Neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), are adversely affected by both stress and inflammation. Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus infection is an excellent animal model of MS, allowing examination of central nervous system inflammation during the acute phase of infection. Social disruption stress exacerbates acute Theiler's virus infection. Both social disruption stress and Theiler's virus infection elevate the proinflammatory cytokine, Interleukin-6 (IL-6). The current study examined the necessity and sufficiency of IL-6 in mediating the negative effects of social disruption stress in acute Theiler's virus infection. Experiment 1 blocked IL-6 function with a neutralizing antibody administered simultaneously with social disruption stress. All mice were then infected, and measures of illness, motor impairment and physiological signs of disease were collected up to 21 d postinfection. Experiment 2 administered exogenous IL-6 for one week (replacing social disruption with the cytokine treatment), followed by infection. Measures identical to those collected in Experiment 1 were collected for up to 21 d postinfection. Results indicate that IL-6 is necessary for the development of the sickness, motor impairment, and immunological effects of social stress in acute Theiler's virus infection. In contrast, IL-6 alone can induce some, but not all, of the sickness behavior exacerbations, and was not sufficient for the development of either motor impairment or immunological effects previously associated with social disruption stress. These results have many important implications for further research in the effects of social stress on Theiler's virus infection, as well as clinical implications for both MS and other inflammatory mediated diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Engagement is the active involvement in experiences which allows for development. For children with severe mobility impairments however, challenges arise in accessing experience which can lead to learned helplessness. Due to these challenges powered mobility has been suggested as a mechanism for the provision of self-initiated access to experiences. However, powered mobility is out of reach of the majority of children with disabilities in South Africa hence a non-powered alternative has been sought. This study sought to determine the effect of non-powered, self-initiated mobility on the engagement of young children, with severe mobility impairment, in play. A multiple probe design across participants was used. Four participants, aged 2 years 10 months to 6 years 9 months with severe mobility impairment (Gross Motor Function Classification Scale (GMFCS) level V) underwent a minimum of 5 baseline sessions, followed by 8 intervention sessions. Engagement was measured during each session using the Individual Child Engagement Record –Revised (ICER-R). The data was analysed using visual graphic and statistical analysis. All participants demonstrated an improvement in engagement in play with the introduction of non-powered, self-initiated mobility. A reciprocal deterioration in non-engagement was also recorded. A decrease in engagement in play at the start of intervention was attributed to the focus of engagement being on mobility skills as the device was introduced but this reverted as the participants spent more time on the mobility device. Functional abilities were identified as having a greater role in engagement than age. The introduction of non-powered, self-initiated mobility correlated with the improvement of engagement of young children with severe motor impairment. Non-powered, self-initiated mobility is a viable, cost effective mechanism for mobility at a young age. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (CAAC) / PhD / Unrestricted

<p> Clinical diagnosis, classification of injury and the reliable and detailed description of a patient's neurological status are key factors in determining intervention, rehabilitation programs and predicting recovery. The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale (AIS) is a standardized method for spinal cord injury (SCI) classification and neurologic status examination. Studies have revealed the AIS classification to be a general assessment tool that fails to explain the varying degrees and patterns of neurological damage, especially in individuals with incomplete injuries. In addition, intragroup variability can be attributed to inaccuracies in examinations and improper assessment tools that have limited research findings. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been used as a non-invasive method of evaluating the integrity of the motor nervous system. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate TMS as an assessment tool to describe motor impairment of SCI individuals. A second purpose of this study was to assess AIS accuracy and sensitivity to muscle activation by using surface electromyographic (sEMG) techniques during clinical examinations. Six incomplete SCI participants were clinically assessed to obtain their individual motor scores from key muscles following AIS assessment criteria. TMS was then used to stimulate the motor cortex to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in 4 key muscles. MEPs correlated with motor scores, where significantly higher and lower MEPs corresponded to the highest and lowest motor scores, respectively. Of the 48 muscles analyzed, 18 received a motor score of zero; however MEPs were obtained in 7 of these 18 muscles. In general, MEPs paralleled motor function as assessed by the AIS. Results suggest that TMS may provide information on the relationship between corticospinal integrity and the quality of motor function. In addition, TMS demonstrated adequate validity and sensitivity to SCI individual differences. MEPs provided additional information regarding the existence of spared neuronal pathways not identified by standard clinical evaluations. The therapeutic potential of these motor pathways has yet to be explored. EMG activity was significantly correlated to motor scores and MEPs however; EMG analysis revealed some inaccuracies in muscle examinations and supported MEP data. Results suggest that the implementation of electrophysiological assessment tools may be more sensitive to detect motor damage, adaptive movement patterns and overall muscle activation that may be misinterpreted during clinical examinations.</p> / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

Context: Researchers in serious games area and professionals in stroke rehabilitation, working collaboratively in explorative interdisciplinary research studies in order to develop usable and effective applications. In this context, physiotherapists and occupational therapy are important elements of stroke rehabilitation. Applications from such exploratory development reflect motivational and easy to use features, which could be further designed and developed by serious games developers. Objectives: The research study aims to investigate the role and usefulness of Video Capture Virtual Reality Technology (VCVRT) in motor impairment rehabilitation, to identify and explore the importance of this technology in healthcare, specifically in motor impairment rehabilitation. Likewise, to analyze the acceptance of VCVRT among the physiotherapists in terms of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived intension to use. Methods: In this exploratory study literature review, workshop and survey including questionnaire and interview are used, taking Blekinge County Hospital (Karlshamn) as case study along with “TARGET” game as testing platform for introducing and evaluating VCVRT among physiotherapists. For exploring technology acceptance level among physiotherapists, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used in the research work. Results: Video capture virtual reality technology can be used as a complement to conventional physiotherapy. This technology is cheap, easy to use and is useful as a home based rehabilitation tool, but together with physiotherapist supervision or coaching. Moreover, VCVRT is motivational for weak patients and useful in motor rehabilitation in terms of quantity, i.e. intensity of exercise can be increased. Physiotherapist centered approach is necessary for game design process; effective game design suggestions and the idea of single gaming framework consists of different games acquiring multiple rehabilitation goals, are achieved from physiotherapists during the research. Technology acceptance value is high among physiotherapists. Conclusion: The research study provides a more detailed understanding of the factors involved in the implication of video capture virtual reality technology in motor impairment rehabilitation. The authors concluded from the research study that video capture virtual reality technology is applicable for motor impairment rehabilitation while considering following factors, i.e. Physiotherapist centered approach, a gaming framework where a portfolio of games can be assembled for individual patients, and video capture virtual reality technology is applicable for home based rehabilitation under the supervision of physiotherapist. Furthermore, physiotherapists’ concerns and importance in the intervention of serious games and healthcare area are highlighted by this research work.

Thesis (M. App. Psych.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Psychology, 1991. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-64).

Of all motor skills, manual reaching might be the one ability that matters most for infants’ perceptual, cognitive and social development. Reaching allows infants to learn about object properties, but also gives opportunities for socializing with others. The general aim of the present thesis was to study the importance of manual motor development in infancy from different perspectives; first, through examining stereopsis as a prerequisite for efficient reaching development, second, with regard to understanding others goal-directed reach actions by means of the mirror neuron system (MNS), and third, in relation to possible atypical development, with a specific focus on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Study I shows that under monocular viewing conditions, infants at six, eight and 10 months of age perform slower and less accurate reaches. Longer times to object contact during monocular trials specifically imply that motor prediction is less effective when depth and distance information is compromised. Study II demonstrates that, by eight months of age, infants seem to have a MNS that functions in a similar manner to the adult MNS, thus activity can be registered over the motor cortex when infants simply observe an action they can master themselves. This activation is predictive, indicating anticipation of the goal of the observed reach. Study III indicates that infants at elevated familial risk for ASD present with reduced prospective motor control at 10 months of age. Compared to a low-risk control sample, high-risk infants perform reactive rather than predictive reach actions. Follow-up assessment at 36 months will show whether this measure can be used as a predictive diagnostic marker for ASD. The main contribution given by this work is the insight that it is important to take manual motor aspects into account when considering typical as well as atypical cognitive and social development, and in addition, that motor prediction is a key factor behind being able to timely execute and understand reaching actions.

Les personnes en situation de handicap moteur des membres supérieurs ont besoin de système de suppléance pour leur autonomie. Cependant 1/3 de ces aides de compensation sont abandonnées car pas encore suffisamment centrées sur les besoins et les aptitudes de l'utilisateur. La problématique centrale de cette thèse concerne la mise en œuvre d'une méthode de conception centrée utilisateur, adaptée en fonction de la population d'études (personnes en situation de handicap ayant des troubles neuro-moteurs langagiers) pour la conception de trois aides de compensation. La première concerne la commande d'un bras robotique de préhension JACO pour laquelle la conception centrée utilisateur classique a été appliquée. Celle-ci est adaptée pour les personnes pouvant s'exprimer oralement mais qu'en est-il lorsque ces personnes ne peuvent participer directement ou bien ont besoin de leurs aidants pour exprimer leurs besoins ou répondre aux questionnaires? Une alternative est de recueillir les besoins par l'intermédiaire d'experts. Nous montrerons comment la méthode de conception centrée utilisateur a été adaptée pour la conception du système HandiMathKey pour la saisie de formules Mathématiques. Notre dernière adaptation est d'utiliser l'écosystème de la personne comme médiateur pour communiquer et un profil utilisateur. Cette méthode a permis de concevoir l'interface de communication intégrée et de contrôle d'environnement nommée CECI. Nous décrirons également comment la plateforme SoKeyTo permet le prototypage des aides de compensation. Pour chacune des aides de compensation, nous rapporterons les évaluations réalisées et nous discuterons la manière dont la méthode de conception a été adaptée. / People with motor impairment of the upper limbs need an assistive technology for their autonomy. However, 1/3 of these assistive technologies are abandoned because they are not yet sufficiently focused on the needs and abilities of the user. The central problem of this thesis concerns the implementation of a user-centered design method adapted to the study population (persons with disabilities with neuro-motor language impairments) for the design of three applications. The first concerns the control of a robot arm JACO for which the classic user centered design has been applied. This is appropriate for people who can speak orally, but what if they cannot participate directly or need their caregivers to express their needs or answer questionnaires? An alternative is to gather needs through experts. We will show how the user centered design method has been adapted for the design of the HandiMathKey system for entering mathematical formulas. Our last adaptation is to use the person's ecosystem as a mediator to communicate and a user profile. This method allowed to design the integrated communication and environmental control interface named CECI. We will also describe how the SoKeyTo platform allows prototyping of assistive technologies. For each of the assistive technologies, we will report the assessments made and discuss how the design method has been adapted.

No description available.

Title: Relation between occurrence of specific language impairment and motor skills in children Objectives: The aim of this thesis is detection of prevalence of risk factors for specific language impairment in children in the Czech Republic and evaluation of another possible difficulties these children may have, especially those which could be detected or influenced by physiotherapist. The emphasis was given on pre- and perinatal complications, early motor development complications and motor impairment. Methods: The anonymous questionnaires were used for the data collection. They were distributed to the speech therapists' offices in Prague and Jesenice by Prague and filled by parents of children with specific language impairment when they visited the office. Overall 145 questionnaires were included in the research. Results: Hypothesis n. 1 was confirmed - higher prevalence of complications during pregnancy than prevalence of assisted reproduction was found (considering the prenatal complications) and higher prevalence of complications during birth than prevalence of preterm birth or low birth weight was found (considering the perinatal complications) in children with specific language impairment in the Czech Republic. Hypothesis n. 2 was also confirmed - the prevalence of early motor development...

Early in infection, HIV crosses the blood-brain barrier and induces neuropathology. Viral presence in the CNS coupled with secretion of neurotoxic proteins causes neuroinflammation, glial dysfunction, excitotoxicity, and neuronal death. Despite advances in combined antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected patients present with a spectrum of cognitive and psychomotor deficits collectively referred to as HIV-associated neurological disorders (HAND). A subset of HAND patients abuses drugs such as opiates like heroin and morphine show an exacerbation and rapid progression of HIV neuropathology; however, the mechanisms of this synergy are not well understood. Autophagy is a lysosomal degradative process which eliminates and recycles cytosolic components and is implicated in facilitating HIV-1 replication in the CNS and periphery, and in Tat-induced neurodegeneration. When a key initiator of autophagy Beclin 1 was silenced using siRNAs, there was a marked reduction of HIV-1 replication in human microglia and astrocytes and the corresponding inflammatory response. As such, the goal of the current study is to determine if diminished Beclin 1 is neuroprotective against Tat and morphine-induced neurodegeneration using heterozygous Beclin 1 (Becn1+/-) mice. Examination of Tat and morphine-induced inflammatory molecule secretion revealed that Becn1+/- mixed astrocyte and microglia (glia) exhibited attenuated secretion of cytokine IL-6 and chemokines RANTES and MCP-1 compared to control (C57BL/6J) glia, an effect mediated through the μ-opioid receptor. Dysregulation of autophagy-related gene expression and excessive intracellular calcium accumulation were limited in Becn1+/- glia. When determining the effects of Tat-and morphine co-exposure on neuronal survival in vitro, we found Becn1+/- neurons were particularly sensitive to injury, excitotoxicity, and toxic exposures; however, when C57BL/6J neurons were exposed to conditioned media of C57BL/6J and Becn1+/- glia treated with Tat and morphine, neurons treated with Becn1+/- supernatant had better outcomes than those treated with C57BL/6J conditioned media. Furthermore, despite minimal difference between strains in locomotor assessment, we observed significantly greater striatal neuron losses in adult C57BL/6J mice exposed to intrastriatal Tat-and systemic morphine compared to Becn1+/- mice. Our studies demonstrate the potential of targeting Beclin 1 in glia for the prevention of Tat and opiate-induced CNS dysfunction.