Motor Activity Research Articles

Motor behavior induced by bergamot essential oil in experimental tasks is differentially modulated by pretreatment with metabotropic glutamate receptor 2/3 or 5 antagonists.

Bergamot essential oil shows anxiolytic-relaxant effects devoid of sedative action and motor impairment typical of benzodiazepines. Considering the potential for clinical of these effects, it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms of the phytocomplex. Modulation of glutamate group I and II metabotropic receptors is involved in stress and anxiety disorders, in cognition and emotions and increases locomotor activity and wakefulness. Interestingly, early data indicate that bergamot essential oil modulates glutamatergic transmission in specific manifestations of the central nervous system. The aim of this work is to investigate if selective antagonists of metabotropic glutamate 2/3 and 5 receptors affect behavioral parameters modulated by the phytocomplex. Male Wistar rats were used to measure behavioral parameters to correlate anxiety and motor activity using elevated plus maze (EPM), open field (OF), and rotarod tasks. Bergamot essential oil increases in EPM the time spent in open/closed arms and reduces total number of entries. The essential oil also increases immobility in EPM and OF and not affect motor coordination in rotarod. Pretreatment with the metabotropic glutamate antagonists does not affect the time spent in open/close arms, however, differently affects motor behavior measured after administration of phytocomplex. Particularly, glutamate 2/3 antagonist reverts immobility and glutamate 5 antagonist potentiates this parameter induced by the phytocomplex. Our data show that modulation of both metabotropic glutamate receptors is likely involved in some of behavioral effects of bergamot essential oil.

Motor unit discharge rate modulation during isometric contractions to failure is intensity- and modality-dependent.

The physiological mechanisms determining the progressive decline in the maximal muscle torque production capacity during isometric contractions to task failure are known to depend on task demands. Task-specificity of the associated adjustments in motor unit discharge rate (MUDR), however, remains unclear. This study examined MUDR adjustments during different submaximal isometric knee extension tasks to failure. Participants performed a sustained and an intermittent task at 20% and 50% of maximal voluntary torque (MVT), respectively (Experiment 1). High-density surface EMG signals were recorded from vastus lateralis (VL) and medialis (VM) and decomposed into individual MU discharge timings, with the identified MUs tracked from recruitment to task failure. MUDR was quantified and normalised to intervals of 10% of contraction time (CT). MUDR of both muscles exhibited distinct modulation patterns in each task. During the 20% MVT sustained task, MUDR decreased until ∼50% CT, after which it gradually returned to baseline. Conversely, during the 50% MVT intermittent task, MUDR remained stable until ∼40-50% CT, after which it started to continually increase until task failure. To explore the effect of contraction intensity on the observed patterns, VL and VM MUDR was quantified during sustained contractions at 30% and 50% MVT (Experiment 2). During the 30% MVT sustained task, MUDR remained stable until ∼80-90% CT in both muscles, after which it continually increased until task failure. During the 50% MVT sustained task the increase in MUDR occurred earlier, after ∼70-80% CT. Our results suggest that adjustments in MUDR during submaximal isometric contractions to failure are contraction modality- and intensity-dependent. KEY POINTS: During prolonged muscle contractions a constant motor output can be maintained by recruitment of additional motor units and adjustments in their discharge rate. Whilst contraction-induced decrements in neuromuscular function are known to depend on task demands, task-specificity of motor unit discharge behaviour adjustments is still unclear. In this study, we tracked and compared discharge activity of several concurrently active motor units in the vastii muscles during different submaximal isometric knee extension tasks to failure, including intermittent vs. sustained contraction modalities performed in the same intensity domain (Experiment 1), and two sustained contractions performed at different intensities (Experiment 2). During each task, motor units modulated their discharge rate in a distinct, biphasic manner, with the modulation pattern depending on contraction intensity and modality. These results provide insight into motoneuronal adjustments during contraction tasks posing different demands on the neuromuscular system.

Miniature battery-free epidural cortical stimulators.

Miniaturized neuromodulation systems could improve the safety and reduce the invasiveness of bioelectronic neuromodulation. However, as implantable bioelectronic devices are made smaller, it becomes difficult to store enough power for long-term operation in batteries. Here, we present a battery-free epidural cortical stimulator that is only 9 millimeters in width yet can safely receive enough wireless power using magnetoelectric antennas to deliver 14.5-volt stimulation bursts, which enables it to stimulate cortical activity on-demand through the dura. The device has digitally programmable stimulation output and centimeter-scale alignment tolerances when powered by an external transmitter. We demonstrate that this device has enough power and reliability for real-world operation by showing acute motor cortex activation in human patients and reliable chronic motor cortex activation for 30 days in a porcine model. This platform opens the possibility of simple surgical procedures for precise neuromodulation.

Postural balance in the comprehensive rehabilitation of adolescents with cleft lip and palate and maxillofacial anomalies: A literature review

BACKGROUND: Patients with cleft lip and palate experience significant jaw relationship disorders and pathological bite formation, leading to changes in the motor activity of chewing muscles and postural balance disturbances. Most studies on postural control are conducted on patients with skeletal dentofacial anomalies and deformities without cleft lip and palate. The state of postural balance in children with cleft lip and palate requiring long-term complex medical rehabilitation, including bone-reconstructive operations on the jaw bones, remains poorly understood.
 AIM: To analyze publications dedicated to the evaluation of postural balance in adolescents with cleft lip and palate combined with jaw relationship disorders and pathological bite formation.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The article includes an analysis and review of several studies that investigated the state of postural balance in adolescents with cleft lip and palate, particularly at the final stages of growth and formation of the musculoskeletal system. Scientific articles published in various medical journals, monographs, dissertations, and materials from scientific symposiums related to this topic were used in the literature review. PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and RSCI were searched without language restrictions. The search depth was 23 years, and 64 studies were selected.
 RESULTS: The article analyzes literature data related to theories of the mechanism of mutual influence between postural balance and the dentofacial apparatus (disorders and pathological bite formation). The state of postural balance is influenced by various factors, including the craniosacral system and anomalies of the cervical spine. Patients with cleft lip and palate, hemifacial microsomia, and other craniofacial dysostoses with growth disorders of jaw bones experience an imbalance in the entire “descending” chain, causing postural disturbances, increased plantar pressure, increased foot rigidity, and changes in photogrammetry indicators, which should be considered when developing an individual rehabilitation program for these patients. The treatment of these patients without considering postural balance disorders can lead to temporomandibular joint pathologies, unstable results of the conservative orthodontic treatment of bite pathologies, and bone-reconstructive operations on jaws.
 CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the ways of adaptation of the musculoskeletal system in the presence of occlusal relationship disorders and emphasizes the need to evaluate this influence comprehensively for the treatment of these patients. The limitations of the presented studies should be emphasized: insufficient sample size, lack of control groups and prospective studies, limited types of examination, and lack of studies dedicated to more severe anomalies of craniofacial development.

Conduction slowing, conduction block and temporal dispersion in demyelinating, dysmyelinating and axonal neuropathies: Electrophysiology meets pathology.

Nerve conduction studies are usually the first diagnostic step in peripheral nerve disorders and their results are the basis for planning further investigations. However, there are some commonplaces in the interpretation of electrodiagnostic findings in peripheral neuropathies that, although useful in the everyday practice, may be misleading: (1) conduction block and abnormal temporal dispersion are distinctive features of acquired demyelinating disorders; (2) hereditary neuropathies are characterized by uniform slowing of conduction velocity; (3) axonal neuropathies are simply diagnosed by reduced amplitude of motor and sensory nerve action potentials with normal or slightly slow conduction velocity. In this review, we reappraise the occurrence of uniform and non-uniform conduction velocity slowing, conduction block and temporal dispersion in demyelinating, dysmyelinating and axonal neuropathies attempting, with a translational approach, a correlation between electrophysiological and pathological features as derived from sensory nerve biopsy in patients and animal models. Additionally, we provide some hints to navigate in this complex field.

Effect of chronic stress on the degree of acrylamide toxicity in rats

Introduction. Chronic stress plays an important role in the development of a wide range of mental, somatic and behavioural disorders, and therefore is a risk factor for the health in living organisms. A negative effect on the state of the nervous system is also observed when the body is poisoned with acrylamide, which is a substance of the second class of danger and is considered toxic and carcinogenic. Exposure of the body to mental and toxic stressors leads to autonomic and neuroendocrine activation, which, in turn, manifests itself as special behavioural patterns. 
 The purpose of the experiment was to assess the effect of chronic stress on the degree of acrylamide toxicity in rats.
 Materials and methods. The experiment was conducted on white outbred rats with an average weight of 200 g of both sexes (n=60), which were evenly distributed into five groups: negative control, chronic stress, acrylamide, acrylamide + treatment, acrylamide + chronic stress. Throughout the study, the animals were kept under standard conditions with 12 hours of artificial lighting during the day, a relatively constant level of humidity (30–70%) and an air temperature of 20–25 °C. Behavioural tests were conducted once a week for one calendar month using a 40×40 hole board, a multifunctional cage to assess general activity, and an elevated plus maze with an ANY-maze video tracking system. Biochemical parameters were assessed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
 Results. Analysis of behaviour on a board with holes did not reveal statistically significant results (H=8.987; p=0.061). When comparing vertical and horizontal motor activity between groups, statistically significant differences were found (p<0.05). AST levels were higher in the stress groups, while cholesterol levels in the same groups were lower (p<0.05).
 Limitations. Laboratory animals of only one biological species were used for the experiment. The toxicant was used only in one concentration.
 Conclusion. Chronic stress may influence on acrylamide toxicity in rats to a certain extent.

Integrative function of proprioceptive system in the acute effects of whole body vibration on the movement performance in young adults

BackgroundThe proprioceptive system coordinates locomotion, but its role in short-term integration and recovery of motor activity in imbalance of motor patterns and body remains debated. The aim of this study is investigating the functional role of proprioceptive system in motor patterns and body balance in healthy young adults.Methods70 participants (aged 20.1 ± 0.3) were divided into experimental groups EG1 (n = 30), EG2 (n = 30), control group (CG, n = 10). EG1 performed single WBV session on Power Plate (7 exercises adapted to Functional Movement Screen (FMS). EG2 performed single session of FMS Exercises (FMSE). CG didn't perform any physical activity. All participants performed pre- and post-session of FMS and stabilometric measurements.ResultsFMS total score in EG1 increased by 2.0 ± 0.2 (p0 < 0.001), this was significantly differed (p0 < 0.001) from EG2 and CG. Acute effects of WBV and FMSE on rate of change and standard deviation (SD) of pressure center (COP) were shown in all groups during Static Test (p0 < 0.01). SD increased (p0 < 0.01) in Given Setting Test in EG1 and EG2, and in Romberg Test (p0 < 0.001) in EG1. Length, width and area (p0 < 0.01) of confidence ellipse, containing 95% of the statokinesiogram points, decreased in Static Test in EG1; width and area (p0 < 0.01) decreased in EG2 group. Significant (p0 < 0.01) decrease in Given Setting Test was in EG1, and significant (p0 < 0.01) increase was in Romberg Test (open eyes) in CG. Maximum amplitude of COP oscillations: significantly (p0 < 0.01) decreasing along X and Y axes in EG1 and EG2, and along Y axis in CG during Static Test; along Y axis (p0 < 0.01) in all groups during Given Setting Test. Significant differences were identified (p0 < 0.01) in calculated energy consumption for COP moving during all stabilometric tests. However, inter-group differences in COP after acute WBV and FMSE sessions have not been identified.ConclusionsAcute WBV session eliminates the deficits in motor patterns which is not the case after acute FMSE session, which, according to our integrative movement tuning hypothesis, is due to high activation of integrative function of proprioceptive system. Efficacy of WBV and FMSE on COP performance indicates a high sensitivity of postural control to different levels of proprioceptive system activity.

Modified Effect of Peptide Preparations on Spontaneous Motor Activity in Male Rats under the Conditions of Light Desynchronosis

This study examined the effect of peptide extracts from the epiphysis-pituitary gland of Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and a delta sleep-inducing peptide, simulating a modified release of drugs, on the spontaneous motor activity of male rats under the conditions of light desynchronosis. The study revealed changes in spontaneous motor activity under the influence of extracts of a peptide nature and a delta sleep-inducing peptide under the following polar light regimes. Under the conditions of constant lighting and constant darkness, an increase and a decrease in activity was observed, respectively. Under normal lighting, peptide extracts showed increased efficacy. This method of pharmacological adjustment of the body’s circadian oscillators using modified-release peptides can be used to develop a scheme for correcting light desynchronosis.

Neuroelectric indices of pre-motor planning and adiposity are selectively related to balance in children

BackgroundMotor function and weight status are components of physical fitness that have been implicated in childhood motor and cognitive development. The lateralized readiness potential (LRP), an index of motor planning and action, can provide context surrounding relationships between fitness and brain activity underlying cognitive and motor functions. This study evaluated the relationship between the LRP and motor skills, as well as associations between weight status and neural and behavioral motor functions. MethodsChildren aged 7–13 (n = 35) participated in a cross-sectional study, using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2nd edition (MABC-2) to assess balance, manual dexterity, and aiming/catching. The stimulus- (LRP-S) and response-locked (LRP-R) LRPs were elicited from a modified flanker task. Stepwise regressions tested the association between LRPs and MABC-2 components. Linear regressions were conducted to examine BMI and %Fat in relation to LRPs and MABC-2 components. ResultsAnalyses revealed that LRP-S mean amplitude difference (β = 0.401, P = 0.042) and reaction time interference scores (β = 0.545, P = 0.004) were positively associated with balance, after adjusting for covariates. The LRP-S and interference scores did not predict other MABC-2 outcomes and LRP-R did not predict any MABC-2 components. Further, %Fat (β = −0.439, P = 0.044), not BMI (β = −0.364, P = 0.082), only predicted balance. ConclusionWe found that changes in the LRP-S amplitude were positively associated with balance, and %Fat was negatively related to balance. This evidence is that fitness components such as weight status and coordination are related to neural markers of motor function which may be useful in intervention designs aimed to improve brain function via improvements in physical fitness and health behaviors.

Aquarium fish and temperature neuropharmacology: Update

At the end of the 20th century in Russia, research on temperature dependence of specific pharmacological activity of antihypoxants and some neurotropic drugs under normo- and hypothermia of various biological objects in experimental and clinical conditions was started. At the beginning of the 21st century, an original biological model of acute hypoxia in aquarium fish was developed. This model made it possible to start the study of fish resistance to hypoxia, screen biologically active substances, and evaluate the activity of antihypoxants under normo- and hypothermia. The initial results of using this model allowed us to conclude that the dynamics of motor activity of fish under acute hypoxic conditions are similar to that of motor activity of fetuses inside the uterus under diagnostic intrauterine hypoxia created by voluntary apnea in a pregnant woman. The period of immobility of fish and fetuses under hypoxia was directly proportional to the value of their resistance to hypoxia. The reduction in conditions of acute hypoxic water temperature with floating fish in it at 10°C lengthens the duration of the immobile state of fish and preservation of their viability more than two times, and the preliminary introduction of hydrogen peroxide in the water in therapeutic dose along with hypothermia lengthens the corresponding periods by four times. Neurotropic drugs such as ethyl alcohol and local and general anesthetics will completely eliminate the pain syndrome that develops during local hypothermia in healthy patients. In addition, immersing the hands of people under alcohol intoxication and/or surgical anesthesia in water with melting ice for 2 min alleviates pain in the hands and accelerates the development of subsequent hyperemia in the skin of the hands by two times compared with the norm.

Post-Stroke Impairments of Manual Dexterity and Finger Proprioception: Their Contribution to Upper Limb Activity Capacity.

Knowing how impaired manual dexterity and finger proprioception affect upper limb activity capacity is important for delineating targeted post-stroke interventions for upper limb recovery. To investigate whether impaired manual dexterity and finger proprioception explain variance in post-stroke activity capacity, and whether they explain more variance than conventional clinical assessments of upper limb sensorimotor impairments. Activity capacity and hand sensorimotor impairments were assessed using clinical measures in N = 42 late subacute/chronic hemiparetic stroke patients. Dexterity was evaluated using the Dextrain Manipulandum to quantify accuracy of visuomotor finger force-tracking (N = 36), timing of rhythmic tapping (N = 36), and finger individuation (N = 24), as well as proprioception (N = 27). Stepwise multivariate and hierarchical linear regression models were used to identify impairments best explaining activity capacity. Dexterity and proprioceptive components significantly increased the variance explained in activity capacity: (i) Box and Block Test was best explained by baseline tonic force during force-tracking and tapping frequency (adjusted R2 = .51); (ii) Motor Activity Log was best explained by success rate in finger individuation (adjusted R2 = .46); (iii) Action Research Arm Test was best explained by release of finger force and proprioceptive measures (improved reaction time related to use of proprioception; adjusted R2 = .52); and (iv) Moberg Pick-Up test was best explained by proprioceptive function (adjusted R2 = .18). Models excluding dexterity and proprioception variables explained up to 19% less variance. Manual dexterity and finger proprioception explain unique variance in activity capacity not captured by conventional impairment measures and should be assessed when considering the underlying causes of post-stroke activity capacity limitations.URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03934073.

Effects of fluorene-9-bisphenol exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in mice and protective potential of exogenous melatonin.

Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) is widely used in the manufacture of plastic products and potentially disrupts several physiological processes, but its biological effects on social behavior remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of BHPF exposure on anxiety-like and social behavior in female mice and the potential mechanisms, thereby proposing a potential therapy strategy. We exposed female Balb/c mice to BHPF by oral gavage at different doses (0.5, 50 mg/kg bw/2-day) for 28 days, which were found BHPF (50 mg/kg) exposure affected motor activity in the open field test (OFT) and elevated cross maze (EPM), resulting in anxiety-like behaviors, as well as abnormal social behavioral deficits in the Social Interaction Test (SIT). Analysis of histopathological staining results showed that BHPF exposure caused damage to hippocampal neurons in the CA1/CA3/DG region and decreased Nissl pyramidal neurons in the CA1/CA3 regions of the hippocampus, as well as a decrease in parvalbumin neuron expression. In addition, BHPF exposure upregulated the expression of excitatory and inhibitory (E/I) vesicle transporter genes (Vglut1, Vglut2, VGAT, GAD67, Gabra) and axon growth gene (Dcc) in the mouse hippocampus. Interestingly, behavioral disturbances and E/I balance could be alleviated by exogenous melatonin (15 mg/kg bw/2-day) therapy. Our findings suggest that exogenous melatonin may be a potential therapy with protective potential for ameliorating or preventing BHPF-induced hippocampal neuronal damage and behavioral disturbances. This study provided new insight into the neurotoxicological effects on organisms exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and aroused our vigilance in current environmental safety about chemical use.

Quantifying Apathy in Late-Life Depression: Unraveling Neurobehavioral Links through Daily Activity Patterns and Brain Connectivity Analysis

Better understanding apathy in late-life depression (LLD) would help predicting poor prognosis of the disease such as dementia. Actimetry provides an objective and ecological measure of apathy from patients' daily motor activity. We aimed to determine if patterns of motor activity were associated with apathy and brain connectivity in networks underlying goal-directed behaviors. Resting-state functional MRI and diffusion MRI were collected from 38 non-demented LLD subjects. Apathy was evaluated using the diagnostic criteria for apathy, the apathy evaluation scale (AES) and the apathy motivation index (AMI). Functional principal components (fPC) of motor activity were derived from actimetry recordings of 72 hours. Associations between fPC and apathy were estimated by linear regression. Subnetworks whose connectivity was significantly associated with fPC were identified via the threshold-free network-based statistics. The relationship between apathy and microstructure metrics was estimated along fibers by diffusion tensor imaging and a multicompartment model called neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging via tractometry. We found two fPC associated with apathy: mean diurnal activity, negatively associated with AES, and an early chronotype, negatively associated with AMI. Mean diurnal activity was associated with increased connectivity in the default-mode, the cingulo-opercular and the frontoparietal networks, while chronotype was associated with a more heterogenous connectivity pattern in the same networks. We did not find significant associations between microstructural metrics and fPCs. Our findings suggest that mean diurnal activity and chronotype could provide indirect ambulatory measures of apathy in LLD, associated with modified functional connectivity of brain networks underlying goal-directed behaviors.

Bilateral Carotid Calcification Correlates with Regional Cerebral Glucose Metabolism: Insights from PET/CT Imaging of Patients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Bilateral Carotid Calcification Correlates with Regional Cerebral Glucose Metabolism: Insights from PET/CT Imaging of Patients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Role of Central and Peripheral Physiological Markers in Understanding and Monitoring the Clinical Illness in Dementia

Patients with Alzheimer's dementia are known to have electrophysiological abnormalities such as increased slow wave power of resting electroencephalography (EEG), cortical excitability as detected using EEG epileptiform and epileptic activity, and deficits in cortical plasticity detected using brain stimulation combined with EEG. Understanding these neurophysiological abnormalities is important to improve our understanding of the mechanisms leading to brain dysfunction thus leading to the development of novel treatment interventions. Further, EEG is a non-invasive, low-cost, and portable technique that is widely available and can become an important tool in monitoring illness and response to treatment. To further improve objective measures to detect and monitor clinical symptoms of dementia, recently, there has been an increased interest in the development of peripheral physiological markers such as motor activity, skin conductance and temperature, and heart rate variability. These markers can be recorded using wearable devices and have shown usefulness in monitoring neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. Further development of these markers can improve clinical care by improving objective assessment of clinical profiles of persons with dementia living in the community or those admitted to hospitals and can help individualize care. In this session, we will first review novel findings from studies using EEG to assess central neurophysiological markers, and then discuss the role of peripheral physiological markers in the detection and monitoring of clinical symptoms of dementia in community and dementia care units.These talks will be followed by a discussion about the relevance of the central and peripheral physiological markers (biometrics) in dementia.

Rhythmicity of locomotor behavior and body temperature in Felis catus maintained under controlled microclimate conditions.

The survival and reproductive success of well-distributed animal species hinge on rhythmic activity synchronized with day/night and sleep/wake cycles. The rhythmicity of body temperature and motor activity are frequently used in chronobiology to determine circadian system function. The current study explores the daily rhythm of locomotor activity and body temperature in captive domestic cats (Felis catus) maintained under controlled light/dark (12:12) cycle conditions. A mainly nocturnal activity was observed, particularly, the cats had an activity peak shortly before or after switching on, indicating a crepuscular pattern. A positive correlation (P < 0.05; r = 0.16) was found between the temperatures and locomotory activity data. The findings highlight the importance of understanding temporal regulation in maintaining internal balance and overall animal welfare. The study provides valuable insights into the circadian patterns of domestic cats, emphasizing the potential use of body temperature as an indicator of circadian system status.

TAK-3 Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammation in Traumatic Brain Injury Rats Through the TLR-4/NF-κB Pathway.

The activation of the inflammatory response is regarded as a pivotal factor in the pathogenesis of TBI. Central nervous system infection often leads to the exacerbation of neuroinflammation following TBI, primarily caused by Gram-negative bacteria. This study aims to elucidate the effects of the novel anti-inflammatory drug TAK-3 on LPS-induced neuroinflammation in TBI rats. In conjunction with the rat controlled cortical impact model, we administered local injections of Lipopolysaccharide to the impact site. Subsequently, interventions were implemented through intraperitoneal injections of TAK-3 and NF-κB activitor2 to modulate the TLR4/NF-κB axis The impact of LPS on neurological function was assessed using mNSS, open field test, and brain water content measurement. Inflammatory markers, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 were assessed to evaluate the condition of neuritis by Elisa. The activation of the TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway was detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot to assess the anti-inflammatory effects of TAK-3. The administration of LPS exacerbated neurological damage in rats with TBI, as evidenced by a reduction in motor activity and an increase in anxiety-like behavior. Furthermore, LPS induced disruption of the blood-brain barrier integrity and facilitated the development of brain edema. The activation of microglia and astrocytes by LPS at the cellular and molecular levels has been demonstrated to induce a significant upregulation of neuroinflammatory factors. The injection of TAK-3 attenuated the neuroinflammatory response induced by LPS. The present study highlights the exacerbating effects of LPS on neuroinflammation in TBI through activation of the TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway. TAK-3 can modulate the activity of this signaling axis, thereby attenuating neuroinflammation and ultimately reducing brain tissue damage.

Exploring Saliency for Learning Sensory-Motor Contingencies in Loco-Manipulation Tasks

The objective of this paper is to propose a framework for a robot to learn multiple Sensory-Motor Contingencies from human demonstrations and reproduce them. Sensory-Motor Contingencies are a concept that describes intelligent behavior of animals and humans in relation to their environment. They have been used to design control and planning algorithms for robots capable of interacting and adapting autonomously. However, enabling a robot to autonomously develop Sensory-Motor Contingencies is challenging due to the complexity of action and perception signals. This framework leverages tools from Learning from Demonstrations to have the robot memorize various sensory phases and corresponding motor actions through an attention mechanism. This generates a metric in the perception space, used by the robot to determine which sensory-motor memory is contingent to the current context. The robot generalizes the memorized actions to adapt them to the present perception. This process creates a discrete lattice of continuous Sensory-Motor Contingencies that can control a robot in loco-manipulation tasks. Experiments on a 7-dof collaborative robotic arm with a gripper, and on a mobile manipulator demonstrate the functionality and versatility of the framework.

Power consumption during forward locomotion of C. elegans: an electrical circuit simulation

Biological neuronal networks are of great interest for emerging technological approaches such as neuromorphic engineering due to their capability to efficiently process information. To understand the principles governing this energy efficiency, it is useful to investigate model organisms with small and well-characterized neuronal networks. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is such a model organism and perfectly suited for this purpose, because its neuronal network consists of only 302 neurons whose interconnections are known. In this work, we design an ideal electrical circuit modeling this neuronal network in combination with the muscles it controls. We simulate this circuit by a run-time efficient wave digital algorithm. This allows us to investigate the energy consumption of the network occurring during locomotion of C. elegans and hence deduce potential design principles from an energy efficiency point of view. Simulation results verify that a locomotion is indeed generated. We conclude from the corresponding energy consumption rates that a small number of neurons in contrast to a high number of interconnections is favorable for consuming only little energy. This underlines the importance of interneurons. Moreover, we find that gap junctions are a more energy-efficient connection type than synapses, and inhibitory synapses consume more energy than excitatory ones. However, the energetically cheapest connection types are not the most frequent ones in C. elegans’ neuronal network. Therefore, a potential design principle of the network could be a balance between low energy costs and a certain functionality.Graphical abstractEnergy consumption rates during forward locomotion of C. elegans. a Rates for the ion channels of all neurons, and b average rates for ion channels of a single, active neuron. c Comparison of average rates with respect to the number of active sensory, motor, and interneurons. d Rates for all gap junctions and synapses, and e rates for all synapses of a specific neurotransmitter type. f Average rates for a single synaptic or gap junctions connection vs the total number of connections present for the type of connection (i.e. ACh-synapse, GABA-synapse, Glu-synapse, gap junction).

Study of the effect of Kalyani raga in Anxiety-like conditions in female Wistar rats

Stress is a medical condition. It can be managed without any internal interventions through Raga therapy as it is healing therapy. It works effectively in psychological conditions if performed with particular harmony. To study the effect of Kalyani raga on the behavioral pattern of female Wistar rats, stress and anxiety were induced in rats with mild stressors. Effects were recorded, compared, and analyzed. In 10 days pilot study, we studied two groups of 10 female Wistar rats in which mild stressors were induced for 7 days before 2 days and post-study 1-day observation. In group one, we intervened with Kalyani Raga and observed the behavioral pattern while another group was observed for the same without any intervention. The observation was recorded by a high-quality video camera. Parameters studied were locomotion, Climbing on the cage, Digging, Sitting, Feeding, Drinking, defecation, sleeping, and rubbing. Both groups were exposed to mild stressors during the recording. Kalyani Raga activates neurons and remarkably engages the brain. Even after stressors, Improvement in feeding within group 1 and the gross motor activities of group 1 with the intervention of Kalyani raga have been seen by a decrease in locomotion, digging, rubbing, and an increase in sleep showing the soothing effect of Kalyani raga which also showed a significant effect on sleep despite stress as compared to group 2 with no intervention. There is huge scope to perform the same study with a large sample size to get the evidence that can prove the effect of Kalyani raga in stressful conditions.