The benefit of knowledge: postural response modulation by foreknowledge of equilibrium perturbation in an upper limb task.

For whole-body sway patterns, a compound motor response following an external stimulus may comprise reflexes, postural adjustments (anticipatory or compensatory), and voluntary muscular activity. Responses to equilibrium destabilization may depend on both motor set and a subject`s expectation of the disturbing stimulus. To disentangle these influences on lower limb responses, we studied a model in which subjects (n = 14) were suspended in the air, without foot support, and performed a fast unilateral wrist extension (WE) in response to a passive knee flexion (KF) delivered by a robot.

Adaptation to tonic heat in healthy subjects and patients with sensory polyneuropathy.

Background Adaptation to a constant sensory stimulus involves many sites along the path of sensory volleys towards perception. The evaluation of such phenomenon may be of clinical interest. We studied adaptation to a constant temperature stimulus in healthy subjects to set normative data and in patients with sensory polyneuropathy (SPN), as proof of concept.

When reflex reactions oppose voluntary commands: The StartReact effect on eye opening.

A startling auditory stimulus (SAS) induces a reflex response involving, among other reactions, a strong contraction of the orbicularis oculi muscle (OOc) and subsequent eye closure. A SAS also induces the StartReact effect, a significant shortening of reaction time in subjects ready for task execution. We examined the obvious conflict appearing when a StartReact paradigm requires participants with eyes closed to open their eyes to look for a visual target.

Cumulative distribution functions: An alternative approach to examine the triggering of prepared motor actions in the StartReact effect.

There has been much debate concerning whether startling sensory stimuli can activate a fast-neural pathway for movement triggering (StartReact) which is different from that of voluntary movements. Activity in sternocleidomastoid (SCM) electromyogram is suggested to indicate activation of this pathway. We evaluated whether SCM activity can accurately identify trials which may differ in their neurophysiological triggering and assessed the use of cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) of reaction time (RT) data to identify trials with the shortest RTs for analysis.

Kinematic and Kinetic Patterns Related to Free-Walking in Parkinson's Disease.

The aim of this study is to compare the properties of free-walking at a natural pace between mild Parkinson's disease (PD) patients during the ON-clinical status and two control groups. In-shoe pressure-sensitive insoles were used to quantify the temporal and force characteristics of a 5-min free-walking in 11 PD patients, in 16 young healthy controls, and in 12 age-matched healthy controls. Inferential statistics analyses were performed on the kinematic and kinetic parameters to compare groups' performances, whereas feature selection analyses and automatic classification were used to identify the signature of parkinsonian gait and to assess the performance of group classification, respectively.

The Global Spine Care Initiative: care pathway for people with spine-related concerns.

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to describe the development of an evidence-based care pathway that can be implemented globally.

Methods: The Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) care pathway development team extracted interventions recommended for the management of spinal disorders from six GSCI articles that synthesized the available evidence from guidelines and relevant literature. Sixty-eight international and interprofessional clinicians and scientists with expertise in spine-related conditions were invited to participate.

The Global Spine Care Initiative: World Spine Care executive summary on reducing spine-related disability in low- and middle-income communities.

Purpose: Spinal disorders, including back and neck pain, are major causes of disability, economic hardship, and morbidity, especially in underserved communities and low- and middle-income countries. Currently, there is no model of care to address this issue. This paper provides an overview of the papers from the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI), which was convened to develop an evidence-based, practical, and sustainable, spinal healthcare model for communities around the world with various levels of resources.

The Global Spine Care Initiative: methodology, contributors, and disclosures.

Purpose: The purpose of this report is to describe the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) contributors, disclosures, and methods for reporting transparency on the development of the recommendations.

Methods: World Spine Care convened the GSCI to develop an evidence-based, practical, and sustainable healthcare model for spinal care. The initiative aims to improve the management, prevention, and public health for spine-related disorders worldwide; thus, global representation was essential.

The Global Spine Care Initiative: public health and prevention interventions for common spine disorders in low- and middle-income communities.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop recommendations for prevention interventions for spinal disorders that could be delivered globally, but especially in underserved areas and in low- and middle-income countries.

Methods: We extracted risk factors, associations, and comorbidities of common spinal disorders (e.g.

StartReact effects in first dorsal interosseous muscle are absent in a pinch task, but present when combined with elbow flexion.

Objective: To provide a neurophysiological tool for assessing sensorimotor pathways, which may differ for those involving distal muscles in simple tasks from those involving distal muscles in a kinetic chain task, or proximal muscles in both.

Methods: We compared latencies and magnitudes of motor responses in a reaction time paradigm in a proximal (biceps brachii, BB) and a distal (first dorsal interosseous, FDI) muscle following electrical stimuli used as imperative signal (IS) delivered to the index finger. These stimuli were applied during different motor tasks: simple tasks involving either one muscle, e.

A scoping review of biopsychosocial risk factors and co-morbidities for common spinal disorders.

Objective: The purpose of this review was to identify risk factors, prognostic factors, and comorbidities associated with common spinal disorders.

Methods: A scoping review of the literature of common spinal disorders was performed through September 2016. To identify search terms, we developed 3 terminology groups for case definitions: 1) spinal pain of unknown origin, 2) spinal syndromes, and 3) spinal pathology.

Motor preparation in picture naming tasks.

In certain circumstances, words can be uttered as an involuntary action. We hypothesize that, once pronunciation of a word is fully prepared it can be triggered as a reflex with no need for cortical processing. We used modified protocols of picture naming tasks, with different levels of cognitive demands, to measure reaction time to word pronunciation (RTWP).

Spinal Cord Injury due to Tumour or Metastasis in Aragón, Northeastern Spain (1991-2008): Incidence, Time Trends, and Neurological Function.

Purpose: Understanding the presentation of spinal cord injury (SCI) due to tumours considering population distribution and temporal trends is key to managing SCI health services. This study quantified incidence rates, function scores, and trends of SCI due to tumour or metastasis over an 18-year time period in a defined region in Spain.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study included in-and outpatients with nontraumatic SCI due to tumour or metastasis admitted to a metropolitan hospital in Spain between 1991 and 2008.

Physical activity, body functions and disability among middle-aged and older Spanish adults.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is a health determinant among middle-aged and older adults. In contrast, poor health is expected to have a negative impact on PA. This study sought to assess to what extent specific International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) health components were associated with PA among older adults.

Evidence for Startle Effects due to Externally Induced Lower Limb Movements: Implications in Neurorehabilitation.

Passive limb displacement is routinely used to assess muscle tone. If we attempt to quantify muscle stiffness using mechanical devices, it is important to know whether kinematic stimuli are able to trigger startle reactions. Whether kinematic stimuli are able to elicit a startle reflex and to accelerate prepared voluntary movements (StartReact effect) has not been studied extensively to date.

Associations between chronic conditions, body functions, activity limitations and participation restrictions: a cross-sectional approach in Spanish non-clinical populations.

Objectives: To analyse the relationships between chronic conditions, body functions, activity limitations and participation restrictions in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Setting: 2 geographical areas in the Autonomous Region of Aragon, Spain, namely, a rural area, Cinco Villas, and an urban area in the city of Zaragoza.

Serum lipid profile in subjects with traumatic spinal cord injury.

Background And Aims: Few large studies have examined the relationship between spinal cord injury (SCI) and lipid profile. We studied serum lipid concentrations in subjects with traumatic SCI in relation to the degree of neurological involvement and time since injury, and compared them with values from a reference sample for the Spanish population (DRECE study).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective cohort was built from 177 consecutive cases with traumatic SCI admitted to the SCI unit of the Miguel Servet Hospital in Aragon (Spain).

Preparedness for landing after a self-initiated fall.

A startling auditory stimulus (SAS) causes a faster execution of voluntary actions when applied together with the imperative signal in reaction time tasks (the StartReact effect). However, speeding up reaction time may not be the best strategy in all tasks. After a self-initiated fall, the program for landing has to be time-locked to foot contact to avoid damage, and therefore advanced execution of the program would not be convenient.

Incidence of nontraumatic spinal cord injury: a Spanish cohort study (1972-2008).

Objectives: To assess the incidence of nontraumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in a determined catchment area in Spain, and to evaluate clinical presentations and trends over time.

Design: Population-based case series study between January 1972 and December 2008 [corrected].

Setting: A hospital with a specialized SCI unit in a delimited health area in Spain.

Awareness of temperature and pain sensation.

Unlabelled: Evoked potentials (EPs) to radiant or contact heat pain stimuli reflect the synchronization of brain activity to noxious inputs. However, we do not know how they relate to conscious awareness (AW) of a sensation. In healthy volunteers, we determined the time of AW for thermal noxious and non-noxious sensory inputs and examined its correlation to parametric measures of vertex EPs.

Incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury in Aragón, Spain (1972-2008).

Long-term incidence studies are required to identify high-risk groups, establish trends, and forecast needs, and thus contribute to health care planning in spinal cord injury (SCI). This study aimed to determine the incidence of traumatic SCI over a 36-year period in Aragón, Spain, and compare rates with other published European estimates. Hospital records from the Servet Hospital, the only specialized SCI unit in the region, of a retrospective cohort with traumatic SCI between January 1972 and December 2008 were reviewed.

ICF-based disability survey in a rural population of adults and older adults living in Cinco Villas, Northeastern Spain: design, methods and population characteristics.

Background: This article describes the methods of a door-to-door screening survey exploring the distribution of disability and its major determinants in northeastern Spain. This study will set the basis for the development of disability-related services for the rural elderly in northeastern Spain.

Methods: The probabilistic sample was composed of 1,354 de facto residents from a population of 12,784 Social Security card holders (age: > or = 50 years).

Survival after spinal cord injury: a systematic review.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leading to neurological deficits produces long-term effects that persist over a lifetime. Survival analysis of patients with SCI, at individual and population level, is important for public health management and the assessment of treatment achievements. The current study evaluated survival following traumatic and non-traumatic SCI worldwide.

Speeding up gait initiation and gait-pattern with a startling stimulus.

Human gait involves a repetitive leg motor pattern that emerges after gait initiation. While the automatic maintenance of the gait-pattern may be under the control of subcortical motor centres, gait initiation requires the voluntary launching of a different motor program. In this study, we sought to examine how the two motor programmes respond to an experimental manipulation of the timing of gait initiation.