciousness. While most progress has been achieved on the population-sample level, time-economic and easy-to-apply personalized solutions are missing. This prospective controlled study combined EEG recordings, basal stimulation, and daily behavioral assessment as applied routinely during complex early rehabilitation treatment. We investigated global characteristics of EEG-derived evolving functional brain networks during the repeated (3–6 weeks apart) evaluation of brain dynamics at rest as well as during and after multisensory stimulation in ten patients who were diagnosed with an unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS). The age-corrected average clustering coefficient C* allowed to discriminate between individual patients at first (three patients) and second assessment (all patients). Clinically, only two patients changed from UWS to minimally conscious state. Of note, most patients presented with significant changes of C* due to stimulations, along with treatment, and with an increasing temporal distance to injury. These changes tended towards the levels of nine healthy controls. Our approach allowed to monitor both, short-term effects of individual therapy sessions and possibly long-term recovery. Future studies will need to assess its full potential for disease monitoring and control of individualized treatment decisions.

Awakening Effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation with Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging under Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Algorithm Combined with Wake-Up Nursing on Patients with Massive Cerebral Infarction

This study was aimed to provide arousal treatment for disturbance of consciousness in patients with massive cerebral infarction, using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-assisted transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) under three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm combined with wake-up nursing. The application effect was also evaluated. 80 patients with massive cerebral infarction were selected as the research objects. These patients were divided into the control group (routine nursing and TMS) and the experimental group (routine nursing, multisensory stimulation wake-up nursing, and TMS) according to the even- and odd-numbered admission orders. There were 40 cases in each group, and the treatment effects of the two groups were compared and analyzed. The peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) (800 dB) of the bilateral filtering algorithm was higher than that of the wavelet threshold denoising (321 dB) and the nonlocal mean filtering algorithm (455 dB). The segmentation accuracy of the improved region growing method/fuzzy spatial clustering algorithm (96.21% and 97.22%) was higher than that of the unimproved ones (82.11% and 79.99%). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), and Dysfunction Scale (DFS) scores of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group 1 week and 2 weeks after treatment ( P &lt; 0.05 ). The awakening rate of patients in the experimental group (95%) was also significantly higher than that in the control group (72.5%), and the time needed for waking up was (2.28 ± 2.92) hours, lower than that in the control group (4.34 ± 3.49) hours ( P &lt; 0.05 ). The three-dimensional reconstruction algorithm could effectively improve the display effect of MRI images and assist in the examination of diseases. Multisensory stimulation wake-up nursing combined with TMS could promote patients to wake up more quickly and help the recovery of brain function of patients in the treatment of massive cerebral infarction and disturbance of consciousness.