Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity

Background: Electrical repetitive sensory stimulation (rSS) is a direct and effective means of inducing plasticity processes in human beings, and is increasingly being used as a therapeutic intervention. Suprathreshold intensities induce beneficial effects on tactile perception and sensorimotor abil...

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Main Authors: Sandra Schlieper, Hubert R. Dinse
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2012-10-01
Series:Brain Stimulation
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X11000921
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spelling doaj-4f0eafb21f6447c9ac985726703e0ff72021-03-18T04:35:27ZengElsevierBrain Stimulation1935-861X2012-10-0154647651Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensitySandra Schlieper0Hubert R. Dinse1Institut fur Neuroinformatik, Neural Plasticity Lab, Ruhr-University-Bochum, GermanyCorrespondence: Hubert R. Dinse, Institut für Neuroinformatik, Neural Plasticity Lab, Ruhr-University Bochum, Building NB 3, 44780 Bochum, Germany.; Institut fur Neuroinformatik, Neural Plasticity Lab, Ruhr-University-Bochum, GermanyBackground: Electrical repetitive sensory stimulation (rSS) is a direct and effective means of inducing plasticity processes in human beings, and is increasingly being used as a therapeutic intervention. Suprathreshold intensities induce beneficial effects on tactile perception and sensorimotor abilities. However, it is not known whether there is an optimal range of stimulus intensity. Methods: We investigated the effect of varied intensities (low, 1.19 ± 0.07 mA; intermediate, 3.33 ± 0.27 mA; and high, 4.42 ± 0.56 mA) on the outcome of a 30-minute electrical rSS applied to the index finger (intermittent high-frequency stimulation, 20 Hz and interburst interval, 5 seconds) in three groups (n = 10 each) of participants. As a marker of perceptual changes, we measured tactile spatial two-point discrimination on the stimulated finger and on the heel of the hand before and after the rSS. Results: rSS improved discrimination performance, with the gain being the highest in the high-intensity group and the lowest in the low-intensity group. Measurements on the heel of the hand revealed small improvements in the high-intensity group, indicative of recruitment processes. Conclusions: rSS of maximal intensity induced the strongest effects, indicative of a monotonic intensity-gain characteristic with no U-shaped dependency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X11000921somatosensory cortexplasticityinterventionstroke rehabilitation
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Sandra Schlieper
Hubert R. Dinse
spellingShingle Sandra Schlieper
Hubert R. Dinse
Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
Brain Stimulation
somatosensory cortex
plasticity
intervention
stroke rehabilitation
author_facet Sandra Schlieper
Hubert R. Dinse
author_sort Sandra Schlieper
title Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
title_short Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
title_full Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
title_fullStr Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
title_full_unstemmed Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
title_sort perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
publisher Elsevier
series Brain Stimulation
issn 1935-861X
publishDate 2012-10-01
description Background: Electrical repetitive sensory stimulation (rSS) is a direct and effective means of inducing plasticity processes in human beings, and is increasingly being used as a therapeutic intervention. Suprathreshold intensities induce beneficial effects on tactile perception and sensorimotor abilities. However, it is not known whether there is an optimal range of stimulus intensity. Methods: We investigated the effect of varied intensities (low, 1.19 ± 0.07 mA; intermediate, 3.33 ± 0.27 mA; and high, 4.42 ± 0.56 mA) on the outcome of a 30-minute electrical rSS applied to the index finger (intermittent high-frequency stimulation, 20 Hz and interburst interval, 5 seconds) in three groups (n = 10 each) of participants. As a marker of perceptual changes, we measured tactile spatial two-point discrimination on the stimulated finger and on the heel of the hand before and after the rSS. Results: rSS improved discrimination performance, with the gain being the highest in the high-intensity group and the lowest in the low-intensity group. Measurements on the heel of the hand revealed small improvements in the high-intensity group, indicative of recruitment processes. Conclusions: rSS of maximal intensity induced the strongest effects, indicative of a monotonic intensity-gain characteristic with no U-shaped dependency.
topic somatosensory cortex
plasticity
intervention
stroke rehabilitation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1935861X11000921
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