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Hüche Larsen H, Justiniano MD, Frisk RF, Lundbye-Jensen J, Farmer SF, Nielsen JB. Task difficulty of visually guided gait modifications involves differences in central drive to spinal motor neurons. J Neurophysiol 2024; 132:1126-1141. [PMID: 39196679 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00466.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Walking in natural environments requires visually guided modifications, which can be more challenging when involving sideways steps rather than longer steps. This exploratory study investigated whether these two types of modifications involve different changes in the central drive to spinal motor neurons of leg muscles. Fifteen adults [age: 36 ± 6 (SD) years] walked on a treadmill (4 km/h) while observing a screen displaying the real-time position of their toes. At the beginning of the swing phase, a visual target appeared in front (forward) or medial-lateral (sideways) of the ground contact in random step cycles (approximately every third step). We measured three-dimensional kinematics and electromyographic activity from leg muscles bilaterally. Intermuscular coherence was calculated in the alpha (5-15 Hz), beta (15-30 Hz), and gamma bands (30-45 Hz) approximately 230 ms before and after ground contact in control and target steps. Results showed that adjustments toward sideways targets were associated with significantly higher error, lower foot lift, and higher cocontraction between antagonist ankle muscles. Movements toward sideways targets were associated with larger beta-band soleus (SOL): medial gastrocnemius (MG) coherence and a more narrow and larger peak of synchronization in the cumulant density before ground contact. In contrast, movements toward forward targets showed no significant differences in coherence or synchronization compared with control steps. Larger SOL:MG beta-band coherence and short-term synchronization were observed during sideways, but not forward, gait modifications. This suggests that visually guided gait modifications may involve differences in the central drive to spinal ankle motor neurons dependent on the level of task difficulty.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This exploratory study suggests a specific and temporally restricted increase of central (likely corticospinal) drive to ankle muscles in relation to visually guided gait modifications. The findings indicate that a high level of visual attention to control the position of the ankle joint precisely before ground contact may involve increased central drive to ankle muscles. These findings are important for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying visually guided gait and may help develop rehabilitation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helle Hüche Larsen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Elsass Foundation, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | | | - Rasmus Feld Frisk
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Elsass Foundation, Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Jesper Lundbye-Jensen
- Movement and Neuroscience, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simon Francis Farmer
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Clinical Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jens Bo Nielsen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Elsass Foundation, Charlottenlund, Denmark
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Borin G, Sato SD, Spencer RMC, Choi JT. Sleep benefits perceptual but not movement-based learning of locomotor sequences. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15868. [PMID: 38982186 PMCID: PMC11233676 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66177-9] [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: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Practicing complex locomotor skills, such as those involving a step sequence engages distinct perceptual and motor mechanisms that support the recall of learning under new conditions (i.e., skill transfer). While sleep has been shown to enhance learning of sequences of fine movements (i.e., sleep-dependent consolidation), here we examined whether this benefit extends to learning of a locomotor pattern. Specifically, we tested the perceptual and motor learning of a locomotor sequence following sleep compared to wake. We hypothesized that post-practice sleep would increase locomotor sequence learning in the perceptual, but not in the motor domain. In this study, healthy young adult participants (n = 48; 18-33 years) practiced a step length sequence on a treadmill cued by visual stimuli displayed on a screen during training. Participants were then tested in a perceptual condition (backward walking with the same visual stimuli), or a motor condition (forward walking but with an inverted screen). Skill was assessed immediately, and again after a 12-h delay following overnight sleep or daytime wake (n = 12 for each interval/condition). Off-line learning improved following sleep compared to wake, but only for the perceptual condition. Our results suggest that perceptual and motor sequence learning are processed separately after locomotor training, and further points to a benefit of sleep that is rooted in the perceptual as opposed to the motor aspects of motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Borin
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Sumire D Sato
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118205, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Neuroscience & Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca M C Spencer
- Neuroscience & Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Julia T Choi
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, PO Box 118205, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Neuroscience & Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.
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3
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Hill CM, Sebastião E, Barzi L, Wilson M, Wood T. Reinforcement feedback impairs locomotor adaptation and retention. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1388495. [PMID: 38720784 PMCID: PMC11076767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1388495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Locomotor adaptation is a motor learning process used to alter spatiotemporal elements of walking that are driven by prediction errors, a discrepancy between the expected and actual outcomes of our actions. Sensory and reward prediction errors are two different types of prediction errors that can facilitate locomotor adaptation. Reward and punishment feedback generate reward prediction errors but have demonstrated mixed effects on upper extremity motor learning, with punishment enhancing adaptation, and reward supporting motor memory. However, an in-depth behavioral analysis of these distinct forms of feedback is sparse in locomotor tasks. Methods For this study, three groups of healthy young adults were divided into distinct feedback groups [Supervised, Reward, Punishment] and performed a novel locomotor adaptation task where each participant adapted their knee flexion to 30 degrees greater than baseline, guided by visual supervised or reinforcement feedback (Adaptation). Participants were then asked to recall the new walking pattern without feedback (Retention) and after a washout period with feedback restored (Savings). Results We found that all groups learned the adaptation task with external feedback. However, contrary to our initial hypothesis, enhancing sensory feedback with a visual representation of the knee angle (Supervised) accelerated the rate of learning and short-term retention in comparison to monetary reinforcement feedback. Reward and Punishment displayed similar rates of adaptation, short-term retention, and savings, suggesting both types of reinforcement feedback work similarly in locomotor adaptation. Moreover, all feedback enhanced the aftereffect of locomotor task indicating changes to implicit learning. Discussion These results demonstrate the multi-faceted nature of reinforcement feedback on locomotor adaptation and demonstrate the possible different neural substrates that underly reward and sensory prediction errors during different motor tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Hill
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL, United States
- School of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
| | - Emerson Sebastião
- Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Leo Barzi
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL, United States
| | - Matt Wilson
- School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL, United States
| | - Tyler Wood
- Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL, United States
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4
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Jung Y, Hsu D, Dilks DD. "Walking selectivity" in the occipital place area in 8-year-olds, not 5-year-olds. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae101. [PMID: 38494889 PMCID: PMC10945045 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae101] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
A recent neuroimaging study in adults found that the occipital place area (OPA)-a cortical region involved in "visually guided navigation" (i.e. moving about the immediately visible environment, avoiding boundaries, and obstacles)-represents visual information about walking, not crawling, suggesting that OPA is late developing, emerging only when children are walking, not beforehand. But when precisely does this "walking selectivity" in OPA emerge-when children first begin to walk in early childhood, or perhaps counterintuitively, much later in childhood, around 8 years of age, when children are adult-like walking? To directly test these two hypotheses, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in two groups of children, 5- and 8-year-olds, we measured the responses in OPA to first-person perspective videos through scenes from a "walking" perspective, as well as three control perspectives ("crawling," "flying," and "scrambled"). We found that the OPA in 8-year-olds-like adults-exhibited walking selectivity (i.e. responding significantly more to the walking videos than to any of the others, and no significant differences across the crawling, flying, and scrambled videos), while the OPA in 5-year-olds exhibited no walking selectively. These findings reveal that OPA undergoes protracted development, with walking selectivity only emerging around 8 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaelan Jung
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Debbie Hsu
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Daniel D Dilks
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Sato SD, Choi JT. Reduced corticospinal drive and inflexible temporal adaptation during visually guided walking in older adults. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:1508-1520. [PMID: 37937342 PMCID: PMC10994519 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00078.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Corticospinal drive during walking is reduced in older adults compared with young adults, but it is not clear how this decrease might compromise one's ability to adjust stepping, particularly during visuomotor adaptation. We hypothesize that age-related changes in corticospinal drive could predict differences in older adults' step length and step time adjustments in response to visual perturbations compared with younger adults. Healthy young (n = 21; age 18-33 yr) and older adults (n = 20; age 68-80 yr) were tested with a treadmill task, incorporating visual feedback of the foot position and stepping targets in real-time. During adaptation, the visuomotor gain was reduced on one side, causing the foot cursor and step targets to move slower on that side of the screen (i.e., split-visuomotor adaptation). Corticospinal drive was quantified by coherence between electromyographic signals in the beta-gamma frequency band (15-45 Hz). The results showed that 1) older adults adapted to visuomotor perturbations during walking, with a similar reduction in error asymmetry compared with younger adults; 2) however, older adults showed reduced adaptation in step time symmetry, despite demonstrating similar adaptation in step length asymmetry compared with younger adults; and 3) smaller overall changes in step time asymmetry was associated with reduced corticospinal drive to the tibialis anterior in the slow leg during split-visuomotor adaptation. These findings suggest that changes in corticospinal drive may affect older adults' control of step timing in response to visual challenges. This could be important for safe navigation when walking in different environments or dealing with unexpected circumstances.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Corticospinal input is essential for visually guided walking, especially when the walking pattern must be modified to accurately step on safe locations. Age-related changes in corticospinal drive are associated with inflexible step time, which necessitates different locomotor adaptation strategies in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumire D Sato
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Julia T Choi
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
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Dambreville C, Neige C, Mercier C, Blanchette AK, Bouyer LJ. Corticospinal Excitability Quantification During a Visually-Guided Precision Walking Task in Humans: Potential for Neurorehabilitation. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2022; 36:689-700. [PMID: 36125038 DOI: 10.1177/15459683221124909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The corticospinal tract has been shown to be involved in normal walking in humans. However, its contribution during more challenging locomotor tasks is still unclear. As the corticospinal tract can be a potential target to promote gait recovery after neurological injury, it is of primary importance to quantify its use during human walking. The aims of the current study were to: (1) quantify the effects of precision walking on corticospinal excitability as compared to normal walking; (2) assess if corticospinal modulation is related to task difficulty or participants' performance. Sixteen healthy participants walked on a treadmill during 2 tasks: regular walking (simple task) and stepping onto virtual targets (precision task). Virtual targets appeared randomly at 3 different step lengths: preferred, and ±20%. To assess corticospinal excitability, 25 motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the tibialis anterior muscle in each task during walking. Performance for each participant (global success score; % of target hit) and task difficulty related to step length adjustments (success score for each step length) were also calculated. MEP size was larger during the precision task in all participants (mean increase of 93% ± 72%; P < .05) compared to the simple task. There was a correlation between MEP facilitation and individual performance (r = -.64; P < .05), but no difference in MEP size associated with task difficulty (P > .05). In conclusion, corticospinal excitability exhibits a large increase during the precision task. This effect needs to be confirmed in neurological populations to potentially provide a simple and non-invasive approach to increase corticospinal drive during gait rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charline Dambreville
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Cécilia Neige
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,PsyR2 Team, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, INSERM U1028/CNRS UMR5292, Lyon Neurosciences Research Center, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France
| | - Catherine Mercier
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Andreanne K Blanchette
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Laurent J Bouyer
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Neuroscience Thematic Research Center, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada.,Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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Cates A, Gordon KE. Don't watch your step: gaze behavior adapts with practice of a target stepping task. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:445-454. [PMID: 35822745 PMCID: PMC9423783 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00155.2022] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Vision plays a vital role in locomotor learning, providing feedback information to correct movement errors, and feedforward information to inform learned movement plans. Gaze behavior, or the distribution of fixation locations, can quantify how visual information is used during the motor learning process. How gaze behavior adapts during motor learning and in response to changing motor performance is poorly understood. This study examines if and how an individual's gaze behavior adapts during a sequence learning, target stepping task. We monitored the gaze behavior of 12 healthy young adults while they walked on a treadmill and attempted to precisely step on moving targets that were separated by variable distances (80%, 100%, and 120% of preferred step length). Participants completed a total of 11 trial blocks of 102 steps each. We hypothesized that both mean fixation distance would increase (participants would look farther ahead), and step error would decrease with experience. Following practice, participants significantly increased their fixation distance (P < 0.001) by 0.27 ± 0.18 steps and decreased their step error (P < 0.001) by 4.0 ± 1.7 cm, supporting our hypothesis. Our results suggest that early in the learning process, participants gaze behavior emphasized gathering visual information necessary for feedback motor control. As motor performance improved with experience, participants shifted their gaze fixation farther ahead placing greater emphasis on the visual information used for feedforward motor control. These findings provide important information about how gaze behavior changes in parallel with improvements in walking performance.NEW & NOTEWORTHY People consistently vary how they use visual information to inform walking. However, what drives this variation and how sampled visual information changes with locomotor learning is not well understood. Here, we find that gaze fixation locations moved farther ahead while step error decreases as participants practice a target stepping task. The results suggest that participants increasingly used a feedforward locomotor control strategy with practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Cates
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Keith E Gordon
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Research Service, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois
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Lopes JBP, Miziara IM, Kahani D, Parreira RB, de Almeida Carvalho Duarte N, Lazzari RD, Santos LV, de Mello Monteiro CB, da Silva Cardoso DC, de Oliveira Hassel Mendes J, Dos Santos Alves VL, Silva IO, Oliveira LV, Conway BA, Galli M, Cimolin V, Oliveira CS. Brain activity and upper limb movement analysis in children with Down syndrome undergoing transcranial direct current stimulation combined with virtual reality training: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2022; 23:87. [PMID: 35090554 PMCID: PMC8796535 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06014-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with Down syndrome have poorer functional and sensory skills compared to children with typical development. Virtual reality (VR) training could help improve these skills. Moreover, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has achieved promising results in terms of enhancing the effects of physical and sensory therapy by modulating cortical excitability. METHODS/DESIGN Two investigations are proposed: (1) an observational study with a convenience sample consisting of children with Down syndrome (group 1-cognitive age of 6 to 12 years according to the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence) and children with typical development 6 to 12 years of age (group 2). Both groups will undergo evaluations on a single day involving a three-dimensional analysis of upper limb movements, an analysis of muscle activity of the biceps and brachial triceps muscles and an analysis of visuospatial and cognitive-motor variables. (2) Analysis of clinical intervention: a pilot study and clinical trial will be conducted involving individuals with Down syndrome (cognitive age of 6 to 12 years according to the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence). The sample will be defined after conducting a pilot study with the same methodology as that to be used in the main study. The participants will be randomly allocated to two groups: An experimental group submitted to anodal tDCS combined with a VR game and a manual motor task and a control group submitted to sham tDCS combined with a VR game and a manual motor task. The training protocol will involve 10 sessions of active or sham tDCS during memory and motor task games. Three 20-min sessions will be held per week for a total of 10 sessions. Evaluations will be performed on three different occasions: pre-intervention, post-intervention (after 10 sessions) and follow-up (1 month after the intervention). Evaluations will consist of analyses of electroencephalographic signals, electromyographic signals of the biceps and triceps brachii, and the three-dimensional reconstruction of the reaching movement. The results will be analyzed statistically with the significance level set at 5% (p ≤ 0.05). DISCUSSION The optimization of the results obtained with virtual reality training is believed to be related to the interactive experience with a wide range of activities and scenarios involving multiple sensory channels and the creation of exercises, the intensity of which can be adjusted to the needs of children. Therefore, the proposed study aims to complement the literature with further information on tDCS and VR training considering different variables to provide the scientific community with clinical data on this combination of interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (REBEC) protocol number RBR-43pk59 registered on 2019 March 27 https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-43pk59 and Human Research Ethics Committee number 3.608.521 approved on 2019 September 30. Protocol version 2021 October 20. Any changes to the protocol will be reported to the committees and approved. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants by the clinical research coordinator and principal investigator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamile Benite Palma Lopes
- Health Sciences Program, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Isabela Marques Miziara
- Technology Institute, School of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Danial Kahani
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Rodolfo Borges Parreira
- Health Sciences Program, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Roberta Delasta Lazzari
- Health Sciences Program, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Iransé Oliveira Silva
- Health Sciences Program, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation, Evangélical University of Goiás (UniEVANGELICA), Anapolis, GO, Brazil
| | - Luis Vicente Oliveira
- Health Sciences Program, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation, Evangélical University of Goiás (UniEVANGELICA), Anapolis, GO, Brazil
| | | | - Manuela Galli
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Cimolin
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Santos Oliveira
- Health Sciences Program, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Human Movement and Rehabilitation, Evangélical University of Goiás (UniEVANGELICA), Anapolis, GO, Brazil
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Sato S, Cui A, Choi JT. Visuomotor errors drive step length and step time adaptation during 'virtual' split-belt walking: the effects of reinforcement feedback. Exp Brain Res 2021; 240:511-523. [PMID: 34816293 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06275-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Precise foot placement is dependent on changes in spatial and temporal coordination between two legs in response to a perturbation during walking. Here, we used a 'virtual' split-belt adaptation task to examine the effects of reinforcement (reward and punishment) feedback about foot placement on the changes in error, step length and step time asymmetry. Twenty-seven healthy adults (20 ± 2.5 years) walked on a treadmill with continuous feedback of the foot position and stepping targets projected on a screen, defined by a visuomotor gain for each leg. The paradigm consisted of a baseline period (same gain on both legs), visuomotor adaptation period (split: one high = 'fast', one low = 'slow' gain) and post-adaptation period (same gain). Participants were divided into 3 groups: control group received no score, reward group received increasing score for each target hit, and punishment group received decreasing score for each target missed. Re-adaptation was assessed 24 ± 2 h later. During early adaptation, the slow foot undershot and fast foot overshot the stepping target. Foot placement errors were gradually reduced by late adaptation, accompanied by increasing step length asymmetry (fast < slow step length) and step time asymmetry (fast > slow step time). Only the punishment group showed greater error reduction and step length re-adaptation on the next day. The results show that (1) explicit feedback of foot placement alone drives adaptation of both step length and step time asymmetry during virtual split-belt walking, and (2) specifically, step length re-adaptation driven by visuomotor errors may be enhanced by punishment feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumire Sato
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA.,Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ashley Cui
- Public Health Science Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Julia T Choi
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA. .,Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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10
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Corticospinal control of normal and visually guided gait in healthy older and younger adults. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 78:29-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Jensen P, Jensen NJ, Terkildsen CU, Choi JT, Nielsen JB, Geertsen SS. Increased central common drive to ankle plantar flexor and dorsiflexor muscles during visually guided gait. Physiol Rep 2018; 6:e13598. [PMID: 29405634 PMCID: PMC5800295 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
When we walk in a challenging environment, we use visual information to modify our gait and place our feet carefully on the ground. Here, we explored how central common drive to ankle muscles changes in relation to visually guided foot placement. Sixteen healthy adults aged 23 ± 5 years participated in the study. Electromyography (EMG) from the Soleus (Sol), medial Gastrocnemius (MG), and the distal and proximal ends of the Tibialis anterior (TA) muscles and electroencephalography (EEG) from Cz were recorded while subjects walked on a motorized treadmill. A visually guided walking task, where subjects received visual feedback of their foot placement on a screen in real-time and were required to place their feet within narrow preset target areas, was compared to normal walking. There was a significant increase in the central common drive estimated by TA-TA and Sol-MG EMG-EMG coherence in beta and gamma frequencies during the visually guided walking compared to normal walking. EEG-TA EMG coherence also increased, but the group average did not reach statistical significance. The results indicate that the corticospinal tract is involved in modifying gait when visually guided placement of the foot is required. These findings are important for our basic understanding of the central control of human bipedal gait and for the design of rehabilitation interventions for gait function following central motor lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Jensen
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and SportsUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | | | | | - Julia T. Choi
- Department of KinesiologyUniversity of MassachusettsAmherstMassachusetts
| | - Jens Bo Nielsen
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Elsass InstituteCharlottenlundDenmark
| | - Svend Sparre Geertsen
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and SportsUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of NeuroscienceUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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Corporaal SHA, Bruijn SM, Hoogkamer W, Chalavi S, Boisgontier MP, Duysens J, Swinnen SP, Gooijers J. Different neural substrates for precision stepping and fast online step adjustments in youth. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2039-2053. [PMID: 29368052 PMCID: PMC5884917 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1586-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Humans can navigate through challenging environments (e.g., cluttered or uneven terrains) by modifying their preferred gait pattern (e.g., step length, step width, or speed). Growing behavioral and neuroimaging evidence suggests that the ability to modify preferred step patterns requires the recruitment of cognitive resources. In children, it is argued that prolonged development of complex gait is related to the ongoing development of involved brain regions, but this has not been directly investigated yet. Here, we aimed to elucidate the relationship between structural brain properties and complex gait in youth aged 9–18 years. We used volumetric analyses of cortical grey matter (GM) and whole-brain voxelwise statistical analyses of white matter (WM), and utilized a treadmill-based precision stepping task to investigate complex gait. Moreover, precision stepping was performed on step targets which were either unperturbed or perturbed (i.e., unexpectedly shifting to a new location). Our main findings revealed that larger unperturbed precision step error was associated with decreased WM microstructural organization of tracts that are particularly associated with attentional and visual processing functions. These results strengthen the hypothesis that precision stepping on unperturbed step targets is driven by cortical processes. In contrast, no significant correlations were found between perturbed precision stepping and cortical structures, indicating that other (neural) mechanisms may be more important for this type of stepping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharissa H A Corporaal
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sjoerd M Bruijn
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, MOVE Research Institute Amsterdam, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Hoogkamer
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder, USA
| | - Sima Chalavi
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Matthieu P Boisgontier
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jacques Duysens
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephan P Swinnen
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease (LIND), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jolien Gooijers
- Movement Control and Neuroplasticity Research Group, Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Tervuursevest 101, box 1501, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
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Performance of a visuomotor walking task in an augmented reality training setting. Hum Mov Sci 2017; 56:11-19. [PMID: 29096179 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Visual cues can be used to train walking patterns. Here, we studied the performance and learning capacities of healthy subjects executing a high-precision visuomotor walking task, in an augmented reality training set-up. A beamer was used to project visual stepping targets on the walking surface of an instrumented treadmill. Two speeds were used to manipulate task difficulty. All participants (n = 20) had to change their step length to hit visual stepping targets with a specific part of their foot, while walking on a treadmill over seven consecutive training blocks, each block composed of 100 stepping targets. Distance between stepping targets was varied between short, medium and long steps. Training blocks could either be composed of random stepping targets (no fixed sequence was present in the distance between the stepping targets) or sequenced stepping targets (repeating fixed sequence was present). Random training blocks were used to measure non-specific learning and sequenced training blocks were used to measure sequence-specific learning. Primary outcome measures were performance (% of correct hits), and learning effects (increase in performance over the training blocks: both sequence-specific and non-specific). Secondary outcome measures were the performance and stepping-error in relation to the step length (distance between stepping target). Subjects were able to score 76% and 54% at first try for lower speed (2.3 km/h) and higher speed (3.3 km/h) trials, respectively. Performance scores did not increase over the course of the trials, nor did the subjects show the ability to learn a sequenced walking task. Subjects were better able to hit targets while increasing their step length, compared to shortening it. In conclusion, augmented reality training by use of the current set-up was intuitive for the user. Suboptimal feedback presentation might have limited the learning effects of the subjects.
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Bracht-Schweizer K, Freslier M, Krapf S, Romkes J. Visual targeting one step before force plates has no effect on gait parameters in orthopaedic patients during level walking. Gait Posture 2017; 58:13-18. [PMID: 28704683 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2017.07.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
In clinical gait analysis, it is challenging to acquire usable force plate data for a patient in a limited amount of time. The aim of this study was to compare three measurement protocols, to investigate if any one of them was more time-efficient than the others at collecting kinetic data. Three conditions were compared for 15 orthopaedic patients: 1) approaching the force plate with four steps, 2) approaching the force plate with six steps, and 3) approaching the force plate with four steps while stepping on a target one step before the first force plate. Then, the following characteristics were analysed: the rate of usable force plate steps, the spatio-temporal parameters, the full-body gait kinematics, and the lower body kinetics. For the condition with four steps and targeting, the rate of usable force plate steps was highest: 84% (6.8 usable trials out of 8.1 trials on average per patient). Left hip adduction and rotation, right shoulder flexion, and total left hip power were the gait parameters with statistically significant differences between the four and six step approach. Left cadence, right step time, left thorax lateroflexion, left shoulder abduction, total right knee power, hip rotation, thorax tilt, and head tilt on both sides were statistically different between the four step approach with targeting and without targeting. None of the differences in gait parameters (except for head tilt) were of clinical relevance. Therefore, approaching the force plate with four steps and stepping on a foot-sized target one step prior to stepping on the force plate increases the rate of usable kinetic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Bracht-Schweizer
- Laboratory for Movement Analysis, University of Basel, University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marie Freslier
- Laboratory for Movement Analysis, University of Basel, University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Krapf
- Laboratory for Movement Analysis, University of Basel, University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacqueline Romkes
- Laboratory for Movement Analysis, University of Basel, University Children's Hospital Basel (UKBB), Basel, Switzerland.
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Roemmich RT, Long AW, Bastian AJ. Seeing the Errors You Feel Enhances Locomotor Performance but Not Learning. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2707-2716. [PMID: 27666970 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In human motor learning, it is thought that the more information we have about our errors, the faster we learn. Here, we show that additional error information can lead to improved motor performance without any concomitant improvement in learning. We studied split-belt treadmill walking that drives people to learn a new gait pattern using sensory prediction errors detected by proprioceptive feedback. When we also provided visual error feedback, participants acquired the new walking pattern far more rapidly and showed accelerated restoration of the normal walking pattern during washout. However, when the visual error feedback was removed during either learning or washout, errors reappeared with performance immediately returning to the level expected based on proprioceptive learning alone. These findings support a model with two mechanisms: a dual-rate adaptation process that learns invariantly from sensory prediction error detected by proprioception and a visual-feedback-dependent process that monitors learning and corrects residual errors but shows no learning itself. We show that our voluntary correction model accurately predicted behavior in multiple situations where visual feedback was used to change acquisition of new walking patterns while the underlying learning was unaffected. The computational and behavioral framework proposed here suggests that parallel learning and error correction systems allow us to rapidly satisfy task demands without necessarily committing to learning, as the relative permanence of learning may be inappropriate or inefficient when facing environments that are liable to change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Roemmich
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Movement Studies, The Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Andrew W Long
- Center for Movement Studies, The Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amy J Bastian
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Center for Movement Studies, The Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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