Among the hereditary ataxias, autosomal recessive spinocerebellar ataxias comprise a diverse group of neurodegenerative disorders. Clinical phenotypes vary from predominantly cerebellar syndromes to sensorimotor neuropathy, ophthalmological disturbances, involuntary movements, seizures, cognitive dysfunction, skeletal anomalies, and cutaneous disorders, among others. Molecular pathogenesis also...

BACKGROUND Inefficient central processing and integration of visual, vestibular, and somatosensory information may contribute to poor balance and diminished postural control in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). OBJECTIVES This pilot study examined sensorimotor performance and the sensory control of balance using a battery of clinical tests in combination with an experimen...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether there are diffusion abnormalities along the fibers connecting sensorimotor regions, including the primary sensorimotor areas and the striatum, in patients with writer's cramp using voxel-based diffusion analysis and fiber tracking. Recent studies have shown structural changes in these regions in writer's cramp. DESIGN Patient and control group comparison. SETT...

The understanding of prefrail and nonfrail older adults' postural control with and without increased environmental and cognitive stress is imperative to the development of targeted interventions to decrease fall risk within these populations. Thirty-eight individuals participated in this study. Postural control testing included the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) on a NeuroCom EquiTest. Cogniti...

According to classic cognitive science, higher cognitive processes involve amodal mental representations (Fodor, 1975), and are carried by brain regions other than sensorimotor areas (Bechtel et al., 1998). Over the last few decades, this view has been questioned. Numerous researchers argue that cognitive processes are fundamentally rooted in sensorimotor activity and that the body both constra...

The generation of long-term memory for motor skills can be modulated by subsequent motor experiences that interfere with the consolidation process. Recent studies suggest that even a non-motor task may adversely affect some aspects of motor sequence memory. Here we show that motor sequence memory can be either enhanced or reduced, by different cognitive tasks. Participants were trained in perfo...

There is some controversial discussion within the therapy of craniomandibular disorders (CMDs) about the mode of action of occlusal splints. Here we present a case report on one CMD-patient measuring cerebral activation changes with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after therapy with a stabilization splint. Wearing the Michigan splint for 11 nights and partially days resu...

The brain histamine system has been implicated in regulation of sensorimotor gating deficits and in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. Histamine also regulates alcohol reward and consumption via H3 receptor (H3R), possibly through an interaction with the brain dopaminergic system. Here, we identified the histaminergic mechanism of sensorimotor gating and the role of histamine H3R in the regulation...

In studies involving patients with special needs, the use of electroencephalography (EEG) recordings is among the most delicate measurement modalities. The quietness needed and the long preparation time can be challenging especially in young ages. Furthermore, the invasive appearance of the instrumentation involved is not appealing and can raise distrust in patients. We developed a customized E...

Physical therapy (physiotherapy, or PT) can be broadly defined as the restoration of movement and function and includes assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. This review outlines the history, definition, and regulation of PT, followed by the core scientific principles of PT. Because musculoskeletal physiotherapy is the predominant subdiscipline in equine PT, encompassing poor performance, ...