I wonder if this corrects the spastic leg muscles?
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-noninvasive-brain-shown-impact-patterns.html
Previous studies in the lab of Amy Bastian, PhD, PT, director of the
Motion Analysis Laboratory at Kennedy Krieger Institute, have shown that
the cerebellum,
a part of the brain involved in movement coordination, is essential for
walking adaptation. In this new study, Dr. Bastian and her colleagues
explored the impact of stimulation over the cerebellum on adaptive
learning of a new walking pattern. Specifically, her team tested how
anode (positive), cathode (negative) or sham (none) stimulation affected
this learning process.
"We've known that the cerebellum is essential to adaptive learning mechanisms like reaching, walking, balance and eye movements,"
says Dr. Bastian. "In this study, we wanted to examine the effects of
direct stimulation of the cerebellum on locomotor learning utilizing a
split-belt treadmill that separately controls the legs."
The study, published today in the Journal of Neurophysiology, found that by placing electrodes
on the scalp over the cerebellum and applying very low levels of
current, the rate of walking adaptation could be increased or decreased.
Dr. Bastian's team studied 53 healthy adults in a series of split-belt
treadmill walking tests. Rather than a single belt, a split-belt
treadmill consists of two belts that can move at different speeds.
During split-belt walking, one leg is set to move faster than the other.
This initially disrupts coordination between the legs so the user is
not walking symmetrically, however over time the user learns to adapt to
the disturbance.
The main experiment consisted of a two-minute baseline period of
walking with both belts at the same slow speed, followed by a 15-minute
period with the belts at two separate speeds. While people were on the
treadmill, researchers stimulated one side of the cerebellum to assess
the impact on the rate of re-adjustment to a symmetric walking pattern.
Dr. Bastian's team found not only that cerebellar tDCS can change the
rate of cerebellum-dependent locomotor learning, but specifically that
the anode speeds up learning and the cathode
slows it down. It was also surprising that the side of the cerebellum
that was stimulated mattered; only stimulation of the side that controls
the leg walking on the faster treadmill belt changed adaptation rate.
"It is important to demonstrate that we can make learning faster or
slower, as it suggests that we are not merely interfering with brain
function," says Dr. Bastian. "Our findings also suggest that tDCS can be
selectively used to assess and understand motor learning."
The results from this study present an exciting opportunity to test
cerebellar tDCS as a rehabilitation tool. Dr. Bastian says, "If anodal
tDCS prompts faster learning, this may help reduce the amount of time
needed for stroke patients to relearn to walk evenly. It may also be
possible to use tDCS to help sustain gains made in therapy, so patients
can retain and practice improved walking patterns for a longer period of
time. We are currently testing these ideas in individuals who have had a
stroke."
No comments:
Post a Comment