Guest Editors
Samar Ayache
Henri Mondor Hospital, Creteil, France
<p>Dr. Samar S. Ayache got her Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the Lebanese University in Beirut (2003) and then pursued her residency in Neurology between Lebanon and France (University Paris-Est Creteil, UPEC, 2009). Afterward, she continued graduate studies in Neurophysiology (UPEC & Lille 2 University, 2010), Neurosciences (MSc, UPEC, 2011) and Pathophysiology (PhD, UPEC, 2014). Her neurophysiology training includes electromyography, electroencephalography (EEG), evoked potentials and the use of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques –namely magnetic and electric stimulation- in diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. </p> <p>Since 2014, Dr. Ayache is the head of EEG unit at the neurophysiology department in Henri Mondor Hospital, Creteil, France. She is also an associate professor of medical education at UPEC, a reviewer in several international journals, and a member of many scientific and medical organizations (i.e., the French-Speaking Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, the French Society of Multiple Sclerosis, and the French Society of Peripheral Nerve). </p> <p>Her research activity led to more than eighty peer-reviewed scientific publications, and more than sixty invited lectures and conference papers. Her featuring topics are the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying pain syndromes, MS manifestations, movement disorders, and the optimization of NIBS effects. Her future projects include the therapeutic implementation of neuro-navigated NIBS and the application of high-resolution EEG- and MRI-coupled NIBS techniques. This aims for a better understanding of the neurophysiological correlates of NIBS and the related changes in brain networks; and may allow selecting the best parameters and the optimal cortical targets to maximize the therapeutic effects of NIBS.</p> <p> </p>
Moussa Chalah
Henri Mondor Hospital, France
<p>Dr. Moussa A. Chalah received his Medical Doctorate (MD) from the Gilbert & Rose Marie Chagoury School of Medicine at Lebanese American University, Lebanon (2014). His passion for clinical research as a power for change and improvement in the health care field pushed him to pursue his graduate studies in neurophysiology (Lille 2 University) and neurosciences (MSc and PhD, Paris Est Creteil University) (2014-2019). Since 2014, Dr. Chalah joined the neurophysiology and cortical excitability research team at Henri Mondor Hospital, France. His current research focuses on the use of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation techniques (NIBS) in the exploration and treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms. In the last few years, these techniques –namely the non-invasive application of electric and magnetic fields at different brain sites- have gained attention in the domain of neurorehabilitation. In this perspective, he is particularly interested in studying the effects of NIBS techniques on fatigue as well as cognitive and affective manifestations in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). During his time at UPEC, Dr. Chalah attended national and European congresses, where he presented abstracts and gave lectures, covering the use of NIBS. He is a member of the French Society of Neurophysiology, the European Academy of Neurology, the International Multiple Sclerosis Cognitive Society, and the International Neuropsychological Society. He reviewed, edited, and authored several papers published in PubMed indexed International Journals. </p> <p> </p>
Collection Overview
The twentieth century has witnessed tremendous scientific and technical advances; the latter has been at the origin of the conception, development, and application of several invasive and non-invasive stimulation methods that target the central and peripheral nervous system. These techniques have gained the attention of scientists and clinicians worldwide. In the early 1960s, peripheral nerve stimulation emerged as a successful therapeutic option for several painful conditions. In the late 1980s, the development of modern deep brain stimulation techniques truly revolutionized the management of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. In addition to these modalities, the last two decades have seen the development of other noninvasive stimulation approaches; the most captivating of these being the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). TMS emerged as a diagnostic tool with which to assess the status of the pyramidal system as well as the functioning of intracortical and interhemispheric circuits. Technology innovation has allowed for the upgrading of magnetic stimulators, in turn developing repetitive TMS which have proven efficacy on several diseases (mainly depression and neuropathic pain) and coupling this technique with neuronavigation systems that have further allowed the assessment of motor cartographies and cerebral plasticity. Regarding tDCS, this method consists of delivering weak current through two electrodes (anode and cathode) placed over the scalp and connected to a battery-driven stimulator and has been tested in several neuropsychiatric conditions.
This methods collection aims to shed light on the application of diverse stimulation techniques ranging from central to peripheral stimulations, applied in noninvasive and invasive fashions. Clinical and experimental set-ups are welcomed.
Articles
Abstracts
Non-invasive Neuromodulation Techniques for Alzheimer’s Disease: From tACS, dTMS to TPS
Celine Cont*1,
Anastasia Galli2,
Nathalie Stute2,
Christina Schulte2,
Lars Wojtecki*1
11) Clinic for Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Hospital zum Heiligen Geist, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Kempen, Germany 2) Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany,
2Clinic for Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Hospital zum Heiligen Geist, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, Kempen, Germany