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Impaired Refinement of Kinematic Variability in Huntington Disease Mice on an Automated Home Cage Forelimb Motor Task. J Neurosci 2021; 41:8589-8602. [PMID: 34429377 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0165-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The effective development of novel therapies in mouse models of neurologic disorders relies on behavioral assessments that provide accurate read-outs of neuronal dysfunction and/or degeneration. We designed an automated behavioral testing system (PiPaw), which integrates an operant lever-pulling task directly into the mouse home cage. This task is accessible to group-housed mice 24 h per day, enabling high-throughput longitudinal analysis of forelimb motor learning. Moreover, this design eliminates the need for exposure to novel environments and minimizes experimenter interaction, significantly reducing two of the largest stressors associated with animal behavior. Male mice improved their performance of this task over 1 week of testing by reducing intertrial variability of reward-related kinematic parameters (pull amplitude or peak velocity). In addition, mice displayed short-term improvements in reward rate, and a concomitant decrease in movement variability, over the course of brief bouts of task engagement. We used this system to assess motor learning in mouse models of the inherited neurodegenerative disorder, Huntington disease (HD). Despite having no baseline differences in task performance, male Q175-FDN HD mice were unable to modulate the variability of their movements to increase reward on either short or long timescales. Task training was associated with a decrease in the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory activity recorded from striatal medium spiny neurons in the hemisphere contralateral to the trained forelimb in WT mice; however, no such changes were observed in Q175-FDN mice. This behavioral screening platform should prove useful for preclinical drug trials toward improved treatments in HD and other neurologic disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In order to develop effective therapies for neurologic disorders, such as Huntington disease (HD), it is important to be able to accurately and reliably assess the behavior of mouse models of these conditions. Moreover, these behavioral assessments should provide an accurate readout of underlying neuronal dysfunction and/or degeneration. In this paper, we used an automated behavioral testing system to assess motor learning in mice within their home cage. Using this system, we were able to study motor abnormalities in HD mice with an unprecedented level of detail, and identified a specific behavioral deficit associated with an underlying impairment in striatal neuronal plasticity. These results validate the usefulness of this system for assessing behavior in mouse models of HD and other neurologic disorders.
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Kordi Yoosefinejad A, Ghaffarinejad F, Hemati M, Jamshidi N. Comparison of grip and pinch strength in young women with and without hyperkyphosis: A cross-sectional study. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2019; 32:21-26. [PMID: 29865029 DOI: 10.3233/bmr-170932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hyperkyphosis is a common postural defect with high prevalence in the 20 to 50 year old population. It appears to compromise proximal scapular stability. Grip and pinch strength are used to evaluate general upper extremity function. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to compare pinch and grip strength between young women with and without hyperkyphosis. METHODS Thirty young women (18-40 years old) with hyperkyphosis and 30 healthy women matched for age and body mass index participated in the study. Hyperkyphosis was confirmed by measuring the kyphosis angle with a flexible ruler. Grip strength was measured with the Waisa method and a dynamometer. Pinch strength was assessed with a pinch meter. RESULTS Grip (P= 0.03) and pinch strength (P= 0.04) were significantly lower in women with hyperkyphosis compared to the control group. Kyphosis angle correlated weakly with grip (r= 0.26) and pinch strength (r= 0.23). CONCLUSIONS Hyperkyphotic posture has led to decreased grip and pinch strength compared to people without hyperkyphosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Kordi Yoosefinejad
- Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Rehabilitation Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Farahnaz Ghaffarinejad
- Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Rehabilitation Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahbubeh Hemati
- Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Narges Jamshidi
- Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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3
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Abstract
The motor cortex controls motor behaviors by generating movement-specific signals and transmitting them through spinal cord circuits and motoneurons to the muscles. Precise and well-coordinated muscle activation patterns are necessary for accurate movement execution. Therefore, the activity of cortical neurons should correlate with movement parameters. To investigate the specifics of such correlations among activities of the motor cortex, spinal cord network and muscles, we developed a model for neural control of goal-directed reaching movements that simulates the entire pathway from the motor cortex through spinal cord circuits to the muscles controlling arm movements. In this model, the arm consists of two joints (shoulder and elbow), whose movements are actuated by six muscles (4 single-joint and 2 double-joint flexors and extensors). The muscles provide afferent feedback to the spinal cord circuits. Cortical neurons are defined as cortical "controllers" that solve an inverse problem based on a proposed straight-line trajectory to a target position and a predefined bell-shaped velocity profile. Thus, the controller generates a motor program that produces a task-specific activation of low-level spinal circuits that in turn induce the muscle activation realizing the intended reaching movement. Using the model, we describe the mechanisms of correlation between cortical and motoneuronal activities and movement direction and other movement parameters. We show that the directional modulation of neuronal activity in the motor cortex and the spinal cord may result from direction-specific dynamics of muscle lengths. Our model suggests that directional modulation first emerges at the level of muscle forces, augments at the motoneuron level, and further increases at the level of the motor cortex due to the dependence of frictional forces in the joints, contractility of the muscles and afferent feedback on muscle lengths and/or velocities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wondimu W. Teka
- Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Khaldoun C. Hamade
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | | | - Taegyo Kim
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Sergey N. Markin
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Ilya A. Rybak
- Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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Yang J, Lee J, Lee B, Jeon S, Han B, Han D. The effects of active scapular protraction on the muscle activation and function of the upper extremity. J Phys Ther Sci 2014; 26:599-603. [PMID: 24764642 PMCID: PMC3996430 DOI: 10.1589/jpts.26.599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of adjusting the scapula into its ideal position through active scapular protraction on the muscle activation and function of the upper extremity. [Subjects] Twenty female college students aged 19-21 without any physical or functional disability were the subjects of this study. They had no history of injury to their upper extremities or hands. [Methods] After the initial measurements the experimental group was asked to perform active scapular protraction; then, their grip strength and muscle activation were measured again. Every action was maintained for 5 seconds and repeated 3 times. The mean values of the measurements were analyzed. A resting of 1 minute was given between each action. [Results] The results revealed a significant change in the experimental group's grip strength after active scapular protraction had been performed. The surrounding muscles of the scapula, such as the serratus anterior, upper trapezius, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor carpi radialis and palmaris longus, showed significant changes in muscle activation after active scapular protraction. The muscles of the upper extremity also showed significant changes after active scapular protraction. [Conclusion] The adjustment of scapula into its ideal position through active scapular protraction increased the activations of the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint and improved the function of the upper extremity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongok Yang
- Division of Physical Education, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Republic of Korea
| | - Joongsook Lee
- Division of Physical Education, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Republic of Korea
| | - Bomjin Lee
- Division of Physical Education, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Republic of Korea
| | - Sora Jeon
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Republic of Korea
| | - Bobae Han
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongwook Han
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical and Life Science, Silla University, Republic of Korea
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Subsystems of sensory attention for skilled reaching: Vision for transport and pre-shaping and somatosensation for grasping, withdrawal and release. Behav Brain Res 2012; 231:356-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2011] [Revised: 07/07/2011] [Accepted: 07/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Klein A, Sacrey LAR, Dunnett SB, Whishaw IQ, Nikkhah G. Proximal movements compensate for distal forelimb movement impairments in a reach-to-eat task in Huntington's disease: New insights into motor impairments in a real-world skill. Neurobiol Dis 2011; 41:560-9. [PMID: 21059390 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2010.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2010] [Revised: 10/08/2010] [Accepted: 11/01/2010] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Klein
- Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
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Abstract
Background Human movement can be guided automatically (implicit control) or attentively (explicit control). Explicit control may be engaged when learning a new movement, while implicit control enables simultaneous execution of multiple actions. Explicit and implicit control can often be assigned arbitrarily: we can simultaneously drive a car and tune the radio, seamlessly allocating implicit or explicit control to either action. This flexibility suggests that sensorimotor signals, including those that encode spatially overlapping perception and behavior, can be accurately segregated to explicit and implicit control processes. Methodology/Principal Findings We tested human subjects' ability to segregate sensorimotor signals to parallel control processes by requiring dual (explicit and implicit) control of the same reaching movement and testing for interference between these processes. Healthy control subjects were able to engage dual explicit and implicit motor control without degradation of performance compared to explicit or implicit control alone. We then asked whether segregation of explicit and implicit motor control can be selectively disrupted by studying dual-control performance in subjects with no clinically manifest neurologic deficits in the presymptomatic stage of Huntington's disease (HD). These subjects performed successfully under either explicit or implicit control alone, but were impaired in the dual-control condition. Conclusion/Significance The human nervous system can exert dual control on a single action, and is therefore able to accurately segregate sensorimotor signals to explicit and implicit control. The impairment observed in the presymptomatic stage of HD points to a possible crucial contribution of the striatum to the segregation of sensorimotor signals to multiple control processes.
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Molina-Vilaplana J, Contreras-Vidal JL, Herrero-Ezquerro MT, Lopez-Coronado J. A model for altered neural network dynamics related to prehension movements in Parkinson disease. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2009; 100:271-287. [PMID: 19229555 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-009-0296-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2008] [Accepted: 02/03/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we present a neural network model of the interactions between cortex and the basal ganglia during prehensile movements. Computational neuroscience methods are used to explore the hypothesis that the altered kinematic patterns observed in Parkinson's disease patients performing prehensile movements is mainly due to an altered neuronal activity located in the networks of cholinergic (ACh) interneurons of the striatum. These striatal cells, under a strong influence of the dopaminergic system, significantly contribute to the neural processing within the striatum and in the cortico-basal ganglia loops. In order to test this hypothesis, a large-scale model of neural interactions in the basal ganglia has been integrated with previous models accounting for the cortical organization of goal directed reaching and grasping movements in normal and perturbed conditions. We carry out a discussion of the model hypothesis validation by providing a control engineering analysis and by comparing results of real experiments with our simulation results in conditions resembling these original experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Molina-Vilaplana
- Department of Systems Engineering and Automation, Technical University of Cartagena, Murcia, Spain.
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Abstract
People have always been fascinated by the exquisite precision and flexibility of the human hand. When hand meets object, we confront the overlapping worlds of sensorimotor and cognitive functions. The complex apparatus of the human hand is used to reach for objects, grasp and lift them, manipulate them, and use them to act on other objects. This review examines what is known about the control of the hand by the cerebral cortex. It compares and summarizes results from behavioral neuroscience, electrophysiology, and neuroimaging to provide a detailed description of the neural circuits that facilitate the formation of grip patterns in human and nonhuman primates. NEUROSCIENTIST 14(2):157—170, 2008. DOI: 10.1177/1073858407312080
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Affiliation(s)
- Umberto Castiello
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale Università di Padova,
Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Begliomini
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale Università di Padova,
Padova, Italy
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10
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Muratori LM, McIsaac TL, Gordon AM, Santello M. Impaired anticipatory control of force sharing patterns during whole-hand grasping in Parkinson's disease. Exp Brain Res 2007; 185:41-52. [PMID: 17909770 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-007-1129-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2007] [Accepted: 09/04/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We examined the coordination of multi-digit grasping forces as they developed during object grasping and lifting. Ten subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD; OFF and ON medication) and ten healthy age-matched control subjects lifted a manipulandum that measured normal forces at each digit and the manipulandum's position. The center of mass (CM) was changed from trial to trial in either a predictable (blocked) or unpredictable (random) order. All subjects modulated individual fingertip forces to counterbalance forces exerted by the thumb and minimize object tilt after lift-off. However, subjects with PD OFF exhibited an impaired ability to use anticipatory mechanisms resulting in less differentiated scaling of individual finger forces to the object CM location. Remarkably, these between-group differences in force modulation dissipated as subjects reached peak grip forces during object lift, although these occurred significantly later in subjects with PD OFF than controls and PD ON. Analysis of the tilt of the object during lift revealed all subjects had similar deviations of the object from the vertical, the direction of which depended on CM location. Thus these findings in subjects with PD indicate that: (a) PD-induced impairments in anticipatory force mechanisms appear to be greatly increased in multi-digit grasping as opposed to previous reports from two-digit grasping; (b) inaccurate scaling of fingertip force amplitude and sharing patterns before object lift is recovered during object lift; (c) the implementation of appropriate force amplitude and sharing among the digits during the lift occurs significantly later than for controls; (d) medication improves the temporal recovery of multi-digit force coordination. These results are discussed within the framework of PD-related deficits in sensorimotor integration and control of multi-degrees of freedom movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Muratori
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA
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11
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Lemay M, Chouinard S, Richer F, Lesperance P. Huntington's disease affects movement termination. Behav Brain Res 2007; 187:153-8. [PMID: 17980441 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2007.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2007] [Revised: 08/31/2007] [Accepted: 09/07/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting the striatum and associated with deficits in voluntary movement in early stages. The final portion of aiming movements is particularly affected in HD and one hypothesis is that this deficit is linked to attention or terminal control requirements. Sixteen patients with early HD and 16 age-matched controls were examined in aiming movements. Four conditions manipulated movement termination requirements (discrete movements with a complete stop vs. cyclical back-and-forth movements) and the presence of flankers around the target. Reducing movement termination requirements significantly attenuated deficits in the final movement phase in patients. The presence of flankers around the target affected the initial portion of movements but did not affect the two groups differentially. These results indicate that terminal control requirements affect voluntary movements in HD. This suggests that frontostriatal systems are involved in movement termination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Lemay
- Centre de Réadaptation Marie-Enfant, Hôpital Ste-Justine, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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12
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Parr-Brownlie LC, Hyland BI. Bradykinesia induced by dopamine D2 receptor blockade is associated with reduced motor cortex activity in the rat. J Neurosci 2006; 25:5700-9. [PMID: 15958736 PMCID: PMC6724886 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0523-05.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of motor cortex activity is hypothesized to play a major role in the slowed movement (bradykinesia) associated with reduced dopaminergic function. We recorded single neurons in the motor cortex of free-moving rats performing a forelimb-reaching task. The same neurons were examined before and after induction of bradykinesia with the D2 dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol. Within-cell changes in the firing rate and firing pattern of individual cells and the correlation between simultaneously recorded cells after injection of haloperidol were statistically compared with vehicle-only control experiments. During haloperidol-induced bradykinesia (mean movement time increase, +231%), there was an average 11% decrease in baseline firing rate. Movement-related peaks in firing rate were more dramatically affected, with an overall reduction in peak amplitudes of 40%. Bradykinesia was also associated with decreased intensity of bursting and amplitude of cross-correlation peaks at rest. The results show for the first time that significant reductions can be detected in motor cortex activity at rest in animals with impaired ability to generate movements induced by reduced dopamine action and confirm that impaired movements are associated with reduced cortical activation. Together, these changes in neural activity may reduce recruitment and rate modulation of motor units in the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Parr-Brownlie
- Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
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Doan J, Whishaw IQ, Pellis SM, Suchowersky O, Brown LA. Motor Deficits in Parkinsonian Reaching: Dopa-Sensitivity Influenced by Real-World Task Constraint. J Mot Behav 2006; 38:45-59. [PMID: 16436362 DOI: 10.3200/jmbr.38.1.45-59] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) patients can perform many daily activities, but movement deficits are evident. Those deficits may be increased when the required movement is constrained in accuracy. Variable improvements in performance with PD medication have been demonstrated, and sensitivity to task constraint has been evident in some studies. The authors quantified both specific movement deficits and improvements for PD patients in a reaching task. PD patients (N=8) both on and off medication showed a need for greater ongoing control in movements with higher task-accuracy constraints. Increased task-accuracy constraints further compromised movement timing and structure among PD patients who were off medication, suggesting that unmedicated PD patients may typically compensate by using more conscious control of movement, resulting in increased slowing and segmentation of components when higher task accuracy is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Doan
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
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14
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Magherini A, Litvan I. Cognitive and behavioral aspects of PSP since Steele, Richardson and Olszewski's description of PSP 40 years ago and Albert's delineation of the subcortical dementia 30 years ago. Neurocase 2005; 11:250-62. [PMID: 16093225 DOI: 10.1080/13554790590962979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Although researchers are now familiar with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and its characteristic "subcortical" dementia, this was not the case prior to seminal descriptions by Steele, Richardson, Olszewski and Albert. In fact, the first three authors identified this disorder, and the last one introduced the classification of the dementias according to the anatomical involvement. This paper is in honor of their contributions, and will also outline the changes that have occurred since their seminal works.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Magherini
- Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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15
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Schettino LF, Adamovich SV, Hening W, Tunik E, Sage J, Poizner H. Hand preshaping in Parkinson’s disease: effects of visual feedback and medication state. Exp Brain Res 2005; 168:186-202. [PMID: 16041510 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-005-0080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2004] [Accepted: 06/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies in our laboratory examining pointing and reach-to-grasp movements of Parkinson's disease patients (PDPs) have found that PDPs exhibit specific deficits in movement coordination and in the sensorimotor transformations required to accurately guide movements. We have identified a particular difficulty in matching unseen limb position, sensed by proprioception, with a visible target. In the present work, we further explored aspects of complex sensorimotor transformation and motor coordination using a reach-to-grasp task in which object shape, visual feedback, and dopaminergic medication were varied. Normal performance in this task requires coordinated generation of appropriate reach, to bring the hand to the target, and differentiated grasp, to preshape the hand congruent with object form. In Experiment 1, we tested PDPs in the off-medication state. To examine the dependence of subjects on visual feedback and their ability to implement intermodal sensory integration, we required them to reach and grasp the target objects in three conditions: (1) Full Vision, (2) Object Vision with only the target object visible and, (3) No Vision with neither the moving arm nor the target object visible. PDPs exhibited two types of deficits. First, in all conditions, they demonstrated a generalized slowing of movement or bradykinesia. We consider this an intensive deficit, since it involves largely a modulation of the gain of specific task parameters: in this case, velocity of movement. Second, they were less able than controls to extract critical proprioceptive information and integrate it with vision in order to coordinate the reach and grasp components of movement. These deficits which involve the coordination of different inputs and motor components, we classify as coordinative deficits. As in our previous work, the PDPs' deficits were most marked when they were required to use proprioception to guide their hand to a visible target (Object Vision condition). But even in the full-vision condition, their performance only became fully accurate when both the target and effector (hand) were simultaneously visible. In Experiment 2, PDPs were tested on their dopaminergic replacement therapy. Dopaminergic treatment significantly ameliorated the bradykinesia of the PDPs, but produced no changes in the hand preshaping deficiencies of PDPs. These results suggest that adequate treatment of the PDPs may more readily compensate for intensive, than coordinative deficits, since the latter are likely to depend on specific and time-dependent neural interdependencies that are unlikely to be remediated simply by increasing the gain of a pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Schettino
- Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA
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16
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Lemay M, Fimbel E, Beuter A, Chouinard S, Richer F. Sensorimotor mapping affects movement correction deficits in early Huntington's disease. Exp Brain Res 2005; 165:454-60. [PMID: 15875168 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-005-2315-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2004] [Accepted: 02/15/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is associated with early voluntary movement problems linked to striatal dysfunction. In pointing movements, HD increases the irregularity of the terminal part of movements, suggesting a dysfunction in error feedback control. We tested this hypothesis in movements requiring continuous feedback control. Patients in the early stages of HD and controls traced as fast and accurately as possible circles within a 5-mm annulus on a digitizing tablet when visual feedback of the hand and the circle was direct or indirect (through a monitor). Patients deviated more often from the annulus and showed larger corrections toward the circle than controls when using indirect visual feedback but not with direct visual feedback. When velocity requirements were removed, patients showed little change in these control problems. These results suggest that HD does not affect error feedback control in all movements and that the striatal contribution to voluntary movement is sensitive to sensorimotor mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lemay
- Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
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17
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Melvin KG, Doan J, Pellis SM, Brown L, Whishaw IQ, Suchowersky O. Pallidal deep brain stimulation and L-dopa do not improve qualitative aspects of skilled reaching in Parkinson's disease. Behav Brain Res 2005; 160:188-94. [PMID: 15836914 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2004.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2004] [Revised: 11/25/2004] [Accepted: 12/02/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine effects of dopaminergic medication and pallidal deep brain stimulation (DBS) on skilled reach in Parkinson's disease (PD). BACKGROUND PD is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting motor control. While speed and execution of movements are improved by L-dopa, not all motor symptoms are alleviated. Little is known about the effects of DBS or medication on reaching. DESIGN METHOD Eight PD patients with unilateral pallidal DBS reached with the contra-lateral hand for a piece of food, placing it in the mouth, and returning to starting position. Testing was performed on no treatment, medication only, DBS only, and combined treatment. Reaches were digitally recorded and analyzed on a 21 point scale adapted from Eshkol-Wachman Notation. Analysis was blinded, with patients compared to age-matched controls. RESULTS Patients were tested 6-13 months after surgery. All showed significant improvement clinically and in UPDRS (III) scores. The following data were obtained on the reaching scale: normal controls 16.5-21.0 (mean 18.3), no treatment 3.0-12.5 (mean 7.4), medication only 7.0-14.0 (mean 10.3), DBS only 4.5-16.0 (mean 9.2), combined treatment 4.0-15.0 (mean 9.5). The difference between controls and all treatment groups was statistically significant (P<0.005). All aspects of reach were compromised. No significant differences were found among the four conditions. CONCLUSIONS This study is consistent with accumulating evidence that some aspects of motor performance in PD patients, such as reaching, are resistant to L-dopa. Also, pallidal DBS does not improve those parameters that are resistant to L-dopa, either alone or in combination with medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle G Melvin
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Movement Disorders Program, Foothills Hospital, University of Calgary, Area 33350, Hospital Dr NW, Calgary, Alta., Canada T2N 4N1.
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van Vugt JPP, Piet KKE, Vink LJ, Siesling S, Zwinderman AH, Middelkoop HAM, Roos RAC. Objective assessment of motor slowness in Huntington's disease: clinical correlates and 2-year follow-up. Mov Disord 2004; 19:285-97. [PMID: 15022182 DOI: 10.1002/mds.10718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional disability of patients with Huntington's disease (HD) is determined by impairment of voluntary motor function rather than the presence of chorea. However, only few attempts have been made to quantify this motor impairment. By using a simple reaction time paradigm, we measured the time needed for movement initiation (akinesia) and execution (bradykinesia) in 76 HD patients and 127 controls. Akinesia and bradykinesia were already evident in early stages and increased linearly with increasing disease stage. Quantified motor slowness correlated with clinical impairment of voluntary movements but also with cognitive impairment and medication use. In patients without severe cognitive impairment, quantified motor slowness reflected clinical motor impairment more purely. During 1.9 years follow-up (range, 0.8-3.8 years), quantified akinesia and bradykinesia progressed concomitantly with progression of clinical impairment of voluntary movements, cognition, and functional capacity. However, rate of change in motor slowness did not discriminate between patients whose disease stage remained stable and those whose disease stage progressed. We conclude that the reaction time paradigm may be used to quantify akinesia and bradykinesia in HD, at least in patients without severe cognitive impairment. Although reaction and movement times increased in time, these measures failed to detect functionally important changes during our follow-up period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen P P van Vugt
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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19
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Schettino LF, Rajaraman V, Jack D, Adamovich SV, Sage J, Poizner H. Deficits in the evolution of hand preshaping in Parkinson's disease. Neuropsychologia 2004; 42:82-94. [PMID: 14615078 DOI: 10.1016/s0028-3932(03)00150-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) results in various types of motor impairments including bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity. Recent research has implicated more fundamental processes at the source of the observed motor deficits. Among these, problems in the sequencing and/or timing of complex movements and in the execution of internally-guided tasks. Furthermore, PD patients exhibit procedural learning deficits which may complicate the interpretation of experimental results of studies involving novel sensorimotor tasks. The reach-to-grasp movement is a complex, overlearned sensorimotor task consisting of two semi-independent components, a relatively simple reach or transport phase and a more complex manipulation or prehension phase. In the present study, we used a novel technique in order to study the evolution of hand preshaping during the reach-to-grasp movement of PD patients and age-matched controls to objects of different shapes in three different spatial locations. Our results indicate that while PD patients are able to specify movement direction as well as controls, their hand preshaping exhibits substantial impairments. Other prehension measures, such as the time to peak aperture (TPA), indicate that PD patients delayed execution of the grasp until visual feedback of their hand was available. Overall, our results suggest that PD patients' internal guidance processes are severely disrupted, having to rely on visual feedback in order to modulate their hand shape to fit the contours of the target objects during a reach-to-grasp movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Schettino
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neurosciences, Rutgers University, 197 University Avenue, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
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20
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Whishaw IQ, Suchowersky O, Davis L, Sarna J, Metz GA, Pellis SM. Impairment of pronation, supination, and body co-ordination in reach-to-grasp tasks in human Parkinson's disease (PD) reveals homology to deficits in animal models. Behav Brain Res 2002; 133:165-76. [PMID: 12110450 DOI: 10.1016/s0166-4328(01)00479-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Animal (monkey, rat, mouse) models are widely used to investigate degenerative processes and potential therapeutic treatments for human Parkinson's disease (PD). One task that has proved useful in these investigations is a reach-to-grasp task (skilled reaching) in which an animal reaches for a piece of food that it then consumes. Rats with extensive unilateral Dopamine depletions are impaired in using the contralateral limb. The qualitative features of posture, lifting and advancing the limb, pronating the paw to grasp food, and in withdrawing and supinating the paw to place the food in the mouth are impaired, as is reaching success. Humans with PD are often described as having poor manual dexterity that worsens as the disease progresses. As there have been no detailed comparisons of reaching movements in the animal models and in PD subjects, the following descriptive analysis was performed. Ten subjects with PD, eight age matched controls and 14 young normal subjects were studied as they used a natural movement of reaching for a small piece of food that they then placed in the mouth to eat. The reaching movements were described using Eshkol-Wachman Movement Notation (EWMN), supplemented with kinematic analyses. From this description, a 21-point rating scale was devised to describe the component movements of the reach. Movements included: orienting the head and eyes to the target, adjusting posture, lifting the hand, shaping and aiming the digits to the target, pronating the hand to grasping the food with a pincer grip, lifting and supinating the hand to transporting the food to the mouth, and further supinating the hand and opening the digits to place food in the mouth, and finally returning the hand to the starting position. Analysis indicated that most aspects of the reaching movements of the PD subjects were significantly different relative to both young control subjects and old control subjects. As compared to the control groups, postural and reaching components of the movements were fragmented, movements were achieved using more proximal segments of the body, and rotatory movements of the hand were limited. The PD subjects did use a pincer grasp to obtain the food, but the grasp was less independent of other digit movements than was observed in the control subjects. These results are discussed in terms of a homology to impairments displayed animal models of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Q Whishaw
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, The University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Alberta, Canada T1K 3M4.
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21
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Quinn L, Reilmann R, Marder K, Gordon AM. Altered movement trajectories and force control during object transport in Huntington's disease. Mov Disord 2001; 16:469-80. [PMID: 11391741 DOI: 10.1002/mds.1108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Huntington's Disease (HD) have difficulty grasping and transporting objects, however, the extent to which specific impairments affect their performance is unknown. The present study examined the kinematics and force coordination during transport of an object in 12 subjects with HD and 12 age-matched controls. Subjects grasped an object between their thumb and index finger, transported it 25 cm forward, replaced and released it while their fingertip forces and the object's position were recorded. Five trials were performed with each of three weights (200 g, 400 g, and 800 g). While bradykinesia was evident in subjects with HD, this slowness was not consistently observed in all phases of the movement. The slowness of movement seen during the task appears to be due to impairments in sequencing and the movement strategies selected by the subjects. Compared to control subjects, subjects with HD produced highly curvilinear hand paths and more variable grip forces that were dependent on the weight of the object. Isometric force development and movement speed during transport were unaffected by the disease. The results suggest that prolonged task durations in subjects with HD are not necessarily due to slowness of movement, per se. These findings have clinical implications for understanding the task-specific nature of movement impairments in HD and developing effective intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Quinn
- Program in Physical Therapy, Graduate School of Health Sciences, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY 10595, USA.
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Gordon AM, Quinn L, Reilmann R, Marder K. Coordination of prehensile forces during precision grip in Huntington's disease. Exp Neurol 2000; 163:136-48. [PMID: 10785452 DOI: 10.1006/exnr.2000.7348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The present study examined the coordination of prehensile forces during precision grip in subjects with Huntington's disease (HD). Fingertip forces were measured in 12 subjects with HD and 12 age-matched controls during the lifting of an instrumented object whose weight and surface texture were varied. The results indicate that subjects with HD have impaired initiation and delayed transitions between movement sequences and produce excessive and variable forces. However, subjects with HD demonstrated anticipatory scaling of force development based on the object's expected physical properties (planning) and adjustment of the force to the object's actual physical properties (sensorimotor integration). The observed findings generally were unrelated to the overall disease severity. However, the variability in forces was correlated with functional capacity and motor performance suggesting that variability is a key feature of the motor deficit. These results provide insights into the impaired hand function observed in individuals with HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Gordon
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, New York 10027, USA.
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