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Background: The assessment of cervical spine kinematic axial rotation performance is of great importance in the context of the study of neck sensorimotor control. However, studies addressing the influence of the level of provocation of spinal pain and the potential benefit of passive manual therapy mobilizations in patients with acute-subacute non-specific neck pain are lacking.Methods: A non-randomized prospective clinical trial with an intervention design was conducted. We investigated: (1) the test-retest reliability of kinematic variables during a fast axial head rotation task standardized with the DidRen laser test device in 42 Healthy pain-free Control Participants (HCP) (24.3 years ±6.8); (2) the differences in kinematic variables between HCP and 38 patients with Acute-subacute Non-Specific neck Pain (ANSP) assigned to two different groups according to whether their pain was localized in the upper or lower spine (46.2 years ±16.3); and (3) the effect of passive manual therapy mobilizations on kinematic variables of the neck during fast axial head rotation.Results: (1) Intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from moderate (0.57 (0.06-0.80)) to excellent (0.96 (0.91-0.98)). (2) Kinematic performance during fast axial rotations of the head was significantly altered in ANSP compared to HCP (age-adjusted) for one variable: the time between peaks of acceleration and deceleration (p<0.019). No significant difference was observed between ANSP with upper vs lower spinal pain localization. (3) After the intervention, there was a significant effect on several kinematic variables, e.g., ANSP improved peak speed (p<0.007) and performance of the DidRen laser test (p<0.001), with effect sizes ranging from small to medium.Conclusion: (1) The DidRen laser test is reliable. (2) A significant reduction in time between acceleration and deceleration peaks was observed in ANSP compared to HCP, but with no significant effect of spinal pain location on kinematic variables was found. (3) We found that neck pain decreased after passive manual therapy mobilizations with improvements of several kinematic variables.Trial Registration: Registration Number: NCT04407637. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative measures of smoothness play an important role in the assessment of sensorimotor impairment and motor learning. Traditionally, movement smoothness has been computed mainly for discrete movements, in particular arm, reaching and circle drawing, using kinematic data. There are currently very few studies investigating smoothness of rhythmic movements, and there is no systematic way of analysing the smoothness of such movements. There is also very little work on the smoothness of other movement related variables such as force, impedance etc. In this context, this paper presents the first step towards a unified framework for the analysis of smoothness of arbitrary movements and using various data. It starts with a systematic definition of movement smoothness and the different factors that influence smoothness, followed by a review of existing methods for quantifying the smoothness of discrete movements. A method is then introduced to analyse the smoothness of rhythmic movements by generalising the techniques developed for discrete movements. We finally propose recommendations for analysing smoothness of any general sensorimotor behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article inspects the efficacy of Robot-assisted assessment of motor functions of the upper limbs after stroke and feasibility of making it the primary method for motor assessment. It states the scopes of kinematic, kinetic and neuromechanical measures of the motor behaviors by specific rehabilitation robots. It discusses several limitations of this approach and and offers suggestions for further research.

The 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, simvastatin, is used for lowering elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. This translates into reduced cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality, while the drugs’ anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have earmarked it as a potential treatment strategy against various neurological conditions. Statins have been shown to protect neurons from degeneration in a number of animal models. Although no mechanism completely explains the multiple benefits exerted by statins, emerging evidence suggests that in some degenerative and brain injury models, mitochondrial impairment may play a contributive rate. However, there evidence lacks to support a directly influencing role for statins on mitochondria-related proteins and motor behavior. Mitochondrial dysfunction may increase oxygen free radical production, which in turn leaves cells susceptible to energy failure, apoptosis and related events the occurance of which could prove fatal. The potential link between simvastatin treatment and mitochondrial function would be supported if key mitochondrial proteins were altered by simvastatin exposure. Using mass spectroscopy (MS), we identified 24 mitochondrial proteins that differed significantly ( P < 0.05) in relative abundancy as a result of simvastatin treatment. The identified proteins represented many facets of mitochondrial integrity, with the majority forming part of the electron transport chain machinery, which is necessary for energy production. In a follow-up study, we then addressed whether simvastatin is capable of altering sensorimotor function in a mitochondrial toxin-induced animal model. Rats were pre-treated with simvastatin for 14 days, followed by a single unihemispheric (substantia nigra; SN) injection of rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I (Co-I) inhibitor. Results showed that simvastatin improved motor performance in rotenone-infused rats. The data are consistent with the possibility that alteration of mitochondrial function may contribute to the beneficial effects associated with statin use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]