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Biomedical subjects

A Lundberg

Publications and source records attributed to A Lundberg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Control of claw movements in cats.

In cats with the distal paw shaved and the claws painted with nail varnish, claw movements were recorded during the approach to a morsel of food with a conventional video camera; supplementary results were obtained with a high frequency video system. The claws can be protruded in two directions, either ventrally or more dorsalwards. Measurements of the outer contour of the paw suggest that these two modes are not due to differences in angular movements in the proximal interphalangeal joints; it is suggested that they depend on some (so far unknown) function in the distal interphalangeal joints. Differential movements of the claws of the different digits suggest some degree of individual control of the digits.

Animals

Role of claws and pads in taking and holding food in cats.

In order to investigate the role of claws and pads in taking food the planter surface of the distal forelimb paw was recorded with a conventional video camera. The claws were involved in the great majority of trials. The morsel of food may be taken by piercing with one claw (rarely two) either alone or by pressure against a digital pad; support by pressure from another claw was also common, while pressure between two claws was used more rarely. Another technique was pressure between claws (without piercing) and digital pads. The morsel was also taken without participation of claws by pressure between digital pads and the central pad and more rarely between two digital pads.

Animals

Mechanical load and primary guinea pig osteoarthrosis.

Hartley guinea pigs spontaneously develop knee osteoarthrosis. The reproducible course, the changes first appearing at the central medial condyle and then progressing peripherally and laterally, makes this animal a suitable model for intervention studies. We studied the effect of load, and randomized 9-month-old male animals into 4 groups: immediate killing, mid-femoral 30 degrees-valgus osteotomy, sham operation or below-knee amputation. After 3 months, the proximal tibia was step-sectioned and examined stereologically by light microscopy. Local load-redistribution from the medial to the lateral condyle (osteotomy) reduced cartilage fibrillation by 22% medially and increased it 27% laterally. Subchondral bone thickness decreased by 36% in the medial condyle. In contrast, general load-redistribution (amputation) did not affect the progress of fibrillation, despite pronounced bone atrophy. Cartilage thickness, however, did not change; calcified cartilage thickness remained remarkably constant, and it was always higher on the lateral side. Therefore tide-mark advancement does not appear to be an important mechanism in early guinea pig osteoarthrosis. Thus, when the natural course of guinea pig osteoarthrosis is interfered with surgically, in the early phase, changes in bone are more conspicuous than those in cartilage, which further indicates that mechanical load and stiffness gradients are important pathogenetic mechanisms.

Amputation, Surgical

Fluctuating asymmetry and copulation success in lekking black grouse

In lekking black grouse, Tetrao tetrixmales at the centre of the leks obtain more copulations than males at the edges. We found that males with territories at the edge of the lek obtained fewer matings and also have the most asymmetric tarsi. However, when considering the tail ornament (the lyre) no correlation between asymmetry and mating success was found. Although females are unlikely to select males on the basis of tarsus symmetry, asymmetry in this trait may reflect male condition. We suggest that males in poor condition, as reflected by higher levels of fluctuating asymmetry in the tarsi, do not achieve central positions on the lek arena. This would account for the lower success of males with higher levels of fluctuating tarsus asymmetry.

Journal Article

Effect of skin movement on the analysis of skeletal knee joint motion during running.

It is not known how well skin markers represent the skeletal knee joint motion during running. Hence the purpose of this investigation was to compare the skin marker derived tibiofemoral motion with the skeletal tibiofemoral motion during running. In addition to skin markers attached to the shank and thigh, triads of reflective markers were attached to bone pins inserted into the tibia and femur. Three-dimensional kinematics of the stance phase of five running trials were recorded for three subjects using high-speed cine cameras (200 Hz). The knee motion was expressed in terms of Cardan angles calculated from both the external and skeletal markers. Good agreement was present between the skin and bone marker based knee flexion/extension. For abduction/adduction and internal/external knee rotation, the difference between skeletal and external motion was large compared to the amplitude of these motions. Average errors relative to the range of motion during running stance were 21% for flexion/extension, 63% for internal/external rotation, and 70% for abduction/adduction. The errors were highly subject dependent preventing the realization of a successful correction algorithm. It was concluded that knee rotations other than flexion/extension may be affected with substantial errors when using skin markers.

Adult

Effect of spinal cord lesions on forelimb target-reaching and on visually guided switching of target-reaching in the cat.

Cats were trained to reach to an illuminated tube placed horizontally at shoulder level and retrieve food with the forepaw. The trajectory of an infrared light emitting diode, taped to the wrist dorsum, was recorded with a SELSPOT-like recording system. Movement paths and velocity profiles were compared before and after lesions: (1) in dorsal C5, transecting cortico- and rubrospinal pathways to the forelimb segments so that the cats could only use the C3-C4 propriospinal neurones (PNs) to command reaching, (2) in the ventral part of the lateral funicle in C5, transecting the axons of C3-C4 PNs so that the cats had to use circuitry in the forelimb segments to command reaching. Comparison of trajectories and velocity profiles before and after lesion 1 did not reveal any major qualitative change. After lesion 2, the last third of the movement was fragmented with separate lifting and protraction. Switching of target-reaching occurred when illumination was shifted to another tube during the ongoing movement. The switching latency measured from the time of illumination shift to the earliest change in movement trajectory had a minimal value of 50-60 ms. Short latencies were present after lesion 1 as well as lesion 2 which suggest that fast switching mediated by the C3-C4 PNs and the interneuronal system in the forelimb segments is controlled in parallel by the brain. In order to test a hypothesis that fast switching depends on the tectospinal and tecto-reticulospinal pathways (the tecto-reticulo-spinal system) a ventral lesion was made in C2 aiming at interrupting these pathways. Large ventral C2 lesions tended to block conduction in the more dorsally located rubrospinal (less in corticospinal) axons probably due to compression during surgery. When conduction in the rubrospinal tract was completely interrupted by a ventral C2 lesion which also completely transected the axons of the tecto-reticulo-spinal system, then there was a prolongation of the switching latency with 10-20 ms. After a similar large ventral lesion with remaining conduction in the rubrospinal tract the switching latencies were unchanged. It is postulated that fast visually governed switching does not depend on the tecto-reticulo-spinal system alone but on more dorsally located pathways, presumably the rubrospinal tract, either acting alone or together with the tecto-reticulo-spinal system. It is further postulated that the delayed switching after interruption of conduction both in the rubrospinal tract and the tecto-reticulo-spinal system depends on the corticospinal tract. Visual control of rubrospinal and of corticospinal neurones is considered. It is postulated that target-reaching normally depends on signals in the cortico- and rubrospinal tracts and mechanisms for co-ordination of activity in them as required during switching is discussed in view of the findings now reported.

Animals

An experimental in vivo method for analysis of local deformation on tibia, with simultaneous measures of ground reaction forces, lower extremity muscle activity and joint motion.

This paper presents the pilot procedures of a new in vivo experimental method for measures of local bone deformation on tibia. The tibia transducer consists of a strain gauge mounted on a surgical staple, and was designed to measure local bone deformation. Pilot measurements were undertaken during two standardized conditions of forefoot and heel landing in seven healthy volunteers. Implantation of two tibia force transducers on tibia were performed under local anaesthesia. The local peak tibia deformation occurred at 20-42 ms (median) after ground contact, and was up to eight times higher during stance phase loading compared with standing still on one leg. Ground reaction forces, muscle activation patterns and kinematics were registered simultaneously, and were used to validate that the observed local deformation on tibia occurred under controlled and clinically relevant conditions. The new method may be used for investigating local deformation within various bone structures of the lower extremity. There are further methodological issues to address before major clinical interpretations may be concluded. In order to verify that the strain gauge transducer system was valid, a controlled displacement of the staple shanks was performed with a micrometer, and showed a linear relationship between applied deformation and strain gauge response (r = 0.97-0.99). In addition, a linear relationship was found between externally applied static forces and strain gauge response in a four-point bending cadaver system (r = 0.96-0.98).

Adult

Early-onset myopathy with tubular aggregates.

We report a 14-year-old girl with early onset of slowly progressive muscular weakness and atrophy. There was no family history of neuromuscular disease. A persistent increase of serum creatine kinase was found. Muscle biopsy specimens showed type 1 fiber predominance and tubular aggregates in almost every fiber. The clinical findings and pathology suggest that the disease represents one variant in a group of rare myopathies with different patterns of inheritance, characterized by slowly progressive muscle weakness and tubular aggregates.

Adolescent

Psychiatric aspects of air pollution.

Psychological and toxic effects of air pollution can lead to psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and changes in mood, cognition, and behavior. Increased levels of some air pollutants are accompanied by an increase in psychiatric admissions and emergency calls and, in some studies, by changes in behavior and a reduction in psychological well-being. Numerous toxic pollutants interfere with the development and adult functioning of the nervous system. Manifestations are often insidious or delayed, but they can provide a more sensitive indicator of toxic effects than cancer rates or mortality data. Other medical effects of air pollution, such as asthma, can indirectly affect psychological health. The sick building syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity are conditions with toxicologic and psychiatric aspects. Psychosocial stress can cause symptoms similar to those of organic mental disorders. Reactions to stress depend on cultural, individual, and situational variables. We must understand these factors to be able to alleviate and prevent the consequences of environmental trauma. Expanded research is recommended in three main areas: (1) how people perceive and cope with environmental health risks, (2) the effects of air pollution on behavior and neuropsychological functioning, and (3) neurotoxicologic evaluation of air pollutants with both behavioral and in vitro studies.

Adaptation, Psychological

Three-dimensional tongue surface shapes of English consonants and vowels.

This paper presents three-dimensional tongue surfaces reconstructed from multiple coronal cross-sectional slices of the tongue. Surfaces were reconstructed for sustained vocalizations of the American English sounds [symbol: see text]. Electropalatography (EPG) data were also collected for the sounds to compare tongue surface shapes with tongue-palate contact patterns. The study was interested also in whether 3-D surface shapes of the tongue were different for consonants and vowels. Previous research and speculation had found that there were differences in production, acoustics, and linguistic usage between the two groups. The present study found that four classes of tongue shape were adequate to categorize all the sounds measured. These classes were front raising, complete groove, back raising, and two-point displacement. The first and third classes have been documented before in the midsagittal plane [cf. R. Harshman, P. Ladefoged, and L. Goldstein, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 62, 693-707 (1976)]. The first three classes contained both vowels and consonants, the last only consonants. Electropalatographic patterns of the sounds indicated three categories of tongue-palate contact: bilateral, cross-sectional, and combination of the two. Vowels used only the first pattern, consonants used all three. The EPG data provided an observable distinction in contact pattern between consonants and vowels. The ultrasound tongue surface data did not. The conclusion was that the tongue actually has a limited repertoire of shapes and positions them against the palate in different ways for consonants versus vowels to create narrow channels, divert airflow, and produce sound.

Female

Kinematics of the normal arch of the foot and ankle under physiologic loading.

We studied 15 cadaver feet to determine three-dimensional motion of selected tarsal bones under axial loading at three different loading levels. We determined the motion of individual joints and also the rotation of the tarsal bones in relation to the tibia. Joint rotations increased consistently with higher loads. The naviculartalar joint had the greatest total screw axis rotation, which averaged 9.4 degrees +/- 2.2 degrees at 667 N of load, followed by the first metatarsal-navicular (mean, 7.2 degrees +/- 1.5 degrees), talartibial (mean, 5.2 degrees +/- 1.6 degrees), and calcaneal-talar (mean, 4.4 degrees +/- 1.7 degrees) joints. The observed changes indicate the need for assessment of foot and ankle alignment clinically and radiologically while the patient is weightbearing.

Aged

Late results of the Souter-Strathclyde total elbow prosthesis in rheumatoid arthritis. 6/19 implants loose after 5 years.

We performed total elbow replacement, using the Souter-Strathclyde prosthesis in 19 elbows of 18 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and followed the patients for 5 (1-11) years. Pain relief was achieved initially in all patients. The average range of flexion-extension was increased by 12 degrees and pronation-supination by 40 degrees. There were no infections. 1 patient sustained an intraoperative fracture of the medial epicondyle, 3 patients developed neuropathies and 1 patient had an immediate postoperative dislocation of the joint. At follow-up, 6 prostheses had radiographic loosening, with sagittal titling and migration of 4 humeral components. 2 patients had clinical symptoms of loosening.

Aged

Localization of a gene for autosomal dominant Larsen syndrome to chromosome region 3p21.1-14.1 in the proximity of, but distinct from, the COL7A1 locus.

Larsen syndrome (LS) is a skeletal dysplasia (osteochondrodysplasia) in which multiple dislocations of the large joints are the major feature. Nosology in this group of diseases, which constitutes 8% of Mendelian disorders in man, is primarily based on clinical and radiographic features. Hopes for more accurate classification grounds are currently being met by progress in elucidation of underlying genetic defects. We have performed linkage analysis in a large Swedish kindred with autosomal dominant LS and found the gene (LAR1) to be strongly linked to chromosome 3p markers (Zmax = 13.4 at (theta = .00). Recombination analysis indicates that the LAR1 locus is located in a region defined distally by D3S1581 and proximally by D3S1600, which cytogenetically maps to chromosome region 3p21.1-14.1. Linkage and recombination analysis of a COL7A1 PvuII intragenic polymorphism versus LS and chromosome 3 markers indicate that COL7A1 is located close to, but distinct from, the LAR1 locus.

Chromosome Mapping

In vitro opto-electronic analysis of 3-D segmental vertebral movements during gradual rib lengthening in the pig.

The effects of gradual rib elongation on the 3-D position of neighboring vertebrae were studied in vitro in two pig specimens. The ends of one osteotomized rib were gradually distracted and the micromovements of the numerically corresponding vertebra with the osteotomized rib were studied in relation to the subjacent and suprajacent vertebrae with an opto-electronic motion analysis device. The study showed that gradual lengthening of the rib resulted in micromovements of the central vertebra in relation to the neighboring vertebrae registered as a) lateral translation in the coronal plane, b) rotation in the horizontal plane (both a and b were movements towards the opposite side of the lengthened rib), c) ventral translation in the sagittal plane and d) tilt in the coronal and sagittal planes. All movements were registered simultaneously. There was a significant linear correlation with the degree of rib elongation. From the results of this study it is concluded that gradual elongation of one rib affects the position of the numerically corresponding vertebra in relation to the suprajacent and subjacent vertebrae in the three cardinal planes in the same way as the apex vertebra is affected in idiopathic scoliosis. Moreover, the registered tilt, i.e., the rotational movement of the central vertebra in the coronal plane, could explain the wedging of the disc space, and the ventral translation in combination with the tilt in the sagittal plane could account for the lordotic tendency of the scoliotic segment.

Animals

Biodegradable fixation of ankle fractures. A roentgen stereophotogrammetric study of 32 cases.

We performed a prospective randomized study comparing fixation with biodegradable polyglycolic acid (PGA) rods (n 15) or screws (n 17) in 32 selected displaced supination-eversion fractures. Immediate postoperative weight bearing in a walking cast was encouraged. An exact reconstruction of the ankle mortise was achieved in 26/32 ankles. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) revealed rather small movements in the ankle mortise during fracture healing. A better stability was achieved by using screws. After 6 months the clinical results did not differ. One case of sinus formation and one with local effusion occurred; both healed without impairing the clinical result. To compare the results with a nondegradable osteosynthesis technique, a reference group of supination-eversion fractures previously operated on with cerclage-wires, staples and pins was used. RSA showed better fracture stability with nondegradable fixation. The clinical results, however, did not differ.

Adult

Characteristics of target-reaching in cats. I. Individual differences and intra-individual constancy.

Trajectory formation of unrestrained forelimb target-reaching was investigated in six cats. A Selspot-like recording system was used for three-dimensional recording of the position of the wrist every 3 ms with the aid of two cameras detecting infrared light emitted from diodes taped to the wrist. These measurements allowed reconstruction of movement paths in the horizontal and sagittal planes and velocity profiles in the direction of the cartesian x, y and z co-ordinates. Horizontal movement paths were smoothly curved, segmented or almost linear. Sagittal movement paths were sigmoid. The net velocity profile was usually bell-shaped with longer deceleration than acceleration, but for some slow movements the velocity profile had a plateau. When the net velocity profile was bell-shaped, the averaged sagittal movement paths and normalized x (protraction) and z (lifting) velocity profiles were virtually superimposable for fast and slow movements: thus, movement speed was changed by parallel scaling of protraction and lifting. Comparison of movement paths and velocity profiles amongst the different cats revealed considerable differences. The x profile was unimodal in one cat and double peaked in five cats: the second component was pronounced in two cats and small in the other three. The z profile was unimodal and, except for one cat, it had later onset and summit than the first component of the x profile. In contrast to the interindividual differences, there was a high degree of intraindividual constancy over 6-12 months. It is postulated that the interindividual variability depends on chance differences established early during learning of the task and that the imprinted pattern remains, resulting in intra-individual constancy.

Animals