Herbal Bilberry Effects On Locomotion In Patients with Neurodegenerative Disease

By Kyle J. Norton


Locomotion is the ability to move from place to the other. In human, locomotion controlled by the cerebellum is a complex process that requires the integration of central and peripheral nervous signaling coordinated by the muscles.

In other words, every time you move any part of the body, the cerebellum fires into action.

Damage of cerebellum of the brain has been found to induce difficulty with balance, coordination, and fine motor skills in patients.

Besides neurodegenerative diseases, alcohol abuse, certain medications, stroke, tumor, cerebral palsy, brain degeneration, and multiple sclerosis are the most common risk factors which can affect the brain locomotion control.

In conventional medicine, depending on the causes that affect the locomotion, adaptive devices may be introduced to maintain independence. Other therapies such as physical, occupational and speech therapy with moderate exercise have been found to be helpful.

Bilberry is a species of low-growing shrubs in the genus Vaccinium, belonging to the family Ericaceae, native to Northern Europe.

The plant berry has been used as herbs in traditional medicine for the treatment of acute and chronic diarrhea, gastritis, gastric ulcer, and duodenal ulcer, enterocolitis, ulcerative colitis, anemia, cystitis, kidney disease, and psoriasis, diabetes, etc.

On finding a potential compound for the improvement of locomotion in patients with neurodegenerative disease, researchers examined the possible effects of prolonged administration of lyophilized Vaccinium berries (blueberry, bilberry) on cognitive performance against the incidence of degenerative disorders.

Mice selected to the study were observed by step-down inhibitory avoidance, open field, elevated plus-maze, and radial maze tasks. The lyophilized berries were administered for 30 days before the first training.

According to the tested assays, lyophilized berries significantly enhanced locomotion by increasing the number of crossings in the first exposure to the open field. 

Additionally, short term treatment with lyophilized berries also improves rat performance on the elevated plus-maze task.

In other words,  lyophilized berries inhibited the neuro deficits associated with inactivity behavior such as anxiety.

Taken altogether, bilberry processed abundantly bioactive compound anthocyanoside may be considered a functioning remedy for the improvement of locomotion in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, pending to the validation of larger sample size and multicenter human study.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Effect of lyophilised Vaccinium berries on memory, anxiety and locomotion in adult rats by Ramirez MR1, Izquierdo I, do Carmo Bassols Raseira M, Zuanazzi JA, Barros D, Henriques AT. (PubMed)