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Barsante LD, Arantes PMM, Vaz DV, Magalhães FA, Carvalho DS, Cruz AC, Resende RA, Ocarino JM, Fonseca ST, Souza TR. The Midfoot Joint Complex (Foot Arch) Contributes to the Upper Body Position in Bipedal Walking and Coordinates With the Lower Limb Joints. J Appl Biomech 2024; 40:241-249. [PMID: 38604601 DOI: 10.1123/jab.2023-0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
This study estimated the contribution of the midfoot joint complex (MJC) kinematics to the pelvis anterior-posterior positions during the stance phase of walking and investigated whether the MJC is functionally coordinated with the lower limb joints to maintain similar pelvic positions across steps. Hip, knee, ankle, and MJC sagittal angles were measured in 11 nondisabled participants during walking. The joints' contributions to pelvic positions were computed through equations derived from a link-segment model. Functional coordination across steps was identified when the MJC contribution to pelvic position varied and the summed contributions of other joints varied in the opposite direction (strong negative covariations [r ≤ -.7] in stance phase instants). We observed that the MJC plantarflexion (arch raising) during the midstance and late stance leads the pelvis backward, avoiding excessive forward displacement. The MJC was the second joint that contributed most to the pelvis positions (around 18% of all joints' contributions), after the ankle joint. The MJC and ankle were the joints that were most frequently coordinated with the other joints (≅70% of the stance phase duration). The findings suggest that the MJC is part of the kinematic chain that determines pelvis positions during walking and is functionally coordinated with the lower limb joints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo D Barsante
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Paula M M Arantes
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Daniela V Vaz
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fabricio A Magalhães
- College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska, Omaha, USA
| | - Diego S Carvalho
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Aline C Cruz
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Renan A Resende
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Ocarino
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Sérgio T Fonseca
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Thales R Souza
- Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Liu X, Liang J, Liu Y. Effects of walking speeds on lower extremity kinematic synergy in toe vertical position control: An experimental study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2024; 103:e38024. [PMID: 38701268 PMCID: PMC11062729 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000038024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate whether lower limb joints mutually compensate for each other, resulting in motor synergy that suppresses toe vertical position fluctuation, and whether walking speeds affect lower limb synergy. METHODS Seventeen male university students walked at slow (0.85 ± 0.04 m/s), medium (1.43 ± 0.05 m/s) and fast (1.99 ± 0.06 m/s) speeds on a 15-m walkway while lower limb kinematic data were collected. Uncontrolled manifold analysis was used to quantify the strength of synergy. Two-way (speed × phase) repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to analyze all dependent variables. RESULTS A significant speed-by-phase interaction was observed in the synergy index (SI) (P < .001). At slow walking speeds, subjects had greater SI during mid-swing (P < .001), while at fast walking speeds, they had greater SI during early-swing (P < .001). During the entire swing phase, fast walking exhibited lower SI values than medium (P = .005) and slow walking (P = .027). CONCLUSION Kinematic synergy plays a crucial role in controlling toe vertical position during the swing phase, and fast walking exhibits less synergy than medium and slow walking. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the role of kinematic synergy in gait stability and have implications for the development of interventions aimed at improving gait stability and reducing the risk of falls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Liu
- Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Ye Liu
- Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
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Suda Y, Kodama K, Nakamura T, Sakazaki J, Higuchi T. Motor flexibility to stabilize the toe position during obstacle crossing in older adults: an investigation using an uncontrolled manifold analysis. Front Sports Act Living 2024; 6:1382194. [PMID: 38584683 PMCID: PMC10995316 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1382194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction An age-related decrease in the ability to exploit the abundant degrees of freedom of the body, referred to as motor flexibility, leads to a heightened fall risk. The present study investigated motor flexibility to stabilize the toe position during obstacle crossing in older adults and its correlation with the magnitude of foot elevation. Methods Twenty-six older adults (70.9 ± 7.4 years old) and 21 younger adults (25.4 ± 5.0 years old) walked and crossed an obstacle, during which the dominant limb was always the leading limb. An uncontrolled manifold (UCM) analysis was used to quantify the flexibility during obstacle crossing as the synergy index, with the vertical toe position being regarded as the performance variable and the segment angles of the lower limbs as the elemental variables. Results and discussion The results showed that older participants had a significantly lower synergy index for the trailing limb before the moment of obstacle crossing than younger participants, suggesting reduced flexibility in part. The results also showed that, regardless of age, foot elevation was negatively correlated with the synergy index, suggesting that a so-called "conservative strategy" (i.e., a tendency to show extraordinarily high foot elevation to ensure collision avoidance) may be related to their reduced motor flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Suda
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Kodama
- University Education Center, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahito Nakamura
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Social Services, Saitama Prefectural University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Juntaro Sakazaki
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Higuchi
- Department of Health Promotion Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo, Japan
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Liew BXW, Rügamer D, Birn-Jeffery AV. Neuromechanical stabilisation of the centre of mass during running. Gait Posture 2024; 108:189-194. [PMID: 38103324 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stabilisation of the centre of mass (COM) trajectory is thought to be important during running. There is emerging evidence of the importance of leg length and angle regulation during running, which could contribute to stability in the COM trajectory The present study aimed to understand if leg length and angle stabilises the vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) COM displacements, and if the stability alters with running speeds. METHODS Data for this study came from an open-source treadmill running dataset (n = 28). Leg length (m) was calculated by taking the resultant distance of the two-dimensional sagittal plane leg vector (from pelvis segment to centre of pressure). Leg angle was defined by the angle subtended between the leg vector and the horizontal surface. Leg length and angle were scaled to a standard deviation of one. Uncontrolled manifold analysis (UCM) was used to provide an index of motor abundance (IMA) in the stabilisation of the vertical and AP COM displacement. RESULTS IMAAP and IMAvertical were largely destabilising and always stabilising, respectively. As speed increased, the peak destabilising effect on IMAAP increased from -0.66(0.18) at 2.5 m/s to -1.12(0.18) at 4.5 m/s, and the peak stabilising effect on IMAvertical increased from 0.69 (0.19) at 2.5 m/s to 1.18 (0.18) at 4.5 m/s. CONCLUSION Two simple parameters from a simple spring-mass model, leg length and angle, can explain the control behind running. The variability in leg length and angle helped stabilise the vertical COM, whilst maintaining constant running speed may rely more on inter-limb variation to adjust the horizontal COM accelerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard X W Liew
- School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom.
| | - David Rügamer
- Department of Statistics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany; Munich Center for Machine Learning, Munich, Germany
| | - Aleksandra V Birn-Jeffery
- School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom
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Shoja O, Shojaei M, Hassanlouei H, Towhidkhah F, Amiri M, Boroomand H, Rahimi N, Zhang L. Lack of visual information alters lower limb motor coordination to control center of mass trajectory during walking. J Biomech 2023; 155:111650. [PMID: 37245385 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Vision, as queen of the senses, plays a critical role in guiding locomotion. Little is known about the effects of vision on gait coordination in terms of variability. The uncontrolled manifold (UCM) approach offers a window to the structure of motor variability that has been difficult to obtain from the traditional correlation analysis. In this study, we used the UCM analysis to quantify how the lower limb motion is coordinated to control the center of mass (COM) while walking under different visual conditions. We also probed how synergy strength evolved along the stance phase. Ten healthy participants walked on the treadmill with and without visual information. Leg joint angle variance with respect to the whole-body COM was partitioned into good (i.e., the one that kept the COM) and bad (i.e., the one that changed the COM) variances. We observed that after vision was eliminated, both variances increased throughout the stance phase while the strength of the synergy (the normalized difference between the two variances) decreased significantly and even reduced to zero at heel contact. Thus, walking with restricted vision alters the strength of the kinematic synergy to control COM in the plane of progression. We also found that the strength of this synergy varied across different walking phases and gait events in both visual conditions. We concluded that the UCM analysis can quantify altered coordination of COM when vision is blocked and sheds insights on the role of vision in the synergistic control of locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otella Shoja
- Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Masoumeh Shojaei
- Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidollah Hassanlouei
- Department of Motor Behavior, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farzad Towhidkhah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Amiri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hesam Boroomand
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Rahimi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Lei Zhang
- Institute for Neural Computation, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
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Devetak GF, Bohrer RCD, Rinaldin C, Rodacki ALF, Manffra EF. Time profile of kinematic synergies of stroke gait. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2023; 106:105990. [PMID: 37209470 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2023.105990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In stroke subjects, the motor skills differ between sides and among subjects with different levels of motor recovery, impacting inter-joint coordination. How these factors can affect the kinematic synergies over time during gait has not been investigated yet. This work aimed to determine the time profile of kinematic synergies of stroke patients throughout the single support phase of gait. METHODS Kinematic data from 17 stroke and 11 healthy individuals was recorded using a Vicon System. The Uncontrolled Manifold approach was employed to determine the distribution of components of variability and the synergy index. To analyze the time profile of kinematic synergies, we applied the statistical parametric mapping method. Comparisons were made within the stroke group (paretic and non-paretic limbs) and between groups (stroke and healthy). The stroke group was also subdivided into subgroups with worse and better motor recovery. FINDINGS There are significant differences in synergy index at the end of the single support phase between stroke and healthy subjects; paretic and non-paretic limbs; and paretic limb according to the motor recovery. Comparisons of mean values showed significantly larger values of synergy index for the paretic limb compared to the non-paretic and healthy. INTERPRETATION Despite the sensory-motor deficits and the atypical kinematic behavior, stroke patients can produce joint covariations to control the center of mass trajectory in the forward progression plane, but the modulation of the synergy is impaired, reflecting altered adjustments, especially in the paretic limb of subjects with worse levels of motor recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Francini Devetak
- Clinics Hospital, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR/EBSERH), Brazil; Graduate Program on Health Technology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Brazil.
| | | | - Carla Rinaldin
- Graduate Program on Health Technology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), Brazil
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Devetak GF, Rinaldin CDP, Ranciaro M, Neto GNN, Bohrer RCD, Manffra EF. Does the number of steps needed for UCM gait analysis differs between healthy and stroke? J Biomech 2022; 144:111353. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Möhler F, Fadillioglu C, Scheffler L, Müller H, Stein T. Running-Induced Fatigue Changes the Structure of Motor Variability in Novice Runners. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060942. [PMID: 35741462 PMCID: PMC9220051 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of fatigue is a central issue in the context of endurance sports. Given the popularity of running, there are numerous novices among runners. Therefore, understanding the effects of fatigue in novice runners is an important issue. Various studies have drawn conclusions about the control of certain variables by analyzing motor variability. One variable that plays a crucial role during running is the center of mass (CoM), as it reflects the movement of the whole body in a simplified way. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of fatigue on the motor variability structure that stabilizes the CoM trajectory in novice runners. To do so, the uncontrolled manifold approach was applied to a 3D whole-body model using the CoM as the result variable. It was found that motor variability increased with fatigue (UCMꓕ). However, the UCMRatio did not change. This indicates that the control of the CoM decreased, whereas the stability was not affected. The decreases in control were correlated with the degree of exhaustion, as indicated by the Borg scale (during breaking and flight phase). It can be summarized that running-induced fatigue increases the step-to-step variability in novice runners and affects the control of their CoM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Möhler
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; (C.F.); (L.S.); (T.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Cagla Fadillioglu
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; (C.F.); (L.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Lucia Scheffler
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; (C.F.); (L.S.); (T.S.)
| | - Hermann Müller
- Training Science, Department of Sports Science, Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, 35394 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Thorsten Stein
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany; (C.F.); (L.S.); (T.S.)
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Robalo R, Diniz A, Milho J, Pitacas P, Passos P. Are synergies continuously present in cyclical movements? An example with the basketball dribble task. Hum Mov Sci 2021; 80:102883. [PMID: 34583140 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
In human movement, synergies occur when two or more variables co-vary to stabilize a performance goal. The concept of motor redundancy is associated with the existence of several strategies to complete the same task, which enables a movement system to adapt to an ever-changing environment. This feature provides the system with the ability of being flexible enough to produce adaptive movements, but also stable enough to produce acceptable outputs which is a key issue in motor performance. In a kinetic chain of movement, two proximal joints might reciprocally compensate to stabilize an end-effector (i.e., the most distal segment in the limb that interacts with the environment). End-effector variables are 'controlled', and directly linked to performance, whereas the task relevant elements are allowed by the system to have high variability, providing adaptability. In basketball dribbling, we hypothesized that shoulder and elbow variability contributes to stabilize the dribble height as an end-effector performance variable. A specific computational procedure based on the UCM (i.e., Uncontrolled Manifold) notion was used to capture synergies in two groups according to the experience level: amateurs and professionals. Results identified synergy presence during the basketball dribbling, which only occurred when the wrist reached its peak height. The control of the wrist peak height is achieved due to a reciprocal compensation between shoulder and elbow which stabilizes the dribbling height.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Robalo
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal.
| | - A Diniz
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal.
| | - J Milho
- CIMOSM, Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa, Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa, 1959-007 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - P Pitacas
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal
| | - P Passos
- CIPER, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Cruz Quebrada Dafundo, Portugal.
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Effects of gait rehabilitation on motor coordination in stroke survivors: an UCM-based approach. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:2107-2118. [PMID: 33956162 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06117-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Post-stroke locomotion is usually characterized by asymmetrical gait patterns, compensatory movements of trunk and nonparetic limb, altered motor coordination, and wide inter-stride variability. This pilot study was designed to test a twofold hypothesis: post-stroke survivors can exploit the redundancy of the segmental angles to stabilize the 3D footpath trajectory during the swing phase, in accordance with the Uncontrolled Manifold (UCM) theory; an intense rehabilitative treatment improves both motor performance and outcomes of the UCM analysis. Ten stroke survivors underwent two evaluation sessions, before and after a conventional multidisciplinary intensive rehabilitation program, encompassing clinical tests and gait analysis, both overground and on treadmill. In addition, the UCM analysis was implemented to investigate whether variance of segmental angles is structured to minimize the inter-stride variability of the 3D footpath during the swing phase of treadmill locomotion. Both clinical and spatio-temporal parameters improved after the treatment, even if the statistical significance was reached for a limited set of them. The UCM analysis suggested that post-stroke survivors exploit the redundancy of lower limbs segmental angles mainly during the late swing, without significant differences between affected and unaffected sides. Thereafter, the main significant effects of the rehabilitative treatment consisted in strengthening the synergistic organization of the redundant segmental angles involving a more accurate control of the 3D footpath. Concluding, the UCM theory can be a promising tool to appraise the effects of a specific rehabilitative protocol on motor coordination in post-stroke survivors.
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Matsuo T, Jinji T, Hirayama D, Nasu D, Katsumata Y, Morishita Y. Consistent Hand Dynamics Are Achieved by Controlling Variabilities Among Joint Movements During Fastball Pitching. Front Sports Act Living 2020; 2:579377. [PMID: 33345146 PMCID: PMC7739665 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2020.579377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine whether covariations among joint movements are utilized to stabilize hand orientation and movement and to determine which of the upper or lower extremities make effective use of the covariation. Joint angles during pitching were measured in 12 skilled baseball pitchers, using a motion capture system. The joint angles in 10 successful trials were used for the reconstructed motions. The reconstructed motion in the first condition was the same as for the measured motion. In the second condition, the reconstructed motion was generated with joint angles that were pseudo-randomly selected to artificially break off covariation in the measured joint-angle combination. In the third and fourth conditions, the reconstructed motions were generated with the same joint-angle combinations as the measured angles in the throwing arm and the stride leg, respectively, but pseudo-randomly selected in the other joint angles. Ten reconstructed motions were generated for each condition. Standard deviations (SDs) of hand orientation and movement direction were calculated and compared among the conditions. All SDs for the first condition were the smallest among the conditions, indicating that the movements in the measured condition used the covariation in joint angles to make the hand movement stable. The results also illustrated that some SDs in the fourth condition were smaller than those in the third condition, suggesting that the lower extremity made effective use of the covariation. These results imply that it is necessary not only to reduce variability in each joint but also to regulate joint movements to stabilize hand orientation and movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyuki Matsuo
- Department of Health and Sport Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Japan
| | - Tsutomu Jinji
- Faculty of Human Development, Kokugakuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Daiki Nasu
- Sports Brain Science Project, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph, and Telephone Corporation, Atsugi, Japan
| | - Yoichi Katsumata
- Faculty of Applied Biosciences, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Morishita
- Department of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Japan
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12
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Monaco V, Aprigliano F, Lofrumento M, Martelli D, Micera S. Uncontrolled manifold analysis of the effects of a perturbation-based training on the organization of leg joint variance in cerebellar ataxia. Exp Brain Res 2020; 239:501-513. [PMID: 33245386 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Walking patterns of persons affected by cerebellar ataxia (CA) are characterized by wide stride-to-stride variability ascribable to: the background pathology-related sensory-motor noise; the motor redundancy, i.e., an excess of elemental degrees of freedom that overcomes the number of variables underlying a specific task performance. In this study, we first tested the hypothesis that healthy and, especially, CA subjects can effectively exploit solutions in the domain of segmental angles to stabilize the position of either the foot or the pelvis (task performance) across heel strikes, in accordance with the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) theory. Next, we verified whether a specific perturbation-based training allows CA subjects to further take advantage of this coordination mechanism to better cope with their inherent pathology-related variability. Results always rejected the hypothesis of pelvis stabilization whereas supported the idea that the foot position is stabilized across heel strikes by a synergic covariation of elevation and azimuth angles of lower limb segments in CA subjects only. In addition, it was observed that the perturbation-based training involves a decreasing trend in the variance component orthogonal to the UCM in both groups, reflecting an improved accuracy of the foot control. Concluding, CA subjects can effectively structure the wide amount of pathology-related sensory-motor noise to stabilize specific task performance, such as the foot position across heel strikes. Moreover, the promising effects of the proposed perturbation-based training paradigm are expected to improve the coordinative strategy underlying the stabilization of the foot position across strides, thus ameliorating balance control during treadmill locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vito Monaco
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Excellence in Robotics&AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | - Margherita Lofrumento
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura del Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Martelli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Silvestro Micera
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics&AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational NeuroEngineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Möhler F, Marahrens S, Ringhof S, Mikut R, Stein T. Variability of running coordination in experts and novices: A 3D uncontrolled manifold analysis. Eur J Sport Sci 2020; 20:1187-1196. [PMID: 31952460 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2019.1709561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The uncontrolled manifold (UCM) approach has been widely used in recent studies to examine variability in daily tasks; however, it has not yet been used to study running or the effects of expertise. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the synergy structure stabilizing the centre of mass (CoM) trajectory in experts compared to novices during running at two different speeds using a subject-specific 3D model. A total of 25 healthy young adults (13 experts, 12 novices) participated in the study. All subjects ran at 10 and 15 km h-1 on a treadmill. In each case, kinematics of 20 consecutive gait cycles were recorded and the effects of expertise and gait cycle phase on the synergy structure were investigated at both speeds. Specifically, the variance affecting the CoM ( U C M ⊥ ) , the variance not affecting the CoM ( U C M ∥ ) , and their ratio ( U C M R a t i o ) were analysed. Descriptively, in both groups there was a synergy stabilizing the CoM trajectory in running. However, the ANOVA showed no differences in U C M R a t i o between the two groups. In novices, U C M ⊥ and U C M ∥ were significantly higher compared to experts at the 15 km h-1 condition. In both groups, there was more variability in the stance phase compared to the flight phase in the majority of cases. The results indicate that experts adopted a more consistent running style. The stride-to-stride variability was diminished but not abolished. This difference was only visible at the 15 km h-1 condition. Furthermore, variability was less constrained in the stance phase compared to the flight phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Möhler
- BioMotion Centre, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sonja Marahrens
- BioMotion Centre, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Steffen Ringhof
- BioMotion Centre, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Department of Sport and Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Mikut
- Institute for Automation and Applied Informatics (IAI), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stein
- BioMotion Centre, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
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Center of mass in analysis of dynamic stability during gait following stroke: A systematic review. Gait Posture 2019; 72:154-166. [PMID: 31202025 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2019.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Center of mass (CoM) analysis reveals important aspects of gait dynamic stability of stroke patients, but the variety of methods and measures represents a challenge for planning new studies. RESEARCH QUESTION How have the CoM measures been calculated and employed to investigate gait stability after a stroke? Three issues were addressed: (i) the methodological aspects of the calculation of CoM measures; (ii) the purposes and (iii) the conclusions of the studies on gait stability that employed those measures. METHODS PubMed and Science Direct databases have been searched to collect original articles produced until July 2017. A set of 26 studies were selected according to criteria involving their methodological quality. RESULTS A compromise between accuracy and feasibility in CoM calculation could be reached using the segmental method with 7-9 segments. Regarding their purposes, two types of studies were identified: clinical and research oriented. From the first ones, we highlighted: the margin of stability (MoS) in the mediolateral (ML) direction, and the angular momentum in the frontal plane could be indicators of dynamical stability; the MoS in the anteroposterior (AP) direction might be able to detect the risk of falls and the symmetry of vertical CoM displacement could be used to analyze energy expenditure during gait. These and other CoM measures are potentially useful in clinical settings, but their psychometric properties are still to be determined. The research oriented studies allowed to clarify that stability is not improved by widening the step in stroke patients and that the impaired control of the non-paretic limb might be the main source of instability. SIGNIFICANCE This review provides recommendations on the methods for estimating CoM and its measures, identifies the potential usefulness of CoM parameters and indicates issues that could be addressed in future studies.
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Möhler F, Ringhof S, Debertin D, Stein T. Influence of fatigue on running coordination: A UCM analysis with a geometric 2D model and a subject-specific anthropometric 3D model. Hum Mov Sci 2019; 66:133-141. [PMID: 30981149 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Although fatigue is a central issue in endurance sports little is known about the effects of fatigue on coordination. The uncontrolled manifold (UCM) approach has been widely used in recent studies to examine coordination in human movement; however, it has not been used to study the effects of fatigue on running. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of fatigue on the synergy structure stabilizing the center of mass (CoM) trajectory in experienced runners during high-intensity running using the UCM approach. A total of 13 healthy young experienced runners participated in the study. Based on a lactate threshold testing undertaken one week prior to the measurements, participants were asked to run on a treadmill at their individual "fatigue-speed" until exhaustion. The kinematics of 20 consecutive gait cycles were recorded at the beginning (rested) and at the end (fatigue) of the protocol. The effects of fatigue on the synergy structure were investigated using a geometric 2D model and a subject-specific anthropometric 3D model. Specifically, the variance affecting the CoM trajectory (UCM⊥), the variance not affecting the CoM trajectory (UCM‖), and their ratio (UCMRatio) were analyzed for different gait cycle phases (absorption, propulsion and flight phase). Three-way repeated-measures ANOVA tests revealed differences between the two models. Fatigue-induced changes in the UCM structure could only be detected using the 3D model. UCMRatio did not change, but UCM⊥ increased during flight phase. In the 2D model, UCMRatio and both components were higher during the propulsion phase than during the absorption phase in both the rested and the fatigued state. Using a current concept for analyzing motor coordination, the UCM approach, only minor changes with fatigue were detected using the 3D subject-specific model. This indicates that the runners were able to control the trajectory of their CoM when fatigued. As the 2D model was not able to detect these changes, our study emphasizes that future studies on the effects of fatigue should focus on 3D analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Möhler
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Steffen Ringhof
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Daniel Debertin
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stein
- BioMotion Center, Institute of Sports and Sports Science (IfSS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
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Mangalam M, Rein R, Fragaszy DM. Bearded capuchin monkeys use joint synergies to stabilize the hammer trajectory while cracking nuts in bipedal stance. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1797. [PMID: 30333210 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition from occasional to obligate bipedalism is a milestone in human evolution. However, because the fossil record is fragmentary and reconstructing behaviour from fossils is difficult, changes in the motor control strategies that accompanied this transition remain unknown. Quadrupedal primates that adopt a bipedal stance while using percussive tools provide a unique reference point to clarify one aspect of this transition, which is maintaining bipedal stance while handling massive objects. We found that while cracking nuts using massive stone hammers, wild bearded capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) produce hammer trajectories with highly repeatable spatial profiles. Using an uncontrolled manifold analysis, we show that the monkeys used strong joint synergies to stabilize the hammer trajectory while lifting and lowering heavy hammers. The monkeys stringently controlled the motion of the foot. They controlled the motion of the lower arm and hand rather loosely, showing a greater variability across strikes. Overall, our findings indicate that while standing bipedally to lift and lower massive hammers, an arboreal quadrupedal primate must control motion in the joints of the lower body more stringently than motion in the joints of the upper body. Similar changes in the structure of motor variability required to accomplish this goal could have accompanied the evolutionary transition from occasional to obligate bipedalism in ancestral hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhur Mangalam
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Robert Rein
- Institute of Training and Computer Science in Sports, German Sport University Cologne, 50933 Cologne, Germany
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