Locomotor Disorder Research Articles

Does the Record of Physical Fitness Tests Reveal Locomotor Disorders in Children? Relationship Between Records of Physical Fitness Tests and Locomotor Disorder Screenings: Results in Japanese Children

Background: In Japan, children often suffer from locomotor disorders due to either too much or too little physical activity. As a result, locomotive examinations have been incorporated into Japanese school education. However, the first stage of the examination process is based on a screening questionnaire by parents, which may lead to serious oversights. Researchers discovered that considering the results of locomotive examinations along with the results of physical fitness tests can lead to early detection of locomotor disorders in children without overlooking them. Objectives: This study clarified the relationship between fitness test results and locomotor disorder screenings, highlighting the possibility of early detection of these disorders. Methods: This is a retrospective study in which we examined the results of locomotor disorder screenings and physical fitness tests of 315 elementary students in Japan in 2022 by gender and grade. Furthermore, we analyzed whether physical fitness test scores differed between children whose screenings did or did not indicate abnormalities, also categorized by gender and grade. Results: Results showed the following statistical outcomes. Overall, we found slightly significant differences between boys in the two groups in the third and fourth grades and a significant difference at 0.1% – 1% in sit-up scores between the two groups of boys in both grades. Grip strength also showed significant differences in the third and fifth grades at 1% and 5%, respectively. The fourth-grade boys showed significant differences in the seated forward bend and side-steer scores at 1% and 5%, respectively. Moreover, there were significant differences between children with and without abnormalities in their 50-m run scores among boys in the third and fourth grades and girls in the fourth grade. There was also a significant difference of 0.1% – 1% in the standing long jump scores between the groups of fourth- and sixth-grade boys. Thus, an association was found between the results of the screening of locomotive examinations and the results of the physical fitness test. Conclusions: Combining fitness tests and locomotor disorder screenings may enable early detection and prevention of locomotor disorders in children.

Behavioral and histological analyses of the mouse Bassoon p.P3882A mutation corresponding to the human BSN p.P3866A mutation.

Tauopathy is known to be a major pathognomonic finding in important neurodegenerative diseases such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration. However, the mechanism by which tauopathy is triggered remains to be elucidated. We previously identified the point mutation c.11596C > G, p.Pro3866Ala in the Bassoon gene (BSN) in a Japanese family with PSP-like syndrome. We showed that mutated BSN may have been involved in its own insolubilization and tau accumulation. Furthermore, BSN mutations have also been related to various neurological diseases. In order to further investigate the pathophysiology of BSN mutation in detail, it is essential to study it in mouse models. We generated a mouse model with the mouse Bassoon p.P3882A mutation, which corresponds to the human BSN p.P3866A mutation, knock-in (KI) and we performed systematic behavioral and histological analyses. Behavioral analyses revealed impaired working memory in a Y-maze test at 3 months of age and decreased locomotor activity in the home cage at 3 and 12 months of age in KI mice compared to those in wild-type mice. Although no obvious structural abnormalities were observed at 3 months of age, immunohistochemical studies showed elevation of Bsn immunoreactivity in the hippocampus and neuronal loss without tau accumulation in the substantia nigra at 12 months of age in KI mice. Although our mice model did not show progressive cognitive dysfunction and locomotor disorder like PSP-like syndrome, dopaminergic neuronal loss was observed in the substantia nigra in 12-month-old KI mice. It is possible that BSN mutation may result in dopaminergic neuronal loss without locomotor symptoms due to the early disease stage. Thus, further clinical course can induce cognitive dysfunction and locomotor symptoms.

Disease-associated KCNMA1 variants decrease circadian clock robustness in channelopathy mouse models.

KCNMA1 encodes the voltage- and calcium-activated K+ (BK) channel, which regulates suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) neuronal firing and circadian behavioral rhythms. Gain-of-function (GOF) and loss-of-function (LOF) alterations in BK channel activity disrupt circadian behavior, but the effect of human disease-associated KCNMA1 channelopathy variants has not been studied on clock function. Here, we assess circadian behavior in two GOF and one LOF mouse lines. Heterozygous Kcnma1N999S/WT and homozygous Kcnma1D434G/D434G mice are validated as GOF models of paroxysmal dyskinesia (PNKD3), but whether circadian rhythm is affected in this hypokinetic locomotor disorder is unknown. Conversely, homozygous LOF Kcnma1H444Q/H444Q mice do not demonstrate PNKD3. We assessed circadian behavior by locomotor wheel running activity. All three mouse models were rhythmic, but Kcnma1N999S/WT and Kcnma1D434G/D434G showed reduced circadian amplitude and decreased wheel activity, corroborating prior studies focused on acute motor coordination. In addition, Kcnma1D434G/D434G mice had a small decrease in period. However, the phase-shifting sensitivity for both GOF mouse lines was abnormal. Both Kcnma1N999S/WT and Kcnma1D434G/D434G mice displayed increased responses to light pulses and took fewer days to re-entrain to a new light:dark cycle. In contrast, the LOF Kcnma1H444Q/H444Q mice showed no difference in any of the circadian parameters tested. The enhanced sensitivity to phase-shifting stimuli in Kcnma1N999S/WT and Kcnma1D434G/D434G mice was similar to other Kcnma1 GOF mice. Together with previous studies, these results suggest that increasing BK channel activity decreases circadian clock robustness, without rhythm ablation.

Determinants of the distance walked in the six-minute walk test at discharge from patients with heart failure

Background: The distance walked during the six-minute walk test (6MWD) is predicted measure for mortality and rehospitalization in patients with heart failure. Objective: To identify the determinants of 6MWD at discharge from patients with heart failure. Methods: This is a descriptive and cross-sectional clinical study. Patients aged 18 to 80 years and functional class I to II were eligible. Those who have a type of psychiatric, cognitive or locomotor disorder; atrial fibrillation; use of a fixed frequency heart pacemaker were not eligible. The following were collected from the medical records: name, age, sex, BMI (body mass index); ejection fraction of the left ventricle; hemoglobin; fasting blood glucose; etiology of stay; presence of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases; presence of infection. The muscle strength of the knee extension movement was evaluated by dynamometry, a quality of life with the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), the previous physical activity level by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the 6MWD. Results: Sixty patients from a final sample (58.3% males, mean age 56.23±10.44 years). Were selected as the variables selected from the multivariate analysis: age (p=0.057), dynamometry (p=0.004), Total NPH (p=0.017) and IPAQ (p=0.018). R=0.72 and R²=0.53 with p<0.05 and the mean of the 6MWD was 393.16±42.80 meters. Conclusion: In this study the determinants of 6MWD were: age, total mean knee dynamometry, total NPH and IPAQ.

Sigma-1 receptor agonist PRE-084 confers protection against TAR DNA-binding protein-43 toxicity through NRF2 signalling

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting upper and lower motor neurons. As a consequence, ALS patients display a locomotor disorder related to muscle weakness and progressive paralysis. Pathological mechanisms that participate in ALS involve deficient unfolded protein response, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, among others. Finding a therapeutic target to break the vicious circle is particularly challenging. Sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) chaperone that may be one of those targets. We here address and decipher the efficiency of S1R activation on a key ALS gene, TDP43, in zebrafish vertebrate model. While expression of mutant TDP43 (TDP43G348C) led to locomotor defects, treatment with the reference S1R agonist PRE-084 rescued motor performances in a zebrafish model. Treatment with the agonist ameliorated maximal mitochondrial respiration in the TDP43 context. We observed that TDP43G348C exacerbated ER stress induced by tunicamycin, resulting in increased levels of ER stress chaperone BiP and pro-apoptotic factor CHOP. Importantly, PRE-084 treatment in the same condition further heightened BiP levels but also EIF2α/ATF4 and NRF2 signalling cascades, both known to promote antioxidant protection during ER stress. Moreover, we showed that increasing NRF2 levels directly or by sulforaphane treatment rescued locomotor defects of TDP43G348C zebrafish. For the first time, we here provide the proof of concept that PRE-084 prevents mutant TDP43 toxicity by boosting ER stress response and antioxidant cascade through NRF2 signalling.

The success of biomaterial-based tissue engineering strategies for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Peripheral nerve injury is a clinically common injury that causes sensory dysfunction and locomotor system degeneration, which seriously affects the quality of the patients' daily life. Long gapped defects in large nerve are difficult to repair via surgery and limited donor source of autologous nerve greatly challenges the successful nerve repair by transplantation. Significantly, remarkable progress has been made in repairing the peripheral nerve injury using artificial nerve grafts and a variety of products for peripheral nerve repair have emerged been approved globally in recent years. The raw materials of these commercial products includes natural/synthetic polymers, extracellular matrix. Despite a lot of effort, the desirable functional recovery still remains great challenges in long gapped nerve defects. Thus this review discusses the recent development of tissue engineering products for peripheral nerve repair and the design of bionic grafts improving the local microenvironment for accelerating nerve regeneration against locomotor disorder, which may provide potential strategies for the repair of long gaps or thick nerve defects by multifunctional biomaterials.

Dynamic time warping approach for optimized locomotor impairment detection using biomedical signal processing

The study of walking pattern also known as gait is affected by several underlying musculoskeletal and neurological factors. All humans have contrasting gait pattern however the pattern lies within a predictable range for all human with no underlying health disorders affecting gait. However, deviation from a regular distribution range can indicate underlying health conditions. The gait could be regularly and inexpensively monitored in real-time with help of smartphones embedded sensors such as tri-axial accelerometers and tri-axial gyroscopes as smartphones are widely available. The advancements in computational power and artificial intelligence led to the development of several supervised machine learning algorithms which could be used to detect certain patterns associated with different gait conditions. However, the machine learning has widely been used to study different gait diseases, with this paper we have proposed a more efficient motion tracking approach and a new algorithm utilizing Dynamic Time Warping for an optimized locomotor disorder detection with affordable, practically applicable and globally deployable setup to monitor gait. In this experiment, we have tracked motion of 30 healthy and gait deformed human subjects with the proposed motion tracking approach and utilizing the proposed algorithm, we have achieved 35.95 times faster classification with up to 95.20% detection accuracy.

A sociodemographic profile of inmates of an old age home in North Maharashtra

Background: India had about 8.6 crores elderly above 65 years in 2016. It is expected to increase to 17.9 crores by 2031 and 30.1 crores by 2051. This will increase the demand for health and other social security services. Hence, we decided to collect and analyze socio-demographic profile of inmates of an old age home (OAH).Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted at an old age home in North Maharashtra from 15th March 2008 to 30th April 2008 by questionnaires/interviews. Sample size was 100%.Results: There were total 40 inmates. 50% were aged 50-60 years. 27.5% (60-70 years), 17.5% (70-80 years) and 5% (80-90 years). Males were 52.5%, female- 47.5%. married- 50%, widow- 45% and unmarried- 5%. 30% were housewives, 27.5 % were labourers, 20% were businessmen, 10% were in government jobs, 7.5% were teachers and 5% were farmers. 40% inmates were childless, >4 children- 25%, 3 children- 17.5%, 2 children- 12.5% and 1 child-5%. 33 inmates’ children were literate while 7 inmates’ children were illiterate. Main causes of staying at OAH were family problems 50%, personal cause 45% and economical cause was 5%. Major health problems were locomotor disorder- 52.5%, cataract- 47.5%, hypertension- 17.5%, diabetes- 15%, genito-urinary problem- 7.5%, decreased hearing- 7.5%, IHD- 5% and respiratory problems- 2.5%. Dental health/problems included missing teeth- 65%, caries- 25%, discoloration- 22.5% and dentures- 20%. Literacy was 70%.Conclusions: Major medical/dental/social problems were locomotor, cataract, diabetes-mellitus, hypertension, tooth loss, caries, family disputes, poverty and childlessness.

The Role of Microglia in Retinal Neurodegeneration: Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson, and Glaucoma.

Microglia, the immunocompetent cells of the central nervous system (CNS), act as neuropathology sensors and are neuroprotective under physiological conditions. Microglia react to injury and degeneration with immune-phenotypic and morphological changes, proliferation, migration, and inflammatory cytokine production. An uncontrolled microglial response secondary to sustained CNS damage can put neuronal survival at risk due to excessive inflammation. A neuroinflammatory response is considered among the etiological factors of the major aged-related neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS, and microglial cells are key players in these neurodegenerative lesions. The retina is an extension of the brain and therefore the inflammatory response in the brain can occur in the retina. The brain and retina are affected in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and glaucoma. AD is an age-related neurodegeneration of the CNS characterized by neuronal and synaptic loss in the cerebral cortex, resulting in cognitive deficit and dementia. The extracellular deposits of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and intraneuronal accumulations of hyperphosphorylated tau protein (pTau) are the hallmarks of this disease. These deposits are also found in the retina and optic nerve. PD is a neurodegenerative locomotor disorder with the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. This is accompanied by Lewy body inclusion composed of α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates. PD also involves retinal dopaminergic cell degeneration. Glaucoma is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve, characterized by retinal ganglion cell loss. In this pathology, deposition of Aβ, synuclein, and pTau has also been detected in retina. These neurodegenerative diseases share a common pathogenic mechanism, the neuroinflammation, in which microglia play an important role. Microglial activation has been reported in AD, PD, and glaucoma in relation to protein aggregates and degenerated neurons. The activated microglia can release pro-inflammatory cytokines which can aggravate and propagate neuroinflammation, thereby degenerating neurons and impairing brain as well as retinal function. The aim of the present review is to describe the contribution in retina to microglial-mediated neuroinflammation in AD, PD, and glaucomatous neurodegeneration.

Épidémiologie et leviers pour la maîtrise de la santé des troupeaux bovins laitiers : approche monographique pour sept maladies majeures

Les décisions de gestion de la santé animale correspondent à un large éventail de situations et de problèmes. Illustrant ce constat, sept maladies majeures des troupeaux bovins laitiers sont examinées pour identifier les facteurs les plus courants limitant l’efficacité des plans de maîtrise ainsi que les perspectives d’amélioration de la maîtrise sur le terrain. Pour les infections intra-mammaires, la recherche vise à la mise au point de vaccins multivalents, le ciblage des vaches à traiter par les antibactériens, la méthodologie des interventions en ferme, et l’augmentation de la résistance innée par la sélection génomique. Pour les strongyloses gastro-intestinales, les recherches prioritaires s’orientent aussi vers les stratégies de traitement anthelminthique raisonné et ciblé, la voie génétique semblant moins prioritaire que chez les petits ruminants. La maîtrise de la maladie de Mortellaro, affection de l’appareil locomoteur, ne pourra plus recourir aux désinfectants classiquement utilisés dans les pédiluves et des approches alternatives sont nécessaires. La maîtrise de la fièvre Q est à rechercher par la vaccination de l’ensemble du troupeau sur plusieurs années et l’hygiène de la parturition. La paratuberculose pourrait à terme être maîtrisée par la sélection génomique, en raison de l’absence de traitement et de vaccin efficaces et de l’existence de bases génétiques de résistance/résilience prometteuses. La maîtrise de l’infection par le virus BVDV semble pouvoir être atteinte par des mesures sanitaires combinées ou non avec la vaccination. La quasi-éradication des sérotypes exotiques du virus de la fièvre catarrhale ovine pourrait être obtenue par la surveillance ciblée et la vaccination massive et rapide. Les spécificités de l’étiologie, de l’épidémiologie et des moyens de maîtrise des maladies étudiées n’autorisent guère de conclusions génériques.

Increases in the completeness of disease records in dairy databases following changes in the criteria determining whether a record counts as correct

BackgroundThe four Nordic countries: Denmark (DK), Finland (FIN), Norway (NO) and Sweden (SE), all have national databases in which mainly records of treated animals are maintained. Recently, the completeness of locomotor disorder records in these databases has been evaluated using farmers’ recordings as a reference level. The objective of the present study was to see how previous estimates of completeness figures are affected by the criteria determining whether a recording in the database is to be judged correct. These demands included date of diagnosis and disease classification. In contrast with the previous study, a period of time between the date of disease recording in the database and by the farmer was allowed. Further, the calculations were brought to bear on individual locomotor diagnoses instead of a common locomotor disease complex code.MethodsRandomly selected dairy herds (≥ 15 cows) were invited to participate. During two 2-month periods in 2008 the farmers recorded the diseases they observed on the farm and their recordings constituted a farmer database (FD). These recordings were compared to disease recordings in the National Databases (ND). Earlier calculations of completeness for locomotor complex cases assuming an exact match on date were compared with ±7 day and ±30 day discrepancies calculated in this study.ResultsThe farmers in DK, FIN, NO and SE recorded 426, 147, 97 and 193 locomotor disorders, respectively. When a window of ±7 days was allowed there was a relative increase in completeness figures lying in the range of 24–100%. Further increases were minor, or non-existent, when the window was expanded to ±30 days. The same trend was seen for individual diagnoses.ConclusionIn all four of the Nordic countries a common pattern can be observed: a further increase in completeness occurs when individual locomotor diagnoses recorded by the farmer are permitted to match any locomotor diagnosis recorded in the ND. Completeness increased when both time span and different diagnoses within the locomotor complex were allowed.

Risk of mortality and predisposing factors after osteoporotic hip fracture: a one-year follow-up study

To determine mortality and predisposing factors in patients with fracture of the proximal femur, one year after the initial fracture, in a tertiary hospital in Castile and Leon (Spain). Observational case-control study. Patients aged ≥65 years admitted to the orthopedic surgery department of the Rio Hortega Hospital, a tertiary care hospital with approximately 560 beds, due to non-traumatic hip fracture between September 2005 and November 2006, were included. An age-matched control group of 81 institutionalized patients with similar characteristics was recruited. A protocolized telephone interview and a review of hospital medical records was made at 12 months followup. Of the 170 patients recruited, the final analysis was made in 139: 121 (87.1%) women and 18 (12.9%) men. The control group was formed of 81 patients: 64 (79%) women and 17 (21%) men. Mortality was 41.7% in the study group and 2.5% in controls (p; 0.001). Mortality was 31% in month 1, 24.1% between months 2 and 6 and 29.3% between months 6 and 12 (in 15.6% the date of death was unknown). Factors associated with mortality were: age >86 years (p; 0.024); prior cognitive deterioration (p; 0.011); prior locomotor disorder (p; 0.047); male gender (p; 0.017); heart disease (p; 0.042). Patients with hip fracture, had substantially higher mortality than comparable healthy people, and mortality was highest in the first six months after fracture. Age and prior comorbidities were associated with excess mortality.

Valid and Reliable Instruments for the Clinical Assessment of the Effect of an Ankle-Foot Orthoses on Balance

Balance, a complex integration of the somatosensory, visual, and vestibular systems, has a substantial impact on functional ability in persons with locomotor disorders or sports-related injury. Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs), by virtue of their observable impacts on the somatosensory system, are likely to influence balance. To investigate the effect of AFOs on balance, valid, reliable, and clinically justifiable balance measures need to be identified and used. The purpose of this article is to review the psychometric properties of those outcome measures with established clinical utility in the assessment of balance and to identify the potential balance measures for use in orthotic management, both clinically and in future research. This review includes the testing procedures and psychometric data for the following outcome measures: Berg Balance Scale, Pediatric Balance Scale, Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, Functional Reach Test, Single-Leg Stance Test, Star Excursion Balance Test, and Balance Error Scoring System. Assessments are discussed related to the target subjects: adult with locomotor disorder, pediatric with locomotor disorder, or athlete. All measures in this review were found to have at least acceptable psychometric properties. Of all the measures reviewed within the locomotor dysfunction category, the Timed Up and Go Test seems to have the most sound psychometric properties as a measure of dynamic balance and seems to be the most sensitive balance measure used thus far in research investigating the effects of AFOs on balance. Of the recommended measures of balance for the athletes, both the Star Excursion Balance Test and the Balance Error Scoring System have similar psychometric pros and cons and limited use in orthotics research. Utilization of more than one measure is suggested, so that assessment can be made of more than one health-related domain.

Withania somnifera root extract improves catecholamines and physiological abnormalities seen in a Parkinson's disease model mouse

Ethnopharmacological relevance Withania somnifera root extract (Ws)/Ashwagandha/Indian ginseng is a traditional herbal medicine, used over 4000 years in India, shown to have effect on neural growth and locomotor function. Although catecholamines and oxidative stress resulting in neurodegeneration and locomotor disorder are the main events in Parkinson's disease (PD), efficacy of the drug on these molecules and physiological abnormality are not clear. Aim of the study The objective of the study was to examine effect of Ws on catecholamines and physiological abnormalities seen in PD using PD model mouse. Materials and methods Mouse were treated with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 4 days to show biochemical and physiological abnormalities similar to patients with PD. PD mice were treated with Ws 100 mg/kg body weight for 7 or 28 days. Catecholamines: dopamine (DA), 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA); antioxidants: glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx); and lipid peroxidation marker (TBARS) were analyzed in the Ws treated and untreated PD mouse striatum. Results Mouse treated with MPTP showed reduced levels of DA, DOPAC, HVA, GSH and GPx and induced thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) level compared to the control. Physiological abnormalities were seen in the mouse as determined by hang test and rotarod test. Oral treatment of PD mouse Ws root extract (100 mg/kg body weight) for 7 days or 28 days increased DA, DOPAC and HVA levels and normalized TBARS levels in the corpus striatum of the PD mouse. The 7 days Ws treated mice showed improved motor function as determined by hang test and rotarod test. Treatment with Ws for 28 days increased GSH and GPx levels in the striatum compared to the Ws untreated PD mouse striatum. Conclusion These data suggest that Ws is a potential drug in treating catecholamines, oxidative damage and physiological abnormalities seen in the PD mouse.

Cerebellar ataxia in sheep grazing pastures infested with Romulea rosea (onion grass or Guildford grass)

There have been anecdotal reports since 1962 of 'staggers' in sheep grazing Romulea rosea infested pastures, but this is the first detailed account. In September 2005, a locomotor disorder developed in 12 of 120 Merino wethers that had grazed R. rosea infested pasture at Albury, New South Wales, over several months. Affected sheep displayed signs that included limb paresis, knuckling over in the fetlocks, fine head tremor, incoordination, and an equilibrium disturbance characterised by frequent falling. The microscopic examination of brain and spinal cord tissues from two affected sheep revealed mild vacuolation, occasional lymphocytic cuffing around blood vessels, mild Wallerian degeneration, and occasional glial cells that contained honey-brown cytoplasmic pigments. The most significant changes were found in the cerebellum, where there were decreased numbers of Purkinje cells, increased numbers of glial cells, scattered vacuoles and occasional swollen axons. Previous reports of cerebellar toxicoses in ruminants have involved goats and cattle and have been associated with the ingestion of six Solanum spp. The Purkinje cell loss in this type of disorder is ultimately extensive and consequently affected animals may survive, but will remain permanently disabled.

Investigating Scale Invariant Dynamics in Minimum Toe Clearance Variability of the Young and Elderly During Treadmill Walking

Current research applying variability measures of gait parameters has demonstrated promise for helping to solve one of the "holy grails" of geriatric research by defining markers that can be used to prospectively identify persons at risk of falling . The minimum toe clearance (MTC) event occurs during the leg swing phase of the gait cycle and is a task highly sensitive to the spatial and balance control properties of the locomotor system. The aim of this study is to build upon the current state of research by investigating the magnitude and dynamic structure from the MTC time series fluctuations due to aging and locomotor disorder. Thirty healthy young (HY), 27 healthy elderly (HE), and 10 falls risk (FR) elderly individuals (who presented a prior history of trip-related falls) participated in treadmill walking for at least 10 min at their preferred speed. Continuous MTC data were collected and the first 512 data points were analyzed. The following variability indices were quantified: 1) MTC mean and standard deviation (SD), 2) PoincarE plot indices of MTC variability (SD1, SD2, SD1/SD2), 3) a wavelet based multiscale exponent beta to describe the dynamic structure of MTC fluctuations, and 4) detrended fluctuation analysis exponent alpha to investigate the presence of long-range correlations in MTC time series data. Results showed that stride-to-stride MTC time series has a nonlinear structure in all three groups when compared against randomly shuffled surrogate MTC data. Test on aging effects showed the MTC central tendency was significantly lower (p < 0.01) and the magnitude of the MTC variability significantly higher (p < 0.01). This trend changed when comparing FR subjects against age-matched HE as both the central tendency (p < 0.01) and magnitude of the variability (p < 0.01) increased significantly in FR. Although the magnitude of MTC variability increased with age, the nonlinear indices represented by alpha, beta, and SD1/SD2 demonstrated that the nonlinear structure of MTC does not change significantly due to aging (p > 0.05). There were, however, significant differences between HY and FR for beta (between scale 1 and 2; p < 0.01) and alpha (p < 0.05). Out of all the variability measures applied, beta(Wv2-4), SD1/SD2, SD2 of critical MTC parameter were found to be potential markers to be able to reliably identify FR from HE subjects. Further research is required to understand the mechanisms underlying the cause of MTC variability.

A Prototype Evaluation of a Computer-Assisted Physical Therapy System for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a common locomotor disorder affecting many older people and has become a growing public health problem. Adherence to exercise is a key to the successful recovery of patients but is often a major problem for older adults with osteoarthritis. The proposed pilot study is aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptance of an interactive computer assisted physical therapy prototype for aging adults with osteoarthritis. The prototype comprised of a laptop, a wireless keypad, and software designed to deliver customized exercise plans for each participant as prescribed by their physical therapists. Each participant used a wireless keypad as a remote control to navigate through the software that provided exercise instructions in the form of text and videos. Fifteen participants were enrolled in the study during their regular visit to an outpatient physical therapy center. They were provided with a 15-minute instruction session first, then they were asked to use the system unassisted. Ninety percent of the patients expressed no difficulty in using the prototype system in this study. All participants fully understood the instructions given by the exercise videos and expressed their intention to use the system unassisted at home. The presented computer-assisted physical therapy prototype may play an important role in the management of musculoskeletal conditions in patients that require home based exercise therapy. Further research is warranted to evaluate the impact of the proposed computerized therapy system on patients with various musculoskeletal conditions.

Twins and locomotor disorder in children

Several locomotor disorders in children that come to the attention of orthopaedic surgeons have their origin in fetal life and present as congenital anomalies. These include cerebral palsy (which may be considered as a congenital anomaly as, in the majority of cases, the impairment is prepartum in

THE ALKALOIDS OF TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS: A REVISED STRUCTURE FOR THE ALKALOID TRIBULUSTERINE

ISHS III WOCMAP Congress on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Volume 3: Perspectives in Natural Product Chemistry THE ALKALOIDS OF TRIBULUS TERRESTRIS: A REVISED STRUCTURE FOR THE ALKALOID TRIBULUSTERINE

A descriptive study of ‘kangaroo gait’ in sheep in northern Britain

Two questionnaires were undertaken to obtain improved knowledge of the signalment, incidence and risk factors of the condition termed ‘kangaroo gait’ (KG; a forelimb locomotor disorder of adult female sheep). The first survey was mailed to 221 veterinary surgeons in practices in northern Britain which provided veterinary care for sheep, and the second was mailed to 438 sheep-flock owners and managers located in the Scottish Borders, who were recruited via their veterinary surgeons. Responses of 84.7 and 30.7% were achieved, respectively. In total, 29.7% of veterinary practices and 24.1% of flock owners and managers had identified one or more cases of KG in their practice area or flocks since the first case was reported in 1976. Almost all respondents indicated that adult females were affected—usually during lactation (and less commonly during late gestation). KG was more common among commercial crossbreeds and less common among sheep grazing hill pasture (than sheep grazing upland or lowland pasture). Cases usually occurred between March and June while sheep were at grass, although it was unclear whether the temporal pattern was associated with grazing or lambing patterns. Stocking densities were significantly higher among affected flocks than among non-affected flocks. The annual number of individuals and flocks identified as being affected had increased since the condition first was identified. Most cases of locomotor disorders resembling KG were not reported to veterinary surgeons.