1
|
Manto M, Serrao M, Filippo Castiglia S, Timmann D, Tzvi-Minker E, Pan MK, Kuo SH, Ugawa Y. Neurophysiology of cerebellar ataxias and gait disorders. Clin Neurophysiol Pract 2023; 8:143-160. [PMID: 37593693 PMCID: PMC10429746 DOI: 10.1016/j.cnp.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
There are numerous forms of cerebellar disorders from sporadic to genetic diseases. The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the advances and emerging techniques during these last 2 decades in the neurophysiological tests useful in cerebellar patients for clinical and research purposes. Clinically, patients exhibit various combinations of a vestibulocerebellar syndrome, a cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome and a cerebellar motor syndrome which will be discussed throughout this chapter. Cerebellar patients show abnormal Bereitschaftpotentials (BPs) and mismatch negativity. Cerebellar EEG is now being applied in cerebellar disorders to unravel impaired electrophysiological patterns associated within disorders of the cerebellar cortex. Eyeblink conditioning is significantly impaired in cerebellar disorders: the ability to acquire conditioned eyeblink responses is reduced in hereditary ataxias, in cerebellar stroke and after tumor surgery of the cerebellum. Furthermore, impaired eyeblink conditioning is an early marker of cerebellar degenerative disease. General rules of motor control suggest that optimal strategies are needed to execute voluntary movements in the complex environment of daily life. A high degree of adaptability is required for learning procedures underlying motor control as sensorimotor adaptation is essential to perform accurate goal-directed movements. Cerebellar patients show impairments during online visuomotor adaptation tasks. Cerebellum-motor cortex inhibition (CBI) is a neurophysiological biomarker showing an inverse association between cerebellothalamocortical tract integrity and ataxia severity. Ataxic gait is characterized by increased step width, reduced ankle joint range of motion, increased gait variability, lack of intra-limb inter-joint and inter-segmental coordination, impaired foot ground placement and loss of trunk control. Taken together, these techniques provide a neurophysiological framework for a better appraisal of cerebellar disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Manto
- Service des Neurosciences, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
- Service de Neurologie, CHU-Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Rome Sapienza, Polo Pontino, Corso della Repubblica 79 04100, Latina, Italy
- Gait Analysis LAB Policlinico Italia, Via Del Campidano 6 00162, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Filippo Castiglia
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Rome Sapienza, Polo Pontino, Corso della Repubblica 79 04100, Latina, Italy
- Gait Analysis LAB Policlinico Italia, Via Del Campidano 6 00162, Rome, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, via Bassi, 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology and Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Elinor Tzvi-Minker
- Department of Neurology, University of Leipzig, Liebigstraße 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Syte Institute, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ming-Kai Pan
- Cerebellar Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Yun-Lin Branch, Yun-Lin 64041, Taiwan
- Department and Graduate Institute of Pharmacology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 10051, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 10002, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei City 11529, Taiwan
- Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sheng-Han Kuo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei City 11529, Taiwan
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yoshikazu Ugawa
- Department of Human Neurophysiology, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Quartarone A, Ghilardi MF. Neuroplasticity in dystonia: Motor symptoms and beyond. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 184:207-218. [PMID: 35034735 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819410-2.00031-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This chapter first focuses on the role of altered neuroplasticity mechanisms and their regulation in the genesis of motor symptoms in the various forms of dystonia. In particular, a review of the available literature about focal dystonia suggests that use-dependent plasticity may become detrimental and produce dystonia when practice and repetition are excessive and predisposing conditions are present. Interestingly, recent evidence also shows that functional or psychogenic dystonia, despite the normal plasticity in the sensorimotor system, is characterized by plasticity-related dysfunction within limbic regions. Finally, this chapter reviews the non-motor symptoms that often accompany the motor features of dystonia, including depression and anxiety as well as obsessive-compulsive disorders, pain, and cognitive dysfunctions. Based on the current understanding of these symptoms, we discuss the evidence of their possible relationship to maladaptive plasticity in non-motor basal ganglia circuits involved in their genesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Quartarone
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
| | - Maria Felice Ghilardi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences, City University of New York School of Medicine and Neuroscience Program, Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| |
Collapse
|