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Training a non-dominant hand is important for rehabilitating people who are required to change handedness. However, improving the dexterity in using chopsticks with a non-dominant hand through training remains unclear. This study is aimed to measure whether chopstick training improves non-dominant hand chopstick operation skills and leads to acquisition of skill levels similar to those of the dominant hand.

A new application involving a water–stable amido–functionalized allylboronate has been developed for 1,2‐addition to carbon–nitrogen double bonds. The process achieves highly enantioselective allylation of aldoxime derivatives in water, by employing O‐Boc oximes as substrates under Zn(OH)2–chiral aminophenol catalysis. This process affords the corresponding homoallylic amines with 91–96 % ee. The products could be transformed into N‐hydroxy‐γ‐lactam or 1,2‐oxazinan‐6‐one, through an acidic or a protection‐acidic treatment sequence, respectively, almost without enantiopurity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depth information is important for postural stability and is generated by two visual systems: binocular and motion parallax. The effect of each type of parallax on postural stability remains unclear. We investigated the effects of binocular and motion parallax loss on static postural stability using a virtual reality (VR) system with a head-mounted display (HMD). A total of 24 healthy young adults were asked to stand still on a foam surface fixed on a force plate. They wore an HMD and faced a visual background in the VR system under four visual test conditions: normal vision (Control), absence of motion parallax (Non-MP)/binocular parallax (Non-BP), and absence of both motion and binocular parallax (Non-P). The sway area and velocity in the anteroposterior and mediolateral directions of the center-of-pressure displacements were measured. All postural stability measurements were significantly higher under the Non-MP and Non-P conditions than those under the Control and Non-BP conditions, with no significant differences in the postural stability measurements between the Control and Non-BP conditions. In conclusion, motion parallax has a more prominent effect on static postural stability than binocular parallax, which clarifies the underlying mechanisms of postural instability and informs the development of rehabilitation methods for people with visual impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the performance of dual spin valve heads in the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) geometry on dynamic electrical tests (DET) and quasi-static tests (QST). Shielded CPP reader and stitched pole writer composite heads were fabricated. A various physical read track width and area of the dual spin valve element were deliberately obtained in the range of 41-175 nm and 0.0034-0.022/[micro][m.sup.2], respectively. Materials used for the CPP dual spin valve are [Co.sub.90][Fe.sub.10], [Ni.sub.80][Fe.sub.20], Cu, Ru, Ta, and [Pt.sub.50][Mn.sub.50], which are common in industrial current-in-plane (CIP) spin valves. The shape and smoothness of QST transfer curve, readback waveform, micro-track, and fun-track profiles of the narrow read track CPP heads are essentially just the same as those of CIP spin valve. A track-average-amplitude of 0.6 mV was obtained at the bias current density of element around 100 MA/[cm.sup.2] in the CPP head with the physical read track width of 47 nm. Overall reader resistance of the CPP heads at head gimbals assembly (HGA) level was in the range of 10-35 [ohm] and proved to be well appropriate. Index Terms--Current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) geometry, giant magnetoresistance, narrow track, spin valve head.

Background: People with Parkinson's disease (PD) often have backward displacement of their center of pressure (COP) during quiet standing and reduced stability limits, as compared to healthy controls. These kinetic characteristics may induce postural instability in people with PD. Objective: To investigate the short-term effects on COP displacements during quiet standing and forward leaning brought about by the post-incline leaning after-effects in people with PD. Methods: Twenty participants with PD were randomly divided into two groups (tilting and control groups). The tilting group was required to stand upright quietly on a tilting board angled to raise the front part of the feet. The control group was asked to voluntarily lean their bodies forward as far as possible. The total time of the intervention was 60 seconds for each group. The COP displacements during quiet standing and forward leaning were recorded before and after the intervention. Results: In the tilting group, the COP significantly shifted forward after the intervention compared to that before the intervention during quiet standing as well as forward stability limits; this did not happen in the control group. Conclusions: The post-incline leaning after-effects may induce the short-term effects of forward shifting of COP during quiet standing and expand the forward stability limits in people with PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about the developmental process of dynamic balance control comprised of upper arms and upper legs coordination and trunk and pelvis twist coordination is important to advance effective balance assessment for abnormal development. However, the mechanisms of these coordination and stability control during gait in childhood are unknown.This study examined the development of dynamic postural stability, upper arm and upper leg coordination, and trunk and pelvic twist coordination during gait, and investigated the potential mechanisms integrating the central nervous system with inter-limb coordination and trunk and pelvic twist coordination to control extrapolated center of the body mass (XCOM). This study included 77 healthy children aged 3–10 years and 15 young adults. The child cohort was divided into four groups by age: 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, and 9–10 years. Participants walked barefoot at a self-selected walking speed along an 8 m walkway. A three-dimensional motion capture system was used for calculating the XCOM, the spatial margin of stability (MoS), and phase coupling movements of the upper arms, upper legs, trunk, and pelvic segments. MoS in the mediolateral axis was significantly higher in the young adults than in all children groups. Contralateral coordination (ipsilateral upper arm and contralateral upper leg combination) gradually changed to an in-phase pattern with increasing age until age 9 years. Significant correlations of XCOMML with contralateral coordination and with trunk and pelvic twist coordination (trunk/pelvis coordination) were found. Significant correlations between contralateral coordination and trunk/pelvis coordination were observed only in the 5–6 years and at 7–8 years groups.Dynamic postural stability during gait was not fully mature at age 10. XCOM control is associated with the development of contralateral coordination and trunk and pelvic twist coordination. The closer to in-phase pattern of contralateral upper limb coordination improved the XCOM fluctuations. Conversely, the out-of-phase pattern (about 90 degrees) of the trunk/pelvis coordination increased theXCOM fluctuation. Additionally, a different control strategy was used among children 3–8 years of age and individuals over 9 years of age, which suggests that 3–4-year-old children showed a disorderly coordination strategy between limb swing and torso movement, and in children 5–8 years of age, limb swing depended on trunk/pelvis coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective training of the backward step response could be beneficial to improve postural stability and prevent falls. Unpredicted perturbation-based balance training (PBT), widely known as compensatory-step training, may enhance the fear of falling and the patterns of postural muscle co-contraction. Contrastingly, PBT with predictable direction or both direction and timing would suppress the fear and the co-contraction patterns during training, but the efficacy of predictable PBT for unpredictable perturbations is still unknown. Objective: To compare the adaptation effects of compensatory-step training with and without predictable perturbations on backward stepping against unpredictable perturbations. Methods: Thirty-three healthy young adults were randomly assigned to one of the following step training groups: Unpredicted, Predicted, and Self-initiated. In training sessions, participants were perturbed to induce a compensatory step with (Predicted group) or without (Unpredicted group) knowledge of the perturbation's direction or while knowing both the direction and timing of the perturbation (Self-initiated group). In test sessions (pre- and post-training), participants were instructed to recover their postural stability in response to an unpredicted perturbation. The margin of stability (MOS), center of mass (COM) shift, and step characteristics were measured during a backward step in both test and training sessions. Results: All three groups showed a significant increase in the step length and velocity in the post-training sessions compared to those in the pre-training sessions. Moreover, in the Unpredicted and Predicted groups, but not in the Self-initiated group, the MOS at step contact was significantly increased following the training session. In addition, the Self-initiated group showed a significant increase in COM shift at 50 ms after slip onset during training compared to the Unpredicted and Predicted groups. Conclusion: Unpredicted and predicted PBT improve step characteristics during backward stepping against unpredictable perturbations. Moreover, the unpredictable PBT and PBT with direction-predictable perturbations enhance the feedback postural control reflected as the postural stability at step contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with from Parkinson's disease (PD) and freezing of gait (FoG) have more frequent falls compared to those who do not freeze but there is no consensus on which, specific objective measures of postural instability are worse in freezers (PD + FoG) than non-freezers (PD-FoG).Research Question: Are functional limits of stability (fLoS) or postural sway during stance measured with wearable inertial sensors different between PD + FoG versus PD-FoG, as well as between PD versus healthy control subjects (HC)?Methods: Sixty-four PD subjects with FoG (MDS-UPDRS Part III: 45.9 ± 12.5) and 80 PD subjects without FoG (MDS-UPDRS Part III: 36.2 ± 10.9) were tested Off medication and compared with 79 HC. Balance was quantified with inertial sensors worn on the lumbar spine while performing the following balance tasks: 1) fLoS as defined by the maximum displacement in the forward and backward directions and 2) postural sway area while standing with eyes open on a firm and foam surface. An ANOVA, controlling for disease duration, compared postural control between groups.Results: PD + FoG had significantly smaller fLoS compared to PD-FoG (p =  0.004) and to healthy controls (p <  0.001). However, PD-FoG showed similar fLoS compared to healthy controls (p =  0.48). Both PD+FoG and PD-FoG showed larger postural sway on a foam surface compared to healthy controls (p =  0.001) but there was no significant difference in postural sway between PD+FoG and PD-FoG.Significance: People with PD and FoG showed task-specific, postural impairments with smaller fLoS compared to non-freezers, even when controlling for disease duration. However, individuals with PD with or without FoG had similar difficulties standing quietly on an unreliable surface compared to healthy controls. Wearable inertial sensors can reveal worse fLoS in freezers than non-freezers that may contribute to FoG and help explain their more frequent falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There is a lack of recommendations for selecting the most appropriate gait measures of Parkinson's disease (PD)-specific dual-task costs to use in clinical practice and research. Objective: We aimed to identify measures of dual-task costs of gait and turning that best discriminate performance in people with PD from healthy individuals. We also investigated the relationship between the most discriminative measures of dual-task costs of gait and turning with disease severity and disease duration. Methods: People with mild-to-moderate PD (n = 144) and age-matched healthy individuals (n = 79) wore 8 inertial sensors while walking under single and dual-task (reciting every other letter of the alphabet) conditions. Outcome measures included 26 objective measures within four gait domains (upper/lower body, turning and variability). The area under the curve (AUC) from the receiver-operator characteristic plot was calculated to compare discriminative ability of dual-task costs on gait across outcome measures. Results: PD-specific, dual-task interference was identified for arm range of motion, foot strike angle, turn velocity and turn duration. Arm range of motion (AUC = 0.73) and foot strike angle (AUC = 0.68) had the largest AUCs across dual-task costs measures and they were associated with disease severity and/or disease duration. In contrast, the most commonly used dual-task gait measure, gait speed, showed an AUC of only 0.54. Conclusion: Findings suggest that people with PD rely more than healthy individuals on executive-attentional resources to control arm swing, foot strike, and turning, but not gait speed. The dual-task costs of arm range of motion best discriminated people with PD from healthy individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to analyze single and dual spin valve films with PtMn/Co/Ru/Co synthetic ferrimagnetic pinned layer to improve the thermal stability and make the bias control easier for high sensitivity sensors with small stripe height or thin free layer. Experimental results indicated that the PtMn synthetic-ferri-pinned-type dual spin valve films supported a large unidirectional exchange field of 2000 Oe.

Augmented sensory biofeedback training is often used to improve postural control. Our previous study showed that continuous auditory biofeedback was more effective than continuous visual biofeedback to improve postural sway while standing. However, it has also been reported that both discrete visual and auditory biofeedback training, presented intermittently, improves bimanual task performance more than continuous visual biofeedback training. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relative effectiveness of discrete visual biofeedback versus discrete auditory biofeedback to improve postural control. Twenty-two healthy young adults were randomly assigned to either a visual or auditory biofeedback group. Participants were asked to shift their center of pressure (COP) by voluntary postural sway forward and backward in line with a hidden target, which moved in a sinusoidal manner and was displayed intermittently. Participants were asked to decrease the diameter of a visual circle (visual biofeedback) or the volume of a sound (auditory biofeedback) based on the distance between the COP and the target in the training session. The feedback and the target were given only when the target reached the inflection points of the sine curves. In addition, the perceptual magnitudes of visual and auditory biofeedback were equalized using Stevens' power law. Results showed that the mean and standard deviation of the distance between COP and the target were reduced int the test session, removing the augmented sensory biofeedback, in both biofeedback training groups. However, the temporal domain of the performance improved in the test session in the auditory biofeedback training group, but not in the visual biofeedback training group. In conclusion, discrete auditory biofeedback training was more effective for the motor learning of voluntarily postural swaying compared to discrete visual biofeedback training, especially in the temporal domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Balance deficits in people with Parkinson's disease (PD) are often not helped by pharmacological or surgical treatment. Although balance exercise intervention has been shown to improve clinical measures of balance, the efficacy of exercise on different, objective balance domains is still unknown. Objective: To compare the sensitivity to change in objective and clinical measures of several different domains of balance and gait following an Agility Boot Camp with Cognitive Challenges (ABC-C) intervention. Methods: In this cross-over, randomized design, 86 individuals with PD participated in 6-week (3×/week) ABC-C exercise classes and 6-week education classes, consisting of 3–6 individuals. Blinded examiners tested people in their practical off state. Objective outcome measures from wearable sensors quantified four domains of balance: sway in standing balance, anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) during step initiation, postural responses to the push-and-release test, and a 2-min natural speed walk with and without a cognitive task. Clinical outcome measures included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) Part III, the Mini Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), the Activities of Balance Confidence (ABC), and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39). The standardized response means (SRM) of the differences between before and after each intervention compared responsiveness of outcomes to intervention. A linear mixed model compared effects of exercise with the active control—education intervention. Results: The most responsive outcome measures to exercise intervention with an SRM > 0.5 were objective measures of gait and APAs, specifically arm range of motion, gait speed during a dual-task walk, trunk coronal range of motion, foot strike angle, and first-step length at step initiation. The most responsive clinical outcome measure was the patient-reported PDQ-39 activities daily living subscore, but all clinical measures had SRMs <0.5. Conclusions: The objective measures were more sensitive to change after exercise intervention compared to the clinical measures. Spatiotemporal parameters of gait, including gait speed with a dual task, and APAs were the most sensitive objective measures, and perceived functional independence was the most sensitive clinical measure to change after the ABC-C exercise intervention. Future exercise intervention to improve gait and balance in PD should include objective outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although orthodontic treatment is common, orthodontic force often induced pain. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been investigated to improve therapeutic comfort. In dentistry, LLLT is mainly applied using two types of lasers, CO2 and diode lasers, whose biological actions are thought to be associated with wavelength (CO2: 10,600 nm; diode: 808 nm). The analgesic effect of LLLT on orthodontic treatment-related pain is widely reported but inconsistent. This study aimed to (1) determine whether irradiation with a CO2 or diode laser attenuates orthodontic treatment-related pain using the jaw-opening reflex model, (2) elucidate the optimal irradiation protocol for both lasers to obtain the maximal analgesic effect, (3) evaluate the effects of laser irradiation on other biological features [e.g., tooth movement, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, and temperature alterations] and (4) investigate the mechanism underlying the analgesic effect of laser irradiation. In this animal model, orthodontic treatment-induced pain manifested as a significantly reduced the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex on the orthodontically treated side compared with the contralateral side. GFAP expression in the bilateral trigeminal ganglia (TGs) was significantly increased by the application of orthodontic force. CO2 laser irradiation of the orthodontically treated region significantly increased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex and the peripheral temperature. Similar reductions in jaw-opening reflex excitability were induced by surface anesthesia and thermal stimulation but not, the diode laser. Neither CO2 nor diode laser irradiation altered GFAP expression in the TGs. Infiltration anesthesia also significantly increased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex on each anesthetized side. Irradiation (30 s) by either laser immediately after orthodontic force application (preirradiation) significantly decreased jaw-opening reflex excitability and GFAP expression in the bilateral TGs the next day. However, thermal stimulation immediately after orthodontic force application failed to alter jaw-opening reflex excitability the next day. Laser irradiation did not alter tooth movement; however, an optimized irradiation protocol for aiding tooth movement is suggested. In conclusion, both CO2 and diode lasers are able to prevent orthodontic treatment-related pain. Furthermore, the involvement of temperature alterations and surface anesthesia in the analgesic effect induced by CO2 laser irradiation is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study of the magnetoresistance (MR) ratio and the exchange biasing properties of the Iran-based [Co.sub.(100-x)][Fe.sub.x] nano-oxide layer specular spin-valve (SPSV) were performed in order to confirm the structural and magnetic properties of the [Co.sub.(100-x)][Fe.sub.x] nano-oxide layer with a higher Fe content. Increase of the iron content led to the enhancement of both the MR ratio and the exchange bias field of the nano-oxide layer.

For the structural characterization of a Co100-xFex nano-oxide layer (NOL), the exchange bias properties of the Co100-xFex-natural oxidized NOL in the specular spin-valve (SPSV) system were investigated. The exchange bias energy (Jex) increased monotonically with the increasing Fe content for the Co100-xFex-NOL. The enhancement of both the magnetoresistance ratio and the exchange bias field (Hex) was realized by increasing the Fe content in the Co100-xFex-NOL. It should be mentioned that Hex more than 800 Oe is obtained by the insertion of Co30Fe70-NOL, even in NOL-SPSV, which is a remarkably higher pinning field than that ever reported on IrMn-SV. This high exchange bias field is considered to be realized by the formation of an Fe-rich fcc phase at the interface of IrMn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin valve films with a laminated antiparallel Co/NiFe/Ru/NiFe synthetic ferrimagnet (SF) free layer combined with PtMn/Co/Ru/Co SF pinned layers were demonstrated to maintain large magnetoresistance ratio of ∼8.0% even below ∼10 Å of effective thickness of the Co/NiFe/Ru/NiFe SF free layers, defined as the thickness difference of the two ferromagnetic layers antiferromagnetically coupled through Ru. Spin flopping field Hsf and saturation field Hs of the Co/NiFe/Ru (8 Å)/NiFe SF free layers slightly increased after annealing at 250 °C for 4 h, and then the Hsf of the Co (3 Å)/NiFe(30 Å)/Ru(8 Å)/NiFe(20 Å) SF free layer after annealing remained 600 Oe, even at 200 °C. Further, antiferromagnetic coupling interlayer materials and their thickness dependence of Hsf and Hs were investigated in the Co(3 Å)/NiFe(40 Å)/X/NiFe(25 Å), X=Ru, Cr, Ir, and Rh, sandwich stacks. The oscillatory antiferromagnetic exchange coupling was clearly observed, and the large Hsf and Hs exceeding 2000 Oe and 7 kOe, respectively, were obtained both at Ir 3.8 Å and Rh 6.1 Å, which corresponded to the oscillatory first peak in the Co/NiFe/Ir/NiFe and Co/NiFe/Rh/NiFe sandwiches. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Augmented sensory biofeedback (BF) for postural control is widely used to improve postural stability. However, the effective sensory information in BF systems of motor learning for postural control is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the learning effects of visual versus auditory BF training in dynamic postural control. Eighteen healthy young adults were randomly divided into two groups (visual BF and auditory BF). In test sessions, participants were asked to bring the real-time center of pressure (COP) in line with a hidden target by body sway in the sagittal plane. The target moved in seven cycles of sine curves at 0.23Hz in the vertical direction on a monitor. In training sessions, the visual and auditory BF groups were required to change the magnitude of a visual circle and a sound, respectively, according to the distance between the COP and target in order to reach the target. The perceptual magnitudes of visual and auditory BF were equalized according to Stevens' power law. At the retention test, the auditory but not visual BF group demonstrated decreased postural performance errors in both the spatial and temporal parameters under the no-feedback condition. These findings suggest that visual BF increases the dependence on visual information to control postural performance, while auditory BF may enhance the integration of the proprioceptive sensory system, which contributes to motor learning without BF. These results suggest that auditory BF training improves motor learning of dynamic postural control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study which examined the structural and soft magnetic properties of iron/iron-hafnium-carbon multilayered films prepared by annealing sputter-deposited iron/amorphous-iron-hafnium-carbon multilayers. Experiment; Description of the multilayered films; Discussion of the annealing temperature dependence of μ.

ABSTRACT.The purpose of this study was to clarify the age-related effects of distances from the center of pressure (COP) to the center of mass (COM) (COP-COM distances) during one-leg standing (OLS) task. Healthy old and young adults (n= 11 each) participated in this study. The authors divided the task into 3 phases (accelerated, decelerated, and steady) based on the relationship between COM and COP. COP-COM distances in the older group were significantly reduced during the accelerated phase, then significantly increased during the decelerated and steady phases. Furthermore, distances during these phases correlated inversely with OLS time. The authors conclude that OLS time is shortened by the larger braking response to COM shifts just after leg-lifting, and the production of larger inertial forces to maintain COM position during the OLS in older individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Individuals with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate an impaired ability to infer the mental states of others from their gaze. Thus, investigating the relationship between ASD and eye gaze processing is crucial for understanding the neural basis of social impairments seen in individuals with ASD. In addition, characteristics of ASD are observed in more comprehensive visual perception tasks. These visual characteristics of ASD have been well-explained in terms of the atypical relationship between high- and low-level gaze processing in ASD. Method: We studied neural activity during gaze processing in individuals with ASD using magnetoencephalography, with a focus on the relationship between high- and low-level gaze processing both temporally and spatially. Minimum Current Estimate analysis was applied to perform source analysis of magnetic responses to gaze stimuli. Results: The source analysis showed that later activity in the primary visual area (V1) was affected by gaze direction only in the ASD group. Conversely, the right posterior superior temporal sulcus, which is a brain region that processes gaze as a social signal, in the typically developed group showed a tendency toward greater activation during direct compared with averted gaze processing. Conclusion: These results suggest that later activity in V1 relating to gaze processing is altered or possibly enhanced in high-functioning individuals with ASD, which may underpin the social cognitive impairments in these individuals. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Brain activity related to gaze processing was examined with magnetoencephalography. [•] Association between gaze-related activity and autistic traits was investigated. [•] Right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) activity was sensitive to gaze. [•] Activity in the medial prefrontal regions was sensitive to gaze. [•] Activity in the right pSTS for direct gaze correlated with AQ score. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aimed to determine the most sensitive objective measures of balance dysfunction that differ between people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) and healthy controls. One-hundred and forty-four people with PD and 79 age-matched healthy controls wore eight inertial sensors while performing tasks to measure five domains of balance: standing posture (Sway), anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs), automatic postural responses (APRs), dynamic posture (Gait) and limits of stability (LOS). To reduce the initial 93 measures, we selected uncorrelated measures that were most sensitive to PD. After applying a threshold on the Standardized Mean Difference between PD and healthy controls, 44 measures remained; and after reducing highly correlated measures, 24 measures remained. The four most sensitive measures were from APAs and Gait domains. The random forest with 10-fold cross-validation on the remaining measures (n = 24) showed an accuracy to separate PD from healthy controls of 82.4%—identical to result for all measures. Measures from the most sensitive domains, APAs and Gait, were significantly correlated with the severity of disease and with patient-related outcomes. This method greatly reduced the objective measures of balance to the most sensitive for PD, while still capturing four of the five domains of balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Integration of visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensations contributes to postural control. People with peripheral visual field loss have serious postural instability. However, the directional specificity of postural stability and sensory reweighting caused by gradual peripheral visual field loss remain unclear.Research Question: What are the effects of peripheral visual field loss on static postural control?Methods: Fifteen healthy young adults participated in this study. The participants were asked to stand quietly on a foam surface. Three conditions of virtual visual field loss (90°, 45°, and 15°) were provided by a head-mounted display, and ground reaction forces were collected using a force plate to calculate the displacements of the center of pressure (COP).Results: The root mean square (RMS), mean velocity, and 95% ellipse area of COP displacements in the horizontal plane increased, and RMS in the anteroposterior (AP) direction was unchanged under the smallest visual field condition compared to the largest one. The power spectrum density of COP displacements in the low-frequency band was decreased and that in the medium-frequency band was increased in the AP direction.Significance: During quiet standing of young healthy adults with peripheral visual field loss, increased peripheral visual field loss resulted in lower postural stability. Postural stability in the AP direction was maintained contrary to the functional sensitivity hypothesis. Peripheral visual field loss reduced the weighting of the visual input and increased that of the vestibular input in the AP direction to maintain equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The fear of falling (FoF) usually increases in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD); however, it can decrease despite repeated falls for unknown reasons. This phenomenon is similar to the findings that the patients with PD show lower emotional responses in the decision-making during the Iowa gambling task (IGT) than of those without PD. The decision-making during the IGT is reportedly correlated with interoceptive accuracy. This phenomenon could be associated with decreased physiological reaction and interoception deficiency. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with decreased FoF in patients with PD who fell repeatedly., Methods: We recorded the skin conductance responses (SCR) during the task delivered by a virtual reality system and heartbeat perception task (HPT) as an interoceptive measure. We measured emotional self-awareness using visual analog scale (VAS) scores. We recruited 28 non-demented patients with PD and 24 age-matched Non-clinical population (NC) group. All patients with PD were grouped by FoF scale score and number of falls within the previous year into repeated falls without FoF, repeated falls with FoF, and no falls groups., Results: The SCR during all accident videos experienced by themselves were significantly lower in the repeated falls without FoF group than in the NC group (p < 0.01). The HPT was significantly lower in the repeated falls without FoF group than in the NC group (p = 0.007)., Conclusion: The repeated falls without FoF group did not recognize recurrent falls as being problematic, possibly associated with decreased physiological reactions and interoception deficiency., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: This study aimed to examine differences in factors influencing quality of life (QOL) in people with extratemporal lobe epilepsy (ETLE) and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE)., Methods: We obtained data from the medical records of 84 (47 ETLE and 37 MTLE) people with epilepsy. The data included age, sex, employment, seizure frequency, number of antiseizure medication (ASM), Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy (NDDI-E) score, and Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory-31 (QOLIE-31) score. Multiple regression analyses were performed using QOLIE-31 as the dependent variable and age, sex, employment, seizure frequency, number of ASM, and NDDI-E score as the independent variables in ETLE or MTLE., Results: From the results of the multiple regression analyses, QOLIE-31 in ETLE was associated with NDDI-E ( β  = -0.757, p  < 0.001) and employment ( β  = 0.388, p  = 0.008). Meanwhile, QOLIE-31 in MTLE was associated with NDDI-E ( β  = -0.625, p  < 0.001), employment ( β  = 0.396, p  = 0.041), and number of ASMs ( β  = -0.399, p  = 0.018)., Conclusion: Overall, our findings indicate that the number of ASMs is potentially an influence on QOL of MTLE but similar effect is not observed in ETLE., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Annaka, Nomura and Hasegawa.)

Objective: This study was performed to clarify the utility of the Trail Making Test (TMT) in evaluating the effects of the course of epilepsy on cognitive function by evaluating the course of epileptic seizures and the results of the TMT over time., Methods: We performed the TMT twice at a 1-year interval for each patient with focal epilepsy. We performed multiple regression analyses with the first TMT scores as dependent variables and clinical features as independent variables. Next, we performed a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to evaluate the difference between the first and second TMT scores for patients in each seizure prognosis group., Results: We enrolled 132 adult patients in this study. Multiple regression analyses showed that longer active seizure periods were associated with worse first TMT-B performance (β = .318, p < .001) and B-A (β = .377, p < .001) and that the number of antiseizure medicines was associated with worse first TMT-A performance (β = .186, p = .025). In addition, topiramate and zonisamide adversely affected TMT performance. MANCOVA showed an interaction between the prognosis of TMT-B performance and the seizure prognosis [F(2, 120) = 3.68, p = .028]. Subeffect tests revealed that the second TMT-B performance improved only in the seizure improvement group [F(1, 10) = 10.07, p = .01]., Significance: Epileptic seizures were shown to be associated with both long-term and dynamic adverse effects on cognitive function evaluated with the TMT in adult patients with focal epilepsy. Seizure control is important for improving the cognitive function of patients with epilepsy; however, the potential adverse effects of polypharmacy and some antiseizure medicines such as zonisamide and topiramate on cognitive function should be considered., (© 2023 International League Against Epilepsy.)

Patients with epilepsy often show treatment-related psychiatric symptoms. Among the novel antiseizure medications (ASM), Perampanel (PER), Levetiracetam (LEV), and Topiramate (TPM) have been reported to have a relatively high frequency of psychiatric adverse events. However, these psychiatric symptoms are not identical; PER and LEV show adverse events of irritability and aggression, while TPM shows typical symptoms of depression and schizophrenia. It is important to understand the characteristics of these psychiatric adverse events to design appropriate treatment regimens for epileptic patients. (Received August 1, 2022; Accepted December 24, 2022; Published April 1, 2023).

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). This study examined the effect of specific inhibition of α5 subunit-containing GABA A receptors (α5GABA A R) on the behavioral profile and neuronal activity of the CNS using a compound called L-655,708, which is a selective negative allosteric modulator of α5GABA A R. L-655,708 administration significantly increased locomotor activity without anxiety-related behavior. Furthermore, L-655,708 administration significantly increased c-Fos mRNA expression (a neuronal activity marker) in motor area of the cerebral cortex, whereas it hardly altered c-Fos mRNA expression in the sensory cortex, hippocampus, and spinal cord. This study revealed for the first time that alteration of neuronal activity with specific inhibition of α5GABA A R differs depending on each CNS region. α5GABA A R could be a potential target for modulating CNS excitability and behavioral activity.

Although orthodontic treatment is common, orthodontic force often induced pain. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been investigated to improve therapeutic comfort. In dentistry, LLLT is mainly applied using two types of lasers, CO 2 and diode lasers, whose biological actions are thought to be associated with wavelength (CO 2 : 10,600 nm; diode: 808 nm). The analgesic effect of LLLT on orthodontic treatment-related pain is widely reported but inconsistent. This study aimed to (1) determine whether irradiation with a CO 2 or diode laser attenuates orthodontic treatment-related pain using the jaw-opening reflex model, (2) elucidate the optimal irradiation protocol for both lasers to obtain the maximal analgesic effect, (3) evaluate the effects of laser irradiation on other biological features [e.g., tooth movement, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression, and temperature alterations] and (4) investigate the mechanism underlying the analgesic effect of laser irradiation. In this animal model, orthodontic treatment-induced pain manifested as a significantly reduced the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex on the orthodontically treated side compared with the contralateral side. GFAP expression in the bilateral trigeminal ganglia (TGs) was significantly increased by the application of orthodontic force. CO 2 laser irradiation of the orthodontically treated region significantly increased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex and the peripheral temperature. Similar reductions in jaw-opening reflex excitability were induced by surface anesthesia and thermal stimulation but not, the diode laser. Neither CO 2 nor diode laser irradiation altered GFAP expression in the TGs. Infiltration anesthesia also significantly increased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex on each anesthetized side. Irradiation (30 s) by either laser immediately after orthodontic force application (preirradiation) significantly decreased jaw-opening reflex excitability and GFAP expression in the bilateral TGs the next day. However, thermal stimulation immediately after orthodontic force application failed to alter jaw-opening reflex excitability the next day. Laser irradiation did not alter tooth movement; however, an optimized irradiation protocol for aiding tooth movement is suggested. In conclusion, both CO 2 and diode lasers are able to prevent orthodontic treatment-related pain. Furthermore, the involvement of temperature alterations and surface anesthesia in the analgesic effect induced by CO 2 laser irradiation is suggested., (Copyright © 2020 Tsuchiya, Hasegawa, Yugawa, Sasaki, Suda and Adachi.)

The impairment of orofacial motor function during orthodontic treatment needs to be addressed, because most orthodontic patients experience pain and motor excitability would be affected by pain. In the present study, the temporal alteration of the jaw-opening reflex excitability was investigated to determine if orthodontic treatment affects orofacial motor function. The excitability of jaw-opening reflex evoked by electrical stimulation on the gingiva and recorded bilaterally in the anterior digastric muscles was evaluated at 1 (D1), 3 (D3), and 7 days (D7) after orthodontic force application to the teeth of right side; morphological features (e.g., osteoclast genesis and tooth movement) were also evaluated. To clarify the underlying mechanism of orthodontic treatment-induced alteration of orofacial motor excitability, analgesics were administrated for 1 day. At D1 and D3, orthodontic treatment significantly decreased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex but significantly increased the threshold at D7. Other parameters of the jaw-opening reflex were also evaluated (e.g., latency, duration and area under the curve of anterior digastric muscles activity), and only the latency of the D1 group was significantly different from that of the other groups. Temporal alteration of the jaw-opening reflex excitability was significantly correlated with changes in morphological features. Aspirin (300 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) significantly increased the threshold for inducing the jaw-opening reflex, whereas a lower dose (75-150 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) of aspirin or acetaminophen (300 mg·kg -1 ·day -1 ) failed to alter the jaw-opening reflex excitability. These results suggest that an increase of the jaw-opening reflex excitability can be induced acutely by orthodontic treatment, possibly through the cyclooxygenase activation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY It is well known that motor function is affected by pain, but the effect of orthodontic treatment-related pain on the trigeminal motor excitability has not been fully understood. We found that, during orthodontic treatment, trigeminal motor excitability is acutely increased and then decreased in a week. Because alteration of trigeminal motor function can be evaluated quantitatively by jaw-opening reflex excitability, the present animal model may be useful to search for alternative approaches to attenuate orthodontic pain., (Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.)

Background: The benefit of visual feedback of the center of pressure (COP) on quiet standing is still debatable. This study aimed to investigate the adaptation effects of visual feedback training using both the COP and center of gravity (COG) during quiet standing., Methods: Thirty-four healthy young adults were divided into three groups randomly (COP + COG, COP, and control groups). A force plate was used to calculate the coordinates of the COP in the anteroposterior (COP AP ) and mediolateral (COP ML ) directions. A motion analysis system was used to calculate the coordinates of the center of mass (COM) in both directions (COM AP and COM ML ). The coordinates of the COG in the AP direction (COG AP ) were obtained from the force plate signals. Augmented visual feedback was presented on a screen in the form of fluctuation circles in the vertical direction that moved upward as the COP AP and/or COG AP moved forward and vice versa. The COP + COG group received the real-time COP AP and COG AP feedback simultaneously, whereas the COP group received the real-time COP AP feedback only. The control group received no visual feedback. In the training session, the COP + COG group was required to maintain an even distance between the COP AP and COG AP and reduce the COG AP fluctuation, whereas the COP group was required to reduce the COP AP fluctuation while standing on a foam pad. In test sessions, participants were instructed to keep their standing posture as quiet as possible on the foam pad before (pre-session) and after (post-session) the training sessions., Results: In the post-session, the velocity and root mean square of COM AP in the COP + COG group were lower than those in the control group. In addition, the absolute value of the sum of the COP - COM distances in the COP + COG group was lower than that in the COP group. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between the COM AP velocity and COP - COM parameters., Conclusions: The results suggest that the novel visual feedback training that incorporates the COP AP -COG AP interaction reduces postural sway better than the training using the COP AP alone during quiet standing. That is, even COP AP fluctuation around the COG AP would be effective in reducing the COM AP velocity.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation with practice of postural control while standing on a rocker board. Thirteen healthy young adults participated. The participants were asked to stand in a sagittal plane on a rocker board with a semicircular base as steadily as possible for as long as they could. With practice, the duration of maintaining postural balance increased significantly and postural stability improved (P<0.05). Furthermore, the distances between center of pressure and the projection of center of mass decreased (P<0.05), although joint motion of the lower extremities did not change (P>0.05). This observation would be the consequence of a highly redundant human locomotor system. With practice, the central nervous system was able to shift the center of pressure position close to the accurate center of mass position.