Ventrointermediate thalamic stimulation improves motor learning in humans.

Ventrointermediate thalamic stimulation (VIM-DBS) modulates oscillatory activity in a cortical network including primary motor cortex, premotor cortex, and parietal cortex. Here we show that, beyond the beneficial effects of VIM-DBS on motor execution, this form of invasive stimulation facilitates production of sequential finger movements that follow a repeated sequence. These results highlight the role of thalamo-cortical activity in motor learning.

A hybrid linear discriminant analysis and genetic algorithm to create a linear model of aging when performing motor tasks through inertial sensors positioned on the hand and forearm.

Background: During the aging process, cognitive functions and performance of the muscular and neural system show signs of decline, thus making the elderly more susceptible to disease and death. These alterations, which occur with advanced age, affect functional performance in both the lower and upper members, and consequently human motor functions. Objective measurements are important tools to help understand and characterize the dysfunctions and limitations that occur due to neuromuscular changes related to advancing age.

Freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: Classification using computational intelligence.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease represented by the progressive loss of dopamine producing neurons, with motor and non-motor symptoms that may be hard to distinguish from other disorders. Affecting millions of people across the world, its symptoms include bradykinesia, tremors, depression, rigidity, postural instability, cognitive decline, and falls. Furthermore, changes in gait can be used as a primary diagnosis factor.

: the architecture and organization of a serious game to evaluate motor signs in Parkinson's disease.

Background: The use of serious games (SG) has received increasing attention in health care, and can be applied for both rehabilitation and evaluation of motor signs of several diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the use of these instruments in clinical practice is poorly observed, since there is a scarcity of games that, during their development process, simultaneously address issues of usability and architectural design, contributing to the non-satisfaction of the actual needs of professionals and patients. Thus, this study aimed to present the architecture and usability evaluation at the design stage of a serious game, so-called , and assess the accessibility of the game.

Wrist Movement Variability Assessment in Individuals with Parkinson's Disease.

(1) Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder represented by the progressive loss of dopamine-producing neurons, it decreases the individual’s motor functions and affects the execution of movements. There is a real need to include quantitative techniques and reliable methods to assess the evolution of PD. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the variability of wrist RUD (radial and ulnar deviation) and FE (flexion and extension) movements measured by two pairs of capacitive sensors (PS25454 EPIC).

Prevalence of distinct types of hardware failures related to deep brain stimulation.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment of several types of neurological conditions, including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and epilepsy. Despite technological progress in the past 10 years, the number of studies reporting side effects of DBS has increased, mainly due to hardware failures. This review investigated studies published between 2017 and 2021 to identify the prevalence of distinct types of hardware failures related to DBS.

Gamma-Band Frequency Analysis and Motor Development in Music-Trained Children: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to analyze the gamma-band frequency and motor performance of children with and without music training. This cross-sectional study included 31 right-handed children, 6-11 years old, who were allocated to two groups: 1) the music group (MG), including children who attended preschool and musical training (n = 16), and 2) the no-music group (NMG), including children who attended preschool but received no additional music training (n = 15). The outcomes were gamma-band frequency measured by electroencephalography, manual dexterity, aim-and-catch, and static and dynamic balance abilities measured by the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, and fine motor skills, overall motor skills, balance, corporal body scheme, spatial organization, temporal orientation, and general motor quotient (GMQ) by a Brazilian scale for motor development.

Effects of additional load at different heights on gait initiation: A statistical parametric mapping of center of pressure and center of mass behavior.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different vertical positions of an asymmetrical load on the anticipatory postural adjustments phase of gait initiation. Sixty-eight college students (32 males, 36 females; age: 23.65 ± 3.

Discrimination between healthy and patients with Parkinson's disease from hand resting activity using inertial measurement unit.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurological disease that affects the motor system. The associated motor symptoms are muscle rigidity or stiffness, bradykinesia, tremors, and gait disturbances. The correct diagnosis, especially in the initial stages, is fundamental to the life quality of the individual with PD.

Choice reaction time can be influenced by intervention protocols after stroke: A systematic review.

Introduction: Post-stroke individuals usually present a delay in choice reaction time (CRT), and it would be important to verify the efficacy in the reduction of CRT after intervention protocols.

Objective: The main question of this review is 'What are the characteristics of the CRT test and the interventions that decrease the CRT?'

Study Design: Systematic review.

Methods: The search was performed in March 2019 using the electronic databases, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, Cinahal, Cochrane, Ovid, Scielo, PEDro, and Embase.

On the use of histograms of oriented gradients for tremor detection from sinusoidal and spiral handwritten drawings of people with Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD), whose cardinal signs are tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability, gradually reduces the quality of life of the patient, making early diagnosis and follow-up of the disorder essential. This study aims to contribute to the objective evaluation of tremor in PD by introducing and assessing histograms of oriented gradients (HOG) to the analysis of handwriting sinusoidal and spiral patterns. These patterns were digitized and collected from handwritten drawings of people with PD (n = 20) and control healthy individuals (n = 20).

Influence of sampling frequency and number of strides on recurrence quantifiers extracted from gait data.

In this study, the influence of the sampling frequency and number of strides on recurrence quantifiers extracted from gait data was investigated in order to provide baseline values and preserve the system's non-linear dynamical characteristics expressed by these recurrence quantifiers. Recurrence quantifiers were extracted from a recurrence plot (RP), which required the reconstruction of a high-dimensional state space capable of reproducing the dynamical characteristics of the analyzed system. In this study, the following quantifiers were extracted: rate of recurrence (RR), determinism (DET), average diagonal lines length (AVG), maximum diagonal lines length (MaxL), Shannon entropy (EntD), and measure of trend (TREND).

Identification of arthropathy and myopathy of the temporomandibular syndrome by biomechanical facial features.

Background: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are pathological conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint and/or masticatory muscles. The current diagnosis of TMDs is complex and multi-factorial, including questionnaires, medical testing and the use of diagnostic methods, such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The evaluation, like the mandibular range of motion, needs the experience of the professional in the field and as such, there is a probability of human error when diagnosing TMD.

Effect of Osteopathic Visceral Manipulation on Pain, Cervical Range of Motion, and Upper Trapezius Muscle Activity in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain and Functional Dyspepsia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study.

Previous studies have reported that visceral disturbances can lead to increased musculoskeletal tension and pain in structures innervated from the corresponding spinal level through viscerosomatic reflexes. We designed a pilot randomised placebo-controlled study using placebo visceral manipulation as the control to evaluate the effect of osteopathic visceral manipulation (OVM) of the stomach and liver on pain, cervical mobility, and electromyographic activity of the upper trapezius (UT) muscle in individuals with nonspecific neck pain (NS-NP) and functional dyspepsia. Twenty-eight NS-NP patients were randomly assigned into two groups: treated with OVM (OVMG; = 14) and treated with placebo visceral manipulation (PVMG; = 14).

Local dynamic stability and gait variability during attentional tasks in young adults.

Cell phone use while walking may be a cognitive distraction and reduce visual and motor attention. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify the effects of attentional dual-tasks while using a cell phone in different conditions. Stability, regularity, and linear variability of trunk kinematics, and gait spatiotemporal parameters in young adults were measured.

Effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT 808 nm) on lower limb spastic muscle activity in chronic stroke patients.

A cerebrovascular accident (CVA) may affect basic motor functions, including spasticity that may be present in the upper extremity and/or the lower extremity, post-stroke. Spasticity causes pain, muscle force reduction, and decreases the time to onset of muscle fatigue. Several therapeutic resources have been employed to treat CVA to promote functional recovery.

Immediate effects of low-intensity laser (808 nm) on fatigue and strength of spastic muscle.

The cerebrovascular accident (CVA), high-impact disease II, affects the basic functions of the limbs, leading to changes of sensory, language, and motor functions. The search for resources that minimize the damage caused by this disease grows every day. The clinical use of low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) has provided major breakthroughs in the treatment of muscular disorders and prevention of muscle fatigue.

[Use of an artificial neural network to predict the incidence of malaria in the city of Cantá, state of Roraima].

Introduction: Malaria is endemic in the Brazilian Amazon region, with different risks for each region. The City of Cantá, State of Roraima, presented one of the largest annual parasite indices in Brazil for the entire study period, with a value always greater than 50. The present study aimed to use an artificial neural network to predict the incidence of malaria in this city in order to assist health coordinators in planning and managing resources.