Song Ningjing, Long Ling, Liu Nianquan, Luo Yujun, Wei Meng, Huang Hai, Liu Wan
Department of Tuina and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Department of Tuina and Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Front Neurosci. 2025 Apr 30;19:1553862. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1553862. eCollection 2025.
Neural oscillations play a critical role in the regulation of brain functions, with theta waves (4-8 Hz) in the sensorimotor cortex significantly influencing pain perception and modulation. These oscillations can modulate pain signal transmission, emotional cognition, and neuroplasticity. Post-stroke chronic pain is a common and complex symptom that imposes significant physiological and psychological burdens on patients. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, can synchronize specific frequency neural activities, reorganize brain networks, and modulate neuroplasticity by adjusting specific frequency neural oscillations. In recent years, tACS has been widely applied in the research and treatment of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. This study aims to systematically summarize the current research progress on the regulation of θ oscillations in sensorimotor cortex by tACS. By reviewing relevant experimental and clinical studies, we explore the specific mechanisms of θ oscillations in pain perception and modulation and analyze the mechanisms and effects of tACS modulation of θ oscillations. Additionally, we examine the central and peripheral neural mechanisms of post-stroke chronic pain, emphasizing the critical role of the sensorimotor cortex in pain processing. In conclusion, tACS shows potential for modulating sensorimotor cortex θ oscillations and alleviating post-stroke chronic pain. This research provides new insights into the neural modulation mechanisms related to pain and offers potential new directions for developing novel therapies. Future clinical studies and technological optimizations are necessary to ensure the effectiveness and feasibility of tACS in clinical practice.
神经振荡在大脑功能调节中起着关键作用，感觉运动皮层中的θ波（4-8赫兹）对疼痛感知和调节有显著影响。这些振荡可以调节疼痛信号传递、情绪认知和神经可塑性。中风后慢性疼痛是一种常见且复杂的症状，给患者带来了巨大的生理和心理负担。经颅交流电刺激（tACS）是一种非侵入性脑刺激技术，它可以通过调整特定频率的神经振荡来同步特定频率的神经活动、重组脑网络并调节神经可塑性。近年来，tACS已广泛应用于各种神经和精神疾病的研究与治疗。本研究旨在系统总结tACS对感觉运动皮层θ振荡调节的当前研究进展。通过回顾相关实验和临床研究，我们探讨了θ振荡在疼痛感知和调节中的具体机制，并分析了tACS调节θ振荡的机制和效果。此外，我们研究了中风后慢性疼痛的中枢和外周神经机制，强调了感觉运动皮层在疼痛处理中的关键作用。总之，tACS在调节感觉运动皮层θ振荡和减轻中风后慢性疼痛方面显示出潜力。这项研究为与疼痛相关的神经调节机制提供了新的见解，并为开发新疗法提供了潜在的新方向。未来需要进行临床研究和技术优化，以确保tACS在临床实践中的有效性和可行性。
