O efeito do sabor azedo e da temperatura fria no tempo de trânsito faríngeo da deglutição em indivíduos após acidente vascular encefálico hemisférico isquêmico

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pseudonegligência, dominância manual e habilidades motoras em alunos das artes em comparação com alunos de outros cursos

Uma linha de pesquisa freqüente sobre a lateralização cerebral em artistas tem investigado o comportamento daqueles que sofrem de diversos síndromes neuropatológicas, afetando o hemisfério esquerdo ou direito. Em contraste, Bertrand (2001), observando que alguns poucos estudos reportaram um aumento na prevalência de canhotismo e ambidestrismo entre artistas, indicou a necessidade para a realização de pesquisas sistemáticas sobre as características laterais em artistas normais. Na ausência de tais estudos, e devido à dificuldade de obter dados de artistas profissionais, este projeto foi planejado com o fim de investigar em detalhe, assimetrias laterais na dominância manual, habilidade motora e atenção visuoespacial em alunos das artes e os de outros cursos (o grupo de controle). Estes alunos foram recrutados do Departamento de Artes da Universidade Federal de Maranhão e de um centro público de arte em São Luis. A amostra foi composta de 50 alunos de controle (24 destros e 26 canhotos), e 51 alunos das artes (27 destros e 24 canhotos). Dados foram obtidos para dominância manual, ocular e podálica, e para o desempenho em duas medidas de proficiência motora: batidas digitais e o Teste de Pinos na Forma de Chaves (o Grooved Pegboard). Além disso, uma versão do Teste Visual de Bisecçionar Linhas (TVBL) foi aplicado com o objetivo de comparar o grau de pseudonegligência dentro e entre alunos das artes e os de controle. Procurou-se averiguar se em relação aos alunos de controle, aqueles das artes mostrariam um grau reduzido de assimetria intermanual na dominância manual e nas habilidades motoras, bem como um nível maior de exatidão no TVBL. No que tange a presença de tais diferenças na performance, nossas predições foram apoiadas. Os alunos das artes, em particular, os canhotos, foram menos consistentes e mais ambidestros do que os alunos dos outros cursos. Eles também exibiram um nível menor de desempenho entre as mãos nos dois testes motores. Além do mais, enquanto que o grau de pseudonegligência foi elevado nos alunos de controle, as respostas dos alunos das artes foram mais exatas, resultando em um nível reduzido de erro em torno do ponto zero verídico. Em concordância com pesquisas prévias com músicos, em geral, os alunos das artes apresentaram um nível de atenção visuoespacial mais equilibrado, e estas diferenças foram relacionadas às exigências cognitivas implícitas no treino nas artes visuais.

Padrões de dominância manual, podálica e performance motora em gêmeos

O método de gêmeos envolve a análise diferencial de gêmeos monozigóticos (MZs) e dizigóticos (DZs) a fim de determinar a proporção de variância em um determinado traço atribuível a fatores genéticos e ambientais. Sendo geneticamente idênticos, os gêmeos MZs tendem a apresentar alto índice de concordância em vários atributos comportamentais, enquanto que, os DZs, compartilham 50 % da carga genética, manifestando um reduzido grau de concordância. Todavia, pesquisadores têm investigado possíveis mecanismos genéticos subjacentes do desenvolvimento cerebral para dominância manual e, não têm encontrado utilidade no método de gêmeos, pois, desde 1924, em todos os estudos de dominância manual em gêmeos, a taxa de discordância para o canhotismo e destrimanismo têm sido similares em MZs e DZs. Além disso, frequentemente gêmeos mostram taxa mais alta de prevalência para o canhotismo que os não gêmeos. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar as possíveis diferenças entre gêmeos destros e canhotos (MZs e DZs combinados) e não gêmeos em variáveis fenótipicas específicas relacionadas à dominância manual, incluindo dominância podálica (chute de penalty), consistência de dominância manual, canhotismo familiar (CF+), postura manual e medidas de habilidades motoras em três testes : Batidas digitais, Tabuleiro de Annett e Pontilhar Pontinhos. Foram avaliados 286 gêmeos ( 255 destros, 34 canhotos) e, 251 não gêmeos (141 destros e 110 canhotos). A análise dos dados revelou o aumento de canhotismo no sexo masculino em três vezes mais do que no feminino. Além disto, destros e canhotos gêmeos foram mais mistos em suas dominâncias manuais e apontaram alta incidência de CF+ entre parentes de primeiro grau que não gêmeos canhotos e destros. Em concordância com estudos anteriores, a frequência de chute contralateral foi mais alta nos mistos do que nos que apresentaram consistência na dominância manual, especialmente entre os canhotos. No que diz respeito à habilidade manual, não foram encontradas diferenças significativas nos três testes de habilidade manual. Conforme as expectativas, destros e canhotos foram mais proficientes na manipulação do estímulo com suas mãos dominantes. Em todas as três medidas, em contraste com os destros, os canhotos (gêmeos e não gêmeos) apresentaram redução entre as assimetrias manuais. Por extensão, o aumento da prevalência de canhotismo entre gêmeos não poderia ser atribuída a influências patológicas, inversão de assimetria ou ordem de nascimento. É possível, levar em consideração, observando a diferença robusta em dominância manual mista que, o padrão de lateralização neuromotora, pode ser mais difusamente organizado nos hemisférios dos gêmeos que em não gêmeos, mas, esta sugestão requer evidência direta, pelo menos a partir de testes de neuro-imagem.

Comparacao das inclinacoes lateral e anteroposterior no equilibrio estatico entre jovens, adultos e idosos

INTRODUÇÃO:Com o aumento da população idosa, fica evidente a importância de compreender e explorar o processo de envelhecimento humano, o qual acarreta transformações morfológicas e funcionais.OBJETIVOS:Avaliar e comparar as inclinações anteroposterior e lateral do centro de gravidade por faixas etárias.MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal e exploratório. Fizeram parte da pesquisa 135 sujeitos, separados em faixas etárias: Grupo 1: 20-29 anos (n=26), Grupo 2: 30-39 anos (n=26), Grupo 3: 40-49 (n=25), Grupo 4: 50-59 anos (n=30) e Grupo 5: >60 anos (n=28). Esses sujeitos foram selecionados de acordo com o escore do Miniexame de Estado Mental e pela capacidade de permanecer em pé por, pelo menos, 90 segundos. As posturas foram avaliadas por meio do software de avaliação postural (SAPO). As comparações entre os valores de inclinações dados pelo SAPO foram feitas pelo teste de Mann-Whitney (comparação par-a-par), sendo aceito um valor de p<0,05 como significante.RESULTADOS:Na comparação da média da assimetria frontal entre as faixas etárias, observa-se maior lateralização com o avançar da idade, com valores significativos nos grupos 50-59 e >60 anos. Na comparação da média da assimetria sagital entre as faixas etárias, valores são significativos no grupo dos >60 anos.CONCLUSÕES:Após avaliar e comparar as assimetrias sagitais e frontais, pode-se apontar que na medida em que a idade avança, há tendência ao aumento de suas projeções anteriores e laterais comparadas ao centro de gravidade.

Mielografia lombar no diagnóstico de extrusão do disco intervertebral toracolombar em cães: estudo prospectivo

Thoracolumbar disk extrusion is the most common cause of extradural compression of the spinal cord in dogs. Myelography is one of the most commonly performed techniques for the diagnosis of this affection. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of lumbar myelography in the diagnosis of thoracolumbar intervertebral disk extrusion in dogs, as well as its major complications. Twenty dogs were used in this study. Animals were included when neurological examination suggested thoracolumbar spine lesion, myelography was used as a complementary diagnostic method, and diagnosis of disk extrusion was surgically confirmed. The accuracy of the exam to predict location and lateralization of extruded disk material were evaluated, as well as complications associated to the procedure. Lumbar myelography exhibited 95% and 60% accuracy for location and lateralization of the lesion, respectively, with minimal complications.

Especialização hemisférica e assimetrias comportamentais: o lado da cama tem gênero?

Data relative on the side occupied by females in double beds were collected in order to evaluate the feasebility to carryout a more extensive study to determine if this behavioral pattern is lateralized. Information relative to the side occupied in the bed, manual lateralization, how long lived togheter, and other related questions were collected in a sample of 229 women aged from 20 to 65 years old. Total frequencies of the bed side occupied showed to be equivalent, however, the left side showed to be chosen significantly more (70%)(χ2 = 5.4; 1 d.f.; p<0.05) when the choice was stated to be spontaneous (i.e, not determined by an impositive factor) . It is concluded that the obtained data give favourable support to an extensive study on the subject, which inserts into the area of research devoted to the understanding of the functional characteristics of central nervous functioning.

Onset of quadriceps and torque variation in individuals with patellofemoral pain during stair ascent

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Relação entre início da resposta faríngea e lateralização da lesão cerebral no acidente vascular encefálico

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Premotor and occipital theta asymmetries as discriminators of memory- and stimulus-guided tasks

The saccadic paradigm has been used to investigate specific cortical networks involving visuospatial attention. We examined whether asymmetry in theta and beta band differentiates the role of the hemispheres during the execution of two different prosacadic conditions: a fixed condition, where the stimulus was presented at the same location; and a random condition, where the stimulus was unpredictable. Twelve healthy volunteers (3 male; mean age: 26.25) performed the task while their brain activity pattern was recorded using quantitative electroencephalography. We did not find any significant difference for beta, slow- and fast-alpha frequencies for the pairs of electrodes analyzed. The results for theta band showed a superiority of the left hemisphere in the frontal region when responding to the random condition on the right, which is related to the planning and selection of responses, and also a greater activation of the right hemisphere during the random condition, in the occipital region, related to the identification and recognition of patterns. These results indicate that asymmetries in the premotor area and the occipital cortex differentiate memory- and stimulus-driven tasks. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OF INTERMANUAL PERFORMANCE ASYMMETRY IN AIMING

This study compared intermanual performance asymmetry between adults and children of different ages in timing components of an aiming task. Participants manipulated a computer mouse with either hand, aiming to rapidly reach targets of different widths with a pointer on a monitor. Results showed longer deceleration movements with the left hand in children, leading to increased intermanual performance asymmetry when aiming at narrower targets. Increased intermanual performance asymmetry in children is conceptualized to derive from planning to minimize trajectory variability when controlling the nondominant hand.

Memory in children with temporal lobe epilepsy is at least partially explained by executive dysfunction

An association between memory and executive dysfunction (ED) has been demonstrated in patients with mixed neurological disorders. We aimed to investigate the impact of ED in memory tasks of children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We evaluated 36 children with TLE and 28 controls with tests for memory, learning, attention, mental flexibility, and mental tracking. Data analysis was composed of comparison between patients and controls in memory and executive function; correlation between memory and executive function tests; and comparison between patients with mild and severe ED in memory tests. Children with TLE had worse performance in focused attention, immediate and delayed recall, phonological memory, mental tracking, planning, and abstraction. Planning, abstraction, and mental tracking were correlated with visual and verbal memory. Children with severe ED had worse performance in verbal and visual memory and learning tests. This study showed that ED was related to memory performance in children with TLE. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New insights into methodology and interpretation of osteoarthritis. The study of Frassetto identified skeletal collection.

Osteoarthritis (OA) or degenerative joint disease (DJD) is a pathology which affects the synovial joints and characterised by a focal loss of articular cartilage and subsequent bony reaction of the subcondral and marginal bone. Its etiology is best explained by a multifactorial model including: age, sex, genetic and systemic factors, other predisposing diseases and functional stress. In this study the results of the investigation of a modern identified skeletal collection will be presented. In particular, we will focus on the relationship between the presence of OA at various joints. The joint modifications have been analysed using a new methodology that allows the scoring of different degrees of expression of the features considered. Materials and Methods The sample examined comes from the Sassari identified skeletal collection (part of “Frassetto collections”). The individuals were born between 1828 and 1916 and died between 1918 and 1932. Information about sex and age is known for all the individuals. The occupation is known for 173 males and 125 females. Data concerning the occupation of the individuals indicate a preindustrial and rural society. OA has been diagnosed when eburnation (EB) or loss of morphology (LM) were present, or when at least two of the following: marginal lipping (ML), esostosis (EX) or erosion (ER), were present. For each articular surface affected a “mean score” was calculated, reflecting the “severity” of the alterations. A further “score” was calculated for each joint. In the analysis sexes and age classes were always kept separate. For the statistical analyses non parametric test were used. Results The results show there is an increase of OA with age in all the joints analyzed and in particular around 50 years and 60 years. The shoulder, the hip and the knee are the joints mainly affected with ageing while the ankle is the less affected; the correlation values confirm this result. The lesion which show the major correlation with age is the ML. In our sample males are more frequently and more severely affected by OA than females, particularly at the superior limbs, while hip and knee are similarly affected in the two sexes. Lateralization shows some positive results in particular in the right shoulder of males and in various articular surfaces especially of the superior limb of both males and females; articular surfaces and joints are quite always lateralized to the right. Occupational analyses did not show remarkable results probably because of the homogeneity of the sample; males although performing different activities are quite all employed in stressful works. No highest prevalence of knee and hip OA was found in farm-workers respect to the other males. Discussion and Conclusion In this work we propose a methodology to score the different features, necessary to diagnose OA, that allows the investigation of the severity of joint degeneration. This method is easier than the one proposed by Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994), but in the same time allows a quite detailed recording of the features. Epidemiological results can be interpreted quite simply and they are in accordance with other studies; more difficult is the interpretation of the occupational results because many questions concerning the activities performed by the individuals of the collection during their lifespan cannot be solved. Because of this, caution is suggested in the interpretation of bioarcheological specimens. With this work we hope to contribute to the discussion on the puzzling problem of the etiology of OA. The possibility of studying identified skeletons will add important data to the description of osseous features of OA, enriching the medical documentation, based on different criteria. Even if we are aware that the clinical diagnosis is different from the palaeopathological one we think our work will be useful in clarifying some epidemiological as well as pathological aspects of OA.

Influence of optic flow on postural control

The study of optic flow on postural control may explain how self-motion perception contributes to postural stability in young males and females and how such function changes in the old falls risk population. Study I: The aim was to examine the optic flow effect on postural control in young people (n=24), using stabilometry and surface-electromyography. Subjects viewed expansion and contraction optic flow stimuli which were presented full field, in the foveral or in the peripheral visual field. Results showed that optic flow stimulation causes an asymmetry in postural balance and a different lateralization of postural control in men and women. Gender differences evoked by optic flow were found both in the muscle activity and in the prevalent direction of oscillation. The COP spatial variability was reduced during the view of peripheral stimuli which evoked a clustered prevalent direction of oscillation, while foveal and random stimuli induced non-distributed directions. Study II was aimed at investigating the age-related mechanisms of postural stability during the view of optic flow stimuli in young (n=17) and old (n=19) people, using stabilometry and kinematic. Results showed that old people showed a greater effort to maintain posture during the view of optic flow stimuli than the young. Elderly seems to use the head stabilization on trunk strategy. Visual stimuli evoke an excitatory input on postural muscles, but the stimulus structure produces different postural effects. Peripheral optic flow stabilizes postural sway, while random and foveal stimuli provoke larger sway variability similar to those evoked in baseline. Postural control uses different mechanisms within each leg to produce the appropriate postural response to interact with extrapersonal environment. Ageing reduce the effortlessness to stabilize posture during optic flow, suggesting a neuronal processing decline associated with difficulty integrating multi-sensory information of self-motion perception and increasing risk of falls.

Selective inferior petrosal sinus sampling without venous outflow diversion in the detection of a pituitary adenoma in Cushing's syndrome

Conventional MRI may still be an inaccurate method for the non-invasive detection of a microadenoma in adrenocorticotropin (ACTH)-dependent Cushing's syndrome (CS). Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) with ovine corticotropin-releasing hormone (oCRH) stimulation is an invasive, but accurate, intervention in the diagnostic armamentarium surrounding CS. Until now, there is a continuous controversial debate regarding lateralization data in detecting a microadenoma. Using BIPSS, we evaluated whether a highly selective placement of microcatheters without diversion of venous outflow might improve detection of pituitary microadenoma.

Can postictal memory predict postoperative memory in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy?

We investigated the contribution of postictal memory testing for lateralizing the epileptic focus and predicting memory outcome after surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Forty-five patients with TLE underwent interictal, postictal, and postoperative assessment of verbal and nonverbal memory. Surgery consisted of anterior temporal lobectomy (36), selective isolated amygdalohippocampectomy (6), or amygdalohippocampectomy coupled to lesionectomy (3). Postictal and postoperative but not interictal memory were significantly lower in left TLE than in right TLE. Nonverbal memory showed no significant difference in left TLE versus right TLE in all conditions. Postictal memory was significantly correlated with postoperative memory, but the effect disappeared when the lateralization of the focus was considered. Postictal verbal memory is a useful bedside tool that can help lateralize the epileptic focus. Larger studies are needed to further estimate its predictive value of the postoperative outcome.