Steingräber Teni, Grönheim Leon von, Klemm Michel, Straub Jan, Sasse Lea, Veldema Jitka
Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany.
Biomedicines. 2024 Oct 18;12(10):2379. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12102379.
To investigate and compare the effects of three different high-definition (HD) non-invasive current stimulation (NICS) protocols on the spinal cord on support balance and somatosensory abilities in healthy young people.
Fifty-eight students were enrolled in this crossover study. All participants underwent application of (i) 1.5 mA anodal high-definition trans spinal direct current stimulation (HD-tsDCS), (ii) 1.5 mA cathodal HD-tsDCS, (iii) 1.5 mA high-definition trans spinal alternating current stimulation (HD-tsACS), and (iv) sham HD-tsDCS/ACS over the eighth thoracic vertebra in a randomised order. Balance (Y Balance test), deep sensitivity (Tuning Fork Test), and superficial sensitivity (Monofilament Test) of the lower limbs were tested immediately before and after each intervention.
Balance ability improved significantly following anodal HD-tsDCS and HD-tsACS compared with that following sham HD-tsDCS/ACS. Similarly, deep sensitivity increased significantly with anodal HD-tsDCS and HD-tsACS compared to that with sham HD-tsDCS/ACS and cathodal HD-tsDCS. Furthermore, superficial sensitivity improved significantly following anodal HD-tsDCS compared with that after HD-tsACS and cathodal HD-tsDCS.
Our data show that HD-tsNICS effectively modulates the balance and somatosensory control of the lower limbs. Several diseases are associated with illness-induced changes in the spinal network in parallel with sensorimotor disabilities. Non-invasive spinal modulation may be a favourable alternative to conventional brain applications in rehabilitation. Future studies should therefore investigate these promising approaches among cohorts of patients with disabilities.
研究并比较三种不同的高清（HD）非侵入性电流刺激（NICS）方案对健康年轻人脊髓的影响，以及对其支撑平衡和体感能力的影响。
58名学生参与了这项交叉研究。所有参与者均接受了以下操作：（i）1.5毫安阳极高清经脊髓直流电刺激（HD-tsDCS），（ii）1.5毫安阴极HD-tsDCS，（iii）1.5毫安高清经脊髓交流电刺激（HD-tsACS），以及（iv）在第八胸椎处进行的假HD-tsDCS/ACS，顺序随机。在每次干预前后立即测试下肢的平衡（Y平衡测试）、深度敏感性（音叉测试）和表面敏感性（单丝测试）。
与假HD-tsDCS/ACS相比，阳极HD-tsDCS和HD-tsACS后平衡能力显著提高。同样，与假HD-tsDCS/ACS和阴极HD-tsDCS相比，阳极HD-tsDCS和HD-tsACS后深度敏感性显著增加。此外，与HD-tsACS和阴极HD-tsDCS后相比，阳极HD-tsDCS后表面敏感性显著提高。
我们的数据表明，HD-tsNICS能有效调节下肢的平衡和体感控制。几种疾病与疾病引起的脊髓网络变化以及感觉运动障碍同时存在。在康复中，非侵入性脊髓调节可能是传统脑部应用的一个有利替代方案。因此，未来的研究应该在残疾人群体中研究这些有前景的方法。
