The contribution of deficits in limb position sense to the motor impairments of children with cerebral palsy, as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders, is increasingly being recognized. A more complete understanding of the development of multi-joint upper limb position sense is needed and has been limited, to date, by the absence of a reliable measurement technique to produce clinically meaningful information. The KINARM Exoskeleton’s bilateral position matching task, which involves passive movement of one of the subject’s arms to one of eight positions requiring different combinations of elbow and shoulder positions and active matching by the participant’s other arm, was evaluated for interrater and retest reliability. Intraclass correlation coefficients, absolute difference, minimum detectable difference that would be considered a significant change in performance, standard error of the measure, coefficient of variation, index of reliability, limit of agreement and confidence intervals were used to determine reliability on three measures of multi-joint position sense: (1) inter-trial variability in end-point position, (2) the ratio between actual and matched position, or spatial contraction/expansion, which provides a measure of the absolute accuracy of position matching, and (3) systematic errors in matching. Interrater index of reliability was very good to excellent with values of 72% for systematic errors in matching to 93% for contraction/expansion. Interrater intraclass correlation values were fair to excellent at 0.46 for systematic errors in matching to 0.81 for contraction/expansion. Standard errors in measurement were low and ranged from 0.002 to 0.06, for inter-trial variability and contraction/expansion respectively. Similarly, minimal detectable difference values for retest reliability ranged from 0.005 for inter-trial variability to 0.161 for contraction/expansion. Retest intraclass correlation values were fair to excellent at 0.38 for systematic errors in matching to 0.82 for contraction/expansion. Moderate to strong interrater and retest reliability and high measurement precision support the use of robot-based assessment of multi-joint position sense for developmental studies and promises to be a reliable clinical and research tool in the advancement of knowledge on sensory-motor coordination difficulties in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. / Thesis (Master, Rehabilitation Science) -- Queen's University, 2011-09-29 05:43:47.255

<p>The aim of this study was to explore the use of play with toddlers who are HIV positive to facilitate play, playfulness and sensory-motor development. The objectives were to explore how the therapist facilitated play, to explore how the child responded to the intervention, to explore how playfulness manifested as a facilitatory strategy and to explore how playfulness manifested as a response. A qualitative approach framed the case study research method with three participants between the ages of twelve months and three years. The main source of data was a record of the play-based intervention with the three participants. Additional data was obtained from participant observation of the children&rsquo / s responses to the play-based intervention, and hospital and occupational therapy record notes. A theory analytical strategy was used by coding data using theoretic propositions inductively. Each case was first analyzed individually, and then an analysis was made across the cases. Qualitative analysis of the data was done manually by coding, seeking categories and eliciting emergent themes by using an analytical strategy of theoretical propositions and an analytical technique of explanation building. Coding was done inductively, using theoretical constructs from the occupation by design, namely the elements of appeal, intactness and accuracy. Signs of playfulness were coded according to evidence of the elements of playfulness, namely perception of control, intrinsic motivation, suspension of reality or framing were evident in the data. Findings of the study were reported under two themes: Playful enablement &ndash / the therapist and Engaging, playing and developing &ndash / the child.</p>

The purpose of this study was to add to the body of psychometric evidence underlying the Dean-Woodcock Sensory Motor Battery (DWSMB) and the theory of sensory motor functioning. Secondly, this study added to the body of literature concerning the role of both cortical and subcortical areas of the brain in motor functioning.The DWSMB is a new battery designed to meet the emerging trends in neuropsychology. It combines the qualitative functionality of the sensory and motor tests used by clinical neurologists with the quantitative, performance-driven sensory motor tests found in traditional neuropsychological assessment batteries. The DWSMB consists of eight tests of sensory functions, seven tests of cortical motor functions, and three tests of subcortical motor functions.A population sample of 441 participants were administered the DWSMB, 340 of which had no reported neurological or psychiatric history. These data were analyzed using an exploratory factor analysis to determine the number of constructs underlying the DWSMB. The study found three factors: a Complex Sensory Motor Factor, a Simple Sensory Factor, and a Subcortical Motor Factor. The three constructs found in this study provided empirical support for the underlying theory of the DWSMB, which will allow neuropsychologists to make inferences about the resulting scores. / Department of Educational Psychology

The present study investigated the relationship between sensory/motor skills and cognitive abilities in psychiatric and neurologically impaired patients to determine how sensory/motor skills are associated with cognitive abilities. Previous research has demonstrated a significant relationship between performance on sensory/motor tasks and cognition but has failed to examine how well sensory/motor skills can predict specific cognitive performance. Because brain functioning is hierarchical with simpler processes being foundational to the development of more complex functions, it is likely sensory/motor skills can aid in the prediction of specific cognitive abilities. If this is true, then investigation of the relationship between sensory/motor performance and cognition should provide insight into the role of sensory/motor skills in the Dean-Woodcock Cognitive Neuropsychology Model.This study examined the relationship between scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability - Revised (WJ-R COG) and scores on the Dean-Woodcock Sensory and Motor Battery (D-WSMB). Participants included 458 patients referred for neuropsychological consultation with neurological and/or psychiatric diagnoses. Results indicated a significant correlation among cognitive scores and sensory/motor scores. Moreover, factor analysis revealed 7 overall factors that account for approximately 65% of the variance. These factors were identified as being thinking ability and processing speed, subcortical functioning, verbal working memory, peripheral processes, tactile kinesthetic thinking (Gtk), visual processing, and simple sensory/motor.Integration of sensory/motor factors into the Dean-Woodcock Cognitive Neuropsychology Model revealed the significant role sensory/motor performance plays in predicting higher-order cognitive abilities. From the analysis it appeared that certain sensory/motor functions were significant contributors to the prediction of specific cognitive abilities. That is, subcortical functioning aided in the prediction of all measured areas of cognition; visual processing contributed to visual-spatial thinking, novel reasoning, and crystallized knowledge; tactile-kinesthetic thinking helped predict visual-spatial thinking, auditory processing, and crystallized knowledge; and simple sensory/motor functioning aided in the explanation of long-term storage-retrieval.These results offer a beginning point for further investigation into the relationship between specific sensory/motor skills and cognitive abilities. Research in this area can provide further insight into the functional organization of the brain and offer application to cognitive outcome in rehabilitation as well as preschool screening. / Department of Educational Psychology

abstract: Navigation through natural environments requires continuous sensory guidance. In addition to coordinated muscle contractions of the limbs that are controlled by spinal cord, equilibrium, body weight bearing and transfer, and avoidance of obstacles all have to happen while locomotion is in progress and these are controlled by the supraspinal centers. For successful locomotion, animals require visual and somatosensory information. Even though a number of supraspinal centers receive both in varying degrees, processing this information at different levels of the central nervous system, especially their contribution to visuo-motor and sensory-motor integration during locomotion is poorly understood. This dissertation investigates the patterns of neuronal activity in three areas of the forebrain in the cat performing different locomotor tasks to elucidate involvement of these areas in processing of visual and somatosensory information related to locomotion. In three studies, animals performed two contrasting locomotor tasks in each and the neuronal activities were analyzed. In the first study, cats walked in either complete darkness or in an illuminated room while the neuronal activity of the motor cortex was recorded. This study revealed that the neuronal discharge patterns in the motor cortex were significantly different between the two illumination conditions. The mean discharge rates, modulation, and other variables were significantly different in 49% of the neurons. This suggests a contextual correlation between the motor cortical activity and being able to see. In two other studies, the activities of neurons of either the somatosensory cortex (SI) or ventrolateral thalamus (VL) were recorded while cats walked on a flat surface (simple locomotion) or along a horizontal ladder where continuous visual and somatosensory feedback was required (complex locomotion). We found that the activity of all but one SI cells with receptive fields on the sole peaked before the foot touched the ground: predictably. Other cells showed various patterns of modulation, which differed between simple and complex locomotion. We discuss the predictive and reflective functionality of the SI in cyclical sensory-motor events such as locomotion. We found that neuronal discharges in the VL were modulated to the stride cycle resembling patterns observed in the cortex that receives direct inputs from the VL. The modulation was stronger during walking on the ladder revealing VL’s contribution to locomotion-related activity of the cortex during precision stepping. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Neuroscience 2016

Magister Scientiae (Occupational Therapy) - MSc(OT) / The aim of this study was to explore the use of play with toddlers who are HIV positive to facilitate play, playfulness and sensory-motor development. The objectives were to explore how the therapist facilitated play, to explore how the child responded to the intervention, to explore how playfulness manifested as a facilitatory strategy and to explore how playfulness manifested as a response. A qualitative approach framed the case study research method with three participants between the ages of twelve months and three years. The main source of data was a record of the play-based intervention with the three participants. Additional data was obtained from participant observation of the children's responses to the play-based intervention, and hospital and occupational therapy record notes. A theory analytical strategy was used by coding data using theoretic propositions inductively. Each case was first analyzed individually, and then an analysis was made across the cases. Qualitative analysis of the data was done manually by coding, seeking categories and eliciting emergent themes by using an analytical strategy of theoretical propositions and an analytical technique of explanation building. Coding was done inductively, using theoretical constructs from the occupation by design, namely the elements of appeal, intactness and accuracy. Signs of playfulness were coded according to evidence of the elements of playfulness, namely perception of control, intrinsic motivation, suspension of reality or framing were evident in the data. Findings of the study were reported under two themes: Playful enablement - the therapist and Engaging, playing and developing - the child. / South Africa

Autism Spectrum disorder (ASD) is a wide ranging developmental condition commonly recognised by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive behaviour and restricted interests. Deficits in imitation, sensory processing and motor control are also extensive, but conflicting findings mean a clear picture regarding the true nature of these is yet to be established. The aim of this thesis was to further investigate imitation with a specific focus on the effect of goals. It has been suggested that imitation occurs along two routes; a direct route for the imitation of meaningless actions i.e. goal-less, and a semantic route for meaningful or goal-directed actions. There is evidence to suggest that while individuals with ASD may have an impairment in goal-less imitation, goal-directed imitation is unaffected (Hamilton, Brindley & Frith, 2007). The experiments in the present work were based on the hypothesis that impaired goal-less imitation in ASD may be due to a problem with sensory motor integration in the direct visuomotor pathway for imitation (Tessari and Rumiati, 2004).The first experiment was conducted to ascertain whether movement kinematics differed between imitation during goal-directed and goal-less hand movements in a neurotypical control group. Participants observed and imitated hand movements of different speeds, while their movement was recorded with a motion sensor. Movement was modulated between the different speeds in the goal-less, but not goal-directed trials. These findings support the dual route model where visuomotor mapping occurs via the direct pathway during goal-less imitation but during goal-directed imitation there is greater reliance on representations of actions from long term memory.In experiment two, the same paradigm was employed, including additional movement types, and a group of adult individuals diagnosed with an ASD was compared to a control group. It was predicted that, unlike the control group, the ASD group would fail to modulate their movement in the goal-less condition, due to a disruption in the direct pathway. Eye movements were also recorded in this experiment, to ascertain if differences in gaze position or eye movements might influence the ability of the ASD group to imitate goal-less actions. The ASD group did not modulate their movement for goal-less imitation. In addition, the ASD group exhibited more goal-directed gaze, and less gaze toward the hand, than the control group. The ASD group also failed to maintain pursuit of the hand, which may have influenced the amount of information collected regarding the movement.The third study extended the investigation by introducing a training phase halfway through the experiment. Based on eye movement findings, it was hypothesised that drawing attention to the hand might increase the importance of the hand in goal-less trials, subsequently leading to increased tracking, and improved imitation. Perspective was also investigated to determine whether observing the action from an egocentric perspective would improve imitation. Movement modulation was not improved for either the post training or the egocentric condition. However, both training and egocentric viewing resulted in faster performance of movements while training also reduced the amount of movement variability; suggesting that these conditions made imitation easier. Findings strongly support the hypothesis that people with ASD are impaired in goal-less but not goal-directed imitation. These results are discussed in terms of bottom-up and top-down influences on imitation. The observed eye movement differences between the ASD and control group suggest eye movement abnormalities, and the finding that egocentric observation facilitates imitation indicates problems with visuospatial transformation during allocentric imitation. Finally, failure to pursue may be due to lack of attention to the hand movement, evidenced by no increase in pursuit after training. This thesis concludes with the suggestion that impaired goal-less imitation in ASD may result primarily from bottom-up low level visual processing and oculomotor control problems, combined with a high level attentional mechanism. Future studies need to address whether these are the primary causes of imitation difficulties, or whether there is a fundamental sensory motor integration deficit in ASD.

Application of substance P (SP) to intracardiac neurons of the guinea pig causes slow depolarization and increases neuronal excitability. The present study was done to determine the influence of SP on fast excitatory responses of intracardiac neurons to ACh. Intracellular recording methods were used to measure responses of intracardiac neurons in whole mount preparations of atrial ganglionated nerve plexus from guinea pig hearts. Local pressure ejection of 100 μM SP (1 s) from a glass micropipette caused slow depolarization of all neurons (n = 38) and triggered action potential generation in 47% of the cells tested. Bath application of SP (0.5-100 μM) caused a dose-dependent depolarization of intracardiac neurons but rarely evoked action potentials, even at the highest concentration. However, such treatment with SP enhanced nicotinic responses evoked by local pressure ejections of ACh (10 mM, 10- to 100-ms duration) in 77% of intracardiac neurons studied (n = 52). A significant increase in amplitude of ACh-evoked fast depolarization occurred during treatment with 0.5 μM SP (13.0 ± 1.8 mV for control vs. 17.7 ± 1.9 mV with SP present, n = 7, P = 0.019). At higher concentrations of SP, enhancement of the response to ACh resulted mainly in action potential generation. However, responses to ACh were attenuated by SP in 15% of the intracardiac neurons studied. This attenuation occurred primarily during exposure to 10 and 100 μM SP and was manifest as a reduction in amplitude of nicotinic fast depolarization or inhibition of ACh-evoked action potentials. These findings support the conclusion that SP could function as a neuromodulator and neurotransmitter in intracardiac ganglia of the guinea pig.

Successful treatment alternatives for chronic pain conditions are limited. One type of chronic pain that can occur is the condition of phantom limb pain, which can occur after the loss of a limb. Many studies have researched the correlation between chronic pain, tactile acuity, and cortical reorganization. Sensory discrimination training has been shown to improve tactile acuity and be beneficial when trying to reduce the intensity and duration of the pain in chronic pain conditions. A device has been developed by the Center for Bionics and Pain Research, and it is intended to train sensory discrimination. How efficiently this device can train sensory discrimination and how much improvements in the tactile acuity in able-bodied participants can be achieved after using the device have been investigated in this study. 16 able-bodied subjects participated in the study. The subjects received five 40 minutes training sessions on five consecutive days. The assessment of the subjects’ tactile acuity was performed before the first training session and after the last training session. The tactile acuity was also assessed after one to two weeks to determine the long-term effect of the training. There were two psychophysical analyses to determine the participants’ tactile acuity, the two-point discrimination test and the monofilament test. The results showed a significant improvement in the two-point discrimination threshold after the five training sessions, thus showing evidence of the improvement in the tactile acuity after using the sensory discrimination training device. There was no significant improvement in the monofilament test.

Organismos são capazes de diferenciar estímulos sensoriais gerados independentemente pelo ambiente dos estímulos causados por sua própria ação no mundo. Esse processo depende de mecanismos neurais e cognitivos que unam suas ações às percepções por elas geradas. Objetivo desse trabalho foi investigar a interação da ação com a percepção visual no domínio temporal. Em cinco experimentos psicofísicos, foi estudado o efeito modulatório da ação no efeito flash-lag e em tarefas envolvendo estimativas de intervalos temporais. Nossos resultados mostraram que o planejamento e/ou execução de atos motores voluntários são capazes de reduzir em algumas dezenas de milissegundos as latências com que estímulos visuais são percebidos e também de reduzir as estimativas de intervalos temporais. A redução dessas latências é maior quando a conseqüência sensorial da ação é apresentada na fóvea, assim como quando existe um atraso entre a ação e o estímulo por ela causado. / Organisms are able to distinguish between sensory stimuli from the environment and sensory stimuli they cause. This process depends on neural and cognitive mechanisms that link actions to perceptions generated by these actions. This work aimed to investigate the interaction of action and perception in the temporal domain. In five psychophysical experiments, we have assessed the modulation of action in the flash-lag effect and in tasks involving temporal interval estimations. Our results showed that the planning and execution of a voluntary motor action are capable of reducing both visual perceptual latencies and temporal interval estimations. This reduction increases when the sensory consequences of motor actions are presented on the fovea and when a delay is injected between the action and the stimuli caused by it.