Biomedical subjects

B Debu

Publications and source records attributed to B Debu.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1989

The growth cones of identified motoneurons in embryonic zebrafish select appropriate pathways in the absence of specific cellular interactions.

Developing motoneurons in zebrafish embryos follow a stereotyped sequence of axonal outgrowth and accurately project their axons to cell-specific target muscles. During axonal pathfinding, an identified motoneuron pioneers the peripheral motor pathway. Growth cones of later motoneurons interact with the pioneer via contact, coupling, and axonal fasciculation. In spite of these interactions, ablation of the pioneer motoneuron does not affect the ability of other identified motoneurons to select the pathways that lead to appropriate target muscles. We conclude that interactions between these cells during pathfinding are not required for accurate pathway selection.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Neck, trunk and limb muscle responses during postural perturbations in humans.

This study examined the EMG onsets of leg, trunk, and neck muscles in 10 standing human subjects in response to support surface anterior and posterior translations, and to plantar and dorsiflexion rotations. The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that the responses radiating upward from distal leg muscles represent part of a large ascending synergy encompassing axial muscles along the entire length of the body. If these responses are not ascending, then the muscles of the neck, and possibly the trunk, can be independently activated by vestibular, proprioceptive or visual inputs. We analysed the timing of postural muscle responses within and between body segments in order to determine whether they maintained a consistent temporal relationship under translational and rotational platform movement paradigms. Our results did not strongly support an ascending pattern of activation in all directions of platform perturbation. Temporal differences between activation patterns to platform perturbations in the forward or backward directions were revealed. In response to posterior platform translations we observed an ascending pattern of muscle responses along the extensor surface of the body. In addition, responses elicited in the neck flexor and abdominal muscles occurred as early as those of the stretched ankle muscles. This pattern of upward radiation from stretched ankle muscles was not as clear for anterior platform displacements, where early neck flexor muscle responses were observed during the ascending sequence on the flexor surface of the body. Platform rotations caused fewer responses in the neck and upper trunk muscles than translations, and all muscles responses occurred simultaneously rather than sequentially. Probable differences in the stimulation of vestibular and neck proprioceptive inputs and the mechanical demands of the rotation and translation paradigms are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Postural responses to changing task conditions.

The experimental goal was to investigate discrepancies in the literature concerning postural adaptation and to determine if the prior presentation of horizontal perturbations affected the amplitude of responses to rotational perturbations. Surface EMG recordings from lower leg muscles (gastrocnemius (GAS) and tibialis anterior (TA)) were recorded in twelve subjects, and the amplitudes of the responses were statistically analyzed. We did not find differences between the responses to rotational perturbations which preceded or followed horizontal perturbations. This finding did not support the hypothesis that differences in the order of presentation of the different types of perturbations accounted for the discrepancies in the literature. Furthermore, our design did not show the progressive elimination of the GAS response within three to five sequential trials. Instead, we found a slow but significant response amplitude reduction over ten trials without yielding a permanent disappearance of the response. When analyzing the GAS responses to the rotational perturbations only, we found two components that contributed to the response reduction: 1) an initial reduction between trials one and subsequent trials, which could be due to habituation of a startle-like response; and 2) a second reduction which was more gradual. Our results also showed an immediate change in the response amplitude on the first trial, when the type of perturbation was changed. This is inconsistent with the view that ankle musculature stretch and joint movement are the primary inputs driving the postural responses. Since small ankle dorsiflexing rotations produced by the platform translations caused large GAS responses while large ankle dorsiflexing rotations produced by direct platform rotations caused small GAS responses, this suggests that multiple sensory inputs contribute to the responses. We propose that an initial compensation to a new perturbation type occurs within the first trial by the integration of these divergent sensory inputs.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMed1988

Effects of gymnastics training on postural responses to stance perturbations.

The aim of the present experiment was twofold: (a) document the developmental course of postural responses to stance perturbations causing backward body sway and (b) investigate the plasticity of these responses by assessing the changes occurring in their organization as a result of gymnastics training. Fourteen untrained children (7 to 10 and 11 to 16 years old) and 15 age-matched gymnasts were tested on a movable platform. Four conditions were used: two-legged vs. one-legged stance x vision absent vs. present. Effects of age and training were assessed on the response latencies of eight muscles. Results showed no significant effect of age, but both stance and visual conditions affected the untrained subjects' response latencies. Wee found a significant effect of training on the response latency for the upper body muscles located on the frontal aspect of the body. This effect reflects an increase in gymnasts' response latencies as compared with controls'. Stance, but not vision, affected the responses of the trained subjects. Some implications of these results are discussed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1988

Postural adjustments to head movements in the cat.

Head movements induced by motor cortex stimulation in the cat are accompanied by variations in the vertical force exerted by each limb. These postural responses were found to show stereotyped patterns: with head dorsiflexions an increase was observed in the force exerted by the anterior limbs and a decrease at the posterior limb level. From comparison between the latencies of the force variations, the beginning of head acceleration, and EMG activity in the limb extensor muscles, it was concluded that triggering of these postural responses is not reflex, but depends on the same command as the movement itself. This early response might be a means of avoiding the downward movement of the trunk which would otherwise result from the reaction force corresponding to the upward head movement.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Neuromuscular control of posture in the infant and child: is vision dominant?

This study explored the effects of vision and maturation on the characteristics of neuromuscular responses underlying balance control in both seated and standing children of five age groups (3 1/2-5 months, 8-14 months, 2-3 years, 4-6 years, and 7-10 years). A platform was used to unexpectedly disturb the child's balance in the anterior or posterior direction. Responses of the leg, trunk, and neck muscles were recorded using surface electromyograms. Vision was not required for the activation of these responses in any of the age groups tested. However, comparison of the muscle response latencies of standing children to posterior platform translation in the two visual conditions showed a significant reduction in latency for neck flexors in the 2- to 3-year-olds with vision removed and ann increase in the total number of monosynaptic reflexes. No reduction in latency was found in the older age groups. The hypothesis of a shift from an early long latency visual dominance to a shorter latency proprioceptive one during childhood is discussed. Postural control showed a cephalo-caudal developmental gradient with postural responses appearing first in the neck, then trunk, and finally, legs, as children developed from 3 to 14 months of age. A wide variety of response patterns was seen in the 3- to 5-month-olds, indicating that postural responses are not functional prior to experience with stabilizing the center of mass.

Journal Article↗