MR-safe multisegmental vibration device for cortical mapping of paraspinal afferent input

<p>The objective of this study was to develop an MR-safe stimulation device (pneumatic vibration device, pneuVID) that can apply vibrotactile stimulation to different thoracolumbar segments and to characterize stimulation parameters such as the amplitude and its stability for two relevant frequencies (20Hz/80Hz). This is the first apparatus specifically designed for paraspinal tissue vibration on different segmental levels in an MR environment. </p>

MR-safe multisegmental vibration device for cortical mapping of paraspinal afferent input

<p>The objective of this study was to develop an MR-safe stimulation device (pneumatic vibration device, pneuVID) that can apply vibrotactile stimulation to different thoracolumbar segments and to characterize stimulation parameters such as the amplitude and its stability for two relevant frequencies (20Hz/80Hz). This is the first apparatus specifically designed for paraspinal tissue vibration on different segmental levels in an MR environment. </p>

Six-Month Lower-Leg Sensory Stimulation Augments Neural Network Connectivity Associated With Improved Gait

Foot sole somatosensory impairment associated with peripheral neuropathy (PN) is prevalent and a strong independent risk factor for gait disturbance and falls in older adults. A lower-limb sensory prosthesis providing afferent input related to foot sole pressure distributions via lower-leg vibrotactile stimulation has been demonstrated to improve gait in people with PN. The effects of this device on brain function related to motor control, however, remains equivocal. This study aimed to explore changes in brain network connectivity after six months of daily use of the prosthesis among individuals with diagnosed PN and balance problems. Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were completed before and after the intervention. Preliminary analysis on participants who have completed the study to date (N=5; mean age 76 years) indicated altered connectivity of the sensorimotor network (SMN), frontoparietal network (FPN), and the default mode network (DMN) post-intervention (Z&gt;3.11, unadjusted p&lt;0.05). Participants displayed an average improvement of 5.5 point in the FGA (Minimal Clinically Important Differences&gt;4 for community-dwelling older adults) that was correlated with connectivity changes (unadjusted p&lt;0.05). Specifically, improved FGA was associated with: 1) increased connectivity between the SMN, cerebellum, and occipital cortex; 2) increased connectivity between the FPN, cerebellum, calcarine and intracalcarine; and 3) decreased connectivity between DMN and intracalcarine. These early findings suggest that long-term use of a lower-limb sensory prosthesis may induce neuroplastic changes in brain network connectivity reflecting enhanced bottom-up sensory-attentional processing and suppression of the DMN that are relevant to gait improvements among older adults with PN.

Effects of vibrotactile-enhanced music-based intervention on sensorimotor control capacity in the hand of an aging brain: a pilot feasibility randomized crossover trial

Background Music-based interventions (MBI), using music as a therapeutic medium, has been utilized as a promising strategy for motor relearning and shaping. However, currently, MBI with active performance training is restricted to being extensively applied for patients with various levels of defects in fine motor skills and cognitive functions. Therefore, the integration of vibrotactile stimulation with MBI has been adopted as a motor training strategy intended to enhance motor learning through use of vibration stimuli. The current study was designed to investigate differences in the sensorimotor performance of older adults’ hands under baseline, a single session of active MBI, and vibrotactile-enriched MBI conditions. Methods Thirty healthy older adults were recruited and randomized to receive either the single session of 30-min of vibrotactile-enriched MBI or 30-min of active MBI at the beginning of the experiment. After a one-week washout period, they switched their treatment programs and then were assessed to study the training effects of both approaches through measuring precision pinch performance, hand function, and sensory status. Results The results of the Pinch-Holding-Up Activity test revealed a statistically significant difference in the FRpeak parameter (F = 14.37, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.507) under the vibrotactile-enriched MBI condition compared to the baseline and active MBI conditions. In addition, significant beneficial effects were found on the results of the barognosis (F = 19.126, p < 0.001, η2p = 0. 577) and roughness differentiation subtests (F = 15.036, p < 0.001, η2p = 0.518) in the Manual Tactile Test for the participants in the vibrotactile-enriched MBI group. In addition, the participants under both the active MBI and vibrotactile-enriched MBI conditions exhibited better performance in the three subtests of the Purdue Pegboard Test as compared to under the baseline condition (p < 0.016). Conclusions The findings indicated that vibrotactile-enriched MBI potentially improves the precision pinch performance of hands in healthy older adults. In addition, the add-on effect of vibrotactile stimulation to the MBI condition provides beneficial effects on the sensory functions of the upper extremities. Trial registration NCT04802564. Date of registration: 15/03/2021. The first posted date: 17/03/2021.

Safety and Tolerability of a Wearable, Vibrotactile Stimulation Device for Parkinson’s Disease

Background: Resting tremor is a cardinal symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that contributes to the physical, emotional, and economic burden of the disease.Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary effectiveness of a novel wearable vibrotactile stimulation device on resting tremor in individuals with PD.Methods: Using a randomized cross-over design, subjects received two different vibrotactile stimulation paradigms (high amplitude patterned and low amplitude continuous) on two separate laboratory visits. On each visit, resting tremor was video recorded for 10 min at baseline and while the vibrotactile stimulation was applied. Tremor severity was scored by a blinded clinician.Results: Both vibration paradigms were well safe and well tolerated and resulted in a reduction in resting tremor severity with a moderate effect size (n = 44, p &lt; 0.001, r = 0.37–0.54). There was no significant difference between the two vibration paradigms (p = 0.14).Conclusion: Short durations of vibrotactile stimulation delivered via wearable devices were safe and well tolerated and may attenuate resting tremor severity in individuals with PD. The sample size as well as the potential preliminary effectiveness revealed by two arms of the study could not eliminate the potential for a placebo effect.

Impact of a Vibrotactile Belt on Emotionally Challenging Everyday Situations of the Blind

Spatial orientation and navigation depend primarily on vision. Blind people lack this critical source of information. To facilitate wayfinding and to increase the feeling of safety for these people, the “feelSpace belt” was developed. The belt signals magnetic north as a fixed reference frame via vibrotactile stimulation. This study investigates the effect of the belt on typical orientation and navigation tasks and evaluates the emotional impact. Eleven blind subjects wore the belt daily for seven weeks. Before, during and after the study period, they filled in questionnaires to document their experiences. A small sub-group of the subjects took part in behavioural experiments before and after four weeks of training, i.e., a straight-line walking task to evaluate the belt’s effect on keeping a straight heading, an angular rotation task to examine effects on egocentric orientation, and a triangle completion navigation task to test the ability to take shortcuts. The belt reduced subjective discomfort and increased confidence during navigation. Additionally, the participants felt safer wearing the belt in various outdoor situations. Furthermore, the behavioural tasks point towards an intuitive comprehension of the belt. Altogether, the blind participants benefited from the vibrotactile belt as an assistive technology in challenging everyday situations.

Hand and face somatotopy shown using MRI-safe vibrotactile stimulation with a novel Soft Pneumatic Actuator (SPA)-Skin interface

The exact somatotopy of the human facial representation in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) remains debated. One reason that progress has been hampered is due the methodological challenge of how to apply automated vibrotactile stimuli to face areas in a manner that is: 1) reliable despite different curvature depending on the face location; and 2) MR-compatible and free of MR-interference artefacts when applied in the MR head-coil. Here we overcame this challenge by using soft pneumatic actuator (SPA) technology. SPAs are made of a soft silicon material and can be in- or deflated by means of airflow, have a small diameter, and are flexible in structure, enabling good skin contact even on curved body surfaces (as on the face). Here, we aimed to provide a methodological advance by providing automated tactile vibration stimulation inside the head-coil of the MRI. As a sanity check, we first mapped the well-characterised S1 finger layout using this novel device. We found that tactile stimulation of the fingers elicited characteristic somatotopic finger activations in S1, validating the use of our SPA-setup to map somatotopic representations. Ultimately, we used the device to automatically and systematically deliver somatosensory stimulation to different face locations. We found that the forehead representation was least distance from the representation of the hand. Within the face representation, we found that the lip representation is most distant from the forehead representation, with the chin represented in between. Together our results show that, by providing vibrotactile stimulation using the SPA-technology, we are able to reveal clear somatotopic representational patterns.

Music Augmented With Isochronic Auditory Beats or Vibrotactile Stimulation Does Not Affect Subsequent Ergometer Cycling Performance: A Pilot Study

Methods to enhance the ergogenic effects of music are of interest to athletes of all abilities. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the ergogenic effects of two commercially available methods of music augmentation: auditory beats and vibrotactile stimulation. Six male and five female cyclists/triathletes cycled for 7 minutes at three different intensities: a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) of 11 (“light”), RPE of 15 (“hard”), and a 7-minute time-trial. Before each 7-minute bout of cycling, participants listened to 10 minutes of self-selected music (MUS), or the same music with the addition of either isochronic auditory beats (ABS) or vibrotactile stimulation via SUBPACTM (VIB). MUS, ABS and VIB trials were performed in a randomized order. Power output was measured during cycling and felt arousal and feeling scores were recorded at timepoints throughout the protocol. The results found the augmented MUS interventions did not influence power output with no significant main effect of trial (p = 0.44, η2 = 0.09) or trial × cycling intensity interaction (p = 0.11, η2 = 0.20). Similarly, both felt arousal and feeling scores were unchanged between the MUS, ABS, and VIB trials (p &gt; 0.05). In conclusion, this pilot study indicated an ineffectiveness of the ABS and VIB to affect subsequent 7-min cycling performance compared to self-selected MUS alone.