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Movement-related neuronal activity selectively coding either direction or muscle pattern in three motor areas of the monkey.

1. Movement-related neuronal activity in the supplementary motor area (SMA), primary motor cortex (MC), and putamen was studied in monkeys performing a visuomotor tracking task designed to determine 1) the extent to which neuronal activity in each of these areas represented the direction of visually guided arm movements versus the pattern of muscle activity required to achieve those movements and 2) the relative timing of different types of movement-related activity in these three motor areas. 2. A total of 455 movement-related neurons in the three motor areas were tested with a behavioral paradigm, which dissociated the direction of visually guided elbow movements from the accompanying pattern of muscular activity by the application of opposing and assisting torque loads. The movement-related activity described in this report was collected in the same animals performing the same behavioral paradigm used to study preparatory activity described in the preceding paper. Of the total sample, 87 neurons were located within the arm region of the SMA, 150 within the arm region of the MC, and 218 within the arm region of the putamen. 3. Movement-related cells were classified as "directional" if they showed an increase in discharge rate predominantly or exclusively during movements in one direction and did not have significant static or dynamic load effects. A cell was classified as "muscle-like" if its directional movement-related activity was associated with static and/or dynamic load effects whose pattern was similar to that of flexors or extensors of the forearm. Both directional and muscle-like cells were found in all three motor areas. The largest proportion of directional cells was located in the putamen (52%), with significantly smaller proportions in the SMA (38%) and MC (41%). Conversely, a smaller proportion of muscle-like cells was seen in the putamen (24%) than in the SMA (41%) or MC (36%). 4. The time of onset of movement-related discharge relative to the onset of movement ("lead time") was computed for each cell. On average, SMA neurons discharged significantly earlier (SMA lead times 47 +/- 8 ms, mean +/- SE) than those in MC (23 +/- 6 ms), which in turn were earlier than those in putamen (-33 +/- 6 ms). However, the degree of overlap of the distributions of lead times for the three areas was extensive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

Neural representations of the target (goal) of visually guided arm movements in three motor areas of the monkey.

1. This study was designed to determine whether the supplementary motor area (SMA), the primary motor cortex (MC), and the putamen, all of which are components of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical "motor circuit," contain neural representations of the target or goal of a movement, independent of specific features of the movement itself. Four rhesus monkeys were trained to perform two visuomotor delayed step-tracking tasks in which the subject used a cursor to track targets on a display screen by making flexion and extension movements of the elbow. Single-cell activity was recorded from the SMA, MC, and putamen while the monkeys performed the two tasks. In the Standard task, the cursor and the forearm moved in the same direction. The Cursor/Limb Inversion task was identical to the Standard task except that there was an inverse relationship between the directions of movement of the forearm and cursor. Together, these tasks dissociated the spatial features of the target or goal of the movement from those of the movement itself. Both tasks also included features that made it possible to distinguish neuronal activity related to the preparation for movement from that related to movement execution. A total of 554 directionally selective, task-related neurons were tested with both tasks (SMA, 207; MC, 198; putamen, 149). 2. Two types of directionally selective preparatory activity were seen in each motor area. Cells with target-dependent preparatory activity showed selective discharge prior to all preplanned movements of the cursor toward one of the side targets (right or left), irrespective of whether the limb movement involved extension or flexion of the elbow. Comparable proportions of target-dependent preparatory cells were seen in the SMA (36%), MC (40%), and putamen (38%). Cells with limb-dependent preparatory activity showed selective discharge prior to all preplanned elbow movements in a particular direction (extension or flexion), irrespective of whether the target to which the cursor was moved was located on the right or left side of the display. The SMA contained a higher proportion of limb-dependent preparatory cells (40%) than either MC (15%) or putamen (9%). 3. Two types of directionally selective movement-related activity were also seen in each motor area.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Action Potentials↗

Proprioceptive activity in primate primary somatosensory cortex during active arm reaching movements.

1. We studied the activity of 254 cells in the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) responding to inputs from peripheral proprioceptors in a variety of tasks requiring active reaching movements of the contralateral arm. 2. The majority of cells with receptive fields on the proximal arm (shoulder and elbow) were broadly and unimodally tuned for movement direction, often with approximately sinusoidal tuning curves similar to those seen in motor and parietal cortex. 3. The predominant temporal response profiles were directionally tuned phasic bursts during movement and tonic activity that varied with different arm postures. 4. Most cells showed both phasic and tonic response components to differing degrees, and the population formed a continuum from purely phasic to purely tonic cells with no evidence of separate distinct phasic and tonic populations. This indicates that the initial cortical neuronal correlates of the introspectively distinguishable sensations of movement and position are represented in an overlapping or distributed manner in SI. 5. The directional tuning of the phasic and tonic response components of most cells was generally similar, although rarely identical. 6. We tested 62 cells during similar active and passive arm movements. Many cells showed large differences in their responses in the two conditions, presumably due to changes in peripheral receptor discharge during active muscle contractions. 7. We tested 86 cells in a convergent movement task in which monkeys made reaching movements to a single central target from eight peripheral starting positions. A majority of the cells (46 of 86, 53.5%) showed a movement direction-related hysteresis in which their tonic activity after movement to the central target varied with the direction by which the arm moved to the target. The directionality of this hysteresis was coupled with the movement-related directional tuning of the cells. 8. We recorded the discharge of 93 cells as the monkeys performed the task while compensating for loads in different directions. The large majority of cells showed a statistically significant modulation of activity as a function of load direction, which was qualitatively similar to that seen in motor cortex under similar task conditions. Quantitatively, however, the sensitivity of SI proprioceptive cells to loads was less than that seen in motor cortex but greater than in parietal cortex. 9. We interpret these results in terms of their implications for the central representation of the spatiotemporal form ("kinematics") of arm movements and postures. Most importantly, the results emphasize the important influence of muscle contractile activity on the central proprioceptive representation of active movements.

Afferent Pathways↗

Motor adaptation to Coriolis force perturbations of reaching movements: endpoint but not trajectory adaptation transfers to the nonexposed arm.

1. Reaching movements made in a rotating room generate Coriolis forces that are directly proportional to the cross product of the room's angular velocity and the arm's linear velocity. Such Coriolis forces are inertial forces not involving mechanical contact with the arm. 2. We measured the trajectories of arm movements made in darkness to a visual target that was extinguished at the onset of each reach. Prerotation subjects pointed with both the right and left arms in alternating sets of eight movements. During rotation at 10 rpm, the subjects reached only with the right arm. Postrotation, the subjects pointed with the left and right arms, starting with the left, in alternating sets of eight movements. 3. The initial perrotary reaching movements of the right arm were highly deviated both in movement path and endpoint relative to the prerotation reaches of the right arm. With additional movements, subjects rapidly regained straight movement paths and accurate endpoints despite the absence of visual or tactile feedback about reaching accuracy. The initial postrotation reaches of the left arm followed straight paths to the wrong endpoint. The initial postrotation reaches of the right arm had paths with mirror image curvature to the initial perrotation reaches of the right arm but went to the correct endpoint. 4. These observations are inconsistent with current equilibrium point models of movement control. Such theories predict accurate reaches under our experimental conditions. Our observations further show independent implementation of movement and posture, as evidenced by transfer of endpoint adaptation to the nonexposed arm without transfer of path adaptation. Endpoint control may occur at a relatively central stage that represents general constraints such as gravitoinertial force background or egocentric direction relative to both arms, and control of path may occur at a more peripheral stage that represents moments of inertia and muscle dynamics unique to each limb. 5. Endpoint and path adaptation occur despite the absence both of mechanical contact cues about the perturbing force and visual or tactile cues about movement accuracy. These findings point to the importance of muscle spindle signals, monitoring of motor commands, and possibly joint and tendon receptors in a detailed trajectory monitoring process. Muscle spindle primary and secondary afferent signals may differentially influence adaptation of movement shape and endpoint, respectively.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

[Prediction of mandibular movement by observation of facial skin markers].

PURPOSE: Various methods have been used for observation of mandibular movement. However, many methods disturb physiological movement as the subject must wear a sensor. Therefore, to predict mandibular movement from the motion of facial skin, the correlation between the movements of mandibular incisor-tooth point and facial skin markers was evaluated by multiple regression analysis. METHODS: Nine retro-reflective markers were placed on the lower facial skin of 8 dentulous subjects and three markers on the wire frame attached to the mandibular tooth, respectively. Movement of markers was repeatedly recorded by 6 video cameras from centric occlusion to maximal opening position. Data was analyzed and the movements were constructed in 3D. In order to predict movement (opening, vertical, anterior-posterior) at an incisor-tooth point, multiple regression analysis was performed by making the 27 amounts of 3D movements (X, Y, Z components) of nine facial skin markers as explanatory variables. The difference between the actual value and the predicted value by multiple regressions was calculated, and compared in the 5 ranges of analysis (0-5 mm, 0-10 mm, 0-15 mm, 5-10 mm, 10-15 mm). RESULTS: The movements of mouth opening and vertical direction could be predicted with the accuracy of 0.76 mm (3.7%)and 0.69 mm (4.9%) in the range of 0-15 mm with nine variables, respectively. However, the accuracy of movements in the anterior-posterior direction was 0.40 mm (9.7%) with ten variables. The ratio was larger than these in the movements of mouth opening and vertical direction. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that movement of mandibular incisor-tooth point in mouth opening and vertical direction to 15 mm could be predicted from the facial skin markers.

English Abstract↗

On the psychophysics of arm-positioning movements.

The basis for the relationship between physical stimulus and magnitude of psychological response in angular movements of the upper limbs was investigated. Participants compared movements to a standard location with movements to comparison locations and movements of a standard distance with movements of comparison distances. The results add to the controversy surrounding the explanations for the differences in psychological response magnitude of movements to locations and movements across distances. Data obtained from movements to locations and movements across distances indicated similar Weber ratios but different patterns for the just noticeable differences. The data of this and previous research suggest that the application of a prothetic continuum to arm movements is inappropriate. An alternative explanation of the differences in the perception of movements to locations and movements across distances is offered.

Adolescent↗

Elite system: recording of condylar movements using a modified computerized technique.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to develop a method to measure condylar movements using a computerized system. The Elite system is a computerized device for the graphic recording of mandibular movements by processing images of marks recorded with two video cameras. The Elite system has traditionally been used to measure mandibular movements; it was modified to record condylar movements as well. METHODS: The position of the markers was altered to enable 3-D recording not only of mandibular movements but also of condylar movements. New software was developed. Ten subjects (young adults; good complete dentition; no temporo-mandibular disorders; no orthodontic treatment) underwent recording with traditional and then with modified Elite system. The subjects were asked to perform the following movements: maximum opening and closing; protrusive and retrusive movements; border movements on the frontal plane. The sequence of movements was repeated three times on three different days. Data processing was effected using the Spline-smoothing method. RESULTS: The modified Elite system technique records condylar movements with extreme reliability, reproducibility and the resulting graphics are comparable. CONCLUSIONS: This method provides the chance to obtain more information about condylar movements in healthy subjects with good dentition, but also in patients with joint dysfunction.

Adult↗

[Clinical study on the relationship between chewing movements and temporomandibular joint abnormalities].

Chewing movements are accomplished by the harmonious function of the stomatognathic system. Therefore, TMJs play important roles in chewing movements. Recently, significant findings on TMJ abnormalities have been obtained from many studies. However, the relationship between chewing movements and TMJ abnormalities remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine how TMJ abnormalities were reflected in chewing movements. Incisor point movements during chewing (chewing pattern) were investigated in 150 abnormal and 25 normal subjects using Sirognathograph Analysing System. Abnormal subjects were composed of 45 patients with anterior disk displacement with reduction (reciprocal click), 20 patients with anterior disk displacement without reduction (closed lock), 50 patients with osteoarthrosis and 35 patients with MPD syndrome. Analysis of condylar movements during chewing were also performed in 9 normal and 20 abnormal subjects. The results were as follow; 1. Subjects with TMJ abnormalities tended to show abnormal chewing patterns when chewing at their non-abnormal sides. 2. TMJ abnormality of each different type tended to show its respective characteristic chewing pattern. 1) Subjects with osteoarthrosis and reciprocal click without condylar posterior dislocation tended to show deviation of the turning point to the non-chewing side, with a convex opening path in the frontal plane and a lack of anteroposterior width in the sagittal plane. This finding was associated with the limitation in movement of the abnormal-side condyle. 2) Subjects with reciprocal click with condylar posterior dislocation tended to show a concave opening path and reversed or cross-over patterns in the frontal and horizontal planes, respectively. This finding was associated with the movement of the abnormal-side condyle in the medio-anterior direction during the initial phase of opening. 3) Subjects with closed lock without condylar posterior dislocation tended to show deviation of the turning point to the non-chewing side, with a concave opening path in the frontal plane and a lack of anteroposterior width in the sagittal plane. This finding was associated with the severe limitation in movement of the abnormal-side condyle. 4) Subjects with closed lock with condylar posterior dislocation characteristically tended to show reversed or cross-over patterns in the horizontal plane. This finding was associated with the movement of the abnormal-side condyle in the medio-anterior direction during the initial phase of opening. However, this movement was smaller than that of the reciprocal click. 3. Subjects with MPD syndrome showed chewing patterns similar to those of normal subjects. From the results, close relationships were found between chewing movements and TMJ abnormalities.

Female↗

[Automatic movements of extremities induced in primary massive brain lesion with apneic coma].

In three cases of primary massive brain lesion with apneic coma, various automatic movements of the extremities were elicited by physical or sensory stimulation. In each case, these movements appeared after a period of cessation of spontaneous respiration followed by flaccid tetraplegia. Brainstem reflexes were absent throughout in all cases. The movements were induced mainly by ventroflexion of the neck, and each case showed movements as described below: in the first case, the patient flexed her elbows and raised both arms slowly, a typical Lazarus sign; in the second case, the patient raised both arms and showed myoclonic movements; and the third case showed abduction of both legs and extension in the upper extremities. Pathology in the first case showed ischemic changes in the entire brain and brainstem. Although ischemic change was also found in the anterior horn cells and white matter of the spinal cord of C1-C4 and of T4 and below, the spinal cord of C5-T3 was relatively well-preserved. These movements appear to have essentially originated in spinal neurons; however, it is assumed that they must have recovered from spinal shock which occurred due to upper level transection. These movements were induced by ventroflexion of the neck, so mechanical extension of the spinal roots, mechanical compression of the spinal cord, and various modalities of the sensation afferent might have some relation to these movements. As tonic neck reflex might also be a cause of these, movements, association with the lower medulla could not be ruled out completely. These movements appeared nearing or after brain death. Although in each case of brain death the spinal cord may have been affected by specific conditions, such as impaired circulation of whole central nervous sysytem, it might have been transversed at upper level, which then causes spinal automatism. These movements might appear even in the state of brainstem death. In each case, the distribution and severity of hypoxic changes in the spinal cord may have resulted in variations in the type and characteristics of these movements.

Aged↗

Eye movements during voluntary head motion with minimized cervical input.

Eye movements were recorded using DC-electro-oculography in 20 healthy subjects during sinusoidal voluntary head movements and during similar voluntary head movements with minimized cervical input. The eye movements during these conditions were compared to the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), to the cervico-ocular reaction (COR) and to the active COR (i.e., voluntary stabilization of the head in space while the trunk was moved sinusoidally). Each subject sat with eyes covered on a rotating chair. Sinusoidal movements having an amplitude of +/- 20 degrees and either 0.1 or 0.2 Hz were performed. Voluntary head movements and head movements with minimized cervical input showed no difference in the gain of the slow-phase velocity of the nystagmus, the saccadic activity (cumulated amplitude/time) and the maximum eye deviation. The distribution of saccades around the reversal of head movement in space represents the only significant difference between these conditions. While the saccades appear promptly after reversal during sinusoidal voluntary head movement, they appear during voluntary head movement with minimized cervical input just before the reversal of head movement in space. The direction of saccades always depends on the displacement of the head related to the trunk and is due to cervical input and/or central influences.

Adult↗

How active gaze informs the hand in sequential pointing movements.

Visual information is vital for fast and accurate hand movements. It has been demonstrated that allowing free eye movements results in greater accuracy than when the eyes maintain centrally fixed. Three explanations as to why free gaze improves accuracy are: shifting gaze to a target allows visual feedback in guiding the hand to the target (feedback loop), shifting gaze generates ocular-proprioception which can be used to update a movement (feedback-feedforward), or efference copy could be used to direct hand movements (feedforward). In this experiment we used a double-step task and manipulated the utility of ocular-proprioceptive feedback from eye to head position by removing the second target during the saccade. We confirm the advantage of free gaze for sequential movements with a double-step pointing task and document eye-hand lead times of approximately 200 ms for both initial movements and secondary movements. The observation that participants move gaze well ahead of the current hand target dismisses foveal feedback as a major contribution. We argue for a feedforward model based on eye movement efference as the major factor in enabling accurate hand movements. The results with the double-step target task also suggest the need for some buffering of efference and ocular-proprioceptive signals to cope with the situation where the eye has moved to a location ahead of the current target for the hand movement. We estimate that this buffer period may range between 120 and 200 ms without significant impact on hand movement accuracy.

Adult↗

General coordination of shoulder, elbow and wrist dynamics during multijoint arm movements.

Studies of multijoint arm movements have demonstrated that the nervous system anticipates and plans for the mechanical effects that arise from motion of the linked limb segments. The general rules by which the nervous system selects appropriate muscle activities and torques to best deal with these intersegmental effects are largely unknown. In order to reveal possible rules, this study examined the relationship of muscle and interaction torques to joint acceleration at the shoulder, elbow and wrist during point-to-point arm movements to a range of targets in the horizontal plane. Results showed that, in general, dynamics differed between the joints. For most movements, shoulder muscle torque primarily determined net torque and joint acceleration, while interaction torque was minimal. In contrast, elbow and wrist net torque were determined by a combination of muscle and interaction torque that varied systematically with target direction and joint excursion. This "shoulder-centered pattern" occurred whether subjects reached targets using straight or curved finger paths. The prevalence of a shoulder-centered pattern extends findings from a range of arm movement studies including movement of healthy adults, neurological patients, and simulations with altered interaction effects. The shoulder-centered pattern occurred for most but not all movements. The majority of the remaining movements displayed an "elbow-centered pattern," in which muscle torque determined initial acceleration at the elbow and not at the shoulder. This occurred for movements when shoulder excursion was <50% of elbow excursion. Thus, both shoulder- and elbow-centered movements displayed a difference between joints but with reversed dynamics. Overall, these findings suggest that a difference in dynamics between joints is a general feature of horizontal plane arm movements, and this difference is most commonly reflected in a shoulder-centered pattern. This feature fits well with other general shoulder-elbow differences suggested in the literature on arm movements, namely that: (a) agonist muscle activity appears more closely related to certain joint kinematics at the shoulder than at the elbow, (b) adults with neurological damage display less disruption of shoulder motion than elbow motion, and (c) infants display adult-like motion first in the shoulder and last at the wrist.

Adult↗

Control of goal-directed movements: the contribution of orienting of visual attention and motor preparation.

Three experiments investigated the role of attention and motor preparation for the control of goal-directed movements. In Experiment 1 (double step paradigm), a movement correction was required on 25% of the trials towards the left or right of the initial target. Within these 25% of trials, the probability of location of the second target was manipulated. The efficiency of movement control increased when increasing the probability of correcting the movement in a given direction. In Experiment 2, attentional processes were isolated by asking the subjects to verbally detect the more or less probable target displacement, without correcting their movement. Subjects were able to orient visual attention during movement execution, thus improving the processing of visual feedbacks from target displacement. In Experiment 3, motor preparation processes were isolated by asking the subjects to correct their movement towards a fixed target in response to a more or less probable mechanical perturbation. It was shown that motor preparation not only specifies the initial movement parameters but may also include some parameters of the most probable movement modulations. Overall, these results highlight the role of both attentional and motor preparation processes in the control of goal-directed movements and suggest that the feedback-based corrections of the movement are modulated by a feedforward control.

Adult↗

Neuronal activity in the lateral cerebellum of trained monkeys, related to visual stimuli or to eye movements.

1. The responses of neurones in the lateral cerebellar cortex to visual stimuli and to eye movements were recorded in rhesus monkeys trained to perform visually guided arm and eye movements in a tracking task. 2. Twenty-two of 134 units recorded (16%) modulated their discharge in response to a bright Xenon flash. They were mainly located in the dorsal paraflocculus. Among those identified as Purkinje cells both simple spike and climbing fibre responses to the flash were seen. (72% of the units were related to arm movements; these were centred in the paramedian lobule, and have been described fully in Marple-Horvat & Stein (1987).) 3. The visual responsiveness of one of the units varied according to the phase of the monkey's task. Around the time that the target stepped, which was the monkey's cue to move, its sensitivity to other stimuli disappeared. 4. Only two neurones responded to the movements of the tracking target. These responses were conditional upon the monkey using visual signals to guide his movements; they did not respond to the target step if he moved before the target did. 5. Fourteen units (10%) located in crus I and II and lobulus simplex correlated strongly with the velocity of horizontal eye movements. Only one of these also responded to visual stimuli. 6. Thus most neurones were found to carry only visual, or eye movement, or limb movement information rather than combinations of these signals; they were located in different but overlapping regions of lateral cerebellar cortex. Visually responsive neurones are probably involved in planning the visual goal of movements, while eye and arm movement neurones probably help to create co-ordinative structures for executing voluntary eye and arm movements.

Action Potentials↗

Head movement evoked by electrical stimulation in the supplementary eye field of the rhesus monkey.

Although the supplementary eye field (SEF) has been implicated in the control of head movements associated with gaze shifts, there is no direct evidence that SEF plays a role in the generation of head movements independent of gaze. If the SEF does, varying the duration of stimulation should selectively alter the head-movement kinematics during the postgaze-shift period. The duration of the stimulation was manipulated while head-unrestrained monkeys maintained stable head forward postures. The initial positions of the eyes in the orbits were systematically varied. Although combined movements of the eyes and head were produced in the majority of the trials, head movements were sometimes evoked in the absence of gaze shifts. These head-alone movements were most frequent when the initial eye position was contralateral to the stimulated side. When the stimulation produced eye and head movements, gaze onset was sometimes preceded by a relatively low-velocity phase of the head movement. Evoked head movements were primarily horizontal, unlike the gaze shifts, which typically had vertical components that varied according to the initial positions of the eyes in the orbits. The postgaze-shift head movements tended to be of low velocity and in many cases persisted until stimulation offset. In general, prolonging the stimulation resulted in improved centering of the eyes in the orbits. These findings suggest that, in addition to its previously described role in the generation of coordinated eye-head gaze shifts, the SEF is also involved in the control of head movements in the absence of a change of gaze.

Analysis of Variance↗

Different predictions by the minimum variance and minimum torque-change models on the skewness of movement velocity profiles.

We investigated the differences between two well-known optimization principles for understanding movement planning: the minimum variance (MV) model of Harris and Wolpert (1998) and the minimum torque change (MTC) model of Uno, Kawato, and Suzuki (1989). Both models accurately describe the properties of human reaching movements in ordinary situations (e.g., nearly straight paths and bell-shaped velocity profiles). However, we found that the two models can make very different predictions when external forces are applied or when the movement duration is increased. We considered a second-order linear system for the motor plant that has been used previously to simulate eye movements and single-joint arm movements and were able to derive analytical solutions based on the MV and MTC assumptions. With the linear plant, the MTC model predicts that the movement velocity profile should always be symmetrical, independent of the external forces and movement duration. In contrast, the MV model strongly depends on the movement duration and the system's degree of stability; the latter in turn depends on the total forces. The MV model thus predicts a skewed velocity profile under many circumstances. For example, it predicts that the peak location should be skewed toward the end of the movement when the movement duration is increased in the absence of any elastic force. It also predicts that with appropriate viscous and elastic forces applied to increase system stability, the velocity profile should be skewed toward the beginning of the movement. The velocity profiles predicted by the MV model can even show oscillations when the plant becomes highly oscillatory. Our analytical and simulation results suggest specific experiments for testing the validity of the two models.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Body movement during sleep in subjects with long-standing bruxing behavior.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether patients with long-standing nocturnal bruxing behavior present different body movement activity during sleep compared with healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eleven bruxers and 8 nonbruxers were studied in the sleep laboratory, and motor activity was detected with sensor pads placed under the mattress. Movements simultaneously recorded on videotapes were classified according to their duration and grouped in different types according to their characteristics. RESULTS: Subjects with bruxism had significantly more movements during sleep compared with controls; the difference was especially obvious for movements of short duration (< 5 seconds). The differences became significant from the fourth hour of sleep. These short movements were twitches, jerks, or any sudden, brusque movements of the extremities, but without the periodicity encountered in, for example, periodic limb movements during sleep. No significant relationship was found between the occurrence of masseter activity and movements. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that subjects with nocturnal bruxism have movement disorders that are expressed not only as grinding or clenching of the teeth, but also as an increase of short-duration body movements during sleep. This reinforces the hypothesis of a central etiology common to both bruxism and short movements during sleep.

Adult↗

[From posture to initiation of movement].

Purposeful motor acts are subjected to two contradictory constraints. One is to move one or several body segments toward a goal, the other is to stabilize other segments in order to maintain posture and equilibrium. One of the major tasks of the central nervous system is to coordinate posture and movement. Human posture is built up from the superposition of several "modules' from the ground to the head. Each module, tied to the next one by muscles, has its proper central and reflex regulation which permits to maintain its position in relation to the underlying one. In addition, a global regulation of posture is apparent (postural tone). Equilibrium is maintained under static conditions when the center of gravity projects onto the ground within the supporting surface (feet). Sensory error detecting signals (visual, labyrinthine, proprioceptive) are correcting, through a feedback loop, the reference regulated value according to a "postural' body schema based on "metric' and "dynamic' inputs. Corrections are continuous (and slow) or discontinuous and phasic through a repertoire of synergies allowing fast corrections. During movement performance, posture and equilibrium are stabilized by "anticipatory postural adjustments'. Some are aimed at maintaining the equilibrium notwithstanding the displacement of body segments due to the movement; others stabilize one or several segments such as the head, the trunk or the arm, which serve as reference value for the calculation of the movement trajectory and for the accurate performance of the movement. The anticipatory adjustments are learned during childhood or during training for specific tasks. The adaptative networks built up for a given movement are then controlled by the movement related command signals. The central organization of these anticipatory postural adjustments relies on central brain structures involved in movement execution and movement organization. Deficit is seen in spastic patients, to some extent in cerebellar patients. Basal ganglia and premotor areas, including the supplementary motor area, are of importance for coordination between posture and movement. This suggests that one of their function might be to stabilize posture during movement performance in order to ensure precise reaching of the goal. A specific pathology of the anticipatory postural adjustments should thus be considered.

Animals↗