The role of cerebellar circuitry alterations in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders

The cerebellum has been repeatedly implicated in gene expression, rodent model and post-mortem studies of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). How cellular and molecular anomalies of the cerebellum relate to clinical manifestations of ASD remains unclear. Separate circuits of the cerebellum control different sensorimotor behaviors, such as maintaining balance, walking, making eye movements, reaching, and grasping. Each of these behaviors has been found to be impaired in ASD, suggesting that multiple distinct circuits of the cerebellum may be involved in the pathogenesis of patients' sensorimotor impairments. We will review evidence that the development of these circuits is disrupted in individuals with ASD and that their study may help elucidate the pathophysiology of sensorimotor deficits and core symptoms of the disorder. Preclinical studies of monogenetic conditions associated with ASD also have identified selective defects of the cerebellum and documented behavioral rescues when the cerebellum is targeted. Based on these findings, we propose that cerebellar circuits may prove to be promising targets for therapeutic development aimed at rescuing sensorimotor and other clinical symptoms of different forms of ASD

The cerebellum, internal models and prediction in 'non-motor' aspects of language: A critical review

The emergence of studies on cerebellar contributions in ‘non-motor’ aspects of predictive language processing has long been awaited by researchers investigating the neural foundations of language and cognition. Despite (i) progress in research implicating the cerebellum in language processing, (ii) the widely-accepted nature of the uniform, multi-modal computation that the cerebellum implements in the form of internal models, as well as (iii) the long tradition of psycholinguistic studies addressing prediction mechanisms, research directly addressing cerebellar contributions to ‘non-motor’ predictive language processing has only surfaced in the last five years. This paper provides the first review of this novel field, along with a critical assessment of the studies conducted so far. While encouraging, the evidence for cerebellar involvement in ‘non-motor’ aspects of predictive language processing remains inconclusive under further scrutiny. Future directions are finally discussed with respect to outstanding questions in this novel field of research

The cerebellum, internal models and prediction in 'non-motor' aspects of language: A critical review

The emergence of studies on cerebellar contributions in 'non-motor' aspects of predictive language processing has long been awaited by researchers investigating the neural foundations of language and cognition. Despite (i) progress in research implicating the cerebellum in language processing, (ii) the widely-accepted nature of the uniform, multi-modal computation that the cerebellum implements in the form of internal models, as well as (iii) the long tradition of psycholinguistic studies addressing prediction mechanisms, research directly addressing cerebellar contributions to 'non-motor' predictive language processing has only surfaced in the last five years. This paper provides the first review of this novel field, along with a critical assessment of the studies conducted so far. While encouraging, the evidence for cerebellar involvement in 'non-motor' aspects of predictive language processing remains inconclusive under further scrutiny. Future directions are finally discussed with respect to outstanding questions in this novel field of research

Toward a greater understanding of the brain processes underlying handgrip and handgrip fatigue

Handgrip is a ubiquitous human movement that determines how we interact with our environment. It is involved in almost every aspect of daily life (e.g. opening a door, handling cutlery, using tools) and like all human movement, its application is limited by muscle fatigue. However, the supraspinal mechanisms of handgrip and handgrip fatigue are not fully understood despite the importance of this fundamental movement, numerous publications, and its presence as a longstanding research topic. This thesis investigates the brain mechanisms of handgrip and handgrip fatigue using fMRI. It begins with a review of the literature in Chapter one, which evaluates the theories and evidence for central control of handgrip and muscle fatigue as well as describing the rationale to perform the experiments in this thesis. The methodology and analyses are also reviewed to provide rationale for their use and to facilitate the interpretation of subsequent experimental results. In order to understand the supraspinal mechanisms of handgrip and handgrip fatigue it is logical to first understand the most fundamental grip type (power vs. precision) and pattern (static vs. dynamic) by which handgrip can be performed

Visual Neuroscience of Robotic Grasping

Supporting Informatio

Stroke Rehabilitation.

INTRODUCTION : Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Approximately 20 million people each year suffer from stroke and of these 5 million will not survive1. Developing countries account for 85% of global deaths from stroke. Stroke is also a leading cause of functional impairments, with 20% survivors requiring institutional care after 3 months and 15%-30% being permanently disabled. Stroke is the most common causes of chronic disability. Of survivors, an estimated one third will be functionally dependent after 1 year experiencing difficulty with activities of daily living (ADL), ambulation, speech and so forth2. Stroke survivors represent the largest group admitted in inpatient rehabilitation hospitals. Another indicator of disability is the fact that approximately 26% of patients with stroke are institutionalized in a nursing home. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES : The Primary objective of this study is - to investigate the effect of intense sensory motor stimulation given in the form of electrical stimulation, olive oil massage and re-education exercise program in augmenting motor recovery in stroke patients. The Secondary objectives of this study are to assess the various factors which influence the stroke recovery like, - the time interval between the onset of stroke and the initiation of rehabilitation program, - the risk factors for stroke, - the areas of the brain affected and - the pathology of stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS : Review of literature shows that there will be natural, spontaneous neurological recovery after stroke. The mechanism to explain recovery is Neuroplasticity. Brain plasticity is the ability of the nervous system to modify its structural and functional organization. The most plausible forms of plasticity are collateral sprouting of new synaptic connections and unmasking of previously latent functional pathways. Experimental evidence indicates that plasticity can be altered by several external conditions, including pharmacological agents, electrical stimulation and environmental stimulation. Many different electrical stimulation applications have been explored since the pioneering work of Liberson et al on foot drop. So in this study electrical stimulation is used to augment motor recovery in patients being rehabilitated after acute stroke, in addition to olive oil massage and reeducation exercise programme. Methods: In this study, 20 hemiplegics admitted to PSG Hospitals, affiliated to the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Coimbatore between March 2011 and 31st May 2011 were selected. No specific selection criteria with reference to age, severity of paralysis, aphasia, neglect, incontinence and cognitive function were applied. But stroke cases of longer duration were not included in this study. On admission to the rehabilitation facility, age and gender were documented for each patient as were the type and site of the cerebral lesion. Duration between stroke onset and rehabilitation admission were also recorded. RESULTS : To analyze a data, two types of statistical techniques are used. They are, a) Descriptive statistical technique and b) Inferential statistical technique. The above table shows the mean score of Scandinavian stroke scale (SSS) on discharge and follows up. The standard deviation also seems to be within the normal limits. It does not skewed very much. So this distribution can be said as normal distribution. To analyze the significant differences between the three means, the “Analysis of Variant Technique” (ANOVA) was used. The F ratio 37.31 was found to be significant at 0.01 level indicates that stroke level of different stages is significantly different from one another. The hypothesis I has been proved by this statistical finding. To analyze further which group is different from another group, ‘student‘t’ test’ was used. The following conclusions are drawn from the above study

Topics in Neuromodulation Treatment

"Topics in Neuromodulation Treatment" is a book that invites to the reader to make an update in this important and well-defined area involved in the Neuroscience world. The book pays attention in some aspects of the electrical therapy and also in the drug delivery management of several neurological illnesses including the classic ones like epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, pain, and other indications more recently incorporated to this important tool like bladder incontinency, heart ischemia and stroke. The manuscript is dedicated not only to the expert, but also to the scientist that begins in this amazing field. The authors are physicians of different specialties and they guarantee the clinical expertise to provide to the reader the best guide to treat the patient

Programming the cerebellum

It is argued that large-scale neural network simulations of cerebellar cortex and nuclei, based on realistic compartmental models of me major cell populations, are necessary before the problem of motor learning in the cerebellum can be solved, [HOUK et al.; SIMPSON et al.

Neurophysiological Investigation of the Functional Interactions between Manual Action Control and Working Memory

Gündüz Can R. Neurophysiological Investigation of the Functional Interactions between Manual Action Control and Working Memory. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2020