Motor Coordination Performance Research Articles

Microstructural Properties of the Cerebellar Peduncles in Children With Developmental Language Disorder.

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) struggle to learn their native language for no apparent reason. While research on the neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder has focused on the role of corticostriatal systems, little is known about the role of the cerebellum in DLD. Corticocerebellar circuits might be involved in the disorder as they contribute to complex sensorimotor skill learning, including the acquisition of spoken language. Here, we used diffusion-weighted imaging data from 77 typically developing and 54 children with DLD and performed probabilistic tractography to identify the cerebellum's white matter tracts: the inferior, middle, and superior cerebellar peduncles. Children with DLD showed lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the inferior cerebellar peduncles (ICP), fiber tracts that carry motor and sensory input via the inferior olive to the cerebellum. Lower FA in DLD was driven by lower axial diffusivity. Probing this further with more sophisticated modeling of diffusion data, we found higher orientation dispersion but no difference in neurite density in the ICP of children with DLD. Reduced FA is therefore unlikely to be reflecting microstructural differences in myelination, rather the organization of axons in these pathways is disrupted. ICP microstructure was not associated with language or motor coordination performance in our sample. We also found no differences in the middle and superior peduncles, the main pathways connecting the cerebellum with the cortex. To conclude, it is not corticocerebellar but atypical olivocerebellar white matter connections that characterize DLD and suggest the involvement of the olivocerebellar system in speech and language acquisition and development.

Differences and Relationship between Body Composition and Motor Coordination in Children Aged 6-7 Years.

The primary goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between body composition and motor coordination performance, and the secondary goal was to determine sex differences in body composition and motor coordination of preschool children. Forty-eight children (23 boys and 25 girls) underwent assessments for body composition and motor coordination using the Köperkoordinationstest für Kinder (KTK). Linear regression analysis revealed significant associations between body composition and motor coordination in boys (p < 0.05) but not in girls. In boys, Body height (p = 0.01), Total muscle mass (p = 0.03), Total fat (p = 0.03), and Total water (p = 0.02) show statistically significant influence on single-leg jumps. Similar results were obtained for lateral jumps where there was a statistically significant influence of Body height (p = 0.01), Total muscle mass (p = 0.03), and Total water (p = 0.02). Interestingly, predictive variables showed no statistically significant influence on KTK overall score in boys (p = 0.42) nor in girls (p = 0.90). The predictive system of morphological variables demonstrated significance only among boys in this age group and sample. Girls outperformed boys due to early maturation, resulting in better average KTK scores.

Metabolomic analysis of dietary-restriction-induced attenuation of sarcopenia in prematurely aging DNA repair-deficient mice.

Sarcopenia is characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, and is a major risk factor for disability and independence in the elderly. Effective medication is not available. Dietary restriction (DR) has been found to attenuate aging and aging-related diseases, including sarcopenia, but the mechanism of both DR and sarcopenia are incompletely understood. In this study, mice body weight, fore and all limb grip strength, and motor learning and coordination performance were first analysed to evaluate the DR effects on muscle functioning. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was utilized for the metabolomics study of the DR effects on sarcopenia in progeroid DNA repair-deficient Ercc1∆/- and Xpg-/- mice, to identify potential biomarkers for attenuation of sarcopenia. Muscle mass was significantly (P<0.05) decreased (13-20%) by DR; however, the muscle quality was improved with retained fore limbs and all limbs grip strength in Ercc1∆/- and Xpg-/- mice. The LC-MS results revealed that metabolites and pathways related to oxidative-stress, that is, GSSG/GSH (P<0.01); inflammation, that is, 9-HODE, 11-HETE (P<0.05), PGE2, PGD2, and TXB2 (P<0.01); and muscle growth (PGF2α) (P<0.01) and regeneration stimulation (PGE2) (P<0.05) are significantly downregulated by DR. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory indicator and several related metabolites, that is, β-hydroxybutyrate (P<0.01), 14,15-DiHETE (P<0.0001), 8,9-EET, 12,13-DiHODE, and PGF1 (P<0.05); consumption of sources of energy (i.e., muscle and liver glycogen); and energy production pathways, that is, glycolysis (glucose, glucose-6-P, fructose-6-P) (P<0.01), tricarboxylic acid cycle (succinyl-CoA, malate) (P<0.001), and gluconeogenesis-related metabolite, alanine (P<0.01), are significantly upregulated by DR. The notably (P<0.01) down-modulated muscle growth (PGF2α) and regeneration (PGE2) stimulation metabolite and the increased consumption of glycogen in muscle and liver may be related to the significantly (P<0.01) lower body weight and muscle mass by DR. The downregulated oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory mediators, and upregulated anti-inflammatory metabolites resulted in a lower energy expenditure, which contributed to enhanced muscle quality together with upregulated energy production pathways by DR. The improved muscle quality may explain why grip strength is maintained and motor coordination and learning performance are improved by DR in Ercc1∆/- and Xpg-/- mice. This study provides fundamental supporting information on biomarkers and pathways related to the attenuation of sarcopenia, which might facilitate its diagnosis, prevention, and clinical therapy.

Excessive intragastric alcohol administration exacerbates hepatic encephalopathy and provokes neuronal cell death in male rats with chronic liver disease.

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is defined as decline in neurological function during chronic liver disease (CLD). Alcohol is a major etiological factor in the pathogenesis of fibrosis/cirrhosis and has also been documented to directly impact the brain. However, the role of alcohol in the development of HE in CLD remains unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of excessive alcohol administration on neurological deterioration in rats with CLD. Starting day 7 post-BDL surgery, rats were administered alcohol twice daily (51% v/v ethanol, 3 g/kg, via gavage) for 4 weeks. Motor coordination was assessed weekly using rotarod and anxiety-like behavior was evaluated with open field and elevated plus maze at 5 weeks. Upon sacrifice, brains were collected for western blot and immunohistochemical analyses to investigate neuronal integrity and oxidative stress status. Alcohol worsened motor coordination performance and increased anxiety-like behavior in BDL rats. Impairments were associated with decreased neuronal markers of NeuN and SMI311, increased apoptotic markers of cleaved/pro-caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl2, increased necroptosis markers of pRIP3 and pMLKL, decreased total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and increased 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE)modified proteins in the cerebellum of BDL-alcohol rats when compared to respective controls. Immunofluorescence confirmed the colocalization of cleaved caspase-3 and pMLKL in the granular neurons of the cerebellum of BDL-alcohol rats. Excessive alcohol consumption exacerbates HE which leads to associated apoptotic and necroptotic neuronal loss in the cerebellum of BDL-alcohol rats. Additionally, higher levels of 4-HNE and decreased TAC in the cerebellum of BDL-alcohol rats suggest oxidative stress is the triggering factor of apoptotic and necroptotic neuronal loss/injury.

Galectin-3 absence alters lymphocytes populations dynamics behavior and promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury in mice

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results from various mechanisms that damage the nervous tissue and the blood-brain barrier, leading to sensory and motor function loss below the injury site. Unfortunately, current therapeutic approaches for SCI have limited efficacy in improving patients outcomes. Galectin-3, a protein whose expression increases after SCI, influences the neuroinflammatory response by favoring pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and microglia, while inhibiting pro-regenerative M2 macrophages and microglia, which are crucial for inflammation resolution and tissue regeneration. Previous studies with Galectin-3 knock-out mice demonstrated enhanced motor recovery after SCI. The M1/M2 balance is strongly influenced by the predominant lymphocytic profiles (Th1, Th2, T Reg, Th17) and cytokines and chemokines released at the lesion site. The present study aimed to investigate how the absence of galectin-3 impacts the adaptive immune system cell population dynamics in various lymphoid spaces following a low thoracic spinal cord compression injury (T9-T10) using a 30 g vascular clip for one minute. It also aimed to assess its influence on the functional outcome in wild-type (WT)and Galectin-3 knock-out (GALNEG) mice. Histological analysis with hematoxylin-eosin and Luxol Fast Blue staining revealed that WT and GALNEG animals exhibit similar spinal cord morphology. The absence of galectin-3 does not affect the common neuroanatomy shared between the groups prompting us to analyze outcomes between both groups. Following our crush model, both groups lost motor and sensory functions below the lesion level. During a 42-day period, GALNEG mice demonstrated superior locomotor recovery in the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) gait analysis and enhanced motor coordination performance in the ladder rung walk test (LRW) compared to WT mice. GALNEG mice also exhibited better sensory recovery, and their electrophysiological parameters suggested a higher number of functional axons with faster nerve conduction. Seven days after injury, flow cytometry of thymus, spleen, and blood revealed an increased number of T Reg and Th2 cells, accompanied by a decrease in Th1 and Th17 cells in GALNEG mice. Immunohistochemistry conducted on the same day exhibited an increased number of Th2 and T Reg cells around the GALNEG's spinal cord lesion site. At 42-day dpi immunohistochemistry analyses displayed reduced astrogliosis and greater axon preservation in GALNEG's spinal cord seem as a reduction of GFAP immunostaining and an increase in NFH immunostaining, respectively. In conclusion, GALNEG mice exhibited better functional recovery attributed to the milder pro-inflammatory influence, compensated by a higher quantity of T Reg and Th2 cells. These findings suggest that galectin-3 plays a crucial role in the immune response after spinal cord injury and could be a potential target for clinical therapeutic interventions.

The fundamental motor skills and motor coordination performance of children in West Sumatera Province, Indonesia

Background and Study Aims. Good motor coordination is needed to achieve good fundamental motor skills. This study aimed to analyze and describe the relationship between fundamental motor skills and motor coordination performance of elementary school students aged 7 to 9 years old. Material and Methods. The subjects were elementary school students in grades 1, 2, and 3 with a total number of students was 478 (248 male students, and 230 female students) in 8 cities and regencies in West Sumatera, Indonesia. This study used a cross-sectional research design. The fundamental motor skills were examined using the Test of Gross Motor Development-Second Edition. This included assessing locomotor skills (running, galloping, sliding, leaping, hopping, and jumping) and object control skills (striking, catching, throwing, dribbling, rolling, and kicking). Motor coordination performance was assessed by using the Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder including balance beam, moving sideways, jumping sideways, and eye-hand coordination. The data were analyzed by using IBM SPSS statistic version 25. Results. Students in urban areas demonstrated certain levels in Gross Motor Quotients scores, while their counterparts in rural areas achieved marginally higher scores with slightly less variation. In schools where Physical Education teachers were present, students generally scored higher compared to schools without Physical Education teachers, albeit with a bit less variation in the latter. When comparing motor coordination performance, students in urban areas typically outperformed those in rural areas, exhibiting slightly more consistent scores. Similarly, students with access to Physical Education teachers showed better motor coordination performance than those without, though with a somewhat greater range in their scores. A noticeable trend was observed in the Gross Motor Quotients scores of Fundamental Motor Skills, which tended to decrease as age increased. Conversely, students' motor coordination performance generally improved with age. Supporting these observations, the result of the one-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, obtained from Asymp. Sig. (2-tailed), was 0.200 &gt; 0.05. Additionally, the Pearson correlation value between motor coordination performance and fundamental motor skills was 0.633 with a sig value of 0.000, indicating a significant relationship. Conclusions. Based on the study's findings, it is recommended to focus on enhancing motor skill programs for children in rural areas. Schools should invest in Physical Education teachers, especially where they are currently absent, to benefit children. Age-specific programs are needed to address the decline in Gross Motor Quotients with age in children. Regular monitoring and evaluation of these initiatives for children are essential.

High frequencies (HF) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) increase motor coordination performances in volleyball players

IntroductionIt is widely demonstrated that high frequency (HF) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has facilitative effects and is therefore capable to inducing changes in motor responses. One of the most investigated areas is the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as it plays a special executive attention role in actively preserving access to stimulus representations and objectives in environments with plenty of distraction such as those of team sports. Volleyball is a team sport in which the attention and coordination components are essential for achieving performance. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate if HF rTMS at DLPFC in volleyball players can improve homolateral motor coordination and cortical excitability.ResultsThis study was a double-blinded (participant and evaluator) matched-pair experimental design. Twenty right-handed female volleyball players were recruited for the study and were randomly assigned either the active rTMS (n = 10) or the sham stimulation group (n = 10). The stimulation was performed in one session with 10 Hz, 80% of the resting motor threshold (RMT) of the right first dorsal interosseous muscle, 5 s of stimulation, and 15 s of rest, for a total of 1500 pulses. Before and after stimulation, the coordination and the cortical excitability were evaluated. The significant finding of this paper was that HF-rTMS of the DLPFC improved performance in terms of the homolateral interlimb coordination, with a significantly decreased in resting motor threshold and MEP latency of the ipsilateral motor cortex. It seem that HF-rTMS could increase coordination performances when the velocity of the execution is higher (120 bpm and 180 bpm).ConclusionMoreover, in active rTMS group significant differences emerged after stimulation in RMT and in MEP latency, while no differences emerged after stimulation in MEP amplitude. In conclusion we believe that these results may be of great interest to the scientific community and may also have practical implications in the future.

Maturity Level and Motor Coordination Performance of Teenage Badminton Players in Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of maturity and motor coordination performance of teenage badminton players in Malaysia. Researchers conducted this cross-sectional study, which involved 102 study samples (male=53, female=49) divided into four age groups (13 years, 14 years, and 15 years). The researcher used a purposive sampling method where the selected sample consisted of the top badminton players from all over Malaysia. The player's maturity level is determined by the method proposed by (Khamis and Roche) to predict adult height using the age of their mother and father. There are six motor coordination performance tests used in this study, namely KTK 'balance beam', KTK 'eye-hand coordination' (EHC), KTK 'jumping sideways' (JS), KTK 'shifting platform' (SP), 'shuttlecock throw' ( ST) and "plate tapping (PT). The findings of this study explain the pattern of increasing maturity levels among male and female badminton players with increasing age. The player's peak maturity level was detected at the age of 15 for boys at a rate of 98.9% or 2.34 cm difference between the mean height of the current and the predicted peak height, while for female players at a rate of 97.79 % or 3.83 cm. Overall, the maturity level of male and female players does not have a significant difference. The KTK test "shifting platform" detected a decrease in performance as the player's age increased. Male players were found to decline by 26 repetitions at the age of 13 to 15 years, while female players by 30 repetitions. The study found that changes in motor coordination performance occurred at different ages for male and female players. In conclusion, the researchers suggest that the management and coaches consider the players' maturity level and motor coordination performance in the player selection process. Coaches are encouraged to include elements of players' maturity levels in the process of designing their training programs. Motor coordination in badminton is seen as important and can be trained to improve game performance.

Microglial IL-1RA ameliorates brain injury after ischemic stroke by inhibiting astrocytic CXCL1-mediated neutrophil recruitment and microvessel occlusion.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS), one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, is characterized by a rapid inflammatory cascade resulting in exacerbation of ischemic brain injury. Microglia are the first immune responders. However, the role of postischemic microglial activity in ischemic brain injury remains far from being fully understood. Here, using the transgenic mouse line CX3 CR1creER :R26iDTR to genetically ablate microglia, we showed that microglial deletion exaggerated ischemic brain injury. Associated with this worse outcome, there were increased neutrophil recruitment, microvessel blockade and blood flow stagnation in the acute phase, accompanied by transcriptional upregulation of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1). Our study showed that microglial interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) suppressed astrocytic CXCL1 expression induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation and inhibited neutrophil migration. Furthermore, neutralizing antibody therapy against CXCL1 or the administration of recombinant IL-1RA protein reduced brain infarct volume and improved motor coordination performance of mice after ischemic stroke. Our study suggests that microglia protect against acute ischemic brain injury by secreting IL-1RA to inhibit astrocytic CXCL1 expression, which reduces neutrophil recruitment and neutrophil-derived microvessel occlusion.

Synthesis, Biological Activity and Molecular Docking of Chimeric Peptides Targeting Opioid and NOP Receptors.

Recently, mixed opioid/NOP agonists came to the spotlight for their favorable functional profiles and promising outcomes in clinical trials as novel analgesics. This study reports on two novel chimeric peptides incorporating the fragment Tyr-c[D-Lys-Phe-Phe]Asp-NH2 (RP-170), a cyclic peptide with high affinity for µ and κ opioid receptors (or MOP and KOP, respectively), conjugated with the peptide Ac-RYYRIK-NH2, a known ligand of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptor (NOP), yielding RP-170-RYYRIK-NH2 (KW-495) and RP-170-Gly3-RYYRIK-NH2 (KW-496). In vitro, the chimeric KW-496 gained affinity for KOP, hence becoming a dual KOP/MOP agonist, while KW-495 behaved as a mixed MOP/NOP agonist with low nM affinity. Hence, KW-495 was selected for further in vivo experiments. Intrathecal administration of this peptide in mice elicited antinociceptive effects in the hot-plate test; this action was sensitive to both the universal opioid receptor antagonist naloxone and the selective NOP antagonist SB-612111. The rotarod test revealed that KW-495 administration did not alter the mice motor coordination performance. Computational studies have been conducted on the two chimeras to investigate the structural determinants at the basis of the experimental activities, including any role of the Gly3 spacer.

Handwriting and Motor-Related Daily Performance among Adolescents with Dysgraphia and Their Impact on Physical Health-Related Quality of Life.

Knowledge is limited about dysgraphia in adolescence and its association with daily motor-related daily performance and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aimed to (1) compare and (2) examine correlations between handwriting measures, motor-related daily performance, and HRQOL of adolescents with and without dysgraphia and (3) examine the contribution of motor-related daily performance and handwriting measures to predict their physical HRQOL. There were eighty adolescents (13–18 yr): half with dysgraphia and half matched controls without dysgraphia per the Handwriting Proficiency Screening Questionnaire and Handwriting Legibility Scale participated. They copied a paragraph script onto a paper attached to the Computerized Penmanship Evaluation Tool digitizer and completed the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-brief version and the Adult Developmental Coordination Disorder Checklist (ADC). We found significant between-group differences in motor-related daily performance, handwriting measures, and HRQOL and significant correlations between HRQOL and handwriting process measures and motor-coordination ability. Handwriting measures predicted 25%, and the ADC A and C subscales 45.6%, of the research group’s physical QOL domain score variability. Notably, the control group’s current perceptions of their motor-coordination performance (ADC-C) predicted 36.5% of the variance in physical QOL. Dysgraphia’s negative effects during childhood and adolescence may reduce adolescents’ HRQOL now and into adulthood.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of Motor Cortex Enhances Spike Performances of Professional Female Volleyball Players

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of brain excitability by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on spike performances of professional female volleyball players. Thirteen professional female volleyball players were recruited for participation. We performed a randomized single-blind, SHAM-stimulus controlled, and counter-balanced crossover design with two interventions in this study. An anodal tDCS current was applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) for 20 min at 2 mA. In the SHAM intervention, the current was first applied for 30 s, after which it was terminated. Exercise performance assessment which comprised spike performance (spike ball speed, spiking consistency), two vertical jumps (jump and reach: JaR, countermovement jump: CMJ), bench-press and back-squat one-repetition maximum (1RM) were tested pre- and post-intervention. Results indicated that spike ball speed and spiking consistency following tDCS were significantly higher than those after SHAM intervention (both p < 0.05). However, JaR and CMJ did not show any significant differences between tDCS and SHAM intervention groups (both p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in bench-press and back-squat 1RM between two groups either (both p > 0.05). These findings suggest that tDCS could be effective in enhancing motor coordination performances of professional female volleyball athletes.

Hippocampal Egr1-Dependent Neuronal Ensembles Negatively Regulate Motor Learning.

Motor skills learning is classically associated with brain regions including cerebral and cerebellar cortices and basal ganglia nuclei. Less is known about the role of the hippocampus in the acquisition and storage of motor skills. Here, we show that mice receiving a long-term training in the accelerating rotarod display marked hippocampal transcriptional changes and reduced pyramidal neurons activity in the CA1 region when compared with naive mice. Then, we use mice in which neural ensembles are permanently labeled in an Egr1 activity-dependent fashion. Using these mice, we identify a subpopulation of Egr1-expressing pyramidal neurons in CA1 activated in short-term (STT) and long-term (LTT) trained mice in the rotarod task. When Egr1 is downregulated in the CA1 or these neuronal ensembles are depleted, motor learning is improved whereas their chemogenetic stimulation impairs motor learning performance. Thus, Egr1 organizes specific CA1 neuronal ensembles during the accelerating rotarod task that limit motor learning. These evidences highlight the role of the hippocampus in the control of this type of learning and we provide a possible underlying mechanism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It is a major topic in neurosciences the deciphering of the specific circuits underlying memory systems during the encoding of new information. However, the potential role of the hippocampus in the control of motor learning and the underlying mechanisms has been poorly addressed. In the present work we show how the hippocampus responds to motor learning and how the Egr1 molecule is one of the major responsible for such phenomenon controlling the rate of motor coordination performances.

The Effectiveness of Coaching the Australian Recommended Fundamental Overarm Throwing Skill Criteria for Less-Skilled Adolescents

ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of coaching the Australian recommended fundamental overarm throwing skill criteria for less-skilled adolescents on movement competency using three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. Methods: Less-skilled non-sports-active and skilled sports-active pupils were assigned to FMS Group (n = 97) and Sports Group (n = 129), respectively. Demographic, anthropometric, whole-body kinematic (discrete and time-series angular displacement and angular velocity data), motor coordination (segmental sequencing) and motor performance (maximum ball release speed) were analyzed. Baseline data were compared using independent T-tests and Chi-Square tests; interaction effects were assessed using repeated-measure ANOVAs. Changes in time-series kinematic data were analyzed by comparing the areas enclosed by the 95% confidence intervals. Results:There was merely a modest improvement in motor competency for the less-skilled pupils. The FMS group significantly acquired 13/75 discrete kinematic variables (p < .01) and four movement patterns but not motor coordination (p = .469) and motor performance (p = .756). Prior to the intervention, the pupils acquired 4/7 recommended skill criteria. The descriptions of another three criteria were not appropriate with no improvement in motor coordination and performance. Two new skills were identified and improved after the FMS intervention. Conclusions: The recommended skill criteria for children were not developmentally and age-appropriate for early adolescents. The use of quantitative 3D motion data provided a more precise and developmentally applicable fundamental overarm throwing criteria than content validated skill criteria. The recommended skill criteria should be modified to facilitate teachers and coaches for effective education.

Acute Colon Inflammation Triggers Primary Motor Cortex Glial Activation, Neuroinflammation, Neuronal Hyperexcitability, and Motor Coordination Deficits.

Neuroinflammation underlies neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we test whether acute colon inflammation activates microglia and astrocytes, induces neuroinflammation, disturbs neuron intrinsic electrical properties in the primary motor cortex, and alters motor behaviors. We used a rat model of acute colon inflammation induced by dextran sulfate sodium. Inflammatory mediators and microglial activation were assessed in the primary motor cortex by PCR and immunofluorescence assays. Electrophysiological properties of the motor cortex neurons were determined by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. Motor behaviors were examined using open-field and rotarod tests. We show that the primary motor cortex of rats with acute colon inflammation exhibited microglial and astrocyte activation and increased mRNA abundance of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and both inducible and neuronal nitric oxide synthases. These changes were accompanied by a reduction in resting membrane potential and rheobase and increased input resistance and action potential frequency, indicating motor neuron hyperexcitability. In addition, locomotion and motor coordination were impaired. In conclusion, acute colon inflammation induces motor cortex microglial and astrocyte activation and inflammation, which led to neurons’ hyperexcitability and reduced motor coordination performance. The described disturbances resembled some of the early features found in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients and animal models, suggesting that colon inflammation might be a risk factor for developing this disease.

RNA-sequencing Reveals a Gene Expression Signature in Skeletal Muscle of a Mouse Model of Age-associated Postoperative Functional Decline.

This study aimed to characterize the effects of laparotomy on postoperative physical function and skeletal muscle gene expression in male C57BL/6N mice at 3, 20, and 24 months of age to investigate late-life vulnerability and resiliency to acute surgical stress. Pre and postoperative physical functioning was assessed by forelimb grip strength on postoperative day (POD) 1 and 3 and motor coordination on POD 2 and 4. Laparotomy-induced an age-associated postoperative decline in forelimb grip strength that was the greatest in the oldest mice. While motor coordination declined with increasing age at baseline, it was unaffected by laparotomy. Baseline physical function as stratified by motor coordination performance (low functioning vs high functioning) in 24-month-old mice did not differentially affect postlaparotomy reduction in grip strength. RNA sequencing of soleus muscles showed that laparotomy-induced age-associated differential gene expression and canonical pathway activation with the greatest effects in the youngest mice. Examples of such age-associated, metabolically important pathways that were only activated in the youngest mice after laparotomy included oxidative phosphorylation and NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response. Analysis of lipid mediators in serum and gastrocnemius muscle showed alterations in profiles during aging and confirmed an association between such changes and functional status in gastrocnemius muscle. These findings demonstrate a mouse model of laparotomy which recapitulated some features of postoperative skeletal muscle decline in older adults, and identified age-associated, laparotomy-induced molecular signatures in skeletal muscles. Future research can build upon this model to study molecular mechanisms of late-life vulnerability and resiliency to acute surgical stress.

Exploring the effect of motor coordination on repetitive behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorder

Objective: This study was conducted to explore the effect of motor coordination on repetitive behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) aged 5–15 years. Methods: The study employed the causal-comparative design, one of the correlational survey designs. The study was carried out with data obtained from parents of 241 children with ASD. The parents were administered the measurement tools of Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2-Turkish Version to confirm the diagnosis of ASD, Demographic Information Form to obtain information about the child and the parent, Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised-Turkish Version to evaluate the repetitive behaviors, and Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire-07-Turkish Version to evaluate the motor coordination performance. The data were analyzed MANCOVA in the R package program. Results: The study results revealed that 72% of children with ASD had a risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The repetitive behaviors of children with and without DCD risk differed significantly. The severity and intensity of the repetitive behaviors of children with DCD risk were higher than those without DCD risk when age, gender, and comorbidity were taken under control. Conclusion: The motor coordination problems in children with ASD are effective on repetitive behaviors.

Assessment of the influence of cilostazol on learning-memory and motor co-ordination by rodent models

Dementia is a set of symptoms that include worsening of the routine of cognitive tasks, learning, reproducibility, and gait disturbances beyond typical aging. Activated c AMP can produce anti-apoptosis activity, neuroprotective activity, motor improvement, and cognitive enhancement activity. Cilostazol can increase c AMP levels, so this study aimed to evaluate the influence of cilostazol on learning-memory and motor coordination by rodent models. The rats were divided into 5 and 6 groups with 6 rats in each to test the hypothesis respectively. Before MES seizure induction the rats were trained for conditioned avoidance response for 14 days and the best one was selected for assessment. The performance of intervention treated groups to determine the memory retention effect was measured by applying a fixed number of shocks. The intervention treated groups were tested for motor coordination performance by rotarod test (4-45 RPM accelerating speed for 5 min) after 30 and 60 min. The latency time of each rat falls off from the rod for the first time was noted. The results were presented as Mean ± SD, tested by ordinary two way ANOVA followed by Tukey's multiple comparisons test. Cilostazol 100 mg/kg p.o demonstrated a significant memory enhancement activity in the conditioned avoidance response technique. Cilostazol 20mg/kg i.p alone and along with diazepam 2 mg/kg demonstrated a significant motor coordination performance in both sessions. The present study concludes that cilostazol has improved the learning &amp; memory and motor coordination performances.

Essential role for neuronal nitric oxide synthase in acute ethanol-induced motor impairment

The cerebellum is widely known as a motor structure because it regulates and controls motor learning, coordination, and balance. However, it is also critical for non-motor functions such as cognitive processing, sensory discrimination, addictive behaviors and mental disorders. The cerebellum has the highest relative abundance of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNos) and is sensitive to ethanol. Although it has been demonstrated that the interaction of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and nitric oxide (NO) might play an important role in the regulation of ethanol-induced cerebellar ataxia, the molecular mechanisms through which ethanol regulates nNos function to elicit this behavioral effect have not been studied extensively. Here, we investigated the dose-dependent effects of acute ethanol treatment on motor impairment using the rotarod behavioral paradigm and the alterations of nNos mRNA expression in cerebellum, frontal cortex (FC), hippocampus and striatum. We also examined the link between acute ethanol-induced motor impairment and nNos by pharmacological manipulation of nNos function. We found that acute ethanol induced a dose-dependent elevation of ethanol blood levels which was associated with the impairment of motor coordination performance and decreased expression of cerebellar nNos. In contrast, acute ethanol increased nNos expression in FC but did not to change the expression for this enzyme in striatum and hippocampus. The effects of acute ethanol were attenuated by l-arginine, a precursor for NO and potentiated by 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a selective inhibitor of nNos. Our data suggests that differential regulation of nNos mRNA expression in cerebellum and frontal cortex might be involved in acute ethanol-induced motor impairment.

Effect of Seizure During Pregnancy on Cognitive and Motor Coordination Performances in Adult Male Offspring of Female Mice: The Role of Serum Corticosterone Level

Effect of Seizure During Pregnancy on Cognitive and Motor Coordination Performances in Adult Male Offspring of Female Mice: The Role of Serum Corticosterone Level