Memory Formation in the Motor Cortex Ipsilateral to a Training Hand

Cortical reorganization within the primary motor cortex (M1) contralateral to a practicing hand has been extensively investigated. The extent to which the ipsilateral M1 participates in these plastic changes is not known. Here, we evaluated the influence of unilateral hand practice on the organization of the M1 ipsilateral and contralateral to the practicing hand in healthy human subjects. Index finger movements elicited by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) delivered to each M1 were evaluated before and after practice of unilateral voluntary index finger abduction motions. Practice increased the proportion and acceleration of TMS-evoked movements in the trained direction and the amplitude of motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) in the abduction agonist first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle in the practicing hand and decreased the proportion and acceleration of TMS-evoked abduction movements and MEP amplitudes in the abduction agonist FDI in the opposite resting hand. Our findings indicate that unilateral hand practice specifically weakened the representation of the practiced movement in the ipsilateral M1 to an extent proportional to the strengthening effect in the contralateral M1, a result that varied with the practicing hand's position. These results suggest a more prominent involvement of interacting bilateral motor networks in motor memory formation and probably acquisition of unimanual motor skills than previously thought

Relationship between transcranial magnetic stimulation markers of motor control and clinical recovery in obsessive compulsive disorder/Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: a proof of concept case study

BackgroundObsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by difficulties in controlling intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and undesired actions (tics), respectively. Both conditions have been associated with abnormal inhibition but a tangible deficit of inhibitory control abilities is controversial in GTS.MethodsHere, we examined a 25 years-old male patient with severe OCD symptoms and a mild form of GTS, where impairments in motor control were central. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) to elicit motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during four experimental sessions, allowing us to assess the excitability of motor intracortical circuitry at rest as well as the degree of MEP suppression during action preparation, a phenomenon thought to regulate movement initiation.ResultsWhen tested for the first time, the patient presented a decent level of MEP suppression during action preparation, but he exhibited a lack of intracortical inhibition at rest, as evidenced by reduced short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI). Interestingly, the patient’s symptomatology drastically improved over the course of the sessions (reduced obsessions and tics), coinciding with feedback given on his good motor control abilities. These changes were reflected in the TMS measurements, with a significant strengthening of intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI more pronounced than previously) and a more selective tuning of MEPs during action preparation; MEPs became even more suppressed, or selectively facilitated depending on the behavioral condition in which they we probed.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of better understanding motor inhibitory mechanisms in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggests a biofeedback approach as a potential novel treatment

Disentangling the involvement of primary motor cortex in value-based reinforcement learning and value-based decision making.

When one makes the decision to act in the physical world, the neural activity in primary motor cortex (M1) encodes the competition between potential action choices. Traditional approaches have viewed this activity as reflecting the unfolding of the outcome of a decision process taking place upstream. However, a recently emerging theoretical framework posits that the motor neural structures directly contribute to the decision process. We recently tested this hypothesis (Zenon et al., 2015, Brain Stimulation) by using continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) to alter activity in M1 while participants performed a task that required them to select between two fingers in the right hand based on the color of a stimulus (green or red, explicit instruction). Importantly, this finger choice was biased such that, to earn more money, the subjects also had to take into account the shape of the stimulus (circle or square, undisclosed manipulation). So the motor response depended, on the one hand, on a perceptual decision process, interpreting the color of the stimulus according to instructed rules and, on the other hand, on a value-based decision process relying on reinforcement learning. Interestingly, cTBS over M1 modified the extent to which the value-based process influenced the subjects' decisions whereas it had no effect on their ability to make a choice based on perceptual evidence. Importantly, in that study, cTBS was applied at the very beginning of the experiment, before the subjects had learned the task. Hence, we cannot tell from that work whether the effect of M1 cTBS was due to an alteration of value-based reinforcement learning or of value-based decision making, which takes place once learning is complete. Here, we present a study in which we intend to use the same task but with cTBS applied at different times in order to assess the contribution of M1 to the two value-based processes (learning and decision making). More precisely, the experiment will extend over three sessions, each occurring at 24-hours interval. Each experimental session will consist of six blocks, each lasting about 4 minutes. Pilot data suggest that the value-based process begins to effectively shape the subject decisions in the middle of the second session. Given this, cTBS over M1 will be applied either at the beginning of the first session (before learning) or at the beginning of the third session (after learning). This procedure will allow us to disentangle the involvement of M1 in value-based reinforcement learning and value-based decision making

Intermanual Differences in movement-related interhemispheric inhibition

Interhemispheric inhibition (IHI) between motor cortical areas is thought to play a critical role in motor control and could influence manual dexterity. The purpose of this study was to investigate IHI preceding movements of the dominant and nondominant hands of healthy volunteers. Movement-related IHI was studied by means of a double-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol in right-handed individuals in a simple reaction time paradigm. IHI targeting the motor cortex contralateral (IHI(c)) and ipsilateral (IHI(i)) to each moving finger was determined. IHI(c) was comparable after the go signal, a long time preceding movement onset, in both hands. Closer to movement onset, IHI(c) reversed into facilitation for the right dominant hand but remained inhibitory for left nondominant hand movements. IHI(i) displayed a nearly constant inhibition with a trough early in the premovement period in both hands. In conclusion, our results unveil a more important modulation of interhemispheric interactions during generation of dominant than nondominant hand movements. This modulation essentially consisted of a shift from a balanced IHI at rest to an IHI predominantly directed toward the ipsilateral primary motor cortex at movement onset. Such a mechanism might release muscles from inhibition in the contralateral primary motor cortex while preventing the occurrence of the mirror activity in ipsilateral primary motor cortex and could therefore contribute to intermanual differences in dexterity

Monitoring coordination during bimanual movements: where is the mastermind?

One remarkable aspect of the human motor repertoire is the multitude of bimanual actions it contains. Still, the neural correlates of coordinated movements, in which the two hands share a common goal, remain debated. To address this issue, we designed two bimanual circling tasks that differed only in terms of goal conceptualization: a "coordination" task that required movements of both hands to adapt to each other to reach a common goal and an "independent" task that imposed a separate goal to each hand. fMRI allowed us to pinpoint three areas located in the right hemisphere that were more strongly activated in the coordination condition: the superior temporal gyrus (STG), the SMA, and the primary motor cortex (M1). We then used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to disrupt transiently the function of those three regions to determine their causal role in bimanual coordination. Right STG virtual lesions impaired bimanual coordination, whereas TMS to right M1 enhanced hand independence. TMS over SMA, left STG, or left M1 had no effect. The present study provides direct insight into the neural correlates of coordinated bimanual movements and highlights the role of right STG in such bimanual movements

La imagen y la narrativa como herramientas para el abordaje psicosocial en escenarios de violencia. Municipios Buga, Cúcuta e Ibagué.

Se ha realizado el trabajo final para el diplomado de profundización acompañamiento psicosocial en escenarios de violencia como opción de grado construyendo el documento a través del análisis de los relatos de violencia del libro “Voces: Relatos de violencia y esperanza en Colombia” por el cual se extrajo fragmentos del relato del caso de Fabián Medina que más impacto tuvieron en los integrantes del grupo, a su vez se analizó el caso Pandurí para lo cual fue muy importante para profundizar en las problemáticas psicosociales que producen los escenarios de violencia en las víctimas, y en el caso seleccionado, Fabián Medina a pesar de pertenecer a un grupo armado también es considerado como víctima de la guerra, con este trabajo se pretende llegar a una reflexión de las secuelas que deja la violencia y las posibilidades de cambio y transformación para la sociedad. Se realiza el análisis sobre el impacto que tuvo la guerra en el contexto de Fabián teniendo en cuenta el cambio de rol que tuvo, de ser un miembro del ejército luchando por unos ideales que no iban acorde a los mandatos del gobierno, para luego desertar y convertirse en miembro de un grupo armado para desde allí protegerse y tratar de realizar un cambio social, dándose cuenta de que los ideales del grupo son más de tipo monetario que social, se encuentra entre la espada y la pared por el juego de poder entre gobierno y miembros de las FARC dejando de lado las necesidades de las comunidades, y en la cual Fabián resulta afectado a través de amenazas de muerte por tratar de cambiar esta condición. En el caso Pandurí también se relata los problemas que provoca la guerra, las muertes del mismo juego de poder asesinando a los miembros más destacados de la comunidad imponiendo un régimen de terror para garantizar la obediencia de los pobladores, así como en la experiencia del ejercicio de foto voz se analizaron las formas sutiles de violencia en el contexto de cada uno de los estudiantes del grupo, a través de fotografías tomadas en lugares que recorren diariamente. Palabras Clave: Violencia, FARC, Voces, Significados, Psicosocial, Víctimas, Potenciación.The final work has been done for the diploma of deepening psychosocial accompaniment in violence scenarios as an option of degree building the document through the analysis of the stories of violence in the book "Voices: Stories of Violence and Hope in Colombia" by which extracted fragments of the story of Fabián Medina's case that had the greatest impact on the members of the group; in turn, the Pandurí case was analyzed for which it was very important to deepen into the psychosocial problems that the violence scenarios in the victims produce; and In the selected case, Fabián Medina, despite belonging to an armed group, is also considered a victim of the war, with this work he intends to arrive at a reflection on the consequences of violence and the possibilities of change and transformation for society. An analysis is made of the impact of the war in the context of Fabián taking into account the change of role he had, of being a member of the army fighting for ideals that were not in accordance with the mandates of the government, then deserting and become a member of an armed group to protect themselves from it and try to make a social change, realizing that the ideals of the group are more of a monetary than a social type, they are between a rock and a hard place because of the power game between government and members of the FARC leaving aside the needs of the communities, and in which Fabián is affected through death threats for trying to change this condition. In the case Pandurí also talks about the problems caused by the war, the deaths of the same power game, killing the most outstanding members of the community imposing a regime of terror to guarantee the obedience of the inhabitants, as well as the experience of the exercise. of voice photo, the subtle forms of violence were analyzed in the context of each of the students of the group, through photographs taken in places that travel daily. Key words: Violence, FARC, Voices, Meanings, Psychosocial, Victims, Empowerment

Implementación de servicios de gestión de infraestructura TI sobre Zentyal Server

El presente informe busca evidenciar la descarga, instalación y configuración del servidor zentyal server como SO base, con la finalidad de realizar la implementación y despliegue de los servicios para gestión de infraestructura TI, a saber, DHCP server, DNS server, controlador de dominio, Proxy no transparente, Firewall, File & Print server, y VPN, para ello, cada integrante del grupo seleccionó una de las temáticas abordadas en el desarrollo del paso 8, a continuación, cada uno creó una nueva máquina virtual, en la que se realizó la instalación y configuración zentyal server como SO base. Una vez realizada la instalación, y previa elección de la temática, se procedió a la instalación y configuración de los módulos base necesarios para realizar la implementación de dichos servicios, una vez instalados y configurados los módulos, como resultado, se procede a dar respuesta a las solicitudes planteadas en el caso de estudio para cada temática.This report aims to demonstrate the download, installation and configuration of zentyal server as the base OS, in order to implement and deploy the services for IT infrastructure management, namely DHCP server, DNS server, domain controller, non-transparent proxy, Firewall, File & Print server, and VPN, for this, each member of the group selected one of the topics addressed in the development of step 8, then, each created a new virtual machine, in which the installation and configuration of zentyal server as base OS was performed. Once the installation was done, and after choosing the topic, the base modules needed to implement these services were installed and configured. Once the modules were installed and configured, as a result, we proceeded to respond to the requests raised in the case study for each topic

Consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, diagnosis and management in Australia and New Zealand

Background: Sarcopenia is an age-associated skeletal muscle condition characterized by low muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. There is no international consensus on a sarcopenia definition and no contemporaneous clinical and research guidelines specific to Australia and New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force aimed to develop consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, assessment, management and research, informed by evidence, consumer opinion, and expert consensus, for use by health professionals and researchers in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A four-phase modified Delphi process involving topic experts and informed by consumers, was undertaken between July 2020 and August 2021. Phase 1 involved a structured meeting of 29 Task Force members and a systematic literature search from which the Phase 2 online survey was developed (Qualtrics). Topic experts responded to 18 statements, using 11-point Likert scales with agreement threshold set a priori at >80%, and five multiple-choice questions. Statements with moderate agreement (70%–80%) were revised and re-introduced in Phase 3, and statements with low agreement (80%) were confirmed by the Task Force in Phase 4. Conclusions: The ANZSSFR Task Force present 17 sarcopenia management and research recommendations for use by health professionals and researchers which includes the recommendation to adopt the EWGSOP2 sarcopenia definition in Australia and New Zealand. This rigorous Delphi process that combined evidence, consumer expert opinion and topic expert consensus can inform similar initiatives in countries/regions lacking consensus on sarcopenia

Consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, diagnosis and management in Australia and New Zealand

Background: Sarcopenia is an age-associated skeletal muscle condition characterized by low muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. There is no international consensus on a sarcopenia definition and no contemporaneous clinical and research guidelines specific to Australia and New Zealand. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force aimed to develop consensus guidelines for sarcopenia prevention, assessment, management and research, informed by evidence, consumer opinion, and expert consensus, for use by health professionals and researchers in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A four-phase modified Delphi process involving topic experts and informed by consumers, was undertaken between July 2020 and August 2021. Phase 1 involved a structured meeting of 29 Task Force members and a systematic literature search from which the Phase 2 online survey was developed (Qualtrics). Topic experts responded to 18 statements, using 11-point Likert scales with agreement threshold set a priori at \u3e 80 %, and five multiple-choice questions. Statements with moderate agreement (70 % – 80 %) were revised and re-introduced in Phase 3, and statements with low agreement ( \u3c 70 %) were rejected. In Phase 3, topic experts responded to six revised statements and three additional questions, incorporating results from a parallel Consumer Expert Delphi study. Phase 4 involved finalization of consensus statements. Results: Topic experts from Australia (n = 62, 92.5 %) and New Zealand (n = 5, 7.5 %) with a mean ± SD age of 45.7 ± 11.8 years participated in Phase 2; 38 (56.7 %) were women, 38 (56.7 %) were health professionals and 27 (40.3 % ) were researchers/academics. In Phase 2, 15 of 18 (83.3 %) statements on sarcopenia prevention, screening, assessment, management and future research were accepted with strong agreement. The strongest agreement related to encouraging a healthy lifestyle (100 %) and offering tailored resistance training to people with sarcopenia (92.5 %). Forty-seven experts participated in Phase 3; 5/6 (83.3 %) revised statements on prevention, assessment and management were accepted with strong agreement. A majority of experts (87.9 %) preferred the revised European Working Group for Sarcopenia in Older Persons (EWGSOP2) definition. Seventeen statements with strong agreement ( \u3e 80 %) were confirmed by the Task Force in Phase 4. Conclusions: The ANZSSFR Task Force present 17 sarcopenia management and research recommendations for use by health professionals and researchers which includes the recommendation to adopt the EWGSOP2 sarcopenia definition in Australia and New Zealand. This rigorous Delphi process that combined evidence, consumer expert opinion and topic expert consensus can inform similar initiatives in countries/regions lacking consensus on sarcopenia

The Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) sarcopenia diagnosis and management task force: Findings from the consumer expert Delphi process

Objectives: To develop guidelines, informed by health-care consumer values and preferences, for sarcopenia prevention, assessment and management for use by clinicians and researchers in Australia and New Zealand. Methods: A three-phase Consumer Expert Delphi process was undertaken between July 2020 and August 2021. Consumer experts included adults with lived experience of sarcopenia or health-care utilisation. Phase 1 involved a structured meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Society for Sarcopenia and Frailty Research (ANZSSFR) Sarcopenia Diagnosis and Management Task Force and consumer representatives from which the Phase 2 survey was developed. In Phase 2, consumers from Australia and New Zealand were surveyed online with opinions sought on sarcopenia outcome priorities, consultation preferences and interventions. Findings were confirmed and disseminated in Phase 3. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed. Results: Twenty-four consumers (mean ± standard deviation age 67.5 ± 12.8 years, 18 women) participated in Phase 2. Ten (42%) identified as being interested in sarcopenia, 7 (29%) were health-care consumers and 6 (25%) self-reported having/believing they have sarcopenia. Consumers identified physical performance, living circumstances, morale, quality of life and social connectedness as the most important outcomes related to sarcopenia. Consumers either had no preference (46%) or preferred their doctor (40%) to diagnose sarcopenia and preferred to undergo assessments at least yearly (54%). For prevention and treatment, 46% of consumers preferred resistance exercise, 2–3 times per week (54%). Conclusions: Consumer preferences reported in this study can inform the implementation of sarcopenia guidelines into clinical practice at local, state and national levels across Australia and New Zealand