Reaching tasks in an altered dynamic environment: Motor adaptation in FRDA patients

Introduction: In the last few years, robotic devices are extensively employed to exploit how the Central Nervous System (CNS) learns to control movements in different dynamical conditions. It was demonstrate that normally developed subjects can adapt to novel dynamic environments, tuning an internal model of the arm environment to compensate systematically applied forces, and showing an after-effect that appears when the force field is unexpectedly removed [1]. It was also found that this capability is at least partially still present in subjects affected by Huntington's disease, or in stroke survivor, but not in subjects with cerebellar atrophy [2].

Source: Gait and Posture - August 1, 2014 Category: Orthopaedics Authors: M. Germanotta, M. Petrarca, S. Rossi, S. Carniel, E. Castelli, P. Cappa Source Type: research