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Abstract Background Tui Na (Chinese massage) is a relatively simple, inexpensive, and non-invasive intervention, and has been used to treat stroke patients for many years in China. Tui Na acts on specific parts of the body which are called meridians and acupoints to achieve the role of treating diseases. Yet the underlying neural mechanism associated with Tui Na is not clear due to the lack of detection methods. Objective Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to explore the changes of sensorimotor cortical neural activity in patients with upper limb motor dysfunction of stroke and healthy control groups during Tui Na Hegu Point. Methods Ten patients with unilateral upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke and eight healthy subjects received Tui Na. fNIRS was used to record the hemodynamic data in the sensorimotor cortex and the changes in blood flow were calculated based on oxygenated hemoglobin (Oxy-Hb), the task session involved repetitive Tui Na on Hegu acupoint, using a block design [six cycles: rest (20 seconds); Tui Na (20 seconds); rest (30 seconds)]. The changes in neural activity in sensorimotor cortex could be inferred according to the principle of neurovascular coupling, and the number of activated channels in the bilateral hemisphere was used to calculate the lateralization index. Result 1. For hemodynamic response induced by Hegu acupoint Tui Na, a dominant increase in the contralesional primary sensorimotor cortex during Hegu point Tui Na of the less affected arm in stroke patients was observed, as well as that in healthy controls, while this contralateral pattern was absent during Hegu point Tui Na of the affected arm in stroke patients. 2. Concerning the lateralization index in stroke patients, a significant difference was observed between lateralization index values for the affected arm and the less affected arm (P < 0.05). Wilcoxon tests showed a significant difference between lateralization index values for the affected arm in stroke patients and lateralization index values for the dominant upper limb in healthy controls (P < 0.05), and no significant difference between lateralization index values for the less affected arm in stroke patients and that in healthy controls (P = 0.36). Conclusion The combination of Tui Na and fNIRS has the potential to reflect the functional status of sensorimotor neural circuits. The changes of neuroactivity in the sensorimotor cortex when Tui Na Hegu acupoint indicate that there is a certain correlation between acupoints in traditional Chinese medicine and neural circuits.

Activation and reconstruction of the spinal cord circuitry is important for improving motor function following spinal cord injury. We conducted a case series study to investigate motor function improvement in 14 patients with chronic spinal cord injury treated with 4 weeks of unilateral (right only) cortical intermittent theta burst stimulation combined with bilateral magnetic stimulation of L3–L4 nerve roots, five times a week. Bilateral resting motor evoked potential amplitude was increased, central motor conduction time on the side receiving cortical stimulation was significantly decreased, and lower extremity motor score, Berg balance score, spinal cord independence measure-III score, and 10 m-walking speed were all increased after treatment. Right resting motor evoked potential amplitude was positively correlated with lower extremity motor score after 4 weeks of treatment. These findings suggest that cortical intermittent theta burst stimulation combined with precise root stimulation can improve nerve conduction of the corticospinal tract and lower limb motor function recovery in patients with chronic spinal cord injury.

Following a spinal cord injury, there are usually a number of neural pathways that remain intact in the spinal cord. These residual nerve fibers are important, as they could be used to reconstruct the neural circuits that enable motor function. Our group previously designed a novel magnetic stimulation protocol, targeting the motor cortex and the spinal nerve roots, that led to significant improvements in locomotor function in patients with a chronic incomplete spinal cord injury. Here, we investigated how nerve root magnetic stimulation contributes to improved locomotor function using a rat model of spinal cord injury. Rats underwent surgery to clamp the spinal cord at T10; three days later, the rats were treated with repetitive magnetic stimulation (5 Hz, 25 pulses/train, 20 pulse trains) targeting the nerve roots at the L5–L6 vertebrae. The treatment was repeated five times a week over a period of three weeks. We found that the nerve root magnetic stimulation improved the locomotor function and enhanced nerve conduction in the injured spinal cord. In addition, the nerve root magnetic stimulation promoted the recovery of synaptic ultrastructure in the sensorimotor cortex. Overall, the results suggest that nerve root magnetic stimulation may be an effective, noninvasive method for mobilizing the residual spinal cord pathways to promote the recovery of locomotor function.

[INLINE:1] Classic paired associative stimulation can improve synaptic plasticity, as demonstrated by animal experiments and human clinical trials in spinal cord injury patients. Paired associative magnetic stimulation (dual-target peripheral and central magnetic stimulation) has been shown to promote neurologic recovery after stroke. However, it remains unclear whether paired associative magnetic stimulation can promote recovery of lower limb motor dysfunction after spinal cord injury. We hypothesize that the current caused by central and peripheral magnetic stimulation will converge at the synapse, which will promote synapse function and improve the motor function of the relevant muscles. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of paired associative magnetic stimulation on neural circuit activation by measuring changes in motor evoked and somatosensory evoked potentials, motor and sensory function of the lower limbs, functional health and activities of daily living, and depression in patients with spinal cord injury. We will recruit 110 thoracic spinal trauma patients treated in the Department of Spinal Cord Injury, China Rehabilitation Hospital and randomly assign them to experimental and control groups in a 1:1 ratio. The trial group (n = 55) will be treated with paired associative magnetic stimulation and conventional rehabilitation treatment. The control group (n = 55) will be treated with sham stimulation and conventional rehabilitation treatment. Outcomes will be measured at four time points: baseline and 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the start of intervention (active or sham paired associative magnetic stimulation). The primary outcome measure of this trial is change in lower limb American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale motor function score from baseline to last follow-up. Secondary outcome measures include changes in lower limb American Spinal Injury Association sensory function score, motor evoked potentials, sensory evoked potentials, modified Ashworth scale score, Maslach Burnout Inventory score, and Hamilton Depression Scale score over time. Motor evoked potential latency reflects corticospinal tract transmission time, while amplitude reflects recruitment ability; both measures can help elucidate the mechanism underlying the effect of paired associative magnetic stimulation on synaptic efficiency. Adverse events will be recorded. Findings from this trial will help to indicate whether paired associative magnetic stimulation (1) promotes recovery of lower limb sensory and motor function, reduces spasticity, and improves quality of life; (2) promotes neurologic recovery by increasing excitability of spinal cord motor neurons and stimulating synaptic plasticity; and (3) improves rehabilitation outcome in patients with spinal cord injury. Recruitment for this trial began in April 2021 and is currently ongoing. It was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yangzhi Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Tongji University, China (approval No. YZ2020-018) on May 18, 2020. The study protocol was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2100044794) on March 27, 2021 (protocol version 1.0). This trial will be completed in April 2022.

Upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke is a serious threat to the living quality of patients and their families. Recovery of upper limb motor function after stroke largely relies on the activation and remodeling of neural circuits. rTMS (repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation) has been proved to promote the reconstruction of neural synapses and neural circuits. However, there are still a large number of patients who cannot fully recover and leave behind varying degrees of dysfunction. Considering the systemic pathology after stroke, in addition to focal brain injury, stroke can also cause extensive dysfunction of peripheral organs. The rehabilitation strategy for stroke should combine the treatment of primary brain lesions with the intervention of secondary systemic damage. The aim of this trial is to verify the efficacy of rTMS synergize with Tui Na (Chinese Massage) on upper limb motor function after ischemic stroke, and to explore the mechanism of activation and remodeling of sensorimotor neural circuits with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Ninety patients will be randomly assigned to either rTMS + Tui Na + conventional rehabilitation group (the experimental group) or rTMS + conventional rehabilitation group (the control group) in 1:1 ratio. Intervention is conducted five sessions a week, with a total of twenty sessions. The primary outcome is Fugl-Meyer Assessment, and the secondary outcomes include Muscle Strength, Modified Ashworth Assessment, Modified Barthel Index Assessment, motor evoked potentials and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. There are four time points for the evaluation, including baseline, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the start of treatment, and 4 weeks after the end of treatment. This study is a randomized controlled trial. This study was approved by Institutional Ethics Committee of Shanghai Third Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval No. SH3RH-2021-EC-012) on December, 16th, 2021. The protocol was registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2200056266), on February 3th, 2022. Patient recruitment was initiated on February 10th, 2022, and the study will be continued until December 2023.

BackgroundUpper-extremity hemiplegia after stroke remains a significant clinical problem. The supplementary motor area (SMA) is vital to the motor recovery outcomes of chronic stroke patients. Therefore, rebuilding the descending motor tract from the SMA to the paralyzed limb is a potential approach to restoring arm motor function after stroke. Paired associative stimulation (PAS), which is based on Hebbian theory, is a potential method for reconstructing the connections in the impaired motor neural circuits. The study described in this protocol aims to assess the effects of cortico–peripheral Hebbian-type stimulation (HTS), involving PAS, for neural circuit reconstruction to rescue the paralyzed arm after stroke.MethodsThe study is a 4-month double-blind randomized sham-controlled clinical trial. We will recruit 90 post-stroke individuals with mild to moderate upper limb paralysis. Based on a 1:1 ratio, the participants will be randomly assigned to the HTS and sham groups. Each participant will undergo 5-week HTS or sham stimulation. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, immediately after the 5-week treatment, and at a 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome will be the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT). The secondary outcomes will be Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) parameters. The adverse events will be recorded throughout the study.DiscussionUpper-limb paralysis in stroke patients is due to neural circuit disruption, so the reconstruction of effective motor circuits is a promising treatment approach. Based on its anatomical structure and function, the SMA is thought to compensate for motor dysfunction after focal brain injury at the cortical level. Our well-designed randomized controlled trial will allow us to analyze the clinical efficacy of this novel Hebbian theory-based neuromodulation strategy regarding promoting the connection between the cortex and peripheral limb. The results may have significance for the development and implementation of effective neurorehabilitation treatments.Clinical Trial Registration[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [ChiCTR2000039949].