scholarly journals Directed Information Flow Analysis Reveals Muscle Fatigue-Related Changes in Muscle Networks and Corticomuscular Coupling

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tie Liang ◽  
Qingyu Zhang ◽  
Lei Hong ◽  
Xiaoguang Liu ◽  
Bin Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Fatigue ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Information Flow Analysis ◽  
Directed Information ◽  
Autonomous Movement ◽  
Flexor Digitorum ◽  
Maximal Information Coefficient

As a common neurophysiological phenomenon, voluntary muscle fatigue is accompanied by changes in both the central nervous system and peripheral muscles. Considering the effectiveness of the muscle network and the functional corticomuscular coupling (FCMC) in analyzing motor function, muscle fatigue can be analyzed by quantitating the intermuscular coupling and corticomuscular coupling. However, existing coherence-based research on muscle fatigue are limited by the inability of the coherence algorithm to identify the coupling direction, which cannot further reveal the underlying neural mechanism of muscle fatigue. To address this problem, we applied the time-delayed maximal information coefficient (TDMIC) method to quantitate the directional informational interaction in the muscle network and FCMC during a right-hand stabilized grip task. Eight healthy subjects were recruited to the present study. For the muscle networks, the beta-band information flow increased significantly due to muscle fatigue, and the information flow between the synergist muscles were stronger than that between the synergist and antagonist muscles. The information flow in the muscle network mainly flows to flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS), flexor carpi ulnar (FCU), and brachioradialis (BR). For the FCMC, muscle fatigue caused a significant decrease in the beta- and gamma-band bidirectional information flow. Further analysis revealed that the beta-band information flow was significantly stronger in the descending direction [electroencephalogram (EEG) to surface electromyography (sEMG)] than that in the ascending direction (sEMG to EEG) during pre-fatigue tasks. After muscle fatigue, the beta-band information flow in the ascending direction was significantly stronger than that in the descending direction. The present study demonstrates the influence of muscle fatigue on information flow in muscle networks and FCMC. We proposes that beta-band intermuscular and corticomuscular informational interaction plays an adjusting role in autonomous movement completion under muscle fatigue. Directed information flow analysis can be used as an effective method to explore the neural mechanism of muscle fatigue on the macroscopic scale.

scholarly journals Identifying bidirectional total and non-linear information flow in functional corticomuscular coupling during a dorsiflexion task: a pilot study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tie Liang ◽  
Qingyu Zhang ◽  
Xiaoguang Liu ◽  
Bin Dong ◽  
Xiuling Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Information Flow ◽  
Gamma Band ◽  
Motor Dysfunction ◽  
Beta Band ◽  
Short Time Series ◽  
Information Interaction ◽  
Stroke Group ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Maximal Information Coefficient

Abstract Background The key challenge to constructing functional corticomuscular coupling (FCMC) is to accurately identify the direction and strength of the information flow between scalp electroencephalography (EEG) and surface electromyography (SEMG). Traditional TE and TDMI methods have difficulty in identifying the information interaction for short time series as they tend to rely on long and stable data, so we propose a time-delayed maximal information coefficient (TDMIC) method. With this method, we aim to investigate the directional specificity of bidirectional total and nonlinear information flow on FCMC, and to explore the neural mechanisms underlying motor dysfunction in stroke patients. Methods We introduced a time-delayed parameter in the maximal information coefficient to capture the direction of information interaction between two time series. We employed the linear and non-linear system model based on short data to verify the validity of our algorithm. We then used the TDMIC method to study the characteristics of total and nonlinear information flow in FCMC during a dorsiflexion task for healthy controls and stroke patients. Results The simulation results showed that the TDMIC method can better detect the direction of information interaction compared with TE and TDMI methods. For healthy controls, the beta band (14–30 Hz) had higher information flow in FCMC than the gamma band (31–45 Hz). Furthermore, the beta-band total and nonlinear information flow in the descending direction (EEG to EMG) was significantly higher than that in the ascending direction (EMG to EEG), whereas in the gamma band the ascending direction had significantly higher information flow than the descending direction. Additionally, we found that the strong bidirectional information flow mainly acted on Cz, C3, CP3, P3 and CPz. Compared to controls, both the beta-and gamma-band bidirectional total and nonlinear information flows of the stroke group were significantly weaker. There is no significant difference in the direction of beta- and gamma-band information flow in stroke group. Conclusions The proposed method could effectively identify the information interaction between short time series. According to our experiment, the beta band mainly passes downward motor control information while the gamma band features upward sensory feedback information delivery. Our observation demonstrate that the center and contralateral sensorimotor cortex play a major role in lower limb motor control. The study further demonstrates that brain damage caused by stroke disrupts the bidirectional information interaction between cortex and effector muscles in the sensorimotor system, leading to motor dysfunction.

scholarly journals Method and Application of Operational Architecture Modeling Based on Information Flow Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-55
Author(s):  
Yinghui Yang ◽  
Jianhua Li ◽  
Qingwei Meng ◽  
Mingli Nan
Keyword(s):  
Information Flow ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Modeling Framework ◽  
Operational Process ◽  
Information Flow Analysis ◽  
Modeling Process ◽  
Architecture Framework ◽  
Architecture Modeling ◽  
Operational Activity

Abstract To strengthen operational process analysis and normalize information requirements description in systemic operations based on information systems, a new operational architecture modeling method is proposed from the perspective of information flow analysis. An operational architecture modeling framework based on information flow analysis is established by referring to American department of defense architecture framework (DoDAF V2.0). Concepts of entities, relationships, attributes and mapping rules are defined. Operational activity model, operational nod model and information alternation model are constructed. Finally, aerial assault operation is taken as an example to demonstrate the modeling process. Simulation results show that operational process analysis is more refined and information requirement descriptions are more visible, normal and clear, which validate the feasibility and validity of the method and models.

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