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Vali Noghondar N, Sohrabi M, Taheri HR, Kobravi HR, Khodashenas E. Pre-programming in overhand throwing of children with Down syndrome: role of the generalized motor program. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2019; 67:229-235. [PMID: 34188902 PMCID: PMC8211138 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2019.1585693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It is unclear whether slowness and higher reaction time of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) are because of inability to pre-program and using the generalized motor program (GMP) or not. So, the purpose of this study was to examine the consistency of relative timing as a fixed feature of a GMP in overhand throwing with changing the distance to target as a varied feature. METHODS Fifteen individuals with DS (age = 13 ± 2 y) and a control group of 12 individuals without intellectual disability (ID; age = 13 ± 2 y) were asked to throw a tennis ball to a fixed target from three distances of 2, 2.75, and 3.25 m, respectively. Instant of occurrence of the following discrete variables was recorded by motion analysis: initiation of elbow extension, maximum shoulder angular velocity, maximum elbow angular velocity, and maximum resultant hand velocity. RESULTS Results of two-way analysis of variance test did not show any significant difference in any of the relative kinematic variables in distances and groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION It seems that individuals with DS are able to motor preprogram and they use a GMP to overhand throwing from different distances as well as those without ID. Also, slowness and reaction time are unrelated to pre-programming and GMP as it relates to overhand throwing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehdi Sohrabi
- Department of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Taheri
- Department of Sport Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Kobravi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Islamic Azad University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Ezzat Khodashenas
- Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Huang CK, Shivaswamy V, Thaisetthawatkul P, Mack L, Stergiou N, Siu KC. An altered spatiotemporal gait adjustment during a virtual obstacle crossing task in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. J Diabetes Complications 2019; 33:182-188. [PMID: 30442545 PMCID: PMC6331236 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates spatiotemporal gait adjustments that occur while stepping over virtual obstacles during treadmill walking in people with/without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Eleven adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, ten DPN, and 11 age-matched healthy adults (HTY) participated in this study. They stepped over forthcoming virtual obstacles during treadmill walking. Outcomes such as success rate, spatiotemporal gait characteristics during obstacle crossing, and correlations between these variables were evaluated. The results partially supported our hypotheses that when comparing with HTY and DM, people with DPN adopted a crossing strategy which decreased obstacle crossing success rate and maximal toe elevation, and increased stride time and stance time during virtual obstacle crossing. This might be due to the compromised somatosensory functions of their lower extremity which may increase the risk of falling. This study also found an inter-leg relationship which may be applied to future stepping or obstacle crossing training that incorporates both legs as a means for improving outcomes of the trailing leg during daily obstacle negotiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Kai Huang
- Division of Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, United States of America.
| | - Vijay Shivaswamy
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, College of Medicine, UNMC, United States of America.
| | | | - Lynn Mack
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, College of Medicine, UNMC, United States of America.
| | - Nicholas Stergiou
- Department of Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, UNMC, United States of America; Department of Biomechanics, College of Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), NE, United States of America.
| | - Ka-Chun Siu
- Division of Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, United States of America; Department of Biomechanics, College of Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), NE, United States of America.
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Atkinson J. The Davida Teller Award Lecture, 2016: Visual Brain Development: A review of "Dorsal Stream Vulnerability"-motion, mathematics, amblyopia, actions, and attention. J Vis 2017; 17:26. [PMID: 28362900 PMCID: PMC5381328 DOI: 10.1167/17.3.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in the Visual Development Unit on "dorsal stream vulnerability' (DSV) arose from research in two somewhat different areas. In the first, using cortical milestones for local and global processing from our neurobiological model, we identified cerebral visual impairment in infants in the first year of life. In the second, using photo/videorefraction in population refractive screening programs, we showed that infant spectacle wear could reduce the incidence of strabismus and amblyopia, but many preschool children, who had been significantly hyperopic earlier, showed visuo-motor and attentional deficits. This led us to compare developing dorsal and ventral streams, using sensitivity to global motion and form as signatures, finding deficits in motion sensitivity relative to form in children with Williams syndrome, or perinatal brain injury in hemiplegia or preterm birth. Later research showed that this "DSV" was common across many disorders, both genetic and acquired, from autism to amblyopia. Here, we extend DSV to be a cluster of problems, common to many disorders, including poor motion sensitivity, visuo-motor spatial integration for planning actions, attention, and number skills. In current research, we find that individual differences in motion coherence sensitivity in typically developing children are correlated with MRI measures of area variations in parietal lobe, fractional anisotropy (from TBSS) of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, and performance on tasks of mathematics and visuo-motor integration. These findings suggest that individual differences in motion sensitivity reflect decision making and attentional control rather than integration in MT/V5 or V3A. Its neural underpinnings may be related to Duncan's "multiple-demand" (MD) system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janette Atkinson
- University College London, London, ://iris.ucl.ac.uk/iris/browse/profile?upi=JATKI15
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Berencsi A, Gombos F, Kovács I. Capacity to improve fine motor skills in Williams syndrome. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2016; 60:956-968. [PMID: 27485486 DOI: 10.1111/jir.12317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) are known to have difficulties in carrying out fine motor movements; however, a detailed behavioural profile of WS in this domain is still missing. It is also unknown how great the capacity to improve these skills with focused and extensive practice is. METHOD We studied initial performance and learning capacity in a sequential finger tapping (FT) task in WS and in typical development. Improvement in the FT task has been shown to be sleep dependent. WS subjects participating in the current study have also participated in earlier polysomnography studies, although not directly related to learning. RESULTS WS participants presented with great individual variability. In addition to generally poor initial performance, learning capacity was also greatly limited in WS. We found indications that reduced sleep efficiency might contribute to this limitation. CONCLUSIONS Estimating motor learning capacity and the depth of sleep disorder in a larger sample of WS individuals might reveal important relationships between sleep and learning, and contribute to efficient intervention methods improving skill acquisition in WS.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Berencsi
- Laboratory for Psychological Research, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Education, Institute for Methodology of Special Education and Rehabilitation, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - F Gombos
- Laboratory for Psychological Research, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - I Kovács
- Laboratory for Psychological Research, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of General Psychology, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
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Vega JN, Hohman TJ, Pryweller JR, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA. Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Down Syndrome and Williams Syndrome Compared with Typically Developing Controls. Brain Connect 2015; 5:461-75. [PMID: 25712025 PMCID: PMC4601631 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2014.0266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) analysis, which examines temporal correlations of low-frequency (<0.1 Hz) blood oxygen level-dependent signal fluctuations between brain regions, has dramatically improved our understanding of the functional architecture of the typically developing (TD) human brain. This study examined rsFC in Down syndrome (DS) compared with another neurodevelopmental disorder, Williams syndrome (WS), and TD. Ten subjects with DS, 18 subjects with WS, and 40 subjects with TD each participated in a 3-Tesla MRI scan. We tested for group differences (DS vs. TD, DS vs. WS, and WS vs. TD) in between- and within-network rsFC connectivity for seven functional networks. For the DS group, we also examined associations between rsFC and other cognitive and genetic risk factors. In DS compared with TD, we observed higher levels of between-network connectivity in 6 out 21 network pairs but no differences in within-network connectivity. Participants with WS showed lower levels of within-network connectivity and no significant differences in between-network connectivity relative to DS. Finally, our comparison between WS and TD controls revealed lower within-network connectivity in multiple networks and higher between-network connectivity in one network pair relative to TD controls. While preliminary due to modest sample sizes, our findings suggest a global difference in between-network connectivity in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders compared with controls and that such a difference is exacerbated across many brain regions in DS. However, this alteration in DS does not appear to extend to within-network connections, and therefore, the altered between-network connectivity must be interpreted within the framework of an intact intra-network pattern of activity. In contrast, WS shows markedly lower levels of within-network connectivity in the default mode network and somatomotor network relative to controls. These findings warrant further investigation using a task-based procedure that may help disentangle the relationship between brain function and cognitive performance across the spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer N. Vega
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Center for Cognitive Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Timothy J. Hohman
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Jennifer R. Pryweller
- Interdisciplinary Studies in Neuroimaging of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, The Graduate School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Elisabeth M. Dykens
- Center for Cognitive Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - Tricia A. Thornton-Wells
- Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
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Despard J, Ternes AM, Dimech-Betancourt B, Poudel G, Churchyard A, Georgiou-Karistianis N. Characterising Upper Limb Movements in Huntington's Disease and the Impact of Restricted Visual Cues. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133709. [PMID: 26248012 PMCID: PMC4527591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Voluntary motor deficits are a common feature in Huntington's disease (HD), characterised by movement slowing and performance inaccuracies. This deficit may be exacerbated when visual cues are restricted. OBJECTIVE To characterize the upper limb motor profile in HD with various levels of difficulty, with and without visual targets. METHODS Nine premanifest HD (pre-HD), nine early symptomatic HD (symp-HD) and nine matched controls completed a motor task incorporating Fitts' law, a model of human movement enabling the quantification of movement timing, via the manipulation of task difficulty (i.e., target size, and distance between targets). The task required participants to make reciprocal movements under cued and blind conditions. Dwell times (time stationary between movements), speed, accuracy and variability of movements were compared between groups. RESULTS Symp-HD showed significantly prolonged and less consistent movement times, compared with controls and pre-HD. Furthermore, movement planning and online control were significantly impaired in symp-HD, compared with controls and pre-HD, evidenced by prolonged dwell times and deceleration times. Speed and accuracy were comparable across groups, suggesting that group differences observed in movement time, variability, dwell time and deceleration time were evident over and above simple performance measures. The presence of cues resulted in greater movement time variability in symp-HD, compared with pre-HD and controls, suggesting that the deficit in movement consistency manifested only in response to targeted movements. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, these findings provide evidence of a deficiency in both motor planning, particularly in relation to movement timing and online control, which became exacerbated as a function of task difficulty during symp-HD stages. These variables may provide a more sensitive measure of motor dysfunction than speed and/or accuracy alone in symp-HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Despard
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anne-Marie Ternes
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bleydy Dimech-Betancourt
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Govinda Poudel
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Victorian Life Sciences Computation Initiative, Life Sciences Computation Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Churchyard
- Department of Neurology, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Krishnan S, Bergström L, Alcock KJ, Dick F, Karmiloff-Smith A. Williams syndrome: a surprising deficit in oromotor praxis in a population with proficient language production. Neuropsychologia 2015; 67:82-90. [PMID: 25433223 PMCID: PMC4410792 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Williams Syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder of known genetic origin, characterized by serious delays in language onset yet relatively verbose, intelligible and fluent speech in late childhood and adulthood. How do motor abilities relate to language in this group? We investigated planning and co-ordination of the movement of the speech articulators (oromotor praxis) in 28 fluent-speaking individuals with WS, aged between 12 and 30 years. Results indicate that, despite their fluent language, oromotor praxis was impaired in WS relative to two groups of typically-developing children, matched on either vocabulary or visuospatial ability. These findings suggest that the ability to plan, co-ordinate and execute complex sensorimotor movements contribute to an explanation of the delay in expressive language early in development in this neurodevelopmental disorder. In the discussion, we turn to more general issues of how individual variation in oromotor praxis may account for differences in speech/language production abilities across developmental language disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saloni Krishnan
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL, UK.
| | - Lina Bergström
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| | | | - Frederic Dick
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
| | - Annette Karmiloff-Smith
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, UK
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Papadopoulos N, Rinehart NJ, Bradshaw JL, Taffe J, McGinley J. Is there a link between motor performance variability and social-communicative impairment in children with ADHD-CT: a kinematic study using an upper limb fitts' aiming task. J Atten Disord 2015; 19:72-7. [PMID: 22851209 DOI: 10.1177/1087054712454569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated the relationship between motor performance and social-communicative impairment in children with ADHD-combined type (ADHD-CT). METHOD An upper limb Fitts' aiming task was used as a measure of motor performance and the Social Responsiveness Scale as a measure of social-communicative/autistic impairment in the following groups: ADHD-CT (n = 11) and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 10). RESULTS Children with ADHD-CT displayed greater variability in their movements, reflected in increased error variance over repeated aiming trials compared with TD controls. Motor performance variability was associated with social-communicative deficits in the ADHD-CT but not in the TD group. CONCLUSION Social-communicative impairments further complicate the clinical picture of ADHD-CT; therefore, further research in this area is warranted to ascertain whether a particular pattern of motor disturbance in children with ADHD-CT may be clinically useful in identifying and assessing children with a more complex ADHD presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John Taffe
- Monash University, Notting Hill, Victoria, Australia
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Koran MEI, Hohman TJ, Edwards CM, Vega JN, Pryweller JR, Slosky LE, Crockett G, Villa de Rey L, Meda SA, Dankner N, Avery SN, Blackford JU, Dykens EM, Thornton-Wells TA. Differences in age-related effects on brain volume in Down syndrome as compared to Williams syndrome and typical development. J Neurodev Disord 2014; 6:8. [PMID: 24713364 PMCID: PMC4022321 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-6-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) are reported to experience early onset of brain aging. However, it is not well understood how pre-existing neurodevelopmental effects versus neurodegenerative processes might be contributing to the observed pattern of brain atrophy in younger adults with DS. The aims of the current study were to: (1) to confirm previous findings of age-related changes in DS compared to adults with typical development (TD), (2) to test for an effect of these age-related changes in a second neurodevelopmental disorder, Williams syndrome (WS), and (3) to identify a pattern of regional age-related effects that are unique to DS. METHODS High-resolution T1-weighted MRI of the brains of subjects with DS, WS, and TD controls were segmented, and estimates of regional brain volume were derived using FreeSurfer. A general linear model was employed to test for age-related effects on volume between groups. Secondary analyses in the DS group explored the relationship between brain volume and neuropsychological tests and APOE. RESULTS Consistent with previous findings, the DS group showed significantly greater age-related effects relative to TD controls in total gray matter and in regions of the orbitofrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. Individuals with DS also showed significantly greater age-related effects on volume of the left and right inferior lateral ventricles (LILV and RILV, respectively). There were no significant differences in age-related effects on volume when comparing the WS and TD groups. In the DS group, cognitive tests scores measuring signs of dementia and APOE ϵ4 carrier status were associated with LILV and RILV volume. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with DS demonstrated a unique pattern of age-related effects on gray matter and ventricular volume, the latter of which was associated with dementia rating scores in the DS group. Results may indicate that early onset of brain aging in DS is primarily due to DS-specific neurodegenerative processes, as opposed to general atypical neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ellen I Koran
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA ; Medical Scientist Training Program, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Timothy J Hohman
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Courtney M Edwards
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA ; Short-Term Training Program Undergraduate Research Fellow, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer N Vega
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA ; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer R Pryweller
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA ; Interdisciplinary Studies in Neuroimaging of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, The Graduate School, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, USA
| | - Laura E Slosky
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Genea Crockett
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Lynette Villa de Rey
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Shashwath A Meda
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Nathan Dankner
- Graduate Program in Clinical Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Suzanne N Avery
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jennifer U Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elisabeth M Dykens
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA ; Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tricia A Thornton-Wells
- Center for Human Genetics and Research, Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 37232-0700, 519 Light Hall, Nashville, TN, USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA ; Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Lense M, Dykens E. Musical learning in children and adults with Williams syndrome. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2013; 57:850-860. [PMID: 22974236 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01611.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is recent interest in using music making as an empirically supported intervention for various neurodevelopmental disorders due to music's engagement of perceptual-motor mapping processes. However, little is known about music learning in populations with developmental disabilities. Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder whose characteristic auditory strengths and visual-spatial weaknesses map onto the processes used to learn to play a musical instrument. METHODS We identified correlates of novel musical instrument learning in WS by teaching 46 children and adults (7-49 years) with WS to play the Appalachian dulcimer. RESULTS Obtained dulcimer skill was associated with prior musical abilities (r = 0.634, P < 0.001) and visual-motor integration abilities (r = 0.487, P = 0.001), but not age, gender, IQ, handedness, auditory sensitivities or musical interest/emotionality. Use of auditory learning strategies, but not visual or instructional strategies, predicted greater dulcimer skill beyond individual musical and visual-motor integration abilities (β = 0.285, sr(2) = 0.06, P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS These findings map onto behavioural and emerging neural evidence for greater auditory-motor mapping processes in WS. Results suggest that explicit awareness of task-specific learning approaches is important when learning a new skill. Implications for using music with populations with syndrome-specific strengths and weakness will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Lense
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Hocking DR, Thomas D, Menant JC, Porter MA, Smith S, Lord SR, Cornish KM. The interplay between executive control and motor functioning in Williams syndrome. Dev Sci 2013; 16:428-42. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 11/19/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Darren R. Hocking
- Monash Child and Adult Development Lab; School of Psychology and Psychiatry; Faculty of Medicine; Monash University; Australia
| | - Daniel Thomas
- Monash Child and Adult Development Lab; School of Psychology and Psychiatry; Faculty of Medicine; Monash University; Australia
| | - Jasmine C. Menant
- Neuroscience Research Australia; University of New South Wales; Australia
| | | | - Stuart Smith
- Neuroscience Research Australia; University of New South Wales; Australia
| | - Stephen R. Lord
- Neuroscience Research Australia; University of New South Wales; Australia
| | - Kim M. Cornish
- Monash Child and Adult Development Lab; School of Psychology and Psychiatry; Faculty of Medicine; Monash University; Australia
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Conceptualizing neurodevelopmental disorders through a mechanistic understanding of fragile X syndrome and Williams syndrome. Curr Opin Neurol 2012; 25:112-24. [PMID: 22395002 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0b013e328351823c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The overarching goal of this review is to compare and contrast the cognitive-behavioral features of fragile X syndrome (FraX) and Williams syndrome and to review the putative neural and molecular underpinnings of these features. Information is presented in a framework that provides guiding principles for conceptualizing gene-brain-behavior associations in neurodevelopmental disorders. RECENT FINDINGS Abnormalities, in particular cognitive-behavioral domains with similarities in underlying neurodevelopmental correlates, occur in both FraX and Williams syndrome including aberrant frontostriatal pathways leading to executive function deficits, and magnocellular/dorsal visual stream, superior parietal lobe, inferior parietal lobe, and postcentral gyrus abnormalities contributing to deficits in visuospatial function. Compelling cognitive-behavioral and neurodevelopmental contrasts also exist in these two disorders, for example, aberrant amygdala and fusiform cortex structure and function occurring in the context of contrasting social behavioral phenotypes, and temporal cortical and cerebellar abnormalities potentially underlying differences in language function. Abnormal dendritic development is a shared neurodevelopmental morphologic feature between FraX and Williams syndrome. Commonalities in molecular machinery and processes across FraX and Williams syndrome occur as well - microRNAs involved in translational regulation of major synaptic proteins; scaffolding proteins in excitatory synapses; and proteins involved in axonal development. SUMMARY Although the genetic variations leading to FraX and Williams syndrome are different, important similarities and contrasts in the phenotype, neurocircuitry, molecular machinery, and cellular processes in these two disorders allow for a unique approach to conceptualizing gene-brain-behavior links occurring in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Regional brain differences in cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume in individuals with Williams syndrome. PLoS One 2012; 7:e31913. [PMID: 22355403 PMCID: PMC3280212 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by increased non-social anxiety, sensitivity to sounds and hypersociability. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings with regard to regional brain variation in WS, relying on only one type of morphological measure (usually volume) in each study. The present study aims to contribute to this body of literature and perhaps elucidate some of these discrepancies by examining concurrent measures of cortical thickness, surface area and subcortical volume between WS subjects and typically-developing (TD) controls. High resolution MRI scans were obtained on 31 WS subjects and 50 typically developing control subjects. We derived quantitative regional estimates of cortical thickness, cortical surface area, and subcortical volume using FreeSurfer software. We evaluated between-group ROI differences while controlling for total intracranial volume. In post-hoc exploratory analyses within the WS group, we tested for correlations between regional brain variation and Beck Anxiety Inventory scores. Consistent with our hypothesis, we detected complex patterns of between-group cortical variation, which included lower surface area in combination with greater thickness in the following cortical regions: post central gyrus, cuneus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex and lingual gyrus. Additional cortical regions showed between-group differences in one (but not both) morphological measures. Subcortical volume was lower in the basal ganglia and the hippocampus in WS versus TD controls. Exploratory correlations revealed that anxiety scores were negatively correlated with gray matter surface area in insula, OFC, rostral middle frontal, superior temporal and lingual gyrus. Our results were consistent with previous reports showing structural alterations in regions supporting the socio-affective and visuospatial impairments in WS. However, we also were able to effectively capture novel and complex patterns of cortical differences using both surface area and thickness. In addition, correlation results implicate specific brain regions in levels of anxiety in WS, consistent with previous reports investigating general anxiety disorders in the general population.
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Abstract
Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have impairments in visuospatial tasks and in manual visuomotor control, consistent with parietal and cerebellar abnormalities. Here we examined whether individuals with WS also have difficulties in visually controlling whole-body movements. We investigated visual control of stepping down at a change of level in children with WS (5-16-year-olds), who descended a single step while their movement was kinematically recorded. On each trial step height was set unpredictably, so that visual information was necessary to perceive the step depth and position the legs appropriately before landing. Kinematic measures established that children with WS did not use visual information to slow the leg at an appropriate point during the step. This pattern contrasts with that observed in typically developing 3- and 4-year-old children, implying severe impairment in whole-body visuomotor control in WS. For children with WS, performance was not significantly predicted by low-level visual or balance problems, but improved significantly with verbal age. The results suggest some plasticity and development in WS whole-body control. These data clearly show that visuospatial and visuomotor deficits in WS extend to the locomotor domain. Taken together with evidence for parietal and cerebellar abnormalities in WS, these results also provide new evidence for the role of these circuits in the visual control of whole-body movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Cowie
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW, UK.
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Gait adaptation during obstacle crossing reveals impairments in the visual control of locomotion in Williams syndrome. Neuroscience 2011; 197:320-9. [PMID: 21945032 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.08.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2011] [Revised: 08/31/2011] [Accepted: 08/31/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence indicates that individuals with Williams syndrome (WS), a rare genetically based neurodevelopmental disorder, show abnormalities of parietal and cerebellar regions of the brain that may be involved in the visual control of locomotion. Here we examined whether parietal and cerebellar abnormalities contribute to deficits in spatiotemporal characteristics and foot placement variability during obstacle crossing in adults with WS, when compared with an IQ-matched group of adults with Down syndrome (DS) and typically developing adult controls. We used the GAITRite walkway to examine the spatiotemporal characteristics and foot placement variability relative to a small ground-based obstacle in the travel path. We found that adults with WS showed late adjustments to spatiotemporal gait characteristics alongside an exaggerated and more spatially constrained visual guidance of foot positioning in the final steps prior to stepping over the obstacle. In contrast, the adults with DS showed longer step duration and more variable step length and step duration during the crossing and recovery steps after the obstacle, suggestive of cerebellar dysfunction. Although the controls were able to reduce the variability of foot placement across the obstacle crossing trials, both the WS and DS groups did not become more consistent with practice. These findings indicate a less flexible and overly constrained visuomotor system in WS, which is consistent with more widespread and diffuse abnormalities in parietal and cerebellar regions.
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Corben LA, Georgiou-Karistianis N, Bradshaw JL, Hocking DR, Churchyard AJ, Delatycki MB. The Fitts task reveals impairments in planning and online control of movement in Friedreich ataxia: reduced cerebellar-cortico connectivity? Neuroscience 2011; 192:382-90. [PMID: 21749914 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.06.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2011] [Revised: 06/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is the most common of the inherited ataxias. We have suggested that people with FRDA may have impairment in cognitive and/or psychomotor capacity either due to disturbance of projections of the cerebellum to the cortex, direct cortical pathology or perhaps both. To further explore this possibility, we used a movement task incorporating Fitts' Law, a robust description of the relationship between movement time and accuracy in goal-directed aiming movements. By manipulating task difficulty, according to target size and distance, we were able to quantify processes related to motor planning in 10 individuals with FRDA and 10 matched control participants. Compared to control participants, people with FRDA were significantly disadvantaged in terms of movement time to targets with an increasing index of difficulty. Successful completion of this task requires both preplanning of movement and online error detection and correction. The cerebellum and its connections to the frontal cortex via cerebro-ponto-cerebello-thalamo-cerebral loops are fundamental to both processes. These results lend further support to our contention that in FRDA these loops are impaired, reflecting a failure to access prefrontal/anterior regions necessary for effective management of preplanning of movement and online error correction.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Corben
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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