Activation patterns of different brain areas during incremental exercise measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.

Recent studies postulated that increased oxygenation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during elevating exercise intensities reflects a specific activation of this region. Furthermore, the drop in PFC oxygenation often measured shortly before exhaustion is interpreted as a main factor limiting exercise. Nevertheless, a limitation of these studies is that they often measured NIRS only in the PFC. Within this study, we hypothesized that these findings are not region specific but rather result from systemic blood redistribution to the working skeletal muscle. NIRS was measured in three different brain regions and the working skeletal muscle during incremental cycling till exhaustion in nine healthy men. Oxygenated hemoglobin of the PFC increased from low to submaximal intensities and leveled off at maximal intensities. There was no drop in PFC oxygenation before exercise abortion. Interestingly, the occipital cortex was unaffected during exercise, while the motor cortex showed an increasing deoxygenation with elevating exercise intensities, just as observed in the skeletal muscle. In conclusion, this study does not support the notion that PFC deoxygenation is involved in the limitation of maximum exercise capacity. Against the hypothesis, the NIRS signals of the other cortices differed clearly, indicating that the previously reported findings indeed represent region-specific activations.

A new model of electrically evoked pain and hyperalgesia in human skin: the effects of intravenous alfentanil, S(+)-ketamine, and lidocaine.

BACKGROUND: The authors used the analgesics alfentanil, S(+)-ketamine, and systemic lidocaine to examine a new human model of experimental pain and hyperalgesia. METHODS: Transcutaneous electrical stimulation at a high current density (5 Hz, 67.5+/-6.6 mA) was used to provoke acute pain (numeric rating scale, 5 of 10), stable areas of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia to pin prick (43.6+/-32.1 cm2), and light touch (27.5+/-16.2 cm2) for 2 h. Alfentanil, S(+)-ketamine, and lidocaine were applied for 20 min in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design in 12 subjects using target controlled infusions. RESULTS: In the placebo session, pain ratings and areas of hyperalgesia were stable during the stimulation period, which facilitated the assessment of analgesic effects. Alfentanil effectively inhibited electrically evoked pain and reduced pin prick hyperalgesia and allodynia during its infusion. S(+)-ketamine-induced inhibition of secondary hyperalgesia was more pronounced and lasted for the whole experimental protocol. Therapeutic levels of systemic lidocaine showed only marginal analgesic effects, but lasting antihyperalgesic effects. CONCLUSIONS: A new model of electrically induced pain and hyperalgesia was established, which enabled assessment of the time course of analgesic and antihyperalgesic effects with high temporal resolution and minimum tissue damage and which was further validated by use of common intravenous anesthetics.

[Intraoperative electromyographic recurrent laryngeal nerve identification as a routine measure]. / Intraoperative elektromyographische Recurrensidentifizierung als Routinemassnahme.

In recent years, two methods of intraoperative monitoring of the laryngeal nerve have mostly been used: evoked electromyographic responses via endscopically applied needle electrodes inserted into the adducting laryngeal muscles, and non-invasive electrodes like special tubes with integrated electrodes or separately insertable electrodes like the postcricoid electrode or disposable electrodes attached to the tube, as used in this study. The incidence of recurrent nerve paresis or paralysis during the IRM period was 1/174 nerves (0.6%). The advantage of the IRM is the quick and certain identification of the nerve; intraoperative monitoring cannot replace a proper surgical technique. We conclude that the IRM, using a laryngeal surface electrode attached to the tube, is a safe and reliable method.