Sarcopenia and cognitive impairment (CI) are major contributors to disability among the elderly, diminishing their quality of life and placing also a significant burden on healthcare systems and societies. There are currently no effective treatments for sarcopenia and CI. Interestingly, recent research has revealed a strong connection between these two conditions. Although the exact mechanisms of this relationship remain unclear, factors such as chronic inflammation, mitochondrial oxidative...

Objective: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy is a long-term intervention for treatment-resistant major depression (TRD) adjunctive to treatment as usual (TAU). To enhance clinical decision- making, we identified subgroups that respond especially well or poorly with active VNS vs no stimulation sham VNS (prognostic predictors) and subgroups that specifically benefit from active VNS vs sham VNS (prescriptive predictors).

CONCLUSION: Taken together, rTMS at 5 Hz applied to the cerebellar Crus II region significantly enhances neural oscillatory activity and improves working memory.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has transformed non-invasive brain therapies but faces challenges due to variability in outcomes, likely stemming from inter-individual differences in brain function. This study aimed to address this challenge by integrating personalized functional networks (PFNs) derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with a neural network-based decoder to optimize stimulation in real time during a working memory (WM) task. After identification of...

Hippocampal activity supports memory and many other brain functions. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) guided by hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) shows promise in improving memory, but direct neural evidence of its capacity to engage and modulate hippocampal activity is lacking. Here we combined TMS with intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) in 8 neurosurgical patients and with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 79 neurologically healthy participants. We...

CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides evidence supporting that MS-NIBS, as an emerging neuromodulatory tool, is superior to SS-NIBS in improving the overall cognitive abilities of stroke patients. However, given the limited number of included studies, it is necessary to further validate these findings through large-scale, multi-center, double-blind, and high-quality RCTs.

Cognitive enhancement, aimed at improving or preserving memory, attention, and executive functions, has gained significant interest from both the scientific community and the public. This review explores various strategies for enhancing cognitive function, including natural compounds, synthetic enhancers, and behavioural approaches. Natural compounds like curcumin, Ginkgo biloba, Panax ginseng, and Rhodiola rosea are examined for their cognitive benefits, with ongoing research on their...

CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully explored and validated the NSSI circuit using a targeted treatment. TMS targeting the NSSI circuit significantly improved NSSI symptoms and changed the activity levels of specific brain regions of the NSSI circuit. These findings offer a new perspective for a deeper understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying NSSI and provide a scientific basis for developing new treatment methods.

CONCLUSIONS: Chronic CE increases excitatory ILH CSE measures and reduces interhemispheric imbalances but intensity does not have a moderating effect. More studies are needed to determine the functional relevance of exercise-induced changes in CSE in post-stroke recovery.

Subjective cognitive impairment is a key symptom of major depressive disorder (MDD). Improvement of cognitive function in patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is an important treatment outcome. This study compared the impact of augmenting antidepressants with aripiprazole or repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) versus switching to venlafaxine (or duloxetine for those not eligible to receive venlafaxine) on cognition in TRD patients. In a pre-defined secondary...

The subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) plays a central role in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Its functional interactive profile with the left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is associated with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment outcomes. Previous research on sgACC functional connectivity (FC) in MDD has yielded inconsistent results, partly due to small sample sizes and limited statistical power. Furthermore, calculating sgACC-FC to...

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to the motor cortex has revolutionized the study of motor physiology in humans. Despite this, TMS-evoked electrophysiological responses show significant fluctuation, due in part to inconsistencies between TMS pulse timing and ongoing brain oscillations. Small or inconsistent responses to TMS limit mechanistic insights and clinical efficacy, necessitating the development of methods to precisely coordinate the timing of TMS pulses to the phase of...

Cannabis use has been linked to alterations in brain function, yet its effects on cortical excitability and inhibition remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the impact of cannabis use on cortical excitability, intracortical inhibition and sensory inhibition, and to examine whether changes correlate with clinical data. A total of 16 cannabis users and 20 controls were included in this study. Each was assessed with the following: Symptom checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), Montreal cognitive...

CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence that tDCS over the M1 area facilitates balance skill acquisition, possibly by facilitating motor preparation and execution and improving the efficiency of sensorimotor integration processes, as shown by decreased alpha power and N1 latency. These findings may have implications for the potential use of tDCS in improving balance control.

CONCLUSION: TMS, a noninvasive brain stimulation technique, has been applied to improve stroke patients' functional outcomes and daily living skills. Future investigations should integrate TMS with cutting-edge technologies including artificial intelligence and brain‒computer interfaces to uncover its full potential in restoring neural function in stroke survivors.