Neuromotor Mechanisms and Rehabilitation

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7. Project Summary- Resource Core 3 The central hypothesis of the Neuromotor Mechanisms and Rehabilitation (NMR) Core (Resource Core-3) is that appropriately-selected activity and exercise-based rehabilitation interventions can promote beneficial changes in brain ((central nervous system (CNS) structure, connectivity, and physiology)) and neuromotor mechanisms to improve motor performance and function and minimize disability in chronic medical conditions affecting older people. Resource Core-3 (RC-3) provides support, guidance, and mentoring to UM-OAIC investigators using a multi-system approach focused on whole-body balance, mobility, and upper limb activities to address the mechanistic bases upon which to build novel rehabilitation strategies to improve motor function and independence and promote recovery in older people with chronic disease-associated disabilities. Through this framework, functional activity and exercise-mediated brain and neuromotor plasticity can be identified to guide condition-specific and individual-specific rehabilitation approaches for minimizing disability. The complementary and collaborative relationship between RC-3 and RC-2 focusing on muscle, metabolic, and cardiovascular mechanisms of aging with disability, forges a strong and comprehensive inter-core synergy for understanding the multi-system bases for designing and testing effective new rehabilitation programs. RC-3 collaborates across UM-OAIC cores in research working groups to train and develop the next generation of investigators and rehabilitation interventions that will enhance motor function in older adults with chronic disability. Using a toolbox of methodologies, it performs quantitative tests of whole-body posture and balance, mobility, upper limb activities, and functional tasks that characterize the processes of brain and neuromotor control and plasticity underlying functional activity and exercise derived gains in motor performance and function across UM-OAIC interventions. RC-3 will continue to support, augment, and develop ongoing and new projects that will define the changes in both the CNS and the periphery with chronic disabling conditions of aging, and devise effective rehabilitation programs to enhance motor function and prevent chronic disability.