IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2020 Sep;28(9):2073-2079. doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2020.3002207. Epub 2020 Jun 15.
Ischemic damage after stroke disrupts the complex balance of inhibitory and excitatory activity within cortical network causing brain functional asymmetry. Cerebellar deep nuclei with its extensive projections to cortical regions could be a prospective target for stimulation to restore inter-hemispheric balance and enhance neural plasticity after stroke. In our study, we repeatedly stimulated the lateral cerebellar nucleus (LCN) by low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) for 3 days to enhance rehabilitation after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in a mouse stroke model. The neural activity of the mice sensorimotor cortex was measured using epidural electrodes and analyzed with quantified electroencephalography (qEEG). Pairwise derived Brain Symmetry Index (pdBSI) and delta power were used to assess the neurorehabilitative effect of LIFU stimulation. Compared to the Stroke (non-treated) group, the LIFU group exhibited a decrease in cortical pathological delta activity, significant recovery in pdBSI and enhanced performance on the balance beam walking test. These results suggest that cerebellar LIFU stimulation could be a non-invasive method for stroke rehabilitation through the restoration of interhemispheric balance.
中风后的缺血性损伤破坏了皮质网络中抑制和兴奋活动的复杂平衡，导致大脑功能的偏侧化。小脑深部核团通过其广泛的皮质投射，可能成为刺激的潜在靶点，以恢复中风后的半球间平衡并增强神经可塑性。在我们的研究中，我们通过低强度聚焦超声（LIFU）对侧小脑核（LCN）进行了 3 天的重复刺激，以增强大脑中动脉闭塞（MCAO）后小鼠中风模型的康复。使用硬膜外电极测量了小鼠感觉运动皮层的神经活动，并使用量化脑电图（qEEG）进行了分析。通过成对得出的大脑对称性指数（pdBSI）和 delta 功率来评估 LIFU 刺激的神经康复效果。与中风（未治疗）组相比，LIFU 组皮质病理性 delta 活动减少，pdBSI 显著恢复，平衡木行走测试表现增强。这些结果表明，小脑 LIFU 刺激可能通过恢复半球间平衡成为中风康复的一种非侵入性方法。
