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Mahrous AA, Chardon M, Johnson M, Miller J, Heckman CJ. A NEW POSTURAL MOTOR RESPONSE TO SPINAL CORD STIMULATION: POST-STIMULATION REBOUND EXTENSION. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.13.598885. [PMID: 38915687 PMCID: PMC11195294 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.13.598885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has emerged as a therapeutic tool for improving motor function following spinal cord injury. While many studies focus on restoring locomotion, little attention is paid to enabling standing which is a prerequisite of walking. In this study, we fully characterize a new type of response to SCS, a long extension activated post-stimulation (LEAP). LEAP is primarily directed to ankle extensors and hence has great clinical potential to assist postural movements. To characterize this new response, we used the decerebrate cat model to avoid the suppressive effects of anesthesia, and combined EMG and force measurement in the hindlimb with intracellular recordings in the lumbar spinal cord. Stimulation was delivered as five-second trains via bipolar electrodes placed on the cord surface, and multiple combinations of stimulation locations (L4 to S2), amplitudes (50-600 uA), and frequencies (10-40 Hz) were tested. While the optimum stimulation location and frequency differed slightly among animals, the stimulation amplitude was key for controlling LEAP duration and amplitude. To study the mechanism of LEAP, we performed in vivo intracellular recordings of motoneurons. In 70% of motoneurons, LEAP increased at hyperpolarized membrane potentials indicating a synaptic origin. Furthermore, spinal interneurons exhibited changes in firing during LEAP, confirming the circuit origin of this behavior. Finally, to identify the type of afferents involved in generating LEAP, we used shorter stimulation pulses (more selective for proprioceptive afferents), as well as peripheral stimulation of the sural nerve (cutaneous afferents). The data indicates that LEAP primarily relies on proprioceptive afferents and has major differences from pain or withdrawal reflexes mediated by cutaneous afferents. Our study has thus identified and characterized a novel postural motor response to SCS which has the potential to expand the applications of SCS for patients with motor disorders.
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Taitano RI, Yakovenko S, Gritsenko V. Muscle anatomy is reflected in the spatial organization of the spinal motoneuron pools. Commun Biol 2024; 7:97. [PMID: 38225362 PMCID: PMC10789783 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05742-w] [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: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits embed limb dynamics for motor control and sensorimotor integration. The somatotopic organization of motoneuron pools in the spinal cord may support these computations. Here, we tested if the spatial organization of motoneurons is related to the musculoskeletal anatomy. We created a 3D model of motoneuron locations within macaque spinal cord and compared the spatial distribution of motoneurons to the anatomical organization of the muscles they innervate. We demonstrated that the spatial distribution of motoneuron pools innervating the upper limb and the anatomical relationships between the muscles they innervate were similar between macaque and human species. Using comparative analysis, we found that the distances between motoneuron pools innervating synergistic muscles were the shortest, followed by those innervating antagonistic muscles. Such spatial organization can support the co-activation of synergistic muscles and reciprocal inhibition of antagonistic muscles. The spatial distribution of motoneurons may play an important role in embedding musculoskeletal dynamics.
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Bryson N, Lombardi L, Hawthorn R, Fei J, Keesey R, Peiffer J, Seáñez I. Enhanced selectivity of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation by multielectrode configuration. J Neural Eng 2023; 20:10.1088/1741-2552/ace552. [PMID: 37419109 PMCID: PMC10481387 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ace552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Objective.Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been gaining momentum as a non-invasive rehabilitation approach to restore movement to paralyzed muscles after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its low selectivity limits the types of movements that can be enabled and, thus, its potential applications in rehabilitation.Approach.In this cross-over study design, we investigated whether muscle recruitment selectivity of individual muscles could be enhanced by multielectrode configurations of tSCS in 16 neurologically intact individuals. We hypothesized that due to the segmental innervation of lower limb muscles, we could identify muscle-specific optimal stimulation locations that would enable improved recruitment selectivity over conventional tSCS. We elicited leg muscle responses by delivering biphasic pulses of electrical stimulation to the lumbosacral enlargement using conventional and multielectrode tSCS.Results.Analysis of recruitment curve responses confirmed that multielectrode configurations could improve the rostrocaudal and lateral selectivity of tSCS. To investigate whether motor responses elicited by spatially selective tSCS were mediated by posterior root-muscle reflexes, each stimulation event was a paired pulse with a conditioning-test interval of 33.3 ms. Muscle responses to the second stimulation pulse were significantly suppressed, a characteristic of post-activation depression suggesting that spatially selective tSCS recruits proprioceptive fibers that reflexively activate muscle-specific motor neurons in the spinal cord. Moreover, the combination of leg muscle recruitment probability and segmental innervation maps revealed a stereotypical spinal activation map in congruence with each electrode's position.Significance. Improvements in muscle recruitment selectivity could be essential for the effective translation into stimulation protocols that selectively enhance single-joint movements in neurorehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Bryson
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Lorenzo Lombardi
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Rachel Hawthorn
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Jie Fei
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Rodolfo Keesey
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - J.D. Peiffer
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University
| | - Ismael Seáñez
- Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
- Division of Neurotechnology, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
- Neurosurgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
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Bryson N, Lombardi L, Hawthorn R, Fei J, Keesey R, Peiffer JD, Seáñez I. Enhanced selectivity of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation by multielectrode configuration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.30.534835. [PMID: 37034788 PMCID: PMC10081184 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.30.534835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Objective Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has been gaining momentum as a non-invasive rehabilitation approach to restore movement to paralyzed muscles after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, its low selectivity limits the types of movements that can be enabled and, thus, its potential applications in rehabilitation. Approach In this cross-over study design, we investigated whether muscle recruitment selectivity of individual muscles could be enhanced by multielectrode configurations of tSCS in 16 neurologically intact individuals. We hypothesized that due to the segmental innervation of lower limb muscles, we could identify muscle-specific optimal stimulation locations that would enable improved recruitment selectivity over conventional tSCS. We elicited leg muscle responses by delivering biphasic pulses of electrical stimulation to the lumbosacral enlargement using conventional and multielectrode tSCS. Results Analysis of recruitment curve responses confirmed that multielectrode configurations could improve the rostrocaudal and lateral selectivity of tSCS. To investigate whether motor responses elicited by spatially selective tSCS were mediated by posterior root-muscle reflexes, each stimulation event was a paired pulse with a conditioning-test interval of 33.3 ms. Muscle responses to the second stimulation pulse were significantly suppressed, a characteristic of post-activation depression suggesting that spatially selective tSCS recruits proprioceptive fibers that reflexively activate muscle-specific motor neurons in the spinal cord. Moreover, the combination of leg muscle recruitment probability and segmental innervation maps revealed a stereotypical spinal activation map in congruence with each electrode's position. Significance Improvements in muscle recruitment selectivity could be essential for the effective translation into stimulation protocols that selectively enhance single-joint movements in neurorehabilitation.
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Bach MM, Zandvoort CS, Cappellini G, Ivanenko Y, Lacquaniti F, Daffertshofer A, Dominici N. Development of running is not related to time since onset of independent walking, a longitudinal case study. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1101432. [PMID: 36875237 PMCID: PMC9978154 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1101432] [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: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Children start to run after they master walking. How running develops, however, is largely unknown. Methods We assessed the maturity of running pattern in two very young, typically developing children in a longitudinal design spanning about three years. Leg and trunk 3D kinematics and electromyography collected in six recording sessions, with more than a hundred strides each, entered our analysis. We recorded walking during the first session (the session of the first independent steps of the two toddlers at the age of 11.9 and 10.6 months) and fast walking or running for the subsequent sessions. More than 100 kinematic and neuromuscular parameters were determined for each session and stride. The equivalent data of five young adults served to define mature running. After dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis based on the average pairwise correlation distance to the adult running cluster served as a measure for maturity of the running pattern. Results Both children developed running. Yet, in one of them the running pattern did not reach maturity whereas in the other it did. As expected, mature running appeared in later sessions (>13 months after the onset of independent walking). Interestingly, mature running alternated with episodes of immature running within sessions. Our clustering approach separated them. Discussion An additional analysis of the accompanying muscle synergies revealed that the participant who did not reach mature running had more differences in muscle contraction when compared to adults than the other. One may speculate that this difference in muscle activity may have caused the difference in running pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margit M. Bach
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Coen S. Zandvoort
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Germana Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Andreas Daffertshofer
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nadia Dominici
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute of Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Lou X, Wu Y, Lu S, Shen X. Control strategy for intraspinal microstimulation based on central pattern generator. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2023; 26:305-314. [PMID: 35400261 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2022.2062230] [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: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) is considered as a special functional electrical stimulation (FES) method. This method can restore the movement of paralyzed limbs in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using electrical stimulation of spinal cord. There is a special site for central pattern generator (CPG) in the spinal cord. The ISMS acts on the CPG site, and single electrode stimulation produces alternating motion in the hindlimbs of SCI rats. Based on the long short-term memory network (LSTM), a mapping model was established between the stimulation intensity of specific CPG sites and the angle of the knee joint to reflect the motor characteristics of the rat hindlimb. We proposed an LSTM-iterative learning control (ILC) strategy to form a closed-loop control to accurately control hindlimb movement. The proposed LSTM model fits the actual joint angle curve well, and the LSTM-ILC strategy can accurately regulate the hindlimb movement, allowing rats to perform rehabilitation training based on pre-set knee trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiongjie Lou
- School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yan Wu
- School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Song Lu
- School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Xiaoyan Shen
- School of Information Science and Technology, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Nerve Regeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Spinal Cord Circuits: Models and Reality. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-022-09927-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Zhvansky DS, Sylos-Labini F, Dewolf A, Cappellini G, d’Avella A, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Evaluation of Spatiotemporal Patterns of the Spinal Muscle Coordination Output during Walking in the Exoskeleton. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:s22155708. [PMID: 35957264 PMCID: PMC9370895 DOI: 10.3390/s22155708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in the performance and evaluation of walking in exoskeletons use various assessments based on kinematic/kinetic measurements. While such variables provide general characteristics of gait performance, only limited conclusions can be made about the neural control strategies. Moreover, some kinematic or kinetic parameters are a consequence of the control implemented on the exoskeleton. Therefore, standard indicators based on kinematic variables have limitations and need to be complemented by performance measures of muscle coordination and control strategy. Knowledge about what happens at the spinal cord output level might also be critical for rehabilitation since an abnormal spatiotemporal integration of activity in specific spinal segments may result in a risk for abnormalities in gait recovery. Here we present the PEPATO software, which is a benchmarking solution to assess changes in the spinal locomotor output during walking in the exoskeleton with respect to reference data on normal walking. In particular, functional and structural changes at the spinal cord level can be mapped into muscle synergies and spinal maps of motoneuron activity. A user-friendly software interface guides the user through several data processing steps leading to a set of performance indicators as output. We present an example of the usage of this software for evaluating walking in an unloading exoskeleton that allows a person to step in simulated reduced (the Moon's) gravity. By analyzing the EMG activity from lower limb muscles, the algorithms detected several performance indicators demonstrating differential adaptation (shifts in the center of activity, prolonged activation) of specific muscle activation modules and spinal motor pools and increased coactivation of lumbar and sacral segments. The software is integrated at EUROBENCH facilities to benchmark the performance of walking in the exoskeleton from the point of view of changes in the spinal locomotor output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry S. Zhvansky
- Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 127994 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Francesca Sylos-Labini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (F.S.-L.); (A.D.); (G.C.); (A.d.); (F.L.)
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Arthur Dewolf
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (F.S.-L.); (A.D.); (G.C.); (A.d.); (F.L.)
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Germana Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (F.S.-L.); (A.D.); (G.C.); (A.d.); (F.L.)
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea d’Avella
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (F.S.-L.); (A.D.); (G.C.); (A.d.); (F.L.)
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, 98100 Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (F.S.-L.); (A.D.); (G.C.); (A.d.); (F.L.)
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00179 Rome, Italy; (F.S.-L.); (A.D.); (G.C.); (A.d.); (F.L.)
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Pierella C, Pellegrino L, Muller M, Inglese M, Solaro C, Coscia M, Casadio M. Upper Limb Sensory-Motor Control During Exposure to Different Mechanical Environments in Multiple Sclerosis Subjects With No Clinical Disability. Front Neurorobot 2022; 16:920118. [PMID: 35898562 PMCID: PMC9309790 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.920118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune and neurodegenerative disease resulting in motor impairments associated with muscle weakness and lack of movement coordination. The goal of this work was to quantify upper limb motor deficits in asymptomatic MS subjects with a robot-based assessment including performance and muscle synergies analysis. A total of 7 subjects (MS: 3 M−4 F; 42 ± 10 years) with clinically definite MS according to McDonald criteria, but with no clinical disability, and 7 age- and sex-matched subjects without a history of neurological disorders participated in the study. All subjects controlled a cursor on the computer screen by moving their hand or applying forces in 8 coplanar directions at their self-selected speed. They grasped the handle of a robotic planar manipulandum that generated four different environments: null, assistive or resistive forces, and rigid constraint. Simultaneously, the activity of 15 upper body muscles was recorded. Asymptomatic MS subjects generated less smooth and less accurate cursor trajectories than control subjects in controlling a force profile, while the end-point error was significantly different also in the other environments. The EMG analysis revealed different muscle activation patterns in MS subjects when exerting isometric forces or when moving in presence of external forces generated by a robot. While the two populations had the same number and similar structure of muscle synergies, they had different activation profiles. These results suggested that a task requiring to control forces against a rigid environment allows better than movement tasks to detect early sensory-motor signs related to the onset of symptoms of multiple sclerosis and to differentiate between stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Pierella
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal and Children's Sciences (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Camilla Pierella
| | - Laura Pellegrino
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Margit Muller
- Department of Rehabilitation, C.R.R.F. “Mons. L. Novarese”, Moncrivello, Italy
| | - Matilde Inglese
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, and Maternal and Children's Sciences (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Claudio Solaro
- Department of Rehabilitation, C.R.R.F. “Mons. L. Novarese”, Moncrivello, Italy
| | | | - Maura Casadio
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Joviano-Santos JV, Valadão PAC, Magalhães-Gomes MPS, Fernandes LF, Diniz DM, Machado TCG, Soares KB, Ladeira MS, Massensini AR, Gomez MV, Miranda AS, Tápia JC, Guatimosim C. Neuroprotective effect of CTK 01512-2 recombinant toxin at the spinal cord in a model of Huntington's disease. Exp Physiol 2022; 107:933-945. [PMID: 35478205 DOI: 10.1113/ep090327] [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: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
NEW FINDINGS What is the central question of this study? We investigated the action of intrathecal administration of a novel toxin (CTK01512-2) in a mouse model for Huntington´s disease (HD). We asked if spinal cord neurons can represent a therapeutic target, as the spinal cord seems to be involved in HD motor-symptoms. Pharmacological approaches focusing on the spinal cord and skeletal muscles might represent a more feasible strategy. What is the main finding and its importance? We provided evidence of a novel, local, neuroprotector effect of CTK01512-2, paving a path for the development of approaches to treat HD-motor symptoms beyond the brain. ABSTRACT Phα1β is a neurotoxin from the venom of the Phoneutria nigriventer spider, available as CTK01512-2, a recombinant peptide. Due to its antinociceptive and analgesic properties, CTK01512-2 has been described to alleviate neuroinflammatory responses. Despite the diverse CTK01512-2 actions on the nervous system, little is known regarding its neuroprotective effect, especially in neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington's disease (HD), a genetic movement disorder without cure. Here, we investigated whether CTK01512-2 has a neuroprotector effect in a mouse model of HD. We hypothesized that spinal cord neurons might represent a therapeutic target, as the spinal cord seems to be involved in the motor-symptoms of HD mice (BACHD). Then, we treated BACHD mice with CTK01512-2 by intrathecal injection, and performed in vivo motor behavior and morphological analyses in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and muscles. Our data showed that intrathecal injection of CTK01512-2 significantly improves motor-performance in the Open-field task. CTK01512-2 protects neurons in the spinal cord (but not in the brain) from death, suggesting a local effect. CTK01512-2 exerts its neuroprotective effect by inhibiting BACHD-neuronal apoptosis, as revealed by a reduction in caspase-3 in the spinal cord. CTK01512-2 was also able to revert BACHD muscle atrophy. In conclusion, our data provide a novel role for CTK01512-2 acting directly in the spinal cord, ameliorating morphofunctional aspects of spinal cord neurons, and muscles, and improving BACHD mice performance in motor-behavioral tests. Since HD shares similar symptoms to many neurodegenerative conditions, the findings presented herein may also be applicable to other disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lorena F Fernandes
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | | | | | - Kivia B Soares
- Laboratório de Biologia da Neurotransmissão, Departamento de Morfologia
| | - Marina S Ladeira
- Laboratório de Biologia da Neurotransmissão, Departamento de Morfologia
| | - Andre R Massensini
- Núcleo de Neurociências, Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | | | - Aline S Miranda
- Laboratório de Neurobiologia, Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
| | - Juan C Tápia
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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11
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Activity-dependent spinal cord neuromodulation rapidly restores trunk and leg motor functions after complete paralysis. Nat Med 2022; 28:260-271. [PMID: 35132264 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01663-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epidural electrical stimulation (EES) targeting the dorsal roots of lumbosacral segments restores walking in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, EES is delivered with multielectrode paddle leads that were originally designed to target the dorsal column of the spinal cord. Here, we hypothesized that an arrangement of electrodes targeting the ensemble of dorsal roots involved in leg and trunk movements would result in superior efficacy, restoring more diverse motor activities after the most severe SCI. To test this hypothesis, we established a computational framework that informed the optimal arrangement of electrodes on a new paddle lead and guided its neurosurgical positioning. We also developed software supporting the rapid configuration of activity-specific stimulation programs that reproduced the natural activation of motor neurons underlying each activity. We tested these neurotechnologies in three individuals with complete sensorimotor paralysis as part of an ongoing clinical trial ( www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02936453). Within a single day, activity-specific stimulation programs enabled these three individuals to stand, walk, cycle, swim and control trunk movements. Neurorehabilitation mediated sufficient improvement to restore these activities in community settings, opening a realistic path to support everyday mobility with EES in people with SCI.
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Abstract
When animals walk overground, mechanical stimuli activate various receptors located in muscles, joints, and skin. Afferents from these mechanoreceptors project to neuronal networks controlling locomotion in the spinal cord and brain. The dynamic interactions between the control systems at different levels of the neuraxis ensure that locomotion adjusts to its environment and meets task demands. In this article, we describe and discuss the essential contribution of somatosensory feedback to locomotion. We start with a discussion of how biomechanical properties of the body affect somatosensory feedback. We follow with the different types of mechanoreceptors and somatosensory afferents and their activity during locomotion. We then describe central projections to locomotor networks and the modulation of somatosensory feedback during locomotion and its mechanisms. We then discuss experimental approaches and animal models used to investigate the control of locomotion by somatosensory feedback before providing an overview of the different functional roles of somatosensory feedback for locomotion. Lastly, we briefly describe the role of somatosensory feedback in the recovery of locomotion after neurological injury. We highlight the fact that somatosensory feedback is an essential component of a highly integrated system for locomotor control. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:1-71, 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Frigon
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Turgay Akay
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Atlantic Mobility Action Project, Brain Repair Center, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Boris I Prilutsky
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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13
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Hachmann JT, Yousak A, Wallner JJ, Gad PN, Edgerton VR, Gorgey AS. Epidural spinal cord stimulation as an intervention for motor recovery after motor complete spinal cord injury. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1843-1859. [PMID: 34669485 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00020.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) commonly results in permanent loss of motor, sensory, and autonomic function. Recent clinical studies have shown that epidural spinal cord stimulation may provide a beneficial adjunct for restoring lower extremity and other neurological functions. Herein, we review the recent clinical advances of lumbosacral epidural stimulation for restoration of sensorimotor function in individuals with motor complete SCI and we discuss the putative neural pathways involved in this promising neurorehabilitative approach. We focus on three main sections: review recent clinical results for locomotor restoration in complete SCI; discuss the contemporary understanding of electrical neuromodulation and signal transduction pathways involved in spinal locomotor networks; and review current challenges of motor system modulation and future directions toward integrative neurorestoration. The current understanding is that initial depolarization occurs at the level of large diameter dorsal root proprioceptive afferents that when integrated with interneuronal and latent residual supraspinal translesional connections can recruit locomotor centers and augment downstream motor units. Spinal epidural stimulation can initiate excitability changes in spinal networks and supraspinal networks. Different stimulation parameters can facilitate standing or stepping, and it may also have potential for augmenting myriad other sensorimotor and autonomic functions. More comprehensive investigation of the mechanisms that mediate the transformation of dysfunctional spinal networks to higher functional states with a greater focus on integrated systems-based control system may reveal the key mechanisms underlying neurological augmentation and motor restoration after severe paralysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan T Hachmann
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Andrew Yousak
- Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Center, Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Josephine J Wallner
- Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Center, Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Parag N Gad
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - V Reggie Edgerton
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
- Fundación Institut Guttmann, Institut Universitari de Neurorehabilitació Badalona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ashraf S Gorgey
- Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Center, Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC, Richmond, Virginia
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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14
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Klishko AN, Akyildiz A, Mehta-Desai R, Prilutsky BI. Common and distinct muscle synergies during level and slope locomotion in the cat. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:493-515. [PMID: 34191619 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00310.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although it is well established that the motor control system is modular, the organization of muscle synergies during locomotion and their change with ground slope are not completely understood. For example, typical reciprocal flexor-extensor muscle synergies of level walking in cats break down in downslope: one-joint hip extensors are silent throughout the stride cycle, whereas hindlimb flexors demonstrate an additional stance phase-related electromyogram (EMG) burst (Smith JL, Carlson-Kuhta P, Trank TV. J Neurophysiol 79: 1702-1716, 1998). Here, we investigated muscle synergies during level, upslope (27°), and downslope (-27°) walking in adult cats to examine common and distinct features of modular organization of locomotor EMG activity. Cluster analysis of EMG burst onset-offset times of 12 hindlimb muscles revealed five flexor and extensor burst groups that were generally shared across slopes. Stance-related bursts of flexor muscles in downslope were placed in a burst group from level and upslope walking formed by the rectus femoris. Walking upslope changed swing/stance phase durations of level walking but not the cycle duration. Five muscle synergies computed using non-negative matrix factorization accounted for at least 95% of variance in EMG patterns in each slope. Five synergies were shared between level and upslope walking, whereas only three of those were shared with downslope synergies; these synergies were active during the swing phase and phase transitions. Two stance-related synergies of downslope walking were distinct; they comprised a mixture of flexors and extensors. We suggest that the modular organization of muscle activity during level and slope walking results from interactions between motion-related sensory feedback, CPG, and supraspinal inputs.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrated that the atypical EMG activities during cat downslope walking, silent one-joint hip extensors and stance-related EMG bursts in flexors, have many features shared with activities of level and upslope walking. Majority of EMG burst groups and muscle synergies were shared among these slopes, and upslope modulated the swing/stance phase duration but not cycle duration. Thus, synergistic EMG activities in all slopes might result from a shared CPG receiving somatosensory and supraspinal inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Klishko
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Adil Akyildiz
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Ricky Mehta-Desai
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Boris I Prilutsky
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
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15
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Effects of Hemispheric Stroke Localization on the Reorganization of Arm Movements within Different Mechanical Environments. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11050383. [PMID: 33922668 PMCID: PMC8145329 DOI: 10.3390/life11050383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated how stroke’s hemispheric localization affects motor performance, spinal maps and muscle synergies while performing planar reaching with and without assistive or resistive forces. A lesion of the right hemisphere affected performance, reducing average speed and smoothness and augmenting lateral deviation in both arms. Instead, a lesion of the left hemisphere affected the aiming error, impairing the feedforward control of the ipsilesional arm. The structure of the muscle synergies had alterations dependent on the lesion side in both arms. The applied force fields reduced the differences in performance and in muscle activations between arms and among populations. These results support the hypotheses of hemispheric specialization in movement control and identify potential significant biomarkers for the design of more effective and personalized rehabilitation protocols.
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16
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Toossi A, Bergin B, Marefatallah M, Parhizi B, Tyreman N, Everaert DG, Rezaei S, Seres P, Gatenby JC, Perlmutter SI, Mushahwar VK. Comparative neuroanatomy of the lumbosacral spinal cord of the rat, cat, pig, monkey, and human. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1955. [PMID: 33479371 PMCID: PMC7820487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81371-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The overall goal of this work was to create a high-resolution MRI atlas of the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord of the rat (Sprague-Dawley), cat, domestic pig, rhesus monkey, and human. These species were chosen because they are commonly used in basic and translational research in spinal cord injuries and diseases. Six spinal cord specimens from each of the studied species (total of 30 specimens) were fixed, extracted, and imaged. Sizes of the spinal cord segments, cross-sectional dimensions, and locations of the spinal cord gray and white matter were quantified and compared across species. The lumbar enlargement spans spinal cord levels L3-S1 in rats, L4-S1 in cats, L3-S1 in pigs, L2/L3-L7/S1 in monkeys, and T12/L1-S1/S2 in humans. The enlargements in pigs and humans are largest and most similar in size (length and cross-sectional area); followed by monkeys and cats; and followed by rats. The obtained atlas establishes a neuroanatomical reference for the intact lumbosacral spinal cord in these species. It can also be used to guide the planning of surgical procedures of the spinal cord and technology design and development of spinal cord neuroprostheses, as well as precise delivery of cells/drugs into target regions within the spinal cord parenchyma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirali Toossi
- Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Bradley Bergin
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Maedeh Marefatallah
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Behdad Parhizi
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Neil Tyreman
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Dirk G Everaert
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Sabereh Rezaei
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Peter Seres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Steve I Perlmutter
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
- Washington National Primate Research Centre, Seattle, USA
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Vivian K Mushahwar
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
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17
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Cappellini G, Sylos-Labini F, Assenza C, Libernini L, Morelli D, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Clinical Relevance of State-of-the-Art Analysis of Surface Electromyography in Cerebral Palsy. Front Neurol 2020; 11:583296. [PMID: 33362693 PMCID: PMC7759523 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.583296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Surface electromyography (sEMG) can be used to assess the integrity of the neuromuscular system and its impairment in neurological disorders. Here we will consider several issues related to the current clinical applications, difficulties and limited usage of sEMG for the assessment and rehabilitation of children with cerebral palsy. The uniqueness of this methodology is that it can determine hyperactivity or inactivity of selected muscles, which cannot be assessed by other methods. In addition, it can assist for intervention or muscle/tendon surgery acts, and it can evaluate integrated functioning of the nervous system based on multi-muscle sEMG recordings and assess motor pool activation. The latter aspect is especially important for understanding impairments of the mechanisms of neural controllers rather than malfunction of individual muscles. Although sEMG study is an important tool in both clinical research and neurorehabilitation, the results of a survey on the clinical relevance of sEMG in a typical department of pediatric rehabilitation highlighted its limited clinical usage. We believe that this is due to limited knowledge of the sEMG and its neuromuscular underpinnings by many physiotherapists, as a result of lack of emphasis on this important methodology in the courses taught in physical therapy schools. The lack of reference databases or benchmarking software for sEMG analysis may also contribute to the limited clinical usage. Despite the existence of educational and technical barriers to a widespread use of, sEMG does provide important tools for planning and assessment of rehabilitation treatments for children with cerebral palsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germana Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Carla Assenza
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Libernini
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Morelli
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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18
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Momeni K, Ramanujam A, Ravi M, Garbarini E, Forrest GF. Effects of Multi-Muscle Electrical Stimulation and Stand Training on Stepping for an Individual With SCI. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:549965. [PMID: 33100994 PMCID: PMC7546792 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.549965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical, neural, and functional outcomes during a 10-min treadmill stepping trial before and after two independent interventions with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (ES) in an individual with spinal cord injury (SCI). In this longitudinal study, a 34-year-old male with sensory- and motor-complete SCI (C5/C6) underwent two consecutive interventions: 61 h of supine lower limb ES (ES-alone) followed by 51 h of ES combined with stand training (ST) using an overhead body-weight support (BWS) system (ST + ES). In post ES-alone (unloaded), compared to baseline, the majority (∼60%) of lower extremity muscles decreased their peak surface electromyography (sEMG) amplitude, while in post ST + ES (loaded), compared to post ES-alone, there was a restoration in muscle activation that endured the continuous 10-min stepping. Temporal α-motor neuron activity patterns were observed for the SCI participant. In post ST + ES, there were increases in spinal activity patterns during mid-stance at spinal levels L5–S2 for the right and left limbs. Moreover, in post ES-alone, trunk stability increased with excursions from the midline of the base-of-support (50%) to the left (44.2%; Baseline: 54.2%) and right (66.4%; baseline: 77.5%). The least amount of trunk excursion observed post ST + ES, from midline to left (43%; AB: 22%) and right (64%; AB: 64%). Overall, in post ES-alone, there were gains in trunk independence with a decrease in lower limb muscle activation, whereas in post ST + ES, there were gains in trunk independence and increased muscle activation in both bilateral trunk muscles as well as lower limb muscles during the treadmill stepping paradigm. The results of the study illustrate the importance of loading during the stimulation for neural and mechanical gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamyar Momeni
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, United States.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
| | - Arvind Ramanujam
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, United States
| | - Manikandan Ravi
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, United States
| | - Erica Garbarini
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, United States
| | - Gail F Forrest
- Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation, Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ, United States.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States
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19
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Kinany N, Pirondini E, Micera S, Van De Ville D. Dynamic Functional Connectivity of Resting-State Spinal Cord fMRI Reveals Fine-Grained Intrinsic Architecture. Neuron 2020; 108:424-435.e4. [PMID: 32910894 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The neuroimaging community has shown tremendous interest in exploring the brain's spontaneous activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). On the contrary, the spinal cord has been largely overlooked despite its pivotal role in processing sensorimotor signals. Only a handful of studies have probed the organization of spinal resting-state fluctuations, always using static measures of connectivity. Many innovative approaches have emerged for analyzing dynamics of brain fMRI, but they have not yet been applied to the spinal cord, although they could help disentangle its functional architecture. Here, we leverage a dynamic connectivity method based on the clustering of hemodynamic-informed transients to unravel the rich dynamic organization of spinal resting-state signals. We test this approach in 19 healthy subjects, uncovering fine-grained spinal components and highlighting their neuroanatomical and physiological nature. We provide a versatile tool, the spinal innovation-driven co-activation patterns (SpiCiCAP) framework, to characterize spinal circuits during rest and task, as well as their disruption in neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawal Kinany
- Medical Image Processing Laboratory, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elvira Pirondini
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Silvestro Micera
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; The BioRobotics Institute and Department of Excellence in Robotics and AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, 56025 Pontedera, Italy.
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Medical Image Processing Laboratory, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Institute of Bioengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland.
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20
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Cappellini G, Sylos-Labini F, Dewolf AH, Solopova IA, Morelli D, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Maturation of the Locomotor Circuitry in Children With Cerebral Palsy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:998. [PMID: 32974319 PMCID: PMC7462003 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The first years of life represent an important phase of maturation of the central nervous system, processing of sensory information, posture control and acquisition of the locomotor function. Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common group of motor disorders in childhood attributed to disturbances in the fetal or infant brain, frequently resulting in impaired gait. Here we will consider various findings about functional maturation of the locomotor output in early infancy, and how much the dysfunction of gait in children with CP can be related to spinal neuronal networks vs. supraspinal dysfunction. A better knowledge about pattern generation circuitries in infancy may improve our understanding of developmental motor disorders, highlighting the necessity for regulating the functional properties of abnormally developed neuronal locomotor networks as a target for early sensorimotor rehabilitation. Various clinical approaches and advances in biotechnology are also considered that might promote acquisition of the locomotor function in infants at risk for locomotor delays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germana Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Arthur H Dewolf
- Centre of Space Bio-medicine and Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Irina A Solopova
- Laboratory of Neurobiology of Motor Control, Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Moscow, Russia
| | - Daniela Morelli
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Centre of Space Bio-medicine and Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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21
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Kibleur P, Tata SR, Greiner N, Conti S, Barra B, Zhuang K, Kaeser M, Ijspeert A, Capogrosso M. Spatiotemporal Maps of Proprioceptive Inputs to the Cervical Spinal Cord During Three-Dimensional Reaching and Grasping. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng 2020; 28:1668-1677. [DOI: 10.1109/tnsre.2020.2986491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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22
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Kinany N, Pirondini E, Martuzzi R, Mattera L, Micera S, Van de Ville D. Functional imaging of rostrocaudal spinal activity during upper limb motor tasks. Neuroimage 2019; 200:590-600. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.05.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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23
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Toossi A, Everaert DG, Perlmutter SI, Mushahwar VK. Functional organization of motor networks in the lumbosacral spinal cord of non-human primates. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13539. [PMID: 31537819 PMCID: PMC6753145 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49328-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Implantable spinal-cord-neuroprostheses aiming to restore standing and walking after paralysis have been extensively studied in animal models (mainly cats) and have shown promising outcomes. This study aimed to take a critical step along the clinical translation path of these neuroprostheses, and investigated the organization of the neural networks targeted by these implants in a non-human primate. This was accomplished by advancing a microelectrode into various locations of the lumbar enlargement of the spinal cord, targeting the ventral horn of the gray matter. Microstimulation in these locations produced a variety of functional movements in the hindlimb. The resulting functional map of the spinal cord in monkeys was found to have a similar overall organization along the length of the spinal cord to that in cats. This suggests that the human spinal cord may also be organized similarly. The obtained spinal cord maps in monkeys provide important knowledge that will guide the very first testing of these implants in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirali Toossi
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Dirk G Everaert
- Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Steve I Perlmutter
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Washington National Primate Research Centre, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Vivian K Mushahwar
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. .,Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Sensory Motor Adaptive Rehabilitation Technology (SMART) Network, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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24
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Hierarchical control of locomotion by distinct types of spinal V2a interneurons in zebrafish. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4197. [PMID: 31519892 PMCID: PMC6744451 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12240-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In all vertebrates, excitatory spinal interneurons execute dynamic adjustments in the timing and amplitude of locomotor movements. Currently, it is unclear whether interneurons responsible for timing control are distinct from those involved in amplitude control. Here, we show that in larval zebrafish, molecularly, morphologically and electrophysiologically distinct types of V2a neurons exhibit complementary patterns of connectivity. Stronger higher-order connections from type I neurons to other excitatory V2a and inhibitory V0d interneurons provide timing control, while stronger last-order connections from type II neurons to motor neurons provide amplitude control. Thus, timing and amplitude are coordinated by distinct interneurons distinguished not by their occupation of hierarchically-arranged anatomical layers, but rather by differences in the reliability and probability of higher-order and last-order connections that ultimately form a single anatomical layer. These findings contribute to our understanding of the origins of timing and amplitude control in the spinal cord. V2a excitatory interneurons in the spinal cord are important for coordinating locomotion. Here the authors describe two types of V2a neuron with differences in higher order and lower order connectivity in larval zebrafish.
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25
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Wei RH, Zhao C, Rao JS, Zhao W, Wei YQ, Zhou X, Tian PY, Liu RX, Yang ZY, Li XG. Neuromuscular control pattern in rhesus monkeys during bipedal walking. Exp Anim 2019; 68:341-349. [PMID: 30930341 PMCID: PMC6699981 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.18-0180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Walking is characterized by repetitive limb movements associated with highly structured patterns of muscle activity. The causal relationships between the muscle activities and hindlimb segments of walking are difficult to decipher. This study investigated these particular relationships and clarified whether they are correlated with speed to further understand the neuromuscular control pattern. Four adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were selected to record gait parameters while walking on a bipedal treadmill at speeds of 0.2, 0.8, 1.4, and 2.0 km/h. We recorded 3 ipsilateral hindlimb muscles by surface recording. In this study, we calculated the correlations between electromyography (EMG) and kinematic parameters (24 EMG*17 kinematic parameters). Of the 408 calculated coefficients, 71.6% showed significant linear correlations. Significant linear correlations were found between muscle activity, such as burst amplitudes and the integral of muscle activity, and the corresponding kinematic parameters of each joint. Most of these relationships were speed independent (91.7% of all variables). Through correlation analysis, this study demonstrated a causal association between kinematic and EMG patterns of rhesus monkey locomotion. Individuals have particular musculoskeletal control patterns, and most of the relationships between hindlimb segments and muscles are speed independent. The current findings may enhance our understanding of neuromusculoskeletal control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui-Han Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Can Zhao
- Beijing International Cooperation Bases for Science and Technology on Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China.,School of Instrumentation and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Sheng Rao
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China.,Beijing International Cooperation Bases for Science and Technology on Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Wen Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Xitoutiao Road, Youanmenwai, Xicheng District, Beijing 100069, P.R. China
| | - Yan-Qin Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Xia Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Peng-Yu Tian
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Ruo-Xi Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Zhao-Yang Yang
- Beijing International Cooperation Bases for Science and Technology on Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China.,Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Xitoutiao Road, Youanmenwai, Xicheng District, Beijing 100069, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Guang Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China.,Beijing International Cooperation Bases for Science and Technology on Biomaterials and Neural Regeneration, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100083, P.R. China.,Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Xitoutiao Road, Youanmenwai, Xicheng District, Beijing 100069, P.R. China
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Dewolf AH, Ivanenko YP, Zelik KE, Lacquaniti F, Willems PA. Differential activation of lumbar and sacral motor pools during walking at different speeds and slopes. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:872-887. [PMID: 31291150 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00167.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Organization of spinal motor output has become of interest for investigating differential activation of lumbar and sacral motor pools during locomotor tasks. Motor pools are associated with functional grouping of motoneurons of the lower limb muscles. Here we examined how the spatiotemporal organization of lumbar and sacral motor pool activity during walking is orchestrated with slope of terrain and speed of progression. Ten subjects walked on an instrumented treadmill at different slopes and imposed speeds. Kinetics, kinematics, and electromyography of 16 lower limb muscles were recorded. The spinal locomotor output was assessed by decomposing the coordinated muscle activation profiles into a small set of common factors and by mapping them onto the rostrocaudal location of the motoneuron pools. Our results show that lumbar and sacral motor pool activity depend on slope and speed. Compared with level walking, sacral motor pools decrease their activity at negative slopes and increase at positive slopes, whereas lumbar motor pools increase their engagement when both positive and negative slope increase. These findings are consistent with a differential involvement of the lumbar and the sacral motor pools in relation to changes in positive and negative center of body mass mechanical power production due to slope and speed.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study, the spatiotemporal maps of motoneuron activity in the spinal cord were assessed during walking at different slopes and speeds. We found differential involvement of lumbar and sacral motor pools in relation to changes in positive and negative center of body mass power production due to slope and speed. The results are consistent with recent findings about the specialization of neuronal networks located at different segments of the spinal cord for performing specific locomotor tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- A H Dewolf
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Y P Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - K E Zelik
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
| | - F Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - P A Willems
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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27
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Configuration of electrical spinal cord stimulation through real-time processing of gait kinematics. Nat Protoc 2019; 13:2031-2061. [PMID: 30190556 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-018-0030-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Epidural electrical stimulation (EES) of the spinal cord and real-time processing of gait kinematics are powerful methods for the study of locomotion and the improvement of motor control after injury or in neurological disorders. Here, we describe equipment and surgical procedures that can be used to acquire chronic electromyographic (EMG) recordings from leg muscles and to implant targeted spinal cord stimulation systems that remain stable up to several months after implantation in rats and nonhuman primates. We also detail how to exploit these implants to configure electrical spinal cord stimulation policies that allow control over the degree of extension and flexion of each leg during locomotion. This protocol uses real-time processing of gait kinematics and locomotor performance, and can be configured within a few days. Once configured, stimulation bursts are delivered over specific spinal cord locations with precise timing that reproduces the natural spatiotemporal activation of motoneurons during locomotion. These protocols can also be easily adapted for the safe implantation of systems in the vicinity of the spinal cord and to conduct experiments involving real-time movement feedback and closed-loop controllers.
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28
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29
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Desrochers E, Harnie J, Doelman A, Hurteau MF, Frigon A. Spinal control of muscle synergies for adult mammalian locomotion. J Physiol 2018; 597:333-350. [PMID: 30334575 DOI: 10.1113/jp277018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS The control of locomotion is thought to be generated by activating groups of muscles that perform similar actions, which are termed muscle synergies. Here, we investigated if muscle synergies are controlled at the level of the spinal cord. We did this by comparing muscle activity in the legs of cats during stepping on a treadmill before and after a complete spinal transection that abolishes commands from the brain. We show that muscle synergies were maintained following spinal transection, validating the concept that muscle synergies for locomotion are primarily controlled by circuits of neurons within the spinal cord. ABSTRACT Locomotion is thought to involve the sequential activation of functional modules or muscle synergies. Here, we tested the hypothesis that muscle synergies for locomotion are organized within the spinal cord. We recorded bursts of muscle activity in the same cats (n = 7) before and after spinal transection during tied-belt locomotion at three speeds and split-belt locomotion at three left-right speed differences. We identified seven muscles synergies before (intact state) and after (spinal state) spinal transection. The muscles comprising the different synergies were the same in the intact and spinal states as well as at different speeds or left-right speed differences. However, there were some significant shifts in the onsets and offsets of certain synergies as a function of state, speed and left-right speed differences. The most notable difference between the intact and spinal states was a change in the timing between the knee flexor and hip flexor muscle synergies. In the intact state, the knee flexor synergy preceded the hip flexor synergy, whereas in the spinal state both synergies occurred concurrently. Afferent inputs also appear important for the expression of some muscle synergies, specifically those involving biphasic patterns of muscle activity. We propose that muscle synergies for locomotion are primarily organized within the spinal cord, although their full expression and proper timing requires inputs from supraspinal structures and/or limb afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Desrochers
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Jonathan Harnie
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Adam Doelman
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Marie-France Hurteau
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
| | - Alain Frigon
- Department of Pharmacology-Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, J1H 5N4, Canada
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30
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Targeted neurotechnology restores walking in humans with spinal cord injury. Nature 2018; 563:65-71. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0649-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 469] [Impact Index Per Article: 78.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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31
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Côté MP, Murray LM, Knikou M. Spinal Control of Locomotion: Individual Neurons, Their Circuits and Functions. Front Physiol 2018; 9:784. [PMID: 29988534 PMCID: PMC6026662 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Systematic research on the physiological and anatomical characteristics of spinal cord interneurons along with their functional output has evolved for more than one century. Despite significant progress in our understanding of these networks and their role in generating and modulating movement, it has remained a challenge to elucidate the properties of the locomotor rhythm across species. Neurophysiological experimental evidence indicates similarities in the function of interneurons mediating afferent information regarding muscle stretch and loading, being affected by motor axon collaterals and those mediating presynaptic inhibition in animals and humans when their function is assessed at rest. However, significantly different muscle activation profiles are observed during locomotion across species. This difference may potentially be driven by a modified distribution of muscle afferents at multiple segmental levels in humans, resulting in an altered interaction between different classes of spinal interneurons. Further, different classes of spinal interneurons are likely activated or silent to some extent simultaneously in all species. Regardless of these limitations, continuous efforts on the function of spinal interneuronal circuits during mammalian locomotion will assist in delineating the neural mechanisms underlying locomotor control, and help develop novel targeted rehabilitation strategies in cases of impaired bipedal gait in humans. These rehabilitation strategies will include activity-based therapies and targeted neuromodulation of spinal interneuronal circuits via repetitive stimulation delivered to the brain and/or spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Pascale Côté
- CÔTÉ Lab, Spinal Cord Research Center, Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lynda M. Murray
- Motor Control and NeuroRecovery Research Laboratory (Klab4Recovery), Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
- Graduate Center, Ph.D. Program in Biology, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Maria Knikou
- Motor Control and NeuroRecovery Research Laboratory (Klab4Recovery), Department of Physical Therapy, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
- Graduate Center, Ph.D. Program in Biology, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
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32
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Rouhani E, Erfanian A. Block-based robust control of stepping using intraspinal microstimulation. J Neural Eng 2018; 15:046026. [PMID: 29761788 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aac4b8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The problem of motor control using intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) can be approached at two levels of the motor system: individual muscles (motor pools) and motor primitives. The major challenges of direct ISMS at the level of individual muscle are the number of electrodes that are required to be implanted in order to recruit all muscles involving the motion and muscle selectivity. One solution to cope with these problems is the control of movement generated by appropriate combination of the movement primitives. In this paper, we proposed a robust control framework using primitives for fully automatic block-based control of the motion through ISMS. APPROACH The control framework is based on an adaptive fuzzy terminal sliding mode control. The biggest advantage of the controller is the fast convergence compared to the conventional sliding mode control. MAIN RESULTS The experiments were conducted on spinally-intact anesthetized cats. Based on electromyography activity of the hindlimbs muscles, different movement blocks were defined. The results of block-based air-stepping control show that the proposed control framework could generate the gait cycle with good tracking performance. The averages of tracking error, over five cats, were 9.3%, 11.2%, and 16.1%, for the ankle, knee, and hip joints, respectively. The results of walking control on the moving treadmill demonstrated that the gait cycle can be generated only with two movement blocks for each leg. SIGNIFICANCE The results of the current study demonstrated that the normal gait pattern can be achieved by tracking control of the movement blocks using ISMS, while the controller requires no offline learning phase and no pre-adjustment of the stimulation level. The controller is able to automatically regulate the interactions between movement blocks without any preprogrammed block activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rouhani
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Iran Neural Technology Research Centre, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran
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33
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Sylos-Labini F, d'Avella A, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Human-Human Interaction Forces and Interlimb Coordination During Side-by-Side Walking With Hand Contact. Front Physiol 2018; 9:179. [PMID: 29563883 PMCID: PMC5850283 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Handholding can naturally occur between two walkers. When people walk side-by-side, either with or without hand contact, they often synchronize their steps. However, despite the importance of haptic interaction in general and the natural use of hand contact between humans during walking, few studies have investigated forces arising from physical interactions. Eight pairs of adult subjects participated in this study. They walked on side-by-side treadmills at 4 km/h independently and with hand contact. Only hand contact-related sensory information was available for unintentional synchronization, while visual and auditory communication was obstructed. Subjects walked at their natural cadences or following a metronome. Limb kinematics, hand contact 3D interaction forces and EMG activity of 12 upper limb muscles were recorded. Overall, unintentional step frequency locking was observed during about 40% of time in 88% of pairs walking with hand contact. On average, the amplitude of contact arm oscillations decreased while the contralateral (free) arm oscillated in the same way as during normal walking. Interestingly, EMG activity of the shoulder muscles of the contact arm did not decrease, and their synergistic pattern remained similar. The amplitude of interaction forces and of trunk oscillations was similar for synchronized and non-synchronized steps, though the synchronized steps were characterized by significantly more regular orientations of interaction forces. Our results further support the notion that gait synchronization during natural walking is common, and that it may occur through interaction forces. Conservation of the proximal muscle activity of the contact (not oscillating) arm is consistent with neural coupling between cervical and lumbosacral pattern generation circuitries (“quadrupedal” arm-leg coordination) during human gait. Overall, the findings suggest that individuals might integrate force interaction cues to communicate and coordinate steps during walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Sylos-Labini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea d'Avella
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.,Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Yury Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Differential changes in the spinal segmental locomotor output in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia. Clin Neurophysiol 2018; 129:516-525. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2017.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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35
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Sobinov A, Yakovenko S. Model of a bilateral Brown-type central pattern generator for symmetric and asymmetric locomotion. J Neurophysiol 2018; 119:1071-1083. [PMID: 29187551 PMCID: PMC5899308 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00443.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The coordinated activity of muscles is produced in part by spinal rhythmogenic neural circuits, termed central pattern generators (CPGs). A classical CPG model is a system of coupled oscillators that transform locomotor drive into coordinated and gait-specific patterns of muscle recruitment. The network properties of this conceptual model can be simulated by a system of ordinary differential equations with a physiologically inspired coupling locus of interactions capturing the timing relationship for bilateral coordination of limbs in locomotion. Whereas most similar models are solved numerically, it is intriguing to have a full analytical description of this plausible CPG architecture to illuminate the functionality within this structure and to expand it to include steering control. Here, we provided a closed-form analytical solution contrasted against the previous numerical method. The evaluation time of the analytical solution was decreased by an order of magnitude when compared with the numerical approach (relative errors, <0.01%). The analytical solution tested and supported the previous finding that the input to the model can be expressed in units of the desired limb locomotor speed. Furthermore, we performed parametric sensitivity analysis in the context of controlling steering and documented two possible mechanisms associated with either an external drive or intrinsic CPG parameters. The results identify specific propriospinal pathways that may be associated with adaptations within the CPG structure. The model offered several network configurations that may generate the same behavioral outcomes. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Using a simple process of leaky integration, we developed an analytical solution to a robust model of spinal pattern generation. We analyzed the ability of this neural element to exert locomotor control of the signal associated with limb speeds and tested the ability of this simple structure to embed steering control using the velocity signal in the model's inputs or within the internal connectivity of its elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Sobinov
- Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia
| | - Sergiy Yakovenko
- Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia
- Division of Exercise Physiology, Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University , Morgantown, West Virginia
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Saltiel P, d’Avella A, Tresch MC, Wyler K, Bizzi E. Critical Points and Traveling Wave in Locomotion: Experimental Evidence and Some Theoretical Considerations. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:98. [PMID: 29276476 PMCID: PMC5727018 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The central pattern generator (CPG) architecture for rhythm generation remains partly elusive. We compare cat and frog locomotion results, where the component unrelated to pattern formation appears as a temporal grid, and traveling wave respectively. Frog spinal cord microstimulation with N-methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA), a CPG activator, produced a limited set of force directions, sometimes tonic, but more often alternating between directions similar to the tonic forces. The tonic forces were topographically organized, and sites evoking rhythms with different force subsets were located close to the constituent tonic force regions. Thus CPGs consist of topographically organized modules. Modularity was also identified as a limited set of muscle synergies whose combinations reconstructed the EMGs. The cat CPG was investigated using proprioceptive inputs during fictive locomotion. Critical points identified both as abrupt transitions in the effect of phasic perturbations, and burst shape transitions, had biomechanical correlates in intact locomotion. During tonic proprioceptive perturbations, discrete shifts between these critical points explained the burst durations changes, and amplitude changes occurred at one of these points. Besides confirming CPG modularity, these results suggest a fixed temporal grid of anchoring points, to shift modules onsets and offsets. Frog locomotion, reconstructed with the NMDA synergies, showed a partially overlapping synergy activation sequence. Using the early synergy output evoked by NMDA at different spinal sites, revealed a rostrocaudal topographic organization, where each synergy is preferentially evoked from a few, albeit overlapping, cord regions. Comparing the locomotor synergy sequence with this topography suggests that a rostrocaudal traveling wave would activate the synergies in the proper sequence for locomotion. This output was reproduced in a two-layer model using this topography and a traveling wave. Together our results suggest two CPG components: modules, i.e., synergies; and temporal patterning, seen as a temporal grid in the cat, and a traveling wave in the frog. Animal and limb navigation have similarities. Research relating grid cells to the theta rhythm and on segmentation during navigation may relate to our temporal grid and traveling wave results. Winfree's mathematical work, combining critical phases and a traveling wave, also appears important. We conclude suggesting tracing, and imaging experiments to investigate our CPG model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Saltiel
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Andrea d’Avella
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Matthew C. Tresch
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Kuno Wyler
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Emilio Bizzi
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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37
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Sylos-Labini F, Magnani S, Cappellini G, La Scaleia V, Fabiano A, Picone S, Paolillo P, Di Paolo A, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Foot Placement Characteristics and Plantar Pressure Distribution Patterns during Stepping on Ground in Neonates. Front Physiol 2017; 8:784. [PMID: 29066982 PMCID: PMC5641324 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stepping on ground can be evoked in human neonates, though it is rather irregular and stereotyped heel-to-toe roll-over pattern is lacking. Such investigations can provide insights into the role of contact- or load-related proprioceptive feedback during early development of locomotion. However, the detailed characteristics of foot placements and their association with motor patterns are still incompletely documented. We elicited stepping in 33 neonates supported on a table. Unilateral limb kinematics, bilateral plantar pressure distribution and EMG activity from up to 11 ipsilateral leg muscles were recorded. Foot placement characteristics in neonates showed a wide variation. In ~25% of steps, the swinging foot stepped onto the contralateral foot due to generally small step width. In the remaining steps with separate foot placements, the stance phase could start with forefoot (28%), midfoot (47%), or heel (25%) touchdowns. Despite forefoot or heel initial contacts, the kinematic and loading patterns markedly differed relatively to toe-walking or adult-like two-peaked vertical force profile. Furthermore, while the general stepping parameters (cycle duration, step length, range of motion of proximal joints) were similar, the initial foot contact was consistently associated with specific center-of-pressure excursion, range of motion in the ankle joint, and the center-of-activity of extensor muscles (being shifted by ~5% of cycle toward the end of stance in the "heel" relative to "forefoot" condition). In sum, we found a variety of footfall patterns in conjunction with associated changes in motor patterns. These findings suggest the potential contribution of load-related proprioceptive feedback and/or the expression of variations in the locomotor program already during early manifestations of stepping on ground in human babies.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Sylos-Labini
- Center of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Neuromotor Physiology Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - S Magnani
- Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - G Cappellini
- Center of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Neuromotor Physiology Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - V La Scaleia
- Center of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Neuromotor Physiology Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - A Fabiano
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Casilino Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - S Picone
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Casilino Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - P Paolillo
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Casilino Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - A Di Paolo
- Neonatology and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Ospedale San Giovanni, Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - F Lacquaniti
- Center of Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Neuromotor Physiology Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy.,Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Y Ivanenko
- Neuromotor Physiology Laboratory, Fondazione Santa Lucia (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
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38
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Jaiswal PB, Tung JK, Gross RE, English AW. Motoneuron activity is required for enhancements in functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury in exercised female mice. J Neurosci Res 2017; 98:448-457. [PMID: 28771790 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory luminopsins (iLMO2) integrate opto- and chemo-genetic approaches and allow for cell-type specific inhibition of neuronal activity. When exposed to a Renilla luciferase substrate, Coelenterazine (CTZ), iLMO2 generates bioluminescence-mediated activation of its amino-terminal halorhodopsin, resulting in neuronal inhibition. Moderate daily exercise in the form of interval treadmill-training (IT) applied following a peripheral nerve injury results in enhanced motor axon regeneration and muscle fiber reinnervation in female mice. We hypothesized that iLMO2 mediated inhibition of motoneuron activity during IT would block this enhancement. Unilateral intramuscular injections of Cre-dependent AAV2/9-EF1a-DIO-iLMO2 (∼8.5 x 1013 vg/ml) were made into the gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles of young female ChAT-IRES-Cre mice, thereby limiting iLMO2 expression specifically to their motoneurons. Four to six weeks were allowed for retrograde viral transduction after which a unilateral sciatic nerve transection (Tx) and repair was performed. Animals were randomized into four groups: IT only, IT + CTZ, CTZ only, and untreated (UT). Three weeks post Tx-repair, the maximal amplitude direct muscle responses (M-max) in both muscles in the IT only group were significantly greater than in UT mice, consistent with the enhancing effects of this exercise regimen. Inhibiting motoneuron activity during exercise by a single injection of CTZ, administered 30 minutes prior to exercise, completely blocked the enhancing effect of exercise. Similar treatments with CTZ in mice without iLMO2 had no effect on regeneration. Neuronal activity is required for successful enhancement of motor axon regeneration by exercise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam B Jaiswal
- Department of Cell Biology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jack K Tung
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Robert E Gross
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Arthur W English
- Department of Cell Biology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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39
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Prochazka A. Neurophysiology and neural engineering: a review. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:1292-1309. [PMID: 28566462 PMCID: PMC5558026 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00149.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurophysiology is the branch of physiology concerned with understanding the function of neural systems. Neural engineering (also known as neuroengineering) is a discipline within biomedical engineering that uses engineering techniques to understand, repair, replace, enhance, or otherwise exploit the properties and functions of neural systems. In most cases neural engineering involves the development of an interface between electronic devices and living neural tissue. This review describes the origins of neural engineering, the explosive development of methods and devices commencing in the late 1950s, and the present-day devices that have resulted. The barriers to interfacing electronic devices with living neural tissues are many and varied, and consequently there have been numerous stops and starts along the way. Representative examples are discussed. None of this could have happened without a basic understanding of the relevant neurophysiology. I also consider examples of how neural engineering is repaying the debt to basic neurophysiology with new knowledge and insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Prochazka
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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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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A novel approach for assigning levels to monkey and human lumbosacral spinal cord based on ventral horn morphology. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177243. [PMID: 28542213 PMCID: PMC5443490 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper identification of spinal cord levels is crucial for clinical-pathological and imaging studies in humans, but can be a challenge given technical limitations. We have previously demonstrated in non-primate models that the contours of the spinal ventral horn are determined by the position of motoneuron pools. These positions are preserved within and among individuals and can be used to identify lumbosacral spinal levels. Here we tested the hypothesis that this approach can be extended to identify monkey and human spinal levels. In 7 rhesus monkeys, we retrogradely labeled motoneuron pools that represent rostral, middle and caudal landmarks of the lumbosacral enlargement. We then aligned the lumbosacral enlargements among animals using absolute length, segmental level or a relative scale based upon rostral and caudal landmarks. Inter-animal matching of labeled motoneurons across the lumbosacral enlargement was most precise when using internal landmarks. We then reconstructed 3 human lumbosacral spinal cords, and aligned these based upon homologous internal landmarks. Changes in shape of the ventral horn were consistent among human subjects using this relative scale, despite marked differences in absolute length or age. These data suggest that the relative position of spinal motoneuron pools is conserved across species, including primates. Therefore, in clinical-pathological or imaging studies in humans, one can assign spinal cord levels to even single sections by matching ventral horn shape to standardized series.
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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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Capogrosso M, Milekovic T, Borton D, Wagner F, Moraud EM, Mignardot JB, Buse N, Gandar J, Barraud Q, Xing D, Rey E, Duis S, Jianzhong Y, Ko WKD, Li Q, Detemple P, Denison T, Micera S, Bezard E, Bloch J, Courtine G. A brain-spine interface alleviating gait deficits after spinal cord injury in primates. Nature 2016; 539:284-288. [PMID: 27830790 PMCID: PMC5108412 DOI: 10.1038/nature20118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 349] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury disrupts the communication between the brain and the spinal circuits that orchestrate movement. To bypass the lesion, brain–computer interfaces1–3 have directly linked cortical activity to electrical stimulation of muscles, which have restored grasping abilities after hand paralysis1,4. Theoretically, this strategy could also restore control over leg muscle activity for walking5. However, replicating the complex sequence of individual muscle activation patterns underlying natural and adaptive locomotor movements poses formidable conceptual and technological challenges6,7. Recently, we showed in rats that epidural electrical stimulation of the lumbar spinal cord can reproduce the natural activation of synergistic muscle groups producing locomotion8–10. Here, we interfaced leg motor cortex activity with epidural electrical stimulation protocols to establish a brain–spinal interface that alleviated gait deficits after a spinal cord injury in nonhuman primates. Rhesus monkeys were implanted with an intracortical microelectrode array into the leg area of motor cortex; and a spinal cord stimulation system composed of a spatially selective epidural implant and a pulse generator with real-time triggering capabilities. We designed and implemented wireless control systems that linked online neural decoding of extension and flexion motor states with stimulation protocols promoting these movements. These systems allowed the monkeys to behave freely without any restrictions or constraining tethered electronics. After validation of the brain–spinal interface in intact monkeys, we performed a unilateral corticospinal tract lesion at the thoracic level. As early as six days post-injury and without prior training of the monkeys, the brain–spinal interface restored weight-bearing locomotion of the paralyzed leg on a treadmill and overground. The implantable components integrated in the brain–spinal interface have all been approved for investigational applications in similar human research, suggesting a practical translational pathway for proof-of-concept studies in people with spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Capogrosso
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tomislav Milekovic
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Borton
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Fabien Wagner
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eduardo Martin Moraud
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Baptiste Mignardot
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Jerome Gandar
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Quentin Barraud
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Xing
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Elodie Rey
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Simone Duis
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Qin Li
- Motac Neuroscience Ltd, Manchester, UK.,Institute of Lab Animal Sciences, China Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Peter Detemple
- Mainz Institute for Microtechnology, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT-IMM), Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Silvestro Micera
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Bioengineering, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.,The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - Erwan Bezard
- Motac Neuroscience Ltd, Manchester, UK.,Institute of Lab Animal Sciences, China Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.,Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, University of Bordeaux, UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France.,CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jocelyne Bloch
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Grégoire Courtine
- Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Cappellini G, Ivanenko YP, Martino G, MacLellan MJ, Sacco A, Morelli D, Lacquaniti F. Immature Spinal Locomotor Output in Children with Cerebral Palsy. Front Physiol 2016; 7:478. [PMID: 27826251 PMCID: PMC5078720 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2016.00478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Detailed descriptions of gait impairments have been reported in cerebral palsy (CP), but it is still unclear how maturation of the spinal motoneuron output is affected. Spatiotemporal alpha-motoneuron activation during walking can be assessed by mapping the electromyographic activity profiles from several, simultaneously recorded muscles onto the anatomical rostrocaudal location of the motoneuron pools in the spinal cord, and by means of factor analysis of the muscle activity profiles. Here, we analyzed gait kinematics and EMG activity of 11 pairs of bilateral muscles with lumbosacral innervation in 35 children with CP (19 diplegic, 16 hemiplegic, 2-12 years) and 33 typically developing (TD) children (1-12 years). TD children showed a progressive reduction of EMG burst durations and a gradual reorganization of the spatiotemporal motoneuron output with increasing age. By contrast, children with CP showed very limited age-related changes of EMG durations and motoneuron output, as well as of limb intersegmental coordination and foot trajectory control (on both sides for diplegic children and the affected side for hemiplegic children). Factorization of the EMG signals revealed a comparable structure of the motor output in children with CP and TD children, but significantly wider temporal activation patterns in children with CP, resembling the patterns of much younger TD infants. A similar picture emerged when considering the spatiotemporal maps of alpha-motoneuron activation. Overall, the results are consistent with the idea that early injuries to developing motor regions of the brain substantially affect the maturation of the spinal locomotor output and consequently the future locomotor behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germana Cappellini
- Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata Rome, Italy
| | - Yury P Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martino
- Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata Rome, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Sacco
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Morelli
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Centre of Space Bio-medicine, University of Rome Tor VergataRome, Italy; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy; Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor VergataRome, Italy
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Gritsenko V, Hardesty RL, Boots MT, Yakovenko S. Biomechanical Constraints Underlying Motor Primitives Derived from the Musculoskeletal Anatomy of the Human Arm. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164050. [PMID: 27736890 PMCID: PMC5063279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural control of movement can only be realized though the interaction between the mechanical properties of the limb and the environment. Thus, a fundamental question is whether anatomy has evolved to simplify neural control by shaping these interactions in a beneficial way. This inductive data-driven study analyzed the patterns of muscle actions across multiple joints using the musculoskeletal model of the human upper limb. This model was used to calculate muscle lengths across the full range of motion of the arm and examined the correlations between these values between all pairs of muscles. Musculoskeletal coupling was quantified using hierarchical clustering analysis. Muscle lengths between multiple pairs of muscles across multiple postures were highly correlated. These correlations broadly formed two proximal and distal groups, where proximal muscles of the arm were correlated with each other and distal muscles of the arm and hand were correlated with each other, but not between groups. Using hierarchical clustering, between 11 and 14 reliable muscle groups were identified. This shows that musculoskeletal anatomy does indeed shape the mechanical interactions by grouping muscles into functional clusters that generally match the functional repertoire of the human arm. Together, these results support the idea that the structure of the musculoskeletal system is tuned to solve movement complexity problem by reducing the dimensionality of available solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeriya Gritsenko
- Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
| | - Russell L. Hardesty
- Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
| | - Mathew T. Boots
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
| | - Sergiy Yakovenko
- Department of Human Performance, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- Centers for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26506, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Shen XY, Du W, Huang W, Chen Y. Rebuilding motor function of the spinal cord based on functional electrical stimulation. Neural Regen Res 2016; 11:1327-32. [PMID: 27651782 PMCID: PMC5020833 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.189199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Rebuilding the damaged motor function caused by spinal cord injury is one of the most serious challenges in clinical neuroscience. The function of the neural pathway under the damaged sites can be rebuilt using functional electrical stimulation technology. In this study, the locations of motor function sites in the lumbosacral spinal cord were determined with functional electrical stimulation technology. A three-dimensional map of the lumbosacral spinal cord comprising the relationship between the motor function sites and the corresponding muscle was drawn. Based on the individual experimental parameters and normalized coordinates of the motor function sites, the motor function sites that control a certain muscle were calculated. Phasing pulse sequences were delivered to the determined motor function sites in the spinal cord and hip extension, hip flexion, ankle plantarflexion, and ankle dorsiflexion movements were successfully achieved. The results show that the map of the spinal cord motor function sites was valid. This map can provide guidance for the selection of electrical stimulation sites during the rebuilding of motor function after spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yan Shen
- Electronic Information School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wei Du
- Electronic Information School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Electronic Information School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
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Mazurek KA, Holinski BJ, Everaert DG, Mushahwar VK, Etienne-Cummings R. A Mixed-Signal VLSI System for Producing Temporally Adapting Intraspinal Microstimulation Patterns for Locomotion. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BIOMEDICAL CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS 2016; 10:902-911. [PMID: 26978832 PMCID: PMC4970939 DOI: 10.1109/tbcas.2015.2501419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Neural pathways can be artificially activated through the use of electrical stimulation. For individuals with a spinal cord injury, intraspinal microstimulation, using electrical currents on the order of 125 μ A, can produce muscle contractions and joint torques in the lower extremities suitable for restoring walking. The work presented here demonstrates an integrated circuit implementing a state-based control strategy where sensory feedback and intrinsic feed forward control shape the stimulation waveforms produced on-chip. Fabricated in a 0.5 μ m process, the device was successfully used in vivo to produce walking movements in a model of spinal cord injury. This work represents progress towards an implantable solution to be used for restoring walking in individuals with spinal cord injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A. Mazurek
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA ()
| | - Bradley J. Holinski
- Biomedical Engineering Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Dirk G. Everaert
- Physiology Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Vivian K. Mushahwar
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Ralph Etienne-Cummings
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
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Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Laboratory/animal-based proof of principle study. OBJECTIVE To validate the accuracy of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided stereotactic system for intraspinal electrode targeting and demonstrate the feasibility of such a system for controlling implantation of intraspinal electrodes. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Intraspinal microstimulation (ISMS) is an emerging preclinical therapy, which has shown promise for the restoration of motor function following spinal cord injury. However, targeting inaccuracy associated with existing electrode implantation techniques remains a major barrier preventing clinical translation of ISMS. METHODS System accuracy was evaluated using a test phantom comprised of nine target locations. Targeting accuracy was determined by calculating the root mean square error between MRI-generated coordinates and actual frame coordinates required to reach the target positions. System performance was further validated in an anesthetized pig model by performing MRI-guided intraspinal electrode implantation and stimulation followed by computed tomography of electrode location. Finally, system compatibility with a commercially available microelectrode array was demonstrated by implanting the array and applying a selection of stimulation amplitudes that evoked hind limb responses. RESULTS The root mean square error between actual frame coordinates and software coordinates, both acquired using the test phantom, was 1.09 ± 0.20 mm. Postoperative computed tomography in the anesthetized pig confirmed spatially accurate electrode placement relative to preoperative MRI. Additionally, MRI-guided delivery of a microwire electrode followed by ISMS evoked repeatable electromyography responses in the biceps femoris muscle. Finally, delivery of a microelectrode array produced repeatable and graded hind limb evoked movements. CONCLUSION We present a novel frame-based stereotactic system for targeting and delivery of intraspinal instrumentation. This system utilizes MRI guidance to account for variations in anatomy between subjects, thereby improving upon existing ISMS electrode implantation techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE N/A.
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Evaluation of the effects of the Arm Light Exoskeleton on movement execution and muscle activities: a pilot study on healthy subjects. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2016; 13:9. [PMID: 26801620 PMCID: PMC4724067 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-016-0117-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 01/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Exoskeletons for lower and upper extremities have been introduced in neurorehabilitation because they can guide the patient’s limb following its anatomy, covering many degrees of freedom and most of its natural workspace, and allowing the control of the articular joints. The aims of this study were to evaluate the possible use of a novel exoskeleton, the Arm Light Exoskeleton (ALEx), for robot-aided neurorehabilitation and to investigate the effects of some rehabilitative strategies adopted in robot-assisted training. Methods We studied movement execution and muscle activities of 16 upper limb muscles in six healthy subjects, focusing on end-effector and joint kinematics, muscle synergies, and spinal maps. The subjects performed three dimensional point-to-point reaching movements, without and with the exoskeleton in different assistive modalities and control strategies. Results The results showed that ALEx supported the upper limb in all modalities and control strategies: it reduced the muscular activity of the shoulder’s abductors and it increased the activity of the elbow flexors. The different assistive modalities favored kinematics and muscle coordination similar to natural movements, but the muscle activity during the movements assisted by the exoskeleton was reduced with respect to the movements actively performed by the subjects. Moreover, natural trajectories recorded from the movements actively performed by the subjects seemed to promote an activity of muscles and spinal circuitries more similar to the natural one. Conclusions The preliminary analysis on healthy subjects supported the use of ALEx for post-stroke upper limb robotic assisted rehabilitation, and it provided clues on the effects of different rehabilitative strategies on movement and muscle coordination.
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