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Biomedical subjects

Philippe Marque

Publications and source records attributed to Philippe Marque.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Methylphenidate modulates cerebral post-stroke reorganization.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that a single dose of methylphenidate (MP) would modulate cerebral motor activation and behavior in patients having suffered a subcortical stroke. METHODS: Eight men with a single stroke on the corticospinal tract resulting in a pure motor hemiparesia were included in a randomized, cross-over, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were first evaluated 17 days after stroke onset by validated neurological scales, motor tests and fMRI (flexion/extension of the digits) after 20 mg MP or placebo. Seven days later, the patients underwent the same protocol and received the drug they had not taken at the first evaluation. Each patient was his own control. RESULTS: Placebo intake did not change performance. MP compared to placebo elicited a significant improvement in motor performance of the affected hand at the finger tapping test. MP induced: (1) a hyperactivation of the ipsilesional primary sensorimotor cortex including the motor hand and face areas and of the contralesional premotor cortex; (2) a hypoactivation of the ipsilesional anterior cingulum. Hyperactivation in the face motor area correlated positively with the improvement in performance. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the reorganized network may efficiently be targeted by the drug and that the effect of MP might partly rely on an improvement in attention/effort through cingulum modulation.

Aged↗

Increase in group II excitation from ankle muscles to thigh motoneurones during human standing.

In standing subjects, we investigated the excitation of quadriceps (Q) motoneurones by muscle afferents from tibialis anterior (TA) and the excitation of semitendinosus (ST) motoneurones by muscle afferents from gastrocnemius medialis (GM). Standing with a backward lean stretches the anterior muscle pair (TA and Q) and they must be co-contracted to maintain balance. Equally, forward lean stretches the posterior muscle pair (GM and ST) and they must be co-contracted. We used these conditions of enhanced lean to increase the influence of gamma static motoneurones on muscle spindle afferents, which enhances the background input from these afferents to extrafusal motoneurones. The effects of the conditioning volleys on motoneurone excitability was estimated using the modulation of the on-going rectified EMG and of the H reflex. Stimulation of afferents from TA in the deep peroneal nerve at 1.5-2 x MT (motor threshold) evoked early group I and late group II excitation of Q motoneurones. Stimulation of afferents in the GM nerve at 1.3-1.8 MT evoked only late group II excitation of ST motoneurones. The late excitation produced by the group II afferents was significantly greater when subjects were standing and leaning than when they voluntarily co-contracted the same muscle pairs at the same levels of activation. The early effect produced by the group I afferents was unchanged. We propose that this increase in excitation by group II afferents reflects a posture-related withdrawal of a tonic inhibition that is exerted by descending noradrenergic control and is specific to the synaptic actions of group II afferents.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Correlation between cerebral reorganization and motor recovery after subcortical infarcts.

Our objective was to investigate correlations between clinical motor scores and cerebral sensorimotor activation to demonstrate that this reorganization is the neural substratum of motor recovery. Correlation analyses identified reorganization processes shared by all patients. Nine patients with first-time corticospinal tract lacuna were clinically evaluated using the NIH stroke scale, the motricity index, and the Barthel index. Patients were strictly selected for pure motor deficits. They underwent a first fMRI session (E1) 11 days after stroke, and then a second (E2) 4 weeks later. The task used was a calibrated repetitive passive flexion/extension of the paretic wrist. The control task was rest. Six healthy subjects followed the same protocol. Patients were also clinically evaluated 4 and 12 months after stroke. All patients improved significantly between E1 and E2. For E1 and E2, the ipsilesional primary sensorimotor and premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), and bilateral Broadmann area (BA) 40 were activated. Activation intensity was greater at the second examination except in the ipsilesional superior BA 40. Magnitude of activation was lower than that of controls except for well-recovered patients. E1 clinical hand motor score and E1 cerebral activation correlated in the SMA proper and inferior ipsilesional BA 40. Thus, we demonstrated early functionality of the sensorimotor system. The whole sensorimotor network activation correlated with motor status at E2, indicating a recovery of its function when activated. Moreover, the activation pattern in the acute phase (E1) had a predictive value: early recruitment and high activation of the SMA and inferior BA 40 were correlated with a faster or better motor recovery. On the contrary, activation of the contralesional hemisphere (prefrontal cortex and BA 39-40) and of the posterior cingulate/precuneus (BA 7-31) predicted a slower recovery.

Adult↗

Bent spine syndrome: computed tomographic study and isokinetic evaluation.

Primary acquired lumbar kyphosis of the adult, or bent spine syndrome, is probably secondary to late-onset muscle dystrophy preferentially involving the paravertebral muscles. In order to better define the extent of this myopathy, we compared spinal computerized tomography scans and muscle force, power, and fatigability, assessed by isokinetic tests, of the spinal erector and pelvic and shoulder girdle muscles in 23 patients with primary acquired lumbar kyphosis (20 women and 3 men, mean age 72.8 years) and 15 matched control subjects. Patients had decreased spinal and shoulder muscle density. Force, power, and work done were reduced in their paravertebral muscles, whereas in the scapular and gluteus medius muscles only work done after a series of 20 rapid movements showed a decrease. Primary acquired lumbar kyphosis in the adult may be considered as a late-onset girdle myopathy with subclinical involvement of the muscles of the pelvic and shoulder girdles.

Aged↗