The effect of age on ankle joint position sense differs between contralateral matching and ipsilateral reproduction tasks.

Ankle joint angle position sense (JPS) plays a crucial role in maintaining balance and coordinating movements, yet its changes across the lifespan remain unclear. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate changes in ankle JPS across the lifespan using an ipsilateral reproduction task (IRT) and a contralateral concurrent matching task (CMT). One hundred and fifty eight individuals (6-92yrs) were allocated into 6 groups: Young-children (YC; n = 14) and Old-children (OC; n = 15), Young (Y: 19-39yrs; n = 33), Middle-aged (M: 40-59yrs; n = 41), Young-Old (YO: 60-5yrs; n = 24) and Old-Old (OO: >76yrs; n = 31) adults.

REDUCED H-REFLEX GAIN IN SOLEUS DURING ISOMETRIC PLANTAR FLEXOR AND DORSIFLEXOR MUSCLE CONTRACTIONS IN OLD ADULTS.

The modulation of the Hoffmann (H) reflex amplitude during agonist and antagonist muscle contractions provides relevant information on the neural control of leg muscles but remains largely unknown in older adults. This study investigated the H-reflex gain in the soleus muscle at rest and during plantar flexor (PF) and dorsiflexor (DF) muscle contractions performed at 10%, 20% and 30% of the maximal electromyographic activity (EMGMVC) in 12 young (23-35yrs) and 12 old adults (61-76yrs). The reflex gain was measured as the slope of the relation between H-reflex amplitude and background EMG activity.

Revisiting the use of Hoffmann reflex in motor control research on humans.

Research in movement science aims at unravelling mechanisms and designing methods for restoring and maximizing human functional capacity, and many techniques provide access to neural adjustments (acute changes) or long-term adaptations (chronic changes) underlying changes in movement capabilities. First described by Paul Hoffmann over a century ago, when an electrical stimulus is applied to a peripheral nerve, this causes action potentials in afferent axons, primarily the Ia afferents of the muscle spindles, which recruit homonymous motor neurons, thereby causing an electromyographic response known as the Hoffmann (H) reflex. This technique is a valuable tool in the study of the neuromuscular function in humans and has provided relevant information in the neural control of movement.

Body composition profile of young patients with phenylketonuria and mild hyperphenylalaninemia.

Background: There is evidence in support of low bone density in young patients with disorders of phenylalanine metabolism; however, little is known about muscle and fat mass in these patients, especially in those with mild hyperphenylalaninemia (mHPA).

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate body composition of children and adolescents with early-diagnosed disorders of phenylalanine metabolism.

Patients And Methods: The study was conducted in the Institute of Child Health, which is the national center that performs newborn screening.