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Biomedical subjects

Masao Matsuhashi

Publications and source records attributed to Masao Matsuhashi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Low-frequency electric cortical stimulation decreases interictal and ictal activity in human epilepsy.

We previously reported that low-frequency electric cortical stimulation (LFECS) directly applied to the epileptic focus by means of subdural electrodes decreased the number of interictal epileptiform discharges in patients with intractable partial epilepsy. In the present study, LFECS was applied to the epileptic foci directly in four patients with medically intractable partial epilepsy through subdural electrodes and evaluated its effect on the number of interictal epileptiform discharges as well as simple partial seizures. We used alternating electric current of 0.3 ms duration presented at 0.9 Hz frequency for 250 s. LFECS did not induce seizures in any of the four patients. In one patient, the number of interictal epileptiform discharge decreased significantly by LFECS, which is in conformity with our previous report. In addition, LFECS applied to the seizure onset zone decreased the frequency of simple partial seizures in one patient. These results suggest that LFECS has an inhibitory effect not only on the interictal but also the ictal activities in patients with intractable partial epilepsy. Further study is required to determine the inhibitory effect of LFECS more in details.

Adolescent↗

Ipsilateral facial sensory and motor responses to basal fronto-temporal cortical stimulation: evidence suggesting direct activation of cranial nerves.

To clarify the generator mechanism of sensory and motor facial responses ipsilateral to electrical stimulation of the inferior fronto-temporal cortex in epilepsy patients. Out of 30 patients who have been evaluated with chronically implanted subdural electrodes for medically intractable partial seizure or brain tumor involving the basal frontal or temporal cortex, 4 patients (age ranging 24-57 years) showed sensory and motor responses in the ipsilateral face to high frequency electrical cortical stimulation of the inferior fronto-temporal cortex. We investigated motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the facial muscle by single pulse stimulation in 2 out of 4 patients. Three patients showed both sensory symptoms and muscle contraction in the ipsilateral lower face when the orbitofrontal or basal temporal cortex was stimulated with 50 Hz electric current. One patient had only sensory symptoms in the lower face when ipsilateral basal temporal area was stimulated. MEPs at the left orbicularis oris muscle were constantly elicited with the onset latency of 7 ms throughout the stimulus rate of 2-30 Hz in 1 patient out of 2 patients was tested. In another patient, MEP onset latency was 3.0 ms with 11 Hz stimulation. With electrical stimulation of the basal fronto-temporal cortex, the ipsilateral facial twitch might occur through either the direct activation of the facial nerve by the current spread in the middle cranial fossa or through the mechanism similar to blink reflex.

Adult↗

Bereitschaftspotentials recorded from the lateral part of the superior frontal gyrus in humans.

To demonstrate the Bereitschaftspotentials (BPs) over the high lateral convexity in the superior frontal gyrus, movement-related cortical potentials with respect to the middle finger extension were recorded in seven patients with refractory epilepsy who underwent subdural implantation of platinum electrode grids and/or strips covering the high lateral frontal convexity. In two out of the seven patients, BPs were recorded from the electrodes placed on the superior frontal gyrus in the vicinity of the border between the medial and lateral frontal lobes, which were distinct from those recorded from the primary sensorimotor cortex. The results suggest the possible contribution of either the lateral dorsal non-primary motor area or the SMA to the generation of the BPs.

Contingent Negative Variation↗

Psychogenic palatal tremor.

We describe a case of psychogenic palatal tremor. The diagnosis was supported by clinical criteria and neurophysiological testing, including frequency analysis and jerk-locked back-averaging. We discuss the differential diagnosis of palatal tremor as well as the role of neurophysiological testing in the diagnosis of psychogenic movement disorders.

Adult↗

[Focal cortical dysplasia at the primary somatosensory cortex could manifest both intractable partial epilepsy and cortical reflex myoclonus].

We report a 31-year-old patient who suffered from the left foot motor seizure since 6 years of age. In addition to spontaneous seizures, the seizures tended to be triggered by somatosensory stimulus to the left foot. Recently, he developed irregular myoclonic jerks of the left foot. Neurologically, he had mild impairment of fine movements of the left foot, but otherwise no weakness or sensory disturbance was noted. Interictal spikes were frequently recorded at the vertex region, where ictal discharges also started during the video-EEG monitoring. Electrical stimulation of the left tibial nerve evoked giant cortical components of somatosensory evoked potentials and C-reflex. Magnetoencephalographic study of both interictal and jerk-locked averaged spikes located the equivalent current dipole of both activities at the left foot primary somatosensory cortex (SI), where 3 tesla MRI revealed a focal abnormality consistent with focal cortical dysplasia. The present non-invasive investigation suggests that focal cortical dysplasia at SI could manifest intrinsic, autonomous, epileptogenicity as well as extrinsic, stimulus-sensitive, hyperexcitability, which are clinically manifested as spontaneous seizures and cortical reflex myoclonus, respectively.

Adult↗

Electric cortical stimulation suppresses epileptic and background activities in neocortical epilepsy and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the suppressive effect of electric cortical stimulation upon the seizure onset zone and the non-epileptic cortex covered by subdural electrodes in patients with neocortical epilepsy and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). METHODS: Four patients with medically intractable focal epilepsy had implanted subdural electrodes for preoperative evaluation. Cortical functional mapping was performed by intermittently repeating bursts of electric stimulation, which consisted of 50 Hz alternating square pulse of 0.3 ms duration, 1-15 mA, within 5 s. The effect of this stimulation on the seizure onset zones and on the non-epileptic areas was evaluated by comparing spike frequency and electrocorticogram (ECoG) power spectra before and after stimulation. A similar comparison was performed in stimulation of 0.9 Hz of the seizure onset zones for 15 min. RESULTS: When the seizure onset zone was stimulated with high frequency, spike frequency decreased by 24.7%. Logarithmic ECoG power spectra recorded at stimulated electrode significantly decreased in 10-32 Hz band by high frequency stimulation of the seizure onset zone, and in 14-32 Hz band by high frequency stimulation of the non-epileptic area. Low frequency stimulation of the seizure onset zone produced 18.5% spike reduction and slight power decrease in 12-14 Hz. CONCLUSIONS: Both high and low frequency electric cortical stimulation of the seizure onset zone have a suppressive effect on epileptogenicity. Reduction of ECoG fast activities after electric cortical stimulation suggests the augmentation of inhibitory mechanisms in human cortex.

Adult↗

Processing of Japanese morphogram and syllabogram in the left basal temporal area: electrical cortical stimulation studies.

Language functions in the left basal temporal area (LBTA) were investigated using electrical cortical stimulation during functional mapping in six Japanese patients with refractory epilepsy. This study provides the first direct evidence that kana (Japanese syllabogram) is processed in the LBTA. Electrical stimulation of some areas within LBTA induced disturbance in overt reading of kana words only in the first trials, with no errors in the subsequent trials. By contrast, stimulation of the same area caused obvious disturbance in kana non-word reading in all trials. Since a kana word carries both meaning and sound while a kana non-word carries only sounds of a letter string, the contrasting results of partial and complete disturbance imply a possibility that there are two distinct pathways for kana reading: one dealing with both phonological and semantic aspects of the words and the other dealing only with phonological aspect. Kanji words (Japanese morphogram) and objects/pictures were found to be processed in an area different from the area for the kana non-word processing. Furthermore, the present study also identified the common area for processing kanji reading and object/picture naming. There were no errors in matching pictures with kanji words, indicating that concepts of pictures and meanings of kanji words were not interfered by the electrical stimulation of that area. The new insight provides a clue for partial description of processing pathways for language-related visual information in LBTA. Three types of information (morphological, phonological, and semantic) are conveyed together at some stages and are separated into different routes at some other stages.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

Human eye fields in the frontal lobe as studied by epicortical recording of movement-related cortical potentials.

We studied the generator location of premovement subcomponents of movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) [Bereitschaftspotential (BP), negative slope (NS') and motor potential (MP)] associated with voluntary, self-paced horizontal saccade in the human frontal lobe. Self-paced horizontal saccade, wrist (or middle finger) extension and foot dorsiflexion were employed in 10 patients (lateral surface of the frontal lobe in seven and mesial in three) as part of the presurgical evaluation, and data of five patients (lateral in four and mesial in three) were used in the final analysis. On the lateral frontal lobe, the maximum BP, NS' or MP with horizontal saccade was seen at or 1-2 cm rostral to the hand, arm or face area of the primary motor cortex (MI) in all four subjects investigated. This area exactly corresponded to the frontal eye field (FEF) identified by electrical stimulation. The amplitude of MRCPs with saccade was smaller than that with hand movements. On the mesial surface, within the supplementary motor area (SMA) proper, BP and/or NS' for horizontal saccade was located 1-2 cm rostral to that for hand and foot movements. BP and/or NS' delineated the supplementary eye field (SEF) at the rostral part of the SMA proper, and SEF partly overlapped with the hand and foot areas of the SMA proper. At the area just rostral to the vertical anterior commissure line and/or the pre-SMA defined by electrical stimulation, BP and/or NS' was seen invariably, regardless of the sites of movements, and in contrast with the SMA proper, there was no somatotopic representation. No clear MPs were elicited by eye movements on the mesial surface. In one of the two subjects whose MRCPs with horizontal saccade were recorded simultaneously from the lateral and mesial surfaces of the frontal lobe, BP from the SEF and pre-SMA preceded that from the FEF. It is concluded that MRCPs with horizontal saccade are useful for defining the FEF, SEF and pre-SMA, and that the SEF and pre-SMA become active in preparation for horizontal saccade earlier than the FEF.

Adolescent↗

Multisensory convergence at human temporo-parietal junction - epicortical recording of evoked responses.

OBJECTIVE: Previous lesion studies in patients and functional imaging studies in normal subjects have led to the notion that the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) has an integrative function for multisensory inputs. However, its electrophysiological properties such as response latencies and distributions of responses to various stimulus modalities in humans have not been fully investigated. The aim of the study is to clarify this issue. METHODS: We recorded evoked potentials to different kinds of sensory stimuli including somatosensory, auditory and visual modalities in 6 patients with intractable partial epilepsy, who underwent chronic implantation of subdural electrodes in TPJ for presurgical evaluation. RESULTS: In 5 out of 6 subjects, at least one electrode located in TPJ for each subject showed a maximum somatosensory evoked response commonly to electric, passive joint motion and pain stimuli. These electrodes showed the maximum responses also to tone stimuli in all of 4 subjects studied, and to visual motion stimuli in 3 out of 5 subjects studied. The polarity was consistent regardless of the stimulus modality within each individual subject, although the anatomical location, polarity and latency varied among subjects. CONCLUSIONS: A small area in TPJ for each individual subject receives sensory information of multiple modalities possibly coming from different receptive sites, although the electrophysiological properties of the responses may vary among subjects. SIGNIFICANCE: We confirmed the convergence of somatosensory, auditory and visual evoked responses at human TPJ.

Adolescent↗

Electric stimulation on human cortex suppresses fast cortical activity and epileptic spikes.

PURPOSE: To investigate underlying mechanisms and adequate parameters for electric cortical stimulation to inhibit epileptic focus in humans. METHODS: A patient with intractable partial epilepsy had subdural electrodes implanted for preoperative evaluation. Cortical functional mapping was performed by using 50-Hz alternating square pulse of 0.3-ms duration, 1 to 7 mA, within 5 s. Spike frequency and electrocorticogram (ECoG) power spectra were compared before and after the stimulation when epileptic focus and distant area were stimulated. A similar comparison also was performed in low-frequency stimulation of 0.9 Hz applied for 15 min. RESULTS: Interictal spikes were reduced after electric cortical stimulation of the epileptic area at a frequency of 50 Hz as well as 0.9 Hz, with concomitant decrease in the electrographic fast activities at 50-Hz stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that electric cortical stimulation at both high and low frequency has a suppressive effect on epileptic activities in human cortex, possibly through distinct mechanisms.

Adult↗

Role of primary sensorimotor cortex and supplementary motor area in volitional swallowing: a movement-related cortical potential study.

We investigated the role of the cerebral cortex, particularly the face/tongue area of the primary sensorimotor (SMI) cortex (face/tongue) and supplementary motor area (SMA), in volitional swallowing by recording movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs). MRCPs with swallowing and tongue protrusion were recorded from scalp electrodes in eight normal right-handed subjects and from implanted subdural electrodes in six epilepsy patients. The experiment by scalp EEG in normal subjects revealed that premovement Bereitschaftspotentials (BP) activity for swallowing was largest at the vertex and lateralized to either hemisphere in the central area. The experiment by epicortical EEG in patients confirmed that face/tongue SMI and SMA were commonly involved in swallowing and tongue protrusion with overlapping distribution and interindividual variability. BP amplitude showed no difference between swallowing and tongue movements, either at face/tongue SMI or at SMA, whereas postmovement potential (PMP) was significantly larger in tongue protrusion than in swallowing only at face/tongue SMI. BP occurred earlier in swallowing than in tongue protrusion. Comparison between face/tongue SMI and SMA did not show any difference with regard to BP and PMP amplitude or BP onset time in either task. The preparatory role of the cerebral cortex in swallowing was similar to that in tongue movement, except for earlier activation in swallowing. Postmovement processing of swallowing was lesser than that of tongue movement in face/tongue SMI; probably suggesting that the cerebral cortex does not play a significant role in postmovement processing of swallowing. SMA plays a supplementary role to face/tongue SMI both in swallowing and tongue movements.

Adult↗

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the sensorimotor cortex and medial frontal cortex modifies human pain perception.

OBJECTIVE: Although recent neuroimaging studies have shown that painful stimuli can produce activity in multiple cortical areas, the question remains as to the role of each area in particular aspects of human pain perception. To solve this problem we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as an 'interference approach' tool to test the consequence on pain perception of disrupting activity in several areas of cortex known to be activated by painful input. METHODS: Weak CO(2) laser stimuli at an intensity around the threshold for pain were given to the dorsum of the left hand in 9 normal subjects. At variable delays (50, 150, 250, 350 ms) after the onset of the laser stimulus, pairs of TMS pulses (dTMS: interpulse interval of 50 ms, and stimulus intensity of 120% resting motor threshold) were applied in separate blocks of trials over either the right sensorimotor cortex (SMI), midline occipital cortex (OCC), second somatosensory cortex (SII), or medial frontal cortex (MFC). Subjects were instructed to judge whether or not the stimulus was painful and to point to the stimulated spot on a drawing of subject's hand. RESULTS: Subjects judged that the stimulus was painful on more trials than control when dTMS was delivered over SMI at 150-200 ms after the laser stimulus; the opposite occurred when dTMS was delivered over MFC at 50-100 ms. dTMS over the SII or OCC failed to alter the pain threshold. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that TMS to SMI can facilitate whereas stimulation over MFC suppresses central processing of pain perception. Since there was no effect of dTMS at any of the scalp sites on the localization task, the cortical locus for point localization of pain may be different from that for perception of pain intensity or may involve a more complex mechanism than the latter. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first report that TMS of SMI facilitates while that of MFC suppresses the central processing of pain perception. This raises the possibility of using TMS as a therapeutic device to control pain.

Adult↗

Motor-related functional subdivisions of human lateral premotor cortex: epicortical recording in conditional visuomotor task.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the functional subdivisions of the human lateral premotor cortex (PM) in the visuomotor control. METHODS: Event-related potentials (ERPs) were epicortically recorded from PM in 5 epilepsy patients. S1-Go/NoGo choice delayed reaction time (RT), S1-warned S2-Go simple RT and control fixation paradigms were compared using paired visual stimuli (S1, S2). RESULTS: Signal-related activity peaked at 176-194 ms after S1 in the ventrorostral PM (PMvr) in all 3 paradigms, indicating its role in signal perception. Early set-related activity was recorded with its peak <810 ms after S1 in the dorsorostral PM (PMdr) and was larger in the choice than in the simple RT paradigm, suggesting its role in signal selection. Its cognitive component was recorded as surface-positive transients at PMdr, while its motoric aspect, seen as negative transients, extended to the caudal PM. Late sustained set-related activity was observed in preparation for hand movement in the caudal PM at the hand and face positive motor areas. After presentation of S2, movement-related activity was observed at the hand sensorimotor area for motor execution, following the signal-related activity at PMvr. CONCLUSIONS: The present ERP study suggests the temporally sequential representation of predominantly 'cognitive' function in the rostral PM and 'motor' function in the caudal PM. SIGNIFICANCE: The rostrocaudal cognitive-motor gradient was demonstrated in the lateral premotor cortex in humans by means of an epicortical ERP approach.

Adolescent↗

Distinct cortical areas for motor preparation and execution in human identified by Bereitschaftspotential recording and ECoG-EMG coherence analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To clarify the cortical areas involved in motor preparation and execution by investigating Bereitschaftspotentials (BPs) and electrocorticogram-electromyogram (ECoG-EMG) coherence from subdural electrodes placed around the rolandic area. METHODS: BPs and ECoG-EMG coherence were investigated for presurgical evaluation in a patient with cavernoma in the left frontal lobe. BPs were recorded in association with the tongue, right hand and right foot movements. ECoG-EMG coherence was calculated in association with weak muscle contraction of the right hand. RESULTS: Two cortical areas related to voluntary motor control were identified; one in the primary hand motor area, which generated surface-negative BPs with hand movements and showed significant coherence of ECoG with EMG of the contralateral hand muscle, and the other in the ventral rolandic area posterior to the central sulcus, which generated surface-positive BPs with voluntary movements of multiple sites (hand, tongue and foot) but did not show any ECoG-EMG coherence. CONCLUSIONS: It is postulated that the former area represents the primary motor area involved in both motor preparation and execution, and the latter area represents the non-primary motor area involved in motor preparation. SIGNIFICANCE: BP recording combined with ECoG-EMG coherence analysis could reveal the functional roles of motor cortices and the reorganization induced by structural brain lesion.

Brain Mapping↗

Conversion of semantic information into phonological representation: a function in left posterior basal temporal area.

A unique feature of Japanese language is that its written sentences consist of both morphograms (kanji) and syllabograms (kana). Despite extensive research by PET, functional MRI and magnetoencephalography, the issues of the difference (or the similarities) between the processing of kanji and kana, and between word reading and object/picture naming have not been resolved as yet. This study investigated the function of the posterior basal temporal area in the language dominant hemisphere in auditory and visual language processing, with special emphasis on semantic and phonological recognition. Subdural electrode grids were placed on the left temporal area of a right-handed woman with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy as part of a pre-surgical evaluation. Her dominant hemisphere for language was shown to be the left on the Wada test. Electric stimulation of 50 Hz was applied to the electrodes during the tasks related to language. Our results showed a clear distinction in the responses and/or performance of the subject depending on the type of characters presented and the tasks employed. Electric stimulation of a localized area in the posterior basal temporal lobe caused neither comprehensive nor productive deficit in the tasks using auditory stimuli. In the tasks using visual stimuli, in contrast, impairments were observed in (i) reading of kanji words and (ii) naming of objects/pictures and geometric designs, but not in (iii) reading of kana, (iv) copying of kanji, kana and geometric designs, and (v) using tools. The subject maintained full comprehension of spoken language, suggesting that the auditory tasks are not processed in the posterior basal temporal area. The fact that the impairment of kanji reading and disturbance of object/picture naming were elicited by electric stimulation of the same area indicates that there is at least one anatomical area that is used commonly for kanji (but not kana) and object processing. The conceptual entity of the test items supposedly was recognized correctly, but the concept failed to be matched to correct phonological representation. The left posterior basal temporal area, therefore, has an important function of connecting visual semantic information into phonological representation.

Adult↗

"Supplementary motor area (SMA) seizure" rather than "SMA epilepsy" in optimal surgical candidates: a document of subdural mapping.

PURPOSE: To clarify the relationship between epileptogenic zone and supplementary motor area (SMA) in patients who were regarded as the optimal surgical candidates for their intractable SMA seizures. METHODS: We analyzed the epileptogenic zone at/or adjacent to the SMA in four patients with clinical SMA seizures. All four patients had noninvasive presurgical evaluations (long-term video/EEG monitoring, MRI, and neuroimaging with radioisotopes), which provided convergent results between ictal semiology and the epileptogenic area, and thus, they had chronically implanted subdural electrodes, and finally had focus resection with a follow-up period of more than 2 years. RESULTS: Three patients had lesions shown by MRI outside the SMA, and one patient had a lesion within the SMA. Interictal epileptiform discharges were seen at/or outside the SMA. Ictal EEG pattern originated from the SMA in one patient, from the high lateral frontal area in two patients, and from the precuneus in one patient. In the latter three patients, the ictal EEG pattern immediately spread to the SMA. Those ictal onset zones were consistently localized within/or just adjacent to the lesions revealed by MRI. Only one patient had SMA resection, and three had the resection of epileptogenic zone by preserving the SMA. No neurological deficits developed and good seizure control was achieved. CONCLUSION: Among surgical candidates for intractable SMA seizures, frontal cortex other than SMA or even parietal cortex can be epileptogenic, and thus, the SMA itself may not necessarily have to be resected. This notion is clinically important when selecting surgical candidates as well as when planning presurgical invasive evaluation in patients with intractable SMA seizures.

Adolescent↗

Cortical potentials related to assessment of pain intensity with visual analogue scale (VAS).

OBJECTIVES: To elucidate brain mechanisms underlying the psychophysical processes to measure pain intensity, pain-related somatosensory evoked potentials (pain SEPs) following painful CO(2) laser stimulation were studied while employing a task to measure intensity of pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS). METHODS: In 12 healthy subjects, 3 kinds of CO(2) laser stimuli, different in intensity as determined by irradiation duration of 40, 60 and 80ms, were randomly delivered to the left hand dorsum at an irregular interval of 4-6s. The subject was requested to assess the intensity of each pain stimulus and point to the VAS scale by moving a pointer held with the right hand according to the subjective feeling of pain sensation (pain intensity assessment (PIA) condition). For the control condition, the subject moved the pointer to the midpoint of the VAS line irrespective of the pain intensity (control motor task condition). Electroencephalograms were recorded from 21 scalp electrodes, referenced to the linked earlobes, and were averaged time-locked to the stimulus onset for each stimulus duration as well as for each task condition. RESULTS: The VAS scores were 2.8+/-0.5/10 for the stimulus of 40ms duration, 4.8+/-0.8/10 for 60ms and 6.1+/-0.9/10 for 80ms, and showed a highly significant positive correlation with the stimulus duration. Following the early components of pain SEPs which were affected by stimulus duration but not modulated by task conditions, a surface-positive peak at latency of 612-642ms was identified exclusively under the PIA condition regardless of the stimulus intensity and was called 'intensity assessment-related potential (IAP)'. The IAP was maximal at the midline parietal area and symmetrically distributed over the scalp. Neither latency nor amplitude of the IAP was significantly different among the 3 different stimulus intensities. CONCLUSIONS: IAP is an event-related potential (ERP) associated with assessment of pain intensity but not influenced by pain intensity itself. From its scalp distribution, it can be assumed that the assessment of pain intensity involves multiple areas in both hemispheres.

Adult↗

Low-frequency electric cortical stimulation has an inhibitory effect on epileptic focus in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of low-frequency electric cortical stimulation on epileptic focus in humans. METHODS: We stimulated the epileptic focus in a patient with medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) by means of subdural electrodes and evaluated the change in the number of interictal epileptiform discharges. We used biphasic electric current of 0.3-ms duration presented at 0.9-Hz frequency for 250 s, comparing stimulus intensity of 7.5, 2, and 0.5 mA. RESULTS: Interictal epileptiform discharges at the ictal focus occurred less frequently after the stimulation with the intensity of 0.5 mA. With the intensity of 7.5 mA and 2.0 mA, however, habitual auras were elicited by the stimulation, and afterdischarges were seen on the cortical EEG. CONCLUSIONS: Low-frequency, low-intensity electric cortical stimulation could produce inhibitory effects on epileptic activity. At the same time, however, a caution for possible induction of EEG seizures is needed, even when applying low-frequency electric stimulation.

Adolescent↗