Search results for "Movement"
showing 10 items of 2021 documents
Mentally Simulated Motor Actions in Children
2009
The present study investigated the effects of age and arm preference on motor imagery ability. Children (groups: 6.5, 8.3, and 10.1 years) and young adults (22.4 years) physically or mentally performed a drawing motor task with the right or the left arm. Imagery ability, accessed by the timing correspondence between executed and imagined movements, was poor at 6 and 8 years but improved at age 10, and was robust in adults. The arm condition had no influence on imagery ability. We suggest that maturation of parietal and prefrontal cortices during development may contribute to improvement of action representation.
Biomechanical Comparison Between Sprint Start, Sled Pulling, and Selected Squat-Type Exercises
2013
The purpose of this study was to compare kinetics, kinematics, and muscle activity among sprint start, sled pulling, and selected squat-type exercises (countermovement jumps [CMJs] and 1/2-squats with various loads) and also to examine how these exercises correlate with the performance time of the block start (10 m). Nine male athletes (4 sprinters, 3 decathlonists, 1 long jumper, and 1 triple jumper: age = 24.9 ± 3.9 years; 100-m record = 11.35 ± 0.29 seconds; track and field training years = 11.8 ± 3.1 years) volunteered as subjects. The comparisons were made with regard to the block phase (the phase of force production toward starting blocks) of the block start. In nearly all exercises, …
Exploiting system fluctuations. Differential training in physical prevention and rehabilitation programs for health and exercise
2010
Background. Traditional causal modeling of health interventions tends to be linear in nature and lacks multidisciplinarity. Consequently, strategies for exercise prescription in health maintenance are typically group based and focused on the role of a common optimal health status template toward which all individuals should aspire. Materials and methods. In this paper, we discuss inherent weaknesses of traditional methods and introduce an approach exercise training based on neurobiological system variability. The significance of neurobiological system variability in differential learning and training was highlighted. Results. Our theoretical analysis revealed differential training as a meth…
MOTOR DYSFUNCTION OF THE "NON AFFECTED" LOWER LIMB: A KINEMATIC COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN HEMIPARETIC STROKE AND TOTAL KNEE PROSTHESIZED PATIENTS
2009
In patients with hemispheric stroke, abnormal motor performances are described also in the ipsilateral limbs. They may be due to a cortical reorganization in the unaffected hemisphere; moreover, also peripheral mechanisms may play a role. To explore this hypothesis, we studied motor performances in 15 patients with hemispheric stroke and in 14 patients with total knee arthroplasty, which have a reduced motility in the prosthesized leg. Using the unaffected leg, they performed five superimposed circular trajectories in a prefixed pathway on a computerized footboard, while looking at a marker on the computer screen. The average trace error was significantly different between the groups of pat…
REM sleep behavior disorder and periodic leg movements during sleep in ALS
2017
Objective To assess sleep characteristics and the occurrence of abnormal muscle activity during sleep, such as REM sleep without atonia (RSWA), REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS), in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods A total of 41 patients with ALS and 26 healthy subjects were submitted to clinical interview and overnight video-polysomnography. Results A total of 22 patients with ALS (53.6%) reported poor sleep quality. Polysomnographic studies showed that patients with ALS had reduced total sleep time, increased wakefulness after sleep onset, shortened REM and slow-wave sleep, and decreased sleep efficiency, compared t…
Acute neuromuscular responses to short and long roundhouse kick striking paces in professional Muay Thai fighters.
2019
International audience; BACKGROUND: Muay Thai fighters strongly rely on the use of the roundhouse kick due to its effectiveness (i.e. power) and implications on the final score. Therefore, different striking tempos at full power are used during training as a method to enhance kicking power. However, the neuromuscular responses are unknown. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate neuromuscular responses to a single bout of shorter (every second = H1) and longer (every 3s = H3) kick striking time intervals, measured with the countermovement jump (CMJ).METHODS: Nine professional Muay Thai fighters participated in this randomized, cross-over trial. CMJs were measured on force plates bef…
Increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity and impaired baroreflex control in isolated REM-sleep behavior disorder.
2021
Changes in baroreflex sensitivity have been reported in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). We sought to investigate the hypothesis that patients with isolated rapid eye movement (REM)-sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), known to be a prodromal stage for PD, will show abnormalities in baroreflex control.Ten iRBD patients were compared to 10 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Their cardiovascular parameters and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were evaluated at rest and during baroreflex stimulation.MSNA at rest was higher in iRBD patients (burst frequency [BF]: 44 ± 3 bursts/min; burst incidence [BI]: 60 ± 8 bursts/100 heartbeats) as compared to the controls (BF: 29 ±…
Zoledronic acid induces a significant decrease of circulating endothelial cells and circulating endothelial precursor cells in the early prostate can…
2012
<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> Published data demonstrated that zoledronic acid (ZOL) exhibits antiangiogenetic effects. A promising tool for monitoring antiangiogenic therapies is the measurement of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and circulating endothelial precursor cells (CEPs) in the peripheral blood of patients. Our aim was to investigate the effects of ZOL on levels of CECs and CEPs in localized prostate cancer. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Ten consecutive patients with a histologic diagnosis of low-risk prostate adenocarcinoma were enrolled and received an intravenous infusion of ZOL at baseline (T0), 28 days (T28) and 56 days (T56). Blood samp…
Adaptive changes in motor control of rhythmic movement after maximal eccentric actions.
2007
Effects of an exhaustive eccentric exercise (EE) on the motor control of maximal velocity rhythmic elbow extension/flexion movement (RM) were examined in eight male students. The exhaustive EE consisted of 100 maximal eccentric actions of the elbow flexor muscles. Movement range was 40-170 degrees in EE at an angular velocity of 2rads(-1). A directive scaled RM of 60 degrees with visual feedback was performed in a sitting position, with the right forearm fixed to the lever arm in horizontal plane above protractor. Surface electromyographic activity (EMG) was recorded from the biceps brachii (BB) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles. Maximal isokinetic eccentric and concentric tests and RM test …
Contributions of ACE and mast cell chymase to endogenous angiotensin II generation and leucocyte recruitment in vivo
2011
Aims In vitro studies suggest that mast cell chymase (MCP) is more important than angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) for generating angiotensin II (Ang II) within the cardiovascular system. We investigated in vivo the relative contributions of ACE and MCP to leucocyte recruitment induced by endogenously generated Ang II. Methods and results Exposure of the murine cremasteric microcirculation of C57BL/6 mice to Ang I (100 nM for 4 h) induced leucocyte–endothelium interactions. Either losartan (an Ang II receptor-1 antagonist, AT1) or enalapril (an ACE inhibitor), but not chymostatin (a chymase inhibitor), inhibited Ang I-induced responses. Mast cell degranulation with compound 48/80 (CMP48/…