Development of a Drawing Application to Evaluate Hand and Wrist Function: A Pilot Study.

Introduction: We developed a custom digital drawing application to assess hand function. We conducted an initial validation study of this technique to (1) assess which drawing features are associated with hand function, (2) differentiate patients from control subjects for both dominant and nondominant hands, and (3) assess the correlation of drawing features with previously validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

Methods: In this prospective study, participants were asked to draw shapes on an Apple iPad with a digital pen using a custom app.

Essential tremor disrupts rhythmic brain networks during naturalistic movement.

Essential Tremor (ET) is a very common neurological disorder characterised by involuntary rhythmic movements attributable to pathological synchronization within corticothalamic circuits. Previous work has focused on tremor in isolation, overlooking broader disturbances to motor control during naturalistic movements such as reaching. We hypothesised that ET disrupts the sequential engagement of large-scale rhythmic brain networks, leading to both tremor and deficits in motor planning and execution.

Extensor Pollicis Longus Entrapment on CT in Acute Distal Radius Fracture May Be a Predictor of Tendon Rupture.

Background: Extensor pollicis longus (EPL) rupture is a well-described complication after volar plate fixation of distal radius fractures. Although protrusion of screw tips through the dorsal cortex of the distal radius is likely the cause of a substantial proportion of EPL ruptures, it is probably not the sole cause for EPL rupture after distal radius fracture. The purpose of this study was to evaluate preoperative computed tomography (CT) scans of distal radius fractures to characterize the incidence of EPL damage at the time of injury.

Where Do the Electrons Go? Studying Loss Processes in the Electrochemical Charging of Semiconductor Nanomaterials.

Electrochemical charging of films of semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) allows precise control over their Fermi level and opens up new possibilities for use of semiconductor NCs in optoelectronic devices. Unfortunately, charges added to the semiconductor NCs are often lost due to electrochemical side reactions. In this work, we examine which loss processes can occur in electrochemically charged semiconductor NC films by comparing numerical drift-diffusion simulations with experimental data.

Pitfalls and practical suggestions for using local field potential recordings in DBS clinical practice and research.

. Local field potential (LFP) recordings using chronically implanted sensing-enabled stimulators are a powerful tool for indexing symptom presence and severity in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders, and for enhancing our neurophysiological understanding of brain processes. LFPs have gained interest as input signals for closed-loop deep brain stimulation (DBS) and can be used to inform DBS parameter selection.