Mar 

Mar  Cortes^a,b, Alejandra Climent^a, Laura Dubreuil Vall^c, Giulio Ruffini^c  Douglas Labar^a, Dylan Edwards^a

a. Non invasive Brain Stimulation and  Human Motor Control Laboratory, Burke Medical Research Institute, Weill Medical  College of Cornell University, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, 10605, White Plains, NY, 
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Tibidabo 47 bis, 08035, Barcelona, Spain.

Corresponding author:

Mar Cortes

Non invasive Brain Stimulation and  Human Motor Control Laboratory, Burke Medical Research Institute, Weill Medical  College of Cornell University, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, 10605, White Plains, NY,  USA.

[email protected]

Phone: +1 914 368 3181

Abstract: 3181

Abstract:  (250)[MC1] 

Background: Existing strategies to  enhance motor function following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) are suboptimal  leaving patients with considerable disability. Available evidence suggests that  transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising method to improve  motor dysfunction. How tDCS affects resting brain activity monitored by EEG is  little explored.

 Objective:

Methods: 

Objective: Investigate the effects of anodal tDCS on brain signaling (EEG) and neurophysiology (TMS) when targeting forearm muscles below the level of the lesion in chronic SCI subjects. 

Methods:  We conducted a randomized, single blind, sham-controlled, cross-over study in seven chronic  SCI subjects with cervical lesions. We investigated the effects of 20-minute  anodal tDCS applied over the left primary motor cortex (M1) on 
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stimulation.  The EEG data acquisition  pre and post stimulation comprised 5-minute takes of 24 bit, 500 S/s 8-channel  EEG using StarStim Ag/AgCl EEG electrodes (at F3, F4, Cz, C4, P3 and P4; and Pi  Ag/AgCl electrodes at C3, anode, AF8, return).

Results: 

Results:  In comparison to sham stimulation, 20-minutes of active 1mA tDCS induced a pattern of faster activity  around the anodal stimulating electrode, and slowing activity near the return  electrode in the frequency (full band) and mean power domain (gamma band). In  addition, tDCS increased coherence in the fastest bands (gamma, beta 2) and  decreased coherence in slower frequency bands (theta, SMR), with no relation  with brain topography or the stimulation electrode polarity.

Conclusions: 

Conclusions:  These findings show that tDCS is capable of inducing modulation of ongoing oscillatory brain  rhythms captured by EEG, in spinal cord injury patients. The combined use of  EEG and tDCS sets the stage for optimizing tDCS protocols targeting motor  cortex and may have application in treatment of motor dysfunction and chronic  pain.

Key words: (6)

Abbreviations:

Introduction spinal cord injury, EEG, tDCS, motor cortex, TMS

Abbreviations:

Introduction  href="#_msocom_2">[JC2] 

Transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) delivered over primary motor cortex (M1) can increase or decrease corticomotor  excitability as determined by the amplitude of the motor evoked potential (MEP)  from stimulating M1 with supra-threshold transcranial magnetic stimulation 
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stimulation paradigm to modulate spinal excitability. Clin Neurophysiol 2011;  122(11): 2254-9.

Edwards DJ, Cortes M, Thickbroom GW, Rykman  A, Pascual-Leone A, Volpe BT. Preserved corticospinal conduction without  voluntary movement after spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 2013; 51(10): 765-7.