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Biomedical subjects

G Tardieu

Publications and source records attributed to G Tardieu.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1972

Physiological and structural changes in the cat's soleus muscle due to immobilization at different lengths by plaster casts.

1. Passive length-tension curves were established for cat soleus muscles that had been immobilized in different positions. Muscles that had been immobilized in the lengthened position showed no difference in their length-tension properties to those of normal muscles. However, those immobilized in the shortened position showed a considerable decrease in extensibility.2. Muscle fibre length, sarcomere length and the total number of sarcomeres along single teased fibres were also determined for muscles immobilized in different positions. Soleus muscles immobilized in the lengthened position were found to have 20% more sarcomeres in series than normal muscles whilst those immobilized in the shortened position had 40% less than normal muscles.3. When the plaster casts were removed from muscles that had been immobilized in the shortened position, the length-tension curves and sarcomere number returned to normal within 4 weeks. Muscles that were immobilized in a shortened position and then immobilized in a second position were found to rapidly adjust to the second position with respect to their passive length-tension properties and sarcomere number.4. A change in the number of sarcomere in series seems to be the way in which the sarcomere length of the muscle is adjusted to its new functional length. The change in the length-tension properties which accompanies a decrease in sarcomere number appears to be the mechanism which prevents the muscle from being overstretched.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1970

Conception of the development of the motor organization in child with reference to cerebral palsy and its therapy.

It is often put forwards that the motor behaviour may be explained on the basis of motor patterns defined with reference to metric space. Merton, who interpretes the gamma loop as a length servo-mechanism, gives a neurophysiological basis to the above conception. The critical study of Merton's theory, our personal work and the analysis of the motor development of the infant lead us to disagree this view. The notion of pattern seems worthkeeping, but provided that the organization is described in terms of regulation of movements and not in terms of position, or length of muscle. A metric spatial reference is not always present. When it is needed, it is not included in the postural regulation. In other words, this reference is not obtained by a postural servo-mechanism. It is obtained first by trial and error in relation to external object and this is so in the young child. It is much later that an evaluation of distance is integrated into action, deriving from a conceptual acquisition of it by the child. The obvious progression of motor behaviour from birth poses the question of respective roles of maturation and learning. A review of very recent works lead us to think that maturation is not a sufficient explanation. Being by the fact, lead to emphasize learning, it becomes evident to us that application of the psychological conceptions of J. Piaget gives the best explanation of the facts. The above analysis in normal child are applied to cerebral palsied child, giving explanations of problems and offering better guides for therapy.

Brain Damage, Chronic↗