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At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources

Levodopa therapy improves motor function in HIV-infected children with extrapyramidal syndromes.

Five children with human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection, aged 4 to 13 years, manifested extrapyramidal dysfunction characterized by rigidity/stiffness, ambulation difficulties/shuffling gait, dysarthria/drooling/swallowing dysfunction, hypomimetic/inexpressive facies, and bradykinesia. Levodopa therapy caused an initial improvement in all symptoms, and the effect was sustained in most patients. Levodopa is a useful adjunctive therapy in HIV-1-infected children with extrapyramidal syndromes, by enhancing motor function and improving their quality of life.

Child, Preschool↗

Effects of endoscopic variceal ligation in lower esophageal motor function: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL), a recently developed method for controlling active variceal bleeding and eradicating esophageal varices, has similar efficacy to endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) and is known to have a minimal risk of complications and fewer complications in the lower esophagus. However, since the site of EVL is chiefly done in the lower esophagus, we prospectively evaluated to investigate the effect of EVL on the lower esophageal motor function. METHODS: We evaluated the severity of esophageal varix with the endoscopy and the lower esophageal manometry in 27 patients who had no history of interventional therapy, for varices before EVL, 3 weeks and 6 months after the last EVL session. RESULTS: The EVL caused considerable diminution in the size of esophageal varix by a mean 8.2 (range 3-21) ligations in mean 1.7 (range 1-3) sessions. In most of the cases, the varices reappeared and enlarged when the procedure of EVL was stopped. There were two different types of changes (intermediate and late) in the lower esophageal motility. The intermediate post-EVL effects were the increase of peristaltic contraction amplitude and duration in the lower esophageal body after EVL. The late post-EVL effects were the prolongation of lower esophageal sphinctor (LES) relaxation duration and speedier peristaltic velocity in the lower esophageal body. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude from these findings that the intermediate post-EVL effect may be transient and the increase of peristaltic wave was due to diminution of esophageal varix.

Adult↗

Review article: defects in gall-bladder motor function--role in gallstone formation and recurrence.

The pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones is now recognized as a multifactorial process, including saturation of bile with cholesterol, destabilization of bile leading to cholesterol crystals and hypomotility permitting crystal growth, and agglomeration and retention of microstones which then grow to macroscopic gallstones. In the last 15 years meticulous research has demonstrated convincing evidence that many patients with cholesterol gallstone disease have a distinct defect in gall-bladder motor function that is induced by bile saturated with cholesterol.

Cholelithiasis↗

Modulation of motor functions involving central dopaminergic system by L-histidine.

There exists a possibility of interactions of histaminergic system with other neurotransmitters and their receptors in the central nervous system. Experimental evidences suggest a possible inhibitory influence of histaminergic system on the dopaminergic system. To elucidate the possible interaction between the histaminergic and dopaminergic pathways, we devised a strategy to study their effects on locomotor function and stereotypy behaviour. We investigated the effect of L-histidine, the precursor of histamine, on apomorphine-induced stereotypy and perphenazine-induced catalepsy. Histidine antagonised apomorphine-induced stereotypy. This inhibitory effect of histidine was abolished by both H1- and H2-receptor antagonists, chlorpheniramine and cimetidine, respectively. Perphenazine-induced catalepsy was potentiated by histidine and this effect was inhibited by chlorpheniramine alone but not by cimetidine. These results confirm a possible histamine-dopamine interaction in the modulation of motor functions by the central nervous system.

Animals↗

[Radionuclide diagnosis of the ureteral motor function and urodynamics in renal tuberculosis and other diseases of the urinary system].

Radionuclide methods (a new technique of infusion dynamic ureteroscintigraphy and standard techniques of dynamic and static scintigraphy of the kidneys, radionuclide renography) were used to examine 134 patients with nephrophthisis, 61 patients with other urological diseases and 51 controls. It is shown that nephrophthisis brings urodynamic disorders and impairment of ureteral contractility. Three types of the contractile disorders are distinguished. A decline in motor function and urodynamic defects occurred also in other urological affections. Sensitive radionuclide techniques are thought valuable in examination of the urinary system and objective evaluation of urodynamic disorders.

Chronic Disease↗

Cloning and characterization of CRF, a novel C1q-related factor, expressed in areas of the brain involved in motor function.

We have isolated and characterized a novel cDNA, C1q-Related Factor (CRF), that is predicted to encode a 258 amino acid polypeptide with a hydrophobic signal sequence, a collagenous region, and a globular domain at the carboxy terminus that shares homology to the C1q signature domain. Human CRF transcript is expressed at highest levels in the brain, particularly in the brainstem. In situ hybridization to mouse brain sections demonstrated that CRF transcripts are most abundant in areas of the nervous system involved in motor function, such as the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, the accessory olivary nucleus, the pons and the red nucleus. The mouse CRF homolog is highly similar to the human gene at both the nucleotide and protein level, suggesting an important conserved role for this protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Alterations of sensori-motor functions of the digestive tract in the pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome.

Pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is based upon multiple factors that have been organised in a comprehensive model centred around the brain-gut axis. The brain-gut axis encompasses nerve pathways linking the enteric and the central nervous systems and contains a large proportion of afferent fibres. Functionally and anatomically, visceral nerves are divided in to two categories: the parasympathetic pathways distributing to the upper gut through the vagi and to the hindgut, through the pelvic and pudendal nerves, and the sympathetic pathways, arising form the spinal cord and distributing to the midgut via the paravertebral ganglia. Several abnormalities of gut sensori-motor function have been described in patients with IBS. Abnormal motility patterns have been described at the intestinal and colonic levels. Changes in colonic motility are mainly related to bowel disturbances linked to IBS but do not correlate with pain. More recently, visceral hypersensitivity has been recognised as a main characteristic of patients with IBS. It is defined by an exaggerated perception of luminal distension of various segments of the gut and related to peripheral changes in the processing of visceral sensations as well as modulation of perception by centrally acting factors including mood and stress. Viscero-visceral reflexes link the two edges of the brain-gut axis and may account for the origin of symptoms in some pathological conditions. Recent advances in the understanding of the role of myenteric plexus allowed recognition of several neurotransmitters involved at the level of both the afferent and efferent pathways. Targeting the receptors of these neurotransmitters is a promising way for development of new treatments for IBS.

Animals↗

[Motor function of the gastrointestinal tract after extensive resection of the small intestine].

A functional and roentgenological investigation of the motor-evacuative function of the digestive tract has shown that resection of the small intestine with construction of an entero-enteroanastomosis is followed by a delayed passage of a contrast suspension in the remained portions of the small intestine. Further, there occurs a delay in evacuation of the contrast food suspension from the stomach in marked hypermotor dyskinesia of the small and large bowel. Following resection of the small intestine with an ileo-transverse anastomosis hypermotor peristalsis was observed. The passage of chymus from the small intestine into the colon lasted 1--2 hours. The cecal portion of the colon at the site of ileo-traansverse anastomosis was enlarged sacwise and turned into a reservoir for permanent stasis of the bowel content. The ileocecal portion regulating the chymus income into the colon plays a decisive role in intensity of compensatory-adaptive processes following resection of the small intestine.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Urocortins and the regulation of gastrointestinal motor function and visceral pain.

Urocortin (Ucn) 1, 2 and 3 are corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)-related peptides recently characterized in mammals. Urocortin 1 binds with high affinity to CRF type 1 (CRF1) and type 2 (CRF2) receptors while Ucn 2 and Ucn 3 are selective CRF2 ligands. They also have a distinct pattern of distribution, both in the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, compatible with a role mediating, with CRF, the response to stress. In rats and mice, Ucn 1 injected centrally or peripherally inhibited gastric emptying and stimulated colonic propulsive motor function, mimicking the effects of stress or exogenous CRF. Centrally administered Ucn 2 inhibited gastric emptying with similar potency as CRF, while Ucn 1 and Ucn 3 were less potent. However, after peripheral administration, Ucn 1 and Ucn 2 were more potent than CRF. In mice, centrally administered Ucn 1 and 2 stimulated colonic motility with lower potency than CRF, and Ucn 3 was inactive. Studies with selective CRF1 and CRF2 antagonists demonstrated that the gastric-inhibitory and colonic-stimulatory effects of exogenously administered Ucns are mediated through CRF2 and CRF1 receptors, respectively. In addition, Ucn 2 showed visceral anti-nociceptive activity associated with the selective activation of CRF2 receptors. These observations suggest that, acting centrally and peripherally, Ucns might play a significant role in the modulation of gastrointestinal motor and pain responses during stress and stress-related pathophysiological conditions.

Animals↗

Motor function in 90-year olds measured by optoelectronic kinesiology and activities of daily living.

Computer-assisted optoelectronic movement analysis using a Posturo-Locomotor-Manual (PLM) test, and assessment with an ADL (Activities of Daily Living) scale were performed in 36 (18 women and 18 men) 90-year-old subjects as part of a larger study. In the PLM test, the subjects were asked to pick up an object placed on the floor, and carry it to a shelf at the height of their chin and at a distance of 150 cm from the starting position. In the ADL assessment, the subjects were classified as ADL-dependent or independent in each of 4 instrumental (cleaning, shopping, transport and cooking) and 5 personal activities (bathing, dressing, going to the toilet, transfer and feeding). ADL independence was defined as being able to perform ADL activities without assistance from another person. In this study, ADL-dependent subjects performed the PLM test considerably more slowly than the ADL-independent group. A correlation was found in females between poorer ADL performance and slower and less co-ordinated PLM test results. Particularly, the Postural and Locomotor phases representing lower limb mobility correlated to the ADL steps. In males, no such correlation was found, indicating that factors other than mobility were important for ADL performance in this group, e.g., cooking skills. The relationships between the PLM test and the ADL assessment estimating practical motor function could be an indication that the PLM test is not only a strict laboratory method, but also measures components of everyday motor activities. Combined use of optoelectronic measurements and ADL scales will improve measurements of motor performance in elderly persons.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Differential light chain assembly influences outer arm dynein motor function.

Tctex1 and Tctex2 were originally described as potential distorters/sterility factors in the non-Mendelian transmission of t-haplotypes in mice. These proteins have since been identified as subunits of cytoplasmic and/or axonemal dyneins. Within the Chlamydomonas flagellum, Tctex1 is a subunit of inner arm I1. We have now identified a second Tctex1-related protein (here termed LC9) in Chlamydomonas. LC9 copurifies with outer arm dynein in sucrose density gradients and is missing only in those strains completely lacking this motor. Zero-length cross-linking of purified outer arm dynein indicates that LC9 interacts directly with both the IC1 and IC2 intermediate chains. Immunoblot analysis revealed that LC2, LC6, and LC9 are missing in an IC2 mutant strain (oda6-r88) that can assemble outer arms but exhibits significantly reduced flagellar beat frequency. This defect is unlikely to be due to lack of LC6, because an LC6 null mutant (oda13) exhibits only a minor swimming abnormality. Using an LC2 null mutant (oda12-1), we find that although some outer arm dynein components assemble in the absence of LC2, they are nonfunctional. In contrast, dyneins from oda6-r88, which also lack LC2, retain some activity. Furthermore, we observed a synthetic assembly defect in an oda6-r88 oda12-1 double mutant. These data suggest that LC2, LC6, and LC9 have different roles in outer arm assembly and are required for wild-type motor function in the Chlamydomonas flagellum.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Sensori-motor function in older persons with diabetes.

Twenty-five persons with diabetes (aged 55-83 years) who were living independently in the community, and 40 age- and sex-matched non-diabetic controls were assessed for tactile sensitivity, vibration sense, proprioception, quadriceps strength and body sway. In both men and women, those with diabetes performed significantly worse in tests of body sway on firm and compliant surfaces compared with the control subjects after controlling for weight and body mass index. The female diabetic subjects also performed significantly worse in tests of peripheral sensation and strength compared with controls. Age-related declines in sensori-motor function were greater in the diabetic group (r = 0.55-0.75) than in the controls (r < 0.44), while within the diabetic group, duration of diabetes and vibration sense were significantly correlated with sway on a compliant (foam rubber) surface with the eyes open (partial r = 0.52, p < 0.01 and r = 0.55, p < 0.01, respectively). The study findings provide evidence that older people with diabetes have problems with stability and related sensori-motor factors which may place them at increased risk of falls.

Adult↗

Differential effects of developmental cerebellar abnormality on cognitive and motor functions in the cerebellum: an fMRI study of autism.

OBJECTIVE: Recent years have seen a revolution in views regarding cerebellar function. New findings suggest that the cerebellum plays a role in multiple functional domains: cognitive, affective, and sensory as well as motor. These findings imply that developmental cerebellar pathology could play a role in certain nonmotor functional deficits, thereby calling for a broader investigation of the functional consequences of cerebellar pathology. Autism provides a useful model, since over 90% of autistic cerebella examined at autopsy have shown well-defined cerebellar anatomic abnormalities. The aim of the present study was to examine how such pathology ultimately impacts cognitive and motor function within the cerebellum. METHOD: Patterns of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation within anatomically defined cerebellar regions of interest were examined in eight autistic patients (ages 14-38 years) and eight matched healthy comparison subjects performing motor and attention tasks. For the motor task, subjects pressed a button at a comfortable pace, and activation was compared with a rest condition. For the attention task, visual stimuli were presented one at a time at fixation, and subjects pressed a button to every target. Activation was compared with passive visual stimulation. RESULTS: While performing these tasks, autistic individuals showed significantly greater cerebellar motor activation and significantly less cerebellar attention activation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shed new light on the cerebellar role in attention deficits in autism and suggest that developmental cerebellar abnormality has differential functional implications for cognitive and motor systems.

Adolescent↗

6-Shogaol, a natural product, reduces cell death and restores motor function in rat spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in progressive waves of secondary injuries, which via the activation of a barrage of noxious pathological mechanisms exacerbate the injury to the spinal cord. Secondary injuries are associated with edema, inflammation, excitotoxicity, excessive cytokine release, caspase activation and cell apoptosis. This study was aimed at investigating the possible neuroprotective effects of 6-shogaol purified from Zingiber officinale by comparing an experimental SCI rat group with SCI control rats. Shogaol attenuated apoptotic cell death, including poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity, and reduced astrogliosis and hypomyelination which occurs in areas of active cell death in the spinal cords of SCI rats. The foremost protective effect of shogaol in SCI would therefore be manifested in the suppression of the acute secondary apoptotic cell death. However, it does not attenuate active microglia and macrophage infiltration. This finding is supported by a lack of histopathological changes in the areas of the lesion in the shogaol-treated SCI rats. Moreover, shogaol-mediated neuroprotection has been linked with shogaol's attenuation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, p-SAPK/JNK and signal transducer, and with transcription-3 activation. Our results demonstrate that shogaol administrated immediately after SCI significantly diminishes functional deficits. The shogaol-treated group recovered hindlimb reflexes more rapidly and a higher percentage of these rats regained responses compared with the untreated injured rats. The overall hindlimb functional improvement of hindlimbs, as measured by the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scale, was significantly enhanced in the shogaol-treated group relative to the SCI control rats. Our data show that the therapeutic outcome of shogaol probably results from its comprehensive effects of blocking apoptotic cell death, resulting in the protection of white matter, oligodendrocytes and neurons, and inhibiting astrogliosis. Our finding that the administration of shogaol prevents secondary pathological events in traumatic SCIs and promotes recovery of motor functions in an animal model raises the issue of whether shogaol could be used therapeutically in humans after SCI.

Animals↗

[The influence of intrathecal NMDA receptor antagonist on the isoflurane MAC and on the motor function].

The effect of intrathecal administration of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonists on the isoflurane MAC (minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration), and on the locomotor function, were studied in Wistar rats with catheters placed intrathecally. We determined the isoflurane MAC after the administration of either a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, AP7 (0.044-132 nmole), or a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist, MK801 (0.3-90 nmole), as well as NMDA (0.068-204 nmole), and saline. AP7 (0.44-132 nmole) and MK801 (30-90 nmole) decreased the MAC. Intrathecal administration of NMDA reversed these decreases of MAC, but reversal effect is incomplete with AP7 132 nmole and MK801 90 nmole. In a locomotor dysfunction test, rats showed motor dysfunction with AP7 132 nmole (P < 0.05) and MK801 90 nmole (P < 0.05), but low doses did not exert these effects. Large doses of NMDA antagonist decreased the isoflurane MAC due to motor dysfunction, but low doses reduced the MAC without impairing motor function. We suspect that NMDA receptor antagonists play important roles in determining the isoflurane MAC in the spinal cord.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

Review article: gall-bladder motor function in diabetes mellitus.

Although some controversy exists, diabetic patients generally are thought to have a two- to threefold increased risk of cholesterol gallstones. From previous studies there is no convincing evidence for a supersaturated bile in diabetics, whereas several reports indicate that impaired gall-bladder emptying could be one of the important factors in the increased incidence of gallstones in diabetics. However, studies of gall-bladder motility in diabetics have yielded conflicting results, probably because of substantial heterogeneity in the patients studied, emptying stimulus and technique used to assess gall-bladder motor function. The mechanism of the gall-bladder emptying abnormality in diabetics is not completely understood, although it has been proposed that it could represent a manifestation of denervation caused by visceral neuropathy. Based on normal post-prandial cholecystokinin release, it can be ruled out that impaired cholecystokinin release is the mechanism responsible for reduced gall-bladder emptying in diabetics. Other possible explanations for impaired gall-bladder contraction in diabetics include a decreased sensitivity of the smooth muscle of the gall-bladder to plasma cholecystokinin, and/or decreased cholecystokinin receptors on the gall-bladder wall.

Cholecystokinin↗

Partial return of motor function in paralyzed legs after surgical bypass of the lesion site by nerve autografts three years after spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injuries often result in irreversible loss of motor and somatosensory functions below the lesion level. Treatment is limited to physiotherapy aimed at compensating disability. We previously showed that re-establishment of tissue continuity can be achieved in animal models through nerve autografts implanted between the rostral spinal ventral horn and the caudal ventral roots. Rostral motor neuron axons could thus reach peripheral targets, leading to some return of motor function. We used a similar approach in a paraplegic patient with stabilized clinical states three years after spinal cord traumatic damage at the T9 level. Three segments from autologous sural nerves were implanted into the right and left antero-lateral quadrant of the cord at T7-8 levels, then connected to homolateral L2-4 lumbar ventral roots, respectively. Eight months after surgery, voluntary contractions of bilateral adductors and of the left quadriceps were observed. Muscular activity was confirmed by motor unit potentials in response to attempted muscle contraction. Motor-evoked potentials from these muscles were recorded by transcranial magnetic stimulation. These data support the hypothesis that muscles have been re-connected to supra-spinal centers through motor neurons located in the rostral stump of the damaged cord. They suggest that delayed surgical reconstruction of motor pathways may contribute to partial functional recovery.

Electromyography↗

Adenovirus-mediated delivery of GDNF ameliorates corticospinal neuronal atrophy and motor function deficits in rats with spinal cord injury.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) delivery mediated by a recombinant adenovirus (AdCMVgdnf or AdCMVlacZ) on the functional recovery and central neuronal atrophy in adult rats with spinal cord injury. Bilateral electrolytic lesions were made in the corticospinal tracts at the T10 vertebral level in a rat model. AdCMVgdnf or AdCMVlacZ was injected at the lesion site immediately after operation. After 2-3 weeks the neurological score and the inclined plane angle were significantly higher and the soma size of corticospinal motoneurons was larger in the AdCMVgdnf group compared with the AdCMVlacZ group. These results demonstrated that adenovirus-mediated delivery of GDNF could prevent the retrograde atrophy of corticospinal motoneurons and improve the motor function in rats with spinal cord injury.

Adenoviridae↗