The Functional Performance and Neuromuscular Mechanisms Core (RRC-B) provides support for research conducted in University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) OAIC studies. The RRC-B enhances Pepper Center goals by applying: 1) instrumented and standardized measures of gait, balance and motor control to measure functional performance changes, and 2) non-invasive brain stimulation and functional imaging methodologies to measure central nervous system (CNS) adaptations to exercise in patients with chronic stroke. RRC-B aims are to: 1. Support the research in the IDSs, selected RDC junior faculty pilot studies, and promote other aging-related research at UMB by providing quantitative and standardized measures of gait, balance, strength and motor control; 2. Investigate the effects of repetitive bilateral UE and LE task-oriented training on CNS motor control in hemiparetic stroke patients using novel non-invasive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In collaboration with RRC-C studies of muscle mass and metabolism, this will identify the central and peripheral neuromuscular adaptations with treadmill training in IDS-1; 3. Train young investigators, RDC-OAIC awardees, and clinicians in the conduct of human performance and applied neurophysiological research relevant to the mission of the Pepper Center, and the fields of gerontology, neurology, and physical rehabilitation sciences; 4. Provide an educational and consultative resource for UMB investigators interested in pursuing research in aging and neurological rehabilitation; 5. Assist NIH and/or VA-funded investigators at UMB in the performance of rehabilitation research, particularly exercise rehabilitation studies in hip fracture and cortical excitability (RDC pilots, NSA and VA-CDA, NIH R37 MERIT), revascularized PAOD (R01), personal status monitoring of physical activity (VA MERIT) and other relevant rehabilitation research; and 6. Further inter-institutional collaborations in stroke and other rehabilitation research among investigators at UMB, Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the Human Cortical Physiology Section at the National Institutes of Health, Sinai Hospitals and other Pepper Centers. Conduct of laboratory-based and standardized measures of functional performance, cortical and peripheral neuromuscular adaptations in the RRC-B improves the accuracy of these assessments, allows strict maintenance of blinding as critical mechanistic outcomes are determined. and eliminates duplication of expensive testing equipment. Centralization of major mechanistic questions relevant to the IDS-1, IDS-2 and the RDC pilot studies into one core ensures the integrity of the methodologies and analysis. Collection of functional and neurophysiologic data by RRC-B investigators, and subsequent integration with data collected in IDS projects and research resources cores enables a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary examination of mechanistic factors associated with exercise rehabilitation in stroke. The RRC-B provides goal directed organization to precisely identify neuromuscular and cortical mechanisms of functional performance leading to adaptive modes of recovery after stroke and other disabling medical conditions in older populations.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 216 publications
