AN EVALUATION OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (TDCS) IN THE REDUCTION OF OCCUPATIONAL BURNOUT SYNDROME IN NURSES

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-185
Author(s):  
Ewa Wilczek-Rużyczka ◽  
Aleksandra Gawrońska ◽  
Jolanta Góral-Półrola

The aim of the study was to answer the question as to whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is more effective in reducing burnout syndrome in nurses than the commonly used individual psychotherapy. The study included 40 nurses from various health care facilities located in the Lesser Poland and Podkarpackie Voivodeship suffering from burnout syndrome. They were assigned to the experimental group while 20 to the control group. Two different therapy models were used: the experimental group (A) included 20 of the nurses treated with the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), four times a week for 8 weeks, in sessions that lasted initially 10, then 15, 20, 25 and finally 30 minutes and the control group (B) included 20 of the nurses treated with individual psychotherapy employed for 8 weeks, once a week for 30 minutes. To evaluate the results we used: screening with a clinical interview, the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Beck Depression Inventory and a Polish adaptation of the Italian questionnaire created by Massimo Sentinello (LBQ). Treatment was provided. The transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) used in Group A is more effective in reducing many symptoms than is the case with individual psychotherapy. Comparing the intragroup effects, it was found that the tDCS employed in Group A significantly reduced the intensity of depressive symptoms among the surveyed nurses [F (1.38) = 57.62; p <0.001; η2 = 0.603] while the individual psychotherapy used in Group B failed to produce a statistically significant effect [F (1.38) = 1.794; p = 0.188; η2 = 0.045]. These include a reduction of depression, a reduction in chronic psychophysical exhaustion, vegetative problem reduction, and the improvement of nurse-patient relations. Neurotherapy with the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is more effective in reducing burnout syndrome than the commonly used individual psychotherapy. It also helps to return these nurses to full professional activity. The studies presented above recommend the use of new neurotechnologies in therapy as a result of their usefulness and non-invasive character.

2019 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahram Ghorbani Behnam ◽  
Seyed Abbas Mousavi ◽  
Mohammad Hassan Emamian

AbstractBackground:Current treatments for smoking cessation are not effective for most smokers. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on smoking cessation.Methods:In this randomized, sham-controlled trial study, tobacco-dependent (by DSM-5) male participants were recruited from the general public invitation. Participants were randomly allocated to 5 groups; (A), treatment with 300mg bupropion for 8 weeks; (B), active tDCS (20 sessions for 4 weeks); (C), sham for group B ; (D), active tDCS (20 sessions for 12 weeks), and (E), sham for group D. The electrode montage was anode F3 and cathode F4. Study outcomes include salivary cotinine, Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence, and smoked cigarette per day, were examined on three time points. Repeated-measures analysis of variances and the generalized estimation equation (GEE) model were employed for data analysis.Results:Among 210 volunteers, 170 participants completed the study. Mean age of participants was 42.9 years, ranging from 21 to 64 years. The 6-month point abstinence rates in groups A, B and D were 20%, 7% and 25.7%, and in C, D sham groups were 3.1% and 3% respectively. Results of the GEE model showed that although group D was not different from group A in abstinence rate, i.e., salivary cotinine >4 (p = 0.266), nicotine dependency by Fagerstrom test was lower in this group compared to group A (p = 0.019).Conclusions:The 12-week tDCS had a clinically good therapeutic effect on smoking cessation and its dependency. It may be a substitute for bupropion treatment.


Author(s):  
Salah Abd Elmonem Sawan ◽  
Abdelazim M. Reda ◽  
Ahmed Hosny Kamel ◽  
Mennat Allah Mohamed Ali

Abstract Background Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may have a potential for improving post-stroke dysphagia. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of tDCS on improving dysphagia in stroke patients. Patients and methods Forty stroke patients were divided randomly into two equal groups (the study (group A) and control groups (group B). Group A received a physical therapy program and active (tDCS), and group B received the same physical therapy program and sham (tDCS). The Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (DOSS) and videofluoroscopy were performed in all patients before and after 2 weeks of the treatment program. Results Before treatment, there were no significant differences between the two groups for DOSS score or digital fluoroscopic findings. After treatment, there were significant differences between the study and control group for DOSS score and digital fluoroscopic findings. Conclusion Anodal tDCS is effective in improving dysphagia in stroke patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Renda ◽  
Sarah Amirali Karmali ◽  
Ivona Yordanova ◽  
Shira Schwartz ◽  
Yacine Mahdid ◽  
...  

Purpose: Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) are systems which enable direct communication between a brain and an external device by translating electrical brain activity into meaningful output. This technology can be used by individuals with motor impairments to interact and communicate with their external environment. BCIs based upon manipulating the sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) through motor imagery have lengthy learning periods, which present a significant barrier to using this technology. We hypothesize that this learning period will be significantly reduced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which temporarily augments cortical excitability.Methods: Participants were assigned into two groups - the experimental group, which received tDCS, and a control group, which received sham stimulation. Following tDCS, the participants used a SMR-based BCI to move a falling ball to hit targets that appeared on the left or right side of screen. The effect of tDCS was assessed by comparing the overall task accuracy and the SMR change during motor imagery between the two groups .Results: The experimental group was significantly more accurate in controlling the BCI than the control group (p = 0.021); however, there was no significant difference between groups in the SMR change upon motor imagery (p = 0.22). Conclusions. tDCS can be used to improve the performance of healthy individuals learning to use an SMR-based BCI. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atefeh Azarpaikan ◽  
Hamid Reza Taherii Torbati ◽  
Mehdi Sohrabi ◽  
Reza Boostani ◽  
Majid Ghoshuni

Abstract. Many daily activities, such as typing, eating, playing the piano, and passing the ball in volleyball, require the proficient coordination of both hands. In this study, the effects of anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (atDCS) on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of bimanual adaptive motor tasks were investigated. To this end, 64 volunteers ( Mage = 24.36 years; SD = 2.51; 16 females) participated in this double-blind study and were categorized randomly into 4 groups. During the pretest, posttest, 24-h and 48-h retention, and transfer tests, two forms of bimanual coordination (BC) of the Vienna test system were performed. Between the pretest and posttest, all participants were trained in a bimanual coordination adaptive task with concurrent brain stimulation (1.5 mA for 15 min) for two consecutive days. The first experimental group (parietal-stim) received atDCS over the right parietal cortex (P4), while the second experimental group (cerebellar-stim) received atDCS over the bilateral cerebellum (2.5 cm bilateral to the inion). The third group (sham) received a sham stimulation. Finally, the control group did not receive any stimulation at all (control). Repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVARM) results indicated that parietal tDCS affected motor performance in the posttest, while overall mean duration and overall error mean duration of movement decreased. The results also revealed a significant impact of cerebellar tDCS on the posttest, 24-h and 48-h retention, and transfer tests. The overall mean duration and overall error mean durations of movement in this group were significantly lower than those in the other groups. Accordingly, we found evidence that atDCS over the cerebellum leads to more improvement in motor performance and transfer in a bimanual coordination task than atDCS over the right parietal. Finally, these results point to the possibly beneficial application of atDCS for learning and recovery of bimanual motor skills, especially when subjects are faced with a new challenging situation.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (11) ◽  
pp. 1146
Author(s):  
Si-a Lee ◽  
Myoung-Kwon Kim

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on motor function, balance and gait ability in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Materials and Methods: For the experiment, 30 patients with PD were randomly assigned to the experimental group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 15). Visual cueing training was commonly applied to both groups, the experimental group applied tDCS simultaneously with visual training, and the control group applied sham tDCS simultaneously with visual training. All subjects were pre-tested before the first intervention, post-tested after completing all 4 weeks of intervention, and followed-up tested 2 weeks after the completing intervention. The tests used the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for motor function assessment, Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) for balance assessment, Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOG-Q) and the GAITRite system for gait ability assessment. Among the data obtained through the GAITRite system, gait velocity, cadence, step time, double support time, and stride length were analyzed. Results: The experimental group showed a significant decrease in UPDRS and a significant increase in FGA and cadence after the intervention. In addition, UPDRS and cadence showed a significant difference in the follow-up test compared to the pre-intervention test. Conclusions: This study suggests that the application of tDCS to the supplementary motor area of PD patients is useful as an adjuvant therapy for rehabilitation training of PD patients.


2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 838-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Hesse ◽  
Andreas Waldner ◽  
Jan Mehrholz ◽  
Christopher Tomelleri ◽  
Michael Pohl ◽  
...  

Background. No rehabilitation intervention has effectively improved functional use of the arm and hand in patients with severe upper limb paresis after stroke. Pilot studies suggest the potential for transcranial direct current stimulation and bilateral robotic training to enhance gains. Objective. In a double-blind, randomized trial the combination of these interventions was tested. Methods. This study randomized 96 patients with an ischemic supratentorial lesion of 3 to 8 weeks’ duration with severe impairment of motor control with a Fugl-Meyer score (FMS) for the upper limb <18 into 3 groups. For 6 weeks, group A received anodal stimulation of the lesioned hemisphere, group B received cathodal stimulation of the nonlesioned side for 20 minutes at 2.0 mA, and group C received sham stimulation. The electrodes were placed over the hand area and above the contralateral orbit. Contemporaneously, the subjects practiced 400 repetitions each of 2 different bilateral movements on a robotic assistive device. Results. The groups were matched at onset. The FMS improved in all patients at 6 weeks ( P < .001). No between-group differences were found; initial versus finish FMS scores were 7.8 ± 3.8 versus 19.1 ± 14.4 in group A, 7.9 ± 3.4 versus 18.8 ± 10.5 in group B, and 8.2 ± 4.4 versus 19.2 ± 15.0 in group C. No significant changes between groups were present at 3 months. Conclusions. Neither anodal nor cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation enhanced the effect of bilateral arm training in this exploratory trial of patients with cortical involvement and severe weakness. Unilateral hand training and upregulation of the nonlesioned hemisphere might also be tried in this population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-236
Author(s):  
Nastaran Mohajeri Aval ◽  

Objective: Stuttering is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting 5% of children. Developmental stuttering disrupts the smooth flow of speech, resulting in characteristic speech disfluencies. Anxiety is one of the most widely observed and extensively studied psychological concomitants of stuttering. Recently, it has been shown that noninvasive brain stimulation may be useful in enhancing the results of fluency interventions in people who stutter. The present study aimed to examine whether the severity of stuttering and anxiety was affected by transcranial direct current stimulation in children who stutter. Methods: This study is a clinical trial study in which the statistical community includes school-aged children in Tehran who were referred to psychological clinics for treatment. Twenty-two children with stuttering were randomly assigned in two groups. Eleven children in the experimental group would receive real transcranial direct current stimulation, and 11 children in the control group were exposed to sham stimulation. The experimental group received 20 min of 2-mA anodal stimulation in 15 sessions in three weeks. The severity of stuttering and anxiety was assessed before and after the last session and then 1 and 6 weeks after the intervention. Results: The severity of stuttering and anxiety in both groups were similar before the intervention (P>0.05). A significant decrease in the severity of stuttering and anxiety at the end of the intervention and 1 and 6 weeks after the intervention occurred in the experimental group (P<0.05), while the control group did not show any significant change. Conclusion: The results indicated that stuttering severity and anxiety were ameliorated by transcranial direct current stimulation immediately after the intervention and at 1 and 6 weeks follow-up.


Author(s):  
Brij Bhushan Singh ◽  
Shubi Mirja ◽  
Samiya Husain

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of yogic practices on cardio-vascular efficiency. Material and methods: Total Forty (40) subject’s boys/girls were selected as the sample of the study through the random sampling and their age ranged between 20 to 25 years from the Department of Physical Education, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. The subjects were divided into two groups comprising 20 subjects in each group, namely group “A” (the experimental group) performs yogic practices (Asanas, Pranayamas and Kriyas) and group “B” (the control group) served as control. Statistical technique: for the assessment of the cardiovascular efficiency through Harvard step test pre and post-test was conducted and t-test was applied for the analysis. Result: revealed that there exist a significant difference between group A and group B, at .05 level of significance. On the basis of the pre and post-test among experimental and control group, experimental group found better than the control group on cardiovascular efficiency and significant result were found in this study.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (03) ◽  
pp. 124-127
Author(s):  
Somia Iqbal ◽  
Noman Sadiq ◽  
Saad Siddiqui ◽  
Hira Iqbal

Background: Obesity is a prevailing metabolic disorder that affects the functioning of the male reproductive system. Excessive adipose tissue enhances reactive oxygen species generation and is linked with male infertility. Spinach has demonstrated antioxidant effects. The present study was conducted to determine the antioxidant effects of spinach on sperm parameters in obese Sprague Dawley rats. Subjects and methods: This randomized control study was conducted at the animal house of the National Institute of Health Islamabad, Islamic International Medical College, Cosmesurge International Hospital, Rawalpindi, and Apollo lab, Islamabad, Pakistan from April 2016 to March 2017. Forty male Sprague Dawley rats having an age of 8 weeks and weight 160-200g were tagged from number 1 to 40. Every third rat was randomly allocated to control Group A (n=13) and remaining into the Experimental group (n=27). Rats of control Group A was given a standard diet while a high-fat diet was given to Experimental group rats to induce obesity for the duration of six weeks. Weight (g) was measured weekly and obesity was confirmed when rats attain more than 20% weight when compared with that of rats of control Group A. Then, after obesity induction, the experimental group was alienated into the obesity control group (Group B) and spinach treated group (Group C). For sample, rats of Group A and Group B were sacrificed, and the cauda epididymis of each rat was placed in a Petri dish containing normal saline and cut into pieces to allow the release of sperm and then sperm parameters (sperms concentration, motility, and morphology) were recorded under the microscope. Then, spinach (5% hot water extract) along with the persistence of fat diet was administered to Group C for 4 weeks and finally, sperm parameters were measured in this group. Results: Sperm concentration/ml, motility (%), and normal morphology (%) of Group B rats were significantly decreased as compared to Group A rats. However, sperm concentration/ml, motility (%), and normal morphology (%) of Group C (spinach treated group) rats was significantly increased (p<0.001) as compared to Group B (obesity control group) rats after administering spinach. Conclusion: The addition of Spinach in a normal diet regimen restores normal sperm morphology, improves sperm motility and concentration.


Author(s):  
Benjamin Straube ◽  
Bianca M van Kemenade ◽  
Tilo Kircher ◽  
Rasmus Schülke

Abstract Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder often demonstrate impairments in action-outcome monitoring. Passivity phenomena and hallucinations, in particular, have been related to impairments of efference copy-based predictions which are relevant for the monitoring of outcomes produced by voluntary action. Frontal transcranial direct current stimulation has been shown to improve action-outcome monitoring in healthy subjects. However, whether transcranial direct current stimulation can improve action monitoring in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder remains unknown. We investigated whether transcranial direct current stimulation can improve the detection of temporal action-outcome discrepancies in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. On 4 separate days, we applied sham or left cathodal/right anodal transcranial direct current stimulation in a randomised order to frontal (F3/F4), parietal (CP3/CP4) and frontoparietal (F3/CP4) areas of 19 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and 26 healthy control subjects. Action-outcome monitoring was assessed subsequent to 10 min of sham/transcranial direct current stimulation (1.5 mA). After a self-generated (active) or externally generated (passive) key press, subjects were presented with a visual outcome (a dot on the screen), which was presented after various delays (0–417 ms). Participants had to detect delays between the key press and the visual consequence. Symptom subgroups were explored based on the presence or absence of symptoms related to a paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome. In general, delay-detection performance was impaired in the schizophrenia spectrum disorder compared to the healthy control group. Interaction analyses showed group-specific (schizophrenia spectrum disorder vs healthy control group) and symptom-specific (with/without relevant paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms) transcranial direct current stimulation effects. Post-hoc tests revealed that frontal transcranial direct current stimulation improved the detection of long delays in active conditions and reduced the proportion of false alarms in undelayed trials of the passive condition in patients. The patients with no or few paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms benefited especially from frontal transcranial direct current stimulation in active conditions, while improvement in the patients with paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms was predominantly reflected in reduced false alarm rates in passive conditions. These data provide some first evidence for the potential utility of transcranial direct current stimulation in improving efference copy mechanisms and action-outcome monitoring in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Current data indicate that improving efference copy-related processes can be especially effective in patients with no or few positive symptoms, while intersensory matching (i.e. task-relevant in passive conditions) could be more susceptible to improvement in patients with paranoid-hallucinatory symptoms.


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