Search Results (50)

Hemiparesis is a disabling consequence of stroke, causing abnormal gait patterns with biomechanical asymmetries. Gait mechanics for stroke survivors appear resistant to conventional rehabilitation. Auditory rhythmical cueing (ARC) represents an emerging intervention option. To determine effective gait interventions, objective measures of gait collected from real-world environments may be required in addition to standard clinical outcomes to aid understanding of gait mechanics. This study reports on the ability of wearable activity monitors to quantify an ARC intervention for fifty-nine stroke survivors randomised into an ARC gait and balance training programme or an equivalent training programme without ARC. Gait assessments were undertaken at baseline and at 6 weeks for 4-metre walks and continuously for 7 days following each home assessment using a wearable activity monitor. The success rates of data collection using the wearable activity monitors ranged from 64 to 95%. Forty-eight Digital Mobility Outcomes representing a broad range of gait mechanics were calculated. Visualisation of all DMOs using radar plots indicated changes from baseline in both groups, with individual data indicating large variability in response to the intervention and control programme. Including wearable activity monitors to evaluate gait interventions for stroke survivors provides additional value to traditional methods and aids understanding of individual responses; as such, they should be used for future intervention-based research. Full article

Motion perception is a fundamental function of the tactile system, essential for object exploration and manipulation. While human studies have largely focused on discrete or pulsed stimuli with staggered onsets, many natural tactile signals are continuous and rhythmically patterned. Here, we investigate whether phase differences between “simultaneously” presented, “continuous” amplitude-modulated vibrations can induce the perception of motion across fingertips. Participants reliably perceived motion direction at modulation frequencies up to 1 Hz, with discrimination performance systematically dependent on the phase lag between vibrations. Critically, trial-level confidence reports revealed the lowest certainty for anti-phase (180°) conditions, consistent with stimulus ambiguity as predicted by the mathematical framework. I propose two candidate computational mechanisms for tactile motion processing. The first is a conventional cross-correlation computation over the envelopes; the second is a probabilistic model based on the uncertain detection of temporal reference points (e.g., envelope peaks) within threshold-defined windows. This model, despite having only a single parameter (uncertainty width determined by an amplitude discrimination threshold), accounts for both the non-linear shape and asymmetries of observed psychometric functions. These results demonstrate that the human tactile system can extract directional information from distributed phase-coded signals in the absence of spatial displacement, revealing a motion perception mechanism that parallels arthropod systems but potentially arises from distinct perceptual constraints. The findings underscore the feasibility of sparse, phase-coded stimulation as a lightweight and reproducible method for conveying motion cues in wearable, motion-capable haptic devices. Full article

Skeletal muscle plays vital roles in locomotion, metabolic regulation and endocrine signalling. Critically, it undergoes structural and functional decline with age, leading to a progressive loss of muscle mass and strength (sarcopenia) and contributing to a systemic loss of tissue resilience to stressors of multiple tissue systems (frailty). Emerging evidence implicates misalignments in both the circadian molecular clock and redox homeostasis as major drivers of age-related skeletal muscle deterioration. The circadian molecular clock, through core clock components such as BMAL1 and CLOCK, orchestrates rhythmic gene, protein and myokine expression impacting diurnal regulation of skeletal muscle structure and metabolism, mitochondrial function, antioxidant defence, extracellular matrix organisation and systemic inter-tissue communication. In parallel, the master redox regulator, NRF2, maintains cellular antioxidant defence, tissue stress resistance and mitochondrial health. Disruption of either system impairs skeletal muscle contractility, metabolism, and regenerative capacity as well as systemic homeostasis. Notably, NRF2-mediated redox signalling is clock-regulated and, in turn, affects circadian clock regulation. Both systems are responsive to external cues such as exercise and hormones, yet studies do not consistently include circadian timing or biological sex as key methodological variables. Given that circadian regulation shifts with age and differs between sexes, aligning exercise interventions with one’s own chronotype may enhance health benefits, reduce adverse side effects, and overcome anabolic resistance with ageing. This review highlights the essential interplay between circadian and redox systems in skeletal muscle homeostasis and systemic health and argues for incorporating personalised chrono-redox approaches and sex-specific considerations into future experimental research and clinical studies, aiming to improve functional outcomes in age-related sarcopenia and broader age-related metabolic and musculoskeletal conditions. Full article

Stroke remains one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, often resulting in persistent impairments in gait and balance. Traditional rehabilitation methods—though beneficial—are limited by factors such as therapist dependency, low patient adherence, and restricted access. In recent years, sensor-supported technologies, including virtual reality (VR), robotic-assisted gait training (RAGT), and wearable feedback systems, have emerged as promising adjuncts to conventional therapy. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of wearable and immersive technologies for gait and balance rehabilitation in adult stroke survivors. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search of the PubMed and ScienceDirect databases retrieved 697 articles. After screening, eight studies published between 2015 and 2025 were included, encompassing 186 participants. The interventions included VR-based gait training, electromechanical devices (e.g., HAL, RAGT), auditory rhythmic cueing, and smart insoles, compared against conventional rehabilitation or baseline function. Most studies reported significant improvements in motor function, dynamic balance, or gait speed, particularly when interventions were intensive, task-specific, and personalized. Patient engagement, adherence, and feasibility were generally high. However, heterogeneity in study design, small sample sizes, and limited long-term data reduced the strength of the evidence. Technologies were typically implemented as complementary tools rather than standalone treatments. In conclusion, wearable and immersive systems represent promising adjuncts to conventional stroke rehabilitation, with potential to enhance motor outcomes and patient engagement. However, the heterogeneity in protocols, small sample sizes, and methodological limitations underscore the need for more robust, large-scale trials to validate their clinical effectiveness and guide implementation. Full article

Plants grow, develop, and reproduce within a rhythmic environment. Environmental cues—such as light, temperature, nutrition, water—initiate, sustain, or terminate basic physiological processes within the plant, such as photosynthesis, respiration, nutrient uptake, water management, transpiration, growth, and hormone regulation. Simultaneously, inside the plant, internal “living clocks” are ticking and helping plants to synchronize internal processes with environmental cues and defend themselves against stressful conditions. These clock-regulated processes underlie a variety of plant traits, such as germination capability, growth and development rate, time of flowering, fruiting and yielding, development of plant shape, and size and biomass production. Most of these physiological traits are important attributes of crop plants. In recent years, the growing understanding of environmental rhythms as environmental cues and the mechanisms underlying plant internal clocks has begun to play an increasingly important role in agricultural practices. This is an emerging area of research that integrates insights from chronobiology with practices in plant agriculture. In this review, this new research area is studied and mapped using Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA protocol), and VOSviewer1.6.20 software. The analyses were carried out on 18 July–27 August 2025. For the VOSviewer author keywords co-occurrence analysis, all 1022 documents covering the time range of the last 7.5–2.5 years (2018–July 2025) were included and three maps were generated. Additionally, 59 review documents covering the last 27 years (1988–July 2025) were extracted by relevance using Google Scholar. In this review, recent advances and topics in plant chronobiology were examined. The issue of how these advances respond to key challenges in plant agriculture was explored. The bidirectional influence between chronobiology and practices in plant agriculture were also considered. Full article

Background. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurological condition that can severely impair gait, often through changes to gait parameters including stride length, velocity, and variability. Therapeutic interventions such as Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS^®) target gait dysfunction in PD by using the regular beat of music or metronome clips to cue normalized walking patterns. Previous research has suggested that auditory cue properties (e.g., familiarity and groove) and individual factors (e.g., beat perception ability and susceptibility to dual-task interference) influence auditory cueing treatment efficacy in healthy young and older adults; however, optimization of rhythmic cueing across individuals with PD remains understudied. Methods. To address this, we explored the effects of familiarity, groove, beat perception ability, and synchronization instructions on gait in patients with PD during accelerated auditory cues. Individuals with idiopathic PD were randomized to walk freely or synchronized to music and metronome cues played 10% faster than their baseline walking cadence. Musical stimuli varied in self-reported familiarity and perceived groove and beat perception ability was assessed to classify participants as good or poor beat perceivers. Results. Overall, high-groove music and synchronized walking elicited faster gait patterns compared to low-groove music and free walking, respectively, as demonstrated by increased gait velocity and cadence. Familiarity and beat perception ability did not significantly affect gait in individuals with PD. Discussion. Altogether, our results indicate that high-groove music and synchronized walking lead to the greatest gait improvements during cueing, regardless of beat perception ability. Conclusion. Future studies and clinical interventions should consider stimulus type and synchronization instructions when implementing cueing therapies for gait dysfunction in PD in order to optimize treatment responses. Full article

Background/Objectives: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder involving the basal ganglia and is characterized by psychiatric, cognitive, and movement dysfunction, including gait and balance impairment. Given the limited efficacy of pharmacological treatments for HD motor symptoms, nonpharmacological approaches like rhythmic auditory stimulation are being explored. This study aims to describe walking performance in people with HD during rhythmic auditory stimulation using external musical cues and internal singing cues. Methods: Individuals in the manifest stage of HD performed walking in four conditions: (1) comfortable pace, (2) cognitive dual task, (3) musical cue (music was played aloud), and (4) singing cue (participants sang aloud). Sensors measured cadence, velocity, stride length, and variability. Relationships between change in cadence and motor and cognitive measures were explored. Results: While no direct measurements of synchronization were performed, limiting our interpretation, neither the external musical cue nor the singing cue significantly improved walking performance. Both cues increased variability, similar to what was observed during the dual task. Greater subjective balance confidence and better cognitive performance were associated with positive cadence change during cueing. Conclusions: Musical cues may be too cognitively demanding for individuals with Huntington’s disease as they worsen gait variability without increasing gait speed, cadence, or stride length. Although global cognition and perceived balance confidence were related to the ability to increase cadence, very few people were able to increase their cadence during either cue. Therefore, the results do not support the use of musical cues to improve gait for individuals with Huntington’s disease. Full article

Freezing of gait (FoG) impairs mobility and daily functioning and increases the risk of falls, leading to a reduced quality of life (QoL) in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Cue2walk, a wearable smart cueing device, can detect FoG and hereupon provides rhythmic cues to help people with PD manage FoG in daily life. This study investigated the user experiences and device usage of the Cue2walk, and its impact on health-related QoL, FoG and daily activities. Twenty-five users of the Cue2walk were invited to fill out an online survey, which included a modified version of the EQ-5D-5L, tailored to the use of the Cue2walk, and its scale for health-related QoL, three FoG-related questions, and a question about customer satisfaction. Sixteen users of the Cue2walk completed the survey. Average device usage per day was 9 h (SD 4). Health-related QoL significantly increased from 5.2/10 (SD 1.3) to 6.2/10 (SD 1.3) (p = 0.005), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.83). A total of 13/16 respondents reported a positive effect on FoG duration, 12/16 on falls, and 10/16 on daily activities and self-confidence. Customer satisfaction was 7.8/10 (SD 1.7). This pilot study showed that Cue2walk usage per day is high and that 15/16 respondents experienced a variety of positive effects since using the device. To validate these findings, future studies should include a larger sample size and a more extensive set of questionnaires and physical measurements monitored over time. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patterned Sensory Enhancement (PSE), a Neurologic Music Therapy technique, utilizes rhythm and other musical elements to facilitate functional movement in diverse clinical populations. This scoping review is the first to systematically synthesize the current evidence surrounding PSE’s use and its effects on motor function across various populations in order to evaluate its therapeutic potential, identify gaps in the existing literature, and guide future research efforts. Methods: A literature search was conducted across five major databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Scopus) in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Results: From 1018 screened articles, 15 met the inclusion criteria. PSE has been demonstrated as effective across clinical populations, including Cerebral Palsy, stroke, Parkinson’s Disease, and psychiatric conditions. However, the results for studies on geriatric populations remain inconsistent. Despite the variability in the outcome measures and movement types assessed, PSE is consistently supported as an effective approach for enhancing motor function. However, to date, only a small number of studies across populations have been conducted. Conclusions: This scoping review suggests that PSE holds significant potential for improving motor function across a range of clinical populations. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effects, use standardized terminology, and identify the optimal implementation strategies tailored to the unique needs of different populations to maximize its therapeutic benefit. Full article

Rhythms, regulated by core clock genes like the period (per) gene family, are crucial for maintaining physiological processes in animals. In teleost fish, including channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), these genes have evolved distinct functions. However, the evolutionary characteristics and functional roles of period genes, particularly in response to environmental cues such as feeding, remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the evolutionary divergence and functional specialization of the period gene family in channel catfish, with a focus on feeding-induced rhythmicity. Four period genes, Ipper1b, Ipper2, Ipper2l, and Ipper3, were identified in channel catfish. Phylogenetic analysis revealed distinct evolutionary paths for these genes, with Ipper2l forming a separate clade from Ipper2. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed differential expression of period genes across tissues, with Ipper1b exhibiting the highest expression in the intestine and Ipper2 being predominantly expressed in the liver. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences in the expression levels between tissues (p < 0.05), supporting the tissue-specific roles of these genes. Notably, under strict feeding schedules, we observed significant modulation of rhythmic expression in both the brain and liver, with a notable shift in the peak expression times and amplitude changes aligned with the feeding time. These results suggest that feeding serves as a critical Zeitgeber, entraining circadian rhythms in key tissues and potentially enhancing metabolic efficiency. These results demonstrated that feeding schedules play a key role in modulating circadian gene expression in channel catfish. This study provides insights into the evolutionary divergence and functional roles of the period gene family in channel catfish, showing how feeding schedules modulate circadian gene expression in the brain and liver. These findings have potential applications in optimizing feeding strategies for improving fish health and growth in aquaculture. Full article

Introduction: Robotic-assisted (RA) spine surgery enhances pedicle screw placement accuracy through real-time navigation and trajectory guidance. However, the absence of traditional direct haptic feedback by freehand instrumentation remains a concern for some, particularly in minimally invasive (MIS) procedures where direct visual confirmation is limited. During RA spine surgery, navigation systems display three-dimensional data, but factors such as registration errors, intraoperative motion, and anatomical variability may compromise accuracy. This technical note describes a visuohaptic intraoperative phenomenon observed during RA spine surgery, its underlying mechanical principles, and its utility. During pedicle screw insertion with a slow-speed automated drill in RA spine procedures, a subtle and rhythmic variation in resistance has been observed both visually on the navigation interface and haptically through the handheld drill. This intraoperative pattern is referred to in this report as a cyclical insertional torque (CIT) pattern and has been noted across multiple cases. The CIT pattern is hypothesized to result from localized stick–slip dynamics, where alternating phases of resistance and release at the bone–screw interface generate periodic torque fluctuations. The pattern is most pronounced at low insertion speeds and diminishes with increasing drill velocity. CIT is a newly described intraoperative observation that may provide visuohaptic feedback during pedicle screw insertion in RA spine surgery. Through slow-speed automated drilling, CIT offers a cue for bone engagement, which could support intraoperative awareness in scenarios where tactile feedback is reduced or visual confirmation is indirect. While CIT may enhance surgeon confidence during screw advancement, its clinical relevance, reproducibility, and impact on placement accuracy have yet to be validated. Full article

Originally discovered in the 1890s, the complement system has traditionally been viewed as a “compliment” to the body’s innate and adaptive immune response. However, emerging data have shown that the complement system is a much more complex mechanism within the body involved in regulating inflammation, gene transcription, attraction of macrophages, and many more processes. Sustained complement activation contributes to autoimmunity and chronic inflammation. Pulmonary hypertension is a disease with a poor prognosis and an average life expectancy of 2–3 years that leads to vascular remodeling of the pulmonary arteries; the pulmonary arteries are essential to host homeostasis, as they divert deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs for gas exchange. This review focuses on direct links between the complement system’s involvement in pulmonary hypertension, along with autoimmune conditions, and the reliance on the complement system for vascular remodeling processes of the pulmonary artery. Furthermore, circadian rhythmicity is highlighted as the disrupted homeostatic mechanism in the inflammatory consequences in the vascular remodeling within the pulmonary arteries, which could potentially open new therapeutic cues. The current treatment options for pulmonary hypertension are discussed with clinical trials using complement inhibitors and potential therapeutic targets that impact immune cell functions and complement activation, which could alleviate symptoms and block the progression of the disease. Further research on complement’s involvement in interstitial lung diseases and pulmonary hypertension could prove beneficial for our understanding of these various diseases and potential treatment options to prevent vascular remodeling of the pulmonary arteries. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Implicit Prosody Hypothesis (IPH) posits that individuals generate internal prosodic representations during silent reading, mirroring those produced in spoken language. While converging behavioral evidence supports the IPH, the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study investigated the neurophysiological markers of sensitivity to speech rhythm cues during silent word reading. Methods: EEGs were recorded while participants silently read four-word sequences, each composed of either trochaic words (stressed on the first syllable) or iambic words (stressed on the second syllable). Each sequence was followed by a target word that was either metrically congruent or incongruent with the preceding rhythmic pattern. To investigate the effects of metrical expectancy and lexical stress type, we examined single-trial event-related potentials (ERPs) and time–frequency representations (TFRs) time-locked to target words. Results: The results showed significant differences based on the stress pattern expectancy and type. Specifically, words that carried unexpected stress elicited larger ERP negativities between 240 and 628 ms after the word onset. Furthermore, different frequency bands were sensitive to distinct aspects of the rhythmic structure in language. Alpha activity tracked the rhythmic expectations, and theta and beta activities were sensitive to both the expected rhythms and specific locations of the stressed syllables. Conclusions: The findings clarify neurocognitive mechanisms of phonological and lexical mental representations during silent reading using a conservative data-driven approach. Similarity with neural response patterns previously reported for spoken language contexts suggests shared neural networks for implicit and explicit speech rhythm processing, further supporting the IPH and emphasizing the centrality of prosody in reading. Full article

Background: Humans exhibit a remarkable ability to synchronize their actions with external auditory stimuli through a process called auditory–motor or rhythmic entrainment. Positive effects of rhythmic entrainment have been demonstrated in adults with neurological movement disorders, yet the neural substrates supporting the transformation of auditory input into timed rhythmic motor outputs are not fully understood. We aimed to systematically map and synthesize the research on the neural correlates of auditory–motor entrainment and synchronization. Methods: Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines for scoping reviews, a systematic search was conducted across four databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, and Scopus) for articles published between 2013 and 2023. Results: From an initial return of 1430 records, 22 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized based on the neuroimaging modality. There is converging evidence that auditory–motor synchronization engages bilateral cortical and subcortical networks, including the supplementary motor area, premotor cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. Specifically, the supplementary motor area and the basal ganglia are essential for beat-based timing and internally guided rhythmic movements, while the cerebellum plays an important role in tracking and processing complex rhythmic patterns and synchronizing to the external beat. Self-paced tapping is associated with additional activations in the prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia, suggesting that tapping in the absence of auditory cues requires more neural resources. Lastly, existing studies indicate that movement rate and the type of music further modulate the EEG power in the alpha and beta frequency bands. Conclusions: These findings are discussed in the context of clinical implications and rhythm-based therapies. Full article

Circadian rhythms are endogenous behavioral or physiological cycles that are driven by a daily biological clock that persists in the absence of geophysical or environmental temporal cues. Circadian rhythm-related genes code for clock proteins that rise and fall in rhythmic patterns driving biochemical signals of biological processes from metabolism to physiology and behavior. Clock proteins have a pivotal role in liver metabolism and homeostasis, and their disturbances are implicated in various liver disease processes. Encoded genes play critical roles in the initiation and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their proteins may become diagnostic markers as well as therapeutic targets. Understanding molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms will aid in therapeutic interventions and may have broader clinical applications. The present review provides an overview of the role of the liver’s circadian rhythm in metabolic processes in health and disease, emphasizing MASH progression and the oncogenic associations that lead to HCC. Full article