Tuning of a Basic Coordination Pattern Constructs Straight-Ahead and Curved Walking in Humans

2004 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 1524-1535 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grégoire Courtine ◽  
Marco Schieppati
Keyword(s):  
Principal Components ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Coordination Pattern ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Coordination Patterns ◽  
Straight Ahead

We tested the hypothesis that common principles govern the production of the locomotor patterns for both straight-ahead and curved walking. Whole body movement recordings showed that continuous curved walking implies substantial, limb-specific changes in numerous gait descriptors. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to uncover the spatiotemporal structure of coordination among lower limb segments. PCA revealed that the same kinematic law accounted for the coordination among lower limb segments during both straight-ahead and curved walking, in both the frontal and sagittal planes: turn-related changes in the complex behavior of the inner and outer limbs were captured in limb-specific adaptive tuning of coordination patterns. PCA was also performed on a data set including all elevation angles of limb segments and trunk, thus encompassing 13 degrees of freedom. The results showed that both straight-ahead and curved walking were low dimensional, given that 3 principal components accounted for more than 90% of data variance. Furthermore, the time course of the principal components was unchanged by curved walking, thereby indicating invariant coordination patterns among all body segments during straight-ahead and curved walking. Nevertheless, limb- and turn-dependent tuning of the coordination patterns encoded the adaptations of the limb kinematics to the actual direction of the walking body. Absence of vision had no significant effect on the intersegmental coordination during either straight-ahead or curved walking. Our findings indicate that kinematic laws, probably emerging from the interaction of spinal neural networks and mechanical oscillators, subserve the production of both straight-ahead and curved walking. During locomotion, the descending command tunes basic spinal networks so as to produce the changes in amplitude and phase relationships of the spinal output, sufficient to achieve the body turn.

Stance- and Locomotion-Dependent Processing of Vibration-Induced Proprioceptive Inflow From Multiple Muscles in Humans

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 772-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grégoire Courtine ◽  
Alessandro Marco De Nunzio ◽  
Micaela Schmid ◽  
Maria Vittoria Beretta ◽  
Marco Schieppati
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Neck Muscle ◽  
Muscle Vibration ◽  
Mapping Study ◽  
Body Mapping ◽  
Neck Muscle Vibration ◽  
Postural Changes ◽  
Postural Orientation

We performed a whole-body mapping study of the effect of unilateral muscle vibration, eliciting spindle Ia firing, on the control of standing and walking in humans. During quiet stance, vibration applied to various muscles of the trunk-neck system and of the lower limb elicited a significant tilt in whole body postural orientation. The direction of vibration-induced postural tilt was consistent with a response compensatory for the illusory lengthening of the stimulated muscles. During walking, trunk-neck muscle vibration induced ample deviations of the locomotor trajectory toward the side opposite to the stimulation site. In contrast, no significant modifications of the locomotor trajectory could be detected when vibrating various muscles of the lower as well as upper limb. The absence of correlation between the effects of muscle vibration during walking and standing dismisses the possibility that vibration-induced postural changes can account for the observed deviations of the locomotor trajectory during walking. We conclude that the dissimilar effects of trunk-neck and lower limb muscle vibration during walking and standing reflect a general sensory-motor plan, whereby muscle Ia input is processed according to both the performed task and the body segment from which the sensory inflow arises.

Caudal Fin and Body Movement in the Propulsion of some Fish

1963 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD BAINBRIDGE
Keyword(s):  
Body Movement ◽  
Wave Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Tail Region ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
A Value ◽  
Total Thrust ◽  
Transverse Movement ◽  
Relationship Of

1. Observations made on bream, goldfish and dace swimming in the ‘Fish Wheel’ apparatus are described. These include: 2. An account of the complex changes in curvature of the caudal fin during different phases of the normal locomotory cycle. Measurements of this curvature and of the angles of attack associated with it are given. 3. An account of changes in area of the caudal fin during the cycle of lateral oscillation. Detailed measurements of these changes, which may involve a 30 % increase in height or a 20 % increase in area, are given. 4. An account of the varying speed of transverse movement of the caudal fin under various conditions and the relationship of this to the changes in area and amount of bending. Details of the way this transverse speed may be asymmetrically distributed relative to the axis of progression of the fish are given. 5. An account of the extent of the lateral propulsive movements in other parts of the body. These are markedly different in the different species studied. Measurements of the wave length of this movement and of the rate of progression of the wave down the body are given. 6. It is concluded that the fish has active control over the speed, the amount of bending and the area of the caudal fin during transverse movement. 7. The bending of the fin and its changes in area are considered to be directed to the end of smoothing out and making more uniform what would otherwise be an intermittent thrust from the oscillating tail region. 8. Some assessment is made of the proportion of the total thrust contributed by the caudal fin. This is found to vary considerably, according to the form of the lateral propulsive movements of the whole body, from a value of 45% for the bream to 84% for the dace.

scholarly journals Effect of Leg Dominance on The Center-of-Mass Kinematics During an Inside-of-the-Foot Kick in Amateur Soccer Players

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Zago ◽  
Andrea Francesco Motta ◽  
Andrea Mapelli ◽  
Isabella Annoni ◽  
Christel Galvani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Movement ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
The Body ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Movement Velocity ◽  
Ground Support ◽  
Analysis System

Abstract Soccer kicking kinematics has received wide interest in literature. However, while the instep-kick has been broadly studied, only few researchers investigated the inside-of-the-foot kick, which is one of the most frequently performed techniques during games. In particular, little knowledge is available about differences in kinematics when kicking with the preferred and non-preferred leg. A motion analysis system recorded the three-dimensional coordinates of reflective markers placed upon the body of nine amateur soccer players (23.0 ± 2.1 years, BMI 22.2 ± 2.6 kg/m2), who performed 30 pass-kicks each, 15 with the preferred and 15 with the non-preferred leg. We investigated skill kinematics while maintaining a perspective on the complete picture of movement, looking for laterality related differences. The main focus was laid on: anatomical angles, contribution of upper limbs in kick biomechanics, kinematics of the body Center of Mass (CoM), which describes the whole body movement and is related to balance and stability. When kicking with the preferred leg, CoM displacement during the ground-support phase was 13% higher (p<0.001), normalized CoM height was 1.3% lower (p<0.001) and CoM velocity 10% higher (p<0.01); foot and shank velocities were about 5% higher (p<0.01); arms were more abducted (p<0.01); shoulders were rotated more towards the target (p<0.01, 6° mean orientation difference). We concluded that differences in motor control between preferred and non-preferred leg kicks exist, particularly in the movement velocity and upper body kinematics. Coaches can use these results to provide effective instructions to players in the learning process, moving their focus on kicking speed and upper body behavior

scholarly journals Food responsiveness regulates episodic behavioral states in Caenorhabditis elegans

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (5) ◽  
pp. 1911-1934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. McCloskey ◽  
Anthony D. Fouad ◽  
Matthew A. Churgin ◽  
Christopher Fang-Yen
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
The Body ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Locomotory Activity ◽  
Behavioral States ◽  
External Environments

Animals optimize survival and reproduction in part through control of behavioral states, which depend on an organism’s internal and external environments. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans a variety of behavioral states have been described, including roaming, dwelling, quiescence, and episodic swimming. These states have been considered in isolation under varied experimental conditions, making it difficult to establish a unified picture of how they are regulated. Using long-term imaging, we examined C. elegans episodic behavioral states under varied mechanical and nutritional environments. We found that animals alternate between high-activity (active) and low-activity (sedentary) episodes in any mechanical environment, while the incidence of episodes and their behavioral composition depend on food levels. During active episodes, worms primarily roam, as characterized by continuous whole body movement. During sedentary episodes, animals exhibit dwelling (slower movements confined to the anterior half of the body) and quiescence (a complete lack of movement). Roaming, dwelling, and quiescent states are manifest not only through locomotory characteristics but also in pharyngeal pumping (feeding) and in egg-laying behaviors. Next, we analyzed the genetic basis of behavioral states. We found that modulation of behavioral states depends on neuropeptides and insulin-like signaling in the nervous system. Sensory neurons and the Foraging homolog EGL-4 regulate behavior through control of active/sedentary episodes. Optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons induced dwelling, implicating dopamine as a dwell-promoting neurotransmitter. Our findings provide a more unified description of behavioral states and suggest that perception of nutrition is a conserved mechanism for regulating animal behavior. NEW & NOTEWORTHY One strategy by which animals adapt to their internal states and external environments is by adopting behavioral states. The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an attractive model for investigating how behavioral states are genetically and neuronally controlled. Here we describe the hierarchical organization of behavioral states characterized by locomotory activity, feeding, and egg-laying. We show that decisions to engage in these behaviors are controlled by the nervous system through insulin-like signaling and the perception of food.

scholarly journals Feasibility study of volumetric modulated arc therapy with Halcyon™ linac for total body irradiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Uehara ◽  
Hajime Monzen ◽  
Mikoto Tamura ◽  
Masahiro Inada ◽  
Masakazu Otsuka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Total Body Irradiation ◽  
Organs At Risk ◽  
Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy ◽  
Dose Calculation ◽  
Target Volume ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Arc Therapy ◽  
Total Body

Abstract Background The use of total body irradiation (TBI) with linac-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) has been steadily increasing. Helical tomotherapy has been applied in TBI and total marrow irradiation to reduce the dose to critical organs, especially the lungs. However, the methodology of TBI with Halcyon™ linac remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether VMAT with Halcyon™ linac can be clinically used for TBI. Methods VMAT planning with Halcyon™ linac was conducted using a whole-body computed tomography data set. The planning target volume (PTV) included the body cropped 3 mm from the source. A dose of 12 Gy in six fractions was prescribed for 50% of the PTV. The organs at risk (OARs) included the lens, lungs, kidneys, and testes. Results The PTV D98%, D95%, D50%, and D2% were 8.9 (74.2%), 10.1 (84.2%), 12.6 (105%), and 14.2 Gy (118%), respectively. The homogeneity index was 0.42. For OARs, the Dmean of the lungs, kidneys, lens, and testes were 9.6, 8.5, 8.9, and 4.4 Gy, respectively. The V12Gy of the lungs and kidneys were 4.5% and 0%, respectively. The Dmax of the testes was 5.8 Gy. Contouring took 1–2 h. Dose calculation and optimization was performed for 3–4 h. Quality assurance (QA) took 2–3 h. The treatment duration was 23 min. Conclusions A planning study of TBI with Halcyon™ to set up VMAT-TBI, dosimetric evaluation, and pretreatment QA, was established.

scholarly journals Computation-Based Feature Representation of Body Expressions in the Human Brain

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 6376-6390
Author(s):  
Marta Poyo Solanas ◽  
Maarten Vaessen ◽  
Beatrice de Gelder
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Action Observation ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
The Body ◽  
Feature Representation ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Affective Neuroscience ◽  
Body Area ◽  
Extrastriate Body Area

Abstract Humans and other primate species are experts at recognizing body expressions. To understand the underlying perceptual mechanisms, we computed postural and kinematic features from affective whole-body movement videos and related them to brain processes. Using representational similarity and multivoxel pattern analyses, we showed systematic relations between computation-based body features and brain activity. Our results revealed that postural rather than kinematic features reflect the affective category of the body movements. The feature limb contraction showed a central contribution in fearful body expression perception, differentially represented in action observation, motor preparation, and affect coding regions, including the amygdala. The posterior superior temporal sulcus differentiated fearful from other affective categories using limb contraction rather than kinematics. The extrastriate body area and fusiform body area also showed greater tuning to postural features. The discovery of midlevel body feature encoding in the brain moves affective neuroscience beyond research on high-level emotion representations and provides insights in the perceptual features that possibly drive automatic emotion perception.

Coordination variability during running in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110443
Author(s):  
Hunter J Bennett ◽  
Taylor Jones ◽  
Kevin A Valenzuela ◽  
Justin A Haegele
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Motor Control ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Coordination Patterns ◽  
Main Effects

Autistic persons exhibit variable movement, loading, and coordination patterns during walking. While much research has examined walking, little to no research exists regarding running for autistic persons despite its prevalence and benefits as a mode of physical activity. This study determined if autistic adolescents demonstrate increased coordination variability during running compared to matched controls. Seventeen autistic adolescents (aged = 13–18 years) and seventeen sex, age, and body mass index matched controls performed running at two matched speeds: self-selected of autistic adolescents and at 3.0 m/s. Modified vector coding was used to determine the patterns of movement for foot-shank, shank-thigh, left/right thigh, and contralateral arm-thigh coupling. Coordination variability, measuring cycle-to-cycle variability, was determined during loading response and pushoff phases. Mixed-model analyses of variance were used to determine group by speed interactions and main effects. Coordination variability was nearly 2× larger (all p < 0.001) in autistic adolescents compared to controls. Speed main effects were found for several sagittal plane couples during loading response. In agreement with walking analyses, this study illustrates that autistic adolescents run with increased intra-limb, inter-limb, and cross-body coordination variability. Like walking, increased coordination variability during running may negatively impact this mode of physical activity for autistic persons. Lay abstract Walking and running are popular forms of physical activity that involve the whole body (pelvis/legs and arms/torso) and are coordinated by the neuromuscular system, generally without much conscious effort. However, autistic persons tend not to engage in sufficient amounts of these activities to enjoy their health benefits. Recent reports indicate that autistic individuals tend to experience altered coordination patterns and increased variability during walking tasks when compared to non-autistic controls. Greater stride-to-stride coordination variability, when the task has not changed (i.e. walking at same speed and on same surface), is likely indicative of motor control issues and is more metabolically wasteful. To date, although, research examining running is unavailable in any form for this population. This study aimed to determine if coordination variability during running differs between autistic adolescents and age, sex, and body mass index matched non-autistic controls. This study found that increased variability exists throughout the many different areas of the body (foot-leg, left/right thighs, and opposite arm-opposite thigh) for autistic adolescents compared to controls. Along with previous research, these findings indicate autistic persons exhibit motor control issues across both forms of locomotion (walking and running) and at multiple speeds. These findings highlight issues with motor control that can be addressed by therapeutic/rehabilitative programming. Reducing coordination variability, inherently lessening metabolic inefficiency, may be an important step toward encouraging autistic youth to engage in sufficient physical activity (i.e. running) to enjoy physiological and psychological benefits.

scholarly journals The onset time of balance control during walking is phase-independent, but the magnitude of the response is not

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik Reimann ◽  
Tyler Fettrow ◽  
David Grenet ◽  
Elizabeth D. Thompson ◽  
John J. Jeka
Keyword(s):  
Nervous System ◽  
Gait Cycle ◽  
Center Of Pressure ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
The Body ◽  
Upper Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Lower Body ◽  
The Central Nervous System

AbstractThe human body is mechanically unstable during walking. Maintaining upright stability requires constant regulation of muscle force by the central nervous system to push against the ground and move the body mass in the desired way. Activation of muscles in the lower body in response to sensory or mechanical perturbations during walking is usually highly phase-dependent, because the effect any specific muscle force has on the body movement depends upon the body configuration. Yet the resulting movement patterns of the upper body after the same perturbations are largely phase-independent. This is puzzling, because any change of upper-body movement must be generated by parts of the lower body pushing against the ground. How do phase-dependent muscle activation patterns along the lower body generate phase-independent movement patterns of the upper body? We hypothesize that in response to a perceived threat to balance, the nervous system generates a functional response by pushing against the ground in any way possible with the current body configuration. This predicts that the changes in the ground reaction force patterns following a balance perturbation should be phase-independent. Here we test this hypothesis by disturbing upright balance using Galvanic vestibular stimulation at three different points in the gait cycle. We measure the resulting changes in whole-body center of mass movement and the location of the center of pressure of the ground reaction force. We find that the whole-body balance response is not phase-independent as expected: balance responses are initiated faster and are smaller following a disturbance late in the gait cycle. Somewhat paradoxically, the initial center of pressure changes are larger for perturbations late in the gait cycle. The onset of the center of pressure changes however, does not depend on the phase of the perturbation. The results partially support our hypothesis of a phase-independent functional balance response underlying the phase-dependent recruitment of different balance mechanisms at different points of the gait cycle. We conclude that the central nervous system recruits any available mechanism to push against the ground to maintain balance as fast as possible in response to a perturbation, but the different mechanisms do not have equal strength.

Soma-based Non-Physical Instrument Design in Electronic Music Performance

Leonardo ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Mary Mainsbridge
Keyword(s):  
Interaction Design ◽  
Electronic Music ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Body Movement ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Motion Sensors

Attention to the role of the body and bodily awareness in human-computer interaction is increasing. Broader availability of cost-effective motion sensors in mobile and gaming applications has prompted a shift to body-centred design methods. This article examines the relevance of embodied sketching activities drawn from soma-based and sonic interaction design to digital musical instrument (DMI) development. It focuses specifically on the Telechord, a novel motion-controlled system that promotes exploratory methods for exploring connections between movement and sound. By emphasising the felt aspects of movement-based design and performance, this approach places performer experience at the forefront, complementing technical efforts to enhance nuance and coherence in current DMI design research. Keywords: Whole body movement, soma-based design, sonic interaction design; embodied sketching; vocal sketching; digital musical instrument (DMI) design.

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