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Motor Unit Firing Patterns in Post-stroke
Hemiplegia
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Principal Investigator: Carolynn Patten, PhD, PT
Project Staff: Kevin C. McGill, PhD and Felix E. Zajac, PhD
Project Category: Stroke
The initial target professional goal of this award is for Dr. Patten to
secure peer reviewed funding in the form of an RR&D Merit Review grant as
co-principal investigator. This Advanced Career Development Award will provide
her salary support through February of 2004. By the end of the Career
Development Award period it is expected that Dr. Patten will be prepared to
compete successfully for peer reviewed funds as a fully independent researcher.
The underlying scientific research objective of this project is to elucidate
neuromuscular mechanisms responsible for impaired force regulation in
post-stroke hemiplegia. One methodological approach will be to study motor unit
firing patterns to identify abnormalities of motor unit recruitment and
discharge rate modulation.
Milestones:
The target professional development goal for Dr. Patten, to have secured
peer reviewed funding in the form of an RR&D Merit Review grant on which
she is Principal Investigator was met with the Fall 2002 round of Merit Review.
The preliminary target goal for Dr. Patten to have secured peer review
funding as Co-Principal Investigator was met in Fall 2000 round of Merit Review
(Effects of Strength Training on Upper-extremity Function in Post-stroke
Hemiplegia). Dr. Peter S. Lum has left the Palo Alto VA, thus Dr. Patten now
serves as sole Principal Investigator on this project.
Data and project development during the Career Development Awards served
as the basis for both of Dr. Patten's funded Merit Review projects.
A manuscript reporting scientific findings of the Career Development
Award is in preparation for submission to Brain.
A manuscript of a review article defining the phenomenon of post-stroke
weakness and discussing resistance training for hemiparetic persons has been
submitted to the Journal of Rehabilitation R&D.
Funding Source: VA RR&D Advanced Career Development Award
Funding Status: Funded
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