Trajectory Adjustments Underlying Task-Specific Intermittent Force Behaviors and Muscular Rhythms

Trajectory Adjustments Underlying Task-Specific Intermittent Force Behaviors and Muscular Rhythms

Force intermittency is one of the major causes of motor variability. Focusing on the dynamics of force intermittency, this study was undertaken to investigate how force trajectory is fine-tuned for static and dynamic force-tracking of a comparable physical load. Twenty-two healthy adults performed two unilateral resistance protocols (static force-tracking at 75% maximal effort and dynamic force...

Neural mechanisms underlying sex-specific behaviors in vertebrates.

From invertebrates to humans, males and females of a given species display identifiable differences in behaviors, mostly but not exclusively pertaining to sexual and social behaviors. Within a species, individuals preferentially exhibit the set of behaviors that is typical of their sex. These behaviors include a wide range of coordinated and genetically pre-programmed social and sexual displays...

Trajectory and Task Planning

Anticipatory postural adjustments in a bimanual load-lifting task in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We investigated the consequences of a progressive damage to the muscular system on the organization of anticipatory postural adjustments (APA) in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We used a bimanual load-lifting task requiring the stabilization of the forearm position despite its voluntary or imposed unloading. Eight children with DMD from 4 to 11 years of age were compared to ei...

Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying muscular dystrophy

The muscular dystrophies are a group of heterogeneous genetic diseases characterized by progressive degeneration and weakness of skeletal muscle. Since the discovery of the first muscular dystrophy gene encoding dystrophin, a large number of genes have been identified that are involved in various muscle-wasting and neuromuscular disorders. Human genetic studies complemented by animal model syst...