Search results for "motor"

2019

Current research demonstrates beneficial effects of physical activity on brain functions and cognitive performance. To date, less is known on the effects of gross motor movements that do not fall into the category of sports-related aerobic or anaerobic exercise. In previous studies, we found beneficial effects of dynamic working environments, i.e., environments that encourage movements during cognitive task performance, on cognitive performance and corresponding brain activity. Aim of the present study was to examine the effects of working in a dynamic and a static office environment on attentional and vigilance performance, and on the corresponding electroencephalographic (EEG) brain oscil…

The influence of Kinesiology Taping on the volume of lymphoedema and manual dexterity of the upper limb in women after breast cancer treatment.

2015

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of Kinesiology Taping (KT) on the size of lymphoedema and manual dexterity of the upper limb in women after breast cancer treatment. We also examined whether the application of KT can replace the traditional and standard multilayered bandaging in the treatment of upper extremity lymphoedema. Group A comprised of 22 patients who underwent KT as well as pneumatic and manual lymphatic drainage. Then, group B comprised of 23 patients who were treated with quasi-KT as well as pneumatic and manual lymphatic drainage. In contrast, group C had 25 patients subjected only to the standard procedure - pneumatic and manual lymphatic drainage and multilayer…

Update on the effects of graded motor imagery and mirror therapy on complex regional pain syndrome type 1: A systematic review.

2017

Graded motor imagery (GMI) and mirror therapy (MT) is thought to improve pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) types 1 and 2. However, the evidence is limited and analysis are not independent between types of CRPS. The purpose of this review was to analyze the effects of GMI and MT on pain in independent groups of patients with CRPS types 1 and 2. Searches for literature published between 1990 and 2016 were conducted in databases. Randomized controlled trials that compared GMI or MT with other treatments for CRPS types 1 and 2 were included. Six articles met the inclusion criteria and were classified from moderate to high quality. The total sample was composed of 171 p…

Intermittent ethanol exposure induces inflammatory brain damage and causes long-term behavioural alterations in adolescent rats

2007

Adolescent brain development seems to be important for the maturation of brain structures and behaviour. Intermittent binge ethanol drinking is common among adolescents, and this type of drinking can induce brain damage. Because we have demonstrated that chronic ethanol treatment induces inflammatory processes in the brain, we investigate whether intermittent ethanol intoxication enhances cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in adolescent rats, and whether these mediators induce brain damage and cause permanent cognitive dysfunctions. Adolescent rats were exposed to ethanol (3.0 g/kg) for two consecutive days at 48-h intervals over 14 days. Levels of COX-2, iN…

Motor problems in children with early-treated congenital hypothyroidism: A matter of failing cerebellar motor control?

1998

This study addresses the question of whether "clumsiness" in children with early treated Congenital Hypothyroidism (CH) might be attributable to cerebellar dysfunction. CH is known to affect rapid perinatal growth of the cerebellum. If this would affect the supposed motor timing function of the cerebellum this should be especially reflected by difficulty in producing fast aiming movements. An experiment was devised in which children made sequences of fast, goal directed movements in order to examine two aspects of fast voluntary movements that are known to be affected by cerebellar injury: dysmetria and dysdiadochokinesis. Three groups of children between the ages of 9 and ii participated: …

A New Score Unveils a High Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

2021

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) may show mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The neurological functions affected remain unclear. The aims were to: (1) Characterize the neuropsychological alterations in NAFLD patients; (2) assess the prevalence of impairment of neurological functions evaluated; (3) develop a new score for sensitive and rapid MCI detection in NAFLD; (4) assess differences in MCI features between patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH); and (5) compare neuropsychological alterations in NAFLD patients with cirrhotic patients with MCI. Fifty-nine NAFLD patients and 53 controls performed psychometric tests assessin…

Motor and Cognitive Performance in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis with Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

2020

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is associated with mild cognitive impairment and frailty. This study aims to identify cognitive and motor differences in cirrhotic patients with and without MHE, and the correlations between motor signs and cognitive performance. Gait, balance, hand strength and motor speed performance were evaluated in 66 cirrhotic patients (38 without and 28 with MHE, according to the Psychometric Hepatic Encephalopathy Score (PHES). Cognitive performance was measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination, Verbal Fluency Test, Aprendizaje Verbal España-Complutense Test (TAVEC), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III, Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scale and Fun…

Force Control and Motor Unit Firing Behavior Following Mental Fatigue in Young Female and Male Adults

2020

Purpose: The neuromuscular mechanisms leading to impaired motor performance in the presence of mental fatigue remain unclear. It is also unknown if mental fatigue differentially impacts motor performance in males and females. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of mental fatigue on force production and motor unit (MU) firing behavior in males and females. Methods: Nineteen participants performed 10-s isometric dorsiflexion (DF) contractions at 20 and 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) before, during, and after completing 22 min of the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), to induce mental fatigue. The DF force and indwelling MU firing behavior of the tibialis anterior (TA) w…

DEGENERATIVE CERVICAL MYELOPATHY: REVIEW OF SURGICAL OUTCOME PREDICTORS AND NEED FOR MULTIMODAL APPROACH

2020

Degenerative cervical myelopathy is the most common cause of spinal cord injury in the elderly population in the developed world, and it significantly affects the quality of life of patients and their caregivers. Surgery remains the only treatment option able to halt disease progression and provide neurological recovery for most patients. Although it has remained challenging to predict exactly who will experience improvement after surgery, increasingly it has been shown that clinical, imaging, and electrophysiological factors can predict, with relatively good capacity, those more likely to benefit. Clinically, the baseline neurological impairment appears to be strongly related to the outcom…

Changes in motor unit characteristics after eccentric elbow flexor exercise

2010

Morphological evidence suggests that fast-twitch fibers are prone to disruption of their membrane structures by eccentric exercise. However, it is unclear how this is reflected in the discharge rate and action potential propagation of individual motor units, especially at high contraction levels. High-density surface electromyograms were recorded from biceps brachii muscle and decomposed to individual motor unit action potentials at isometric contraction levels between 10% and 75% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) before intermittent maximal elbow flexor eccentric exercise, and two hours (2H), two days (2D) and four days (4D) post-exercise. Maximal voluntary force decreased by 21.3±5.6…