Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology Commons^™

The Relationship Of Spasticity And Impairments In Force Regulation And Neuromuscular Fatigue Post Stroke, Reivian Berrios Barillas

Dissertations (1934 -)

Hyperreflexia that causes muscle spasticity may contribute to limitations in force regulation and walking ability post stroke. Additionally, neuromuscular fatigue may reduce force regulation, which is important because fatigue can assist to strengthen muscles that control walking. Hyperreflexia may be caused by cortical disinhibition that allows Ia afferents to amplify excitatory synaptic inputs to motoneuron pools. Cortical disinhibition is presumably caused by stroke-related motor cortex damage. Although, other excitatory synaptic sources to motoneurons contribute to motor control, hyperreflexia may be one contributor that affects stroke survivors. However, hyperreflexia is reported infrequently to effect force regulation post stroke. The goal was …

An Overview Of Leber’S Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Matthew R. Dalton

The Kabod

Typically affecting males ranging from 20 to 24 years of age, Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a disorder that is characterized by an acute loss of central vision. Although a heritable disease, LHON does not follow the patterns of classical Mendelian genetics. In fact, one of the most striking characteristics of LHON is that the disease is virtually always inherited maternally. Unlike most genetic disorders that result from a mutation in genomic DNA, LHON is caused by a mutation in the genetic information of mitochondria (mtDNA). Currently there is no treatment for LHON. Despite this, pharmaceutical interventions and contemporary …

Viewing The Extracellular Matrix: An Imaging Method For Tissue Engineering, Michael Drakopoulos, Sarah Calve

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The field of regenerative medicine seeks to create replacement tissues and organs, both to repair deficiencies in biological function and to treat structural damage caused by injury. Scaffoldings mimicking extracellular matrix (ECM), the structure to which cells attach to form tissues, have been developed from synthetic polymers and also been prepared by decellularizing adult tissue. However, the structure of ECM undergoes significant remodeling during natural tissue repair, suggesting that ECM-replacement constructs that mirror developing tissues may promote better regeneration than those modeled on adult tissues. This work investigated the effectiveness of a method of viewing the extracellular matrix of developing …

Effects Of Pelvis Impact Angle And Hip Muscle Forces On Hip Fracture Risk During A Fall Using An Advanced Hip Impact Simulator, Woochol J. Choi, Stephen N. Robinovitch

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

"Over 90% of hip fractures in older adults are caused by falls [1]. Whether a given fall will cause hip fracture depends on bone strength, and on the impact force and stress applied to the bone during impact [2]. Improved understanding is required on how peak bone stresses during a fall depend on the mechanics of a fall, and on the state of contraction at the moment of impact of the muscles spanning the hip. Recently, Choi et al showed that, for lateral impact to the hip, peak stresses decrease with increases in hip abductor muscle force [3]. In the …

Influence Of Pelvis Impact Angle During A Fall: On The Protective Benefit Of Hip Protectors, Woochol J. Choi, Stephen N. Robinovitch

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

"Over 90% of hip fractures are due to falls [1]. Laboratory measures have shown that wearable hip protectors reduce impact forces to the proximal femur during a simulated sideways fall on the hip [2, 3]. However, clinical evidence suggests that hip fractures still occur when hip protectors are worn [4]. Furthermore, while falls in real life result in a variety of impact configurations, biomechanical tests to date have focused only on lateral impact to the pelvis. In the current study, we examined how the force reduction provided by wearable hip protectors is affected by pelvis impact configuration during simulated sideways …

Research And Design Of Supportive Exoskeletal Aides For The Physically Challengedan Initial Investigation Into The Fundamentals And Rudiments Of Building A Full Body Exoskeletonmark, Mark Jacobs

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The purpose of this study is to provide methodology for designing exoskeletal prostheses targeted to specific pathologies associated with: Cerebral Palsy; Limb Deficiency; Spinal Pathologies; and Functional Limb Pathologies This study will extend to whole body exoskeletal structures. The project will be performed in conjunction with Shriner’s Hospital for Children in Springfield, Massachusetts; M.I.T. Bio-prosthetic Group; and finally, Massachusetts General Hospital Orthopedics Group. Further work will be done designing the necessary components for the project in Solidworks utilizing a 3D mannequin. The parts will then be fabricated using a CNC machine, first making them from foam insulation, then from wood …

The Cognitive Effects Of Chronic Malnutrition And Environment On Working Memory And Executive Function In Children, Kristiana E. Morgan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Chronic malnutrition, or stunting, occurs frequently in many developing countries such as Uganda. Stunting hinders physical growth and has been associated with delayed cognitive development, especially in young children. This study examined the effect of stunted growth on the function of cognitive processes involving the working memory and executive functions using neuropsychological assessments. Additionally, this study compared cognitive performances among rural and urban populations to analyze the environmental background differences which may affect cognition.

Population samples of fifteen five year old children classified as rural adequately nourished, rural stunted and urban adequately nourished were examined. Tests for working memory and …

Research Brief: "Disparities In The Consequences Of Sarcopenia: Implications For African American Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief shows why more research should be done on African American veterans who have sarcopenia. In policy and practice, African American veterans should tell their healthcare providers about their geriatric medical needs, and health professionals should inform their veteran patients about how to avoid muscle wasting that can lead to sarcopenia; the VA should provide criteria for diagnosing sarcopenia among aging veterans. Suggestions for future research include analysis of the relation between myosteatosis and diabetes, as well as focusing on understanding the effects of sarcopenia on African American veterans.

Transcriptional Pathways Associated With Skeletal Muscle Changes After Spinal Cord Injury And Treadmill Locomotor Training., Celine Baligand, Yi-Wen Chen, Fan Ye, Sachchida Nand Pandey, San-Huei Lai, Min Liu, Krista Vandenborne

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

The genetic and molecular events associated with changes in muscle mass and function after SCI and after the implementation of candidate therapeutic approaches are still not completely known. The overall objective of this study was to identify key molecular pathways activated with muscle remodeling after SCI and locomotor training. We implemented treadmill training in a well-characterized rat model of moderate SCI and performed genome wide expression profiling on soleus muscles at multiple time points: 3, 8, and 14 days after SCI. We found that the activity of the protein ubiquitination and mitochondrial function related pathways was altered with SCI and …

Risk Factors Of Myopic Shift Among Primary School Children In Beijing, China: A Prospective Study, L.-J. Wu, Y.-X. Yang, Q.-S. You, J.-L. Duan, Y.-X. Luo, L.-J. Liu, X. Li, Q. Gao, H.-P. Zhu, Y. He, L. Xu, M.-S. Song, J.B. Jonas, X.-H. Guo, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To evaluate factors associated with myopic shift among primary school children. Methods: In a one-year prospective school-based study, 5052 children from ten schools were enrolled using a multi-stage random cluster approach. The baseline examination included non-cycloplegic auto-refractometry and questionnaire interview. Measurements were repeated at the follow-up. Results: Among 5052 students at baseline investigated, 4292 students (85.0%) returned for the follow-up examination. The mean refractive error (-1.13±1.57 diopters) had changed -0.52±0.73 diopters from the baseline to the follow-up examination. 2170 (51.0%) had a rate of significant myopic shift (significant myopic shift is defined as the change of spherical equivalent of …

Tumor-Derived Proteins And Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Lung Cancer-Induced Cachexia, Julie B. Mclean

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Lung tumors secrete multiple factors that contribute to cachexia, a severe wasting syndrome that includes loss of muscle mass, weakness, and fatigue. 80% of advanced lung cancer patients experience cachexia, which cannot be reversed by nutritional interventions, diminishes response to and tolerance of cancer treatments, and increases morbidity and mortality. Despite a multitude of clinical trials, there are currently no approved treatments. This deficiency suggests that not all of the factors that contribute to cachexia have been identified.

Cancer is frequently accompanied by an increase in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a hallmark of inflammation. Clinical trials for COX-2 inhibitors have resulted in …

The Skeletal Muscle Molecular Clock Regulates The Timing Of Substrate Metabolism And The Circadian Expression Of Titin-Cap, Brian A. Hodge

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Skeletal muscle is a major contributor to whole-body metabolism as it serves as a depot for both glucose and amino acids, and is a highly metabolically active tissue. An intrinsic molecular clock mechanism exists within skeletal muscle that regulates the timing of physiological processes. A key function of the clock is to regulate the timing of metabolic processes to anticipate time of day changes in environmental conditions. The purpose of this study was to identify metabolic genes that are expressed in a circadian manner and determine if these genes are regulated downstream of the intrinsic molecular clock by assaying gene …

History Of Concussion And Current Functional Movement Screen Scores In A Collegiate Recreational Population, Jordan M. Dorrien

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: 1.6-3.8 million concussions occur annually related to sport.¹ Although neurometabolic alterations in the brain last 7-10 days following a concussion, an increased Cortical Silent Period (CSP) has been found to persist after 19 months.^2,3 Further, movement impairments have been noted years after injury.⁴ The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) assesses mobility and stability in the body.⁵ The purpose of this study was to assess if FMS scores correlate to history of a concussion in healthy college club sport participants. Methods: Health history and FMS score were collected on 55 participants (38 male, …

Role Of 5'Tg3'-Interacting Factors (Tgifs) In Vorinostat (Hdac Inhibitor)-Mediated Corneal Fibrosis Inhibition, Ajay Sharma, Nishant R. Sinha, Saad Siddiqui, Rajiv R. Mohan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: We have previously reported that vorinostat, an FDA-approved, clinically used histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, attenuates corneal fibrosis in vivo in rabbits by blocking transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). The 5′TG3′-interacting factors (TGIFs) are transcriptional repressors of TGFβ1 signaling via the Smad pathway. The present study was designed to explore the expression of TGIFs in human corneal fibroblasts and to investigate their role in mediating the antifibrotic effect of vorinostat.

Methods: Human corneal fibroblast cultures were generated from donor corneas. RNA isolation, cDNA preparation, and PCR were performed to detect the presence of TGIF1 and TGIF2 transcripts. The cultures were …

Neural Function, Injury, And Stroke Subtype Predict Treatment Gains After Stroke, Erin Burke Quinlan, Lucy Dodakian, Jill See, Alison Mackenzie, Vu Le, Mike Wojnowicz, Babak Shahbaba, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Objective

This study was undertaken to better understand the high variability in response seen when treating human subjects with restorative therapies poststroke. Preclinical studies suggest that neural function, neural injury, and clinical status each influence treatment gains; therefore, the current study hypothesized that a multivariate approach incorporating these 3 measures would have the greatest predictive value.

Methods

Patients 3 to 6 months poststroke underwent a battery of assessments before receiving 3 weeks of standardized upper extremity robotic therapy. Candidate predictors included measures of brain injury (including to gray and white matter), neural function (cortical function and cortical connectivity), and clinical …