A new quantitative ataxia test battery

Quantitative ataxia test battery to assess psychomotor performance and postural equilibrium under rotating environments and other stresse

Acute Alcohol Ataxia in Relation to Vestibular Function

Acute alcohol ataxia in relation to vestibular functio

Residual effects of storm conditions at sea upon the postural equilibrium functioning of vestibular normal and vestibular defective human subjects

Residual effects of storm conditions at sea upon postural equilibrium functioning of vestibular normal and vestibular defective human subject

An ataxia test battery not requiring the use of rails

Ataxia on normal humans and those with vestibular defects and vertig

Comparative effects of prolonged rotation at 10 rpm on postural equilibrium in vestibular normal and vestibular defective human subjects

Comparative effects of prolonged rotation on postural equilibrium in vestibular normal and defective human subject

Labyrinthine defects as shown by ataxia and caloric tests

Labyrinthine defects as shown by ataxia and caloric test

Visual horizontal perception in relation to otolith function

Influence of otolith organs on visual horizontal perceptio

Cerebellar Morphometry and Cognition in the Context of Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking.

BackgroundCerebellar atrophy (especially involving the superior-anterior cerebellar vermis) is among the most salient and clinically significant effects of chronic hazardous alcohol consumption on brain structure. Smaller cerebellar volumes are also associated with chronic cigarette smoking. The present study investigated effects of both chronic alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on cerebellar structure and its relation to performance on select cognitive/behavioral tasks.MethodsUsing T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs), the Cerebellar Analysis Tool Kit segmented the cerebellum into bilateral hemispheres and 3 vermis parcels from 4 participant groups: smoking (s) and nonsmoking (ns) abstinent alcohol-dependent treatment seekers (ALC) and controls (CON) (i.e., sALC, nsALC, sCON, and nsCON). Cognitive and behavioral data were also obtained.ResultsWe found detrimental effects of chronic drinking on all cerebellar structural measures in ALC participants, with largest reductions seen in vermis areas. Furthermore, both smoking groups had smaller volumes of cerebellar hemispheres but not vermis areas compared to their nonsmoking counterparts. In exploratory analyses, smaller cerebellar volumes were related to lower measures of intelligence. In sCON, but not sALC, greater smoking severity was related to smaller cerebellar volume and smaller superior-anterior vermis area. In sALC, greater abstinence duration was associated with larger cerebellar and superior-anterior vermis areas, suggesting some recovery with abstinence.ConclusionsOur results show that both smoking and alcohol status are associated with smaller cerebellar structural measurements, with vermal areas more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption and less affected by chronic smoking. These morphometric cerebellar deficits were also associated with lower intelligence and related to duration of abstinence in sALC only

Thousand Aviator Study - Nonvestibular Contributions to Postural Equilibrium Functions

Psychomotor performance and postural equilibrium functioning defined by quantitative ataxia test battery, and relation to pilot selection and gerontolog

Estimated Muscle Loads During Squat Exercise in Microgravity Conditions

Loss of muscle mass in microgravity is one of the primary factors limiting long-term space flight. NASA researchers have developed a number of exercise devices to address this problem. The most recent is the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), which is currently used by astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) to emulate typical free-weight exercises in microgravity. ARED exercise on the ISS is intended to reproduce Earth-level muscle loads, but the actual muscle loads produced remain unknown as they cannot currently be measured directly. In this study we estimated muscle loads experienced during squat exercise on ARED in microgravity conditions representative of Mars, the moon, and the ISS. The estimates were generated using a subject-specific musculoskeletal computer model and ARED exercise data collected on Earth. The results provide insight into the capabilities and limitations of the ARED machine