ABSTRACT
This study aimed to explore the influence of sound stimulation on heart rate and the potential coupling between cardiac and cerebral activities. Thirty-one participants underwent exposure to periods of silence and two distinct continuous, non-repetitive pure tone stimuli: low pitch (110 Hz) and high pitch (880 Hz). Electroencephalography (EEG) data from electrodes F3, F4, F7, F8, Fp1, Fp2, T3, T4, T5, and T6 were recorded, along with R-R interval data for heart rate. Heart-brain connectivity was assessed using wavelet coherence between heart rate variability (HRV) and EEG envelopes (EEGE). Heart rates were significantly lower during high and low-pitch sound periods than in silence (p < 0.002). HRV-EEGE coherence was significantly lower during high-pitch intervals than silence and low-pitch sound intervals (p < 0.048), specifically between the EEG Beta band and the low-frequency HRV range. These results imply a differential involvement of the frontal and temporal brain regions in response to varying auditory stimuli. Our findings highlight the essential nature of discerning the complex interrelations between sound frequencies and their implications for heart-brain connectivity. Such insights could have ramifications for conditions like seizures and sleep disturbances. A deeper exploration is warranted to decipher specific sound stimuli's potential advantages or drawbacks in diverse clinical scenarios.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The number of lung transplantations has been rising constantly. However, use of this therapeutic resource is limited by several issues that are difficult to resolve, such as chronic graft rejection and complications secondary to immunosuppression. METHODS: This systematic review compared mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor immunosuppression associated with low-dose calcineurin inhibitors with isolated calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppression on the new-onset chronic rejection development and mortality 12 months after lung transplantation. Three controlled randomized clinical trials (SHITRIT, NOCTET, and 4EVERLUNG) were selected from electronic databases. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of the data at 12 months postintervention showed that only 4EVERLUNG assessed chronic graft rejection, with a higher incidence in the control group; however, the difference was not statistically significant (P = .197). Significant data were related to an increase in the number of adverse events (P = .0064) and improved renal function (P < .0001) in the mTOR inhibitor-based scheme. The other outcomes indicated a trend toward greater risk of death and acute graft rejection with the use of mTORs. CONCLUSIONS: The researchers suggest considering the use of mTOR inhibitors, whose greatest benefit is felt by patients with renal dysfunction, in association with the use of calcineurin inhibitors, because of the imminent risk of death among patients with renal failure.
