OBJECTIVE: Adaptive interactions with the outer world necessitate effective connections between cognitive and executive functions. The primary motor cortex (M1) with its control of the spinal cord motor apparatus and its involvement in the processing of cognitive information related to motor functions is one of the best suited structures of this cognition-action connection. The question arose whether M1 might be involved also in situations where no overt or covered motor action is present. METHODS: The EEG data analyzed were recorded during an oddball task in one epileptic patient (19 years) with depth multilead electrodes implanted for diagnostic reasons into the M1 and several prefrontal areas. RESULTS: The main result was the finding of an evoked response to non-target stimuli with a pronounced late component in all frontal areas explored, including three loci of the M1. The late component was implicated in the evaluation of predicted and actual action and was synchronized in all three precentral loci and in the majority of prefrontal loci. CONCLUSION: The finding is considered as direct evidence of functional involvement of the M1 in cognitive activity not related to motor function. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results contribute to better understanding of neural mechanisms underlying cognition.

• Klíčová slova
• Cognition, Intracerebral EEG, Oddball task, Primary motor cortex,
• MeSH
• elektroencefalografie metody   MeSH
• kognice fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• motorické korové centrum fyziologie   MeSH
• světelná stimulace metody   MeSH
• zrakové evokované potenciály fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Sensorimotor integration is essential for successful motor control and the somatosensory modality has been shown to have strong effects on the execution of motor plans. The primary (SI) and the secondary somatosensory (SII) cortices are known to differ in their neuroanatomical connections to prefrontal areas, as well as in their involvement to encode cognitive aspects of tactile processing. Here, we ask whether the area-specific processing architecture or the structural neuroanatomical connections with prefrontal areas determine the efficacy of sensorimotor integration processes for motor control. In a system neurophysiological study including EEG signal decomposition (i.e., residue iteration decomposition, RIDE) and source localization, we investigated this question using vibrotactile stimuli optimized for SI or SII processing. The behavioral data show that when being triggered via the SI area, inhibitory control of motor processes is stronger as when being triggered via the SII area. On a neurophysiological level, these effects were reflected in the C-cluster as a result of a temporal decomposition of EEG data, indicating that the sensory processes affecting motor inhibition modulate the response selection level. These modulations were associated with a stronger activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus extending to the right middle frontal gyrus as parts of a network known to be involved in inhibitory motor control when response inhibition is triggered over SI. In addition, areas important for sensorimotor integration like the postcentral gyrus and superior parietal cortex showed activation differences. The data suggest that connection patterns are more important for sensorimotor integration and control than the more restricted area-specific processing architecture.

• Klíčová slova
• EEG, Motor control, Neurophysiology, Somatosensory system, Source localization,
• MeSH
• analýza rozptylu MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• elektroencefalografie MeSH
• evokované potenciály fyziologie   MeSH
• inhibice (psychologie) * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mapování mozku * MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• pohybová aktivita fyziologie   MeSH
• psychomotorický výkon fyziologie   MeSH
• shluková analýza MeSH
• somatosenzorické korové centrum anatomie a histologie   fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

Three levels of sensorimotor control within the central nervous system (CNS) can be distinguished. During the neonatal stage, general movements and primitive reflexes are controlled at the spinal and brain stem levels. Analysis of the newborn's spontaneous general movements and the assessment of primitive reflexes is crucial in the screening and early recognition of a risk for abnormal development. Following the newborn period, the subcortical level of the CNS motor control emerges and matures mainly during the first year of life. This allows for basic trunk stabilization, a prerequisite for any phasic movement and for the locomotor function of the extremities. At the subcortical level, orofacial muscles and afferent information are automatically integrated within postural-locomotor patterns. Finally, the cortical (the highest) level of motor control increasingly becomes activated. Cortical control is important for the individual qualities and characteristics of movement. It also allows for isolated segmental movement and relaxation. A child with impaired cortical motor control may be diagnosed with developmental dyspraxia or developmental coordination disorder. Human ontogenetic models, i.e., developmental motor patterns, can be used in both the diagnosis and treatment of locomotor system dysfunction.

• Klíčová slova
• Developmental dyspraxia, Developmental kinesiology, Dynamic neuromuscular stabilization, General movements, Postural stabilization, Primitive reflexes, Sensorimotor control,
• MeSH
• apraxie diagnóza   MeSH
• kineziologie aplikovaná * MeSH
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• muskuloskeletální vývoj fyziologie   MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• novorozenecký screening metody   MeSH
• pohyb fyziologie   MeSH
• postura těla fyziologie   MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• senzorická zpětná vazba fyziologie   MeSH
• vývoj dítěte fyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• kojenec MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• novorozenec MeSH
• předškolní dítě MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: Excitability changes in the primary motor cortex in 17 spinal-cord injured (SCI) patients and 10 controls were studied with paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation. The paired pulses were applied at inter-stimulus intervals (ISI) of 2 ms and 15 ms while motor evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded in the biceps brachii (Bic), the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and the tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. RESULTS: The study revealed a significant decrease in cortical motor excitability in the first weeks after SCI concerning the representation of both the affected muscles innervated from spinal segments below the lesion, and the spared muscles rostral to the lesion. In the patients with motor-incomplete injury, but not in those with motor-complete injury, the initial cortical inhibition of affected muscles was temporarily reduced 2-3 months following injury. The degree of inhibition in cortical areas representing the spared muscles was observed to be smaller in patients with no voluntary TA activity compared to patients with some activity remaining in the TA. Surprisingly, motor-cortical inhibition was observed not only at ISI 2 ms but also at ISI 15 ms. The inhibition persisted in patients who returned for a follow-up measurement 2-3 years later. CONCLUSION: The present data showed different evaluation of cortical excitability between patients with complete and incomplete spinal cord lesion. Our results provide more insight into the pathophysiology of SCI and contribute to the ongoing discussion about the recovery process and therapy of SCI patients.

• MeSH
• analýza rozptylu MeSH
• časové faktory MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• eferentní nervové dráhy fyziologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• kosterní svaly inervace   fyziologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• motorické evokované potenciály fyziologie   MeSH
• motorické korové centrum fyziologie   MeSH
• nervový útlum fyziologie   MeSH
• neurony eferentní fyziologie   MeSH
• poranění míchy patofyziologie   MeSH
• referenční hodnoty MeSH
• studie případů a kontrol MeSH
• transkraniální magnetická stimulace MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

• MeSH
• kočky MeSH
• motorické korové centrum fyziologie   MeSH
• motorické neurony fyziologie   MeSH
• mozkový kmen fyziologie   MeSH
• zpětná vazba MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• kočky MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

As predictive motor control is an important index of neuromotor development and maturation, we developed two touchscreen tablet-based tests of this function. Our aim was to investigate the reliability and validity of both a rapid manual interception test and a pursuit tracking test, using a sample of 124 children (62 boys and 62 girls) from two age groups (7-8-year-oldss and 9-10-year-olds). Participants performed both tablet tests with a stylus (sample rate 100 Hz) with both a visible and a temporarily invisible moving target. Confirmatory factor analyses and omega coefficients showed that both tests were univariate methods that provided a reliable assessment of the latent factor related to predictive visuomotor control. As would be expected, compared to younger children, older children performed better on both manual interception and pursuit tracking. The correlations between the latent factors of the two tests at 95% confidence intervals (-.276, -.608) suggested shared variance. Thus, the touchscreen-tablet based tests of rapid manual interception and manual pursuit tracking appear psychometrically suitable for assessing the neuromotor ability of predictive control in 7-10-year-old children.

• Klíčová slova
• children, interceptive action, motor control, pursuit tracking, tablet computer, visuomotor skills,
• MeSH
• dítě MeSH
• faktorová analýza statistická MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• reprodukovatelnost výsledků * MeSH
• Check Tag
• dítě MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladiství MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The purpose of this study was to examine the motor control strategies employed to control the degrees of freedom when performing a lower limb task with constraints applied at the hip, knee, and ankle. Thirty-five individuals performed vertical jumping tasks: hip flexed, no knee bend, and plantar flexed. Joint moment data from the hip, knee, and ankle were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). In all PCA performed, a minimum of two and maximum of six principal components (PC) were required to describe the movements. Similar reductions in dimensionality were observed in the hip flexed and no knee bend conditions (3PCs), compared to the plantar flexed condition (5PCs). A proximal to distal reduction in variability was observed for the hip flexed and no knee bend conditions but not for the plantar flexed condition. Collectively, the results suggest a reduction in the dimensionality of the movement occurs despite the constraints imposed within each condition and would suggest that dimensionality reduction and motor control strategies are a function of the task demands.

• Klíčová slova
• constraints, degrees of freedom, principal component analysis, proximal to distal pattern, vertical jumping,
• MeSH
• biomechanika MeSH
• kolenní kloub MeSH
• koleno MeSH
• kotník * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• pohyb * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The cerebellum, basal ganglia (BG), and other cortical regions, such as supplementary motor area (SMA) have emerged as important structures dealing with various aspects of timing, yet the modulation of functional connectivity between them during motor timing tasks remains unexplored. METHODS: We used dynamic causal modeling to investigate the differences in effective connectivity (EC) between these regions and its modulation by behavioral outcome during a motor timing prediction task in a group of 16 patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD) and 17 healthy controls. Behavioral events (hits and errors) constituted the driving input connected to the cerebellum, and the modulation in connectivity was assessed relative to the hit condition (successful interception of target). RESULTS: The driving input elicited response in the target area, while modulatory input changed the specific connection strength. The neuroimaging data revealed similar structure of intrinsic connectivity in both groups with unidirectional connections from cerebellum to both sides of the BG, from BG to the SMA, and then from SMA to the cerebellum. However, the type of intrinsic connection was different between two groups. In the PD group, the connection between the SMA and cerebellum was inhibitory in comparison to the HC group, where the connection was activated. Furthermore, the modulation of connectivity by the performance in the task was different between the two groups, with decreased connectivity between the cerebellum and left BG and SMA and a more pronounced symmetry of these connections in controls. In the same time, there was an increased EC between the cerebellum and both sides of BG with more pronounced asymmetry (stronger connection with left BG) in patients. In addition, in the PD group the modulatory input strengthened inhibitory connectivity between the SMA and the cerebellum, while in the HC group the excitatory connection was slightly strengthened. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that although early PD subjects and controls use similar functional circuits to maintain a successful outcome in predictive motor timing behavior, the type and strength of EC and its modulation by behavioral performance differ between these two groups. These functional differences might represent the first step of cortical reorganization aimed at maintaining a normal performance in the brain affected by early Parkinson's disease and may have implications for the neuro-rehabilitation field.

• Klíčová slova
• Basal ganglia, Parkinson's disease, cerebellum, connectivity, cortical reorganization, motor timing, prediction, supplementary motor area,
• MeSH
• bazální ganglia patofyziologie   MeSH
• konektom metody   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mapování mozku metody   MeSH
• motorické korové centrum patofyziologie   MeSH
• mozeček patofyziologie   MeSH
• nervové dráhy patofyziologie   MeSH
• Parkinsonova nemoc MeSH
• pozornost * MeSH
• psychomotorický výkon * MeSH
• reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
• senzitivita a specificita MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH

The sport of gymnastics is undergoing a global examination of its culture and the relationship between the gymnast, coach and environment is a central focus. The aim of this review is to explore biomechanics and motor control research in skill development and technique selection in artistic gymnastics with a focus on the underlying concepts and scientific principles that allow performance enhancement, skill development and injury risk reduction. The current review examines peer reviewed papers from 2000 onwards, with a focus on contemporary approaches in the field of gymnastics research, and highlights several key directions for future gymnastics research. Based on our review and the integration of the models of Newell (1986) and Irwin et al. (2005), we recommend that future gymnastics research should embrace at the very least a multidisciplinary approach and aim for an interdisciplinary paradigm.

• Klíčová slova
• Skill development, constraints, motor learning, physical development, technology,
• MeSH
• biomechanika MeSH
• gymnastika * zranění   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mentoring * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

Fundamental motor skills (FMS) are the basic elements of more complex sport-specific skills and should be mastered at the end of early childhood; however, the relationship between FMS and sport-specific skills has not yet been verified in prepubertal soccer players. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the role of FMS in the process of acquiring soccer-specific motor skills (measured using speed dribbling) with regard to physical fitness and biological maturation. Forty male soccer players (11.5 ± 0.3 years of age) at the highest performance level participated in the study. The test of Gross Motor Development - second edition and Unifittest 6-60 were used to assess FMS and physical fitness, respectively. The role of FMS in a complex theoretical model with the relationships between physical fitness, biological maturation and speed dribbling was analyzed by multiple regression path analyses (MRPA). Moderate to strong correlations were found between FMS, physical fitness, and speed dribbling (r = 0.56-0.66). Biological maturation did not appear to be a significant predictor of physical fitness or speed dribbling. The MRPA model using FMS as mediator variable between physical fitness and speed dribbling showed a significant indirect effect (standard estimation = -0.31, p = 0.001; R 2 = 0.25). However, the direct correlation between physical fitness and speed dribbling was non-significant. Our results showed that FMS significantly strengthened the influence of physical fitness on the performance of speed dribbling, a soccer-specific motor skill, and thus play an important role in the process of acquiring sport-specific motor skills in prepubertal soccer players. When considering the long-term training process, especially during childhood and before puberty, a wide range of FMS activities should be applied for better and possibly faster acquisition of soccer-specific motor skills.

• Klíčová slova
• motor control, performance, pre-pubescence, skills, soccer, talent development,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH