Transcranial direct current stimulation improves sleep in patients with post-polio syndrome

According to novel study published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience

2013-08-27

(Press-News.org) Amsterdam, NL, August 26, 2013 – Of the 15 million people around the world who have survived poliomyelitis, up to 80% report progressive deteriorating strength and endurance many years after infection, a condition known as post-polio syndrome (PPS). Researchers in Italy from the National Hospital for Poliomyelitis, the Policlinico G.B. De Rossi in Verona, and the University of Milan have found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for 15 days improved sleep and fatigue symptoms in patients with PPS, suggesting this non-invasive tool may be a new therapeutic option for this condition. Their results are published in Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.

Post-polio syndrome (PPS) is a neurological disorder that may first appear years after an acute polio infection. In addition to worsening weakness and fatigue, pain, depression, cold intolerance, and sleep disturbances also may occur. Although polio vaccines have drastically decreased the incidence of new cases of polio in industrialized countries, new cases still occur in areas of Asia and Africa. As polio survivors age, PPS symptoms emerge, even in people who have been stable for 15 years or more. The cause of PPS still remains elusive, and there are no definitive treatment options.

The study enrolled 32 patients who had contracted polio at a mean age of 31 months, but then were stable clinically for an average of 55 years. They were referred to a national reference center, the Physical Rehabilitation Medicine Unit at Malcesine Hospital in Verona, Italy, for the treatment of PPS after complaining of progressively worsening weakness and fatigue. Half of the patients were randomly assigned to receive anodal tDCS applied bilaterally to the premotor cortex every day, 5 days a week, for three weeks. The control group received current for 5 seconds (sham tDCS). In preliminary testing, subjects said they could not distinguish between real and sham tDCS.

Patients underwent a battery of tests at baseline and then three weeks later. The tests looked at quality of life, multiple aspects of fatigue, depression, and sleep quality.

The authors found that tDCS treated patients improved more than sham-treated patients on several measures of a patient health survey (the Short Form Health Survey or SF-36), including physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, vitality, social functioning and role limitations due to emotional health. No significant differences were found between the groups on questions related to bodily pain, general health, or mental health.

One of the most noticeable effects of tDCS treatment was an improvement in sleep quality. Scores on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) decreased 65% compared to 25% in the control group, a significant difference (p END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mayo Clinic: Enhanced recovery pathway for gynecologic surgery gets patients back to health faster

2013-08-27

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Patients who had complex gynecologic surgery managed by an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP) resulted in decreased narcotic use, earlier discharge, stable readmission rates, excellent patient satisfaction and cost savings, according to a Mayo Clinic study. The findings are published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. MULTIMEDIA ALERT: Video and audio of Dr. Dowdy are available for download on the Mayo Clinic News Network. A team of gynecologic oncologists, urogynecologists and anesthesiologists developed an enhanced recovery pathway for patients ...

4 cups of coffee a day may keep prostate cancer recurrence and progression away

2013-08-27

SEATTLE – Coffee consumption is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence and progression, according to a new study by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center scientists that is online ahead of print in Cancer Causes & Control. Corresponding author Janet L. Stanford, Ph.D., co-director of the Program in Prostate Cancer Research in the Fred Hutch Public Health Sciences Division, conducted the study to determine whether the bioactive compounds in coffee and tea may prevent prostate cancer recurrence and delay progression of the disease. Stanford and colleagues ...

UC research takes first look at catalyst behind evangelicals' forays into today's culture wars

2013-08-27

It's apparent to Andrew Lewis that as the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) expands its role in our nation's culture wars, there is one battle cry rallying the group's nearly 16 million members: advocating against abortion. Lewis, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati, has studied how leaders of the SBC apply the group's long-held strategy toward abortion politics to new areas of political concern, such as free speech. That method provides a framework for the SBC's constituents to understand new issues and why they're important. For ...

UC research examines NATO and its 'smart defense' focus in era of economic uncertainty

2013-08-27

After the 2008 global economic meltdown, many nations reduced military budgets and pooled resources in response to economic uncertainties. For example, at one time, Bulgaria and neighboring Romania each had their own very small submarine fleets. Then, as wear and tear necessitated taking equipment out of service, the countries had neither funds nor particular need to replace the old equipment. They instead opted to share vessels in order to meet training needs – while also saving money. This is just one instance of security cooperation driven by today's shrinking defense ...

Adapting to mainstream lowers diabetes risk in African-Americans

2013-08-27

ANN ARBOR—Trying to find a produce store or a large grocer in an economically depressed neighborhood is about as easy as finding an apple in a candy store. Lack of access to good nutrition impacts racial and ethnic minorities and recent immigrants disproportionately. Poor nutrition combined with higher stress can contribute to other health problems, including type 2 diabetes. But a new University of Michigan study may help explain how to cope with this stress and perhaps curb some of these health problems. Rebecca Hasson, assistant professor at the U-M schools ...

Language can reveal the invisible, study shows

2013-08-27

MADISON, Wis. — It is natural to imagine that the sense of sight takes in the world as it is — simply passing on what the eyes collect from light reflected by the objects around us. But the eyes do not work alone. What we see is a function not only of incoming visual information, but also how that information is interpreted in light of other visual experiences, and may even be influenced by language. Words can play a powerful role in what we see, according to a study published this month by University of Wisconsin–Madison cognitive scientist and psychology professor ...

New technique for measuring tree growth cuts down on research time

2013-08-27

Tree growth is measured to understand tree health, fluxes in carbon sequestration, and other forest ecosystem functions. It is one of the most essential and widely collected woody plant traits. Yet, the traditional method to measure tree growth is awkward and time consuming. Scientists have developed a new, resourceful way to take repeated tree growth measurements safely and accurately. Dendrometer bands are metal straps that wrap around a tree trunk to measure its growth. Bands are fashioned by bending banding material into a "collar" and passing the metal strap through ...

Dartmouth researchers develop molecular switch that changes liquid crystal colors

2013-08-27

Dartmouth researchers have developed a molecular switch that changes a liquid crystal's readout color based on a chemical input. This new development may open the way for using liquid crystals in detecting harmful gases, pathogens, explosives and other chemical substances. The findings appear in the journal Angewandte Chemie. A PDF of the study is available on request. One of the challenges in the field of molecular switches and machines is the translation of molecular level motion into macroscopic level events by harnessing light or chemical energy -- think of a molecular-sized ...

Eastern US water supplies threatened by a legacy of acid rain

2013-08-27

Human activities are changing the water chemistry of many streams and rivers in the Eastern U.S., with consequences for water supplies and aquatic life, so reports a new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. In the first survey of its kind, researchers looked at long-term alkalinity trends in 97 streams and rivers from Florida to New Hampshire. Sites ranged from small headwater streams to some of the nation's largest rivers. Over the past 25 to 60 years, two-thirds have become significantly more alkaline. Alkalinity is a measure of water's ability ...

Watching the production of new proteins in live cells

2013-08-27

New York, NY – Researchers at Columbia University, in collaboration with biologists in Baylor College of Medicine, have made a significant step in understanding and imaging protein synthesis, pinpointing exactly where and when cells produce new proteins. Assistant Professor Wei Min's team developed a new technique to produce high-resolution imaging of newly synthesized proteins inside living cells. The findings were published in the July 9th issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Volume 110; Issue 28). Proteins carry out almost every crucial biological ...

Walking further and faster is linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke in people with high blood pressure

Adolescent girls who have weight concerns despite not being obese are more likely to also experience depression and suicidality, per Korean survey of more than 50,000 middle and high school students

Transcranial direct current stimulation improves sleep in patients with post-polio syndrome

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: