scholarly journals Evaluation of upper extremity ataxia through image processing in individuals with multiple sclerosis

Author(s):  
Fatma Erdeo ◽  
İbrahim Yildiz ◽  
Ali Ulvi Uca ◽  
Mustafa Altaş

ABSTRACT Background: Impaired dexterity is a frequently reported disability among people with ataxic multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To quantify and standardize the evaluation of upper extremity coordination disorder among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), using the Tablet Ataxia Assessment Program (TAAP). Methods: The X and Y axis movements of 50 MS patients and 30 healthy individuals who were evaluated using the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) were also assessed using TAAP. The functional times of the participants’ right and left hands were recorded using the nine-hole peg test (NHPT). The upper extremity coordination of individuals with MS was evaluated using the upper extremity kinetic functions section of ICARS. Results: The deviations for the X and Y axis movements of the MS group were greater than those of the control group (p<0.05). Significant correlations were shown between TAAP scores and NHPT and ICARS scores. The strongest correlation was found between NHPT and ICARS in the dominant hand (rnhpt=0.356, pnhpt=0.001; ricars=0.439, picars=0.000). In correlating the Y axis with ICARS, the deviations in the Y axis were found to be greater in the non-dominant hand than those in the X axis (ryright=0.402, pyright=0.004; ryleft=0.691, pyleft=0.000). Conclusion: Measurement using TAAP is more sensitive than other classical and current methods for evaluating ataxia. We think that TAAP is an objective tool that will allow neurorehabilitation professionals and clinicians to evaluate upper extremity coordination.

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 871-871
Author(s):  
Ryan J ◽  
Kreiner D ◽  
Gontkovsky S ◽  
Paolo A

Abstract Objective Research has identified common genetic influences on handedness and neurological/mental health phenotypes. It also has been shown there may be increased risk for development of neurological disorders/diseases among individuals naturally left-handed or demonstrating non-right-hand preference. This investigation examined prevalence of right-handed versus non-right-handed individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) compared to controls. Method Participants were 264 patients with PD (mean age = 69.83 years) and 256 control volunteers (mean age = 71.42 years). Mean Dementia Rating Scale composites for the groups were 123.68 and 136.00, respectively. Participants self-identified their dominant hand for writing and usage was confirmed during the session. Results Proportions of non-right- and right-handed controls (7.0% and 93.0%) versus individuals with PD (6.8% and 93.2%) did not differ. Changes in proportions of non-right- and right-handedness across age ranges were not significant for controls or patients. There was a trend for a larger proportion of women (55.9%) versus men among controls (44.1%), □ 2 (1) = 3.29, p &lt; .10; whereas, the proportion of men (64.4%) with PD was larger than that of women. (35.6%), □ 2 (1) = 21.31, p &lt; .001. For controls and patients, non-right and right handedness gender proportions were similar. Conclusions This study is the first to assess handedness prevalence rates in PD. Results suggest prevalence of non-right handedness is similar in PD and healthy individuals and does not appear to differ markedly by gender or with advancing age. The occurrence of a trend for a larger proportion of women than men among controls is consistent with census-based statistics.


2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ş. Temel ◽  
H.D. Kekliğkoğlu ◽  
G. Vural ◽  
O. Deniz ◽  
K. Ercan

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) can yield important information on the in vivo pathological processes affecting water diffusion. The aim of this study was to quantitatively define water diffusion in normal-appearing white matter (NAWM) distant from the plaque, in the plaque, and around the plaque, and to investigate the correlation of these changes with clinical disability. Conventional MRI and DTI scans were conducted in 30 patients with MS and 15 healthy individuals. Fractional anisotropy maps and visible diffusion coefficients were created and integrated with T2-weighted images. Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed on the plaques on the same side, white matter around the plaques and NAWM on the opposite side. Only the white matter of healthy individuals in the control group, and FA and ADC values were obtained for comparison. The highest FA and lowest ADC were detected in the control group at the periventricular region, cerebellar peduncle and at all ROIs irrespective of location. There was a significant difference in comparison to the control group at all ROIs in patients with MS (p < 0.001 for all comparisons). No significant correlation between diffusion parameters and expanded disability state scale (EDSS) scores was found in patients with MS. DTI may provide more accurate information on the damage due to the illness, compared to T2A sequences, but this damage may not be correlated with the clinical disability measured by EDSS score.


2020 ◽  
pp. 135245852096037
Author(s):  
Marco Pisa ◽  
Raffaella Chieffo ◽  
Martina Congiu ◽  
Gloria Dalla Costa ◽  
Federica Esposito ◽  
...  

Background: Hand dexterity dysfunction is a key feature of disability in people with progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). It underlies corticospinal tract (CST) and cerebellar integrity, as well as disruption of cortical networks, which are hardly assessed by standard techniques. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a promising tool for evaluating the integrity of intracortical motor pathways. Objective: To investigate neurophysiological correlates of motor hand impairment in PMS. Methods: Antero-posterior (AP) stimulation of the primary motor cortex activates the CST indirectly through polysynaptic pathways, while a direct CST activation occurs with latero-medial (LM) directed current. Thirty PMS and 15 healthy controls underwent dominant hand motor evoked potentials (MEP) using AP and LM-directed stimulation, and a clinical assessment of dexterity (nine-hole peg test) and strength (MRC scale, grip and pinch). Results: PMS with AP-LM latency difference 2.5 standard deviation above the mean of controls (33%) showed worse dexterity but no difference in upper limb strength. Accordingly, AP-LM latency shortening predicted dexterity (R2 = 0.538, p < 0.001), but not strength impairment. On the contrary, absolute MEP latencies only correlated with strength (grip: R2 = 0.381, p = 0.014; MRC: R2 = 0.184, p = 0.041). Conclusion: AP-LM latency shortening may be used to assess the integrity polysynaptic intracortical networks implicated in dexterity impairment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed E. Khallaf

Background.In individuals with hemiparetic stroke, reaching with the paretic arm can be impaired by abnormal muscle coactivation. Prior trails for improving upper extremity functions after stroke have underestimated the role of gravitational force in motor planning and execution.Objective.The aims this trial were to study the effect of gravity as a facilitator for elbow extension and to estimate the immediate and retention effects of task specific training of elbow extensors on upper extremity function after stroke.Methods.Twenty-six right handed patients with first ever stroke represented the sample of the study. The participants were randomly assigned into two equal groups. The study group received treatment through two phases. Phase one included training for the elbow extensors in an antigravity position. Phase two included a set of task specific exercise for 16 weeks. The control group received traditional passive stretch and range of motion exercises. Manual dexterity and upper limb function were assessed by Nine-Hole Peg Test and Fugl-Meyer upper extremity. Goniometry was used for measuring elbow extension and forearm supination active ranges of motion.Results.Significant improvements were observed in Nine-Hole Peg Test, Fugl-Meyer upper extremity, and ranges of motion at postintervention and follow-up compared to preintervention at P≤0.05.Conclusions.The results of this study provide an evidence that antigravity positions can be used as a centrally presented facilitator of elbow extension. Additionally, task specific training was effective in improving upper extremity function and elbow extension range of motion.


1996 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
HB Rasmussen ◽  
A Heltberg ◽  
K Christensen ◽  
J Clausen

In the present study we searched for an association between the human endogenous retroviral element HRES-I and multiple sclerosis (MS). Fragments of this endogenous retrovirus were amplified for subsequent examination by single strand conformational analysis. We did not find HRES-I markers exclusively linked with MS and only the two already known polymorphisms, which define three alleles of HRES-I, were detected. However, we found a significant difference in the distribution of these alleles between a group of 87 MS patients and a control group of 158 healthy individuals (P=0.014). There were no differences in the distribution of the HRES-I allelic forms between MS patients with a relapsing-remitting course and patients with chronic progressive MS. Our results provide evidence of an association between HRES-I and MS. Possible explanations for this are discussed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (7) ◽  
pp. 1656-1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Chua ◽  
Allison S. Hyngstrom ◽  
Alexander V. Ng ◽  
Brian D. Schmit

The purpose of this study was to quantify hip and ankle movement strategies during a standing arm tracking task in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Full-body kinematics and kinetics were assessed with motion analysis cameras and force plates in nine MS and nine age-matched control subjects. While standing, participants used their dominant hand to track a target moving around a large horizontal or vertical figure eight on a screen in front of them. The target moved at constant speed, or linearly increasing speeds, with a frequency between 0.05 Hz and 0.35 Hz. Hip and ankle moments and angles during tracking were calculated from kinematic and kinetic measurements. Ratios of peak-to-peak (PP) hip/ankle moments (kinetics) and angles (kinematics) were calculated to determine the strategies of the hips and ankles used to maintain balance during arm movements. Center of mass (CoM) root mean square (RMS) acceleration was calculated as a measure of overall balance performance. The MS group produced larger PP hip/ankle moments at all speeds compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). The CoM RMS acceleration increased with tracking speed for both groups but was not significantly different between groups. Additionally, the ratios of hip to ankle moments were highly correlated with the Berg Balance Scale during horizontal steady-speed tracking in MS. These results suggest that people with MS increase the use of the hip during standing arm tracking compared with age-matched control subjects. This adapted strategy might allow people with MS to achieve balance performance similar to control subjects, possibly increasing the importance of the hip in maintaining balance during voluntary movements.


Author(s):  
Fatemeh Nazari ◽  
Mozhgan Soheili ◽  
SayedMohsen Hosseini ◽  
Vahid Shaygannejad

Abstract: Pain is a common and significant symptom in many individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The presence and severity of pain in individuals with MS has also been shown to be associated with higher levels of depression, functional impairment, and fatigue. It is common for MS patients and their caregivers to worry about narcotic addiction in the management of chronic pain. Therefore, this study aimed to determine and compare the effects of reflexology and relaxation on pain in women suffering from MS.: This study was a single-blind randomized clinical trial performed on 75 patients with MS referred to the MS Clinic of Ayatollah Kashani Hospital (Isfahan, Iran). After simple non-random sampling, using the minimization method, participants were randomly assigned to the three groups of reflexology, relaxation, and control. In the experimental groups, foot reflexology and relaxation interventions (Jacobson and Benson) were performed within 4 weeks, twice a week for 40 min. The control group received routine care and medical treatment as directed by a doctor. Data were collected using the Numerical Rating Scale before, immediately after, and 2 months after interventions in all three groups. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 18 and descriptive and inferential statistical tests.: Findings obtained from analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed no significant differences between mean pain intensity scores in the three groups preintervention and 2 months after interventions (p > 0.05). However, this difference was statistically significant immediately after the study (p < 0.05). Findings obtained from repeated measures ANOVA showed that the severity of pain significantly differed during different times in reflexology and relaxation (p < 0.05); however, this difference was not significant in the control group (p > 0.05). Furthermore, Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) revealed a significantly higher reduction in pain intensity scores in the reflexology group after the intervention, compared with the two other groups, but showed no significant differences between relaxation and control groups. There were no significant differences between the three groups 2 months after the interventions (p > 0.05).: The results showed that both interventions are effective on relieving pain in women with MS; however, it appears that the effect of reflexology on pain reduction is greater than that of relaxation. Hence, these two methods can be recommended as effective techniques.


2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Radak ◽  
J Kolar ◽  
S Tanaskovic ◽  
D Sagic ◽  
Z Antonic ◽  
...  

Objectives Multiple areas of stenosis and different levels of obstruction of internal jugular and azygous veins (a condition known as cronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency) recently emerged as an additional theory to the well-known autoimmune concept, explaining etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of our study was to evaluate internal jugular vein (IJV) morphology and haemodynamic characteristics in patients with MS and compare it with well-matched healthy individuals and to evaluate the prevalence of venous flow abnormalities in both groups. Methods Sixty-four patients with clinically proven MS and 37 healthy individuals were included in our study. In all patients, IJV morphology and haemodynamic characteristics were evaluated by colour Doppler sonography as well as venous flow disorder. The patients were classified into four groups according to MS clinical form presentation. The prevalence of morphological and haemodynamic abnormalities in the IJV were assessed. Results The presence of stenosing lesion, mostly intraluminal defects like abnormal IJV valves, were observed in 28 patients (43%) in the MS group, and in 17 patients (45.9%) in the control group ( P = NS). By adding haemodynamic Doppler information in the IJV venous outflow was significantly different in 42% of MS patients showing flow abnormalities (27/64), as compared with 8.1% of the controls (3/37), P < 0.001. Conclusion In our group of patients, patients suffering from MS had significantly more IJV morphological changes and haemodynamic abnormalities when compared with healthy individuals not suffering from MS. These findings can be well demonstrated by non-invasive and cost-effective Doppler ultrasound.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid Mirmosayyeb ◽  
Narges Ebrahimi ◽  
Mahdi Barzegar ◽  
Alireza Afshari-Safavi ◽  
Sara Bagherieh ◽  
...  

Objectives: Olfactory dysfunction is a major comorbidity observed in patients with multiple sclerosis, yet different prevalence rates are reported for it. Therefore, we have designed this systematic review to estimate the pooled prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in patients with MS. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in MS patients. Method: We searched PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest, and gray literature including references from the identified studies, review studies, and conference abstracts which were published up to January 2021. Articles that were relevant to our topic and could provide information regarding the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction, or the scores of smell threshold, discrimination, or identification (TDI scores) among MS patients and healthy individuals were included; however, articles published before 1990 and after the end of 2020 were excluded. Results: The literature search found 1630 articles. After eliminating duplicates, 897 articles remained. two abstract conference papers were included for final analysis. A total of 1099 MS cases and 299 MS patients with olfactory dysfunction were included in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in the included studies was 27.2%. (95% CI: [19.7%, 35.4%]) Also, the overall TDI score in MS patients was lower than that in the control group (SMD=-1.00; 95% CI: [-1.44, -0.56]), and the level of Threshold (SMD= -0.47; 95% CI: [-0.75, -0.19]), Discrimination (SMD=-0.53; 95% CI: [-0.96, -0.10]), and Identification (SMD=-1.02; 95% CI: [-1.36, -0.68]) per se were lower in MS compared with control respectively. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review shows that the prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in MS patients is high and more attention needs to be drawn to this aspect of MS.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (12) ◽  
pp. 1673-1681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caspar EP van Munster ◽  
Marcus D’Souza ◽  
Saskia Steinheimer ◽  
Christian P Kamm ◽  
Jessica Burggraaff ◽  
...  

Background: Accurate clinical assessment in multiple sclerosis (MS) is challenging. The Assess MS system is being developed to automatically quantify motor dysfunction in MS, including upper extremity function (UEF) and mobility. Objective: To determine to what extent combinations of standardized movements included in the Assess MS system explain accepted measures of UEF and mobility. Methods: MS patients were recruited at four European MS centres. Eight movements were selected, including tasks of activities of daily living (ADL) and classical neurological tests. Movements were recorded on video and rated by experienced neurologists ( n = 5). Subsequently, multivariate linear regression models were performed to explain the variance of the Nine-Hole Peg Test (9HPT), Arm Function in Multiple Sclerosis Questionnaire (AMSQ) and Timed-25 Foot Walk test (T25WT). Results: In total, 257 patients were included. The movements explained 62.9% to 80.1% of the variance of the 9HPT models, 43.3% and 44.3% of the AMSQ models and 70.8% of the T25WT. In all models, tasks of ADL contributed most to the variance. Conclusion: Combinations of movements are valuable to assess UEF and mobility. Incorporating ADL tasks into daily clinical practice and clinical trials may be more valuable than the classical neurological examination of UEF and mobility.


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