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Background: Athletic performance can be measured with a variety of clinical and functional assessment techniques. There is a need to better understand the relationship between the brain's electrical activity and the body's physiological performance capabilities in real-time while performing physical tasks related to sport. Orthopedic functional assessments used to monitor the neuroplastic properties of the central nervous system lack objectivity and/or pertinent functionality specific to sport. The ability to assess brain wave activity with physiological metrics during functional exercises associated with sport has proven to be difficult and impractical in real-time sport settings. Quantitative electroencephalography or qEEG brain mapping is a unique, real-time comprehensive assessment of brain electrical activity performed in combination with physiometrics which offers insight to neurophysiological brain-to-body function. Brain neuroplasticity has been associated with differences in musculoskeletal performance among athletes, however comparative real-time normal data to benchmark performance capabilities is limited. Purpose/Design: This prospective, descriptive case series evaluated performance of task-driven activities using an innovative neurophysiological assessment technique of qEEG monitored neurophysiological responses to establish a comparative benchmark of performance capabilities in healthy, uninjured Division-I athletes. Methods: Twenty-eight healthy uninjured females (n=11) and males (n=17) NCAA Division-I athletes participated in real-time neurophysiological assessment using a Bluetooth, wireless 21-channel dry EEG headset while performing functional activities. Results: Uninjured athletes experienced standard and regulated fluctuations of brain wave activity in key performance indicators of attention, workload capacity and sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) asymmetries. Conclusion: qEEG neurophysiological real-time assessment concurrent with functional activities in uninjured, Division-I athletes may provide a performance capability benchmark. Real-time neurophysiological data can be used to monitor athletes' preparedness to participate in sport, rehabilitation progressions, assist in development of injury prevention programs, and return to play decisions. While this paper focuses on healthy, uninjured participants, results underscore the need to discen pre-injury benchmarks. Level of Evidence: 4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pre-participation exams (PPE) in sports are vital in evaluating athlete safety and readiness for participation for the upcoming year. PPE ranges from evaluation of cardiovascular function to assessing for neurocognitive or neurological deficit. Sports-related concussion (SRC) baseline exams are a component of PPE. Computerized neurocognitive tests (CNTs) are widely used on different athletic performance platforms, although expense is a barrier, and many remain skeptical of their utility post-concussion. Neurological tests that can highlight impairment in executive functioning, short-term memory recall, complex task association, and vision perception and production are critical to consider for PPE. Stroop testing can be performed as a component of PPE and can serve as a baseline exam, as well as a sideline assessment to aid in identifying concussion impact on broader brain functions. In this paper, we combined saccadic eye movement, Stroop, and recall into a single, rapid, and costeffective assessment. Methods: A three-step Stroop panel was performed on 13 SRC patients and 167 PPE baselines. We examined the time it took to complete an 8x8 grid of Stroop words using a Hart chart saccadic eye movement task, plus a 10-word recall task. The three-step Stroop test set progressed in difficulty. The times it took to perform the tasks were assessed. Results: We found that the SRC patients performed significantly slower in performing the Stroop task, taking 84.5 ± 24.8 seconds compared to the PPE baseline of 62.3 ± 11.9 seconds (p= 0.000001). Both groups were similar in the 10-word recall of 4.0 ± 2.5 vs. 4.2 ± 1.7 correct out of ten. However, the 10 words had an undisclosed theme therein. When asked to identify the theme, the PPE baseline group recognized the theme 90% of the time compared to 31% for the SRC group (p=0.0000001). Discussion: In this paper, we present the methods for doing a three-step Stroop panel in support of using this exam as an objective tool to evaluate for concussions as a component of sideline concussion assessments. It is quantitative, cost-effective, and can be completed in about three minutes, revealing significant neurological function. The results support that the test can be used to assess memory, saccadic eye movement, and prefrontal cortex function. The regions of the brain assessed complement and extend the information that is obtained from other PPE baselines and neurologic tests post-SRC. We suggest that athletic trainers and other sports medical professionals consider using this Stroop panel in their sports concussion protocols as part of baseline and sideline assessments of concussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The second-largest cause of X-linked mental retardation is a deficiency in creatine transporter (CRT; encoded by SLC6A8), which leads to speech and language disorders with severe cognitive impairment. This syndrome, [...]

The role of hexokinase (HK) and adenylate kinase (AK) enzyme systems in the synthesis of adenosine 5'-diphosphate (ADP) was analyzed in guinea pig myometrium and heart. The HK and AK enzyme systems exhibited significant activity in isolated guinea pig uterine mitochodria in response to respiratory activity. The two enzyme systems were utilized by the uterine mitochondria to regulate the level of mitochondrial ADP and supplement the creatine kinase enzyme system in the maintenance of high-energy phosphate levels.