Timing and Force Control Deficits in Clumsy Children

1991 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Lundy-Ekman ◽  
Richard Ivry ◽  
Steven Keele ◽  
Marjorie Woollacott
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Force Control ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Movement Timing ◽  
Neurological Signs ◽  
Perceptual Timing ◽  
Assessment Procedures

This study investigated the link between cognitive processes and neural structures involved in motor control. Children identified as clumsy through clinical assessment procedures were tested on tasks involving movement timing, perceptual timing, and force control. The clumsy children were divided into two groups: those with soft neurological signs associated with cerebellar dysfunction and those with soft neurological signs associated with dysfunction of the basal ganglia. A control group of age-matched children who did not exhibit evidence of clumsiness or soft neurological signs was also tested. The results showed a double dissociation between the two groups of clumsy children and the tests of timing and force. Clumsy children with cerebellar signs were more variable when attempting to tap a series of equal intervals. They were also more variable on the time perception task, indicating a deficit in motor and perceptual timing. The clumsy children with basal ganglia signs were unimpaired on the timing tasks. However, they were more variable in controlling the amplitude of isometric force pulses. These results support the hypothesis that the control of time and force are separate components of coordination and that these computations are dependent on different neural systems.

Altered isometric force control during object release in patients with Huntington's Disease

2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (S 4) ◽  
Author(s):  
F Kirsten ◽  
S Bohlen ◽  
J Sommer ◽  
T Merl ◽  
P Saemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Huntington’S Disease ◽  
Force Control ◽  
Isometric Force

scholarly journals Influence of group B streptococci on piglet pulmonary artery response to bradykinin

1999 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard M. Whitehurst ◽  
Rachel Laskey ◽  
Ronald N. Goldberg ◽  
Donald Herbert ◽  
Cornelius Van Breemen
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Artery ◽  
Contractile Response ◽  
Isometric Force ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Relaxed Controls ◽  
Vascular Response ◽  
Group B Streptococci ◽  
Resting Tension ◽  
Neonatal Group ◽  
Group B

To study whether a sepsis-induced increase in des-Arg9-bradykinin (des-Arg9-BK) and bradykinin (BK) B1-receptor activity participates in the observed increase in pulmonary vascular resistance in neonatal group B streptococcal sepsis (GBS), isometric force bioassays of pulmonary artery (PA) rings were studied, after 4-h exposure to either Krebs or GBS, by using the following protocols: 1) BK dose-response curve, 2) vascular response to BK with N G-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), and 3) response to des-Arg9-BK (BK metabolite and B1 agonist). PA rings exposed to BK resulted in contraction in the GBS group and a decrease in resting tension in the Control group ( P = 0.034) at a concentration of 10−5 M. GBS-treated PA rings contracted more to des-Arg9-BK than did Controls ( P < 0.001). BK (10−6 M) relaxed preconstricted PA rings incubated in GBS less than BK relaxed Controls ( P < 0.001), and preincubation withl-NAME decreased relaxation in both. These results suggest that GBS decreased endothelium-dependent BK relaxation and increased contractile response to des-Arg9-BK. We speculate that this occurs secondary to upregulation of B1 receptors reflected by B1-agonist-mediated PA contraction.

scholarly journals Comparison of the curative effect and prognosis of stereotactic drainage and conservative treatment for moderate and small basal ganglia haemorrhage

BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Huang ◽  
Lai Jiang ◽  
Shaojun Chen ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Wanxi Pan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Neurological Function ◽  
Lower Limbs ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Roc Curve Analysis ◽  
Curative Effect ◽  
Nihss Score ◽  
Haematoma Volume ◽  
Experimental Group

Abstract Background Minimally invasive surgery has achieved good results in the treatment of cerebral haemorrhage.However, no large-scale clinical study has demonstrated that surgical treatment of cerebral haemorrhages less than 30 ml can improve the curative effect. Our study explored the efficacy and complication of stereotactic drainage based on the amount of cerebral hemorrhage (15-30 ml) in hypertensive basal ganglia. Method Sixty patients with hypertensive basal ganglia haemorrhages were divided into a control group and an experimental group with 30 patients in each group. Patients in the control group were treated conservatively. In contrast, those in the experimental group received stereotactic drainage, and urokinase was injected into the haematoma cavity after the operation. The haematoma volume at admission and 1, 3, 7 and 30 days after treatment and National Institute of Health stroke scale(NIHSS) score data were recorded. Complications after treatment in the two groups of data were compared and analysed. Result No significant differences in age, sex, time of treatment after onset, admission blood pressure, admission haematoma volume or admission NIHSS score were noted between these two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, significant differences in haematoma volume were noted between the two groups on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 30th days after treatment (P < 0.05). The amount of hematoma of patients in the experimental group was significantly reduced compared with that in the control group, and the NIHSS scores were significantly different on the 3rd, 7th and 30th days after treatment. The neurological deficit scores of patients in the experimental group were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group, and the incidence of pulmonary infection and venous thrombosis in the lower limbs of patients in the experimental group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that stereotactic drainage affected the early neurological function of patients with small and medium basal ganglia haemorrhages. Conclusion For patients with small and medium basal ganglia haemorrhages, stereotactic drainage can be used due to the faster drainage speed of haematomas after operation, which is beneficial to the recovery of neurological function and reduce complications.

scholarly journals Explicit motor sequence learning after stroke: a neuropsychological study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Russo ◽  
Laura Veronelli ◽  
Carlotta Casati ◽  
Alessia Monti ◽  
Laura Perucca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Motor Learning ◽  
Upper Limb ◽  
Motor Recovery ◽  
Finger Tapping ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Motor Sequence ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Motor Practice

AbstractMotor learning interacts with and shapes experience-dependent cerebral plasticity. In stroke patients with paresis of the upper limb, motor recovery was proposed to reflect a process of re-learning the lost/impaired skill, which interacts with rehabilitation. However, to what extent stroke patients with hemiparesis may retain the ability of learning with their affected limb remains an unsolved issue, that was addressed by this study. Nineteen patients, with a cerebrovascular lesion affecting the right or the left hemisphere, underwent an explicit motor learning task (finger tapping task, FTT), which was performed with the paretic hand. Eighteen age-matched healthy participants served as controls. Motor performance was assessed during the learning phase (i.e., online learning), as well as immediately at the end of practice, and after 90 min and 24 h (i.e., retention). Results show that overall, as compared to the control group, stroke patients, regardless of the side (left/right) of the hemispheric lesion, do not show a reliable practice-dependent improvement; consequently, no retention could be detected in the long-term (after 90 min and 24 h). The motor learning impairment was associated with subcortical damage, predominantly affecting the basal ganglia; conversely, it was not associated with age, time elapsed from stroke, severity of upper-limb motor and sensory deficits, and the general neurological condition. This evidence expands our understanding regarding the potential of post-stroke motor recovery through motor practice, suggesting a potential key role of basal ganglia, not only in implicit motor learning as previously pointed out, but also in explicit finger tapping motor tasks.

Reduced cortical brain activity with the use of microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees during walking

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saffran Möller ◽  
David Rusaw ◽  
Kerstin Hagberg ◽  
Nerrolyn Ramstrand
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Prosthetic Knee ◽  
Level Walking ◽  
Lower Limb Prosthesis ◽  
Prosthetic Knees ◽  
Limb Prosthesis

Background: Individuals using a lower-limb prosthesis indicate that they need to concentrate on every step they take. Despite self-reports of increased cognitive demand, there is limited understanding of the link between cognitive processes and walking when using a lower-limb prosthesis. Objective: The objective was to assess cortical brain activity during level walking in individuals using different prosthetic knee components and compare them to healthy controls. It was hypothesized that the least activity would be observed in the healthy control group, followed by individuals using a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee and finally individuals using a non-microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: An optical brain imaging system was used to measure relative changes in concentration of oxygenated and de-oxygenated haemoglobin in the frontal and motor cortices during level walking. The number of steps and time to walk 10 m was also recorded. The 6-min walk test was assessed as a measure of functional capacity. Results: Individuals with a transfemoral or knee-disarticulation amputation, using non-microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee ( n = 14) or microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee ( n = 15) joints and healthy controls ( n = 16) participated in the study. A significant increase was observed in cortical brain activity of individuals walking with a non-microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee when compared to healthy controls ( p < 0.05) and individuals walking with an microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee joint ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Individuals walking with a non-microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee demonstrated an increase in cortical brain activity compared to healthy individuals. Use of a microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee was associated with less cortical brain activity than use of a non-microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. Clinical relevance Increased understanding of cognitive processes underlying walking when using different types of prosthetic knees can help to optimize selection of prosthetic components and provide an opportunity to enhance functioning with a prosthesis.

Effect of feeding with bilberry fruit on the expression pattern of αCaMKII in hippocampal neurons in normal and diabetic rats

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Matysek ◽  
S. Mozel ◽  
R. Szalak ◽  
A. Zacharko-Siembida ◽  
K. Obszańska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Hippocampal Neurons ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Diabetic Rats ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
And Control

Abstract αCaMKII, widely occurring in the central nervous system, plays a significant role in cognitive processes. It is well known that diabetes is a risk factor that may trigger brain atrophy, cognitive dysfunction and finally lead to memory loss. Antioxidants richly present in bilberry fruits are believed to have significant effects on diabetes-related brain dysfunctions mainly due to their abilities to modulate neurotransmitter release that lead to reduction of the negative impact of free radicals on cognitive processes. The aim of the present research was to immunohistochemically investigate the expression patterns of αCaMKII in hippocampal neurons from non-diabetic, diabetic and diabetic rats fed with an extract of bilberry fruit. The obtained results show that in comparison to the control group, in diabetic rats hippocampal neurons immunoreactive (ir) to αCaMKII were swollen and the lengths of the neuronal fibres were reduced. Further study shows that in diabetic rats fed with bilberry fruit, αCaMKII-positive nerve fibres were significantly longer when compared to the groups of diabetic and control rats. Additionally, we observed statistically significant changes in the average larger diameter of αCaMKII-ir hippocampal neurons between groups of diabetic rats (with vs. without supplement of bilberry fruit). The results of the present work suggest that antioxidants present in bilberry fruits influence the morphology of and possibly exhibit beneficial and neuroprotective effects on hippocampal neurons during diabetes. It is likely that changes in the appearance of αCaMKII-expressed hippocampal neurons may reflect the diabetes-evoked rise in Ca2+ level in the cerebral nerve terminals. The present research extends our knowledge of preventive mechanisms for cognitive dysfunctions occurring in the brain during diabetes.

scholarly journals Enhancing learning potential score in EFL listening comprehension and self-regulation through self-regulated dynamic assessment procedures

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Parisa Abdolrezapour ◽  
Nasim Ghanbari
Keyword(s):  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Comparison Group ◽  
Dynamic Assessment ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Learning Potential ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Assessment Procedures

AbstractThis study aimed to integrate self-regulation strategies into dynamic assessment procedures of listening comprehension in an EFL setting and examine the possibility of raising EFL students’ listening comprehension and self-regulation skills. In addition, it explored the possibility of enhancing EFL learners’ potential scores in listening comprehension and self-regulation through applying self-regulation activities as a tool for motivating learners while being assessed. The assessment procedure was based on Vygotsky’s notion of the zone of proximal development and self-regulated intervention. The participants were 49 Iranian EFL learners in three groups: a control group, which received the institute’s regular instructional activities; a comparison group, which received dynamic assessment (DA); and an experimental group which received self-regulated dynamic assessment (SR-DA) procedures, in the form of an intervention focusing on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral self-regulation states of learners. Results of the study pointed to the potential of SR-DA for enhancing the students’ learning potential over and beyond that which is available from the DA (as offered to the comparison group) and the static testing (as offered to the control group). The results have important implications for a theoretical understanding of the mechanisms through which EFL learners develop necessary self-regulation skills in the EFL context.

scholarly journals Shared mechanisms of auditory and non-auditory vocal learning in the songbird brain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
James McGregor ◽  
Abigail Grassler ◽  
Paul I. Jaffe ◽  
Amanda Louise Jacob ◽  
Michael Brainard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
General Principle ◽  
Auditory Feedback ◽  
Sensory Feedback ◽  
Vocal Learning ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Vocal Plasticity

Songbirds and humans share the ability to adaptively modify their vocalizations based on sensory feedback. Prior studies have focused primarily on the role that auditory feedback plays in shaping vocal output throughout life. In contrast, it is unclear whether and how non-auditory information drives vocal plasticity. Here, we first used a reinforcement learning paradigm to establish that non-auditory feedback can drive vocal learning in adult songbirds. We then assessed the role of a songbird basal ganglia-thalamocortical pathway critical to auditory vocal learning in this novel form of vocal plasticity. We found that both this circuit and its dopaminergic inputs are necessary for non-auditory vocal learning, demonstrating that this pathway is not specialized exclusively for auditory-driven vocal learning. The ability of this circuit to use both auditory and non-auditory information to guide vocal learning may reflect a general principle for the neural systems that support vocal plasticity across species.

scholarly journals OPTIMIZING PROJECT-BASED TRY ACTIVITY TO IMPROVE THE DIMENSION OF STUDENTS’ COGNITIVE PROCESS

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27
Author(s):  
I Wayan Widiana ◽  
I Made Suarjana
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
T Test ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Group Design ◽  
Group Design ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Cluster Random Sampling

This study was aimed at determining the differences in the dimensions of cognitive processes between groups of students who are taught with project-based trying learning activities and groups of students who are taught with conventional learning activities. This research is a quasi-experimental study with a post-test only control group design. The population of this study was the fifth-grade students of the 2016/2017 academic year in the Curriculum 2013 Elementary School in Buleleng Regency, which amounted to 326 students. The samples were taken by cluster random sampling which amounted to 60 students. The data collected in this study were the results of the dimensions of cognitive processes by using 20 multiple-choice tests and 5 item essays on the ecosystem theme. The hypothesis was tested using inferential t-test statistics. The results show that there are significant differences in the dimensions of cognitive processes between groups of students who were taught with project-based trying activities and groups of students who were taught using conventional learning activities. The optimizing project-based trying activities has a positive effect on the dimensions of students' cognitive processes.PENGOPTIMALAN AKTIVITAS MENCOBA DENGAN BERBASIS PROYEK UNTUK MENINGKATKAN DIMENSI PROSES KOGNITIF SISWAPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan dimensi proses kognitif antara kelompok siswa yang dibelajarkan dengan aktivitas pembelajaran mencoba berbasis proyek dan kelompok siswa yang dibelajarkan dengan aktivitas pembelajaran konvensional. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian quasi eksperimen dengan rancangan penelitian post test only control group design. Populasi dari penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas V Tahun Pelajaran 2016/2017 di SD rintisan Kurikulum 2013 Kabupaten Buleleng yang berjumlah 326 orang. Sampel diambil dengan cara cluster?random sampling yang berjumlah 60 orang. Data yang dikumpulkan dalam penelitian ini adalah hasil dimensi proses kognitif dengan menggunakan tes pilihan ganda sebanyak 20 butir dan esai 5 butir soal pada tema ekosistem. Hipotesis diuji dengan menggunakan statistik inferensial t-test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan pada dimensi proses kognitif antara kelompok siswa yang dibelajarkan dengan aktivitas pembelajaran mencoba berbasis proyek dan kelompok siswa yang dibelajarkan dengan aktivitas pembelajaran konvensional Pengoptimalan aktivitas mencoba berbasis proyek berpengaruh positif terhadap dimensi proses kognitif siswa.

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