Objective
Individual muscle activation patterns may be controlled by motor modules constructed by the central nervous system to simplify motor control. This study compared modular control of gait between persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and neurologically-healthy older adults (HOA) and investigated relationships between modular organization and gait parameters in persons with PD.
Methods
Fifteen persons with idiopathic PD and fourteen HOA participated. Electromyographic recordings were made from eight leg muscles bilaterally while participants walked at their preferred walking speed for ten minutes on an instrumented treadmill. Non-negative matrix factorization techniques decomposed the electromyographic signals, identifying the number and nature of modules accounting for 95% of variability in muscle activations during treadmill walking.
Results
Generally, fewer modules were required to reconstruct muscle activation patterns during treadmill walking in PD compared to HOA (p<.05). Control of knee flexor and ankle plantarflexor musculature was simplified in PD. Activation timing was altered in PD while muscle weightings were unaffected. Simplified neuromuscular control was related to decreased walking speed in PD.
Conclusions
Neuromuscular control of gait is simplified in PD and may contribute to gait deficits in this population.
Significance
Future studies of locomotor rehabilitation in PD should consider neuromuscular complexity to maximize intervention effectiveness.
Background:We investigated whether robotic-assisted surgery improves mediastinal lymph node dissection (MLND). Methods: We analyzed patients (pts) who underwent robotic-assisted video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (R-VATS) lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over 36 months. Perioperative outcomes, tumor histology, numbers, locations, and status of all lymph nodes (LNs), and TNM (tumor, nodal, and metastasis) stage changes were analyzed. Results: One hundred fifty-nine pts had mean tumor size 3.3±0.2 cm, most commonly being adenocarcinoma. Assessment of ≥3 N2 stations occurred in 156 (98.1%) pts, with 141 (88.7%) pts having >3 N2 stations reported. Mean total N1 + N2 stations assessed was 5.6±0.1 stations, including mean 4.1±0.1 N2 stations assessed. Mean N2 LNs reported was 7.2±0.3 LNs, and mean total N1 + N2 LNs reported was 13.4±0.4 LNs. There were 118 (74.2%) clinical stage-I pts versus 96 (60.4%) pathologic stage-I pts. Overall, 48 (30.2%) pts were upstaged, including 13 pts with cN0-pN1, 13 pts with cN0-pN2, 4 pts with cN1-pN2, and 18 pts with changes in T. Conclusions: R-VATS lobectomy is safe and results in perioperative outcomes comparable to those reported for conventional VATS. R-VATS MLND is effective at detecting occult metastatic disease during lobectomy for NSCLC.
Within the last decade, these approaches to NSCLC staging have become more widely available. Continued study into these noninvasive techniques is warranted.
Patients with BSA ≤1.65 m(2) have similar perioperative outcomes and complication risks as patients with larger BSA. Patients with BSA ≤1.65 m(2) have a higher overall conversion rate to thoracotomy, but similar conversion rate for bleeding as patients with larger BSA. Robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy is feasible and safe in patients with small body habitus.
Patients with obesity do not have increased risk of intraoperative or postoperative complications, except for pneumonia, compared with "normal weight" and "overweight" patients. Robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy is safe and effective for patients with high BMI.
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