Browsing by Subject "Parkinson's Disease"
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Item Effects of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment on Parkinsonian Gait: A Statistical Parametric Mapping Analysis(2021-05) Terrell, Zachary T.; Patterson, Rita M.; Moudy, Sarah; Hensel, KendiIntroduction/Background: Tens of thousands of people are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (PD) each year, making it the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. PD results in a variety of gait disturbances that increase the fall risk of those afflicted. The overarching goal for this project is to examine the efficacy of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) and Osteopathic Cranial Manipulative Medicine (OCMM) in improving Parkinsonian gait. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare joint range of motion (ROM) and joint angle waveforms before and after OMT to determine the effects of OMT and OCMM on Parkinsonian gait, as well as to compare the relative effects of each treatment protocol. We hypothesized that the application of a single OMT protocol on adults with PD will acutely increase joint ROM, and the addition of OCMM to the OMT treatment protocol will further improve gait kinematics. Methods: An 18-camera motion analysis system was used in conjunction with 54 reflective markers on the body to capture three-dimensional position data in a short treadmill walking trial before and after the application of a whole-body (OMT-WB), neck-down (OMTND), or sham OMT protocol. Ankle, knee, and hip joint ROM and waveforms in the sagittal plane during the gait cycle were compared before and after treatment, and across experimental groups. Results: No significant differences were found in baseline ROM and joint angle waveforms of the hip, knee, and ankle joints across experimental groups, or in post-treatment joint waveforms across experimental groups. Knee ROM increased significantly following OMT-ND and OMT-WB protocols (p=0.018, p=0.032). Waveform analysis revealed no significant differences at the hip, knee, or ankle joints. Discussion/Conclusion: Comparison of baseline measurements validates participant randomization and an increase in sagittal knee ROM in individuals with PD following OMT and OCMM may have important implications for decreasing potential fall risk. However, waveform analysis shows no significant change in gait pattern as evidenced by sagittal joint angles following OMT-WB, OMT-ND, or SHAM treatments.Item Prenatal Hypoxic Insults Impact Brain Vulnerability(2021-05) Wilson, Elizabeth N.; Cunningham, Rebecca L.; Goulopoulou, Styliani; Jones, Harlan P.; Sumien, NathalieMaternal hypoxic insults during gestation may lead to an increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), in progeny. Maternal hypoxic stress is a common consequence of many late-stage prenatal stressors (e.g., preeclampsia, eclampsia, inflammation, placental abruption). It is unknown whether maternal hypoxic insults during late gestation have long-term effects on brain regions associated with PD, such as the nigrostriatal pathway. We hypothesized that late gestational maternal hypoxia would result in sustained nigrostriatal impairment in male progeny. To determine whether late-stage gestational hypoxia exposure induced PD-associated behaviors and oxidative stress in progeny, timed pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to five days (gestational days: 15-19) of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) or room air normoxia. Progeny were tested during two developmental stages (pubertal and young adult) as late-stage gestational insults can impair the neuronal organization of the brain, which can impact pubertal and young adult functions. To examine PD-associated behavioral phenotype of motor dysfunction, we quantified fine and gross motor behaviors in an open field arena. To examine the integrity of the nigrostriatal pathway, we quantified ultrasonic vocalizations. Our results showed that maternal CIH during late gestation did not impact gross or fine motor behaviors nor circulating oxidative stress. However, maternal CIH during late gestation did impair the nigrostriatal pathway integrity during puberty and young adulthood in both male and female progeny. Long-lasting consequences of maternal CIH during late gestation was most evident in young adult male progeny. Overall, we conclude that maternal hypoxia during late gestation induced sustained nigrostriatal pathway impairment in males more than females, which may underlie the increased risk for PD in men compared to women.Item SLEEP APNEA AND ITS ROLE IN OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION(2014-03) Snyder, Brina; Cunningham, J. Thomas; Cunningham, Rebecca L.Inflammation has been linked with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common comorbidity associated with Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, both sleep apnea and Parkinson’s disease have been linked with inflammation. A possible mechanism underlying increased inflammation in these disorders is oxidative stress, a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders. To examine the role of oxidative stress on inflammation, we used chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), an established model for the hypoxemia associated with sleep apnea. CIH consists of recurring events of low oxygen followed by reoxygenation. We hypothesize that CIH causes oxidative stress, which induces inflammation. To test this hypothesis, plasma from adult male rats subjected to 7 days of CIH (3 minute periods of hypoxia (10% oxygen) and 3 minute periods of normoxia (21% oxygen) for 8 hours per day) or normoxia (room air) was tested for AOPP, an indicator of oxidative stress, and circulating inflammatory markers (IL-10, IL-4, IL-6). Our results showed that CIH significantly increased circulating oxidative stress. These results were then correlated with inflammatory markers in the plasma and statistically analyzed for positive associations. IL-6 was found to be significantly increased in CIH, although not associated with oxidative stress. However, CIH did increase IL-4 and IL-10, and these effects were positively associated with circulating oxidative stress. Inflammatory markers IL-4 and IL-6 are generally associated with macrophage-mediated inflammation. Therefore it is possible that CIH-induced oxidative stress underlies macrophage mediated inflammation. These findings suggest that sleep apnea increases oxidative stress and consequently inflammation.Item Synergy 2008: Annual Research Report(2008-01-01)