The cortical activation pattern by a rehabilitation robotic hand: a functional NIRS study

Introduction: Clarification of the relationship between external stimuli and brain response has been an important topic in neuroscience and brain rehabilitation. In the current study, using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we attempted to investigate cortical activation patterns generated during execution of a rehabilitation robotic hand. Methods: Ten normal subjects were recruited for this study. Passive movements of the right fingers were performed using a rehabilitation robotic hand at a frequency of 0.5 Hz. We measured values of oxy-hemoglobin (HbO), deoxy-hemoglobin (HbR) and total-hemoglobin (HbT) in five regions of interest: the primary sensory-motor cortex (SM1), hand somatotopy of the contralateral SM1, supplementary motor area (SMA), premotor cortex (PMC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Results: HbO and HbT values indicated significant activation in the left SM1, left SMA, left PMC, and left PFC during execution of the rehabilitation robotic hand (uncorrected, p < 0.01). By contrast, HbR value indicated significant activation only in the hand somatotopic area of the left SM1 (uncorrected, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our results appear to indicate that execution of the rehabilitation robotic hand could induce cortical activation. © 2014 Chang, Lee, Gu, Lee, Jin, Yeo, Seo and Jang.1

The effects of curcumin on the fibrous envelope surrounding silicone implants in rats

Background Capsular contracture is the most common serious breast surgery complication. The cause of capsular formation remains unknown, but chronic inflammation is commonly considered to cause excessive fibrosis. Curcumin has anti-inflammatory effects and thus can relieve the symptoms of inflammatory diseases, as demonstrated in animal studies. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of curcumin on the fibrous envelope covering silicone implants in a rat model. Methods Two solid 1.8-cm oval-shaped silicone implants were placed beneath both sides of the back in 20 Sprague-Dawley rats. The control group included 10 rats that were fed a normal diet (group A), while the experimental group (group B) included the remaining 10 rats that were fed ground curcumin. En bloc excision was conducted at 8 postoperative weeks. Capsular thickness and inflammatory cell distribution were examined using a fixed tissue sample. Results Gross findings and histologic differences between the groups were observed. The experimental group had a significantly lower mean total capsular thickness than the control group (177.4±31.4 μm vs. 145.9±32.5 μm, P=0.007). A significant decreasing tendency was found in several inflammatory cells in the experimental group (7,070±744.3/mm2 vs. 2,640±301.7/mm2, P=0.001). Conclusions Curcumin significantly reduced the inflammatory reaction, and will help to lower the risk of capsular contracture. Long-term studies are required to determine whether this hypothesis can provide a basis for a viable therapeutic strategy to reduce capsular contracture