Oral Motor

BACKGROUND: Degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway has been seen as a significant cause of movement disability in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. However, the exact reason for these degenerative changes has remained obscure. In recent years, incretins have been neuroprotective in various pathologies. In the current study, we have investigated the neuroprotective potential of alogliptin (Alo), a dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitor, in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced experimental model of PD...

Risdiplam is a once-daily oral, survival of motor neuron 2 (SMN2) splicing modifier approved for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). JEWELFISH (NCT03032172) investigated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and PK/pharmacodynamic (PD) relationship of risdiplam in non-treatment-naïve patients with SMA. JEWELFISH enrolled adult and pediatric patients (N = 174) with confirmed diagnosis of 5q-autosomal recessive SMA who had previously received treatment with nusinersen (n = 76), onasemnogene abeparvovec (n = 14), olesoxime (n = 71), or were enrolled in the MOONFISH study (NCT02240355) of the splicing modifier RG7800 (n = 13)...

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is a common non-motor feature of Parkinson disease (PD). GI symptoms may start years before the onset of motor symptoms and impair quality of life. Robust clinical trial data is lacking to guide screening, diagnosis and treatment of GI dysfunction in PD. OBJECTIVE: To develop consensus statements on screening, diagnosis, and treatment of GI dysfunction in PD. METHODS: The application of a modified Delphi panel allowed for the synthesis of expert opinions into clinical statements...

Menaquinone-4 (MK-4) is an isoform of vitamin K2 that has been shown to exert various biological actions besides its functions in blood coagulation and bone metabolism. Here we examined the effect of MK-4 on a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Daily oral administration of 200 mg/kg MK-4 starting from 3 h after induction of ICH by intrastriatal collagenase injection significantly ameliorated neurological deficits. Unexpectedly, MK-4 produced no significant effects on various histopathological parameters, including the decrease of remaining neurons and the increase of infiltrating neutrophils within the hematoma, the increased accumulation of activated microglia/macrophages and astrocytes around the hematoma, as well as the injury volume and brain swelling by hematoma formation...

PURPOSE: Tongue manometry (i.e., tongue pressure measurement) is a commonly used assessment for patients with suspected oral-motor involvement in swallowing disorders. Availability of lingual manometry has changed in recent years, with the introduction of the Tongueometer device being a more affordable tongue manometry system. The purpose of this study was to test concurrent (criterion) validity of the Tongueometer compared to the current standard reference device, the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI)...

BACKGROUND: Premature infants commonly encounter difficulties with oral feeding, a complication that extends hospital stays, affects infants' quality of life, and imposes substantial burdens on families and society. Enhancing preterm infants' oral feeding skills and facilitating their transition from parenteral or nasal feeding to full oral feeding pose challenges for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) healthcare professionals. Research indicates that oral motor interventions (OMIs) can enhance preterm infants' oral feeding capabilities and expedite the transition from feeding initiation to full oral feeding...

INTRODUCTION: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular disease caused by deletions and/or mutations in the survival of motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. Risdiplam, the first and only oral SMN2 pre-mRNA splicing modifier, is US Food and Drug Administration-approved for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with SMA. For patients with SMA, long-term adherence to and persistence with an SMA treatment may be important for achieving maximum clinical benefits. However, real-world evidence on patient adherence to and persistence with risdiplam is limited...

OBJECTIVES: Children, especially the mentally disabled, are generally incapable of obtaining adequate oral hygiene levels by manual brushing due to their lack of knowledge about oral hygiene and their limited motor skills. In order to handle those limited skills, different designs of manual and electric toothbrushes are developed and put on markets. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of pulsating toothbrushes with easy-to-use properties, against conventional toothbrushes and to analyze their benefits on mentally disabled pediatric patients...

CONTEXT: Sport-related dystonia is a rare form of activity-specific dystonia that can severely impair an athlete's ability to perform. Due to a lack of data on the condition, it is difficult to diagnose and often overlooked, and no gold standard treatment has yet been defined. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a rare and challenging case of sport-related dystonia that affected a 24-year-old male professional soccer player. The patient presented with severe rigidity and dystonia of the right lower-extremity, particularly the ankle and foot...

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic neuromuscular disease caused by lack of survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein, is characterized by muscular atrophy and respiratory and bulbar dysfunction. While swallowing disorders are common, they remain poorly studied. OBJECTIVES: Our study aimed to explore 1) intraoral pressure measurements with the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument system and the reliability of a Swallowing Function Assessment Questionnaire (SFAQ) in healthy controls, and 2) evaluate their use as swallowing function biomarkers and the evolution of swallowing function over time in children with SMA...

BACKGROUND: Double-blind studies have demonstrated that motor complications in Parkinson's disease (PD) can be reduced with continuous delivery of levodopa. The DopaFuse system is a novel, intraoral micropump that attaches to a retainer and uses a propellant to deliver levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) continuously into the mouth. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of LD/CD delivered via the DopaFuse system compared to treatment with intermittent doses of standard oral LD/CD in PD patients with motor fluctuations...

AIMS: Potocki-Lupski syndrome (PTLS), which is caused by the partial duplication of the short arm of autosome 17, is characterized by feeding difficulties associated with muscle hypotonia and dysphagia in infancy, followed by growth retardation and low body weight in later stages. Speech and motor developmental disorders are observed in childhood, accompanied by autism spectrum disorders in several cases. Other disorders include dental and skeletal abnormalities, and associated sleep apnea...

OBJECTIVE: Naso-orbito-ethmoidal fractures (NOE) fractures are uncommon but critical injuries. This review aims to investigate the patient factors, procedural factors, and postoperative outcomes associated with the surgical management of NOE fractures. STUDY DESIGN: PubMed and Scopus databases were systematically searched between 1993 and 2023 using the search strategy "(naso-orbito-ethmoidal OR nasoethmoid OR nasoorbitoethmoidal) AND fracture." Articles reporting clinical studies investigating the surgical management of NOE fractures were included...

Back pain and neck pain are common in clinical practice, but significant challenges and pitfalls exist in their diagnosis, treatment, and management. From the neurologic standpoint, cervical radiculopathy and lumbosacral radiculopathy are characterized by neck pain or back pain accompanied by sensory and motor symptoms in an arm or leg. The basic neurologic examination is vital, but testing like electromyography and MRI is often needed especially in cases that fail conservative management. Oral medications, injection-based therapies, physical therapy, and surgical evaluation all have a place in the comprehensive neurologic management of back and neck pain and associated radiculopathy...

BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by loss of motor neurons due to degeneration of nerve cells within the brain and spinal cord. Early symptoms include limb weakness, twitching or muscle cramping, and slurred speech. As the disease progresses, difficulty breathing, swallowing, and paralysis can lead to death. Currently, there are no medications that cure ALS, and guidelines recommend treatments focused on symptom management. Intravenous (IV) edaravone was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 as a treatment to slow the progression of ALS...

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia often face challenges related to cognitive function, affecting their daily functioning and overall quality of life. The choice of antipsychotic treatment may play a crucial role in determining cognitive outcomes. STUDY QUESTION: Our study aimed to investigate whether there was a difference in cognitive ability between the patients with schizophrenia receiving oral antipsychotics (OAP) versus long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI-APs)...

Infantile central palsy (CP) is caused due to damage to the immature developing brain usually before birth, leading to altered topography and biochemical milieu. CP is a life-limiting disorder, which causes changes in sensory, motor, cognitive, and behavioral functioning. Understanding its pathophysiology is complex, and current therapeutic modalities, oral medication, surgical treatment, physical therapy, and rehabilitation provide minimal relief. As the brain is plastic, it has an inherent capacity to adapt to altered activity; thus, non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) strategies, like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, which can modulate the neuronal activity and its function, may lead to recovery in CP patients...

It has been proposed that pyrethroid exposure contributes to the increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the potential mechanisms remain unclear. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of the widely used pyrethroid bifenthrin on Parkinson's disease (PD) risk. Bifenthrin (1S-cis-bifenthrin, 1R-cis-bifenthrin, raceme) was administered to male Parkin-/- mice and C57BL/6 mice by oral gavage at a dose of 10 mg/kg bw/day for 28 days. Bifenthrin exposure significantly increased the time of pole climbing and decreased the period of rotarod running, indicating that bifenthrin decreased motor coordination in Parkin-/- mice, which was more evident by 1S-cis-bifenthrin...

Proline substitutions within the coiled-coil rod region of the β-myosin gene (MYH7) are the predominant mutations causing Laing distal myopathy (MPD1), an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by progressive weakness of distal/proximal muscles. We report that the MDP1 mutation R1500P, studied in what we believe to be the first mouse model for the disease, adversely affected myosin motor activity despite being in the structural rod domain that directs thick filament assembly. Contractility experiments carried out on isolated mutant muscles, myofibrils, and myofibers identified muscle fatigue and weakness phenotypes, an increased rate of actin-myosin detachment, and a conformational shift of the myosin heads toward the more reactive disordered relaxed (DRX) state, causing hypercontractility and greater ATP consumption...

AIM: To analyze the effect of the mandatory helmet rule in helmet usage among motorcycle riders and on facial trauma and to determine the significance of difference in the possibility of facial trauma between the helmeted and non-helmeted motorcycle riders. SETTING AND DESIGN: A retrospective comparative study conducted in a major trauma center at Uttar Pradesh. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Data for the present study was obtained from records of the Emergency Department of Trauma Center, for a period of two months before and after the implementation of The Motor Vehicles Act in UP...