Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026
07:20
Author Spotlight: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Combined with Movement Observation in Cerebral Palsy
Published on: August 9, 2024
1.9K
Selective motor control and gross motor function in bilateral spastic cerebral palsy
Jonathan J Noble1, Martin Gough1, Adam P Shortland1,2
1One Small Step Gait Laboratory, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology
|September 12, 2018
Summary
Selective motor control (SMC) significantly impacts gross motor function in adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy (CP). Muscle volume and spasticity also play key roles in their motor abilities.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) affects motor control and function.
- Understanding factors influencing gross motor function is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between selective motor control (SMC), lower limb muscle volume, and spasticity with gross motor function in adolescents and young adults with bilateral CP.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 11 male participants with CP (GMFCS I-IV).
- Assessed SMC (SCALE), muscle volume (MRI), spasticity (MAS), and gross motor function (GMFM-66).
Main Results:
- GMFM-66 strongly correlated with SCALE (r=0.901) and normalized muscle volume (r=0.750).
- MAS significantly correlated with GMFM-66 (r=-0.691).
Conclusions:
- SMC is a primary determinant of gross motor function in individuals with bilateral CP.
- Lower limb muscle volume and spasticity also significantly influence gross motor function.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Hierarchy of Motor Control
6.3K
The hierarchy of motor control refers to the different levels of organization and processing involved in controlling movement in the body. These levels range from higher cortical areas involved in planning and decision-making to lower spinal cord reflexes that respond automatically to external stimuli.
6.3K
00:46Motor Units
62.0K
A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
62.0K
01:13Motor Units
8.2K
The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
8.2K
01:20Motor Unit Stimulation
3.8K
When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...
3.8K
01:11Direct Motor Pathways
4.5K
The direct motor pathways, also known as the pyramidal tracts, are a group of neural pathways that originate in the brain and descend through the spinal cord. They control the voluntary movement of the body. There are two major direct motor pathways: the corticospinal and the corticobulbar tracts.
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and...
The corticospinal tract is responsible for the voluntary movement of the limbs and trunk. It originates in the cerebral cortex of the brain and descends through the cerebrum's internal capsule and...
4.5K
01:32Microtubule Associated Motor Proteins
10.7K
Eukaryotic cells have different motor proteins for transporting various cargo within the cell. These motor proteins differ based on the filament they associate with, the direction they move within the cell, and the type of cargo they transport. Motor proteins that associate with microtubules are known as microtubule-associated motor proteins. There are two families of microtubule-associated motor proteins —Kinesins and Dyneins. Both these proteins assist in the transport of cellular...
10.7K