Assessment Of Motor Coordination Research Articles

Uncovering Sex-Specific Epigenetic Regulatory Mechanism Involving H3k9me2 in Neural Inflammation, Damage, and Recovery in the Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion Mouse Model.

Cerebral ischemic stroke is one of the foremost global causes of death and disability. Due to inadequate knowledge in its sequential disease mechanisms, therapeutic efforts to mitigate acute ischemia-induced brain injury are limited. Recent studies have implicated epigenetic mechanisms, mostly histone lysine acetylation/deacetylation, in ischemia-induced neural damage and death. However, the role of lysine methylation/demethylation, another prevalent epigenetic mechanism in cerebral ischemia has not undergone comprehensive investigation, except a few recent reports, including those from our research cohort. Considering the impact of sex on post-stroke outcomes, we studied both male and female mice to elucidate molecular details using our recently developed Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion (ICAO) model, which induces mild to moderate cerebral ischemia, primarily affecting the striatum and ventral hippocampus. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that female mice exhibit faster recovery than male mice following ICAO, evaluated through neurological deficit score and motor coordination assessment. Furthermore, our investigation unveiled that dysregulated histone lysine demethylases (KDMs), particularly kdm4b/jmjd2b are responsible for the sex-specific variance in the modulation of inflammatory genes. Building upon our prior reportage blocking KDMs by DMOG (Dimethyloxalylglycine) and thus preventing the attenuation in H3k9me2 reduced the post-ICAO transcript levels of the inflammatory molecules and neural damage, our present study delved into investigating the differential role of H3k9me2 in the regulation of pro-inflammatory genes in female vis-à-vis male mice underlying ICAO-induced neural damage and recovery. Overall, our results reveal the important role of epigenetic mark H3k9me2 in mediating sex-specific sequential events in inflammatory response, elicited post-ICAO.

An Instrumented Glove for Restoring Sensorimotor Function of the Hand Through Augmented Sensory Feedback.

The loss of sensitivity of the upper limb due to neurological injuries severely limits the ability to manipulate objects, hindering personal independence. Non-invasive augmented sensory feedback techniques are used to promote neural plasticity hence to restore the grasping function. This work presents a wearable device for restoring sensorimotor hand functions based on Discrete Event-driven Sensory Control policy. It consists of an instrumented glove that, relying on piezoelectric sensors, delivers short-lasting vibrotactile stimuli synchronously with the relevant mechanical events (i.e., contact and release) of the manipulation. We first performed a feasibility study on healthy participants (20) that showed overall good performances of the device, with touch-event detection accuracy of 96.2% and a response delay of 22 ms. Later, we pilot tested it on two participants with limited sensorimotor functions. When using the device, they improved their hand motor coordination while performing tests for hand motor coordination assessment (i.e., pick and place test, pick and lift test). In particular, they exhibited more coordinated temporal correlations between grip force and load force profiles and enhanced performances when transferring objects, quantitatively proving the effectiveness of the device.

2960. A Gut Pathobiont Triggers Neuroinflammation and Neurocognitive Impairment via Breaching the Gut-Brain Axis in a Preclinical Model of Alzheimer’s Disease: From Microbial Pathogenesis to Neuropathogenesis

Abstract Background Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kpn) is notorious for causing nosocomial infections and is commonly found in elderly patients in hospitals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This bacterium can cause bloodstream infection, which may worsen AD pathophysiology, but there are no studies demonstrating the mechanistic role of this pathogen in AD. Methods We infected APP/PS mice intestinally with Kpn with (Kpn+Ab) and without antibiotics (Kpn) for a week and then fecal and serum samples were collected 1 and 3 weeks afterwards. Neurocognitive function and motor coordination were tested followed by collection of intestinal and brain tissues at 5 weeks. Microbiome profiles were measured using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Study design Results Kpn was found to have explosively increased in the gut of all mice that received antibiotics and negatively correlated with microbial diversity. Conversely, Kpn was barely detected in the mice that did not receive antibiotics. This underscores the role of antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis in instigating a ‘pathobiome’ signature. Notably, after five weeks post-infection, Kpn was found to be more abundantly colonized in the small intestine than large colon. Importantly, in the Kpn+Ab group, Kpn was detected not only in the blood but also in the brain, indicating the translocation of Kpn from the intestine to the brain via circulation. In mice in which Kpn was found in the brain, a substantial amount of neuroinflammation caused by bacterial infection was observed. Subsequent neurocognitive and behavioral tests revealed that mice infected with Kpn, especially those in the Kpn+Ab group, had impaired memory function and motor coordination. Effects of Klebsiella pneumoniae colonization. A. Changes in microbial composition before and after K. pn colonization, B. Correlation between microbial diversity (Shannon entropy) and abundance of Kpn of Kpn+Ab group C. Assessment of motor coordination (incline screen and hanging wire test) and memory function (T-maze) test. D. Neuroinflammation after K.pn translocation from gut to brain, E. Abundance of K.pn in the three parts of small intestine, colon, blood, and brain. Conclusion These results corroborate the emerging notion of the implicating role of the gut dysbiosis and consequent gut-brain axis impairment in Alzheimer’s neuropathology. Our findings suggest that Alzheimer's patients who are hospitalized and treated with antibiotics are at a higher risk of contracting multi-drug resistant Kpn. Further, these data also hint that gut pathobiome may increase the host’s predisposition to AD by breaching the gut-brain axis thereby triggering neuroinflammation and impairing neurocognitive function. Our ongoing studies are anticipated to reveal underlying mechanisms and will be presented at the conference. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

A novel tablet-based motor coordination test performs on par with the Beery VMI subtest and offers superior temporal metrics: findings from children with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome

Neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders are often associated with coordination problems. Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) constitutes a specific example of acute and complex symptomatology that includes difficulties with motor control. The present proof-of-concept study aimed at testing a new, bespoke tablet-based motor coordination test named SpaceSwipe, providing fine-grained measures that could be used to follow-up on symptoms evolution in PANS. This test enables computationally precise and objective metrics of motor coordination, taking into account both directional and spatial features continuously. We used SpaceSwipe to assess motor coordination in a group of children with PANS (n = 12, assessed on in total of 40 occasions) and compared it against the motor coordination subtest from the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery VMI) 6th edition, traditionally used to follow-up symptomatology. Using a bivariate linear regression, we found that 33 s of the directional offset from tracking a moving target in SpaceSwipe could predict the Beery VMI motor coordination (VMI MC) raw scores (mean absolute error: 1.75 points). Positive correlations between the predicted scores and the VMI MC scores were found for initial testing (radj = 0.87) and for repeated testing (radj = 0.79). With its short administration time and its close prediction to Beery VMI scores, this proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential for SpaceSwipe as a patient-friendly tool for precise, objective assessment of motor coordination in children with neurodevelopmental or neuropsychiatric disorders.

Peripherally injected canabidiol reduces neuropathic pain in mice: Role of the 5-HT1A and TRPV1 receptors

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most abundant non-psychoactive component found in plants of the genus Cannabis. Its analgesic effect for the treatment of neuropathy has been widely studied. However, little is known about its effects in the acute treatment when Cannabidiol is administered peripherally. Because of that, this research was aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive effects of the CBD when administered peripherally for the treatment of acute neuropathic pain and check the involvement of the 5-HT1A and the TRPV1 receptors in this event. Neuropathic pain was induced with the constriction of the sciatic nerve while the nociceptive threshold was measured using the pressure test of the mouse paw. The technique used proved to be efficient to induce neuropathy, and the CBD (5, 10 and 30 μg/paw) induced the antinociception in a dosage-dependent manner. The dosage used that induced a more potent effect (30 μg/paw), did not induce a systemic response, as demonstrated by both the motor coordination assessment test (RotaRod) and the antinociceptive effect restricted to the paw treated with CBD. The administration of NAN-190 (10 μg/paw), a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist, and SB-366791 (16 μg/paw), a selective TRPV1 antagonist, partially reversed the CBD-induced antinociception. The results of the research suggest that the CBD produces the peripheral antinociception during the acute treatment of the neuropathic pain and it partially involved the participation of the 5-HT1A and TRPV1 receptors.

Cerebellar fastigial nucleus histamine and its H2 but not H1 receptors might inhibit acetic acid-induced visceral nociception and improve motor coordination in rats: role of opioid system.

The cerebellum and its deep nuclei contribute to the regulation of important functions including motor coordination and pain. Histamine modulates some functions of the fastigial nucleus (FN) such as motor coordination. In this study, by application of histamine and activation of its H1 and H2 receptors, the FN processing of visceral pain, general locomotor activity and motor coordination were targeted. The possible mechanism of action was followed by the inhibition of opioid receptors. The right and left sides of the FN were surgically implanted with guide cannulas. Immediately after an intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid (1.00 mL, 1.00%), the first writhing onset latency and the writhing number over 60 min were recorded. Open-field and rotarod tests were applied for general locomotor and motor coordination assessment, respectively. Histamine and dimaprit (H2 receptor agonist) increased first writhing onset latency, decreased the writhing number and increased falling time from the rod. These effects were prevented by ranitidine (H2 receptor antagonist) pre-treatment. Significant alterations were not observed by histamine H1 receptor agonist (2-pyridylethylamine) and antagonist (mepyramine). Naloxone, with no effect on falling time from the rod, inhibited the antinociceptive effects of histamine and dimaprit. Beam break number was not affected by the above-mentioned treatments. Based on the results, it can be suggested that histamine H2, but not H1 receptors at the FN might have had an inhibitory role on acetic acid-induced visceral pain and improved motor coordination. The antinociception, but not motor coordination might be mediated by FN opioid receptors.

Validity of the motor coordination evaluation battery for wheelchair users

The aim of this study was to establish the scientific authenticity, in terms of validity, of a Motor Coordination Assessment Battery for Wheelchair Users - BACMoC. The elaboration of the instrument was carried out through bibliographic review followed by brainstorm, which allowed the choice of preliminary tests that composed the instrument. The instrument validity was verified through its Content and Appearance through the Delphi method, with consultation to a Board of Expert Evaluators - QPA. The QPA initially consisted of 40 evaluators, all with MSc or Ph.D. degree, characterized as follows: being in the age group of young and mature adults (X ̅ = 52.75 ± 6.29 years); 100% of them with a degree in Physical Education and linked to Paralympic sport, with extensive experience in the sector (X ̅ = = 29.5 ± 6.85 years). The final BACMoC version consists of five tests designed to assess the four existing types of coordination: fine motor coordination; specific motor coordination; gross motor coordination and general motor coordination. At the end of the objectivity determination process, agreement index of 98.4% was reached in the third round, with Cronbach's alpha coefficient value of 1.0, which denotes perfect statistical reliability. Keywords: Coordination Impairment; Wheelchair; Motor Skill; Para-Athletes;

Playing the piano with a robotic third thumb: assessing constraints of human augmentation

Contemporary robotics gives us mechatronic capabilities for augmenting human bodies with extra limbs. However, how our motor control capabilities pose limits on such augmentation is an open question. We developed a Supernumerary Robotic 3rd Thumbs (SR3T) with two degrees-of-freedom controlled by the user’s body to endow them with an extra contralateral thumb on the hand. We demonstrate that a pianist can learn to play the piano with 11 fingers within an hour. We then evaluate 6 naïve and 6 experienced piano players in their prior motor coordination and their capability in piano playing with the robotic augmentation. We show that individuals’ augmented performance with the SR3T could be explained by our new custom motor coordination assessment, the Human Augmentation Motor Coordination Assessment (HAMCA) performed pre-augmentation. Our work demonstrates how supernumerary robotics can augment humans in skilled tasks and that individual differences in their augmentation capability are explainable by their individual motor coordination abilities.

L’expertise collective de l’Inserm sur le trouble développemental de la coordination ou dyspraxie : état des principaux travaux et recommandations

This current article presents the main work of the experts gathered by INSERM within the framework of the collective expertise procedure attached to the Institute of Public Health to respond to the request of the Caisse nationale de solidarité pour l’autonomie (French National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy) concerning the support and care of people with a developmental coordination disorder (DCD) or dyspraxia. This report (synthesis, analyses and recommendations) was published in December 2019. The work of the experts has made it possible to review the scientific knowledges on developmental coordination disorder at both national and international levels based on the available scientific literature. In this synthesis, we will attempt to present the essential points of the analyses and recommendations resulting from the work of the experts group concerning terminology, typology, epidemiology, brain imaging, genetics, sensory-motor and cognitive deficits, writing disorders, impact on activities of daily living, identification and diagnosis. International studies on DCD show recurrent methodological bias and DCD is a generic term poorly defined by the DSM-5, for which the diagnosis includes a necessary but insufficient standardized assessment of motor coordination. Developmental tests assessing the maturation of neuromotor development underlying motor function should complement the assertion of the diagnosis, as well as other multidimensional investigations of cognitive, sensorial and motor function in order to make a differential diagnosis and report a typology. In addition, the individual impact of the disability on activities, participation and quality of life must be evaluated, not only in childhood but also as adults.

Content validity evidences in the motor coordination test with ball

Abstract The main objective of this study was to establish content validity evidences in the Motor Coordination Test with Ball (MCTB). Four Ph.D. professors and former sports coaches with academic experience in the motor coordination area took part of the validation process as experts. The experts assessed four motor tasks and graded using the Likert scale from one to five for criteria of clarity of language, practice relevance, and theoretical relevance. The content validity coefficient (CVC) has been used to determine the CVCc of each task and the CVCt for the instrument as a whole, adopting as a cutoff CVCc .70 and CVCt .80. The results showed good agreement among experts concerning “clarity of language” (CVC= .89), “practice relevance” (CVC= .81), and theoretical relevance (CVC= .86). For “practice relevance” of images and videos of task execution, there has been observed CVCt of .86 and CVCt of .95, respectively. When requested the order of relevance of coordination pressures, the agreement among experts presented the existence of at least four coordination pressures in each one of the tasks and, out of these, at least two had a higher relevance. After the calculation of the CVC, ecological validity was determined for the MCTB, accrediting it as an instrument for the assessment of motor coordination with ball in the context of sports games.

Freestyle gymnastic exercise can be used to assess complex coordination in a variety of sports

ObjectiveThe assessment of motor coordination is a very complex process and demonstrates a high degree of sport specificity. There are a limited number of tests, if any, where results correlate with the success rate of athletes in different sports. MethodsFree style gymnastic exercise (FSGE) and coordination ball dribbling exercise (CBDE) were used to see whether the execution quality of these tests is related to the quality of athletes from team handball, water polo, kayak, rhythmical gymnastics (RG) and aerobics (222 athletes - 75 male, 147 female; 23 non-athletes - 9 male, 14 female). ResultsFSGE results related to the quality of performance in all sports (r = -0.232, p < 0.01 in handball, water polo, kayak and r = -0.26, p < 0.05 in aerobics and RG), while CBDE did not. Older players had higher ranking as they had more time to be successful at their sport (r = -0.498, p < 0.01 in handball, water polo, kayak; r = -0.298, p < 0.05 in aerobics and RG). The scores of FSGE were independent from the age and gender of the subjects. ConclusionsThe main findings were: (i) that athletes did significantly better than the controls in both tests; (ii) RG and aerobics athletes did better on the FSGE than handball, water polo players and kayakers; (iii) handball players did better than kayakers, RG and aerobics athletes on the CBDE test; and (iv) better ranked athletes performed better on the FGSE test. Therefore, FSGE test appears to be a reliable test to assess coordination in variety of sport and different levels of sport performance.

Exploratory study of dorsal visual stream dysfunction in autism; A case series

BackgroundRobust neuroscientific evidence supports the existence of an association between autism and a visual motion processing deficit, arising from dysfunction of the dorsal visual stream, a pathway connecting the primary visual and parieto-occipital cortices. The neuro-ophthalmic consequences of dorsal visual stream dysfunction (DVSD) are well-described but seldom reported: simultanagnosia, optic ataxia (OA), and gaze apraxia. MethodThe clinical records of thirteen motor-impaired autistic children, with clinical diagnoses of DVSD, were retrospectively reviewed six years after DVSD diagnosis to determine the frequency and severity of their neuro-visual impairment. Two measures to rate severity of visual perceptual impairment were employed: frequency of parent-reported behaviours denoting impaired visual function, given as mean individual Cerebral Visual Impairment Inventory Scores (CVIS), and severity of age-inappropriate configural disruption of drawings, rated on Beery-VMI Visual Motor Integration standard scores (VMIS). Applying the 90th percentile cut-off CVIS of 0.74 for the typical population as marker of normal visual function a CVIS ≥ 2.5 indicated very severe impairment. Evidence was also sought for a correlation between central OA and severe motor coordination impairment (MCI), rated by the Beery Motor Coordination assessment, using method agreement analysis. ResultsSignificant correlation between CVIS and VMIS was determined by linear regression analysis: r = -0.81 [95% CI -0.94 to -0.47], p=0.0008. Agreement for MCI≤ 5th percentile with central OA, determined by Cohen’s weighted Kappa statistic (K), was significant: K = 1[95% CI: 0.46–1.54], p=0.0002. ConclusionsWe conclude that mechanisms driving OA (which is defined as ‘impaired visually guided movement’) may underpin severe motor impairment, in autism. CVIS and VMIS may be useful indicators of severity of spatial cognitive impairment.

Assessment of motor coordination in stroke patients using UCM theory

Assessment of motor coordination in stroke patients using UCM theory

WITHDRAWN: Assessment of motor coordination in stroke patients using UCM theory

WITHDRAWN: Assessment of motor coordination in stroke patients using UCM theory

Moderating Effects of Physical Activity and Global Self-Worth on Internalizing Problems in School-Aged Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder.

School-aged children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are at greater risk for physical inactivity, lower global self-worth, and internalizing problems, such as depression and anxiety. Based on the environmental stress hypothesis (ESH), recent research has shown that physical inactivity and lower global self-worth sequentially mediate the relationship between DCD and internalizing problems, suggesting that DCD leads to lower levels of physical activity, which in turn leads to lower levels of global self-worth, and ultimately, a greater amount of internalizing problems. However, physical activity and global self-worth may also buffer (i.e., moderate) the adverse effect of DCD on internalizing problems. To date, this has yet to be tested. Participants were 1206 children aged 12–14 years [611 boys, 79 with probable DCD (pDCD)]. All children received assessments of motor coordination, physical activity, global self-worth, and internalizing problems. Children with pDCD were less physically active, had lower self-worth, and experienced more internalizing problems compared to typically developing (TD) children (p’s < 0.05). Furthermore, the moderated moderating effect (three-way interaction) of physical activity and global self-worth was also evident (p < 0.05), indicating that internalizing problems in both TD and pDCD groups decreased with concurrent increases in physical activity and global self-worth. Importantly, when compared to TD children, increases in physical activity and global self-worth were associated with a greater reduction in internalizing problems among children with pDCD. The findings support several pathways in the ESH and highlight that, in addition to improving motor skills, interventions should also target both physical activity and global self-worth to mitigate potential mental health issues for children with motor difficulties.

Number of Synergies Is Dependent on Spasticity and Gait Kinetics in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Children with cerebral palsy have motor dysfunctions, which are mainly associated with the loss of motor coordination. For the assessment of motor coordination, muscle synergies calculated by nonnegative matrix factorization have been investigated. However, the characteristics of muscle synergies in children with cerebral palsy are not understood. This study compared the number of muscle synergies during gait between children with cerebral palsy and children with typical development and clarified whether certain clinical parameters differed according to the number of synergies. Children with cerebral palsy had significantly fewer synergies than children developing typically. The extent of spasticity and gait kinetics differed according to the number of synergies. Increases in the number of synergies are limited by severe spasticity. The muscle synergies calculated by nonnegative matrix factorization have the potential to enable the quantification of motor coordination during gait.

A test of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis in children with and without Developmental Coordination Disorder

ObjectivesThis study examined several underlying mechanisms hypothesized by the Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) to explain the association between probable Developmental Coordination Disorder (pDCD) and internalizing problems. Design/MethodA cross-sectional analysis involving 1206 children aged 12–14 years (79 pDCD, 6.6% of the sample) was conducted. Children received assessments of motor coordination, physical activity, BMI, global self-worth, and internalizing problems. Path analysis was conducted to examine overall model fit and sex differences. ResultsThe results showed significant sex differences in the underlying pathways connecting pDCD to internalizing problems, indicating more mediating pathways through physical activity, BMI and global self-worth in girls, compared to boys. ConclusionsOverall, we were able to find support for some of the pathways identified in the ESH in school-aged children. Results also suggest that the development of interventions may need to be sex specific.

Synthesis, crystallographic characterization, molecular docking and biological activity of isoquinoline derivatives

The main objective of this work was to synthesize novel compounds with a benzo[de][1,2,4]triazolo[5,1-a]isoquinoline scaffold by employing (dioxo-benzo[de]isoquinolin-2-yl) thiourea as a building block. Molecular docking was conducted in the COX-2 active site to predict the plausible binding mode and rationalize the structure–activity relationship of the synthesized compounds. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by HREI-MS, and NMR spectra along with X-ray diffraction were collected for products 1 and 5. Thereafter, anti-inflammatory effect of molecules 1–20 was evaluated in vivo using carrageenan-induced paw edema method, revealing significant inhibition potency in albino rats with an activity comparable to that of the standard drugs indomethacin. Compounds 8, 9, 15 and 16 showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity. However, thermal sensitivity-hot plat test, a radiological examination and motor coordination assessment were performed to test the activity against rheumatoid arthritis. The obtained results indicate promising anti-arthritic activity for compounds 9 and 15 as significant reduction of the serum level of interleukin-1β [IL-1β], cyclooxygenase-2 [COX-2] and prostaglandin E2 [PGE2] was observed in CFA rats.

Co-Existence of Motor Coordination Impairments in Semi-Hospitalized Children and Adolescents with Psychiatric Disorders

Background: Recent evidence suggests that children and adolescents presenting poor motor skills are at greater risk of developing internalizing symptoms, emotional/behavioural and externalizing problems. Motor coordination difficulties, as in Developmental Coordination Disorder, co-occurrence with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity and Autism Spectrum Disorders are well documented. Few studies investigated the co-occurrence of motor difficulties and mood, anxiety, psychotic and emerging personality disorders in children and adolescents. Objectives: To investigate whether children presenting psychiatric symptomatology manifest motor coordination difficulties. Methods: 48 children and adolescents in semi-hospitalisation in a psychiatric-day facility were selected during a period of two years and screened according to DSM-5 criteria and a motor coordination assessment battery. Results: Our findings demonstrated motor difficulties (percentile ≤ 16 in Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2) to be significantly more prevalent among children and adolescents with Bipolar (15.62%), Psychotic (9.37%), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity (21.87%) and Autistic disorders (18.75%). Motor coordination difficulties were equally prevalent among children presenting Anxiety (12.50%), Conduct (3.12%), Eating (3.12%) and Depressive disorders (9.37%) although no significant difference were detected between groups. Youth presenting traits of Emerging Personality Disorders did not reveal motor difficulties. Conclusion: The co-occurrence of motor deficits and internalizing symptoms, such as in Bipolar and Psychotic disorders is somehow unexpected but offer evidence to support some previous findings in the literature. The presence of motor coordination deficits among patients with Attention deficit/ Hyperactivity and Autistic disorders is congruent to previous literature. Future research should further explore the association of motor deficits with Bipolar and Psychotic disorders in larger samples, and highlights the need for motor assessment in the practice of child psychiatry.

Assessment of motor coordination and balance after destabilization of the medial meniscus in mice

Assessment of motor coordination and balance after destabilization of the medial meniscus in mice