Voluntary movement

The most severe form of spastic cerebral palsy (CP), which affects the arms and legs and often the face, is known as spastic quadriplegia. In addition to other developmental disabilities such as intellectual disability and seizures, it can cause difficulty in walking. Children with CP often have seizures as a result of brain injury, and spastic quadriplegic CP is typically associated with global developmental delay. For the purpose of addressing the unique motor and functional challenges associated with spastic quadriplegia, neurophysiotherapy is essential...

This study explores the impact of movement-outcome congruency and motor dominance on the action-associated modulations of early visual event-related potentials (ERPs). Employing the contingent paradigm, participants with varying degrees of motor dominance were exposed to stimuli depicting left or right human hands in the corresponding visual hemifields. Stimuli were either passively observed or evoked by voluntary button-presses with the dominant or non-dominant hand, in a manner that was either congruent or incongruent with stimulus laterality and hemifield...

This study explores the important role of assessing force levels in accurately controlling upper limb movements in human-computer interfaces. It uses a new method that combines entropy to improve the recognition of force levels. This research aims to differentiate between different levels of isometric contraction forces using electroencephalogram (EEG) signal analysis. It integrates eight different entropy measures: power spectrum entropy (PSE), singular spectrum entropy (SSE), logarithmic energy entropy (LEE), approximation entropy (AE), sample entropy (SE), fuzzy entropy (FE), alignment entropy (PE), and envelope entropy (EE)...

STUDY DESIGN: Feasibility study. OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of conducting a large trial designed to determine whether the ROBERT® can be used to increase the strength of the hip flexor muscles after spinal cord injury (SCI). The ROBERT® is a robotic device that provides assisted active movement while supporting the weight of the leg. Focus was on recruitment capability, suitability, and acceptability of the intervention and outcome measure...

OBJECTIVES: Continuous exposure to hand-arm vibration integrated with poor posture and forceful movements are known causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). In most related studies, force and vibration levels in experimental research is controlled. This study aims to determine how actual hand tractor field operation can affect the upper limb of users. It intends to characterize upper limb muscle activation applied during actual hand tractor usage. Lastly, it determines the immediate impacts on hand strength and perceived upper limb discomfort after the operation...

OBJECTIVE: Voluntary upper limb movements are an ecologically important yet insufficiently explored digital-motor outcome domain for trials in degenerative ataxia. We extended and validated the trial-ready quantitative motor assessment battery "Q-Motor" for upper limb movements with clinician-reported, patient-focused, and performance outcomes of ataxia. METHODS: Exploratory single-center cross-sectional assessment in 94 subjects (46 cross-genotype ataxia patients; 48 matched controls), comprising five tasks measured by force transducer and/or position field: Finger Tapping, diadochokinesia, grip-lift, and-as novel implementations-Spiral Drawing, and Target Reaching...

Neuromuscular junctions transmit signals from the nervous system to skeletal muscles, triggering their contraction, and their proper organization is essential for breathing and voluntary movements. αDystrobrevin-1 is a cytoplasmic component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and has pivotal functions in regulating the integrity of muscle fibers and neuromuscular junctions. Previous studies identified that αDystrobrevin-1 functions in the organization of the neuromuscular junction and that its phosphorylation in the C-terminus is required in this process...

Introduction Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental condition that results from an injury to a developing brain. Children with CP fail to execute precise, well-coordinated movements, and excessive muscular co-contraction or co-activation is a prominent attribute of CP. The normal reciprocal relationship between agonists and antagonists during voluntary movements is altered in patients with CP. H-reflex, which is often regarded as the electrical equivalent of the spinal stretch reflex, can be used to examine the overall reflex arc, including the Ia sensory afferent strength and the spinal motoneuron excitability state...

PURPOSE: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of nucleus ventralis intermedius thalami (Vim) is a validated technique for the treatment of essential tremor (ET) in adults. Conversely, its use for post traumatic tremor (PTT) and in paediatric patients is still debated. We evaluated the efficacy of Vim-DBS for lesional tremor in three paediatric patients with drug-resistant post-traumatic unilateral tremor. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data regarding three patients with unilateral tremor due to severe head injury, with no MRI evidence of basal ganglia lesions...

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) represents the most prevalent form of paroxysmal dyskinesia, characterized by recurrent and transient attacks of involuntary movements triggered by a sudden voluntary action. In this study, whole-exome sequencing was conducted on a cohort of Chinese patients to identify causal mutations. In one young female case, a de novo CACNA1B variant (NM_000718.3:exon3:c.479C > T:p.S160F) was identified as the causative lesion. This finding may broaden the phenotypic spectrum of CACNA1B mutations and provide a prospective cause of primary PKD...

There are numerous studies comparing young and old adults in terms of muscle coordination in standard tasks (e.g., walking, reaching) and small variations of them. These tasks might hide differences: individuals would converge to similar behavior as they practice these throughout life. Also, we are unaware of studies that considered the muscle recruitment nested dynamics. For this reason, our study evaluated how young and old women coordinate and control the movement system while performing an unusual redundant motor control task through the network physiology approach...

INTRODUCTION: Gait initiation (GI) includes automatic and voluntary movements. However, research on their impact on the first step in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their relationship to freezing of gait (FOG) is lacking. We examined the effects of automatic movements (anticipatory postural adjustments [APAs]) and voluntary movements (limits of stability [LOS]) on the first step (first-step duration and first-step range of motion), along with their early recognition and prediction of slight FOG...

Spasticity is a prevalent symptom of upper motor neuron syndrome, becoming debilitating when hindering voluntary movement and motor function and causing contractures and pain. Functional neurosurgery plays a crucial role in treating severe spasticity. Despite extensive literature on SDR for lower limb spasticity, there is a scarcity of papers regarding the procedure in the cervical region to alleviate upper limb spasticity. This case report details a cervical dorsal rhizotomy (CDR) performed for upper limb spasticity, resulting in significant improvement in spasticity with sustained outcomes and low complication rates...

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare among patients with high-type anorectal malformations (ARM): (i) short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic-assisted anorectoplasty (LAARP) compared to classic posterior sagittal anorectoplasty (PSARP) and (ii) the results of single-stage versus staged PSARP. METHODS: Using a defined search strategy, two independent investigators systematically reviewed the English literature. PRISMA guidelines were followed, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5...

BACKGROUND: Optimal management of voluntary energy expenditure is crucial to the survival and reproductive success of wild animals. Nevertheless, a growing appreciation of inter-individual variation in the internal state driving movement suggests that individuals may follow different, yet equally optimal tactics under the same environmental conditions. However, few studies in wild populations have investigated the occurrence and demographic context of different contemporaneous energetic expenditure tactics...

INTRODUCTION: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease with a steadily progressive course due to the death of central and peripheral motor neurons responsible for voluntary movements. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a treatment method unique in its universality and efficacy, particularly for neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS: In this review, we discuss the effect and application of LLLT in the treatment of ALS. A literature search for English and Russian publications for the keywords "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis", "Low-Level Laser Therapy" was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science and Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) databases...

INTRODUCTION: Functional movement disorders (FMD) can overlap with Parkinson's disease (PD), and distinguishing between the two clinical conditions can be complex. Framing social cognition (theory of mind) (TOM) disorder, attention deficit, and psychodynamic features of FMD and PD may improve diagnosis. METHODS: Subjects with FMD and PD and healthy controls (HC) were administered tasks assessing TOM abilities and attention. The psychodynamic hypothesis of conversion disorder was explored by a questionnaire assessing dissociative symptoms...

Myosin II is the muscle molecular motor that works in two bipolar arrays in each thick filament of the striated (skeletal and cardiac) muscle, converting the chemical energy into steady force and shortening by cyclic ATP-driven interactions with the nearby actin filaments. Different isoforms of the myosin motor in the skeletal muscles account for the different functional requirements of the slow muscles (primarily responsible for the posture) and fast muscles (responsible for voluntary movements). To clarify the molecular basis of the differences, here the isoform-dependent mechanokinetic parameters underpinning the force of slow and fast muscles are defined with a unidimensional synthetic nanomachine powered by pure myosin isoforms from either slow or fast rabbit skeletal muscle...

BACKGROUND: Hereditary proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by abnormal alpha motor neuron function in brainstem and spinal cord. Bulbar dysfunction, including limited mouth opening, is present in the majority of patients with SMA but it is unknown if and how these problems change during disease course. OBJECTIVE: In this prospective, observational, longitudinal natural history study we aimed to study bulbar dysfunction in patients with SMA types 2 and 3...

BACKGROUND: Asymmetry in involuntary trunk motion during voluntary movements of the lower extremities is a risk factor for musculoskeletal injuries and may be related to core stability. Core stability plays a pivotal role in maintaining postural stability during distal segment movements. Because mediolateral head motion partially represents trunk motion during rhythmic movements, controlling it can help ensure symmetric trunk motion. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between core stability and asymmetric trunk motion during rhythmic movements, and to evaluate the effects of feedback music on mediolateral head motion...