Introduction: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is an autosomal dominant, cerebellar degeneration predominant disease caused by excessive CAG repeats. We examined event-related dysynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) in patients with SCA3. Methods: We assessed ERD/ERS of self-paced voluntary hand movements in 15 patients with genetically proven SCA3 in comparison with healthy controls. Results: In ERS, a significant interaction effect between group, frequency, and period (F = 1.591; p = 0.005; ρI = 0.86) was observed. The post-hoc two-tailed independent t-test showed significant differences in high beta and low beta ERS. By contrast, in ERD, no apparent differences were observed in the pattern of patients with SCA3 in comparison with healthy controls (F = 1.01; p = 0.442). Conclusion: The study revealed a decreased ERS in patients with SCA3, especially at the frequency of 20–30 Hz. This study elucidates the significant role of cerebellum in motor control.

Dystonia is a neurological syndrome typically resulting in abnormal postures. We tested the role of physical injury as potential risk factor for development of dystonia using The National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan. We identified 65704 people who were coded in the database as having had peripheral traumatic injuries (ICD-9-CM 807–848 and 860–959) in the year 2000. Patients with traumatic brain or spine injuries were excluded from analysis. We matched them using purposive sampling with 65704 people in the database who had not suffered peripheral trauma. We looked then at the incidence of dystonia occurring at least 1 year from the date of the peripheral trauma until 2011. Psychiatric symptoms (depression and anxiety) and sleeps difficulties have been investigated as potential covariates. We found 189 patients with dystonia (0.28%) in the trauma group, and 52 patients with dystonia (0.08%) in the non-trauma group. Trauma was independently associated with dystonia (adjusted HR = 3.12, 95% CI = 2.30–4.24). The incidence density of dystonia in the trauma group was 2.27 per 10000 person-years, while it was 0.71 per 10000 person-years in the non-trauma group Beyond the peripheral trauma, other variables associated to the incidence of dystonia included female sex, aged 40 years and above, depression and sleep disorders. These data from a large population dataset support traumatic injury as a risk factor for the development of dystonia.

Robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) systems offer the advantages of standard rehabilitation and provide precise and quantifiable control of therapy. We examined the clinical outcome of RAGT and analyzed the correlations between gait analysis data and event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS) in patients with chronic stroke. We applied the Berg balance scale (BBS) and analyzed gait parameters and the ERD and ERS of self-paced voluntary leg movements performed by patients with chronic stroke before and after undergoing RAGT. A significant change was observed in BBS (p = 0.011). We also showed preliminary outcomes of changes in gait cycle duration (p = 0.015) and in ipsilesional ERS in the low-beta (p = 0.033) and high-beta (p = 0.034) frequency bands before and after RAGT. In addition, correlations were observed between BBS and ipsilesional ERS in the alpha and low-beta bands (r = −0.52, p = 0.039; r = −0.52, p = 0.040). The study demonstrated that RAGT can improve balance and provided an idea of the possible role of brain oscillation and clinical outcomes in affecting stroke rehabilitation.

Background and Purpose: Magnetic resonance‐guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is a nonsurgical treatment for Parkinson disease (PD). Some selected anatomical structures can be targeted by MRgFUS in PD. However, there is no uniform target yet. We have reported that stepwise dual‐target MRgFUS was successfully applied to treat refractory tremors with akinetic–rigid features in PD. It generated two precise thermal ablations in the ventral intermediate nucleus (VIM) and pallidothalamic tract (PTT). Here, we report more PD patients to verify the safety and efficacy of stepwise dual‐target MRgFUS.Methods: Ten tremor‐dominant PD patients (mean age = 66.7 ± 3.2 years, eight men) received the stepwise dual‐target MRgFUS treatment with a series of primary and secondary outcome measures. The VIM and PTT were navigated based on brain magnetic resonance images. Outcome measures were categorized into primary and secondary assessments. The primary outcome measures consisted of resting tremor, action/kinetic tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Secondary outcome measures encompassed non‐motor symptoms scale of PD. Data collected at follow‐up time points, including 1 day, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year posttreatment, were compared with baseline data.Results: The severity of tremor and motor deficits represented by Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor parts A and B during off‐medication status and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III on the treated side were significantly improved (p < 0.05 by paired t‐test) at 1‐year follow‐up. At the 1‐year follow‐up, significant improvement was observed in the non‐motor symptoms scale. Additionally, no severe adverse effects were reported, except temporary treatment‐related discomfort during the procedure.Conclusions: In conclusion, stepwise dual‐target MRgFUS emerges as a safe and effective therapeutic modality for PD patients, particularly in addressing medication‐refractory tremor and akinetic–rigid syndrome.

Background: Stepwise dual‐target MR‐guided Focused Ultrasound (dtMRgFUS) is a novel treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), targeting both Ventral Intermediate Nucleus (VIM) and the pallidothalamic tract (PTT). While previous studies have demonstrated its 12‐month efficacy, this study focuses on the immediate effects of additional PTT lesioning after VIM ablation.Methods: Twenty patients (age 69.3 ± 8.9 years) with both tremor and akinetic rigidity received dtMRgFUS when they were off medications, with a series of primary and secondary outcome measures on the table. We performed unilateral VIM first, with subsequent ipsilateral PTT ablation in the same session. The primary outcomes were the off‐status sub‐score of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part III (UPDRS‐III) and the Clinical Rating Scale for Tremor (CRST). In addition, we compared the outcome changes from the baseline to the first VIM treatment with the changes from VIM treatment to the subsequent PTT treatment.Results: During the procedure, the severity of tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia improved significantly (all p < 0.05 by paired t‐test) after both VIM and PTT treatment. Notably, major improvement of parameters was noted after VIM lesioning (all p < 0.02 by paired t‐test), except for rigidity, which showed significant changes immediately after PTT lesioning (p < 0.02 by paired t‐test).Conclusion: These findings highlight the immediate therapeutic impact of PTT lesioning following VIM lesioning in the same treatment session, reinforcing its role as a crucial add‐on target for managing refractory PD symptoms beyond tremor. This dtMRgFUS approach offers a more comprehensive motor benefit, particularly for patients with rigidity.

Mental health issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic greatly impact people’s daily lives. Individuals with an at-risk mental state are more vulnerable to mental health issues, and these may lead to onset of full psychotic illnesses. This study aimed to develop and evaluate an online health-promotion program for physical and mental health of the individuals with at-risk mental state during the COVID-19 pandemic. A single group study with pre- and post-tests was conducted in 39 young adults with at-risk mental state. The participants were provided with the online health-promotion program after completing the pretest. Via social media, the online counseling program released one topic of material (about 15–20 min) every two weeks and provided interactive counseling for specific personal health needs on the platform. Study questionnaires, physiological examination, and blood serum examination were completed at both pre- and post-tests. The participants showed significant improvements in mental risk, anxiety, and physical activity after participating in the program. Furthermore, those who did not complete the program had significantly more severe negative symptoms. These results imply that the online health-promotion program is effective and accessible under certain barriers such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but not for individuals with higher risk of more negative mental health symptoms.