Endogenous dopamine transmission is crucial for motor skill recovery after stroke

Ischemic stroke frequently causes motor impairments. Despite exercise can improve motor outcomes, many stroke survivors remain life-long disabled. Understanding the mechanisms associated with motor recovery after a stroke is necessary to develop treatments. Here, we show that endogenous DA transmission is required for optimal motor skill recovery following photothrombotic stroke in rats. Blockade of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors impaired the recovery of a forelimb reaching task and decreased the rats' motivation to complete full training sessions. Our data indicate that dopamine transmission is important to drive motor rehabilitation after stroke through motivational aspects and ultimately suggest that augmented motivation and reward feedback could be an interesting strategy to increase the effectiveness or rehabilitation

Investigating motor skill learning processes with a robotic manipulandum

Skilled reaching tasks are commonly used in studies of motor skill learning and motor function under healthy and pathological conditions, but can be time-intensive and ambiguous to quantify beyond simple success rates. Here, we describe the training procedure for reach-and-pull tasks with ETH Pattus, a robotic platform for automated forelimb reaching training that records pulling and hand rotation movements in rats. Kinematic quantification of the performed pulling attempts reveals the presence of distinct temporal profiles of movement parameters such as pulling velocity, spatial variability of the pulling trajectory, deviation from midline, as well as pulling success. We show how minor adjustments in the training paradigm result in alterations in these parameters, revealing their relation to task difficulty, general motor function or skilled task execution. Combined with electrophysiological, pharmacological and optogenetic techniques, this paradigm can be used to explore the mechanisms underlying motor learning and memory formation, as well as loss and recovery of function (e.g. after stroke)

Endogenous dopamine transmission is crucial for motor skill recovery after stroke

Ischemic stroke frequently causes motor impairments. Despite exercise can improve motor outcomes, many stroke survivors remain life-long disabled. Understanding the mechanisms associated with motor recovery after a stroke is necessary to develop treatments. Here, we show that endogenous DA transmission is required for optimal motor skill recovery following photothrombotic stroke in rats. Blockade of dopamine D1 and D2 receptors impaired the recovery of a forelimb reaching task and decreased the rats’ motivation to complete full training sessions. Our data indicate that dopamine transmission is important to drive motor rehabilitation after stroke through motivational aspects and ultimately suggest that augmented motivation and reward feedback could be an interesting strategy to increase the effectiveness or rehabilitation

Case Report A Case of Polyarteritis Nodosa Associated with Cytomegalovirus Infection

A 77-year-old man suffering from prolonged fever of unknown origin and bilateral leg edema was referred to our hospital. On physical examination, he had fever, general fatigue, bilateral lower leg edema, and muscle weakness of the right upper extremity and left lower extremity. Neurological examination indicated motor and sensory disturbance. Electromyography revealed mononeuritis multiplex and myopathy. A biopsy of the left biceps muscle indicated necrotizing vasculitis with fibrinoid necrosis. Considering all the data together, he was diagnosed as having polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and concurrent active cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. His symptoms improved promptly on treatment with 50 mg of prednisolone. This case emphasizes the importance of CMV infection as one of possible etiologies of PAN and reports a therapeutic strategy for this syndrome

Relationships between traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions among children 8 months after the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate relationships between traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions among children who survived the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. METHODS: The subjects were 12,524 children in kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. The Post Traumatic Stress Symptoms for Children 15 items (PTSSC-15), a self-completion questionnaire on traumatic symptoms, was distributed to the children and a questionnaire regarding environmental damage conditions affecting the children was distributed to their teachers. Of 12,524 questionnaires distributed, an effective response was obtained from 11,692 (93.3%). RESULTS: The PTSSC-15 score was significantly higher in females than in males among 4(th) to 6(th) grade students in elementary schools and among junior high school students. In terms of traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions, with the exception of kindergartners, children who had their houses damaged or experienced separation from family members had a significantly higher PTSSC-15 score than children who did not experience environmental damage. Except for kindergartners and 4(th)- to 6(th)-grade elementary school students, children who experienced evacuation had a significantly higher PTSSC-15 score. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated relationships between traumatic symptoms and environmental damage conditions in children who had suffered from the disaster. Factors examined in studying the relationship between environmental damage conditions and traumatic symptoms were gender, age, house damage, evacuation experience, and bereavement experience. It was critical not only to examine the traumatic symptoms of the children but also to collect accurate information about environmental damage conditions

Sleep durations on weekdays and holidays.

<p>M: mean(Hour), SD: Standard Deviation (Hour), N: Number,</p><p>7^th –9^th:1^st–3^rd grade of junior high school students.</p

Characteristics of children who experienced the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

<p>Characteristics of children who experienced the 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.</p

Waking and sleep-onset times on weekdays.

<p>M: mean, SD: Standard Deviation (Hour), N: Number,</p