Semantic Memory and Lexical Availability in Parkinson's Disease: A Statistical Learning Study.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes a progressive impairment in motor and cognitive functions. Although semantic fluency deficits have been described in PD, more specific semantic memory (SM) and lexical availability (LA) domains have not been previously addressed. Here, we aimed to characterize the cognitive performance of PD patients in a set of SM and LA measures and determine the smallest set of neuropsychological (lexical, semantic, or executive) variables that most accurately classify groups. Thirty early-stage non-demented PD patients (age 35-75, 10 females) and thirty healthy controls (age 36-76, 12 females) were assessed via general cognitive, SM [three subtests of the CaGi battery including living (i.e., elephant) and non-living things (i.e., fork)], and LA (eliciting words from 10 semantic categories related to everyday life) measures. Results showed that PD patients performed lower than controls in two SM global scores (picture naming and naming in response to an oral description). This impairment was particularly pronounced in the non-living things subscale. Also, the number of words in the LA measure was inferior in PD patients than controls, in both larger and smaller semantic fields, showing a more inadequate recall strategy. Notably, the classification algorithms indicated that the SM task had high classification accuracy. In particular, the denomination of non-living things had a classification accuracy of ∼80%. These results suggest that frontostriatal deterioration in PD leads to search strategy deficits in SF and the potential disruption in semantic categorization. These findings are consistent with the embodied view of cognition.

Action-verb processing in Parkinson's disease: new pathways for motor-language coupling.

Recent studies suggest that action-verb processing is particularly affected in early stage Parkinson's disease (PD), highlighting the potential role of subcortical areas in language processing and in the semantic integration of actions. However, this disorder-related language impairment is frequently unrecognized by clinicians and often remains untreated. Early detection of action-language processing deficits could be critical for diagnosing and developing treatment strategies for PD. In this article, we review how action-verb processing is affected in PD and propose a model in which multiple and parallel frontotemporal circuits between the cortex and the basal ganglia provide the anatomic substrate for supporting action-language processing. We hypothesize that contextual coupling of action-language networks are partially dependent on cortical-subcortical integration, and not only on somatotopic motor cortical organization or in a mirror neuron system. This hypothesis is supported by both experimental and clinical evidence. Then, we identify further research steps that would help to determine the reliability of action-language impairments as an early marker of PD. Finally, theoretical implications for clinical assessment and for models of action-language interaction (action-perception cycle theories, mirror system models of language, and embodied cognition approaches to language) are discussed.

Efecto relajante de las hojas de Ocimum basilicum y Foeniculum vulgare colombianas en íleon aislado de rata / Relaxing effect of the leaves of Colombian Ocimum basilicum and Foeniculum vulgare in a rat's cut off ileum

El hinojo y la albahaca han sido usadas por largo tiempo en la medicina popular como antiespasmódicos para mejorar las dolencias gastrointestinales y el cólico intestinal. Se evaluó el efecto in vitro de la infusión al 10 por ciento de hojas secas de Ocimum basilicum (albahaca) y Foeniculum vulgare (hinojo) cundiboyacenses y la mezcla 1:1 de ambas infusiones, en el tono de íleon precontraído de rata. Se observó una disminución del tono al comparar con el agua destilada en cantidades iguales, la cual fue dependiente de la dosis, con una diferencia estadísticamente significativa, para cada una de las plantas y la mezcla. No se encontró un efecto aditivo con la mezcla de ambas plantas. El estudio demostró el efecto relajante de las infusiones de albahaca e hinojo al 10 por ciento, en el tono del íleon precontraído de rata.

Fennel and basil have been used for a long time in popular medicine as antispasmodic to alleviate gastrointestinal colics and complaints. The effect of 10% of dry leaves of basilinfusion (Ocimum basilicum) as well as fennel infusion (Foeniculum vulgare) was evaluated. The mixture of both infusions 1:1 in the tone of a rat contracted ileum were also evaluated in vitro. A decrease in the tone compared with the distilled water in equal quantities was seen. This one was a dependent dose with a statistical meaningful difference for each oneof the plants and the mixture. We did not find out an additive effect with the two plants mixture. The study showed the relaxing effect of the fennel and basil 10% infusion, in the tone of the pre-contracted rat’s ileum.

DISEÑO Y CONSTRUCCIÓN DE UN PEDAL DE BICICLETA BASADO EN SENSORES PIEZORRESISTIVOS PARA DETERMINAR LA FUERZA RESULTANTE

En el ciclismo colombiano, las pautas de entrenamiento se ajustan a partir de datos cualitativos basados en la observación directa al deportista. Esta investigación busca mejorar ese proceso por medio de la implementación de pedales instrumentados para obtener datos cuantitativos del rendimiento del ciclista. En este artículo se presenta el diseño y construcción de un prototipo de dispositivo dinamométrico que permite la captura de datos de fuerza en el pedal durante el gesto del pedaleo. El dispositivo funciona con base en un sensor de fuerza piezorresistivo (FlexiForce®) acoplado a un arreglo mecánico específico y a un sistema de acondicionamiento de señal que entrega un voltaje proporcional a la fuerza ejercida, cuyo registro y análisis se realiza por medio de LabVIEW TM. El dispositivo permite visualizar la fuerza del pedaleo en tiempo real.

In the Colombian cycling, the training guidelines are adjusted from qualitative data based on the direct observation of the sportsman. The aim of this research was to improve this process by the implementation of instrumented pedals to collect quantitative data of the performance of the cyclist. In this article we present the design and construction of a prototype of a dynamometric device that allows the acquisition of force data in the pedal. The device works based in a piezoresistive force sensor (FlexiForce®) connected to a specific mechanical adjustment and a signal conditioning system that gives a proportional voltage to the exerted force, whose registry and analysis are made in LabVIEW TM. The device allows the visualization of the pedaling force in real time.