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Introduction Brain computer interface is an emerging technology to treat the sequelae of stroke. The purpose of this study was to explore the motor imagery related desynchronization of sensorimotor rhythms of stroke patients and to assess the efficacy of an upper limb neurorehabilitation therapy based on functional electrical stimulation controlled by a brain computer interface. Methods Eight severe chronic stroke patients were recruited. The study consisted of two stages: screening and therapy. During screening, the ability of patients to desynchronize the contralateral oscillatory sensorimotor rhythms by motor imagery of the most affected hand was assessed. In the second stage, a therapeutic intervention was performed. It involved 20 sessions where an electrical stimulator was activated when the patient's cerebral activity related to motor imagery was detected. The upper limb was assessed, before and after the intervention, by the Fugl–Meyer score (primary outcome). Spasticity, motor activity, range of movement and quality of life were also evaluated (secondary outcomes). Results Desynchronization was identified in all screened patients. Significant post-treatment improvement ( p < 0.05) was detected in the primary outcome measure and in the majority of secondary outcome scores. Conclusions The results suggest that the proposed therapy could be beneficial in the neurorehabilitation of stroke individuals.

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-We conducted a clinical and electromyographical study in patients with Chagas' disease in the indeterminate or chronic stages of the illness. Altogether 841 patients were examined. Only 511 were admitted within the protocol; the remainder patients were rejected because they showed other causes able to damage the nervous system. Fifty two (10.17%) out of the 511 patients showed signs and symptoms of peripheral nervous system involvement in the form of sensory impairment and diminished tendon jerks suggesting the presence of neuropathy. Forty five of them were submitted to a conventional electromyographical examination. Fifteen of mem showed normal results, while the remainder 30 disclosed a reduced interference pattern, being most of the remaining motor unit potentials fragmented or poliphasic, reduced sensory and motor conduction velocities and diminished amplitude of the sensory action potential. The findings suggest that some chagasic patients in the indeterminate or chronic stages of the disease may develop a clinical mild sensory-motor peripheral neuropathy.KEY WORDS: Chagas* disease, neuropathy, clinical assessment.Manifestaciones clinicas de compromiso del sistema nervioso periférico en el estádio crônico de la enfermedad de Chagas RESUMEN -El estúdio presente fue diseftado con ei objeto de pesquizar Ia existência de manifestaciones clinicas en pacientes afectados por enfermedad de Chagas, en estádio indeterminado o crônico, que tuviesen, ai menos, 2 reacciones serologicas positivas. En total fueron examinados 841 enfermos. De ellos solo 511 fueron admitidos en ei protocolo; los restantes fueron rechazados por mostrar Ia presencia de otras causas que hubiesen podido danar su sistema nervioso. Dentro de los 511 pacientes admitidos, 52 (10.17%) evidenciaron alteraciones objetivas y subjetivas de Ia sensibilidad y disminucion de los reflejos osteotendinosos. Estos signos y sintomas, que sugieren la presencia de neuropatia, podian combinarse de diferente manera. Como complemento dei examen clinico, se efectuo estúdio electromiografico convencional en 45 de estos pacientes. En 15 los hallazgos fueron normales, en tanto que en los restantes 30 pudo demostrarse reduccion de la capacidad de reclutamiento voluntário de unidad motora, presencia de potenciales de unidad motora fragmentados o polifasicos, reduccion de la velocidad de conduccion motora y sensitiva y disminucion de la amplitud dei potencial sensitivo. Los resultados obtenidos sefialan que una proporcion de los pacientes en el estádio indeterminado o crônico de la infeccion pueden desarrollar una moderada neuropatia sensitivo-motora con expresion clinica.