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Motor Laterality (motor + laterality)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	100%

Selected Abstracts

Lateralised motor behaviour leads to increased unevenness in front feet and asymmetry in athletic performance in young mature Warmblood horses

EQUINE VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 5 2010
M. C. V. Van HEEL
Summary Reason for performing study: Foot stance in grazing significantly influences hoof conformation and development from foal to yearling age. Objectives: To conduct a longitudinal study to establish if the relationship between motor laterality and uneven front feet persisted in 3-year-old horses at the time of studbook selection and to investigate if such laterality and unevenness might influence the horses' ability to perform symmetrically while trotting, cantering and free jumping. Methods: Seventeen clinically sound but untrained (with only minimal experience of handling) and sound Warmblood horses that had participated in a previous study were assessed as per the protocol reported. Laterality was tested in a preference test (PT) and z -values were calculated for analysis purposes. Laterality and hoof unevenness were related to both relative limb length and relative head size, while the ability to perform symmetrically was tested in free trot-canter transitions and free jumping exercises. Differences in performance between horses with and without a limb preference in the PT and those with ,uneven' and ,even' feet were tested for differences in performance metrics using Students' t test, while linearity was tested using a regression analysis (P<0.05). Results: Significant laterality was still present in 24% of the 3-year-old horses and the relationship between laterality and uneven feet pairs was stronger than at foal and yearling stages. Horses with significant motor laterality had almost 4 times more unevenness, a smaller head and longer limbs and the relationship between body conformation and laterality was still present. There was a strong linear relation between unevenness, laterality and a bias or side preference for trot-canter transitions. However, this relationship was not significant during the free jumping exercise. Conclusion: Motor laterality and uneven feet pairs were still present and significantly related in the 3-year-old horses and both variables were also strongly related to sidedness in trot-canter transitions. Potential relevance: Warmblood studbooks should include quantitative data on laterality at the time of studbook admission as part of the selection criteria. [source]

Motor laterality asymmetry and nonmotor symptoms in Parkinson's disease,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 1 2010
Esther Cubo
Abstract Background: In patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), asymmetric motor signs provide an interesting model to evaluate whether asymmetric nigrostriatal degeneration can affect neuropsychological function and other nonmotor symptoms (NMS). This study was designed to evaluate the predominant laterality of motor symptoms and its relationship with cognition and other NMS in idiopathic PD. Methods: Nationwide, longitudinal, and multicenter study (ELEP Registry) using outpatients with PD. Left PD (LPD) and right PD (RPD) was defined based on the motor signs on the SCOPA-motor scale. To include the clinical spectrum of asymmetric PD patients, we considered two groups of patients with mild-moderate and extreme asymmetry. Predominant LPD or RPD with mild-moderate versus extreme asymmetry were compared using the following scales: cognition, psychosis (Parkinson Psychosis Rating Scale), anxiety/depression, sleep (and autonomic dysfunction at baseline and 1 year later. Nonparametric tests were used for comparison. Results: One hundred forty-nine PD patients (74 RPD and 75 LPD) with mild-moderate asymmetry and 90 (47 RPD and 43 LPD) with extreme asymmetry and a mean age of 64.5 (10.4) years were included. Extreme RPD had higher Parkinson Psychosis Rating Scale scores over time (P = 0.005) compared with LPD, but no significant differences were observed between LPD and RPD in terms of other NMS. Conclusions: These findings suggest that damage to left-hemisphere plays a disproportionately greater role in PD-related psychosis over time. In contrast, motor laterality does not consistently affect other NMS, suggesting that NMS are related to a more widespread brain disorder. © 2009 Movement Disorder Society [source]