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Do autistic children differ from retarded and normal children in Piagetian sensorimotor functioning?

Piagetian sensorimotor functioning of 10 autistic, 10 retarded, and 10 normal children, closely matched on mental age, was assessed with the Dunst revision of the Uzgiris and Hunt scales of infant psychological development. The three groups showed no significant differences in overall performance or specific subtest performance as revealed by estimated developmental ages, number of failed items, and Piagetian stage levels. These findings, which are contrary to previous reports of early sensorimotor deficits specific to autism, suggest that the long-term cognitive deficits in autism are more in symbolic thinking, which does not emerge until the end of the sensorimotor period.

Autistic Disorder

Communication and sensorimotor functioning in children with autism.

This study examined the relationship between sensorimotor functioning and communicative intent in children with autism. Ten children with autism, four verbal and six nonverbal, served as subjects. Sensorimotor functioning was assessed on object permanence, means-end, causality, vocal and gestural imitation, the construction of objects in space and schemes for relating objects. A 2-hr communication sample was also obtained and analyzed for the number and diversity of pragmatic functions expressed. Object permanence was not significantly related to either the diversity or total number of pragmatic functions. Means-end was significantly related to both of these measures, while vocal imitation was significantly related to the total number of pragmatic functions expressed. In addition, means-end was significantly correlated with performance on the vocal and gestural imitation scales.

Autistic Disorder

A single session of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation does not modulate effects of knee two-point discrimination training or sensorimotor function in healthy adults: Double-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Benefits of sensory-training interventions on sensorimotor outcomes are inconsistent, and it is unclear whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can enhance proprioception, which is fundamental to neuromuscular control. Existing evidence is dominated by upper-limb studies, so transferability to the knee is unclear. This study investigated whether a single session of anodal high-definition (HD)-tDCS, alone or combined with brief two-point discrimination (TPD) training, enhances knee sensorimotor function and performance in healthy adults. METHODS: In a double-blind randomised-controlled trial, 57 healthy participants received (1) 20-min, 1&#xa0;mA anodal HD-tDCS over the knee primary somatosensory (S1) map or sham stimulation, and (2) 15-min knee TPD training or no training. Knee somatosensory, sensorimotor, and functional performance measures were assessed pre- and immediately post-intervention. Three-way mixed-design ANOVAs, equivalence testing (smallest effect size of interest &#x3b7;2&#xa0;=&#xa0;0.02), Bayes factors, and linear mixed-effects models quantified effects. RESULTS: HD-tDCS, TPD training, and their sequential combination had no effect on any outcome measure (p&#xa0;&#x2265;&#xa0;0.05; &#x3b7;2&#xa0;&#x2264;&#xa0;0.015). Confidence intervals spanned equivalence bounds, and equivalence testing results were non-significant (p&#xa0;&#x2265;&#xa0;0.05). Bayes factors (<0.33) showed moderate evidence for the null (no effect). Mixed-effects modelling attributed &#x2264;8% of total variance to intervention fixed effects, with the remainder captured by participant-level random effects. CONCLUSION: A single 20-minute session of 1&#xa0;mA HD-tDCS, with or without brief TPD training, does not acutely modify knee somatosensory, sensorimotor, or functional performance in healthy adults. Existing evidence at the hand may not translate to the lower limb. Future work should investigate higher-dose, multi-session, task-concurrent, or network-targeted strategies in clinical populations.

Humans

The effect of combining visuo-vestibular exercises with manual therapy and exercise on sensorimotor function in chronic neck pain: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether adding visuo-vestibular exercises to standard manual therapy and exercise produces superior improvements in sensorimotor function, pain, balance, and functional disability in adults with chronic neck pain. METHODS: This prospective, randomized controlled trial enrolled 58 adults with chronic neck pain (&#x2265;3 months) allocated to a manual therapy and exercise group (MtE; n&#x202f;=&#x202f;29) or MtE plus visuo-vestibular exercises (MtE-VVE; n&#x202f;=&#x202f;29). Both groups completed 12 supervised sessions over six weeks with a daily home exercise programme. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks, and included pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale [VAS]), upper extremity reaction time, computerized posturography, the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and cervical muscle endurance. RESULTS: Fifty-four participants (27 per group) completed the study. Both groups improved significantly across all outcomes (p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001). At 12-week follow-up, the MtE-VVE group demonstrated superior outcomes: activity-related pain was reduced by an additional 2.00&#x202f;cm (95% CI: 0.75-3.25; p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.005), bilateral reaction time improved by 1.70&#x202f;s (p&#x202f;=&#x202f;0.001), eyes-open mediolateral sway decreased by 0.50&#x202f;mm (p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001), NDI score was 6.30 points lower (95% CI: 3.42-9.18; p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001), and cervical flexion and extension endurance improved by 12.00&#x202f;s and 27.70&#x202f;s, respectively (p&#x202f;&#x2264;&#x202f;0.020). CONCLUSION: Adding visuo-vestibular exercises to standard manual therapy and exercise produces clinically meaningful and sustained improvements in activity-related pain, sensorimotor function, postural control, and functional disability in adults with chronic neck pain, and may be recommended as an effective adjunctive intervention.

Humans

Residual sensorimotor functions in a patient after right-sided hemispherectomy.

Sensorimotor functions were examined in a patient with left-sided infantile hemiparesis who underwent hemispherectomy (HS) on the right side at age 18 for intractable epilepsy. Pathological examination of the removed hemisphere showed a porencephalic cyst of the temporal lobe and of the frontoparietal operculum. On examination, the patient had hemianopia to the left and sensorimotor deficits only of the distal limbs contralateral to the HS. She walked with a barely perceptible limp. Axial and proximal movements were quasi normal, so that the patient could fully elevate both arms, flex and extend the forearm with nearly normal power and execute small, isolated precision movements of the arm around the shoulder joint. This astonishing proximal motor repertoire was mimicked on the somatosensory side where cutaneous sensation and kinesthesia were normal above the elbow and knee and contrasted the pronounced distal sensorimotor dysfunctions. Movement analysis by means of an optoelectronic two-camera position analysis system (Selspot II) showed normal flexion-extension synergies during gait, but abnormal synergic coupling between the shoulder and elbow joint during reaching and prehension. Distal movements were still possible but could only be performed as rigidly coupled movement synergies, such as closing and opening of the fist along with arm adduction/flexion or abduction/extension. She could engage these synergies for grasping and holding large objects. The performance of individual, fractionated finger movements was impossible. Involuntary mirror movements were elicited in both the affected and the normal arm, but with distinctly different phase relationships, indicating that different circuitries contribute to their generation. The case study reveals the existence of a bilaterally organized sensorimotor system that has the potential to provide quasi normal performance of the axial-proximal body parts on both sides. This raises the question why this potential cannot be better used in cases with only partial unilateral brain damage and persistent hemiplegia.

Arachnoid Cysts

Sensorimotor functioning and communication in mute autistic children.

There were two purposes underlying this study: to describe the sensorimotor functioning of mute autistic children and to relate their sensorimotor performance to nonverbal communication. Twelve mute children, diagnosed autistic, ranging from 4 years 9 months to 12 years of age, were administered four scales of sensorimotor development from the Uzgiris and Hunt (1975) series: object permanence, gestural imitation, means for obtaining environmental events, and causality. Subjects performed most poorly on the imitation scale with 9 of 12 performing below Piaget's fifth sensorimotor stage. In contrast, performance was highest on the object permanence scale: No child scored below Stage V. Regarding the subjects' non-scales and Stage III on the imitation scale appeared to form minimal prerequisites for intentional communication in a variety of situations. Finally, none of the subjects, even those with relatively complete sensorimotor development, spontaneously used what Bates (1976) has called "protodeclarative" gestures to point out or show objects to adults. The absence of protodeclarative gestures may represent a qualitatively distinct pattern of prelinguistic development in certain autistic children.

Autistic Disorder

Ionic channels, cholinergic mechanisms, and recovery of sensorimotor function after neocortical infarcts in rats.

Unilateral photochemical infarcts were produced in the hind limb sensorimotor neocortex of 243 rats by intravenous injection of the fluorescein derivative Rose Bengal and focal illumination of the intact skull surface. Facial contact stimuli governed the degree and recovery rate of contralateral tactile/proprioceptive forelimb placing reactions. Contralateral forelimb placing recovered, whereas hind limb placing was resistant to recovery. Infarcted rats displayed marked recovery of spontaneous limb usage (beam traversing). However, deficits in isolated tactile/proprioceptive hind limb placing reactions endured. Posttreatment with the class IV calcium antagonist flunarizine after neocortical infarction protected sensorimotor function in a dose-dependent manner. This protective effect may be due to the peculiar ionic channel blocking profile of flunarizine. Scopolamine hydrobromide reinstated contralateral placing errors in infarcted rats at a dosage that did not affect neurologically intact rats. The cognitive enhancer sabeluzole, a novel benzothiazol derivative, dose-dependently blocked the anticholinergic-induced deterioration of a sensorimotor deficit in rats.

Animals

[Functional asymmetry of the brain and effectiveness of sensorimotor function of oral cavity organs].

It has been established that in healthy persons functional brain asymmetry positively influences the effective performance of sensomotor function of oral cavity organs. Individual brain asymmetry is of considerable importance, the higher it is, the quicker the final results of sensomotor function are achieved. The character of brain asymmetry (right hand or left hand) does not practically influence the performance of sensomotor functions.

Adolescent

High doses of aspartame have no effects on sensorimotor function or learning and memory in rats.

Acute or repeated (14 days) intragastric administration of L-d-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester (aspartame) suspended in saline and Tween-80 in doses of up to 1,000 mg/kg had no significant effect in male Fischer-344 rats on routine measures of sensorimotor function, including spontaneous motor activity, acoustic startle reflex and prepulse inhibition. Other experiments found that aspartame (500 or 1,000 mg/kg) had no significant effect on acquisition of passive or active avoidance or a spatial, reference memory task in the Morris water maze. A series of separate studies found that aspartame had no effects in rats fasted 24 hours prior to testing, or if it was suspended in carboxymethylcellulose or administered by the intraperitoneal route. Under the conditions of these experiments, large doses of aspartame have no significant neurobiological effects in adult rats as measured by procedures known to be sensitive to the neurobiological effects of neurotoxicants, including convulsants, organochlorine insecticides and heavy metals.

Animals

Neurophysiological evaluation of sensorimotor functions of the leg: comparison of evoked cortical potentials following electrical and mechanical stimulation, long-latency muscle responses, and transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Twenty-two patients with localized lesions of the central nervous system (unilateral cerebral ischaemia, cervical myelopathy, spinal tumour, familial spastic paraplegia) underwent neurophysiological evaluation of sensorimotor deficits of the leg. Functional methods using muscle stretch as stimulus, i.e. long-latency muscle responses and cortical potentials evoked by dorsiflection of the foot, were compared with transcranial magnetic stimulation and somatosensory evoked cortical potentials following electrical stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve. The functional neurophysiological methods yielded no diagnostic superiority with respect to the procedures using artificial (i.e. magnetic and electrical) stimulation. However, in most cases of missing compound motor action potentials following transcranial magnetic stimulation or missing electrically evoked cortical potentials, the long-latency muscle responses still allowed quantitative assessment of sensorimotor function.

Adult

Sensorimotor functions and cognitive disturbance in psychiatric patients.

The authors studied 109 consecutive admissions to an acute psychiatric unit in a general hospital to determine the relationship of specific sensorimotor impairments to cognitive disturbance. The results indicated a strong but not exclusive correlation between neurological impairment and thought disorder as well as between neurological impairment and schizophrenia. The theoretical and etiological implications are discussed, as well as the relationship of these findings to other variables.

Adult

Activation-induced restoration of sensorimotor functions in rats with dopamine-depleting brain lesions.

Bilateral electrolytic lesions of the lateral hypothalamus or intraventricular 6-hydroxydopamine injections produced substantial depletions of striatal dopamine in rates. All animals with brain damage showed marked sensorimotor impairments. However, they began to move and respond appropriately to environmental stimuli when placed in a sink of water, in a shallow ice bath, or among a colony of cats or rats. A reversal of the sensorimotor dysfunctions was still apparent shortly after the animals were removed from each activating situation. However, the terapeutic effects dissipated rapidly, and by 4 hr after an exposure the rats responded as poorly as they had prior to activation. These findings are strikingly similar to the "paradoxical kinesia" seen in parkinsonism, a clinical disorder attributed to degeneration of central dopamine-containing neurons. Collectively, they suggest the importance of activation in maintaining responsiveness to senory stimuli in rats following dopamine-depleting brain lesions.

Animals

Control of sensorimotor function by dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons: influence on eating and drinking.

The literature on the effects of lesions of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) on eating and drinking is reviewed in an effort to understand the function of the neural substrate destroyed. The data suggest that damage to the dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons that course through the LHA results in a decrease in sensorimotor facilitation; that is, an increase in the threshold for responding to stimuli that elicit orientation, approach and consumption. This increase results in decreased consumption of food and water. Evidence is also reviewed suggesting the possibility that striatal dopaminergic activity may mediate a negative feedback signal related to blood glucose level that influences responsiveness to food, and therefore eating. There is no evidence that the nigrostriatal system mediates a similar signal related to water balance and drinking. A second deficit associated with LHA lesions, caused by damage to the pallidofugal neurons that descend through this area, is a dysfunction of motor control of the head and mouth. This results in an increase in the effort required to consume food and water, also leading to decreased consumption. These two behavioral factors: an increased threshold for responding to the sensory properties of food and water and an increase in the effort required to eat and drink are used to explain the symptoms making up the lateral hypothalamic syndrome without postulating changes in physiological regulatory (set point) mechanisms.

Animals

Complex motor and sensorimotor functions of striatal and accumbens dopamine: involvement in instrumental behavior processes.

The suggestions that dopamine (DA) systems are involved in "motor control" and "reward" represent the classic working hypotheses on the behavioral functions of these systems. The research generated by these hypotheses has yielded results that are far more complicated than the simplest form of either hypothesis would indicate. Pharmacological or lesion-induced interference with DA function does not suppress all aspects of movement control, nor all aspects of reward, nor all aspects of motivation. The deficits produced by interference with DA systems are selective and dissociative in nature, affecting some aspects of motor or motivational function, but leaving others basically intact. In some sense the hypotheses that DA is involved in "motor" or "reward" or "motivational" processes are partly correct, but the processes to which these terms refer are too broad to offer an accurate and detailed description of the behavioral functions of brain DA. A review of the literature on the behavioral pharmacology of DA suggests that the behaviors most easily disrupted by DA antagonists are highly activated and complex learned instrumental responses that are elicited or supported by mild conditioned stimuli, and maintained for considerable periods of time. It is proposed that DA in accumbens and striatum modulates the ability of neocortical and limbic areas involved in sensory, associative, and affective processes to influence complex aspects of motor function, and also modulates the execution of complex motor acts organized by the neocortex. Thus, interference with DA systems produces a "subcortical apraxia", which dissociates complex stimulus processes from complex motor processes, but leaves aspects of those processes intact.

Animals

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