Turki Abualait

Bio: Turki Abualait is an academic researcher from University of Dammam. The author has contributed to research in topics: Medicine & Gait. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 20 publications receiving 24 citations.

The Role of Primary Motor Cortex: More Than Movement Execution.

Abstract: The predominant role of the primary motor cortex (M1) in motor execution is well acknowledged. However, additional roles of M1 are getting evident in humans owing to advances in noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques. This review collates such studies in humans and proposes that M1 also plays a key role in higher cognitive processes. The review commences with the studies that have investigated the nature of connectivity of M1 with other cortical regions in light of studies based on NIBS. The review then moves on to discuss the studies that have demonstrated the role of M1 in higher cognitive processes such as attention, motor learning, motor consolidation, movement inhibition, somatomotor response, and movement imagery. Overall, the purpose of the review is to highlight the additional role of M1 in motor cognition besides motor control, which remains unexplored.

Spinal direct current stimulation with locomotor training in chronic spinal cord injury.

Abstract: Transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) is a non-invasive method of stimulating spinal circuits that can modulate and induce changes in corticospinal excitability (CE) in incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI). A double-blinded sham controlled study of 2 male patients (A and B) with SCI was carried out. Patient A received sham and cathodal tsDCS, while Patient B received sham and anodal tsDCS. Four baselines were recorded prior to each arm of stimulation. Outcomes were then measured post each arm of stimulation; 10-meter walk test, modified ashworth scale, berg balance scale, manual muscle testing, and spinal cord independence measure-III. Transcranial magnetic stimulation, assessed motor evoked potentials. Cathodal tsDCS increased the scores in few of the outcome measures and decreased others. Anodal stimulation increased scores in all measures. Motor evoked potentials increased in post-cathode and deteriorated in post-anode. In conclusion, tsDCS modulated gait parameters, spasticity, and CE in incomplete SCI.

Comparison of gender, age, and body mass index for spatiotemporal parameters of bilateral gait pattern

Abstract: Background: Studies on the gaits parameters have been identified on the patient population. Most researchers confirm that the patients walk differently than normal people and they may have a greater risk of falls. Consistent finding and description of gender, age, and body mass index differences in gait studies is rare in healthy subjects. This research was performed to compare spatiotemporal parameters of gait between gender, as per their age and body mass index level. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with forty-five young adults (F=20, M=25). Stadiometer and Physilog 4 inertial sensors were used for data collection. A gait analyzer 5.2 software (GaitUp, S.A. Lausanne, Switzerland) was used to determine spatiotemporal parameters. Results: No statistically significant differences were found in any bilateral foot gait parameters with respect to gender, age, and body mass index. Females were found with higher total double support and cadence than males. Cadence also increases with age. Obese people showed lower gait speed, cadence, and total double support. Conclusion: These findings may be beneficial to those who have abnormal gait pattern due to age, body mass index differences, decreased muscle strength, spasticity, and joint mobility. This important information should be considered to rehabilitate patients with abnormal gait patterns to controlling dynamic balance and risk of falling.

Effects of Green Brazilian Propolis Alcohol Extract on Nociceptive Pain Models in Rats.

Abstract: Pain is one of the most common symptoms encountered in the medical practice. None of the management procedures used currently offer a complete relief for patients suffering from nociceptive pain. New treatment strategies for pain management are needed. Propolis has been used in traditional medicine to relieve various types of pain. The aim of the current study was to investigate the potential effects of the green Brazilian propolis alcohol extract in vivo on the nociceptive and inflammatory pain models in rats. Rats were distributed into three random groups (n = 6); Group I: control group received normal saline intraperitoneally (i.p.); Group II: treated with green Brazilian propolis alcohol extract (P50 mg/kg i.p.); Group III: treated with P100 mg/kg i.p. After sixty minutes, 50 μL of 5% formalin was injected subcutaneously into the dorsal surface of the right hind paw. The nociceptive response was identified by counting the number of flinches of the injected paw. The number of flinches was counted for the period of 0-5 min (early phase; neurogenic) and 10-60 min (late phase; inflammatory). Thermal hyperalgesia was assessed using three-paw withdrawal latency measurement with ten minutes intervals using a planter analgesic meter. Abdominal writhe (contraction) was induced by i.p. injection of acetic acid (1 mL of 2%). The results showed that green Brazilian propolis alcohol extract caused a significant inhibition of acetic acid-induced pain and significantly increased the pain threshold against infrared and formalin tests. The promising antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of propolis and/or its active constituents as natural compounds in the present study indicates that it merits further studies in pain.

Physical demands of different positions in FA Premier League soccer

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical demands of English Football Association (FA) Premier League soccer of three different positional classifications (defender, midfielder and striker). Computerised time-motion video-analysis using the Bloomfield Movement Classification was undertaken on the purposeful movement (PM) performed by 55 players. Recognition of PM had a good inter-tester reliability strength of agreement (κ = 0.7277). Players spent 40.6 ± 10.0% of the match performing PM. Position had a significant influence on %PM time spent sprinting, running, shuffling, skipping and standing still (p 0.05). Players spent 48.7 ± 9.2% of PM time moving in a directly forward direction, 20.6 ± 6.8% not moving in any direction and the remainder of PM time moving backward, lateral, diagonal and arced directions. The players performed the equivalent of 726 ± 203 turns during the match; 609 ± 193 of these being of 0° to 90° to the left or right. Players were involved in the equivalent of 111 ± 77 on the ball movement activities per match with no significant differences between the positions for total involvement in on the ball activity (p > 0.05). This study has provided an indication of the different physical demands of different playing positions in FA Premier League match-play through assessment of movements performed by players.

Effects of Obesity on the Biomechanics of Walking at different speeds: 9:30AM–19:45AM

Abstract: PURPOSE Walking is a recommended form of exercise for the treatment of obesity, but walking may be a critical source of biomechanical loads that link obesity and musculoskeletal pathology, particularly knee osteoarthritis. We hypothesized that compared with normal-weight adults 1) obese adults would have greater absolute ground-reaction forces (GRF) during walking, but their GRF would be reduced at slower walking speeds; and 2) obese adults would have greater sagittal-plane absolute leg-joint moments at a given walking speed, but these moments would be reduced at slower walking speeds. METHODS We measured GRF and recorded sagittal-plane kinematics of 20 adults (10 obese and 10 normal weight) as they walked on a level, force-measuring treadmill at six speeds (0.5-1.75 m.s(-1)). We calculated sagittal-plane net muscle moments at the hip, knee, and ankle. RESULTS Compared with their normal-weight peers, obese adults had much greater absolute GRF (N), stance-phase sagittal-plane net muscle moments (N.m) and step width (m). CONCLUSIONS Greater sagittal-plane knee moments in the obese subjects suggest that they walked with greater knee-joint loads than normal-weight adults. Walking slower reduced GRF and net muscle moments and may be a risk-lowering strategy for obese adults who wish to walk for exercise. When obese subjects walked at 1.0 versus 1.5 m.s(-1), peak sagittal-plane knee moments were 45% less. Obese subjects walking at approximately 1.1 m.s(-1) would have the same absolute peak sagittal-plane knee net muscle moment as normal-weight subjects when they walk at their typical preferred speed of 1.4 m.s(-1).

Measures of Individual Differences in Taste and Creaminess Perception. Commentary

Abstract: Previous reports that the sensitivity to the bitter tasting substance 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP) is related to the sensitivity to other tastes, to chemical irritants, and to fats and oils have led to adoption of PROP as a measure of general oral sensitivity and as a predictor of dietary habits that could impact health. The results, however, have not been consistent. It was recently discovered that the ability to perceive "thermal taste" (i.e., sweetness from thermal stimulation alone) was associated with higher responsiveness to 4 prototypical taste stimuli but not to PROP. This finding implied that individual differences in taste perception are determined in large part by factors other than those related to genetic expression of the PROP receptor. The present study followed up this observation by comparing individual differences in perception of 4 prototypical taste stimuli (sucrose, NaCI, citric acid, and quinine) and PROP under conditions that also enabled assessment of the reliability of individual intensity ratings of taste. Creaminess ratings of 3 milk products that had different fat contents were also collected to investigate further the relationship between taste and oral somatosensory perception. The results showed that intensity ratings across 2 trials were significantly correlated for all 5 taste stimuli and that averaging across replicates led to significant correlations among the 4 prototypical stimuli. In contrast, the bitterness of PROP was correlated only with the bitterness of quinine. None of the taste stimuli, including PROP, was significantly correlated with ratings of creaminess. These results imply 1) that with the exception of PROP, as few as 2 intensity ratings of common taste stimuli can reveal individual differences in overall taste perception and 2) that any relationship between taste and oral sensation is too weak to be detected under the same conditions. Accordingly, the results support other evidence that the genetic factors which determine the ability to perceive PROP do not play a major role in overall taste and oral somatosensory perception.

Baccharis dracunculifolia and Dalbergia ecastophyllum , Main Plant Sources for Bioactive Properties in Green and Red Brazilian Propolis

Abstract: Nowadays, propolis is used as a highly valuable product in alternative medicine for improving health or treating a large spectrum of pathologies, an ingredient in pharmaceutical products, and also as a food additive. Different vegetal materials are collected by honeybees and mixed with wax and other own substances in order to obtain the final product, called propolis. It is known as the bee product with the widest chemical composition due to the raw material collected by the bees. Different types are known worldwide: green Brazilian propolis (having Baccharis dracunculifolia as the major plant source), red Brazilian propolis (from Dalbergia ecastophyllum), European propolis (Populus nigra L.), Russian propolis (Betula verrucosa Ehrh), Cuban and Venezuelan red propolis (Clusia spp.), etc. An impressive number of scientific papers already demonstrate the pharmacological potential of different types of propolis, the most important activities being the antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant activities. However, the bioactive compounds responsible for each activity have not been fully elucidated. This review aims to collect important data about the chemical composition and bioactive properties of the vegetal sources and to compare with the chemical composition of respective propolis types, in order to determine the connection between the floral source and the propolis properties.