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De Bartolo D, Borhanazad M, Goudriaan M, Bekius A, Zandvoort CS, Buizer AI, Morelli D, Assenza C, Vermeulen RJ, Martens BHM, Iosa M, Dominici N. Exploring harmonic walking development in children with unilateral cerebral palsy and typically developing toddlers: Insights from walking experience. Hum Mov Sci 2024; 95:103218. [PMID: 38643727 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2024.103218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
This longitudinal study investigated the impact of the first independent steps on harmonic gait development in unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) and typically developing (TD) children. We analysed the gait ratio values (GR) by comparing the duration of stride/stance, stance/swing and swing/double support phases. Our investigation focused on identifying a potential trend towards the golden ratio value of 1.618, which has been observed in the locomotion of healthy adults as a characteristic of harmonic walking. Locomotor ability was assessed in both groups at different developmental stages: before and after the emergence of independent walking. Results revealed that an exponential fit was observed only after the first unsupported steps were taken. TD children achieved harmonic walking within a relatively short period (approximately one month) compared to children with CP, who took about seven months to develop harmonic walking. Converging values for stride/stance and stance/swing gait ratios, averaged on the two legs, closely approached the golden ratio in TD children (R2 = 0.9) with no difference in the analysis of the left vs right leg separately. In contrast, children with CP exhibited a trend for stride/stance and stance/swing (R2 = 0.7), with distinct trends observed for the most affected leg which did not reach the golden ratio value for the stride/stance ratio (GR = 1.5), while the least affected leg exceeded it (GR = 1.7). On the contrary, the opposite trend was observed for the stance/swing ratio. These findings indicate an overall harmonic walking in children with CP despite the presence of asymmetry between the two legs. These results underscore the crucial role of the first independent steps in the progressive development of harmonic gait over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela De Bartolo
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Marzieh Borhanazad
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marije Goudriaan
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Annike Bekius
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Coen S Zandvoort
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Annemieke I Buizer
- Amsterdam UMC location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Rehabilitation & Development, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Emma Children's Hospital, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Daniela Morelli
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Assenza
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - R Jeroen Vermeulen
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Brian H M Martens
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Marco Iosa
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Dominici
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences & Institute for Brain and Behaviour Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Inubashiri N, Hagio S, Kouzaki M. Motor learning in multijoint virtual arm movements with novel kinematics. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10421. [PMID: 38710897 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60844-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans move their hands toward precise positions, a skill supported by the coordination of multiple joint movements, even in the presence of inherent redundancy. However, it remains unclear how the central nervous system learns the relationship between redundant joint movements and hand positions when starting from scratch. To address this question, a virtual-arm reaching task was performed in which participants were required to move a cursor corresponding to the hand of a virtual arm to a target. The joint angles of the virtual arm were determined by the heights of the participants' fingers. The results demonstrated that the participants moved the cursor to the target straighter and faster in the late phase than they did in the initial phase of learning. This improvement was accompanied by a reduction in the amount of angular changes in the virtual limb joint, predominantly characterized by an increased reliance on the virtual shoulder joint as opposed to the virtual wrist joint. These findings suggest that the central nervous system selects a combination of multijoint movements that minimize motor effort while learning novel upper-limb kinematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagisa Inubashiri
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shota Hagio
- Laboratory of Motor Control and Learning, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
- Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Motoki Kouzaki
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Unit of Synergetic Studies for Space, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Fiori L, Castiglia SF, Chini G, Draicchio F, Sacco F, Serrao M, Tatarelli A, Varrecchia T, Ranavolo A. The Lower Limb Muscle Co-Activation Map during Human Locomotion: From Slow Walking to Running. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:288. [PMID: 38534562 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11030288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) controls movements and regulates joint stiffness with muscle co-activation, but until now, few studies have examined muscle pairs during running. This study aims to investigate differences in lower limb muscle coactivation during gait at different speeds, from walking to running. Nineteen healthy runners walked and ran at speeds ranging from 0.8 km/h to 9.3 km/h. Twelve lower limb muscles' co-activation was calculated using the time-varying multi-muscle co-activation function (TMCf) with global, flexor-extension, and rostro-caudal approaches. Spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters were also measured. We found that TMCf, spatiotemporal, and kinematic parameters were significantly affected by gait speed for all approaches. Significant differences were observed in the main parameters of each co-activation approach and in the spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters at the transition between walking and running. In particular, significant differences were observed in the global co-activation (CIglob, main effect F(1,17) = 641.04, p < 0.001; at the transition p < 0.001), the stride length (main effect F(1,17) = 253.03, p < 0.001; at the transition p < 0.001), the stride frequency (main effect F(1,17) = 714.22, p < 0.001; at the transition p < 0.001) and the Center of Mass displacement in the vertical (CoMy, main effect F(1,17) = 426.2, p < 0.001; at the transition p < 0.001) and medial-lateral (CoMz, main effect F(1,17) = 120.29 p < 0.001; at the transition p < 0.001) directions. Regarding the correlation analysis, the CoMy was positively correlated with a higher CIglob (r = 0.88, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHMglob, r = -0.83, p < 0.001), whereas the CoMz was positively correlated with the global Center of Activity (CoAglob, r = 0.97, p < 0.001). Positive and negative strong correlations were found between global co-activation parameters and center of mass displacements, as well as some spatiotemporal parameters, regardless of gait speed. Our findings suggest that walking and running have different co-activation patterns and kinematic characteristics, with the whole-limb stiffness exerted more synchronously and stably during running. The co-activation indexes and kinematic parameters could be the result of global co-activation, which is a sensory-control integration process used by the CNS to deal with more demanding and potentially unstable tasks like running.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Fiori
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
- Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Program, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Viale dell'Università 30, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Filippo Castiglia
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Via Franco Faggiana 1668, 04100 Latina, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Bassi 21, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giorgia Chini
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Draicchio
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
| | - Floriana Sacco
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Via Franco Faggiana 1668, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Antonella Tatarelli
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
| | - Tiwana Varrecchia
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Ranavolo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy
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Roeder L, Breakspear M, Kerr GK, Boonstra TW. Dynamics of brain-muscle networks reveal effects of age and somatosensory function on gait. iScience 2024; 27:109162. [PMID: 38414847 PMCID: PMC10897916 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Walking is a complex motor activity that requires coordinated interactions between the sensory and motor systems. We used mobile EEG and EMG to investigate the brain-muscle networks involved in gait control during overground walking in young people, older people, and individuals with Parkinson's disease. Dynamic interactions between the sensorimotor cortices and eight leg muscles within a gait cycle were assessed using multivariate analysis. We identified three distinct brain-muscle networks during a gait cycle. These networks include a bilateral network, a left-lateralized network activated during the left swing phase, and a right-lateralized network active during the right swing. The trajectories of these networks are contracted in older adults, indicating a reduction in neuromuscular connectivity with age. Individuals with the impaired tactile sensitivity of the foot showed a selective enhancement of the bilateral network, possibly reflecting a compensation strategy to maintain gait stability. These findings provide a parsimonious description of interindividual differences in neuromuscular connectivity during gait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Roeder
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Information Systems, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Chair of Human Movement Science, Department of Sport and Health Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Breakspear
- College of Engineering Science and Environment, College of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Graham K Kerr
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tjeerd W Boonstra
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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Mizuta N, Hasui N, Kai T, Inui Y, Sato M, Ohnishi S, Taguchi J, Nakatani T. Characteristics of limb kinematics in the gait disorders of post-stroke patients. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3082. [PMID: 38321081 PMCID: PMC10847092 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-53616-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: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Post-stroke gait disorders involve altered lower limb kinematics. Recently, the endpoint of the lower limb has been used as a control variable to understand gait kinematics better. In a cross-sectional study of sixty-seven post-stroke patients, the limb extension angle and effective limb length during gait were used as input variables with a mixed Gaussian model-based probabilistic clustering approach to identify five distinct clusters. Each cluster had unique characteristics related to motor paralysis, spasticity, balance ability, and gait strategy. Cluster 1 exhibited high limb extension angle and length values, indicating increased spasticity. Cluster 2 had moderate extension angles and high limb lengths, indicating increased spasticity and reduced balance ability. Cluster 3 had low limb extension angles and high limb length, indicating reduced balance ability, more severe motor paralysis, and increased spasticity. Cluster 4 demonstrated high extension angles and short limb lengths, with a gait strategy that prioritized stride length in the component of gait speed. Cluster 5 had moderate extension angles and short limb lengths, with a gait strategy that prioritized cadence in the component of gait speed. These findings provide valuable insights into post-stroke gait impairment and can guide the development of personalized and effective rehabilitation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomichi Mizuta
- Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Nihon Fukushi University, 26-2 Higashihaemi-cho, Handa-shi, Aichi, 475-0012, Japan.
- Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan.
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital, 22-2 Tsurunoso, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo, 665-0833, Japan.
| | - Naruhito Hasui
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital, 22-2 Tsurunoso, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo, 665-0833, Japan
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan
| | - Takumi Kai
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital, 3-53-3 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 151-0071, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Inui
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nara Prefecture General Rehabilitation Center, 722 Oo, Tawaramoto, Shiki-gun, Nara, 636-0393, Japan
| | - Masahiro Sato
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nakazuyagi Hospital, 1-31, Nakazu, Tokushima-shi, Tokushima, 770-0856, Japan
| | - Sora Ohnishi
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital, 22-2 Tsurunoso, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo, 665-0833, Japan
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan
| | - Junji Taguchi
- Department of Medical, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital, 22-2 Tsurunoso, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo, 665-0833, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakatani
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital, 22-2 Tsurunoso, Takarazuka-shi, Hyogo, 665-0833, Japan
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Barliya A, Krausz N, Naaman H, Chiovetto E, Giese M, Flash T. Human arm redundancy: a new approach for the inverse kinematics problem. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231036. [PMID: 38420627 PMCID: PMC10898979 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The inverse kinematics (IK) problem addresses how both humans and robotic systems coordinate movement to resolve redundancy, as in the case of arm reaching where more degrees of freedom are available at the joint versus hand level. This work focuses on which coordinate frames best represent human movements, enabling the motor system to solve the IK problem in the presence of kinematic redundancies. We used a multi-dimensional sparse source separation method to derive sets of basis (or source) functions for both the task and joint spaces, with joint space represented by either absolute or anatomical joint angles. We assessed the similarities between joint and task sources in each of these joint representations, finding that the time-dependent profiles of the absolute reference frame's sources show greater similarity to corresponding sources in the task space. This result was found to be statistically significant. Our analysis suggests that the nervous system represents multi-joint arm movements using a limited number of basis functions, allowing for simple transformations between task and joint spaces. Additionally, joint space seems to be represented in an absolute reference frame to simplify the IK transformations, given redundancies. Further studies will assess this finding's generalizability and implications for neural control of movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avi Barliya
- Motor Control for Humans and Robotic Systems Laboratory, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Central, Israel
| | - Nili Krausz
- Motor Control for Humans and Robotic Systems Laboratory, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Central, Israel
- Neurobotics and Bionic Limbs (eNaBLe) Laboratory, Technion—Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Hila Naaman
- Motor Control for Humans and Robotic Systems Laboratory, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Central, Israel
| | - Enrico Chiovetto
- Section Theoretical Sensomotorics, HIH/CIN, University Clinic of Tübingen, Tubingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Martin Giese
- Section Theoretical Sensomotorics, HIH/CIN, University Clinic of Tübingen, Tubingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Tamar Flash
- Motor Control for Humans and Robotic Systems Laboratory, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Central, Israel
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Mesquita RM, Willems PA, Catavitello G, Dewolf AH. Kinematics and mechanical changes with step frequency at different running speeds. Eur J Appl Physiol 2024; 124:607-622. [PMID: 37684396 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-023-05303-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Running at a given speed can be achieved by taking large steps at a low frequency or on the contrary by taking small steps at a high frequency. The consequences of a change in step frequency, at a fixed speed, affects the stiffness of the lower limb differently. In this study, we compared the running mechanics and kinematics at different imposed step frequencies (from 2 step s-1 to 3.6 step s-1) to understand the relationship between kinematic and kinetic parameters. METHODS Eight recreational male runners ran on a treadmill at 5 different speeds and 5 different step frequencies. The lower-limb segment motion and the ground reaction forces were recorded. Mechanical powers, general gait parameters, lower-limb movements and coordination were investigated. RESULTS At low step frequencies, in order to limit the magnitude of the ground reaction force, the vertical stiffness is reduced and thus runners deviate from an elastic rebound. At high step frequencies, the stiffness is increased and the elastic rebound is optimised in its ability to absorb and restore energy during the contact phase. CONCLUSION We studied the consequences of a change in step frequency on the bouncing mechanics of running. We showed that the lower limb stiffness and the intersegmental coordination of the lower-limb segments are affected by running step frequency rather than speed. The runner rather adapts their lower limb stiffness to match a step frequency for a given speed than the opposite.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Mesquita
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - P A Willems
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - G Catavitello
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - A H Dewolf
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Garofolini A, Mickle KJ, McLaughlin P, Taylor SB. Assessing the effects of foot strike patterns and shoe types on the control of leg length and orientation in running. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2220. [PMID: 38278965 PMCID: PMC10817954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52446-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
This research investigates the stabilization of leg length and orientation during the landing phase of running, examining the effects of different footwear and foot strike patterns. Analyzing kinematic data from twenty male long-distance runners, both rearfoot and forefoot strikers, we utilized the Uncontrolled Manifold approach to assess stability. Findings reveal that both leg length and orientation are indeed stabilized during landing, challenging the hypothesis that rearfoot strikers exhibit less variance in deviations than forefoot strikers, and that increased footwear assistance would reduce these deviations. Surprisingly, footwear with a lower minimalist index enhanced post-landing stability, suggesting that cushioning contributes to both force dissipation and leg length stability. The study indicates that both foot strike patterns are capable of effectively reducing task-relevant variance, with no inherent restriction on flexibility for rearfoot strikers. However, there is an indication of potential reliance on footwear for stability. These insights advance our understanding of the biomechanics of running, highlighting the role of footwear in stabilizing leg length and orientation, which has significant implications for running efficiency and injury prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen J Mickle
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia
| | - Patrick McLaughlin
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Simon B Taylor
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
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Cheron G, Simar C, Cebolla AM. The oscillatory nature of the motor and perceptive kinematics invariants: Comment on "Motor invariants in action execution and perception" by Francesco Torricelli et al. Phys Life Rev 2023; 46:80-84. [PMID: 37327669 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Guy Cheron
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium; Laboratory of Electrophysiology, Université de Mons-Hainaut, Mons, Belgium.
| | - Cédric Simar
- Machine Learning Group, Computer Science Department, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ana Maria Cebolla
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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Xiong Q, Liu Y, Mo J, Chen Y, Zhang L, Xia Z, Yi C, Jiang S, Xiao N. Gait asymmetry in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: evaluated through kinematic synergies and muscle synergies of lower limbs. Biomed Eng Online 2023; 22:75. [PMID: 37525241 PMCID: PMC10388506 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-023-01134-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gait is a complex, whole-body movement that requires the coordinated action of multiple joints and muscles of our musculoskeletal system. In the context of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness and joint contractures, previous studies have generally assumed symmetrical behavior of the lower limbs during gait. However, such a symmetric gait pattern of DMD was controversial. One aspect of this is criticized, because most of these studies have primarily focused on univariate variables, rather than on the coordination of multiple body segments and even less investigate gait symmetry under a motor synergy of view. METHODS We investigated the gait pattern of 20 patients with DMD, compared to 18 typical developing children (TD) through 3D Gait Analysis. Kinematic and muscle synergies were extracted with principal component analysis (PCA) and non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF), respectively. The synergies extracted from the left and right sides were compared with each other to obtain a symmetry value. In addition, bilateral spatiotemporal variables of gait, such as stride length, percentage of stance and swing phase, step length, and percentage of double support phase, were used for calculating the symmetry index (SI) to evaluate gait symmetry as well. RESULTS Compared with the TD group, the DMD group walked with decreased gait velocity (both p < 0.01), stride length (both p < 0.01), and step length (both p < 0.001). No significant difference was found between groups in SI of all spatiotemporal parameters extracted between the left and right lower limbs. In addition, the DMD group exhibited lower kinematic synergy symmetry values compared to the TD group (p < 0.001), while no such significant group difference was observed in symmetry values of muscle synergy. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that DMD influences, to some extent, the symmetry of synergistic movement of multiple segments of lower limbs, and thus kinematic synergy appears capable of discriminating gait asymmetry in children with DMD when conventional spatiotemporal parameters are unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiliang Xiong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jieyi Mo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuxia Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lianghong Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Zhongyan Xia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Chen Yi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Shaofeng Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Nong Xiao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
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Choi JY, Ha SW, Jeong DE, Lee J, Kim D, Min JY, Min KB. Association Between the Loss of Gait Harmony and Cognitive Impairment: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2023; 9:e46264. [PMID: 37428538 PMCID: PMC10366667 DOI: 10.2196/46264] [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: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional limitations and disabilities have been associated with a decrease in cognitive function due to increasing age. Gait performance and cognitive function have been associated with gait variability in executive function, the phase domain in memory, and gait abnormalities in cognitive decline. OBJECTIVE Our study aimed to investigate whether gait harmony was associated with cognitive function in the older adult population. Moreover, we aimed to investigate whether gait harmony was associated with cognitive function and explore each cognitive function in a specific harmonic state. METHODS The study population included 510 adults aged ≥60 years who visited the Department of Neurology at the Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. Gait data were collected using a 3D motion capture device with a wireless inertial measurement unit system. For cognitive function assessments, we used the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-Core test, which evaluates the level of cognitive function or impairment in 5 cognitive domains. RESULTS In general, the association between the Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery-Core tests and the stance-to-swing ratio in the >1.63 ratio group yielded lower β coefficients than those in the 1.50-1.63 ratio group. After adjustment for confounders, the odds ratio (OR) for the Digit Symbol Coding test (adjusted OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.20-0.88) and the Korean version of the Color Word Stroop Test: 60 seconds (adjusted OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.29-0.89) for frontal and executive function were significantly lower for the >1.63 ratio group than the reference group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the gait phase ratio is a valuable indicator of walking deficits and may also be associated with cognitive impairment in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Young Choi
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Won Ha
- Department of Neurology, Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Da-Eun Jeong
- Department of Neurology, Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeho Lee
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghoon Kim
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Young Min
- Veterans Medical Research Institute, Veterans Health Service Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung-Bok Min
- Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University Graduate School, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Health Policy and Management, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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12
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Ranaldi S, De Marchis C, Serrao M, Ranavolo A, Draicchio F, Lacquaniti F, Conforto S. Characterization of prosthetic knees through a low-dimensional description of gait kinematics. J Neuroeng Rehabil 2023; 20:46. [PMID: 37055813 PMCID: PMC10100472 DOI: 10.1186/s12984-023-01160-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The characterization of both limbs' behaviour in prosthetic gait is of key importance for improving the prosthetic components and increasing the biomechanical capability of trans-femoral amputees. When characterizing human gait, modular motor control theories have been proven to be powerful in providing a compact description of the gait patterns. In this paper, the planar covariation law of lower limb elevation angles is proposed as a compact, modular description of prosthetic gait; this model is exploited for a comparison between trans-femoral amputees walking with different prosthetic knees and control subjects walking at different speeds. Results show how the planar covariation law is maintained in prostheses users, with a similar spatial organization and few temporal differences. Most of the differences among the different prosthetic knees are found in the kinematic coordination patterns of the sound side. Moreover, different geometrical parameters have been calculated over the common projected plane, and their correlation with classical gait spatiotemporal and stability parameters has been investigated. The results from this latter analysis have highlighted a correlation with several parameters of gait, suggesting that this compact description of kinematics unravels a significant biomechanical meaning. These results can be exploited to guide the control mechanisms of prosthetic devices based purely on the measurement of relevant kinematic quantities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Ranaldi
- Department of Industrial Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, University Roma TRE, Rome, Italy.
| | | | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Rehabilitation Centre, Policlinico Italia, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Ranavolo
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Draicchio
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Conforto
- Department of Industrial Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, University Roma TRE, Rome, Italy
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13
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Nascimento MDM, Maduro PA, Rios PMB, Nascimento LDS, Silva CN, Kliegel M, Ihle A. The Effects of 12-Week Dual-Task Physical-Cognitive Training on Gait, Balance, Lower Extremity Muscle Strength, and Cognition in Older Adult Women: A Randomized Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20085498. [PMID: 37107780 PMCID: PMC10139030 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20085498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the effects of dual-task physical-cognitive the training on body balance (BB), gait performance (GP), lower limb muscle strength (LEMS), and cognitive performance (CP) in a group of cognitively normal older adult women (n = 44; 66.20 ± 4.05 years). Of these, 22 were randomly allocated to the dual-task training (DT) group, and 22 participated in the control group (CG). Assessments were performed at baseline, after 12 weeks of intervention, and at the end of 12 weeks of follow-up, using the following instruments: Timed Up & Go (TUG), Timed Up & Go manual (TUGm), Timed Up & Go cognitive (TUGc), Balance Test (TEC), sit-to-stand test (STS), and verbal fluency test (VF). After 12 weeks of DT training, participants showed a significant time × group interaction in all motor assessments (BB, GP, LEMS), as well as in three cognitive tests (VF-grouping, VF-exchange, VF-total). No time-group interaction effect was indicated for the VF-category test. At all evaluation times, CG members maintained constant physical and cognitive performance. We conclude that 12 weeks of physical-cognitive DT training was effective in promoting BB, GP, and LEMS, as well as CP in cognitively normal older adult women, with lasting effects up to 12 weeks after the intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo de Maio Nascimento
- Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Campus Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-(87)-21016856
| | - Paula Andreatta Maduro
- University Hospital of the Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Campus Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
| | - Pâmala Morais Bagano Rios
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Campus Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
| | - Lara dos Santos Nascimento
- Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Campus Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
| | - Carolina Nascimento Silva
- Department of Psychology, Federal University of Vale do São Francisco, Campus Petrolina 56304-917, Brazil
| | - Matthias Kliegel
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland (A.I.)
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES—Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Ihle
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland (A.I.)
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES—Overcoming Vulnerability: Life Course Perspectives, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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14
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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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15
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Hashiguchi Y, Goto R, Naka T. Effects of orthoses on muscle activity and synergy during gait. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281541. [PMID: 36757940 PMCID: PMC9910715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
An orthosis is often used in rehabilitation to improve kinetic and kinematic parameters during gait. However, whether changes in neural control depend on wearing an orthosis during gait is unclear. We measured the muscle activity and synergy of the lower limb muscles without orthosis and with two types of orthoses: ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) and knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO). Muscle activity during gait was measured in 15 healthy adults, and muscle synergies were extracted using non-negative matrix factorization. The results revealed that some muscle activities were significantly different among the three conditions. Post-hoc analysis indicated differences between each condition. Knee extensor muscle activity related to the loading response was significantly increased by wearing the AFO. In the KAFO condition, hip abductor muscle activity related to weight bearing was significantly decreased, and ankle dorsiflexor muscle activity was increased to secure clearance during the swing phase. However, the number of muscle synergies and complexity of muscle synergy did not significantly change among these conditions. However, along with changes in muscle activity, the activation pattern and weightings of muscle synergies tended to change with the use of orthoses. Each muscle activity was changed by wearing the orthosis; however, the immediate mechanical constraint did not change the framework of muscle synergy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Hashiguchi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Gunma PAZ University, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Ryosuke Goto
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Gunma PAZ University, Takasaki-shi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Toru Naka
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, R Professional University of Rehabilitation, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
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16
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Different functional networks underlying human walking with pulling force fields acting in forward or backward directions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1909. [PMID: 36732556 PMCID: PMC9894902 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29231-6] [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: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Walking with pulling force fields acting at the body center of mass (in the forward or backward directions) is compatible with inclined walking and is used in clinical practice for gait training. From the perspective of known differences in the motor strategies that underlie walking with the respective force fields, the present study elucidated whether the adaptation acquired by walking on a split-belt treadmill with either one of the force fields affects subsequent walking in a force field in the opposite directions. Walking with the force field induced an adaptive and de-adaptive behavior of the subjects, with the aspect evident in the braking and propulsive impulses of the ground reaction force (difference in the peak value between the left and right sides for each stride cycle) as parameters. In the parameters, the adaptation acquired during walking with a force field acting in one direction was transferred to that in the opposite direction only partially. Furthermore, the adaptation that occurred while walking in a force field in one direction was rarely washed out by subsequent walking in a force field in the opposite direction and thus was maintained independently of the other. These results demonstrated possible independence in the neural functional networks capable of controlling walking in each movement task with an opposing force field.
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17
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Shima A, Miyake T, Tanaka K, Ogawa A, Omae E, Nagamori Y, Miyata Y, Ohata K, Maki T, Ono Y, Mima T, Takahashi R, Koganemaru S. Case report: A novel approach of closed-loop brain stimulation combined with robot gait training in post-stroke gait disturbance. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1082556. [PMID: 36778037 PMCID: PMC9911819 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1082556] [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: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Most post-stroke patients have long-lasting gait disturbances that reduce their daily activities. They often show impaired hip and knee joint flexion and ankle dorsiflexion of the lower limbs during the swing phase of gait, which is controlled by the corticospinal tract from the primary motor cortex (M1). Recently, we reported that gait-synchronized closed-loop brain stimulation targeting swing phase-related activity in the affected M1 can improve gait function in post-stroke patients. Subsequently, a gait-training robot (Orthobot®) was developed that could assist lower-limb joint movements during the swing phase of gait. Therefore, we investigated whether gait-synchronized closed-loop brain stimulation combined with robot-assisted training targeting the swing phase could enhance the recovery of post-stroke gait disturbance. A 57-year-old female patient with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis underwent closed-loop brain stimulation combined with robot-assisted training for 10 min 2 years after left pons infarction. For closed-loop brain stimulation, we used transcranial oscillatory electrical current stimulation over the lesioned M1 foot area with 1.5 mA of DC offset and 0-3 mA of sine-wave formed currents triggered by the paretic heel contact to set the maximum current just before the swing phase (intervention A; two times repeated, A1 and A2). According to the N-of-1 study design, we also performed sham stimulation (intervention B) and control stimulation not targeting the swing phase (intervention C) combined with robot-assisted training in the order of A1-B-A2-C interventions. As a result, we found larger improvements in gait speed, the Timed Up and Go test result, and muscle strength after the A1 and A2 interventions than after the B and C interventions. After confirming the short-term effects, we performed an additional long-term intervention twice a week for 5 weeks, for a total of 10 sessions. Gait parameters also largely improved after long-term intervention. Gait-synchronized closed-loop brain stimulation combined with robot-assisted training targeting the swing phase of gait may promote the recovery of gait function in post-stroke patients. Further studies with a larger number of patients are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Shima
- Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience, Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Miyake
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazuki Tanaka
- Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience, Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akari Ogawa
- Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience, Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan,Department of Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Erika Omae
- Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience, Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan,Department of Neuroscience, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yui Nagamori
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yusuke Miyata
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koji Ohata
- Department of Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takakuni Maki
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yumie Ono
- Department of Electronics and Bioinformatics, Meiji University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Mima
- The Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Takahashi
- Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoko Koganemaru
- Department of Regenerative Systems Neuroscience, Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hokkaido University Hospital, Hokkaido, Japan,*Correspondence: Satoko Koganemaru ✉
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18
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Bermejo-García J, Rodríguez Jorge D, Romero-Sánchez F, Jayakumar A, Alonso-Sánchez FJ. Actuation Strategies for a Wearable Cable-Driven Exosuit Based on Synergies in Younger and Older Adults. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 23:261. [PMID: 36616858 PMCID: PMC9824617 DOI: 10.3390/s23010261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Older adults (aged 55 years and above) have greater difficulty carrying out activities of daily living than younger adults (aged 25−55 years). Although age-related changes in human gait kinetics are well documented in qualitative terms in the scientific literature, these differences may be quantified and analyzed using the analysis of motor control strategies through kinetic synergies. The gaits of two groups of people (older and younger adults), each with ten members, were analyzed on a treadmill at a constant controlled speed and their gait kinetics were recorded. The decomposition of the kinetics into synergies was applied to the joint torques at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Principal components determined the similarity of the kinetic torques in the three joints analyzed and the effect of the walking speed on the coordination pattern. A total of three principal components were required to describe enough information with minimal loss. The results suggest that the older group showed a change in coordination strategy compared to that of the younger group. The main changes were related to the ankle and hip torques, both showing significant differences (p-value <0.05) between the two groups. The findings suggest that the differences between the gait patterns of the two groups were closely related to a reduction in ankle torque and an increase in hip torque. This change in gait pattern may affect the rehabilitation strategy used when designing general-purpose rehabilitation devices or rehabilitation/training programs for the elderly.
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19
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Sun SY, Giszter SF, Harkema SJ, Angeli CA. Modular organization of locomotor networks in people with severe spinal cord injury. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1041015. [PMID: 36570830 PMCID: PMC9768556 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1041015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Previous studies support modular organization of locomotor circuitry contributing to the activation of muscles in a spatially and temporally organized manner during locomotion. Human spinal circuitry may reorganize after spinal cord injury; however, it is unclear if reorganization of spinal circuitry post-injury affects the modular organization. Here we characterize the modular synergy organization of locomotor muscle activity expressed during assisted stepping in subjects with complete and incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) of varying chronicity, before any explicit training regimen. We also investigated whether the synergy characteristics changed in two subjects who achieved independent walking after training with spinal cord epidural stimulation. Methods To capture synergy structures during stepping, individuals with SCI were stepped on a body-weight supported treadmill with manual facilitation, while electromyography (EMGs) were recorded from bilateral leg muscles. EMGs were analyzed using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) and independent component analysis (ICA) to identify synergy patterns. Synergy patterns from the SCI subjects were compared across different clinical characteristics and to non-disabled subjects (NDs). Results Results for both NMF and ICA indicated that the subjects with SCI were similar among themselves, but expressed a greater variability in the number of synergies for criterion variance capture compared to NDs, and weaker correlation to NDs. ICA yielded a greater number of muscle synergies than NMF. Further, the clinical characteristics of SCI subjects and chronicity did not predict any significant differences in the spatial synergy structures despite any neuroplastic changes. Further, post-training synergies did not become closer to ND synergies in two individuals. Discussion These findings suggest fundamental differences between motor modules expressed in SCIs and NDs, as well as a striking level of spatial and temporal synergy stability in motor modules in the SCI population, absent the application of specific interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soo Yeon Sun
- Department of Physical Therapy, Alvernia University, Reading, PA, United States
| | - Simon F. Giszter
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States,School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Susan J. Harkema
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States,Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States,Frazier Rehab Institute, University of Louisville Health, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Claudia A. Angeli
- Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States,Frazier Rehab Institute, University of Louisville Health, Louisville, KY, United States,Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States,*Correspondence: Claudia A. Angeli,
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20
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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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21
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Andrada E, Mothes O, Stark H, Tresch MC, Denzler J, Fischer MS, Blickhan R. Limb, joint and pelvic kinematic control in the quail coping with steps upwards and downwards. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15901. [PMID: 36151454 PMCID: PMC9508109 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20247-y] [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: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Small cursorial birds display remarkable walking skills and can negotiate complex and unstructured terrains with ease. The neuromechanical control strategies necessary to adapt to these challenging terrains are still not well understood. Here, we analyzed the 2D- and 3D pelvic and leg kinematic strategies employed by the common quail to negotiate visible steps (upwards and downwards) of about 10%, and 50% of their leg length. We used biplanar fluoroscopy to accurately describe joint positions in three dimensions and performed semi-automatic landmark localization using deep learning. Quails negotiated the vertical obstacles without major problems and rapidly regained steady-state locomotion. When coping with step upwards, the quail mostly adapted the trailing limb to permit the leading leg to step on the elevated substrate similarly as it did during level locomotion. When negotiated steps downwards, both legs showed significant adaptations. For those small and moderate step heights that did not induce aerial running, the quail kept the kinematic pattern of the distal joints largely unchanged during uneven locomotion, and most changes occurred in proximal joints. The hip regulated leg length, while the distal joints maintained the spring-damped limb patterns. However, to negotiate the largest visible steps, more dramatic kinematic alterations were observed. There all joints contributed to leg lengthening/shortening in the trailing leg, and both the trailing and leading legs stepped more vertically and less abducted. In addition, locomotion speed was decreased. We hypothesize a shift from a dynamic walking program to more goal-directed motions that might be focused on maximizing safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Andrada
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany.
| | - Oliver Mothes
- Computer Vision Group, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Heiko Stark
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthew C Tresch
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Joachim Denzler
- Computer Vision Group, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin S Fischer
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Reinhard Blickhan
- Science of Motion, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany
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22
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Xiong Q, Wan J, Jiang S, Liu Y. Age-related differences in gait symmetry obtained from kinematic synergies and muscle synergies of lower limbs during childhood. Biomed Eng Online 2022; 21:61. [PMID: 36058910 PMCID: PMC9442939 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-022-01034-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The age-related changes of gait symmetry in healthy children concerning individual joint and muscle activation data have previously been widely studied. Extending beyond individual joints or muscles, identifying age-related changes in the coordination of multiple joints or muscles (i.e., muscle synergies and kinematic synergies) could capture more closely the underlying mechanisms responsible for gait symmetry development. To evaluate the effect of age on the symmetry of the coordination of multiple joints or muscles during childhood, we measured gait symmetry by kinematic and EMG data in 39 healthy children from 2 years old to 14 years old, divided into three equal age groups: preschool children (G1; 2.0-5.9 years), children (G2; 6.0-9.9 years), pubertal children (G3; 10.0-13.9 years). Participants walked barefoot at a self-selected walking speed during three-dimensional gait analysis (3DGA). Kinematic synergies and muscle synergies were extracted with principal component analysis (PCA) and non-negative matrix factorization (NNMF), respectively. The synergies extracted from the left and right sides were compared with each other to obtain a symmetry value. Statistical analysis was performed to examine intergroup differences. The results showed that the effect of age was significant on the symmetry values extracted by kinematic synergies, while older children exhibited higher kinematic synergy symmetry values compared to the younger group. However, no significant age-related changes in symmetry values of muscle synergy were observed. It is suggested that kinematic synergy of lower joints can be asymmetric at the onset of independent walking and showed improving symmetry with increasing age, whereas the age-related effect on the symmetry of muscle synergies was not demonstrated. These data provide an age-related framework and normative dataset to distinguish age-related differences from pathology in children with neuromotor disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiliang Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Nondestructive Testing, Ministry of Education, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
| | - Jinliang Wan
- Key Laboratory of Nondestructive Testing, Ministry of Education, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Shaofeng Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Nondestructive Testing, Ministry of Education, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanchang Hangkong University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Alizadehsaravi L, Bruijn SM, Muijres W, Koster RAJ, van Dieën JH. Improvement in gait stability in older adults after ten sessions of standing balance training. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0242115. [PMID: 35895709 PMCID: PMC9328559 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Balance training aims to improve balance and transfer acquired skills to real-life tasks. How older adults adapt gait to different conditions, and whether these adaptations are altered by balance training, remains unclear. We hypothesized that reorganization of modular control of muscle activity is a mechanism underlying adaptation of gait to training and environmental constraints. We investigated the transfer of standing balance training, shown to enhance unipedal balance control, to gait and adaptations in neuromuscular control of gait between normal and narrow-base walking in twenty-two older adults (72.6 ± 4.2 years). At baseline, after one, and after ten training sessions, kinematics and EMG of normal and narrow-base treadmill walking were measured. Gait parameters and temporal activation profiles of five muscle synergies were compared between time-points and gait conditions. Effects of balance training and an interaction between training and gait condition on step width were found, but not on synergies. After ten training sessions step width decreased in narrow-base walking, while step width variability decreased in both conditions. Trunk center of mass displacement and velocity, and the local divergence exponent, were lower in narrow-base compared to normal walking. Activation duration in narrow-base compared to normal walking was shorter for synergies associated with dominant leg weight acceptance and non-dominant leg stance, and longer for the synergy associated with non-dominant heel-strike. Time of peak activation associated with dominant leg stance occurred earlier in narrow-base compared to normal walking, while it was delayed in synergies associated with heel-strikes and non-dominant leg stance. The adaptations of synergies to narrow-base walking may be interpreted as related to more cautious weight transfer to the new stance leg and enhanced control over center of mass movement in the stance phase. The improvement of gait stability due to standing balance training is promising for less mobile older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Alizadehsaravi
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd M. Bruijn
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Muijres
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud A. J. Koster
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap H. van Dieën
- Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Electrical Stimulation over the Supplementary Motor Area Combined with Walking on the Intramuscular Coherence of the Tibialis Anterior in a Subacute Post-Stroke Patient: A Single-Case Study. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050540. [PMID: 35624929 PMCID: PMC9139188 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor recovery is related to the corticospinal tract (CST) lesion in post-stroke patients. The CST originating from the supplementary motor area (SMA) affects the recovery of impaired motor function. We confirmed the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the SMA combined with walk training on CST excitability. This study involved a stroke patient with severe sensorimotor deficits and a retrospective AB design. Walk training was conducted only in phase A. Phase B consisted of anodal tDCS (1.5 mA) combined with walk training. Walking speed, stride time variability (STV; reflecting gait stability), and beta-band intramuscular coherence—derived from the paired tibialis anterior on the paretic side (reflecting CST excitability)—were measured. STV quantified the coefficient of variation in stride time using accelerometers. Intramuscular coherence during the early stance phase noticeably increased in phase B compared with phase A. Intramuscular coherence in both the stance and swing phases was reduced at follow-up. Walking speed showed no change, while STV was noticeably decreased in phase B compared with phase A. These results suggest that tDCS over the SMA during walking improves gait stability by enhancing CST excitability in the early stance phase.
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Temporal Synergies Detection in Gait Cyclograms Using Wearable Technology. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22072728. [PMID: 35408342 PMCID: PMC9002595 DOI: 10.3390/s22072728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The human gait can be described as the synergistic activity of all individual components of the sensory–motor system. The central nervous system (CNS) develops synergies to execute endpoint motion by coordinating muscle activity to reflect the global goals of the endpoint trajectory. This paper proposes a new method for assessing temporal dynamic synergies. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been applied on the signals acquired by wearable sensors (inertial measurement units, IMU and ground reaction force sensors, GRF mounted on feet) to detect temporal synergies in the space of two-dimensional PCA cyclograms. The temporal synergy results for different gait speeds in healthy subjects and stroke patients before and after the therapy were compared. The hypothesis of invariant temporal synergies at different gait velocities was statistically confirmed, without the need to record and analyze muscle activity. A significant difference in temporal synergies was noticed in hemiplegic gait compared to healthy gait. Finally, the proposed PCA-based cyclogram method provided the therapy follow-up information about paretic leg gait in stroke patients that was not available by observing conventional parameters, such as temporal and symmetry gait measures.
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De Marchis C, Ranaldi S, Varrecchia T, Serrao M, Castiglia SF, Tatarelli A, Ranavolo A, Draicchio F, Lacquaniti F, Conforto S. Characterizing the Gait of People With Different Types of Amputation and Prosthetic Components Through Multimodal Measurements: A Methodological Perspective. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2022; 3:804746. [PMID: 36189078 PMCID: PMC9397865 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2022.804746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Prosthetic gait implies the use of compensatory motor strategies, including alterations in gait biomechanics and adaptations in the neural control mechanisms adopted by the central nervous system. Despite the constant technological advancements in prostheses design that led to a reduction in compensatory movements and an increased acceptance by the users, a deep comprehension of the numerous factors that influence prosthetic gait is still needed. The quantitative prosthetic gait analysis is an essential step in the development of new and ergonomic devices and to optimize the rehabilitation therapies. Nevertheless, the assessment of prosthetic gait is still carried out by a heterogeneous variety of methodologies, and this limits the comparison of results from different studies, complicating the definition of shared and well-accepted guidelines among clinicians, therapists, physicians, and engineers. This perspective article starts from the results of a project funded by the Italian Worker's Compensation Authority (INAIL) that led to the generation of an extended dataset of measurements involving kinematic, kinetic, and electrophysiological recordings in subjects with different types of amputation and prosthetic components. By encompassing different studies published along the project activities, we discuss the specific information that can be extracted by different kinds of measurements, and we here provide a methodological perspective related to multimodal prosthetic gait assessment, highlighting how, for designing improved prostheses and more effective therapies for patients, it is of critical importance to analyze movement neural control and its mechanical actuation as a whole, without limiting the focus to one specific aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiano De Marchis
- Department of Industrial, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
- Department of Engineering, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
- *Correspondence: Cristiano De Marchis
| | - Simone Ranaldi
- Department of Industrial, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiwana Varrecchia
- Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy
| | - Stefano Filippo Castiglia
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy
| | - Antonella Tatarelli
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Ranavolo
- Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Draicchio
- Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work (INAIL), Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine and Center of Space Biomedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Conforto
- Department of Industrial, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy
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Merged swing-muscle synergies and their relation to walking characteristics in subacute post-stroke patients: An observational study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263613. [PMID: 35120178 PMCID: PMC8815905 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In post-stroke patients, muscle synergy (the coordination of motor modules during walking) is impaired. In some patients, the muscle synergy termed module 1 (hip/knee extensors) is merged with module 2 (ankle plantar flexors), and in other cases, module 1 is merged with module 4 (knee flexors). However, post-stroke individuals with a merging pattern of module 3 (hip flexor and ankle dorsiflexor) and module 4, which is the swing-muscle synergy, have not been reported. This study aimed to determine the muscle-synergy merging subtypes of post-stroke during comfortable walking speed (cws). We also examined the effect of experimental lower-limb angle modulation on the muscle synergy patterns of walking in each subtype. Forty-one participants were assessed under three conditions: cws, long stepping on the paretic side (p-long), and long stepping on the non-paretic side (np-long). Lower-limb flexion and extension angles and the electromyogram were measured during walking. Subtype classification was based on the merging pattern of the muscle synergies, and we examined the effect of different lower-limb angles on the muscle synergies. We identified three merging subtypes: module 1 with module 2 (subtype 1), module 1 with module 4 (subtype 2), and module 3 with module 4 (subtype 3). In the cws condition, the lower-limb flexion angle was reduced in subtype 3, and the lower-limb extension angle was decreased in subtype 1. A more complex muscle synergy was observed only in subtype 3 in the p-long condition versus cws (p = 0.036). This subtype classification of walking impairments based on the merging pattern of the muscle synergies could be useful for the selection of a rehabilitation strategy according to the individual’s particular neurological condition. Rehabilitation with increased lower-limb flexion may be effective for the training of patients with merging of modules 3 and 4 in comfortable walking.
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Sato Y, Kondo T, Uchida A, Sato K, Yoshino-Saito K, Nakamura M, Okano H, Ushiba J. Preserved Intersegmental Coordination During Locomotion after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Common Marmosets. Behav Brain Res 2022; 425:113816. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Mizuta N, Hasui N, Nishi Y, Higa Y, Matsunaga A, Deguchi J, Yamamoto Y, Nakatani T, Taguchi J, Morioka S. Association between temporal asymmetry and muscle synergy during walking with rhythmic auditory cueing in stroke survivors living with impairments. Arch Rehabil Res Clin Transl 2022; 4:100187. [PMID: 35756980 PMCID: PMC9214337 DOI: 10.1016/j.arrct.2022.100187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the effect of temporal gait asymmetry on muscle synergy post stroke. In our design, the temporal asymmetry during gait was experimentally modulated. The temporal asymmetry was modulated using rhythmic auditory cueing. Rhythmic auditory cueing with gait immediately improved temporal asymmetry and muscle synergy deficits. The temporal asymmetry affected muscle synergy more than kinematics.
Objective To examine the relationship between temporal asymmetry and complexity of muscle synergy during walking using rhythmic auditory cueing (RAC) and the factors related to changes in muscle synergy during walking with RAC in survivors of stroke. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Wards at 2 medical corporation hospitals. Participants Forty survivors of stroke (N=40; mean age, 70.4±10.3 years; time since stroke, 72.2±32.3 days) who could walk without physical assistance. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures The participants were assessed in a random block design under 2 conditions: comfortable walking speed (CWS) and walking with RAC. Single-leg support time, kinematics, and electromyograms were measured. Factors related to the complexity of muscle synergy (variance accounted for by 1 synergy [VAF1]) between the walking conditions were examined using hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results In the RAC condition, lower limb flexion and knee flexion angles, single-leg support time on the paretic side, and the symmetry index of single-leg support time were increased compared with those in the CWS condition. VAF1 was decreased in the RAC condition (73.9±0.15) compared with that in the CWS condition (76.9±0.13, P=.002). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the change in VAF1 was explained by change in single-leg support time (R2=0.43, P=.002). Conclusions The RAC condition demonstrated a more complex representation of muscle synergy than the CWS condition; the change in single-leg support time on the paretic side related to the changes in muscle synergy more than changes in lower limb angle. These findings can help in the walking-training concept to improve muscle synergy deficits in survivors of stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomichi Mizuta
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
- Corresponding author Naomichi Mizuta, PT, PhD, Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, 4-2-2 Umaminaka, Koryo, Kitakatsuragi-gun, Nara, 635-0832, Japan.
| | - Naruhito Hasui
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
| | - Yuki Nishi
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan
| | - Yasutaka Higa
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
| | - Ayaka Matsunaga
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
| | - Junji Deguchi
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nakazuyagi Hospital (HIMAWARIKAI Medical Corporation), Tokushima, Japan
| | - Yasutada Yamamoto
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
| | - Tomoki Nakatani
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
| | - Junji Taguchi
- Department of Therapy, Takarazuka Rehabilitation Hospital (SHOWAKAI Medical Corporation), Takarazuka, Japan
| | - Shu Morioka
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kio University, Nara, Japan
- Neurorehabilitation Research Center, Kio University, Nara, Japan
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The association between motor modules and movement primitives of gait: A muscle and kinematic synergy study. J Biomech 2022; 134:110997. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.110997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Huang B, Chen W, Liang J, Cheng L, Xiong C. Characterization and Categorization of Various Human Lower Limb Movements Based on Kinematic Synergies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 9:793746. [PMID: 35127668 PMCID: PMC8812690 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.793746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A proper movement categorization reduces the complexity of understanding or reproducing human movements in fields such as physiology, rehabilitation, and robotics, through partitioning a wide variety of human movements into representative sub-motion groups. However, how to establish a categorization (especially a quantitative categorization) for various human lower limb movements is rarely investigated in literature and remains challenging due to the diversity and complexity of the lower limb movements (diverse gait modes and interaction styles with the environment). Here we present a quantitative categorization for the various lower limb movements. To this end, a similarity measure between movements was first built based on limb kinematic synergies that provide a unified and physiologically meaningful framework for evaluating the similarities among different types of movements. Then, a categorization was established via hierarchical cluster analysis for thirty-four lower limb movements, including walking, running, hopping, sitting-down-standing-up, and turning in different environmental conditions. According to the movement similarities, the various movements could be divided into three distinct clusters (cluster 1: walking, running, and sitting-down-standing-up; cluster 2: hopping; cluster 3: turning). In each cluster, cluster-specific movement synergies were required. Besides the uniqueness of each cluster, similarities were also found among part of the synergies employed by these different clusters, perhaps related to common behavioral goals in these clusters. The mix of synergies shared across the clusters and synergies for specific clusters thus suggests the coexistence of the conservation and augmentation of the kinematic synergies underlying the construction of the diverse and complex motor behaviors. Overall, the categorization presented here yields a quantitative and hierarchical representation of the various lower limb movements, which can serve as a basis for the understanding of the formation mechanisms of human locomotion and motor function assessment and reproduction in related fields.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Caihua Xiong
- *Correspondence: Jiejunyi Liang, ; Caihua Xiong,
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Beerse M, Wu J. Lower Limb Joint Functions during Single-Leg Hopping in-Place in Children and Adults. J Mot Behav 2022; 54:577-587. [PMID: 35016585 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2021.2025333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Children often display different whole-body dynamics compared to adults during locomotion such as walking and hopping. However, it is unknown whether these differences result in diverging functional usage of the lower limb joints. This study aimed to compare the mechanical functions of the ankle, knee, and hip joints between children and adults during single-leg hopping in-place at different frequencies. Children aged 5-11 years and adults aged 18-35 years performed hopping at their preferred frequency and slower and faster frequencies. Function of the joint was modeled as a combination of a strut, spring, motor, and damper. At the preferred frequency, children hopped equally with strut and spring functions at the ankle and knee joints while adults primarily used the spring function. When increasing frequency, both children and adults decreased the spring index and increased the strut index at the ankle and knee joints. Across all conditions, both children and adults used the strut function primarily at the hip joint. Results suggest that preadolescent children are still developing the adult-like spring function of their ankle and knee joints during hopping in-place. Quantification of spring function during hopping in-place may present an innovative approach to understand the maturation of the stretch-shortening cycle in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Beerse
- Department of Health and Sport Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA
| | - Jianhua Wu
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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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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Sato Y, Kondo T, Shibata R, Nakamura M, Okano H, Ushiba J. Functional reorganization of locomotor kinematic synergies reflects the neuropathology in a mouse model of spinal cord injury. Neurosci Res 2021; 177:78-84. [PMID: 34921835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2021.12.002] [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: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts motor commands to modular structures of the spinal cord, limiting the ability to walk. Evidence suggests that these modules are conserved across species from rodent to human and subserve adaptive walking by controlling coordinated joint movements (kinematic synergies). Since SCI causes uncoordinated joint movements of the lower limbs during walking, there may be a disorder of the modular structures that control them. To gain insights into this complex process, we recorded the kinematics of intact and SCI mice when walking on a treadmill and applied principal component analysis to extract kinematic synergies. Most SCI mice walked stably on the treadmill, but their kinematic synergies were generally different from those of intact mice. We classified the kinematic synergies of SCI mice into three groups based on the similarity of the extracted first three synergy components. We found that these three groups had different degrees of spinal cord damage. This suggests that differences in kinematic synergies reflect underlying SCI neuropathology. These results may help guide the development of different rehabilitation approaches and future physiological experiments to understand the mechanisms of motor control and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Sato
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan; Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kondo
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Reo Shibata
- Department of Orhopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaya Nakamura
- Department of Orhopaedic Surgery, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Ushiba
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Kanagawa, Japan.
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Kimura A, Yokozawa T, Ozaki H. Clarifying the Biomechanical Concept of Coordination Through Comparison With Coordination in Motor Control. Front Sports Act Living 2021; 3:753062. [PMID: 34723181 PMCID: PMC8551718 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2021.753062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordination is a multidisciplinary concept in human movement science, particularly in the field of biomechanics and motor control. However, the term is not used synonymously by researchers and has substantially different meanings depending on the studies. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify the meaning of coordination to avoid confusion. The meaning of coordination in motor control from computational and ecological perspectives has been clarified, and the meanings differed between them. However, in biomechanics, each study has defined the meaning of the term and the meanings are diverse, and no study has attempted to bring together the diversity of the meanings of the term. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide a summary of the different meanings of coordination across the theoretical landscape and clarify the meaning of coordination in biomechanics. We showed that in biomechanics, coordination generally means the relation between elements that act toward the achievement of a motor task, which we call biomechanical coordination. We also showed that the term coordination used in computational and ecological perspectives has two different meanings, respectively. Each one had some similarities with biomechanical coordination. The findings of this study lead to an accurate understanding of the concept of coordination, which would help researchers formulate their empirical arguments for coordination in a more transparent manner. It would allow for accurate interpretation of data and theory development. By comprehensively providing multiple perspectives on coordination, this study intends to promote coordination studies in biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arata Kimura
- Department of Sports Research, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Yokozawa
- Department of Sports Research, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroki Ozaki
- Department of Sports Research, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
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Pellegrino L, Coscia M, Giannoni P, Marinelli L, Casadio M. Stroke impairs the control of isometric forces and muscle activations in the ipsilesional arm. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18533. [PMID: 34535693 PMCID: PMC8448776 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96329-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke often impairs the control of the contralesional arm, thus most survivors rely on the ipsilesional arm to perform daily living activities that require an efficient control of movements and forces. Whereas the ipsilesional arm is often called 'unaffected' or 'unimpaired', several studies suggested that during dynamic tasks its kinematics and joint torques are altered. Is stroke also affecting the ability of the ipsilesional arm to produce isometric force, as when pushing or pulling a handle? Here, we address this question by analyzing behavioral performance and muscles' activity when subjects applied an isometric force of 10 N in eight coplanar directions. We found that stroke affected the ability to apply well-controlled isometric forces with the ipsilesional arm, although to a minor extent compared to the contralesional arm. The spinal maps, the analysis of single muscle activities and the organization of muscle synergies highlighted that this effect was mainly associated with abnormal activity of proximal muscles with respect to matched controls, especially when pushing or pulling in lateral directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pellegrino
- Dept. Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 13, 16145, Genoa, Italy
| | - Martina Coscia
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Wyss Center for Bio- and Neuroengineering, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Psiche Giannoni
- Dept. Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 13, 16145, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lucio Marinelli
- Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maura Casadio
- Dept. Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics and Systems Engineering, University of Genoa, Via Opera Pia 13, 16145, Genoa, Italy.
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Malloy P, Dr Neumann D, Leung A, Kipp K. Hip Joint Kinematic Covariation During Gait Before and 1-Year After Hip Arthroscopic Surgery for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome. Front Surg 2021; 8:614329. [PMID: 34485370 PMCID: PMC8416035 DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2021.614329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to determine if the three-dimensional (3D) hip joint motion coordination during gait changes after arthroscopic surgery for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Three-dimensional hip joint kinematic data were collected with a 12-camera motion capture system. Five trials of level walking were collected preoperatively (PRE) and at 1-year postoperatively (POST) in 8 patients diagnosed with FAIS and at a single time point in 8 healthy controls. Planar covariation analysis was performed to quantify the 3D hip joint motion coordination strategy during gait. Independent sample's t-test were used to determine differences between the FAIS group at the preoperative time point (PRE) and healthy controls. Paired samples t-tests were used to determine differences between the PRE and POST time points within the FAIS group. The %VAF by PC 1 for the FAIS group at the PRE time point was significantly less than that of healthy controls (PRE: 77.2 ± 8.7% vs. Control: 96.1 ± 2.8%; p = 0.0001), and the % VAF of the second PC (PC2) was significantly greater [PRE: 22.8 (8.7)%; Control: 3.9 (2.8)%; p = 0.0001]. No differences in %VAF were found between the PRE and POST time points within the FAIS group for PC1 [PRE: 77.2 (8.7)% vs. POST: 79.3 (11.1)%; p = 0.472] or PC2 [PRE: 22.7 (8.7)%; POST: 20.7 (11.1)%; p = 0.472]. Significant differences in the plane specific contribution to the 3D motion coordination strategy were found between the FAIS patients at the PRE and POST time points for the sagittal plane [PRE: 5.6 (2.7) vs. POST: 0.91 (6.1); p = 0.012] and frontal plane [PRE: −10.4 (2.2) and −1.5 (6.3); p = 0.005]. Patients with FAIS demonstrated a more complex coordination strategy of 3D hip joint motion than controls and this strategy remains unchanged after hip arthroscopic surgery despite changes in the plane specific contribution to this strategy. These findings indicate that motor control impairments in FAIS patients do exist and seem to persist for at least 1 year after hip arthroscopic surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Malloy
- Department of Physical Therapy, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, United States.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Donald Dr Neumann
- Program in Exercise Science, Department of Physical Therapy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Anne Leung
- Department of Physical Therapy, Arcadia University, Glenside, PA, United States
| | - Kristof Kipp
- Program in Exercise Science, Department of Physical Therapy, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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Quinzi F, Camomilla V, Bratta C, Piacentini MF, Sbriccoli P, Vannozzi G. Hopping skill in individuals with Down syndrome: A qualitative and quantitative assessment. Hum Mov Sci 2021; 78:102821. [PMID: 34022547 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2021.102821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) show a delayed acquisition of gross motor skills. Among gross motor skills, hopping is a particular form of jumping that can be performed using one leg. Despite its large use during play and physical activity, this skill in adults with DS has not received much attention so far. Here, we aim at investigating hopping skill in adults with DS both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view. METHODS Center of mass and dominant leg kinematics during hopping over distance were recorded from 24 adult individuals with DS and from 21 typically developed adults (TD) using two inertial measurement units positioned on the posterior aspect of the lower back and on the lateral malleolus of the hopping leg. From linear acceleration and angular velocity signals, hopping frequency (HF), cycle, stance and flight duration (CD, SD, FD), vertical stiffness (KV) and peak to peak linear acceleration and angular velocities about the cranio-caudal, antero-posterior and medio-lateral axes were extracted. A qualitative process assessment of the hopping skill was carried out using the performance criteria of the test for gross motor development (TGMD-3). The extracted parameters were submitted to analysis of covariance, with stature as a covariate to rule-out possible confounding effects. RESULTS The qualitative assessment highlighted a poorer hopping performance in the DS group compared to the TD group. DS participants showed higher HF and KV, shorter CD, SD, FD and lower angular velocity about the cranio-caudal axis compared to the TD group. Significant correlations between the temporal parameters of the quantitative assessment and the results of the qualitative assessment were observed. DISCUSSION The poorer motor competence in hopping in individuals with DS compared to TD peers may be related to the shorter flight time and higher vertical stiffness observed in TD peers. The adopted instrumental approach, overcoming the limitations of subjective evaluations, represents a promising opportunity to quantify motor competence in hopping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Quinzi
- University of Rome Foro Italico, Department of Human Movement and Health Science, Italy.
| | - Valentina Camomilla
- University of Rome Foro Italico, Department of Human Movement and Health Science, Italy
| | - Cecilia Bratta
- University of Rome Foro Italico, Department of Human Movement and Health Science, Italy
| | | | - Paola Sbriccoli
- University of Rome Foro Italico, Department of Human Movement and Health Science, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vannozzi
- University of Rome Foro Italico, Department of Human Movement and Health Science, Italy
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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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Huang B, Xiong C, Chen W, Liang J, Sun BY, Gong X. Common kinematic synergies of various human locomotor behaviours. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210161. [PMID: 33996133 PMCID: PMC8059590 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Humans show a variety of locomotor behaviours in daily living, varying in locomotor modes and interaction styles with the external environment. However, how this excellent motor ability is formed, whether there are some invariants underlying various locomotor behaviours and simplifying their generation, and what factors contribute to the invariants remain unclear. Here, we find three common kinematic synergies that form the six joint motions of one lower limb during walking, running, hopping and sitting-down-standing-up (movement variance accounted for greater than 90%), through identifying the coordination characteristics of 36 lower limb motor tasks in diverse environments. This finding supports the notion that humans simplify the generation of various motor behaviours through re-using several basic motor modules, rather than developing entirely new modules for each behaviour. Moreover, a potential link is also found between these synergies and the unique biomechanical characteristics of the human musculoskeletal system (muscular-articular connective architecture and bone shape), and the patterns of inter-joint coordination are consistent with the energy-saving mechanism in locomotion by using biarticular muscles as efficient mechanical energy transducers between joints. Altogether, our work helps understand the formation mechanisms of human locomotion from a holistic viewpoint and evokes inspirations for the development of artificial limbs imitating human motor ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Huang
- Institute of Robotics Research (IR2), State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Caihua Xiong
- Institute of Robotics Research (IR2), State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbin Chen
- Institute of Robotics Research (IR2), State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiejunyi Liang
- Institute of Robotics Research (IR2), State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Bai-Yang Sun
- Institute of Robotics Research (IR2), State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuan Gong
- Institute of Robotics Research (IR2), State Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacturing Equipment and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, People's Republic of China
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Dierick F, Schreiber C, Lavallée P, Buisseret F. Asymptomatic Genu Recurvatum reshapes lower limb sagittal joint and elevation angles during gait at different speeds. Knee 2021; 29:457-468. [PMID: 33743261 DOI: 10.1016/j.knee.2021.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kinematic characteristics of walking with an asymptomatic genu recurvatum are currently unknown. The objective of this study is to characterize the lower limb sagittal joint and elevation angles during walking in participants with asymptomatic genu recurvatum and compare it with control participants without knee deformation at different speeds. METHODS The spatio-temporal parameters and kinematics of the lower limb were recorded using an optoelectronic motion capture system in 26 participants (n = 13 with genu recurvatum and n = 13 controls). The participants walked on an instrumented treadmill during five minutes at three different speeds: slow, medium and fast. RESULTS Participants with genu recurvatum showed several significant differences with controls: a narrower step width, a greater maximum hip joint extension angle, a greater knee joint extension angle at mid stance, a lower maximum knee joint flexion angle during the swing phase, and a greater ankle joint extension angle at the end of the gait cycle. Participants with genu recurvatum had a greater minimum thigh elevation angle, a greater maximum foot elevation angle, and a change in the orientation of the covariance plane. Walking speed had a significant effect on nearly all lower limb joint and elevation angles, and covariance plane parameters. CONCLUSION Our findings show that genu recurvatum reshapes lower limb sagittal joint and elevation angles during walking at different speeds but preserves the covariation of elevation angles along a plane during both stance and swing phases and the rotation of this plane with increasing speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Dierick
- Centre National de Rééducation Fonctionnelle et de Réadaptation - Rehazenter, Laboratoire d'Analyse du Mouvement et de la Posture (LAMP), Luxembourg, Luxembourg; CeREF, Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut, Mons, Belgium; Faculté des Sciences de la Motricité, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Céline Schreiber
- Centre National de Rééducation Fonctionnelle et de Réadaptation - Rehazenter, Laboratoire d'Analyse du Mouvement et de la Posture (LAMP), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Pauline Lavallée
- Laboratoire Forme et Fonctionnement Humain, Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut, Montignies-sur-Sambre, Belgium
| | - Fabien Buisseret
- CeREF, Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut, Mons, Belgium; Laboratoire Forme et Fonctionnement Humain, Haute Ecole Louvain en Hainaut, Montignies-sur-Sambre, Belgium; Service de Physique Nucléaire et Subnucléaire, Université de Mons, UMONS Research Institute for Complex Systems, Mons, Belgium
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42
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Beerse M, Wu J. Coordination dynamics of hopping on a mini-trampoline in adults and children. Gait Posture 2021; 84:175-181. [PMID: 33341464 DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While mini-trampolines have been used among a variety of groups including children as an intervention tool, the motor behavior children adopt while hopping on this soft, elastic surface is unknown. Identifying coordinative structures and their stability for hopping on a mini-trampoline is imperative for recommending future interventions and determining appropriateness to populations with motor dysfunctions. RESEARCH QUESTION Do children demonstrate similar biomechanical and coordination patterns as adults while hopping on a mini-trampoline? METHODS Fifteen adults aged 18-35 years and 14 children aged 7-12 years completed bouts of continuous two-legged hopping in-place on a stiff surface for 10 s at a time and on a mini-trampoline for 30 s at a time. 3-D motion capture tracked whole-body movement. We evaluated whole-body vertical stiffness as a ratio of peak vertical force and peak vertical displacement, as well as spatiotemporal parameters of hopping. Coordinative structures were evaluated as continuous relative phase angles of the foot, shank, thigh, and pelvis segments. RESULTS AND SIGNIFICANCE Adults did not modify whole-body vertical stiffness on a mini-trampoline, while children increased whole-body vertical stiffness to compensate for the reduced surface stiffness. Both groups conserved the coordinative structure for hopping on a mini-trampoline by modulating hopping cycle timing. Moreover, children hopped with an adult-like coordinative structure, but required greater shank-thigh and thigh-pelvis out-of-phase motion. However, the consistency of their coordination was diminished compared to adults. Children aged 7-12 years old have formed a stable coordinative structure for spring-mass center-of-mass dynamics that is preserved on this soft, elastic surface. However, children might be developing control strategies for preferred whole-body vertical stiffness, particularly when required to dampen peak vertical forces. These results highlight the importance of evaluating the emerging motor behavior to manipulated environmental constraints, particularly when considering the utility and appropriateness of mini-trampoline interventions for children with motor dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Beerse
- Department of Health and Sport Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, OH, USA.
| | - Jianhua Wu
- Department of Kinesiology and Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Movement and Rehabilitation Research, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Bach MM, Daffertshofer A, Dominici N. The development of mature gait patterns in children during walking and running. Eur J Appl Physiol 2021; 121:1073-1085. [PMID: 33439307 PMCID: PMC7966230 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-020-04592-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We sought to identify the developing maturity of walking and running in young children. We assessed gait patterns for the presence of flight and double support phases complemented by mechanical energetics. The corresponding classification outcomes were contrasted via a shotgun approach involving several potentially informative gait characteristics. A subsequent clustering turned out very effective to classify the degree of gait maturity. METHODS Participants (22 typically developing children aged 2-9 years and 7 young, healthy adults) walked/ran on a treadmill at comfortable speeds. We determined double support and flight phases and the relationship between potential and kinetic energy oscillations of the center-of-mass. Based on the literature, we further incorporated a total of 93 gait characteristics (including the above-mentioned ones) and employed multivariate statistics comprising principal component analysis for data compression and hierarchical clustering for classification. RESULTS While the ability to run including a flight phase increased with age, the flight phase did not reach 20% of the gait cycle. It seems that children use a walk-run-strategy when learning to run. Yet, the correlation strength between potential and kinetic energies saturated and so did the amount of recovered mechanical energy. Clustering the set of gait characteristics allowed for classifying gait in more detail. This defines a metric for maturity in terms of deviations from adult gait, which disagrees with chronological age. CONCLUSIONS The degree of gait maturity estimated statistically using various gait characteristics does not always relate directly to the chronological age of the child.
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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, The Netherlands
| | - 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, The 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, The Netherlands.
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Stetter BJ, Herzog M, Möhler F, Sell S, Stein T. Modularity in Motor Control: Similarities in Kinematic Synergies Across Varying Locomotion Tasks. Front Sports Act Living 2020; 2:596063. [PMID: 33345175 PMCID: PMC7739575 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2020.596063] [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: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinematic synergies (kSYN) provide an approach to quantify the covariation of joint motions and to explain the mechanisms underlying human motor behavior. A low-dimensional control strategy by means of the activation of a moderate number of kSYN would simplify the performance of complex motor tasks. The purpose of this study was to examine similarities between the kSYN of varying locomotion tasks: straight-line walking, walking a 90° spin turn and walking upstairs. Task-specific kSYN were extracted from full body kinematic recordings of 13 participants by principal component analysis. The first five kSYN accounting for most of the variance within each task were selected for further analysis following previous studies. The similarities between the kSYN of the three different locomotion tasks were quantified by calculating cosine similarities (SIM), as a vector-based similarity measure ranging from 0 (no similarity) to 1 (high similarity), between absolute principal component loading vectors. A SIM between two kSYN > 0.8 was interpreted as highly similar. Two to three highly similar kSYN were identified when comparing two individual tasks with each other. One kSYN, primarily characterized by anteversion and retroversion of the arms and legs, were found to be similar in all three tasks. Additional kSYN that occurred between individual tasks reflected mainly an upwards/downwards movement of the body or a countercyclical knee flexion/extension. The results demonstrate that the three investigated locomotion tasks are characterized by kSYN and that certain kSYN repeatedly occur across the three locomotion tasks. PCA yields kSYN which are in descent order according to their amount of total variance accounted for. Referring to the placing of a kSYN within the order as priorization, we found a change in priorization of repeatedly occurring kSYN across the individual tasks. The findings support the idea that movements can be efficiently performed through a flexible combination of a lower number of control-relevant variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd J Stetter
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Michael Herzog
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Felix Möhler
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stefan Sell
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.,Joint Center Black Forest, Hospital Neuenbuerg, Neuenbuerg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stein
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
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Monaco V, Aprigliano F, Lofrumento M, Martelli D, Micera S. Uncontrolled manifold analysis of the effects of a perturbation-based training on the organization of leg joint variance in cerebellar ataxia. Exp Brain Res 2020; 239:501-513. [PMID: 33245386 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05965-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Walking patterns of persons affected by cerebellar ataxia (CA) are characterized by wide stride-to-stride variability ascribable to: the background pathology-related sensory-motor noise; the motor redundancy, i.e., an excess of elemental degrees of freedom that overcomes the number of variables underlying a specific task performance. In this study, we first tested the hypothesis that healthy and, especially, CA subjects can effectively exploit solutions in the domain of segmental angles to stabilize the position of either the foot or the pelvis (task performance) across heel strikes, in accordance with the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) theory. Next, we verified whether a specific perturbation-based training allows CA subjects to further take advantage of this coordination mechanism to better cope with their inherent pathology-related variability. Results always rejected the hypothesis of pelvis stabilization whereas supported the idea that the foot position is stabilized across heel strikes by a synergic covariation of elevation and azimuth angles of lower limb segments in CA subjects only. In addition, it was observed that the perturbation-based training involves a decreasing trend in the variance component orthogonal to the UCM in both groups, reflecting an improved accuracy of the foot control. Concluding, CA subjects can effectively structure the wide amount of pathology-related sensory-motor noise to stabilize specific task performance, such as the foot position across heel strikes. Moreover, the promising effects of the proposed perturbation-based training paradigm are expected to improve the coordinative strategy underlying the stabilization of the foot position across strides, thus ameliorating balance control during treadmill locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vito Monaco
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Excellence in Robotics&AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | - Margherita Lofrumento
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura del Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Martelli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Silvestro Micera
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics&AI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational NeuroEngineering, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Balal Y, Balal N, Richter Y, Pinhasi Y. Time-Frequency Spectral Signature of Limb Movements and Height Estimation Using Micro-Doppler Millimeter-Wave Radar. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 20:s20174660. [PMID: 32824937 PMCID: PMC7506689 DOI: 10.3390/s20174660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We present a technique for the identification of human and animal movement and height using a low power millimeter-wave radar. The detection was based on the transmission of a continuous wave and heterodyning the received signal reflected from the target to obtain micro-Doppler shifts associated with the target structure and motion. The algorithm enabled the extraction of target signatures from typical gestures and differentiated between humans, animals, and other 'still' objects. Analytical expressions were derived using a pendulum model to characterize the micro-Doppler frequency shifts due to the periodic motion of the human and animal limbs. The algorithm was demonstrated using millimeter-wave radar operating in the W-band. We employed a time-frequency distribution to analyze the detected signal and classify the type of targets.
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47
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Miyake T, Kobayashi Y, Fujie MG, Sugano S. Gait event detection based on inter-joint coordination using only angular information. Adv Robot 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/01691864.2020.1803126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tamon Miyake
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yo Kobayashi
- Graduate school of Engineering Science, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Shigeki Sugano
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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48
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Cappellini G, Sylos-Labini F, MacLellan MJ, Assenza C, Libernini L, Morelli D, Lacquaniti F, Ivanenko Y. Locomotor patterns during obstacle avoidance in children with cerebral palsy. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:574-590. [DOI: 10.1152/jn.00163.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies mainly evaluated the neuromuscular pattern generation in cerebral palsy (CP) during unobstructed gait. Here we characterized impairments in the obstacle task performance associated with a limited adaptation of the task-relevant muscle module timed to the foot lift during obstacle crossing. Impaired task performance in children with CP may reflect basic developmental deficits in the adaptable control of gait when the locomotor task is superimposed with the voluntary movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Cappellini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - F. Sylos-Labini
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - M. J. MacLellan
- Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
| | - C. Assenza
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - L. Libernini
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - D. Morelli
- Department of Pediatric Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - F. Lacquaniti
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Centre of Space Bio-medicine and Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Y. Ivanenko
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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49
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Tan CK, Kadone H, Watanabe H, Marushima A, Hada Y, Yamazaki M, Sankai Y, Matsumura A, Suzuki K. Differences in Muscle Synergy Symmetry Between Subacute Post-stroke Patients With Bioelectrically-Controlled Exoskeleton Gait Training and Conventional Gait Training. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:770. [PMID: 32850696 PMCID: PMC7403486 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the reorganization of the central nervous system after stroke is an important endeavor in order to design new therapies in gait training for stroke patients. Current clinical evaluation scores and gait velocity are insufficient to describe the state of the nervous system, and one aspect where this is lacking is in the quantification of gait symmetry. Previous studies have pointed out that spatiotemporal gait asymmetries are commonly observed in stroke patients with hemiparesis. Such asymmetries are known to cause long-term complications like joint pain and deformation. Recent studies also indicate that spatiotemporal measures showed that gait symmetry worsens after discharge from therapy. This study shows that muscle synergy analysis can be used to quantify gait symmetry and compliment clinical measures. Surface EMG was collected from lower limb muscles of subacute post-stroke patients (with an onset of around 14 days) from two groups, one undergoing robotic-assisted therapy (known as HAL group) and the other undergoing conventional therapy (known as Control group). Muscle synergies from the paretic and non-paretic limb were extracted with Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NNMF) and compared with each other to obtain a gait symmetry index over therapy sessions. Gait events were tracked with motion tracking (for the HAL group) or foot pressure sensors (for the conventional therapy group). Patients from both groups were assessed over a 3-weeks long gait training program. Results indicated that there were no differences in muscle synergy symmetry for both groups of patients. However, the timing of muscle synergies were observed to be symmetrical in the HAL group, but not for the Control group. Intergroup comparisons of symmetry in muscle synergies and their timings were not significantly different. This could be due to a large variability in recovery in the Control group. Finally, stance time ratio was not observed to improve in both groups after their respective therapies. Interestingly, FIM and FMA scores of both groups were observed to improve after their respective therapies. Analysis of muscle coordination could reveal mechanisms of gait symmetry which could otherwise be difficult to observe with clinical scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Kwang Tan
- Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Faculty of Engineering, Information and Systems, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hideki Kadone
- Center for Innovative Medicine and Engineering, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Japan.,Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Hiroki Watanabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Aiki Marushima
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yasushi Hada
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Masashi Yamazaki
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Sankai
- Faculty of Engineering, Information and Systems, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Akira Matsumura
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Kenji Suzuki
- Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Faculty of Engineering, Information and Systems, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Center for Cybernics Research, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
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50
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Intra-limb and muscular coordination during walking on slopes. Eur J Appl Physiol 2020; 120:1841-1854. [DOI: 10.1007/s00421-020-04415-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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