Biomedical subjects

M I Garry

Publications and source records attributed to M I Garry.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Interlimb coordination following stroke.

Studies investigating whether simultaneous bilateral movements can facilitate performance of the impaired limb(s) of stroke patients have returned mixed results. In the present study we compared unilateral limb performance (amplitude, cycle duration) with performance during an interlimb coordination task involving both homologous (both arms, both legs) and non-homologous (one arm, one leg) limbs in stroke participants (n=7) and healthy age-matched controls (n=7). In addition, the effect of on-line augmented visual feedback on interlimb coordination was investigated. Participants performed cyclical flexion-extension movements of the arms and legs in the sagittal plane paced by an auditory metronome (1 Hz). Movement amplitudes were larger and cycle durations shorter during homologous limb coordination than non-homologous coordination. Compared with unilateral movements both groups had reduced movement amplitudes and the stroke group increased cycle duration when interlimb coordination tasks were performed. These effects were most evident during non-homologous (arm and leg) coordination. No evidence of facilitation of the impaired limb(s) was found in any of the interlimb coordination conditions. Augmented visual feedback had minimal effect on the movements of control participants but lead to an increase of cycle duration for stroke participants.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Mirror, mirror on the wall: viewing a mirror reflection of unilateral hand movements facilitates ipsilateral M1 excitability.

Primary motor cortex (M1) excitability is modulated by both ipsilateral limb movement and passive observation of movement of the contralateral limb. An interaction of these effects within M1 may account for recent research suggesting improved functional recovery of the impaired arm following stroke by viewing a mirror reflection of movements of the unimpaired arm superimposed over the (unseen) impaired arm. This hypothesis was tested in the present study using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in eight neurologically healthy subjects. Excitability of M1 ipsilateral to a phasic, unilateral hand movement was measured while subjects performed paced (1 Hz), unilateral index finger-thumb opposition movements. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were obtained from the inactive first dorsal interosseous (FDI) in each of four viewing conditions: Active (viewing the active hand), Central (viewing a mark positioned between hands), Inactive (viewing the inactive hand) and Mirror (viewing a mirror-reflection of the active hand in a mirror oriented in the mid-sagittal plane) and with both hands at rest (Rest). MEPs were significantly enhanced during ipsilateral hand movement compared with the Rest condition (P<0.05). Largest MEPs were obtained in the Mirror condition, and this was significant compared with both the Inactive and Central viewing conditions (P<0.05). There was no difference between the dominant and non-dominant hand. Excitability of M1 ipsilateral to a unilateral hand movement is facilitated by viewing a mirror reflection of the moving hand. This finding provides neurophysiological evidence supporting the application of mirror therapy in stroke rehabilitation.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Reaction time differences in spatially constrained bilateral and unilateral movements.

Previous investigations of bilateral-unilateral reaction time (RT) differences have reported equivocal findings. Studies where bilateral RT has been found longer than unilateral RT have often emphasized movement precision, while studies reporting non-significant differences have placed little emphasis on precision. To test the hypothesis that movement precision is an important factor in the bilateral unilateral difference, we investigated the influence of changes in spatial accuracy constraints on RT for unilateral and bilateral movements. Ten self-declared right-handed subjects performed fast and accurate 45 degrees unilateral and bilateral elbow flexion movements to small (1.5 degrees) and large (12.0 degrees) targets. For bilateral movements, spatial accuracy was emphasized for only one arm (the "aiming" arm), while the contralateral ("mirroring") arm performed a simultaneous flexion movement with no emphasis on movement accuracy. We found that while changes in target size had no significant effect on movement latency, changing the hand (right vs left) for which accuracy was emphasized did. When subjects performed right-arm aiming, bilateral movements, unilateral and bilateral RT did not differ significantly. In contrast, when subjects performed left-arm aiming, bilateral movements, RT was significantly longer than for unilateral movements. We conclude that while spatial accuracy per se (i.e., target size) does not differentiate bilateral and unilateral movements, the role of the left hand (i.e., aiming vs mirroring) does. Differences in the hemispheric control of right- and left-hand aiming movements are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

The effect of target size and inertial load on the control of rapid aiming movements. A test of speed-sensitive and speed-insensitive strategies.

Two experiments are reported that investigated the effects of target size and inertial load on the control of rapid aiming movements. Based on kinematic profiles, movements were partitioned into their preprogrammed initial impulse- and feedback-based error correction phases. Electromyographic (EMG) rise rates were examined to investigate whether participants used a speed-sensitive or speed-insensitive control strategy. The results from both experiments showed that initial impulse velocity and EMG rise rates varied as a function of target size, i.e., a speed-sensitive strategy. This was the case whether participants were allowed to make error corrections to their movements (experiment 1) or were instructed to produce initial impulses that hit the target (experiment 2). Both experiments also showed that initial impulse velocity and endpoint variability were inversely related to inertial load. The results from experiment 2 indicated that, while the manipulation of inertial load had no effect on EMG rise rates for movements to a large target, EMG slopes were modulated between inertial load conditions when the target was small.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗