scholarly journals Increased neuromuscular consistency in gait and balance after partnered, dance-based rehabilitation in Parkinson’s disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 363-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Allen ◽  
J. Lucas McKay ◽  
Andrew Sawers ◽  
Madeleine E. Hackney ◽  
Lena H. Ting

Here we examined changes in muscle coordination associated with improved motor performance after partnered, dance-based rehabilitation in individuals with mild to moderate idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. Using motor module (a.k.a. muscle synergy) analysis, we identified changes in the modular control of overground walking and standing reactive balance that accompanied clinically meaningful improvements in behavioral measures of balance, gait, and disease symptoms after 3 wk of daily Adapted Tango classes. In contrast to previous studies that revealed a positive association between motor module number and motor performance, none of the six participants in this pilot study increased motor module number despite improvements in behavioral measures of balance and gait performance. Instead, motor modules were more consistently recruited and distinctly organized immediately after rehabilitation, suggesting more reliable motor output. Furthermore, the pool of motor modules shared between walking and reactive balance increased after rehabilitation, suggesting greater generalizability of motor module function across tasks. Our work is the first to show that motor module distinctness, consistency, and generalizability are more sensitive to improvements in gait and balance function after short-term rehabilitation than motor module number. Moreover, as similar differences in motor module distinctness, consistency, and generalizability have been demonstrated previously in healthy young adults with and without long-term motor training, our work suggests commonalities in the structure of muscle coordination associated with differences in motor performance across the spectrum from motor impairment to expertise. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate changes in neuromuscular control of gait and balance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease after short-term, dance-based rehabilitation. Our work is the first to show that motor module distinctness, consistency, and generalizability across gait and balance are more sensitive than motor module number to improvements in motor performance following short-term rehabilitation. Our results indicate commonalities in muscle coordination improvements associated with motor skill reacquisition due to rehabilitation and motor skill acquisition in healthy individuals.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Allen ◽  
Trisha M. Kesar ◽  
Lena H. Ting

AbstractHere, we examined features of muscle coordination associated with reduced walking performance in chronic stroke survivors. Using motor module (a.k.a. muscle synergy) analysis, we identified differences in the modular control of overground walking and standing reactive balance in stroke survivors compared to age-similar neurotypical controls. In contrast to previous studies that demonstrated reduced motor module number post-stroke, our cohort of stroke survivors did not exhibit a reduction in motor module number compared to controls during either walking or reactive balance. Instead, the pool of motor modules common to walking and reactive balance was smaller, suggesting a reduction in generalizability of motor module function across behaviors. The motor modules common to walking and reactive balance tended to be less variable and more distinct, suggesting more reliable output compared to motor modules specific to one behavior. Indeed, higher levels of motor module generalization was associated with faster walking speeds in stroke survivors. Further, recruitment of a common independent plantarflexor module across both behaviors was associated with faster walking speeds. Our work is the first to show that motor module generalization across walking and balance may help to distinguish important and clinically-relevant differences in walking performance across stroke survivors that would have been overlooked by examining only a single behavior. Finally, as similar relationships between motor module generalization and walking performance have been demonstrated in healthy young adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease, our work suggests that motor module generalization across walking and balance may be important for well-coordinated walking.New and NoteworthyOur study is the first to simultaneously examine neuromuscular control of walking and standing reactive balance in stroke survivors. We show that motor module generalization across these behaviors (i.e., recruiting common motor modules) is reduced compared to neurotypical controls, which is associated with slower walking speeds. This is true despite no difference in motor module number between groups within each behavior, suggesting that motor module generalization across walking and balance is important for well-coordinated walking.


2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 277-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Allen ◽  
Trisha M. Kesar ◽  
Lena H. Ting

Muscle coordination is often impaired after stroke, leading to deficits in the control of walking and balance. In this study, we examined features of muscle coordination associated with reduced walking performance in chronic stroke survivors using motor module (a.k.a. muscle synergy) analysis. We identified differences between stroke survivors and age-similar neurotypical controls in the modular control of both overground walking and standing reactive balance. In contrast to previous studies that demonstrated reduced motor module number poststroke, our cohort of stroke survivors did not exhibit a reduction in motor module number compared with controls during either walking or reactive balance. Instead, the pool of motor modules common to walking and reactive balance was smaller, suggesting reduced generalizability of motor module function across behaviors. The motor modules common to walking and reactive balance tended to be less variable and more distinct, suggesting more reliable output compared with motor modules specific to either behavior. Greater motor module generalization in stroke survivors was associated with faster walking speed, more normal step length asymmetry, and narrower step widths. Our work is the first to show that motor module generalization across walking and balance may help to distinguish important and clinically relevant differences in walking performance across stroke survivors that would have been overlooked by examining only a single behavior. Finally, because similar relationships between motor module generalization and walking performance have been demonstrated in healthy young adults and individuals with Parkinson’s disease, this suggests that motor module generalization across walking and balance may be important for well-coordinated walking. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first work to simultaneously examine neuromuscular control of walking and standing reactive balance in stroke survivors. We show that motor module generalization across these behaviors (i.e., recruiting common motor modules) is reduced compared with controls and is associated with slower walking speeds, asymmetric step lengths, and larger step widths. This is true despite no between-group differences in module number, suggesting that motor module generalization across walking and balance is important for well-coordinated walking.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 959
Author(s):  
Konstantin G. Heimrich ◽  
Thomas Lehmann ◽  
Peter Schlattmann ◽  
Tino Prell

Recent evidence suggests that the vagus nerve and autonomic dysfunction play an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Using heart rate variability analysis, the autonomic modulation of cardiac activity can be investigated. This meta-analysis aims to assess if analysis of heart rate variability may indicate decreased parasympathetic tone in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central databases were searched on 31 December 2020. Studies were included if they: (1) were published in English, (2) analyzed idiopathic Parkinson’s disease and healthy adult controls, and (3) reported at least one frequency- or time-domain heart rate variability analysis parameter, which represents parasympathetic regulation. We included 47 studies with 2772 subjects. Random-effects meta-analyses revealed significantly decreased effect sizes in Parkinson patients for the high-frequency spectral component (HFms2) and the short-term measurement of the root mean square of successive normal-to-normal interval differences (RMSSD). However, heterogeneity was high, and there was evidence for publication bias regarding HFms2. There is some evidence that a more advanced disease leads to an impaired parasympathetic regulation. In conclusion, short-term measurement of RMSSD is a reliable parameter to assess parasympathetically impaired cardiac modulation in Parkinson patients. The measurement should be performed with a predefined respiratory rate.


1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 306-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktor Müller ◽  
Bettina Mohr ◽  
Regina Rosin ◽  
Friedemann Pulvermüller ◽  
Friedemann Müller ◽  
...  

Brain ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. BAKER ◽  
N. J. DAVEY ◽  
P. H. ELLAWAY ◽  
C. L. FRIEDILAND

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 867-874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haidar Salimi Dafsari ◽  
Luisa Weiß ◽  
Monty Silverdale ◽  
Alexandra Rizos ◽  
Prashanth Reddy ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 71 (9A) ◽  
pp. 591-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimundo Nonato Campos-Sousa ◽  
Elizabeth Maria Aparecida Barasnevicius Quagliato ◽  
Kelson James Almeida ◽  
Inacio Augusto Dias de Castro ◽  
Viriato Campelo

Introduction Detrusor hyperactivity is the leading cause of urinary dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD). There are few studies correlating PD clinical aspects with this autonomic feature. Methods A cohort of 63 women with PD were prospectively examined for assessment of clinical aspects and disease severity using unified Parkinson's disease rating scale and Hoehn-Yahr scale, respectively. The urologic function was evaluated by the urodynamic study. Two groups were categorized at this time - groups with and without detrusor hyperactivity. After seven years, the same parameters were re-evaluated. Results Progression of the disease on mental scores was found in the group with detrusor hyperactivity. On follow-up, clinical symptoms and severity did not show significant worsening between the groups. Conclusion Detrusor hyperactivity is a frequent urodynamic finding in PD, and even though it is associated with dopaminergic dysfunction, it cannot be blamed as a factor of worsening motor performance, but is probably associated with poor cognitive and mental prognosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 431
Author(s):  
André Zacharia ◽  
Isabel Sastre-Bataller ◽  
Dejan Georgiev ◽  
Ludvic Zrinzo ◽  
Marwan Hariz ◽  
...  

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