title: Discordance in recovery between altered locomotion and muscle atrophy induced by simulated microgravity in rats.
abstract: Exposure to a microgravity environment leads to adverse effects in motion and musculoskeletal properties. However, few studies have investigated the recovery of altered locomotion and muscle atrophy simultaneously. The authors investigated altered locomotion in rats submitted to simulated microgravity by hindlimb unloading for 2 weeks. Motion deficits were characterized by hyperextension of the knees and ankle joints and forward-shifted limb motion. Furthermore, these locomotor deficits did not revert to their original form after a 2-week recovery period, although muscle atrophy in the hindlimbs had recovered, implying discordance in recovery between altered locomotion and muscle atrophy, and that other factors such as neural drives might control behavioral adaptations to microgravity.
authors: a Department of Motor Function Analysis , Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University , Japan.
authors: Junichi
authors: J
authors: Tajino
authors: Akira
authors: A
authors: Ito
authors: Momoko
authors: M
authors: Nagai
authors: Xiangkai
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Shoki
authors: S
authors: Yamaguchi
authors: Hirotaka
authors: H
authors: Iijima
authors: Tomoki
authors: T
authors: Aoyama
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Kuroki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000503:physiopathology; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension / Q000009:adverse effects; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: hindlimb unloading; kinematics; locomotion; rats; sensorimotor adaptation