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Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022 Jun 30. Epub 2022 Jun 30.

Siena Brain Investigation & Neuromodulation Lab (Si-BIN Lab), Department of Medicine, Surgery and Neuroscience, Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology Section, University of Siena, Italy.

Aim: Working Memory (WM) deficit represents the most common cognitive impairment in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, making the identification of its neural substrates a crucial step towards the conceptualization of restorative interventions. Here we present a meta-analysis focusing on neural activations associated with the most commonly used task to measure WM, the N-back task, in patients with Schizophrenia, Depressive Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Showing qualitative similarities and differences in WM processing between patients and healthy controls, we propose possible targets for cognitive enhancement approaches. Read More

Clin Neurophysiol Pract 2022 25;7:146-165. Epub 2022 May 25.

Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Attempts to enhance human memory and learning ability have a long tradition in science. This topic has recently gained substantial attention because of the increasing percentage of older individuals worldwide and the predicted rise of age-associated cognitive decline in brain functions. Transcranial brain stimulation methods, such as transcranial magnetic (TMS) and transcranial electric (tES) stimulation, have been extensively used in an effort to improve cognitive functions in humans. Read More

Biosens Bioelectron 2022 Sep 20;212:114365. Epub 2022 May 20.

RFIC Bio Centre, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-Gu, Seoul, 01897, South Korea; Department of Electronics Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-Gu, Seoul, 01897, South Korea; NDAC Centre, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwo (1)on-ro, Nowon-Gu, Seoul, 01897, South Korea. Electronic address:

Progressive aggregation and protein misfolding are the initial fundamental indicators of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, a highly sensitive and novel method to detect amyloid beta (Aβ) biomarkers, which are a hallmark of AD, using an immunoassay platform-based interdigitated capacitive biosensor, has been explored. For several decades, aptamers have classified as a novel class of molecular recognition probes comprising single-stranded complementary DNA sequences that bind to their identified targets with high specificity and affinity by an in vitro technique called SELEX (systematic evolution of exponential and enrichment). Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 18;272(1):173-183. Epub 2022 May 18.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, Serbsky National Medical Research Center of Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow, Russian Federation.

Neurosurgical interventions (destructive or neuromodulation) are considered as a therapeutic option for patients with treatment resistant mental disorders. However, the issues of indications and contraindications for psychiatric surgery, method and patient selection remain unresolved. This article discusses possible problems and contradictions in the selection of patients, the need for an interdisciplinary team to work to solve the question of the feasibility of using neurosurgical methods. Read More

PLoS One 2022 27;17(5):e0247629. Epub 2022 May 27.

Laboratory of Pain and Neuromodulation, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Introduction: The association between descending pain modulatory system (DPMS) dysfunction and fibromyalgia has been previously described, but more studies are required on its relationship with aberrant functional connectivity (FC) between the motor and prefrontal cortices.

Objectives: The objective of this cross-sectional observational study was to compare the intra- and interhemispheric FC between the bilateral motor and prefrontal cortices in women with fibromyalgia, comparing responders and nonresponders to the conditioned pain modulation (CPM) test.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 37 women (23 responders and 14 nonresponders to the CPM test) with fibromyalgia diagnosed according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria underwent a standardized clinical assessment and an FC analysis using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Read More

J Neurol Sci 2022 Jun 10;437:120253. Epub 2022 Apr 10.

WVU Department of Neurosurgery, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.

While pharmacological and/or behavioral treatments are effective in managing symptoms for many patients with psychiatric diagnoses and disorders with behavioral/cognitive manifestations, a subset of individuals are treatment-refractory, unable to achieve appreciable benefit or symptom relief from traditional methods. In recent years, neuromodulation has gained momentum as an adjunctive treatment for improving outcomes in patients who are treatment-refractory. One form of neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation (DBS), has been investigated for the treatment of various psychiatric disorders and behavioral/cognitive symptoms. Read More

Brain Stimul 2022 May-Jun;15(3):683-694. Epub 2022 Apr 18.

Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada; Krembil Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address:

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for certain movement disorders and has additionally shown promise for various psychiatric, cognitive, and seizure disorders. However, the mechanisms through which stimulation exerts therapeutic effects are incompletely understood. A technique that may help to address this knowledge gap is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Read More

Neurotherapeutics 2022 Apr 11. Epub 2022 Apr 11.

Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.

In the face of a global epidemic of drug addiction, neglecting to develop new effective therapies will perpetuate the staggering human and economic costs of substance use. This review aims to summarize and evaluate the preclinical and clinical studies of deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a novel therapy for refractory addiction, in hopes to engage and inform future research in this promising novel treatment avenue. An electronic database search (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane library) was performed using keywords and predefined inclusion criteria between 1974 and 6/18/2021 (registered on Open Science Registry). Read More

J Sex Med 2022 Jun 6;19(6):961-974. Epub 2022 Apr 6.

Unidad de Sexología Clínica y Salud Sexual, Consulta Dr. Carlos Chiclana, Madrid, Spain; Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, La Rioja, Spain; University CEU San Pablo, Madrid, Spain.

Background: Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is characterized by elevated discomfort associated with persistent genital arousal in the absence of sexual desire.

Aim: To perform a scoping review of the proposed treatments for PGAD and their efficacy.

Methods: A scoping review was carried out (PRISMA-Scr) that included articles on PGAD as the main disorder, only in women, which explained, in detail, the treatment and its efficacy, was empirical, was written in English and Spanish. Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 12;270(1):61-96. Epub 2022 Feb 12.

Functional Neurosurgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurosurgery, M Cecilia Hospital-GVM, Ravenna, Italy.

Nowadays, most of patients affected by psychiatric disorders are successfully treated with conservative therapies. Still, a variable percentage of them demonstrate resistance to conventional treatments, and alternative methods can then be considered. During the last 20 years, there is a progressive interest in use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in mental illnesses. Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 2;270(1):211-228. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Neurology Service, Jesse Brown Veterans Administration Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States. Electronic address:

The future of psychiatric neurosurgery can be viewed from two separate perspectives: the immediate future and the distant future. Both show promise, but the treatment strategy for mental diseases and the technology utilized during these separate periods will likely differ dramatically. It can be expected that the initial advancements will be built upon progress of neuroimaging and stereotactic targeting while surgical technology becomes adapted to patient-specific symptomatology and structural/functional imaging parameters. Read More

Brain Stimul 2022 May-Jun;15(3):582-585. Epub 2022 Mar 26.

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy/Division for Interventional Biological Psychiatry, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine University of Freiburg, Germany; Center for Deep Brain Stimulation (scientific), Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg University, Germany. Electronic address:

Neuropsychologia 2022 06 18;170:108211. Epub 2022 Mar 18.

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; COBRE Center for Neuromodulation, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a debilitating disorder causing marked distress and functional impairment. While advances in behavioral and pharmacotherapies have been effective for a majority of patients with OCD, 10-30% remain treatment refractory and severely impaired. For a subset of treatment-resistant individuals with the most severe and disabling (intractable) illness, gamma ventral capsulotomy (GVC) appears effective in reducing OCD symptoms and functional impairment. Read More

Brain Stimul 2022 May-Jun;15(3):554-565. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. Electronic address:

Background: The efficacy of psychiatric DBS is thought to be driven by the connectivity of stimulation targets with mood-relevant fronto-temporal networks, which is typically evaluated using diffusion-weighted tractography.

Objective: Leverage intracranial electrophysiology recordings to better predict the circuit-wide effects of neuromodulation to white matter targets. We hypothesize strong convergence between tractography-predicted structural connectivity and stimulation-induced electrophysiological responses. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2022 17;13:817302. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Neuroscience and Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Over the past decades, an ever growing body of literature has explored the anatomy, connections, and functions of the habenula (Hb). It has been postulated that the Hb plays a central role in the control of the monoaminergic system, thus influencing a wide range of behavioral responses, and participating in the pathophysiology of a number of psychiatric disorders and neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as aggressive behaviors. Aggressive behaviors are frequently accompanied by restlessness and agitation, and are commonly observed in patients with psychiatric disorders, intellectual disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Read More

Prog Brain Res 2022 11;269(1):435-455. Epub 2022 Feb 11.

Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States. Electronic address:

Neuromodulation is a widely used treatment for motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). It can be a highly effective treatment as a result of knowledge of circuit dysfunction associated with motor symptoms in PD. However, the mechanisms underlying cognitive symptoms of PD are less well-known, and the effects of neuromodulation on these symptoms are less consistent. Read More

Brain Stimul 2022 Mar-Apr;15(2):458-471. Epub 2022 Feb 26.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA; Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA; Data Science Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA. Electronic address:

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation modality that can treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or help smoking cessation. Research suggests that timing the delivery of TMS relative to an endogenous brain state may affect efficacy and short-term brain dynamics.

Objective: To investigate whether, for a multi-week daily treatment of repetitive TMS (rTMS), there is an effect on brain dynamics that depends on the timing of the TMS relative to individuals' prefrontal EEG quasi-alpha rhythm (between 6 and 13 Hz). Read More

Br J Psychiatry 2022 Feb 28:1-10. Epub 2022 Feb 28.

Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy.

Background: Response to lithium in patients with bipolar disorder is associated with clinical and transdiagnostic genetic factors. The predictive combination of these variables might help clinicians better predict which patients will respond to lithium treatment.

Aims: To use a combination of transdiagnostic genetic and clinical factors to predict lithium response in patients with bipolar disorder. Read More

Front Psychiatry 2022 4;13:810777. Epub 2022 Feb 4.

Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.

The habenula (Hb) is a small, evolutionarily conserved epithalamic structure implicated in functions such as reward and mood regulation. Prior imaging work suggests that Hb's structural and functional properties may relate to treatment response in depression and other mood disorders. We used multimodal MRI techniques to investigate the potential involvement of Hb in response to subcallosal cingulate area deep brain stimulation (SCC-DBS) for treatment-resistant mood disorders. Read More

J Headache Pain 2022 Feb 20;23(1):28. Epub 2022 Feb 20.

Division of Community & Rehabilitation Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Background: Current pharmacologic prophylactic strategies for migraine have exhibited limited efficacy, with response rates as low as 40%-50%. In addition to the limited efficacy, the acceptability of those pharmacologic prophylactic strategies were unacceptable. Although noninvasive brain/nerve stimulation strategies may be effective, the evidence has been inconsistent. Read More

Exp Neurol 2022 06 14;352:114011. Epub 2022 Feb 14.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Straße 11, 97080 Würzburg, Germany.

Gait impairments in Parkinson's disease remain a scientific and therapeutic challenge. The advent of new deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices capable of recording brain activity from chronically implanted electrodes has fostered new studies of gait in freely moving patients. The hope is to identify gait-related neural biomarkers and improve therapy using closed-loop DBS. Read More

Turk Neurosurg 2021 Sep 8. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

Ondokuz Mayıs University, School of Medicine, Neuromodulation Center, Samsun, Turkey.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia that causes disabilities in memory formation and activities of daily living. Unfortunately, pharmacologic treatments have minimal and short-lasting effects on the disease. With the increasing aging population, investigations into therapeutic strategies for AD that lead to delay in disease progression would significantly reduce the global burden of AD. Read More

Neuromodulation 2022 Feb;25(2):305-307

Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Neuromodulation 2022 Feb;25(2):286-295

Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Objectives: Pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) for refractory Tourette syndrome (TS) is often applied using a high frequency. The effectiveness of low-frequency long-term stimulation is unknown. We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of low-frequency DBS applied to the globus pallidus pars internus (GPi) at 65 Hz for the treatment of TS, with long-term follow-up, to provide data for the optimization of stimulation parameters. Read More

Neuromodulation 2022 Feb;25(2):245-252

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address:

Objectives: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric disorder with alterations of cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops and impaired performance monitoring. Electrophysiological markers such as conflict-related medial frontal theta (MFT) and error-related negativity (ERN) may be altered by clinically effective deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the anterior limb of the internal capsule and nucleus accumbens (ALIC/NAc). We hypothesized that ALIC/NAc DBS modulates electrophysiological performance monitoring markers. Read More

Neuromodulation 2022 Feb;25(2):195-201

Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.

Objectives: Our aim is to review several recent landmark studies discussing the application of advanced neuroimaging to guide target selection in deep brain stimulation (DBS) for psychiatric disorders.

Materials And Methods: We performed a PubMed literature search of articles related to psychiatric neurosurgery, DBS, diffusion tensor imaging, probabilistic tractography, functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and blood oxygen level-dependent activation. Relevant articles were included in the review. Read More

Neuromodulation 2022 Feb;25(2):185-194

Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands; School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment for refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Neuropsychological assessment contributes to DBS treatment in several ways: it monitors the cognitive safety of the treatment, identifies beneficial or detrimental cognitive side effects, and it could aid to explain variability in treatment outcome, and possibly the treatment's working mechanism(s).

Background: This systematic review assessed the cognitive safety of DBS for OCD and explored whether changes in cognitive function may help explain its working mechanism(s). Read More

Neuromodulation 2022 Feb;25(2):171-184

Grupo de investigación NEMOD, división de neurocirugía funcional, departamento de neurocirugía, clínica FOSCAL, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, Colombia. Electronic address:

Background: Substance addiction encompasses the incapacity to discontinue urgent drug use; many severely disabled patients might be considered appropriate candidates for surgery due to the high rates of relapse despite conservative treatment. A crucial finding in the brain of these patients is increased extracellular concentrations of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc).

Objectives: To determine the efficacy and safety of NAcc surgery for the treatment of substance dependence. Read More

J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2022 03 3;93(3):280-290. Epub 2022 Feb 3.

Neuropsychiatry Program, Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Functional neurological disorder and somatic symptom disorder are complex neuropsychiatric conditions that have been linked to circuit-based dysfunction of brain networks. Neuromodulation is a novel therapeutic strategy capable of modulating relevant brain networks, making it a promising potential candidate for the treatment of these patient populations. We conducted a systematic review of Medline, Embase and PsycINFO up to 4 March 2021. Read More

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2022 02 2;22(2):123-142. Epub 2022 Feb 2.

Department of Neurology, Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.

Purpose Of Review: This study aims to examine the treatments currently available for Tourette syndrome (TS) and to discuss evolving therapies, spanning behavioral, pharmacologic, complementary and alternative medicine, and neuromodulation approaches.

Recent Findings: Behavioral therapies have undergone several modifications to improve accessibility, including transitioning to a virtual format which is particularly important in the current pandemic. There are several recent or ongoing pharmacologic studies that have shown promise including the selective D1 receptor antagonist ecopipam and various cannabinoid compounds. Read More