scholarly journals To transfer or not to transfer? Kinematics and laterality quotient predict interlimb transfer of motor learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 114 (5) ◽  
pp. 2764-2774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Z. Lefumat ◽  
Jean-Louis Vercher ◽  
R. Chris Miall ◽  
Jonathan Cole ◽  
Frank Buloup ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Motor Behavior ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Arm Movement ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Reaching Movements ◽  
Rotating Platform ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Positive Correlations

Humans can remarkably adapt their motor behavior to novel environmental conditions, yet it remains unclear which factors enable us to transfer what we have learned with one limb to the other. Here we tested the hypothesis that interlimb transfer of sensorimotor adaptation is determined by environmental conditions but also by individual characteristics. We specifically examined the adaptation of unconstrained reaching movements to a novel Coriolis, velocity-dependent force field. Right-handed subjects sat at the center of a rotating platform and performed forward reaching movements with the upper limb toward flashed visual targets in prerotation, per-rotation (i.e., adaptation), and postrotation tests. Here only the dominant arm was used during adaptation and interlimb transfer was assessed by comparing performance of the nondominant arm before and after dominant-arm adaptation. Vision and no-vision conditions did not significantly influence interlimb transfer of trajectory adaptation, which on average was significant but limited. We uncovered a substantial heterogeneity of interlimb transfer across subjects and found that interlimb transfer can be qualitatively and quantitatively predicted for each healthy young individual. A classifier showed that in our study, interlimb transfer could be predicted based on the subject's task performance, most notably motor variability during learning, and his or her laterality quotient. Positive correlations suggested that variability of motor performance and lateralization of arm movement control facilitate interlimb transfer. We further show that these individual characteristics can predict the presence and the magnitude of interlimb transfer of left-handers. Overall, this study suggests that individual characteristics shape the way the nervous system can generalize motor learning.

scholarly journals Can proprioceptive training improve motor learning?

2012 ◽  
Vol 108 (12) ◽  
pp. 3313-3321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy D. Wong ◽  
Dinant A. Kistemaker ◽  
Alvin Chin ◽  
Paul L. Gribble
Keyword(s):  
Motor Learning ◽  
Visual Information ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Arm Movement ◽  
Sensory Function ◽  
Movement Speed ◽  
Active Movement ◽  
Positional Accuracy ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Proprioceptive Training

Recent work has investigated the link between motor learning and sensory function in arm movement control. A number of findings are consistent with the idea that motor learning is associated with systematic changes to proprioception (Haith A, Jackson C, Mial R, Vijayakumar S. Adv Neural Inf Process Syst 21: 593–600, 2008; Ostry DJ, Darainy M, Mattar AA, Wong J, Gribble PL. J Neurosci 30: 5384–5393, 2010; Vahdat S, Darainy M, Milner TE, Ostry DJ. J Neurosci 31: 16907–16915, 2011). Here, we tested whether motor learning could be improved by providing subjects with proprioceptive training on a desired hand trajectory. Subjects were instructed to reproduce both the time-varying position and velocity of novel, complex hand trajectories. Subjects underwent 3 days of training with 90 movement trials per day. Active movement trials were interleaved with demonstration trials. For control subjects, these interleaved demonstration trials consisted of visual demonstration alone. A second group of subjects received visual and proprioceptive demonstration simultaneously; this group was presented with the same visual stimulus, but, in addition, their limb was moved through the target trajectory by a robot using servo control. Subjects who experienced the additional proprioceptive demonstration of the desired trajectory showed greater improvements during training movements than control subjects who only received visual information. This benefit of adding proprioceptive training was seen in both movement speed and position error. Interestingly, additional control subjects who received proprioceptive guidance while actively moving their arm during demonstration trials did not show the same improvement in positional accuracy. These findings support the idea that the addition of proprioceptive training can augment motor learning, and that this benefit is greatest when the subject passively experiences the goal movement.

scholarly journals Individual quality of life and the environment – towards a concept of livable areas for persons with disabilities in Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabela Grabowska ◽  
Radosław Antczak ◽  
Jan Zwierzchowski ◽  
Tomasz Panek
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [1] highlights the need to create proper socioeconomic and political conditions for persons with disabilities, with a special focus on their immediate living conditions. According to the Convention, these conditions should be built to ensure that persons with disabilities have the potential to enjoy a high quality of life (QoL), and this principle is reflected in the notion of livable areas. The crucial aspect of this framework is the relationship between the individual QoL and the environment, broadly understood as the socioeconomic as well as the technical conditions in which persons with disabilities function. Methods The basic research problem was to assess the relationship between individual QoL for the population with disabilities as a dependent variable and livability indicators as independent variables, controlling for individual characteristics. The study used a dataset from the EU-SILC (European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions) survey carried out in 2015 in Poland. The research concept involved several steps. First, we created a variable measuring the QoL for the entire population with disabilities. To measure the multidimensional QoL, we used Sen’s capability approach as a general concept, which was operationalized by the MIMIC (multiple indicators multiple causes) model. In the second step, we identified the livability indicators available in the official statistics, and merged them with survey data. Finally, in the last step, we ran the regression analysis. We also checked the data for the nested structure. Results We confirmed that the general environmental conditions, focused on creating livable areas, played a significant role in shaping the QoL of persons with disabilities; i.e., we found that the higher the level of the local Human Development Index, the higher the quality of life of the individuals living in this area. This relationship held even after controlling for the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Moreover, we found that in addition to the general environmental conditions, the conditions created especially for persons with disabilities (i.e., services for this group and support for their living conditions) affected the QoL of these individuals. Conclusions The results illustrate the need to strengthen policies aimed at promoting the QoL of persons with disabilities by creating access to community assets and services that can contribute to improving the life chances of this population.

scholarly journals Mobility Trends before and after the Pandemic Outbreak: Analyzing the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona through the Lens of Equality and Sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7908
Author(s):  
Lucía Mejía-Dorantes ◽  
Lídia Montero ◽  
Jaume Barceló
Keyword(s):  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Spatial Arrangement ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Temporal Dimension ◽  
Population Groups ◽  
Highly Educated ◽  
Before And After

The spatial arrangement of a metropolis is of utmost importance to carry out daily activities, which are constrained by space and time. Accessibility is not only shaped by the spatial and temporal dimension, but it is also defined by individual characteristics, such as gender, impairments, or socioeconomic characteristics of the citizens living or commuting in this area. This study analyzes mobility trends and patterns in the metropolitan area of Barcelona before and after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with special emphasis on gender and equality. The study draws on multiple sources of information; however, two main datasets are analyzed: two traditional travel surveys from the transport metropolitan area of Barcelona and two coming from smartphone data. The results show that gender plays a relevant role when analyzing mobility patterns, as already highlighted in other studies, but, after the pandemic outbreak, some population groups were more likely to change their mobility patterns, for example, highly educated population groups and those with higher income. This study also highlights that e-activities may shape new mobility patterns and living conditions for some population segments, but some activities cannot be replaced by IT technologies. For all these reasons, city and transport planning should foster sustainable development policies, which will provide the maximum benefit for society.

scholarly journals Botulinum toxin injection changes resting state cerebellar connectivity in cervical dystonia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pavel Hok ◽  
Lenka Hvizdošová ◽  
Pavel Otruba ◽  
Michaela Kaiserová ◽  
Markéta Trnečková ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Mri ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Cervical Dystonia ◽  
Botulinum Neurotoxin ◽  
Botulinum Toxin Injection ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Right

AbstractIn cervical dystonia, functional MRI (fMRI) evidence indicates changes in several resting state networks, which revert in part following the botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT) therapy. Recently, the involvement of the cerebellum in dystonia has gained attention. The aim of our study was to compare connectivity between cerebellar subdivisions and the rest of the brain before and after BoNT treatment. Seventeen patients with cervical dystonia indicated for treatment with BoNT were enrolled (14 female, aged 50.2 ± 8.5 years, range 38–63 years). Clinical and fMRI examinations were carried out before and 4 weeks after BoNT injection. Clinical severity was evaluated using TWSTRS. Functional MRI data were acquired on a 1.5 T scanner during 8 min rest. Seed-based functional connectivity analysis was performed using data extracted from atlas-defined cerebellar areas in both datasets. Clinical scores demonstrated satisfactory BoNT effect. After treatment, connectivity decreased between the vermis lobule VIIIa and the left dorsal mesial frontal cortex. Positive correlations between the connectivity differences and the clinical improvement were detected for the right lobule VI, right crus II, vermis VIIIb and the right lobule IX. Our data provide evidence for modulation of cerebello-cortical connectivity resulting from successful treatment by botulinum neurotoxin.

Whole-body adaptation to novel dynamics does not transfer between effectors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Pienciak-Siewert ◽  
Alaa A Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Postural Control ◽  
Arm Movement ◽  
Movement Planning ◽  
Reaching Movements ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Postural Control System ◽  
Movement Dynamics ◽  
Gradual Introduction ◽  
Postural Movement ◽  
The Brain

How does the brain coordinate concurrent adaptation of arm movements and standing posture? From previous studies, the postural control system can use information about previously adapted arm movement dynamics to plan appropriate postural control; however, it is unclear whether postural control can be adapted and controlled independently of arm control. The present study addresses that question. Subjects practiced planar reaching movements while standing and grasping the handle of a robotic arm, which generated a force field to create novel perturbations. Subjects were divided into two groups, for which perturbations were introduced in either an abrupt or gradual manner. All subjects adapted to the perturbations while reaching with their dominant (right) arm, then switched to reaching with their non-dominant (left) arm. Previous studies of seated reaching movements showed that abrupt perturbation introduction led to transfer of learning between arms, but gradual introduction did not. Interestingly, in this study neither group showed evidence of transferring adapted control of arm or posture between arms. These results suggest primarily that adapted postural control cannot be transferred independently of arm control in this task paradigm. In other words, whole-body postural movement planning related to a concurrent arm task is dependent on information about arm dynamics. Finally, we found that subjects were able to adapt to the gradual perturbation while experiencing very small errors, suggesting that both error size and consistency play a role in driving motor adaptation.

The Role of Reafference in Recalibration of Limb Movement Control and Locomotion

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-310
Author(s):  
James R. Lackner ◽  
Paul DiZio
Keyword(s):  
Movement Control ◽  
Mirror Image ◽  
The Body ◽  
Head Movements ◽  
Reaching Movements ◽  
Optomotor Response ◽  
Coriolis Forces ◽  
Effects Of Rotation ◽  
Centripetal Forces

The reafference model has frequently been used to explain spatial constancy during eye and head movements. We have found that its basic concepts also form part of the information processing necessary for the control and recalibration of reaching movements. Reaching was studied in a novel force environment–a rotating room that creates centripetal forces of the type that could someday substitute for gravity in space flight, and Coriolis forces which are side effects of rotation. We found that inertial, noncontacting Coriolis forces deviate the path and endpoint of reaching movements, a finding that shows the inadequacy of equilibrium position models of movement control. Repeated movements in the rotating room quickly lead to normal movement patterns and to a failure to perceive the perturbing forces. The first movements made after rotation stops, without Coriolis forces present, show mirror-image deviations and evoke perception of a perturbing force even though none is present. These patterns of sensorimotor control and adaptation can largely be explained on the basis of comparisons of efference copy, reafferent muscle spindle, and cutaneous mechanoreceptor signals. We also describe experiments on human iocomotion using an apparatus similar to that which Mittelstaedt used to study the optomotor response of the Eristalis fly. These results show that the reafference principle relates as well to the perception of the forces acting on and exerted by the body during voluntary locomotion.

scholarly journals Galectin-3 as a Novel Multifaceted and Not Only Cardiovascular Biomarker in Patients with Psoriasis with Regard to Systemic Treatment—Preliminary Data

Biology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Anna Baran ◽  
Paulina Kiluk ◽  
Julia Nowowiejska ◽  
Tomasz W. Kaminski ◽  
Magdalena Maciaszek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protective Role ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Plaque Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Diagnostic Role ◽  
Galectin 3 ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cardiovascular Biomarker ◽  
Positive Correlations

Galectin-3 (gal-3) is a multifunctional regulator of various biological processes and diseases, which are common comorbidities in psoriasis. Data regarding potential diagnostic role of gal-3 in psoriasis are insufficient. Serum gal-3 levels were evaluated before and after twelve weeks of treatment with acitretin or methotrexate in 31 patients with plaque-type psoriasis and compared to 11 healthy control group. The mean serum galectin-3 level in patients with psoriasis was significantly higher compared to the control group (p < 0.01). In patients with obesity and long-lasting psoriasis (>20 years) positive relations of gal-3 and PASI were noted. In psoriatics with low gal-3 levels, positive correlations between the gal-3 and BMI, glucose level, and with the latter in short-lasting psoriasis (<20 years) were noted. In the long history of psoriasis, gal-3 was negatively correlated with lipids levels. The Gal-3 level might be a multifaceted modulator of the course of psoriasis and predictive factor of cardiometabolic comorbidities’ development, especially in patients with a long history of the disease or obesity. Patients with low serum gal-3 and short history of psoriasis are presumably at greater risk of diabetes. In patients with long-lasting psoriasis and concomitant obesity, gal-3 may exert a protective role against dyslipidemia or perhaps further CMD development.

Fluid Balance, Carbohydrate Ingestion, and Body Temperature During Men’s Stage-Race Cycling in Temperate Environmental Conditions

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 575-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan L. Ross ◽  
Brian Stephens ◽  
Chris R. Abbiss ◽  
David T. Martin ◽  
Paul B. Laursen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Fluid Intake ◽  
Strong Correlations ◽  
Event Duration ◽  
Carbohydrate Ingestion ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Road Cyclists ◽  
New Guidelines ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Current Guidelines

Purpose:To observe voluntary fluid and carbohydrate intakes and thermoregulatory characteristics of road cyclists during 2 multiday, multiple-stage races in temperate conditions.Methods:Ten internationally competitive male cyclists competed in 2 stage races (2009 Tour of Gippsland, T1, n = 5; 2010 Tour of Geelong, T2, n = 5) in temperate conditions (13.2–15.8°C; 54–80% relative humidity). Body mass (BM) was recorded immediately before and after each stage. Peak gastrointestinal temperature (TGI peak) was recorded throughout each stage. Cyclists recalled the types and volumes of fluid and food consumed throughout each stage.Results:Although fluid intake varied according to the race format, there were strong correlations between fluid intake and distance across all formats of racing, in both tours (r = .82, r = .92). Within a stage, the relationship between finishing time and fluid intake was trivial. Mean BM change over a stage was 1.3%, with losses >2% BM occurring on 5 out of 43 measured occasions and the fastest competitors incurring lower BM changes. Most subjects consumed carbohydrate at rates that met the new guidelines (30–60 g/h for 2–3 h, ~90 g/h for >3 h), based on event duration. There were consistent observations of TGI peak >39°C during stages of T1 (67%) and T2 (73%) despite temperate environmental conditions.Conclusion:This study captured novel effects of highintensity stage racing in temperate environmental conditions. In these conditions, cyclists were generally able to find opportunities to consume fluid and carbohydrate to meet current guidelines. We consistently observed high TGI peak, which merits further investigation.

scholarly journals A Data Driven Change-point Epidemic Model for Assessing the Impact of Large Gathering and Subsequent Movement Control Order on COVID-19 Spread in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarat C. Dass ◽  
Wai M. Kwok ◽  
Gavin J. Gibson ◽  
Balvinder S. Gill ◽  
Bala M. Sundram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Change Point ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Quantitative Understanding ◽  
Control Order ◽  
Short Time ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second Wave

AbstractThe second wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia is largely attributed to a mass gathering held in Sri Petaling between February 27, 2020 and March 1, 2020, which contributed to an exponential rise of COVID-19 cases in the country. Starting March 18, 2020, the Malaysian government introduced four consecutive phases of a Movement Control Order (MCO) to stem the spread of COVID-19. The MCO was implemented through various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). The reported number of cases reached its peak by the first week of April and then started to reduce, hence proving the effectiveness of the MCO. To gain a quantitative understanding of the effect of MCO on the dynamics of COVID-19, this paper develops a class of mathematical models to capture the disease spread before and after MCO implementation in Malaysia. A heterogeneous variant of the Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) model is developed with additional compartments for asymptomatic transmission. Further, a change-point is incorporated to model the before and after disease dynamics, and is inferred based on data. Related statistical analyses for inference are developed in a Bayesian framework and are able to provide quantitative assessments of (1) the impact of the Sri Petaling gathering, and (2) the extent of decreasing transmission during the MCO period. The analysis here also quantitatively demonstrates how quickly transmission rates fall under effective NPI implemention within a short time period.

Distinct Lipidomic Signatures in People Living With HIV: Combined Analysis of ACTG 5260s and MACS/WIHS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Jao ◽  
Lauren C Balmert ◽  
Shan Sun ◽  
Grace A McComsey ◽  
Todd T Brown ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antiretroviral Therapy ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
People Living With Hiv ◽  
Model Assessment ◽  
Metabolic Complications ◽  
Persons Living With Hiv ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Homeostatic Model Assessment ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Living With Hiv

Abstract Context Disentangling contributions of HIV from antiretroviral therapy (ART) and understanding the effects of different ART on metabolic complications in persons living with HIV (PLHIV) has been challenging. Objective We assessed the effect of untreated HIV infection as well as different antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the metabolome/lipidome. Methods Widely targeted plasma metabolomic and lipidomic profiling was performed on HIV-seronegative individuals and people living with HIV (PLHIV) before and after initiating ART (tenofovir/emtricitabine plus atazanavir/ritonavir [ATV/r] or darunavir/ritonavir [DRV/r] or raltegravir [RAL]). Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis was used to assess metabolites/lipid subspecies that discriminated between groups. Graphical lasso estimated group-specific metabolite/lipid subspecies networks associated with the Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR). Correlations between inflammatory markers and metabolites/lipid subspecies were visualized using heat maps. Results Of 435 participants, 218 were PLHIV. Compared to HIV-seronegative individuals, ART-naive PLHIV exhibited higher levels of saturated triacylglycerols/triglycerides (TAGs) and 3-hydroxy-kynurenine, lower levels of unsaturated TAGs and N-acetyl-tryptophan, and a sparser and less heterogeneous network of metabolites/lipid subspecies associated with HOMA-IR. PLHIV on RAL vs ATV/r or DRV/r had lower saturated and unsaturated TAGs. Positive correlations were found between medium-long chain acylcarnitines (C14-C6 ACs), palmitate, and HOMA-IR for RAL but not ATV/r or DRV/r. Stronger correlations were seen for TAGs with interleukin 6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein after RAL vs ATV/r or DRV/r initiation; these correlations were absent in ART-naive PLHIV. Conclusion Alterations in the metabolome/lipidome suggest increased lipogenesis for ART-naive PLHIV vs HIV-seronegative individuals, increased TAG turnover for RAL vs ATV/r or DRV/r, and increased inflammation associated with this altered metabolome/lipidome after initiating ART. Future studies are needed to understand cardiometabolic consequences of lipogenesis and inflammation in PLHIV.

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