Dose-Dependent Effects of Theta Burst rTMS on Cortical Excitability and Resting-State Connectivity of the Human Motor System

Theta burst stimulation (TBS), a specific protocol of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), induces changes in cortical excitability that last beyond stimulation. TBS-induced aftereffects, however, vary between subjects, and the mechanisms underlying these aftereffects to date remain poorly understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether increasing the number of pulses of intermittent TBS (iTBS) (1) increases cortical excitability as measured by motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) and (2) alters functional connectivity measured using resting-state fMRI, in a dose-dependent manner. Sixteen healthy, human subjects received three serially applied iTBS blocks of 600 pulses over the primary motor cortex (M1 stimulation) and the parieto-occipital vertex (sham stimulation) to test for dose-dependent iTBS effects on cortical excitability and functional connectivity (four sessions in total). iTBS over M1 increased MEP amplitudes compared with sham stimulation after each stimulation block. Although the increase in MEP amplitudes did not differ between the first and second block of M1 stimulation, we observed a significant increase after three blocks (1800 pulses). Furthermore, iTBS enhanced resting-state functional connectivity between the stimulated M1 and premotor regions in both hemispheres. Functional connectivity between M1 and ipsilateral dorsal premotor cortex further increased dose-dependently after 1800 pulses of iTBS over M1. However, no correlation between changes in MEP amplitudes and functional connectivity was detected. In summary, our data show that increasing the number of iTBS stimulation blocks results in dose-dependent effects at the local level (cortical excitability) as well as at a systems level (functional connectivity) with a dose-dependent enhancement of dorsal premotor cortex-M1 connectivit

Protocol for a randomized controlled trial on risk adapted damage control orthopedic surgery of femur shaft fractures in multiple trauma patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Fractures of the long bones and femur fractures in particular are common in multiple trauma patients, but the optimal management of femur fractures in these patients is not yet resolved. Although there is a trend towards the concept of "Damage Control Orthopedics" (DCO) in the management of multiple trauma patients with long bone fractures as reflected by a significant increase in primary external fixation of femur fractures, current literature is insufficient. Thus, in the era of "evidence-based medicine", there is the need for a more specific, clarifying trial.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The trial is designed as a randomized controlled open-label multicenter study. Multiple trauma patients with femur shaft fractures and a calculated probability of death between 20 and 60% will be randomized to either temporary fracture fixation with fixateur externe and defined secondary definitive treatment (DCO) or primary reamed nailing (early total care). The primary objective is to reduce the extent of organ failure as measured by the maximum sepsis-related organ failure assessment (SOFA) score.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The Damage Control Study is the first to evaluate the risk adapted damage control orthopedic surgery concept of femur shaft fractures in multiple trauma patients in a randomized controlled design. The trial investigates the differences in clinical outcome of two currently accepted different ways of treating multiple trauma patients with femoral shaft fractures. This study will help to answer the question whether the "early total care" or the „damage control” concept is associated with better outcome.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN10321620</p

The Consent Paradox: Accounting for the Prominent Role of Consent in Data Protection

The concept of consent is a central pillar of data protection. It features prominently in research, regulation, and public debates on the subject, in spite of the wide-ranging criticisms that have been levelled against it. In this paper, I refer to this as the consent paradox. I argue that consent continues to play a central role not despite but because the criticisms of it. I analyze the debate on consent in the scholarly literature in general, and among German data protection professionals in particular, showing that it is a focus on the informed individual that keeps the concept of consent in place. Critiques of consent based on the notion of “informedness” reinforce the centrality of consent rather than calling it into question. They allude to a market view that foregrounds individual choice. Yet, the idea of a data market obscures more fundamental objections to consent, namely the individual’s dependency on data controllers’ services that renders the assumption of free choice a fiction

Are individual responses to theta-burst rTMS in cortical excitability related to changes in motor network connectivity?

Intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) effectively increases cortical excitability within the human brain (Huang et al., 2005). However, individual after-effects of iTBS vary between subjects, with a large proportion not responding at all in terms of changes in excitability (Ridding and Ziemann, 2010; Hamada et al., 2013). We here investigated whether subjects responding to iTBS show differential changes in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) within the cortical motor system compared to subjects with no response.14 healthy, right-handed subjects (m = 7, 27 ± 3 years) received iTBS over the left primary motor cortex (M1) on two days, separated by at least one week. Before and after iTBS-application (i) motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) or (ii) resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was assessed. Seed-based whole-brain rsFC was computed for the stimulated M1.Subjects were divided into groups of responders and non-responders according to iTBS-induced changes in MEPs (criterion: increase of at least 10% compared to baseline). Following iTBS, rsFC between M1 and premotor areas was significantly higher in responders compared to both baseline (p ≤0.001, FWE-corrected) and non-responders (p ≤0.001, FWE-corrected). Furthermore, non-responders featured higher levels of pre-interventional rsFC compared to responders (p = 0.061, FWE-corrected). Individual changes in MEPs and rsFC did not correlate.Significant iTBS-induced modulations of rsFC were exclusively found for the group of iTBS-responders, suggesting that changes in cortical excitability and motor network rsFC are related. However, no linear correlation between changes in MEP-amplitudes and rsFC was evident. Furthermore, higher levels of pre-interventional rsFC might prevent iTBS-induced strengthening of premotor-M1 connections, possibly underlying the non-responsiveness to iTB