An EMG-Driven Forward Dynamics Model to Simulate Stance Phase of Gait

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Shao ◽  
Kurt Manal ◽  
Thomas S. Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
Human Movement ◽  
Joint Torque ◽  
Forward Dynamics ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Joint Torques ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns

Simulations based on forward dynamics have been used to identify the biomechanical mechanisms how human movement is generated. They used either net joint torques [1] or muscle forces [2, 3, 4] as actuators to drive forward simulation. However, very few models used EMG-based patterns to define muscle excitations [4] or were actually driven by EMGs. Muscle activation patterns vary from subject to subject and from movement to movement, and the activations depend on the control task, sometimes quite different even for the same joint angle and joint torque [5]. Using EMG as input can account for subjects’ different muscle activation patterns and help revealing the neuromuscular control strategies.

scholarly journals Influence of Age on Neuromuscular Control during a Dynamic Weight-Bearing Task

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeetha Madhavan ◽  
Sarah Burkart ◽  
Gail Baggett ◽  
Katie Nelson ◽  
Trina Teckenburg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Weight Bearing ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Joint Injury ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Knee Movement ◽  
Long Latency

Neuromuscular control strategies might change with age and predispose the elderly to knee-joint injury. The purposes of this study were to determine whether long latency responses (LLRs), muscle-activation patterns, and movement accuracy differ between the young and elderly during a novel single-limb-squat (SLS) task. Ten young and 10 elderly participants performed a series of resistive SLSs (~0–30°) while matching a computer-generated sinusoidal target. The SLS device provided a 16% body-weight resistance to knee movement. Both young and elderly showed significant overshoot error when the knee was perturbed (p< .05). Accuracy of the tracking task was similar between the young and elderly (p= .34), but the elderly required more muscle activity than the younger participants (p< .05). The elderly group had larger LLRs than the younger group (p< .05). These results support the hypothesis that neuromuscular control of the knee changes with age and might contribute to injury.

scholarly journals Modularity speeds up motor learning by overcoming mechanical bias in musculoskeletal geometry

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (147) ◽  
pp. 20180249 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shota Hagio ◽  
Motoki Kouzaki
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Primary Motor Cortex ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
Muscle Synergies ◽  
Model Learning ◽  
Joint Torques ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Simple Neural Network

We can easily learn and perform a variety of movements that fundamentally require complex neuromuscular control. Many empirical findings have demonstrated that a wide range of complex muscle activation patterns could be well captured by the combination of a few functional modules, the so-called muscle synergies. Modularity represented by muscle synergies would simplify the control of a redundant neuromuscular system. However, how the reduction of neuromuscular redundancy through a modular controller contributes to sensorimotor learning remains unclear. To clarify such roles, we constructed a simple neural network model of the motor control system that included three intermediate layers representing neurons in the primary motor cortex, spinal interneurons organized into modules and motoneurons controlling upper-arm muscles. After a model learning period to generate the desired shoulder and/or elbow joint torques, we compared the adaptation to a novel rotational perturbation between modular and non-modular models. A series of simulations demonstrated that the modules reduced the effect of the bias in the distribution of muscle pulling directions, as well as in the distribution of torques associated with individual cortical neurons, which led to a more rapid adaptation to multi-directional force generation. These results suggest that modularity is crucial not only for reducing musculoskeletal redundancy but also for overcoming mechanical bias due to the musculoskeletal geometry allowing for faster adaptation to certain external environments.

Estimation of Corrective Changes in Muscle Activation Patterns for Stroke Patients During FES Intervention

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi Shao ◽  
Daniel N. Bassett ◽  
Kurt Manal ◽  
Thomas S. Buchanan
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Biomechanical Model ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Know How ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Person Following ◽  
Human Movements

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) has been used in the rehabilitation of stroke patients. It is important to know how to stimulate the muscles when using FES. Many control methods have been used to derive the required electrical stimulation patterns. However, these models were not developed based on biomechanical model of human neuromuscular system, thus can not account for sophisticated neurological control strategies during human movements. Based on our developed electromyography (EMG) driven model, we have created a biomechanical model to estimate the corrective increases in muscle activation patterns needed for a person following stroke to walk with an improved normal gait.

scholarly journals Body Configuration in Cycling Affects Muscle Recruitment and Movement Pattern

2003 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 310-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans H.C.M. Savelberg ◽  
Ingrid G.L. Van de Port ◽  
Paul J.B. Willems
Keyword(s):  
Hip Joint ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Muscle Length ◽  
Movement Pattern ◽  
Joint Kinematics ◽  
Joint Torque ◽  
Muscle Recruitment ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns

By manipulating trunk angle in ergometer cycling, we studied the effect of body configuration on muscle recruitment and joint kinematics. Changing trunk angle affects the length of muscles that span the hip joint. It is hypothesized that this affects the recruitment of the muscles directly involved, and as a consequence of affected joint torque distributions, also influences the recruitment of more distal muscles and the kinematics of distal joints. It was found that changing the trunk from an upright position to approximately 20 deg forward or backward affected muscle activation patterns and kinematics in the entire lower limb. The knee joint was the only joint not affected by manipulation of the lengths of hip joint muscles. Changes in trunk angle affected ankle and hip joint kinematics and the orientation of the thigh. A similar pattern has been demonstrated for muscle activity: Both the muscles that span the hip joint and those acting on the ankle joint were affected with respect to timing and amplitude of EMG. Moreover, it was found that the association between muscle activity and muscle length was adapted to manipulation of trunk angle. In all three conditions, most of the muscles that were considered displayed some eccentric activity. The ratio of eccentric to concentric activity changed with trunk angle. The present study showed that trunk angle influences muscle recruitment and (inter)muscular dynamics in the entire limb. As this will have consequences for the efficiency of cycling, body configuration should be a factor in bicycle design.

scholarly journals Age-related neuromuscular function during drop jumps

2007 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 1276-1283 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hoffrén ◽  
M. Ishikawa ◽  
P. V. Komi
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Neuromuscular Control ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Young Subjects ◽  
Braking Phase

Muscle- and movement-specific fascicle-tendon interaction affects the performance of the neuromuscular system. This interaction is unknown among elderly and consequently contributes to the lack of understanding the age-related problems on neuromuscular control. The present experiment studied the age specificity of fascicle-tendon interaction of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle in drop jump (DJ) exercises. Twelve young and thirteen elderly subjects performed maximal squat jumps and DJs with maximal rebound effort on a sledge apparatus. Ankle and knee joint angles, reaction force, and electromyography (EMG) from the soleus (Sol), GM, and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were measured together with the GM fascicle length by ultrasonography. The results showed that the measured ankle joint stiffness (AJS) during the braking phase correlated positively with the rebound speed in both age groups and that both parameters were significantly lower in the elderly than in young subjects. In both groups, the AJS correlated positively with averaged EMG (aEMG) in Sol during the braking phase and was further associated with GM activation ( r = 0.55, P < 0.01) and TA coactivation (TA/GM r = −0.4 P < 0.05) in the elderly subjects. In addition, compared with the young subjects, the elderly subjects showed significantly lower GM aEMG in the braking phase and higher aEMG in the push-off phase, indicating less utilization of tendinous tissue (TT) elasticity. These different activation patterns are in line with the mechanical behavior of GM showing significantly less fascicle shortening and relative TT stretching in the braking phase in the elderly than in the young subjects. These results suggest that age-specific muscle activation patterns as well as mechanical behaviors exist during DJs.

scholarly journals Is the Occurrence of the Sticking Region in Maximum Smith Machine Squats the Result of Diminishing Potentiation and Co-Contraction of the Prime Movers among Recreationally Resistance Trained Males?

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1366
Author(s):  
Roland van den Tillaar ◽  
Eirik Lindset Kristiansen ◽  
Stian Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Gluteus Maximus ◽  
Knee Extensors ◽  
Force Output ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Prime Movers ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Height Data

This study compared the kinetics, barbell, and joint kinematics and muscle activation patterns between a one-repetition maximum (1-RM) Smith machine squat and isometric squats performed at 10 different heights from the lowest barbell height. The aim was to investigate if force output is lowest in the sticking region, indicating that this is a poor biomechanical region. Twelve resistance trained males (age: 22 ± 5 years, mass: 83.5 ± 39 kg, height: 1.81 ± 0.20 m) were tested. A repeated two-way analysis of variance showed that Force output decreased in the sticking region for the 1-RM trial, while for the isometric trials, force output was lowest between 0–15 cm from the lowest barbell height, data that support the sticking region is a poor biomechanical region. Almost all muscles showed higher activity at 1-RM compared with isometric attempts (p < 0.05). The quadriceps activity decreased, and the gluteus maximus and shank muscle activity increased with increasing height (p ≤ 0.024). Moreover, the vastus muscles decreased only for the 1-RM trial while remaining stable at the same positions in the isometric trials (p = 0.04), indicating that potentiation occurs. Our findings suggest that a co-contraction between the hip and knee extensors, together with potentiation from the vastus muscles during ascent, creates a poor biomechanical region for force output, and thereby the sticking region among recreationally resistance trained males during 1-RM Smith machine squats.

scholarly journals Electromyographic activation patterns during swallowing in older adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Young Ko ◽  
Hayoung Kim ◽  
Joonyoung Jang ◽  
Jun Chang Lee ◽  
Ju Seok Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Viscous Fluid ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Fatty Infiltration ◽  
Liquid Volume ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns ◽  
Age Related

AbstractAge-related weakness due to atrophy and fatty infiltration in oropharyngeal muscles may be related to dysphagia in older adults. However, little is known about changes in the oropharyngeal muscle activation pattern in older adults. This was a prospective and experimental study. Forty healthy participants (20 older [> 60 years] and 20 young [< 60 years] adults) were enrolled. Six channel surface electrodes were placed over the bilateral suprahyoid (SH), bilateral retrohyoid (RH), thyrohyoid (TH), and sternothyroid (StH) muscles. Electromyography signals were then recorded twice for each patient during swallowing of 2 cc of water, 5 cc of water, and 5 cc of a highly viscous fluid. Latency, duration, and peak amplitude were measured. The activation patterns were the same, in the order of SH, TH, and StH, in both groups. The muscle activation patterns were classified as type I and II; the type I pattern was characterized by a monophasic shape, and the type II comprised a pre-reflex phase and a main phase. The oropharyngeal muscles and SH muscles were found to develop a pre-reflex phase specifically with increasing volume and viscosity of the swallowed fluid. Type I showed a different response to the highly viscous fluid in the older group compared to that in the younger group. However, type II showed concordant changes in the groups. Therefore, healthy older people were found to compensate for swallowing with a pre-reflex phase of muscle activation in response to increased liquid volume and viscosity, to adjust for age-related muscle weakness.

scholarly journals Inter-laboratory comparison of knee biomechanics and muscle activation patterns during gait in patients with knee osteoarthritis

The Knee ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 500-509
Author(s):  
J.C. Schrijvers ◽  
D. Rutherford ◽  
R. Richards ◽  
J.C. van den Noort ◽  
M. van der Esch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Knee Biomechanics ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Muscle Activation Patterns
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