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Wen L, Watanabe T, Iwamoto Y, Ishii Y, Miyoshi F, Shiraishi K, Date S, Siu KC, Kirimoto H, Takahashi M. Intramuscular and intermuscular coherence analysis while obstacle crossing during treadmill gait. Somatosens Mot Res 2023:1-11. [PMID: 38145411 DOI: 10.1080/08990220.2023.2296516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to identify the contribution of the common synaptic drives to motor units during obstacle avoidance, using coherence analysis between a-pair electromyography (EMG) signals (EMG-EMG coherence). MATERIALS AND METHODS Fourteen healthy volunteers walked on a treadmill with and without obstacle avoidance. During obstacle gait, subjects were instructed to step over an obstacle with their right leg while walking that would randomly and unpredictably appear. Surface EMG signals were recorded from the following muscles of the right leg: the proximal and distal ends of tibialis anterior (TAp and TAd), biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and medial gastrocnemius (MG). Beta-band (13-30 Hz) EMG-EMG coherence was analysed. RESULTS Beta-band EMG-EMG coherence of TAp-TAd during swing phase and BF-ST during pre and initial swing phase when stepping over an obstacle were significantly higher compared to normal gait (both p < 0.05). Beta-band EMG-EMG coherence of TAp-TAd, BF-ST, and LG-MG during stance phase were not significantly different between the two gait conditions (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The present findings suggest increased common synaptic drives to motor units in ankle dorsiflexor and knee flexor muscles during obstacle avoidance. It also may reflect an increased cortical contribution to modify the gait patterns to avoid an obstacle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wen
- Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Tatsunori Watanabe
- Department of Sensorimotor Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Health Sciences, Aomori University of Health and Welfare, Aomori, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Iwamoto
- Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yosuke Ishii
- Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Fumiya Miyoshi
- Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kanako Shiraishi
- Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shota Date
- Department of Analysis and Control of Upper Extremity Function, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ka-Chun Siu
- Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Hikari Kirimoto
- Department of Sensorimotor Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Makoto Takahashi
- Department of Biomechanics, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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2
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Viana Di Prisco G, Marlinski V, Beloozerova IN. Activity of cat premotor cortex neurons during visually guided stepping. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:838-860. [PMID: 37609687 PMCID: PMC10642938 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00114.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Visual control of steps is critical in everyday life. Several motor centers are implicated in visual control of steps on a complex surface, however, participation of a large cortical motor area, the premotor cortex, in visual guidance of steps during overground locomotion has not been examined. Here, we analyzed the activity of neurons in feline premotor cortex areas 6aα and 6aγ as cats walked on the flat surface where visual guidance of steps is not needed and stepped on crosspieces of a horizontally placed ladder or over barriers where visual control of steps is required. The comparison of neuronal firing between vision-dependent and vision-independent stepping revealed components of the activity related to visual guidance of steps. We found that the firing activity of 59% of neurons was modulated with the rhythm of strides on the flat surface, and the activity of 83-86% of the population changed upon transition to locomotion on the ladder or with barriers. The firing rate and the depth of the stride-related activity modulation of 33-44% of neurons changed, and the stride phases where neurons preferred to fire changed for 58-73% of neurons. These results indicate that a substantial proportion of areas 6aα and 6aγ neurons is involved in visual guidance of steps. Compared with the primary motor cortex, the proportion of cells, the firing activity of which changed upon transition from vision-independent to vision-dependent stepping, was lower and the preferred phases of the firing activity changed more often between the tasks.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Visual control of steps is critical for daily living, however, how it is achieved is not well understood. Here, we analyzed how neurons in the premotor cortex respond to the demand for visual control of steps on a complex surface. We conclude that premotor cortex neurons participate in the cortical network supporting visual control of steps by modifying the phase, intensity, and salience of their firing activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
| | - Vladimir Marlinski
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
| | - Irina N Beloozerova
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
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3
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West SL, Gerhart ML, Ebner TJ. Wide-field calcium imaging of cortical activation and functional connectivity in externally- and internally-driven locomotion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.10.536261. [PMID: 37090567 PMCID: PMC10120686 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.10.536261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The neural dynamics underlying self-initiated versus sensory driven movements is central to understanding volitional action. Upstream motor cortices are associated with the generation of internally-driven movements over externally-driven. Here we directly compare cortical dynamics during internally- versus externally-driven locomotion using wide-field Ca2+ imaging. We find that secondary motor cortex (M2) plays a larger role in internally-driven spontaneous locomotion transitions, with increased M2 functional connectivity during starting and stopping than in the externally-driven, motorized treadmill locomotion. This is not the case in steady-state walk. In addition, motorized treadmill and spontaneous locomotion are characterized by markedly different patterns of cortical activation and functional connectivity at the different behavior periods. Furthermore, the patterns of fluorescence activation and connectivity are uncorrelated. These experiments reveal widespread and striking differences in the cortical control of internally- and externally-driven locomotion, with M2 playing a major role in the preparation and execution of the self-initiated state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. West
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Morgan L. Gerhart
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Timothy J. Ebner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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4
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Liang F, Yu S, Pang S, Wang X, Jie J, Gao F, Song Z, Li B, Liao WH, Yin M. Non-human primate models and systems for gait and neurophysiological analysis. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1141567. [PMID: 37188006 PMCID: PMC10175625 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1141567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have garnered extensive interest and become a groundbreaking technology to restore movement, tactile sense, and communication in patients. Prior to their use in human subjects, clinical BCIs require rigorous validation and verification (V&V). Non-human primates (NHPs) are often considered the ultimate and widely used animal model for neuroscience studies, including BCIs V&V, due to their proximity to humans. This literature review summarizes 94 NHP gait analysis studies until 1 June, 2022, including seven BCI-oriented studies. Due to technological limitations, most of these studies used wired neural recordings to access electrophysiological data. However, wireless neural recording systems for NHPs enabled neuroscience research in humans, and many on NHP locomotion, while posing numerous technical challenges, such as signal quality, data throughout, working distance, size, and power constraint, that have yet to be overcome. Besides neurological data, motion capture (MoCap) systems are usually required in BCI and gait studies to capture locomotion kinematics. However, current studies have exclusively relied on image processing-based MoCap systems, which have insufficient accuracy (error: ≥4° and 9 mm). While the role of the motor cortex during locomotion is still unclear and worth further exploration, future BCI and gait studies require simultaneous, high-speed, accurate neurophysiological, and movement measures. Therefore, the infrared MoCap system which has high accuracy and speed, together with a high spatiotemporal resolution neural recording system, may expand the scope and improve the quality of the motor and neurophysiological analysis in NHPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyan Liang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Haikou, China
| | - Shanshan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Siqi Pang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jing Jie
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenhua Song
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Haikou, China
| | - Binbin Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Haikou, China
| | - Wei-Hsin Liao
- Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, China
| | - Ming Yin
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- *Correspondence: Ming Yin,
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5
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Nakajima T, Fortier-Lebel N, Drew T. A secondary motor area contributing to interlimb coordination during visually guided locomotion in the cat. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:290-315. [PMID: 35259760 PMCID: PMC9837607 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the contribution of cytoarchitectonic cortical area 4δc, in the caudal bank of the cruciate sulcus of the cat, to the control of visually guided locomotion. To do so, we recorded the activity of 114 neurons in 4δc while cats walked on a treadmill and stepped over an obstacle that advanced toward them. A total of 84/114 (74%) cells were task-related and 68/84 (81%) of these cells showed significant modulation of their discharge frequency when the contralateral limbs were the first to step over the obstacle. These latter cells included a substantial proportion (27/68 40%) that discharged between the passage of the contralateral forelimb and the contralateral hindlimb over the obstacle, suggesting a contribution of this area to interlimb coordination. We further compared the discharge in area 4δc with the activity patterns of cells in the rostral division of the same cytoarchitectonic area (4δr), which has been suggested to be a separate functional region. Despite some differences in the patterns of activity in the 2 subdivisions, we suggest that activity in each is compatible with a contribution to interlimb coordination and that they should be considered as a single functional area that contributes to both forelimb-forelimb and forelimb-hindlimb coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshi Nakajima
- Department of Integrative Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de Neurosciences, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage (CIRCA) Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie (SNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Trevor Drew
- Département de Neurosciences, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage (CIRCA) Groupe de recherche sur la signalisation neurale et la circuiterie (SNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
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6
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Dambreville C, Neige C, Mercier C, Blanchette AK, Bouyer LJ. Corticospinal Excitability Quantification During a Visually-Guided Precision Walking Task in Humans: Potential for Neurorehabilitation. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022; 36:689-700. [PMID: 36125038 DOI: 10.1177/15459683221124909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The corticospinal tract has been shown to be involved in normal walking in humans. However, its contribution during more challenging locomotor tasks is still unclear. As the corticospinal tract can be a potential target to promote gait recovery after neurological injury, it is of primary importance to quantify its use during human walking. The aims of the current study were to: (1) quantify the effects of precision walking on corticospinal excitability as compared to normal walking; (2) assess if corticospinal modulation is related to task difficulty or participants' performance. Sixteen healthy participants walked on a treadmill during 2 tasks: regular walking (simple task) and stepping onto virtual targets (precision task). Virtual targets appeared randomly at 3 different step lengths: preferred, and ±20%. To assess corticospinal excitability, 25 motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle in each task during walking. Performance for each participant (global success score; % of target hit) and task difficulty related to step length adjustments (success score for each step length) were also calculated. MEP size was larger during the precision task in all participants (mean increase of 93% ± 72%; P < .05) compared to the simple task. There was a correlation between MEP facilitation and individual performance (r = -.64; P < .05), but no difference in MEP size associated with task difficulty (P > .05). In conclusion, corticospinal excitability exhibits a large increase during the precision task. This effect needs to be confirmed in neurological populations to potentially provide a simple and non-invasive approach to increase corticospinal drive during gait rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charline Dambreville
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Cécilia Neige
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,PsyR2 Team, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, INSERM U1028/CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neurosciences Research Center, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | - Catherine Mercier
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Andreanne K Blanchette
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent J Bouyer
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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7
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Beloozerova IN, Nilaweera WU, Viana Di Prisco G, Marlinski V. Signals from posterior parietal area 5 to motor cortex during locomotion. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:1014-1043. [PMID: 35383368 PMCID: PMC9930630 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Area 5 of the parietal cortex is part of the "dorsal stream" cortical pathway which processes visual information for action. The signals that area 5 ultimately conveys to motor cortex, the main area providing output to the spinal cord, are unknown. We analyzed area 5 neuronal activity during vision-independent locomotion on a flat surface and vision-dependent locomotion on a horizontal ladder in cats focusing on corticocortical neurons (CCs) projecting to motor cortex from the upper and deeper cortical layers and compared it to that of neighboring unidentified neurons (noIDs). We found that upon transition from vision-independent to vision-dependent locomotion, the low discharge of CCs in layer V doubled and the proportion of cells with 2 bursts per stride tended to increase. In layer V, the group of 2-bursters developed 2 activity peaks that coincided with peaks of gaze shifts along the surface away from the animal, described previously. One-bursters and either subpopulation in supragranular layers did not transmit any clear unified stride-related signal to the motor cortex. Most CC group activities did not mirror those of their noID counterparts. CCs with receptive fields on the shoulder, elbow, or wrist/paw discharged in opposite phases with the respective groups of pyramidal tract neurons of motor cortex, the cortico-spinal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina N Beloozerova
- Corresponding author: School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, 555 14th Street, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
| | - Wijitha U Nilaweera
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA,Des Moines Area Community College, 2006 South Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny, IA, 50023, USA
| | - Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, 320 West 15th Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA
| | - Vladimir Marlinski
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
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8
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Beloozerova IN. Neuronal activity reorganization in motor cortex for successful locomotion after a lesion in the ventrolateral thalamus. J Neurophysiol 2022; 127:56-85. [PMID: 34731070 PMCID: PMC8742732 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00191.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamic stroke leads to ataxia if the cerebellum-receiving ventrolateral thalamus (VL) is affected. The compensation mechanisms for this deficit are not well understood, particularly the roles that single neurons and specific neuronal subpopulations outside the thalamus play in recovery. The goal of this study was to clarify neuronal mechanisms of the motor cortex involved in mitigation of ataxia during locomotion when part of the VL is inactivated or lesioned. In freely ambulating cats, we recorded the activity of neurons in layer V of the motor cortex as the cats walked on a flat surface and horizontally placed ladder. We first reversibly inactivated ∼10% of the VL unilaterally using glutamatergic transmission antagonist CNQX and analyzed how the activity of motor cortex reorganized to support successful locomotion. We next lesioned 50%-75% of the VL bilaterally using kainic acid and analyzed how the activity of motor cortex reorganized when locomotion recovered. When a small part of the VL was inactivated, the discharge rates of motor cortex neurons decreased, but otherwise the activity was near normal, and the cats walked fairly well. Individual neurons retained their ability to respond to the demand for accuracy during ladder locomotion; however, most changed their response. When the VL was lesioned, the cat walked normally on the flat surface but was ataxic on the ladder for several days after lesion. When ladder locomotion normalized, neuronal discharge rates on the ladder were normal, and the shoulder-related group was preferentially active during the stride's swing phase.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first analysis of reorganization of the activity of single neurons and subpopulations of neurons related to the shoulder, elbow, or wrist, as well as fast- and slow-conducting pyramidal tract neurons in the motor cortex of animals walking before and after inactivation or lesion in the thalamus. The results offer unique insights into the mechanisms of spontaneous recovery after thalamic stroke, potentially providing guidance for new strategies to alleviate locomotor deficits after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina N. Beloozerova
- 1School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia,2Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona
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9
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Liu H, Li B, Zhang M, Dai C, Xi P, Liu Y, Huang Q, He J, Lang Y, Tang R. Unexpected Terrain Induced Changes in Cortical Activity in Bipedal-Walking Rats. BIOLOGY 2021; 11:biology11010036. [PMID: 35053035 PMCID: PMC8773320 DOI: 10.3390/biology11010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Most studies on cortical dynamics during walking require subjects to walk stably on specific terrain. In fact, humans or other animals are often disturbed by an abrupt change in terrains during walking. To study the impact of unexpected terrain on cortical activity, we analyzed the kinematics and electroencephalography (EEG) dynamics of bipedal-walking rats after encountering unexpected terrain. We found that the gait of rats after encountering the unexpected terrain were significantly different from normal walking. Furthermore, the activities of the left and right primary motor areas (M1), the left and right primary somatosensory areas (S1), and the retrosplenial area (RSP) are coupled to gait cycle phase and varied with the terrain conditions. These findings suggest that unexpected terrains induced changes in gait and cortical activity, and provide novel insights into cortical dynamics during walking. Abstract Humans and other animals can quickly respond to unexpected terrains during walking, but little is known about the cortical dynamics in this process. To study the impact of unexpected terrains on brain activity, we allowed rats with blocked vision to walk on a treadmill in a bipedal posture and then walk on an uneven area at a random position on the treadmill belt. Whole brain EEG signals and hind limb kinematics of bipedal-walking rats were recorded. After encountering unexpected terrain, the θ band power of the bilateral M1, the γ band power of the left S1, and the θ to γ band power of the RSP significantly decreased compared with normal walking. Furthermore, when the rats left uneven terrain, the β band power of the bilateral M1 and the α band power of the right M1 decreased, while the γ band power of the left M1 significantly increased compared with normal walking. Compared with the flat terrain, the θ to low β (3–20 Hz) band power of the bilateral S1 increased after the rats contacted the uneven terrain and then decreased in the single- or double- support phase. These results support the hypothesis that unexpected terrains induced changes in cortical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honghao Liu
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
| | - Bo Li
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
| | - Minjian Zhang
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
| | - Chuankai Dai
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
| | - Pengcheng Xi
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
| | - Yafei Liu
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
| | - Qiang Huang
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
- Beijing Innovation Centre for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Jiping He
- School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; (H.L.); (B.L.); (M.Z.); (C.D.); (P.X.); (Y.L.); (Q.H.); (J.H.)
- Beijing Innovation Centre for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Yiran Lang
- Beijing Innovation Centre for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (R.T.)
| | - Rongyu Tang
- Beijing Innovation Centre for Intelligent Robots and Systems, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
- Correspondence: (Y.L.); (R.T.)
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10
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Taga G. Global entrainment in the brain-body-environment: retrospective and prospective views. BIOLOGICAL CYBERNETICS 2021; 115:431-438. [PMID: 34633537 DOI: 10.1007/s00422-021-00898-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
We celebrate the 60th anniversary of Biological Cybernetics. It has also been 30 years since "Self-organized control of bipedal locomotion by neural oscillators in unpredictable environment" was published in Biological Cybernetics (Taga et al. in Biol Cybern 65(3):147-159, 1991). I would like to look back on the creation of this paper and discuss its subsequent development and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gentaro Taga
- Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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11
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Clark DJ, Rose DK, Butera KA, Hoisington B, DeMark L, Chatterjee SA, Hawkins KA, Otzel DM, Skinner JW, Christou EA, Wu SS, Fox EJ. Rehabilitation with accurate adaptability walking tasks or steady state walking: A randomized clinical trial in adults post-stroke. Clin Rehabil 2021; 35:1196-1206. [PMID: 33722075 PMCID: PMC10416755 DOI: 10.1177/02692155211001682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess changes in walking function and walking-related prefrontal cortical activity following two post-stroke rehabilitation interventions: an accurate adaptability (ACC) walking intervention and a steady state (SS) walking intervention. DESIGN Randomized, single blind, parallel group clinical trial. SETTING Hospital research setting. SUBJECTS Adults with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis and walking deficits. INTERVENTIONS ACC emphasized stepping accuracy and walking adaptability, while SS emphasized steady state, symmetrical stepping. Both included 36 sessions led by a licensed physical therapist. ACC walking tasks recruit cortical regions that increase corticospinal tract activation, while SS walking activates the corticospinal tract less intensely. MAIN MEASURES The primary functional outcome measure was preferred steady state walking speed. Prefrontal brain activity during walking was measured with functional near infrared spectroscopy to assess executive control demands. Assessments were conducted at baseline, post-intervention (three months), and follow-up (six months). RESULTS Thirty-eight participants were randomized to the study interventions (mean age 59.6 ± 9.1 years; mean months post-stroke 18.0 ± 10.5). Preferred walking speed increased from baseline to post-intervention by 0.13 ± 0.11 m/s in the ACC group and by 0.14 ± 0.13 m/s in the SS group. The Time × Group interaction was not statistically significant (P = 0.86). Prefrontal fNIRS during walking decreased from baseline to post-intervention, with a marginally larger effect in the ACC group (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The ACC and SS interventions produced similar changes in walking function. fNIRS suggested a potential benefit of ACC training for reducing demand on prefrontal (executive) resources during walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Clark
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Dorian K. Rose
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, 101 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
- Brooks Rehabilitation, 3901 University Blvd S #101, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA
| | - Katie A. Butera
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, 101 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
| | - Brooke Hoisington
- Brooks Rehabilitation, 3901 University Blvd S #101, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA
| | - Louis DeMark
- Brooks Rehabilitation, 3901 University Blvd S #101, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA
| | - Sudeshna A. Chatterjee
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, 101 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
| | - Kelly A. Hawkins
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, 101 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
| | - Dana M. Otzel
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Jared W. Skinner
- VA Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, 1601 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Evangelos A. Christou
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, 1864 Stadium Rd, Gainesville, FL 32603
| | - Samuel S. Wu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, 2004 Mowry Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Emily J. Fox
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, 101 Newell Dr, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
- Brooks Rehabilitation, 3901 University Blvd S #101, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA
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12
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Does Exercise-Based Conventional Training Improve Reactive Balance Control among People with Chronic Stroke? Brain Sci 2020; 11:brainsci11010002. [PMID: 33374957 PMCID: PMC7821930 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Exercise-based conventional training has predominantly benefited fall-associated volitional balance control domain; however, the effect on reactive balance control is under-examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercise-based conventional training on reactive balance control. Methods: Eleven people with chronic stroke (PwCS) underwent multi-component training for six weeks (20 sessions) in a tapering manner. Training focused on four constructs-stretching, functional strengthening, balance, and endurance. Volitional balance was measured via movement velocity on the Limits of Stability (LOS) test and reactive balance via center of mass (COM) state stability on the Stance Perturbation Test (SPT). Additionally, behavioral outcomes (fall incidence and/or number of steps taken) were recorded. Results: Movement velocity significantly increased on the LOS test (p < 0.05) post-intervention with a significant decrease in fall incidence (p < 0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in the COM state stability, fall incidence and number of recovery steps on the SPT post-intervention. Conclusion: Although volitional and reactive balance control may share some neurophysiological and biomechanical components, training based on volitional movements might not significantly improve reactive balance control for recovery from large-magnitude perturbations due to its task-specificity.
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13
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Nakajima T, Fortier-Lebel N, Drew T. Premotor Cortex Provides a Substrate for the Temporal Transformation of Information During the Planning of Gait Modifications. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4982-5008. [PMID: 30877802 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that the premotor cortex (PMC) in the cat contributes to the planning and execution of visually guided gait modifications. We analyzed single unit activity from 136 cells localized within layer V of cytoarchitectonic areas 6iffu and that part of 4δ within the ventral bank of the cruciate sulcus while cats walked on a treadmill and stepped over an obstacle that advanced toward them. We found a rich variety of discharge patterns, ranging from limb-independent cells that discharged several steps in front of the obstacle to step-related cells that discharged either during steps over the obstacle or in the steps leading up to that step. We propose that this population of task-related cells within this region of the PMC contributes to the temporal evolution of a planning process that transforms global information of the presence of an obstacle into the precise spatio-temporal limb adjustment required to negotiate that obstacle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshi Nakajima
- The Research Center for Brain Function and Medical Engineering, Asahikawa Medical University 2-1, 1-1, Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa, Japan
| | - Nicolas Fortier-Lebel
- Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux central (GRSNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Trevor Drew
- Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.,Groupe de recherche sur le système nerveux central (GRSNC), Université de Montréal, Pavillon Paul-G. Desmarais, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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14
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Primary motor cortex in Parkinson's disease: Functional changes and opportunities for neurostimulation. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105159. [PMID: 33152506 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Movement abnormalities of Parkinson's disease (PD) arise from disordered neural activity in multiple interconnected brain structures. The planning and execution of movement requires recruitment of a heterogeneous collection of pyramidal projection neurons in the primary motor cortex (M1). The neural representations of movement in M1 single-cell and field potential recordings are directly and indirectly influenced by the midbrain dopaminergic neurons that degenerate in PD. This review examines M1 functional alterations in PD as uncovered by electrophysiological recordings and neurostimulation studies in patients and experimental animal models. Dysfunction of the parkinsonian M1 depends on the severity and/or duration of dopamine-depletion and the species examined, and is expressed as alterations in movement-related firing dynamics; functional reorganisation of local circuits; and changes in field potential beta oscillations. Neurostimulation methods that modulate M1 activity directly (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation) or indirectly (subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation) improve motor function in PD patients, showing that targeted neuromodulation of M1 is a realistic therapy. We argue that the therapeutic profile of M1 neurostimulation is likely to be greatly enhanced with alternative technologies that permit cell-type specific control and incorporate feedback from electrophysiological biomarkers measured locally.
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15
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Kim H, Park G, Shin JH, You JH. Neuroplastic effects of end-effector robotic gait training for hemiparetic stroke: a randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12461. [PMID: 32719420 PMCID: PMC7385173 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69367-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Detecting neuroplastic changes during locomotor neurorehabilitation is crucial for independent primal motor behaviours. However, long-term locomotor training-related neuroplasticity remains unexplored. We compared the effects of end-effector robot-assisted gait training (E-RAGT) and bodyweight-supported treadmill training (BWST) on cortical activation in individuals with hemiparetic stroke. Twenty-three men and five women aged 53.2 ± 11.2 years were recruited and randomly assigned to participate in E-RAGT (n = 14) or BWST (n = 14) for 30 min/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. Cortical activity, lower limb motor function, and gait speed were evaluated before and after training. Activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex, supplementary motor area, and premotor cortex in the affected hemisphere significantly increased only in the E-RAGT group, although there were no significant between-group differences. Clinical outcomes, including the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), timed up and go test, and 10-m walk test scores, improved after training in both groups, with significantly better FMA scores in the E-RAGT group than in the BWST group. These findings suggest that E-RAGT effectively improves neuroplastic outcomes in hemiparetic stroke, although its superiority over conventional training remains unclear. This may have clinical implications and provides insight for clinicians interested in locomotor neurorehabilitation after hemiparetic stroke.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT04054739 (12/08/2019).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayeon Kim
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyulee Park
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joon-Ho Shin
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, 58, Samgaksan-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, 01022, Republic of Korea.
| | - Joshua H You
- Department of Physical Therapy, Dynamic Movement Institute and Technology, College of Health Science, Sports Movement Artificial-Intelligence Robotics Technology (SMART) Institute, "Yonsei GOODWELLNESS Center" for Sports, Wellness, and Fitness Across Life Span Disabilities, Yonsei University, 1 Yonseidae-gil, Wonju, Gangwon-do, 26493, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Dewolf AH, Sylos-Labini F, Cappellini G, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Emergence of Different Gaits in Infancy: Relationship Between Developing Neural Circuitries and Changing Biomechanics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:473. [PMID: 32509753 PMCID: PMC7248179 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How does gait-specific pattern generation evolve in early infancy? The idea that neural and biomechanical mechanisms underlying mature walking and running differ to some extent and involve distinct spinal and supraspinal neural circuits is supported by various studies. Here we consider the issue of human gaits from the developmental point of view, from neonate stepping to adult mature gaits. While differentiating features of the walk and run are clearly distinct in adults, the gradual and progressive developmental bifurcation between the different gaits suggests considerable sharing of circuitry. Gaits development and their biomechanical determinants also depend on maturation of the musculoskeletal system. This review outlines the possible overlap in the neural and biomechanical control of walking and running in infancy, supporting the idea that gaits may be built starting from common, likely phylogenetically conserved elements. Bridging connections between movement mechanics and neural control of locomotion could have profound clinical implications for technological solutions to understand better locomotor development and to diagnose early motor deficits. We also consider the neuromuscular maturation time frame of gaits resulting from active practice of locomotion, underlying plasticity of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Henri Dewolf
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Germana Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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17
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Xing D, Aghagolzadeh M, Truccolo W, Borton D. Low-Dimensional Motor Cortex Dynamics Preserve Kinematics Information During Unconstrained Locomotion in Nonhuman Primates. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1046. [PMID: 31636530 PMCID: PMC6788380 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The dynamical systems view of movement generation in motor cortical areas has emerged as an effective way to explain the firing properties of populations of neurons recorded from these regions. Recently, many studies have focused on finding low-dimensional representations of these dynamical systems during voluntary reaching and grasping behaviors carried out by the forelimbs. One such model, the Poisson linear-dynamical-system (PLDS) model, has been shown to extract dynamics which can be used to decode reaching kinematics. However, few have investigated these dynamics, especially in non-human primates, during behaviors such as locomotion, which may involve motor cortex to a lesser degree. Here, we focused on unconstrained quadrupedal locomotion, and investigated whether unsupervised latent state-space models can extract low-dimensional dynamics while preserving information about hind-limb kinematics. Spiking activity from the leg area of primary motor cortex of rhesus macaques was recorded simultaneously with hind-limb joint positions during ambulation across a corridor, ladder, and on a treadmill at various speeds. We found that PLDS models can extract stereotyped low-dimensional neural trajectories from these neurons phase-locked to the gait cycle, and that distinct trajectories emerge depending on the speed and class of behavior. Additionally, it was possible to decode both the hind-limb kinematics and the gait phase from these inferred trajectories just as well or better than from the full neural population (18-80 neurons) with only 12 dimensions. Our results demonstrate that kinematics and gait phase during various locomotion tasks are well represented in low-dimensional latent dynamics inferred from motor cortex population activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Xing
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Mehdi Aghagolzadeh
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Wilson Truccolo
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence, RI, United States
| | - David Borton
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Neurorestoration and Neurotechnology, Providence, RI, United States
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18
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Nordin AD, Hairston WD, Ferris DP. Human electrocortical dynamics while stepping over obstacles. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4693. [PMID: 30886202 PMCID: PMC6423113 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41131-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To better understand human brain dynamics during visually guided locomotion, we developed a method of removing motion artifacts from mobile electroencephalography (EEG) and studied human subjects walking and running over obstacles on a treadmill. We constructed a novel dual-layer EEG electrode system to isolate electrocortical signals, and then validated the system using an electrical head phantom and robotic motion platform. We collected data from young healthy subjects walking and running on a treadmill while they encountered unexpected obstacles to step over. Supplementary motor area and premotor cortex had spectral power increases within ~200 ms after object appearance in delta, theta, and alpha frequency bands (3–13 Hz). That activity was followed by similar posterior parietal cortex spectral power increase that decreased in lag time with increasing locomotion speed. The sequence of activation suggests that supplementary motor area and premotor cortex interrupted the gait cycle, while posterior parietal cortex tracked obstacle location for planning foot placement nearly two steps ahead of reaching the obstacle. Together, these results highlight advantages of adopting dual-layer mobile EEG, which should greatly facilitate the study of human brain dynamics in physically active real-world settings and tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Nordin
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA.
| | - W David Hairston
- Human Research and Engineering Directorate, U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, USA
| | - Daniel P Ferris
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
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19
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Huang CK, Shivaswamy V, Thaisetthawatkul P, Mack L, Stergiou N, Siu KC. An altered spatiotemporal gait adjustment during a virtual obstacle crossing task in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. J Diabetes Complications 2019; 33:182-188. [PMID: 30442545 PMCID: PMC6331236 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2018.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates spatiotemporal gait adjustments that occur while stepping over virtual obstacles during treadmill walking in people with/without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Eleven adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, ten DPN, and 11 age-matched healthy adults (HTY) participated in this study. They stepped over forthcoming virtual obstacles during treadmill walking. Outcomes such as success rate, spatiotemporal gait characteristics during obstacle crossing, and correlations between these variables were evaluated. The results partially supported our hypotheses that when comparing with HTY and DM, people with DPN adopted a crossing strategy which decreased obstacle crossing success rate and maximal toe elevation, and increased stride time and stance time during virtual obstacle crossing. This might be due to the compromised somatosensory functions of their lower extremity which may increase the risk of falling. This study also found an inter-leg relationship which may be applied to future stepping or obstacle crossing training that incorporates both legs as a means for improving outcomes of the trailing leg during daily obstacle negotiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Kai Huang
- Division of Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, United States of America.
| | - Vijay Shivaswamy
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, College of Medicine, UNMC, United States of America.
| | | | - Lynn Mack
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolism, College of Medicine, UNMC, United States of America.
| | - Nicholas Stergiou
- Department of Environmental Agricultural and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, UNMC, United States of America; Department of Biomechanics, College of Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), NE, United States of America.
| | - Ka-Chun Siu
- Division of Physical Therapy Education, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), Omaha, NE, United States of America; Department of Biomechanics, College of Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), NE, United States of America.
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20
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Zych M, Rankin I, Holland D, Severini G. Temporal and spatial asymmetries during stationary cycling cause different feedforward and feedback modifications in the muscular control of the lower limbs. J Neurophysiol 2019; 121:163-176. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00482.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor adaptations are useful for studying the way in which the lower limbs are controlled by the brain. However, motor adaptation paradigms for the lower limbs are typically based on locomotion tasks, where the necessity of maintaining postural stability is the main driver of adaptation and could possibly mask other underlying processes. In this study we investigated whether small temporal or spatial asymmetries can trigger motor adaptations during stationary cycling, where stability is not directly compromised. Fourteen healthy individuals participated in two experiments: in one of the experiments, the angle between the crank arms of the pedals was altered by 10° to induce a temporal asymmetry; in the other experiment, the length of the right pedal was shortened by 2.4 cm to induce a spatial asymmetry. We recorded the acceleration of the crank arms and the electromographic signals of 16 muscles (8 per leg). The analysis of the accelerometer data was used to investigate the presence of motor adaptations. Muscle synergy analysis was performed on each side to quantify changes in neuromuscular control. We found that motor adaptations are present in response to temporal asymmetries and are obtained by progressively shifting the activation patterns of two synergies on the right leg. Spatial asymmetries, on the other hand, appear to trigger a feedback-driven response that does not present an aftereffect. This response is characterized by a steplike decrease in activity in the right gastrocnemius when the asymmetry is present and likely reflects the altered task demands. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The processes driving lower limb motor adaptations are not fully clear, and previous research appears to indicate that adaptations are mainly driven by stability. We show that lower limb adaptations can be obtained also in the absence of an explicit balance threat. We also show that adaptations are present when kinematic error cannot be compensated for, suggesting the presence of intrinsic error measures regulating the timing of activation of the two legs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Zych
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ian Rankin
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Donal Holland
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Giacomo Severini
- School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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21
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Bhatt T, Patel P, Dusane S, DelDonno SR, Langenecker SA. Neural Mechanisms Involved in Mental Imagery of Slip-Perturbation While Walking: A Preliminary fMRI Study. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:203. [PMID: 30319366 PMCID: PMC6168704 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Behavioral evidence for cortical involvement in reactive balance control in response to environmental perturbation is established, however, the neural correlates are not known. This study aimed to examine the neural mechanisms involved in reactive balance control for recovery from slip-like perturbations using mental imagery and to evaluate the difference in activation patterns between imagined and observed slipping. Methods: Ten healthy young participants after an exposure to regular walking and slip-perturbation trial on a treadmill, performed mental imagery and observation tasks in the MR scanner. Participants received verbal instructions to imagine walking (IW), observe walking (OW), imagine slipping (IS) and observe slipping (OS) while walking. Results: Analysis using general linear model showed increased activation during IS versus IW condition in precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior, middle and transverse temporal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, insula, pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus, pons, anterior and posterior cerebellar lobes. During IS versus OS condition, there was additional activation in parahippocampus, cingulate gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, superior temporal, middle and inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusion: The findings of the current study support involvement of higher cortical and subcortical structures in reactive balance control. Greater activation during slipping could be attributed to the complexity of the sensorimotor task and increased demands to maintain postural stability during slipping as compared with regular walking. Furthermore, our findings suggest that mental imagery of slipping recruited greater neural substrates rather than observation of slipping, possibly due to increased sensory, cognitive and perceptual processing demands. New and Noteworthy: The behavioral factors contributing to falls from external perturbations while walking are better understood than neural mechanisms underlying the behavioral response. This study examines the neural activation pattern associated with reactive balance control during slip-like perturbations while walking through an fMRI paradigm. This study identified specific neural mechanisms involved in complex postural movements during sudden perturbations, to particularly determine the role of cortical structures in reactive balance control. It further highlights the specific differences in neural structures involved in regular unperturbed versus perturbed walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanvi Bhatt
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Prakruti Patel
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Shamali Dusane
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Health Sciences, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Sophie R. DelDonno
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Scott A. Langenecker
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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22
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Avrin G, Siegler IA, Makarov M, Rodriguez-Ayerbe P. Model of rhythmic ball bouncing using a visually controlled neural oscillator. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:2470-2482. [PMID: 28794190 PMCID: PMC5646202 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00054.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2017] [Revised: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The present paper investigates the sensory-driven modulations of central pattern generator dynamics that can be expected to reproduce human behavior during rhythmic hybrid tasks. We propose a theoretical model of human sensorimotor behavior able to account for the observed data from the ball-bouncing task. The novel control architecture is composed of a Matsuoka neural oscillator coupled with the environment through visual sensory feedback. The architecture's ability to reproduce human-like performance during the ball-bouncing task in the presence of perturbations is quantified by comparison of simulated and recorded trials. The results suggest that human visual control of the task is achieved online. The adaptive behavior is made possible by a parametric and state control of the limit cycle emerging from the interaction of the rhythmic pattern generator, the musculoskeletal system, and the environment.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The study demonstrates that a behavioral model based on a neural oscillator controlled by visual information is able to accurately reproduce human modulations in a motor action with respect to sensory information during the rhythmic ball-bouncing task. The model attractor dynamics emerging from the interaction between the neuromusculoskeletal system and the environment met task requirements, environmental constraints, and human behavioral choices without relying on movement planning and explicit internal models of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Avrin
- Laboratoire des Signaux et Systèmes (L2S), CentraleSupélec, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette France;
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France; and
- CIAMS, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Isabelle A Siegler
- CIAMS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France; and
- CIAMS, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, France
| | - Maria Makarov
- Laboratoire des Signaux et Systèmes (L2S), CentraleSupélec, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette France
| | - Pedro Rodriguez-Ayerbe
- Laboratoire des Signaux et Systèmes (L2S), CentraleSupélec, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette France
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Lodha N, Chen YT, McGuirk TE, Fox EJ, Kautz SA, Christou EA, Clark DJ. EMG synchrony to assess impaired corticomotor control of locomotion after stroke. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2017; 37:35-40. [PMID: 28888972 DOI: 10.1016/j.jelekin.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adapting one's gait pattern requires a contribution from cortical motor commands. Evidence suggests that frequency-based analysis of electromyography (EMG) can be used to detect this cortical contribution. Specifically, increased EMG synchrony between synergistic muscles in the Piper frequency band has been linked to heightened corticomotor contribution to EMG. Stroke-related damage to cerebral motor pathways would be expected to diminish EMG Piper synchrony. The objective of this study is therefore to test the hypothesis that EMG Piper synchrony is diminished in the paretic leg relative to nonparetic and control legs, particularly during a long-step task of walking adaptability. Twenty adults with post-stroke hemiparesis and seventeen healthy controls participated in this study. EMG Piper synchrony increased more for the control legs compare to the paretic legs when taking a non-paretic long step (5.02±3.22% versus 0.86±2.62%), p<0.01) and when taking a paretic long step (2.04±1.98% versus 0.70±2.34%, p<0.05). A similar but non-significant trend was evident when comparing non-paretic and paretic legs. No statistically significant differences in EMG Piper synchrony were found between legs for typical walking. EMG Piper synchrony was positively associated with walking speed and step length within the stroke group. These findings support the assertion that EMG Piper synchrony indicates corticomotor contribution to walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Lodha
- Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Yen-Ting Chen
- Health Science Center, University of Texas, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Theresa E McGuirk
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Emily J Fox
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Brooks Rehabilitation, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Steven A Kautz
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Health Sciences and Research and Division of Physical Therapy, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Evangelos A Christou
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David J Clark
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Engagement of the Rat Hindlimb Motor Cortex across Natural Locomotor Behaviors. J Neurosci 2017; 36:10440-10455. [PMID: 27707977 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4343-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrary to cats and primates, cortical contribution to hindlimb locomotor movements is not critical in rats. However, the importance of the motor cortex to regain locomotion after neurological disorders in rats suggests that cortical engagement in hindlimb motor control may depend on the behavioral context. To investigate this possibility, we recorded whole-body kinematics, muscle synergies, and hindlimb motor cortex modulation in freely moving rats performing a range of natural locomotor procedures. We found that the activation of hindlimb motor cortex preceded gait initiation. During overground locomotion, the motor cortex exhibited consistent neuronal population responses that were synchronized with the spatiotemporal activation of hindlimb motoneurons. Behaviors requiring enhanced muscle activity or skilled paw placement correlated with substantial adjustment in neuronal population responses. In contrast, all rats exhibited a reduction of cortical activity during more automated behavior, such as stepping on a treadmill. Despite the facultative role of the motor cortex in the production of locomotion in rats, these results show that the encoding of hindlimb features in motor cortex dynamics is comparable in rats and cats. However, the extent of motor cortex modulations appears linked to the degree of volitional engagement and complexity of the task, reemphasizing the importance of goal-directed behaviors for motor control studies, rehabilitation, and neuroprosthetics. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We mapped the neuronal population responses in the hindlimb motor cortex to hindlimb kinematics and hindlimb muscle synergies across a spectrum of natural locomotion behaviors. Robust task-specific neuronal population responses revealed that the rat motor cortex displays similar modulation as other mammals during locomotion. However, the reduced motor cortex activity during more automated behaviors suggests a relationship between the degree of engagement and task complexity. This relationship emphasizes the importance of the behavioral procedure to engage the motor cortex during motor control studies, gait rehabilitation, and locomotor neuroprosthetic developments in rats.
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Kim HY, Kim EJ, You J(SH. Adaptive locomotor network activation during randomized walking speeds using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Technol Health Care 2017; 25:93-98. [DOI: 10.3233/thc-171310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ha Yeon Kim
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Korea
- Sports ⋅ Movement ⋅ Artificial Robotics ⋅ Technology (SMART) Institute, Department of Physical Therapy Program, Yonsei University, Wonju, Kangwon-do, Korea
| | - Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Korea
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joshua (Sung) H. You
- Sports ⋅ Movement ⋅ Artificial Robotics ⋅ Technology (SMART) Institute, Department of Physical Therapy Program, Yonsei University, Wonju, Kangwon-do, Korea
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Korea
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26
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Alaverdashvili M, Hackett MJ, Caine S, Paterson PG. Parallel changes in cortical neuron biochemistry and motor function in protein-energy malnourished adult rats. Neuroimage 2017; 149:275-284. [PMID: 28179168 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Revised: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
While protein-energy malnutrition in the adult has been reported to induce motor abnormalities and exaggerate motor deficits caused by stroke, it is not known if alterations in mature cortical neurons contribute to the functional deficits. Therefore, we explored if PEM in adult rats provoked changes in the biochemical profile of neurons in the forelimb and hindlimb regions of the motor cortex. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic imaging using a synchrotron generated light source revealed for the first time altered lipid composition in neurons and subcellular domains (cytosol and nuclei) in a cortical layer and region-specific manner. This change measured by the area under the curve of the δ(CH2) band may indicate modifications in membrane fluidity. These PEM-induced biochemical changes were associated with the development of abnormalities in forelimb use and posture. The findings of this study provide a mechanism by which PEM, if not treated, could exacerbate the course of various neurological disorders and diminish treatment efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Alaverdashvili
- Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and College of Pharmacy and Nutrition University of Saskatchewan, D Wing GD30 (Box 1) Health Sciences, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5E5; College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Canada; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Canada; Cameco MS Neuroscience Center, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
| | - Mark J Hackett
- Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and College of Pharmacy and Nutrition University of Saskatchewan, D Wing GD30 (Box 1) Health Sciences, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5E5; Department of Geological Sciences, Canada
| | - Sally Caine
- Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and College of Pharmacy and Nutrition University of Saskatchewan, D Wing GD30 (Box 1) Health Sciences, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5E5; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Canada; Cameco MS Neuroscience Center, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Phyllis G Paterson
- Neuroscience Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology and College of Pharmacy and Nutrition University of Saskatchewan, D Wing GD30 (Box 1) Health Sciences, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5E5; College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Canada; Cameco MS Neuroscience Center, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
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27
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MacLellan MJ. Modular organization of muscle activity patterns in the leading and trailing limbs during obstacle clearance in healthy adults. Exp Brain Res 2017; 235:2011-2026. [PMID: 28343307 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-017-4946-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Human locomotor patterns require precise adjustments to successfully navigate complex environments. Studies suggest that the central nervous system may control such adjustments through supraspinal signals modifying a basic locomotor pattern at the spinal level. To explore this proposed control mechanism in the leading and trailing limbs during obstructed walking, healthy young adults stepped over obstacles measuring 0.1 and 0.2 m in height. Unobstructed walking with no obstacle present was also performed as a baseline. Full body three-dimensional kinematic data were recorded and electromyography (EMG) was collected from 14 lower limb muscles on each side of the body. EMG data were analyzed using two techniques: by mapping the EMG data to the approximate location of the motor neuron pools on the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord and by applying a nonnegative matrix factorization algorithm to unilateral and bilateral muscle activations separately. Results showed that obstacle clearance may be achieved not only with the addition of a new activation pattern in the leading limb, but with a temporal shift of a pattern present during unobstructed walking in both the leading and trailing limbs. An investigation of the inter-limb coordination of these patterns suggested a strong bilateral linkage between lower limbs. These results highlight the modular organization of muscle activation in the leading and trailing limbs, as well as provide a mechanism of control when implementing a locomotor adjustment when stepping over an obstacle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J MacLellan
- School of Kinesiology, College of Human Sciences and Education, Louisiana State University, 112 Huey P. Long Field House, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
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28
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Kim HY, Yang SP, Park GL, Kim EJ, You JSH. Best facilitated cortical activation during different stepping, treadmill, and robot-assisted walking training paradigms and speeds: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy neuroimaging study. NeuroRehabilitation 2016; 38:171-8. [PMID: 26923356 DOI: 10.3233/nre-161307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Robot-assisted and treadmill-gait training are promising neurorehabilitation techniques, with advantages over conventional gait training, but the neural substrates underpinning locomotor control remain unknown particularly during different gait training modes and speeds. OBJECTIVE The present optical imaging study compared cortical activities during conventional stepping walking (SW), treadmill walking (TW), and robot-assisted walking (RW) at different speeds. METHODS Fourteen healthy subjects (6 women, mean age 30.06, years ± 4.53) completed three walking training modes (SW, TW, and RW) at various speeds (self-selected, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 km/h). A functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system determined cerebral hemodynamic changes associated with cortical locomotor network areas in the primary sensorimotor cortex (SMC), premotor cortex (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and sensory association cortex (SAC). RESULTS There was increased cortical activation in the SMC, PMC, and SMA during different walking training modes. More global locomotor network activation was observed during RW than TW or SW. As walking speed increased, multiple locomotor network activations were observed, and increased activation power spectrum. CONCLUSIONS This is the first empirical evidence highlighting the neural substrates mediating dynamic locomotion for different gait training modes and speeds. Fast, robot-assisted gait training best facilitated cortical activation associated with locomotor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha Yeon Kim
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Movement Healing Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Phil Yang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Gyu Lee Park
- Translational Research Center for Rehabilitation Robots, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Joshua Sung Hyun You
- Movement Healing Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Wonju, Republic of Korea
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29
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Abstract
The cerebellum is important for movement control and plays a particularly crucial role in balance and locomotion. As such, one of the most characteristic signs of cerebellar damage is walking ataxia. It is not known how the cerebellum normally contributes to walking, although recent work suggests that it plays a role in the generation of appropriate patterns of limb movements, dynamic regulation of balance, and adaptation of posture and locomotion through practice. The purpose of this review is to examine mechanisms of cerebellar control of balance and locomotion, emphasizing studies of humans and other animals. Implications for rehabilitation are also considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne M Morton
- Kennedy Krieger Institute and Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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30
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Similar Motor Cortical Control Mechanisms for Precise Limb Control during Reaching and Locomotion. J Neurosci 2016; 35:14476-90. [PMID: 26511240 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1908-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout the course of evolution there has been a parallel development of the complexity and flexibility of the nervous system and the skeletomuscular system that it controls. This development is particularly evident for the cerebral cortical areas and the transformation of the use of the upper limbs from a purely locomotor function to one including, or restricted to, reaching and grasping. This study addresses the issue of whether the control of reaching has involved the development of new cortical circuits or whether the same neurons are used to control both locomotion and reaching. We recorded the activity of pyramidal tract neurons in the motor cortex of the cat both during voluntary gait modifications and during reaching. All cells showed generally similar patterns of activity in both tasks. More specifically, we showed that, in many cases, cells maintained a constant temporal relationship to the activity of synergistic muscle groups in each task. In addition, in some cells the relationship between the intensity of the cell discharge activity and the magnitude of the EMG activity was equally constant during gait modifications and reaching. As such, the results are compatible with the hypothesis that the corticospinal circuits used to control reaching evolved from those used to precisely modify gait.
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31
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Stout EE, Sirota MG, Beloozerova IN. Known and unexpected constraints evoke different kinematic, muscle, and motor cortical neuron responses during locomotion. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 42:2666-77. [PMID: 26302230 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 08/17/2015] [Accepted: 08/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
During navigation through complex natural environments, people and animals must adapt their movements when the environment changes. The neural mechanisms of such adaptations are poorly understood, especially with respect to constraints that are unexpected and must be adapted to quickly. In this study, we recorded forelimb-related kinematics, muscle activity, and the activity of motor cortical neurons in cats walking along a raised horizontal ladder, a complex locomotion task requiring accurate limb placement. One of the crosspieces was motorized, and displaced before the cat stepped on the ladder or at different points along the cat's progression over the ladder, either towards or away from the cat. We found that, when the crosspiece was displaced before the cat stepped onto the ladder, the kinematic modifications were complex and involved all forelimb joints. When the crosspiece displaced unexpectedly while the cat was on the ladder, the kinematic modifications were minimalistic and primarily involved distal joints. The activity of M. triceps and M. extensor digitorum communis differed based on the direction of displacement. Out of 151 neurons tested, 69% responded to at least one condition; however, neurons were significantly more likely to respond when crosspiece displacement was unexpected. Most often they responded during the swing phase. These results suggest that different neural mechanisms and motor control strategies are used to overcome constraints for locomotor movements depending on whether they are known or emerge unexpectedly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik E Stout
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA.,Arizona State University - Barrow Neurological Institute Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Mikhail G Sirota
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Irina N Beloozerova
- Barrow Neurological Institute, St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
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32
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Tard C, Dujardin K, Girard A, Debaughrien M, Derambure P, Defebvre L, Delval A. How does visuospatial attention modulate motor preparation during gait initiation? Exp Brain Res 2015; 234:39-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4436-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Charalambous CC, Bowden MG, Adkins DL. Motor Cortex and Motor Cortical Interhemispheric Communication in Walking After Stroke: The Roles of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Animal Models in Our Current and Future Understanding. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2015; 30:94-102. [PMID: 25878201 DOI: 10.1177/1545968315581418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite the plethora of human neurophysiological research, the bilateral involvement of the leg motor cortical areas and their interhemispheric interaction during both normal and impaired human walking is poorly understood. Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), we have expanded our understanding of the role upper-extremity motor cortical areas play in normal movements and how stroke alters this role, and probed the efficacy of interventions to improve post-stroke arm function. However, similar investigations of the legs have lagged behind, in part, due to the anatomical difficulty in using TMS to stimulate the leg motor cortical areas. Additionally, leg movements are predominately bilaterally controlled and require interlimb coordination that may involve both hemispheres. The sensitive, but invasive, tools used in animal models of locomotion hold great potential for increasing our understanding of the bihemispheric motor cortical control of walking. In this review, we discuss 3 themes associated with the bihemispheric motor cortical control of walking after stroke: (a) what is known about the role of the bihemispheric motor cortical control in healthy and poststroke leg movements, (b) how the neural remodeling of the contralesional hemisphere can affect walking recovery after a stroke, and (c) what is the effect of behavioral rehabilitation training of walking on the neural remodeling of the motor cortical areas bilaterally. For each theme, we discuss how rodent models can enhance the present knowledge on human walking by testing hypotheses that cannot be investigated in humans, and how these findings can then be back-translated into the neurorehabilitation of poststroke walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charalambos C Charalambous
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Mark G Bowden
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - DeAnna L Adkins
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
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34
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Balasubramanian CK, Clark DJ, Fox EJ. Walking adaptability after a stroke and its assessment in clinical settings. Stroke Res Treat 2014; 2014:591013. [PMID: 25254140 PMCID: PMC4164852 DOI: 10.1155/2014/591013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Control of walking has been described by a tripartite model consisting of stepping, equilibrium, and adaptability. This review focuses on walking adaptability, which is defined as the ability to modify walking to meet task goals and environmental demands. Walking adaptability is crucial to safe ambulation in the home and community environments and is often severely compromised after a stroke. Yet quantification of walking adaptability after stroke has received relatively little attention in the clinical setting. The objectives of this review were to examine the conceptual challenges for clinical measurement of walking adaptability and summarize the current state of clinical assessment for walking adaptability. We created nine domains of walking adaptability from dimensions of community mobility to address the conceptual challenges in measurement and reviewed performance-based clinical assessments of walking to determine if the assessments measure walking adaptability in these domains. Our literature review suggests the lack of a comprehensive well-tested clinical assessment tool for measuring walking adaptability. Accordingly, recommendations for the development of a comprehensive clinical assessment of walking adaptability after stroke have been presented. Such a clinical assessment will be essential for gauging recovery of walking adaptability with rehabilitation and for motivating novel strategies to enhance recovery of walking adaptability after stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David J. Clark
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center (151A), Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, 1601 SW Archer Roadd, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA
| | - Emily J. Fox
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100154, Gainesville, FL 32610-0154, USA
- Brooks Rehabilitation, Jacksonville, FL 32216, USA
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35
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Takahashi M, Uchida N, Yoshida M, Liang N, Nakazawa K, Sekikawa K, Inamizu T, Hamada H. Phase-dependent modulation of corticospinal excitability during the observation of the initial phase of gait. Somatosens Mot Res 2014; 31:209-13. [PMID: 24915056 DOI: 10.3109/08990220.2014.923392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to identify the temporal characteristics of corticospinal excitability of tibialis anterior muscle during the observation of the initial phase of gait. For this purpose, using transcranial magnetic stimulation, we recorded motor evoked potentials (MEPs) during the observation of the second step of an actor's first three steps of gait initiation with (complex gait) or without (normal gait) an obstacle and unstable surface. The results demonstrate that (1) MEPs during the observation of the initial phase of normal gait were significantly increased only at early swing phase, but not other phases (mid-swing, heel contact, mid-stance, and heel off) and (2) MEPs during the observation of the initial phase of complex gait were significantly increased at early swing and also at mid-swing and heel contact phases. These findings provide the first evidence that corticospinal excitability during the observation of gait, especially the initial phase, is modulated in phase- and motor-demanded-dependent manners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Takahashi
- Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University , Hiroshima , Japan
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36
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Koenraadt KLM, Roelofsen EGJ, Duysens J, Keijsers NLW. Cortical control of normal gait and precision stepping: An fNIRS study. Neuroimage 2014; 85 Pt 1:415-22. [PMID: 23631980 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.04.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Revised: 03/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Koen L M Koenraadt
- Sint Maartenskliniek Nijmegen, Department of Research, PO box 9011, 6500 GM Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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37
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Krouchev N, Drew T. Motor cortical regulation of sparse synergies provides a framework for the flexible control of precision walking. Front Comput Neurosci 2013; 7:83. [PMID: 23874287 PMCID: PMC3708143 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2013.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously described a modular organization of the locomotor step cycle in the cat in which a number of sparse synergies are activated sequentially during the swing phase of the step cycle (Krouchev et al., 2006). Here, we address how these synergies are modified during voluntary gait modifications. Data were analysed from 27 bursts of muscle activity (recorded from 18 muscles) recorded in the forelimb of the cat during locomotion. These were grouped into 10 clusters, or synergies, during unobstructed locomotion. Each synergy was comprised of only a small number of muscles bursts (sparse synergies), some of which included both proximal and distal muscles. Eight (8/10) of these synergies were active during the swing phase of locomotion. Synergies observed during the gait modifications were very similar to those observed during unobstructed locomotion. Constraining these synergies to be identical in both the lead (first forelimb to pass over the obstacle) and the trail (second limb) conditions allowed us to compare the changes in phase and magnitude of the synergies required to modify gait. In the lead condition, changes were observed particularly in those synergies responsible for transport of the limb and preparation for landing. During the trail condition, changes were particularly evident in those synergies responsible for lifting the limb from the ground at the onset of the swing phase. These changes in phase and magnitude were adapted to the size and shape of the obstacle over which the cat stepped. These results demonstrate that by modifying the phase and magnitude of a finite number of muscle synergies, each comprised of a small number of simultaneously active muscles, descending control signals could produce very specific modifications in limb trajectory during locomotion. We discuss the possibility that these changes in phase and magnitude could be produced by changes in the activity of neurones in the motor cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nedialko Krouchev
- Groupe de Recherche sur le Système Nerveux Central, Département de Physiologie, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada
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38
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Synchronous EMG activity in the piper frequency band reveals the corticospinal demand of walking tasks. Ann Biomed Eng 2013; 41:1778-86. [PMID: 23740367 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-013-0832-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Evidence indicates that the frequency-domain characteristics of surface electromyogram (EMG) signals are modulated according to the contributing sources of neural drive. Modulation of inter-muscular EMG synchrony within the Piper frequency band (30-60 Hz) during movement tasks has been linked to drive from the corticospinal tract. However, it is not known whether EMG synchrony is sufficiently sensitive to detect task-dependent differences in the corticospinal contribution to leg muscle activation during walking. We investigated this question in seventeen healthy older men and women. It was hypothesized that, relative to typical steady state walking, Piper band EMG synchrony of the triceps surae muscle group would be reduced for dual-task walking (because of competition for cortical resources), similar for fast walking (because walking speed is directed by an indirect locomotor pathway rather than by the corticospinal tract), and increased when taking a long step (because voluntary gait pattern modifications are directed by the corticospinal tract). Each of these hypotheses was confirmed. These findings support the use of frequency-domain analysis of EMG in future investigations into the corticospinal contribution to control of healthy and disordered human walking.
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39
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Hussain SJ, Hanson AS, Tseng SC, Morton SM. A locomotor adaptation including explicit knowledge and removal of postadaptation errors induces complete 24-hour retention. J Neurophysiol 2013; 110:916-25. [PMID: 23741038 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00770.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotor patterns are generally very consistent but also contain a high degree of adaptability. Motor adaptation is a short-term type of learning that utilizes this plasticity to alter locomotor behaviors quickly and transiently. In this study, we used a variation of an adaptation paradigm in order to test whether explicit information as well as the removal of the visual error signal after adaptation could improve retention of a newly learned walking pattern 24 h later. On two consecutive days of testing, participants walked on a treadmill while viewing a visual display that showed erroneous feedback of swing times for each leg. Participants were instructed to use this feedback to monitor and adjust swing times so they appeared symmetric within the display. This was achieved by producing a novel interlimb asymmetry between legs. For both legs, we measured adaptation magnitudes and rates and immediate and 24-h retention magnitudes. Participants showed similar adaptation on both days but a faster rate of readaptation on day 2. There was complete retention of adapted swing times on the increasing leg (i.e., no evidence of performance decay over 24 h). Overall, these findings suggest that the inclusion of explicit information and the removal of the visual error signal are effective in inducing full retention of adapted increases in swing time over a moderate (24 h) interval of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Hussain
- Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Carver College of Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
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Chvatal SA, Ting LH. Common muscle synergies for balance and walking. Front Comput Neurosci 2013; 7:48. [PMID: 23653605 PMCID: PMC3641709 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2013.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is known about the integration of neural mechanisms for balance and locomotion. Muscle synergies have been studied independently in standing balance and walking, but not compared. Here, we hypothesized that reactive balance and walking are mediated by a common set of lower-limb muscle synergies. In humans, we examined muscle activity during multidirectional support-surface perturbations during standing and walking, as well as unperturbed walking at two speeds. We show that most muscle synergies used in perturbations responses during standing were also used in perturbation responses during walking, suggesting common neural mechanisms for reactive balance across different contexts. We also show that most muscle synergies using in reactive balance were also used during unperturbed walking, suggesting that neural circuits mediating locomotion and reactive balance recruit a common set of muscle synergies to achieve task-level goals. Differences in muscle synergies across conditions reflected differences in the biomechanical demands of the tasks. For example, muscle synergies specific to walking perturbations may reflect biomechanical challenges associated with single limb stance, and muscle synergies used during sagittal balance recovery in standing but not walking were consistent with maintaining the different desired center of mass motions in standing vs. walking. Thus, muscle synergies specifying spatial organization of muscle activation patterns may define a repertoire of biomechanical subtasks available to different neural circuits governing walking and reactive balance and may be recruited based on task-level goals. Muscle synergy analysis may aid in dissociating deficits in spatial vs. temporal organization of muscle activity in motor deficits. Muscle synergy analysis may also provide a more generalizable assessment of motor function by identifying whether common modular mechanisms are impaired across the performance of multiple motor tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacie A Chvatal
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
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Aoki S, Sato Y, Yanagihara D. Lesion in the lateral cerebellum specifically produces overshooting of the toe trajectory in leading forelimb during obstacle avoidance in the rat. J Neurophysiol 2013; 110:1511-24. [PMID: 23615542 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01048.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During locomotion, stepping over an obstacle under visual guidance is crucial to continuous safe walking. Studies of the role of the central nervous system in stepping movements have focused on cerebral cortical areas such as the primary motor cortex and posterior parietal cortex. There is speculation that the lateral cerebellum, which has strong anatomical connections with the cerebral cortex, also plays a key role in stepping movements over an obstacle, although this function of the lateral cerebellum has not yet been elucidated. Here we investigated the role of the lateral cerebellum during obstacle avoidance locomotion in rats with a lateral cerebellar lesion. A unilateral lesion in the lateral cerebellum did not affect limb movements during overground locomotion. Importantly, however, the lesioned animals showed overshooting of the toe trajectory specific to the leading forelimb ipsilateral to the lesion when stepping over an obstacle, and the peak toe position, in which the toe is maximally raised during stepping, shifted away from the upper edge of the obstacle. Recordings of EMG activity from elbow flexor and extensor muscles suggested that the overshooting toe trajectory in the ipsilateral leading forelimb possibly resulted from sustained elbow flexion and delayed elbow extension following prolonged activity of the biceps brachii. These results suggest that the lateral cerebellum specifically contributes to generating appropriate toe trajectories in the ipsilateral leading forelimb and to controlling related muscle activities in stepping over an obstacle, especially when accurate control of the distal extremity is achieved under visual guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sho Aoki
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Kim YH, Song YG, Park IS, Rhyu IJ, Kim SB, Park JH. Effects of task constraints on obstacle avoidance strategies in patients with cerebellar disease. Gait Posture 2013; 37:521-5. [PMID: 23022155 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Revised: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined the effects of cerebellar disease on the organization and execution of obstacle avoidance tasks. To this end, we characterized how variations in the execution demands of the subsequent obstacles in multiple obstacle crossing tasks influenced the stepping performance of the initial obstacle in patients with cerebellar degeneration (CD) by manipulating the height (6 cm and 16 cm) and distance (1 m and 2 m) of the second obstacle. Nine patients with bilateral cerebellar atrophy and nine age-matched normal controls were instructed to walk along an 8 m long pathway and step over two obstacles without contacting them. The primary finding indicated that CD patients exhibited an elevated foot clearance over the initial obstacle when the height demand of the second obstacle was increased. Such abnormal step-height adjustments in CD patients are considered as an adaptive avoidance strategy to diminish the execution demands of complex obstacle tasks and to enhance safe performance. These results suggest that the cerebellum is important for the implementation of optimal stepping strategies to be used during multiple obstacle crossings in which the obstacles have different execution demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Hyun Kim
- Department of Physical Education, Korea University, Seoul 136-701, South Korea
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Voluntary and reactive recruitment of locomotor muscle synergies during perturbed walking. J Neurosci 2012; 32:12237-50. [PMID: 22933805 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.6344-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The modular control of muscles in groups, often referred to as muscle synergies, has been proposed to provide a motor repertoire of actions for the robust control of movement. However, it is not clear whether muscle synergies identified in one task are also recruited by different neural pathways subserving other motor behaviors. We tested the hypothesis that voluntary and reactive modifications to walking in humans result from the recruitment of locomotor muscle synergies. We recorded the activity of 16 muscles in the right leg as subjects walked a 7.5 m path at two different speeds. To elicit a second motor behavior, midway through the path we imposed ramp and hold translation perturbations of the support surface in each of four cardinal directions. Variations in the temporal recruitment of locomotor muscle synergies could account for cycle-by-cycle variations in muscle activity across strides. Locomotor muscle synergies were also recruited in atypical phases of gait, accounting for both anticipatory gait modifications before perturbations and reactive feedback responses to perturbations. Our findings are consistent with the idea that a common pool of spatially fixed locomotor muscle synergies can be recruited by different neural pathways, including the central pattern generator for walking, brainstem pathways for balance control, and cortical pathways mediating voluntary gait modifications. Together with electrophysiological studies, our work suggests that muscle synergies may provide a library of motor subtasks that can be flexibly recruited by parallel descending pathways to generate a variety of complex natural movements in the upper and lower limbs.
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Krasovsky T, Lamontagne A, Feldman AG, Levin MF. Reduced gait stability in high-functioning poststroke individuals. J Neurophysiol 2012; 109:77-88. [PMID: 23054600 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00552.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Falls during walking are a major cause of poststroke injury, and walking faster may decrease the ability to recover following a gait perturbation. We compared gait stability between high-functioning poststroke individuals and controls and evaluated the effect of gait speed on gait stability. Ten stroke subjects and ten age-matched controls walked on a self-paced treadmill at two speeds (matched/faster). Movement of the nonparetic/dominant leg was arrested unexpectedly at early swing. Poststroke individuals lowered the perturbed leg following perturbation (58% of cases) while controls maintained the leg elevated (49% of cases; P < 0.01). In poststroke individuals, double-support duration was restored later than in controls (4.6 ± 0.8 vs. 3.2 ± 0.3 strides; P < 0.007), and long-term phase shifts of arm and leg movements were larger and less coordinated on the paretic side. A moderate speed increase (~20%) enhanced the incidence of leg lowering in controls but not in stroke subjects. Faster walkers in both groups had a more coordinated response, limited to the nonparetic side in the stroke group. However, faster walkers were not more stable following perturbation. Our results suggest that gait perturbations can target basic control processes and identify neurological locomotor deficits in individuals with fall risk. Central regulation of body translation in space is involved in recovery of steady-state walking. Impaired descending control (stroke) decreases the ability of the motor system to recover from perturbations and regulate interlimb phase relationships, especially when changing gait speed. However, interlimb coordination may not be a major factor in the recovery of gait stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tal Krasovsky
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Plasticity of corticospinal neural control after locomotor training in human spinal cord injury. Neural Plast 2012; 2012:254948. [PMID: 22701805 PMCID: PMC3373155 DOI: 10.1155/2012/254948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal lesions substantially impair ambulation, occur generally in young and otherwise healthy individuals, and result in devastating effects on quality of life. Restoration of locomotion after damage to the spinal cord is challenging because axons of the damaged neurons do not regenerate spontaneously. Body-weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) is a therapeutic approach in which a person with a spinal cord injury (SCI) steps on a motorized treadmill while some body weight is removed through an upper body harness. BWSTT improves temporal gait parameters, muscle activation patterns, and clinical outcome measures in persons with SCI. These changes are likely the result of reorganization that occurs simultaneously in supraspinal and spinal cord neural circuits. This paper will focus on the cortical control of human locomotion and motor output, spinal reflex circuits, and spinal interneuronal circuits and how corticospinal control is reorganized after locomotor training in people with SCI. Based on neurophysiological studies, it is apparent that corticospinal plasticity is involved in restoration of locomotion after training. However, the neural mechanisms underlying restoration of lost voluntary motor function are not well understood and translational neuroscience research is needed so patient-orientated rehabilitation protocols to be developed.
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Savin DN, Tseng SC, Whitall J, Morton SM. Poststroke hemiparesis impairs the rate but not magnitude of adaptation of spatial and temporal locomotor features. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2012; 27:24-34. [PMID: 22367915 DOI: 10.1177/1545968311434552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Persons with stroke and hemiparesis walk with a characteristic pattern of spatial and temporal asymmetry that is resistant to most traditional interventions. It was recently shown in nondisabled persons that the degree of walking symmetry can be readily altered via locomotor adaptation. However, it is unclear whether stroke-related brain damage affects the ability to adapt spatial or temporal gait symmetry. OBJECTIVE Determine whether locomotor adaptation to a novel swing phase perturbation is impaired in persons with chronic stroke and hemiparesis. METHODS Participants with ischemic stroke (14) and nondisabled controls (12) walked on a treadmill before, during, and after adaptation to a unilateral perturbing weight that resisted forward leg movement. Leg kinematics were measured bilaterally, including step length and single-limb support (SLS) time symmetry, limb angle center of oscillation, and interlimb phasing, and magnitude of "initial" and "late" locomotor adaptation rates were determined. RESULTS All participants had similar magnitudes of adaptation and similar initial adaptation rates both spatially and temporally. All 14 participants with stroke and baseline asymmetry temporarily walked with improved SLS time symmetry after adaptation. However, late adaptation rates poststroke were decreased (took more strides to achieve adaptation) compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS Mild to moderate hemiparesis does not interfere with the initial acquisition of novel symmetrical gait patterns in both the spatial and temporal domains, though it does disrupt the rate at which "late" adaptive changes are produced. Impairment of the late, slow phase of learning may be an important rehabilitation consideration in this patient population.
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Krasovsky T, Baniña MC, Hacmon R, Feldman AG, Lamontagne A, Levin MF. Stability of gait and interlimb coordination in older adults. J Neurophysiol 2012; 107:2560-9. [PMID: 22298827 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00950.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Most falls in older adults occur when walking, specifically following a trip. This study investigated the short- and longer term responses of young (n = 24, 27.6 ± 4.5 yr) and older adults (n = 18, 69.1 ± 4.2 yr) to a trip during gait at comfortable speed and the role of interlimb coordination in recovery from tripping. Subjects walked on a self-paced treadmill when forward movement of their dominant leg was unexpectedly arrested for 250 ms. Recovery of center of mass (COM) movements and of double-support duration following perturbation was determined. In addition, the disruption and recovery of interlimb coordination of the arms and legs was evaluated. Although young and older subjects used similar lower limb strategies in response to the trip, older adults had less stable COM movement patterns before perturbation, had longer transient destabilization (>25%) after perturbation, required more gait cycles to recover double-support duration (older, 3.48 ± 0.7 cycles; young, 2.88 ± 0.4 cycles), and had larger phase shifts that persisted after perturbation (older, -83° to -90°; young, -39° to -42°). Older adults also had larger disruptions to interlimb coordination of the arms and legs. The timing of the initial disruption in coordination was correlated with the disturbance in gait stability only in young adults. In older adults, greater initial COM instability was related to greater longer term arm incoordination. These results suggest a relationship between interlimb coordination and gait stability, which may be associated with fall risk in older adults. Reduced coordination and gait stability suggest a need for stability-related functional training even in high-functioning older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Krasovsky
- School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, McGill University, 3654 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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Marlinski V, Nilaweera WU, Zelenin PV, Sirota MG, Beloozerova IN. Signals from the ventrolateral thalamus to the motor cortex during locomotion. J Neurophysiol 2012; 107:455-72. [PMID: 21994259 PMCID: PMC3349693 DOI: 10.1152/jn.01113.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2010] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The activity of the motor cortex during locomotion is profoundly modulated in the rhythm of strides. The source of modulation is not known. In this study we examined the activity of one of the major sources of afferent input to the motor cortex, the ventrolateral thalamus (VL). Experiments were conducted in chronically implanted cats with an extracellular single-neuron recording technique. VL neurons projecting to the motor cortex were identified by antidromic responses. During locomotion, the activity of 92% of neurons was modulated in the rhythm of strides; 67% of cells discharged one activity burst per stride, a pattern typical for the motor cortex. The characteristics of these discharges in most VL neurons appeared to be well suited to contribute to the locomotion-related activity of the motor cortex. In addition to simple locomotion, we examined VL activity during walking on a horizontal ladder, a task that requires vision for correct foot placement. Upon transition from simple to ladder locomotion, the activity of most VL neurons exhibited the same changes that have been reported for the motor cortex, i.e., an increase in the strength of stride-related modulation and shortening of the discharge duration. Five modes of integration of simple and ladder locomotion-related information were recognized in the VL. We suggest that, in addition to contributing to the locomotion-related activity in the motor cortex during simple locomotion, the VL integrates and transmits signals needed for correct foot placement on a complex terrain to the motor cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Marlinski
- Barrow Neurological Inst., St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA
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Contribution of different limb controllers to modulation of motor cortex neurons during locomotion. J Neurosci 2011; 31:4636-49. [PMID: 21430163 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.6511-10.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
During locomotion, neurons in motor cortex exhibit profound step-related frequency modulation. The source of this modulation is unclear. The aim of this study was to reveal the contribution of different limb controllers (locomotor mechanisms of individual limbs) to the periodic modulation of motor cortex neurons during locomotion. Experiments were conducted in chronically instrumented cats. The activity of single neurons was recorded during regular quadrupedal locomotion (control), as well as when only one pair of limbs (fore, hind, right, or left) was walking while another pair was standing. Comparison of the modulation patterns in these neurons (their discharge profile with respect to the step cycle) during control and different bipedal locomotor tasks revealed several groups of neurons that receive distinct combinations of inputs from different limb controllers. In the majority (73%) of neurons from the forelimb area of motor cortex, modulation during control was determined exclusively by forelimb controllers (right, left, or both), while in the minority (27%), hindlimb controllers also contributed. By contrast, only in 30% of neurons from the hindlimb area was modulation determined exclusively by hindlimb controllers (right or both), while in 70% of them, the controllers of forelimbs also contributed. We suggest that such organization of inputs allows the motor cortex to contribute to the right-left limbs' coordination within each of the girdles during locomotion, and that it also allows hindlimb neurons to participate in coordination of the movements of the hindlimbs with those of the forelimbs.
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Ueno M, Yamashita T. Kinematic analyses reveal impaired locomotion following injury of the motor cortex in mice. Exp Neurol 2011; 230:280-90. [PMID: 21619878 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2011.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2011] [Revised: 04/29/2011] [Accepted: 05/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Brain injury in the motor cortex can result in deleterious functional deficits of skilled and fine motor functions. However, in contrast to humans, the destruction of cortex and its descending fibers has been thought not to cause remarkable deficits in simple locomotion in quadropedal animals. In the present study, we aimed to investigate in detail how lesion of the sensorimotor cortex affected locomotion ability in mice using the KinemaTracer system, a novel video-based kinematic analyzer. We found that traumatic injury to the left sensorimotor cortex induced several apparent deficits in the movement of contralesional right limbs during treadmill locomotion. The step length of right limbs decreased, and the speed in the forward direction was abrogated in the swing phase. The coordinates and angle of each joint were also changed after the injury. Some of the abnormal values in these parameters gradually recovered near the control level. The number of cFos-expressing neurons following locomotion significantly decreased in the right side of the spinal cord in injured mice, suggesting a role for cortex and descending fibers in locomotion. In contrast, interlimb coordination did not change remarkably even after the injury, supporting the notion that the basic locomotor pattern was determined by intraspinal neural circuits. These results indicate that the motor cortex and its descending fibers regulate several aspects of fine limb movement during locomotion. Our findings provide practical parameters to assess motor deficits and recovery following cortical injury in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Ueno
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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