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Background: It has recently been noticed that the quantity of stress affects postural stability in young women. The study was conducted with the goal of investigating whether increased stress may damagingly effect posture control in 90 young men (71 right-handed and 19 left-handed) while maintaining an upright bipedal posture, while keeping their eyes open or closed. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was administered and changes in free cortisol levels were monitored (Cortisol Awakening Response, CAR) in order to evaluate the amount of stress present during awakening, while the Profile of Mood States (POMS) was used to estimate distress on the whole. Posture control was evaluated with the use of a force platform, which, while computing a confidence ellipse area of 95%, was engaged by the Center of Pressure through five stability stations and was sustained for a minimum of 52 s, with and without visual input. Another goal of the experiment was to find out whether or not cortisol increases in CAR were linked with rises of blood lactate levels. Results: CAR, PSS and POMS were found to be extensively related. Furthermore, it has been observed that increases in salivary cortisol in CAR are associated with small but significant increases in blood lactate levels. As expected, stress levels did affect postural stability. Conclusions: The results of the present study confirm that the level of stress can influence postural stability, and that this influence is principally obvious when visual information is not used in postural control.
Marinella Coco; Andrea Buscemi; Emanuele Pennisi; Paolo Cavallari; Giacomo Papotto; Giulio Maria Federico Papotto; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Donatella Di Corrado; Valentina Perciavalle. Postural Control and Stress Exposure in Young Men: Changes in Cortisol Awakening Response and Blood Lactate. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 7222 .
AMA StyleMarinella Coco, Andrea Buscemi, Emanuele Pennisi, Paolo Cavallari, Giacomo Papotto, Giulio Maria Federico Papotto, Vincenzo Perciavalle, Donatella Di Corrado, Valentina Perciavalle. Postural Control and Stress Exposure in Young Men: Changes in Cortisol Awakening Response and Blood Lactate. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (19):7222.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarinella Coco; Andrea Buscemi; Emanuele Pennisi; Paolo Cavallari; Giacomo Papotto; Giulio Maria Federico Papotto; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Donatella Di Corrado; Valentina Perciavalle. 2020. "Postural Control and Stress Exposure in Young Men: Changes in Cortisol Awakening Response and Blood Lactate." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 19: 7222.
This review aims to highlight the important contribution of the cerebellum in the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs). These are unconscious muscular activities, accompanying every voluntary movement, which are crucial for optimizing motor performance by contrasting any destabilization of the whole body and of each single segment. Moreover, APAs are deeply involved in initiating the displacement of the center of mass in whole-body reaching movements or when starting gait. Here we present literature that illustrates how the peculiar abilities of the cerebellum i) to predict, and contrast in advance, the upcoming mechanical events; ii) to adapt motor outputs to the mechanical context, and iii) to control the temporal relationship between task-relevant events, are all exploited in the APA control. Moreover, recent papers are discussed which underline the key role of cerebellum ontogenesis in the correct maturation of APAs. Finally, on the basis of a survey of animal and human studies about cortical and subcortical compensatory processes that follow brain lesions, we propose a candidate neural network that could compensate for cerebellar deficits and suggest how to verify such a hypothesis.
Silvia Maria Marchese; Veronica Farinelli; Francesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Paolo Cavallari. Overview of the Cerebellar Function in Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and of the Compensatory Mechanisms Developing in Neural Dysfunctions. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 5088 .
AMA StyleSilvia Maria Marchese, Veronica Farinelli, Francesco Bolzoni, Roberto Esposti, Paolo Cavallari. Overview of the Cerebellar Function in Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and of the Compensatory Mechanisms Developing in Neural Dysfunctions. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (15):5088.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSilvia Maria Marchese; Veronica Farinelli; Francesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Paolo Cavallari. 2020. "Overview of the Cerebellar Function in Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and of the Compensatory Mechanisms Developing in Neural Dysfunctions." Applied Sciences 10, no. 15: 5088.
Controlling posture, i.e., governing the ensemble of involuntary muscular activities that manage body equilibrium, represents a demanding function in which the cerebellum plays a key role. Postural activities are particularly important during gait initiation when passing from quiet standing to locomotion. Indeed, several studies used such motor task for evaluating pathological conditions, including cerebellar disorders. The linkage between cerebellum maturation and the development of postural control has received less attention. Therefore, we evaluated postural control during quiet standing and gait initiation in children affected by a slow progressive generalized cerebellar atrophy (SlowP) or non-progressive vermian hypoplasia (Joubert syndrome, NonP), compared to that of healthy children (H). Despite the similar clinical evaluation of motor impairments in NonP and SlowP, only SlowP showed a less stable quiet standing and a shorter and slower first step than H. Moreover, a descriptive analysis of lower limb and back muscle activities suggested a more severe timing disruption in SlowP. Such differences might stem from the extent of cerebellar damage. However, literature reports that during childhood, neural plasticity of intact brain areas could compensate for cerebellar agenesis. We thus proposed that the difference might stem from disease progression, which contrasts the consolidation of compensatory strategies.
Veronica Farinelli; Chiara Palmisano; Silvia Maria Marchese; Camilla Mirella Maria Strano; Stefano D’Arrigo; Chiara Pantaleoni; Anna Ardissone; Nardo Nardocci; Roberto Esposti; Paolo Cavallari. Postural Control in Children with Cerebellar Ataxia. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 1606 .
AMA StyleVeronica Farinelli, Chiara Palmisano, Silvia Maria Marchese, Camilla Mirella Maria Strano, Stefano D’Arrigo, Chiara Pantaleoni, Anna Ardissone, Nardo Nardocci, Roberto Esposti, Paolo Cavallari. Postural Control in Children with Cerebellar Ataxia. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (5):1606.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVeronica Farinelli; Chiara Palmisano; Silvia Maria Marchese; Camilla Mirella Maria Strano; Stefano D’Arrigo; Chiara Pantaleoni; Anna Ardissone; Nardo Nardocci; Roberto Esposti; Paolo Cavallari. 2020. "Postural Control in Children with Cerebellar Ataxia." Applied Sciences 10, no. 5: 1606.
Editorial: Adaptive Gait and Postural Control: from Physiological to Pathological Mechanisms, Towards Prevention and Rehabilitation
Helena M. Blumen; Paolo Cavallari; France Mourey; Eric Yiou. Editorial: Adaptive Gait and Postural Control: from Physiological to Pathological Mechanisms, Towards Prevention and Rehabilitation. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2020, 12, 45 .
AMA StyleHelena M. Blumen, Paolo Cavallari, France Mourey, Eric Yiou. Editorial: Adaptive Gait and Postural Control: from Physiological to Pathological Mechanisms, Towards Prevention and Rehabilitation. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 2020; 12 ():45.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelena M. Blumen; Paolo Cavallari; France Mourey; Eric Yiou. 2020. "Editorial: Adaptive Gait and Postural Control: from Physiological to Pathological Mechanisms, Towards Prevention and Rehabilitation." Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 12, no. : 45.
Fausto Baldissera; Paola Campadelli; Paolo Cavallari; Lino Piccinelli; Luigi Tesio. How motoneurones control velocity of tension development. The Journal of Physiology 2020, 598, 1109 -1110.
AMA StyleFausto Baldissera, Paola Campadelli, Paolo Cavallari, Lino Piccinelli, Luigi Tesio. How motoneurones control velocity of tension development. The Journal of Physiology. 2020; 598 (5):1109-1110.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFausto Baldissera; Paola Campadelli; Paolo Cavallari; Lino Piccinelli; Luigi Tesio. 2020. "How motoneurones control velocity of tension development." The Journal of Physiology 598, no. 5: 1109-1110.
The present study examined the effects of an exhaustive exercise on executive functions by using the Stroop Color Word Test (SCWT), Trail Making Test (TMT), A and B, and simple Reaction Time (RT). Thirty adults agreed to participate; 15 participants had a mean age of 24.7 years ± 3.2 Standard Deviation (SD, Standard Deviation) (group YOUNG), while the remaining 15 had a mean age of 58.9 years ± 2.6 SD (group OLD). Each subject performed the cognitive tasks at rest and blood lactate was measured (pre); each subject executed the acute exhaustive exercise and, immediately after the conclusion, executed the cognitive tasks and blood lactate was again measured (end). Cognitive tests were repeated and blood lactate measured 15 min after its conclusion of the exhaustive exercise (post). We observed: (1) a significant positive correlation between blood lactate levels and RT levels; (2) a significant negative relationship between levels of blood lactate and the SCWT mean score; (3) no significant correlation between blood lactate levels and TMT scores (time and errors), both A and B; (4) variations in blood lactate levels, due to exhaustive exercise, and parallel deterioration in the execution of RT and SCWT are significantly more pronounced in the group YOUNG than in the group OLD. The present study supports the possibility that high levels of blood lactate induced by an exhaustive exercise could adversely affect the executive functions pertaining to the prefrontal cortex.
Marinella Coco; Andrea Buscemi; Claudia Savia Guerrera; Donatella Di Corrado; Paolo Cavallari; Agata Zappalà; Santo Di Nuovo; Rosalba Parenti; Tiziana Maci; Grazia Razza; Maria Cristina Petralia; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Valentina Perciavalle. Effects of a Bout of Intense Exercise on Some Executive Functions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2020, 17, 898 .
AMA StyleMarinella Coco, Andrea Buscemi, Claudia Savia Guerrera, Donatella Di Corrado, Paolo Cavallari, Agata Zappalà, Santo Di Nuovo, Rosalba Parenti, Tiziana Maci, Grazia Razza, Maria Cristina Petralia, Vincenzo Perciavalle, Valentina Perciavalle. Effects of a Bout of Intense Exercise on Some Executive Functions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17 (3):898.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarinella Coco; Andrea Buscemi; Claudia Savia Guerrera; Donatella Di Corrado; Paolo Cavallari; Agata Zappalà; Santo Di Nuovo; Rosalba Parenti; Tiziana Maci; Grazia Razza; Maria Cristina Petralia; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Valentina Perciavalle. 2020. "Effects of a Bout of Intense Exercise on Some Executive Functions." International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 3: 898.
When a maximal sprint starts, heart rate (HR) quickly increases. After the exercise ends, HR keeps high for seconds before recovering with a roughly exponential decay. Such decay and its time constant (τoff) have been widely studied, but less attention was devoted to the time delay (tdelay) between sprint end and HR decay onset. Considering the correlation between sympatho-vagal balance and performance, as well as the occurrence of heart failure in cardiopaths during the post-exercise phase, we evaluated sympatho-vagal balance before and after sprint, trying to correlate it with both tdelay and τoff. R-R intervals, recorded in 24 healthy adults from 5 min before to 5 min after a 60-m sprint-test (from Storniolo et al., 2017, with permission of all authors), were re-processed to extract HR variability power (LF and HF) in the low- and high-frequency ranges, respectively. The sympatho-vagal balance, evaluated in pre-test resting period (LF/HF)REST and at steady-state recovery (LF/HF)RECOV, was correlated with tdelay and τoff. Both (LF/HF)REST and (LF/HF)RECOV had a skewed distribution. Significant rank correlation was found for (LF/HF)REST vs. τoff and for (LF/HF)RECOV vs. both τoff and tdelay. The difference (LF/HF)RECOV–REST had a normal distribution and a strong partial correlation with tdelay but not with τoff. Thus, a long tdelay marks a sympathetic activity that keeps high after exercise, while a high sympathetic activity before sprint leads to a slow recovery (high τoff), seemingly accompanying a poor performance.
Jorge L. Storniolo; Roberto Esposti; Paolo Cavallari. Heart Rate Kinetics and Sympatho-Vagal Balance Accompanying a Maximal Sprint Test. Frontiers in Psychology 2020, 10, 1 .
AMA StyleJorge L. Storniolo, Roberto Esposti, Paolo Cavallari. Heart Rate Kinetics and Sympatho-Vagal Balance Accompanying a Maximal Sprint Test. Frontiers in Psychology. 2020; 10 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJorge L. Storniolo; Roberto Esposti; Paolo Cavallari. 2020. "Heart Rate Kinetics and Sympatho-Vagal Balance Accompanying a Maximal Sprint Test." Frontiers in Psychology 10, no. : 1.
Recent data suggest that the parietal operculum acts as an integration center within a multimodal network, originating from different primary sensory and motor cortices and projecting to frontal, parietal and temporal cortical hubs, which in turn govern cognitive and motor functions. Thus, parietal operculum might also play a crucial role in the integrated control of voluntary movement and posture. As a first step to test this hypothesis, the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs) stabilizing the arm when the index-finger is briskly flexed were recorded, on the preferred side, in three groups of 10 healthy subjects, before, during and after CATHODAL or ANODAL transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS, 20 min at 2 mA) applied over the contralateral Parietal Operculum (coPO). Results were compared to those obtained in a SHAM group. In agreement with literature, in the SHAM group the activation of the prime mover Flexor Digitorum Superficialis was preceded by an inhibitory APA in Biceps Brachii and Anterior Deltoid, and almost simultaneous to an excitatory APA in Triceps Brachii. The same pattern was observed in both the CATHODAL and ANODAL groups, with no significant tDCS effects on APAs amplitude and timing. Index-finger kinematics were also unchanged. These negative results suggest that the coPO does not disturb the key network governing APAs in index-finger flexion. Since it has been well documented that such APAs share many features with those observed in trunk and limb muscles when performing several other movements, we suggest that coPO may not be crucial to the general APA control.
Silvia M. Marchese; Roberto Esposti; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Parietal Operculum Contralateral to the Moving Limb Does Not Affect the Programming of Intra-Limb Anticipatory Postural Adjustments. Frontiers in Physiology 2019, 10, 1 .
AMA StyleSilvia M. Marchese, Roberto Esposti, Francesco Bolzoni, Paolo Cavallari. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Parietal Operculum Contralateral to the Moving Limb Does Not Affect the Programming of Intra-Limb Anticipatory Postural Adjustments. Frontiers in Physiology. 2019; 10 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSilvia M. Marchese; Roberto Esposti; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari. 2019. "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Parietal Operculum Contralateral to the Moving Limb Does Not Affect the Programming of Intra-Limb Anticipatory Postural Adjustments." Frontiers in Physiology 10, no. : 1.
Objectives: The aim of this research was to establish cognitive changes in relation to blood lactate levels obtained during slow performance of a regimen of exercise sessions. Methods: A total of 15 male professional bodybuilders participated in the study; CrossFit® professionals performed the Workout 15.5, Week 5 Open 2015 consisting of 27-21-15-9 repetitions for time of Row (calories) and Thrusters, with 1-min recovery. Blood lactate, blood glucose, reaction time (RT), execution time of a dual cognitive task, number of errors, and number of omissions were measured at rest, at conclusion of the session, and after recovery for 15 min. Results: The bodybuilders had slightly elevated basal lactate levels than in untrained individuals. The bodybuilders showed significantly increased lactacidemia and decreased RT after completing the training session. Need to define what onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) means. Conclusion: We conclude that bodybuilding fitness regimens lead to an increase in basal lactate levels to 3.16 mmol/L and that acute training sessions can improve attentional performance in relation to lactacidemia, suggesting pro-cognitive effects of a workout.
Marinella Coco; Donatella Di Corrado; Tiziana Ramaci; Santo Di Nuovo; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Angela Puglisi; Paolo Cavallari; Maria Bellomo; Andrea Buscemi. Role of lactic acid on cognitive functions. The Physician and Sportsmedicine 2019, 47, 329 -335.
AMA StyleMarinella Coco, Donatella Di Corrado, Tiziana Ramaci, Santo Di Nuovo, Vincenzo Perciavalle, Angela Puglisi, Paolo Cavallari, Maria Bellomo, Andrea Buscemi. Role of lactic acid on cognitive functions. The Physician and Sportsmedicine. 2019; 47 (3):329-335.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarinella Coco; Donatella Di Corrado; Tiziana Ramaci; Santo Di Nuovo; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Angela Puglisi; Paolo Cavallari; Maria Bellomo; Andrea Buscemi. 2019. "Role of lactic acid on cognitive functions." The Physician and Sportsmedicine 47, no. 3: 329-335.
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.
Francesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Silvia M. Marchese; Nicoló G. Pozzi; Uri E. Ramirez-Pasos; Ioannis U. Isaias; Paolo Cavallari. Disrupt of Intra-Limb APA Pattern in Parkinsonian Patients Performing Index-Finger Flexion. Frontiers in Physiology 2018, 9, 1 .
AMA StyleFrancesco Bolzoni, Roberto Esposti, Silvia M. Marchese, Nicoló G. Pozzi, Uri E. Ramirez-Pasos, Ioannis U. Isaias, Paolo Cavallari. Disrupt of Intra-Limb APA Pattern in Parkinsonian Patients Performing Index-Finger Flexion. Frontiers in Physiology. 2018; 9 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Silvia M. Marchese; Nicoló G. Pozzi; Uri E. Ramirez-Pasos; Ioannis U. Isaias; Paolo Cavallari. 2018. "Disrupt of Intra-Limb APA Pattern in Parkinsonian Patients Performing Index-Finger Flexion." Frontiers in Physiology 9, no. : 1.
In the last decades, several studies have been conducted on a particular martial art, judo, to evaluate performances and psychology of its athletes. In the present study, to investigate other possible variables, we analyzed, in adult athletes of both sexes practicing judo from at least 5 years, the relation between blood lactate levels and short-term memory. Furthermore, in all subjects we evaluated personality’s aspects with the Sensation Seeking Scale V, the amount of stress with the Mesure du Stress Psychologique and the ratio between the second (index) and fourth (ring) finger. Participants in the research were 217 adult athletes practicing judo from at least 5 years. The research protocol was divided in two parts: (1) administration to each participant of SSS-V and MSP and measurement of Digit ratio; (2) administration to 50 athletes performing a 5 min combat, a digit span test and evaluation of blood lactate in three moments: before the competition, just after the conclusion, and 10 min after the end. Results showed, at the end of combat, an increase blood lactate above 4 mmol/l and an association between blood lactate levels and backward memory capacity, with relevant correlation between SSS-V, MSP and the Digit ratio. Lactate production, even if minimal, has a protective role against fatigue toward frontal cortex and define worse performances in backward memory capacity by conditioning strategic ability of the athletes. We concluded that judo turns out to be a sport discipline useful to help women for manifesting disinhibition and their personality and men to control their aggressiveness and to try of overcoming their limits. These positive implications are more likely in individuals, both men and women, with a low digit ratio.
Marinella Coco; Silvia Platania; Sabrina Castellano; Elisabetta Sagone; Tiziana Ramaci; Maria Cristina Petralia; Melania Agati; Simona Massimino; Donatella Di Corrado; Maria Guarnera; Concetta Pirrone; Cosimo Costa; Concetta De Pasquale; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Paolo Cavallari; Santo Di Nuovo; Giulia Di Gregorio; Valentina Perciavalle; Andrea Buscemi. Memory, personality and blood lactate during a judo competition. Sport Sciences for Health 2018, 14, 547 -553.
AMA StyleMarinella Coco, Silvia Platania, Sabrina Castellano, Elisabetta Sagone, Tiziana Ramaci, Maria Cristina Petralia, Melania Agati, Simona Massimino, Donatella Di Corrado, Maria Guarnera, Concetta Pirrone, Cosimo Costa, Concetta De Pasquale, Vincenzo Perciavalle, Paolo Cavallari, Santo Di Nuovo, Giulia Di Gregorio, Valentina Perciavalle, Andrea Buscemi. Memory, personality and blood lactate during a judo competition. Sport Sciences for Health. 2018; 14 (3):547-553.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarinella Coco; Silvia Platania; Sabrina Castellano; Elisabetta Sagone; Tiziana Ramaci; Maria Cristina Petralia; Melania Agati; Simona Massimino; Donatella Di Corrado; Maria Guarnera; Concetta Pirrone; Cosimo Costa; Concetta De Pasquale; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Paolo Cavallari; Santo Di Nuovo; Giulia Di Gregorio; Valentina Perciavalle; Andrea Buscemi. 2018. "Memory, personality and blood lactate during a judo competition." Sport Sciences for Health 14, no. 3: 547-553.
Electrically interfacing the skin for monitoring personal health condition is the basis of skin-contact electrophysiology. In the clinical practice the use of stiff and bulky pregelled or dry electrodes, in contrast to the soft body tissues, imposes severe restrictions to user comfort and mobility while limiting clinical applications. Here, in this work dry, unperceivable temporary tattoo electrodes are presented. Customized single or multielectrode arrays are readily fabricated by inkjet printing of conducting polymer onto commercial decal transfer paper, which allows for easy transfer on the user's skin. Conformal adhesion to the skin is provided thanks to their ultralow thickness (<1 µm). Tattoo electrode–skin contact impedance is characterized on short- (1 h) and long-term (48 h) and compared with standard pregelled and dry electrodes. The viability in electrophysiology is validated by surface electromyography and electrocardiography recordings on various locations on limbs and face. A novel concept of tattoo as perforable skin-contact electrode, through which hairs can grow, is demonstrated, thus permitting to envision very long-term recordings on areas with high hair density. The proposed materials and patterning strategy make this technology amenable for large-scale production of low-cost sensing devices.
Laura M. Ferrari; Sudha Sudha; Sergio Tarantino; Roberto Esposti; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari; Christian Cipriani; Virgilio Mattoli; Francesco Greco. Ultraconformable Temporary Tattoo Electrodes for Electrophysiology. Advanced Science 2018, 5, 1700771 .
AMA StyleLaura M. Ferrari, Sudha Sudha, Sergio Tarantino, Roberto Esposti, Francesco Bolzoni, Paolo Cavallari, Christian Cipriani, Virgilio Mattoli, Francesco Greco. Ultraconformable Temporary Tattoo Electrodes for Electrophysiology. Advanced Science. 2018; 5 (3):1700771.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLaura M. Ferrari; Sudha Sudha; Sergio Tarantino; Roberto Esposti; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari; Christian Cipriani; Virgilio Mattoli; Francesco Greco. 2018. "Ultraconformable Temporary Tattoo Electrodes for Electrophysiology." Advanced Science 5, no. 3: 1700771.
It has been observed that, after 2 hours of aerobic exercise, plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) increases whereas nuclear concentrations of enzyme DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) 3B significantly decreased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), with no change observed in DNMT3A. The aim of the present study was to detect differences in these changes induced by exercise in plasma IL-6 levels as well as in PBMC nuclear concentrations of DNMT3A and DNMT3B, in relation to age and sex. Four groups were studied: 12 young men (24.8 ± 1.77 years old), 12 young women (23.8 ± 1.81 years old), 12 adult men (45.8 ± 1.82 years old), 12 adult women (mean 44.5 ± 2.07 years old). Participants had to run at 60% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) for 120 minutes, interspersed with sprints at 90% of VO2max for the last 30 seconds of every 10 minutes. About 250 μL of PBMCs (1 × 106 cells) were treated with 100 μL of either pre-exercise plasma or post-exercise plasma and nuclear DNMT3A and DNMT3B concentrations were quantified. No change in nuclear concentration of DNMT3A following the exercise was observed. Conversely, nuclear concentrations of DNMT3B significantly decreased, with a reduction of about 78% in young men, 72% in young women, 61% in adult men, and 53% in adult women. Moreover, a strong positive correlation between the nuclear concentration of DNMT3B in PBMC following stimulation with post-exercise plasma and post-exercise plasma concentrations of IL-6 was observed in all the 4 studied groups. This study confirms that a single bout of endurance exercise is sufficient to decrease nuclear concentrations of DNMT3B and thus protein upregulation. Moreover, the epigenetic mechanisms induced by exercise apparently cause more intense changes in men than in women and that, in both of them, this effect seems to decrease with age.
Marinella Coco; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Paolo Cavallari; Francesco Bolzoni; Adriana Carol Eleonora Graziano; Valentina Perciavalle. Effects of age and sex on epigenetic modification induced by an acute physical exercise. Medicine 2017, 96, e8325 -e8325.
AMA StyleMarinella Coco, Vincenzo Perciavalle, Paolo Cavallari, Francesco Bolzoni, Adriana Carol Eleonora Graziano, Valentina Perciavalle. Effects of age and sex on epigenetic modification induced by an acute physical exercise. Medicine. 2017; 96 (44):e8325-e8325.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarinella Coco; Vincenzo Perciavalle; Paolo Cavallari; Francesco Bolzoni; Adriana Carol Eleonora Graziano; Valentina Perciavalle. 2017. "Effects of age and sex on epigenetic modification induced by an acute physical exercise." Medicine 96, no. 44: e8325-e8325.
Several studies demonstrated that transcutaneous direct current stimulation (DCS) may modulate central nervous system excitability. However, much less is known about how DC affects peripheral nerve fibres. We investigated the action of DCS on motor and sensory fibres of the human posterior tibial nerve, with supplementary analysis in acute experiments on rats. In forty human subjects, electric pulses at the popliteal fossa were used to elicit either M-waves or H-reflexes in the Soleus, before (15 min), during (10 min) and after (30 min) DCS. Cathodal or anodal current (2 mA) was applied to the same nerve. Cathodal DCS significantly increased the H-reflex amplitude; the post-polarization effect lasted up to ~ 25 min after the termination of DCS. Anodal DCS instead significantly decreased the reflex amplitude for up to ~ 5 min after DCS end. DCS effects on M-wave showed the same polarity dependence but with considerably shorter after-effects, which never exceeded 5 min. DCS changed the excitability of both motor and sensory fibres. These effects and especially the long-lasting modulation of the H-reflex suggest a possible rehabilitative application of DCS that could be applied either to compensate an altered peripheral excitability or to modulate the afferent transmission to spinal and supraspinal structures. In animal experiments, DCS was applied, under anaesthesia, to either the exposed peroneus nerve or its Dorsal Root, and its effects closely resembled those found in human subjects. They validate therefore the use of the animal models for future investigations on the DCS mechanisms.
Francesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Carlo Bruttini; Giuseppe Zenoni; Elzbieta Jankowska; Paolo Cavallari. Direct current stimulation modulates the excitability of the sensory and motor fibres in the human posterior tibial nerve, with a long-lasting effect on the H-reflex. European Journal of Neuroscience 2017, 46, 2499 -2506.
AMA StyleFrancesco Bolzoni, Roberto Esposti, Carlo Bruttini, Giuseppe Zenoni, Elzbieta Jankowska, Paolo Cavallari. Direct current stimulation modulates the excitability of the sensory and motor fibres in the human posterior tibial nerve, with a long-lasting effect on the H-reflex. European Journal of Neuroscience. 2017; 46 (9):2499-2506.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Carlo Bruttini; Giuseppe Zenoni; Elzbieta Jankowska; Paolo Cavallari. 2017. "Direct current stimulation modulates the excitability of the sensory and motor fibres in the human posterior tibial nerve, with a long-lasting effect on the H-reflex." European Journal of Neuroscience 46, no. 9: 2499-2506.
When coughing, an involuntary contraction of the external anal sphincter occurs, in order to prevent unwanted leakages or sagging of the pelvis muscular wall. Literature originally described such cough-anal response as a reflex elicited by cough, therefore identifying a precise cause-effect relationship. However, recent studies report that the anal contraction actually precedes the rise in abdominal pressure during cough expiratory effort, so that the sphincter activity should be pre-programmed. In recent years, an important family of pre-programmed muscle activities has been well documented to precede voluntary movements: these anticipatory actions play a fundamental role in whole body and segmental postural control, hence they are referred to as anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs). On these basis, we searched in literature for similarities between APAs and the cough-anal response, observing that both follow the same predictive homeostatic principle, namely that anticipatory collateral actions are needed to prevent the unwanted mechanical consequences induced by the primary movement. We thus propose that the cough-anal response also belongs to the family of pre-programmed actions, as it may be interpreted as an APA acting on the abdominal-thoracic compartment; in other words, the cough-anal response may actually be an Anticipatory Sphincter Adjustment, the visceral counterpart of APAs.
Paolo Cavallari; Francesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Carlo Bruttini. Cough-Anal Reflex May Be the Expression of a Pre-Programmed Postural Action. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2017, 11, 1 .
AMA StylePaolo Cavallari, Francesco Bolzoni, Roberto Esposti, Carlo Bruttini. Cough-Anal Reflex May Be the Expression of a Pre-Programmed Postural Action. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2017; 11 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaolo Cavallari; Francesco Bolzoni; Roberto Esposti; Carlo Bruttini. 2017. "Cough-Anal Reflex May Be the Expression of a Pre-Programmed Postural Action." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 11, no. : 1.
Biomechanical measurements of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) at gait initiation were performed in subjects affected by Parkinson's disease and in medication-off condition. Patients were compared with a selected group of healthy control subjects matched by velocity of the first step and comparable initial feet position. The obtained results evidenced alterations in the unloading phase, when the load transfer mechanism occurs.
Mariangela DiPaola; Carlo Albino Frigo; Paolo Cavallari; Ioannis Ugo Iasias. Alterations of load transfer mechanism during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease. 2017 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB) 2017, 579 -582.
AMA StyleMariangela DiPaola, Carlo Albino Frigo, Paolo Cavallari, Ioannis Ugo Iasias. Alterations of load transfer mechanism during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease. 2017 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB). 2017; ():579-582.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariangela DiPaola; Carlo Albino Frigo; Paolo Cavallari; Ioannis Ugo Iasias. 2017. "Alterations of load transfer mechanism during gait initiation in Parkinson's disease." 2017 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB) , no. : 579-582.
Anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) represent a feedforward organization of a coherent set of motor commands (synergistic muscular activities) that are generated in advance with respect to any observable postural change. They are considered fundamental in creating the necessary conditions to produce the forthcoming movement. This is clearly the case of gait initiation, during which the propulsive forces for obtaining the intended gait speed are generated. As the different anthropometric parameters and initial conditions can affect some features of APAs, we have investigated the specific effect of the initial interfoot distance on some APAs parameters obtained from gait initiation in healthy subjects. The objective was to understand how to remove factors that could hinder a correct comparison between patients and healthy controls.
Mariangela DiPaola; Esteban Enrique Pavan; Paolo Cavallari; Carlo Albino Frigo. Anticipatory postural adjustments of gait initiation in healthy subjects: The effect of interfoot distance. 2017 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB) 2017, 555 -558.
AMA StyleMariangela DiPaola, Esteban Enrique Pavan, Paolo Cavallari, Carlo Albino Frigo. Anticipatory postural adjustments of gait initiation in healthy subjects: The effect of interfoot distance. 2017 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB). 2017; ():555-558.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariangela DiPaola; Esteban Enrique Pavan; Paolo Cavallari; Carlo Albino Frigo. 2017. "Anticipatory postural adjustments of gait initiation in healthy subjects: The effect of interfoot distance." 2017 E-Health and Bioengineering Conference (EHB) , no. : 555-558.
During goal-directed arm movements, the eyes, head, and arm are coordinated to look at and reach the target. We examined whether the expectancy of visual information about the target modifies Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs). Ten standing subjects had to (1) move the eyes, head and arm, so as to reach, with both gaze and index-finger, a target of known position placed outside their visual field (Gaze-Reach); (2) look at the target while reaching it (Reach in Full Vision); (3) keep the gaze away until having touched it (Reach then Gaze) and (4) just Gaze without Reach the target. We recorded eye, head, right arm, and acromion kinematics, EMGs from upper- and lower-limb muscles, and forces exerted on the ground. In Gaze-Reach, two coordination strategies were found: when gaze preceded arm muscle recruitment (Gaze-first) and when the opposite occurred (Reach-first). APAs in acromion kinematics, leg muscles, and ground forces started significantly earlier in Gaze-first vs. Reach-first (mean time advance: 44.3 ± 8.9 ms), as it was in Reach in Full Vision vs. Reach then Gaze (39.5 ± 7.9 ms). The Gaze-first to Reach-first time-shift was similar to that between Reach in Full Vision and Reach then Gaze (p = 0.58). Moreover, Gaze without Reach data witnessed that the head-induced postural actions did not affect the APA onset in Gaze-first and Reach-first. In conclusion, in Gaze-first, the central control of posture considers visual information while planning the movement, like in Reach in Full Vision; while Reach-first is more similar to Reach then Gaze, where vision is not required.
Roberto Esposti; Carlo Bruttini; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari. Anticipatory Postural Adjustments associated with reaching movements are programmed according to the availability of visual information. Experimental Brain Research 2017, 235, 1349 -1360.
AMA StyleRoberto Esposti, Carlo Bruttini, Francesco Bolzoni, Paolo Cavallari. Anticipatory Postural Adjustments associated with reaching movements are programmed according to the availability of visual information. Experimental Brain Research. 2017; 235 (5):1349-1360.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRoberto Esposti; Carlo Bruttini; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari. 2017. "Anticipatory Postural Adjustments associated with reaching movements are programmed according to the availability of visual information." Experimental Brain Research 235, no. 5: 1349-1360.
Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs) are commonly described as unconscious muscular activities aimed to counterbalance the perturbation caused by the primary movement, so as to ensure the whole-body balance, as well as contributing to initiate the displacement of the body centre of mass when starting gait or whole-body reaching movements. These activities usually create one or more fixation chains which spread over several muscles of different limbs, and may be thus called inter-limb APAs. However, it has been reported that APAs also precede voluntary movements involving tiny masses, like a flexion/extension of the wrist or even a brisk flexion of the index-finger. In particular, such movements are preceded by an intra-limb APA chain, that involves muscles acting on the proximal joints. Considering the small mass of the moving segments, it is unlikely that the ensuing perturbation could threaten the whole body balance, so that it is interesting to enquire the physiological role of intra-limb APAs and their organization and control compared to inter-limb APAs. This review is focused on intra-limb APAs and highlights a strict correspondence in their behaviour and temporal/spatial organization with respect to inter-limb APAs. Hence it is suggested that both are manifestations of the same phenomenon. Particular emphasis is given to intra-limb APAs preceding index finger flexion, because their relatively simple biomechanics and the fact that muscular actions were limited to a single arm allowed peculiar investigations, leading to important conclusions. Indeed, such paradigm provided evidence that by granting a proper fixation of those body segments proximal to the moving one APAs are involved in refining movement precision, and also that APAs and prime mover activation are driven by a shared motor command.
Paolo Cavallari; Francesco Bolzoni; Carlo Bruttini; Roberto Esposti. The Organization and Control of Intra-Limb Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and Their Role in Movement Performance. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2016, 10, 1 .
AMA StylePaolo Cavallari, Francesco Bolzoni, Carlo Bruttini, Roberto Esposti. The Organization and Control of Intra-Limb Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and Their Role in Movement Performance. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2016; 10 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaolo Cavallari; Francesco Bolzoni; Carlo Bruttini; Roberto Esposti. 2016. "The Organization and Control of Intra-Limb Anticipatory Postural Adjustments and Their Role in Movement Performance." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 10, no. : 1.
It is a common experience to exhibit a greater dexterity when performing a pointing movement with the preferred limb vs. the non-preferred one. Here we provide evidence that the higher precision in pointing movements of the preferred vs. non-preferred hand is associated with an earlier occurrence of the Anticipatory Postural Adjustments (APAs). In this aim, we compared the APAs which stabilize the left or the right arm when performing a pen-pointing movement (prime mover Flexor Carpi Radialis). Moreover, we analysed the elbow and wrist kinematics as well as the precision of the pointing movement. The mean kinematics of wrist movement and its latency, with respect to prime mover recruitment, were similar in the two sides, while APAs in Triceps Brachii, Biceps Brachii and Anterior Deltoid were more anticipated when movements were performed with the preferred than with the non-preferred hand (60-70 vs. 20-30 ms). APAs amplitudes were comparable in the muscles of the two sides. Earlier APAs in the preferred limb were associated with a better fixation of the elbow, which showed a lower excursion, and with a less scattered pointing error (preferred: 10.1 ± 0.8 mm; non-preferred: 16.3 ± 1.7). Present results suggest that, by securing the more proximal joints dynamics, an appropriate timing of the intra-limb APAs is necessary for refining the voluntary movement precision, which is known to be scarce on the non-preferred side.
Carlo Bruttini; Roberto Esposti; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari. Higher Precision in Pointing Movements of the Preferred vs. Non-Preferred Hand Is Associated with an Earlier Occurrence of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2016, 10, 1 .
AMA StyleCarlo Bruttini, Roberto Esposti, Francesco Bolzoni, Paolo Cavallari. Higher Precision in Pointing Movements of the Preferred vs. Non-Preferred Hand Is Associated with an Earlier Occurrence of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2016; 10 ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCarlo Bruttini; Roberto Esposti; Francesco Bolzoni; Paolo Cavallari. 2016. "Higher Precision in Pointing Movements of the Preferred vs. Non-Preferred Hand Is Associated with an Earlier Occurrence of Anticipatory Postural Adjustments." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 10, no. : 1.