TY  - JOUR
A1  - Bolzoni, Francesco
A1  - Esposti, Roberto
A1  - Marchese, Silvia M.
A1  - Pozzi, Nicoló G.
A1  - Ramirez-Pasos, Uri E.
A1  - Isaias, Ioannis U.
A1  - Cavallari, Paolo
T1  - Disrupt of intra-limb APA pattern in parkinsonian patients performing index-finger flexion
T2  - Frontiers in Physiology
N2  - Voluntary movements induce postural perturbations which are counteracted by anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). These actions are known to build up long fixation chains toward available support points (inter-limb APAs), so as to grant whole body equilibrium. Moreover, recent studies highlighted that APAs also build-up short fixation chains, within the same limb where a distal segment is moved (intra-limb APAs), aimed at stabilizing the proximal segments. The neural structures generating intra-limb APAs still need investigations; the present study aims to compare focal movement kinematics and intra-limb APA latencies and pattern between healthy subjects and parkinsonian patients, assuming the latter as a model of basal ganglia dysfunction. Intra-limb APAs that stabilize the arm when the index-finger is briskly flexed were recorded in 13 parkinsonian patients and in 10 age-matched healthy subjects. Index-finger movement was smaller in parkinsonian patients vs. healthy subjects (p = 0.01) and more delayed with respect to the onset of the prime mover flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS, p < 0.0001). In agreement with the literature, in all healthy subjects the FDS activation was preceded by an inhibitory intra-limb APA in biceps brachii (BB) and anterior deltoid (AD), and almost simultaneous to an excitatory intra-limb APA in triceps brachii (TB). In parkinsonian patients, no significant differences were found for TB and AD intra-limb APA timings, however only four patients showed an inhibitory intra-limb APA in BB, while other four did not show any BB intra-limb APAs and five actually developed a BB excitation. The frequency of occurrence of normal sign, lacking, and inverted BB APAs was different in healthy vs. parkinsonian participants (p = 0.0016). The observed alterations in index-finger kinematics and intra-limb APA pattern in parkinsonian patients suggest that basal ganglia, in addition to shaping the focal movement, may also contribute to intra-limb APA control.
KW  - intra-limb anticipatory postural adjustments
KW  - Parkinson disease
KW  - basal ganglia
KW  - motor control
KW  - human
Y1  - 2018
UR  - https://opus.bibliothek.uni-wuerzburg.de/opus4-wuerzburg/frontdoor/index/index/docId/36924
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-369245
SN  - 1664-042X
VL  - 9
ER  -