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Results for “sensorimotor function”

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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Effect of aging on sensorimotor functions of eye and hand movements.

Changes in coordinated eye and hand movements with aging were studied in normal young and elderly subjects. Electrooculograms, flexor and extensor electromyograms, and potentials representing hand movements were recorded and used to evaluate the performance in aiming tasks. The parameters that reflect motor functions did not change significantly with aging in both eye and hand movements. However, elderly subjects commonly showed increases in reaction times of the initial (open-loop) movements in both eye and hand movements. Interestingly, the time increments were almost equivalent in these two functionally distinct motor systems. The durations of error-correcting (closed-loop) movements also increased significantly with aging in both motor systems. These increases suggest that the aging effects are the manifestation of impairment in the sensory process.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

alpha-Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) disturbed the sensorimotor functional recovery from a sciatic lesion.

The effects of inhibition of polyamine synthesis on the motor and sensory functional neural recovery after a sciatic crush lesion was studied by measuring sensory and motor function of a crushed sciatic nerve after daily exposure to alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO). DFMO increased the time needed for functional motor recovery by 13% in the toe-spread test when the lesion was about 20 mm proximal to the target muscle. DFMO reduced the rate of sensory axonal elongation by 24% in the pinch-test.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Walking stability and sensorimotor function in older people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, in older people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) and in age-matched controls, acceleration patterns of the head and pelvis when walking to determine the effect of lower-limb sensory loss on walking stability. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: Falls and balance laboratory in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty persons with diabetes mellitus (age range, 55-91 y) and 30 age-matched controls. INTERVENTIONS: Acceleration patterns of the head and pelvis were measured while participants walked on a level surface and an irregular walkway. Participants also underwent tests of vision, sensation, strength, reaction time, and balance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Temporospatial gait parameters and variables derived from acceleration signals. RESULTS: Participants with DPN had reduced walking speed, cadence, and step length, and less rhythmic acceleration patterns at the head and pelvis compared with controls. These differences were particularly evident when participants walked on the irregular surface. Participants with DPN also had impaired peripheral sensation, reaction time, and balance. CONCLUSIONS: Older people with DPN have an impaired ability to stabilize their body when walking on irregular surfaces, even if they adopt a more conservative gait pattern. These results provide further insights into the role of peripheral sensory input in the control of gait stability, and suggest possible mechanisms underlying the increased risk of falling in older people with diabetic neuropathy.

Acceleration↗
PubMed2005

Quantitative assessments of the effect of bilateral subthalamic stimulation on multiple aspects of sensorimotor function for patients with Parkinson's disease.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) is effective for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease. Most studies have evaluated the effectiveness of DBS of the STN using clinical motor scores or simple timed tests of motor function. There have been few studies that quantitatively assessed the outcome of STN DBS using multiple testing paradigms. In the current study, 11 patients who had bilateral STN DBS were quantitatively evaluated under four conditions using gait, postural control, and gait initiation. The four conditions included the medication on/stimulation on (M_on/S_on), medication on/stimulation off (M_on/S_off), medication off/stimulation on (M_off/S_on), and medication off/stimulation off (M_off/S_off) conditions. DBS of the STN significantly increased walking speed with and without levodopa, but had no influence on the cadence. The addition of levodopa had a minimal additional effect on walking speed. The effect of STN DBS on gait initiation approached the significant level. The mean values of lateral body sway during quiet standing increased moderately with medication and/or DBS, but the changes were not statistically significant. Future studies need to determine whether or not there is a potential negative effect of STN DBS on the postural control.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cognitive and sensorimotor functions in 6-year-old children in relation to lead and mercury levels: adjustment for intelligence and contrast sensitivity in computerized testing.

Within a larger environmental health screening program neurobehavioral measures were taken in 384 6-year-old children (mean age 74 months) in the cities of Leipzig, Gardelegen, and Duisburg. Lead concentrations in venous blood samples (PbB) and urinary mercury excretion in 24-h samples (HgU) were measured as markers of environmental exposure by electrothermal AAS. Dependent variables included two subtests from the WISC [vocabulary (V) and block design (BD)] as well as five tests from the NES2 [pattern comparison, pattern memory, tapping, simple reaction time, and the continuous performance test (CPT; child version)]. In addition, visual functions [visual acuity (TITMUS-test) and contrast sensitivity (FACT)] were tested as covariates. The overall average PbB (geometric mean) was 42.5 microg/l (upper 95% value = 89 microg/l). The overall average mercury excretion (HgU) was 0.16 microg/24 h. Whereas no significant or borderline associations between HgU and any of the target variables was found, significant negative associations were observed between PbB and verbal intelligence (WISC vocabulary but not WISC Block Design) and false-positive responses (false alarms), as well as false-negative responses (miss) in the CPT. Whereas parental education was the most important confounder for WISC performance, visual contrast sensitivity and computer familiarity also proved predictive for performance in several computer-based NES subtests. It is concluded that non-IQ measures, namely measures of sustained attention, are negatively affected in children with 95% of blood-lead levels below 90 microg/l, even after adjustment for intelligence and contrast sensitivity, whereas the causative role of lead in altering IQ functions remains somewhat equivocal, because important covariates could not be controlled for.

Child↗
PubMed2001

The acute effects of norharman on cocaine self-administration and sensorimotor function in male Wistar rats.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the acute effects of the beta-carboline norharman on cocaine dependence. Male Wistar rats were allowed to self-administer cocaine for 3 h for seven sessions. A single injection of norharman (0.2-20 mg/kg, i.p.) was given 30 min before the onset of the seventh session. It was shown that norharman decreased the cocaine intake in a U-shaped manner with the dose of 10 mg/kg having the most potent effect. These results indicate that several receptor mechanisms mediate the effects of norharman. In addition, 15 min following the administration of norharman on session 7, motor and sensory skill tests were performed. Six naïve animals were tested with the dose, which has the most pronounced effect on cocaine self-administration intake, in order to examine whether the observed effects were due to norharman or due to the combination of norharman and cocaine. It was observed that norharman in both the naïve and cocaine-exposed animals significantly increased the response time in the somato-sensory orienting test. However, only in the naïve animals a significant effect of norharman on the grasp reflex was observed.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Influence of the selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, paroxetine, on gastric sensorimotor function in humans.

BACKGROUND: The role of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the control of gastric fundus tone in humans is still unknown. Selective 5-hydroxytryptamine re-uptake inhibitors act both centrally and peripherally to enhance the availability of physiologically released 5-hydroxytryptamine. AIM: To study the influence of a selective 5-hydroxytryptamine re-uptake inhibitor, paroxetine, on gastric fundus tone, on the perception to gastric distension and on gastric accommodation to a meal. METHODS: Sixteen healthy volunteers underwent a gastric barostat study on two occasions, after pre-treatment with placebo or paroxetine, 20 mg/day. Graded isobaric and isovolumetric distensions were performed and perception was scored by a questionnaire. Subsequently, the amplitude of the gastric accommodation to a mixed liquid meal was also measured. RESULTS: Pre-treatment with paroxetine did not alter the thresholds for perception and discomfort during isobaric (4.7 +/- 2.3 vs. 4.0 +/- 2.0 mmHg and 13.3 +/- 3.1 vs. 12.7 +/- 2.3 mmHg above the minimum intragastric distending pressure, N.S.) and isovolumetric (307 +/- 90 vs. 417 +/- 114 mL and 772 +/- 74 vs. 750 +/- 76 mL, N.S.) distensions. Paroxetine significantly enhanced the amplitude of the meal-induced fundus relaxation (136 +/- 51 vs. 255 +/- 43 mL, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-treatment with paroxetine enhances gastric accommodation to a meal. These data suggest that the release of 5-hydroxytryptamine, probably at the level of the enteric nervous system, is involved in the control of the accommodation reflex in humans, and that paroxetine may be beneficial to patients with impaired post-prandial fundus relaxation.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Gastric sensorimotor functions and hormone profile in normal weight, overweight, and obese people.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Peptide YY (PYY) levels are reported to be decreased in obesity. The relation between gastric functions, satiation, and gut hormones in obesity is incompletely understood. The aim of this study was to compare gastric volumes, emptying, maximum tolerated volumes, postchallenge symptoms, and selected gut hormones in normal, overweight, or obese healthy volunteers. METHODS: In 73 nonbulimic normal, overweight, or obese participants weighing less than 137 kg, we measured gastric emptying of solids and liquids by scintigraphy (gastric emptying half-time [GE t(1/2)]); gastric volumes by single-photon emission computed tomography; maximum tolerated volumes and symptoms by satiation test; and plasma leptin, ghrelin, insulin, glucagon-like peptide 1, and PYY levels. Groups were compared using 1-way analysis of covariance adjusted for sex. Univariate associations among measured responses were assessed using Spearman correlations. Multiple linear regression models, adjusting for weight and sex, assessed the independent ability of gastric functions and hormones to predict satiation volume. RESULTS: Obese and overweight subjects had significantly lower postprandial gastric volumes, higher fasting and postprandial insulin and leptin levels, and lower fasting ghrelin and lower postprandial reduction in ghrelin levels. PYY levels were not different in obese or overweight subjects compared with controls. The GE t(1/2) was correlated inversely with postprandial PYY; increased body weight was associated with faster GE t(1/2) of solids (r(s) = 0.33, P = .005) and liquids (r(s) = 0.24, P = .04). Postprandial changes in gastric volume and PYY were independent predictors of satiation (both P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight or obesity are associated with lower postprandial gastric volumes and normal PYY levels. Gastric emptying influences postprandial PYY levels. Postprandial PYY and gastric volume independently predict satiation volume in nonbulimic people across a wide body mass index range.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Transplantation of neuronal and glial precursors dramatically improves sensorimotor function but not cognitive function in the traumatically injured brain.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have been investigated in various animal models of neurodegenerative disease; however, few studies have examined the ability of ES cells to improve functional outcome following traumatic brain injury (TBI). The purpose of the present study was to examine the ability of pre-differentiated murine ES cells (neuronal and glial precursors) to improve functional outcome. Rats were prepared with a unilateral controlled cortical impact injury or sham and then transplanted 7 days later with 100K ES cells (WW6G) (~30% neurons) or media. Two days following transplantation rats were tested on a battery of behavioral tests. It was found that transplantation of ES cells improved behavioral outcome by reducing the initial magnitude of the deficit on the bilateral tactile removal and locomotor placing tests. ES cells also induced almost complete recovery on the vibrissae --> forelimb placing test, whereas, media-transplanted rats failed to show recovery. Acquisition of a reference memory task in the Morris water maze was not improved by transplantation of ES cells. Histological analysis revealed a large number of surviving ES cells in the lesion cavity and showed migration of ES cells into subcortical structures. It was found that transplantation of ES cells prevented the occurrence of multiple small necrotic cavities that were seen in the cortex adjacent to the lesion cavity in media transplanted rats. Additionally, ES cells transplants also significantly reduced lesion size. Results of this study suggest that ES cells that have been pre-differentiated into neuronal precursors prior to transplantation have therapeutic potential.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-12 expression has a negative impact on sensorimotor function following intracerebral haemorrhage in mice.

We investigated the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in a mouse model of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Transcripts encoding nine of the 23 known mammalian MMPs were measured. MMP-12 levels were the most elevated. To evaluate the role of MMP-12 in ICH, haemorrhages were induced in wild-type (WT) and MMP-12 null mice. The results show that MMP-12 null mice exhibited significant functional recovery of forelimb reaching and reduced dependence on the ipsilateral forelimb compared to WT mice. There was also a trend for improved sensory function in the tape removal test. With respect to single pellet skilled reaching, MMP-12 null mice recovered to a level that was not significantly different from sham at 14 and 28 days post-ICH. In contrast, WT animals demonstrated a persistent impairment relative to sham controls throughout the survival period (P < 0.05). The cylinder task revealed a lesion-induced reliance on the ipsilateral forelimb that was apparent at day 7 in both MMP-12 null and WT mice (P < 0.05), but only persisted in WT mice at 14 days post-ICH (P < 0.05). Differences in functional outcome could not be explained by tissue sparing. However, Iba1 immunostaining indicated that more cells bearing macrophage morphology were recruited to the lesion area in WT mice. This is the first study to profile the expression patterns of a number of the known MMPs following ICH in mice. The data indicate that MMP-12 expression following haemorrhagic stroke is deleterious and contributes to the development of secondary injury in this disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Lateral stability, sensorimotor function and falls in older people.

AIMS: To design simple tests of lateral stability for assessing balance in older people and to determine whether poor performances in these tests are associated with impaired vision, lower limb sensation, quadriceps strength, simple reaction time, and falling in this group. DESIGN: A cross-sectional and retrospective study. SETTING: Falls and Balance Laboratory, Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred fifty-six community-dwelling men and women aged 63-90 years (mean age 76.5, SD = 5.1). OUTCOME MEASURES: The maximal lateral sway in a near-tandem stability test with eyes open and closed and the necessity of taking a protective step in the near-tandem stability test with eyes closed. RESULTS: All 156 subjects could complete the near-tandem stability test with eyes open, but only 99 subjects (63.5%) could undertake the test with eyes closed without taking a protective step. Subjects with a history of falls had increased lateral sway both with eyes open and eyes closed as well as poorer visual acuity, proprioception, and quadriceps strength. Fallers were also significantly more likely to take a protective step when undertaking the near-tandem stability test with eyes closed. Multiple regression analysis revealed that impaired lower limb proprioception, quadriceps strength, and reaction time were the best predictors of increased maximal sway in the near-tandem stability test with eyes open. Reduced proprioception and quadriceps strength, in addition to age, were also found to be the best determinants of the necessity of taking a protective step in the near-tandem stability test with eyes closed. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings identify simple new tests that are associated with falling in older people and elucidate the relative importance of specific physiological systems in the maintenance of lateral stability.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2005

Interactions between commensal bacteria and gut sensorimotor function in health and disease.

Commensal bacteria inhabiting the human intestine (i.e., intestinal microflora) participate in the development and maintenance of gut sensory and motor functions, including the promotion of intestinal propulsive activity. On the other hand, intestinal motility represents one of the major control systems of gut microflora, through the sweeping of excessive bacteria from the lumen. There is emerging evidence indicating that changes in this bidirectional interplay contribute to the pathogenesis of gut diseases, such as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Recent interest has also been directed to the potential role of intestinal microflora in the pathogenesis of the irritable bowel syndrome. Although the status of intestinal microflora in the irritable bowel syndrome remains unsettled, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (as detected with breath testing) and increased fermentation of foods with gas production, provide indirect evidence that microflora may contribute to symptom generation in irritable bowel syndrome. The potential benefit of antibiotic and probiotic therapy is currently under investigation and opens new perspectives in irritable bowel syndrome treatment.

Bacterial Physiological Phenomena↗