Brain Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Age-Stratified Serum Biomarkers for Discriminating Clinically Defined Cognitive Impairment in Neurological Inpatients: A Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Dan Gu, Yu Lei, Jiayi Lu, Wenmin Yi, Qinbin Zhang, Yuxuan He, Chuanling Wang, Zhiyou Cai","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101080","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> With the aging of the global population and the increasing prevalence of cognitive dysfunction worldwide, early identification of cognitive impairment has become an important public health issue. This study aims to investigate the correlation between peripheral serum neurodegenerative biomarkers and age, as well as the discriminative efficacy of cognitive impairment across different age cohorts. Notably, subjects were grouped by clinical cognitive assessment without pathological confirmation via amyloid/tau PET or cerebrospinal fluid testing to define Alzheimer's disease pathology. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study enrolled 425 inpatients from the neurology department. Nonparametric tests were used to explore the correlation between age and peripheral serum biomarkers, as well as intergroup differences in biomarker levels among different cognitive statuses. Age-stratified logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the association between biomarkers and cognitive impairment, with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and corresponding area under the curve (AUC) were adopted to assess the discriminative performance of each indicator. In this study, cognitive impairment was defined clinically based on MoCA and clinical assessment, not biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer's disease pathology. <b>Results:</b> Except for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (r = 0.062, <i>p</i> = 0.207), all detected biomarkers were significantly correlated with age. Among them, p-Tau181 (<i>r</i> = 0.288, <i>p</i> < 0.001), p-Tau217 (<i>r</i> = 0.275, <i>p</i> < 0.001), Aβ1-42 (<i>r</i> = 0.132, <i>p</i> = 0.007), Aβ1-40 (<i>r</i> = 0.254, <i>p</i> < 0.001), and NfL (<i>r</i> = 0.200, <i>p</i> < 0.001) were positively associated with age, while Aβ42/40 ratio was negatively correlated with age (<i>r</i> = -0.253, <i>p</i> < 0.001). After age-based grouping, phosphorylated tau protein (p-Tau)181 showed relatively better discriminative performance in the <65 years group (AUC = 0.6212, 95% <i>CI</i>: 0.537-0.705); GFAP (AUC = 0.7776, 95% <i>CI</i>: 0.718-0.837) and NfL (AUC = 0.7329, 95% <i>CI</i>: 0.670-0.796) showed higher AUC values among participants aged ≥65 years. <b>Conclusions:</b> The correlation and discriminative efficacy of peripheral serum biomarkers for clinically defined cognitive impairment showed differences across age groups in this exploratory analysis. Within this inpatient cohort, p-Tau181 showed relatively better discriminative performance in the <65 years group, while GFAP and NfL showed numerically higher AUC values in the ≥65 years group. These exploratory findings suggest age-related differences in biomarker performance patterns that warrant further investigation in independent cohorts. The modest AUC (0.6212) for p-Tau181 in the younger group suggests that while it offers a statistical advantage, its clinical utility as a standalone scr","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702234/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Computed Tomography Perfusion in Suspected Ischemic Stroke: Patient-Related Pitfalls and Practical Clues Beyond Automated Interpretation.","authors":"Marialuisa Zedde, Giovanni Merlino, Piergiorgio Lochner, Francesca Romana Pezzella, Stefania Miniello, Vincenzo Andreone, Celeste Tucci, Takahiro Ota, Giuseppe Catapano, Vincenzo D'Agostino, Daniele Giuseppe Romano, Luigi Cirillo, Mario Muto, Leonardo Pantoni, Paola Santalucia, Rosario Pascarella","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101079","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The management of suspected ischemic stroke has evolved significantly, largely due to advancements in imaging technologies such as Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP). This narrative review aims to delineate the practical applications and limitations of CTP in acute stroke evaluation, particularly in challenging scenarios. It is organized around illustrative clinical and imaging cases regarding small subcortical infarctions, posterior fossa ischemia, abnormal reference hemispheres, chronic steno-occlusive disease, the simultaneous involvement of multiple vascular territories, luxury perfusion, diaschisis, and systemic hemodynamic abnormalities. We discuss the core-penumbra paradigm, emphasizing the need for accurate interpretation of perfusion maps to guide therapeutic decisions. While automated CTP analyses enhance diagnostic efficiency, they can overlook critical patient-specific factors and exhibit variability in performance across different software platforms. Limitations in detecting small infarcts, particularly in lacunar strokes, highlight the necessity for qualitative visual assessments alongside quantitative data. Individualized case evaluations are crucial, as discrepancies between automated readings and qualitative interpretations can influence the management of single cases. Furthermore, we propose an integrated approach that combines automated assessments with human expertise to improve diagnostic precision and treatment efficacy. Future research should focus on refining CTP methodologies and enhancing their applicability in diverse clinical contexts to optimize patient management in acute ischemic stroke situations.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702661/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Central Neuropathic Pain: An Exploratory Randomized Sham-Controlled Crossover Trial.","authors":"Sooyoung Kim, Eun Kyoung Lee, Youngkwon Ko, Hyun-Wook Nah, Hye Seon Jeong, Seong-Hae Jeong, Ae Young Lee, Eunhee Sohn","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101078","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Central neuropathic pain (CNP) is difficult to manage, and comparative evidence for non-invasive brain stimulation is limited. We explored the short-term efficacy and safety of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in CNP. <b>Methods:</b> In this randomized, sham-controlled crossover trial, 26 patients were allocated to active or sham stimulation and received high-frequency rTMS (10 Hz, 2000 pulses/session) and anodal tDCS (2 mA, 30 min) over the primary motor cortex for five days each, separated by a 4-week washout. The primary outcome was change in Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain intensity at 1 and 4 weeks, analysed using factorial linear mixed-effects models with and without age adjustment. <b>Results:</b> At 1 week, the difference between active and sham rTMS was 0.76 points (95% CI -0.005 to 1.53; <i>p</i> = 0.051) and 0.42 points after age adjustment (95% CI -0.37 to 1.21; <i>p</i> = 0.30). Active tDCS did not differ from sham tDCS, and active rTMS did not differ from active tDCS. No significant differences were found at 4 weeks or in responder analyses. No serious adverse events occurred. <b>Conclusions:</b> In this small exploratory trial, neither rTMS nor tDCS showed statistically significant superiority over modality-matched sham, and no difference between modalities was demonstrated. Adequately powered trials are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decision-Making Performance and Block-Wise Trajectories in Gambling Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder Using the Iowa Gambling Task.","authors":"Edward Jacek Gorzelańczyk, Aleksandra Kawala-Sterniuk, Ewa Laskowska, Piotr Kamiński, Piotr Walecki","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101077","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background/objectives: </strong>Decision-making differences have been reported in substance-related and behavioral addictions, but Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance patterns may differ. We compared IGT performance in gambling disorder, opioid use disorder (OUD) before and approximately 90 min after methadone dosing, and healthy controls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study enrolled 103 adult men: 33 with gambling disorder, 30 with opioid use disorder (OUD) receiving methadone maintenance, and 40 healthy controls. One control participant discontinued the IGT before completion, leaving 39 complete control outcome records. Between-cohort inference therefore used 39 controls, 33 participants with gambling disorder, and 30 OUD pre-methadone observations; pre-/post-dose inference used 27 complete OUD pairs as repeated measurements.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Net Total differed across the three independent baseline cohorts, F(2,99) = 8.73, <i>p</i> < 0.001, and η² = 0.150. Controls had higher scores than the gambling-disorder cohort (Holm-adjusted <i>p</i> = 0.032) and the OUD pre-methadone cohort (<i>p</i> < 0.001); gambling disorder versus OUD pre-methadone was not significant (<i>p</i> = 0.083). In OUD, the within-subject condition effect was not significant, F(1,26) = 1.55, <i>p</i> = 0.224. Block-wise profiles are presented descriptively; gambling disorder showed a 2.79-point Block 3-to-4 decrease.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The recruited male gambling-disorder and OUD baseline cohorts showed lower mean IGT performance than healthy controls. Block-wise trajectories differed descriptively; the late decline in gambling disorder is exploratory and requires replication with prespecified contrasts or mixed-effects models.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702395/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital Motor Profiling in Parkinson's Disease: Long-Term Monitoring Through Wearable Sensors.","authors":"Alessandro Zampogna, Luigi Borzì, Domiziana Rinaldi, Gabriele Imbalzano, Martina Patera, Marco Falletti, Carlo Alberto Artusi, Caterina Pauletti, Edoardo Bianchini, Leonardo Lopiano, Gabriella Olmo, Antonio Suppa","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101074","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Parkinson's disease (PD) is clinically heterogeneous, and motor complications are often inadequately captured during routine outpatient assessments. In this cross-sectional observational study, we investigated whether prolonged home-based wearable monitoring could enable digital motor profiling by identifying clinically meaningful patient subgroups through an unsupervised analytical approach. <b>Methods:</b> Seventy-six patients with PD underwent standardized clinical evaluation followed by prolonged home-based monitoring using a single waist-worn inertial sensor. Wearable-derived measures of gait, mobility, and complex motor manifestations, including dyskinesia and freezing of gait (FOG), were analyzed using an unsupervised clustering approach based exclusively on sensor-derived variables. The resulting subgroups were subsequently characterized using clinical and digital outcomes, and cluster stability and interpretability were examined through bootstrap and complementary machine-learning analyses. <b>Results:</b> Unsupervised clustering identified two distinct digital motor profiles that differed primarily in the burden of motor complications rather than overall disease severity. Although disease duration, Hoehn and Yahr stage, and clinical motor phenotype did not differ significantly, patients in one subgroup exhibited significantly greater dyskinesia, motor fluctuations, and dopaminergic treatment requirements, accompanied by a distinct sensor-derived motor profile during daily life. Dyskinesia-related metrics emerged as the strongest contributors to profile discrimination, and the identified clusters were reproduced with high cross-validated agreement by the surrogate classification model. <b>Conclusions:</b> Prolonged home-based wearable monitoring may support clinically meaningful digital motor profiling in PD. Beyond conventional clinical staging, this approach can identify patients with different burdens of motor complications under real-world conditions. Following appropriate validation, objective digital biomarkers could support patient stratification, longitudinal monitoring, and treatment optimization.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702610/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Age-Related Electrophysiological Reorganization During In-Phase and Anti-Phase Bimanual Coordination.","authors":"Liqing Liu, Jiale Wu, Zhihui Zhao, Qing Liu, Xuejun Bai","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101075","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Healthy aging is associated with declines in bimanual coordination, particularly under more demanding coordination modes. However, the electrophysiological changes accompanying these behavioral differences and their relevance to performance remain unclear. This study examined age-group differences in behavioral performance, ERP responses, and beta-band dynamics during in-phase and anti-phase bimanual coordination. <b>Methods:</b> Forty-two right-handed adults were included in the primary analyses of a bimanual coordination task in both in-phase and anti-phase coordination modes. Behavioral outcomes included accuracy, reaction time, and inverse efficiency scores. EEG measures included P1, N1, and P3 responses, prestimulus beta power, fixed-window relative beta power, baseline-adjusted absolute beta power, and individualized cumulative event-related desynchronization burden. <b>Results:</b> The older group was slower and less efficient overall, with disproportionate accuracy and efficiency costs during anti-phase coordination. Electrophysiologically, aging was associated with larger early P1 responses, a sensor-level redistribution of P3 amplitude and latency, and higher prestimulus beta activity. Fixed-window relative beta and baseline-adjusted absolute beta showed age-group differences without corrected coordination effects, whereas individualized cumulative ERD burden showed age-group, coordination, and interaction effects. <b>Conclusions:</b> Healthy aging was associated with poorer discrete bimanual coordination performance, altered early visual and late positive ERP responses, and stronger cumulative beta suppression under demanding anti-phase coordination.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Latent Multidimensional Organization of White Matter Microstructural Aging: A Generative Adversarial Network Disentanglement Study in a Clinically Defined Reference Cohort.","authors":"Yanxue Li, Hongjian Gao, Lan Lin, Min Xiong","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101076","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> White matter (WM) aging is commonly characterized as a largely unitary process of progressive microstructural decline, yet substantial interindividual variation suggests that this view may obscure distinct biological dimensions. Whether WM aging retains a multidimensional organization after minimizing variation attributable to overt clinical pathology remains unknown. <b>Methods:</b> We constructed a clinically defined aging reference cohort (CDAR; <i>n</i> = 17,310) from the UK Biobank (UKB) by excluding overt clinical pathology and analyzed 144 skeleton-based WM microstructural metrics. An additional 10,272 participants with overt clinical diagnoses were included for downstream association analyses, yielding a total analytic sample of 27,582. Surreal-GAN was applied to disentangle latent dimensions of WM aging, with reproducibility-based model selection and cross-sample and cross-sex validation. The biological relevance of the identified dimensions was evaluated through associations with cognitive, lifestyle, peripheral, and disease-related outcomes. <b>Results:</b> Three reproducible and coexisting dimensions of WM aging emerged, comprising distinct spatial configurations rather than a single diffuse aging axis. R₁ displayed an anterior-vulnerable/posterior-preserved gradient, R₂ reflected a widespread diffuse aging load, and R₃ showed a dissociation between the limbic-frontal system and sensorimotor pathways. The three patterns exhibited good cross-sample (r = 0.887-0.935) and cross-sex (r = 0.891-0.937) reproducibility, with strong bilateral hemispheric correspondence (r > 0.86). All three patterns were associated with age but exhibited partially shared and partially independent associations with cognition, lifestyle factors, peripheral phenotypes, and disease risk. <b>Conclusions:</b> WM aging is not adequately captured by a single neuroanatomical process. Even after minimizing overt clinical pathology, it retains a reproducible multidimensional organization, with partially shared and partially independent phenotypic profiles across aging dimensions. These findings suggest that individual differences in WM aging reflect partially separable biological processes rather than variation along a single aging axis.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Working Memory Performance During Concurrent Cycling at the First and Second Ventilatory Thresholds in Athletes.","authors":"Zafer Bilgin, Erdem Uylas, Muhammed Yerlikaya, Nurten Dinç, Erkan Günay, Murat Taş","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101073","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>How exercise intensity affects working memory during concurrent motor-cognitive tasks remains unclear. This study examined working memory during dual-task cycling at the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1, VT2).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eleven trained male endurance athletes (VO_2max 49.38 ± 5.69 mL/kg/min) completed a graded exercise test and two randomized crossover sessions of cycling at VT1 or VT2 with a concurrent 2-back task, with 2-back assessments before and after exercise. Hits, false alarms, reaction times and signal detection indices (<i>d'</i>, <i>c</i>) were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and Holm-corrected planned contrasts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>At both intensities, hits and <i>d'</i> decreased during the dual-task (phase effects, <i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas the response criterion did not change. For hits, the primary outcome, the Condition × Phase interaction was significant [<i>F</i>(2, 20) = 4.90, <i>p</i> = 0.019, η²<i>p</i> = 0.329]: hits decreased substantially during the dual-task at VT2 (<i>d</i> = 1.21, <i>p</i>Holm = 0.010) but not significantly at VT1 (<i>p</i> = 0.074), and the VT1-VT2 difference during the dual-task was itself significant (<i>d</i> = 0.98, <i>p</i>Holm = 0.036). A planned contrast directly comparing the pre-to-dual-task change in hits between conditions supported this pattern (<i>p</i> = 0.022), although it did not survive the stricter Holm correction applied within that specific contrast family (<i>p</i>Holm = 0.089). Immediately after exercise, <i>d'</i> remained below pre-task values after VT2 (<i>p</i>Holm = 0.008) but not after VT1.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Concurrent cycling at VT2 was associated with a significantly larger acute decline in working memory than cycling at VT1, directly supporting the study's primary hypothesis. This intensity-dependent pattern, observed in a modest sample, should be confirmed in larger, adequately powered studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702500/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262663","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Beyond the Lesion: Neurorehabilitation as a Humanistic Enterprise.","authors":"Francisco Nieto-Escamez","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101070","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rehabilitation in neurological disorders has long been framed as a technical endeavor: restoring gait, improving balance, enhancing cognitive performance, and optimizing daily functioning [...].</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702243/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maintenance of Auditory Deviance Processing Following Auricular Vagal Neuromodulation Therapy in Disorders of Consciousness.","authors":"Samuel López-Rodríguez, Barbara Postigo-Alonso, Myrtha O'Valle-Rodríguez, Marta Gómez-Herranz, María Dolores Navarro-Pérez, Joan Ferri-Campos, Enrique Noé-Sebastián, Alejandro Galvao-Carmona","doi":"10.3390/brainsci16101072","DOIUrl":"10.3390/brainsci16101072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background/Objectives:</b> Auricular Vagal Neuromodulation Therapy (AVNT) constitutes a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach for Disorders of Consciousness (DoCs). However, evidence regarding its effectiveness remains limited. In this context, although the Mismatch Negativity (MMN) is a well-established neurophysiological index associated with recovery in DoCs, its modulation by AVNT has not yet been investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of AVNT on MMN in DoCs. <b>Methods:</b> Forty-four participants with DoCs were evenly assigned to either an experimental or a control group, alongside twenty-two healthy participants used to establish normative data in neurotypical conditions. The latency, peak and peak-to-peak MMN amplitude were assessed as a complement to the Coma Recovery Scale Revised (CRS-R). Subsequently, only the experimental group received AVNT, followed by a second assessment across all groups. <b>Results:</b> The control group showed extensive changes across sessions in both peak and peak-to-peak amplitudes. In contrast, the experimental group exhibited a significant change only in peak amplitude for the fronto-central region, with no changes in peak-to-peak amplitude. Between-session changes in peak and peak-to-peak amplitudes differed between the control and healthy groups in the parieto-occipital region. After adjustment for the inter-session interval, the ANCOVA showed an overall group effect on peak-to-peak amplitude changes in the parieto-occipital and right regions. No differences were detected between the control and experimental groups or between the experimental and healthy groups. Finally, no significant effects were found for MMN latency. <b>Conclusions:</b> These findings could be compatible with a possible effect of AVNT, although the evidence remained insufficient to demonstrate a direct effect of the intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":9095,"journal":{"name":"Brain Sciences","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13702590/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149262618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}